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England for centuries had large numbers of small pre-prep schools. They had had a variety of different names. The most common was 'dame schools'. One of the many historc Engish school types. They were commonly operated by umnarried women, often middle age women. Dame school, however, were very different than modern pre-preps. Dame schools were essentuially loe-cost day care, often with nly little focus in educvation. The history of prep-schools are well diocumented, beginning (mid-19th cebbtury) when concern rose bout the suitability og public (elite privsatre noarding) schools for younger boys. The history for pre-preps is less clear. Of course it had to begin after prep schools appeared. England had infants schools, but these were schools for tounger primary children, usually icnluding Kindergrten. There were also nursery schools. English nursery schools emerged (early-19th century). The first Britih nursery school we know of was founded by Robert Owen in New Lanark, Scotland (1816). The purpose was to provide dy care and early learning experience for working-class families. This was not needed for middle- and upprer-class familieds becuse so few mothers from these lasses worked outside the home. Afactor here was the Indiustrial Revolution. This development was influenced by the Industrial Revolution, when rural workers moved into expanding cities seekimng job, the need for child csare became increasingly important. Europeans began talking about early childhhod education (mid-19th century), The first practical outcome was the Kindergarten movement in Germany. England began founding a state education system (1870). The minimum age for the news schools was 5 years old. These schools were open to everyone, but for the most part, parents who cold ford a prep-chool did not want their children associating ewih lower-class children. This created a market for schools preparing children for prep schools which expected entrants to alreadt have basic reading and math skills. What we now call pre-preps are fairly recent creations. Many pre-preps probably developed out of existing schools weith new schools being founded to meet the expanding need. We do not know much about these school. Many boys were taught at home, but over time most parents saw the need for a formal school expoerience. As the prep nd public schools were mostly for boys, these schools were also mostly for boys. These schools were not a first day care because mostl of the mothers did not work outside the home. We know that they began to be set up after the turn-of-the 20th century. As far as we can tell, these were small independent schools with no formall connections with other schools. Pre-preps were well estblished during the inter-War era. The nature of the school began to change after World War II. As more mothers began to enter the work force, day care began to become a more imprtant component. The pre-preps as a result vary and the ages they handle began to change. Age levels vary greatly from school to school, but many are for children about 3-7 years of age. Modern prep scools generally accept children beginning at about 8 years of age which largely setts the age limit iof the pre-preps. .There was also a shidt towared coeducation. The British Goverment began to adopt measures adverdsely affecting private schools. The Labour Government in particular was hostile to private schools believing that they conffered an unair advantage to the affluent. Private schools began to close imcte by Govenmnt policy ad economic conditions. Coptitive pressues forced prep schools to go coed and to organze pre-prep sections. This help to ensure annual numbers of new entrants. Today largely due to business presures, many prep schools operate attached pre-prep school. Besides the academic value of preparing the childremn for the prep school, there is also the business matter of helping to ensure each years intake. Parents with more than one children also find it convenient to only deal with one school. The schools vary as to just what age group is dealt with in the pre-prep section. Of course these are all day children. Also the economics of education mean that a certain minimum number of children are needed to run a school. The pre-prep helps to meet those critical numbers. Thus there are now far fewer independent pre-prep schools. Some of the independent pre-prep schools maintain traditional school uniforms, although many do not hve uniforms. A few even retain the traditional peaked caps.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Long pants suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
[Eton suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer
[School sandals
