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There are a wide variety of British preparatory schools. Here are some of the basic categories, some of which overlap. There are differences in ownership, gender, religion, responsibility, age range, orientation, size, and other factors. Some schools are owned and operated by individuals or families, reflecting the foundation of most prep schools by individual as profit making establishments. Most are now foundations or chariotable trusts. Most British prep schools were originally established as single gender schools, most commonly boys schools. Many are now coeducational. Many schools are associated with individual churches, but many are non-denominational and have noreligious affliliation. Even the non-denominational schools usually have a variety of devotional or chapel services and incourage the children to participate in Sunday religious services. Schools offer both boarding and day programs. Many schools, especially those located in large cities, only offer a day program. Most boarding schools make some provision for day children. The boarding programs vary and increasingly include weekly boarding where the children go home over the weekend. The standard age range for a traditional prep school is 8-13 years. There are, however many differencess. Schools range in approach from progressive to traditional. .Individual schools fall some where on a continum between the two extremes. British prep schools vary greatly in size from a few private establishments caring for only 15-20 children to large institutions responsible for as many as 800 children. The average prepschool now probably has between 100 and 200 students, including the increasingly obligatory pre-prep departments.
Some schools are owned and operated by individuals or families, reflecting the foundation of most prep schools by individual as profit making establishments. (For greater details on the origins of English prep schools, see Briston and Weidner, Boys' Preparatory Schools.) Schools such as Marsh Court, Moffats, for example are still owned and operated individual or family enterprises. The Engleheart family which owns Moffats explains, that their "sons and daughters have all gone through the school as pupils. Thus the family element goes deeper than meer ownership, and the school may be seen as an extension of the family ....Iv For a variety of financial and practical reasons, however, an increasing number of English prep schools are operated as educational trusts. As trusts the schools. can not. be maintained for profit, but the school benefits as neither its income or property can be taxed. This permits the school to devote any surplus revenue to improvements. It also avoids the problems faced at privately owned schools when owners facing retirement had the difficult time of finding a buyer. The trust status permits parents to be confident that the school will not be closed and sold on the retirement or death of the headmaster owner.
Most British prep schools were originally established as single gender schools, most commonly boys schools. The earliest prep schools were boys' school which began to appear in the mid-19th century. British parents weremore concerned about the education of their sons than their daughters. In addotion many parents were more reluctant to send their children to boarding schools. These trends morrored attitudes toward public schools. The first girls' prep school was not establoshed until about 1900. Almost all of the preparatory schools founded before World War II were single gender schools. An increasing number of schools have now become coeducational. Here the primary empetus appears to have been financial rather than educational philosphy, although such decessions varied from school to school. Schools wanted to maintain their rolls and many parents did not want the complications of multiple schools. Interestingly, while many traditionally boys' schools have shifted to coeducation, few traditionally girls' schools appear to be making a similar transition.
Many schools are associated with individual churches, but some are now non-denominational and have no religious affliliation. Even the non-denominational schools, however, usually have a variety of devotional or chapel services and incourage the children to participate in Sunday religious services. Many boarding schools have a relationship with a nearby church where the school attends as a group. Special provision is made as needed for Catholic, Jewish, and other religions. The largest number of schools inEngland are associated with the Church of England and the Church of Scotland in Scotland. Other schools are associated with the Catholic and other churches. England like much of Europe has become an increasingly secular society, much more so than in the United States. As a result religion has become a relatively minor spect of school life at most prep schools in recent years. The religious tradition is now perhaps most emphasized in the Catholic schools than most of the other schools. There are, however, substantial differences from school to school.
One of the most important aspects is the range of responsibility offered. The British tend to refer to this as "accomodations". Schools offer both boarding and day programs. The classic preparatory school was a boarding school, in part because the purpose of the preparatory school was to prepare boys for the public school which was essentially a boarding institution. As a result, many prep schools were founded in remote rural locations. Here properties could be built inexpesively to set up boarding schools for the yoiunger children. Many schools, especially those located in large cities, only offer a day program. Not all parents wanted their children to board or could afford the substantail expense. Parents in particular often did not want to send their daughters to boarding schools. Most boarding schools make some provision for day children. This became increasingly important in the 1980s when many partents began to reassess boarding for younger children. The boarding programs vary and increasingly include weekly boarding where the children go home over the weekend.
The standard age range for a traditional prep school is 8-13 years. There are, however many differencess. Many schools have pre-preps and take younger children. Thus there may be programs for children as youngas 3-4 years of age, althouh 5 years is probably more common. Often the pre-prep is coeducational regaardless of the gender orientation of the prep school itself. Some schools are attached to senior schools and only run to age 11 at which time the children move to the senior school. Often girls schools have younger children than the boys' schools because many girls' public schools like the girls to enter at age 11. This affects the program at coed schools where the girls often leave at age 11 while the boys tend to stay until 13. This create complications for managing the pupikl load as it means the classes in the last 2 years will be smaller than the earlier years. A few boys' prep schools only run to age 12 rather than 13. This is not common, but does occur, mostly in a few urban day schools.
There are several different types of prep school programs in Britain. The classic school is one for boys age 7/8- 13 years taking children from pre-preps at 7-8 years of age. Many of these schools in recent years have added their own pre-prep sections to help stabalize the annual intake. The prep schools prepare the children and then pass them on to their public or other senior schools at age 11 for girls and 13 for boys. These schools were once mostly single-gender boarding establishments, but many have gradually shifted to coed schools with both day and boarding programs. There there are also age variations. A few schools only have classes for children up to age 12 years. Some senior schools have full term programs which include an attached prep section. Generally this meant for children up to age 11 after which they move into the senior system. These schools are commonly called colleges in England and academies in Scotland. They are normally not classified as public schools, most of which are strictly limited to children 13-18 years of age.
The classic British prep school is for children 8-13 years of age preparing them for the senior school commonly called a public school. The prep school is coomonly located apart from the senior school. Many have string afiliations with the senior school, but only a few are actually operted by the senior school. Some independent schools are full term schools, caring dor the children from pre-prep through ssecondary schools. These schools in England are often called colleges, but in England the term academy is more common. Often these school is located at one site, but some have separate locations for the different age groups. The principal difference is that while boys are kept at prep schools to age 13, although the girls often leave at about age 11. At most full term schools, the children commonly make the transition from junior to senior school at age 11 years.
Preparatory schools range in approach from progressive to traditional. Individual schools fall some where on a continum between the two extremes. Most observers would probably conclude that the larger number of English prep schools fall toward the traditional orietntation of that spectrum. Most schools stress that they. continue to promote traditional values. Traditional no longer means spartan. And many schools have introduced a variety of innovative programs. Most schools, however, are careful to ensure that the innovations promote rather than detract from a strong enphasis on the basics of literacy and numeracy.
British prep schools vary greatly in size from a few private establishments caring for only 15-20 children to large institutions responsible for as many as 800 children. Some of the smaller schools are choir schools, but these schools are often associated with a senior college, church, and university which provide various forms of support. The average prepschool now probably has between 100 and 200 students, including the increasingly obligatory pre-prep departments. Many schools have puposely limited their size on purpose, This is based on the belief that expanding the size of the schools makes it difficult for the staff to know and work with each child and maintain the family atmposphere that is such a key factor of the modern prep school. The size of a school offers a variety of advantages and disadvantages. These advantages and disadvantages are not automatic, but may be more likely at the schools of different sizes. The sense of 'belonging' in a small community is quite apparent at most schools. The boys know each other well and are aware that they are well-known to every member of the staff. The economic realities of modern Britain make it increasingly difficult to operate extremely small schools. Small schools are unable to offer a full range of qualified staff members. Some Headmasters, however, are concerned about expanding their schools significantly beyond the 150 student range. To do so means that the headmaster and staff find it more difficult to get to know each child and give him the individual attention that is the reason that many parents have chose private education in the first place.
Educational continuity is a factor that parents need to keep in mind. It is possible if a college or academy is chosen to have a child in the same school from pre-prep through secondary school. Earlier a child went to a pre-prep or beginning school. Wealty children might have been tutored at home. Then they went to their prep school, and finally did their secondary studies at a public school. Today most prep schools have pre-preps. This both ensures a steady flow of new entrants and makes sure the beginning students are properly prepared. Many preparatory schools are affiliated to a specific senior school. Some prep schools were actually fonded by senior schools or the dtaff at a senior school. These prep schools are known as "feeder schools". Educational continuity is often recognized as helpful, but sometimes it is helpful that a child get a fresh start. Also there is something to be said for diversity and widening the range of educational experience. Here parents have to decide whjat is best for their children.
