Thank you for visiting Harenc School’s website and for your interest in our school as the place for your son’s education.

As you will read, Harenc is a small traditional preparatory school with a modern outlook. The boys are prepared for the local 11+ procedures and enjoy many opportunities for sport, music and drama.

Academic success is most important to us and boys are prepared for the local 11+ examinations and also enjoy many opportunities for sport, music and drama. This year we congratulate our Year 6 boys on a 100% success rate in the Bexley 11+ procedure. They gained many high scores in the Kent and St Olave’s assessments and received offers of places from independent senior schools; they will start their secondary education with confidence.

Our staff are enthusiastic and committed to providing high quality academic standards and pastoral care. The school gained the Investors in People status in 2005 and was reaccredited with Healthy Schools’ status this year.

The school was inspected by the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate in February 2005. We received a strong affirmation or our standards and were found to meet our aims and aspirations to a high degree. “Pupils like their school and parents are pleased with the education provided.” We have a good Ofsted inspection of our After-School Care facility in November 2006.

Thank you for spending time reading the website. A visit to the school will enable you to see what we have to offer for your son and to experience our happy working atmosphere.

Please contact the School Secretary, Mrs Carole Hughes on 020 8309 0619 to arrange an appointment with me and a tour of the school.

We look forward to welcoming you to Harenc School.

With good wishes,

Yours sincerely

Susan Woodward (Miss)
Headmistress

An important characteristic of Harenc is the happy atmosphere in which the children work and play. Experienced teaching staff not only teach but offer individual support when necessary to their pupils.

The ancillary staff are also caring and fully involved in the school community. Catering and lunch time staff promote healthy eating and a friendly environment in which to play and relax. High expectations of behavior are set. Traditional games and football are available in the Dell, our large playground on the edge of the Foots Cray meadow.

At Harenc children feel comfortable and able to talk readily with their teachers or helpers. In the caring Harenc community older boys are encouraged to look out for the needs of the younger children and in so doing they enjoy each other's friendship.

Weekly assemblies and outside speakers provide valuable opportunities for discussing pastoral matters. The boys also receive merits and praise during these assemblies and are encouraged to share their achievements.

Every strand of the school has the mutual support of the others and together we provide a safe and happy environment for pupils to work and develop

The majority of boys join the school in the Pre-Prep (Nursery) which is an integral part of the Infant Department.

The main aim of Harenc Pre-Prep is to offer a safe structured stimulating and happy environment for the boys and to promote both their learning and their smooth passage into the main body of the school at 4 years old.

We provide a well balanced programme in terms of the early learning goals.

The early learning goals include:

1. Personal, Social and Emotional Development, where self respect and good social skills are encouraged.
2. Language and Literacy, where the early stages of reading, writing, speaking and listening are nurtured.
3. Numeracy, where the foundations of good mathematics are laid.
4. Knowledge and Understanding of the World, where nature, science, simple geography and simple technology are taught.
5. Creative Development, where the boys are encouraged to express themselves through art, craft, music and dance.
6. Physical Development, where the boys' understanding of movement, balance, speed and space is developed and they can experience activities in climbing and traveling indoors and out.

Good behavior contributes to productive learning and in Pre-Prep the boys learn how to share and take turns and to relate well to others. They also learn how to listen and concentrate on their work. They become increasingly independent as the year goes on. Pre-Prep boys enjoy the help and interest of the older boys and join in school assemblies.

Boys in Pre-Prep enjoy coming to school. They learn to work and play together sharing and taking turns in the many activities.

Boys enter Prep 1 (Reception Class) seeming much more grown up. They have a good grounding in sounds, writing and numbers and can generally write their names. In Prep I they continue to work towards the Early Learning Goals and by the end of the year will have progressed towards the National Curriculum. Early stages of Literacy, Numeracy and Science are covered along with a varied programme of PE, Games, Music, French and many aspects of Artwork. They are encouraged to become independent little boys who are gaining confidence.

During Prep 2 (Year 1) the boys develop and build on everything they have learnt. The programme of Art, French, PE and Science continues but there is a strong emphasis on developing their reading and writing and many will be writing short stories of their own. There is a concentration on numeracy skills ensuring there is a good understanding of basic skills which are essential later in school life. The boys are given more responsibilities which in turn makes them more confident and independent. Responsibility and self-discipline are nurtured and developed in Prep 3 (Year 2). The boys undertake more investigative work and will be encouraged to work by themselves to prepare for life in the Juniors. The level of work achieved means the boys are ready for the SATs tests in Maths, English and Science which they take in the Summer term of this year.

It is important to us that each boy passing through the school develops fully as an individual personally, socially and intellectually. It is with these aims in mind that our curriculum is planned and delivered so that each child is given the confidence to realise his own potential in a secure and structured environment. The boys are positively encouraged to discover and develop their talents and to feel pride in their achievements. They are taught to take responsibility for their own learning and at the same time understand that they have responsibility to the school and its pupils. The older boys are encouraged to assist and look after the younger ones and this family ethos is one of Harenc's strengths.

There is much co-operation and liaison with the Infant staff and this is never more important than in the transition from Preps to Juniors. It is here that the boys are helped to adjust to the more formal teaching methods of the Juniors and to organise and take responsibility for their work.

Throughout the Junior classes the boys are taught a wide range of subjects but more emphasis is placed on English, Mathematics and Verbal Reasoning in preparation for the secondary transfer tests in J4 and the Key Stage 2 SATs.

However, much colourful work is done in History with topics on the Ancient Egyptians, Early Man, Greeks, Aztecs, Tudors and Stuart's, Victorians and the 1940's. The boys are also encouraged to find out about the World and its people and to take an interest in Current Affairs. Excellent work is also done in Science, French and IT and Music now has a high profile due to the creation of a school orchestra as well as the established choir.

To complement the curriculum all classes are encouraged to go on visits or to welcome visiting speakers and theatre groups.

The most senior boys have added responsibilities in that they help to monitor the Prep classes and also talk to prospective parents - a valuable experience for all concerned. They are also encouraged to organise activities and in general become more aware of their position and responsibility at the top of the school. As an extension to their curriculum, after they have completed their exams, they have a program of 'Life Skills' which involves visiting speakers and outings designed to introduce them to the professional world outside school.

Also in the last term they have an Adventure Week on the Isle of Wight and the highlight of the year - the School Drama production!

We, as teachers, are committed to bringing out the best in the boys at Harenc. We hope by the end of the Junior School that they will have developed into confident and self-assured young people, equipped with the skills and knowledge they need and looking forward to the new challenges and experiences of their future schools.

We like to encourage our boys to develop their talents and to learn new ones and this is partly done through after school clubs and lunchtime activities. Currently they can choose to attend a Chess Club, where they are taught the basics of game play and progress to challenges with other schools. There is also a Keep Fit Club run by a qualified teacher of dance and an Art Club, where the boys are encouraged to be creative and given the opportunity to learn various skills through working with a wide variety of materials.

Rugby, football and cricket coaching clubs are very popular with the boys.

Boys raise much money for charity with support for BBC Children in Need, the RNLI, Comic Relief, Love in a Box and the Action for Blind People.