Curriculum

Alpha Preparatory School has high academic standards. An excerpt from our (ISI) Inspection stated:

"Pupils’ overall results in national tests for English, mathematics and science at age 11 were high for their abilities and

far above the national average for all maintained primary schools."

Every year, Alpha pupils are welcomed into some of the country’s top independent and grammar schools. Among the most popular independent schools for our leavers are Haberdashers’, Merchant Taylors’, St. Helen’s, Northwood College and John Lyon. Many pupils are successful in applying to top grammar schools such as Queen Elizabeth Boys’ School Barnet, the Watford Grammar Schools and Henrietta Barnet.

Progression Through the School

When children join the Prep School at the age of four, they have a class teacher and a permanent classroom assistant. However, they also receive specialist teaching in physical education, Spanish, music, computing and drama, and they have fun movement lessons (Action Kids), art and cooking, and by the way, you will be expected to eat what they bring home!

In Year 1, this specialist tuition extends to include subjects such as CDT and computing.

By Year 2, they are being taught science in the laboratory and they are going to games every Tuesday afternoon at our impressive sports ground in Ruislip.

By the time the children reach Year 5, it is all subject-based teaching, in preparation for those all-important 11+ examinations.

The first term in Year 6 tends to focus on revision and examination technique, before the children take their entrance exams in the Michaelmas Term of Year 6. Once those exams are out of the way, we broaden the curriculum and have a chance to explore a range of topics. We also spend a week at an outdoor activity camp on the Isle of Wight.

There are PSHEE lessons for all of the children and children in the Upper School experience numerous 'life skills' sessions during the summer term. This helps the children learn about aspects such as road safety, personal hygiene or money management.

The school broadly follows the National Curriculum, but we are not bound to do so, and quite often we will go beyond the scope of what is directed by the National Curriculum.

At Alpha, we have a deliberate and well-developed policy of inclusion, which means that every child 'has a go' at everything. In action, this means that all of our pupils perform for their parents at a range of events, including Prize Giving and for our Christmas Festive Concert. It also means that all of our senior pupils have some post of responsibility (such as Prefect in a specific area, House Captain or Librarian) and it means that every pupil has access to all areas of the curriculum, no matter what their ability, interest or talent.