Mission Statement

Here at the Junior School, we aim to promote and encourage individual thinking, creativity and originality. Our purposeful caring environment allows every girl to bring out her talents and develop her strengths to the full.

Investors in Children Award

We are proud to announce that we were recently awarded an Investors in Children Award.  The Mayor visited the Junior School to present the award to Head Carole Vickers in October 2005.

Buildings & facilities

The Junior School is based in spacious purpose built accommodation five minutes away from the Senior School, on Old Shoreham Road in Hove.  The site provides outstanding facilities including:

• State of the art ICT suite with 24 computers and an interactive whiteboard.
• Large Music rehearsal room and numerous practice rooms.
• Design Technology area.
• Drama/Dance room.
• Specialist Science Laboratory.
• Well-resourced Library.
• Wonderful sports facilities, including a large astro turf area (share by the Senior School), netball courts, and a multi-purpose hall.
• Bright and spacious art room.
• Separate nursery wing and play area for girls aged 3 - 4.

Curriculum

We follow the National Curriculum, covering English, Mathematics, Science, ICT, History, Geography, Music, Art, DT, PE, and RE, but in addition give a broad based education which gives the girls a good firm grounding.  French is taught from the age of 7. Traditional values play an important role in our education; we expect high standards and we do achieve good results.  The girls are keen to learn and experience new challenges.

In addition, we offer a wide range of optional extra subjects such as drama and music tuition.

Our creative Music Department has a specialist music teacher who teaches throughout the Junior School, and the standard of performance is very high. There are two choirs and a thriving orchestra that accommodates girls who play instruments from a beginner level to an advanced standard. Many girls learn a wide range of instruments taught by peripatetic music specialists. They take part in music festivals and productions both in school and within the local community.

Sport is an important feature of Junior School Life.  We have wonderful sports facilities including a large astro turf area which is shared by the Senior School, netball courts and a multi-purpose hall.   The younger children are taught basic game skills in preparation for team games played from age 8 years. Years 3 and 4 go swimming and all age groups have dance and gym lessons. Our hockey, netball and rounders teams play matches locally and the netball team plays in rallies nationally within the GDST network. Every year group participates in the annual Sports Days with parents in attendance.

Clubs & activities

There are many opportunities to extend the work done in the classroom through regular outings.  These are both fun and educational and have included trips to Preston Manor, Anne of Cleves House, Brighton Pavilion, to name but a few. We have a regular line-up of visiting authors, theatre companies, artists and dance and drama workshops which the girls really look forward to and from which they gain inspiration.  

We participate in the Brighton Festival Parade each year with spectacular costumes, structures, dancers and the Samba band. Music and drama are brought together for at least one large performance to parents and an infant Christmas show.

Our wide range of extra-curricular activities include netball, football, basketball, art, engineering, gardening and drama. We have also recently introduced yoga, ballet, Spanish and Mandarin

Nursery

Our Aims

• To ensure that girls look forward to school and view school life as a positive experience.
• Develop early literacy, numeracy, creative & physical skills.
• Encourage thinking, curiosity and an open minded, questioning attitude
• Stimulate imagination.
• Promote independence, self reliance, self motivation & self discipline.
• To encourage girls to socialise, build relationships with peers and adults and to co-operate in play situations.
• Prepare the girls for a smooth transition into our Junior Department

Our facilities

• Specially designed self contained room
• Secure outdoor play area with safety surface
• Construction toys and musical instruments
• Role playing equipment
• Sand and Water
• Quiet reading area
• Creative area for painting and craft

Our teaching

• Qualified Nursery Teacher and Nursery Assistant
• Individual attention for each child
• Active learning: exploration and discovery
• Structured play
• Close partnership with parents
• We aim to have 18 girls in the Nursery Class whom we expect to progress to the Infant Department

The six areas of learning, based on the Early Learning goals published by the QCA, guide our curriculum and timetable:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication, Language and Literacy
• Mathematical Development
• Knowledge and Understanding of the World
• Physical Development
• Creative Development

Reception

Our Aims:

• To provide a happy and secure environment, where children are encouraged to think for themselves and become accustomed to using their own initiative whenever possible.
• To teach them how to learn and introduced them to the pleasure that may be gained from learning.
• To be aware of others and their needs, adults as well as children.
• To give all children equal opportunity of experience and to encourage the children towards respect and understanding of others.

The Curriculum:
The work is set out in six areas of learning.

• Communication, language and literacy
• Mathematical development
• Knowledge and understanding of the world
• Creative development
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Physical development.

Within these areas of learning, activities are carefully planned to cover the Early Learning Goals.  We endeavour to ensure that every girl fulfils her potential.  We celebrate their achievements in order to develop their self-esteem.

Infants & Juniors

Our Aims:

• To provide a happy and secure environment, where children are encouraged to think for themselves and become accustomed to using their own initiative whenever possible.
• To teach them how to learn and introduced them to the pleasure that may be gained from learning.
• To be aware of others and their needs, adults as well as children.
  To give all children equal opportunity of experience and to encourage the children towards respect and understanding of others.

The Curriculum:
We follow National Curriculum and will cover the following subjects:

• English - Language and Literacy, Drama
• Mathematics
• Science
• Design and Information Technology
• History/Geography
• Art/Design and Technology
• Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship
• Physical Education, including Gym, Dance and Games
• Music
• RE
• French

Within these subjects, the children will be covering the programmes of study required by the National Curriculum.  Regular assessments take place which are reported to parents.

Girls join our school at different stages.  They come from a variety of educational backgrounds and the type of work they have covered is varied as each school is different.  We select according to potential, not what has been taught, and the children progress at their own individual rate.  There may be gaps in their knowledge but in time these are soon rectified.