Prep (Years 3-6)

The Curriculum in Prep

The subject areas are Maths, English, Science, History, Geography, Art, Design Technology, Music, Religious Education, French, Physical Education and Games. All children will have a timetable for reference.

By Year Six we aim to assist and steer the children towards becoming more independent and organised individuals, to become more self-reliant and to learn how to cope with increased personal and group responsibilities. In most subjects the areas of study will be based on the relevant sections of the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum. The children will take the Key Stage 2 SATS in English, Mathematics and Science.

Will my child stay with the same teacher?

The children will be set for Maths (Years 3-6) and spellings (Years 3-5) based on their performance. These sets will be taught by Year staff and they will be reviewed on a regular basis. Specialist subjects will be taken by different teachers as appropriate.

How much homework is expected?

One twenty minute homework will be given each day increasing to 30 minutes for Year 6. A timetable of these will be given out at the start of the year. Parents are expected to initial the homework diary on a daily basis in order to verify that the work has been completed satisfactorily. Parents are also encouraged to hear their child read in Years 3, 4 and if possible, 5.

The Timetable

Children will be expected to be in their form room by 8:40am for registration. During this time the children will be informed of any important notices or changes to the daily routine or timetable.

At 9:00am children will attend whole School, Class or House Assembly

The school day is divided into 9 x 30 minute lessons, which begin at 9:15 am with a mid-morning break at 11.15am for 20 minutes. Lunch is from 12:45pm until 2.00 pm, with the end of school at 3:30pm.

Mid-morning & Lunch Break

Fruit is provided for the mid-morning break but children may bring their own light snack and drink (no cans or fizzy pop please) from home if they wish.
All children are expected to go outside (weather permitting) and to change their black school shoes for a pair of trainers.

We strongly recommend that children leave their school fleece and waterproof in School for the week.

PE, Games & Swimming

Children will have their swimming lessons at Sansome Walk Swimming Pool.

The children will receive a double period of PE and a double period of games each week. Games concentrate on rugby, football, cricket, netball, rounders and hockey depending on the season. Both girls and boys play all games depending on their ability

Fixtures

A list of fixtures will appear in the calendar at the beginning of each term. A squad will be selected based on performance. The emphasis in many instances will be towards selection of the strongest team. When appropriate a B team will enable as many pupils as possible to represent the school.

What happens before school?

If required, pre-school care is available in the Year classrooms from 8.00am until the beginning of school. Children will be supervised by a member of staff at this time.

What happens after school?

Children are able to go home at 3.30pm and should be collected from the front door. There is also a minibus to the senior school for children who commute by train or have siblings there.

If children are to stay after 3.30pm they can bring a picnic tea which will be eaten in the school hall. This is known as ‘little tea’.

For those not taking part in a club there will be a homework club from 3.50pm - 4.50pm. Children can be collected earlier than 4:50pm from the dining hall if desired. Each child staying beyond 3.30pm must be signed out by the person collecting them.

From 5.00pm - 6.00pm after school care is available in the main building.

Will there be any trips?

Usually there are a variety of trips every year which may include trips allied to a particular topic or subject, theatre trips and a residential trip. In addition we have visiting workshops such as the Viking workshop, Architecture workshop and a visiting artist who undertakes a variety of creative activities with the children.

Preparation for Next Stage of Education

It is anticipated that the vast majority of our Year 6 pupils will move on to Year 7 at the Upper Tything site. During Year 6 a number of initiatives are used to ensure a smooth transition. These include:

A taster day in the Michaelmas Term when the pupils are taught by Senior School staff in a variety of subjects such as DT, Science and Drama.
Visits by the Head of Year Seven to talk to Year Six pupils in class and address any concerns they may have. These normally take place in the Summer Term before the Induction Day.
The Induction Day in June when the pupils spend a day in the Senior School together with pupils from outside. They are normally introduced to their new Form Teacher and given the opportunity to take part in a number of activities.
During the second half of the Lent Term Year Six take part in the West Mercia Police STAR Drugs Programme. This involves wide-ranging discussions about the pressures and problems pupils are liable to encounter in their Secondary School years.

In addition the Heads of both Schools meet on a regular basis when various individual and general academic and pastoral problems are discussed as appropriate.