Life at

PRE-PREPARATORY SCHOOL

At King’s School Rochester’s Pre-Preparatory School, we pride ourselves on the level of individual care and attention we give each child in order for them to have a happy and memorable start to school.

Our children benefit from learning in a well-resourced, bright and vibrant purpose-built Pre-Preparatory School building and play area, with a teacher and teaching assistant in every room, set within the School’s beautiful grounds.

You will find our small classes are the ideal context for children to do their best. We encourage them to take pride in all they do, to achieve their goals and have fun whilst they learn.

Our school recognises the need for all our children to discover their talents and skills, and fulfil their potential through a wide range of curricular and co-curricular opportunities.  Our children benefit from specialist teachers in both Music and Sport.

In addition to the teacher-led after school clubs, which change termly, we also have a broad range of clubs taught by specialists such as Martial Arts, Ballet, Cheerleading and Yoga. There is an opportunity to receive individual music tuition from Year 2. Christian beliefs and values underpin our school ethos and philosophy; we strive to provide a happy, caring, friendly, safe and exciting environment for our children. To continue providing the best possible education for King’s pupils, the School integrates Digital Learning across the three schools.

We would love you to come and experience the energy and exuberance, warmth and wonder that is a daily part of life at King’s Nursery and Pre-Preparatory School.

NURSERY & PRE-PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Our School Day

7.30am – 8.25am

Option of Before School Club for additional charge (Last breakfast served at 8.10am)

8.25am

Gates open, children enter school and welcomed by class teacher

8.45am

Gates close and Registration time

8.55am

Assembly for Reception to Year 3 Learning begins for Nursery

9.20am

Lessons begin Reception to Year 3

10.30am – 11.00am

Break/Snack for Reception to Year 3

11.00am – 12.15am

Lessons continue until lunchtime

12.15pm – 1.25pm

Lunch & Playtime

1.25pm – 3.30pm

Afternoon school for Nursery, Reception & Year 1 pupils

1.25pm – 3.40pm

Afternoon school for Year 2 and Year 3 pupils

3.30pm

End of the school day for Nursery, Reception and Year 1 pupils

3.40pm

End of the school day for Year 2 and Year 3 pupils

3.30pm – 4.20pm

After-School Clubs

3.30pm – 6.30pm

Option of After School Club for Nursery, Reception and Year 1

3.40pm – 6.30pm

Option of After School Club for Year 2 and Year 3

With our broad and stimulating curriculum, Year 1 is when King’s education brings learning to life.

Year 1 builds seamlessly upon the strong foundational skills developed in Nursery and Reception.

With daily lessons in English and Mathematics and other subjects being taught on a weekly basis, children quickly adapt to a more structured academic programme. It’s not all hard graft though, and children love their ‘Golden Time’ on Friday afternoons – a fitting reward for their effort during the week.

At King’s we actively teach our children to be independent learners – an invaluable skill as they progress through the school. Children are encouraged and challenged in equal measure through a motivational and adaptive approach to teaching, and they get many opportunities to develop PSHEE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education) skills both through formal teaching and via day-to-day school life. Digital technology is threaded throughout the curriculum, which helps to create an immersive and engaging learning experience for our pupils.

The programme of specialist teaching in Music and Games continues, and pupils enjoy swimming lessons with a specialist teacher in our own pool.

Classroom learning is supported with a diverse range of school trips which provide fantastic opportunities to broaden horizons, bringing learning to life.

Children progress rapidly in Year 2 and become confident, independent young learners.

During the year, children increasingly engage with the world around them, and are introduced to incredibly varied and engaging topics, and this leads to an inquisitive and enquiring mindset.

Pupils in Year 2 enter the second and final year of study at Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum. Throughout this stage, we encourage pupils to learn key skills such as sharing, analysis, reading and investigation – helping them to think and learn independently. Appreciation of music and learning to play musical instruments are incredibly important, and music enriches every aspect of daily school life at King’s. One on one music tuition begins in Year 2, taught by peripatetic teachers and our Director of Music.

English lessons focus on building confidence in reading, writing, and spelling/phonics.  Pupils learn to voice their opinions and there is a strong emphasis on daily reading at school and at home. In Mathematics we teach our children core concepts, with a focus on key skills so they develop real knowledge and understanding. Pupils also have regular times tables sessions which are tested weekly.

We teach English and Mathematics on a daily basis, with Science, Computing, History, Geography, Religious Studies, PHSEE, Art and Design, P.E. and Swimming taught on a weekly basis. The school experience is enhanced with fun and engaging trips to a range of exciting destinations such as Reculver (Coastal Science trip) and the Short Brothers Tour (History) to name a few.

An important and inspiring year when pupils begin the Key Stage 2 curriculum programme.

Although this is the start of a key academic period, we never lose sight of our childrens’ happiness. Our amazing teachers make learning great fun and aim to bring out the very best in every child.

Pupils are taught lessons in English and Mathematics five times a week, and Science, Religious Studies, History, Geography, Music, Computing, PSHEE and Art and Design in half termly topics. Throughout the school, pupils have access to a suite of digital learning tools to aid learning across the curriculum. To support mental and physical health, specialist teaching in P.E takes place twice a week, along with a weekly swimming lesson.

In English, we introduce the Accelerated Reading Programme designed to develop independent choice and comprehension. Oral skills are also enhanced through plenty of opportunities for speaking in class, assemblies and Cathedral services.

Pupils learning Maths are grouped in order to allow them to work at their own pace and foster a greater sense of independence. There is an emphasis on developing confidence in problem solving and reasoning, along with an ability to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of mathematical concepts. Similarly, Science lessons build confidence in understanding basic concepts and ensure the development of analytical skills, through practical investigations and problem solving. Pupils often work in pairs or larger groups, learning the benefits of collaboration and teamwork. There are also regular visits each term from a STEM (Science, Technology & Maths) presenter, to encourage enjoyment and build knowledge of technology and engineering.

Children will be expected to complete homework throughout the week – this may include Spelling, English, Maths and other topic work. This is in addition to their regular reading practice. We mainly set homework through the SEESAW platform and usually expect children to complete this in their homework books.

Leadership opportunities abound across the school, and the House Captain, Vice-Captain and Prefect roles are important and highly prized.  Those selected make a strong contribution to daily school life and become important role models for younger children.

Throughout Year 3 there is close collaboration between both the Pre-Preparatory and Preparatory Schools, with both Heads ensuring that academic continuity is maintained and individual progress carefully monitored. Many transition activities take place in Year 3 to prepare pupils for their exciting
move to the Preparatory School – something they always look forward to!

King’s has a fantastic breadth of co-curricular opportunities designed to appeal to everyone.

We are committed to educating the whole child, and provide a richly varied co-curricular programme to appeal to children of all abilities and interests.

The majority of co-curricular activities are free and our children enjoy clubs and activites like Running, Football, Multisports, Craft, Chess, Well-being, Lego, Science, Story, Construction, and Observational Drawing. There is a small fee for our clubs that are led by specialist staff, including LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art), Cheerleading, Martial Arts, Yoga and Ballet. Clubs take place during lunchtimes and after school.

Music making is an incredibly important aspect of daily school life at King’s, with pupils being able to experience the joy of learning a musical instrument from Year 2. Children can learn the Guitar, Cello, Violin, Flute, Piano, and Clarinet, to name just a few. Our ‘Music Pods’, nestled just outside the entrance to Chadlington House, provide a perfect setting for pupils to learn with our team of instrumental teachers.

Mini Duke Award

King’s Pre-Preparatory School, with thanks to The Old Roffensian Society, takes part in the Mini Duke award.

This is a mini version of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and targets primary-aged children to encourage and develop valuable life skills. It increases children’s independence, confidence and resilience, whilst giving them a good feeling of achievement on completion. The challenges range from First Aid, exercise, domestic challenges, budgeting for a packed lunch, baking, washing, public speaking, and litter picking… all whilst having lots of fun!

We think that giving children homework is a great way to encourage independent learning, as well as helping to consolidate the learning pupils do in the classroom.

Starting in Reception, pupils come home with “tricky words” to practice and a reading book each day. In Year 1, we start to introduce weekly spelling tests, along with a weekly piece of Maths or English work. In Year 2 and Year 3, pupils are also given a topic to complete over the weekend. We invite parents to attend a ‘Curriculum Evening’ in September of every year, which includes an outline of the weekly homework schedule for that year.

The transition to the Preparatory School is a seamless and happy experience, thanks to our ‘One School’ ethos.

We recognise the idea that Prep School can be a little daunting for some and we make every effort to ensure that each child has a seamless and happy experience when moving up.

During Year 3, there are numerous opportunities to get to know the Preparatory School, and we organise activities to help children understand the next stage of their academic journey. Children soon recognise that some of their teachers and staff also work in the Preparatory School, and this familiarity is important and ensures continuity. Staff also work very closely across both schools to ensure all teachers are aware of each child’s educational and pastoral needs when moving on.

Another important aspect is our Cathedral ‘buddy’ system which begins mid term, with older pupils escorting younger pupils to Cathedral services. This means that when a pupil starts in Year 4, they will already have a ‘buddy’ from Year 8 who can help them settle into life in the Preparatory School.

NURSERY & PRE-PREPARATORY SCHOOL