The Prep Curriculum

The IB Primary Years Programme

The International Baccalaureate (IB) philosophy and mission align harmoniously with the values and outlook of Brentwood School.

The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) offers a child-centred approach that gives pupils the skills and dispositions to be agents of their learning with a strong moral core and excellent interpersonal skills.

We believe that being a PYP school is the most logical evolution of our existing excellent curriculum, further harnessing our outstanding facilities and subject expertise. We have a responsibility to not only provide our pupils with wonderful learning and social experiences whilst they are with us but to also prepare them for a dynamic world beyond school, a world that prizes the skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, self-motivation and determination.

The PYP offers an inquiry-based, transdisciplinary curriculum framework that builds conceptual understanding. It is a student-centred approach to education for children aged 3-12. It reflects the best of educational research, thought leadership and experience derived from IB World Schools.

The PYP has evolved to become a world leader in future-focused education. The PYP is an example of best educational practice globally, responding to the challenges and opportunities facing young students in our rapidly changing world.

The IB PYP Mission Statement

Foundation: The Start of a Lifelong Journey

Our Foundation provision is the start of your child’s Brentwood journey and helps to lay important foundations for future learning.

Our Foundation classrooms are incredible spaces for pupils and staff, with interactive whiteboards, toys to learn as they play and communal outdoor spaces including a playground exclusively for Foundation. A mix of adult-led ‘table time’ activities and child-led ‘free play’ activities allow for guided and independent learning, with a gradual progression in preparation for Reception.

Foundation Provision

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Tailored Learning for Every Child

With an average class size of 20, our staff are able to pay close attention to the development of each child and adapt their teaching to an individual’s needs. Children who are particularly able in a subject are challenged to go further with their skills and ideas, and those who might be finding something harder to understand are given focused help.

Our classroom learning is regularly enhanced with trips and visits around the UK and abroad. Our Outdoor Classroom also provides a space that overlaps learning with being in nature and the outdoors.

Embracing Technology in Learning

Our state-of-the-art facilities provide incredible spaces for specialist teaching.

For example, our Futures Room is equipped with a green screen and lighting rig and is perfect for projects such as building robots, recording and editing videos and podcasts. Our pupils can even use VR headsets! Watch our video below to find out how we’re embracing technology in learning.

Broad Curriculum, Outstanding Results

Our pupils achieve excellent results in their academic work and study a variety of curriculum subjects including Spanish from Year 3 upwards, French up until Year 4, and Chinese in Years 5 and 6.

We find that our teachers high expectations are met with our pupils enthusiasm, and as they move up the School, our pupils are given tasks that require more independent study and research to cultivate a sound work ethic in preparation for Senior School.

Brentwood pupils are consistently at the top of the field for the National Curriculum tests at age 11, and a large proportion achieve scholarships at the same age.

Performing Arts at the Prep

Drama

Drama is an important part of the curriculum and is taught to every class by specialist Drama staff in our spacious Drama Studio each week. Regular visits are made to local theatres to see professional actors in action. Every child takes part in a Drama production each year, ranging from musicals and nativity plays to Shakespeare workshops and Musical Theatre Club.

Our Prep Hall is the perfect space for performances and features a grand stage, seating for up to 480 and a mezzanine floor that provides a bird’s-eye view of our performances.

Music

Music is taught throughout the school and all classes have almost one and a half hours of Music lessons each week held in our Music classroom, and seven Music practice rooms. In class, pupils take part in a wide range of Music activities, including singing and composing; our Music Technology Suite is also used to teach pupils how to read and write Music.

Prep Pupils can join our two orchestras, and all pupils belong to either the Junior or Senior choirs, which rehearse weekly and perform at the Young Voices concert at the O2 Arena. By the time they leave the Preparatory School, every child can read and write Music and knows how to use computer-based composition software.

My child is very happy at Brentwood Prep School. Since starting, she has become a confident girl. She enjoys all the opportunities that the school gives her, making her grow in all aspects of her life.

Prep Parent

Our PE and Games core curriculum offers a wide range of sporting opportunities and our first-class facilities help us deliver a strong sports programme.

We make use of the excellent facilities at our Sports Centre, including the 25m indoor swimming pool, the learner pool for younger swimmers, sports hall, fencing salle and squash courts. The School’s all-weather floodlit pitch and athletics track are also used regularly.

Co-Curricular Facilities