Sherfield School’s Junior Prep children enjoy one of the UK’s best all-round learning experiences.
Our Junior Prep phase runs from Year 1 to Year 4. Classes are small and attention to detail is high. Children have exciting and varied learning experiences. Sherfield School’s excellent teachers ensure that Junior Prep is vibrant and stimulating.
Year 1 to Year 4 pupils enjoy their own areas of the school. They have a separate garden area and playground.
Year 1 at Sherfield School
Balanced Learning Approach
In Year 1, children benefit from a mix of child-initiated Discovery Time and teacher-led activities in reading, writing, and mathematics. Morning sessions focus on these core subjects, helping children apply new skills to various topics. Discovery Time, embedded in the curriculum, allows children to initiate their own learning, follow their interests, and reinforce skills meaningfully. This approach ensures a smooth transition from the play-based Early Years Foundation Stage to inquiry-based learning, fostering a love for learning and holistic development.
Phonics and Reading
Daily phonics lessons and regular reading sessions with an adult are key components. Children study key texts to develop a love of literature and interest in key topics. Writing tasks build word and sentence writing skills, focusing on letters and stories.
Mathematics Mastery
The Maths Mastery approach encourages children to articulate their learning and enjoy problem-solving using manipulatives.
Thematic Curriculum
A thematic approach drives the curriculum, with topic lessons designed for children to explore their local area and families. Children articulate their learning through exploration, presentations, and practical activities. Learning documentation will be visible on SeeSaw and in the classroom.
Outdoor Learning
Outdoor learning is integral, with extensive use of the school grounds. In the Summer Term, for example, children learn about farming, agriculture, and the importance of growing vegetables in their own allotment.
Show and Tell
Children share their interests in focused ‘Show and Tell’ sessions, developing speaking and listening skills. Items may include a favourite book, an interesting object, a photo, or something they have made. Talking frames help children prepare their presentations.
Home Learning
Children engage in regular home learning activities to reinforce classroom learning. This includes daily practice of phonics and tricky word cards, frequent reading, handwriting practice, and spelling tasks. Home learning tasks gradually increase over the year, fostering a positive attitude towards learning at home.
Parent Collaboration via SeeSaw
The SeeSaw app is used to share targets and celebrate achievements. Targets will be set collaboratively with parents, involving two learning targets and one personal target, reviewed every half term.
Specialist Teaching and Educational Visits
Specialist teaching is integrated when appropriate, with most subjects taught by the class teacher. Musical performances and weekly swimming lessons are part of the curriculum. Educational visits include trips to Basingstoke Library, a pantomime, Milestones, a local history walk, a farm, and a solar farm.
Year 2 at Sherfield School
Enhanced Reading and Writing Skills
In Year 2, children build on their early reading skills, focusing on fluency and comprehension during regular reading sessions. Towards the end of the year, they are assessed using Accelerated Reader. Writing emphasises addressing different audiences and expanding vocabulary.
Mastery Approach in Maths
The maths curriculum follows the mastery approach, encouraging children to articulate their learning and enjoy problem-solving, with an increased focus on multiplication fluency. Lessons begin with challenges and recall to reinforce prior learning.
Core Subjects and Discovery Time
Core subjects—reading, writing, and maths—are prioritised in the morning. Children also benefit from child-initiated Discovery Time, engaging in hands-on, play-based activities that reinforce skills and knowledge, fostering a love for learning and holistic development.
Thematic Curriculum
A thematic approach drives the curriculum, with topics designed to help children explore the wider world and understand cause and effect. They learn about the United Kingdom, including London, and compare their lives to those of children in a non-European country.
Articulation and Presentation
Children articulate their learning through exploration, presentations, and written responses. They begin writing longer pieces, including non-narrative reports based on their learning or interests.
Sharing Time
Weekly Sharing Time allows children to develop speaking and listening skills by presenting items such as a favourite book, a special toy, a photo, or something they have made. Talking frames will help them prepare their presentations.
Outdoor Learning
Outdoor learning is integrated into as many lessons as possible, making use of the school's extensive grounds. Children explore geographical features, create maps, and learn about plants and habitats in science.
Specialist Teaching and Educational Visits
Specialist teaching is embedded within lessons, with most subjects taught by the class teacher. The curriculum includes musical performances, a December performance, and weekly swimming lessons. Educational visits include a pantomime, a castle visit, a trip to the Watercress Line, and a local walk.
Homework and Parental Collaboration
Homework is assigned regularly but in manageable amounts. Children read their Read Write Inc. Book Bag Books or Accelerated Reader books frequently at home, and complete spelling and handwriting tasks. Later in the year, they use Times Table Rock Stars (TTRS) to support their learning of multiplication and division facts. The SeeSaw app is used to share targets and collaborate with parents to set and review goals every half term.
Year 3 at Sherfield School
Focus on Core Skills
In Year 3, children continue to build on their confidence in reading, maths, and writing. Writing focuses on vocabulary selection for effect, with increased opportunities for real audiences. Core subjects—maths, reading, and writing—are prioritised in the morning to ensure close progress tracking by the class teacher. Children are assessed regularly on their reading through Accelerated Reader and have daily guided reading sessions, focusing on interpretation, comprehension, and vocabulary building.
Maths Mastery Approach
The maths curriculum uses the mastery approach, transitioning from manipulatives and models. Children articulate their learning with increased reasoning and justification of their methods.
Thematic Curriculum
Year 3 explores extreme geographical elements and begins a journey through time periods, starting with the Stone Age and ending with Ancient Egypt. The class teacher primarily teaches these topics to ensure writing is linked and purposeful, with children writing longer pieces and using structural features for effect.
Outdoor Learning
Outdoor learning is embedded into many lessons, utilising the school's extensive grounds. Activities include learning about fossils, growing plants in science, and orienteering for team building and communication development.
Specialist Teaching
Specialist teaching starts in Year 3, with weekly lessons in languages, music, PE and Games, drama, art, and design technology. Children also participate in weekly swimming lessons to work towards the Learn to Swim award and have an afternoon dedicated to games on top of a weekly PE lesson.
Target Setting and Parental Collaboration
The SeeSaw app is used to set and review targets for each child, involving parents in celebrating individual achievements. Children identify two learning targets and one personal target, such as spelling complex words, learning multiplication facts, or achieving a milestone in a hobby.
Educational Visits
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Autumn Term: Pantomime at the Anvil and Butser Farm to understand ancient settlements.
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Spring Term: Roald Dahl Museum to bring Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to life.
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Summer Term: Highclere Castle to explore Ancient Egyptian artefacts.
Year 4 at Sherfield School
Focus on Writing and Maths
In Year 4, children develop writing for different audiences and use more complex sentence structures. Maths skills are secure, with a focus on mastering multiplication tables up to 12 x 12. Core subjects—maths, reading, and writing—are prioritised in the morning to ensure close progress tracking by the class teacher. Children are assessed regularly through Accelerated Reader and have daily guided reading sessions, focusing on interpretation, deduction skills, and making informed book choices.
Maths Mastery Approach
The maths curriculum continues with the mastery approach, emphasising the application of skills in reasoning and justifying. Children articulate their learning and identify misconceptions in their work.
Thematic Curriculum
Year 4 builds on Year 3 by exploring Ancient Civilisations, including Invasions, Ancient Greeks, and Ancient Egyptians. Children draw comparisons between different historical periods, with lessons taught primarily by the class teacher to ensure writing is linked and purposeful.
Outdoor Learning
Outdoor learning links to science and orienteering, with additional activities integrated into many lessons. Children recreate a river outside while learning about the River Nile, using the school's extensive grounds.
Specialist Teaching
Specialist teaching continues with weekly lessons in languages, music, PE, games, drama, art, and design technology. Swimming lessons help children work towards the Learn to Swim award, and games sessions take place weekly. Additionally, children participate in the "Listen to Me" programme, learning to play an instrument for a term.
Target Setting and Parental Collaboration
SeeSaw is used to set and review targets for each child, involving parents in celebrating individual achievements. Children identify two learning targets and one personal target, such as using adventurous vocabulary, solving fraction problems, or learning to play an instrument.
Educational Visits
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Autumn Term: Pantomime at the Anvil and Winchester City Museum with the 878 AD experience (TBC) for an Anglo-Saxon exploration.
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Spring Term: Ashmolean Museum in Oxford for a Greek-inspired workshop.
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Summer Term: Highclere Castle to explore Ancient Egyptian artefacts.
Junior Prep Admissions
If you would like to register your interest for admissions please click here.