Queen s Gate Junior School is

Transcription

1 Junior School

2

3 Queen s Gate Junior School is a small, friendly school where individuality is nurtured, where academic standards are high and where a broad based curriculum ensures a well-rounded education. Extra-curricular activities extend horizons and enrich the lives of all pupils. This all takes place within a strong pastoral care system and in light and spacious buildings. The school was established as a non denominational Christian foundation, but we welcome children of all faiths and from a range of cultural backgrounds. Diversity, we believe, enhances the richness of our community We value our history and maintain a healthy respect for tradition, but at the same time we are committed to change where appropriate. In September 2007, we entered an exciting new period in our long history when we moved into our splendid new buildings at 125 and 126 Queen s Gate, just a few yards down the road from the Senior School whose site we shared for many years. The new buildings, beautifully restored, boast spacious form rooms, three fully equipped laboratories, a state of the art ICT Room, a separate Art and DT studio and an elegant Assembly Hall. We also use some of the Senior School facilities and our girls benefit from specialist subject teaching from Senior School staff. Senior girls often visit the Junior School to assist with activities, thus reinforcing the continuity of education from 4-18 available at Queen s Gate. We make full use of the excellent benefits of being a central London school; we are conveniently situated to take full advantage of the local museums of South Kensington and the concert venue of the Royal Albert Hall, as well as being just a stone s throw from Hyde Park for recreational activities. We have a lively and vibrant school, and we do hope that you will come and visit us to see, first hand, what makes Queen s Gate such an individual school. We have Open Mornings in the Autumn and Spring Terms when girls from Years 5 and 6 will be delighted to show you around, but please feel free to make an individual appointment to visit at any time during the year. Our staff and I very much look forward to meeting you. Mrs Rosalynd Kamaryc BA MSc PGCE Principal

4 Nurturing individuality The school was founded on the ethos of nurturing individuality, and this is as important today as it was in the 1890s when Queen s Gate first opened. We believe that self esteem, self discipline, and respect and care for others are core values which lie at the heart of personal development. Leadership skills are developed through girls being encouraged to take responsibility within their Forms. A Head Girl and Deputy are appointed in Year 6, as are prefects who take on important responsibilities around the school. Girls from Year 2 onwards are elected to School Council which meets twice a term. This gives our pupils a sense of ownership in decision making in the school. Our pupils are confident, independent learners who have the skills, energy and enthusiasm to meet the new challenges of the rapidly changing world of the twenty first century. We believe that self esteem, self discipline, and respect and care for others are core values...

5 Pastoral Care Every child is valued and nurtured Queen s Gate is a small school, with just one class for each year. This enables us to give our pupils a great deal of individual attention. It is also a very caring school, where each child is valued and nurtured through close monitoring, and where support and extension are provided where appropriate. Personal success is celebrated on a regular basis, and the annual prize giving provides the opportunity for parents to share in this celebration. Our House system enables us to provide an additional support network based on a vertical division of the school. Membership of Victoria and Elizabeth House provides the opportunity for older and younger girls to collaborate closely, and fosters healthy competition in a range of activities. Rewards and sanctions are linked to the house system thus developing individual and collective responsibility for actions. Boundaries are clearly laid and there are high expectations in terms of manners and behaviour. We are very family orientated, we welcome siblings and the children of Old Girls; the families of some pupils have a long association with the school over several generations. Our caring ethos extends beyond the school; girls are encouraged to involve themselves in raising money for a wide range of good causes including the annual Swimathon for the British Heart Foundation and the Readathon for the Roald Dahl Foundation. Children also use their initiative to raise money for charities of their own choice, and do so with great success.

6 A Broad Curriculum Boundaries are clearly laid out and there are high expectations in terms of manners and behaviour. Academic standards are high, and a love of learning is evident throughout the school. The curriculum includes a well balanced range of subjects. Core subjects sit happily alongside the Humanities, Art, D.T., Music, Drama and P.E. The sciences are taught in our well equipped laboratories and ICT is incorporated into other lessons using lap top computers. French is taught throughout the school, Latin is introduced in Year 5, and Italian, Spanish and German are offered in Years 4-6. An optional Mandarin Chinese club takes place after school.

7 Music&Drama Music and Drama are highly prized for their intrinsic value and for the part they play in the personal development of each child. Class music is taught by a music specialist throughout the school. We have three choirs in School and an orchestra, as well as a range of other musical ensembles: girls are encouraged to develop their musicianship through involvement in these. Girls may choose from a wide range of instruments from Year 3, and are given the opportunity to play in instrumental groups. They may also perform in our Open Day concert and Summer concert, as well as in informal concerts throughout the year. Our assemblies also provide the opportunity to perform as part of a group or as an individual. Our choirs take part in the Music for Youth Festival each year. We have, in recent years been chosen to participate in the final of this event. Our choirs take part in the Music for Youth Festival each year. Drama is taught as a timetabled subject and girls may also join the Drama Club which is responsible for the annual school production.

8 Physical Education...we make full use of Hyde Park for free play for younger pupils... Physical Education plays an important part in our curriculum, and in extra curricular activities. We make full use of the gym in the Senior School building for lessons and for gym club. Swimming is at Fulham Pools and Imperial College, and netball, hockey, athletics, tennis and rounders take place at Battersea Park. We have fixtures against other schools. Our annual swimming gala and sports day are inter-house competitions. In addition we make full use of Hyde Park for free play for younger pupils, and for Games lessons throughout the year.

9 In our Assemblies we address a wide range of issues including world events and environmental concerns. Enrichment A wide range of activities takes church, St Augustine s, and the place throughout the day, and vicar visits our Assembly on a after school. The clubs on offer regular basis. We also have links may vary from year to year but with the borough road safety may include Art History, committee and the community Philosophy, Calligraphy, Science, police force. Assemblies enable us Mathematics, Computing, Tapestry, to address a wide range of issues Knitting, Sign Language, Art and including world events and Craft, Embroidery, Games Clubs, environmental concerns. These Drama and Music. We welcome often provoke further debate and visitors to the school to speak on discussion and lead to charity- a wide range of subjects. We based activities. have a strong link with our local Education beyond the classroom Our excellent location enables us Park. Further afield we visit the to take advantage of all that National Gallery, the Globe London has to offer in Theatre, the Tower of terms of museums, art galleries, London, the Polka Theatre and theatres and places of interest. The Wetlands Centre. In the Local venues we visit summer we like to travel include the Science Museum, out of London to destinations the Natural History Museum, such as Legoland, Highclere the Victoria and Albert Castle, Juniper Hall, Odds Museum, Kensington Palace, Farm and the Discovery Centre. the Royal Albert Hall, Leighton Residential trips are important for House and Holland both educational reasons and for personal development: Year 4 visit New Barn in Dorset, Year 5 Our excellent location enables us to take advantage of all that London spend a week on the Isle of Wight and Year 6 spend five days in York. These take place in the summer term. has to offer...

10 Continuous Education from 4 18 Partnership with parents Queen s Gate provides the opportunity for continuous education from The Junior department maintains very strong links with the Senior School. Older girls may carry out work experience, or simply enjoy spending time with younger pupils sharing a range of activities. They help out at occasions such as sports day and the school play, and older girls visit our building on a daily basis for science and language lessons, as the Spanish and German departments are based in our building, and our laboratories are shared with the Senior School. Members of the Senior Staff help in the teaching of science, languages, DT, Latin and PE in the Junior school. The majority of girls move on to the Senior School at 11+, but girls are fully prepared for entrance examinations to any schools to which they apply in Year 6. We firmly believe that the interests of the child are best served when the school works closely with parents. We have a hard working and committed PTA which organises a fund raising event each term, as well as a highly successful annual Christmas Fair run jointly with the Senior School PTA. We value parental help with school trips and with the school play. Meetings between parents and staff take place on a regular basis, and two full reports are sent home each year. Parents are welcome to make appointments with staff at any time during the term, should they wish to discuss any aspect of School life. Scholarships Two scholarships are available (one internal, and one external) at both 7+ and 11+. These are based on examination and an interview with the Principal. Entrance Procedure Entry at 4+ is dependent on an assessment and an interview with the Headmistress. These take place during the Autumn and Spring prior to entry. Entry into other Forms is dependent on availability of places, an interview with the Headmistress and the results of examinations in Mathematics and English. The majority of girls move on to the Senior School at

11

12 Queen s Gate Junior School 125/126 Queen s Gate South Kensington London SW7 5LJ Tel Fax jssec@queensgate.org.uk For the protection of the School, it should be pointed out that this prospectus and other promotional literature do not form part of any contract or agreement with the School. The information provided is for guidance and should not be construed as an undertaking by the School to meet the particular needs of any pupil irrespective of cost, timescales and other constraints. Designed and produced by theschoolbrandingexperts.com