The Prebendal School, Chichester
The Prebendal School is an independent school for pupils aged 2 to 14 in Chichester. It has a Church of England/Christian religious character. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in November 2025.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Prebendal School in detail
The Prebendal School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to The Prebendal School, where childhood is shaped by a strong sense of belonging, individual care and an education that prepares children with confidence for the future. Set within the historic Cathedral Close in the heart of Chichester, Prebendal offers something rare."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to The Prebendal School are Westbourne House School (1.9 miles) and Oakwood School (2.3 miles).
Who goes there
In 2026, 23 pupils (19.3%) received SEN support and 3 (2.5%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chichester Rail Station, about 510 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cathedral, 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 440 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted.
Routine Inspection
18 November 2025
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
22 November 2022
Short Visit
30 November 2018
Regulatory Compliance
25 April 2018
Integrated
10 March 2015
About
The Prebendal School is a private preparatory school in Chichester, situated adjacent to the Chichester Cathedral precinct. It is a boarding and day school educating the cathedral choristers.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby independent school
Keep up with The Prebendal School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 48
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 48 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 36 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
8 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
41%
Available places
119 pupils
290 places
171 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Chichester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chichester
Across West Sussex council
Places available
9,806
Applications
8,765
Got 1st preference
87.5%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across West Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
21.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
119
Total Pupils
59
Boys
60
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about The Prebendal School
When was The Prebendal School last inspected?
The Prebendal School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in November 2025.
How many pupils go to The Prebendal School?
The Prebendal School has around 119 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to The Prebendal School?
The Prebendal School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near The Prebendal School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 48 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 36 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 8 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Prebendal School?
The Prebendal School is at 52-55 West Street, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1RT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)