Private schools in Essex - any good suggestions?

[user1474555748]

Thank you

Whereabouts are you in Essex? It's a big county.... Boarding or day? 11+ or 6th form?

I know, but we don't mind how far. We will be looking to move soon, so could move closer to it.

We are actually looking for a prep school or school that caters from 3.

Massive choice for prep. I think you need to decide where you are moving to first. And decide if you want to pay for secondary or want grammar?

Forgot to add: single sex or co-ed? Selective or non selective preference? How old is your child currently? At my daughter's prep there are 20 in a year and beyond age 6mths you are very likely on a wait list as all places are taken for 3+ entry.

It also depends on whether you are looking for 11+ or 13+ entry to secondary or a school to go the whole way through to 18.

Yes, we need more info! I know a lot of schools, too many to list...

There is some in Colchester. St Margarets in Gosfield is a prep school. There's another boarding school in Gosfield. Try Chelmsford too.

Yes, Chelmsford has lots! Also, there's a good one in Maldon

Ursuline prep is lovely.

Newhall take from 2, I think?

New Hall is 3-18. It's a lovely school but it's Roman Catholic, so not sure if that would bother you?

Walden School (formerly Friends School) and Dame Bradbury (part of the Stephen Perse foundation) in Saffron Walden are both co-ed and take from pre-prep.

Felsted?

Essex is a big place though-whereabouts were you thinking?

St Margaret's Prep in Gosfield is fantastic. Our daughter is currently in Year 1, highly recommend xx

If you're thinking of moving to be near the school then it might be worth also thinking about secondaries that are fed by those schools (if they're not all the way through 3-18). For example if you moved to be close to the schools Cuppa mentioned, that then brings a whole load of other potential non-Essex secondaries into play (eg the Cambridge private schools, Bishops Stortford College etc).

Do you want private all the way through or just for primary - that could also be a factor and again there's massive choice - if you're in South/East Essex you've got the possibility of grammars, further north/west there are some execellent secondaries (eg SWCHS) but these tend to be massively oversubscribed and have ever shrinking catchment areas.

Having personally attended four different Essex prep schools (admittedly quite a long time ago now), Oaklands in Loughton stands out as superior to the others in terms of teaching, outdoor space, and general atmosphere.

Purely in terms of academic attainment/exit results, Woodford Prep sends an impressive number on to very good secondaries.

If you're looking for a school that goes straight through, Felsted is great.