Caversham Preparatory SchoolSummer Term 2020 Virtual Prospectus

Caversham Preparatory School is a small, independent, mainstream, family owned and family run school. As a small school we know our children very well, and provide a safe environment for children to learn and develop.

We provide individualised learning for each child and track our children carefully, so they make excellent progress.

We work with and for families who live busy lives and rely on before and after care, after school clubs and holiday clubs.

We work closely with parents to make sure that they know and understand everything that is pertinent to their child.

There is no place like Caversham Prep

The children win places to first choice schools with many winning scholarships to Queen Anne’s School, the Abbey School, Reading Bluecoats and Radley College.

Our youngest children learn in a nurturing environment, including Forest Schools. We have awards for Healthy Schools; ECO; Artsmark; Music Mark; RHS Gardening and the Woodlands Trust Green Tree.

We teach a wide curriculum and extra-curricular choices are extensive.

French is taught from Reception, but Latin and Mandarin Chinese are taught to the older children after their exams.

STEM is central to our learning with a laptop or iPad for each child and a fully fitted Science Lab.

We offer a full range of sports from fencing to hockey; music opportunities from choir to ensemble and drama opportunities from LAMDA to our annual Nativity.

“The proprietors have created a happy school, based on family values where children are safe and thrive within a warm and encouraging community” Independent Schools Inspectorate.

Academic Results 2016-2019

Year Mathematics English Phonics

2018-2019 118.24 113.79 90% (National 82%)

2017-2018 121.49 116.25 100% (National 81%)2016-2017 121.52 116.56 100% (National 81%)

More Success Stories from 2020Two Top Academic Scholarships, 2020Daniel Harrison won the John Roysse Scholarship to Abingdon School and the Headmaster’s Scholarship to Leighton Park School.

Sports Scholarship, 2020Chloe Kennedy won a Sports Scholarship to Queen Anne’s School. Chloe has been our Deputy Head Girl this year.

Drama Scholarship, 2020Evie Gillespie won a Drama Scholarship to the Abbey School. She joins her sister Grace, also a Drama Scholar.

100% ABRSM and LAMDA PassesAll pupils passed their music and drama exams this year, one with grade 6 piano!

Published Annual Standardised End of Year Test Results for Year 1 to 6. 100 is the National Average. Above 115 is considered exceptional.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

ReadingThe children learn to read through a strong phonic scheme. They will read every day and bring their reading books home at the end of the school day.

WritingThe children write daily and all of the children will be writing with some independence by the end of the Reception year.

MathematicsDaily maths lessons include number, shape, pattern and representing data in Venn Diagrams or bar graphs.

Wider CurriculumScience, such as hunting for bugs, happens in the woods or school garden.

Social skills such as turn taking and respecting one another are encouraged through show and tell, and circle time.

The children are taught PE twice a week and begin learning to swim in the summer term. They attend the annual sports day and swimming gala.

The children are taught French as their first modern language.

“The children work confidently with numbers and can count in twos, fives and tens in Reception class, with some children using numbers up to one hundred with confidence.” Independent Schools Inspectorate.

Settling your child into school happily is the most important thing that we do at Caversham Prep. We encourage parents to stay with their child as long as they need to, but when they see the early years learning garden, that's not usually very long!

“Excellent progress is made towards the Early Learning Goals with most children achieving them by the age of five and many children exceeding them.” Independent Schools Inspectorate.

The Infants (Years 1 and 2)Throughout Key Stage 1 the children follow National Curriculum guidelines and expectations as a minimum. Our aim is to develop the core skills of Reading, Writing, Mathematics and Science to the highest standard.

English and Maths are taught every morning when the children are most alert and receptive. In the afternoons we continue to provide a varied and flexible learning environment, with an emphasis on active and engaging learning. Science and STEM subjects are taught twice a week.

“From Year 1, the high standards of pupils’ achievement are continued in their academic and wider activities. Pupils demonstrate a wide range of knowledge and can express their thoughts with clarity.” Independent Schools Inspectorate.

The Juniors (Years 3-6)The transition into Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6) is an easy and exciting one. We call it ‘being in the Juniors’ and that means taking part in the Junior Play; Junior Camp; Junior Games and the annual Outward Bound trip to Skern Lodge in Devon. It also means an increased amount of sport, matches against other schools, and taking part in ISA challenges like the London West Athletics.

The KS2 curriculum widens and now includes a greater focus on Science, British Values, Humanities, Personal and Social Education and Religious Education.

The pace and commitment to our academic work increases. The school, parents and children begin to look towards Senior School entry and those all-important references where music, drama, sport, art and positions of responsibility make all the difference to the entry process when it comes.

“Care is taken to integrate subjects where relevant so that links between themes are clear to pupils. The inclusion of appropriate outings or visitors to the school as part of the planning for a particular topic is a strength” ISI Report

“At the age of 11, results in national tests have been exceptional pupils make an excellent and sometimes exceptional rate of progress relative to the average for pupils of similar ability” ISI Report

Science

Computer TechnologyEach child is given their own laptop computer which we use daily for personal research, writing essays and making PowerPoint presentations.

Computing is taught as a discrete subject including coding and Scratch Animation. Internet safety is taught.

The Newspaper Club produces our own termly newspaper called 'The Caversham Prep Press' using Publisher and very sound ICT skills.

“Every classroom has a well-used interactive whiteboard, laptop and tablet technology and digital cameras. These and other resources are widely used to enhance the curriculum.” Independent Schools Inspectorate.

We love science at Caversham Prep, and we are excited to announce that we have a new Science Laboratory opening in September 2020.

As part of the STEM Association, STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) are very strong. We have a STEM Governor who is an astrophysicist and one of our parents is a registered STEM Ambassador.

““They have well-developed creative skills, as seen in the excellent artwork and through their participation in music and drama.” Independent Schools Inspectorate.

The ArtsWe are presently working towards the Gold Artsmark. The award celebrates our commitment and ability in creative writing, dance, drama, music and art.

Music Our qualified music teacher teaches class music, and all Year 2 children learn to play the recorder. We have a choir and ensemble. All children perform at Breakfast Concerts, Achievement Assemblies, Christingle Services, Nativity Plays, Harvest Festivals, Spring Concerts, the Annual Prize Giving and Carol singing for charity.

A well-equipped music room supports music teaching. Piano, clarinet, flute, recorder, violin, guitar and voice are all offered as individual lessons. Children take progressive grade examinations.

DramaCaversham Prep is a LAMDA exam centre, and most of our children take LAMDA lessons. The Infants perform an annual Nativity, and the Juniors perform a summer play at Queen Anne’s Theatre. We take an annual trip to the Pantomime and visit other live theatre when we can.

Languages

Sports

FrenchThe children learn French in class from Reception through to Year 6. We teach conversational French in the Infants and begin to introduce grammar, reading and writing in the Junior classes.

Mandarin ChineseYear 6 have a Chinese lesson once a week.

LatinYear 6 also take Latin lessons to prepare them for Latin in senior school.

Language ClubsFrench Club called La Jolie Ronde is taught by a native speaker.

Spanish Club is also offered as a lunchtime club by a native speaker.

Latin Club is taken by one of our governors for pupils in the Juniors.

“Care is taken to integrate subjects...the study of birds in Year 1 encompassed stories, writing, counting, a visit from a local falconry, and learning the equivalent names in French of the most common species.” ISI Report

The Junior children have a full afternoon of sport on Queen Anne's Sports Fields every week.

We develop skills in team games such as tag rugby, football, hockey, netball, cricket, rounders and individual sports such as sprinting, hurdles, long jump and shot putt.

They also have a term in the swimming pool improving stamina, distance swimming, diving and learning life-saving skills. They look forward to matches against other schools and our annual Sports Day and Swimming Gala.

Extra-Curricular ActivitiesWe offer a wide range of activities from Sports, Arts and Crafts, Academic (e.g. Chess, Languages, Debating, Coding, Robotics), Hobbies (e.g. Gardening, Lego), and Wellbeing (e.g. Yoga, Mindfulness). The children can try something new, improve an existing hob-by, or simply do something for the fun of it!

Activities are run by a combination of school staff and outside specialists who lead some of the activities. We offer around 20 clubs per week.

“The excellent extra-curricular programme provides a wide range of options to suit all tastes. The current programme includes an eco-club, chess, gardening, art and crafts, team-building, dance and sports.” Independent Schools Inspectorate.

Learning SupportWe work in partnership with parents to provide an appropriate and high-quality education for all children. Some children are found to have specific needs such as dyslexia or dyspraxia. All support is coordinated by a trained Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo), and the SEN Teacher.

Learning Support also supports our Gifted and Talented children; children who have English as an Additional Language where their mother tongue and that of their parents is not English, and children with emotional and physical needs.

During term time we provide wrap-around care both before school from 8am and after school to 6pm. We also run a holiday club for most holiday weeks and half terms.

An activities programme gives the children a variety of activities to choose from that are suitable for the end of the school day.

After School Carers may listen to reading and help with homework for infant children. Juniors have prep twice a week where they can do their homework.

TimesBreakfast Club (8.00am to 8.50am)After School Care (3.30pm to 6.00pm)

Pupil VoiceOur pupils’ views are very important to us. We place great value on developing our young people and preparing them effectively to become well respected adults and global citizens.

Caversham Prep is not just about developing pupils’ academic skills and talents but recognising and developing the key interpersonal skills required to be successful in the wider world.

We have focus groups, questionnaires, debates and councils. When our pupils get to the top of the school, they are given positions of responsibility that give them status and confidence and allows them to become decision makers in the school that they have attended for seven years.

Wrap-around Care

The Friends of Caversham Preparatory School (FoCPS) was formed in 2010 and gained charity status in 2013.

Their main aim is for parents and friends to help to support the aims and ethos of the school, as well as to help to build an important social element to the school.

Any large items bought by the FoCPS (such as the climbing frame) are always fund-matched by the school.

The Friends organise social events for both the children and their parents. Some of the activities and events that we organize include the May Fair; Movie Nights; Discos; Cheese and Wine Evenings and Quiz Nights.

Community Links and Charities

Friends of Caversham Preparatory School

We actively encourage all pupils, teachers and parents, to get involved in the fundraising activities for both local and international causes.

Each year the pupils increasingly step up to take the lead in organising events for the charities we support, including organising dress up days, delicious cake sales and playground games!

Year on year, the infamous Talent Show proves very successful in raising funds for either Children In Need or Comic relief! The talent of the pupils in our school never ceases to amaze the judges!

We lately raised a thousand pounds to train hearing dogs.

At Caversham Prep our pupils’ health and well-being are important to us. Healthy bodies and healthy minds make happy, settled and thoughtful children who in turn become more efficient learners. We are proud that we have a Heathy Schools Award.

Health in the CurriculumThe children learn about how to keep their bodies clean and healthy; how to shop for and prepare healthy meals; grow vegetables in the school garden to make into salads and soups and how both exercise and relaxation time are important for our health.

Mental Health ProvisionWe aim to promote positive mental health for all pupils. We pursue this aim using both whole school approaches and specialised, targeted help aimed at vulnerable pupils. We have a Teaching Assistant who takes the lead in well-being support.

What our Parents and Pupils Think

“This is a perfect school, I wouldn’t change anything about it.” Harriet, past Head Girl

“I passed GCSE Maths with an A*.” Abbha aged 10 years old

“I won a place at Reading Boys', one year early.” Stanley aged 10 years

“I have had 4 children attend this school.” Parent in Year 6

“My son came from another school and is happy and thriving here.” Parent in Year 3

“100% of Parents would recommend this school.” ISI Parent Questionnaire

Health and Well-Being

Contact UsDue to the current circumstances we are not able to arrange a visit to the school for a look around and a meeting with the Head Teacher.

We can arrange a phone call or conference call with the Head, please contact the school registrar Steph Manson at secretary@cavershamschool.com.

Telephone: 0118 9478684Caversham Preparatory School16 Peppard RoadCavershamReadingRG4 8JZ

Please visit our websitewww.cavershamschool.com

Fees and ScholarshipsFees for Academic Year 2020-2021 per term are:

£2,850 for Reception£3,475 for Years 1-6

More details can be found on our website at www.cavershamschool.com/Fees

We hold annual scholarships for places in Years 3, 4, and 5. We wish to support clever and talented children in terms of both a discount from fees and helping these children to develop their strengths to the best of their ability.

We offer scholarships in Academic, Sport, Music, Drama, Art. We also offer an All-Round Scholarship, which is judged to be a combination of at least three disciplines. (For example, a child who is good at mathematics and English, football and plays the piano with potential).

Scholarship days are usually held in May. However due to the current situation, please contact the school for more information and we can arrange a call to discuss.

“Links with parents are excellent. In their responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire, parents were overwhelmingly positive about the education and care of their children.” ISI Report

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