Pre-Preparatory schools Edinburgh

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.
St John Vianney Primary
0131 6641742
Ivanhoe Crescent
Edinburgh
Craigour Park Primary
0131 664 7594
Moredun Park Road
Edinburgh
Prestonpans Infant School
01875 810 028
West Loan
Prestonpans
Lumphinnans Primary & Community School
01383 313 150
Main Street
Cowdenbeath
Haddington Infant School
01620 823271
Victoria Road
Haddington
Flora Stevenson Primary
0131 3321604
Comely Bank
Edinburgh
Pinkie-St Peter's Primary
01316 652 024
44 Pinkie Road
Musselburgh
Dechmont Infant School
01506 811 264
Main Street
Broxburn
Cairneyhill Primary & Community School
01383 881 104
Northbank Road
Dunfermline
Newcastle Primary & Community School
01592 415 375
Muirfield Drive
Glenrothes
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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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