Dulwich Preparatory School
Encyclopedia
Dulwich Preparatory School is a co-educational preparatory school for children aged 3 to 13 years. It is situated in 50 acres of Wealden countryside in the heart of Kent
. The school has 537 pupils and is divided into three sections: Upper School (9-13 year olds), Little Stream (5-9 year olds) and Nash House (3-5 year olds).
Since September 2010, the Headmaster has been Paul David B.Ed (Hons).
in London, established an evacuation camp in the orchard on his father-in-law's land at Coursehorn
, near Cranbrook
, Kent
. Despite the danger in 1940, the school in London was reopened and run along with the school in Cranbrook. There were plans to move the school to the West Country
, but when these fell through Dulwich Prep in Cranbrook was evacuated to Betws-y-Coed
in Snowdonia
(there remains a memorial planting of trees in that village in memory of this period). Meanwhile, Coursehorn was being used as a camp for the troops, and in 1944 soldiers had been gathered there in preparation for D-Day
.
After the war, Mr Leakey decided to take over Coursehorn from his mother-in-law and use that as the junior boarding house - when the army had vacated it. The school,was then scheduled to re-open in September 1945.
Coursehorn began with forty junior boarders (aged six to ten), who then moved on to Brightlands in Dulwich before leaving for their Public Schools, and fifty day boys, mainly the sons of local farmers. The school has gone from strength to strength since those early beginnings, and is now one of the best known and most successful prep. schools in the country. Without the vision and commitment of John Leakey, none of this would have been possible.
The school, which is run as a charitable trust, shares the same governors as Dulwich College Preparatory School in London but is separate from Dulwich College, although there are historical links. The school is still known locally as 'DCPS', but dropped the College from its name in the mid 1990s.
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. The school has 537 pupils and is divided into three sections: Upper School (9-13 year olds), Little Stream (5-9 year olds) and Nash House (3-5 year olds).
Since September 2010, the Headmaster has been Paul David B.Ed (Hons).
History of the School
In 1938, John Leakey, the then Headmaster of Dulwich College Preparatory SchoolDulwich College Preparatory School
Dulwich Preparatory School DCPS is a private preparatory school in Dulwich, south London, England for children aged 3–13 years. It was founded in 1885, and is the largest boys preparatory school in the United Kingdom. It will be known formally as "Dulwich Prep London" from September 2011.The...
in London, established an evacuation camp in the orchard on his father-in-law's land at Coursehorn
Coursehorn
Coursehorn is a hamlet located immediately to the east of the village of Cranbrook in Kent, England. It is the site of the local cemetery; and Dulwich Preparatory School , which despite the name is not connected with Dulwich College in London, but is connected with Dulwich College Preparatory...
, near Cranbrook
Cranbrook, Kent
Cranbrook is a small town in Kent in South East England which was granted a charter in 1290 by Archbishop Peckham, allowing it to hold a market in the High Street. Located on the Maidstone to Hastings road, it is five miles north of Hawkhurst. The smaller settlements of Swattenden, Colliers...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. Despite the danger in 1940, the school in London was reopened and run along with the school in Cranbrook. There were plans to move the school to the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
, but when these fell through Dulwich Prep in Cranbrook was evacuated to Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It has a population of 534. The name Betws or Bettws is generally thought to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon Old English 'bed-hus' - i.e. a bead-house - a house of prayer, or oratory...
in Snowdonia
Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
(there remains a memorial planting of trees in that village in memory of this period). Meanwhile, Coursehorn was being used as a camp for the troops, and in 1944 soldiers had been gathered there in preparation for D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
.
After the war, Mr Leakey decided to take over Coursehorn from his mother-in-law and use that as the junior boarding house - when the army had vacated it. The school,was then scheduled to re-open in September 1945.
Coursehorn began with forty junior boarders (aged six to ten), who then moved on to Brightlands in Dulwich before leaving for their Public Schools, and fifty day boys, mainly the sons of local farmers. The school has gone from strength to strength since those early beginnings, and is now one of the best known and most successful prep. schools in the country. Without the vision and commitment of John Leakey, none of this would have been possible.
The school, which is run as a charitable trust, shares the same governors as Dulwich College Preparatory School in London but is separate from Dulwich College, although there are historical links. The school is still known locally as 'DCPS', but dropped the College from its name in the mid 1990s.