Caterham Prep
Caterham Prep is an independent school in Caterham for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 291 pupils and room for 300.
Harestone Valley Road, Caterham, Surrey, Caterham, CR3 6YB01883 342097caterhamprep.co.ukMr Ben Purkiss headmasterAll details
Inspection
This private school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, not Ofsted. Its reports are at isi.net.
Results
The government does not publish comparable results for most independent schools (IGCSEs are left out of its measures), so none are shown here.
Getting a place
Grammar school. This is a grammar school, so places depend on an entrance test. As a Christian school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Surrey council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 291 | 278 | 266 | 276 | 302 | 287 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | – | – | – | – | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | – | – | – | – | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 11% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 11% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caterham School | Independent (grammar) | 450 m | 1,029 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| St John's CofE Aided Primary School | Church of England | 780 m | 444 | Good 2022 | 53 | Compare |
| Oakhyrst Grange School | Independent | 0.7 miles | 139 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Orpheus Centre | Special post 16 institution | 1.0 miles | – | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Hillcroft Primary School & Nursery | Academy | 1.2 miles | 462 | Outstanding 2023 | 84 | Compare |
| Clifton Hill School | Academy | 1.2 miles | 86 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Essendene Lodge School | Independent | 1.3 miles | 108 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Woldingham School | Independent | 1.4 miles | 528 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is Caterham Prep a good school?
We don't have enough published data to score Caterham Prep yet.
How many pupils does Caterham Prep have?
291 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2024. It has 300 places, so it is 97% full.
Does Caterham Prep have an entrance exam?
Yes. It is a grammar school, so places depend on an entrance test, usually sat in September of Year 6. Check the school's admissions page for the test dates and the pass mark.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Harestone Valley Road, Caterham, Surrey, Caterham, CR3 6YB
- Telephone
- 01883 342097
- Website
- www.caterhamprep.co.uk
- Headmaster
- Mr Ben Purkiss
- Type of school
- Independent school (Other independent school, independent schools)
- Phase
- Independent school, ages 4-11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Christian
- Local authority
- Surrey
- Ward
- Harestone
- Constituency
- East Surrey
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 29 July 1994
- URN
- 125444 · LAESTAB 9366567 · UKPRN 10080497
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.