St Peter's Preparatory School A GSG School
- St Peter's Preparatory School
Harefield
Lympstone
Exmouth
Devon
EX8 5AU - Head: Mrs Charlotte Johnston
- T 01395 272148
- F 01395 222410
- E admissions@stpetersprepschool.co.uk
- W www.stpetersprep.co.uk
- An independent school for boys and girls aged from 3 to 13.
- Read about the best schools in Devon
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Devon
- Pupils: 314
- Religion: Church of England/Christian
- Fees: Day £8,322 - £15,855 pa; Flexi boarding £47.50 per night (last updated on 17/01/2025)
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
What The Good Schools Guide says..
Inspiring pupils to ‘give everything a go’, through exemplary extracurricular offerings, seen as a vitally important part of character education here. ‘It’s phenomenal how the school is able to find something to make every child shine,’ exclaimed one parent. Pastoral care ‘absolutely extraordinary… the pastoral team knows every little quirk of every child’. The school goes out of its way to make education a pleasure not a chore, one parent even laughing, ‘They have so much fun that I do sometimes have to double check that they really are at the standard they should be academically and each time I find…’
What the school says...
Nestled between the coast and moorland, but within 15 minutes of the buzzing city of Exeter, St Peter’s Preparatory School sits in a prime location in Lympstone, Devon, overlooking the Exe Estuary.
As you travel down the long drive to the beautiful classic building and grounds of Harefield House you are instructed to ‘enjoy the view’ and it is this open vista which, some say, characterises the ethos of the school. Open view, open minds. This forward-thinking school embraces an aspiring and positive attitude to learning whilst still instilling the core values of a traditional prep school: courtesy, consideration and common sense.
Children start with us in the pre-prep nursery and develop and grow into confident young adults by the time they leave at 13. Throughout their schooling, children are supported by individual targets and a supportive working environment which enables all pupils to achieve great success. Learning outside the classroom is very much a key part of life here. Wellies are a must on the uniform list.
We are ambitious for the future of the children at St Peter’s. Pupils are given targeted preparation sessions and one-to-one support. St Peter’s has a track record of 100 per cent first choice entry to senior schools, a record held for many years. We are proud of the range of scholarships achieved every year in academics, music, Drama, sport and all-rounders, which clearly demonstrates excellence across the curriculum for our leavers.
Children enjoy top of the range facilities in science, art and technology and benefit from two libraries, a dedicated space for performing arts, a forested learning area, swimming pool and 28 acres of grounds. It is always best to come and see what we do first hand, to get a feel for the school, and we invite you warmly to come and visit, meet the staff and pupils and see for yourselves why the school is so special.
When you join St Peter’s, you are welcomed into the St Peter’s family. With events for parents and grandparents, as well as pupils. This is a true community school.
St Peter’s pupils benefit from outstanding teaching in small class sizes where children of all abilities have the individual attention they need to enable exceptional achievement and challenge. Your children can benefit from the freedom of growing up in this area of outstanding natural beauty, as well as learning to horse ride, sail, kayak or ringo on the Estuary as part of our Friday afternoon activity programme. Children enjoy both our own forest school and beach school. ...Read more
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What The Good Schools Guide says
Head
Since 2016 Charlotte Johnston, the school’s first female head. Previously deputy head academic at Edge Grove School in Hertfordshire. Schooled at St Albans High School for Girls and Uppingham, studied English and history of art at Birmingham; PGCE primary from University of Herts; MEd from Buckingham. Worked as a change management consultant for PwC; after starting a family she retrained as a teacher and joined Edge Grove in 2002. She and Oliver (a former police officer) have two children, their son is studying philosophy at Edinburgh and their daughter is at Exeter School.
She is contagiously enthusiastic, warm and driven. Extremely proud of the school and full of a constant stream of plans to make it even better. ‘Things can and do move quickly here to respond to current needs and...
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Special Education Needs
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Might cover/be referred to as;
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), PDA , Social skills, Sensory processing disorder |
Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Hearing Impairment, HI - Hearing Impairment |
Y |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Learning needs, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty |
Y |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment, Sensory processing |
Y |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic , OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, Tics, Tourettes |
Y |
| PD - Physical Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
PD - Physical Disability |
Y |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty |
|
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Might cover/be referred to as;
Anxiety , Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Trauma |
Y |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
Might cover/be referred to as;
DLD - Developmental Language Disorder, Selective mutism, SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication |
Y |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, Cerebral Palsy (CP) |
|
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing, DCD, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting, Other specific learning difficulty, SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) |
Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Special facilities for Visually Impaired, VI - Visual Impairment |
Y |
Leavers' destinations
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter School | 2024 | 7 | 2 | Academic Scholarship; Sports Scholarship |
| Taunton School | 2024 | 2 | 1 | Sports Scholarship |
| Wellington School | 2024 | 2 | 1 | Sports Scholarship |
| Blundell's School | 2024 | 1 | 1 | Sports Scholarship |
| Bryanston School | 2024 | 1 | ||
| Queen's College Taunton | 2024 | 1 | 1 | Drama Scholarship |
| Stover School | 2024 | 1 |
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