We are delighted that you are considering Dulwich Prep & Senior for your child. Boys and girls can start with us at the age of two in our Fledglings Class and will automatically progress through to Nursery. From Reception, we are a boys-only school through to Year 11.
Our main entry points are Nursery (age 3+), Reception (age 4+), Year 3 (age 7+), Year 7 (age 11+), and Year 9 (age 13+). We accept occasional place registrations in other year groups where we have space; to learn more about availability, please contact our Admissions Office directly. Although we cannot promise availability in every year group, we encourage registrations and continue to assess candidates interested in joining our waiting list for when a future place becomes available.
We recognise that every child is unique and seek children who will thrive in our environment and make the most of our exceptional offering. We assess each child’s potential and attitude towards learning and our school values; our assessments enable each applicant to showcase their strengths. We do this to ensure that all our children feel happy, are successful within our school community, and have access to the curriculum. Our admission standards exceed the average level of attainment for each age group based on the National Curriculum.
As a possible future school for your child, we would like to extend a warm welcome and are available to guide you through the next steps. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us via our Admissions Contact Form or call 020 8766 5525.
Fledglings
Boys and girls can start in September when they are two years old and will have their third birthday in this academic year (between 1 September and 31 August). Children entering our Fledglings Room will not be assessed. Instead, registration will work on a first-come, first-served basis to a maximum of 30 registrations. We have 16 places in our Fledgling Room, and should we exceed 16 registrations, we will adopt a ballot system.
We will hold a ‘Stay and Play’ morning session for all families registered in March before entry. Families will be notified of the ballot’s outcome before the end of the spring term. All children will automatically progress into our Nursery (3+).
Our school is boys only from Reception, and the transition for boys to Reception (4+) will involve an internal assessment; further information about which will be shared with parents closer to the time.
We encourage girls to begin their journey with us in Fledglings (2+), as they can benefit from two full years with us. This additional time allows us to develop stronger relationships, support early development, and ensure each girl is fully prepared (academically, socially, and emotionally) for their next step in their learning journey.
Please note that we have now reached the registration capacity for the 2025, 2026, and 2027 entry into our Fledglings Class.
Nursery
Boys and girls can start in Nursery in the September after their third birthday and have their fourth birthday within the academic year (between 1 September and 31 August). The ratio of boys to girls is approximately 5:1 in Nursery. After Nursery, we support exit for the girls to move on to other local schools.
On the assessment day, children are observed playing in small groups in the classrooms, and our staff engage them with a variety of resources, such as construction toys and role-play. We usually have a short music session and finish with the children sitting together and listening to a story.
As part of the admissions process, we ask parents to provide a copy of their child’s most recent school report, and with parental permission, we will contact each child’s current setting, however, we understand that some young children will not be attending a nursery setting.
During the assessment, parents are invited to stay for tea or coffee, and staff are available to answer any queries.
Reception
Each year, there are approximately 30 new Reception places in addition to the boys moving up from our Nursery. We are a boys-only school from Reception.
On the assessment day, the boys complete small and group activities with a member of staff in the classroom. We usually have a short music session and finish with the children sitting together and listening to a story.
We ask parents to provide a copy of their child’s most recent school or Nursery report, and with parental permission, we will contact each child’s current setting, however, we understand that some young children will not be attending a nursery before visiting us.
During the assessment, parents stay for tea or coffee, and staff are available to answer any queries
Key Dates
Fledglings
Nursery
Reception
Our assessments for boys entering the Pre-Prep at Years 1 & 2 are carried out in small groups. We will hear the boys read, and they will be asked to do some Maths and writing. We will also look at their socialising and listening skills as the boys play together.
We invite boys entering the Pre-Prep at Year 3 to spend half a day with us, which includes lunch. There are papers in English and Maths (including comprehension and story writing), and the boys will complete verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests on a computer. We also hear the boys read and allow them to play and look around the school.
Boys also have the chance to play ball games in the Sports Hall and to join in some fun singing in the Music department. Each boy individually meets the Head of Pre-Prep and the Head of Year 3 for an informal chat. Parents are invited to join the Head Master for coffee when they drop the boys off for their assessments.
For all Year Groups, we ask parents to provide a copy of their son’s most recent school report. We will also contact each boy’s current school to ask for a reference before the assessment takes place.
Key Dates
Years 1 & 2
Year 3
We invite boys entering the Prep School to spend half a day with us, which includes lunch. For those joining at Year 4, there are papers in English and Maths (including comprehension and story writing), and the boys will complete verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests on a computer. We also hear the boys read and allow them to play and look around the school.
Boys also have the chance to play ball games in the Sports Hall and to join in some fun singing in the Music department. Each boy individually meets the Head of Section and the Head of Year 4 for an informal chat. Parents are invited to join the Head Master for coffee when they drop the boys off for their assessments.
For boys entering at Years 5 to 8, they will sit reasoning tests (verbal, non-verbal and quantitative) and are asked to undertake some written English (writing and comprehension) and Maths work. We also ask the boys to participate in some team tasks with other boys of a similar age and will conduct an informal interview. The assessment aims to ensure that the boys who join us will thrive in a selective school with high academic standards.
For all Year Groups, we ask parents to provide a copy of their son’s most recent school report. We will also contact each boy’s current school to ask for a reference before the assessment takes place.
Key Dates
Year 4
Years 5 & 6
Years 7 & 8
*In order to best accommodate Exam Access Arrangements as prescribed for diagnosed SEND needs by external specialists, such as extra time, provision of touch typing, movement breaks and prompts, we may need to ask for boys to attend on Thursday 29 January.
We invite boys entering the Senior School to spend half a day with us, which includes lunch. As part of their visit, the boys will sit reasoning tests (verbal, nonverbal, and quantitative) and are asked to undertake some written English (writing and comprehension) and Maths work.
We also ask the boys to participate in some team tasks with other boys of a similar age and will conduct an informal interview. The assessment aims to ensure that the boys who join us will thrive in a selective school with high academic standards.
We ask parents to provide a copy of their son’s most recent school report. Before the assessment takes place, we will also contact each boy’s current school to ask for a reference.
Key Dates
Year 9
Our main entry points are Nursery (age 3+), Reception (age 4+), Year 3 (age 7+), Year 7 (age 11+), and Year 9 (age 13+). We accept occasional place registrations in other year groups where we have space; to learn more about availability, please contact our Admissions Office directly. Although we cannot promise availability in every year group, we encourage registrations and continue to assess candidates interested in joining our waiting list for when a future place becomes available.
Please note: We have reached the registration limit for September entry to our Fledglings Class. Please take a look at our entry procedures for full details.
As part of our registration, a non-returnable fee of £180 for UK-based applicants and £250 for overseas-based applicants (inclusive of VAT) is required to complete the process.
Before proceeding with any of the registration forms below please:
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