Explore our world

The main entrance to our school, its where you will find reception to sign in when visiting, Mrs McGregor’s office, the Rendall Room, classrooms and the original wood panelled dining hall. It is the largest part of the original school from 1897.

Our message to pupils:

In 1914, explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship the Endurance got stuck in Antarctic ice. Things looked impossible — but Shackleton never gave up, and he brought every single one of his crew home safely. This building has stood for over a century. Like Shackleton, it endures — and so will you.

The space where hands-on creativity runs free – Art, Design & Technology, Innovation!

Our message to pupils:

The greatest inventions in history happened when people mixed ideas together — when science met art, or engineering met imagination. This is your space to make, build, design, and experiment. Don’t be afraid to get it wrong. Most brilliant things start out looking like a mess.

Home to Pre-Prep, where our youngest learners enjoy spacious classrooms, their own junior science lab, a library and the permanent “Little Street.”

Our message to pupils:

In 1831, a young scientist named Charles Darwin sailed the world on a ship called the HMS Beagle. He asked big questions, explored strange places, and changed the way humans understand life on Earth. You’re at the very start of your own voyage of discovery — so keep asking questions. The best adventures begin with curiosity.

This is the Moon Hall Copthorne satellite.

Our message to pupils:

The Hubble Space Telescope can see galaxies billions of miles away — things no human eye could spot on its own. It works because it looks at the universe differently. Hubble House is named to remind us that everyone sees the world in their own unique way, and that different ways of thinking help us understand the full picture.

Our Flying Start Nursery is a hive of activity with our youngest children. Open 48 weeks of the year, it is where many pupils begin their Copthorne journey.

Our message to pupils:

Every rocket needs a launchpad — the place where the countdown begins and everything becomes possible. This is where your Copthorne story starts. The friendships you make here, the things you discover, and the questions you first ask will carry you all the way to the horizon and beyond.

Copthorne Prep sits within 55 acres of space to explore, and Base Camp — our outdoor classroom in the woodland — gives pupils from Nursery to Year 6 room to discover the natural world and build important life skills.

Our message to pupils:

Before any great climb, explorers set up Base Camp. It’s where they prepare, observe, and learn to read the world around them. Out here, nature is your classroom. Look closely, ask questions, and pay attention — the natural world has been answering them for millions of years.

Our climbing wall challenges pupils and builds resilience. It can seem daunting at first, but with experienced leadership and supportive peers, even the most reticent become confident climbers and belayers.

Our message to pupils:

The summit is the highest point — the place climbers keep their eyes fixed on when things get hard. Getting there takes effort, patience, and the courage to try again after slipping. Whether you reach the top on your first go or your tenth, what matters most is that you keep climbing.

Named after our famous alumnus, this is the centre for performing arts, where drama, music and dance come alive.

Our message to pupils:

Robert Graves sat in classrooms just like yours. He went on to write over 140 books — poems, novels, and stories that people still read today. He believed that the best writing comes from looking at the world honestly and imagining it boldly. This theatre is named in his honour. Now it’s your turn to take the stage.

Every pupils swims at Copthorne Prep from Nursery to Year 6, one of the most important life skills a young person can learn. Specialist teachers develop pupils’ water skills throughout their time at school, and our swim squad offers the chance to compete in inter-school galas.

Part of the original school building, the clock tower once served as an observatory before its conversion into a chapel. The Chapel holds much of Copthorne’s history, including a stained-glass window commemorating Edward Wilson.

A full-size, professional-level astro pitch sits alongside our sports fields, home to our Hockey Academy and a pathway for developing sporting talent.

Our four all-weather tennis courts give pupils space to play, practise and compete throughout the year.

From Reception onwards, pupils eat together at lunch in our historic dining room.

Managed by Crawley Astronomical Society, our observatory gives pupils a window to the stars right here at school.

A hub of year-round activity, our Sports Hall houses a tennis court, a netball court, four badminton courts and two cricket nets, alongside a dance studio and a viewing gallery for spectators.

Overlooking the sports pitches, the Pavilion is the hub for outdoor events and keeping score at cricket – its clock keeping time for everyone.

Home to the Copthorne Compass, a reminder of the values that guide us all.