Introduction
Academic work, of course, is at the heart of what we do, but we never forget that there is more to childhood and learning than exams. We successfully prepare children for St. Bees Senior School at age 11, but we are not a crammer. We deliver more than that which is demanded by the National Curriculum, and are not constrained by its limitations. Our curriculum is strong in the traditional academic disciplines, but also offers a balance in a varied timetable: music lessons, swimming, art, languages and of course sport are all part of daily life.
Our caring, happy school encourages all pupils to develop at their own pace, and in their own way, whilst helping them to achieve their true potential and to be fully prepared for their next stage of education. We value each pupil as an individual. Just as no two faces are the same, we appreciate that each child has different strengths. We aim to ensure that our pupils enjoy the excitement of learning and surprise themselves with their progress, taking pride in the standards they are able to achieve. Small classes and first rate facilities ensure that each child receives a generous amount of individual attention. Lessons are stimulating and children are encouraged to think for themselves, to question and to debate. Teachers present subject matter in imaginative ways and frequently use games, role play and stimulating projects in addition to more traditional teaching styles. Classroom boundaries are often stretched through visits within the local area, including the beach on our doorstep, and more distant excursions and field trips.
English
In the Prep. Department we aim to help pupils develop competence and confidence in both oral and written literacy. The curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and the National Literacy Strategy. However, because we have the flexibility, we incorporate a great deal more.
The four key strands are:
Speaking and Listening
Pupils are encouraged to form and express opinions. Optimum sized classes or groups ensure each child is given the opportunity to participate in a range of speaking and listening activities. Due to our small classes the drama opportunities are wonderful – everybody gets a main part.
Reading
Encouraging a love of books is central to the teaching of English. Children take part in a variety of reading activities, depending upon age and attainment, including reading aloud in class, reading to each other and reading quietly to themselves. A dedicated library period for Prep. pupils, taken by the Librarian, ensures that the children have access to the extensive School Library. All children are encouraged to make book choices which will extend individual vocabulary and comprehension.
Writing
We aim to produce confident and creative writers with good technical skills. The importance of spelling and neat handwriting is emphasized and children are introduced to a wide range of writing activities where they learn to match the style to the audience. In addition to learning to express their ideas clearly and effectively, we want pupils to take pleasure in the creativity of writing. They will be encouraged to discover the beauty of language and of literature through reading, writing and discussing poems, plays and stories.
English Preparation for Senior School
In the Prep. Department we keep the emphasis on breadth and balance ensuring the children enjoy their studies, whilst preparing them for the important Senior School entrance exam they take in March of their final year. Our preparation for senior school entrance exams does not involve non-stop cramming and coaching; instead the children are taught the ability to use and apply knowledge, and to have well practised exam technique in verbal reasoning story, writing and comprehension tests.
Mathematics
In the Prep. Department the curriculum is based on the National Curriculum, and the National Numeracy Strategy.
The five main areas at the forefront of Mathematics are:
1. Number
2. Measurement
3. Shape and Space
4. Handling Data
5. Applying Mathematics
We aim to develop a thorough understanding of Mathematics as well as fostering the children's enthusiasm and confidence in the subject. The activities are organised so that the children may work as a class, in groups or as individuals. The small classes mean that individual help is readily available and all the children are working at their own ability level. Emphasis is placed on the four rules of number with an appropriate focus on encouraging the children to perform simple calculations mentally. They are also taught to record their calculations in a formal way. The importance of mathematical concepts in a variety of subjects, for example Science, Information Technology and Geography, promotes a strong cross curricular link.
Mathematics Preparation for Senior School
The children are well prepared for the important Senior School Maths entrance exam they take in March of their final year.
Science
The emphasis in the Prep Department is a balance of theory and practical work designed to develop understanding while promoting the pupils' spirit of enquiry and developing their interest and enthusiasm in the subject. Pupils are encouraged to question what they observe, to devise fair tests to evaluate their ideas, to make measurements with increasing accuracy and to draw logical conclusions. Topics are delivered through strands that run through the whole Prep Department.
We have access to the fully equipped Science laboratories of the senior school and the science technicians for Physics, Biology and Chemistry. The success of the course is based on a fine balance of theory and practical work designed to develop understanding while promoting the pupils' spirit of enquiry and developing their interest and enthusiasm in the subject. The topics are designed to be spiral in nature, first acquainting the pupils with a topic and then revisiting the same concepts, each time with a greater degree of sophistication, provided that the earlier work was understood. This not only results in pupils gaining a great deal of satisfaction in arriving at the understanding of a concept, but also results in the pupils experiencing pleasure and confidence when meeting and recognising that concept again. By the end of Year 6, the pupils should have a sound scientific foundation on which St Bees senior school science course can build on.
Information and Communication Technology
The Prep. children have ready access to the Senior School facilities in the Management Centre and a dedicated on-site ICT team. The small classes give the children great confidence. Information and Communication Technology is now an essential part of the school curriculum, encompassing all subjects whether it is for information, recording data or programming. Small classes also enable us to use ICT for real projects whether it is writing for the school newsletter or creating a database to count up how many stars have been awarded.
Geography
In the Prep. Department we aim to stimulate and develop our pupils interest in, and understanding of, geographical skills and knowledge. We are very fortunate in being so close to so many physical geographical features in the locality. The beach is only ten minutes walk away and rivers and mountains are easily accessible for our field-study programme. Children learn to gather information for themselves, interpret their results and word process their projects. Through atlas and Ordnance Survey map work, they learn about man's position in, and his relationships with the world. A planned overnight stay in a Youth Hostel further enhances their geographical awareness of other localities.
History
The study of the past is an important part of the Prep. curriculum, covering a variety of topics from Ancient Egypt to World War II. Pupils learn to understand the past and its relevance to the present and future. A core theme for History throughout the Prep. School is to learn through experience, visits and outings.
Religious Education
As a School founded on Christian principles, we aim to help all our pupils to see the continuity between school morning prayers, the daily round of activities and also the work covered in R.E. lessons. We introduce them to matters biblical, moral, spiritual and cultural and encourage them to develop a deep awareness of the world around them and their position within it.
Pupils attend Chapel on Tuesday, Lower School assembly on Wednesday and the whole School Priory Service on Thursday mornings. The services are led by the School Chaplain and they are Christian but non denominational occasions. St. Bees is a Christian School with the Christian values at its core, so our assemblies held in the Prep. Department on Monday and Friday are based around similar messages to those heard in the Chapel and Priory. Pupils are taught the meaning of living in a community and of learning to consider the needs and opinions of others.
French
The emphasis of teaching French lessons at St. Bees Preparatory school is on oral communication and on enthusing children about speaking a foreign language. Children are actively involved through speaking, listening, role-playing, games, reading and interpreting information. They also develop an appreciation and enjoyment of French culture.
English as An Additional Language
The Prep. classes welcome international students and tailors provision around the needs of individual children. Intensive English tuition and special activities allow pupils to quickly improve their written and spoken English, enabling them to fully and quickly integrate into St. Bees Prep School classes.
Classics
All Prep children in Years 5 and 6 study Latin which provides a good grounding in understanding how languages are structured.
Art
In the Prep. Department we aim, to have a lot of fun while developing children's self expression, in the following key areas:
- Drawing
- Understanding Art Design
- Painting
- Printing
- Modelling and Construction
Music
Music is taught throughout the Prep. Department. In our class instrumental lessons, children are taught to read music and perform confidently as part of an ensemble and are given the option of learning the recorder or playing an instrument of their choice. We also seek to widen pupils' experience of music of many styles and periods, from many different parts of the world. Through listening and appraising, children gain awareness of the world of sound. Through composing and performing, they gain confidence and expertise in expressing themselves through music. Many of the children join the School Choir and sing in Priory every week as well as at special services such as the Christmas Service of Lessons and Carols. The children are also fortunate in being able to have individual music lessons with the Senior School music teachers.
PSHE
The Prep. School is similar to the Senior School in that good manners, caring for friends and high standards of behaviour are encouraged and rewarded. Among the wide range of matters that will be discussed in PSHE are citizenship, friendship, healthy living, safety, personal development [emotional and physical], respect for others, study skills and the environment. A happy, healthy, caring, confident and positive child is the cornerstone for a well educated and balanced adult. Older children are given more responsibility and they help out the younger pupils, both practically and as role models. We believe that praise is important and that every child should feel valued. We aim to impart the shared values of respect for others and our environment, personal responsibility, tolerance and understanding of right and wrong, so that our pupils may become valued members of the community in which they live.
The staff are highly professional and very caring; the level of individual care, the quality of life, and happiness of our children, are hallmarks of our community.
Stars are awarded for good work and behaviour, and weekly totals are read out in Friday assembly. The Department has six rules which are posted in classrooms and regularly feature in PSHE lessons and in assemblies. These rules are called our Golden Rules and children can be awarded house stars for adhering to these key concepts.
They are:
1. Be gentle
2. Be kind and helpful
3. Work hard
4. Look after property
5. Listen to people
6. Be honest
Sport
In the Prep. Department sport plays a large part in the school week with physical exercise scheduled daily. The emphasis is on enjoyment, fair play, fitness and acquiring new skills. We are fortunate to enjoy the senior school facilities these include a large multi purpose sports hall, an indoor swimming pool, hockey and rugby pitches. Sport is taught by Senior School Sports specialists and includes all major sports as well as qualified training in golf in the golf academy. The children have one lesson a week throughout the year in the swimming pool where they are taught by specialist swimming teachers. They can also swim for a second time in the week as one of their after school activities which nearly all the children opt for.
Outdoor Education
Each term the pupils of the Preparatory Department are very fortunate to go out into the Cumbrian countryside with a specialist outdoor education instructor and participate in a range of activities including climbing and kayaking. This is designed to develop teamwork, self-belief and self-confidence.