Cothill

Focus

Creating an environment of kindness

Day fees 2025/26

$37,300

Boarding fees 2025/26

$57,300

Term dates

• Term 1: 4 September to 10 December 2025
• Term 2: 8 January to 25 March 2026
• Term 3: 22 April to 3 July 2026
  

Ages

7-13

Pupil count

160

Spear’s Review

Set in 26 acres of Oxfordshire countryside, Cothill is a prep school for boys and girls aged between 7 and 13, having become fully co-educational in 2025 after a long history as a boys’ school. 

That shift forms part of a broader period of evolution. In 2023, day pupils were welcomed for the first time in the school’s 150-year history as a boarding institution, coinciding with the appointment of George May, formerly a housemaster at Radley College, as headmaster. 

Around 18 nationalities are represented at the school, and that international mix informs daily life as much as the curriculum. With small classes and a staff body that knows every child, Cothill operates less like an institution and more like a contained community.

Head teacher

Prior to joining Cothill, George May was at Radley College as housemaster 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. 

Senior school destinations

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

Admissions

Cothill describes its admissions process as ‘clear, supportive and welcoming’. As a selective school, it seeks pupils with ‘strong academic and personal potential’. Main entry points are at Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 7, and assessments comprise an interview, and an English comprehension and maths paper. Offers are based on assessment results.

Notable alumni

• Alexander Gordon (7th Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair)
  
• Archie Campbell (Marquess of Lorne and British aristocrat)
• John Bradbury (2nd Baron Bradbury)
  

Accessibility 

Heathrow Airport: 1 hour

Location

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