The Preparatory School

Year 3 to Year 6

The Prep department offers children from Year 3 to Year 6 the potential to explore a wide range of activities and educational experiences. The ethos and atmosphere is one of happy purposefulness within a lively school schedule. Strong emphasis is placed on creating a friendly and supportive environment in which pupils can develop their self-esteem and talents to the full.

Children in the Prep department

Children in the Prep department are in classes with a maximum of 18 children. All have qualified class teachers, but also spend time with subject specialists for physical education, music, French and science. In this department children will:
  • Benefit from an increasing amount of time with subject specialists
  • Be able to select from an increasing amount of extra-mural clubs and activities
  • Have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, have singing or drama lessons
  • Take part in the Springmead Award
  • Be able to join the Prep School Choir
  • Continue weekly swimming lessons
  • Be involved with increasingly sophisticated music and drama productions
  • Be able to compete at a higher level across a variety of sports, both inter school and intra school
  • Take on positions of responsibility in the school
  • Be preparing for entrance exams to senior schools.

The National Curriculum

The National Curriculum is used as a starting point for our curriculum planning, this is then enriched to add greater range, depth, width and balance.

The rigors of study increase in the prep department with more curriculum time being devoted to all subjects these include; English, mathematics, science, history, geography, art, design technology, music, computing, religious studies, personal, social, emotional and health education, French and physical education.  Some subjects are taught through themes to give meaningful contexts to the children’s studies, however , care is taken not to lose subject identity. Again at Springmead School we are teaching our children to become successful life-long learners these skills are embedded into our curriculum through Building Learning Power.

Entrance Exams

Throughout their time in the Prep department children are being prepared for entrance examinations to senior schools. This is not a ‘hothouse process’ but simply the result of consistent teaching and learning. Children are continually assessed to enable us to plan for their next stage of learning. We offer an entrance test club to support children in Year 6. 

Homework is fundamental to encouraging children to become independent learners. The amount of homework children receive increases gradually, but never excessively, through the Prep department. We offer Prep clubs two nights a week run by a qualified teacher to support children and families.