Academic Curriculum
The very best of a modern education.
At Berkhamsted Pre-Prep, every decision we make is aimed at offering your child the very best of a modern education. Learning never stands still at Berkhamsted Pre-Prep. We believe in making learning active and encourage the children to approach every day with questions and curiosity so that they want to learn more.
We combine a high-quality standard of teaching and superb facilities with a true understanding of our pupils and their needs.
Learning opportunities are planned to allow our children to question, debate, collaborate and problem-solve from a very young age.
While a focus on academic achievement is key to success, we also believe that opportunities beyond the curriculum are just as important to our pupils’ development and happiness.
We create a warm and welcoming environment where your child will flourish, with the attention and support they need to achieve their best.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
At Berkhamsted Pre-Prep, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is where your child’s journey begins, supporting children from ages 3 to 5.
Children join our Stepping Stones Nursery in the September following their third birthday and move into Reception at age four.
Nursery and Reception together form a carefully planned two-year, six-term journey, designed to nurture confidence, independence, curiosity, and resilience. Each term builds naturally on the last, giving children the security to explore, take safe risks, and develop a lifelong love of learning.
In Stepping Stones Nursery, children are welcomed into a warm, nurturing environment where they quickly feel settled and secure. Strong relationships with staff and friendships with peers help children develop a sense of belonging.
Through play and shared experiences, they learn to recognise and express their feelings, build emotional resilience, and gain confidence in themselves.
Communication and Language are at the heart of everything we do. Children are immersed in talk — chatting with adults, sharing ideas with friends, listening to stories, singing songs, and joining in with rhymes.
These rich language experiences help children express their thoughts, expand their vocabulary, and develop strong listening skills. Secure communication underpins all learning, supporting children to form relationships, understand emotions, and become thoughtful, confident learners.
Physical development and outdoor learning are equally central — and full of fun. Every day provides opportunities to move, explore, and be active, whether climbing, balancing, running, riding bikes, or playing in our extensive outdoor spaces- wellies and waterproofs are essential!
Woodland sessions, garden exploration, and seasonal adventures allow children to test boundaries, take safe risks, and develop resilience.
Specialist Physical Development sessions provide structure and challenge, while fine-motor activities such as painting and modelling build the control needed for writing and everyday independence.
As children transition into Reception, learning flows seamlessly. Familiar routines, people, and spaces allow children to focus on new challenges, with a balanced mix of play and structured learning. Early reading, writing, and maths are introduced through practical, hands-on experiences that are engaging, meaningful, and confidence-building.
Across all six terms, children benefit from specialist teaching in French, Music, and Physical Development, adding creativity, excitement, and breadth to their learning.
By the end of Reception, children leave EYFS as confident, happy, and resilient learners. With strong friendships, well-developed communication skills, and a lasting love of learning, they are ready and excited for their move into Year One.
Key Stage One
Learning in Key Stage One begins with an understanding of each child’s unique starting point. Our curriculum is designed around engaging topics and meaningful cross curricular links, ensuring that children are motivated, curious and able to thrive. Because every cohort is unique, we continually refresh and adapt our teaching to meet the needs and interests of the children in front of us.
Learning at KS1 is aimed at securing curriculum mastery so that children develop deep, secure knowledge which forms a strong foundation for their learning at KS2 and beyond. While lessons become more structured, we continue to include purposeful play where appropriate, reflecting research showing how play can support deeper thinking and metacognitive development.
Our curriculum follows the National Curriculum and is enriched by specialist teaching in Art, French, Music and PE. Throughout Key Stage One, children develop the ability to evaluate their own learning through co-created success criteria. This helps them recognise their achievements and identify their next steps, supporting increasing confidence and independence.‑created success criteria. This helps them recognise their achievements and identify their next steps, supporting increasing confidence and independence.
Character Education and our Learning Powers are embedded throughout the curriculum, helping children to grow in resilience, curiosity and collaboration. As they mature, children take on age-appropriate responsibilities within their classrooms and the wider school community, gradually developing early leadership skills.‑appropriate responsibilities within their classrooms and the wider school community, gradually developing early leadership skills.
We place great importance on ensuring a smooth transition from EYFS into Key Stage 1, and later into Key Stage 2 at Berkhamsted Prep. Thoughtful planning, strong relationships and clear progression help children approach each new stage with confidence, enthusiasm and readiness for the opportunities ahead.
Home Learning
Consolidating the learning objectives taught at school in a fun and interactive way.
We understand that engaging your child in further study at home can be a challenge, but we believe it is crucial in teaching children to challenge their expectations of what they can achieve, developing them into ambitious, motivated students with the desire to succeed.
We approach home learning in a way which is designed to consolidate the learning objectives taught at school in a fun and interactive way.
During the Early Years Foundation Stage, children’s home learning focuses on developing their early reading, spelling and problem-solving skills whilst Key Stage One home learning includes some project work and investigative tasks.
You will have many opportunities to discuss your child’s home learning needs during the Pre-Prep years and we are always very keen to ensure that it is appropriate, purposeful and above all, stress-free for your child.
A metacognitive approach
At Berkhamsted Pre-Prep, we aim to encourage children to be open to learning new things so that they embrace new experiences and opportunities with an understanding that lifelong learning is key to self-improvement, and enjoyable!
Metacognition helps our pupils develop their awareness of how they learn and what they need to practise to improve in each key learning habit. This creates a learning friendly classroom culture, encouraging your child to be an innovative, confident, curious and independent learner.
At Pre-Prep we see its positive impact on a daily basis. Our pupils:
- Understand the different roles that need to be deployed when working together as a team in the classroom. We work to identify and utilise pupils’ complementary strengths to resolve any conflict within the team.
- Explain how different topics and subjects are related and rely on each other.
- Listen actively and respond respectfully with compassion and empathy.
- Spot patterns and identify the big picture as well as the fine detail.
- Appreciate the importance of planning ahead and reviewing progress regularly.
- Understand the different roles they need to play when working together as a team and know how to resolve conflict.
- Develop strategies that build resilience and view challenges and mistakes as valuable learning opportunities. We call this “mistakes are our friends” at Pre-Prep.
As we develop these skills and habits, we observe how it provides our children with greater capacity to identify their successes and areas for development, to be able to discuss with confidence their next steps, so that increasingly with support they develop ownership and agency of their own learning.
By equipping our children with the learning habits and skills in the youngest years we are confident that it will support their transition to the next step in their educational pathway at Prep whilst setting the foundations for them to thrive in the 21st century.
If you would like to know more about our approach, talk to our children and team when you visit our School. We believe they are our best example of the benefits of a metacognitive approach.
VISIT US
Why Berkhamsted?
As dreamy country schools go, the pre-prep is right up there, while the prep – a five minute drive away – is much bigger and so urban it could almost be London.
Staff share an ambitious vision, with high expectations for what all children can achieve and ensure that high standards of learning and care are delivered.
Inside, the emphasis on teaching and learning, as well as cross-curricular, is evident from the glass-covered noticeboards alone – among the largest and most comprehensive we’ve seen.
