About the School

Plymouth College and its Preparatory Department were both founded in 1877.

At that time is was known as Plymouth High School for Boys, the School moved to its current site at Ford Park in 1880. It changed its name to Plymouth College in 1883.

In 1896 Mannamead School, (founded in 1854) merged with Plymouth College and the school temporarily became Plymouth and Mannamead College. Even today staff and pupils still sometimes refer to the School as 'PMC' and former pupils are called 'OPM's'.

From the beginning, the aim of the School was to provide continuous education for boys from Prep through to Sixth Form. In the early years both Preparatory and Senior Schools were on the same site. The Preparatory School moved to Hartley Road in 1947. Later mergers with Western College Preparatory School for Girls and Busy Bees saw the introduction of girls and the acquisition of Seymour Road for the Infant Department.

After the Second World War Plymouth College became a Direct Grant School and it reverted to full independence in 1976, the year the first girls joined the Sixth Form. The College became fully co-ed in 1995, the year which also saw the end of Saturday school.

In 2004, the Preparatory School, merged with the Preparatory Department of St Dunstan's Abbey School for Girls - both the Junior and Infant Departments moved to the current site at The Millfields in 2005. The Senior Schools merged in 2005. However the 'prep' has retained the name Plymouth College Preparatory School.