Sunninghill Preparatory School Limited

What Sunninghill Preparatory School Limited does

Sunninghill Preparatory School Limited is an independent co-educational day school based at South Court, South Walks Road, in Dorchester, Dorset, operating continuously since 1939 (at the present Grade II listed Victorian site since 1997). The school delivers a continuous educational journey from nursery (Little Robins Nursery, ages 6 months to 4 years) through Reception, Junior Prep (Forms 1-4), and Senior Prep (Forms 5-8), terminating at age 13 with preparation for senior school entry. Core pedagogy emphasises small class sizes (capped at 20 per year), individualised programmes, EYFS and PLTS frameworks, specialist teaching in French, music, PE, and learning support, and broad extracurricular sport and performing arts, with all pupils reportedly gaining places at their first-choice senior school and regular scholarships to Bryanston, Canford, Clayesmore, Milton Abbey, and Sherborne.

The business model is subscription-based tuition billed termly in advance (three terms per academic year), with tiered fees ranging from £4,066 per term at Reception to £7,194 per term at Senior Prep, plus nursery fees of approximately £4,900-£5,100 per term and nursery year-round monthly contracts. Ancillary revenue streams include a Holiday Club / Day Camp at £44 per day, private minibus transport from Bridport and Weymouth, music tuition and instrument hire, and commercial venue hire of the Hall, House, and sports facilities. The school operates standard education SaaS for billing (WisePay), nursery management (Famly), EYFS learning journals (Tapestry), holiday club booking (Magic Booking), and tour scheduling (DigiStorm). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the school website, Open Mornings, personalised tours, taster days, social media, a weekly blog (Notes From A Small School), and a Refer a Friend programme offering £250 credit to both parties.

Since 15 December 2023 the school has operated as part of Inspired Learning Group (ILG), a network of 25 independent schools and nurseries supporting over 3,000 pupils across the UK, led by CEO Amit Mehta. Day-to-day operations remain under Head David Newberry and a Senior Leadership Team (Deputy Head Lecca Moss, Assistant Head Samantha Gough, Head of Junior Prep Matt Cracknell), reporting termly to the ILG Board. The school has been recognised by ISI as 'Excellent' in both 2023 and 2026 inspections, holds Ofsted 'Good' for Little Robins Nursery, and has been named in the Daynurseries.co.uk Top 20 Nurseries South West England for 2025 and 2026.

Name

Sunninghill Preparatory School Limited

Legal name

Sunninghill School Ltd.

Website

https://sunninghillprep.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sunninghill Preparatory School Limited is an independent co-educational day school in Dorchester, Dorset, offering nursery through Form 8 education (ages 6 months to 13) within the Inspired Learning Group, with small class sizes, ISI 'Excellent' ratings, and tuition as its core subscription revenue model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Preparatory Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (61)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDACABAM

Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools

Education/Early Childhood Education/Preschools & Pre-K Programs

SECONDARYEDACACAB

Nursery School Programs (2–4 Years)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Nursery Schools & Playgroups

SECONDARYEDACABAA

General Preschools (Play-Based)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Preschools & Pre-K Programs

SECONDARYEDACACAL

Nursery School Readiness & Transition Programs

Education/Early Childhood Education/Nursery Schools & Playgroups

Keywords

• Independent preparatory school
• Early years education
• Primary school education
• Nursery childcare services
• Senior school preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dorchester

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Prep School Tuition Fees: Termly tuition fees for Reception through Year 8 (Forms 5-8). Fees are due in advance on the first day of each term. Three terms per academic year.
2. Nursery Fees: Monthly payments for year-round places or termly in advance for term-time-only places. Fees vary by age group (0-2 years, 2-3 years, 3-5 years) and attendance days.
3. Holiday Club/Day Camp: Summer holiday club and day camps during school holidays. £44 per day with 10% sibling and full-week discounts. Tax-Free Childcare accepted.
4. Transport Services: Private minibus service with routes from Bridport and Weymouth areas. Morning-only service due to irregular finish times. Fees added to school fees.
5. Additional Services: Music lessons, instrument hire, breakfast and high tea meals, individual tuition. Fees vary by service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sunninghill Preparatory School operates an independent co-educational day school in Dorchester, Dorset, delivering full-time education and care for children aged 6 months to 13 years. The school provides a continuous educational journey spanning Little Robins Nursery, Reception, Junior Prep (Forms 1-4), and Senior Prep (Forms 5-8), supplemented by fee-paying services including a holiday club, minibus transport, and venue hire (Hall, House, and Sports Facilities). The school has operated since 1939 and is part of the Inspired Learning Group since December 2023.

Product overview

Sunninghill Preparatory School Limited is an independent preparatory school offering a unified educational journey from nursery (6 months) through to Form 8 (age 13). The core offering comprises Little Robins Nursery (early years care and education), Reception, Junior Prep (Forms 1-4), and Senior Prep (Forms 5-8), all delivered through child-centred, individualised programmes emphasising academic rigour, pastoral care, and broad extra-curricular opportunities. The school extends its offering through fee-paying services including holiday club/day camp, venue hire (Sunninghill House, Hall, and Sports Facilities), and minibus transport. The school operates as part of the Inspired Learning Group following a December 2023 partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Little Robins Nursery: On-site nursery for children aged 6 months to 4 years, formerly known as Sunninghill Nursery. Located within Sunninghill Prep School grounds.

Products and services

• Little Robins Nursery

Quantifiable outcome

• Regular achievement of scholarships to local independent senior schools including Bryanston, Canford, Clayesmore, Milton Abbey, and Sherborne
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Inspired Learning Group (ILG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023Sunninghill Prep School became part of Inspired Learning Group on 1st December 2023. ILG is comprised of 25 independent schools and nurseries supporting over 3,000 pupils within the UK. The partnership brings significant investment in enhancing facilities and professional development opportunities while building on existing high standards of teaching and learning. ILG provides sharing of best practice and latest teaching techniques.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• St Edward's School, Oxford: Independent co-educational prep school in Oxford offering nursery through Year 8. Comparable size, fee point, and full-pipeline structure with strong academic outcomes and ISI Excellent rating.
• Horris Hill School: Independent prep school in Berkshire for boys aged 4-13 (recently merged with girls' school). Similar fee point, ISI inspection record, and prep-to-senior-school pathway structure.
• Windlesham House School: Independent co-educational prep school in West Sussex for ages 4-13. Similar size, full-pipeline structure, and emphasis on pastoral care and academic preparation for senior schools.
• Lambrook School: Independent prep school in Berkshire covering ages 3-13. Highly comparable model with nursery, pre-prep, and senior prep divisions; similar pastoral care positioning, ISI inspection ratings, and senior school destination outcomes.
• Pinewood School: Independent co-educational prep school in Bourton, Berkshire covering ages 3-13. Comparable size, family-oriented ethos, and full nursery-through-prep offering.
• The Downs School: Independent prep school in Clifton, Bristol. Similar nursery-through-prep structure with comparable fee band and pastoral emphasis; competing for the same senior school destinations in the South West.
• Hazlegrove School: ILG sister school in Yeovil, Somerset. Direct comparable as another independent prep school within the Inspired Learning Group portfolio, offering nursery through pre-prep and senior prep with similar fee structure and pupil-focused ethos.
• Westonbirt School: Independent day and boarding school in Gloucestershire for ages 2-18. Comparable prep-school offering with nursery and pre-prep divisions, similar fee structure, and regional South West positioning.
• Beaudesert Park School: Independent co-educational prep school in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire. Comparable size, age range (rising 3 to 13), and pastoral-led educational model; serves a similar regional market in the South West.
• Sherborne Preparatory School: Independent co-educational prep school in Sherborne, North Dorset. Closest geographic competitor to Sunninghill, feeding into the same senior schools (Sherborne, Bryanston, Leweston). Comparable nursery-through-prep structure with similar fee point and pastoral focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnNrZBt7r6n2fsEiaEay_Ng
• Facebookfacebook.com/sunninghillprepschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/sunninghillprep
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sunninghill-preparatory-school-limited

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Sunninghill Preparatory School Limited