UPPER SCHOOL (YEARS 7 & 8)
WHY UPPER SCHOOL?
Y
ears 7 and 8 are crucial and formative years, which officially mark the start of secondary education. At Junior King’s, pupils remain with us in Years 7 and 8 and we bridge the gap between the primary years and the more challenging secondary years. We offer pupils a distinct ‘Upper School’ experience which is the perfect place for all to develop in self-belief, maturity and confidence before moving on to Year 9. Our pupils benefit from remaining in this smaller, protected environment and, during these two important years, we are able to equip them for the next stage of their journey, enabling them to thrive and flourish, and to feel challenged, nurtured and respected.
ACADEMIC The final two years are a key time to prepare our pupils for their respective secondary schools. This is an important time when pupils develop and extend key learning skills, engender a more mature love of learning and academic drive. At Junior King’s, our pupils follow a broad and stimulating curriculum, taught by subject specialists with experience in primary and secondary teaching. Alongside our key curricular areas of Maths and English, our language learning, both ancient and modern, is exceptional: subject specialists
and native speakers teach French and Spanish, while Classics - Latin and some Greek are also covered. Pupils study the separate Sciences, as well as continuing to enjoy a rich education in Computing, Art, Music, DT and Drama. Through our Humanities subjects – History, Classical Civilisation, Geography and RS in Years 7 and 8, the pupils acquire greater independence and responsibility for their learning. Our pupils develop specific enquirybased learning skills to a deeper level of understanding and they are prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. Above all, we aim
to foster a love of life-long learning and we guide the pupils with a gradual increase in expectations in their personal organisation and responsibility. Our academic approach is inclusive and holistic; every child is encouraged to work hard and reach their full individual potential. The vast majority of our pupils do gain places at their first choice of secondary school, and we proudly maintain an excellent record of success and scholarships won at 13+ in academic, drama, art, DT, music and sport.
Being a prep school, we are able to reinforce learning through regular visits, trips and workshops including bushcraft stays and visits both locally and abroad. We run a number of exciting cultural, sporting and team-building trips especially for our Upper School pupils, including a Spanish exchange, a joint skiing trip with The King’s School, sports and choir tours, a Humanities and Classics trip to Italy and Year 7 and 8 outdoor education residential trips.
SPORT Sport in the final two years in Upper School plays a key role in the development of our pupils. Pupils continue to take part in a range and breadth of sports, further enhanced by our rich activities sporting programme, and they have opportunities to compete in teams to an extremely high standard against other schools. For those who want to play sport at the highest level, there are opportunities to compete at both regional and national levels.
ENRICHMENT & EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Our programme is exciting, broad and creative. Pupils seize every opportunity to explore what they love to do, to spark their imagination and ignite their joy and passion. We enable them to pursue their love and develop their talents, laying down the foundations for a fulfilling life. Our pupils are encouraged to be busy and love to join in. We have so much on offer from orchestras, bands, choirs, including Chapel Choir, to advanced Art and DT
groups, and senior drama. We offer fencing, swimming, rowing and dance, alongside current affairs and debating clubs. We put on drama productions and all our Year 8s take part in a production before they leave the school. These are just an example of what our Year 7s and 8s can do. At the centre of our enrichment and extra-curricular programme, we promote personal development and also collaboration and teamwork.
RESPONSIBILITY & LEADERSHIP Our pupils are the leaders of the future and we need to prepare them for this. Upper School offers opportunities for responsibility and leadership. These skills are given the chance to really flourish in Years 7 and 8: pupils gain confidence in a familiar environment, instead of finding themselves to be the youngest in a larger senior school environment. At Junior King’s, every child has some opportunity to lead,
whether as a prefect or a monitor, in focus groups, taking tours, as buddies to our new children joining the year group, in public speaking or through charity and enterprise opportunities. Our pupils rise to the challenge, gaining a greater sense of achievement, responsibility and maturity, setting them up for more confident success when the move to senior school comes.
PASTORAL CARE Happy children flourish. Year 7 and 8 is a time of physical and emotional changes. It is a sensitive time for the children and we provide a nurturing environment, where the class sizes are small, and every teacher knows and supports every child. Our pastoral care is first rate, our pupils feel supported and cared for, and this is the key to ensuring that our pupils are happy.
THE JOURNEY TO YEAR 9 & BEYOND While the majority of our Year 8s move to The King’s School Canterbury at 13 years, some do go on to a variety of different schools. We work closely with parents, giving personal and professional advice, and, by understanding each individual pupil’s needs, we ensure that the chosen secondary school is the most appropriate setting for their future success.
Some of our Year 7 and 8 day pupils like to experience boarding too, in preparation for their Secondary School journey, and we offer full and occasional boarding, where numbers allow. There is no better environment to do this in than the one that they already know and trust.
AIMS Our pupils foster a deeper love of learning in the final two years at Junior King’s. They become confident individuals who have better understanding of their own abilities, who cherish friendships, welcome responsibility, understand their place in community and know the value of teamwork.
Come and meet our Year 7 and 8 pupils and see how well they are doing.