Welcome to St. Francis School
Situated in the beautiful Vale of Pewsey
The principal aim of our whole staff is to ensure that all pupils from 2 to 13 years old grow up in a happy and stimulating atmosphere. Whatever their talents, academic, sporting, musical, dramatic or artistic, our goal is to develop them to the full.
We aspire to prepare every pupil to the standard required to enter the senior school of parental choice by allowing the child to grow in confidence and ability and by providing the best possible facilities.
This website can only hint at the atmosphere and culture of the school. I hope that you will come and discover for yourself the enthusiasm and dedication of both staff and students. I look forward to showing you round.
Peter Blundell, Headmaster.
Mission Statement
"The aim of the school is to foster a happy and stimulating environment in which each child can prosper academically, socially and emotionally. The school will prepare all children for their continuing education and enhance their awareness of the world in which they live."
Created by St. Francis Staff and David Hanson, IAPS Director of Education.
School Structure
Pupils move through four stages in the school
- Early Years (Nursery and Reception)
- Pre-Prep. (Years 1 and 2)
- Junior Prep. (Years 3 and 4)
- Senior Prep. (Years 5, 6, 7 and 8)
Early Years and Pre-Prep.
Young Nursery takes pupils from the age of two and is specifically set up to cater for the needs of two to three year olds.
From there these pupils move into Nursery for a further year. Their time at school gradually increases from two or three morning sessions to two or three days, as they prepare to move through in to Reception.
In Pre-Prep there are two or three parallel forms per year group with no more that sixteen pupils per form. General subjects are taught by the form teacher with help from a teacher's assistant. Specialist teachers are used for French, Games, Swimming, Information Communications and Technology (I.C.T.) and Music.
These younger pupils grow considerably in confidence in our small classes, benefiting from a great deal of individual attention. They cover much more than the National Curriculum with subjects such as French and Music taught by specialists from the age of three.
Junior and Senior Prep.
The Prep department take the pupils on from seven to thirteen. Here they cover the full range of Common Entrance/Scholarship subjects as well as Art, Design Technology, P.S.H.C.E., Games (including swimming and P.E.) and Latin as an option for the seniors.
There is also a full range of after-school activities to broaden the children's interests and provide additional sports training and practice.
The school has an enviable reputation for entry to all the top local independent schools.
Special Educational Needs
The school has specialist teachers on the staff to provide extra help where needed, including two well-qualified dyslexia specialists.
Transport
The school owns two mini-buses, which are used for educational trips, extra-curricular excursions and sports fixtures.
They also provide a daily bus service for pupils from the Marlborough area, and those along the Pewsey Vale. |