Girls who join our Reception classes are welcomed into small classes with high levels of support. The children enjoy a formal morning of English, phonics and maths, before an afternoon of creative foundation subjects which results in an interesting and engaging curriculum.  

Maths is taught as a discrete subject on a daily basis and girls are introduced to a range of mathematical concepts and equipment before formally recording different elements of their learning. They quickly learn new skills and then utilise these in their own problem-solving investigations, applying their knowledge in new and challenging contexts.  

Girls participate in daily phonics and English lessons which enables them to read exceptionally and competently in a very short space of time. They exhibit a huge sense of pride in their ability to record their ideas whether in writing their own stories, writing instructions or recording results from an experiment they have conducted.  

We encourage children to become ‘independent thinkers’ by incorporating regular opportunities to solve problems or invent solutions to questions. In this manner, S.T.E.M. learning underpins all that we do.  

Healthy living is an integral part of life at the Family of Schools. We believe that developing positive attitudes to our bodies, minds, exercise and competition are essential parts of each young person’s education.

In Reception class girls have weekly P.E and ballet lessons and weekly PSHE lessons to help them understand how to keep their minds and bodies healthy. 

As the girls remain in the Early Years Foundation Stage, they enjoy the benefit of the child directed, play based opportunities, coupled with our own traditional curriculum which has operated so successfully over many years. This combination of ‘tradition’ with ‘play’ means the girls are able to develop their play to a deeper level as they are able to understand complex concepts and abstract principles and apply them to their self-directed activities, resulting in purposeful and determined approaches to play based challenges.  

Digital learning is introduced in Reception with the girls making use of 1:1 iPads to enhance their learning and ensure a bespoke curriculum. Homework and daily quizzing is digital as is the use of green screen apps and stop motion technology to bring engineering projects to life. Through this seamless integration of technology into their education environment, girls develop an understanding of how to use technology in a meaningful way, and how to utilise new knowledge to address modern day issues and projects. This is not at the cost of their early writing skills, but an effective means of combining the reality of modern-day life with the celebrated and important skills of formal writing.