Copthorne Prep School

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Established	1902
School type	Independent boarding and day school
Headmaster	Mr Chris Jones
Deputy Head	Mr Branfoot
Location	West Sussex
Student Ages	2-13
School Colours	Red and Black
Website	www.copthorneprep.co.uk[1]

Copthorne Prep School is situated in west sussex for students aged between 2 and 13. It consist of a nursery for infants from 2 ¹/₂. A junior department is for chirldren under the age of eight (reseption to yr 2). Older students (ages 8 - 13) work in the two prep school buildings, the 'New Block' which is the a teaching building. The main building, or 'The Old Block', half of which consists of staff flats and bording rooms, the other half contains facilities for acting, musical activities and the dining room as well as more classrooms.

[edit] History

Copthorne Preparatory School was first built as a private home called Emsworth House, and was owned by the Kensington Family. It first became a small girls' school in 1900 for a short time, and was then taken over by Bernard Rendall in 1902 as a boys' school, brother of the then Headmaster of Winchester College, the school designed as a place to prepare boys for Winchester. Mr Rendall's brother-in-law was Dr Edward Wilson, who was one of the men who died in 1913, at the South Pole, whilst on Captain Scott's expedition. A stained glass window was put in the school Chapel rememboring this event. Dr Wilson had used the school in preparation for his trip, and the boys had donated funds to provide huskies. In 1928, Edward Skeete Workman took over the running of the school in partnership with Mr JP Howard. Mr Tim Workman took over as Headmaster in 1952 on the death of his father, and was later joined as joint Headmaster by Mr David Sale. Then Mr Sale was joint Headmaster with Mr David Cann and then with Mr David Newton. Mr Sale died in 1984, Mr Newton was the sole Headmaster until his retirement in 1999, then was followed by Charles Allen who only was there for six years. The present Headmaster, Chris Jones, started at the school in September 2005. During World War II, the school was evacuated to the Lee Bay Hotel in Ilfracombe. The school building was requisitioned for use by Army (the Buffs had it for six weeks) and then by the RAF. In 1976 the school was formed into a charitable trust, and in 1980 girls were admitted for the first time. The Pre-Prep was started in the late 1970's, and the Coach House Nursery was opened in 1997. The school is now predominantly a day school, although some children take advantage of the weekly and flexi-boarding opportunities offered by the school.