Prep Education
The purpose of a Stafford Prep School education is to give children the very best start in life and to prepare them for the next stage in their education.
Importantly, we believe that our imaginative and creative curriculum, small classes and individual approach, enables our pupils to grow in confidence and to make excellent progress.
We encourage every pupil to strive to ‘be someone.’
Our first priority is always to ensure that our children are happy within our caring family atmosphere. Our philosophy is simple – happy children succeed. Our staff get to know each and every child and provide them with the encouragement and attention they deserve.
From Reception to Year 6, we offer a broad and rich education in and out of the classroom. Our curriculum allows our pupils to reach their full potential, both academically and personally.
With our small classes and the support and attention of experienced teachers, our pupils make excellent progress.
Pupils at Stafford Prep School study English, mathematics, science, history, geography, art, design & technology, computer science (ICT), music, French, German, religious education, PSHEE, physical education and games. In addition, all children take part in Forest School.
30 minutes of homework is set on a daily basis for children in Years 3 to 6, so that pupils adopt good learning habits and develop independent working, including reading and practising their spellings.
From Reception class, Music, Languages and PE/Games are taught by specialists. In Years 1 to 3 pupils are taught most academic subjects by their own form teacher. In Years 4, 5 & 6 children are taught by subject specialists including some teachers from the Senior School.
Specialist teaching and the small class sizes at Stafford Prep. School enables children to flourish.
Our approach is underpinned by our school values, which encourage children to engage enthusiastically whilst also being kind to others and treating difference between them with respect.
Children with any specific learning needs receive support within and outside the classroom. Early identification of needs, (such as dyslexia) allows teachers to tailor their lessons appropriately.
Working alongside the SENDCo, form teachers create Individual Education Plans (IEP) to support each pupil. Intervention for groups and individuals provide support in spelling, handwriting, reading and mathematics to allow children to consolidate their learning and gain confidence.
The relationship between parents and teachers is vital to children’s success. Parents receive termly and half termly effort and attainment grades as well as a full written report on their children’s progress each academic year along with other regular reports on their children’s progress. We also hold parents’ evenings for parents to meet teachers and discuss their children’s progress. We also enjoy the informal opportunities to catch up at the start and end of the school day and we are always happy to arrange to see parents at any time.
We enjoy building links with our local community and cultivate our values of kindness and community-mindedness in our pupils.
Here are just a few examples of our involvement with the local community:
- The junior choir regularly attends the local nursing home to sing and entertain the residents.
- A Christmas collection for local charities including toys and toiletries for Women’s Aid
- Food parcels for our local food bank and gift packages for the elderly.
- Harvest festival sees us collecting food for the local food bank.
- During the year we have non-uniform days and cake sales to raise money for local charities.
Trips and visits to the theatre, museums and places of interest form an integral part of the ‘Prep Extra’ programme. We believe in learning outside of the classroom as well as in it, and recent school trips have included: Cadburys World, Ironbridge Enginuity, Black Country Museum and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. We also take every opportunity to enjoy shows at the theatre; these have included Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Shrek, Alice in Wonderland and School of Rock.
Visits such as these broaden the experience of our pupils and help to shape their young lives whilst providing wonderful memories for the future.
We love to welcome visitors to share their enthusiasm and knowledge with pupils in the Prep. School, and to enrich their experiences. Recent visitors have included: Pep the Poet who held a workshop about his poetry and dressed the children up as characters from the poems. The children also wrote their own poems. We also enjoy a visit from the ‘Animal Man’ who spends time with each class showing the children a variety of animals and their habitats.
