Cottesmore School scoops ‘Prep School of the Year’ award

Staff and pupils at Cottesmore School in Pease Pottage say they are ‘thrilled’ after being named national ‘Prep School of the Year 2020.’
By Sarah Page
Published 27th Oct 2020, 10:35 BST
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The accolade has been bestowed in the Tatler Schools Awards and follows on from the school being named ‘Boarding School of the Year’ last year in the Times Educational Supplement Awards.

Cottesmore fought off competition from 244 other schools to scoop the top Tatler title.

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Headmaster Tom Rogerson said: “We are genuinely overwhelmed to receive such a prestigious accolade and for this wonderful recognition,”

Cottesmore headteacher Tom Rogerson with the Tatler 'Prep School of the Year' trophyCottesmore headteacher Tom Rogerson with the Tatler 'Prep School of the Year' trophy
Cottesmore headteacher Tom Rogerson with the Tatler 'Prep School of the Year' trophy

And he added: “This sets the tone perfectly for our new academic year and is an incredibly fitting way to celebrate the entire Cottesmore team and wider community, all of which have played their part in making Cottesmore the school it is today.”

The awards ceremony took place virtually for the first time in its history because of the coronavirus pandemic and included an acceptance speech from Mr Rogerson filmed on a paddleboard on the school’s lake.

Cottesmore, which cut its fees by 50 per cent during lockdown and did not furlough any academic teachers, set up a remote learning programme and provided pupils with 10 live sessions a day, along with a ‘Cottesmore Connected’ lockdown webinar programme for parents.

The school’s senior teaching team, after a full day of teaching, also coached individual pupils and parents who were struggling academically and emotionally, with lockdown.