Cheltenham College Preparatory School
11+ Admissions Guide 2026

Cheltenham College Preparatory School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school with a long and rich history, having been founded in 1841 as part of Cheltenham College before becoming a separate school in 1909. The pre-preparatory department was added in 1993, and the school has been fully co-educational since 1998. It is governed alongside Cheltenham College under a shared governing body, with the head of the college holding overall responsibility for both schools. The school is organised into two sections: the pre-prep, covering Nursery through to Year 2 and including the Early Years Foundation Stage, and the prep, for pupils in Years 3 to 8. Boarders are accommodated in a single boarding house, and the school has recently added a woodland nursery school and new changing rooms to its facilities. The school aims to equip pupils to lead fulfilled and purposeful lives with a commitment to serving others, offering an all-round education founded on Christian principles. It encourages intellectual curiosity, academic rigour, and independent learning, as well as interests beyond the classroom. The curriculum is thoughtfully adapted to meet a range of needs, including support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those for whom English is an additional language, and those with particular strengths in areas such as drama, art, music, design technology, computing and sport.

Pupils are not allowed mobile phones during the day. Boarders are provided with an iPad to FaceTime home in the evening.