Curriculum

In the belief that happy and confident children learn best, the Preparatory School always seeks to encourage a genuine enthusiasm for learning. Our friendly, caring environment will help to build your child's confidence in his or her own ability so that they can realise their full potential. Please see the sections below to find out more.

Reception

Reception is the bridge between the Nursery and Key Stage 1.  The children are taught in a similar way to those in the Nursery, following the Foundation Stage curriculum and its six areas of learning.
By attending assemblies, and having playtime and lunch with Key Stage 1 children, the Reception children are gradually integrated more into the Prep school. 
They are also included in the extra curricular activities that take place throughout the year, so that they become very familiar with all the routines of Key Stage 1 and get to know the staff who will teach them.

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Key Stage 1

In Key Stage 1 the children are taught by their form teachers most of the time, and they build a close relationship with them. They have specialist teachers for subjects such as PE, Music, French and RE.

At Beechwood, we follow the National Curriculum, with the addition of extra subjects such as Swimming, Cooking and French. 

We also enhance the curriculum in many ways: we celebrated World Book day by dressing up as book characters, a local children's author read and talked to the children, and a visit to Godstone Farm proved to be an exciting way to bring to life the topics we had learnt about in Science.

To read about more events, please click the link below

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Key Stage 2

The work in Key Stage 2 (Years 3 - 6) builds on the foundations of Key Stage 1, with subjects being developed beyond the basic skill level. All subjects are timetabled separately and are taught by either the form teacher or increasingly by subject specialists, either from within the Preparatory School or from the Senior School, so aiding a smooth transition from primary to secondary education. 

A programme of outings, an outdoor education programme, theme days and visiting experts enhance the learning experience of our pupils by bringing variety and depth to the curriculum.

To read about our outings, please click the link below

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Outdoor Education Programme

The outdoor education programme gives variety and a sense of adventure, within the curriculum. Children gain in confidence as they face new challenges, supported and encouraged by each other.

 

Years 3 and 4 experience a day of outdoor activities followed by an overnight camp in the school grounds.....

Image Gallery: Click any of the thumbnails below to see the enlarged version. [read more]

Theme Days

Subject specific skills are enhanced by theme days, in which a whole day is devoted to one subject.

For instance, on Science Days the children have the opportunity to explore one area of Science. Recent Science Days have included learning about Space in an inflatable planetarium in the Auditorium, and an exploration into the physics of bubbles.....
To view photos of Victorian Day please click here

Mathlympics Morning

On Friday 21 September, the children in the Prep School took part in their own Mathlympics.

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Visiting Experts

Visiting experts are invited to bring their knowledge and enthusiasm to the classroom. The children have the opportunity to meet visiting authors, who bring their books to life and encourage the children to enjoy reading them. Drama and Creative Arts workshops allow the children to explore their own creativity and express themselves. The children have even had the opportunity to play in a steel drum band! Parents and grandparents have also been invited to talk to the children about their jobs, their memories or the country they grew up in.

Learning Development

Preparatory School

In the Prep School, towards the end of the Reception year, we give all the children a diagnostic assessment (Cognitive Profiling System - CoPS) which assesses the underlying processes needed for each child to develop literacy successfully.  A further test is carried out in Year 3.

These assessments give us a profile of each child's learning style, which can be used by the Form Teachers to support learning in the classroom.

We identify children needing extra help, and they can be supported by Learning Development Assistants in the classroom. Small groups are also taught outside the classroom by experienced Learning Support teachers.

Depending on the level of support given, an extra supplement may be payable.

KS1 SATs results 2012

Our Key Stage 1 children have again made excellent progress. The tables below compare Beechwood's results with those achieved nationally. 

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KS2 SATs results 2012

The tables show the % pupils attaining each level. Level 4 is the Government's target level for Key Stage 2.

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