Prep Academic Curriculum

English forms a central part of the Westbourne Prep curriculum, from Reception to Year 5.

Our youngest learners work on developing their listening, attention and understanding skills, and are encouraged to listen attentively to books and poems being read to them. They are encouraged to develop confidence in speaking about themselves and set topics or themes, as well as building a more advanced vocabulary and comprehension skills.

Reception pupils work on expressing their ideas and feelings, are supported to talk about fiction and non-fiction topics, retelling common stories, and experimenting with rhyme. By the end of the year, we expect to see a demonstrable improvement in their writing and reading skills, as well as in their ability to listen and follow more complex instructions.
From Year 1, the study of English is split into fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

Year 1 students explore works of fiction with repeating patterns and more complicated grammar and terminology, as well as those set in familiar settings, including traditional tales. They also study information books and instructional texts and, in poetry, look at humorous poems, poems about the senses, songs, and poems with pattern and rhyme. Supporting tasks will extend their written and comprehension skills.

As the children progress through the school, they become more familiar with different genres and styles of writing, developing their own written style and competency alongside gaining a more confident use of language, spelling and grammar. In the study of fiction, they will be well-practiced in writing their own stories and chapters, whilst the study of non-fiction genres such as travel writing and geographical texts stimulate them to discuss wider global issues.

A firm grasp of key mathematical principles is essential to any education, not only to succeed at school, but to be able to function in society, in day-to-day life as well as in the professional world.

Beginning with core mathematics including number and place value, children develop key skills in the subject from Reception, looking at number sequencing, addition and subtraction, money and measures, and shape and data.

In later years, they will be confident in shape work, describing position, movement and direction, graphs and pictorial representations of mathematics, height, weight, capacity, chronological patterns, data and mathematical language.

One-to-one attention at Westbourne ensures Prep pupils quickly develop confidence and dexterity when approaching mathematical problem-solving.

Westbourne Prep offers a challenging and diverse STEM curriculum, providing hands-on, interactive learning for all pupils. Science at Westbourne Prep is fun and engaging, with creative lessons designed to inspire the children to think more deeply about the world and their place in it.

Students begin by looking at animals, humans, plants, the elements and the natural world, thinking about evolution, patterns, classification and observation. They also gain a more advanced understanding of materials and material properties, developing a scientific vocabulary and a dexterity in using scientific equipment.

In later years, pupils will be confident to use a range of scientific equipment and will be able to explain more sophisticated scientific concepts and theories across biology, chemistry and physics. Topics include living things and their habitats, food chains, the solar system, states of matter, sound, forces, and properties and changes of materials, among others.

We are proud that our pupils learn the principles of programming from as early as Year 3, earlier than the majority of schools, which “future-proofs” them and stimulates them to think outside the box. All Prep pupils also participate in a dedicated STEM School – an exciting curriculum extension – as well as benefitting from access to our Senior School Science laboratories.

We are pleased to offer Spanish for all students from Years 1-8, with additional language options from Year 9.

A truly global language with nearly 500 million native speakers, Spanish is the official language of 20 countries. Our focus on Spanish at Westbourne is part of our ambition to “future-proof” our students, furnishing them with the most desirable skills to succeed on the world stage in their future careers.

Pupils gain confidence in using common nouns and expressions, with a good vocabulary, and knowledge of Spain and the key cultural features of the country.

Westbourne Prep offers a challenging and diverse STEM curriculum, providing hands-on, interactive learning for pupils of all ages. Students use experimentation, critical thinking, creativity and imagination to build resilience and practical skills, alongside a strong foundation of scientific knowledge which they can apply to real-world situations.

In computing, pupils learn the principles of programming from as early as Year 3, earlier than the majority of schools, which “future-proofs” them and stimulates them to think outside the box. Topics include e-safety and the Internet, digital literacy, coding, and robotics using software including Scratch Jnr as well as the latest 3D printers.

All pupils in the Prep School also participate in a dedicated STEM School-an exciting curriculum extension that allows for complete immersion in a STEM project every half term. We also run an annual STEM trip, this year to the state-of-the-art Silverstone Interactive Museum, allowing pupils experience hands-on computing technology and exposure to cutting-edge engineering outside of the traditional classroom setting.

Encouraging our pupils to feel confident to express themselves, and to offer them numerous routes to explore their creativity is a central focus at Westbourne.

We have a dedicated Art space in the Prep School, fully equipped to support our young artists to excel in a variety of media. Pupils study individual artists as well as the major artistic movements and styles, learning too to develop their own personal style and flair.

Geography helps us to explore and understand space and place – recognising the great differences in cultures, political systems, economies, landscapes and environments across the world, and exploring the links between them.

We offer a robust, practical, fun Geography curriculum from Years 1-5, offering hands-on opportunities for learning at every stage, encouraging the children to venture outside to learn from the world around them.

Students investigate all elements of human and physical geography, including but not limited to the geography of the local area and the wider world, the Earth and world maps, seasonal weather patterns, climates and biomes, using aerial photography in geography, global warming, oceans and seas, rivers and settlements, economic activity and trade links globally.

At Westbourne, we encourage all children to reach their full potential, intellectually, creatively, as well as in the development of leadership qualities and performance skills. We recognise that our brightest students require additional challenges that extend beyond the classroom, and our MAT group caters to  this.

Our MAT provision for our younger pupils, starting with years 1 and 2, focuses on finding and exploring their interests and fascinations, and researching those areas. We encourage the children to think creatively, to learn how to plan and discuss their ideas and to listen to others. There is a key focus on developing their vocabulary and communication skills as well as tackling problem solving STEM topics.

The MAT group for years 3 and 4 includes a range of activities focusing on problem solving, lateral thinking and communication. It incorporates a mixture of literacy and STEM tasks and encourages the pupils to work together and share their ideas with each other.

The Year 5 group further builds on these skills, completing challenges and tasks throughout the year. The group looks at enterprise and money skills, coming up with their own ideas for a small business.

Philosophy at Westbourne Prep encourages our pupils to think deeper about the world, our belief systems, and the theory of knowledge, and looks at the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence.

A fun, thoroughly inspirational subject for our young students, a firm grasp of philosophy goes hand-in-hand with Westbourne’s commitment to nurturing the IB Learner Profile in all students: that is, to develop internationally-minded young people who, recognising their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.

Religious Studies at Westbourne looks at the major world faiths and belief systems including, for example, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Humanism.

Themes include caring for others, nature and god, friendships, peace and worship, rules and routine, forgiveness, religious festivals, meanings and ceremonies, pilgrimages and religious texts. Students are encouraged to develop a world view and understanding of different cultures globally.

Prep pupils enjoy PE twice a week, both on-site as well as at a range of leading sports and leisure venues in Cardiff, including the Olympic-sized swimming pool in Cardiff Bay. We are committed to empowering our students to lead healthier futures by demonstrating the health and wellbeing benefits of regular exercise at an early age.

Our FaB School is at the heart of Westbourne’s commitment to pupil wellbeing and to providing opportunities to improve student mental health. We also run Saturday Sports for all children from Reception to Year 5 at our Senior School basketball courts every weekend during term time, with fitness sessions led by a qualified personal trainer with over 15 years’ experience.

Every year we run an intensive, week-long programme of “wellness” activities designed specifically for the Prep age group, which transports the children away from the classroom into new environments or settings that stimulate a sense of happiness and wonder. Activities include nature walks and orienteering, STEM challenges, sports, dance and performance activities, art classes, park and beach trips, and film screenings.