Our next Open Mornings are on Friday 7th March and Saturday 8th March 2025.
We look forward to welcoming you and your family to our wonderful school.
At the whole school Open Mornings there will be tours of the school and the opportunity to speak to our class teachers and specialist teachers as you go round. At the end of the tour you will meet me and members of the Senior Management Team and the Registrar, Sue Johnson, will also be available to answer any admissions questions.
The Open Mornings run from 9.00am to 11.00am.
Before the Open Day please click on any of the video links below that interest you. We explain our ethos and the pastoral care we provide and there are overviews of all three parts of the school from the relevant heads of department: Early Years & Foundation; Junior School; and Senior School. You can also view videos about Admissions; Games & PE; and our amazing Forest School. Lastly, and best of all, do take the opportunity to ‘meet’ some of our pupils who will tell you all about what makes Chesham Prep such a special place to grow and learn.
Please complete the registration form at the bottom of the page and we will be in touch to book your slot.
We also have a Stay and Play session on Friday 14th March for children age 2 1/2 – 4 years old which you can register for here.
If you have any questions or would like to enquire about a place for your child, please contact the Registrar, Sue Johnson, on 01494 782619 or email registrar@cheshamprep.co.uk.
Jonathan Beale Headmaster
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Our 4 lane 25 metre swimming pool was opened in September 2019 by Mark Foster. Children in years 2 – 8 swim throughout the school year as part of the curriculum. Year 1 swim in the Autumn and Spring terms and Reception start to swim in their Summer term. The children are placed in small ability groups and coached by qualified instructors.
Sport forms an important part of life at Chesham Prep, with a strong department of 10 experienced teachers. . “Sport for all” is our aim and Mr Batchelder our Director of Sport teaches children to learn from their last game ‘it’s about giving children ownership over their sport’. From Nursery upwards all our children get to experience a wide variety of different sporting activities through PE and games lessons as well as in a wide variety of clubs.
Including an astro and grass wicket and a bowling machineOur key sports are hockey, rugby, cricket, football and athletics for both boys and girls. Our aim is that all children leave us with a love of sport and a desire to continue participating which will stay with them throughout their life. We run teams at every age group and include as many children as possible in an extensive list of competitive matches against local schools. Normally we would have 240 Rugby, 148 Hockey, 88 Cricket, 130 Football and 148 Netball fixtures each year.
At Chesham Prep the children love playing outside in our Forest School. From Nursery upwards, the children have regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in our woodland area. Mrs Phipps, our qualified Forest Schools Practioner, leads all the sessions in our Forest School Area whatever the weather: learning how to make fires and toast marshmallows, sausages, popcorn and pancakes on pancake day, building shelters and dens, going on mini beast hunts and building mini beast hotels, building assault courses with logs and wood, making mud paint, doing art and craft like flower pressing, building tyre swings, and making concoctions in the mud kitchen.
Art is an integral part of the curriculum here at Chesham prep, with lessons being taught throughout the school from Nursery to Year 8. The children are given many exciting opportunities to explore their creativity through their Art lessons, experimenting with a variety of mediums such as pottery, mosaics and street art. Design and Technology is taught throughout Chesham Preparatory school from Nursery to Year 8. From Year 5 up to Year 8, the pupils have the opportunity to work in the specialist technology room and they learn to use hand and power tools to shape, join and combine a variety of materials in a safe environment.
Specialist Computing lessons start in Reception with pupils receiving one lesson a week in their own Classroom using iPads. From Year 1, children use the Computing suite for their weekly lesson. From Year 3, pupils have Computing twice a week and move on to using Desktop Computers for their learning and are gradually introduced to a wide array of hardware including several different types: programming hardware; digital cameras; microphones and MIDI keyboards for making music. Across the school ICT resources are used in a cross-curricular approach. There are banks of Laptops and iPads that are regularly used in other lessons and many teachers make use of Google Classroom to set work and homework. Pupils in Year 7 and 8 have a Chromebook to use as part of their lessons across the curriculum.
The Library has 21 networked computers in addition to those within the school’s IT department, and currently stocks over 7000 library books, both Fiction and Non-fiction. All children in EYFS and Junior School attend the LRC once a week, with their Class Teacher, for a timetabled Library Visit – enabling them to return and select new reading books for their enjoyment and development – whilst Senior School children regularly visit the LRC with their Subject Teachers, using the computers for classwork, research and/or independent learning.
We have 2 equipped science labs with Bunsen burners and interactive whiteboards where the emphasis is on experimental and investigative work. From Year 4 onwards children are in the science lab with specialist science teachers for 2-3hrs each week. Years 7 and 8 are taught the three sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) separately in double lessons.
We offer instrumental/vocal lessons from Year 3 up and 70% of eligible children learn an instrument, with many choosing to learn more than one discipline. Our musical year involves many performance opportunities including regular termly concerts, community performances, an annual performance at Young Voices, culminating in the Speech Day, where the prize-winning instrumentalists and Senior Choir perform. Music lessons include music of all genres, from Classical to Pop to Rap; and this is supplemented by extra-curricular activities, including school orchestra, instrumental ensembles, 5 choirs and a ‘School of Rock’ club.
Our standout production two years ago was ‘We Will Rock You’ with previous productions including ‘Mary Poppins’, ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Annie’. Due to lockdown restrictions in the Summer Term, the senior production had to be produced virtually in class bubbles and an ‘on-screen’ performance was then released to all parents. This involves every child in Year 6, and is optional for Years 7 and 8, with many of KS3 choosing to be involved with lighting, sound and backstage activities. Our large-scale musical theatre productions are always designed to be inclusive with an audition process for the main parts, and we ensure that there are 2 casts for each show, to allow as many children as possible to have a substantial role.
At Chesham Prep we wholeheartedly encourage the move towards a healthier lifestyle within our school. We have recently employed Accent Catering as our Caterers to ensure that the structure and content of all our menus promotes the wellbeing of everyone we feed. We actively support British farmers in our purchasing practices and use local suppliers where possible. We exceed all the recommendations of the National School Food Guidelines and have done so since we first started. We have also created a series of recipes that help reduce the amount of sugar on our menus whilst still serving delicious food.
Our Nursery is a happy, friendly and welcoming place. We pride ourselves on developing very close relationships with both the children and their families. At Chesham Prep we believe simply, that a happy child will learn and therefore reach their full potential. “The early years of school are unique in so many ways. It is vitally important that during this time a child fosters a love of learning, an inquisitive mind and a sense of self-worth. Chesham Prep is very much a family school. As the youngest members of that family we, in the Early Years Department, believe it is our role to build the solid foundations that will enable every child to thrive, succeed and make the most of every opportunity offered.” Mrs Rudol, Head of EYFS
Including an astro and grass wicket and a bowling machineOur key sports are hockey, rugby, cricket, football and athletics for both boys and girls. Our aim is that all children leave us with a love of sport and a desire to continue participating which will stay with them throughout their life. We run teams at every age group and include as many children as possible in an extensive list of competitive matches against local schools. Normally we would have 240 Rugby, 148 Hockey, 88 Cricket, 130 Football and 148 Netball fixtures each year.
Parents feel that pupils are exceptionally happy and safe and it is through the school’s nurturing of their happiness and emotional wellbeing that the pupils are able to thrive in their educational studies.
ISI Report 2016
Pastoral guidance extends beyond the school gates, the excellent rapport between staff and pupils is most noticeable, with a balance between joviality and mutual respect
ISI Report 2016
CPS has been the most fabulous school for him and he has been cared for and nurtured throughout, as well as brilliantly taught.
A parent
I would like to take this opportunity to give my sincere thanks to staff for the fabulous dedication and support they have given our girls.
A parent
The school has surpassed our expectations on every level.
A parent
It never ceases to amaze me how well they know my children and how they all seem to have an incredible talent at bringing out the best in them.
A parent
It never ceases to amaze me how well they know my children and how they all seem to have an incredible talent at bringing out the best in them.