WELCOME TO UPPER PREP
STEVE CATCHPOLE | HEAD OF UPPER PREP
The Prep School offers a five-year programme that will equip each child for the transition to senior school.
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We strive to ensure, in close partnership with parents, that our pupils develop into well educated, balanced and confident teenagers, with an understanding of both personal and group responsibility.
Prep School starts at Year 4, when the children are aged 8+. To ease the transition from Pre-Prep to Prep School, each Year 4 class has a form teacher. The pupils have a ‘home room’ where many of their lessons are taught. The form teacher oversees their general welfare and teaches them a variety of academic subjects. Specialist teachers support and complement the important work of the form teachers.
Once in the Prep School, all pupils are appointed to one of three Houses: Abbey, Manor or Tower. House marks are awarded for good work and commitment to the school’s ethos. We believe in, and have a healthy respect for, competition at South Lee with Inter-House matches being a feature of our sporting programme.
House Captains are elected by their peers. This gives our older children positions of responsibility within the school and provides them with an opportunity to develop leadership skills at a very important stage in their young lives.
Curriculum
Our teaching and learning approach isn't constrained by the Common Entrance Syllabus or the National Curriculum.
This freedom allows us to personalise our educational provision, tailoring it to the unique needs of our pupils. Essentially, we can prepare our pupils for real-life experiences through our teaching methods, equipping them with practical skills and knowledge that extend beyond the classroom.
Pastoral Care
We foster an environment where children are encouraged to openly and honestly communicate, addressing any challenges or concerns with both their peers and the faculty.
Each child is assigned a tutor, ensuring regular and personalised support. With a diverse student body, we aim for every child, regardless of their abilities, to feel appreciated and nurtured, reflecting the essence of our mission.
