Prospectus Prep School
Aim
high, stay grounded
Discover
College Prep School
It is important to make the most of our time at school.
We encourage our pupils to embrace the exciting adventure that school represents.
Any good adventure involves challenges, fun, success, risk and ambition and we encourage pupils to meet these head-on, and to follow three golden rules – to aim high, be kind and be brave.
It is our pleasure to support our pupils in exploring and developing their unique skills and talents as they progress through the school.
As part of this progression, we believe that it is key to develop the whole person. In helping our pupils develop a range of skills and attributes, not least compassion, empathy and the ability to build lasting relationships, we aim to enable them to seize all the opportunities life has to offer and to go out into the world ready to make a difference.
Jim Walton Head of Preparatory School
Strong pastoral care
Strong pastoral care is a fundamental asset in securing your child’s happiness.
Each day and boarding pupil is a member of a House which becomes their home from home. There are six Houses dedicated to children in Years 4 to 8, each a community in its own right.
The Houses give pupils a base during the day, as well as affording parents the opportunity of daily contact with pastoral staff, who get to know the pupils well and are a constant support.
Our Houses are run as families and we pride ourselves on the warm atmosphere and community spirit
they each hold. Each House is run by a Housemaster or Housemistress, as well as a Matron and a team of tutors.
Wrap-around care is included from 8.00am to 6pm in Day Houses so that pupils can complete homework, spend time with their friends or join after-school clubs. Our wide array of co-curricular activities include judo, robotics, creative writing, swimming, karate, swing band and Lego club.
The school also offers holiday clubs that run each school holiday and provide an extensive range of fun and stimulating activities.
Day and Boarding House system
Boarding sits at the heart of the Preparatory School.
We are proud of the outstanding boarding experience on offer, not only for our full, flexi and occasional boarders, but for each of our day pupils too.
Our Houses feature comfortable modern facilities in beautiful historic buildings where pupils can relax during the day and evening. Alongside spending time with friends and classmates, boarders also enjoy spending time with their younger and older siblings.
Pupils enjoy a wide range of activities after school, later in the evenings and at weekends. There are endless opportunities for the boarders, who benefit from having their own input to the choices they make with their free time.
Each House provides pupils with a common room and a study area in which to complete homework, as well as kitchen facilities where drinks and snacks are provided during a busy day at school.
Discover more about our Day and Boarding Houses in our film:
Personalised support
House staff closely monitor each child’s wellbeing and academic progress, ensuring tailored guidance and care.
Community spirit
Regular inter-house activities and competitions promote teamwork, leadership, and a strong sense of identity.
Parental engagement
Houses serve as daily points of contact for parents with pastoral staff, enhancing communication and involvement.
Where friends become family
At Clifton, friends and housemates soon become family.
The bonds in each House are close and inter-House competitions form a fun and exciting part of College life.
Sporting competitions and the House Song Competition are some of the most anticipated events in the school calendar. They provide pupils with the opportunity to represent their House and also bring the Houses together.
While pupils form strong friendships through their class, co-curricular activities and the many other shared activities in the school calendar, the friendships they form within their House are also a very valued part of their Clifton College experience.
Academic excellence
We offer our pupils access to first-class facilities and quality teaching, helping us to provide a world-class education.
At every stage of learning, pupils are nurtured and prepared for life ahead. This includes not only the academic skills they need to pass examinations, but the knowledge, experience and attitude which will allow them to become successful adults.
Standards in literacy and numeracy, are maintained at a high level whilst retaining a broad and rich curriculum geared to educating the whole child.
We aim to make the learning experience as hands-on and interactive as possible, from workshop sessions with visiting authors to rocket-making in the Science labs, or dressing up for the History Department’s Viking Day. Pupils learn best if they are motivated, engaged and inspired.
What to expect
Balanced curriculum
Our curriculum is designed to encourage intellectual risktaking, allowing students to develop critical thinking skills and a lifelong love for learning.
Holistic development
Our educational approach goes beyond academics to include exceptional pastoral care, inspirational teaching, and a diverse range of co-curricular activities. We aim to inspire each child to seize learning opportunities and realise their full potential through passion, integrity, and resilience.
Global perspective
We prepare our pupils to be global citizens by promoting open-mindedness and cultural awareness. Our inclusive environment encourages students to appreciate diversity and understand their role in an interconnected world.
No ‘one size fits all’ approach
Each child’s journey through the Prep School is unique, led by their own interests and talents.
Encourage individual aspirations
Motivating each pupil to strive for personal excellence.
Foster a supportive community
Emphasising the importance of kindness, understanding and encouragement.
Promote courage and exploration
Encouraging pupils to embrace new activities, form new friendships, and seize the diverse opportunities available at the Prep School.
Enable, empower and support
We offer an all-round education which nurtures the talents of each individual child.
Alongside academic subjects, there is a strong focus on arts subjects with a wide range of art, music and drama activities both within and beyond the classroom, including productions at the school’s Redgrave Theatre and informal recitals in the Joseph Cooper Music School.
We provide a wide range of co-curricular activities to offer additional opportunities for pupils to explore and expand their knowledge. The wealth of activities available helps ensure pupils are happy, stimulated and inspired. The co-curricular provision includes choir, robotics, ski racing, LAMDA lessons, creative writing, book club, programming, ballet and much more.
Pupils also attend school on a Saturday morning. Saturday school involves a variety of assemblies and lectures from inspirational speakers and a program of games. Year 7 and 8 pupils also take part in enrichment activities, which develop capabilities, such as art, design technology and debating, that do not necessarily fit into the academic provision but are nonetheless important life skills.
Something for everyone Subjects at the Prep School
Art
The visual arts encourage children to think creatively, make decisions, experiment and explore, and make discoveries of their own. Each year pupils will experience workshops run by visiting artists. These offer possibilities for creative work that extend beyond the normal range. Learning is enhanced through shared experiences, perceptions, cultural backgrounds and working methods.
Classical Studies & Latin
Classics facilitates the study and practice of modern languages, including our own, and fosters an appreciation of the roots of Western civilisation.
Computer Science
Our principal aims are to develop computer science capability, and give pupils confidence in using ICT skills in different contexts, exploring new possibilities and communicating ideas.
Design and Technology
The Technology Department helps pupils to develop their skills in design and making, along with understanding, innovation and creativity in order to produce high quality products, and to develop an appreciation of the technological processes involved in the production of goods and products.
Drama
Studying drama encourages pupils to develop their teamwork and communication skills, builds their confidence and helps them to become accustomed to public speaking. Each year we present two fullscale plays, one for Year 8 and one for Year 5. These are performed in the school’s very own theatre, The Redgrave Theatre.
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The EAL department at Clifton College Prep School aims to enable new pupils to adapt to life at Clifton College, bearing in mind the variety of differing backgrounds and cultures they represent.
English
The English department encourages pupils to develop oral, listening, reading, writing and language skills along with fostering a lifelong enjoyment of literature – through studying novels, plays, short stories and poetry. Learning is enhanced through shared experiences, perceptions, cultural backgrounds and working methods.
Geography
Geography prompts pupils to take a look at the world in which they live, and provides an opportunity to investigate the physical and human characteristics of the world, and understand the close links between the human population and the natural environment. Geography encourages pupils to think on a wider scale and opens their minds to new and exciting ideas.
History
The study of history informs pupils’ understanding and appreciation of the world as it is today, and their place in it. It helps students develop essential skills of research, enquiry, evaluation and analysis, encouraging them to prepare and test theories, and provide coherent, fluent answers to challenging questions.
Mathematics
At Clifton College, we teach mathematics with rigour and imagination. Proficiency in mathematics encourages the development of valuable and transferable skills.
Modern Languages
Our aim is to encourage pupils to communicate with confidence by providing a solid foundation of basic grammar and vocabulary; to develop an awareness of the culture and traditions of other countries; and to ensure pupils enjoy and succeed in their own learning.
Music
The Music Department aims to offer all pupils the opportunity to gain enjoyment from this broad subject, at as many different levels as possible. The Department encourages pupils to learn instruments individually and to participate in a wide variety of extra-curricular activities.
Physical Education (PE)
Activities within the PE programme have a clear educational objective. Teachers promote physical activity that is fun, leads to individual progress, and promotes self-esteem and a desire to participate in physical activity.
Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE)
The PSHE programme helps pupils to build their confidence, self-esteem and to identify and manage risk. To make informed choices and understand what influences their decisions. It enables them to manage emotions and to communicate constructively in a variety of settings.
Religious Studies
The RS curriculum introduces pupils to religions from around the world. Pupils share understanding of their own religions and religious celebrations. The curriculum enables pupils to develop tolerance through understanding and celebration of difference.
Science
At Clifton College, Science is an engaging and enjoyable subject. We emphasise the importance of the practical and investigative nature of science, and all lessons are led by specialist science teachers in fully-equipped science labs. We provide opportunities for the pupils to develop their skills, creativity, knowledge and understanding of Science through a range of activities.
Sport
The sports department’s aim is ‘sport for all’. We place equal importance on the benefits of health and exercise, as well as the new skills and interests that sport brings to our pupils.
The sports played across the three terms for boys are rugby, hockey, football, cricket and tennis; and for the girls are hockey, netball, football, cricket and tennis.
Sport provides an environment where children can learn about teamwork, leadership, how to overcome challenges as well as how to be gracious in defeat and magnanimous in victory.
Pupils are encouraged to take part in an array of physical activities from a young age.
Through regular PE lessons and co-curricular activities, we offer pupils a wide array of sporting options including athletics, cross country, fencing, real tennis, sailing, golf, swimming and karate, as well as relatively recent additions such as girls rugby, which continues to grow in popularity.
As pupils progress through the school, they are encouraged to represent Clifton College through team fixtures at a range of ability levels.
Our pupil numbers mean that we can field a large number of teams in the main sports each term in fixtures against neighbouring and touring schools.
Sporting success
Clifton College pupils have gone on to play at national and international level in a range of sports.
A number of former pupils have gone on to represent their country in sports like rugby, hockey and cricket, including recent pupils who have played cricket for the England Young Lions and hockey and rugby players who have played for England and Wales.
We have an experienced and dedicated coaching team and excellent facilities which help drive the standard of sport. We also organise sports tours and festivals for our pupils.
We take an U12 cricket tour to York every summer and in October 2023 took fifty children to Edinburgh for hockey and rugby. We also compete at IAPS competitions across all sports throughout the year.
Our aim is to enable our pupils to fulfil their sporting potential across a wide range of team games and individual sports. We believe that the key to all sporting success starts with enjoyment, and hope to lay the foundations for our pupils to enjoy lifelong participation in sport at every level.
Performing Arts
A stage for every child
A school filled with music
Pupils are encouraged to explore music both within and beyond the classroom, whether by playing an instrument, singing in the choir, or by taking part in the House Song Festival.
Taking centre stage
Drama at Clifton is about more than just acting - it’s about developing creativity, teamwork, and communication skills.
Expression through movement
Dance is a fantastic way for pupils to build confidence, coordination, and physical fitness.
Drama
Drama is just one of the ways we help instil quiet confidence in our pupils.
Drama also helps children to improve communication skills and express their emotions in a supportive environment.
Drama lessons form an important part of the school curriculum and there are numerous opportunities throughout the Preparatory School to take part in school productions as well as joining co-curricular Drama and LAMDA clubs.
The school’s Redgrave Theatre allows children the opportunity to perform in a professional environment and is a great backdrop for the fantastic performances given by our pupils. Recent shows have included Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Shrek the Musical and Beauty and the Beast.
There is a wealth of acting talent throughout the College and recent Clifton graduates have gone on to prestigious drama schools. Well-known Old Cliftonian actors include Sir Michael Redgrave, Sir Simon Russell Beale, John Cleese and Trevor Howard.
Music
Music is an integral part of the rich cultural and academic life on offer at Clifton.
Our pupils are passionate about music and have regular opportunities to perform in concerts at events; both solo and as part of our music ensembles, and from school musicals to the annual House singing competition.
All pupils are encouraged to explore their musical creativity both within and beyond the classroom, whatever their level of ability.
Facilities in the Prep include the School Hall for performances, as well as a computer suite for music technology.
Pupils can take part in a whole range of co-curricular groups from Chapel Choir, Junior Choir and Orchestra, to Swing Band, Guitar, Brass, Woodwind, String ensembles and Pop groups.
Creativity
Art
Art encourages children to think creatively, experiment and explore, and make discoveries of their own.
We have a very strong Art Department with first-class facilities in the Hornby Arts Centre.
To inspire our pupils’ learning, we arrange regular visiting artists. Recent workshops have included henna design and willow sculpting, and recent visiting artists have included Bristol-based Graffiti artist Rob Wheeler.
Design Technology
We also have an excellent Design and Technology Department with a range of facilities, such as a laser-cutter, 3D printer and CAD software.
As well as studying Art and Design, pupils can also join our co-curricular Art and DT clubs and get involved with projects like designing, building and racing our own F24 car.
ICT
All pupils have Computer Science lessons an hour a week with specialist teachers and have their own network and Google Accounts. We use Google products extensively so pupils develop excellent ICT skills.
All pupils study programming, graphic design, animation and online safety as part of the curriculum. We also use VEX Go and VEX IQ and enter the national competition in Robotics.
Unforgettable experiences
All clubs and activities run throughout week, during mornings, lunch breaks and after school.
In line with College’s philosophy of providing an excellent all-round education, the Prep offers a range of engaging and stimulating activities and clubs for pupils to choose from, whether it be playing chess, learning an instrument, beekeeping, knitting, playing golf, battling with your friends on the Warhammer terrain or learning to build and code with VEX IQ.
We hope all children experience a range of activities and develop skills beyond those in the core curriculum or core games and sports programmes. Hence, whilst composition varies seasonally, and reflects the interests and enthusiasms of staff and students, this means pupils can indulge in their passions, or discover new
ones and develop their creativity, imagination, leaderships skills and build their confidence, physical health, and general wellbeing.
We also run many trips and outings to compliment the curriculum, as well as the annual residential programmes and variety of trips abroad on offer, such as the Latin trip to the Bay of Naples, Ski trips and Racing fixtures to Italy and Norway and the Languages Enrichment trip to Spain and France.
On a Saturday morning, we run a series of workshops and lectures for our Upper Prep which includes a careers programme, to compliment the work covered within the PSHE curriculum.
Our combination of heritage and modern facilities make for a magical learning environment that inspires our students and offers resources to develop their individual skills and talents.
Pupils learn in subject-specific facilities, including engaging science labs, a design and technology workshop, and dedicated art and music studios. They move around the School from lesson to lesson, increasing independence and deepening academic focus.
First-class facilities
Our age-specific library is a place where stories come to life and a love for reading is nourished. Cosy seating areas invite children to lose themselves in books, while storytelling sessions and quiet reading time foster a lifelong appreciation for literature. We encourage curiosity, imagination, and independent learning.
Specialised buildings, such as the Joseph Cooper Music School, the art studios and ceramics workshop, and the Redgrave Theatre, ensure our pupils have access to first-class facilities that enhance their educational experience.
Our commitment to nurturing talent in sport is reflected by our international-standard sports facilities. The school’s impressive sports facilities total 90 acres, providing pupils with international-standard indoor and outdoor sports provision. This included the newly-opened Chellaram Sports Complex, which houses an eight court hall for netball, tennis, basketball and badminton amongst other sports, as well as a 60m2 indoor bouldering wall. We are also lucky to have a water-based hockey pitch and 3G rugby pitch, accompanied by a range of traditional courts including rackets and real tennis.
At Clifton, we believe a first-rate education also caters for a pupil’s moral and spiritual development.
Our magnificent Chapel sits at the heart of the College and plays an important part in school life. It provides an oasis of calm in pupils’ busy daily lives and forms a powerful link between past and present. It is the place where we mark our milestones and celebrate our successes, where we come for quiet contemplation or spiritual guidance.
While the College is of an Anglican foundation, pupils of all faiths are welcome. We seek to help every person to experience life in all its fullness; recognizing that we are physical, emotional cognitive and spiritual beings.
It is our Chaplaincy team’s privilege to support spiritual development and enable exploration of spirituality. We understand spirituality to be the way in which we combine our thoughts and emotions to reflect, respond to,
Spiritual development
and seek to give meaning and purpose to the experiences that we encounter in life.
The analogy, developed by Liz Mills that we like to use that can be summed up in three words - windows, mirrors, doors. We gaze out through windows onto the world, responding with our emotions and trying to make sense of what we see. We use mirrors to reflect on our thoughts and feelings, and how what we see through the window connects with our inner selves, and how we connect with what we see and understand. This becomes a spiritual experience when it transforms us and so we walk out through the door into life differently from before. For some, this spiritual experience leads to a sense of transcendence: in other words a feeling or belief that something exists beyond what can be directly seen. For example, Christians and Jews would describe this state as God, for Muslims Allah and for others a higher power.
For 140 years Clifton College has supported a vibrant Jewish community within the school and is the only public school with its own synagogue. The school’s relationship with the Jewish community dates back to the founding Head Master, John Percival, and the establishment of a boarding house for Jewish pupils in 1878. While there is no longer a separate Jewish boarding house at Clifton, an educational trust was established as an independent charitable organisation that provides means-tested bursaries to Jewish children at the College. Jewish pupils are encouraged to celebrate and nurture their Jewish identity, both through the Jewish Life Program, but also by engaging in the many other varied elements of life at Clifton College.
A sense of community
We pride ourselves on our strong engagement with our parents and the wider community.
We encourage parents, grandparents and other family members to come to our regular events such as sports fixtures and festivals, music concerts, and school plays, so that they get a real feel of school life at Clifton College.
The school also enjoys strong links with the local community and has robust connections with a diverse range of Bristol businesses.
Located in what the poet Betjeman described as ‘the handsomest suburb in Europe’, the school provides the twin advantages of being close to the resources of a thriving modern city as well as being close to some spectacular countryside too - the school itself is surrounded by more than 400 acres of protected parkland on The Downs.
Flexible support for busy families
Morning care
Drop your child off as early as 7:30am, where they can enjoy a nutritious breakfast and socialise with friends before the school day begins.
After school care
Following the end of the normal school day at 4:00pm, your child can participate in a variety of engaging clubs and activities until 6:00pm.
Tea with our Boarders is also provided during this time.
Admissions information
To discover more and get a real feel for what’s on offer, we would be delighted to welcome you and your family to one of our Open Days, or for an individual visit on a mutually convenient date.
An individual visit will be tailored to you, based on your child’s interests, and will incorporate a campus tour with the opportunity to visit classrooms and see our facilities in action. Our Headteacher, Housemasters, Housemistresses and other relevant staff members will be available to meet with you during your visit, to answer any questions you may have regarding life at Clifton College Preparatory School.
To find out more, or to arrange a visit, please contact our Admissions Team who would be happy to guide you through the process.
Email: prepadmissions@cliftoncollege.com
Telephone: (+44) 0117 3157 160
Online: Search Prep admissions on our website www.cliftoncollege.com
Scholarships
Clifton College offers Scholarships at 11+ for entry into Year 7 in Academic, Music, Drama or Sport. Scholarships are merit based and are assessed through examinations, audition or other appropriate assessment.
The Scholarship Programme runs alongside the means-tested Bursary Programme; those in receipt of a scholarship will be able to apply for a bursary.
For more information about our Scholarship Programme, the fates of assessment and how to apply please see our website www. cliftoncollege.com or contact our Admissions Team.
Email: prepadmissions@cliftoncollege.com
Telephone: (+44) 0117 3157 160
A guide to the process
Getting started
Discover Clifton College
The first step towards joining Clifton College is to contact our Admissions Team, with whom you will be able to arrange a personal tour, video call or come along to one of our Open Events.
Register your child
To register for a place at Clifton College, you will be asked to complete and return the Registration Form and pay a nonrefundable fee.
www.cliftoncollege.com/prep-school/admissions/apply-now
Entry assessments
All pupils wishing to join Clifton College Prep School will be tested using the CAT4 diagnostic assessment.
Come for a taster day
Your child is invited to visit the Prep School for an informal visit and to spend time with their year group.
Apply for scholarships or bursaries
Find out about the range of scholarships available to your child and about our means-tested bursaries.
Offers and next steps
Accept your place
A formal written offer letter will be sent to you by our admissions team.
What next?
Our admissions and academic team will be in regular contact to ensure a smooth and welcoming start.
Welcome to Clifton College!
Your child’s exciting new journey begins.
International Pupils
As an English boarding school, Clifton College places a high value on the religious and cultural diversity brought to the College by its international pupils and we ensure they are fully integrated into the life of the College.
We are happy to receive enquiries from international families, either directly or through one of the many agencies with whom we work. The agencies can provide help with translation, entry tests and admissions procedures.
Pupils applying for a place who are resident overseas will be asked to sit the online CAT4 assessment and invited to a virtual meeting with the Head or Deputy Head of the Preparatory School. All other aspects of the admissions process remain the same.
Our legal partner, who we work closely with, will be able to assist and guide parents through the child student visa application process.
Information on residential courses, including language and academic preparation courses, can be found on our website.
HM Forces Families
Clifton College is proud of the support it provides to the children of parents in the British Armed Forces. We hope this strong military tradition will continue to thrive, and we recognise that the financial support we offer our families is key to this success.
In an effort to make this process simpler for families we have streamlined the system for support. This will make it easier for families to know what fees need to pay each term. If you claim Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) for your child to take a full boarding place at the College, the amount that you will personally pay will be fixed at a flat rate per term.
Search for HM Forces Families information on our website www.cliftoncollege.com
A guide to fees
What’s included
The fees cover all the teaching that takes place in the ordinary course of education and all the expenses of practical work in the science laboratories etc.
The cost of providing Learning Support is not included in the standard fees. Any other reasonable charges will also be passed on to parents.
There are some additional charges associated with House, co-curricular and other activities, such as certain games, trips and theatre outings.
Reduction for siblings
A reduction of the net school fee (but not extras) is currently provided to parents who have two or more children at Clifton College. The reductions, which are applied to the younger children, are 5% for the second child, 20% for the third child and 50% for the fourth and subsequent children whilst they all simultaneously attend the school. This discount remains the subject of annual review.
Bursaries
Bursaries are means-tested awards and are made at the School’s discretion. In accordance with the Charities Commission guidelines, Bursaries are made following the completion of a Grant Application Form (GAF) that includes a ‘Confidential Statement of Financial Circumstances’. Bursaries may, in exceptional circumstances, be awarded up to 100% of the fees.
For more details, search for fees information on our website www.cliftoncollege.com
