Pre-Preparatory schools Birmingham

The structure, though, survives in the names that the 'infant' departments of independent schools choose for themselves, and in cities such as London where the shortage of good school places has resulted in competitive academic examinations for entry to the top prep schools at age 7.
Marlborough Infant School
01217 721 426
Marlborough Road
Birmingham
Hamd House Preparatory School
0121 772 7608
St Oswalds Road
Birmingham
St George's CofE Junior and Infant School
0121 359 3432
St George's Street
Birmingham
Nelson Junior and Infant School
0121 464 2201
King Edward's Road
Birmingham
Lozells Junior and Infant School and Nursery
0121 464 1880
Wheeler Street
Birmingham
Somerville Primary (NC) School
0121 675 0956
Somerville Road
Birmingham
King David Junior and Infant School
0121 449 3364
Alcester Road
Birmingham
Tindal Junior and Infant School
0121 464 3049
Tindal Street
Birmingham
Sladefield Infant School
0121 327 0662
Bamville Road
Birmingham
St Benedict's Infant School
0121 464 6420
St Benedicts Road
Birmingham
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Pre-Preparatory schools

Pre-preps - first steps?


Prep-prep school
A great pre-prep school will inspire, enthuse and encourage your child; foster a love of learning and develop a sense of adventure and spirit. They'll develop social skills too - foster good manners and an appreciation of the world in which they live and the people they share it with.

To many, pre-prep schools are viewed as a national treasure, to others they are seen as an essential pre-requisite in the preparation of children for bigger and better things.

Pre-prep schools explained

 
Pre-preps (pre-preparatory schools, to give them their full name) are independent schools that specialise in helping children aged from 4-7 prepare for entry to preparatory schools. There are fewer pre-preparatory schools than there used to be: their main market, the boarding preparatory school system, has declined as parents keep children at home for longer.

The structure, though, survives in the names that the 'infant' departments of independent schools choose for themselves, and in cities such as London where the shortage of good school places has resulted in competitive academic examinations for entry to the top prep schools at age 7. They vary tremendously from tiny schools with a handful of pupils to part of larger all-through schools. Pre-prep schools are independent of government control and so are free from the constraints of The National Curriculum.

Which pre-prep school?

The Good Schools Guide lists all known pre-prep schools and reviews some of the best of them. Choosing a pre-prep school is a matter of great deliberation, good early years education can set a child up for life. Reading The reviews will help you decide what you want from a pre-prep school for your child and featured articles on this site will help you determine exactly what you want from a pre-prep school.
 

Entry to pre-prep schools
 

Entry requirements vary considerably from 'first-come, first-served' to mini-assessment days complete with interview and observations to see just how well Josie integrates with her peers and playmates. Few will expect children to read and write on entry but, such is the pressure for places at some pre-preps, particularly in London that, parents have been known to enlist the help of tutors to get the required head-start.

Some pre-preps begin hot-housing in earnest from day one, others believe in a more gentle introduction to allow the child to settle, make-friends and to feel comfortable in their new environment. Emphasis should be placed on creativity and exploration, encouraging a love of learning. Too much rigidity, too soon, particularly for boys can lead to problems later. At this stage homework should consist mainly of gentle exploration and reading tasks.


Recommended 'pre-prep' reading

A Parents' Guide to Primary School - Elizabeth Grahamslaw's lively, informative guide to primary schools and early years education. This book does ...

Click here to read more from The Good Schools Guide

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