Channing Junior School Prospectus 17

Independent Day School for Girls aged 4-18

Junior School Prospectus 2017

Adventures in Learning

Our School Teddies Connie and William love reading in the School Library.

Would you like to colour Connie in?

What is Connie reading? What is your favourite book?

your name:

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CHANNING JUNIOR SCHOOL PROSPECTUS

Welcome

Mrs B M Elliott

Mrs L Lawrance

Channing School is unique in providing an education based on the principles of two Unitarian sisters who, in 1885, founded a school for girls in Highgate, Nor th London. In a changing world of uncer tainty and pressure, girls find at Channing an oasis of calm purpose, where pupils of all ages are encouraged to think for themselves, and to keep an open mind.

I am often asked about the ‘secret formula’ which makes the Junior School so special, to which I have many replies!

Mainly, it is our belief that everyone matters. Staff and pupils know each other by name and caring for others is a priority.

MA (Cantab) Headmistress

Every member of the school belongs to a warm, suppor tive community and this includes all of our pupils, staff, parents, alumnae and many friends. We sincerely hope that you will be able to visit us. Many visitors comment on the indefinable ‘feel’ of the school, its very special atmosphere and unique ethos. This prospectus can only paint a picture: the people will tell you the full story!

B. Prim. Ed (Hons) (Port Elizabeth, South Africa), Head of the Junior School

Our girls know that they are an impor tant par t of a special community – one that encourages independent learning and ensures every pupil reaches her full potential. This is an incredibly special and dynamic learning environment where girls enjoy our extensive facilities and beautiful grounds.

I urge you to visit us and experience the ‘secret formula’ for yourself!

I look forward to welcoming you to Channing.

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Why Choose Channing Junior School?

Step behind the big brick wall that runs alongside The Bank and discover Highgate’s best-kept secret. Channing Junior School is an enchanting oasis of sweeping lawns and hidden glades just a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of Highgate High Street. It’s one of the reasons why our pupils are so happy here; having a friendly, nur turing and secure environment in which to learn makes the Junior School a very special place to be.

At Channing everyone matters. Girls, staff and parents are valued members of a close and suppor tive community, one that fosters a sense of belonging and of caring for each other.

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Channing School first opened in 1885. In 1926 the Junior School moved across the road to occupy ‘Fairseat’, a fine Victorian home. The house has been skilfully adapted to provide light, airy classrooms, a Performing Ar ts Studio, Music Rooms, a Library, a practical room for Science, Ar t and DT, a Main Hall and a Computing Suite.

Even our youngest pupils use an iPad in class.

Entrance at 4+ is selective and girls usually continue into the Senior School. There is currently no 11+ Entrance Exam requirement for Channing Junior School pupils which allows the girls to benefit from a rich, exciting and stimulating curriculum that challenges and deepens the girls’ learning experience.

In addition to the excellent academic provision for the core curriculum subjects of English, Maths and Science, the Junior School has a strong tradition of Drama, Music

CHANNING JUNIOR SCHOOL PROSPECTUS

and the Ar ts. The curriculum is enriched by an extensive number of trips and outings including the much-anticipated annual Year 6 trip to an activity centre in Dorset. There are also numerous clubs during lunchtime and after school, which gives the girls an opportunity to develop their interests fur ther.

The happiness and general welfare of our girls is of prime importance. We provide a structured programme of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) which aims to build self-esteem, develop personal skills and inter-personal relationships and raise awareness about important health-related issues.

A dedicated catering team provides fresh, home cooked lunches including a vegetarian option and we suppor t local businesses wherever possible. We have a vegetable garden within the school grounds and children are encouraged to sample unusual fruits and vegetables.

The Channing Association is the social and fundraising group for the Junior School. It raises money for extra equipment and facilities such as the new mini adventure playground and is responsible for many events. The New Families Tea in September is a great opportunity for families to meet each other and there is a Parents’ social evening event each year for girls in Years 5 and 6 with their parents. A traditional Easter egg hunt, the Fairseat Family Day plus numerous cake sales and coffee mornings, give parents and pupils the oppor tunity to be par t of the famous Channing community.

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The Curriculum Channing Junior School is a happy place to learn.

There are up to 24 girls in each class. The schools’ broad-based curriculum recognises the impor tance of the core subjects of English, Maths and Science, and is delivered through a mix of form teaching and subject specialist teaching.

Up until Year 2 pupils are taught by Form Teachers suppor ted by Teaching Assistants (two per class in Reception).

All girls receive additional specialist teaching in Spanish, Music and P.E., and from Key Stage 2, girls receive additional specialist teaching in Drama, French and D.T. All year groups receive age-appropriate homework.

We hold two parents’ evenings a year and a curriculum evening where parents learn what their daughters will be studying over the coming academic year.

Parent workshops are held to enable parents to suppor t their daughters as they progress through the School.

Music Our aim is to provide a stimulating, challenging and exciting environment in which to nur ture and encourage musical potential. For girls who wish to star t playing an instrument, violin and ‘cello are taught weekly in a group for pupils in Years 1 & 2. From Year 3 individual lessons are available on a variety of instruments and there are joint musical ventures with the Senior School as well as the opportunity to join the various bands, ensembles, groups and choirs at the school.

Physical Education

Girls enjoy regular P.E. lessons each week, utilising the extensive spor ts facilities. Initially the curriculum includes field games, movement lessons and dance. From Year 3 girls learn to play netball, hockey and tennis and all girls enjoy a term of swimming lessons.

Modern Foreign Languages Girls enjoy learning French from Year 3 and all pupils benefit from our innovative ‘Adelante’ Spanish language programme. Our Language specialists develop the girls’ linguistic skills but also foster an appreciation of the cultures and countries of the languages the girls are learning about.

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CHANNING JUNIOR SCHOOL PROSPECTUS

Art & Design Technology (D.T.) Ar t and D.T. are integrated into the whole curriculum and form excellent cross-curricular links. In Art, girls are inspired by famous artists and paintings as well as through ar t workshops, stories and picture books and visits to galleries in central London. In D.T., alongside the skills and techniques, girls begin to learn the basics of physics and engineering, designing and building projects with gears, levers and circuits. In Year 6 girls also enjoy the opportunity to get involved in set design for our Key Stage 2 production.

Junior School Library We have an excellent collection of fiction and non-fiction books, which the girls can borrow.

Girls visit with their class in Library lessons and girls from Year 1 to 6 can pop in during lunchtimes and after school.

Science The practical hands-on teaching of Science stimulates a spirit of enquiry through encouraging natural curiosity and reasoning. We develop the skills of observation, investigation and interpretation and equip girls with a valuable knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live. Science is all around us and is ever changing so it is vital that the girls are aware of their environment, the huge advances that have been made and the challenges we face in the future. Helping the girls to understand as much as possible about Science will stimulate their imagination and their intellect and will give them a true love of the subject.

Drama

Girls are encouraged to express themselves and develop their confidence through drama, starting with role-play, story-telling, singing and action rhymes through to quoting Shakespeare and reciting ballads. Girls enjoy many opportunities to participate in a range of drama activities outside lessons from class assemblies, theatre visits and workshops to the very popular school productions.

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A typical day at Channing Junior School

8.20 am The back doors are opened.

Reception girls are escorted into the classrooms by their parents where they unpack.

Girls in Years 1 – 6 make way to their classroom.

9am Lessons begin

8.35am 7.30am School Day star ts with the optional ‘Early Birds’ Breakfast Club, serving up healthy cereals, fruit, milk and fruit juices.

Assembly

A non-denominational form of worship that takes place several times a week. It is taken by the Head of the Junior School, other members of staff and groups of girls.

The girls participate in class assemblies each term and we hold Good Work and Good Manners Assemblies where girls are given the opportunity to share their beautiful work and awards with the school. Parents are invited to a performance of the class assembly twice a year.

Art and Design Technology lessons encourage girls to explore the works of famous artists as well as be inspired by local landmarks and architecture. Girls’ works fill the walls and halls of the Junior School to inspire other pupils. Girls are encouraged to join lunchtime and after school clubs to further explore their interests in particular techniques.

10.30 am Morning Break Girls enjoy a snack of fruit, bread, flapjacks and a drink in the Dining Room and enjoy playing games in the playground.

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Throughout the day, girls who wish to take individual music lessons meet with their teacher. Lessons are carefully timetabled so girls can easily catch up with any missed work.

Girls follow a bespoke Maths curriculum which loosely follows the National Curriculum topics but with added stretch and challenge. Girls enjoy the many problem-solving activities where they can apply their numeracy skills to real life problems.

12noon Lunchtime! Girls choose from a variety of tasty hot and cold foods and enjoy Meat Free Mondays. Parents can plan evening meals with the help of our on-line menus at channing.co.uk.

Girls then enjoy a range of lunchtime clubs and of course, plenty of fresh air and exercise with their classmates in the Adventure Playground.

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1-1.30pm Afternoon Lessons begin.

Girls enjoy moving around the School, from DT, Ar t and PE lessons. Head Mrs Lawrance enjoys spending time with each Reception class in the first Term, sharing some of her favourite books with pupils.

Science Girls love using scientific apparatus to explore practical concepts of Science.

Our Science lessons aim to allow girls to experience the joy of scientific discovery.

Teachers make full use of the extensive outdoor PE and Spor ts facilities. Girls enjoy a wide range of activities ranging from team challenges to netball, football, athletics and gymnastics.

2.55-3.20pm Home Time. A staggered end to the School Day also signals the beginning of after school clubs and ‘Late Owls’, a club for girls wishing to stay until 5.50pm (4.40pm on a Friday).

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Girls enjoy after school clubs such as ballet, tennis coaching, music and various arts and crafts workshops.

Mrs Lawrance or a senior member of staff wave off the last Late Owl and head home.

See you tomorrow!

3.10-5.50pm Late Owls is our after school care facility.

Girls have the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of activities and are given a drink and snack to bridge the gap until supper.

Extra-curricular Activities

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CHANNING JUNIOR SCHOOL PROSPECTUS

Join the Club!

The Junior School offers an extensive range of clubs to enrich and suppor t spor ting, creative and social development. There are numerous clubs during lunchtime and after school including Music, Ballet, Arts & Craft, Chess, Book Club, Gardening, Maths Challenge, Netball and Gymnastics.

A typical year’s clubs would include: Tennis coaching Ballet classes Judo club Gymnastics Netball Drawing Gardening Arts & Crafts Embroidery For Beginners Digital Photography Basketry Fencing Beading Brass Ensemble Strings Group Windband Orchestra Book Club Maths Challenge ICT Club Puzzles Chess Board Games Magazine Club

Pastoral Care The happiness and general welfare of our girls is of prime impor tance and all members of staff are involved in pastoral care. We encourage a safe and suppor tive learning environment in which everyone feels comfor table and secure.

Our structured programme of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) aims to build self-esteem and inter-personal relationships and raises awareness about impor tant health-related issues, at an appropriate level for each age group.

Girls have a regular session of ‘Circle Time’, a forum in which girls can discuss issues of common interest and help one another. As par t of the pastoral programme this helps to enhance social skills, develop self-esteem and to initiate collective responsibility.

Girls also learn about citizenship, making a positive contribution to their community and about the institutions of British life and culture.

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Channing Junior School ‘Best Bits’ Stevie, Year 2 ‘I love learning at Channing.

My favourite lesson is English as I love to read.’

Julia, Year 4 ‘I have enjoyed learning about the Tudors in History, especially the clothing, which I found very interesting.’

Edie, Year 3 ‘I love D.T. because I enjoy building things. This term we are building a bird house.’

Tia, Year 6 ‘I love ICT as there are so many programmes to learn and it’s a very impor tant life skill.’

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Simran, Reception ‘I enjoy learning and I love being at school with my big sister.’

Ruby, Year 6 ‘I like Science as our teacher often asks us questions at the end of lessons to challenge us to find the answers before next week!’

Phoebe, Year 3 ‘I love drama lessons

because I love to use my imagination and act things out.’

Esme, Year 1 ‘The teachers here are really nice.’

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Annabelle, Year 6 ‘I love all the facilities we have here. We have a great spor ts area and playground.’

Yasmin, Year 4 ‘I like Geography. I have enjoyed learning about Kenya and its different climates, housing, foods, animals and landscapes.’

Arissa, Year 5 ‘I like being with my friends at school. I enjoy Ar t as it’s a great way to express myself.’

Niamh, Year 4 ‘I enjoyed being a par t of the school production.’

Sophie, Year 3 ‘I enjoy P.E. as I love to run outside!’

Mrs Lawrance, Head ‘Girls, parents and staff feel lucky to be part of Channing! It makes being the Headteacher such a pleasure and I am proud to lead this exceptional school.’

Draw your face here. What are you looking forward to learning at School?

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Further Information School Information

Entry Details

•C hanning School is a day school for girls aged 4-18 years.

• The cost of registration is a non-refundable fee of £100.

• The School is an independent school governed by a board of governors who maintain the school’s distinctive ethos of fostering respect and consideration for the whole range of human faiths and beliefs, following the ideals of the school’s founders.

• The closing date for 4+ and 7+ applications for entry in September 2017 is 1 October 2016

The Chair of Governors is Mrs C Leslie.

All correspondence should be addressed to: Mrs Cindy Leslie, Chair of Governors, Channing School, Highgate, London N6 5HF • The Headmistress is a member of the Girls School Association (GSA) and the School is par t of the East London Consor tium, an independent/state school par tnership.

• At Channing, everyone matters. Staff and pupils know each other by name. Caring for others is a priority and our friendly, nur turing environment ensures that Channing girls work and play here, confident in the knowledge that they are an impor tant par t of a special community.

•G irls are taught in classes of a maximum of 24 and the form tutor takes the class for most of the lessons.

Teachers are suppor ted by teaching assistants.

• E very class is taught P.E., Spanish, Music and Drama by specialist teachers. Once the girls reach Year 3 they are also taught French, ICT, Ar t and Design Technology by specialist teachers.

• S chool uniforms can be purchased from: Uniform 4 Kids, 1103/1105 Finchley Road, London. NW11 0QB www.uniform4kids.com Secondhand uniform sales are regularly held at School.

• The majority of girls at the Junior School transfer to the Senior School. There is no need to sit the 11+ examination, however, girls in Year 6 may choose to apply for a music award on entry to the Senior School.

Form and specialist teachers will suppor t girls with their applications wherever possible.

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• The 4+ selection process is as follows: once registered, your daughter will be invited to an assessment. This is conducted informally, like a playgroup session. Girls work in small groups with a teacher on a variety of games and activities in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

Several girls will be recalled for a second assessment, which is similarly structured to the first.

• The assessments for entry in September 2017 are held in January 2017. Parents will be notified of the assessment date for your daughter in December 2016.

• There are two forms of 24 pupils accepted each year for Reception.

• There are 8 places available for entry in Year 3 in 2017 and 2018 only.

• The 4+ and 7+ results are sent to parents in early February 2017.

• A non-refundable deposit of £2000 is required upon acceptance of a place.

• The tuition fees for 2016/17 are £5350 per term.

• Lunch fees are £265 per term.

• Individual music tuition is £275 per term.

Summer-Born Girls We ensure that summer-born girls are not disadvantaged throughout the Admissions process. At 4+, girls are assessed in groups with girls of a similar age and 7+ scores are calculated to take into account the girls’ ages.

What We Look For At Channing We are looking for keen young learners! An ideal Channing girl will be bright, interested and inquisitive; one who gets lost in a book but also enthused by a challenge. She will be engaged, enquiring, excited and eager to star t her school career at Channing. At 4+ we look for girls keen to get ‘stuck in’ to the new activities on offer. At 7+ we will look for evidence of the academic skills acquired and will assess literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills.

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Homework We like to encourage good habits from an early age and regular homework is one of them. From the star t girls are used to taking reading activities and spellings home to complete. The work gradually increases each year. In Year 5 and 6, girls are expected to complete various homework tasks of 40 minutes each night and an hour at the weekend. Impor tantly for us, this gives the girls plenty of time to follow their own interests outside of school.

Monitoring Progress Ongoing, comprehensive assessments throughout the year monitor pupils’ progress. Any concerns that arise from these are discussed with the Head and parents and the form tutor agree an appropriate course of action.

In addition to this, there are two Parents’ Evenings each year and a full repor t for each girl goes home before the end of each academic year. Parents are also invited to attend a Curriculum Evening at the beginning of each year, which gives parents an opportunity to meet their daughters’ new form tutor and find out what the girls will be studying that year. Curriculum newsletters are posted to the School website each term. In the Autumn and Spring term, girls in Years 4 to 6 take home grade sheets that outline progress made and targets for the following term.

English As A Second Language

parents. A traditional Easter egg hunt, the Fairseat Family Day plus numerous cake sales and coffee mornings, give parents and pupils the opportunity to be par t of the friendly Channing community.

For individual contact with your daughter’s teacher, each member of the Junior Staff makes time in their diaries each week to meet with parents. These times are published in each year groups’ Curriculum newsletters. Parents are also invited to make appointments with the Head whenever necessary.

Further Investment In The School One of the school’s key objectives is to enhance facilities for Physical Education, Sport and the Performing Ar ts for all Channing girls, aged 4-18.

As such, in September 2012 we embarked on a £13million project to improve and modernise our site.

A Dining Room extension, a new Music School and the new Sixth Form Centre and the Spor ts Hall (below) opened in 2015. The final and most ambitious phase is a Performing Ar ts Centre, due to open in 2017.

The Governors and all the staff are committed to ensuring the success of the project and in fulfilling our promise of the best possible facilities for every Channing girl, at every stage of her education.

For the latest news and images of the development, please visit our website: www.channing.co.uk

Many girls at Channing are bilingual and even trilingual.

Girls who join us with English as their second language receive tailored suppor t to ensure that they have access to the content of the curriculum. Teachers adapt lessons without compromising content, which allows girls to fully integrate with the rest of their class and learn alongside their new friends.

Parental Involvement As a Channing parent, you automatically join the Channing Association, which is the social and fundraising group for the Junior School. It raises money for extra equipment and facilities such as the new mini adventure playground and is responsible for many events. The New Families Tea in September is a great opportunity for families to meet each other and there is a Parents’ social evening each March for girls in Years 5 and 6 with their

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Girls Enjoying Success

Independent Day School for Girls aged 4-18 Headmistress: Mrs B M Elliott MA (CANTAB) The Bank Highgate London N6 5HF T: 020 8340 2328

Head of Junior School: Mrs L Lawrance B. Prim. Ed (Hons) (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) Junior School: 1 Highgate High Street London N6 5JR T: 020 8342 986

Contact the Registrar on 020 8340 2328 admissions@channing.co.uk for all admissions enquiries

www.channing.co.uk

Although all statements in this prospectus are believed correct at the time of going to press, details may naturally change from time to time.