Academic

Art and Design

Our pupils are encouraged to use their individuality to make whatever they create their own. With a multitude of resources available, our children have unlimited options when it comes to Art and Design. Given the freedom to choose how their piece will look, what textiles to use and the style in which they create it, we find this flexibility really brings out the best in our budding artists and designers.

Art is essential for wellbeing along with developing fine motor skills and stimulating curiosity, creativity and imagination. At SVPS, the Art department boasts a relaxed atmosphere in which self-esteem is elevated, as there is no right or wrong, and pupils are motivated to think critically, express ideas and feelings independently and learn the value of trial and error. Our artists are encouraged to be resilient, creative thinkers who can progress and apply these qualities in their daily lives.

The Art curriculum is designed so that progression can be achieved, building on and extending past knowledge and skills. Our pupils are introduced to artists, artworks and various styles to inspire, support and develop their own works of art through drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking or ceramics. Pupils’ work is exhibited throughout the School to celebrate everyone’s artistic achievements and nurture a colourful, creative environment that reflects the words of Picasso, “Every child is an artist”.

Dance

Under the dazzling leadership of Miss Kiki, a professional dancer and qualified Dance teacher, our children love to participate in Dance! Using lots of fun techniques, they work together to improve their coordination, balance, agility and general fitness – whilst also promoting better posture and teamwork.

A key element of Dance is creativity. Children love being imaginative, and Dance provides an exciting and safe platform for them to really explore different movements and gain confidence. Dance is also an excellent way to introduce children to music and rhythm and plays a key role in developing their musicality.

Design and Technology

Design and Technology gives our pupils the opportunity to combine their artistic flair with the more practical side of designing and creating a product. Given a wide range of resources to help produce their final product, our children are given creative licence to make their vision a reality.

We encourage our pupils to operate in a real-world context by analysing, planning, designing, making and evaluating products. Looking ahead with sustainability in mind, our young designers creatively consider the environmental and aesthetic impacts of finished products and develop appropriate solutions and decisions.

Each year, our pupils build on and acquire a wide array of skills, whilst fostering both teamwork and increasing independence as they explore their functional and artistic capabilities. Design and Technology brings to life and gives meaning to other curriculum areas, inspiring our children to become hands-on learners who enjoy exploring the very limits of their imagination.

Using numerous techniques, from sewing to woodwork, electronics to graphic design, Design and Technology fosters our pupils’ natural curiosity and challenges them to find solutions and make decisions throughout their projects. One thing is for sure, they will always have fun!

Drama

Starting in Reception, our children start to gain knowledge of Drama by taking part in plays, learning or reciting lines and wearing costumes on stage. As our children progress through the School and reach Prep, they then take part in specialised lessons with a dedicated Drama teacher. They use games, role play, improvisation and, later, scripts to develop specific skills in speaking and listening, performing and creative thinking.

We want all children to become confident speakers, both with their peers and with adults. Consequently, from Year 2 to Year 4, children are required to take part in LAMDA exams, but in Year 5 and 6 this becomes optional for those children who are specifically interested in Drama.

We also like to give the children opportunities to experience the theatre and we have regular trips, including to the West End, as well as inviting visiting theatre companies to perform at the School.

English

English is one of the most important subjects, and we try to instil a love for words from a young age. Starting with handwriting, phonics and reading, we then build upon these skills so that our children become confident readers, writers and speakers.

In Pre-Prep our children are taught by their class teacher. Once they move into Prep, they are taught by a specialist English teacher with an emphasis on the pupils being able to express themselves verbally and to use descriptive language effectively and creatively. Children throughout the School are encouraged to embrace both the spoken and written word, with the aim of developing an excitement and enthusiasm for literature and language.

French

French is introduced in Nursery and continues throughout their educational journey at SVPS. During Pre-Prep, we start by using fun games, activities and songs to raise awareness of the new language and to help them develop an understanding of other cultures.

The emphasis continues through their Prep School journey that learning another language should be fun and enjoyable. New learning methods are employed, including attending various external activity days and gaining a French pen pal to truly embed the wonderful French language into their vocabulary.

Humanities

Humanities comprises Geography, History and Religious Studies and together these subjects help children to develop a thirst for knowledge about the world around us – whether it be physical, historical or spiritual.

We start in Pre-Prep by exploring habitats and environments, moving onto evolution and early earth, looking at dinosaurs and how things have changed. As the children progress, they delve into more history, explore the earth in more detail and study Bible stories and different religions.

Moving into Prep, the pupils will start to analyse a larger range of topics and begin to include their own personal interests. These interests will incorporate travel, technology, the arts, the literary world and personal beliefs, providing the children with a wealth of knowledge to engage with and, above all, enjoy and shape their own experiences.

ICT

With a dedicated, child-friendly ICT suite and significant stocks of devices and laptops, our children quickly learn that technology can enhance their learning. Discovering how to navigate their way around a computer starts with exploring Microsoft programmes such as Word, Excel and Paint. They learn how to create pictograms, paint pictures, save their work and more, before moving on to more complex skills, such as app design, coding, CAD and podcasting, facilitating a wide breadth of knowledge in the ever-changing and fast-moving world of technology.

Mathematics

We know how crucial Mathematics is to our everyday lives, and we encourage our children to forge a love for it early on. Using fun, educational and useful techniques, we embed these logical thought processes to help enhance their mathematical knowledge in everyday situations.

Having earned a Quality Mark for English and Mathematics, we work hard to ensure that children are taught in an exciting way to harness and develop their mathematical skills. The School holds various events throughout the year, which are always the children’s favourite days, such as SVPS Mathematics Week, SVPS Maths Post Office and SVPS Numbers Day. We also use TTRockstars to promote the rapid recall of times tables, with various rock star dress-up days and mathematical rugby to create a fun, engaging learning environment!

Music

We nurture and develop each child’s natural musical instinct to their full potential during their time with us. It is widely recognised that learning music benefits many different areas of children’s development; their listening skills and cognitive development, their independence and self-expression as well as building their confidence and collaborative skills.

We embed Music into the core of the curriculum from the earliest stages and it remains there as the children progress up through the School. Weekly singing sessions for all year groups from Reception to Year 6 let children experience the simple joy of singing together, whilst building and developing their musicianship and core musical skills.

Alongside this, classroom activities involving listening, composing and performing, allow our children to explore other aspects of their musical literacy. In the early years, this will be through musical songs and games that crystallise a secure understanding of the musical elements and harness confidence in music-making. This is further extended once they enter Prep in Year 3 when recorder playing is introduced. They progress to focus on various musical topics ranging from African djembe drumming and Balinese gamelan music, to western opera and ballet music, allowing children to explore and discover diverse musical cultural traditions and styles.

Our children will be introduced to music technology, first with MuseScore, composing original material with traditional stave notation, extending their theoretical knowledge built up in previous years. Further on, the children are introduced to Soundtrap – a Digital Audio Workstation they can use to experiment with musical composition away from the confines of stave notation. At the end of their time at the School, children are fully equipped with the skills they need to take advantage of their next musical opportunities.

P4L

Our teaching of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) is delivered through our bespoke programme called P4L (Preparation for Learning, Leadership and Life), which is an education programme derived at SVPS to prepare students for life.

At SVPS, children’s wellbeing, happiness, safety and preparedness for an ever-changing world remain our first priority. P4L is the key vehicle through which we share this with our children. The curriculum is broad, balanced and practical, ensuring that it promotes sound knowledge and a clear understanding of what is needed to become informed, active and responsible citizens.

Our pupils are provided with many opportunities to develop their cognitive skills, to be creative and innovative, to explore health and safety, mentally, physically and environmentally, to develop their relational skills and to explore the world around them. They are also provided with ongoing opportunities to tackle many of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues that are part of growing up.

The statutory requirements for Relationships Education are also delivered through our P4L program.

Physical Education and Games

All our Physical Education and Games lessons are taught by specialist teachers, who are dedicated to ensuring all children gain not just the physical health benefits but develop a genuine love for sport and exercise – for life.

Beginning in Reception, every session is tailored to the pupil. Starting with developing hand-eye coordination, balance, agility, and working up to more complex movements that build stronger bones and muscles and improved cardiovascular health. Not only does fitness have huge physical benefits, but it also creates a healthier mindset and is great for mental health. Regular physical activity allows our children to gain better cognitive and social skills, increase confidence and self-esteem and create a more positive attitude – which carries over into the classroom for more focus and attention to their academic work.

We have excellent facilities both indoors and outdoors; a full-size AstroTurf, tennis and netball courts, extensive sports fields, a heated outdoor swimming pool, a sports hall, permanent cricket nets and a grass athletics track. We also have the benefit of using the Senior School facilities too – these include an all-weather athletics track, a Cricket pitch and a large indoor heated swimming pool. Swimming lessons start in Reception to develop confident swimmers early on.

From Year 3, our children participate in sporting fixtures against other schools. It is all-inclusive, with every child being part of a team regardless of skill level, to increase teambuilding skills and develop important skills.

See Sports Fixtures and Results

Science

Mixing and measuring, bubbling and boiling, fizzing and foaming – these words alone conjure up the vibrancy of our Science lessons! Delving into Biology, Chemistry and Physics, our children start to explore all facets of Science, allowing their curiosity to nurture a true love for scientific learning.

Our passionate teachers encourage inquisition and imagination, trying to prove, or disprove, facts using Science and making the subject challenging yet exciting. Each year, the whole School participates in ‘Curiosity Day’, a scientific day designed to stretch and challenge the mind. We always celebrate British Science Week in our dedicated science lab and STEM clubs are always highly sought-after.

Educational, yet fun, day trips to Science workshops and museums, paired with lots of on-site, outdoor activities (such as monitoring eco-systems and studying wildlife), extend their knowledge and understanding to create engaged, independent scientists.

Spanish

In Year 6, we extend our modern foreign language offering to include Spanish. As the second-largest native-speaking language in the world, learning Spanish can be extremely valuable to our pupils. Exploring Spanish phrases, learning about different cultures and expanding their view of the world will create open-minded children – ready to take on their next educational leap into the world of Senior Schools.