Welcome to Immanuel College Preparatory School

Immanuel College Preparatory School opened in September 2011 for children in Reception,

gained membership of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS) in June 2016 and this year we reach a milestone in our development: our first intake to reach Year 6. Located on the campus of Immanuel College, we have the intimacy of our own space and the advantage of being on a large site with the specialist

facilities it can lend us. An early memory of mine is walking down to the

fields with a group of Reception children and one of them commenting “Wow, we

have our own park”. Our core values are summarised as “Academic excellence, expert pastoral care and inspiring Jewish education”.

We aim to develop intellectual independence and an enduring love of learning for its own sake, thereby equipping the children for the challenges of a rapidly changing world, as well as providing them with the knowledge and skills they need for their everyday lives - now and in the future. The Independent School Inspectorate found that “Pupils of all ages have very good levels of knowledge and understanding in the subjects they study” (ISI, November 2013). I think that the words of the children give the clearest message about our school. “We have fun and enjoyable lessons”, “Our teachers put so much effort into our school trips” and “I like the clubs because they are fun, excellent and exciting”. In our last full inspection (2013), ISI found that “the school successfully meets its aim to provide

both a secular and Jewish education that achieves high academic standards underpinned by excellent pastoral care”.

In the pages ahead you will find out about the provision at I.C.P.S. Please be in touch if you have any questions or would like to come to visit; time spent here will tell you more than I possibly can.Immanuel College Preparatory School….imaginative, caring, productive, safe…

Mrs Alexis Gaffin, B.Ed (Hons) Cantab.Head of Immanuel College Preparatory School

The individual is at the heart of Immanuel College and we place significant value on the happiness and well-being of every pupil. The possibility of doing something better, achieving something greater and trying again to make something more effective influences the style of teaching and the interactions that take place in our classrooms and around our school. Working together as a team, school leaders, class teachers, teaching assistants, specialist subject teachers and support staff, all in conjunction with parents, ensure that “children feel safe and secure and quickly establish good, trusting relationships. They are provided with secure foundations for future learning and well-being. The adults and key people working with the children know them well”. (ISI, November 2013). We have a weekly whole-school well-being walk, timetabled PSHEE sessions in each Year group in which we talk explicitly about how the children can contribute to the lives of others as well as take care of themselves, what responsibilities they have and why they may, or may not, want to take them on, how they feel in themselves and how their attitude affects others and whole-school assemblies which focus on topics such as growth mindset, resilience and healthy life choices. These

lessons are enhanced through practical application and so we have opportunities to celebrate successes, such as Stars of the Week, Golden Time and earning House Points, activities to contribute to the well-being of others, such as collecting food for families for Shabbat or a Yom Tov, e-Safety workshops, and opportunities to “have-a-go” such as a drumming workshop and singing in the choir.

Drawing together all elements of our school are our extra-curricular activities, which we view as key to the personal development of the children in our care. These are woven into the fabric of our school; they retain the name but not the status. Children can attend clubs ranging from iPad to origami, gardening to art, trampoling to debating. There are music and drama opportunities on an individual basis, with children taking and gaining LAMDA and Singing awards as well as working through the grade exams for Piano. These children have the opportunity to participate in our Performing Arts Festival, which takes place to coincide with National Sing-Up Day. We have a whole-school show twice a year, now staged in two parts so that we can accommodate as large an audience as possible

without overwhelming the children by moving them into a huge hall. In addition, we have a variety of class presentations to the school community and to guests. Our Choir is developing a great reputation and they have performed alongside the Senior School Choir at special school events including the Gala Dinner and with the Shabbaton Choir at a variety of charitable events.

Team sports are becoming a more prominent part of our provision; we have hosted and participated in Maccabi Netball and Football competitions and this year will be having fixtures with several local schools. Chess is a popular club, allowing the children with logical minds to try to outwit each other. We have been hosts to the Maccabi Chess Tournament for the last two years and our pupils participate in the UK Chess Challenge. Our Purim Talent Show is a highlight of the children’s year as are the House Activity Days, in which we enjoy activities in Houses rather than classes, with the older and younger children learning and working together.

Expert Pastoral Care

Inspiring Jewish Education

The third pillar of our provision is an exciting, inspiring and relevant Jewish education, empowering our pupils to become confident, competent and enthusiastic members of our community and proud to represent us in the wider community. The Preparatory School day begins with tefillah (prayers) and the children learn to navigate their way around the siddur, so that they know both how to pray and what to say each day. Taught by specialist teachers, with the support of a Jewish Studies teaching assistant, our curriculum is broad and balanced and Modern Orthodox in outlook, giving the pupils a detailed understanding of Jewish customs and practices, access to, and understanding of, Biblical and Rabbinical texts and a love for and understanding of the centrality of Israel. It reflects the rich and varied rhythms of Jewish life, giving children the opportunity both to study and experience first-hand the tools, knowledge and excitement of being Jewish. Skills are taught incrementally; for example, we introduce the building blocks of textual study with Aleph Bet in Reception, adding translation of key words once fluency of Hebrew Reading has been achieved, then the identification of elements of grammar, such as

the root of a word, the prefixes and suffixes in early Key Stage 2 and then the application of this to unseen texts. Alongside these skills the children develop an understanding of how to ask and answer questions on the text, so that they interact with text as a means of understanding our Jewish past and relating it to our Jewish present and future. Weekly lessons on the parashah, the Torah reading of the week, have a focus on character development and through our teaching about the festivals we give the children opportunities to learn about, and where possible, experience key events of the life cycle of the Jewish year; for example, Pizza in the Hut on Sukkot, pressing olives for oil before Chanukah, a whole-school fancy-dress megillah reading on Purim, model sedarim before Pesach, Yom Ha’Atzmaut dancing and activities, complete with Israeli lunch and special events for Shabbat UK. We have Shabbat assemblies, usually in Key Stages so that we can tailor them for the needs of the children in relation to their age, at other times as a whole school to enjoy the unity of celebrating altogether. The children are encouraged to bring a penny for tzedakah (charity) each day as well as being involved in larger projects such as

the Toy Drive before Chanukah and collecting fruit before Tu B’Shvat, for distribution to families in need within the community. We arranged a collection of non-perishable items for families affected by the flooding in the North of England as well as transport to get it to them, and had non-uniform days to raise funds for families affected by the earthquake in Nepal and the Grenfell Tower fire.

The children show great enthusiasm for their learning and are keen to share this with their family and friends. Each Year group has a key activity with their parents/ grandparents, such as the Chaggigat HaSiddur in Year 1, the Chaggigat HaChumash in Year 3, a Mezuzah craft workshop, a 1:1 text study session and a challah baking afternoon and we send home crafts and information sheets around Shabbat and the Chaggim so that parents can be a part of their children’s learning. The Independent Schools Inspectorate found that "pupils’ outstanding levels of confidence, self-identity and spiritual awareness derive from the embodiment of the Jewish faith and its values" from the youngest age. (ISI, November 2013)

Our aim is to give the children the very best start to their learning careers. Our curriculum begins with the Early Years Foundation Stage in Reception and from Year 1 is broadly based on the National Curriculum 2014, so that our children access age- and stage-appropriate knowledge, skills and experiences. In Reception, the learning objectives are taught in relation to the interests of the children, addressing both information to be gained and opportunities to be enjoyed. There is a balance of independent and teacher-led learning, giving the children autonomy and support, formal and informal opportunities. The Key Stage 1 curriculum includes Mathematics and Literacy, Jewish Studies, Art and Design & Technology, Humanities, IT, Modern Hebrew, Music, Personal Development and P.E. Our Reception, Year 1 and 2 classes each have a full-time teaching assistant in addition to the class teacher, which allows us to work closely with the children and differentiate the learning according to their needs, whether they require further consolidation or extension of skills being taught in the classroom. The children are taught by specialist teachers for Jewish Studies, Music, Modern Hebrew and P.E. Our focus is on giving them the tools and support they need to

become confident, mature people with a life-long love of learning. The classroom environment allows the children to ask questions and explore concepts through a topic-based curriculum, which includes themes such as A Walk in the Woods, Up, Up and Away and She Sells Seashells on the Seashore. In Key Stage 2 we build on the Key Stage 1 learning and add breadth wherever possible. One way in which we do this is through our Modern Foreign Languages programme: in addition to Modern Hebrew we introduce French in Year 4, switch this to Spanish in Year 5 and then Mandarin in Year 6. Our intention is to expose the children to the languages, cultures and lifestyles of others, as well as give them a solid introduction to language learning. These subjects are taught by specialist teachers from the Senior School. In Year 6 the pupils are taught in the Senior School for Art and Science, preparing them for transition into secondary education. We continue to include opportunities for the children to ask as well as answer questions and to develop independence in their learning. Children learn in whole-class sessions, small-group work, with a partner and at times on their own. Homework is set that reinforces the learning of the school day and allows time to extend the interests and knowledge

of the children. Our maximum class size is 22 children and we have well-qualified teachers and the support of teaching assistants across the week and the full range of subjects. In the upper Key Stage 2 we have further links with the Senior School to provide further intervention and extension, for example our most able mathematicians have a weekly enrichment session with a Senior School specialist.

We regard assessment as an ongoing process, which is incorporated into the structure of the learning week. We check on the children’s skills, knowledge and understanding as the lessons progress so we can give individuals help if needed, re-explain aspects to the class if necessary and adjust plans for the next lesson to make sure that all the children learn systematically; it informs future planning rather than just providing a summary of progress. We have an ongoing dialogue with the children through regular marking of class and homework, encouraging them to reflect and improve their work as active partners. The Independent School Inspectorate found that “Pupils of all ages have very good levels of knowledge and understanding in the subjects they study” (ISI, November 2013)

Academic Excellence