Wonderful teachers with energy and enthusiasm make education at Gateway School a very positive experience.
YOUR GATEWAY TO EDUCATION
Welcome to Gateway School. A school filled with happy children who truly thrive in our family-feel environment, where committed and caring staff take time to create experiences tailored to help every child reach their full potential.
At Gateway School, we value the individual, providing a holistic education that places equal importance on all aspects of the curriculum, whilst ensuring that academic endeavours lead to securing a place at the best Senior School for your child. We are proud of the journey that our children take as we help prepare them to be real-world ready.
Guiding and serving these young minds is a considerable privilege and a responsibility that we value greatly. It is our pleasure to nurture interests and talents, promote growth and to help build character and self-belief.
I extend a warm invitation for you to visit and experience the magic of Gateway School for yourself.
Cath Bufton-Green Head Teacher
KEY FACTS
We are situated in the idyllic village of Great Missenden in the Chiltern Hills. Through a co-educational experience, children aged 2 to 11 years are immersed in a creative and engaging curriculum, enriched by a substantial clubs programme that encourages them to pursue their own interests and talents.
Our philosophy and commitment is to ensure all children are happy, empowered and fully prepared to excel in their educational journeys today, tomorrow and in the future.
Being part of a wider family of schools, through Bellevue Education, affords us the opportunity to share best practice, bring children and staff together and continue to build a secure future. of parents strongly agree that their child enjoys learning at Gateway School.
It’s been the best decision we made because my son is now an inquisitive, knowledgeable, kind and thoughtful young man who enjoys learning - which is the most important reason to go to any school.
WHY GATEWAY?
Children at Gateway School are happy, inspired and excited to learn. Underpinned by our ASPIRE values - Achieve, Strive, Participate, Investigate, Respect, Enjoy - the children experience a rich tapestry of learning that reaches far beyond the expected. From profound discussions in Philosophy, salutations in Japanese, to planting trees at Farm School, our children benefit from engaging and creative opportunities to pique their interest and expand their minds.
Accompanying the children on their journeys are experienced and caring staff who all share the desire for the children to be their very best selves. Our purpose is for every child to leave the school with a sense of pride and accomplishment and a love for learning. We are confident that all Gateway children bid a fond farewell with a virtual toolkit of strategies and skills to serve them well for their future endeavours.
Gateway School Parent
PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
Our engaging curriculum brings learning to life through practical experiences wherever possible. Teachers work closely to provide connections and creativity between subjects and across all year groups with their topic-based approach. Specialist teachers provide greater expertise for children throughout the school in sports, languages, creative arts and through our immersive forest and innovative farm school programmes.
We endeavour to prepare our young minds for their ever changing futures through development of skills and character across the curriculum and within our Future Skills, Philosophy, Current Affairs and Computing lessons. Additionally, leadership is embraced in many guises, such as through the democratically selected roles within our School Parliament and associated committees.
Children at Gateway School really do have a voice to shape their school experiences and make a difference.
I am really thankful for my eight years at Gateway. It has prepared me brilliantly for secondary school and life, while also giving me many years of fun and friends.
Gateway School Year 6 Pupil
I feel as though my son has reached his potential more than he would at other schools. He has had amazing opportunities and support that have meant he has really matured and grown in confidence and self esteem which has prepared him for the move to secondary school.
ACADEMIC RESULTS
We believe in every child reaching beyond their expectations. Our engaging curriculum ensures the children progress at pace, culminating in gaining entry into the Grammar, Independent or Maintained school that is the best fit for them.
Our 11+ preparation programme is a well proven path that not only considers the children’s needs, but those of the parents too. Staff are on hand to discuss progress at any stage and Leadership Team tailored meetings are held with parents at key decision-making points on the journey. In collaboration, discussions holistically focus on each child’s strengths and needs across the curriculum, which help identify the next school(s) that will continue to provide an equally enriching environment.
We proudly celebrate the children’s successes in their next school placements, confident that the decisions made will enable each child to thrive in their future school.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SPORT
A healthy body supports a healthy mind which is why Physical Education and Games command a prominent place on our timetable. Children from Preschool to Year 6 benefit from the expertise and enthusiasm of our specialist sports teachers and undertake a broad and varied programme of activities. Physical development is not the only focus in lessons, as teamwork and leadership skills also play an important role in the curriculum.
Our ‘sport for all’ ethos ensures inclusivity with all children in Year 3 to Year 6 having opportunities to play competitively for the school through our extensive fixture programme. Additionally, collaboration across year groups is evidenced in the many House sporting events in the yearly calendar, where older children lead by example and celebrate the achievements of the younger children in their House. For those keen to play competitively we offer opportunities to be involved in festivals and tournaments and are proud of our sporting prowess in these arenas too.
Above all, our core aim for our children is to find enjoyment in their physical development promoting a lifelong positive attitude to lead a healthy life.
CREATIVE
We believe that creativity is an important life skill and value its place within the curriculum in many guises. We relish the opportunity to unearth hidden talents and nurture them, providing the stage or outlet for children to demonstrate their developing skills.
Art and Design & Technology furnishes opportunities for children to awaken their imagination and hone their spatial awareness, whilst Music and Drama promote growth in communication, personal expression and emotional development.
Aside from the creative ways in which our teachers weave topics and themes across the curriculum, our specialists provide inspiring activities in lessons and through the many musical clubs or individual instrumental lessons. The value we place in creative arts is demonstrated through themed STEAM and art days as well as through our all-inclusive programme of performances. Delivered in our dedicated learning environments, we are proud that children are empowered to succeed beyond their self-belief.
PASTORAL AND TAILORED SUPPORT
We are proud that there is no shortage of positive praise from parents about our pastoral care. We truly believe that ‘happy children learn’ and that this is borne from mutually respectful relationships within every aspect of the school community.
Our teachers forge strong relationships with the children in their care and really take the time to understand them, enabling swift action should there be a pastoral or academic need. We are fortunate to have the necessary additional layers of specialism to support the children. Our excellent Learning Support and Welfare teams are on hand and our trusted partnerships with external professionals encompasses counselling and one-to-one support.
Staff and parents work closely reflecting that the role of educating a child is very much a shared partnership. Our programme of parental engagement opportunities ensures that parents feel involved in their children’s education and warmly welcomed into the school community.
The way we learn here is special and unique to Gateway School. The teachers are so engaging!
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Education is more than what goes on inside the four walls of a classroom. At Gateway School we value a holistic education that encompasses both academic and personal growth. The opportunities we provide outside the classroom serve to satisfy this in many ways.
Our extensive co-curricular offering, of over forty activities, ranging from Lego Coding, to Anime and Manga, to our very own Gateway Podcast club, tap into the children’s interests, talents, curiosities and creativity. There really is something to satisfy everyone’s desire and enjoyment as an after school activity.
In addition, our programme of excursions, visits and residential trips seek to build on curriculum knowledge, enhance character and further strengthen friendships. Learning experiences are peppered with curriculum-themed events, opportunities to collaborate with others from within school and beyond across many platforms such as STEAM day, inter-school competitions, French, singing and debating.
Through these experiences, it is always wonderful to see the curriculum come to life, new passions piqued and personal growth evidenced.
Gateway School, 1 High Street, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, HP16 9AA
