12-451: Temple Grove School was a preparatory school for boys, and after 1984 also for girls, originally at Parsons Green , London, later at East Sheen , London, still later at Eastbourne , and finally at Heron's Ghyll, an estate between Uckfield and Crowborough in East Sussex . Founded before 1803 at Parsons Green, where it was known as Elm House , before it gained the name of Temple Grove,
24-606: A combination. They fall into the following general categories: The Independent Association of Prep Schools is a prep schools heads association; one of seven affiliated associations of the Independent Schools Council . Pre-prep schools are generally associated with prep schools, and take children from reception to Year 3. Provision for younger children is generally called a nursery school or kindergarten . Prep schools were originally developed in England and Wales in
36-555: A house at East Sheen, the school survived to become one of the oldest preparatory schools in England, but in 2005 it finally closed. In the 19th century the school was also sometimes called by the name of the headmaster of the day, as in Mr Waterfield's, East Sheen , or Mr Edgar's . The school was founded before 1803 at Elm House, Parsons Green. In 1810 its headmaster, Dr Pearson , moved it to East Sheen , occupying an old house called Sheen Grove, or Temple Grove, so called because it
48-427: A mixed free school for students between 4 and 19 years old, Gildredge House Free School.By the 1930s the new Eastbourne site was proving expensive to maintain, so a search was begun for a new site, and dozens of possibilities were explored. In September 1935, Temple Grove moved again to Heron's Ghyll, a country house with thirty acres of land near Uckfield. In 1957, with the departure of a headmaster, Meston Batchelor,
60-606: Is overseen by Ofsted on behalf of the Department for Education . Boys' prep schools are generally for 8–13 year-olds (Years 3 to 8), who are prepared for the Common Entrance Examination, the key to entry into many secondary independent schools. Before the age of 7 or 8, the term "pre-prep school" is used. Girls' independent schools in England tend to follow the age ranges of state schools more closely than those of boys. Girls' preparatory schools usually admit girls from
72-622: The age of 13. The term "preparatory school" is used as it prepares the children for the Common Entrance Examination in order to secure a place at an independent secondary school, typically one of the English public schools . They are also preferred by some parents in the hope of getting their child into a state selective grammar school. Most prep schools are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate , which
84-528: The age of 4, who will then continue to another independent school at 11 (Year 7), or at 13 (Year 9 if the school is co-educational (as most secondary schools now are). However, as more girls now go on to formerly single-sex boys' schools that have become co-educational, the separation is less clear. There are 130,000 pupils in over 500 prep schools of all types and sizes. Prep schools may be for boys or girls only, or may be co-educational. They may be day schools, boarding schools, weekly boarding , flexi-boarding, or
96-501: The early 19th century as boarding schools to prepare boys for leading public schools, such as Eton College , Radley College , Harrow School , Charterhouse School , Oundle School , Rugby School , St Paul's School , Westminster School , Tonbridge School and Winchester College . The numbers attending such schools increased as many parents were overseas in the service of the British Empire . Prep schools are now found in all parts of
108-490: The school was formed into a charitable trust. Since it closed in 2005, its name has been continued by the trust, which supports education in the locality, notably sponsoring the Temple Grove Academy in nearby Tunbridge Wells . The school's own former premises were sold to Stonehurst Estates, which converted the main house into flats. The old boys of Temple Grove include: M. R. James identified Temple Grove School as
120-529: The setting for his short ghost story " A School Story " published in More Ghost Stories . 51°1′29″N 0°6′54″E / 51.02472°N 0.11500°E / 51.02472; 0.11500 Preparatory school (United Kingdom) A preparatory school (or, shortened: prep school ) in the United Kingdom is a fee-charging private primary school that caters for children up to approximately
132-411: Was believed to have been the home of the 17th century diplomat and politician Sir William Temple when he lived at Sheen with Jonathan Swift as his secretary. The school remained there for almost a hundred years. During the 19th century it rose to become one of the "Famous Five" of English prep schools, defined by one writer as "schools to which a duke would be pleased to send his sons". Despite that, it
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#1732859542779144-518: Was primitive and gave boys a Spartan upbringing; it was reported that in winter "In the dormitories, snow piled frequently upon the blankets and ice formed on the water jugs". In 1907, the school moved from East Sheen to the New College buildings at Eastbourne, at a time when East Sheen had changed its character, having been engulfed by the London suburbs. The Eastbourne building then transformed in 2013 into
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