Teaching and Curriculum at Hampton Court House
Hampton Court House Prep is about providing an educational experience centred around the child with bespoke approaches for every individual. Whether in classroom settings, extra-curricular activities or charity work, we teach the children to be well-rounded and caring and to contribute to all aspects of school life. Our day-to-day curriculum is one of the foundations of this approach. Lessons are designed to be interesting, engaging, supportive and challenging so that all children feel able to do their best. Teachers will always enable children to contribute fully to lessons, learn and demonstrate new knowledge, skills and ideas, and to shape their voice as part of a dynamic, but homely, community.
Intent
At Hampton Court House, our Years 1 – 6 curriculum is designed with the holistic development of each child in mind. We aim to cultivate a love for learning, curiosity, and confidence in our students. Central to our intent is the bilingual program for Years 1 – 4, where approximately 50% of the curriculum is delivered in French. This unique approach not only enhances language skills but also broadens cultural understanding and cognitive flexibility. Our goal is to support every child’s intellectual, social, and emotional growth through a rich and balanced curriculum where mistakes are accepted, and questions welcomed.
Implementation
OOur curriculum is implemented with a focus on creating an inclusive, engaging, and supportive learning environment with a sense of fun. For Years 1 – 4, the bilingual program integrates French into everyday learning, covering subjects such as humanities, science, sport and the arts in both English and French. This immersive approach helps students develop proficiency in both languages naturally and enjoyably, with in class support used to ensure all children are able to understand and access the curriculum. Lessons are structured to build on previous knowledge, ensuring a smooth progression. Within years 5 and 6 more specialist teachers are used to deliver the curriculum which allows for the development of skills necessary to start their secondary education in year 7. We employ a variety of teaching methods, including individual tasks, group work, and hands-on activities, to cater to different learning styles. Continuous assessment practices allow us to monitor each child's progress closely and provide personalised support as needed.
Impact
The impact of our carefully crafted curriculum is seen in the enthusiasm and active participation of our students. They develop strong foundation skills in literacy, numeracy, and science, along with the ability to think critically and solve problems. The bilingual program enhances their language skills and cultural awareness, giving them a broader perspective and improved cognitive abilities. Our students also grow in confidence, independence, and social skills. Regular assessments demonstrate enhanced academic progress and personal development, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the next stage of their education with a lifelong love of learning and a unique bilingual advantage.
Key contacts
Susie Byers Head of Prep sby@hchnet.co.uk
Eldon Fayers Assistant Principal | Teaching & Learning efa@hchnet.co.uk
Imogen Stone
Prep Head of Teaching & Learning ist@hchnet.co.uk
Nick Edwards
Assistant Principal | Data & Assessment
ned@hchnet.co.uk
Paul Pearce
Deputy Head | Operations & Academic pgp@hchnet.co.uk
Year 3 Curriculum Overview Spring Term 2025
Pupils will learn about paper making and make studies of hieroglyphs to design their own Cartouche Looking at Ancient Egyptian headdresses worn by royalty, pupils will learn how to use a lightbox to create their own crown on a self-portrait. Revisiting previous skills, pupils will use clay to create canopic jars, complete with lids in the form of Egyptian Gods
Term
Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
Summer 2
What are we studying?
Cave art: studies about prehistoric art forms, observation and drawing skills, learning about the origins of paint pigments and the ancient palette Learning the story of the discoveries at Lascaux caves to inspire pupils in creating a cave wall on which to paint
Quentin Blake / Roald Dahl: Pupils will learn to make art using a reed pen and ink, inspired by children’s book illustrator Quentin Blake and artist Ellsworth Kelly
Ancient Egyptians: Pupils will learn about paper making and make studies of hieroglyphs to design their own Cartouche Looking at Ancient Egyptian headdresses worn by royalty, pupils will learn how to use a lightbox to create their own crown on a self-portrait
Ancient Egyptians: Clay canopic jars Revisiting previous skills, pupils will use clay to create canopic jars, complete with lids in the form of Egyptian Gods
Underwater sea creatures: Learning about Jacques Cousteau, making studies of his underwater base and submersibles, looking at the rich diversity of underwater life to make a series of drawings and paintings in various media
Underwater sea creatures: Inspired by their previous studies, pupils will create a three-dimensional sea creature of their choice, learning about papier-mâché and its properties
Découverte du Monde (Discovering the World)
DDM is split into discrete subjects in order to cover a wide range of knowledge across humanities and sciences. Whilst it is an interlinked curriculum, we ensure that the essential foundation of knowledge needed for the later years of prep in each subject and senior are covered.
History
In Year 3 this term, we will learn about Mesopotamia. They will also learn that the Fertile Crescent is a region of the Middle East that was home to some of the world's earliest civilisations. They will find out about the discoveries that this civilization made, the invention of writing, the way they built their houses, where they settled and why (Tigris and Euphrates); the invention of money, which enabled trade to develop with increasingly distant regions. They will discover how the writing was invented, how it was engraved and what kind of tools were used.
Geography
We will discover ways of travel and what different types of transport are there. We will learn how to use maps and understand how to use them to find our way We will find out about routes and journeys, do routes matter! We will learn vocabulary related to locational and directional language Through our travels, we will learn what a community is and talk about villages as well as discovering how villages change through time.
Découverte du Monde, continued
Term
Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
Summer 2
What are we studying?
To learn the meaning of prehistoric period names. Introduction to Stone Age (Palaeolithic and Neolithic civilisations) to Iron Age Britain. Identify continents and oceans throughout the prehistoric time period.
To understand the sources of evidence for prehistoric daily life. Locate the world’s countries.
Focus on Central and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities.
To explore the beginnings of Ancient Egyptian culture. Irrigation and agricultural systems. Ways of travel, what different types of transport. Learning how to use maps.
Locational and directional language.
Develop a knowledge of chronology.
To start making a timeline of Ancient Egypt and find out the main periods. To discover their gods. Learn about the river Nile and links to the culture of Mesopotamia.
To discover the civilisation of Ancient Egypt, mummies and Tutankhamun.
To discover how Egypt became a Roman province. Individual Geographical presentation about previous learning. Geography contest about capitals and countries.
Using the graphic texts ‘The Adventures of Asterix and Obelix’ by Goscinny and Uderzo to talk about: Cleopatra, features of a Celtic village and the links between the Romans and Egyptians. Discovering how our concept of a village has changed through time.
English
Year 3 Curriculum Overview Spring Term 2025
The Spring Term in Year 3 starts with a unit of work which explores Roald Dahl’s ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’. The children will investigate ways Dahl creates tension and suspense in his adventure story. Year 3 will be looking at characterisation and the use of dialogue; the creation of a captivating plot and how good stories are structured. Towards the end of the unit the children will plan and write their own animal adventure story.
Year 3 then move on to looking at nonfiction texts which include diaries and recounts. The children explore a variety of features by reading the super funny book ‘The Diary of a Killer Cat’ by Anne Fine. We will be exploring the use of direct speech and reported speech and the use of time adverbials to create cohesion.
Just before half term, Year 3 look at a range of performance poetry. The children will listen to a range of examples, learn about different techniques with the aim to perform their own to an audience.
After the half term break the children will read a range of Greek Myths. Year 3 will be building on their knowledge of story planning and writing and will be identifying and using a range of more sophisticated punctuation and diverse conjunctions.
We then move on to the wonderful world of Harry Potter and more specifically the studio tour exhibition. The children will be looking at the Warner Bros website and will begin to look at report writing, nonfiction leaflets and information texts.
Our final unit in Year 3 before the Easter Holiday looks at the classic poetry of Robert Louis Stevenson. These poems all tell a story, describe a setting or explore a character. The children will answer questions about each poem and learn about poetic devices to create interest and enjoyment.
How it will be assessed
Assessment will be through daily marking and feedback Through discussion and questioning At the end of each unit the children will be writing in the style of the author or poet they have been reading There will also be informal assessment of writing, reading and SPaG at the end of each term
Term
Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
Summer 2
What are we studying?
Read I'll Take You to Mrs Cole and other stories by Michael Foreman and write a new version. Study dialogue, verbs, and conjunctions for time, place, cause. Using game shows and quizzes children identify the differences between instructions and explanations. Add information about time, place and cause to write clear instructions.
Poems about animals and weather
Read traditional Indian tales in Madhur Jaffrey’s Seasons of Splendour. Analyse, compare and write own versions.
Grammar covers conjunctions, prepositions and adverbs. park curiosities with DK Children’s Book of Sport.
Explore, read and write about a huge range of sports. Revise word classes and extend sentences with conjunctions.
Funny poems by Michael Rosen
Through Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox, children explore plot, character and tension. They learn about direct speech and tense and write their own exciting stories. Through The Diary of a Killer Cat and The Day I Swapped my Dad for Two Goldfish and explore and write recounts. Study adverbs for time and place and direct speech.
Performance Poetry
Explore, read and write myths with The Orchard Book of Greek Myths (Geraldine McCaughrean) and Greek Myths (Marcia Williams). Practise dialogue punctuation and use conjunctions.
Read reports about Harry Potter studio tours. Understand features of reports; study conjunctions, prepositions and adverbs. Look at Hogwarts students’ school reports. Classic poems by Robert Louis Stevenson. This wonderful collection loses nothing of its power to excite, enthuse and inspire. Immerse your class in these classic, timeless poems. Study verbs/tense and extend sentences.
Read Michael Morpurgo’s sea stories Dolphin Boy and The Sandman and the Turtles to explore his use of characterisation, dilemmas, dialogue, word classes and the perfect tense.
Explore the power of persuasion in advertising. Children play with language, create adverts and promote healthy habits. Grammar includes conjunctions and expanded noun phrases. Explore calligrams, poetic portraits and shape poems. Analyse features of poetry. Explore tenses, conjunctions and prepositions. Write, improve and present your own shape poems.
Enjoy Dick King-Smith’s The Hodgeheg. Explore plot, character and dialogue. Study speech punctuation and adverbs for time, place and manner. Write a new animal adventure.
Read, research and write information texts about amazing world records, both real (Guinness) and funny (Quentin Blake).
Grammar includes conjunctions and present perfect form. Be inspired to create your own records and blog about them.
In this term, we will continue studying Passe-Passe 2 by completing Chapter 2. We will study classroom objects, subjects and instructions. We will continue our time telling by adding in half pasts and ¼ past and to the hour. In chapter 3, we will study months of the year and festivals. Then in Chapter 4, we will explore where we live, including rooms in the house and furniture. Throughout the term, we will continue to look at present tense verbs and masculine and feminine nouns and adjectives. Towards the end of term we will begin to learn how to speak in the future tense.
Term
Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
What are we studying?
In the first half term, we will go back to basics and revise greetings, saying our name and age and how we are. We will learn numbers to 20, and colours. We will also learn how to describe our family and pets.
In the second half of term, we will learn how to describe ourselves, including hair and eye colour. We will explore nationalities and the languages we speak. We will then learn how to describe jobs and professions that we would like to do in the future. We will learn the o’clock times and describe some of our daily activities, including how we travel to and from school.
In the first half term, we will continue studying Passe-Passe 2 by completing Chapter 2. We will study classroom objects, subjects and instructions. We will reinforce our numbers, by learning how to do some maths in French. We will continue our time telling by adding in half pasts and ¼ past and to the hour. We will begin our look at festivals with Valentine’s Day and Pancake Day.
In the second half term, we will continue to explore festivals, including Easter. We will learn how to discuss events that will happen in the future. We will learn how to describe our homes and bedrooms. This will include an exploration of possessive pronouns.
Summer 1 Continuation of Passe-Passe (units tbc)
Summer 2 Continuation of Passe-Passe (units tbc)
FLAM
This term, students will immerse themselves in a variety of activities designed to enhance their reading, writing, grammar, and recitation skills.
Reading Projects: Focused on portraits and les contes détournés (twisted fairy tales), students will explore creative and descriptive texts to inspire their own writing.
Grammar: Emphasis will be placed on conjugating regular verbs ending in -er and the verbs être and avoir in the present tense. Students will also learn about noun phrases (groupes nominaux) and how prefixes and suffixes shape meaning.
Creative Writing: Students will invent descriptions and practise writing concise summaries
Recitation: Poetry recitation will include Le Clown and L’Aurore en chaperon rose.
Students will be asked to write and present two book reviews this term: 20th January and 17th March
Autumn 1
Spring 1
Projet de lecture : Les animaux
Les consonnes et les voyellesOrdre alphabétique
Passé - Présent - Futur
Récitation : Jeux de lettres
Autumn 2
Summer 1
Projet de lecture : les portraits
Les verbes en –er au présentL’adjectif
Inventer une description
Récitation : Le Clown
Projet de lecture : L’école
Le féminin et le masculin
‘Faire’, ‘aller’ et ‘voir’ au présent
Récitation : Hep! Taxi!
Spring 2
Projet de lecture : Les ogres et les contes
Récitations : L’Ogre et Un arbre
Verbes à l’infinitif - Le sujet et le déterminant - Les familles de mots
Nom propre / Nom communLa ponctuation
Projet de lecture : les contes détournés
Le groupe nominal - Préfixes et suffixes
Conjuguer “être” et “avoir” au présent - Ecrire un résumé
Récitation : L’Aurore en chaperon rose
Projet lecture : textes documentaires sur les animaux
Singulier, pluriel des noms et adjectifs
Summer 2
Le futur des verbes en –er
Les antonymes - Les accents sur la lettre –e
Récitation : Impression fausse de Paul Verlaine
Francophone Culture
We are excited to introduce a new aspect of our French curriculum to complement our French immersion program with a Francophonie culture lesson. Learning about Francophonie at school has many benefits for students. It helps them understand and appreciate the cultures, traditions, and histories of French-speaking countries around the world.
This knowledge can make students more open-minded and aware of global diversity, which is important in today's world. It will help them appreciate the richness of the French language beyond France, recognising its influence in places. In Year 1 we will learn about France, in Year 2 about Belgium, in Year 3 about Canada and in Year 4 various African nations.
In Spring term, Year 3 will continue to explore aspects of French culture in Canada. We will explore the Winter Festival in Quebec and how the city celebrates. Next, we will investigate maple syrup production. We will look at both traditional and modern methods of collecting the syrup. We will then make and try traditional maple syrup candies. We will also learn about the importance of winter sports. After half term, we will explore more traditional Quebecois foods and traditions, including April Fools and Easter.
Maths
In the first half term the pupils will learn about:
Mental addition of 2-digit numbers
Expanded addition: 3-digit numbers
Finding 1/2, 1/4, 3/4, 1/3, 2/3 of amounts
Developing the concept of fractions
Telling time to 5 minutes
Time events and units of time
Roman numerals
In the second half term the pupils will learn about:
Representing 3-digit numbers in different ways
PV in money; add/subtract amounts
Strategies to subtract from numbers bigger than 100
Finding fractions of amounts
Telling the time to the nearest minute
How it will be assessed
A written assessment covering the subjects that have been studied in that term. In addition, informal oral assessment takes place in lessons throughout the term to consolidate and assess depth of understanding.
What are we studying?
Place value
Money
Autumn 1
Spring 1
Autumn 2
Adding and subtracting Multiplication and division
Multiplying and dividing with powers of 10
Expanded addition of 2 and 3 digit numbers
Finding halves, quarters, and thirds of an amount
Telling the time
Roman numerals
Revise expanded and column addition
Sequences
Summer 1
Partitioning to halve, double, and multiply
Line symmetry
Identifying and sorting 2-D and 3-
D shapes
Spring 2
Summer 2
Measurement
Drawing bar charts
Mental calculations
Consolidate place value in money
Strategies for subtraction including for numbers greater than 100
Finding fractions of an amount
Calculating and comparing time intervals
Mentally add and subtract multiples of 10
Divide numbers just beyond the timetables
Right angles as turns
Angles in 2-D shapes
Add and subtract fractions with common denominators
During the spring term of 2025, Year 3 students will concentrate on gymnastics and Hockey.
In gymnastics, students will utilise mats and basic equipment to practice and expand their repertoire of movements, including jumps, rolls, balances, and traversing spaces. They will begin to learn a broader array of movements, such as straddle, pike, arch, dish jumps, scissor and cat leaps. As they collaborate with partners, they will develop flexibility, strength, technique, balance, and control, culminating in the composition and performance of a cohesive sequence of movements to share with their peers.
Additionally, the children will familiarise themselves with the fundamental rules of hockey and begin to practice essential skills such as dribbling, passing, and shooting. These skills will be applied in enjoyable mini games, reinforcing the teamwork concepts learned in the previous term.
Term
Autumn
Spring
Summer
What are we studying?
Football: passing, shooting, dribbling, conditioned games.
Netball: passing, shooting, attack vs defence, positions and conditioned games
Games: balance, coordination, agility, stuck in the mud, octopus tag, capture the flag.
Gymnastics: balances, body shapes, travel, jumps and rolls
Hockey: passing, shooting, dribbling, conditioned games.
Benchball: throwing, catching, positions and attack vs defence.
Cricket: throwing, catching, batting, bowling and fielding
Athletics: shuttle relay, 60m sprint, 200m sprint, hurdles, long jump, javelin throw and shot-put throw.
Performing Arts
3 Curriculum Overview Spring Term 2025
In ballet this term the students will follow the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus using this to help them develop their technique, musicality and performance.
In music, students will develop and apply skills of practical musicianship to playing the recorder. They continue to develop musical understanding through singing and moving, and they work on instrument technique to perform and compose music on the recorder.
In drama, the students will prepare a performance of ‘The Happy Prince’ in French as part of a school production.
Throughout the year, there will also be numerous recitals and concerts, providing students with platforms to display their musical abilities and talents.
PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education)
This term we are moving on to our ‘Relationships’ and ‘Changing Me’ topics We will begin by thinking about our families, and the different roles and responsibilities within our families, whilst also thinking about stereotypes and expectations. We will explore friendships, and problem solving. We will be thinking about how to keep ourselves safe, with a focus on the internet. Finishing with thinking about people around the world and our web of relationships. In the second half of the term, we move on to ‘Changing Me’. This includes looking at how babies grow, and how boys’ and girls’ bodies change as they grow older, looking at changes inside and outside of the body. They finish the term by looking at parenting and family stereotypes
Please note that you can request any lesson resources for PSHE at any time if you would like to look at how a particular topic is taught.
We aim to make all PSHE sessions as relevant to the students and their current needs and concerns, therefore out content is changeable, and suggestions and feedback are welcome at any time from students and parents.
How it will be assessed
PSHE lessons are predominantly discussion based, with some written tasks for deeper comprehension and application At the end of each lesson, the students will complete self-reflection sheets for teachers to monitor understanding and adapt future teaching Teachers keep track of the students’ levels and understanding of the different elements of PSHE across the year
PSHE,
Term
Autumn 1
Spring 1
What are we studying?
Being Me in my World:
Getting to know each other
Our nightmare/dream school
Rewards and consequences
Our learning charter
Relationships:
Family roles and responsibilities
Friendship
Keeping myself safe online
Being a global citizen
Healthy Me:
Being fit and healthy
Summer 1
What do I know about drugs?
Being safe
My amazing body
Term
Autumn 2
Spring 2
Summer 2
What are we studying?
Celebrating Difference: Families
Family conflict
Feelings Solutions
Words that hurt
Changing Me: Babies and how they grow
Outside body changes
Inside body changes
Family stereotypes
Dreams and Goals: My dreams and ambitions
New challenges
Overcoming obstacles
Science
Keeping Healthy:
Identify that animals, including humans, need the right types and amount of nutrition, and that they cannot make their own food; they get nutrition from what they eat.
Explain how humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and movement.
Plants:
Identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem/trunk, leaves and flowers.
Explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant
Investigate the way in which water is transported within plants.
Identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem/trunk, leaves and flowers.
How it will be assessed
Pupils will be assessed on ½ termly tests to determine understanding and misconceptions. Then in the Summer Term the pupils will be assessed on the years’ work to evaluate knowledge and understanding.
