St Andrew’s PrepMeads

Eastbourne

East Sussex

BN20 7RP

Tel: 01323 733203 www.standrewsprep.co.uk

Marlborough House

Old Wish Road, Eastbourne,

East Sussex BN21 4JY

A Limited Company

Registered in England No. 115408

Registered Charity No. 307071

HeadmasterGareth Jones MEd, BA Hons, PGCE

Annual Information2019-2020

This is the St Andrew’s Prep information booklet which complements our prospectus and website.

The prospectus gives a very broad overview of what makes an education at St Andrew’s so very special while this booklet contains more detailed information that is updated annually and further information can be found on our website.

While all three sources of information help paint a picture of our school, the best way to find out about St Andrew’s Prep is to pay us a visit so that you can see the smiles, hear the laughter and feel the personality in every corner of the school.

I look forward to welcoming you and your family to St Andrew’s Prep.

Mr G Jones MEd, BA Hons Headmaster

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Welcome

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The following passage is an extract from ‘A Children’s History’ which was written by St Andrew’s children, for St Andrew’s children. “Until 1877, when St Andrew’s Prep was founded, the site where the school now stands was not a school but a farm known as Colstocks or Wellcombe Farm. Meads Village was very small and was made up of a few fishing cottages, two large houses and All Saints Chapel which still stands today. In 1865 Colstocks was bought by a Mr Goodwin, who was to found the first school on the site. In 1877 the Reverend Francis Souper came to Eastbourne with his wife and family. He bought Colstocks Farm from Mr Goodwin and called the school ‘Meads’ until 1882, when he decided to name it after St Andrew, the disciple whom Jesus had first met by the sea.” In 1890 EL Browne (ELB) bought the land from Revd Souper and remained Headmaster for an incredible 43 years! Like many prep schools St Andrew’s was, in its early years, a small boarding school for around one hundred boys aged between 7 and 13. In 1964 the first day boys joined the school and in 1976 girls were admitted. During 1977 St Andrew’s merged with Ascham, then prep school of Eastbourne College.

In February 2010, the charities of Eastbourne College and St Andrew’s School amalgamated. As a consequence, the two schools continue to operate independently, each having its own name and Headmaster, but they are run by a single charity. Very importantly the two schools share the same values and ethos and the Headmasters are charged, by the overarching charity, to work closely together and ensure the charity’s considerable resources (both human and facilities) are applied in the most effective way possible for the benefit of children at both schools. This arrangement is in stark contrast to ‘through’ schools where the junior school head is very often subservient to the senior school head, resources are not always evenly applied and children are very actively funnelled towards the senior school. By the same token, parental choice of senior school at 13 is highly valued and promoted at both St Andrew’s and Eastbourne College. It is essential that all children go to the right senior school for their individual needs and the Headmaster works closely with parents to offer advice and help before a final decision is made. There is no automatic right of transfer from one school to the other.

History and Amalgamation

Welcome 1

History and Amalgamation 2

Curriculum (Nursery) 5

Curriculum (Pre-Prep) 6

Curriculum (Prep) 9

Extra-Curricular 13

St Andrew’s Life (A to Z) 15

Admissions 18

Scholarships and Bursaries 19

Term Dates 20

Directions 21

Contents

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Curriculum

Breadth and balance are just two features of a St Andrew’s education. With the broad curriculum on offer we are able to create a strong blend of academic, artistic, dramatic, musical and sporting experiences for all children.

St Andrew’s Prep Nursery – 9 months to 4 years is split into four groups:

Sparrows 9 months to 18 months Robin Rising two year olds Nightingales Rising three year olds Chaffinch / Kingfisher Three to four year olds

Nursery children progress to Reception classes in the September after their fourth birthday and many of our Nursery children transfer to our Pre-Prep in a seamless transition to complete the early years foundation stage.

Children can start school with us from the age of 9 months and, for many parents, whose older children are already at school, St Andrew’s Prep Nursery provides an ideal introduction for a younger sibling in friendly and familiar surroundings. Those who join us in the Nursery are well prepared for their future education. There is no division between learning and play and we offer a welcoming and stimulating environment, both inside and out.

Our light, airy Nursery is friendly and secure in its own well equipped, carefully designed building within the school’s spacious grounds. Being part of a larger school means that the children in St Andrew’s Prep Nursery can enjoy many of the Pre-Prep and Prep facilities including an indoor swimming pool, gym, library, Forest School, resource centre and extensive playing fields.

Sparrows – 9 months to 18 months The Sparrows is open from 8am to 6pm, for 50 weeks of the year. The Sparrows offers care all year round with the exception of the Christmas period and Bank Holidays. However, parents may opt for term time only. Morning, afternoon and all day sessions should be booked in advance and there is the opportunity to increase sessions, subject to availability, on a termly basis. Using the excellent facilities of St Andrew’s Prep Nursery and the rest of the school, there are nutritious home-cooked meals, a nappy-changing room, and a cosy sleep room with a monitoring system. There is plenty of outdoor play in the Sparrows’ dedicated play area and walks to the seafront and surrounding area. Sparrows provides a stimulating and safe learning environment where your child will be happy, secure, engaged and cherished. Your child will develop emotionally and physically and the Nursery staff ensure a natural and easy transition to the older Nursery classes.

Curriculum: Art and Craft, Heuristic Play (exploring and discovering), Messy Play, Music Maestros, Out and About, Stories and Rhymes, Structured Play, Treasure Baskets (exploring and discovering). A timetable can be found on our website. Every time that your baby attends the Nursery, you will receive a communication sheet outlining details of your child’s day.

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Robin onwards – 18 month to 4 years St Andrew’s Prep Nursery offers 18 month to 4 year olds mix and match sessions during term time with holiday care available during the holidays. We believe in providing quality education for all children in our care, this is achieved through a team of dedicated professionals who nurture the educational, social and pastoral needs of each and every child within a friendly, caring and happy environment.

By offering children a wide variety of learning experiences, they quickly begin to develop spiritually, morally, culturally and socially while enhancing their creative talents. It is through living and working in a positive and creative atmosphere that children learn to feel secure in themselves and their surroundings.

The staff seek to promote a measure of self-confidence and independence in the children in the hope that by the time they leave the department, they will have acquired an enthusiasm for learning, gained some awareness of the needs of those around them and developed an ability to interact with others and make friends. The timetable is wide and varied ensuring children progress through their Learning Journey in preparation for transferring to Reception.

The transition from Nursery into Reception and beyond is a very smooth one for children who have attended St Andrew’s Prep Nursery. Throughout their final nursery year, children have the opportunity to join the Pre-Prep for assemblies every week. They also take part in a number of concerts and events and themed weeks such as Arts Week and Science Week. By the time a child’s Reception year commences they have already built close relationships with their peer group and with their new teachers, making that final transition into Pre-Prep seamless.

Curriculum: Balanceability, Bookworms, Cheeky Chefs, Computer Wizards, Forest School, Gym Joeys, Library, Messy Monkeys, Music Maestros, Out and About, Splashing Seals, Tots Tennis, Tapping Toes. Full details of these subjects can be found on our website.

Pre-Prep – 4 to 7 years St Andrew’s Pre-Prep believes in providing quality education for all the children in its care. All the staff understand the importance of an effective early years education and firmly believe that the Pre-Prep is the foundation for future development and the beginning of a learning journey that will benefit them throughout their academic life. Such is our commitment to provide the very best start, we have high staff to pupil ratios to ensure our young children receive the attention they deserve.

It is well known that all children benefit from more time outdoors. This time aids their emotional and social development.

There is a wide range of activities during the week taken by specialist teachers who teach their dedicated subject in the Pre-Prep and Prep departments of the school.

Outdoor learning forms a vital part of the curriculum at St Andrew’s as virtually all subjects can be taught outside. Children can experience all areas of the Foundation Stage of the National Curriculum in a fun and non-threatening way where no-one fails.

Our outdoor classroom, the unique Forest School, is located opposite the main site of the school. Children spend one morning every week in the Forest School and virtually all curriculum subjects can be taught during this time. The children have opportunities to learn new skills such as wood carving, cooking and shelter building using different tools and equipment necessary for undertaking forestry projects. They learn how to minimise and manage risks, something that children have very little opportunity for nowadays. As well as their learning, it allows them to make independent choices and it is also critical for physical health.

Children need to feel safe and happy to achieve and it is in the early years that foundations are laid for the future. By living and working in a happy and creative atmosphere, children learn to feel positive about themselves, quickly developing spiritually, culturally and socially as well as academically.

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Curriculum: Art, Ballet, Boys’ Musical Movement, Computing, Cooking, Creative Play, Dance, Forest School and diary writing, French, Handwriting, History, Humanities, Journal Writing, Letters and Sounds, Library, Literacy, Mathematics, Music, Phonics, Physical Education, Poetry, Privilege Time, Reading, Theology, Philosophy and Religion (TPR), Science, Show and Tell, Singing, Spellings, Sport, Story Time, Swimming, Understanding the World.

After School Care in the Pre-Prep The Pre-Prep school day ends at 3.30pm but children may stay until 6pm. There is a well-developed range of after-school activities on offer from Monday to Friday from 3.30pm until 4.30pm, with the exception of Rainbows which finishes at 5pm. After this time, children may stay for tea which is served at 4.45pm at a cost of £8.50 per day. If a later pick-up is required, children may stay until 6pm by special arrangement.

The cost of all after-school activities is included in the fees with the exception of Rainbows (£15 per term) and Dance (£2.50 per session). Activities include Art, Ballet, Boys’ Musical Movement, Year 1 Multi-Skills, Chess, Computing, Construction Club, Cookery, Craft, Creative Play, Gymnastics, Netball, Rainbows, Rugby, and Story Telling.

Prep – 7 to 13 years In Years 3 and 4 children are taught in their classes for the majority of subjects with specialist teachers taking them for Art, Design Technology, Computing, French, Music, PE, Swimming and Games. They are taught Maths in sets based on ability from Year 3 upwards.

In Year 5, the children move around the school more as the majority of lessons at this stage are taught by subject specialist teachers; they also begin Latin and Drama. The children still have a Tutor who will see them at the start of each day and at several other times during the week. In Year 5, Co-Curricular activities are also introduced into the timetable and each child in Years 5 and 6 has one 40 minute session of these activities each week. These children also have a 40 minute session of Thinking Skills

during the week to develop their problem solving and critical thinking skills. In Years 7 and 8 this becomes two sessions of Co-Curricular Activities.

From Year 6 upwards, children are set by ability in English, Maths, French, Latin and Science. Children in Years 3 and 4 have a small amount of homework and from Year 5 upwards the children have prep lessons built into their timetable. In addition to this they will have a small amount of work to bring home each weekend and there may, at other times, be a small amount of work to do, usually in advance of a test or to catch up on work missed through illness or another event.

Curriculum – Junior Department: Art, Beach School, Computing, DT, English, French, Geography, History, Maths, Music, PE, Privilege Time, Theology, Philosophy and Religion (TPR), Science, Sport, Swimming.

Curriculum – Middle and Senior Departments: Art, Computing, DT, Drama, English, French, Geography, History, Latin, Maths, Music, Personal and Social Health Education (PSHE), Physical Education (PE), Privilege Time, Theology, Philosophy and Religion (TPR), Science, Sport, Swimming.

Common Entrance to Independent Senior Schools From Year 8 there are two routes into senior schools. The majority of senior schools require children to take the Common Entrance examination to gain entry. However, there are a number of children who take Academic Scholarship examinations and it is normal that they then do not have to take Common Entrance as well. Some senior schools set their own Scholarship papers but the majority of local senior schools use the Common Academic Scholarship papers which are based on the same syllabus as Common Entrance.

Children begin preparation for the Common Entrance examinations in Year 7 and there are written papers in English, Mathematics, Science, French, History, Geography, Theology, Philosophy and Religion (TPR) and Latin (for those children who have studied it).

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The Bridge Curriculum The Bridge Curriculum is an exciting new initiative which will come into force in September 2019 for those children in Year 7. The curriculum aims to combine the best aspects of the Common Entrance Syllabus with the National Curriculum and other programmes of study to create a pathway of learning that is exciting, dynamic and more effective in preparing pupils for the demands of GCSE and beyond.

The curriculum has been carefully coordinated with Heads of Subjects at Eastbourne College to provide better progression between Years 8 and 9 and to prevent duplication of topics in subjects such as the humanities. Importantly, the Bridge Curriculum has been benchmarked against Common Entrance and is compatible within the core subjects so that our pupils can move on to any senior school of their choosing as well as dovetailing effectively with the programme at Eastbourne College. The curriculum will also continue to enable some of our brightest pupils to tackle the ISEB CAS (Common Academic Scholarship) exams just as they have always done. We will continue to prepare them rigorously yet flexibly for these or for other academic scholarship papers that senior schools set.

The new Year 7 cohort will be the first cohort of St Andrew’s pupils who will no longer sit Common Entrance at the end of Year 8. They will continue to sit a set of exams but these will be tailored to the new curriculum and the emphasis of Years 7 and 8 will move away from extensive exam preparation towards the process of learning interspersed with more continuous forms of assessment across the two years, including presentation skills, debating, research, investigation and collaboration. Ultimately, we will assess the pupils’ work and provide evidence of their achievement/attainment so that senior schools and parents receive a child-centred comprehensive report on the standards reached.

Art All children in Years 3 to 8 study Art with Mr Jones in the Art studio. Prior to this they have Art with their class teacher utilising a well-stocked resource room. Within Art, children explore a range of materials and learn to manipulate these to develop imagination and creativity.

They work with clay to make pots and models, and learn about various glazing techniques. Children learn to develop their drawing skills using pencil, charcoal, wax, inks and mixed media. They also experiment with collage, batik, wax resist, print making, colour graphs, willow sculpture and dry point. There are evening pottery hobbies on the wheel and also hand building. There is also an Art scholars activity to develop portfolios and a two hour optional Saturday morning drawing on the beach activity.

DTI Department During Design Technology and Innovation lessons pupils will learn how the world around us relies on our ability to turn ideas into reality. Through a number of projects each year, all with a ‘You are the designer’ approach, pupils are encouraged to find things out, to think for themselves and to be inventive. They design and make products with a combination of electronics, mechanisms, structures and a variety of materials. From using basic hand tools during Years 3, 4 & 5 pupils progress to seeing their ideas come to life using CAD/CAM in Years 6, 7 & 8.

With STEM at the heart of their experience, pupils will realise the importance and connection of Science and Maths in this subject developing their problem-solving abilities and thinking outside the box. Evening activities include further opportunities to complete STEM challenges and competitions.

Drama Drama lessons are regarded as essential for developing a child’s self-esteem. Through mime, improvisation and voice control they are able to increase their self-confidence and their ability to communicate with others. Children study a range of texts in Drama, from Harry Potter, to Blood Brothers through to Shakespeare. Through Drama games and improvisation children develop their team work and individual performance skills. Numerous opportunities are provided for performance with some outstanding productions featuring both large and small casts. Students are also taught about back stage craft; from make up & hair through to set design and lighting. Co-curricular drama sessions, after-school drama clubs and LAMDA (speech and drama) lessons are also on offer on site.

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Music Music is taught across the whole school. Children develop their understanding of musical language, basic theory and notation through a range of practical performing, listening and composing activities. Children have weekly music lessons delivered by specialist staff as part of the curriculum and are encouraged to take up an instrument. All children have the chance to sing, learn to play the trumpet, violin or cello, recorder, ukulele, classroom percussion and keyboard.

St Andrew’s Prep also has a skilled team of peripatetic staff who offer individual lessons in piano, voice, violin, viola, cello, bass, drums, percussion, guitar, flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and French horn. Our peripatetic staff have excellent experience as teachers and many are also professional performers.

Beyond the classroom we pride ourselves on the opportunities we afford children to perform and develop into confident individuals, musicians and performers. We have a busy co-curricular programme encompassing Orchestra, several Choirs, Wind Band, Rock Group, theory classes and Musical Theatre activities. We run a recital programme, large scale concerts, the annual Carol Service and often partner with the Eastbourne College Music Department in workshops and joint musical performances. All styles of music are encouraged and catered for within the department.

We support school plays and productions and, to develop our performance opportunities, we take our pupils into the local community and beyond to give concerts and run music tours such as our Music Tour to Paris in Summer 2018.

Sport St Andrew’s is committed to offering ‘sport for all’ and this ethos is reflected in the number of sports teams which play fixtures most Wednesdays (Years 5 to 8), Thursdays (Years 3 and 4) and some Saturdays. Whether your child is a first team player or just likes to be part of a team, we believe it is important for every child to represent their school during their time at St Andrew’s and every child is given the opportunity to represent the school in matches and festivals.

Sport is an integral part of the curriculum with lessons starting in the Nursery. Many after-school sporting activities are also on offer. The children take part in a broad range of sports including athletics, basketball, cricket, football, gymnastics, hockey, netball, rounders, rugby, swimming and tennis.

The school encourages each child to achieve their potential and to improve their motor control, co-ordination, skill level and confidence. The school achieves very good results regularly becoming county champions and in addition reaching, and even winning, National finals.

Swimming At St Andrew’s we aim to develop the swimming potential of every individual child whether for competitive swimming, confidence in the water or purely for enjoyment.

There are weekly swimming lessons from Nursery through to Year 6. These sessions are aimed at continuing stroke development, water skills, water confidence and enjoyment. During the year there is also a six weekly cycle of swimming in the PE curriculum for all children in Years 7 to 8 where stroke development, personal survival as well as life-saving and water polo are undertaken.

Children in Years 5 to 8 can also choose swimming as a co-curricular activity once a week.

St Andrew’s offers a comprehensive programme of swimming squad sessions for Years 4 to 8. Galas are arranged all year round. In the Summer Term children from Reception to Year 6 take part in internal House swimming galas.

St Andrew’s enters children in national competitions such as the IAPS (Independent Association of Prep Schools) competition where there has been much success, achieving fantastic results in recent years.

Learning Support The Learning Support department at St Andrew’s prides itself on being at the heart of children’s learning and pastoral happiness. Our aim is to ensure that all children’s needs are catered for within our whole class teaching environment. All class teaching staff are kept up to date of the differing needs of children in their care thorough Provision maps and

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if needed EHC plans. Regular meetings with parents ensure that the children are at the centre of all learning. If a child needs further intervention then 1:1 or small group teaching will take place with parental approval to allow the children to develop their learning further.

At St Andrews we can offer specialist Dyslexia support, Drama therapy, OT support and Speech and Language within the children’s daily curriculum, our visiting practioners try to fit in around timetables ensuring the children do not miss subjects they like and thrive in.

We operate an open door policy in the Learning Support Department, it is vitally important that all children feel welcome and valued. We encourage all parents to phone or make appointments to discuss the learning needs of their children before little problems become big ones. A triangular approach to learning development is important here at St Andrew’s.

Support with Extra English (EAL) We offer extra English lessons to all our international students. The programme is tailored to suit the individual child. They are assessed on arrival and recommendations are made to parents through their agent/guardian. Lessons may be one-to-one with the teacher or in small groups. This specialist department ensures that lessons are motivating, beneficial and enjoyable. Classes are designed to help children cope with the demands of the wider curriculum and to concentrate on reading, writing and vocabulary development. This enables children to integrate into the mainstream as quickly as possible.

Extra-Curricular

Co-Curricular Activities St Andrew’s offers a programme of co-curricular activities for children in Years 5 and 6 once a week, Years 7 and 8 twice a week and most lunchtimes. Co-curricular activities are those which are a planned part of our education falling within the school day rather than optional clubs available ‘after hours’. This is an exciting programme and offers a wide variety of activities from which the child can choose, including: Book illustration, Brownies, Croquet,

Cubs, Djembe Drum, Drama, Gymnastics, Hockey for boys and girls, Middles’ Chamber Choir, Junior Choir, LAMDA, Treblemakers (auditioned choir), Music Ensembles, Orchestra, Rock Bands, Senior Chamber Choir, Shooting, Swimming, Tennis, Water Polo, Wind Band. Some of our children progress to play sport for their county or country or perform with The National Children’s Orchestra and gain scholarships to their senior schools.

After-School Clubs An extensive list of after-school clubs has always been a strong feature of St Andrew’s Prep and we try to educate children in the broadest sense by developing their interests outside the classroom. After-school clubs take place between 4.15pm and 5.15pm for Years 3 and 4 and between 5.45pm and 6.45pm for Years 5 to 8. Day children staying for the late sessions will join the boarders for a snack before activities. The cost of most of the activities is included in the fees. Activities on offer include: Art Scholars, Ballet, Brownies, Chess, Computer Fun, Craft, Football, Jazz Creative Dance, Lego, Maths Clinic, Piglet’s Pantry, Pot Throwing, Pottery, St Andrew’s Adventurers for boys and girls.

Saturday Activities Saturday morning school is optional for day children in Years 4 to 8 with a varied programme of exciting activities on offer. Children are able to sign up for one or two sessions on a Saturday morning and these activities run on every Saturday except for exeat weekends or if there is another whole school event such as the annual sponsored walk. Saturday activities are included in the fees and the list on offer varies each term but may include: Archery, Art, Athletics, Batik, Carpentry, Craft, Cricket, Drama, Fencing, Football, Golf, Hockey for boys and girls, Patchwork, Pi Programming, Sailing, Skiing, Saturday Stroll, Shooting, Squash, Table Tennis, Tennis and Water Polo.

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St Andrew’s Life (A to Z)

Boarding, Occasional Boarding and Flexi Boarding Boarding is the perfect way for children to grow in confidence and become more independent, taking responsibility for themselves during their time here. For those moving on to senior boarding schools, boarding at St Andrew’s is an excellent preparation for the next stage in their educational journey. The recently refurbished boarding house has spacious bright rooms that allow each child their own personal space. The boarding house caters for children from all nationalities, as well as local children, so there is a very healthy cultural balance. Our international pupils benefit immensely from boarding at an English prep school. They experience a different culture, while improving their English with specialist EAL teaching. Our local children benefit from boarding with students from a great range of backgrounds and cultures.

For children in Years 7 and 8 in particular, the boarding experience is highly valuable, whether they are choosing a boarding school or a day school to move on to. Boarding gives a greater sense of independence, being part of, and enjoying the homely atmosphere, as well as taking advantage of the school’s facilities in the evenings.

The school offers a full range of boarding opportunities for children from Year 3 (age 7), including flexible and occasional boarding.

Our flexible boarding is useful if your child has an after-school activity or if you are away from home for an evening, a weekend or a holiday. Weekly boarding is a popular option for parents who may live some distance from Eastbourne or work long hours. Flexi boarding is extremely popular as it improves self awareness, independence, social and emotional intelligence. Some children will board one night or more each week. Some parents also find occasional or weekly boarding useful during the run up to examinations when all boarders are given an individual and structured revision programme in the evenings.

The boarding house is run by Mark Tomsett and his wife Trudy. They live in the house with their two young sons and daughter and along with two resident house tutors and a resident matron have created a very caring and homely atmosphere. Volunteer students also live in the boarding house and complement the family atmosphere.

A full programme of activities (see Saturday activities) and trips are organised for boarders at the weekends. The school takes advantage of the many local attractions as well as organising trips further afield to places such as London, Chessington, Thorpe Park, Brighton and Bluewater Shopping Centre as well as educational trips.

Parents can book their child in on the day with only a few hours’ notice (subject to availability). We can also provide all toiletries.

Chapel St Andrew’s is proud of its heritage and seeks to embody Christian values in all that we do. The school is fortunate to have its own beautiful Chapel on site. The Chapel plays host to a range of weekly services involving children from both the Pre-Prep and Prep departments of the school. These are usually led by the Headmaster or by visiting speakers. In addition there are a range of special services throughout the year including for Harvest, Remembrance, Christmas and Easter. Community services are also held to which members of the local community are invited to attend. Parents are often invited in to join their children in these services.

Food For children the importance of good food within their day cannot be overstated, be it for academic or sporting endeavour as they go about their school day. The food served at St Andrew’s is prepared on site from fresh, quality, locally sourced ingredients by highly trained chefs, with the ability to keep menus relevant and appropriate for each age group.

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Breakfast for boarders consists of porridge, cereal, fruit, yoghurt pots and a hot or cold daily special.

Our lunch offers a range of options: homemade soup with fresh bread, a healthy salad bar, jacket potatoes with fillings, pasta and sauces, alongside the more traditional main courses and vegetarian meals, with tempting desserts, yoghurt and fruit. Fruit and breadsticks are provided at break time and for those children who stay for after-school activities, a light tea is provided. Supper is an important part of the day for our boarders and those children who sleepover with some delicious dishes on offer.

We cater for most dietary requirements, especially vegetarian, gluten, dairy and egg free. The school has a strict ‘no nut’ policy. Sample copies of our menus are available on our website and in the handbooks.

Friends of St Andrew’s The Friends of St Andrew’s is a group of parents who support and enhance the children’s education by raising funds for the benefit of everyone in the school. They assist by providing voluntary help, encouraging co-operation and good relations between parents, staff, present and past pupils and local residents, thereby strengthening further the links between the school and the local community. They hold many events throughout the year including Bonfire Night, an Advent Fair, Burns Night, Quiz Nights, the Leavers’ Party and a Summer Fair.

Health All medical/First Aid needs are attended to by our School Nurses who are RNs (Registered Nurses). The School Nurses are based in our Medical Centre on the school site from Monday through to Friday and are in attendance during school match fixtures. After the school day, there is a First Aider on duty in the boarding house. All full time boarders are registered with a local doctors’ practice and the local District General Hospital is just 2.8 miles away. In addition we have many members of staff who are ‘First Aid at Work’ trained. All Pre-Prep and Nursery staff are also paediatric trained. We have two defibrillators on site and a number of staff are trained to use these.

OA Society The OA Society exists for the benefit of former pupils (both Old Androvians and Old Aschamians) with the object of keeping them in touch with the school and with each other. When a child leaves St Andrew’s a charge is made on the final account of £85 ‘OA joining fee’. This fee entitles the child to receive a copy of the annual school magazine for five years after their leave date and a copy of the annual newsletter, the OA News, indefinitely, as well as invitations to reunions and school functions. The school archives are well maintained and at the regular OA reunions a display of old photographs and assorted memorabilia is always an important feature. There is also a dedicated website (www.oas.androvian.co.uk) which aims to create a link between OAs and the school, and allows an exchange of news between them.

Pastoral Care Pastoral care is one of the many strengths of St Andrew’s. Each individual child matters, and we take the responsibility of caring for all our children extremely seriously. We work hard to ensure there is a nurturing atmosphere in which each child feels cared for and important. This is achieved both formally through our tutor system and house system, and informally through the positive relationships the children are encouraged to build with all the adults at the school.

The tutor system forms a vital link between the family and the school. Children joining from Reception up to Year 4 are looked after by their form teacher. From Year 5, children are looked after by their form tutor.

The role of form teachers and tutors is to encourage and assist his or her tutees in all aspects of school life so that parents can be confident that there is a dedicated adult who takes a personal interest in their child’s wellbeing and academic progress at all times. The form teachers and tutors lead weekly ‘mind matters’ sessions where discussions take place on topical issues affecting the children. The form tutors are readily available to talk to you about any matters, pastoral or academic.

The children and staff at St Andrew’s all belong to one of four houses; usually, children from the same family belong to the same house. The house system is vertically

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grouped to encourage a sense of responsibility among the older children who are expected to take an interest in the activities and welfare of the younger members of their house. The house system also gives opportunities for children to achieve a sense of accomplishment in different areas of the school such as in sport, music, drama etc.

These systems of care are augmented through a comprehensive PSHE programme. Additionally, Heads of Department coordinate their teams of tutors while the Deputy Head oversees the school’s provision. The Welfare Management Team, comprising of the Deputy Head Pastoral, Heads of Department (Pre-Prep, Juniors, Middles and Seniors), the School Listener and School Nurse, meet weekly to discuss the Pastoral Care for the children in each section of the school. These systems are the key to the happiness of the child and the success of the pastoral care at St Andrew’s. In addition to the pastoral structure the school also has a ‘listening lounge’ each week where the children can go if they have worries and concerns. The school also has an independent listener, should children need to talk to someone outside of the school.

Safeguarding and Child Protection The school’s first priority at all times is to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. St Andrew’s exists to provide the best possible education in a safe and supportive environment. Mandatory checks are taken on all staff before they begin work and there are regular briefings and updates on safeguarding and child protection. We promote the best practice in looking after our pupils and provide a range of channels for pupils, parents and staff to report any concerns. The school’s designated senior person for safeguarding and child protection is the Deputy Head Pastoral.

School Policies Copies of our policies including Admissions, Anti-bullying, Child Protection and Safeguarding, Complaints, Curriculum, Educational Trips and Visits, First Aid, Pre-Prep and Nursery Behaviour, Rewards and Sanctions (incorporating Behaviour and Discipline), Special Educational Needs etc. can be found on our website. Copies of academic policies are available from the school office. Contact: info@standrewsprep.co.uk

School Uniform All children at St Andrew’s wear a uniform which can be purchased from the School Shop situated on site. The School Shop stocks virtually everything that a child needs at St Andrew’s and there is a supply of good second-hand uniform subject to availability. Prices are kept as reasonable as possible. The average cost of fitting out a pupil is approximately £400, but this can be reduced by purchasing second-hand uniform. The Shop, conveniently located on site, is open from 8am till 12 noon on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings during term time and parents and pupils can pop in for any stationery or clothing requirements. Contact schoolshop@standrewsprep.co.uk or call 01323 733203 for more information.

Transport St Andrew’s offers an excellent minibus service to transfer day pupils to and from school on weekdays and Saturday mornings. The network currently covers a radius of approximately 20 miles.

We employ our own fully-trained and qualified drivers. Our modern fleet of minibuses is regularly serviced and complies with necessary regulations. Children can travel on the bus from Reception age onwards and our Transport Supervisor will work closely with parents of new children to ensure they quickly feel at home and at ease with their driver. We are regularly updating and improving our routes. Please do contact us for further information.

Transport for boarders A minibus to St Andrew’s will be available to return boarders and flexiboarders following exeat weekends and after half terms.

We also offer a supervised train service from Eastbourne to London Victoria each Friday afternoon of an exeat weekend or half term. Please do contact Mark Tomsett at mtomsett@standrewsprep.co.uk for costs and more information.

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to explore some of the activities and specialist lessons on offer and to access some areas of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Parents may stay with their child during these taster sessions until they feel their child is ready to be left.

For more information about arranging taster sessions please contact the Registrar. For those interested in taster days in the Pre-Prep or Prep Departments, the Registrar can also help in choosing an appropriate day that would be most suited to your child.

Scholarships to St Andrew’s St Andrew’s Prep believes that excellence should be recognised and scholarships are awarded to children who show outstanding potential academically or in Art, Drama, Music or Sport.

External candidates for entry into Years 3 to 7 are invited to attend scholarship assessment days which are held each Spring Term in January.

In line with most comparable independent schools, the great majority of awards made are between 5 and 20 per cent, although these values may be supplemented by a means-tested bursary.

St Andrew’s offers a tailored programme of provision and support for scholars to enhance, develop and inspire them in their particular area of talent.

Scholarships awarded to successful candidates will commence in the Autumn Term following the Spring Term assessments. More details can be found in our scholarship booklet or on our website.

Scholarships to Senior Schools An impressive number of scholarships are won by St Andrew’s pupils each year to a variety of senior schools. These include both non-academic awards such as Art, Drama, Music and Sport, as well as academic awards. Candidates who sit for any of these awards are usually among the very strongest in these fields in their year group and parents are encouraged to discuss the possibility of their children sitting for any senior school scholarship with the relevant members of staff so that they can gain a realistic appraisal of the assessment process and their child’s likelihood of gaining an award. Senior schools also

publish details of their scholarships in booklets and on their websites and parents should make themselves familiar with the requirements.

Senior schools which pupils have moved on to in past years include: Ardingly - Battle Abbey - Bede’s Senior - Benenden - Brighton College - Claremont - Eastbourne College - Gordonstoun - Harrow - Hurst - Lancing - Lewes Old Grammar - Millfield - Roedean Moira House - Roedean - St Leonards-Mayfield - Tonbridge.

Bursaries St Andrew’s is committed to extending access to the school by offering means-tested financial support to a number of pupils each year. Where parental financial circumstances justify it, bursaries can be offered in recognition of financial need. All bursaries are means-tested and parents are asked to make an appointment with the Head and are required to register their child before completing a comprehensive financial circumstances form which should be submitted to the Finance Bursar.

For more information or further details about the scholarship and bursary process, please contact the Registrar on 01323 744820 or email: admissions@standrewsprep.co.uk

AdmissionsWelcome from the Registrar St Andrew’s Prep is a non-selective independent day and boarding school for girls and boys from the age of 9 months to 13 years. Day pupils are accepted for all year groups and boarding pupils from Year 3 upwards. Both day and boarding pupils may join at any stage during the academic year.

Although we are a non-selective school, we do have to be sure of our ability to meet the educational needs of each individual child and this is something that the Headmaster discusses as a matter of course with prospective parents.

Whether you are seeking a place in the Nursery, Pre-Prep or Prep school, or if you are seeking a boarding place for your child, we warmly invite you to come and see for yourself the breadth of education and opportunities a St Andrew’s education can offer your child.

Some parents prefer to attend an open event, while others choose to make an individual appointment with the Headmaster. We understand that deciding upon the right school for your child is an extremely important decision and we encourage parents to visit the school on more than one occasion. This way parents are able to see the school in a variety of situations and fully appreciate all that St Andrew’s can offer their child.

We very much look forward to hearing from you and to welcoming you to St Andrew’s.

Catherina Ashford Registrar

Visiting the School

Open Events Open Events are held regularly throughout the year. No appointment is necessary although bookings can be made online. Parents and their families may arrive between the published times and are given the opportunity to chat with the Headmaster and other members of staff. If you are viewing the Pre-Prep and Nursery, you will be given a tour by our Head of Pre-Prep and Nursery or a member of her staff. Those parents interested in the Prep department will be given tours by senior pupils and will have an opportunity to see the school in action. Please visit our website for dates of future open events.

Individual Visits The Headmaster is happy to meet with prospective parents and individual appointments can be arranged throughout the academic year. Parents meet with the Head and he, or our Registrar, will be pleased to give them a personal tour of the school, during which they will see children and staff going about their normal school routines. Some parents bring their children with them, while others prefer to make the first visit on their own and return, with their children, at a later date. Visits can be arranged by contacting the Registrar.

Taster Days We encourage parents to arrange taster days for their children where they can experience a full day in the classroom and on the sports field and enjoy lunch with the other children. For some children it may be beneficial to have more than one taster day prior to entry to ensure a smooth transition.

Children may attend taster days in the Pre-Prep and Prep departments of the school at any point through the school year. Taster days offer children the opportunity to get to know other children in their year group and to experience a normal school day which may include a mix of academic lessons, Art, Drama, Music and Sport.

We also offer free settling in sessions for our 9 month to 4 year olds in the Baby Room and Nursery prior to a child joining to ensure they feel safe and secure within their new environment. The sessions give children the opportunity

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Directions

From London by road (M25)

Travel time from M25 1.25 hours approx Leave the M25 at Junction 7 by joining the M23. Travel south along M23, (which then becomes the A23) towards Brighton. Follow signs left onto the A27 signposted Lewes/Polegate/Eastbourne. At Polegate turn right onto A22 then follow local directions.

From Ashford

Travel time 2 hours approx

Leave Ashford on the A2070 to Brenzett. Turn right onto A259. Head west through Rye on A259 to Hastings and Bexhill. At Pevensey take third exit off roundabout signposted A27 Polegate/Brighton. Continue straight until very large roundabout which is the junction with A22. Take second exit left onto A22 into Eastbourne, then follow local directions.

From London by rail

Travel time from London Victoria Station 1.5 hours

There is a taxi rank outside Eastbourne Station, travel time from the station to St Andrew’s approx 15 minutes.

From Folkestone/Channel Tunnel

Travel time 2 hours approx

Follow signs onto M20 North towards London. Leave M20 at junction 11A onto A259. Travel through New Romney to Brenzett. Continue on A259. Head west through Rye to Hastings and Bexhill. At Pevensey take third exit off roundabout signposted A27 Polegate/Brighton. Follow A27, second junction at first roundabout (straight ahead) until very large roundabout which is the junction with A22. Take second exit left onto A22 into Eastbourne, then follow local directions.

Travel Service

St Andrew’s understands the difficulties overseas parents

experience when organising their child’s detailed travel

plans. The school is happy to organise taxis to airports

and guardians at parents’ request.

Local Directions

Follow the A22 into the town centre

(west) until the railway station is

seen in front on the left. At the

roundabout just before the station

turn right and proceed to the left of

the library up Grove Road. Filter right

at the town hall into Meads Road.

Follow this road for approximately

½ km, take the second exit off the

first roundabout (straight ahead) and

turn left at the second roundabout

into Meads Street. Go past the shops

on both sides, past Darley Road

and the school can then be

seen on your right. Continue

on Meads Street and turn

right into the school car

park and enter the school

up the stone steps via the

Reception.

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Autumn Term 2019 Thursday 29 August Reception to Year 8 Staff INSET Day

Friday 30 August Reception to Year 8 Staff INSET Day

Monday 2 September Nursery term begins today

Reception to Year 8 Staff INSET Day

Boarders return from 5.30pm

Tuesday 3 September Term begins for Reception to Year 8

Saturday 21 September / Sunday 22 September Exeat weekend

Friday 18 October Half term begins

Sunday 3 November Boarders return from 5.30pm

Saturday 23 November / Sunday 24 November Exeat weekend

Friday 13 December Term ends at 12.30pm after the Carol Service

Future Term Dates Autumn Term 2019 to Summer Term 2020

Spring Term 2020 Monday 6 January Reception to Year 8

Staff INSET day

Nursery term begins today

Tuesday 7 January Reception to Year 8

Staff INSET day

Boarders return from 5.30pm

Wednesday 8 January Term begins for

Reception to Year 8

Saturday 25 January / Sunday 26 January Exeat weekend

Friday 14 February Half term begins

Sunday 23 February Boarders return from 5.30pm

Saturday 7 March / Sunday 8 March

Exeat weekend

Friday 20 March Term ends at 12 noon

for Reception to Year 8

Term ends for Nursery

Sunday 12 April Easter Day

Summer Term 2020Tuesday 14 April Reception to Year 8

Staff INSET Day

Nursery term begins today

Boarders return from 5.30pm

Wednesday 15 April Term begins for Reception

to Year 8

Friday 8 May Bank holiday (no school)

Saturday 9 May / Sunday 10 May Exeat weekend

Friday 22 May Half term begins

Sunday 31 May Boarders return from 5.30pm

Saturday 13 June / Sunday 14 June

Exeat weekend

Saturday 27 June No school for day children;

full provision for boarders

Friday 3 July Term ends for Nursery

to Year 4

Saturday 4 July Term ends at 2pm after

Speech Day for Years 5 to 8