St Edmunds Pre Prep Prospectus

St Edmund’s Pre-Prep School Canterbury

Outstanding independent education in a unique setting

A Warm Welcome

Bringing out the best by offering the best.

St Edmund's Pre-Prep School is a safe and caring community that is committed to making your child's first academic step a rich, rewarding and exciting experience.

Welcome to a friendly and caring environment that is dedicated to giving boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 7 the very best start to their educational lives.

We achieve this by understanding and focusing upon the needs of each individual child.

Planned activities challenge, stretch and support children in their learning while small class sizes with an excellent adult to child ratio help to nurture confidence.

Our children learn to work and play together effectively and thus achieve their individual potential while making friends and enjoying themselves. I hope that this brochure will answer some of the many questions which parents will have about these important first years of school and I would also like to extend to you a warm invitation to visit the School in order to experience the vibrant and creative learning atmosphere at St Edmund's.

You will discover an impressive range of facilities housed within a specifically appointed environment in a desirable location. You will also hear parents and their children talk fondly of St Edmund’s Pre-Prep, its unique identity, the benefits of its association with the Junior and Senior Schools and its prestigious reputation for providing young learners with the very highest standard of Nursery and Pre-Prep education.

Julia Exley Head of the Pre-Prep School

Encouragement: an inclusive experience

Care: a supportive and nurturing environment

Friendship and consideration are at the heart of our School.

Every member of our staff is dedicated to making each individual child's wellbeing and sense of security an absolute priority.

Opportunity for all is an ethos fundamental to St Edmund’s. We believe that boys and girls should grow up and learn together, and we aim to equip them to live and work with people from different social and cultural backgrounds.

We understand that the first day at school is a treasured and important step for both parent and child, so, from that first moment, each pupil’s class teacher seeks to get to know every boy and girl well in order to stimulate new interests and to develop the pupil’s particular strengths. With this in mind, St Edmund’s Pre-Prep also presents its young learners with a wide variety of positive experiences such as organised trips and extra curricular activities.

Parents are actively encouraged to be involved in their child's education. We also ensure that there are plenty of opportunities to talk to the staff and participate in activities that involve both parents and children. The welfare of pupils is of paramount importance to us and we are sensitive to your concerns, so you will always be welcome in the classrooms.

“Staff in the EYFS have successfully provided a homely, nurturing, happy and stimulating environment in which children thrive.”

Independent Schools Inspectorate St Edmund’s Pre-Prep also offers before school care from 08:00 to 08:30 and after school activities between 15:40 and 17:30.

Potential: a curriculum that is rich in opportunity

Success: a structured and measurable pathway

A carefully planned, broad-based, creative curriculum to challenge and encourage each pupil to achieve their own potential.

Regular parent / school communications monitor and inform about academic progress and personal development.

As an independent school, St Edmund's Pre-Prep is able to provide an academic programme that, in its breadth and balance, far exceeds the requirements of the National Curriculum. Academic activities at the Pre-Prep are further enriched by our crosscurricular approach, which exposes our pupils to a stimulating and imaginative variety of visual, tactile and sensory experiences. We believe this practice leads our pupils to make well-informed judgements about their world while also developing their social, emotional and spiritual core.

We educate the youngest children attending St Edmund’s in four lively classes from Nursery through to Year Two. The journey takes place in a secure, happy and purposeful environment that delivers a strong academic grounding and prepares pupils for a smooth transition to Junior School and beyond.

Little learners thrive in small, friendly classes within a supportive environment that understands and nurtures their individual needs Along the way our little learners have lots of fun developing essential literacy and numeracy skills that enable them to communicate effectively and make sense of the world around them. We also actively encourage parental participation both in activities and by way of the regular assessments of their child’s individual and personal progress.

The impressive achievements of our pupils justify our belief in the balance of a broad creative curriculum with planned learning experiences that excite and motivate.

Confidence: a safe place to learn and grow

Continuity: a sound

Developing potential and personality by facing opportunities and challenges within a safe and supportive environment.

Offering a familiar foundation that helps promote a seamless transition to the next stage of your child’s education.

We strive to give each pupil the confidence to discover, enjoy and make the most of their individual interests and talents. The dedicated staff at the Pre-Prep also encourage children to take a pride in their own special achievements and help them to feel valued members of a wider group. The School’s small, carefully managed classes allow our teachers to really get to know your child and provide the essential support and encouragement that they need to develop their independence.

Our aim is to give your child a broad-based, positive and happy start to their education, and then to send them on to St Edmund's Junior School with confidence, a strong academic grounding and a clear sense of purpose. During their final year, to ease this transition, our pupils have the opportunity to join in with Junior School activities set within the same familiar environment and fine facilities that they will have enjoyed throughout out their time with us.

preparation for Junior School

Healthy food choices fuel the full school day.

For the latest Pre-Prep news visit us online: www.stedmunds.org.uk

“We can’t say enough about what a super experience this has been for him. He has developed St Thomas Hill Canterbury Kent CT2 8HU United Kingdom Telephone: 01227 475601

such confidence and curiosity and we feel there couldn’t have been a better place for him.”

A parent

Fax: 01227 471083 Email: admissions@stedmunds.org.uk www.stedmunds.org.uk

Nurturing potential Inspiring excellence St Edmund’s Pre-Prep encourages its pupils to work, learn and achieve. Teaching is creative and enthusiastic. Lessons are well prepared and skilfully delivered by experienced teachers. Good positive behaviour is promoted, thoughtfulness and exemplary manners are encouraged, while effort and good citizenship are equally rewarded.