Moving on to Prep School
At Abbot’s Hill, the move from Pre-Prep into Prep School is one of the most natural transitions your child will make. There is no nerve-wracking entrance assessment and no starting from scratch with new faces — just a confident, well-supported step forward into the next exciting chapter of their education.
Pre-Prep children at Abbot’s Hill are in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 (ages 4–7). When they reach the end of Year 2, they move into Year 3 — the start of the Prep School — joining a community of children in Years 3 to 6 (ages 7–11), on the same 76-acre campus in Hemel Hempstead they already know and love.
Prepared Every Step of the Way
Throughout their time in Pre-Prep, your child will have been quietly getting ready for this moment. They will have met Prep School staff, explored different areas of the school, and built the connections that make moving up feel like a natural progression rather than a daunting leap.
By the time they reach Year 2, Abbot’s Hill children are independent, curious and confident — academically well-prepared and emotionally ready to embrace everything the Prep School has to offer.
The Moving Up Programme
During the Summer Term of Year 2, we bring the transition to life through a structured series of activities and visits designed to give every child a real taste of what Prep School feels like. These include:
- Our Moving Up Afternoon — where Year 2 children spend time in their new classroom, meet their Year 3 teacher, and experience a taster of Prep School life alongside current Prep pupils
- Taster sessions in subject areas that are new or expanded in Prep
- Informal meetings between Pre-Prep and Prep pastoral staff to ensure a smooth handover of everything that matters about your child
For children joining us from other local schools at Year 3, we are equally committed to making the transition warm and well-supported. They are included in our Moving Up events wherever possible, and their class teacher and pastoral lead will be in touch ahead of the start of term to ensure they arrive on day one feeling expected, welcomed and ready.
The Clan System: Continuity That Matters
One of the most powerful things about the Abbot’s Hill transition is something that has been in place since your child’s very first day: their Clan.
Every pupil belongs to one of our three Clans — Cameron, MacDonald or MacNeil — from Reception right through to Year 11. When your child moves into Prep School, they remain in the same Clan, alongside pupils they already know from across the school. That thread of continuity, of belonging, runs all the way through Abbot’s Hill, and it makes every transition feel like a step within a family rather than a leap into the unknown.
What Awaits in Prep School
The Prep School opens up a broader, richer world of learning and opportunity. From Year 3 onwards, children experience:
- A wider curriculum including, as in Pre-Prep, specialist teaching in French, Music, PE and Swimming, and now also Computing
- An expanded co-curricular programme with over access to 30+ clubs and activities each week
- Outdoor Learning continuing in the school’s 76-acre grounds, alongside new sporting competitions and events
- Increased independence and responsibility, preparing children gradually for the step to Senior School at Year 7
Almost all our Pre-Prep pupils move into the Prep School — and we are proud that so many of their families choose to stay with us all the way through to Year 11.
Explore the Prep School
For Families Joining at Year 3
If your child is joining Abbot’s Hill at Year 3 from another school, you are warmly welcome. The Year 3 entry point is our main Prep School entry, and we welcome children from a wide range of local prep and primary schools each September.
Our admissions process for Year 3 entry is straightforward and friendly — there is no formal examination. Children spend a Taster Day with us, during which they experience a typical school day alongside current pupils and complete short assessments in Maths and English so that we can understand their starting points and ensure they are well placed from day one.
