History of The Elms

"The oldest prep school in England. Not immediately impressive, yet to walk through the gates is a revelation. The school backs on to 150 acres of pristine gardens, beautifully maintained games fields and a small working farm." Good Schools Guide

The Elms was established in 1614 by Humphry Walwyn, a member of The Worshipful Company of Grocers. The original school house was based on a farmhouse, built in the 1550's, on the edge of the village of Colwall in the lee of the Malvern Hills. The surrounding countryside is both beautiful and inspiring, evidently so to John Moore the poet, a former pupil, and Sir Edward Elgar who taught at the school. It is one of the few remaining preparatory schools where the majority of the children are full boarders.

An independent boarding and day preparatory school for boys and girls aged between 8 and 13, together with a Pre Prep and Montessorri for those aged 3 to 7, the school is a charitable trust, administered by a Board of Governors. The Headmaster is a member of the Boarding Schools Association and the Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools, indeed The Elms was one of its original founding schools.

The Elms aims to foster an enthusiasm for life, to develop self-confidence and good manners, to enhance the talents of the individual and to generate an appreciation of others and our environment. Above all, the school values individual effort.