14-565: The Harrow History Prize or the Townsend Warner Preparatory Schools History Prize is an annual history competition for children at British preparatory schools . It currently attracts around 800 entrants each year. The prize was established in 1885 by E. E. Bowen, a housemaster at Harrow School . He wanted to encourage a move away from purely classical education and offered a prize in history to pupils of Elstree Preparatory School . In 1895
28-646: A state selective grammar school. Most prep schools are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate , which is overseen by Ofsted on behalf of the Department for Education . Boys' prep schools are generally for 8–13 year-olds (Years 3 to 8), who are prepared for the Common Entrance Examination, the key to entry into many secondary independent schools. Before the age of 7 or 8, the term "pre-prep school"
42-567: Is currently Deputy CEO. Much of the work of IAPS is directed by various committees, made up of current headteachers of member schools. IAPS's Board meets once a term and the association holds an Annual Conference every September. IAPS provides its members with a national voice on matters of independent prep school education, and seeks to have a positive influence on public opinion of prep schools, Members are provided with advice, information and support on educational and school management issues, and receive regular internal and external mailings via
56-506: Is used. Girls' independent schools in England tend to follow the age ranges of state schools more closely than those of boys. Girls' preparatory schools usually admit girls from the age of 4, who will then continue to another independent school at 11 (Year 7), or at 13 (Year 9 if the school is co-educational (as most secondary schools now are). However, as more girls now go on to formerly single-sex boys' schools that have become co-educational,
70-486: The Dragon School also started to take part, and the competition had spread to thirteen other schools by 1905 with 39 entrants taking part that year. In 1905, George Townsend Warner, head of history at Harrow (and father of Sylvia Townsend Warner ), took on the running of the competition until his death in 1916. Over many years the prize was repeatedly won by St Cyprian's School whose Headmistress Mrs Vaughan Wilkes
84-742: The Independent Schools Council . Pre-prep schools are generally associated with prep schools, and take children from reception to Year 3. Provision for younger children is generally called a nursery school or kindergarten . Prep schools were originally developed in England and Wales in the early 19th century as boarding schools to prepare boys for leading public schools, such as Eton College , Radley College , Harrow School , Charterhouse School , Oundle School , Rugby School , St Paul's School , Westminster School , Tonbridge School and Winchester College . The numbers attending such schools increased as many parents were overseas in
98-651: The Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools changed its legal title to IAPS, and became known as the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools. In 2010, this was shortened to the current form. IAPS elects a Chair every three years. The current Chair, serving until September 2027, is Tania Botting, formerly Head of Greenfield School in Surrey. Dominic Norrish has been chief executive of IAPS since July 2023 and Emilie Darwin
112-676: The Middle East, Singapore, and Hong Kong. IAPS is part of the Independent Schools Council . IAPS was founded in 1892, as the Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools. In 1981 IAPS merged with the Association of Headmistresses of Preparatory Schools, and ten years later moved its headquarters from Kensington to offices in Leamington Spa , before relocating again in 2021 to its current headquarters at Bishop's House, Artemis Drive, Tachbrook Park, Warwick CV34 6UD. In 2007
126-619: The United Kingdom is a fee-charging private primary school that caters for children up to approximately the age of 13. The term "preparatory school" is used as it prepares the children for the Common Entrance Examination in order to secure a place at an independent secondary school, typically one of the English public schools . They are also preferred by some parents in the hope of getting their child into
140-644: The disruption this caused to prep schools, but the competition was kept running by Major C F Letts until 1956 when the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS) took over. By this time there were 70 schools and over 500 entrants in the competition. The competition has continued to grow since then, and a special centenary competition was run in 1985. Notable winners, both from St Cyprian's, included Dyneley Hussey (1905) and Cyril Connolly (1916), with his colleague Eric Blair ( George Orwell ) in second place. Orwell later wrote scathingly of
154-472: The prize as a "piece of nonsense". Another runner up was the historian Arthur Bryant . Westminster Under School . British Conservative Party politician Kwasi Kwarteng is also a recipient of the prize as he won it in 1988 while studying at Colet Court. There are two exams in this competition, Paper 1 consisting of testing of dates and battles, and 2 is made up of essays. Preparatory school (UK) A preparatory school (or, shortened: prep school ) in
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#1732775244797168-447: The separation is less clear. There are 130,000 pupils in over 500 prep schools of all types and sizes. Prep schools may be for boys or girls only, or may be co-educational. They may be day schools, boarding schools, weekly boarding , flexi-boarding, or a combination. They fall into the following general categories: The Independent Association of Prep Schools is a prep schools heads association; one of seven affiliated associations of
182-553: The service of the British Empire . Prep schools are now found in all parts of the United Kingdom, and elsewhere. Independent Association of Prep Schools The Independent Association of Prep Schools ( IAPS , formerly Independent Association of Preparatory Schools ) is a schools association, representing more than 660 preparatory schools . The majority of IAPS' schools are in the UK, with other locations including Africa,
196-401: Was a great believer in history teaching and in the prize itself. After 1916 administration was shared between Mr Henry of Harrow and Henry Marten , later Sir Henry Marten, of Eton and the prize was renamed after Townsend Warner. In 1940 the number of participating schools had risen to 40, by which time both Henry and Marten had withdrawn. There were difficulties during World War II because of
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