Prep Academics

The curriculum has been designed to provide the most rigorous academic challenges for the boys.

The full, broad, stimulating and engaging programme offers depth in learning and learning for life, fully preparing the boys for external exams. It provides an unparalleled level of breadth and challenge, enabling the boys to fulfil their intellectual potential.

The boys are encouraged to be fully immersed and involved in their learning to ensure we avoid the ‘look, copy, forget’ method of teaching which does not permanently enrich them. Instead, our teaching aims to nurture their problem solving and investigation skills, in order  to create a really secure foundation by teaching their minds to apply this way of thinking beyond the classroom.

Personalised Learning Plans

Personalised learning plans for all boys ensure that every aspect of a boy’s education is fully catered for and we provide him with the appropriate challenge he needs in all areas of his development.

The curriculum is the perfect vehicle for boys to evolve in a supportive, exciting and academically challenging environment where all-round needs are nurtured, met and exceeded.

Our learning process is also designed to support the inquisitive learning style of boys. This ensures that every boy develops a thirst for knowledge while he is at Eaton House Belgravia Prep.

With such a busy and challenging schedule, there is never a dull moment at the Prep. Homework is set daily for all pupils and the form tutors can give advice about how to support each boy in his work.

With differentiated work, the boys are all boosted according to their needs. All learners can be challenged at their own personal level, ensuring that knowledge acquisition is always appropriate and stimulating.

Click on the dropdown options below to find out more about each subject.

Art

Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity.

At Eaton House Belgravia Prep our high-quality art and design curriculum engages, inspires and challenges the boys, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design.

As the boys progress, they become able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They also will also come to learn how art and design reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.

The boys produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences. They become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.

Evaluation and analysis of creative works using the language of art, craft and design is part of the process. Over time, the boys come to know about great artists, craft makers and designers. This allows them to understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

Our Aim

The main aim of the Art department is to deliver a well-balanced and rich art education to every boy, developing a genuine enjoyment and curiosity in the artistic creative process. By the time the boys leave Eaton House we aim to have introduced them to as many working practices as possible, offering them challenging activity and sophisticated learning, preparing them for the wonderful opportunities on offer at their senior schools.

Computing

Computing at Eaton House Belgravia has deep links with mathematics, science and design technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems.

A broad and balanced range of lessons is offered to allow every pupil the opportunity to develop his skills across three key areas: digital citizenship, coding, and the use of information communication technology (ICT).

Digital Citizenship

Digital citizenship introduces the ideals and core values by which every pupil should live his online life. Online safety, password security and online friendship are three of the key areas we explore.

Coding

Our pupils develop excellent programming skills through online resources such as Kodu, Scratch and Code.org. Our senior boys code in languages such as Python, which they use in conjunction with the BBC Micro:bit mini computers.

ICT

Although there has been a sea change from ICT to computing, the key skills of ICT have not been discarded. In the Prep School all pupils will continue to hone their skills in widely used software packages, such as Microsoft Office, in order to research, produce and edit a range work across all school subjects.

Our Approach

Eaton House Belgravia Prep’s computing curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation.

They also learn to analyse problems in computational terms and have a great deal of practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems. This means that they can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies and solve problems analytically.

The sum of this learning means that, over time, the boys will become responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

Design Technology

Design technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, boys design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values.

The boys acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and draw on disciplines such as mathematics, science, engineering, computing and art. They learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens.

Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world. High-quality design technology education makes an essential contribution to the creativity, culture, wealth and well-being of the nation.

Our Aim

Our aim is to develop the pupils’ creative thinking and problem solving skills, drawing on the various disciplines such as mathematics, science and art. During their time in the DT department, pupils will gradually build and extend their knowledge through a variety of multi-skilled projects that will provide them with a taste of the many areas of the subject. Pupils will be expected to work through the design process to produce creative outcomes to an initial problem. Within this process there is as much importance placed on designing as there is on making. However, pupils will spend proportionally more time on the practical side of projects.

As an integral part of the design technology curriculum, pupils will be introduced to various designers, current and past innovations, and important historical events that have shaped our everyday lives.

Planned Projects

Pupils will cover various areas of resistant materials, graphics, creating circuits, computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacture (CAM) through project work.

Drama

Drama lessons enable the boys to develop their creativity, confidence and collaboration within a safe and constructive environment.

When teaching the boys to participate in performance we develop characters through:

  • movement
  • work on the use of voice and facial expressions
  • dialogue
  • interaction with other characters

The boys are encouraged to use space and grouping, props and different ways to adapt to an audience. The boys learn to develop an understanding of how to act out plots by dramatising the problem, climax and resolution inherent in the dialogue, adding to the overall excitement of the performance.

Creating dramatic effects through music, lighting, sounds, costume, make-up and scenery are all encouraged.

We regularly provide opportunities for rehearsing, polishing and presenting plays for performance. When reflecting on work in progress, as well as evaluating at the end of a rehearsal period, the boys are encouraged to use appropriate technical vocabulary to analyse their work.

Drama Club

Every boy within the school has weekly drama lessons and can join Drama Club if he becomes interested in doing more outside school.

Individual Lessons

Individual drama lessons are also available and they can be tailored to complement school productions.

Live Performances

To enhance their understanding of drama and to evolve their own skills, we take the boys to live performances and view a range of plays. This enables us to talk about how theatrical effects are achieved, to collect and consider reviews and to analyse professional programme notes and advertisements, relating these to what they have seen.

Previous School Productions

Eaton House Schools staff and pupils have worked together on a variety of productions, including Jungle BellsBugsy MaloneYou Can Call Me KateThe Demon HeadmasterLion RockThe Pied Piper of HamelinOliverJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, andToad of Toad Hall.

English

Every day at Eaton House Belgravia Prep starts with every boy reading to an adult. English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and, through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them.

Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in this development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know.

Our Aims

The overarching aim for English in our curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping boys with a strong command of the spoken and written word and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.

We aim to ensure that all pupils read easily, fluently and with good understanding and that they develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. The acquisition of a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language are essential.

Developing Literary Skills

We focus on introducing boys to a range of genres, texts and writing styles. The boys are challenged to develop their critical literacy skills through a range of comprehension and composition tasks. We are committed to developing the boys’ love of reading and their interest in relating the ideas presented in texts to the wider world.

Competitions

As an extension to their coursework, boys are also encouraged to enter a range of creative writing competitions each term. These competitions are updated as they become available and include: the BBC 500 Words Short Story Competition, the Never Such Innocence World War One Poetry Competition and the SATIPS Poetry Competition.

Each term there is a particular house competition linked to the English learning area: public speaking, debating and poetry. These competitions provide an excellent opportunity for the boys to practice their presentation skills, such as verbal delivery, eye contact, gestures and stance. The competitions are a lot of fun and it’s always terrific to see the incredible standard of performance in the finals year upon year!

Reading Lists

Boys are encouraged to read widely from a range of genres to supplement their studies of class texts. All boys are welcome to borrow texts from the school library. If there are any particular texts that the boys would like to request, they can submit a request form and the text will be ordered for them.

At the end of the boys’ prep career, we hope they leave with a lifelong love of literature, a passion for the written and spoken word, and the power to express their own ideas convincingly and articulately.

French

Learning a foreign language is liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world and, in particular, of France and its wonderful language and culture.

Our teaching is undertaken by a specialist and enables the boys to express their ideas and thoughts in French and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing.

French teaching provides the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries.

The boys understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources. They speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say through discussion and asking questions, and continually improve the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation. They develop the skill to write at varying lengths, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learned.

Varied Teaching Methods

We recognise that our pupils have a range of personalities, interests, abilities and learning methods. Our aim is to cater for all of them by using visual, audio and kinaesthetic activities. Acting, singing, drawing, playing games, using IT, and watching videos and films contribute to the joy of learning and keep the motivation high even when pupils are learning difficult French grammar.

Years 4 and 5

The boys have one-and-a-half hours of teaching each week. Although the emphasis is set upon verbal and listening skills we recognise the importance of developing reading and writing skills too. Homework is set on a weekly basis.

Years 6

In the senior part of the school the four main skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing are practised regularly and equally to prepare the boys for 11+. They have two-and-a-half hours of teaching time alongside set homework.

Year 6 Residential Trip

The Year 6 boys have a residential trip to a French activity centre in Normandy called the Château de la Baudonnière.

Geography

A high-quality education in geography will inspire in the boys a curiosity and fascination about the world that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

We equip the boys with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with imparting to them a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.

As the boys progress, their growing knowledge about the world will help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes and help them understand the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge, understanding and skills provide the framework that explains how the Earth’s features are shaped and how they interconnect and change over time.

Curriculum

At Eaton House Belgravia Prep School, we follow a humanities curriculum that is knowledge-rich, sequenced in logical steps and puts the subject at the forefront of teaching. Each unit of work is contained within its own booklet and includes rich text that is written at an appropriate level for the age of the pupils. Pupils are given regular opportunities to practise new learning through a variety of tasks and the importance of revisiting prior learning is recognised through regular quizzing.

Our geography curriculum aims to develop boys’ knowledge of the key principles of the subject; place, space and scale. They will understand how physical and human characteristics define places and the causes of these characteristics. As the world is further opened up to them, pupils will begin to make connections between these locations, develop the ability to ask thoughtful questions and have opportunities to conduct fieldwork.

At the end of each unit of work, the boys write a report, answering an overarching question that demonstrates their grasp of the concepts studied. It is their chance to synthesise the knowledge learned during each unit but also gives them experience with extended writing in the humanities, which sets them up well for when they reach secondary school.

Topics Studied

Year 3

  • Villages, towns and cities
  • Water, weather and climate

Year 4

  • Rivers
  • Migration
  • Natural resources

Year 5

  • Slums
  • Biomes
  • Energy and sustainability

Year 6

  • Local fieldwork
  • Population
  • Globalisation

History

A high-quality education in history will inspire boys’ curiosity to know more about the past – both about Britain’s past and about the past of the wider world.

Our teaching inspires the boys to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps the boys to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change and the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.

Our history curriculum aims to ensure that the boys will know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day. They learn how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world. Alongside this, they’re horizons will be broadened beyond the British Isles and they will study periods of history and other civilizations that hold global significance and have had influence in shaping the world we live in today.

Curriculum

The boys will be taught to know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world and the nature of ancient civilisations, including the expansion and dissolution of empires, the characteristic features of past non-European societies, and the achievements and follies of mankind.

We want the boys to gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as empirecivilisation and parliament and to understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, chronology, similarity, difference and significance.

With these tools, the boys will be able to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically valid questions, and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses.

By the end of their time at Eaton House Belgravia Prep, we want the boys to understand methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and to discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed.

Year 3

  • Prehistoric Britain
  • The Shang Dynasty
  • Ancient Greece
Year 4

  • The Roman Empire
  • The Anglo-Saxons and Scots
  • The Vikings
Year 5

  • Medieval Monarchs in Britain
  • The Benin Kingdom
  • The Middle East
 Year 6

  • The Industrial Revolution
  • The Civil Rights Movement in the USA
  • 20th Century Conflict, spanning the first and second world wars

 

 

 

Maths

At the Prep School our aim is to build on the basics learned in the Pre-Prep and give our pupils a secure grounding in numeracy and mathematics, delivered in a way that inspires a love of the subject.

Mathematics is a creative, highly interconnected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment.

A high-quality mathematical education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.

Our mathematics curriculum aims to ensure that all boys become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including, through varied and frequent practice, with increasingly complex problems over time, so that they develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.

Our Approach

We work with the boys to reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing mathematical relationships and generalisations and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language. The boys develop the skills to solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing confidence, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which boys need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. Boys make rich connections across various concepts to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. They apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects.

Personal Education Plans

Boys who grasp concepts rapidly are challenged through being offered rich and difficult problems before any acceleration through new content. Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material consolidate their understanding through additional practice before moving on.

Boys learn a mathematical vocabulary and how to present a mathematical justification, argument or proof. They are assisted in thinking clearly about maths and expressing those thoughts clearly to others. Teachers ensure that pupils build secure foundations by using discussion to probe and remedy their misconceptions.

Music

Music is a vital part of school life, from carolling at Christmas in the Elizabeth Street Christmas market to winning house music colours for outstanding contributions to musical life.

Weekly class and music assemblies encourage the boys to perform in front of an audience, and we hold regular singing events in the community, from the Royal Marsden Hospital to nursing homes and Christmas charity fairs.

There are a number of musical ensemble events each year and these events are greatly enjoyed by both staff and pupils. The majority of our pupils play one or more musical instruments.

Private Lessons

We are lucky to have a very fine staff of peripatetic music teachers who can work with pupils to introduce them to an instrument for the first time or to develop skills already mastered. A whole range of instruments can be played, from piano, drums and trumpet to violin and guitar and our pupils achieve high grade levels in most instruments.

As an idea of the highest standards, a boy of about Grade 5 on his first instrument on entry to the Prep would be a promising candidate for our Leamington Scholarship for musical excellence. Boys with a range of instruments to show, or good singing potential, would be at an advantage. The ability to read and interpret music would also be a key skill.

The boys can also arrange individual private singing lessons to develop their voice and promote confidence. Boys are taken out of lessons on a rotating basis, so that the same lessons are not missed.

Choirs

There are two choirs, the Senior Choir being the one for the Prep. Boys are auditioned at the beginning of every term and many boys sign up for this enjoyable activity. For those boys who do not want the commitment of choir, there are many opportunities for small or large groups to sing formally and informally together.

Competitions

The pupils can compete in the Senior Music Competitions, which take place in March. The judge often gives boys tips on individual performances.

Performances

Last year was a bustling year in the music department and the Eaton House Pre-Prep boys excelled themselves in their musical activities. There were music assemblies, competitions, plays and nativities, Senior Choir trips and a carol concert in our spiritual home, St Peter’s. Boys took ABRSM exams and entered outside competitions on their instruments throughout the year.

Awards

As usual, a full range of talents was showcased in the Senior Cup Competitions and the boys gave brilliant and talented displays. The two awards both went to pianists.

Music colours are awarded for outstanding music service to the school. Seven boys were awarded these prestigious accolades last year. They contributed greatly to the musical life of the school. This year looks set to be equally exciting!

Leavers’ Concert

The leavers’ concert is always a highlight, with boys playing to a fantastic, high standard and with some boys playing incredibly hard pieces. This year, we heard from a great variety of performers on the piano, cello, violin, drum kit, guitar and voice.

PSHEE

PSHEE (personal, social, health and economic education) is a developmental programme of learning through which the boys acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills that they need to manage their lives now and in the future.

As part of a whole-school approach, PSHEE develops the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals, family members and members of society. We also work to develop a number of character traits. These are:

  • respect
  • responsibility
  • kindness
  • adaptability
  • perseverance
  • self-discipline
  • fairness

PSHEE equips boys to live healthy, safe, productive, capable, responsible and balanced lives. It encourages them to be enterprising, and supports them in making effective transitions, positive learning and career choices and in achieving economic well being.

A critical component of PSHEE is in providing opportunities for the boys to reflect on and clarify their own values and attitudes and explore the complex and sometimes conflicting range of values and attitudes they encounter now and in the future.

PSHEE contributes to personal development by helping the boys to build their confidence, resilience and self-esteem and to identify and manage risk, make informed choices, and understand what influences their decisions. It enables them to recognise, accept and shape their identities, to understand and accommodate difference and change, to manage emotions and to communicate constructively in a variety of settings.

Developing an understanding of themselves, empathy, and the ability to work with others, will help the boys to form and maintain good relationships, develop the essential skills for future employability and better enjoy and manage their lives.

Our PSHEE programme makes a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development and to their behaviour and safety, and promotes boys’ well being. In addition, the learning provided through a comprehensive PSHEE provision is essential to safeguarding pupils.

Aims

The object of PSHEE is to provide pupils with:

  • accurate, balanced and relevant knowledge
  • opportunities to turn that knowledge into personal understanding
  • opportunities to explore, clarify and if necessary challenge, their own and others’ values, attitudes, beliefs, rights and responsibilities
  • the skills, language and strategies they need in order to live healthy, safe, fulfilling, responsible and balanced lives
  • opportunities to develop positive personal attributes such as resilience, self-confidence, self-esteem, and empathy

Science

Our high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics.

Science influences all aspects of everyday life. From the food we eat to the way we travel, science is everywhere. Beginning when children are very young, science helps shape their overall development. It is paramount that the boys develop critical science skills at an early age. From as early as Year 1, the boys learn to ask questions, make predictions, observe, test and communicate their findings. They are encouraged to develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science through different types of science enquiries.

Developing Understanding

While it is important that the boys make progress, it is also vitally important that they develop a secure understanding of each key block of knowledge and concepts in order to progress to the next stage. We know that boys may struggle at key points of transition (such as between primary and secondary school), build up serious misconceptions, or have significant difficulties in understanding higher-order content; and we make allowances for that in our science curriculum.

Boys will soon be able to describe associated processes and key characteristics in a common scientific language, but they should also be familiar with, and use, technical terminology accurately and precisely. They should build up an extended specialist vocabulary, and should also apply their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of science, including the collection, presentation and analysis of data.

Our Head of Science, Miss Aoife, delivers engaging, thought-provoking science lessons which nurture the boys’ curiosity. Our budding scientists are encouraged to ask questions during lessons and develop the skills they need to answer those questions.

Working Scientifically

‘Working scientifically’ focuses on the key features of scientific enquiry, so that boys learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions. Boys seek answers to questions through collecting, analysing and presenting data, so these types of scientific enquiry include:

  • observing over time
  • pattern seeking
  • identifying, classifying and grouping
  • comparative and fair testing (controlled investigations)
  • hypothesizing and drawing conclusions from results
  • researching using secondary sources

The quality and variety of specialist language that pupils hear and speak during lessons are key factors in developing their scientific vocabulary and articulating scientific concepts clearly and precisely.

“ Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less “.           – Marie Curie

TPR

Our programme of work in theology, philosophy and religion (TPR) comprises three elements: the study of theology through key biblical texts, learning philosophy through the work of some significant philosophers, and basic human questions about the value and meaning of the study of religion in one or more world religions.

It reflects the fact that the religious traditions of the United Kingdom are, in the main, Christian, while taking into account that other principal religions are also represented.

TPR is distinctive in that boys study a full issues-based course, which requires the ability to read and interpret religious texts theologically, reason philosophically, and understand religion in its contemporary setting. It also provides a coherent course, balanced in terms of breadth and depth, and offers all candidates, of any religious persuasion (or none), the opportunity to demonstrate their attainment, irrespective of their gender, ethnic or social background.

Our curriculum aims at giving the boys the opportunity to:

  • Study the foundational biblical texts of the Judaeo-Christian tradition.
  • Develop the philosophical skills to reason, argue and evaluate claims made by religious and non-religious belief systems.
  • Acquire knowledge and develop understanding of the beliefs, values and traditions of one or more religions.
  • Consider the influence of the beliefs, values and traditions associated with one or more religions.
  • Consider the theological, philosophical and religious responses to moral issues.
  • Identify, investigate and respond to fundamental questions of life raised by religion, philosophy and human experience, including questions about the meaning and purpose of life.
  • Develop skills relevant to the study of theology, philosophy and religion.

Learning Enrichment

Eaton House Belgravia Prep recognises the rights of all children to share in the whole curriculum. 

At Eaton House Belgravia the first response to a child who is showing difficulties is high-quality teaching. All our teachers are teachers of children with special educational needs. We want to ensure that a caring and educationally appropriate environment is provided for the children who find learning more difficult or who have a specific disability which affects their learning. Children with exceptional abilities are also identified and provided with a stimulating and challenging environment in which to learn and develop.

Children with special educational needs or a learning difficulty will either work as part of the class, in a group or on a one to one basis depending on their needs. The class teacher and SENCO (special educational needs coordinator) work closely together to ensure that children are getting the best support available.

At Eaton House Belgravia we recognise the importance of early identification, assessment and provision for any child who may have special educational needs or a specific learning difficulty. We realise that the earlier the action is taken, the more responsive the child is likely to be. Eaton House Belgravia appoints an EYFS coordinator. All educators of children aged 5 years and below must follow a set of welfare requirements and learning and developmental goals. The four themes – the unique child, positive relationships, enabling environments, and learning and development – influence the planning and teaching at Eaton House. Evidence of these learning development goals is found in exercise books. These development goals are tracked on a term-by-term basis through a learning and development tracker.

In addition, all the Kindergarten children will be assessed using the school’s baseline screening. This continual observation and assessment in the kindergarten enables teachers and the SENCO to support children who may need additional support and those children who may need extending with the classroom.

Cycle of Extra Support

A decision is made as to the appropriate support required by the child. If a child is not making adequate progress despite high-quality teaching, then extra support is given. To reflect the Code of Practice 2015, there are four actions forming a cycle for SEN support: assess, plan, do, review.

Assess

If a teacher and/or parent has concerns about a child and their development, he/she should communicate with the SENCO. Developmental issues may fall into one of four categories:

  • cognition and learning
  • emotional, behavioural and social development
  • communication and interaction
  • sensory and physical

The assessment should be a clear analysis of the child’s needs. Where necessary the SENCO may seek advice and assessments from other professionals including: speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, educational psychologists, and specialist literacy and numeracy teachers.

Plan

Anything differentiated from general classroom techniques needs to be discussed with the parents. If the problems persist, The SENCO organises special educational provision and ensures that individual targets are drawn up. The nature of the intervention might include a multisensory, differentiated approach to planning ensuring inclusion and different or special learning equipment. Parents are informed about all areas of their child’s education. Targets are available to parents.  Parents are invited to meetings to discuss provision and progress.

Parents’ involvement is central to the plan.  Where possible, emphasis is placed on the views and wishes of the child. The main focus is on the family. At times, and with parental permission, referral to an outside agency may be necessary. This includes consultations with professionals such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, optometrists, visual perceptual therapists, physiotherapists and numeracy or literacy support specialists.

Copies of reports can be shared with the school and kept on file.  Effort is made to liaise with future prep schools when the child is to leave us. If there continues to be a lack of progress and the child is not meeting expected results, then the local authority may conduct an assessment and give the child an education, health and care plan (EHC).

Regardless of extra support, the class teacher should remain responsible for working with the child on a daily basis. Implementation of support will vary with the extent to which the child needs to be supported. One-to-one lessons are given during the working day. The specialist teachers will endeavour to remove the child form non-core subjects. Records are kept by the specialist and notes are sent home in a communication book or by email between specialist teacher and parents.

Able and Talented Provision

Eaton House Belgravia acknowledges the importance for children who are academically more able. We believe that every boy has the right to receive our assistance in achieving his potential. They should feel challenged and stimulated by the range of activities available to them. We plan our teaching in such a way as to ensure that each boy reaches his highest level of personal achievement, and this includes those boys who have been identified as academically more able.

Definition

We acknowledge there is no fixed national or international accepted definition of ‘more able’ children. Part of the difficulty with creating a definition is that able pupils “… are a diverse and disparate group (Research Centre of Able Pupils, Oxford Brookes University 2002). However we believe that academically more able children are ones who demonstrate a significantly higher level of ability than most pupils of the same age.

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