Lower School
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- Aldenham UK – Founded 1597
In the Lower School, pupils will cover the UK’s Key Stage 1 curriculum. Once pupils complete Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) , they enter Key Stage 1, starting with Reception class (ages 4 and 5). Children then move into Year 1 (ages 5 and 6) and Year 2 (ages 6 and 7), which both have their own defined Aldenham curriculum.
Our
Reception Class offers children an excellent start as they begin their
first year of formal schooling. The children at Aldenham are offered
every opportunity to flourish and explore in a creative environment
before moving on to Year 1..
The pupils in Reception benefit from
highly-qualified teachers, and have the space to develop without being
overawed by the older children.
The children also have access to
specialist teachers for Arabic, Islamic and Social Studies, Music and
PE. There is a wonderful outdoor play area and vegetable garden, and
pupils will also have access to the large indoor sports hall and
theatre.
Highly Targeted Fun
In
Reception, the children have a lot of fun, and are encouraged to learn
through play. There is also a shift to more formalised learning - at
Aldenham, we focus on ensuring that we know and understand each child's
skills and abilities, so that we can support their development. We make
baseline assessments of each child based on observations, assessment of
class activities, and school records received from Aldenham (or other)
Nursery.
During the first half term, we use BASE as part of our
baseline assessment of each child. This is repeated in the Summer Term,
as an indicator of progress. There is also ongoing assessment from
specialist teachers, who observe the children at play and at work.
Reading
Every
child participates regularly in small group phonics activities, and
works individually with an adult. Our phonics programme is Letters and
Sounds, using the actions and pictures of the Jolly Phonics materials.
We have books available from many reading schemes to provide a breadth of interest and stretch for the ablest readers.
Numeracy
Children work with specialist teachers who find exciting ways to help them experience and understand the foundations of mathematics in preparation for the rest of their school careers.
“Choosing a School which provides a holistic education in
a loving and caring environment is the best gift
a parent can give to their child.”
Aldenham UK
Founded in 1597, Aldenham UK is the flagship of the Aldenham Foundation and is steeped in history, with over 425 years of academic excellence. Aldenham UK - and all of our schools - embodies the best of timeless traditions and universal values, along with a documented history of a forward-thinking culture that’s served to differentiate us from our peers.
At Aldenham, we remember that achievement is an individual matter - whether that’s entry to an Oxbridge college, a sporting or cultural goal, or simply growing up into a well-balanced individual. Dedicated teaching is at the heart of everything we do. While we help our pupils to focus on their own plans, our teachers focus on our pupils.