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Prep

Growing minds, building futures

Our Prep curriculum is varied, preparing our children to leave us as confident, robust, well-rounded individuals taking with them fond memories of their time spent at St Mary's Preparatory School.

The Prep stage of a St Mary's education is to offer increased opportunities for specialist teaching whilst maintaining the essential core English and Maths skills.

Our timetable includes Science, Drama, Music and Spanish alongside Computing, Art and PSHE as part of their weekly timetables. You may be familiar with this age group being referred to as Key Stage 2.

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Lower Prep

Years 3 & 4

From Year 3 onwards, our pupils are taught by subject specialists for all of their lessons. This not only gives them access to incredibly knowledgeable staff whose enthusiasm and passion are passed onto the children, but it also prepares them for the transition to life at secondary school.

Our aim at every stage is to provide a nurturing and encouraging learning environment for our pupils; one where they are challenged to reach their potential in every subject, and given support in any areas that they struggle with.

As our pupils enter Year 4 we begin conducting cognitive ability tests (CATs) to assess each pupil’s level and identify the areas where they may need extra help as well as those where they excel.

Our unwavering commitment is to ensure that all our pupils have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Upper Prep

Years 5 & 6

As our Year 5 children and their families start to look ahead to potential senior schools, we are there to support them in making these crucial decisions in a variety of ways. Our close relationships with a wide network of schools in the region, enables us to provide advice and help to ensure that our children find the best school for them.

In Year 6, our oldest pupils enjoy the responsibility of taking on additional roles such as peer supporters, ambassadors and buddies to the youngest children.

Alongside our broad curriculum, a weekly exam preparation club and interview preparation, ensures that children approach their transition to senior school with confidence and calm.

Bringing the curriculum to life is one of the challenges we relish

We regularly take children on excursions to sites of interest, whether historical, geographical, literary or otherwise, as well as running collapsed curriculum weeks across the school to help our pupils engage more deeply with a particular topic.

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Shape a bright future for your child

Book a personal tour today to discover excellence in education, experience our nurturing community, and envision a future full of promise for your child.

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Pupils show excellent attitudes to learning, encouraged by committed staff who reinforce a productive ethos and positive can-do approach.

– ISI Inspection Report 2023

11+ Preparation

Our 11+ preparation programme is well established to meet the challenges of 11+ entrance examinations

The preparation towards 11+ at St Mary's Preparatory School is not limited to 2 year cramming, but scaffolded from Year 1, placing our knowledge of each individual child and family at the heart of the process, and reducing the need for stress, supporting well-being.

The children are taught to use and apply their knowledge in both exam papers and interviews and their exam technique has been developed throughout their time in our Prep school so that they feel confident and well prepared.

Leaver Destinations

St Mary's Preparatory School is a Microsoft Showcase School

We are proud that St Mary's Preparatory School has been recognised as a Microsoft Showcase School, dedicated to using technology for personalised learning and school-wide transformation.

With 1:1 devices and cutting-edge tools like Microsoft Teams, Office 365, and OneNote, we enrich students' learning experiences.

Our goal is to make their skills relevant in real-world scenarios, seamlessly integrating knowledge into daily life and future projects.

PREP EXTRA-CURRICULAR

A dynamic programme of extra-curricular activities to broaden experiences

An exceptional education is of course one of the key things that makes St Mary's such a great place for your child to go to school but there is much more to St Mary's.

Our extensive extra curricular programme contributes to personal development and most importantly enjoyment.

Drama is an important part of the curriculum throughout St Mary’s and our older pupils are given the opportunity to shine on stage by taking on larger roles in our regular school productions, providing a boost for their confidence. Pupils in Years 3 through to 6 also have the opportunity to compete in sports fixtures against other independent schools on a weekly basis, developing their sporting abilities and team skills.

Inspection Report 2023

HIGHLIGHTS


  • The quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements is excellent.

  • The quality of the pupils’ personal development is excellent.

  • Pupils are outstanding communicators. Their reading and writing skills are of a high standard.

  • Pupils’ numeracy skills are a great strength; their enjoyment for this subject is wholly apparent.

  • Pupils’ gains in attainment over time are excellent.

  • Pupils are well-balanced confident individuals.

  • Pupils across the school are extremely socially aware.

Unlock Your Child's Potential

Discover the enriching journey your child will embark on

through the various school stages at St. Mary’s Preparatory School.

Your child's learning journey
...
Early Years

2 - 4 yrs old

...
Pre-Prep

4 - 7 yrs old

...
Prep

7 - 11 yrs old

...
Admissions

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St Mary’s School Henley