Prospectus

SOUTH LEE SCHOOL

“AT SOUTH LEE, TEACHERS TREAT US EQUALLY AND HELP US TO LEARN.” South Lee Pupil

Welcome to South Lee, a vibrant, caring and

Ultimately, we want our children to grow up to

happy preparatory school for boys and girls aged

be kind and compassionate human beings who

0 to 13, with a sense of family at its core.

contribute to the global society. Our curriculum

At South Lee, we believe that if you create an environment where children feel happy, secure,

is broad and inspirational, incorporating the Arts, Sport and a rich co-curricular programme.

challenged and valued as individuals, they will

We have an excellent understanding of the

thrive.

senior schools both locally and further afield. By

In a fast-paced world, we need our children to be adaptable and flexible, to be able to problem solve and work collaboratively, to be able to think

getting to know the children so well, we are in an excellent position to secure places in the right school for each child.

critically and most of all to be resilient. South Lee

I hope that you enjoy exploring our prospectus

is a forward-thinking school, always looking for

and seeing all that we have to offer. However, a

ways to enhance and ignite intellectual curiosity in

prospectus can never convey the warmth, spirit

our children. We want them to become

and soul of the school as much as a visit in

independent learners, to ask questions, to

person. The children, staff and I would be

challenge what they already know, to learn new

delighted to welcome you to look around our

ways of thinking and to be the best they can

wonderful school.

possibly be.

We see the social and emotional aspects of learning as inextricably linked to academic learning and progress.

MRS SARAH CATCHPOLE Acting Headmistress

“SOUTH LEE HAS GIVEN MY CHILD THE BEST POSSIBLE START IN LIFE .”

South Lee Parent

WWW.SOUTHLEE.CO.UK

A SOUTH LEE EDUCATION South Lee is a vibrant prep school catering for children aged 0-13, with family at its core, situated in the beautiful market town of Bury St Edmunds.

From our youngest children in the Nursery to our Year 8 children in the Prep School, each pupil has the opportunity to experience something really special; a top class education, whilst still enjoying a childhood filled with curiosity, creativity and exploration.

South Lee teachers share the school’s values and ethos and are dedicated to helping our pupils to be their very best selves. Teaching is a vocation, and our highly skilled teachers are passionate about their subjects and set a curriculum that is challenging and diverse.

The school takes full advantage of all that is on offer in the local area, including the famous St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Nowton Park and the Suffolk countryside and coast.

“SOUTH LEE IS A FUN, CARING AND HAPPY ENVIRONMENT FOR A CHILD, NURTURING EACH INDIVIDUAL’S ABILITIES .”

South Lee Parent

THE IMPORTANCE OF BELONGING South Lee is a loving and caring school, encouraging kindness, friendship, resilience and contribution to our community.

At the centre of everything we do is the children and all our systems, procedures and policies are designed to get the very best out of our pupils. We see each of them as unique individuals with their own strengths and talents and we see our role as helping them on their journey to becoming their best selves. The importance of being kind, always trying your hardest and helping others is promoted and encouraged and gives our pupils a real sense of belonging.

“CHILDREN AT SOUTH LEE ARE TAUGHT EMPATHY, FRIENDSHIP AND POLITENESS. ” South Lee Parent

OUR AIMS At South Lee, education is centered around instilling a lifelong love of learning in each child by developing their skills and nurturing their growth as individuals.

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We believe that respect for children, belief in children and viewing the world through the eyes of children, should inform our teaching and care.

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We believe in a rounded approach to education where emotional and social well-being, confidence and self-awareness are inseparably intertwined with academic progress.

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We encourage children to develop into well rounded individuals who are ready to thrive in and contribute to the wider community and global society.

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We encourage children to have high aspirations and in doing so to take ownership of their steps towards success.

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We aim to channel the natural curiosity of children so that they become resilient, independent, critical and creative learners, through a rich, broad and challenging curriculum.

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We aim to provide opportunities for development and interests outside the classroom, allowing children to develop a healthy and mindful lifestyle, a sense of adventure and a zest for life.

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We aim for the children at South Lee to foster the values of teamwork, leadership, tolerance, kindness, trust and social responsibility.

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We view education as a shared journey in which we work closely with parents, guardians and most importantly the children themselves.

OUR FACILITIES A town school, South Lee sits on a good-sized campus, with excellent facilities. The children benefit from access to a wide range of learning environments, including specialist teaching areas for subjects such as Art and Design Technology (ADT), Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and Music. We have a fully equipped Science laboratory facilitating practical and hands on learning, which is extremely important in developing understanding and confidence in our budding scientists. We also own a large dipping pond on land in Nowton, which complements the Science, Geography and creative curricula.

“WE ARE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE TO HAVE SUCH A RANGE OF FACILITIES HERE AT SOUTH LEE .”

South Lee Pupil

Sports Hall & Studio Our huge sports centre, including a dance studio and tennis courts, enables the children to participate in many sports both as part of the school day and our extra-curricular programme. Managed

by School’s Out, on behalf of South Lee, we also provide premium quality holiday camps for our own pupils and children from the local community.

FOREST SCHOOL Originating in Scandinavia, the concept of Forest School is becoming more popular in UK schools. South Lee has been a well-established Forest School for the past 7 years, as we see the huge benefits children gain from learning in nature. Apart from being in the fresh air, Forest School develops children’s skills set in practical building, problem-solving and collaboration, as well as fostering a deeper understanding of nature, eco-systems and sustainability. It really helps to build their confidence and self-esteem too. We have a large, dedicated Forest School space with three areas and two outdoor classrooms. Unlike most other schools, children benefit from Forest School the whole way through from Nursery to Year 8.

“FOREST SCHOOL ALLOWS US TO LEARN ABOUT THE WORLD WE LIVE IN. ” South Lee Pupil

“I ENJOY TEACHING HERE – YOU GET TO BE CREATIVE AND TEACH USING THE MOST RECENT INNOVATIONS IN EDUCATION .

IT IS AN EXCITING AND SUPPORTIVE WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND THE CHILDREN ARE SPARKY AND EAGER TO LEARN .”

South Lee Staff

“THERE IS NEVER A DULL DAY AT SOUTH LEE SCHOOL !”

South Lee Pupil

GROWING TOGETHER Our excellent system of pastoral care is designed to encourage the children to take responsibility for how to behave, whilst providing support and advice when needed. We encourage the children to talk about their worries and we openly talk about the need to look after our mental wellbeing, as well as our physical wellbeing. Each child has a tutor to whom they can talk and we have a very successful mentoring system in place, which is led by the Year 8 pupils. We champion our pupils having a voice and there are many ways in which they can do so. For example, we have a school council, house meetings, tutor time and regular surveys, all designed to garner ideas and give a forum for open discussions. Our staff are approachable and they encourage warm and friendly relationships, with mutual respect at the centre.

Our behaviour policy is not fixed on a punitive system, rather we have one basic rule- treat others with kindness and respect. When things go wrong, as they do in life, our approach is based on restorative justice, allowing the children to make up for misdemeanours by giving back to the community. This encourages the children to take responsibility for their behaviours, knowing that they are still good human beings.

“I OVERCOME MY CHALLENGES WITH THE ‘TRY AND TRY AGAIN’ ATTITUDE ” South Lee Pupil

GROWTH MINDSET Growth mindset is a theory centred around the belief that intelligence and learning can be developed and improved. If someone has a growth mindset, they have a positive attitude towards learning and their ability to progress and achieve. Pupils who possess a growth mindset are said to rise to challenges and learn from the mistakes they make, rather than feeling distressed and defeated if they are unable to do or understand something.

South Lee is a non-selective school where we believe every child can thrive academically for their ability. Emphasis on the concept of having a growth mindset, encourages children to take on challenges and to be open to having a go at things which they find difficult, or new things that they might naturally shy away from. The same is expected of our staff and it demonstrates to the children that if we are open to learning new things no matter our age, life will be full of rich and exciting experiences. A growth mindset encourages the children to question things and to be intellectually curious.

As an independent school, we are not bound by the constraints of the National Curriculum, so our curriculum is designed to be broad, challenging and fun. Specialist teachers in academic subjects, the Creative Arts and Sport, ensure the teaching is of a high quality, delivered by staff who are up to date with the latest innovations and developments in their area.

We have an excellent Individual Development Department providing support to any of our pupils who might benefit from additional help. This is tailored to the individual child.

“SPECIALIST STAFF USE THEIR EXPERTISE TO ENABLE OUR CHILDREN TO BECOME THE BEST THEY CAN BE .”

South Lee Parent

ENRICHMENT In our weekly Enrichment afternoons, we have introduced new subjects, exciting experiences and engaging opportunities to add breadth to our usual curriculum. In these sessions, children take part in First Aid, Study Skills, Philosophy, Craft and Enterprise, Design Technology, Forest Schools, Music Makers, Swimming and Classical Civilizations, to name just a few. This is also a time when the children can participate in co-curricular opportunities, productions, trips etc., without disruption to their normal curriculum.

THE JOURNEY THROUGH SOUTH LEE

NURSERY Our Nursery is well renowned in the local area and provides the perfect start to your child’s learning journey.

The Nursery operates all year around from the purpose built premises within the school grounds. The bright and airy rooms are well resourced and the children have access to their own dedicated outdoor play space.

Child initiated and play based learning is complimented by practitioner led learning. The children also benefit room sessions with specialist teachers in Art, French, Physical Activity, Tennis and Stave House. The curriculum also includes Drama, Forest School, Musical Explorers, Yoga and STEM sessions (Science Technology, Engineering and Maths).

We are excited to announce the opening of a new baby room, due to the high demand for places.

“THE PROVISION IN THE NURSERY FOR PLANNED, PURPOSEFUL PLAY AND THE BALANCE BETWEEN ADULT -LED AND CHILD INITIATED ACTIVITIES ARE OUTSTANDING .”

ISI

“WE ARE TOLD TO ALWAYS BE CURIOUS AND TO NEVER STOP ASKING QUESTIONS .”

South Lee Pupil

PRE-PREP Pre-Prep provides the perfect start to your child’s formal education.

In Reception, children join the Pre-Prep school where they remain until Year 4. We aim to take young children’s natural curiosity and ignite it further through a range of play- based learning for the younger children, as well as more formal methods of learning. We encourage the children to ask questions and to find different ways to seek the answers. We encourage individuality and creativity, as this helps to build a growth mindset. The children are enthusiastic and inspired and they like nothing more than a challenge to get their brains going.

“WE RECEIVE PLENTY OF ENCOURAGING FEEDBACK ABOUT OUR CHILDREN… THE TEACHER REALLY KNOWS EACH CHILD .”

South Lee Parent

“IN OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY, EVERYONE HAS A VOICE. WE HAVE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES .”

South Lee Pupil

PREP The Prep School is all about developing independent, resilient, engaging and engaged young people.

Pupils enter the Prep School in Year 4 where they remain until the end of Year 8.

The emphasis in the Prep School is to really get the best out of the children both academically and creatively, so they are ready for their future schools and beyond. Independence and leadership are central to the philosophy in the prep school. We encourage the pupils to take on responsibility for their learning journey and to really challenge themselves. We also think that every pupil has the capacity to take on leadership, even if only in a small way. Believing in the children’s capabilities gives them confidence to achieve great things.

“MY CHILD HAS MATURED SOCIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY SINCE COMING TO SOUTH LEE .”

South Lee Parent

“WE ARE LIKE ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY. CHILDREN OF ALL AGES PLAY TOGETHER AND LOOK AFTER EACH OTHER .”

South Lee Pupil

FFUUTTUURREE SSCCHHOOOOLLSS We have an outstanding success rate of children moving on to excellent independent and state schools.

The majority of children stay at South Lee until the end of Year 8 when they move on to a wide range of Independent and state schools. Senior schools regularly comment on the calibre of pupils who come from South Lee, saying they are very well prepared for the transition to their chosen school. Choosing a senior school can be daunting, so we work very closely with parents and pupils throughout the process to ensure they get the right fit. The curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of the individual child and the school to which they are aiming.

Throughout the preparation for exams, scholarship applications and interviews, we are there every step of the way.

“SOUTH LEE PREPARES CHILDREN FOR THEIR NEXT SCHOOL BY FOCUSING ON WHAT IS BEST FOR THE CHILD .”

South Lee Parent

“I KNOW THAT I CAN ACHIE VE GREAT THINGS

BY WORKING HARD AND TRYING MY BEST .”

South Lee Pupil

A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES, POSSIBILITIES, BIG IMAGINATIONS AND WHAT IF’S… Budding actors, economists, scientists, environmentalists, musicians, game makers, artists, prime ministers, sports players, pop stars… who knows!

We celebrate every person in our community and their uniqueness! We value every achievement, however small or large. Our pupils are encouraged to aim really high, to open their minds to all and any opportunities and experiences that come their way and to ask the question, ‘what if?’.

It is by making mistakes that we learn, but we must be able to open ourselves up to failing, in order to be truly free to embrace new things. We pride ourselves on providing a safe, warm and supportive environment so every one of our pupils feels free to take risks, to make mistakes and to learn to be their best selves.

South Lee School, Nowton Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 2BT 01284 754654 / office@southlee.co.uk www.southlee.co.uk