How much does prep school cost per year in the UK?

Day fees at prep schools typically range from £15,000 to £22,000 per year (£5,000–£7,300 per term). Boarding fees range from £30,000 to £45,000 per year (£10,000–£15,000 per term). London and south-east schools tend to sit at the higher end of these ranges. Pre-prep fees (Reception through Year 2) are generally lower, often £12,000–£16,000 per year.

What are bursaries and who qualifies?

Bursaries are means-tested financial awards that reduce fees, sometimes to zero. They are awarded based on household income and assets. Each school sets its own threshold, but many schools target bursaries at families earning under £50,000–£80,000 per year. Bursaries require a full financial disclosure including income, savings, property, and pension. The application process is rigorous but worth pursuing — many families are eligible and never apply.

What extras are not included in the headline fee?

Common extras include: lunch (sometimes included, sometimes charged separately), school trips and residential trips, musical instrument tuition, sports club memberships, uniform (including sports kit, which can cost £300–£600 at entry), exam fees, and activities. Budgeting an additional 10–15% on top of the headline fee is realistic for most families.

When should I register for a UK private school?

Registration timelines vary by entry point. For 4+ and 7+ entry in London, schools often open registration 12-18 months before entry. For 11+ entry, registration typically opens in Year 5. Preptimely calculates the exact deadlines based on your child's date of birth.

When should I start preparing for the 11 plus?

Most tutors and schools recommend starting 11+ preparation in Year 4, approximately 2 years before the entrance exams which typically take place in October of Year 6. Preptimely shows you exactly when to start based on your child's birthday.

How early do UK private schools open their registration?

Top London prep and independent schools for 4+ entry can open registration as early as the child's first birthday. For senior schools and 11+ entry, most open registration in Year 4 or 5. Missing these windows can mean missing the school entirely.

What is the private school admissions timeline in the UK?

UK private school admissions has 7 key entry points: 3+ Nursery, 4+ Reception, 7+ Year 3, 8+ Year 4, 11+ Year 7, 13+ Year 9, and 16+ Sixth Form. Each has its own registration window, open days, entrance exams, and offer dates. Preptimely maps all of these to your child's specific date of birth.

Is Preptimely free to use?

Yes. The full admissions timeline, all 7 entry points, and all preparation guides are completely free. Premium (£3.99/month) adds email reminders, unlimited children, and PDF export.

What Does Prep School Actually Cost? A Complete Fee Guide

Let's be honest about the numbers. Prep school is expensive. You already know that. What catches most families off guard isn't the fees themselves — it's all the things that sit on top of them, and the way those fees compound over nine or ten years.

Fee ranges from registration through to total prep school cost. The dotted line shows where bursary awards can make a meaningful difference — but only if you apply.

Yes, it's a lot. Most parents feel exactly the same when they first see it laid out. Some families decide it isn't financially possible. Some find that a bursary changes the calculation entirely. Both are valid outcomes. This guide gives you the numbers to make that judgement clearly.

Day fees: what you actually pay

Current day fees at UK prep schools fall into these broad ranges:

These are per-child figures, paid in three termly instalments. Most schools apply an annual fee increase of 3–6%. At 5% annual increases, a £17,000 fee today becomes approximately £22,700 by Year 8.

What is and isn't included

This varies by school, which is why two schools with similar fees can have very different real costs.

Usually included: tuition across all subjects, use of school facilities, core sports and games.

Usually charged separately: lunch (£1,000–£1,800/year at many schools), individual music lessons (£600–£1,200/year per instrument), drama or speech tuition, school trips, exam fees, and extended care.

One-time costs at entry: registration fee £75–£150, uniform bundle £300–£700 depending on the school's kit requirements.

A realistic additional budget for extras is 10–15% of the headline fee. On a £17,000/year school, that's £1,700–£2,550/year in extras.

The ten-year total

For a child starting pre-prep at Reception and leaving at Year 8:

| Phase | Years | Approx. total (mid-range day) | |-------|-------|-------------------------------| | Pre-prep (Reception–Year 2) | 3 years | £42,000–£51,000 | | Prep school (Years 3–8) | 6 years | £96,000–£138,000 | | Total (Reception–Year 8) | 9 years | £138,000–£189,000 |

These figures don't include senior school fees, private tutoring, or extras. They're before any bursary or scholarship reduction.

Bursaries: what they are and who gets them

A bursary is a means-tested award that reduces fees — sometimes substantially. Unlike scholarships (which are merit-based), bursaries are purely financial. A child doesn't need to be exceptionally gifted to qualify.

Most prep schools offer bursaries to families who can't afford the full fee and whose child is academically suitable for the school. The income threshold varies, but many schools target awards at households earning under £50,000–£80,000 before tax.

Important: bursaries consider total household wealth, not just income. Savings, investments, property equity, and pension values are all assessed. The application process requires full financial disclosure: P60s, bank statements, mortgage statements, evidence of savings and investments.

Apply even if you're unsure you qualify

Many families who would qualify for a bursary never apply because they assume they earn too much. The threshold is higher than most people expect. A household income of £70,000–£90,000 may still qualify for a partial bursary at many schools. The application costs nothing other than time. The cost of not applying is potentially tens of thousands of pounds over the prep school years.

Scholarships: useful for recognition, rarely transformative for fees

Scholarships at prep school level are awarded at entry (Year 3 or Year 7). Most offer a 5–10% fee reduction — valuable but not dramatic.

Their primary benefit is often the recognition and the confidence boost for the child rather than the financial reduction. Senior school scholarships are more significant. A 25–50% scholarship at a selective senior school can substantially change the economics of the secondary phase.

Fee payment options

Most schools offer termly payment (three invoices per year, the standard method), annual payment (some schools offer a 1–3% discount for paying the year upfront), and monthly direct debit (available at some schools, sometimes with a small administration charge).

Some families use fee prepayment schemes. These carry risk if the family needs to leave the school early. Take independent financial advice before committing to one.

That's where preptimely comes in. You've just read the map — we help you follow it.

Plan ahead with a clear admissions timeline

preptimely tracks every registration window, exam date, and milestone — so you can plan the admissions process alongside your financial planning, not separately from it.

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