En los países pertenecientes a la Commonwealth una escuela preparatoria (normalmente abreviado como "prep school") es una Independent School que prepara a sus estudiantes hasta la edad de once o trece años para las Secondary Independent Schools de pago. Algunas de estas escuelas reciben también el nombre de Public Schools. Mientras muchas Prep Schools preparan a sus estudiantes para entrar a diversas Senior Schools, algunas están muy asociadas a un único centro escolar, como Colet Court lo está con St Paul's School. La mayoría de las prep schools británicas son principalmente escuelas diurnas, aunque algunas son internados.
Algunas grammar schools mantenidas tienen un departamento prep de pago, por ejemplo, Sullivan Upper School en Holywood y Bangor Grammar School, Bangor, County Down, ambas en Irlanda del Norte.
El uso de este término en el Reino Unido contrasta con el mismo usado en los Estados Unidos y en Canadá, donde las prep schools son university-preparatory schools.
Por lo general los estudiantes de estas escuelas tienen entre ocho y trece años. A esta edad la mayoría hacen el "Common Entrance Examination" para entrar a una "Independent School" de Secundaria. Antes de los ocho años se emplea a menudo el término "pre-prep school", similar a una escuela primaria subvecionada en el Reino Unido. De esta manera, la mayoría de chicos educados independientemente irán a una "pre-prep school" desde los cuatro o cinco años hasta los ocho, luego desde los ocho hasta los trece a una escuela preparatoria y desde los trece a una escuela secundaria independiente.
Las escuelas privadas femeninas en Inglaterra tienden a seguir con más frecuencia el rango de edad de las escuelas subvencionadas que las masculinas. Una escuela preparatoria femenina admitirá normalmente niñas desde los cinco años y éstas continuarán en otra escuela independiente a los once años. Sin embargo, ya que ahora más niñas continúan en escuelas masculinas que se han convertido en mixtas, la separación es menos evidente.
La "Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools" (IAPS), Asociación Corporativa de Escuelas Preparatorias en español, es la asociación de directores de escuelas preparatoria. Da servicio a las 500 principales escuelas preparatorias independientes en el Reino Unido y en todo el mundo, con un total de 130.000 alumnos. La IAPS es una de las siete asociaciones afiliadas al "Independent Schools Council" (ISC), Consejo de Escuelas Independientes en español.
Lista de escuelas preparatorias británicas Abajo se relacionan todas las escuelas preparatorias británicas a 1 de noviembre de 2008. Abbotsford Preparatory School,abbotsfordprepschool.co.uk Urmston, Manchester Aberdour School, Surrey Abingdon Preparatory School, Frilford, Oxfordshire Aldwickbury School, Hertfordshire Alleyn Court Prep School, Westcliff-on-Sea All Hallows Preparatory School, Shepton Mallet Aldenham Prep School, Elstree Aldro School, Shackleford, Surrey Alton Burn, Nairn, Inverness-shire Altrincham Preparatory School, Cheshire Amberley House School, Clifton, Bristol Andean House Schoolandeanhouse.org Ardvreck School, Crieff, Perthshire Ashfold School, Dorton, Buckinghamshire Ashdown House, East Sussex Aysgarth School, North Yorkshire Ballyclare Prep, Ballyclare, Ulster Barrow Hills School, Witley, Surrey Bancroft's School, Woodford Green Beaudesert Park School, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire Bedford Preparatory School, Bedfordshire Beechenhurst School, Liverpool Beechwood Park Preparatory School, Markyate, Hertfordshire Belmont Mill Hill Preparatory School, Mill Hill, Londres Belmont Preparatory School,belmont-school.org Holmbury St Mary, Surrey Bilton Grange,biltongrange.co.uk Rugby, Warwickshire Birmingham Blue Coat School, Edgbaston, Birmingham Brentwood Preparatory School, Brentwood, Essex Brockhurst and Marlston House School, Hermitage, Berkshire Brooklands Preparatory School,brooklandsschool.com Stafford Broughton Manor Preparatory Schoolmkps.co.uk Burys Court School Leigh, Surrey Carleton House Preparatory School, Liverpool Caldicott Schoolcaldicott.com Bucks Caterham Preparatory School,caterhamprepschool.co.uk Caterham, Surrey Cheam School Cheltenham College Junior Schoolcheltcoll.gloucs.sch.uk Cheltenham, Gloucestershire Chinthurst School, Tadworth, Surrey Christ Church Cathedral School, Oxford Clifton College Preparatory School, Bristol Clifton Lodge, Ealing, Londres Colet Court, London Copthorne School,copthorneprep.co.uk West Sussex Cothill House,cothill.net Abingdon, Oxfordshire Cottesmore School, Crawley, West Sussex Coworth-Flexlands Preparatory School & Nursery,coworthflexlands.co.uk Chobham, Surrey Cranleigh Preparatory School, Cranleigh, Surrey Crowstone Preparatory School, Rochford, Essex Crowstone Preparatory School, Westcliff on-Sea, Essex Culford Preparatory School, Bury St. Edmunds Cumnor House School, South Croydon, Surrey Cumnor House School, Danehill, Sussex Cundall Manor School, North Yorkshire Davenies,davenies.co.uk Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire Downsend School, Leatherhead, Surrey The Downs School, Colwall, Hertfordshire Dover Court Preparatory School,dovercourt.edu.sg Singapur Dragon School, Oxford Duke of Kent School,dukeofkentschool.org.uk Ewhurst, Cranleigh, Surrey Dulwich College Preparatory School,dcpslondon.org Londres Dumpton School,dumpton Dorset Duncombe School, Hertfordshire Durham Choristers School, Durham Durston House, Londres Durlston Court, Barton-on-Sea, Hampshire Eastcourt School, Ilford, Londres Eagle House School, Crowthorne Escuelas Pías, Ostrichirri, London. Eaton House The Manor School, Londres Edge Grove, Aldenham, Hertfordshire Edgeborough School, Farnham, Surrey Elm Green Preparatory School, Essex The Elms School, Colwall, Herefordshire Elstree School, Woolhampton, Berkshire Exeter School, Exeter, Devon Fairfield Preparatory School, Loughborough Farleigh School, Andover, Hampshire Feltonfleet, Cobham, Surrey|Cobham, Surrey Foremarke Hall|Foremarke Hall School, Repton, Derbyshire Forest Preparatory School, Walthamstow Fulham Preparatory School,fulhamprep.co.uk Londres Gayhurst School, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire - Mr. A Sims Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls|Gilbert Inglefield House, Monmouth Glebe House School & Nursery, Hunstanton, Norfolk Gracefield Preparatory School, Bristol Great Ballard Preparatory School, Chichester Girls' Day School Trust|Great Houghton Preparatory School, Northampton. Godstowe Preparatory School, High Wycombe. Grace Dieu Manor School, Leicestershire Monmouth School#The Grange|The Grange, Monmouth - Elaine Thomas Great Walstead School, Haywards Heath Gresham's School|Gresham's Preparatory School, Holt, Norfolk|Holt, Norfolk Haddon Dene School Broadstairs Kent Hall School (Hampstead)|The Hall School,hallschool.co.uk Hampstead, Londres Hall Grove School, Bagshot, Surrey Hampshire School, knightsbridge, Londres Girls' Day School Trust|The Hamlets School, Liverpool Haslemere Preparatory School, Haslemere Haberdashers Aske boys school Preparatory department, Elstree Hazelwood School, Limpsfield, Surrey Heath Mount School, Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire Hereward House School, Hampstead Highfield School,highfieldschool.org.uk Liphook, Hampshire Hilden Grange School, Tonbridge, Kent Hill House International School, Knightsbridge, Londres Holland House School, Edgware, Londres Holmewood House School, Kent Holmwood House School, Colchester, Essex Homefield School, Sutton, London|Sutton, Surrey Horris Hill School, Berkshire Hurstpierpoint College Preparatory School, Sussex Kensington Preparatory School, Kensington, Londres Kew College, Surrey Kimbolton Preparatory School, Kimbolton Kingshott, Hitchin, Hertfordshire Kingswood House School, Epsom, Surrey King's House School, Richmond, London|Richmond The King's School, Ely Junior School,kingsschoolely.co.uk Cambs Kings School, Plymouth,kingsschool-plymouth.co.uk Plymouth Devon Knighton House, Dorset Knightsbridge School Lennox Gardens, Knightsbridge London SW1knightsbridgeschool.com Lancing College Preparatory School at Mowden, Hove Liverpool College, Liverpool Lockers Park Prep School,lockerspark.herts.sch.uk Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire* Ludgrove,ludgrove.com Wokingham Lyndon Preparatory School,rydal-penrhos.com Colwyn Bay Maidwell Hall, Northamptonshire Malsis School,malsis.com North Yorkshire The Manor Prep School,manorprep.org Abingdon, Oxfordshire|Abingdon Marlborough House School, Hawkhurst, Kent Milbourne Lodge School,milbournelodge.co.uk Esher Millfield Preparatory School, Street, Somerset|Street, Somerset Milton Keynes Preparatory School Moor Park,moorpark.org.uk Ludlow Moreton Hall Prep School, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk Mount House School, Tavistock, Devon Mowden Hall School,mowdenhall.co.uk Northumberland The New Beacon Preparatory School, Sevenoaks, Kent New College School, Oxford Newland House Preparatory School Newton Preparatory School Battersea, Londres Norman Court Preparatory School, Salisbury, Wiltshire Northcote Lodge, Wandsworth, Londres Norwich School, Norwich, Norfolk Notre Dame School (Surrey)|Notre Dame Preparatory School Oakfield Sch. West Dulwich Old Buckenham Hall (OBH)obh.co.uk Orley Farm School, Harrow, London|Harrow, Middlesex Orwell Park School, Nacton, Suffolkorwellpark.co.uk The Old Malthouse, Langton Matravers, Dorset Packwood Haugh School,packwood-haugh.co.uk Shrewsbury Papplewick School, Ascot, Berkshire|Ascot Pennthorpe School, Rudgwick The Perse School|The Perse Preparatory School,perse.co.uk/prep Cambridge The Portsmouth Grammar Junior School,pgs.org.uk Portsmouth, Hampshire Pilgrims School|The Pilgrims School,pilgrims-school.co.uk Winchester, Hampshire The Plymouth College Junior School, Plymouth Port Regis,portregis.com Dorset Pownall Hall School, Wilmslow, Cheshire Prebendal School, Chichester Prestfelde School, Shrewsbury The Priory School, Banstead, Banstead, Surrey Quainton Hall School, Harrow, Londres|Harrow, Middlesex Ranby House School, Ranby Ripley Court Preparatory School,ripleycourt.co.uk Surrey Rossall|Rossall Junior School Royal Masonic School, Rickmansworth Royal Russell Preparatory School, Croydon, Surrey Rudston Preparatory School, Rotherham Runnymede St Edward's School, Liverpool Rydes Hill Preparatory School, Guildfordrydeshill.com The Royal School, Armagh, Armagh The Ryleys School, Alderley Edge, Cheshire S. Anselm's Preparatory School, Bakewell Salisbury Cathedral School, Salisbury - Paul Greenfield Shernold School, Maidstone, Kent. Shrewsbury House School, Long Ditton, Surrey St Bede's College, Manchester|St Bede's Preparatory School, Manchester St Catherine's Preparatory School, Bramley St Cedds School,stcedds.org.uk Chelmsford St Christophers School,stchristophershove.org.uk Hove St Edmunds School, Canterbury St Edmunds School, Hindhead St Faith's School, Cambridge St George's School, Windsor Castle - Roger Jones St Ives School,st-ives.surrey.sch.uk Haslemere St John's Beaumont Preparatory Schoolstjohnsbeaumont.org.uk Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor St John's College School, Cambridge St Joseph's In The Park, Hertford St Joseph's Preparatory School,stjosephsprepschool.co.uk Stoke-on-Trent Stoke Brunswick School, Ashurst Wood, Sussex St Martin's Ampleforth,ampleforth.org.uk North Yorkshire (antigua Ampleforth College Junior School y Gilling Castle) St Martin's Preparatory School,St. Martins Preparatory School | Welcome | Tel - 01472 878907 Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire Stonyhurst Saint Mary's Hall (formerly St Mary's Hall, Stonyhurst; Hodder Place'''') St Piran's|St Piran's School, Maidenhead St. Ronan's School, Hawkhurst, Kent. The Schools at Somerhill, Tonbridge Sevenoaks Prep School: Sevenoaks, Kent. Springmead Preparatory School,springmead.com Beckington, Bath, Somerset|Bath Staines Preparatory School,Staines