Prep School Guide
As Head of Wellingborough Prep School, I am delighted to provide you with an insight into the fantastic activities and opportunities offered at the School. Whether this is your first experience of the School or if you have visited before, the ethos of the School is clear to see from our wonderful pupils and staff.
The following pages will give you a flavour of what to expect at the School, including the extensive range of opportunities available for pupils both inside and outside of the classroom. However, nothing can match the experience of actually visiting, seeing and feeling for yourself the friendly atmosphere and enthusiasm for learning that I believe pervades from the moment your child joins us.
I would be delighted to show you round and provide an opportunity for you to meet my colleagues and our pupils.
Katharine Owen HEAD OF PREP
Wellingborough is a School which provides the opportunities that enable our pupils to discover their potential and decide who they want to be. It achieves this in a warm, supportive and challenging environment where pupils, staff and parents work together to ensure that every child flourishes.
Our unique IPC Curriculum offers a variety of entry point activities to help pupils make connections between subjects and discover new passions.
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aboutourIPC Curriculum
Dynamism Inclusivity
Excellence
Empathy
Independence
Wellingborough School Nursery is a spacious, indoor and outdoor enabling environment that is a secure and creative place for the start of your child’s learning journey.
Through gentle guidance, our experienced staff will support your child to develop positive relationships and behaviours. They will develop the confidence to talk about their own interests and knowledge and become happy, active learners who are school ready by the end of the year. We also place great importance on building a strong partnership with parents.
The hours for full-time places in the Nursery are 8.30am to 3.30pm. Some children may begin the year on a part-time basis (minimum of 3 days per week) but we expect that they will be full time by November (after the first half-term holiday) in order that they are able to gain the full benefit of our educational offering. We also offer a Breakfast Club from 7:45 am and an After-School Club until 6:00 pm. (There is a small extra charge for Breakfast and After-School Clubs).
With a high adult to child ratio, specialist dance and music lessons, as well as exciting trips to local woodlands, your child will be ready for Reception the following year.
We knew it was right to put our son into Wellingborough School Nursery when we came to our first Open Day one Saturday when he was still much younger, but I can honestly say I have been ‘blown away’ by exactly how much effort and time Mrs Gutteridge and her team have put into the development of the children. We would like to say a heartfelt thanks to all in the nursery team; our son’s development was visible right from the start and as the year is coming to an end, it is lovely to see his awareness, imagination, numeracy and literacy develop.
Those who join our Nursery and Reception classes benefit from broad and enriching experiences related to the world around them. Their busy ‘hands on’ days are filled with learning activities, outings and visiting experts, together with the all-important opportunities for play and developing friendships. The foundations for literacy and numeracy are laid and creativity is encouraged. The curriculum for the Under 5s centres around the seven areas of learning. These are made up of three prime areas which are communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development and the four specific areas: literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive art and design. The well-planned activities covering all these areas ensure that pupils make very good progress in a happy well balanced way. We use ‘Seesaw’, an online learning journal which is shared with parents.
Design and Technology
Physical Education
English and Drama
Computing
Geography
Religious Education History
Mathematics
MFL (Incl French and Spanish) Science
Lions Tigers Wolves
Pupils are assigned to one of these six Clubs.
The vertical structure of the Club system means that pupils of all ages integrate with one another and older pupils can share their experiences and help and support our younger pupils. Each Club has a Club Captain but many pupils will take the lead in a number of activities as we are keen to encourage initiative and a sense of responsibility.
educational experience.
The Outdoor Rangers is now part of our after school cocurricular activities. We have some hugely exciting projects planned for them that will enhance the learning experience for all of our Prep School pupils.
During their time in the Prep School, children experience a range of co-curricular activities which are open to pupils both during and after the school day. Activities include: Art, Chess, Archery, Lego, Gardening, Cookery, Choir, Jigsaw, Touch-typing, Mindfulness, Reading and many more. One of our most popular activities is the ‘Digital Leaders’ which is an initiative designed to give the children more confidence in the use of digital technology. Dance is taught by a specialist teacher in the Lower Prep at lunchtimes. Children are offered Modern, Tap and Ballet techniques, leading to opportunities to take examinations later in their dance ‘journey’.
Pupils also have the opportunity to develop their musical abilities through both individual lessons and ensembles. Opportunities include choir groups, string quartets, orchestra, music tech club and many more. Each year group in the Prep School puts on a highly anticipated annual play where all pupils enjoy an opportunity to sing, act, dance and perform to parents. Class assemblies also give the children an opportunity to develop their ability to speak clearly and confidently in front of different audiences.
Pupils have the opportunity to nurture their passions and explore new interests; our offerings cater to all with options such as:
Wellingborough School has an enviable sporting reputation, and our ‘Sport for All’ ethos has uncovered many fine talents. We aim to give every child the opportunity to represent the School in a sporting event or fixture. It is hoped that this superb provision for sport at Wellingborough Prep School will instil a lifelong love for sport as well as providing individuals with the added benefits that sport provides such as self
In the Lower Prep, pupils have a weekly lesson of Games and one of PE. The pupils in the Upper Prep receive three Games lessons plus one PE lesson per week, and the sports on offer vary each term throughout the year.
Pupils are also offered the opportunity to go on a variety of outside trips during their education in order to enhance their learning and experience local attractions from a young age.
The Old Wellingburian Club was formed in 1897 and has an active body of over 4,000 supporters around the world who are just as passionate about the School’s future as they are about its past. The Club enables former pupils to keep in touch with the School as well as each other, and to meet with other OWs of all age groups for social and sporting events.
The Club arranges regular year group reunions and sends out a hard copy Newsletter each year, as well as periodic emails. We have a wide presence on social media and our LinkedIn Group is a great way to network and exchange careers advice and support.
If you haven’t heard from the Club for a while, it’s probably because we do not have a current email address for you. Please contact the Club with your upto-date contact details, we would love to hear from you.
Sophie Timms (82-92, W) OW Club President 2023 – 2024
Originally founded in 1595 as a boys’ school, Wellingborough School has a long and distinguished history with strong roots in the local community.
During its early years there were just two masters, the Headmaster teaching Latin and his deputy teaching English, each on separate floors. A great rivalry developed between the two, culminating in the first floor (known as the Upper School) emerging as the present Wellingborough School, while the Lower School later evolved into the town’s Grammar School.
1881
After moving to its present site in 1881, the School grew rapidly in both size and reputation under the Headmastership of Dr Henry Platt.
He was succeeded by Philip Fryer in 1907, during whose tenure the fine School Chapel was built, and the School’s proud heritage and prominent status continued to be consolidated by a succession of eminent and forward-thinking educationalists.
In 1970, the School started to admit girls and became fully co-educational in 1979. In 1995, the School celebrated its 400th Anniversary.
The Preparatory School, originally known as Junior House, and later as the Junior School was established in 1913. The following years saw the introduction of the House System to the Senior School (1924) and the Club System to the Prep School (1940).
From September 2020 onwards, it was announced that the school would be restructured from a three-tier school to a two-tier school. Known as Project Chrysalis, the Pre-Preparatory and Preparatory Schools have joined together to form the Prep School, whilst Year 7 and 8 have moved up to become a part of the Senior School.
The school also announced in 2020 the construction of a new Sixth Form Centre to celebrate its 425th anniversary.
What are the costs of the admissions process?
To register your child you will need to pay the £75 non-refundable Registration fee. If your child is offered a place and you choose to accept it you will need to pay the £500 Acceptance deposit, which is refundable upon your child leaving the School.
Do you offer sibling discount?
A 10% discount is applied to the third child and 25% to the fourth (and additional children thereafter). The discount is applied to the termly bill of the youngest child More information on fees can be found online at www.wellingboroughschool.org/fees
Is there transport to and from school?
Do you take pupils at any stage of entry?
The School runs various bus routes through the county We currently have 6 routes running and details can be found at www wellingboroughschool org/transport Pupils can join different year groups at various times of the academic year, subject to available spaces and meeting the entrance requirements. Our largest intake year groups are Year 7 and Sixth Form, but places in Nursery, Reception, Year 3 and Year 9 are also very popular.
We have available spaces for 2024 entrance; however year groups quickly fill up. Speak to a member of the Admissions team if you are interested in a 2024 space. Entrance to Sixth Form is dependent on GCSE results and therefore doesn’t require the candidate to sit an entrance exam. All candidates must be registered with us to sit Entrance Examinations.
Exceptional ability is celebrated at Wellingborough, and the highly prized title of Scholar is one way in which talent is recognised. A Scholarship is applied for by the pupil, and there is a rigorous selection process including an interview. The title of Scholar is accompanied with a small monetary award - up to £100 per year in Years 7-11 and up to £200 per year in Sixth Form.
Wellingborough is a diverse and welcoming community, a School which believes that our fees should not present a barrier to children who are in a position to benefit from the opportunities that we offer. We can offer eligible parents or guardians financial assistance with tuition fees. Such support is known as a Bursary and is aimed towards the Senior School, usually for pupils joining us in Year 7 or Lower Sixth. The Bursary fund is finite and demand usually exceeds available resources. It is important therefore that bursary applications are received on time.
At Wellingborough School we provide children and young adults with a world of opportunity.
Our main points of entry are Nursery, Reception, Years 3, 7 & Sixth Form. We also welcome new joiners at all entry points throughout the School, adding to the richness of our community.
The School wishes for prospective parents and pupils to fully understand our environment and ethos before committing and we encourage you to get to know us as you make that important decision of where to send your child to school.
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