Sunninghill Prep School

South Court, Dorchester, DT1 1EB

Senior school in Dorchester.

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Age range
2–13
Co-ed status
Mixed
Number of students
171
Day / boarding
Day only
Religious affiliation
Non-denominational
Average fees
£16,768 (annual, inc. VAT)
Has a nursery
Yes

Fee profile

Pre-Reception —
Reception £11,391
Year 1 £11,871
Year 2 £11,871
Year 3 £16,917
Year 4 £18,261
Year 5 £20,151
Year 6 £20,151
Year 7 £20,151
Year 8 £20,151
Year 9 —
Year 10 —
Year 11 —
Year 12 —
Year 13 —

Bursaries

Yes

Scholarships

Yes

A-level results

No A-level results are currently published for this school.

Admissions

Sunninghill's admissions proposition is that of a small, traditional prep where families are expected to visit, understand the culture and judge fit carefully. The school should appeal most to parents who want a compact, all-round environment and a personalised route through the prep years rather than a large-scale institution.

How the school describes itself

  • Sunninghill is warm, rounded and rooted in the individual child.
  • Its public tone points towards confidence, curiosity and broad opportunity rather than narrow exam choreography.
  • The messaging feels traditional, personal and quietly assured.

Parents like

  • A plausible fit for families who want a prep that still feels intimate, traditional and genuinely child-focused.
  • The appeal is the scale: small enough for children to be visible, but serious enough to prepare them well for what comes next.
  • It should suit parents who like prep-school values without too much gloss or pressure.

Inspection snapshot

The school's current formal benchmark is its March 2023 ISI inspection, which remains the key public reference point. That provides a solid recent enough marker for a prep whose appeal lies less in constant marketing noise and more in a long-established local reputation.

Sunninghill Prep School

Senior school in Dorchester.

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How the school describes itself

  • Sunninghill is warm, rounded and rooted in the individual child.
  • Its public tone points towards confidence, curiosity and broad opportunity rather than narrow exam choreography.
  • The messaging feels traditional, personal and quietly assured.

Fee profile

Annual fees including VAT. 2025-26.

Reception£11,391
Year 1£11,871
Year 2£11,871
Year 3£16,917
Year 4£18,261
Year 5£20,151
Year 6£20,151
Year 7£20,151
Year 8£20,151

Parents like

  • A plausible fit for families who want a prep that still feels intimate, traditional and genuinely child-focused.
  • The appeal is the scale: small enough for children to be visible, but serious enough to prepare them well for what comes next.
  • It should suit parents who like prep-school values without too much gloss or pressure.

Admissions

Sunninghill's admissions proposition is that of a small, traditional prep where families are expected to visit, understand the culture and judge fit carefully. The school should appeal most to parents who want a compact, all-round environment and a personalised route through the prep years rather than a large-scale institution.

Scholarships

Sunninghill's clearest public fee-support message is around bursaries, with means-tested awards reportedly ranging widely in size. Scholarship messaging is much less dominant, which fits the general impression of a school that leads with community and preparation rather than headline competition.

Bursaries

Sunninghill Prep School publishes means-tested bursaries and says fee support can be considered beyond the value of any scholarship award where family finances require it.

  • Families should confirm the relevant point of entry directly with admissions.
  • A means-tested bursary route is published, but no standard remission cap is published.
  • Families should contact the school directly and expect a means-tested financial assessment.

Inspection snapshot

The school's current formal benchmark is its March 2023 ISI inspection, which remains the key public reference point. That provides a solid recent enough marker for a prep whose appeal lies less in constant marketing noise and more in a long-established local reputation.

Assessment approach

Assessment at Sunninghill is recognisably prep-school in style: close monitoring of core skills, careful support in the middle years and increasing strategic focus as pupils move towards 11+ or 13+. The likely aim is not just attainment on paper but making sure each child is ready for the right senior-school move.

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