Form teachers and Tutor Groups:
From Nursery to
Year 4 Form Teachers are responsible for monitoring the
development of each child in their form and are the
first point of contact between home and school. In Years
5-8, as the teaching becomes more specialised, and
pupils become more willing to articulate their thoughts
and opinions, so they are allocated to a tutor and
remain with that tutor during for two years (Middle
School Year 5 & 6), Upper School (Years 7 & 8). This
ensures continuity of care in the final years, and it
also encourages pupils from different year groups to get
to know each other and to work together. Pupils meet
with their Tutor on a daily basis and the Headmaster
meets with Tutors each week to review progress.
Year Group Identification:
Even in a medium sized
prep school, there is a danger that pupils within a
single year group may actually have limited contact with
each other. They may be in different sets, join
different tutor groups, and play for different teams
(particularly boys and girls) and simply develop
different preferences. It is for this reason that we
actively promote a sense of year group identity amongst
the pupils. They meet as Year Groups once a week, and so
far as the curriculum is concerned, Years 6-8 enjoy a
triple period of Performing Arts Programme each week,
the representative teams are organised by year group
(rather than mixing year groups as is often the case)
and one of the primary aims of our well developed
residential activities programme, is to enables pupils
to work together in their year groups giving further
opportunity to engage with each other.
The House Competition (Reception - 8):
An innovative
House competition provides opportunities for children to
participate in a range of events from heraldry and
dance, to hockey and chess. Activities that reflect the
broad nature of the overall curriculum. There are two
houses and all pupils in Years 1 - 8 are allocated to
one of these two houses for the entire academic year.
The division takes into account overall numbers, age,
gender, ability and aptitude. This framework enables us
to take into account the changing nature of the school’s
demographic profile, and provides a structure for some
steely competition. The competition provides the
children in Year 8 with meaningful leadership
opportunities, and gives them the opportunity to work
closely with staff. Academic members of staff are
allocated to one of the two houses, whilst a third group
of teachers act as ‘Judges’, thereby ensuring fair play.
A School Council:
Elected from pupils in Years
3 - 8 fosters greater understanding between age groups,
and encourages a sense of responsibility by enabling
them to play an active part in running the school.
Chapel:
Christian inspiration and ideals are
fundamental to our philosophy, but we also recognise
that many pupils come from homes that follow other
faiths or have no strong religious affiliation.
Give knowledge
of the influence of Christian values in our
society, without neglecting awareness of
other faiths and beliefs which sustain them.
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