As a school we wholeheartedly believe in children being children, we encourage inquisitiveness and curiosity, and we live our values, especially kindness. Set within 16 acres in the town of Sherborne and between two fine senior schools, we enjoy the best of both town life and the Dorset countryside. We welcome children into the Pre-Prep from 3 to 7 and in the Prep School from 7 to 13.
Sherborne Preparatory School
Head's Welcome
Welcome to Sherborne Prep – where our pupils are encouraged to seize every opportunity before them.
We are a caring, nurturing, and inspiring community that places the holistic care of every child at the heart of what we do. Our staff are passionate, dedicated educators who are committed to supporting children to be happy, kind, courageous learners, and outward facing individuals. We also laugh, a lot! We are a vibrant school that celebrates the magic of childhood.
We will push children beyond their comfort zones; to be ambitious for themselves but also for their community, be that through academic rigour, music, the performing Arts, sport, or adventure. Our children have character as they know they are safe to explore and will be guided throughout their time at The Prep to be ready for senior school and beyond.
We hold our Dragon Values dear. Children are encouraged to be not only kind to others and themselves; they are also aware of others and the world around them. We aim to instil a generosity of spirit, to engender independence and curiosity in pursuit of experiences, to be honest and open and to persevere. Those who are brave and know that to reach your potential takes hard work will find the most success and happiness in life and our staff are with each child every step of the way throughout their Prep School days.
We are a true community. Children have the best opportunity to thrive when the adults in their lives have a positive relationship. Our parent body is a kind and inclusive one. Joining Sherborne Prep means you truly do join our Prep School family- we are strongest when working together and this will enable our children to shine bright – to be ready for the future; to experience opportunities that not only will help them develop as individuals but also provide them with a desire to play a positive role within their local and wider community, developing global citizens who will truly make a difference.
Founded in 1858, the school moved to its present location, just off a quiet Sherborne side street, in 1885 and went co-ed in the 1970s. The school sits close to Sherborne Abbey, it is five minutes’ walk from the centre of town but has 12 acres of grounds (including five acres of sports fields) for children to play in. The Sherborne Schools have a close relationship and Sherborne Prep uses sports facilities at Sherborne School and Sherborne Girls for both curriculum games and sports fixtures.
Sherborne Prep lies in the beautiful Dorset countryside and merged in 2021 with Sherborne School. Sherborne has a direct train to and from Waterloo (two hours) and with nearby airports of Bristol, Exeter and Southampton it is well-positioned and many pupils go on to the wealth of strong independent senior schools in Dorset and across the UK.
The Pre-Prep and nursery are housed in a separate building on the main site.
