The school is a Church of England Foundation, and we welcome children of all denominations and faiths. There is a chapel service every Wednesday morning and school assemblies have a moral theme.
With a pupil ratio of 8:1, children are taught in sets for all academic subjects up to the end of Year 6. On entry into Year 7, at age 11, they are streamed into Scholarship or Common Entrance groups.
The main subjects taught are: English, Maths, Science, French, History, Geography, Latin, Greek, Religious Studies, Music, Art, Design Technology, ICT & PE.
Boarding and day school children follow exactly the same timetable during the day.
|
Stage |
Age |
School Day |
Earliest arrival and latest departure for Day Children |
Day or Boarding |
Saturday morning school |
|
Year 3 |
7/8 |
8.30 – 5.00 |
8.15 – 6.50 |
Day/Boarding |
No |
|
Year 4 |
8/9 |
8.30 – 6.40 |
8.15 – 6.50 |
Day/Boarding |
Yes |
|
Year 5 |
9/10 |
8.30 – 6.50 |
8.15 – 6.50 |
Day/Boarding |
Yes |
|
Year 6 |
10/11 |
8.30 – 6.50 |
8.15 – 6.50 |
Boarding/Day |
Yes |
|
Year 7 |
11/12 |
8.30 – 6.50 |
8.15 – 6.50 |
Boarding/Day |
Yes |
|
Year 8 |
12/13 |
8.30 – 6.50 |
8.15 – 6.50 |
Boarding/Day |
Yes |
In Year 3 and above all day children go home at 5.00pm on a Wednesday.
For Year 4 and above there is Saturday morning school until 12.50pm – a later finish is necessary for those involved in matches.
Options (for which additional charges are made):
Pre-Prep
In the Pre-Prep School there is a system of after school care (‘Tailenders’) which runs from 3.30 – 4.45pm.
Year 3 (7/8 yrs)
A similar after school care system runs from 5.00 – 6.50pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. A meal and supervised recreation are included. This scheme is primarily designed for parents of day children in Year 3 who have an older sibling also as a day pupil in the school in Years 4-8.
Year 3 & above (7 – 13yrs)
Occasional boarding is a popular option for all day prep school children, dependent on availability of beds (must be regular nights per week). Find out more in the 'Boarding and Day School' section.
Children may commit at any stage to weekly boarding.
THE HOUSES
There are four Houses - Bryant (blue), Gascoigne (green), Leachman (yellow) and Priestland (red). From Year 3 each child is assigned to one of these Houses and House Competitions are held throughout the year.
TUTORS
Each child in the Upper School has a Tutor who is responsible for academic and pastoral welfare. Each Tutor will have an average of 10 tutees in his or her care for that particular year. The Tutor is the first point of contact for children and their parents. Tutors keep the Headmaster and the staff informed about their tutees. They help each prep school child maximise his or her potential and enjoy school life to the full.
HEALTH CARE
A qualified Sister, helped by matrons, is responsible for the health of both boarding and day school children. When children are ill or 'off-colour' they are admitted to the San where they are looked after by the resident staff on duty.
MOBILE PHONES
Mobile phones are not permitted except for boarders whose parents live abroad. Children can telephone from the boarding houses in free time, and every child has an email address.
