Preparatory (Age 4-7 years)
We aim to create a safe, secure and stimulating learning environment for the girls in our care. An environment that provides the predictability that children need to feel secure yet engages their interest and stimulates their desire to learn.
We would hope that through our teaching methods, the girls would learn to find happiness and confidence in themselves in order to live and hope for the future. We do this in many ways:
- By celebrating and valuing creativity through our small class sizes, our varied and stimulating curriculum, outings and learning through play.
- By giving girls time to develop at their own speed by tailoring to the needs of individual girls
- By creating an environment in our classrooms that is suitable for learning
- By good communication and links between the different year groups
- By offering a secure learning environment through good adult/pupil ratios, and the establishment of parameters and well defined boundaries
- By emphasising a good balance between physical and intellectual development as well as spiritual development by our involvement in Prep Department assemblies, visits to church and reinforcement during daily form times after long break
- By good communication and links with the parents through our "Meet the teacher" evenings, reports, parent evening and our "open-door" policy
- By encouraging the professional development of all teachers in the department, so as to keep them up to date with new initiatives in areas of particular interest
As a department we should always be moving forward, aiming to explore new ways of making teaching and learning fun and productive for both pupil and teacher.
"To love is to live" should always be at the forefront of our minds.
