St Christopher’s private prep school near totnes?

[Tortoise90]

We are going to visit on Friday with the hope of enrolling our daughter if it’s nice. Does anyone have any experience of the school? It’s really small so I’m finding it really tricky to find anyone who has sent their kids there!

www.st-christophers.devon.sch.uk

I would be very wary of a school with under 100 pupils - sadly unsustainable in these times.

why would you be wary? There are lots of private schools that are very small/ that size? I worked in a few in London! They are passing on the vat increase to parents so there doesn’t seem to be a problem with them having to absorb the cost that the government has put in… what reasons would you be wary of specifically related to small schools. They have lovely small classes and it’s an established school?

Stand alone independent preps with less than 100 children are at high risk of closing in the next few years unfortunately. Also with such low numbers there will be small year groups which isn’t ideal for sports teams and sometimes friendships.

ISC has them down as having 52 pupils in their last inspection!

Can you give some kind of solid reason / evidence of small prep schools closing? I’ve just come from teaching in one in London that’s been open for like 200 years and used to teach at unicorn school in Kew that is slightly larger but used to have about 18 in a year group (one form entry) also no sign of closing. They were great for sports too (at primary they aren’t exactly athletes ha) it’s more secondary they need fully functioning sports teams. I’ve taught in a lot of small prep schools and state schools and I absolutely love the small class sizes and year groups. It makes for such a family feel and the kids do really well at the 11+ along with having lots of time for extra curricular activities because of the impact the small classes have on learning, I’d take 11 in a year group over some of the local comprehensive schools that sometimes have HUGE classes and primary schools,

do you have any evidence of a large number of small prep schools closing? If so please provide some links to your sources. If not I’m looking for people who have sent their kids to this school, not just random thoughts with no real evidence to support it…. Haha

Yes we saw 52 kids at last inspection, it sounds so wonderful have that few kids per class. When I was teaching I found the sweet spot was between 9-12 kids in a class..

But thank you. I will keep it in consideration. Aside from a risk of closure. I’m mainly trying to find people with specific experience of the school 😊

Where would you be thinking for secondary?
Plenty of nice primaries round Totnes.

Re private school closures: Queen Margaret's in York has recently announced that it will be closing at the end of term. Several reasons cited, but a reduction of incoming students is one - existing parents are absorbing VAT, but fewer taking on the commitment to start with, so lower years have made the school unsustainable. I can't imagine that any of the reason given are particular to that particular school.

Queen Margaret's

Lots of small independents have closed in the last two years. London is a completely different market. I also work in private schools and have known two locally close in last year. Anyway, if you really haven’t heard of small schools closing that’s fine!
I grew up in Devon and the independent senior options are quite limited. Grammars might be better option to aim for.

Maybe ask Cheska Hull, her boy goes there I think.

@Penelopetu thanks, that may be the case I will obviously ask about finances when I look around I think if the school is nice though I’d rather take that risk. It’s run by a family so I’m not sure what the situation is. I know Devon is different to London. Wouldn’t be great for a school to close mid way through going there obviously. But if it works out the small classes would be worth it in my opinion! But will definitely press them to see what the situation is.

my partner works in one of the private secondary schools near Totnes so my daughter will go there since we will get a large discount so makes sense really.

@LeaAndDer good to know, I just looked it up and it does seem like they have a child who goes there as they’ve helped host a few school things. Must be ok ish !

https://www.instagram.com/stories/cheskahull/3657654438361017428?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igsh=MXF2d3ZybHczMDhvaA==

Cheska speaking about the school

@LeaAndDer thanks that is really helpful!!!

What a coincidence that they posted the Cheska Hull story talking about the school on the day it was mentioned on Mumsnet!

And seeing as you asked…
https://www.schoolmanagementplus.com/bursars-finance/private-school-closures-how-many-uk-independent-school-closures-2025/

And I disagree completely about the sport. My kids started off at a prep but now at state secondary and I’m so grateful for the love of team sport their prep school gave them! The prep school I teach in has fixtures every week and it’s a huge part of the reason parents choose our school.

Anyway, hope you love the school - you seem very keen already!

Crazy coincidence but very helpful. So I contacted them and re sport they actually do a lot and just mix the year groups which is good to know.

my partner’s private school he teaches at has under 100 kids and they do some great team sports by mixing year groups too. We’ve just always preferred smaller schools (I went to one and just have taught in quite a range and always liked the smaller family feel ones). Feel like I don’t want to pay money and get giant class sizes!

To be honest we may look around and not like it (I know it has a Christian ethos and we are very atheist so 🤷🏻‍♀️. But we’ve looked around a few other private schools like Maynard, Exeter school, west buckland and didn’t like various things about each of them. Particularly Maynard and west buckland was horrible! So I have my fingers crossed this one will be nice. we loved Exeter cathedral school so hoping it’s a similar vibe.