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This is a co-educational independent prep and nursery for ages 3 to 11, based at Highertown in Truro, with the day-to-day benefits of being on a dedicated prep site but still connected to the wider Truro School foundation. The setting matters here: the prep sits in its own grounds beside the Royal Cornwall Hospital and Truro Golf Course, which gives it the feel of a self-contained primary community rather than a bolt-on junior department.
The current Head of Prep is Mr Rob Morse, appointed in April 2023. External checks in 2025 focused closely on standards compliance, including equality of opportunity and safeguarding systems. The latest progress monitoring inspection (September 2025) reported that the relevant Independent School Standards considered were met.
For families, the headline practical point is that admissions are direct to the school (not local authority coordinated) and assessment is designed to be low-friction, taster-based in the early years, and light-touch testing for Years 3 to 6.
Its motto, Esse Quam Videri (To be, rather than to seem to be), is presented as a guiding idea for pupils’ everyday choices rather than a decorative strapline.
The atmosphere, as described in formal reporting and school materials, is built around warm adult-child relationships and clear routines. In the background, there is also a strong emphasis on pupils feeling safe, with staff training and record keeping treated as part of the culture, not a separate compliance exercise.
Nursery provision is not just childcare bolted onto a prep timetable. The early years pitch is about specialist input from the start, including outdoor learning through Forest School, alongside planned wraparound options that extend the usable day for working families.
There is a Methodist origin story in the school’s values pages and pastoral messaging, but it is not positioned as a faith-selective environment. In practice, families should expect a values-led approach, including a chaplain presence and age-appropriate services, rather than an admissions filter based on religion.
As an independent prep, the most useful public evidence is about curriculum design, staffing model, and external reporting, rather than headline KS2 tables. The school structures learning so that pupils move from class-teacher-led foundations in Reception to Year 2 into a broader specialist model in Years 3 to 6.
A key point for parents is what that specialist model looks like in practice. In Years 3 to 6, the curriculum explicitly references subject teaching and dedicated spaces for computing (IT suite), cookery (bespoke kitchen), design technology (workshop), and music (Lovett Building music room), plus languages including French, German and Spanish.
Because published exam metrics are not the main signal at this stage, many families use comparative tools to sanity-check options. FindMySchool’s Comparison Tool is useful here for lining up nearby independent and state primaries on what is publicly available, then pressure-testing with visits and questions about class structure, support, and transition outcomes.
The prep leans into a “specialist without overwhelm” approach.
In the early years and Key Stage 1, specialist teaching is explicitly highlighted in Forest School, physical education, swimming, French, and music and drama. The implication for families is that children with clear enthusiasms (outdoors, movement, performance) get expert input early, while quieter learners still stay anchored in consistent pastoral routines.
From Years 3 to 6, subject breadth is deliberately widened. A useful example is cookery, which is presented as a structured part of wider enrichment and activity rotations rather than an occasional treat, and computing taught in a dedicated IT setting rather than solely in-class devices.
Swimming is another defining feature. The school references regular use of its heated indoor pool and specialist swimming teachers, with stroke development described explicitly rather than left vague. That practical detail matters if you want a prep where water confidence is systematically taught rather than optional.
For a prep, destinations are mostly about senior school pathways rather than university pipelines.
The default route is progression to Truro School Senior at Year 7. The admissions policy states that Year 6 pupils at the prep are normally expected to transfer, with decisions shaped by what is in the pupil’s best interest.
Transition is treated as a staged process rather than a single induction day. School communications describe Year 7 and Year 8 pupils visiting Year 6 to talk through the move, alongside group interviews and familiarisation events designed to reduce the “big school” shock.
For families considering the chorister route, the school’s reporting in 2025 makes it clear that access and opportunities were brought into line so that girls and boys have identical support and performance opportunities within the chorister pathway.
Admissions are direct to the school and start with registration and a non-refundable registration fee of £120 (including VAT).
Entry is intentionally age-appropriate:
Reception to Year 2: a taster day with informal assessment by the class teacher.
Years 3 to 6: on-site assessments in English and mathematics, plus a day spent in school, with a reference requested from the current school. The school states that no specific preparation is required or recommended.
For 2026 entry planning, the school lists a Nursery and Prep open morning on Saturday 7 March 2026. Beyond that, the admissions pages indicate tours run throughout the year by arrangement, which usually signals that timing is flexible but year groups can be close to capacity.
If you are building a shortlist across the area, the Saved Schools feature is a practical way to keep track of open events, assessment formats, and where your child would be most comfortable day-to-day.
Pastoral support is described as structured and regularly reviewed. The prep runs weekly pastoral meetings so staff stay aligned on individual needs, and the pastoral team is described as having a lead plus two supporting staff, with chaplain availability for pupils where helpful.
A distinctive detail is the presence of a therapy dog, Tayto, positioned as part of the pastoral offer rather than a one-off initiative. For younger pupils especially, that can make emotional regulation support feel normal and non-stigmatised.
Safeguarding is treated as operationally detailed: filtering and monitoring of internet use, clear referral routes to external agencies when needed, and staff training processes, including early years.
The co-curricular model is built into the week rather than confined to “optional Fridays”.
For younger pupils, daily structured activities include Forest School and swimming. This is not just about fun, it is a timetable choice that gives physical confidence and outdoor competence the same status as classroom learning.
For Years 3 to 6, the school runs structured Activity Afternoons that rotate through specific activities such as cookery, bushcraft, cycling, first aid, swimming, orienteering, dance and kayaking. The implication is breadth without requiring families to assemble a weekly schedule of external clubs.
Music and performance are concrete rather than generic. Prep pupils are offered instrumental groups including Orchestra, Brass Group and Samba Band, with choirs running across year groups and regular performances and festival participation referenced.
Outdoor learning is a genuine pillar, with named strands like Bushcraft and Eco Club referenced within Forest School messaging, plus an environmental award (the Ballerion Award) linked to Year 5.
Fees and charges listed by the school apply from September 2025 for the 2025 to 2026 academic year. For the prep and pre-prep day stages, the published termly figures (including VAT where applicable) are:
Reception (without Early Years Funding): £4,181.15 per term
Years 1 to 2: £4,411.11 per term
Years 3 to 4: £6,063.10 per term
Years 5 to 6: £6,311.20 per term
Compulsory lunch charge is listed separately at £257.25 per term for prep and pre-prep.
The non-refundable registration fee is £120 (including VAT).
Siblings discounts are published as 6% for a second child, 12% for a third, and 22% for a fourth or subsequent child, applied to the oldest child(ren).
Nursery fee detail is published on the school fees page; given the age group, families should use that source directly rather than relying on summaries.
On financial assistance, the school’s documentation differentiates between the prep and senior stages. Published guidance indicates the prep does not offer means-tested bursaries, while specific scholarship routes such as chorister awards exist and may be supported by additional means-tested help where eligible.
Fees data coming soon.
The prep day is structured around an 8.35am start (as set out in the prep handbook). Breakfast Club supervision is available from 7.45am, and wraparound care is explicitly described as supporting early drop-off and late collection up to 6.15pm, which is a meaningful planning advantage for working parents.
Transport includes school bus routes for the 2025 to 2026 period from areas including Wadebridge, Helston, Newquay and St Erth, with a Truro station pickup mentioned for one route.
For site context, the prep is described as being in its own grounds beside the Royal Cornwall Hospital and Truro Golf Course, which helps frame the setting for daily drop-off and clubs logistics.
Recent compliance focus. In early 2025 the school was required to address equality of opportunity within the chorister pathway; the latest reporting shows that access and support were aligned for girls and boys. Families for whom music pathways are central may want to ask how this is implemented day-to-day.
Assessment at Years 3 to 6. Entry for Years 3 to 6 includes English and mathematics assessments and a reference request, which may feel more formal than some preps that use taster-only entry throughout.
Lunch as a separate line item. Lunch is listed as a compulsory additional charge on top of tuition, which changes the true term cost versus schools where lunch is bundled.
Strong specialist rhythm. With structured activity afternoons, swimming, and outdoor learning baked into weekly life, pupils who prefer a quieter, classroom-centred week may need time to settle into the pace.
This is a prep that feels designed around confident, active learning: specialist teaching early, regular swimming, and outdoor learning as a core strand, not a marketing add-on. The senior school link is a real advantage if you want a clear pathway through to Year 7, with transition treated as an extended process rather than a one-day handover. Best suited to families who want a busy, practical primary experience with structured co-curricular time, and who value a defined progression route into the senior school.
For many families, the most reassuring evidence is the combination of structured specialist teaching and external monitoring. The latest progress monitoring inspection in September 2025 reported that the relevant standards considered were met, including safeguarding and equality of access within the chorister pathway.
Fees are published per term for the 2025 to 2026 academic year and vary by year group, with lunch listed as a separate compulsory charge. Nursery fees are published by the school and are best checked directly on the official fees page for the most current early years options.
For Reception to Year 2, admission is based on a taster day with informal assessment by the class teacher. Families register directly with the school and pay a registration fee as part of the process.
Years 3 to 6 entry is based on on-site assessments in English and mathematics, plus time spent in school, with a reference requested from the child’s current school. The school states that no specific preparation is required or recommended.
Yes, this is the expected pathway for most children. The admissions policy states that Year 6 pupils at the prep would normally transfer to the senior school, with decisions shaped by what is in the pupil’s best interest.
Get in touch with the school directly
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