After Little Upton, the journey brings the children to Pre-Prep, two very important formative years where boys and girls aged 5 to 7 years become big thinkers. Life in Pre-Prep is stimulating and challenging and children are encouraged to approach new tasks with independence and confidence. They follow a more structured learning framework and are introduced to the key sports.
Bigger desks, higher chairs and thinner pencils set the scene for the continued academic journey. The children will spend most of their time with their form teacher developing their confidence in maths and English and wondering about the world around them in Topic and Science. They work in small groups and are constantly encouraged to think outside the box and complete various challenges with lots of hands-on activities. LAMDA exams start in Form 1 as part of our curriculum and the school is quite unique in offering this to all children. Upton also offers Music Technology from Form 1 giving our children the opportunity to create and compose music with bands or even entire orchestras. They have specialist teachers for French, Music, Music Technology, Drama, PE and swimming. A wide variety of clubs including ballet, football, Spanish and art are available for boys and girls.
The children’s wellbeing is at the heart of Upton. We are mindful of the need for children to be resilient and free thinking, able to embrace success and failure equally, and always keen to improve and learn from their mistakes. This resilience is facilitated through a number of child-led projects working with peers, learning to trust others and respecting other people’s opinions.
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Introduction to all sports
The PE lessons are practical, fun and inclusive and Upton is highly competitive and consistently performs well. In Pre-Prep, the children are introduced to all the sports. Boys and girls will start practising hockey, netball, football, rugby, cricket, athletics and gymnastics. The football team is led by an FA qualified coach and Upton is thrilled to have Mr James Phillips, to lead the rugby team. Swimming is led by qualified coaches and starts in Form 1 with the opportunity to join the Swim Squad in Form 3.
Upton has expanded its incredible sports facilities to The York Club in the expansive grounds of Windsor Great Park- Upton House’s official home ground where we host training sessions, competitive fixtures, tournaments and family events, providing endless space for the children to enjoy. In Pre-Prep, the children enjoy an afternoon per week of games there.
Part of the journey
Preparing the children for the Prep department is key and our small class sizes, experienced teachers and extensive range of exciting subjects and activities enable us to achieve this. We take pride in getting to know each child individually and treat them as if they were our own. In Pre-Prep, the children become part of the wider school community taking part in most of the whole school events including assemblies, carol concerts, harvest services, grandparents’ tea parties and the end of the year musical production which all help in building confidence and self-esteem.
Trips to historic dockyards, local woods and countryside, famous museums and safari parks stimulate and inspire young minds, and colourful classrooms with interactive displays and learning signposts remind us of where we have come from and where our educational journey will lead us. Playtime in our wonderful garden is a time to unwind, relax with friends or plot our next adventure story.
The opportunities in the Pre-Prep department are vast and significant and they are reflected in the amazing progress that the children make within these two formative years. Childhood is a journey full of awe and wonder where characters are developed, feelings explored, and memories made.
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