Curriculum

Discover St Swithun's curriculum, specially structured for each crucial stage of a pupil's development.

In This Section

EYFS: PRESCHOOL AND RECEPTION

Children in preschool and reception learn through participating in a wide variety of well-planned, stimulating and enjoyable activities. Child-initiated planning enables them to influence topics and allows the teachers to respond to the children’s interests and creativity. Continuous assessment ensures that each individual is supported and extended as appropriate.

The curriculum in the preschool and reception years is based on seven areas of learning:

Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Communication and Language
Physical Development
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design

YEAR 1 AND YEAR 2

As children progress their literacy and numeracy skills are consolidated. Their curriculum includes the core curriculum subjects English, mathematics and science as well as art, design and technology, information and communication technology (ICT), religious education, music, drama, personal social and health education, history, geography, physical education and a wide range of creative activities. Spanish is specialist-taught from nursery to year 2.

All pupils have reading books to share at home. Year 1 children take home spelling activities and an interactive maths game, and Year 2 children take home mathematics and literacy activities.

YEAR 3 TO YEAR 6

A structured programme increases the amount of formal work as children move through the preparatory department. The girls develop a desire to learn as well as the beginnings of the means to become independent students. They accept more responsibility for their own learning and begin to manage their time. They are encouraged to read regularly and widely.

SUBJECTS

English

At St Swithun’s, the desire to foster a love of English whilst inspiring children as they explore the language is evident in all that we teach. English is at the heart of our academic curriculum and fluency in the English language is an essential foundation for success in all subjects.

From the youngest member of our preschool class to the leavers in Year 6 we encourage our children to express themselves confidently and with flair in all areas of the curriculum; we strive to engender an enthusiasm for both language and literature. Our small classes also enable us to cater for individual needs, by offering support or by integrating challenge for every pupil we teach.

All children have access to a wide range of early reading materials, contemporary and classic fiction as well as the latest non-fiction materials. We subscribe to First News which offers us both printed and digital access to current affairs topics. In addition, we are able to use both Chromebooks and iPads to further enhance learning.

Regular book fairs keep pupils and teachers up to date with the best new children's fiction and there are many opportunities for reading within the week as well as additional events such as the celebration of World Book Day and reading challenges. Our children enjoy nothing more than finding a comfortable corner in our stunning library in the light, airy atrium of the school where they can enjoy reading a good book.

Kids helping each other with school work

Mathematics

Maths

Our bespoke maths curriculum extends beyond the national standards to prepare children for a brilliant future. We are committed to fostering a lifelong passion for mathematics, embedding a love for the subject right from the start.
Our curriculum is meticulously designed to nurture intellectual growth through a vibrant blend of numbers, shapes, and logic. It not only covers essential arithmetic and geometry but also advances into complex problem-solving skills, essential in today’s technological world.

We take immense pride in our students' mathematical achievements. They consistently excel in national competitions such as the First Maths Challenge and the Primary Maths Challenge, showcasing the effectiveness of our engaging and challenging program.

Our lessons are brimming with support and challenge, filled with fun games and intriguing investigations to make learning both exciting and accessible. We aim to ensure that every student feels supported and continuously challenged, enabling them to reach their full potential.
Opportunities for children to discover, discuss and clarify their thinking is paramount to add depth to their understanding. Tricky concepts will be explored fully before we move on, to ensure all children feel at ease with maths and are making excellent progress.

Performing Arts

Our music and performing arts curriculum places creativity and passion at the core of its teaching. Children are given the opportunity to make music in many different ways including composing, listening and performing. They are given an excellent framework of skills from the very beginning that allows each child to develop at their own pace and in their own way. The upper prep often work on extended projects; for example the year 6 girls take part in a Fame Academy music project, writing songs and rehearsing and performing them in bands. They perform to the school competing for votes, and they record their songs over two days at a local recording studio.

We have many thriving musical ensembles including a variety of string ensembles, flute choir, rock bands, steel band and choirs, as well as more informal music clubs.

Individual instrumental tuition is offered in violin, viola, ‘cello, double bass, harp, flute, clarinet, oboe, saxophone, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, piano, singing, drum kit, orchestral percussion, guitar and electric guitar.
A large proportion of children in the prep school learn at least one instrument, and they regularly feature in our termly concerts and weekly assemblies. We also celebrate all things musical in a two-day music festival where all children who learn an instrument are featured.

Creativity and stagecraft are key features of our Performing Arts provision.

In addition to weekly class lessons, we have a highly popular music theatre workshop that runs after school. Children can currently take part in LAMDA classes through another club, Little Voices.

All children in the school participate in year group assemblies and a larger musical theatre production every year, with full scale musical productions such as ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ and ‘Mary Poppins’ being the norm in years 5 and 6.

As well as being a huge amount of fun, this rolling programme of events over the children’s time at the Prep School equip them with many important life skills that they will require as they navigate life. We are proud to grow confident, musical and dramatic children!

Science

In science at St Swithun’s, our aim is to send our children out into the world with an understanding of and respect for the world around them.

The children begin to study science in Early Years setting, in the form of Understanding the World, a fully practical, hands-on experience involving making observations and testing ideas.

During Key Stage 1, girls study a broad range of science topics. Throughout this, their natural curiosity is further nurtured; ideas are investigated and scientific concepts introduced to support their observations.
Once in Key Stage 2, girls follow the ISEB science syllabus. Emphasis is placed not only on the scientific concepts but also on working scientifically to develop their enquiry skills.

Whilst pen and paper continue to be a staple base method of recording, we also make regular use of a range of technological resources for both delivery of lessons and measurement or observation.

In addition to our substantial school grounds, we have an established, covered growing area and are proud to hold a Level 2 RHS Gardening for Schools certificate. We also foster close links with Winchester Science Centre and The Wildlife Trust, visiting sites for topics such as Space, Forces and Habitats.

We want each of our children to leave St Swithun’s Prep with a love of science; the knowledge and confidence required to take this subject on to the next level; and, with the potential to become STEM ambassadors of the future.

Sports

Sport

St Swithun’s aims for quality in every aspect of physical education, sport and physical activity. We are committed to creating meaningful opportunities for our pupils to become dedicated participants and to attain the highest levels of performance to which they aspire.

We recognise the value of sport and physical activity to a pupil’s wellbeing and development, physically, mentally, socially and morally. Pupils are encouraged to strive for high standards of performance, commitment, behaviour, etiquette and self-discipline.

In addition to curriculum sport and PE lessons, we have a variety of lunchtime and after school clubs led by the school staff and outside coaches and we participate in house and inter-school matches to further extend the opportunities for our students.

The school curriculum includes football, netball, tag rugby, gymnastics, athletics, cricket and swimming. The younger girls also focus on their locomotive and manipulate skills, decision making and tactical knowledge using simple invasion games.

All PE, games and swimming lessons are taught by specialists:

Preschool - Every week, each child receives at least three hours of PE, games and swimming, including additional dance and movement programmes.
Reception to year 2 - Every week, each child receives at least three hours of PE, games and swimming, including gymnastics and dance.
Year 3 to year 6 - Every week, each child receives at least three hours of PE, games and swimming. In addition, they participate in a games afternoon.

Sports Training Opportunities

All children from years 3-6 have the opportunity to play in inter-house and inter-school matches and events every term. We also provide additional opportunities for accomplished sportswomen to participate in tournaments, athletics competitions and swimming galas. Selection takes place during curriculum lessons and games afternoons, and is informed by a range of qualitative and quantitative data.

Visual Arts

Our visual arts programme comprises art and design and design technology and forms an integral part of the regular curriculum. Lessons from preschool to year 6 take place in the modern visual arts room where the children have access to a range of materials and equipment. We strive to create a learning environment which engages, inspires and challenges children of all abilities so that they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to reach their creative potential. In order to achieve this, we believe it is important for the children to have time to experiment with a range of techniques and processes to help them to develop their confidence.

Art and design projects provide the children with opportunities to work in both two- and three-dimensional form using a sketchbook as their starting point. Alongside this, the children explore the work of artists, designers and craftspeople from the past and present to inform their creative thinking.

Design and technology centres around turning design ideas into actual physical products. Our programme covers a broad range of topics and includes food technology, mechanisms, textiles and woodwork. The children gain experience of working with a variety of materials and tools as they progress through the school. In year 5, the children use the facilities in the senior school technology department as part of their ‘Carousels’ project. Through exploration and investigation of the design and making processes, we aim to equip the children with the skills to be able to develop their creative ideas into quality products of which they can be proud.

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Prep pupil in library

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