Children are immersed in rich, dynamic learning experiences every day. From exploring swimming and art with specialist teachers to embarking on magical storytelling journeys, each day is a fresh opportunity to spark imagination, build confidence, and express themselves.
Children dive into a whirlwind of hands-on learning, from exploring the depths of swimming, art, cooking, computing and music with specialist teachers to venturing into the great outdoors at forest school. They embark on magical storytelling journeys with visiting authors and dazzle in whole-school creative performances. Each day is a fresh opportunity to spark their imagination, build confidence and express themselves in new and exciting ways.
We believe children flourish when they are encouraged to ask questions, explore new ideas, and express themselves in a safe, supportive environment. These values guide our approach to teaching, relationships, and expectations, fostering a community where every child feels seen, valued, and motivated to succeed.
We have made purposeful changes to our physical environment and curriculum to better meet the evolving needs of our children. After careful research and observation, we redesigned our classrooms to create calm, open spaces that support movement, focus, and independence. Walls were repainted a soothing sage green to reduce sensory overload, and traditional furniture was replaced with flexi-seating. This has empowered pupils, particularly boys, to take ownership of how they learn best, reducing frustration and increasing engagement.
Our innovative flexi-seating approach allows children to choose learning positions that work best for them, whether sitting at traditional desks, standing at high tables, or working on floor cushions. This freedom helps children develop self-awareness about their learning preferences while maintaining focus and engagement.
This year, we have introduced a new language model to better prepare children for their journey through prep school. A 2-year rolling programme covers 6 languages, with each taught by a single pre-prep teacher to the Reception to Year Two cohort. This ensures consistency, progression, and a clear link with the prep school curriculum. Lessons focus on culture as well as vocabulary, using familiar resources like games and flashcards to create a joyful, holistic approach to language learning.
Languages explored include French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Italian and Latin. Each language is taught within cultural context, helping children understand different traditions, celebrations, and ways of life around the world.
Our Reception year follows the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, focusing on learning through play and exploration. Children develop foundational skills in literacy and numeracy while building social and emotional capabilities. The curriculum emphasizes personal, social, and emotional development alongside communication and language skills.
Children engage in themed learning that captures their imagination, from exploring minibeasts in the school grounds to learning about people who help us in our community. Phonics teaching begins systematically, and children are introduced to early mathematical concepts through practical, hands-on activities.
Year 1 marks the transition from play-based learning to more structured lessons while maintaining joy and creativity. Children build on their phonics knowledge and begin reading independently. Mathematics becomes more formal, introducing addition, subtraction, and number patterns. Topic-based learning links subjects together, such as exploring castles through history, art, writing, and construction activities.
Specialist lessons increase in Year 1, with children receiving dedicated teaching in Physical Education, music, computing, and swimming. Forest school sessions continue to provide outdoor learning opportunities that develop resilience and environmental awareness.
Year 2 consolidates and extends learning across all curriculum areas. Children develop greater independence in their work and are encouraged to apply skills across different contexts. Literacy skills expand to include different writing genres, while mathematics introduces more complex problem-solving. Science investigations become more hands-on with children learning about materials, plants, animals and simple forces.
This year represents an important bridge to prep school, with children developing study skills, organizational abilities and greater academic confidence. We introduce more formal assessment to understand each child’s strengths and areas for development as they prepare for Year 3.
We use ongoing formative assessment through observation, conversation and reviewing children’s work. Parents receive regular updates through our communication app, termly written reports rather than comparing children against each other.
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage framework for Reception and use the National Curriculum as a foundation for Years 1 & 2. However, as an independent school, we have the freedom to enrich and extend beyond these frameworks, ensuring our curriculum meets the needs of our children and prepares them excellently for prep school.
We ensure a seamless transition from Year 2 to Year 3 through careful preparation in the summer term. Children visit prep classrooms, meet their new teachers and learn about new routines. Our pre-prep and prep teams work closely together to share information about each child’s learning style, strengths and areas for development.
Our curriculum overview documents for each year group are available from the admissions office, providing detailed information about what your child will learn throughout the year.
