can someone explain to me - calmly - what exactly prep school is?

[zookeeper]

Is is just another expression for a private school?

AFAIK (and don't have any direct experience of prep school) it a branch of independent school from age 7 to 13 so year 3 to year 8.

Some schools will have a pre-prep department which is often 3 to 7.

It's just a label to say how old the children are IMO but I think does do other things to people when they hear it

Now off to acronyms... (sigh)

Aah! Thanks Iris

It's a 'preparatory school', ie a private school that prepares kids for the private schools Common Entrance exam which is sat age 13, traditionally, although girls schools will often do the 11+ version as they move from junior to senior school at 11 instead of 13.

So any private school that goes up to age 11 or 13, really.

Sorry about the acronyms . There were slightly too many.

In realitymost prep schools go up to 13 but many of the independent/private senior schools take children from 11 so you get a swathe of boys and girls leaving at 11 and the rest leaving at 13.

but it essentially just the private version of primary.

'Prep' = Preparation for the 11+ or 13+ entrance to independent higher schools. Lessons will include topics relevant to those exams ie: verbal/non verbal reasoning. 'Pre-prep' is their equivalent to infants and 'Kindergarten' is their nursery.