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Prep schools in Croydon

There are 14 independent prep schools in Croydon: 2 girls', 1 boys', 11 co-ed. The median day fee is £20,648 a year. A prep (preparatory) school is an independent school for children up to 11 or 13, preparing them for entry to senior schools at 11+ or 13+. Many start at 3 or 4 with a pre-prep or nursery.

Updated September 2026

Schools
14
Day fees
£6,404–£25,548 / year
Ages
1–19

Best-ranked prep schools in Croydon

By Houseroom Index score

  1. Cumnor House Girls' School
  2. Elmhurst School
  3. Croydon High School
  4. Royal Russell School
  5. Al-Khair School

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Every prep school in Croydon

All 14 independent prep schools in Croydon, A to Z.

Prep schools near Croydon

Top-ranked prep schools in neighbouring areas.

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Choosing a private school in Croydon

Houseroom editorial team · Published 29 September 2026

Prep and pre-prep schools in Croydon

Cumnor House Boys in South Croydon runs from Reception to Year 8, so boys can stay to 13 and move on at 13+. Its sister school, Cumnor House Girls, shares a Woodcote Lane site in Purley with the group's nursery and runs to Year 6. Both are single-sex and part of the Blenheim Schools group. The school's published offers list names Whitgift, Trinity and Dulwich for boys, and Croydon High, Caterham, Reigate Grammar and Sutton High among the girls' destinations. Entry is by visit and a taster day rather than a formal test, and fees run from about £16,200 a year in Reception to about £20,100 in the upper years, with lunch and enrichment charged on top.

Elmhurst, on South Park Hill Road and founded in 1869, is co-educational from six months to 11. It lists Whitgift and Trinity as its most frequent destinations, alongside Caterham, Dulwich, the Sutton and Wallington grammars and several girls' schools. Admission is by registration and a taster session, with academic and sports scholarships at 7+. Fees are from about £14,500 a year in Reception to about £16,700 from Year 3.

In Purley, St David's is a co-educational prep for ages 3 to 11 that joined the Royal Russell family of schools in November 2022 while keeping its own site and staff. It reports 61 independent school places, three grammar places and 48 scholarships and awards for its 2026 leavers. Fees are from about £15,000 to about £17,900 a year.

Laleham Lea, also in Purley, is a Catholic co-educational school for ages 3 to 11 and one of the lower-cost options locally, at about £12,700 to £13,000 a year from Year 1 with hot lunch and VAT included. It runs 11+ preparation from Year 3, and its leavers go to grammar schools, independent schools such as Whitgift, Royal Russell and Croydon High, and Catholic secondaries.

Croydon High and Royal Russell both have their own junior schools from nursery age. Fidelis College, a Catholic all-through school on Central Hill in Upper Norwood, takes children from Reception, with prep fees of about £14,600 to £15,800 a year.

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Choosing a prep school in Croydon

11+ or 13+ leavers

Prep schools split by leaving age. Most London girls' and co-ed preps run to Year 6 and prepare for 11+ entry; many traditional boys' preps run to Year 8 and prepare for 13+ entry to schools such as Eton, Harrow, Winchester and Westminster, often via pre-tests in Year 6. Check which a prep is built for before you apply.

Entry points

The main entry points are 3+ or 4+ (nursery or reception), 7+ (Year 3) and, at some boys' preps, 8+. Entry at 4+ is usually by informal assessment or registration order; 7+ usually involves reading, maths and reasoning tests. Registration often closes well over a year before entry.

What to compare

Look at leavers' destinations over several years, not one; how many pupils win senior-school scholarships; class sizes; how much of the week goes to sport, music and drama; and whether the school supports 11+ or 13+ preparation in the timetable or expects outside tutoring.

Prep schools in Croydon: common questions

What are the best prep schools in Croydon?
The highest-scoring prep schools in Croydon on the Houseroom Index are Cumnor House Girls' School, Elmhurst School, Croydon High School, Royal Russell School and Al-Khair School. The index weighs exam results, destinations, inspection and value.
How many prep schools are there in Croydon?
Houseroom lists 14 independent prep schools in Croydon.
How much do prep schools in Croydon cost?
Day fees at prep schools in Croydon range from £6,404–£25,548 a year, with a median of £20,648. Fees include 20% VAT since January 2025. Lunches, uniform and trips are usually extra.
What age do children start prep school?
Most prep schools take children from 3 or 4 into a pre-prep or nursery, with a second main entry at 7+ (Year 3). Some boys' preps also admit at 8+.
What is the difference between a prep school and a pre-prep?
A pre-prep teaches children from about 3 to 7. The prep school proper runs from 7 to 11 or 13. Many schools have both on one site, so children move up without a second admissions round.
Do prep schools prepare for the 11+ and 13+?
Yes. Preps that run to Year 6 prepare for 11+ entry to senior schools; preps that run to Year 8 prepare for 13+ entry, including the Common Entrance or a senior school's own assessment and any pre-tests in Year 6.