We aim to ensure a smooth transition from the Junior Department to the Senior Department, and the boys enjoy the challenge of starting in a new building and set-up. In reality, they already know the Senior Department well as they have been taught by a number of its teachers and had lessons in the music and sports facilities.
We aim to continue offering the boys a broad range of experiences and a varied, challenging curriculum. There is also a wide range of activities – musical, sporting and artistic – for the boys to choose from on the extra-curricular front.
When the boys start in Year 4 they are based mainly in their form room with their Form Tutor. Teachers generally come to them but as the year progresses they start to move to other rooms more.
The boys are in three forms (which change every year) from Year 4 to Year 8 but there is gradually more setting and streaming as they move through the School.
“Staff know pupils extremely well and relationships are highly positive, between pupils and staff as well as amongst pupils themselves. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is excellent.”
– ISI Report 2016
From Year 4 upwards boys have lessons in English, Mathematics, Science, French, History, Geography, Religious Studies, Music, Art, Design Technology, Drama, Computing, PE and PSHE.
Every year group also has two games sessions each week at our extensive playing fields in Chiswick. From Year 5 the boys have specialist teachers for all subjects and move from room to room for their lessons. In Year 5 and Year 6 there is also a lesson in Reasoning each week and from Year 6 the boys start learning Latin. They continue to study this range of subjects up until Year 8.
In the final two years, all boys work towards either scholarship or Common Entrance for senior school entry. Sport in the top two years is played by teams of boys from both years which allows for a large number of teams in all the key sports.
In their last year the boys are all encouraged to take on positions of responsibility in the School; a few take on senior posts like prefects and heads of house, but other fill equally important roles in different aspects of School life.
Year 4: Age 8+
There are three mixed ability classes in their own rooms each with a Form Tutor.
The boys are taught the core subjects by their Form Teacher. A small amount of homework is set each day. They have a small number of examinations at the end of the year.
Year 5: Age 9+ and Year 6: Age 10+
There are three mixed-ability classes in both year groups and the boys are taught in these for the majority of their lessons. The year groups are split into three sets for English and Maths. They visit subject specialists and specialist rooms for all subjects. The boys have two subjects for homework each day and a small set of examinations in November and a full set in June. The boys start to prepare during these years for senior school pre-tests, many of which take place in Year 6.
Year 7: Age 11+ and Year 8: 12+
In the top two years the boys are split into three groups; one higher one and two parallel ones but with some setting built into these. All the boys are now working towards Common Entrance of scholarship examinations for senior schools. They continue with a full range of academic and non-academic subjects to ensure a broad and balanced education. Examinations are held twice a year for Year 7 and three times for Year 8. Homework increases but is always balanced with the work in school. There is always a great sense of achievement when the boys receive their final Common Entrance or scholarship entrance results and they prepare to move on to their next school.