The Kensington Prep School curriculum has been developed to encompass and enhance the requirements of the National Curriculum. We foster an enjoyment of study through rewarding, stimulating and challenging classwork.
A broad curriculum
Plenty of studies show that enriching a child's life improves her ability in the core subjects.
We offer a genuinely broad curriculum, with generous time allocated to music, games, art, drama and design technology. A wide range of clubs support these lessons.
Visitors to the school are often surprised to find a Year 6 class enjoying a whole afternoon in the art room, with the radio in the background, or a Year 5 class spending the afternoon in music and drama activities.
Kensington Prep is a ‘thinking school'
Weekly Thinking Skills
To encourage flexibility of thought, once a week the whole school spends 20 minutes on a thinking activity, usually open-ended.
For example, they might have to decide:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having door knobs made out of chocolate?
The weekly challenges give pupils the opportunity to think without the anxiety of being judged and without being limited to pre-defined outcomes or right or wrong answers.
Activities focus on developing higher level thinking skills, such as analysing, assessing, predicting and evaluating. The sessions develop creative thought and problem solving abilities. Girls become more confident with freedom and creative thought.
Thinking Adventures
About twice a term girls are put into small mixed age groups for a couple of hours. They work together on longer open-ended tasks designed to encourage brave thinking.
Play
Play is a very important part of a child's social development, and a key part of her day. Staff are always around to help girls to enjoy a happy break from the classroom.
Our exciting climbing equipment is a great place to learn how to take small physical risks, and older girls can practise their netball skills.
Year 5 buddies are on hand to help anyone find a friend to play with.
Learning Support
We make sure the girls receive regular individual attention in their lessons.
Within the Pre-Prep girls are sometimes given additional support in small groups, within the classroom setting. Groups may be withdrawn for extra support in reading, writing or maths, and occasionally 1:1 help is provided.
In Key Stage 2, whether showing exceptional aptitude or even the mildest learning difficulty in a particular subject, girls are given additional support. After discussion with their parents, girls can be referred for 1:1specialist teaching on site. There is an additional charge for this. The Head of Learning Support supervises all extra help provided.
Homework
A vital link between school life and the rest of the children's world, homework is also an opportunity for parents to become further involved in their daughter's daily education.
With support and praise, homework can be enjoyable, and girls grow confident in their ability to complete work on their own.
Timetabled homework starts at Year 3, when girls start to establish a routine of working in the home environment.
Sometimes the whole school is given a week of "Open Homework". This is an opportunity for girls (and their families if they wish) to think creatively and come up with anything they like in the normal amount of time they would spend on their homework in a week. The photos give an idea of the girls' creativity.