At this time of year, many people will be thinking about where their little ones will be starting school in September. After all, National Offer Day for primary schools is on 16 April. On that day, parents learn which state primary school their child has been offered a place at.
National Offer Day for Primary Schools
This is typically the nearest school which has a place, and you have the option to appeal the decision or accept the offer while remaining on the waiting list if you have not received an offer from your first-choice school.
If you are one of those anxiously awaiting the outcome of your application, it is worth bearing in mind that the state sector is not your only option. With an independent school education, your child can start to feel the benefits of a private education from an early age, at the outset of their academic journey.
If you are not familiar with the term ‘Prep’, these schools are typically independent or private schools educating pupils aged eight to thirteen. (Prior to this age, those in the sector traditionally go to a ‘pre-prep’ between the ages of four and seven). The idea is to prepare children for their senior education and the beginning of their secondary school and sixth form journeys.
Benefits of a Private School for your Child
Not every prep school refers to themselves by that name these days, but there are numerous benefits to sending your child to a private school from the outset. Here are some of them:
Smaller Class Sizes
This is one of the obvious advantages. Prep schools’ and Private schools’ Reception classes tend to have fewer pupils per class than the mainstream sector. So, at this key point in a child’s development, they receive more individual attention from teachers, who will be better placed to assess progress and tailor learning accordingly.
Teachers also get to know each pupil better, while the pupils form stronger bonds with each other due to the smaller group sizes. There will also be more chances for a child to put their hand up and ask questions and for their voice to be heard.
Subject Specialists
In the state sector, one teacher tends to spend the whole school day with their class teaching them everything, which may have some benefits. But in Prep schools’ and Private schools’ infant classes, some lessons are taken by teachers with subject specialisms, for example in music or drama, languages or sport. This can really help a child to reach their full potential.
Excellence in Reading and Writing
In Private Prep Schools children often achieve above average levels in their academic work aided by small classes and the opportunities they are afforded to extend their learning. At St Joseph’s College Reading, our children participate in a national creative writing assessment which is based on comparative judgements. This provides us with writing ages and standardised writing scores that are benchmarked against pupils nationally. All of our pupils in the Prep school perform well above the national average with over a third of our pupils in Year 6 writing at the age of 14 years, which to put into context, is 3 or 4 years above their actual age.
A Broader Curriculum
Unlike their state-sector counterparts, Private Prep Schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum. So, they have the freedom to provide learning that suits the school’s ethos and is tailored to suit individual children’s needs. There does not have to be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.
Parents are likely to find a wide-ranging curriculum that’s finely balanced, which takes account of individual differences, and is designed to encourage a love of learning from very early on.
Co-curricular Activities
Private schools are often better placed to offer a well-rounded education which allows pupils to develop new skills and interests outside the classroom, while building confidence. They’ll benefit from facilities that provide the chance to try anything; from music and sports to Drama and STEM, among other activities within a Co-curricular platform.
The Perfect Springboard
Being in the independent sector so young means the child gets the very best start in life and is ideally equipped to move to the next stage of their education, whatever form that takes. They will have been given excellent building blocks and foundations on which to build during the years of learning which lie ahead.
St Joseph’s College – a Private Prep School in Reading
At St Joseph’s, we’re one of the leading independent schools in Reading, Berkshire. We are near Caversham, Henley, Woodley, Earley, Tilehurst and Wokingham, and take boys and girls between the ages of three and 18. What’s more, we’re one of the best-value private prep schools in the Reading area – our fees are a lot more affordable than you may have realised.
In our Reception class, we have a maximum of 22 pupils, and children join us from our pre-reception facility, The Acorn Centre. We combine play and learning to spark a love of reading, writing and mathematics, passions that we hope will last a lifetime. This is helped by our brilliant staff and varied facilities.
From the moment children join Pre-Reception, there are specialist lessons in French, PE and Music as part of their weekly curriculum. The children benefit from the expertise of the different academic staff who nurture their young talents in our purpose-built Music Centre, gym, playing field and astro-turf pitches. In Reception, specialist provision increases to include weekly ICT and swimming lessons. Swimming takes place in our on-site, indoor pool, where our own Swim School staff support the children to build skills and confidence in the water.
The large garden is for the exclusive use of our Pre-Reception and Reception children. Set between the Acorn Centre and Reception classroom, this outdoor space is a vibrant and well-resourced area where children love to play. There is plenty on offer to inspire and challenge our children on the climbing equipment, sand-pit, mud-kitchen and much more.
Whilst enjoying their own dedicated spaces and facilities, Pre-Reception and Reception are very much part of the Prep School. Children quickly build confidence and a sense of belonging through the many ways they are included in the wider Prep community. On admission, each of our Pre-Reception and Reception children joins one of our Bear families (the Infants’ equivalent of the House system which runs from Year 3-13). They work hard each week to earn Bear points for their team, which are awarded for demonstrating our values of commitment, communication, collaboration, confidence and compassion. Certificates and awards are presented at our weekly Good News Assembly, where the whole Prep school celebrates each other’s efforts and achievements.
Meanwhile, our youngest children enjoy a host of co-curricular activities. These include trips to places like Bekonscot Model Village and Railway, themed days such as ‘Talk like a Pirate’, a visit from a mobile farm and planetarium.
There is also a true commitment to child focused pastoral care, ensuring that each child can flourish in every possible way. They are known personally by their form teacher who will work closely with you throughout your child’s journey. At the same time, our Prep Pastoral Lead and Lay Chaplain are also available to offer pastoral support. Plus, when it is time to leave, they transition seamlessly to the Senior School where they are already known well by the staff.
Looking for Private Prep Schools near Reading? Browse our website and learn more about what we could do for your child. Book your visit today and see what we could do for your child in their early years.
