Hot off the Press – *NEW* Review

We’re delighted to share the latest review of Truro School Prep by The Good Schools Guide.

Unlike many school websites, schools cannot pay to be included in the Guide, meaning the review is fully independent and written with parents in mind. We are delighted that the report highlights so many of the qualities our community values most.

Head of Prep

Since April 2023, Robert Morse, previously head of Aysgarth School in North Yorkshire. Proud of his Cornish roots, he grew up in Portscatho and attended Tregony School (now the Roseland Academy) before being awarded a sixth form bursary place at Truro School — an experience that ‘changed his life’ and which he is ‘honoured to repay with this headship’.

He graduated from De Montfort University with a teaching degree specialising in PE and geography and began his career as a teacher and boarding house tutor at Bedford School. He followed this with eight years at Mount House, where he was director of sport, taught geography and maths and thrived in the ancillary role of house parent alongside his wife, who was head of art. From here, they moved as a team to Derbyshire, where he was deputy head of S. Anselm’s School. This was followed by two live-in headships – seven years at Perrott Hill in Somerset and eight years at Aysgarth, before the move back to Cornwall to take up his current role.

To say he is a seasoned professional, demonstrating exemplary leadership of some fantastic prep schools, would probably be to undersell him. Speak to parents and colleagues from his previous schools and you’ll quickly begin to gain an inkling of the magic that he spreads as a head. His reputation is no less gleaming here. ‘He literally couldn’t do more for the school or the pupils if he tried and is a true inspiration, both pastorally and academically,’ said one parent, a sentiment echoed by everyone we spoke to, no mean feat.

Known for standing at the school gate, no matter what the Cornish weather throws at him, to personally greet every child arriving in the morning and wave them off at the end of the day, he is warmly praised by the children (and teachers) for his rousing assemblies on the importance of manners and the opportunities of life. ‘He keeps every child hanging off his every word without a PowerPoint slide in sight, literally raising their expectations of life as he speaks,’ said a colleague. According to parents, he has sharpened the academic offering, broadened the SEND support and re-focused children on the importance of empathetic kindness and manners, while ensuring a vast programme of extracurricular opportunities.

A father of two, his daughter has followed him into education and his son is currently at university in Falmouth. Much to the sadness of all, he is retiring at the end of 2026 but has firmly set the school on a trajectory to greater success by delivering an inspiring curriculum in a tight-knit community underpinned with a warm foundation of happiness, empathy and aspiration.

‘He literally couldn’t do more for the school or the pupils if he tried and is a true inspiration, both pastorally and academically’

Our view

Set in a grade II listed Victorian manor house, the school was founded as Truro School’s prep in 1936 under its original name of Treliske School. Surrounded by trees and a popular golf course and overlooking the city of Truro, the school is a verdant, peaceful haven of opportunity. ‘Children are happy, nurtured and challenged in equal balance while given a phenomenal foundation of stability and inspiration that sets them up for life’, a parent told us.

Teaching is upbeat, inclusive and immersive, with a commitment to ensure that every child feels challenged and given the belief that they can achieve. Form teachers lead the majority of teaching until year 3, when subject specialist teachers step in for PE, computer studies, languages and art. From year 4, all mainstream subjects are taught by specialists and pupils move between classrooms for lessons. Streaming in place from year 4 in English and maths, based on speed of learning as well as ability.

During our visit, year 4 maths pupils were designing theme parks using complex computer packages, not only creating the visual layout but also allocating those all-important budgets for ongoing management of the park. In English, year 5 pupils were tackling a reading comprehension, hands flying up to answer the teacher’s questions before quiet independent work began, with tasks tailored to the ability of each child. Parents feel ‘absolutely on top of’ their children’s progress – two reports per year, one official parent-teacher meeting and daily access to staff, either in person or via email. We loved that the head and the child’s form tutor personally sit with each child to go through their individual reports on a one-to-one level.

In the pre-prep, light-filled classrooms are ablaze with colour and inspiration. Parents say children are ‘nurtured pastorally and academically in a way that is truly exceptional’. With everything from Spanish to swimming and forest school on the curriculum it’s an impressive offering. The classrooms all benefit from free-flow access to the tree-lined outside spaces and the gated pre-prep playground and extensive gardens ensure much of the day is spent outside. Days are ‘calm yet stimulating’ according to parents, with staff keeping ‘a forensic eye on each and every child’, ensuring that ‘early flagging of any needs is remarkable’.

We were treated to a rendition of the school’s ‘eco song’ by nursery and reception children and then watched as reception class spent some ‘tummy time’ while writing cursive letters in washable ink on vast shower curtains. ‘We’ve noticed that core strength is not as good as it could be in this age group so we’re adding tummy time into our day to slowly build this,’ explained one of the teachers. It was a wonderful example of what the head describes as having ‘the ability to be nimble, responsive and broad’ in their offering.

As much time as possible is spent outside, with tree houses, forest school kitchens and bushcraft areas dotted across the site. Forest school is at the foundational heart of teaching in the pre-prep, while the prep’s bushcraft club and environmental award schemes further this core knowledge. The school is proud of its plastic-free school status and year 5 pupils follow the school’s Belerion awards, which among other things sees them researching the environment in the wild spaces of Cornwall.

Prep classrooms are dotted between the original Victorian house and newer, purpose-built additions that boast floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors. Remarkably, despite tree surgeons hard at work clearing fallen trees after a major storm when we visited, pupils remained utterly enraptured by the teaching in place, barely acknowledging the excitement outside. Even so, in later conversations pupils were excitedly telling us what they’d suggest building in the newly cleared areas – everything from BMX tracks to extended adventure climbing equipment were on their wish lists.

The SEND support at the school has been a real focus for the head, who spoke of his pride that the school caters for those with low to medium needs as well as they do for those with high-flying academic ability. The school offers invaluable support to the families of SEND pupils; the full time SEND lead spoke of the regular coffee mornings for parents of SEND children and tailored sibling meet-ups to support pupils living with the complex issues that can arise from having siblings with additional needs. Just over 20 per cent of pupils access SEND support on some level, with the ‘very occasional’ pupil at a level to receive an EHCP. The staff are extremely proud of the high level of early intervention offered,. They believe this is ‘transformative for so many pupils’. Teaching is adaptive, with pupil passports and provision maps for every pupil dipping into the SEND provision.

One-to-one and group breakout sessions an ongoing success story here to support anyone needing more hands-on time in English and maths. Teaching assistants work alongside some pupils in the pre-prep, sensory regulation is on hand in year 3 and 4 classrooms and children in year 5 and above are encouraged towards a more independent approach. Dyslexia screening is a given, although with such small class sizes it usually only ‘confirms what teachers already suspect’. The school works closely with outreach partners, enabling easy access for further interventions or guidance and support for both staff and pupils. Pupils moving on to the senior school benefit from a linked system between the two schools ensuring that there is no dip in support when moving into year 7 and beyond.

Art is a burst of colour and creativity in a small but inspired white-washed atrium alongside an impressively equipped DT workshop. We peeped into an Aladdin’s den of supplies and stored works of art, including self-portraits and bird and bear sculptures created alongside a visiting sculptress. Trips to art galleries, visits from artists and a strong breadth of mediums make this an inspiringly creative department.

Music is impressive and each year group receives over an hour of music teaching every week. This is bolstered by a broad range of peripatetic instrument lessons – from the French horn to drums, vocal training to violin –and the opportunity to join numerous bands and orchestras and perform in the multiple concerts and house competitions held each year. Award-winning junior and senior choirs – a natural gain from being the official choristers’ school for the Truro Cathedral Choir.

Drama is a highlight, with performances including the pre-prep nativity, adaptations of Shakespearean classics and the annual year 6 play, performed in the senior school’s fully equipped Burrell Theatre. Pupils regaled us with highlights from recent productions of the Lion King, Romeo and Juliet and A Christmas Carol, while sharing stories from the auditions for up-coming Bugsy Malone. Visiting drama workshops, LAMDA teaching and the inclusion of drama with a specialist teacher on every pupil’s weekly timetable are the key to much of the success here.

The grounds are extensive, with space for plenty of sport and activities, including timetabled lessons and water polo in the heated indoor pool.

Sport is a focal point, ensuring that pupils are exposed to ‘an incredibly broad variety of sports’ . From table tennis to basketball, hockey to cricket, rugby to netball, ‘there’s always a team out and about somewhere or a new sport being encouraged’, said a parent. ‘ Last week they were all learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu and racing mountain bikes. I think skateboarding is next on the cards’. Despite Truro being a long way from many competitor independent schools, minibuses whizz teams across the south west, with plenty of success in regional competitions.

Trips, extracurricular clubs and activities are a major part of the prep experience. Pupils we spoke to were universal in their praise for the vast number of opportunities, sports, hobbies and careers that they had been introduced to through the school. Trips to Normandy, camping in the school grounds, Leonardo art club, ballet, Greenpower car racing and surfing, there’s little not on offer. Life skills are cemented early – year 6 pupils take a diploma that culminates in a careers fair where they talk through the skill sets, salary expectations and even tax considerations of a vast range of professions.

‘Wrap around care is simply wonderful, gentle, child-led and spot-on what’s needed as a working parent’, say parents, many of whom are consultants at the neighbouring county hospital. Early birds breakfast club starts at 7.45am and there are a myriad of after-school clubs run till 6.15pm. ‘My child would rather be here than at home as it’s apparently way more fun,’ one parent told us.

Pupils brim over with an infectious enthusiasm for their school in an engaging and eloquent manner. Parents say the school is ‘blessed with a really diverse base of families’, from the local farming and business communities to medics and re-locators from across the UK and abroad. ‘It’s ‘a true reflection of the area’s community,’ said one. ‘You’re just as likely to park next to a Porsche as you are a battered old van full of surfboards with the door tied up with string. I love that.’ The lasting impression was of one big, happy community where parents, pupils and staff work together to ensure this is a school experience that brings a smile to your face.

Teaching is upbeat, inclusive and immersive, with a commitment to ensure that every child feels challenged and given the belief that they can achieve.

Entrance & admissions

Nursery places are available from the age of 3, when children are embraced into the play-led learning of phonics and number work and immediately don the smart navy uniform.

Class sizes are capped at 20 throughout the school, with children joining from external nurseries, local primaries and preps across the south. All prospective pupils come for a taster day – informal maths and English observation to assess learning levels.

Numbers swell by a third in year 3, with entry from this point on dependent on English and maths assessments during a taster day. The school also asks for reports from previous settings and children have a one-to-one interview with a member of staff. Two classes with 16 to 20 children the norm per year group in years 3 and 4, rising to three classes for years 5 and 6. School is nearly at full capacity, with waiting lists in many year groups.

Exit

Almost all pupils (97 per cent) move on to Truro School. For academic setting purposes they sit the same entrance exam as external applicants (this also determines any academic scholarship awards). Pupils joining the prep after year 5 are assessed for the senior school as though they were applying externally. Pupils visit the senior school campus for sports, science, drama and design as they move up the prep to encourage familiarity and ease transition. In the ‘extremely rare’ circumstances that the academic path of Truro School is not deemed the right fit, conversations begin by year 4 and the school offers comprehensive support and guidance on next steps and school selection if required.

The last word

Truro School Prep is a truly magical school where traditional values underpin an education that is broad and inspirational, with an impressive focus on metacognition from a young age. We saw technology in use whenever it could be, teaching that encouraged future proofing as much as academic adventure and facilities that inspired inclusion, all knitted together by a strong, happy and inquisitive core of empathy, academia and manners.