WIRRAL LIFE TALK TO PRENTON PREP SCHOOL
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WIRRAL LIFE TALK TO PRENTON PREP SCHOOL
How would you describe the education on offer at Prenton Prep School ? Our aim is to cater for the educational and emotional needs of every child in a caring , nurturing , disciplined and stimulating environment , liaising closely with the home to the benefit of each individual child . We aim to equip all our children to take their place in a multicultural society as confident , polite , compassionate and tolerant individuals - qualities which reflect the ethos of our school . We achieve this through the teaching of a broad , balanced curriculum to small classes , giving every child , regardless of ability , the opportunity to develop their self-esteem , whilst achieving their true potential . Our holistic approach to education also allows our pupils to experience opportunities in a wide variety of areas . Social skills are developed through a myriad of different events and activities both within the school and Forfar Group of schools and in the wider community . Music , Art , Drama and Sport also play a large part in our school life allowing our children the opportunity to develop in every area and become the best well-rounded young person they can be when they move on to the next stage of their journey . Our latest inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate took place in June / July 2022 and we were delighted to be graded as Excellent ( the highest grade possible ) in both areas (“ Pupils ’ Academic and Other Achievements ” and “ Pupils ’ Personal Development ”).
How is a Prep School education different to a primary school ? PPS is a family orientated community where , due to its small size , everyone knows each other . Staff build up strong relationships with their pupils and those across the school so that every child feels valued and confident in school . Due to these small groupings ( maximum class size is twenty pupils ) every child can work at the appropriate level and receive the individual support they deserve . The wide range of activities offered to our pupils combined with the size of our school population ensures that all pupils have the opportunity to participate in each and every area and most children represent the school in one area or another in the wider community .
Tell us about the achievements of Prenton Prep Pupils At PPS we prepare our pupils in order that they have the best chance of passing through to the best school to suit their needs at the end of Year 6 . This often includes passing entrance tests into one of the selective schools on the Wirral through the 11 + tests , Catholic School entrance tests or other Independent School entrance exams . In order to provide the best preparation for these tests our curriculum is slightly modified to introduce the necessary skills at an early age without putting pressure on the children . The children undergo termly testing from Year 1 as well as weekly spelling and times tables tests . Verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning are introduced into our weekly timetable from Year 3 and age-appropriate practice papers are also started in KS2 . This allows the pupils to gradually become prepared for the selection process , experiencing every style of question they may encounter in these tests as well as learning examination skills . This is done in a way that the process becomes low-key and natural for our pupils . This approach has allowed 90 % of our pupils to achieve entrance to the selective school of their choice on an annual basis and we are very proud of this achievement considering the fact that we are a non-selective school on entrance with a wide range of academic ability in most of our classes .
At what age can children start at the school ? We welcome pupils from the age of 2½ years into our Pre-School classes . Our first aim is to ensure that all pupils are happy and confident coming into school and , as such , our staff get to know them and their families extremely well so they feel that school is home from home . From the very start the pupils are also discreetly observed and assessed on their knowledge and ability . Activities are then planned and offered to each pupil individually to ensure that they are working at the correct level and making progress towards achieving their potential . Obviously , at such an early age , social skills are vitally important and we offer a variety of different daily opportunities with a range of resources for the children to share and enjoying playing together through continuous provision .
However , we also recognise that , at this age , children are ready to learn and the class teacher and teaching assistants will spend a short time building number , shape , colour , phonics , writing ( pencil grip and control ) skills amongst other skills on a one-to-one basis through targeted activities thus ensuring the early development of vital skills for later education .
Tell us about the extracurricular opportunities at the school . We feel it is important to give pupils the opportunity to experience a wide range of activities and also to be able to develop further in areas they enjoy most . Therefore , we offer a wide range of extra-curricular clubs that the children can join for their enjoyment . Dance and Speech & Drama clubs are available to all our pupils from Pre-School through to Year 6 . A gardening and craft club is also offered to our younger pupils from Pre-School to Year 2 . Computing club is enjoyed by pupils in Years 4 to 6 and many of our pupils take up the option to learn a musical instrument with Ukulele , Guitar , Ocarina and Piano currently on offer . There are also a range of extra-curricular sports clubs on offer such as athletics , football , netball , crosscountry , cricket and rounders and many of our pupils enjoy participating in these .
How important is sport to the pupils at Prenton Prep ? Sport plays a vital part in our school community . PPS believes that an active pupil will also achieve better academically . It is also vital to teach and encourage healthy lifestyles at this early age . As a result , our Foundation Stage pupils have the opportunity to use a trim trail located in the Early Years outdoor area on a daily basis and also have two dedicated PE sessions per week . Our Year 1 and 2 pupils swim every week throughout the academic year at Europa Pools in Birkenhead with two specialist , qualified instructors . They also make use of the school hall and astroturf for their twice weekly PE lessons . In Key Stage 2 the classes continue to swim weekly at Europa Pools but in addition they utilise the best facilities available on the Wirral for their weekly PE sessions . Prenton Tennis Club , Wirral Sports & Tennis Centre and The Oval play host to these sessions and they are led by a professional sports coach assisted by school staff . Our extra-curricular clubs also benefit from the use of excellent facilities at Leasowe Leisure Centre and The Oval . We compete in Sports against other schools and at local and regional competitions in football , netball , basketball , swimming , water polo , cricket , rounders , athletics and cross-country . We have had great success in all sports at different times but are currently the ISA North of England U9 runners up and U11 champions at water polo .
Have there been any developments at the school ? In July 2022 Prenton Prep became part of the Forfar Education Group family . Forfar own , govern and manage eight outstanding prep schools and two thriving nurseries across England . Since joining the group there has been significant investment in Prenton Prep in various different areas . An extensive renovation of our grounds has provided the pupils with significantly more space to play , work and learn . The Astroturf and Trim Trails have been particularly well received by parents and pupils as they have massively enhanced the provision . The ICT infrastructure of the school has also seen significant investment with Touchscreens in every classroom and a number of laptops and iPads improving our interactive teaching . Further banks of laptops are planned to enable all our pupils to become more independent learners and develop the skills needed in today ’ s technological society even further . A series of refurbishment has also been undertaken in order to refresh , resource and enhance the learning environment providing an even more stimulating setting for our children to flourish in .
What makes Prenton Prep unique ? Our school community , the family feel and our supportive families , together with our ethos where every child is valued and supported to reach their potential makes Prenton Prep the ideal place for your child to be educated .
Please come and visit us and you will be assured of a warm welcome .
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