Open events
We run open events throughout the academic year and invite all prospective families to attend. They are a great opportunity to see our school and facilities as well as meeting our senior leadership and admissions teams. You will also have the opportunity to chat with our pupils as they will be also be showing you around our school.
Initial visit
Our individual tours are unique and tailored to you and your family. We strongly recommend a visit to Copthorne Prep to experience all we offer. You will have the opportunity to see our school in action as lessons will be in full swing and our inspirational teachers on hand to answer any queries that you might. Having had tea or coffee and a chat with our headmaster, deputy head or head of nursery and pre-prep, your tour will start. Our pupils will welcome you to their classrooms and give you the opportunity to see their hard work and brimming confidence. Seeing the school full of pupils will give you a true sense of how special our school is and what we do best!
Registration
After visiting and feel that Copthorne Prep is the right school for your child, the next stage in the admissions process is to register your child. The registrar will then guide you through the admissions journey.
For a place in our nursery, we recommend that you register your child by the age of 18 months and for entry into reception by the age of three. Children entering year 3 in the prep school should be registered with us by the beginning of year 2.
Taster sessions
Once registered, we will invite your child to attend either a taster session or a full taster day, depending upon their age. As part of the taster experience, we will assess the children either informally or formally depending upon the age of the child. Whilst we do not formally assess children joining us in the nursery or starting reception, informal observations will be carried out during the taster session (usually a morning which lasts about three hours). Children joining the school during their reception year upwards will be invited to spend a full day at Copthorne Prep, with their peer group, during which some assessment work will be carried out in reading, writing, spelling and mathematics. This will help us gauge the levels they are currently working at. We will also request a report from their current school or nursery.
Formal offer
Subject to the availability of places, a satisfactory taster day assessment and report from your child’s school or nursery, a place will be formally offered by letter.
