24 – 26 Cumberland Road, Kew, Surrey, TW9 3HQ
Profile: Kew College is a very popular co-educational prep school located in Kew, close to Richmond. It has about 280 boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 11 and is known for combining an all-round education with strong academic results. Fees at currently £6,700 per term in Reception are relatively affordable compared to other London prep schools which makes it a popular choice among families in Kew and Richmond. Sport and music are big at this school, and a variety of clubs cater to budding artists (the digital photography club produces particularly impressive work). But the school is also open about its traditional academic approach in the core subjects, and pupils report that they work very hard in Year 5 particularly. Might this explain the outstanding exit results? Clearly, their academic approach works, and it is refreshing to see a school that does not cater to the latest educational fads and gives the children a very solid grounding in the basics.
Kew College Prep is a founding member of the Hampton Schools’ Trust, bringing together a group of like-minded, charitable independent schools in South West London. The Trusts’ four founding member schools: Hampton School, Hampton Prep, Kew College Prep and Newland House School share strong common values and are fully committed to providing the very best academic and all-round education for their pupils.
Admissions: Early registration is highly recommended, as soon after birth as possible. Siblings are given priority but must also register as soon as possible. The school’s admissions policy provides details of the process and the registrar’s contact details. Most children enter at 3+ into the nursery, either the morning or the afternoon session (no full day option). They then progress automatically to the Reception class.
Exit Results: Particularly for a non-selective prep school, Kew College’s results are impressive. Highlights last year for a class of 2026:
- Kingston Grammar School: 18 offers
- Hampton School: 8 offers
- Godolphin & Latymer: 9 offers
- St Paul’s Girls’ School: 3 offers
- St Paul’s Boys’: 1 offer
- Lady Eleanor Holles: 16 offers
- Latymer Upper: 9 offers
- Tiffin School / Tiffin Girls’ : 2 offers (1 offer each)
- King’s College Wimbledon: 2 offers
You can find full details including examination results for previous years here.
Further Resources: