The grade I listed[2] Palladian House by Roger Morris, was built for Col John Campbell and modelled on the Argyll family seat of Inverary.

During the World Wars Combe Bank provided convalescence for the wounded, latterly under the British Red Cross and St John of Jerusalem; the school having evacuated first to Torquay and latterly to Coughton Court in Warwickshire.

Among those who visited Combe Bank at this time were literary figures such as Oscar Wilde and Matthew Arnold; and scientists T H Huxley, Charles Darwin and Michael Faraday.

Subsequent developments have included a gym, swimming pool, sports hall, STEM Centre and Performing Arts theatre.

[3] The 2015 ISI report scored the school as ‘Excellent’ (highest grading, equivalent to the Ofsted ‘Outstanding’) for the areas linked to their teaching and learning, achievement, pastoral care and personal development.

[4] The curriculum in the Prep is rich, engaging and hugely varied with pupils studying ICT, Performing/Visual Arts and Outdoor Adventurous Education alongside the more traditional subjects such as English, Maths, Geography, History, and Science.