Prep/Pre-Prep Advice

[gnomemonkey]

Hi good people of MN. We are currently looking at pre-preps/preps for our DD. Does anyone have advice on the things I should be looking for and the questions I should be asking when I look around the schools? So far on my list of questions is:
No of pupils per class
Extra curricular activities
What schools the prep feeds to
Where the other kids live (for ease of play dates etc)
Curriculum

Erm....any other ideas/advice on what I should be looking for/asking? It's a massive financial commitment, and obvs, I dont want to waste my money on an average school. I'm the kind of muppet that would be sucked in by fluff, like a cute uniform, so I need to be armed with some sensible issues to keep my focus. Otherwise DD is going to end up at the equivalent of St Trinians!

Also, I live in a Sunbury, which is Middlesex/West Surrey borders. Is it worth looking at schools closer to London, just because some are pretty prestigious, or is that just setting myself up for a horrendous daily commute and no play dates as we live to far away from everyone else?

Thanks in advance!!

I think you are probably asking this qn with a 3-4 year old in mind (as opposed to 7+). I think your views might change at 7+ (assuming it is a different school). Here goes:

1. Is it worth paying £30k+ for my child to go through your (pre prep) school versus the local infants?
   Maybe the hours will suit you better....maybe your child would thrive in smaller classes....maybe you live nearby...maybe they have a good holiday club (holidays will be longer) on site.

2. What is the mix of boys v girls?

3)What is the actual catchment area of current pupils?

I moved my DD to private this term. Having had brothers at distant public boarding and state grammar decades ago (as opposed to me at the local comp...I guess we ran out of cash), their biggest observation was that they dreaded school hols because they had no friends nearby.

Good luck