Reception-Year 2

“With strong, deep roots from day one, children will grow to become successful, confident learners.”

Welcome to Pre-Prep. The very start of your child’s mainstream schooling education. Here we aim to provide the very best opportunities for your child. A good balance of academics, the outside, and outstanding pastoral care all mixed up with a healthy dose of fun and laughter.

We believe that children learn best when they are happy and feel settled. With the right levels of support and encouragement we endeavour to foster a love of learning in each child, right from the start. Much like the many trees that fill our playground; with strong, deep roots from day one, children will grow to become successful, confident learners.

The Pre-Prep years are the foundation of a child’s school journey. We strive to provide the very best both academically and pastorally, for the children in our care.

With classes of no more than 18 children we can ensure that your child has a curriculum and learning journey personalised for them. No two children are the same and each one requires a slightly different approach. We adapt and shape the curriculum to suit the needs and interests of each child, creating a truly bespoke experience.

Day to day, children experience and interact with teachers and adults who are excited about and love learning, classmates who are keen and eager to collaborate and cheer each other on, and an environment in which they are set up to succeed; academically, socially and emotionally. Pre-Prep is a special place to be.

The mental health and well-being of our pupils at St Neot’s is very important to us and we build in time to discuss how we are feeling about a task or event. Through such discussions we also encourage the children to support each other. Our destination secondary schools often comment on how empathetic children from St Neot’s are when they transfer to them at the end of their time with us. That ‘golden thread’ of empathy, ultimately a signifier of a successful and well-rounded individual, can be traced back through the Prep school years down to its origins in Nursery and Pre-Prep.

We are extremely proud of our Pre-Prep children as they move up to Middle school at the start of Year 3 and it is always a delight to see them around the school years after moving on from our classrooms yet still greeting us with a wave and a polite ‘Good morning’

The School Day

The day in Pre-Prep starts at 8am. The children arrive at their classroom where their teacher and teaching assistant will greet them and welcome them into their class. We know that children approach their days differently and the first half an hour is dedicated to settling the children in, completing independent learning tasks or working with an adult on a specific area of focus. We use this time to work with each child as an individual to ensure that they are ready for the day ahead. We are also available to parents for quick handover conversations and very much operate an open door policy to keep communication open.

Morning

Lessons commence at 8.30am and run until 10.20am. All of our learning sessions are broken up into smaller lessons involving a range of approaches including whole class teaching, independent work, discussion times, 1:1 or small group support and collaborative learning opportunities.
Break & Lunch

At 10.20am we have our morning break. The children have a baked snack provided with the option of fruit if they would prefer. All dietary requirements are catered for. At break time their playground is the woodland. They build dens, create tools, dig for treasure, chat, run, chase and play. They have the option of our woodland adventure playground and make the most of their active time.
Lessons then recommence and run until midday when we have lunch, cooked fresh on site each day, in the dining room followed by an afternoon play.
Afternoon

Our afternoon lessons begin again at 1.20pm and continue until 3.45pm, giving time to cover all of the core and co-curricular subjects in greater depth.
After the core day finishes. Children have the opportunity to join clubs ranging from sports, to crafts, to gardening.
Wraparound care is available for children until 6pm daily.