At Edgeborough Pre-Prep School in Surrey, children thrive as they experience an exciting and stimulating education.
In Edgeborough’s Pre-Prep, children thrive in an environment of security, respect and kindness. Our small classes ensure that each pupil is met as an individual and that learning opportunities can be personal, targeted and built on pupil interest.
Our pupils enjoy a wide range of subjects allowing them to embark on an exciting learning journey right from their very first day in Reception. We place a strong emphasis on the development of Literacy and Numeracy. Through the engaging AnimaPhonics scheme, supported by a regular programme of individual and guided reading sessions, we consistently achieve high standards in reading. More broadly, classrooms explore and give weight to Literacy in its widest sense, and are active and busy centres of purposeful writing, story crafting, debate, explanation and fantasy. With Mathematics, our practical approach also sets secure foundations at an early age, with concepts mastered through doing and understood by means of practical application.
Beyond this, we pride ourselves on the bespoke enquiry-led and cross-curricula model we adopt to the wider curriculum, with the children’s interests and ideas placed at the heart of all planning and lessons, thus encouraging ownership, connection and purpose.
Specialist teachers then enhance the pupils’ learning experiences yet further through sessions in French, PE, Games, OWL (Outdoor Woodland Learning) and Music.
A Typical Day
Curriculum
Outdoor Learning
The Extended Day
Pastoral Care
A Typical Day
Our pupils arrive at school between 8.15 – 8.30am, in time to start the day and eager to embrace the new challenges and opportunities it brings.
The first lessons of the day are usually in the core subjects, Literacy and Mathematics. In both cases, small group sessions allow for each and every child to receive targeted support and challenge. Break times are greeted enthusiastically with children given a healthy snack and a drink before going out to play in their large, woodland Pre-Prep playground. There is a 20-minute break in the morning, 30 minutes after lunch and 10 minutes in the afternoon; teachers and teaching assistants supervise the playground. Pre-Prep children have lunch at midday in the Prep School Dining Hall. Children and teachers sit and eat together and enjoy family style dining, encouraging good manners and a healthy appetite! In the afternoons, the children’s enquiries fuel an expansive, creative and rich learning environment and experience.
The school day ends at 3:20pm for Reception, 3:25pm for Year 1 and 3:30pm for Year 2. However, many children will stay to enjoy the varied, exciting, and inclusive activity schedule that we offer.
Each week also includes a Tuesday ARK assembly which takes a moral, pastoral theme and is strongly linked to Edgeborough’s values of Adventure, Responsibility and Kindness. On Fridays, we celebrate our achievements in our popular ‘Celebration Assembly’. This is when we announce each class’s Star of the Week and our ARK awards. We also find out the week’s winning House, the Golden Table winners and celebrate birthdays.
Special Events:
Throughout the year we hold exciting events in the Pre-Prep, such as themed days (Dahlicious Day, European Day of Languages, World Book Day), class assemblies, drama workshops and our annual seasonal celebrations and performances. The children go on school trips each term to support their learning. Recent popular trips have included Portsmouth Dockyards, The Living Rainforest, Winchester Science Centre, The Lookout Centre, Wisley Gardens, Pizza Express, Farnham Community Farm and local museums.
Curriculum
Our pupils enjoy a wide range of subjects allowing them to embark on an exciting learning journey as they progress through the School. Teachers and teaching assistants work together to support and challenge every child. We place a strong emphasis on the development of essential skills in Literacy and Numeracy. Through an enquiry model, half-termly topics encourage invested, motivated and meaningful learning for all children across all subject areas.
Edgeborough’s children follow the phonics scheme, AnimaPhonics, which employs a multi-sensory and engaging approach to support the attainment of essential reading and writing skills. This is enhanced by exciting creative and purposeful writing opportunities, regular 1:1 reading slots, target spellings, comprehension tasks and grammar lessons. We also place a strong emphasis on spoken language, with the children encouraged to explain, present and debate their ideas across subject areas. In addition, the children also enjoy visiting our Pre-Prep library each week to choose a new book to take home.
In Mathematics, we adopt a practical approach to learning in order to build strong foundations. We have a wide range of resources which the children use to build their understanding and confidence, using concrete methods before moving on to pictorial and abstract tasks. We encourage talk and reasoning, asking children to explain their methods or answers to a partner and discuss ideas together. We often work in pairs and the children are encouraged to question. Lessons incorporate mental skills, problem solving, reasoning challenges and interactive games amongst other activities and tasks. Mathematics is always exciting!
Science, Art, Humanities, ICT and ARK (PSHE) are encompassed by the Enquiry Unit, which starts with a driving question and then follows the interests and curiosities of the children. We have given significant time and care to developing this enquiry curriculum which truly nurtures a love of learning amongst our pupils as they develop their understanding and learn new skills.
In the Pre-Prep, we adopt four of the Pre-Senior Baccalaureate (PSB) target skills; Communication, Independence Collaboration and Thinking and Learning. These feature prominently across all lessons and frame the approach to learning taken by the children.
School trips and visiting speakers are linked to our topics and help to bring lessons to life.
Reception Topics, which incorporate the Early Years 7 Areas of Learning, include:
- Marvellous Me
- Buzz, Oink, Roar!
- Our Wonderful World
In Years 1 & 2, half-termly Enquiry Units have included:
- Bright Lights, Big City
- Our Town
- Claws and Paws
Across the Pre-Prep, PE and French are taught by specialist teachers, as is Music which sees all Year 2 taught to play the violin and recorder, building on the musicality, rhythm and basic theory achieved in Reception and Year 1. The sports taught in PE change each term and include swimming, gymnastics, dance, athletics and team sports such as football, netball, hockey, cricket and rounders.
All children participate in our Outdoor Woodland Learning (OWL) programme which provides opportunities for hands-on learning in the outdoors. It helps children develop confidence and self-esteem as they are able to make their own choices and take risks in a safe environment, work cooperatively, be creative and develop positive relationships with themselves, other people and the natural environment.
Our teachers ensure that every child has the best opportunities to experience success as they move up through the School.
Year 1 and 2 Topic Cycle:
| Christmas Term | |
|---|---|
| Cycle A | Cycle B |
Ancient Egypt: Journey into the world of pharaohs, pyramids and ancient gods. Can you walk like an Egyptian for our dress up day? | Prehistoric Britain: Discover more about life from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, changes and inventions which have shaped our lives. |
| Easter Term | |
|---|---|
| Cycle A | Cycle B |
London: Learn about the history of our capital city with an investigation of famous Londoners, landmarks and art. Reenact the Great Fire of London and try to avoid the Plague! | Amazing Asia: A colourful celebration of geography, nature, festivals and cultures, with a special Chinese New Year celebration day. |
| Summer Term | |
|---|---|
| Cycle A | Cycle B |
A Voyage of Discovery: Trace the adventures of explorers and discover more about our oceans, with a visit to Portsmouth Dockyards. Beware of the pirates! | Chocolate: Explore food, from ‘Bean to Bar’, discover the wonders of the rainforest and learn about the amazing adaptations of plants and animals. |
Across the Pre-Prep, PE and French are taught by specialist teachers, as is Music which sees all Year 2 taught to play the violin and recorder, building on the musicality, rhythm and basic theory achieved in Reception and Year 1. The sports taught in PE change each term and include swimming, gymnastics, dance, athletics and team sports such as football, netball, hockey, cricket and rounders.
The children also enjoy visiting our Pre-Prep library each week to choose a new book to take home. All children participate in our Outdoor Woodland Learning (OWL) programme which provides opportunities for hands-on learning in the outdoors. It helps children develop confidence and self-esteem as they are able to make their own choices and take risks in a safe environment, work cooperatively, be creative and develop positive relationships with themselves, other people and the natural environment.
Our teachers ensure that every child has the best opportunities to experience success as they move up through the School.
We follow a Computing scheme which includes programming, photography, research and data collection, amongst other topics, and teach ICT skills alongside this. The children also enjoy visiting our Pre Prep Library each week to choose a new book to take home. Fortnightly, all children participate in our Woodland Activities programme which provides opportunities for hands-on learning in the outdoors. It helps children develop confidence and self-esteem as they are able to make their own choices and take risks in a safe environment, work cooperatively, be creative and develop positive relationships with themselves, other people and the natural environment.
Our teachers ensure that every child has the best opportunities to experience success as they move up through the School.
Outdoor Learning
Outdoor learning and play has a hugely positive impact on children’s development. Through outdoor play at Edgeborough, children learn to work together, problem solve and persevere with challenges. They develop communication and language skills as they explain their ideas and listen to others.
At Edgeborough, our Pre-Prep children develop a love and appreciation of the outdoors. We embrace opportunities to take our learning outside and look forward to our weekly OWL (Outdoor Woodland Learning) sessions in the woods. These sessions link to our current topic, seasonal changes or special occasions in the year. They promote problem solving, taking risks, creative play and physical development through activities such as den building, woodland craft, conservation projects, outdoor cooking or nature trails. The freedom of the natural environment helps children develop target skills of Communication, Independence Collaboration and Thinking and Learning. Most importantly, they are great fun and allow a love of the natural world to be fostered.
The Extended Day
A popular extension to the school day are Breakfast Club, available from 7.50am every day and Conkers, which runs to 5:50 pm. These optional extended sessions offer the pupils sustenance, socialisation and care in the comfort of their familiar surrounds and known faces.
Alongside our extended day options, we also offer lunch and after-school clubs where the children can challenge themselves by taking part in a wide variety of activities. These are provided by both teachers and external groups/individuals. Details of the clubs on offer are provided before the start of each term, with options typically including; Tennis, Ballet, Judo, Spanish, Cookery, Choir, Woodland Club and Football.
Pastoral Care
At Edgeborough, we have a strong sense of community, where children, teachers and parents are respectful and supportive of each other. In the Pre-Prep, our ARK values of Adventure, Responsibility and Kindness stand at the heart of all we do and how we treat one another.
The class teacher plays a key role in the pastoral care of the children in their class, and this is overseen by the Head of Pre-Prep. Weekly ARK lessons, daily class circle-times, and frequent assemblies support our pastoral provision, with Lego Therapy or individual time with the Pre-Prep’s ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) available to those children requiring a little extra support.
Across the Pre-Prep, children feel safe, they are respectful of other people’s feelings and they are aware of the importance of being kind to the self.
Playtime:
We help the children learn how to make friends and play together. Teachers and teaching assistants monitor play times. We have a wonderful playground area with different games for the children to enjoy. The main equipment is placed on a rotation between each year group so that everyone gets a chance to play.
Rewards:
We believe in rewarding good behaviour. Rewards take the form of: House Points; Stars of the Week; ARK awards and WOWs. Each week, we gather as a community to celebrate the children’s many achievements in our Celebration Assembly.
Houses:
In the Pre Prep we have four houses: Red, Blue, Yellow and Green. Siblings are placed in the same house. The children collect points and there is a winning House each week, and an overall winner each term.
Discover Edgeborough at our Open Mornings …
On our open mornings, see what we have to offer your child with our picturesque campus set in the heart of Farnham. Guided tours will show you why this special environment will give them the best place to learn. Get up close and personal and experience first hand how our pupils blend in so easily to the day-to-day life of our independent prep school. Lastly, staff members will be on hand for you to discuss how we can help your child reach their educational aspirations. Join us for this amazing opportunity.
Our next Open Morning is on Friday 8th March 2024.
Claim your place on our Open Morning on our Eventbrite page.
If you have any other queries please contact our Head of Admissions, Debbie Tully admissions@edgeborough.co.uk. or call us on 01252 792495.
Pre-Prep School in Surrey – Edgeborough School
Edgeborough, a pre-prep school in Surrey, is at the forefront of modern educational practices. Our school recognises that rote memorisation is not enough to prepare students for a competitive and ever-changing world. Instead, there is a focus on developing problem solving, creativity, and critical analysis skills. This approach is in line with current trends in education that emphasise a broader range of competencies beyond exam performance. Edgeborough is committed to laying the foundation for tomorrow’s independent thinkers, providing students with the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of higher education and the professional world with confidence. Their approach is a proactive step towards ensuring that the next generation of leaders are ready to tackle the challenges of the future.
