Wimbledon Common Prep School will become a co-educational community from 2027
We are delighted to be embarking upon one of the most significant developments in our history as Wimbledon Common Prep School becomes a co-educational community from 2027. This represents the first chapter of a move to full co-education throughout the Corporation of King’s College School, of which WCPS forms a part.
Lord Deighton KBE, Chair of the governing body
Dr Anne Cotton Head, King’s College School
Andrew Forbes Headteacher, WCPS
When will WCPS become a co-educational community?
From September 2027, girls and boys will be admitted into the Reception year at WCPS. This means that girls and boys will be able to apply to join the school through the 2025-26 admissions cycle, which will follow its usual timetable. Further information about this process can be found on our website: www.wcps.org.uk/admissions.
King’s will become a fully co-educational community in a carefully sequenced way over the coming years.
Will girls and boys be able to apply from WCPS to King’s College Junior School?
The junior school will welcome girls and boys at 7+ from September 2029, and at 8+ and 9+ in subsequent years, transferring to the senior school without a further examination as they do now. This means that girls and boys who join the Reception year at WCPS in 2027 and in subsequent years will be able to apply to join a co-educational Transition year (year 3) of the junior school.
Boys who join the Reception year at WCPS in 2026 will be able to apply to join a co-educational Transition year (year 3) at the King’s junior school in 2029.
It will continue to be necessary for every pupil who wishes to join the junior school to sit the 7+ entrance assessment, as they do now. We expect to continue to work in partnership with our parents to ensure that all WCPS pupils move onto excellent schools across London, including King’s, aligned to the needs of each child.
Are single sex or co-educational environments more effective in supporting pupils’ academic progress?
We believe that it is the extraordinary educational environment offered by WCPS that supports our pupils to thrive inside and outside the classroom.
Educational research suggests that school culture and context are the most significant factors in determining pupils’ academic performance, and that there is no significant link between pupils’ outcomes and whether a school is single-sex or co-educational.
As we extend co-education through the school we are confident that girls will flourish at WCPS, supported by our outstanding teaching, dedicated pastoral care and wide-ranging enrichment and co-curricular programmes.
Will the school grow as it moves to co-education, and will there be an equal number of boys and girls?
We are planning a modest increase in the number of pupils who are able to join WCPS each year. Once co-education is fully established, our aim is to have equal numbers of boys and girls in each year group.
How will you support girls joining the school?
Warmth, welcome, care and support, are integral to the WCPS community, and our staff – many of whom have experience of working with girls – are exceptionally dedicated to supporting our young people. We are confident that their support will offer girls as well as boys an enriching and enjoyable adventure at WCPS and beyond.
If my child is already at WCPS, how will the move to co-education affect them?
From September 2027, girls and boys will be admitted into the Reception year at WCPS. As such, girls will not join the year group of any pupil who is currently at WCPS or any pupil who has already accepted a place to join the school.
As we prepare to welcome girls over the coming years, we remain focused on offering an outstanding education at WCPS for all our pupils.
The Corporation’s plans for the years ahead, as we prepare to celebrate our 200th anniversary and to enter our third century, are set out in our World Beyond vision.
How can I find out more?
We actively welcome the engagement of our community, and as always, parents are encouraged to get in touch with the headteacher, Mr Andrew Forbes.
We will be holding information events at school for current parents and parents of pupils who will soon join our community, to explain more about co-education at WCPS. We will be writing to parents with information about how to register for these.
For further enquiries about our move to co-education, please contact us at info@wcps.org.uk
