Prep Curriculum

With a clear 11+ journey in mind, our curriculum is designed to engage young minds and build a love of learning, whilst ensuring robust skill development that supports preparations for senior school transition. Many of our children will go on to highly selective independent schools and local grammar schools, therefore, an Elmhurst education seeks to accelerate learning and support our pupils to thrive in ambitious academic environments. We organise our collective efforts through our Elmhurst EDGE programme

Verbal and non verbal reasoning are taught from Key Stage 1, alongside problem solving skills whilst instilling a love of learning. Behaviours for learning are instilled ensuring our pupils intrinsic motivation to succeed is high. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning journey. Pupil mentoring throughout the school ensures pupils are actively reflecting on their own progress and regular opportunities to self reflect in class work. Parents are actively sought as partners in this. Termly open classroom events, parent/pupil workshops and feedback forms pre and post parent reporting optimize support for the children.

Alongside our academic drive, children experience a life skills curriculum that supports the development of character education, financial literacy, use of AI alongside personal, social and emotional health. This ensures our offer is balanced and broadly based, and strongly promotes the personal development of our pupils.

Each term a Curriculum Plan Overview is shared with parents, providing insight into the planned journey for the term and creating opportunities for supporting learning at home and every term boys and girls will enjoy at least one enrichment opportunity to add to their experiences.

The curriculum up to Y6 aims to marry together the strengths of the revised National Curriculum in the Primary Years with the entrance requirements of the selective senior schools to which pupils apply and the next phase of their education alongside the aims and ethos of the school.

Specialist Teaching

Teaching is, of course, the most important thing that we do. Our teachers are passionate in their love of teaching and revel in the opportunities at Elmhurst to respond to the interests of their young pupils, shaping a challenging and engaging learning experience.

We are fortunate enough to be able to further capture our pupils’ interest through dedicated subject teachers and their substantial knowledge and enthusiasm for their subject. Drama, Music, PE and Games, Computing and Languages are taught throughout the school by skilled subject specialists, who convey both their understanding and passion for their curriculum area. Additionally, as pupils move through the school, subject specialists in Maths, English and Science deepen the learning and support their interest in making connections beyond the taught curriculum.

The involvement of specialist teachers does not end there. By nature of their interests, specialist teachers play a big part in moving the school forward in their area of responsibility. They are

often well connected and up to date with developments in the subject, enabling the school and our pupils to benefit from their knowledge.

We are privileged to have a Head of Sport who is passionate about creating opportunities where he sees pupils’ brilliance and a Head of Music who is similarly responsive.

There are few schools fortunate enough to have the expertise that Elmhurst does in their Computing department and our Head of IT is good enough to share that expertise with our pupils as well as also contributing to the development of other schools by taking a lead on professional development matters for computing teachers in the wider group.

Whilst our classroom teachers are also experts in their field, it is a real benefit to be able to bring together a common room of broad expertise, united in the shared desire to build brilliant beginnings for every child. The mix is one of the things that makes Elmhurst’s EDGE a tangible reality.