Little GEMS International

Achieving Excellence Together

The school meets its aim of encouraging pupils to reach for the very highest standards they can achieve, not only academically, but also in areas such as leadership and communication, and so equips them with the relevant skills to contribute to the local community and to the wider world.Independent Schools Inspectorate

Welcome to The Webber Independent School, a co-educational day school for children aged from three to eighteen years. By providing an exciting, challenging and fun curriculum within a supportive community, we aim to develop a love of learning that will benefit children throughout their lives.

Fundamental to our success are the high standards that we set and the positive environment that we create. Students feel secure and valued, with achievements in every field recognised and celebrated. Regardless of their individual talents or learning styles, we aim to provide all students with the best possible opportunity to experience success.

With the values of respect, responsibility, effort and empathy actively promoted, the ethos of the school contributes to students’ academic progress and emotional wellbeing. We are proud of the attitudes of our students towards their work, each other and the wider community. By the time they leave us, we want them to feel proud of their achievements and confident to move on.

Recognising the important role that parents play in their child’s learning journey, we take every opportunity to engage families in the life of the school. Through regular communication and mutual trust between staff, students and parents, we strive to

realise our motto: Achieving Excellence Together. Through this active partnership, the dedication of our teachers, the small class sizes we offer and our excellent resources, we provide a place in which children can flourish.

We hope that this prospectus gives you a taste of life here but there really is no substitute for visiting the school to experience for yourself its vibrant and welcoming atmosphere.

We discover and nurture individual talents, inspiring and supporting students to achieve the highest standards.

Bringing out the best in every child

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The Webber Independent School

The Webber Independent School is a 21st century learning environment that embraces the use of a range of technologies – including iPads, Apple Macs and interactive whiteboards – to enhance all aspects of learning. Our extensive ICT equipment, rapidly developing VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) and forward-thinking teaching methods combine to help students understand that they can continue their learning wherever and whenever they wish.

As well as nurturing a passion for lifelong learning, we aim to provide our young people with the skills they require to be successful, global citizens in our rapidly changing digital society. We focus on developing attributes that are highly prized in higher education and in the workplace: initiative, confidence, teamwork, perseverance and empathy.

In addition to a state-of-the-art ICT suite, our impressive facilities include two learning and research zones with

computers for students, staff and parents; a lodge dedicated to music and the arts; science laboratories; a food technology facility; a media studies room; an art room; a drama studio; a multipurpose sports hall; a fitness center; tennis courts; sports pitches; an adventure playground; dedicated areas in which to socialise and learn for Year 11 students and sixth formers; and a café for parents.

We use the latest technology to engage students in their learning, encouraging them to take ownership of their future success.

Developing 21st century skills

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On leaving the school, pupils are successful in gaining entry to a wide range of higher and further education courses and employment.Independent Schools Inspectorate

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Building firmfoundationsA stimulating curriculum and interactive teaching combine to promote a thirst for learning in our students.

In lessons and activities throughout the school, pupils settle quickly to their work. They persevere in their assigned tasks and show obvious enjoyment in what they are doing.Independent Schools Inspectorate

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Throughout children’s formative years in our nursery, reception and primary classes, we promote active participation, creativity and expression in order to lay firm foundations for later study. From day one, we use ICT to excite students and engage them in their learning.

From the ages of three to five, children follow the guidelines of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We provide a secure and fun environment in which they enjoy play-based indoor and outdoor activities that develop their social, physical and communication skills. From age five, our broad and balanced programme is

based on the National Curriculum but enriched through other opportunities and specialist teaching in English, Mathematics, Science, Music and PE.

Small class sizes and experienced teachers allow a ‘stage not age’ approach to learning in English, Mathematics and Science. Children become active learners through observation, exploration and investigation. Home learning and parental engagement play a key role, with students encouraged to take increasing responsibility for their own learning.

Rigorous monitoring and assessment ensures all students make the best possible progress, with parents updated by a weekly, personalised email from their child’s Form Tutor.

Our enrichment programme provides extra challenge for more able students and additional support for those who need it. We also have a successful scheme for students for whom english is an additional language, enabling them to make rapid progress.

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As they progress into the senior school, students are encouraged to develop the motivation and independence required to succeed in higher education and at work. Based on the National Curriculum, our rich programme allows students to extend their knowledge, build their problem-solving skills and develop a strong sense of self.

High expectations, stimulating teaching and close monitoring of progress combine to ensure that all students achieve their best. With students set by ability from Year 7, each

child can work at the right pace and small class sizes allow for personalised learning. Extensive use of interactive whiteboards and laptops continues to allow ICT to be maxmised across all subjects.

Based on their talents and aspirations, Year 9 students receive individual advice on subject choices, while those in Year 11 benefit from personalised careers guidance, including psychometric testing. In addition, a comprehensive programme of work experience spans Years 8 to 13.

For international students studying in the UK without a parent or guardian, we are able to arrange Home Stay Boarding from the age of 13 through our partner, Gateway. This scheme provides foreign students with the security and comfort of a ‘home from home’ while attending The Webber Independent School.

We help our students to develop the skills, ambition and confidence required to meet the challenges of the modern world.

Growing independence

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Pupils make good progress in all aspects of their learning and development, and achieve good levels of attainment in public examinations...Independent Schools Inspectorate

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The curriculum prepares pupils well for adult life.Independent Schools Inspectorate

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By offering a wide choice of courses at Advanced Level, a flexible approach towards subject combinations and an emphasis on the development of vital study and workplace skills, we help our students to progress successfully to higher education and the world of work.

Small tutorial groups allow us to provide individual care and attention, which has clear academic and pastoral benefits. Sixth formers receive personalised guidance on subject selection, UCAS application support and career choices. They also complete a Life Skills course and are able to undertake

further work experience. The overwhelming majority of our sixth formers proceed to higher education – including world-class universities – with the remainder entering their chosen employment in business or taking vocational studies.

Based in our Sixth Form Centre, Year 12 and 13 students demonstrate an increasingly mature attitude to their studies and act as great role models, ambassadors and academic mentors for younger students.

The sixth form students play an integral part in helping to run clubs, as well assisting

with extracurricular activities. They also convene School Forum meetings and help the Principal to formulate policies relating to the welfare of the school as a whole. Some of the sixth formers are invited to take on additional responsibilities, in such roles as Head Student, Deputy Head Student and the Heads of Houses. Student voice is very important at the Webber Independent School and all students will have the opportunity to express their ideas and suggestions, on all aspects of their learning journey and school life, through the Student Council.

In the sixth form, our broad curriculum and small teaching groups combine to deliver an enviable record of success.

Achieving maturity

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Recognising that students learn considerably more in a well-balanced environment, we ensure that artistic, musical and sporting activities feature strongly in our curriculum. Students take part in numerous inter-house and inter-school sporting fixtures, and we are proud to have achieved Sport England’s Sportsmark award.

Students with musical ability can enjoy tuition from instrument specialists, while all children participate in the many concerts, plays and assemblies that we stage, to which parents are invited as well as the wider community. We offer an extended day from 7.30 am to 6.00 pm, with children encouraged to participate in a variety of after school clubs such as photography club, debating society and the Cadet Corps – as well supervised study.

A member of our Senior Leadership Team is responsible for the welfare of students, parents and staff, showing our commitment to pastoral care for the whole school community. Students are supported through daily advice from their Form Tutor, the provision of freshly cooked meals and the security of door-to-door bus transport. Our house system and regular assemblies provide a strong sense of community, with house points rewarding effort, achievement and kindness. Students show compassion for others through charity fundraising and every student undertakes community service.

Students’ horizons are broadened through visits to museums, theatres and other places of interest, as well as residential trips in the UK and overseas. The school fosters a global outlook, celebrating the international nature of the student body

and promoting links with GEMS schools worldwide, as well as with a school in China. We also forge links with the local community, inviting various organisations to come and talk about their work. Many of our students participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, while others take positions of responsibility as School Council representatives.

We encourage parents to get involved in their children’s learning and in continuing their own education through opportunities at the school. Meetings with staff are held regularly but our open-door policy means that parents are welcome to discuss their child’s progress or happiness at any time. Webber Independent School Parents’ Association (WISPA) organise a range of social and charity and networking events and provides another valuable link between home and school.

We offer children a wealth of exciting learning opportunities within a supportive community.

An enriching and caring education

The school is successful in its aim of providing a family atmosphere in which everybody is valued as an individual and is encouraged to reach their full potential within a disciplined yet caring atmosphere.Independent Schools Inspectorate

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Excellence in educationGEMS Education is the world’s largest private provider of nursery to Year 13 education, with a global network of high-performing schools.

GEMS Education is an international education company that owns and operates high performing schools. It also offers consulting services to both the public and private sectors. For 50 years, GEMS Education has provided excellent education to hundreds of thousands of children around the world.

GEMS has a global network of world class international schools, which provide quality holistic education to more than 100,000 students from 125 countries. It employs over 9,000 education professionals, specialists and staff. GEMS has a world class leadership team, that combines business and education expertise from around the globe.

The GEMS Education school model is unique in the world. It offers a broad range of curricula with varying fee structures making private education more accessible to the broader community. GEMS Education also supports Governments’ education reform agendas by working with Ministries of Education to lift school performance and improve the standards and expertise in government schools across the globe.

Our core values GEMS schools focus on academic performance and nurturing each pupil’s character, creativity and all-round capability. This commitment to developing compassionate, competent and lifelong learners is embedded in our core values, which permeate the life of our schools:

World CitizenshipEmpowering students with a global and local perspective.

Universal ValuesAccepting that we are all different, while recognising that we are all the same.

Leadership Developing each student’s individuality and discovering his or her potential.

Forward Thinking Developing skills for the future.

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The Varkey GEMS Foundation is a not for profit education organisation.

Our aim is to impact one hundred underprivileged children for every student enrolled at a GEMS school.

The Foundation will benefit 10 million children globally.

The positive relationships between staff and pupils from the nursery through to the sixth form are a key element in creating and sustaining the ethos of the school and in promoting the welfare of pupils.Independent Schools Inspectorate

The Webber Independent SchoolSoskin DriveStantonbury FieldsMilton KeynesMK14 6DP

Tel: 01908 574740Fax: 01908 574741Email: [email protected] www.webberindependentschool.co.uk

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Little GEMS International