Admissions

Children can join Ripley Court in the prep or pre-prep at any stage, but only if there is a space. We do not go over our maximum class size of 18, so those who start younger avoid disappointment.

In the nursery, children start at the age of three, usually on a part-time basis, perhaps on two of the ten sessions. They build up as they gain confidence. There is no testing at this age, but parents are advised to ask the usual pattern of the Ripley Court child so that they can align their expectations with the schools.

Those in reception are also not tested before they come. There is a substantial intake (about 25% of newcomers) at this age.

Children joining the school in year 1 and all years subsequent will have to satisfy the headmaster, through such tests, assessment or reports as he may deem necessary at that time, that their demeanour and the standard of their work fits the Ripley Court pattern. The normal form for this is a morning spent in the school in the class the child would join, during which some tests are administered.

The final main intake is at year 3, although in recent years there have been only a handful of places available.