ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Early Years Foundation Stage
In the Early Years, we foster a community where children are encouraged to explore, question, and imagine through play. We empower them to be confident, courageous, and express themselves freely in supportive environments. We nurture curiosity and social responsibility while promoting compassion and respect for the people and world around them.
Our bespoke book-based, enquiry-led curriculum uses high quality children's literature to ignite children’s interest and immerse them in the language and content of their enquiry topics. Learning is predominantly play based, with adult-led sessions dispersed throughout the day.
Inspired by early years theorists, we view the environment as the child's third teacher, creating spaces that celebrate the joy of childhood and support natural learning through observation and exploration. At the same time, we recognise the importance of structure, providing a rhythm and routine that creates a predictable flow to the day, helping children feel secure and focused.
As a baseline, our curriculum planning focuses on the seven areas of learning from the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Building on this strong foundation, we also provide rich, extended learning opportunities that go beyond the EYFS supporting children to deepen their understanding.
The three prime areas are: communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. The four specific areas are literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design. Ongoing, informal assessments form an important part of curriculum planning for each child.
Subject specialists teach French, Music, Computing and Physical Education. Forest School, an outdoor learning programme, takes place for half a day a week. To ensure a structured, progressive approach to the teaching of reading and writing, the phonics scheme, ‘Read Write Inc’, is followed. A mastery approach to Maths is introduced through the use of concrete representatives such as Numicon, counters and everyday objects, making the concepts of numbers real and setting firm foundations for the future.
Key Stage 1
The curriculum gradually becomes more formal in Key Stage 1, although the children’s learning is made meaningful and relevant to them through our creative curriculum. Pupils have many opportunities to engage in independent and collaborative learning experiences and projects.
There is a strong focus on developing fluency in reading and writing, including a continuation of our phonics scheme. Confidence with Maths is developed through a mastery approach which builds up core mathematical skills.
Forest School takes place regularly. Subject specialists teach French, Music, Physical Education (including swimming), Dance, Computing and sessions in the Library.
The below model illustrates how the Key Stage 1 curriculum at Headington Rye Oxford Prep School supports our aim to equip pupils to be future ready.
Key Stage 2
As the children progress to Key Stage 2, in addition to the specialist lessons which take place in the younger years, children are also taught Science, Art and Design and Drama by specialist teachers as part of their curriculum.
In Years 3 and 4, form teachers teach a core number of subjects to their form such as English, History, Geography and PSHE.
In Years 5 and 6, most subjects are taught by specialist teachers including English and Maths. Cross-curricular links between subjects such as History and English are made where relevant and possible. For example, events such as the stage productions in Years 2, 4 and 6 provide opportunities for cross-curricular work across the arts.
STEM subjects are also promoted in Years 3 to 6 through projects incorporating Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths.
The below model illustrates how the Key Stage 2 curriculum at Headington Rye Oxford Prep School supports our aim to equip pupils to be future ready.
Curriculum overview
In the younger years, the curriculum is predominantly taught by class teachers. As the pupils progress through the School, subjects are taught increasingly by specialists.
Forest School
Forest School encourages children to explore their own innate learning in the outdoors. They can learn to develop their team working skills, become more independent and manage risks. Children and young people are stimulated by the outdoors and, over time, typically experience an increase in their self-belief, confidence, learning capacity, enthusiasm, communication, problem-solving skills and emotional well-being.
These sessions take place in the Senior School woodland. They are led by our Forest School leaders and Learning Assistants.
The school library
The School actively promotes the importance of reading and aims to instill the love of books in every child.
The Library plays a large part in this, with each class attending a weekly Library lesson. Pupils are encouraged to borrow books, widen their reading tastes and explore different genres.
The Library is open at breaks and lunchtimes for those seeking a quiet time with a book on a beanbag – it is a popular and thriving hub.
There is also access to both computers and iPads.
