Description
Winchester House School is Independent Secondary school in Non-selective for kids aged 3 to 13 (Gender - 3 to 13 )
It is an outstanding Nursery, Pre-Prep & Prep School set in the heart of Brackley, Northamptonshire. Located on the Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire borders, it has a deserved reputation for academic, sporting, musical and dramatic success. The aim of Winchester House School is to develop life-long learners with a spirit of resourcefulness and self-reliance within a warm and purposeful community.
Facilities
Nursery
From the term the child turns three, children can join the nurturing environment of our Nursery classes. Supported by our highly qualified and experienced Early Years staff, children explore, investigate, observe and discover through a rich and varied curriculum based on the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFS) which develops firm foundations for learning,The focus is on learning through play and creativity which enables their confidence, self-esteem and independence to flourish. Traditional learning such as the foundations of literacy and numeracy are balanced with specialist teaching in music and PE, as well as engaging outdoor activities such as den making, exploration of natural materials in our ‘mud kitchen’, scavenger hunts and tree climbing.
Reception
Children enjoy a smooth transition from Nursery to Reception, where the happy, hands-on, engaging atmosphere encourages children to be creative and to discover and explore the world around them to become independent, confident, enquiring learners.We introduce a more structured programme to give the pupils the best start in reading and writing and children continue to enjoy a weekly ‘Going Wild’ session engaging in activities such as den making, exploration of natural materials in our ‘mud kitchen’, scavenger hunts and tree climbing. As well as Music and PE specialist teaching, they introduce a weekly French lesson and there are further opportunities for educational visits to support our topics.
Upper School (Years 3-8)
At the start of Year 3 (aged 7+), children join the Upper School. The transition from Pre-Prep is carefully managed and Years 3 and 4 classrooms are in a separate, purpose built block with its own clearly defined playground and play equipment.Classroom teachers teach core subjects in sets in this safe and familiar building, and children start to travel about the rest of the school for specialist lessons such as French, Music and Art. From Year 5 (aged 9+) the children are taught by specialists in all subjects and therefore learn to move around the Upper School for all their lessons.
Boarding
The boarding houses at Winchester House are a safe, happy and flexible home from home with a family feel. Pupils spend time with friends and take part in our broad activity programme which includes special themed events, discos, games, competitions, all sorts of outings (including shopping trips!) and opportunities to do something different.They support and encourage all our boarders in learning to become more independent; from the routine of simple everyday tasks like making their beds and folding their clothes, to… everything is designed to help them flourish when they move on to senior school.
Features
Things to note
Sport
Sport is a cherished and traditional strength here at Winchester House, and with a comprehensive and exceptionally competitive fixture list in all major and minor games, the record of success is impressive.Our all-inclusive approach gives every child an opportunity to represent the school and experience all the additional benefits that come with it.The main sports for the boys are rugby, hockey and cricket and the girls play netball, hockey and rounders. The children are coached by specialist staff across all the age groups and leave Winchester House with a strong grounding in technique and sportsmanship. We encourage the children to view sport as a ‘skill and passion for life’ with a strong emphasis on enjoyment.
Creativity
Creativity is an essential 21st century skill and a key educational goal at Winchester House. Many of the fastest-growing jobs and industries rely on people’s creativity; their ability to think differently, question the status quo and imagine new scenarios, products and solutions to the world’s challenges. Some of these emerging industries will generate jobs that don’t even exist yet, and this type of creative thinking and complex problem solving is vital for pupils to thrive when they move on from Winchester House.
Digital
From the way we communicate to the way we spend our free time, technology has radically transformed the world, and we now live, work and study in a new digital world where new jobs and entire industries are constantly emerging.With technology becoming more accessible and more cost effective, technological change is exponential and it is widely regarded as the solution to many of the challenged facing the world.
Special Educational Needs and Gifted and Talented
All children at Winchester House School work within mainstream classes with access to a wide ranging curriculum. Quality First Teaching is our priority and classwork in all subject areas is differentiated for all levels of ability. If required, children are supported either in small groups or individually by subject teachers, the special educational needs co-ordinator or specialist support teachers and assistants. Extra support takes place either in class, in catch up or booster groups or individual one-to-one programmes. We aim to run as many support groups as possible early in a morning and/or during prep or activities to avoid pupils missing lessons.
Extra Curricular
Please check the school website link for details.
3.84 miles
