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 St. James' Preparatory School
Emphasis on the Individual Child
In St. James' Preparatory School, the children are taught in small classes by dedicated and enthusiastic staff. By placing the emphasis on the individual child we believe that we can discover his or her talents and encourage them to fulfil their true potential.
The Development of the Whole Child
We offer a broad balanced all-round education with the emphasis on development of the whole child. Children are encouraged to achieve excellence not only in their academic studies but also in the fields of sport, drama, music, creative studies, leadership and service.
Pupils, Parents and Teachers in Partnership
Excellent pupil, parent and teacher relationships mean that there is a unique partnership promoting the development of each individual. Parental involvement in the educating process is vital. Staff and parents meet informally every day and formally
Visits, Trips and Extra-Curricular Activities
Regular educational visits take place throughout the year to places of interest. The children are able to take part in a variety of trips to museums, the theatre and historic buildings, along with the popular annual ski trip.
Academic Profiling in St. James' Preparatory School
Three years ago we introduced a variety of formative tests for our current children; these are very much kept low key and are part of the internal assessment and monitoring that now takes place for every child in the Prep School. Subsequently further tests have been introduced, again kept low key, for the benefit of the children. They include reading, spelling, maths, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, optional SATs, core-subject assessments, end of year exams/tests and cognitive ability tests. Taken individually, any test means little but taken together they help us formulate ideas about ensuring that the best practices of teaching take place and also help show how we can accommodate every childs requirements in learning. More than this, it is what one does with the results that is most important. Thus far, every child's progress has been discussed (formally, at a designated meeting) with all Prep staff each term (and sometimes twice per term) as well as informally on a day to day basis. I now wish to take this a stage further so that we can use the information, together with this feedback, to create individual learning profiles for every child.
The National Curriculum Literacy and Numeracy frameworks form a basis for the teaching of English and Mathematics. Year 6 pupils take the National Curriculum SATs at the end of the year and Common Entrance examinations are on offer if required. 
Click on the links below to read in more detail about the classes within the Prep School:
Fledglings - part-time or full-time for children aged 2 to 3 years
Foundation - part-time or full-time for children aged 3 to 5 years
Key stage 1 - Years 1 and 2
Key stage 2 - Years 3, 4, 5 and 6
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