Sherborne Preparatory School
11+ Admissions Guide 2026

Sherborne Preparatory School is a co-educational day and boarding school founded in 1858. Since 1998 it has operated as a charitable trust, and in 2021 it merged with Sherborne School, becoming part of the Sherborne Schools Group with a shared governing body. The school welcomes children from Nursery age (three to four years) through to the end of prep school (thirteen years), with the pre-prep catering for pupils aged four to seven. Boarding is available from Year 3 on a flexi, weekly or full basis, with one boarding house offering separate accommodation for boys and girls. The school aims to create a happy, vibrant atmosphere in which pupils develop a genuine love of learning alongside curiosity, initiative and independence. It places particular value on kindness, perseverance, generosity, honesty and awareness, encouraging every pupil to grow into a resilient and responsible member of the community. Most pupils come from professional and business families living within around 15 miles of the school. The school supports pupils with a range of special educational needs and disabilities, including dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD, and provides additional help for those who need it. Extra support is also available for pupils for whom English is an additional language, and the most able pupils have access to a differentiated curriculum and enrichment classes.

Pupils don't bring mobile phones to school – except boarders, who hand them in on arrival and can use them for a short time each evening to call family.