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Photo of Windermere School Pre-Prep & Prep School
Reviewed

Windermere School Pre-Prep & Prep School

Independent school · Windermere, LA23 1NW
  • Primary/prep
  • Co-ed
  • Ages 3-11
  • From £7,275 pa
  • 67 pupils
  • Boarding
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A school where children are articulate, enthusiastic, polite and cooperative. What’s more, they listen to each other and apologise if they interrupt. Asked for their views, pupils agree with their parents that, ‘the main thing is the teachers, who are brilliant.’ And what’s more, with ‘so many opportunities, it’s amazing.’ As long as you are prepared to sacrifice gleaming facilities for the ethos and opportunities, they just might be right.

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Overview & data

Pupil numbers
67 ·
Offers boarding
Yes ·
Religion
Inter- / non- denominational
Fees
Day £7,275 - £19,500; Boarding £27,566 - £32,166 pa
Local authority
Westmorland and Furness
Linked schools

Headteacher

Pre-prep and prep school headteacher

Jenny Davies

Since September 2021, Jenny Davies. After training as a nursery nurse, she gained a BA in English with QTS and started at junior school over 20 years ago. Safe to say she knows the school and children very well. Has worked in all years, including up

Entrance

A meeting with the head and taster days are the selection process. Not selective. Boarding starts from age 8.

Open days
See website

Exit

Most of pupils move on to senior school (80 per cent in 2025). Year 5 and 6 pupils pay weekly visits to the senior school teachers, taking part in drama, music, computing and French lessons, as well as enjoying lunch in the company of senior school

Latest results

There are no results to show for this school. Find out more.

Teaching & learning

6:1
Pupil to teacher ratio
9
Average class sizes

Boarders

Boarding available from age 8. Younger boarders tend to be celebrities with the older students, as they ‘take them under their wing’ (as they put it). There are live-in staff, or ‘families’, on hand 24 hours in each house. Children tend to share

7
Total boarders
1
Full time boarders
6
Flexi boarders

Mobile phone policy

A clear mobile phone policy is a really important part of modern schooling. This school has provided us with their policy.

Mobile phone policy

Provided by the school and not part of our review

Pupils all sign the acceptable use policy annually which states, 'If I have a mobile phone, or other devices, I will hand it in to the school office and it will be secured safely until the end of the day.'

Updated Oct 2025

Pupils

67
Number of pupils

Money matters

Bursaries available. Parental needs assessed independently by Bursary Administration Limited for a one off fee.

Fee information
Day £7,275 - £19,500; Boarding £27,566 - £32,166 pa

Our view

Adventure and the outdoors are the USP of the junior school. Given the environment, it would be a shame not to. Wellies and waterproofs are de rigour and children spend a fair proportion of the time in them, in all weathers. And they do get all

The last word

A school where children are articulate, enthusiastic, polite and cooperative. What’s more, they listen to each other and apologise if they interrupt. Asked for their views, pupils agree with their parents that, ‘the main thing is the teachers, who

Inspection reports

What the school says

We are Windermere School Pre-Prep and Prep School – warm, welcoming and nestled in the heart of the Lake District. Our classrooms overlook shimmering Lake Windermere, where nature inspires learning every day. We nurture curious minds aged 3 to 11, blending academic excellence with outdoor adventure. With small classes, big smiles and boundless imagination, we help children grow in confidence, creativity and kindness.

Contact the school

Address

Patterdale Road
Windermere
Cumbria
LA23 1NW
Get directions

Telephone: 015394 46164

Email: admissions@windermereschool.co.uk

Website: https://www.windermereschool.co.uk

Local authority: Westmorland and Furness

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School data & information Windermere School Pre-Prep & Prep School Patterdale Road, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1NW
67 Pupil numbers
7 Total boarders
1 Full time boarders
6 Flexi boarders
9 Average class sizes
6:1 Pupil to teacher ratio

Mobile phone policy

Provided by the school and not part of our review

Pupils all sign the acceptable use policy annually which states, 'If I have a mobile phone, or other devices, I will hand it in to the school office and it will be secured safely until the end of the day.'

Updated Oct 2025

We do not receive results data for this school. Find out more.

Entry and exit data

Here we report figures on pupils moving between schools at the usual entry and exit points, as well as student destinations into higher education. We publish publically available data for state schools. For independent schools, The Good Schools Guide collects data from its prep schools as to where their pupils go on to. Find out more

Our review contains additional entry and exit data reported to us and is updated annually. See the review

Recent leavers' destinations

SEN overview

Windermere School Pre-Prep & Prep School is a mainstream school. The school may provide support for students with special educational needs as detailed below. If you require more information on conditions the school can support, we encourage you to contact the school directly.

SEN statement

Provided by the school and not part of our review

At Windermere School we ensure that all pupils are able to access a rich, broad and balanced curriculum in order to succeed in fulfilling their potential. This is achieved in a warm, caring and supportive environment, through careful analysis of individual learning strengths and styles. Appropriate support measures are implemented as necessary. These may be in the form of individual lessons with our specialist teacher; support within the class by one of our highly skilled teaching assistants; differentiated work by our experienced class teachers; or, as is most common, a combination of all three approaches.

Updated Sep 2016

SEN conditons supported

Schools report the conditions they might be able to support. Please note, this may not be a complete list. Find out more.

Conditions (Might cover/be referred to as) Provision
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), Social skills Yes
HI - Hearing Impairment
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty Learning needs
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment Sensory processing
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic, Tics, Tourettes
PD - Physical Disability
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health Anxiety, Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication Selective mutism Yes
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty Complex needs
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Auditory processing, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting Yes
VI - Visual Impairment Special facilities for Visually Impaired
Our data explained
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