Prep School Prospectus 2023-24

Prep Senior Sixth

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A warm welcome Sydenham High Prep is a happy and busy school where no two days are ever the same. The aim of our Prep School is to develop enquiring minds and a lifelong love of learning in our girls.

Through enthusiastic, inspiring specialist teaching and a broad and balanced curriculum, our girls are well prepared not merely for the demands of Senior School and the 11+ process, but also for a rich and fulfilling future. We have high expectations of the girls in our school and aim to ensure that every girl achieves her full potential.

Ms Antonia Geldeard Head

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It has never been a better time to be a girl. That’s why our Prep School is so committed to delivering first-class experiences for every pupil which instil a belief that our girls can reach for the stars.

Our Prep School mascot is Fina, the giraffe. Fina perfectly encapsulates the ‘Sydenham spirit’ and, as such, each pupil is invited to become a ‘Giraffe Girl’. Together, we stand tall, stick our necks out and always try new things.

Mrs Gillian Panton Head of Prep School

Fear Nothing

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Ethos Providing a first-class education for girls was the aim of our founders in 1887 and, though the outlook and opportunities for girls may have changed, our educational goals remain the same.

Our school motto, Nyle ye Drede, (‘Fear Nothing’) lies at the heart of all we do.

A Sydenham High education is centred upon the girl, where academic excellence and pastoral excellence go hand in hand. We want our pupils to have a ‘can do’ approach and inner strength so that they are enabled to thrive, succeed and be happy.

Sydenham High School is part of the Girls’ Day School Trust, the leading group of independent girls’ schools in the UK.

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We are a school which is small enough to ensure that every pupil is visible, so that her education is both aspirational and personalised. We want to empower our girls to face potential challenges with confidence. We want them to be resilient in all that they do so that in a changing world they are able to respond positively to the ever-increasing demands placed on them, both at school and in their future lives.

Aims

We want to inspire our pupils to: - Achieve individual excellence; to be inspired and to inspire - Be ambitious and outstrip expectations - Embrace opportunities - Be bold, fearless and resilient - Have independence of mind and the courage to take risks - Have a strong moral compass and be accepting and respectful of themselves and others

Aspirational Setting

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We share several exceptional facilities with the Senior School, from the Westwood Theatre to the Recital Hall.

The Longton Hall is an outstanding concert and performance venue; while the all-weather pitch, large sports hall, eight-acre sports ground and our netball courts are superb venues for sport and PE.

On the Prep School site, there is ample outdoor space with two well-equipped playgrounds, as well as a wonderful outdoor classroom where young imaginations run wild and learning through play is encouraged. Inside, dedicated subject classrooms enrich our educational offering; while the Discovery Zone is a space where young minds develop further through books, technology and the creative arts.

Above all, we bring learning to life within an inspirational setting where every girl is encouraged to find her spark and the confidence to succeed each day.

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4+ Pre-Prep We recognise the importance of building confidence at this stage of a child’s learning.

That’s why we provide our pupils with abundant opportunities to thrive in the classroom; building on their skills, knowledge and understanding, while introducing new challenges as they develop into independent learners.

Reception

Years 1 and 2

The Early Years Foundation Stage is fundamental in instilling positive attitudes to learning. During the reception year, children will play and explore; make choices and learn to try things and persevere; be creative and solve problems; form good relationships; and feel safe, secure and happy. Our spacious and stimulating environment, including a multi-sensory outdoor play area, supports the teaching of carefully planned learning sessions, alongside the children’s own initiatives for learning.

Throughout Years 1 and 2, our girls continue to build upon the firm Early Years foundations.

Dynamic teachers deliver exciting, well-planned and differentiated lessons and provide the girls with a happy and relaxed, yet challenging environment in which to work, play and learn. Girls continue with specialist teaching in French, Music and Sport, alongside humanities, Art, Design and Technology and our core curriculum study of English, Maths, Science, Computing, Personal Social & Health Education (PSHE), and Religious Education.

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Sydenham High School Prep

7+ Prep Years 3 - 6

By the start of Year 3, our girls are developing as confident, independent learners. As they progress, they become more accustomed to specialist teaching as this high quality provision is further extended from French, Music and Sport to include Computing, Drama and Art & Design Technology, and in Latin and Science from Year 5 .

The timetable concentrates upon the development of core skills with an hour a day devoted to English and Maths.

Concepts that have been introduced in the lower years are now extended and

explored in greater depth with an emphasis upon honing skills of synthesis, analysis and collaboration.

The girls remain in class groups and ability groupings are used in some aspects of the curriculum so that the girls can be stretched or supported as required. As they grow in confidence and independence, girls are expected to take more responsibility for their homework and lives within school. Personalised feedback characterises learning in this section of the Prep School and the girls are continually encouraged to reflect on what they have achieved and set targets for future progression.

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We recognise how important it is to build confidence at this stage of a child’s learning and so we give them all plenty of opportunities to succeed and flourish in the classroom, building on their skills, knowledge and understanding, as well as introducing new challenges as they become independent learners.

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Confident independent learners

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The Whole Child

We fundamentally believe that girls can only be successful when they are happy. Pastoral care is the cornerstone of our provision as we strive to ensure that each and every girl is supported to feel fulfilled, safe, and secure within our school community.

Our approach to pastoral care focuses upon strong and positive relationships between pupils and staff, as well as an open partnership with parents.

We also have clear expectations of behaviour enshrined in our Golden Rules.

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There is strong pastoral support from teaching staff who see the girls every day and closely monitor progress, both socially and emotionally, throughout the year.

The small size of our school also makes a difference; each girl is visible and well-known as an individual. This means our teachers have a flexible and relevant approach to the particular personal and unique needs of every girl.

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Embedded into all aspects of Prep School life, Flourish & Fly is an extensive programme of challenges and activities which complements our highly developed PSHE curriculum and student development programme.

Flourish & Fly is an exciting and bold initiative that has true Sydenham spirit at its heart. We want every girl to find her spark, challenge herself and soar ahead, knowing she has the innate ability to overcome any obstacles.

Flourish & Fly has been designed to inspire, challenge and embolden pupils through unique enrichment experiences. This innovative programme offers every girl the opportunity to discover her own individual talents.

The initiative works across all subjects and year groups to stretch abilities, build confidence, and develop collaborative working. Each half term, we focus on one of our Flourish & Fly values – Girls First; Be Bold; Be Principled; Be Networked – as a theme which culminates in a week of special activities and challenges to bring each value to life.

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Flourish & Fly

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Drama plays a significant part of our co-curricular programme at Prep School. The specialist facilities at the Westwood Theatre and Longton Hall enable our pupils to perform on stage and help with lighting, sound, visual effects and stage management.

Alongside our main productions, our girls have the opportunity to attend one of our afterschool drama clubs, participate in assemblies to parents, and audition for termly speech and drama showcases.

Pupils from reception to year 6 also regularly embrace the opportunity to study for London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) accredited examinations.

We are also proud to be regular contributors to the Beckenham Festival each November.

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Drama 17

Music Specialist music teaching is provided to all our pupils from reception onwards, but this is just the start of the exciting musical opportunities we offer.

Our programme of clubs includes a range of choir, ensemble and percussion groups for pupils to join, as well as one-to-one peripatetic lessons. Many of our pupils study for the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music

(ABRSM) examinations in an array of instruments, including strings, woodwind and brass.

We aim to foster a love of music-making among all our pupils and are proud that our programme offers opportunities open to all. Meanwhile, audition-only activities allow us to pursue an exceptionally high standard of elite musical accomplishment.

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Sport We want all our girls, from reception to year 6, to keep active, get involved in sport, and develop a real sense of team spirit.

All pupils receive specialist weekly PE teaching and we are especially keen to nurture a love for sport and the outdoors from an early age.

From year 3, pupils have the opportunity to represent the school in competitive fixtures and tournaments against other local schools, as well as participate in regular GDST sporting rallies. In addition, all pupils come together once a term to compete in a major inter-house sporting tournament.

As well as making the most of the large sports hall and all-weather pitch facilities at the Senior School, our girls frequently visit our sports ground in Lower Sydenham and swim regularly at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

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Co-curricular Clubs & activities

Our girls enjoy rich and varied school days, reflected in our wide-ranging co-curricular programme. We offer over 70 clubs each week (before, after or during the school day) which means the school buzzes with children having fun, honing their skills and discovering new passions.

Alongside an extensive choice of stimulating sport, music, art and drama activities, we offer an extensive range of clubs that change each term, from debating to philosophy, fencing, calligraphy and chess. So every girl can find something she truly loves.

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Out & About We offer frequent opportunities for organised educational and cultural visits for all our pupils.

Our proximity to London’s museums, galleries and attractions is a real advantage and our pupils regularly make the most of what the capital has to offer.

We also benefit from a number of interesting annual GDST excursions which allow our girls to visit other GDST schools around the country. Regular events include the annual Maths Conference at Oxford University and the Digital Leaders’ Forum.

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Our exciting programme of residential trips commences in Year 4 when pupils visit Stubbers Outdoor Education Centre for two nights. This increases to four-night trips to the Jurassic Coast (Year 5) and Northern France (Year 6). A ski and outdoor education trip is also available to Years 5 and 6.

We are very proud of our status as an all-through school for girls aged 4 to 18. It ensures we can offer an exciting and unbroken educational journey of excellence.

We believe that the extremely high transfer rate from Prep School to Senior School strongly illustrates our success and identity. That is why we are so committed to delivering a robust and thorough preparation programme for all our pupils during the summer term of year 5 and the autumn term of year 6.

Our preparation process for Senior School is supportive and positive, placing our knowledge of the individual pupil at the core. We aim to ensure every girl is wellprepared for the rigours of the Senior School examination process and develops a growth mindset, fostering resilience and confidence to deal with the transition to Senior School in a realistic and composed manner.

While achievement and performance in the 11+ process is valued and wholeheartedly encouraged, it is only one element of a broad and balanced curriculum which immeasurably prepares our girls for life in year 7 and beyond.

Beyond Prep School

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Your journey We believe our Prep Journey is both special and unique because of the emphasis placed on getting to know each girl as an individual.

Strong positive relationships characterise all aspects of learning and development, from reception to Year 6.

This helps to provide the firmest of foundations for academic success, as well as rounded social and emotional development.

As our pupils grow and progress through the Prep School, they develop the confidence, resilience, skills and knowledge to achieve success and happiness beyond the school gates.

The Sydenham spirit promotes ambition, aspiration and compassion and remains with our pupils once they move to Senior School and beyond.

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The Girls’ Day Schoo Trust is the UK’s largest group of independent girls’ schools, a national leader in girls’ education. GDST schools and academies share an ethos and a proud heritage of girls-only education and are members of a unique network.

Our pupils outperform their peers in public exams, but we know there’s so much more to a truly broad and balanced education than just stellar exam results. At our schools, girls can compete and collaborate with their peers in other GDST schools, taking part in Trust-wide events, rallies, performances and activities.

Sydenham High Prep 15 Westwood Hill London SE26 6BL 020 8557 7070 prep@syd.gdst.net Admissions 020 8557 7004 admissions@syd.gdst.net

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