Colchester Prep & High School
Catchment Area, Reviews and Key Information

Primary & Secondary
PUPILS
380
AGES
2 - 16
GENDER
Mixed
TYPE
Other independent school
SCHOOL GUIDE RATING

How Does The School Perform?

Excellent
NATIONAL AVG. 2.09
Independent Inspection
Report
(08/12/2022)
Full Report - All Reports
97%
NATIONAL AVG. 38%
5+ GCSEs grade 9-4 (standard pass or above) including English and maths
89%
NATIONAL AVG. 45%
GCSE Grade 5 (strong pass) or above in both English and maths
DATA
GUIDE

Secondary Data
Explained for parents
Day
Boarding Type
Available
Scholarship Status
£3,505
to
£5,572
Day Fees Per Term
NURSERY 2+

Co-educational nursery

View website

School Prospectus

Wellesley Road
Colchester
CO3 3HD
+44 (0)1206 589998

See News and Open Days from Colchester Prep & High School

School Description

Colchester Prep & High School is a co-educational Independent School for pupils aged 2 to 16, where inspiring teachers build in the children the confidence, self-belief and strength of character to aspire higher whilst nurturing in them a global perspective and a mindfulness for social responsibility which lasts throughout their lives. Combined with a forward-thinking STEAM based curriculum & Digital Literacy Mastery Programme, Colchester Prep & High School delivers academic excellence and develops creative and inquisitive minds ready to shape tomorrow’s world.

Colchester Prep & High School Parent Reviews



Average Parent Rating


“Highly Recommend”


The school works so hard to create a positive, accommodating and fulfilling learning environment for all pupils. There is a wonderful sense of community where children feel valued and supported.
“A wonderful environment”


We think the school is a wonderful environment - the pupils are encouraged to try many different things and have the opportunity to start to understand what they enjoy and are made to feel proud of their achievements in all areas. We really like the emphasis on being a good 'citizen', not just in school but in the wider world too.
“Incredibly impressed”


We have been incredibly impressed with the senior leadership team and the head, who have such high aspirations for the pupils and show great enthusiasm to enhance their development as individuals but also as members of the wider community.
“Caring and encouraging”


I am a parent and my experience of CHS is that it is a kind, caring, family-oriented school. They look at the individual and encourage their strengths.
Your rating:
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News, Photos and Open Days from Colchester Prep & High School

Last update: 23 October 2023
OPEN DAYS AND VIRTUAL VISITS

 

At Colchester Prep & High School we believe it’s important for children to want to be here. That’s why we regularly invite parents and children to visit our school.

View open days
COLCHESTER PREP & HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS CELEBRATE EXCELLENT GCSE RESULTS

 

 

Pupils from Colchester Prep & High School are celebrating another incredible year of excellent GCSE results with 45% of grades secured at the highest levels of academic achievement, Grades 7-9.

Ms Karen Gracie-Langrick, Headteacher said, “It has been such a pleasure to celebrate the excellent GCSE results achieved by our Year 11 pupils today. We are especially delighted with the excellence demonstrated within the STEAM subjects and that 100% of pupils on our Grammar School Pathway for Sixth Form have secured their places at the Royal Grammar School for Boys (5 pupils), the County High School for Girls (3 pupils), with 1 pupil taking up a Sixth Form Academic Scholarship.” 

The School saw notable success in the STEAM subjects in that 59% of grades achieved in Biology were 7+, with 53% for Chemistry, 44% for Physics and 52% for Mathematics.

Our congratulations go to all our Year 11 pupils who should be so proud of their individual achievements. We wish them every success with their futures.

 

Colchester Prep & High School awarded double “Excellent”

 

We are celebrating the release of our recent Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) Inspection Report and their rating of:

• "Excellent” for the quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements, and

• “Excellent” for the quality of pupils’ personal development.

Ms Gracie-Langrick, Headteacher said, “I am delighted with the findings of the report. A double “excellent” is the highest possible inspection outcome and the report endorses the school’s ethos of providing an inspiring education that builds in our pupils the confidence and strength of character to prepare them to be the changemakers of tomorrow’s world. The ISI has clearly seen the value of our forward-thinking STEAM curriculum, Digital Literacy Mastery Programme, and focus on social responsibility in helping to build confident, balanced individuals, prepared for the future and life in modern Britain. I would like to thank our pupils, staff, and parents who have all worked with us to achieve this fantastic outcome for our school.” 

 

COLCHESTER PREP & HIGH SCHOOL ETHOS 

 

 

“God First, Others Second, Self Last”

Colchester Prep & High School works to create a safe, happy and supportive environment in which all individuals feel valued and respected. Every individual is an integral part of our inclusive community. Colchester Prep & High School is a place where true potential is recognised, high expectations are fulfilled, and personal achievements are celebrated.

The education that we provide encourages academic excellence, global connectivity and social responsibility. We seek to create well-balanced individuals who aspire to be active and conscious citizens of the future. 

Our Values:

· Kindness
· Tolerance
· Respect
· Equality
· Courage
· Perseverance

Find out more
OUR HAPPY BOYS AND GIRLS

Parents who visit our school always remark on how happy the children are. It’s no coincidence that we place such an emphasis on providing excellent pastoral care.

Good pastoral care is about making children feel at ease so that they can thrive at school. That means making every child feel valued and cared for, which in turn means knowing them well, having good relationships with their families, and offering them the right support.

 

 

Visit our website
NEW STATE OF THE ART STEAM CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION

 

 

Our new STEAM Centre will open in September 2024 to support our 'future ready STEAM curriculum.

It will include ‘maker-spaces’ dedicated to:

• textiles
• electronics
• robotics 
• food science and nutrition
• broadcasting
• film, media and animation
• game design, and 
• an additional’ Climate Science’ Lab

Pupils will gain the practical analytical and creative skills and mindsets required for them to become the next generation of entrepreneurs, digital creatives, wind energy engineers, driverless car mechanics, metaverse developers or telesurgeons of the 21st Century workplace.

More about our 'future ready' STEAM curriculum
Meet the Head: Ms Karen Gracie-Langrick

Ms Karen Gracie-Langrick joined Colchester High School as Headteacher of Colchester High School from September 2020.

Who/what inspired you to become a teacher?

There were two teachers who inspired me from a very early age in Junior School to become a teacher.  

My own passion for Roman History and Archaeology was engendered from the age of 7 by an inspirational teacher, Mrs Walker, whose photographs of her travels not only transported me throughout Italy to the Colosseum and Pantheon, but helped to shape my own interests and aspirations.  

The second person was the Head of the same school, Mrs Watt, whose office I found very interesting to visit.  Mrs Watt showed me how good leadership can make a difference in the world

It is a huge privilege to be an educator; in a position to open the minds of young people and empowering them with a love of learning, a thirst for knowledge and the mindfulness for social responsibility which lasts throughout their lives.  

What achievement are you most proud of as Head?

I am so proud of the achievements of the pupils at the school, whether these are academic or in any other area. I always feel so privileged when I see an incredible sporting performance or a wonderful Drama production at school. This is often not just solely the quickest runner or the most accomplished performer – I love seeing pupils who are achieving their best and truly enjoying what they are doing. Knowing that I may have played a small part in that is what gives me the most pride as a Head.

What does a successful school look like to you?

A school where the children are aspirant.  A school that is outward looking but still child centered.  A school that will take the children on a journey to discover their own talents and that inspires them to have high expectations for themselves and what they can achieve.  This requires not just a strong academic education but enrichment opportunities that connect the children also with the community and the world at large.

What is the most important quality you want every child to have when they leave your school? And why?

The most important quality for me is “courage”. The courage for them to speak out when it matters but equally to sit down and listen to others.  Courage to respect, understand, appreciate and value the views of others and themselves. The courage to have high expectations and ambitions for themselves and to be content with who they are. The courage to know what they want to achieve but also to pick themselves up when things are difficult and to be resilient going forward.  The courage to know that they can be a change maker and to strive to do the best they can in the world.

Please give 5 words to describe the ethos of your school.

Aspiring – Our incredibly dedicated teachers instil in our pupils from Nursery onwards a love of learning, confidence in themselves and an aspiration to succeed.  They not only teach an incredibly full and varied curriculum but also help our pupils to see for themselves, thereby becoming confident, ambitious and independent learners. Our excellent educational provision is supported by strong pastoral care where the teachers truly know each child and instils in them a confidence to succeed and the self-believe that they can make a positive difference in the world around them. 

Inclusive – Colchester High School is proudly non-selective.  I believe that a good quality education, which helps all students to succeed, has the power to change the lives of all individuals, who in turn can make a positive difference to the world in which they live. Our welcoming environment and combination of small classes and high-quality teaching allows us to give each child the individual attention they need to flourish whilst our enriching curriculum and expansive enrichment programme allows them to pursue their own particular blend of talents. 

Co-educational - I strongly believe that children should learn in a co-educational environment where they not only learn alongside one another but learn about one another. A good, rounded, education should prepare students, academically, socially and emotionally for the life ahead of them. A life in which men and women work together, socialise together and live together.  Our excellent academic results for both our boys and girls are testimony that teaching in a co-educational environment can work.

Global Citizenship - As a school we strive for every pupil to achieve their very best in terms of academic achievement, but we also firmly believe that education should develop children’s character and to prepare them for the future.  I really enjoy working with our pupils on their character development programme “The Wellesley Award” which encourages them to focus on their personal character development whilst encouraging a strong community spirit and global mind-set.  Our pupils should not only have the skills, resilience and confidence required to face the opportunities and challenges of an ever changing world but the emotional intelligence and sense of social responsibility to help others and build strong community around them. 

Forward – thinking - Today schools need to prepare children for a digital future, both for inside and outside of school. 

Technological innovation and digital literacy have clearly transformed education, enhancing independent research, collaboration, global connectivity and aiding assessment – and in particular supporting the delivery of on-line lessons and distance learning in a Covid-environment.  

This is not about replacing the classroom face-to-face experience – quite the opposite.  It’s about incorporating technology into education so the things that work best face-to-face are prioritised.  For example, we know that learning happens most effectively through the discussion and debate of facts and concepts: it’s the discussion and debate that can be prioritised in the classroom, and the introduction to concepts and facts that can be done online. 

At Colchester High School each one of our pupils from Year 3 are issued with 1-2-1 devices to enhance student learning, develop the pupils as autonomous learners and ensure they are technologically prepared for life beyond school.  

 

Colchester Prep & High School Catchment Area Map

This school is independently managed and its admission criteria may be selective. There is no set catchment area as pupils are admitted from a wide variety of postcodes and, in the case of boarding schools, from outside the UK. Contact the school directly or visit their website for more information on Admissions Policy and Procedures.