Middle School

Children progress from the Lower School to join the Middle School in Year 2.

The breadth of the curriculum is maintained, but there is also the opportunity for more sport and a greater variety of extra-curricular activities. There are sets for English and Maths which allow for individual needs to be assessed, as well as maintaining mixed ability teaching in other subjects.

The Middle School is located in a purpose-built, new building which boasts spacious classrooms equipped with interactive white boards, an extensive science laboratory and a bespoke Design and Technology workshop.

Year 2

The move to Year 2 sees many exciting changes for the children. There is a move to a new building for all, a whole new uniform for the girls and new break time and lunchtime routines that encourage more independence. The children also join the House system and are very proud to earn points for their house and take part in house competitions. Perhaps the most exciting change is the opportunity to spend break times in the rockery, for children a magical and wonderful place to play, for adults a quaint pile of old rocks.

Their two form teachers and a full time classroom assistant guide the children through all of these changes and the core curriculum subjects. As in Year 1 they benefit from specialist teaching for IT, DT, PE, Music and Dance but in addition they begin to learn the skills they will need for the team sports played at Westbrook Hay from specialist games staff.

To put into practise their mapping skills and to take a closer look at their local environment and the differences between town and country the children undertake a visit to the Berkhamsted in the Christmas term. In the Easter term, having previously carried out classroom based investigations in Science, they spend an afternoon planning and carrying out an investigation in the science lab. In the Summer term a visit to the Papertrail in Apsley brings them face to face with the paper recycling process, renewable energy sources and the history of paper making. A visit to the Roald Museum in the last half term enhances the study of his work, helps to inspire the story writing process and brings to life a part of the study of famous people in History.

Year 3

Moving to Year 3 is a challenging and exciting time; a time of many changes and development. Handwriting continues to be consistently neat and joined. Pen licences are prestigiously awarded for achievement in this area.
Independence skills and self organisation are prominent aspects of our curriculum with children learning to take responsibility for their own reading books, completing homework and changing for games. Golden Assemblies continue to reward excellence in behaviour and achievement.
We enjoy a range of wonderful trips and welcome visitors to support and reinforce all areas of our curriculum. In the Christmas term we visit a Roman museum for a day and learn what life was like in Roman times. In the Easter term we have a visiting dentist and Rabbi to reinforce our work on healthy teeth and Judaism. In the summer term we visit a rainforest and explore the flora and fauna associated with it. Often a visit to our local Boxmoor Trust is also included.
Whilst children are encouraged to work hard and achieve their best, they have great fun and happy learning experiences on their school journey!

Year 4

The main focus in Year 4 is to continue to develop the skills and foundations set throughout Middle School whilst making the learning journey an exciting and enjoyable one. The children are encouraged to become independent learners and are also prepared for the future move into the Upper School where their day will be slightly different.

Year 4 enjoy many exciting excursions, including visits to Hampton Court Palace, Hitchin Sikh Temple and also a local River Study. We also visit our neighbouring charity, The Boxmoor Trust, regularly incorporating Science into many other curriculum areas. The children can also take part in the annual Ski Trip to France from Year 4 onwards.

Some of the topics particularly enjoyed by the children are ‘The Ancient Egyptians’, ‘Habitats’ and ‘Hinduism’. A further highlight to our year is our Middle School Production, where Year 4 play the lead roles with great confidence and enjoyment.