At King’s House School we recognize the importance of a broad curriculum. We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage and National Curriculum initially but extend well beyond its boundaries to provide the enrichment and challenge which will prepare pupils for Common Entrance and senior school scholarships at a pace and level appropriate to their needs.
As a preparatory school, we recognize the responsibility we have, not only in educating each pupil but also in developing a love of learning and satisfaction in personal achievement. The approach in the classroom through the School is one of praise and encouragement. Recognition of achievement is in the form of House Points which are awarded in each Department and added to the House totals. Boys’ names are also added to the Gold Book or Distinctions List and are included in the weekly newsletter.
In the Senior Department, half-termly grades are given for both effort and achievement and the end-of-term reports provide targets for future improvement. Throughout the School we have qualified Learning Support teachers who work closely with the classroom teachers and provide extra support for pupils as and when it is needed. Throughout their time at King’s House, the boys work hard and achieve high academic standards that set them up very well when they move on to their senior schools.
There are regular Visitor Mornings when prospective parents and children may visit the Nursery, Junior and Senior Departments and meet the Head of School, Head of Junior Department, Head of Nursery and other members of staff. Girls and boys may start in the Nursery in the term of their 3rd birthday. We offer places in order of date of registration.
Boys from the Nursery and those with brothers already at the School are given priority in our Reception classes and are expected to stay at King’s House until the end of Year 8 before moving on to their senior school.
We are a mixed-ability school so we do not assess the boys before offering them places. When you register your child, he or she is put on the Waiting List for their age group. Nursery places are offered approximately 2 terms before entry. Reception places are offered about a year before entry. Around half our Reception intake is made up of boys coming from our Nursery. When you are offered a place you have to complete an Acceptance Contract and pay a committal fee which is returned to you when your child leaves King’s House, less any extras. We also have small in-takes at 7+, 8+ and 11+ into Years 3, 4, and 7 (up to about 6 places) boys wishing to enter at this stage are assessed in November or January before entry. They are tested in English and Mathematics, as well as being interviewed.
Extra help is available for a child who may be initially slow to make progress or where they may encounter a specific difficulty, at no extra cost. If it is felt necessary they may be assessed by one of our learning support teachers who may, in turn, suggest that the child needs a full assessment by an educational psychologist.
We can currently give boys up to two half-hour sessions, either individually or in small groups, to help with any diagnosed problems within our competence. An Individual Educational Programme is written for each boy receiving extra support and is agreed upon between the Learning Support teacher, the parent, and the child. We also aim to identify and provide for those who need extra extension work in any area.
The youngest pupils at King’s House School have their building in Princes Road, just a stone’s throw from the Junior and Senior Departments on Kings Road. The Nursery Department is found in The Old School House, an attractive Victorian building with high ceilings and large open plan classrooms that provide the perfect environment for Early Years education.
On the first floor, you will find the Caterpillar group (children aged 3 and rising 3) in their own homely, cozy, and welcoming room. The room is carefully planned and extensively resourced to provide an exciting environment where young children can use their imagination to create and discover. Staff is exceptionally caring and nurturing, understanding that for most children (and their parents) this is the first rung on the educational ladder.
King’s House Junior Department offers its pupils a unique, caring, and stimulating environment in which all the boys are encouraged to reach their potential. It is housed in two Victorian buildings which have been sensitively extended and enhanced to provide a wonderful learning environment. Boys join the Junior Department when they are aged 4 and they start in Reception where they are gently introduced to the School routine whilst following the Early Years Foundation Stage. The boys are based in their classrooms with their teacher and assistant for most of the time but also have specialist teachers for French, Music, and PE.
We aim to ensure a smooth transition from the Junior Department to the Senior Department, and the boys enjoy the challenge of starting in a new building and set-up. In reality, they already know the Senior Department well as they have been taught by a number of its teachers and had lessons in the music and sports facilities. We aim to continue offering the boys a broad range of experiences and a varied, challenging curriculum. There is also a wide range of activities – musical, sporting, and artistic – for the boys to choose from on the extra-curricular front.
