Welcome to Years 3 & 4
I am delighted to be Head of Years 3 and 4 at Chesham Prep. I have been a Year 3 teacher at Chesham Prep for 5 years and have previously taught in a number of other schools in Buckinghamshire and London.
Outline of Years 3 and 4
In Years 3 and 4 there are 3 parallel mixed-ability forms. We have 40 extra children joining us in Year 3 who are mixed up with the current Year 2 children to create four new classes for the start of the new school year. Each Year 3 class has a teaching assistant in the morning.
In Years 3 and 4 all children are taught in line with National Curriculum guidelines and are taught by specialist teachers for Spanish, French, ICT, Games, PE, Swimming and Music.
In Year 4 the children are split into sets for Mathematics.
Academic success is encouraged and acknowledged and the teachers ensure the children are challenged appropriately every step of the way. At the same time there are many qualities such as kindness, good manners and respect that are highly valued throughout the school.
Houses, Sports teams
At Chesham Prep all the children are placed into 1 of 4 houses, Aylward, Columbus, Nightingale and Stevenson, where the emphasis changes from focusing on individual success to collaborative success and achievement. We have vertical tutor groups for our House meetings and House events which leads to a family feel within the school.
From Year 3 all the children will experience playing as members of a team for the first time against other schools. The members of the Games staff have an inclusive approach to the teams and every opportunity is taken to develop a positive ethos for all abilities.
Creative curriculum
We have introduced the Creative Curriculum into the Junior School classes. By linking curriculum areas under one topic we found that children work harder and it stretches their imaginations across all subjects. For example in Year 3 the children learn all about the Stone Age in History lessons and this leads on to English lessons being based on the books ‘Ug – The Boy Genius of the Stone Age’ and the ‘Stone Age Boy’. At the same time children learn all about Rocks and Soils in Science and Volcanoes in Geography. In Art lessons the children enjoy cave painting and creating Stone Age Hand String Art for example.
Staff Briefing
Pastoral care is of utmost importance at Chesham Prep. Twice a week there is a staff briefing where the children’s welfare is paramount and any concerns are highlighted to ensure that all staff can support those children who for whatever reason require extra TLC. Our desire is that all children thrive at Chesham Prep and we all know that this is only possible when a child is happy, secure and is well known and understood by the teachers who are working with him or her.
Communication
Trust and communication are key elements to your child thriving throughout their time at Chesham Prep. Your trust in us as professionals, with a depth of experience of nurturing children of this age, is crucial to us working together. Communication is equally as important, we operate an open door policy and the teachers and myself are happy to organise appointments to see you at the earliest mutually convenient time.
Clubs, activities and trips
Pupils in Years 3 and 4 are encouraged to join extra‐curricular clubs, which include amongst others choir, Art and Craft, Drama, Street Dance, Little Samurai, Lego robotics and a wide variety of sports clubs. In Years 3 and up they take place between 4.00pm and 5pm
Many children learn to play a range of musical instruments in individual lessons.
Educational visits take place throughout the year to places of interest related to work in the classroom including visits to Celtic Harmony and College Lake in Year 3. Educational groups visit the school to enhance the teaching and learning of topics, such as the Vikings in Year 4 . In addition, Year 4 have a residential trip to Cuffley Camp for one night to do bushcraft activities in the Summer term.
Years 3 and 4 are exceptionally important years as the children grow tremendously in independence, which in turn leads to greater confidence and self-esteem. By the time they leave Year 4 the children are ready for the challenges of a senior curriculum.
I look forward to welcoming you and your child to Chesham Prep to experience our, friendly, family-orientated school.
Alex Thomas
