Cothill
School summary
A small boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 8 to 13, Cothill keeps numbers deliberately low at around 160 pupils. Set in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, it offers a pupil-to-teacher ratio of roughly four to one, among the most generous staffing levels a family is likely to find. The Independent Schools Inspectorate rated the school excellent for both education quality and personal development, and found it fully compliant. It is a mobile-free environment, with boarders handing in phones on arrival and using landlines to stay in touch with home.
Where every mark matters.
Places are limited and demand is high, so exam performance is what sets candidates apart. Passmate turns the months ahead into ten focused minutes a day on the exact topics this school tests.
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Inspection reports
- ISI rating
- excellent
- ISI personal development
- excellent
- Last inspected
- 10 February 2026
Teaching & academics
With teaching groups kept very small, Cothill is built around close attention to each child during the final years of prep school. The ISI judged the quality of pupils' achievement excellent. Nearly a quarter of pupils receive some form of SEN support, a notably high proportion that points to a school comfortable working with a range of learning needs.
Head · George May
Beyond the classroom
Scholarships span academic, music, art, drama, all-rounder and sport, suggesting genuine strength and recognition across the arts, the playing field and the classroom. As a boarding school for younger children, much of the wider enrichment is woven into daily life on site.
School life & ethos
- Boarding
- Yes
- SEN support
- 23.45%
- EHC plans
- 0%
Mobile phone policy
Mobile phone free school. Boarders hand in phones on arrival. School has landline phones for boarding home contact.
Fees & bursaries
- Day fees (per year)
- £27,390
- Boarding fees (per year)
- £42,090
Means-tested bursaries available
Schools nearby
The Manor Preparatory School
Abingdon, South East
St Helen and St Katharine
Abingdon, South East
MacIntyre Abingdon Partnership College
Abingdon, South East
Abingdon Preparatory School
Abingdon, South East
The Unicorn School
Abingdon, South East
Abingdon School
Abingdon, South East
Watch Passmate decide how to teach.
Answer as a child would. Left: what they see. Right: what it learns about them.
A small, phone-free prep with boarding and an excellent ISI report, suited to families who want close attention and a broad set of opportunities before senior school. Means-tested bursaries help widen access to fees that reach £42,090 for boarders.
That’s where Passmate comes in. Tutoring is the most effective thing in a child’s preparation - a well-tutored child can outperform the vast majority of their peers. Passmate works alongside your tutor, not instead of them: it learns how your child thinks, finds the gaps, and shows the tutor exactly where to spend each session - so the limited time you have lands on what actually decides a place.
Works alongside your child’s tutor - not instead of them.
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Cothill 11+: frequently asked questions
Compiled from public data. Last checked 5 June 2026.