Monkton Combe School
Same Bath and North East Somerset area with a comparable local commute
School profile
Verified 18 August 2026
Prior Park College is a private secondary-stage school in Bath and North East Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset, with a published age range of 11-19.
Private school Co-ed Ages 11-19 Sixth form Boarding school
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 11-19
- ISI ?
- Standards met
- Boarding ?
- Boarding school
Prior Park College
1
On this page
At a glance
Key facts
- Sector
- Private school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 11-19
- Boarding ?
- Boarding school
- Route check
- Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
- ISI ?
- Standards met
Overview
Overview
Ralph Allen's Palladian mansion remains the defining setting of Prior Park College. Completed in 1741, the house became a Catholic school under Bishop Augustine Baines in 1830, and the community has been co-educational since 1983. The chapel, grounds and historic buildings continue to shape college life, alongside a Sixth Form and both day and boarding provision.
Years 7 and 8 combine English, mathematics, science, humanities, languages, ICT, product design and the visual and performing arts. A Learning Development Programme supports identified needs, while GCSE pupils usually take nine subjects and choose a substantial part of the programme themselves. St Paul's and St Mary's provide full, weekly and flexi boarding, with residential staff, evening activities and weekend trips across the 57-acre grounds.
Direct entry routes include 11+, 13+ and 16+, with registration, interviews and entrance assessments where relevant. Scholarship and bursary arrangements form part of the admissions picture. The historic house, broad subject choices and flexible residential patterns all meet in a day-and-boarding community with a clear Sixth Form route.
Key points
Key points
- Assessment route
- Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
- Places and demand
- Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
- Catchment
- Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
- Results
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths and 40.9 Attainment 8
- Sixth form
- Sixth form available with 20.6% AAB or better.
GCSE benchmark
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Bath and North East Somerset and England.
School Local authority England
- Attainment 8
- 40.9
- Grade 5+ English and maths
- 0%
- EBacc APS
- 2.84
- EBacc entry
- 0%
Attainment 8 trend
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Bath and North East Somerset and England.
School Local authority England
School details
School details
- Sector
- Private school
- School type
- Other independent school
- Funding
- Independent fee-paying
- Application
- Apply direct to school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Age range
- 11-19
- Headmaster
- Headteacher Ben Horan
- Pupil roll
- 526 pupils
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Boarding
- Boarding school
Location and contact
Location and contact
Address
- Address
- Ralph Allen Drive, Bath, Bath and North East Somerset
- Postcode
- BA2 5AH
School leadership
- Headmaster
- Headteacher Ben Horan
School contact
- School phone
- 01225835353
Admissions contact
- Admissions team
- Admissions
- Admissions phone
- 01225835353
Admissions
Admissions
- Application route
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 11-19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Day fees
- Check school fees page
- Boarding fees
- Check school fees page
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Check school site
- Entrance details
- Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
- Admissions note
- GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
Oversubscription and eligibility
Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.
Exam and test format
Exam and test format
Entrance route and assessment
Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
- Assessment route
- Apply direct to school
- Papers and stages
- 1 paper
- Format
- Mixed format
Papers and rounds
-
Paper 1
Maths, Non-verbal reasoning, Writing task, Other, Interview
11+ entrance assessment
The 11+ assessment includes on-screen Mathematics and Non-Verbal Reasoning, prompted writing task, leadership/teamwork and an informal interview.
Published assessment components
Maths, Non-verbal reasoning, Writing task and Interview are listed across the school's published assessment routes.
Published
-
Maths
-
Non-verbal reasoning
The 11+ assessment includes on-screen Mathematics and Non-Verbal Reasoning, prompted writing task, leadership/teamwork and an informal interview.
-
Writing task
The 11+ assessment includes on-screen Mathematics and Non-Verbal Reasoning, prompted writing task, leadership/teamwork and an informal interview.
-
Interview
The 11+ assessment includes on-screen Mathematics and Non-Verbal Reasoning, prompted writing task, leadership/teamwork and an informal interview.
Application
Application
How to apply
- 1
Apply direct to the school
Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
Check school admissions
Results
Results
Attainment snapshot
- Attainment 8 ?
- 40.9 Attainment 8
- GCSE results
- 0% grade 4+ in English and maths
- Grade 5+ English and maths ?
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths
- EBacc average point score ?
- 2.84 EBacc APS
- A-level results
- 20.6% AAB or better
- A-level average points
- 39.17 A-level points per entry
Inspection
Inspection
Standards met
Latest inspection: 14 October 2025
- Leadership, management and governance
- Standards met
- Quality of education, training and recreation
- Standards met
- Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Standards met
- Social and economic education and contribution to society
- Standards met
- Safeguarding
- Standards met
Quick summary
- Latest ISI report: Routine Inspections 2025 records an inspection beginning 14 October 2025. The report says the relevant standards were met.
Similar schools and comparisons
Similar schools and comparisons
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Shortlist comparisons
Explore this school in context
Private schools near Bath and North East Somerset
Independent secondary-stage school profiles with direct-application, age range and boarding context.
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Related pages and guides
Related pages and guides
Area and ranking pages
Private schools near Bath and North East Somerset
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Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
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Guides and related reading
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How does Prior Park College handle admissions?
Prior Park College handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
How do I apply to Prior Park College?
1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
When are the key dates for Prior Park College?
Use the school admissions page to confirm registration, assessment, interview and offer dates.
What does the latest inspection picture look like for Prior Park College?
Prior Park College is currently rated Standards met following the latest published inspection dated 14 October 2025.