What Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School does

Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School is an independent co-educational day and boarding prep school located in Casterton, near Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, UK. It forms part of the Sedbergh Schools Group, a UK-registered charitable company (Charity number: 1080672; Company number: 03946280). The school serves children from approximately 6 months through Year 8 (around age 13), spanning a nursery phase (The Mulberry Bush Nursery), Pre-Prep, Key Stage 2, and Key Stage 3, with the explicit purpose of preparing pupils for senior school entry at 13+. Its reported programme mix includes small-class academic instruction, specialist support (SEND, EAL, Stretch and Challenge), a sports programme running at least four days per week, performing arts, equestrian activities, weekend outdoor adventures, and full-time, flexi-, and day boarding.

The school is led by Kate Martin (Head) and operates under a direct-to-consumer admissions model targeting parents seeking independent preparatory education, with a dedicated pathway for military families. Revenue is generated through termly tuition and boarding fees as a recurring subscription; specific fee levels are not publicly disclosed. The school holds accreditations with HMC, ISC, IAPS, BSA, BBSN, The Society of Heads, and AEGIS, and received an Outstanding commendation from the Independent Schools Inspectorate. Distribution channels include a comprehensive website with virtual tour, organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn), open days, arranged visits, prospectus downloads, and group-level international routes through Sedbergh School Fuzhou and Sedbergh Vietnam. The Mulberry Bush Nursery operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary on the same campus.

Name

Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School

Legal name

Sedbergh Schools Group Limited

Website

https://sedberghprep.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School is an independent co-educational day and boarding prep school in Cumbria, UK, serving children aged 6 months to 13 as part of the Sedbergh Schools Group, funded through termly tuition fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Preparatory Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Boarding Schools (EDAJABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM)

Keywords

• Independent preparatory education
• Boarding school services
• Primary school education
• Pre-school nursery care
• Extracurricular activities

Headquarters

HQ city

Casterton, Kirkby Lonsdale

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Boarding Fees: The school generates revenue primarily through termly tuition fees charged to parents for both day and boarding pupils across Pre-Prep, Key Stage 2, and Key Stage 3 programs. Fees cover academic instruction, boarding facilities, meals, activities, and extracurricular programs including sports, performing arts, equestrian, and weekend adventures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School is an independent UK preparatory school delivering day and boarding education for children from Pre-School through Year 8 (ages approximately 4-13), with an additional on-site nursery (The Mulberry Bush) for ages 6 months to 4 years. The core offering combines a full academic curriculum across Pre-Prep, Key Stage 2, and Key Stage 3 with boarding (full-time, flexi, and day), a comprehensive extracurricular programme (sports at least four days weekly, performing arts, equestrian, weekend outdoor adventures), and specialist academic support (SEND, EAL, Stretch and Challenge, International English Enrichment Programme). Revenue is earned through recurring termly tuition and boarding fees paid by parents.

Product overview

Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School operates as an independent preparatory school with its main campus in Casterton, Cumbria, UK. The school offers a comprehensive educational programme structured across multiple phases: Pre-Prep (Pre-School to Year 2), Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6), and Key Stage 3 (Years 7-8). Beyond core academics, the school provides a broad extracurricular portfolio including sports (minimum four days per week), performing arts (drama and music), equestrian programme, weekend adventures, and boarding facilities (full-time, flexible, or day). Specialist support services include SEND, English as an Additional Language, and a Stretch and Challenge programme for gifted learners. The school also operates The Mulberry Bush Nursery on the same campus for children aged 6 months to four years. The school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) and holds Cyber Essentials Plus certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sedbergh Prep School (Casterton) — Day and Boarding Education Core independent preparatory education offering for children from Pre-Prep through Year 8, delivered via small class sizes, specialist subject teachers, and a curriculum spanning academics, sports, performing arts, equestrian, and outdoor adventures. Parents purchase termly tuition.
• Boarding (Full-Time, Flexi, and Day Options) Boarding provision for Prep School pupils with three billing options: full boarding (full-time accommodation, all meals, weekend activities, and care), flexi-boarding (occasional boarding for day pupils), and day attendance. Billed termly.
• The Mulberry Bush Nursery Early years nursery care for children aged 6 months to four years, operating on the Casterton campus with indoor and outdoor activities, flexible hours, home-cooked food, extensive grounds, and all-weather play areas. Each child is assigned a designated key worker.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Duke of Edinburgh's AwardcoreOthersThe school participates in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, offering pupils the opportunity to achieve this prestigious recognised award through volunteering, physical activities, skills development, and expeditions.
• AEGIS (Accreditation of Education Guardianship)coreOthersAEGIS accreditation demonstrates the school's commitment to quality guardianship for international students, providing parents with assurance regarding the care and welfare of their children.
• BBSN (British Boarding Schools Network)coreOthersMembership in BBSN connects the school with the broader British boarding schools community, supporting best practices in boarding education and providing a network for families seeking boarding options.
• ISC (Independent Schools Council)coreOthersISC membership connects the school with over 1,300 independent schools, providing representation, resources, and shared standards for the independent education sector.
• IAPS (Independent Association of Prep Schools)coreOthersIAPS membership provides access to resources, professional development, and networking specific to preparatory schools, supporting the school's focus on education for ages 4-13.
• BSA (Boarding Schools Association)coreOthersBSA membership demonstrates the school's commitment to high standards in boarding provision, with access to best practice resources and recognition as a quality boarding school.
• HMC (Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference)coreOthersHMC membership places Sedbergh Prep among leading independent schools, with access to senior leadership resources and recognition of educational excellence.
• The Society of HeadscoreOthersMembership in The Society of Heads connects the school with other heads of independent schools, supporting professional development and sector leadership.
• Sedbergh Schools GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Sedbergh Schools Group which includes Sedbergh Senior School, Sedbergh Courses, International Summer School, OS Club, and international schools in Fuzhou and Vietnam. Provides shared resources, brand strength, and pathways across the education journey.
• Cyber Essentials PlusminorOthersCybersecurity certification demonstrating the school's commitment to protecting data and systems, particularly important given the school holds information about children.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Oundle School: Large co-educational independent boarding and day school in Northamptonshire with full HMC accreditation and broad age provision. Comparable as a full-boarding HMC independent school in the same elite group of UK independent schools.
• Uppingham School: Prestigious HMC co-educational full-boarding independent school in Rutland. Comparable as a leading UK full-boarding independent school with strong boarding community ethos and similar pastoral care emphasis.
• Repton School: Major HMC independent co-educational boarding and day school in Derbyshire. Comparable as an elite full-boarding UK independent school with strong sporting tradition and broad curriculum.
• Sedbergh Senior School: Sibling senior school within the same Sedbergh Schools Group. Directly comparable as part of the same charitable operating company, sharing brand, values, governance, and feeder pipeline from the Prep school.

Direct peers

• Bootham School: Independent co-educational day and boarding school in York with Quaker heritage. Comparable as a northern independent school with boarding option, ISI inspection regime, and similar ethos-based values framework.
• St Peter's School, York: Historic independent boarding and day school in York covering ages 3–18. Comparable as a northern England full-boarding HMC member school with broad age range, strong extracurricular portfolio, and ISI inspection regime.
• Giggleswick School: Long-established co-educational independent boarding and day school in the Yorkshire Dales serving ages 3–18. Comparable as a rural northern independent school with full boarding, family-style community ethos, and broad curriculum including strong sports and outdoor programmes.
• Windermere School: Independent co-educational day and boarding school in Cumbria/Lake District covering Nursery through Sixth Form. Highly comparable as a small-to-mid-size northern English independent school with full boarding, similar rural setting, and broad age-range provision.

Regional players

• The Royal Latin School: Selective state grammar school in Buckinghamshire with a small boarding house. Comparable as a UK secondary school offering boarding alongside day provision; weaker direct overlap as it is state-funded and lacks the Prep through Year 8 span.

Others

• AEGIS-accredited UK Prep Schools (e.g., St Michael's Prep, Kent): AEGIS-accredited UK preparatory school for international boarders. Comparable through shared AEGIS guardianship accreditation and explicit international-recruitment focus; partial overlap given smaller scale and day-plus-flexi-boarding mix.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@castertonsedberghpreparato8175
• Facebookfacebook.com/SedberghPrep
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/casterton-sedbergh-preparatory-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/sedbergh_prep_school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School