Caterham Preparatory School

Since 2019, Ben Purkiss. Previously deputy at Bede's Prep; before that taught science at Cottesmore, King’s Hall and the New Beacon. Having originally embarked on a military career, Mr Purkiss bumped into his old housemaster from his schooldays, ‘and

Intake at 4+ is comprehensive in philosophy, though school is over-subscribed and pre-schoolers are assessed to make sure they are ready. Very humane, ‘You see the potential in every three year-old’, says pre-prep head.

‘Vast majority’ to senior school (98 per cent in 2022), which is ‘increasingly academically selective’. Families buy into the all-through model, though a few will struggle once they get there and prep will talk to parents about ‘how that’ll feel,

Fees competitive locally. No bursary provision offered, as is fairly standard at prep level.

Set in a spectacular wooded valley, down its own lane, Caterham spreads from pre-prep at one end through prep and into the seniors – a sense of progression as you move up the site. Feels rural and self-contained, despite proximity to the town. Tidy

Whatever their love, whatever their talent – be it rope-climbing, rubics cubes or rugby – your eager beaver will have a ball at Caterham Prep. We were thrilled to find a school which is ambitious and nurturing in equal measure, feeding neatly into a