At Queen’s Gate Junior School, academic standards are high, and a love of learning is evident throughout the School. We aim for each pupil to progress at a pace that is right for her, ensuring each individual is supported, stretched and challenged. Our classrooms are inclusive spaces where learning is palpable.
The Junior School Curriculum at Queen’s Gate includes a well-balanced range of diverse and exciting subjects, taught by specialist teachers, with excellent academic enrichment opportunities.
We are exempt from the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, meaning we are able to offer a bespoke Younger Years curriculum full of challenge and creativity. Girls become confident readers at an early stage and their mathematical skills flourish.
From Year 3, the curriculum broadens further, with two-set teaching in several subjects and opportunities to study an eclectic range of subjects including philosophy and history of art as well as high quality provision in the core subjects. Breadth, challenge and variety within the curriculum are essential in order to empower girls to adopt a ‘have a go attitude’.
Learning is ‘hands-on’, investigative and collaborative; teaching methods are vibrant, dynamic and challenging, drawing on a range of techniques to give each girl an exciting varied experience. We make full use of our ICT facilities to enhance further pupil learning and ensure they are ready for life in the digital world.
Specialist Staff & Facilities
The sciences are taught by specialist teachers in our well-equipped laboratories. Likewise, all six languages, art, music, design and technology and PE are taught by staff qualified to teach right up to A Level – real experts in their fields. The Junior School is equipped with a newly refurbished Library, well stocked with a full range of fiction and non-fiction works. Our large Hall is used for Music and Drama tuition, while our STEAM room provides a specialist place for further Science and creative learning.
Small, Hands-on Classes
Teaching groups are small and girls are given focused attention in order to provide a truly individualised learning experience. Progress reviews are frequent to measure each girl’s academic development, data we then use to inform our ongoing support for her.
With their smaller sizes, each class enjoys a truly tight bond, and girls work collaboratively and productively with each other. Paired and group work is utilised effectively to broaden the girls’ learning experience, and allow them to become more independent – they might turn to their learning buddy for help in the first instance, rather than immediately asking their teacher, which instils a sense of self-sufficiency and greater confidence in their abilities.
Super-curriculum: academic enrichment
We want all pupils to have the opportunity to exceed their potential and take their learning beyond our normal curriculum. As well as facilitating pupils’ further development of higher order thinking skills, we find this fosters a real love of learning.
We do this through activities such as Maths Challenges, debating fixtures, entrepreneurial projects, English Speaking Board Examinations art exhibitions and creative writing competitions. We also offer pupils right from Younger Years the chance to attend Albertopolis Club, weekly sessions when staff deliver an activity on something of particular interest to them that they feel will further expand our girls’ minds. We know that pupils will progress at different rates or have strengths in different areas, so we make sure our super-curricular offering is available to all, including pupils with SEND.
