Pre-Prep Curriculum

Curriculum

The Nursery

The Nursery has two part-times classes, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and is staffed by a class teacher and two qualified early-years practitioners. The curriculum in the Nursery is based around the six Early Learning Goals set by the Department for Children, Families and Schools: Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Communication, Language and Literacy; Mathematics; Knowledge and Understanding of the World; Creative Development; and Physical Development. Children in the Nursery use the facilities of the Mallinson Centre for P.E. and are taught music and drama by specialist teachers.

The Reception Year

Full time education begins in the two Reception Classes, both of which have a class teacher and a full-time early-years practitioner to ensure that the sixteen children in each class receive plenty of individual attention and help. Children progress from the Early Learning Goals to the National Curriculum during the Reception year. Strong emphasis is put on acquiring literacy and numeracy skills. Joined-up handwriting is taught from the start of the year and children are heard reading on a daily basis. Creative art work plays an important part in the curriculum and the colourful displays in the classrooms and around the school help to make a bright and stimulating learning environment. Daily P.E. or movement lessons, ICT, science, design technology, religious studies, geography, history, drama and music are all included in the curriculum, but time for imaginative and free play is also built into the daily routine.

Year One

In Year One, swimming and Games are introduced, taught by specialist teachers from the Junior School, in addition to the subjects listed above. High academic standards are aimed for, whilst maintaining breadth and balance in the curriculum. Regular homework in maths and English is introduced with a weekly spelling test and dictation to monitor literacy skills. A part-time classroom assistant works in each of the Year One and Year Two classrooms and a Learning Support teacher also works at the Pre-Prep to support and extend the children's learning.

Year Two

In the January of Year Two pupils sit the entry tests to Highgate Junior School where most of them will go when they leave the Pre-Prep. In Year 2 pupils consolidate all that has been taught before as well as being introduced to new and challenging experiences to foster independent learning. They have chess and recorder lessons added to the curriculum, and in the Summer Term take part in a week of special visits and outings.