Headmaster: Mr Justin Chippendale
Deputy Head (Academic): Mr Alistair Wilkinson
Deputy Head (Pastoral): Mr Steve Watson
Head of Pre-Prep: Mrs Claire Luckhurst
Head of Boarding: Mrs Anna Hardy
Director of Finance and Operations: Mr Simon Worthy
PA to the Headmaster: Mrs Emma Guppy
King’s College Prep is a leading pre-prep and prep school with around 300 girls and boys. Set in a beautiful countryside location surrounded by farmland, the school is only a couple of minutes’ drive from the centre of Taunton.
The school respects traditional values and boarding is a strong feature which contributes to the tangible family atmosphere that exists in the school. Children enjoy a challenging all-round education in a progressive and stimulating environment.
The 2022 ISI report recognised that pupils at King’s Prep have ‘been brought up in a school where they feel happy and confident … they appreciate their natural environment and understand the positive impact on their wellbeing’. It also commented on ‘the effective teaching and balanced educational experience that leads to pupils leaving equipped with a diverse set of skills’.
Pre-Prep. We have a very popular Pre-Prep, located in its own dedicated area of the school with full access to our extensive facilities and grounds. Our Nursery is a friendly, happy and welcoming setting for children aged two to four years, and every child has their own key worker who focuses on individual needs and supports each child through their time with us. When the time comes to move up to Reception, we take the children and their parents on a tour of the facilities so they can see more of what we have to offer for the next stage of their child's development. This gentle and smooth transition helps children become familiar with their new surroundings and feel like part of one big school family.
Prep School. When children first join the Prep School, the door to an exciting new world of opportunities and challenges is opened, both inside and outside the classroom. Our teachers are experts in their fields, and welcoming, engaging and passionate. All children study core subjects: English, maths, science, geography, history, modern foreign languages (MFL) and religious studies, and our broad curriculum also embraces Latin, the visual and creative arts (including music, art and drama), design technology, and an imaginative programme of PE and games.
Activities. Sporting facilities and opportunities are extensive, as is the school’s co-curricular, offering includes Forest School, riding lessons at the school’s off-site Equestrian Centre, archery, ballet, fencing, cookery, multi-sports and outdoor adventure.
Facilities. Across the school site, pupils benefit from traditional and modern facilities such as a bright modern science facility, cookery school, adventure playground, outdoor swimming pool, Astros and extensive grass pitches, a huge indoor sports centre and gym equipment, as well as an arts centre that acts as the hub for music and performing arts events. The school’s 2.5 km ‘King's Loop’ is popular for cross-country running at lunch times.
King’s Prep has a partner senior school, King’s College, Taunton, and the two schools benefit from their own independent sites, furnished with excellent age-appropriate facilities to maximise the opportunities for the children in their care. There is a close working relationship between King’s Prep and the senior school, and the majority of pupils progress to King's College at age 13.
Fees per term (2024-2025). Pre-Prep: £3,734.50–£3,916, Prep: £4,719–£7,975, UK boarding: £9,207–£11,869.
Charitable status. Woodard Schools Taunton Ltd is a Registered Charity, number 1103346. King’s College Prep exists to provide high quality education for boys and girls aged 2–13.