Lansdown Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL51 6QS
10 reasons to choose Dean Close Preparatory School & Pre-Prep
Top line
Dean Close Preparatory School & Pre-Prep has a Schoolsmith Score® of 90. It is one of the best independent prep schools in and around Cheltenham and one of the 4 best primary schools for 1.5 miles.
School fundamentals
Dean Close Preparatory School & Pre-Prep is an independent prep day and boarding school for boys and girls (50%/50%) between the ages of 3 and 13 years. It is also a Choir School. Boarding from Year 3 for the 20% of pupils who board. All are full boarders. It is a Church of England school, open to all faiths and none. The school has an academically selective admissions policy. It is the prep school to Dean Close School, an all-through school to age 18. Dean Close Preparatory School & Pre-Prep fees range from £4,000 (Rec) to £9,385 per term (2025/26). Full boarding fees range from £9,670 to £12,390 per term. Fees include VAT and lunches.
Average class size
Dean Close Preparatory School & Pre-Prep has two classes per year rising to four or five from Year 7, and an average class size of 18 pupils.
Leavers' destinations
At the end of Year 8, most Prep School pupils move up to Dean Close School.
The Dean Close Preparatory School & Pre-Prep curriculum
School curriculum, an adaptation of the National and ISEB Curricula, also includes PSHE, French, Latin. The school is one of the 50 prep schools with the most extensive academic and hobby extra-curricular programmes in the UK.
More on the curriculum
There are regular educational trips for all year groups, visiting speakers and residential trips from Year 6. The DCPS Award is a scheme to encourage Years 3 to 8 to participate in the co-curricular; the arts, life skills, and community service.
Specialist teaching
Specialist teachers for music, art, languages, computing, drama and sport throughout, and for most subjects from Year 5.
Sport at Dean Close Preparatory School & Pre-Prep
School is one of the 50 prep schools with the most extensive sports offers in the UK. Competitive teams in major sports from Year 3. In recent years the school has enjoyed national success in equestrian events, hockey, rugby 7s, shooting, trampolining.
The Arts at Dean Close Preparatory School & Pre-Prep
School educates the choristers of the Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum. Art, music and drama are taught as discrete curricular subjects to all pupils. All pupils learn an instrument in class and three-quarters take extra-curricular instrument lessons from Year 3. 3 choirs (excluding the choristers), orchestra and 11 instrument ensembles. The school offers each pupil over 5 different extra-curricular creative and performing arts clubs.
Wraparound care
Wraparound care from 8.00am to 6.00pm.
Find another school near Dean Close Preparatory School & Pre-Prep
Cheltenham College Preparatory School (1.3 miles); Berkhampstead School (2.2 miles); The Richard Pate School (2.5 miles); Rendcomb College, Junior School (11.5 miles); Bredon Junior School (16.1 miles).
Gloucester Road Primary School (0.9 miles); Naunton Park Primary School (1.4 miles); Holy Apostles’ Church of England Primary School, Charlton Kings (2 miles).
Dean Close School (0.5 miles); The Cheltenham Ladies’ College (1.1 miles); Cheltenham College (1.1 miles).
Pate’s Grammar School (1.5 miles); Balcarras School (3 miles); Sir Thomas Rich’s School (5.2 miles).