A co-educational independent school for boys and girls, aged 2 to 16, situated in the heart of Colchester, providing a STEAM-powered curriculum.
Colchester Prep & High School is a co-educational independent school, for ages 2 to 16, where inspiring teachers will build in your child the confidence, self-belief and strength of character to achieve their full potential. Whilst our pupils attain excellent academic results, we also provide an education which offers something far deeper and far more lasting, one which places a central importance
on character development, social responsibility and global citizenship. Combined with our enriching and forward-thinking STEAM curriculum and Digital Literacy mastery programme, a Colchester Prep & High School education develops creative and inquisitive minds, ready to shape tomorrow’s world. The foundations of this success are laid in our all-year-round Nursery, where our experienced practitioners engage each child with an individually targeted blend of free-flowing play and formal learning in phonics and mathematics. It is built on in our Prep School, where we offer an engaging and immersive curriculum designed to build a strong foundation. And it is completed in our Senior School, where our subject-specialist teachers encourage our pupils to set their own high expectations, widen their horizons and determine their roles in society. Beyond the classroom, our extensive extra-curricular programme, varied trips and outdoor education provision will encourage your child to develop new talents and create a curiosity about the world and people around them. Whether your child is interested in sport, music and performance, digital and creative arts, sustainability, entrepreneurship, robotics or debating, there is an activity for them. Academic and subject scholarships are available for entry into Year 7 of our Senior School. Pupils looking to enter our Prep School, can also apply for a three-Year Academic Scholarship for entry into Year 6. Every pupil from Pre-Prep to Year 11 is provided with their own 1-2-1 device to ensure that they benefit from the use of technology to support and enhance their learning whilst ensuing they have the digital skills required for the 21st Century workplace. Colchester High School is proud to be a Microsoft Showcase School, joining an elite group of only 53 schools in the UK. Colchester Prep and High School is a close-knit school community, where pupils are given the opportunity to mix across year groups and learn from their peers but also to take leadership positions and act as positive role models. Combined with our excellent pastoral care and school House System, your child will quickly feel part of the Colchester Prep and High School family. We do hope we have given you a good sense of who we are and what makes us unique. In an every-changing world, one thing every parent needs to be sure of is an excellent education for their child. To learn more about Colchester Prep and High School, please contact Susan Hilton, our Admissions Manager to book an appointment to attend one of our upcoming Admissions Events.
25/08/2025
Celebrating Pupil Success 🌟
Felix, a distinguished Music Scholar, has demonstrated remarkable resilience, determination, and talent throughout his journey at CPHS. Blind since infancy, he has faced every challenge with courage and positivity, excelling in music and mathematics, performing in concerts, participating fully in school clubs, and even being nominated as a torch bearer for the Queen’s Coronation anniversary.
With the exceptional guidance of our SEN team and teaching staff, Felix flourished as a role model and inspirational member of our school community.
We are immensely proud as he now embarks on the next stage of his journey, studying a Music Performance Diploma at The Colchester Institute.
25/08/2025
Celebrating Pupil Success 🌟
Phoebe joined us in Nursery and has consistently impressed as both a dedicated scholar and talented athlete. She will be continuing her studies as a scholar at Ipswich High School, where she will focus on Maths, Economics, Physics, and Psychology.
Her outstanding GCSE results, 6 Grade 9s, 1 Grade 8, and 3 Grade 7s, reflect years of dedication, resilience, and determination. Phoebe’s achievements are a true testament to her hard work, talent, and commitment across all areas of school life.
We are incredibly proud of everything she has accomplished and cannot wait to see her continue to thrive in both her academic and sporting pursuits.
24/08/2025
Celebrating Pupil Success 🌟
Austin joined us as a Maths Scholar and has shown exceptional dedication, curiosity, and resilience throughout his time at our school. From the moment he started, he has demonstrated a true passion for learning, particularly in mathematics, alongside a commitment to achieving excellence across all his subjects.
We are delighted to celebrate his outstanding GCSE results: 6 Grade 9s, 3 Grade 8s, and 1 Grade 7. These achievements reflect not only his natural ability but also his hard work, perseverance, and determination to succeed.
Austin will now continue his studies at Colchester Royal Grammar School, where we are confident he will thrive and make the most of every opportunity. We are incredibly proud of everything he has accomplished and look forward to seeing the impact he will make in the next stage of his academic journey.
23/08/2025
Celebrating Pupil Success 🌟
Anna has been part of our school community since Year 7, joining us as both an Art and Academic Scholar. Over the years, she has shown exceptional dedication, talent, and determination.
We are delighted to celebrate her outstanding GCSE results: 10 Grade 9s, 1 Grade 8, and an A in Additional Maths. This remarkable achievement reflects not only her academic ability but also her creativity, resilience, and commitment to excellence.
Anna will now continue her studies at Colchester Royal Grammar School, where she will pursue Biology, Chemistry, Maths, and Spanish. We are incredibly proud of everything she has accomplished and cannot wait to see all that she will achieve in the future.
22/08/2025
Yesterday we celebrated a milestone moment as our Year 11 pupils collected their GCSE results. The atmosphere was filled with pride and excitement as friends, families and teachers came together to share in their achievements 🎉
These results are a well-deserved reward for the dedication, resilience and commitment shown by every single pupil. You have worked incredibly hard and we are so proud of all you have accomplished.
As you take your next steps, remember that you carry the support and best wishes of your CPHS community! We cannot wait to see all the amazing things you go on to achieve in your futures ✨
21/08/2025
A huge well done to our amazing Year 11 Pupils. Your hard work has truly paid off! 👏✨
This year we secured exceptional GCSE results, with 48.4% of all grades at 7–9 (compared to 21.8% nationally). With an overall pass rate of 97% (vs 67.4% nationally), pupils, parents and teachers alike were rightly delighted🎓
Pupils in Year 10 also excelled in their Performing Arts Technical module and GCSE Statistics, with 86% gaining grades 7–9.
A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated staff, committed parents, and of course our hardworking pupils. Together, you have made these successes possible.
We are beyond proud of every single one of you. Congratulations to all our pupils on their amazing results!💙
20/08/2025
We would like to wish all of our Year 11 pupils the very best of luck as you receive your GCSE results tomorrow🌟
We know just how much hard work, determination, and resilience you have shown throughout your time at CPHS, and we are confident that your efforts will be reflected in your achievements. We are incredibly proud of each and every one of you, and we look forward to welcoming you back and celebrating your successes together! 💙
14/08/2025
Wishing all Colchester Prep & High School alumni the very best as you receive your A Level results today.
As you embark on the next stage of your academic and professional journey, may your hard work open doors to new opportunities and lasting success. We are immensely proud of all you have achieved 🎓
11/08/2025
Five of our talented Year 8 pupils recently took part in the Chelmsford Science and Engineering Society TEXPO 2025, held at Anglia Ruskin University. They showcased their brilliant STEAM project — beautifully crafted hedgehog houses built entirely from reclaimed wood 🦔
Throughout the event, they spoke confidently to multiple judges, explaining how their design could support local wildlife and boost biodiversity around the school. They even caught the attention of the Deputy Mayor of Chelmsford, who spent over 10 minutes chatting with them and asking thoughtful questions about their ideas and the course that inspired them 👏
Their passion, teamwork, and presentation skills shone through, and they were rightly awarded a Highly Commended from the judges. An outstanding example of our pupils applying creativity and sustainability in a real-world context — and receiving the recognition they deserve!
09/08/2025
A huge congratulations to Niamh, who recently travelled to Washington, D.C. with her dance school to compete in the North American Irish Dancing Nationals in July!
Niamh’s Irish dancing journey began right here at school, when she was introduced to her very first steps as a Reception pupil in our Lower School club. Since then, she’s worked tirelessly to develop her talent – and what a journey it’s been! 💃
This year alone, she’s danced her way to some phenomenal results:
🏆 10th at the British Nationals
🏆 6th in the Southern Region (UK) Oireachtas
🏆 47th at the All Irelands
🏆 57th in the World Championships – out of 180 of the world’s best dancers in her age group (that’s the top 1% of 180,000 dancers globally!) 👏
At the North American Nationals, Niamh was outstanding – placing 7th out of 96 dancers in her split, making her the highest-placing UK dancer at the event. Even more impressively, 3 out of 5 judges awarded her 2nd place in her light round!
She trains four nights a week, attends workshops, and travels regularly for competitions – a true example of commitment, resilience, and passion.
Your hard work is paying off and you’re an inspiration to us all 💫 Swipe to see a little Niamh discovering her passion!
07/08/2025
Celebrating 11+ Success!
We are incredibly proud of Rosemary and her impressive 11+ journey at CPHS. Her hard work, determination, and academic achievements are a true reflection of her commitment to learning and the supportive environment of our school. We are excited to see all she will accomplish as she takes the next steps in her educational journey. Well done, Rosemary!
The majority of our pupils who took the 11+ this year passed and secured places at Colchester’s highly sought-after grammar schools, following outstanding 11+ exam results.
We couldn’t be prouder of all our pupils and their accomplishments!
👉 For more information, visit our 11+ Grammar Pathway page on our website.
#11+Success #11+GrammarPathway
06/08/2025
Start your child’s journey to academic excellence at Colchester Prep & High School!
We warmly invite you to our upcoming Open Mornings:
Prep School Open Morning – Friday, 3 October | 9.30am – 11.30am
Senior School Open Morning – Saturday, 4 October | 9.30am – 11.30am | 11.30am - 1pm
Join us to discover how our forward-thinking, STEAM-powered curriculum drives outstanding academic achievement, nurtures individual talents, and empowers pupils with the skills they need to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Meet our passionate teaching team, explore our dynamic learning environment, and learn how we inspire every child to excel — academically and beyond.
We look forward to welcoming you!
To book your place, please email [email protected], call 01206 217 116 or sign up via our website.
Join us on an open day or private tour to see for yourself what life is like at Colchester Prep & High. Check our open day schedule and book a place!
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Colchester High School is Colchester’s only independent school for girls and boys aged 2½ to 16, uniquely able to offer an excellent family-friendly education to children from Nursery through to Year 11.
Our welcoming environment and combination of small classes and high-quality teaching allows us to give each child the individual attention they need to flourish. As a result, our pupils exceed national expectations at every level and perform consistently well at the 11+ Examination and GCSEs.
The foundations of this success are laid in our all-year-round Nursery, where our experienced practitioners engage each child with an individually targeted blend of free-flowing play and formal learning in phonics and maths. It is built on in our Lower School, where we offer a broad curriculum designed to help each pupil progress at the right speed. And it is completed in our Senior School, where our subject-specialist teachers help pupils meet our high expectations.
The School offers a traditional academic education to educate our students to the very highest standard. A broad and balanced curriculum and experienced, friendly and supportive teachers allows for a clear focus on the strengths of each child. The progress of pupils is regularly and individually monitored to encourage exceptional progress and identify areas for development, ensuring each pupil achieves individual success.
Our individualised focus reaches beyond the classroom to take in the worlds of sport, music, the arts and more. We take advantage of the fantastic facilities on site and in the local area to offer an exceptionally varied extracurricular programme so that every child can explore all of their talents.
As a school we strive for every pupil to achieve their very best in terms of academic achievement, but we also firmly believe that education should develop children’s character and wellbeing, inspire a love of learning and culture, create a curiosity about the world and people around them preparing them for life. It is for these reasons that we encourage all our pupils, from Nursery to Year 11, to participate in our character development programme, the “Wellesley Award”.
Please note that scholarships are available for entry into Year 7 of our Senior School. Academic, English, Mathematics, Art, Music and Performance, Science and Sports scholarships are all available.
This all-round excellence is recognised in our last school inspection and is reflected in the happy faces of our pupils. To see for yourself, or to learn more, please visit www.colchesterhighschool.co.uk or contact admissions on 01206 217116.
