Prep School and the start of Senior School should be a time where students can, alongside their academics, try anything. They should have free reign to discover their passions, find what they’re good at, and try everything in a supportive, nurturing and positive environment. At Millfield and Millfield Prep School, pupils can do it all, without compromise. 

Academics is the bedrock of any school, it is ultimately the reason why children are there, but what’s just as important are the components that give children a well-rounded education which prepares them for senior school and beyond. 

A schooling which values the arts, co-curricular and sport, on par with academics, sets children in good stead for the future. Organising and keeping on top of a busy schedule are valuable and essential life skills. 

At Millfield Prep, life beyond academics is rich and varied. With over 10 hours of sports and co-curricular sessions weekly, Year 7 and 8 pupils dive into everything from team sports and musical theatre productions to inter-house bake-offs, councils, and camps. This is often where passions start to be discovered. Pupils are given the opportunity to try everything and find what they really love, and it’s absolutely fine, and actively encouraged, if this exploration continues into Year 9. 

As part of the Nine at Millfield programme at Millfield Senior School, students are given the opportunity to try a range of different activities through the Millfield Activity Programme (MAP) which occurs weekly. The relaxed format and environment allow students to try something new, such as mountain biking, pickleball or beekeeping, with no commitment to continue it long term. 

We see a clear correlation between good academic outcomes in the classroom being reflected on the sports field or in the arts, and vice versa. Resilience is a characteristic which is mutually beneficial to academics and co-curricular activities, and we often find that students who have learnt how to be resilient in one aspect of school life, benefit in other areas. 

Olivia, one of last year’s top achievers, achieved A*A*A* in maths, economics and geography, and A in further maths. She played netball and was also captain of riding, representing the school both locally and nationally. 

Current student and international boarder Tilly is working towards A levels in biology, chemistry and maths whilst training to swim in the 2028 Olympics, having already competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics for Grenada. 

These stories show that partaking in sport and co-curricular activities, alongside academic study, benefit one another to create successful outcomes for students. 

Location is an important factor in choosing an appropriate Prep and Senior School. Millfield Prep is ideally located in the Somerset market town of Glastonbury, with all facilities conveniently on campus. This minimises the need for families to be driving around to drop children off at various different locations for early morning swimming, and late football training and the like. 

The school is a short, seven-minute drive away from Millfield’s campus which share its facilities with Millfield Prep. Millfield’s campus offers a further 250 acres of Somerset countryside, as well as an Olympic sized swimming pool, Music School and 400-seat theatre. 

Additionally, full boarding schools take the strain away from parents having to chaperone children everywhere. With activities all within walking distance of boarding houses, children can get plenty of rest and don’t have to factor in commuting times.