Focus

Tolerance, kindness, trust

Day fees 2024/25

$31,700 (incl. VAT)

Boarding fees 2024/25 

$48,700 (incl. VAT)

Pupils 

159

Ages

8–13

Spear’s Review

Situated in the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside, Cothill House is a prep school for boys aged between 8 and 13. The 26-acre site is just a short drive from central Oxford, and the school is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading prep schools. 

For the last 150 years Cothill House was solely for boarders, yet this changed in September 2023 when it opened the door to day pupils for the very first time. This coincided with the arrival of a new headmaster, George May, who was previously a housemaster at the nearby Radley College. In another change, the school will welcome girls from September 2025, becoming fully coeducational.

The school is academically successful, and the class sizes are small, with an average of 14 boys per class. Cothill House routinely sends boys to destinations such as Eton, Harrow and Radley. 

Senior school destinations

The most popular schools for students leaving Cothill are Eton, Radley, Harrow, Winchester and Oundle.

Head teacher

Prior to joining Cothill, George May was at Radley College for 17 years. He attended Eton before gaining a first-class degree in architectural history at Edinburgh University. He was then was awarded a two-year post-graduate acting place at LAMDA, and he continues to champion the arts at Cothill.

Admissions

Cothill describes itself as ‘gently selective’. Prospective students are invited to an assessment where they take part in a range of activities; Cothill also requests a reference from a child’s current school. Parents can register their children from birth, though there are typically one or two places available up to a year prior to entry in Years 4, 5 and 6. 

Accessibility 

Heathrow Airport: 1 hour

Location

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