Our curriculum aims to support boys in becoming independent and lifelong learners, who understand the need to work hard, take risks, be resilient, learn from failure, and constantly strive to be the best they can be.

We want them to begin the process, at the Prep School, of growing into happy young men, who are confident, flexible and adaptable learners who are ready to respond to any challenges life throws their way, and shape their futures in a positive way. To help with this, learning is underpinned by our Future Skills curriculum, which is a comprehensive, school-wide approach that helps boys to develop the key skills, attributes and characteristics to be happy and successful not only during their time in the Prep School but as they move up to the Upper School and life beyond.  

Our Future Skills curriculum is based around the school’s core values of responsibility, endeavour, integrity, curiosity and kindness, and aims to help to develop boys who are “intellectually curious adventurers”, confident and articulate, able to thrive in any setting, understand how to learn, and who are resilient.

Read more about our Future Skills Curriculum

Our schemes of work are informed by the National Curriculum but shaped by us so that our curriculum is infused by our strong values, and that boys learn tolerance and mutual respect, and they feel confident about being able to make and learn from mistakes.

For the first two years the Class Teacher takes the major responsibility for subject teaching and then, as boys move up the school, greater specialisation is introduced. In Year 3 and Year 4 it is usual for the Class Teacher to teach a significant number of subjects including the core of English, Maths and Science. Boys are taught by specialist teachers in specialist facilities for French, Art, ICT, Music and Design. In addition, all boys will have PE and Swimming lessons alongside two double Games lessons. Boys are also encouraged to take a full part in the wide-ranging extra-curricular programme.

From Year 5 the academic and pastoral organisation changes. Each boy is carefully placed in a form with a Pastoral Tutor who teaches those boys for one subject. Naturally, as the curriculum broadens, expectations of performance increase in terms of assessment and homework. In Year 5, boys are grouped by most recent performance for the first time and set for Mathematics. This is based on measures of underlying ability and performance in the core subjects. In Year 6, boys begin Latin. Year 7 and Year 8 boys are taught in one of the five groups for each year which continue to be organised on the basis of underlying ability and prior performance. The breadth of the curriculum is maintained with a key development being the introduction of additional languages in Year 7. In addition to French and Latin, in Year 7 boys will study a module of German, Latin and Spanish for half a year each and will be able to express a preference to study two of the four languages in Year 8. As well as the overall rise in academic expectations, boys will take on positions of responsibility in their House and in the school in general.

We are committed to a learning environment where all pupils receive the support and challenge necessary to help them develop their full potential. The needs of pupils with specific difficulties as well as able, gifted and talented pupils are acknowledged as part of our overall inclusion policy. We recognise the importance of identifying a wide range of abilities and talents, and of providing opportunities to nurture them.