Caldicott

There’s a new headmaster, Jeremy Banks (formerly at Beachborough), at Caldicott, a traditional, high-achieving boys’ prep, which chiefly feeds Eton, Harrow, Stowe, Radley and Wellington. 27 scholarships or exhibitions have been won in the past three years, including to Winchester.

Suburbia has obviously crept up since the school was founded in 1904 by J. Heald Jenkins, who named it after his bride’s middle name, but it’s set in 40 acres on the edge of Burnham Beeches, so is still fairly rural.

London pupils commute on a 7.20am ‘Caldicott express’ bus, which stops in Notting Hill, Chiswick and Brook Green; there’s also a service from High Wycombe.

• 280 boys aged 7–13, day and boarding
• £5,611–£9,229