St David’s

Preparatory School

How to Help your

child succeed in Years

3 and 4

Welcome

Aims of this evening:

To explain the process of how we gradually

prepare children for the transition to secondary

school (from Year 3 through to the end of Year 6).

To give you, as parents, strategies for supporting

your child while they are in Key Stage 2.

At St David’s ‘our aim is to provide an all-round

education in a supportive and happy environment

that will challenge every child to fulfil their

maximum potential. It is our aim to educate the

whole child, academically, socially and morally,

through a broad and balanced curriculum, so that

they are able to integrate and flourish with

confidence in their next school.’

Form 3 A more structured, subject based timetable in a formal

setting.

An increase of subjects and variety of specialist subject

teachers.

Introduction of Creative Curriculum on Wednesday afternoons

– animation, needlework, drama, problem solving, gymnastics,

swimming and individual PSHE units.

Introduction of Verbal Reasoning lessons.

Introduction on Non-Verbal Reasoning lessons.

Higher expectations of daily homework, deadlines, homework

diaries, personal organisation, desks, PE kit etc.

Form 4 Building on expectations of Form 3

English – reading and inferential skills in comprehension

- grammar skills

- creative writing in a range of genres

Maths – develop strong understanding of number, shape, space

and measures

- formal written methods (please see calculation policy)

- focus on applying skills to problem solving situations

- practical based investigations and problem solving

Form 4

Verbal Reasoning and Non Verbal Reasoning lessons

Children take on greater responsibility for themselves,

their possessions and their homework.

Use of handwriting pens

Introduction of 3 day residential trip to Carroty Wood –

adventure centre. Enables children to challenge

themselves, take risks in a safe environment, work in

teams and encourage each other.

Form 5In the Autumn term a Secondary Transition Meeting for Parents is held to explain:

❖ Entrance requirements of Independent, Grammar and local State Schools

❖ Mock tests run by local PTA’s

❖ Application procedures and expectations for scholarships

❖ Interview practice provided

❖ Procedures to be followed when applying for Secondary Transfer

In the Spring term parents are invited to a one-to-one meeting with Miss Mardell and Miss Varndell to discuss possible school choices considering the ‘best fit’ for each individual child.

Programmes of Study: Year 5

English and Maths – we teach to the children’s individual

abilities therefore some children will be doing more test

practice/test questions than others.

We build the skills up for entrance tests in the Autumn term in

comprehension, creative writing and Maths. Test questions are

attempted but often these are gone through together and

answers modelled.

Maths – weekly practice paper questions in Autumn 2 onwards.

Exam technique, strategy, understanding of questions and

application of known maths skills is the focus.

Programmes of Study: Year 5 Spring term – more test style questions and practice papers are

sent home for homework and some attempted in lessons. Timing

and pace is more of a focus.

Summer Term – more intense test paper practice and revision

strategies.

Booster Groups throughout Year 5:

❖ English - creative writing genres and style

❖ Verbal Reasoning

❖ Maths - exam questions based on topics covered in class with a

range of difficulty. The focus is using and applying the correct

skills.

Programmes of Study: Year 6

In the Autumn Term the English and maths teaching

emphasis remains on entrance exams. New topics

are covered building on prior knowledge.

Examination papers from a range of sources

including 11+, grammar schools and independent

schools are used in class.

Focus is on maximising marks, applying skills to

answer questions, strategies to ensure accuracy

and check for errors.

Programmes of Study: Year 6

In January/February maths teaching moves away from an examination focus and becomes skills driven.

Teaching content will commonly be chosen from secondary school level themes. Added emphasis is now placed on using and applying key skills as well as exploring and investigating complex mathematical concepts and problems.

In English we will be looking at more essay-style questions based on our Shakespeare text. We will be analysing language and devices in more detail and we begin to use a more KS3 approach.

Programmes of Study: Year 6

In addition to this we have developed a unique curriculum

for Form 6 (which prepares them to leave us) with these

aims:

❖ to develop the children’s confidence and independence

❖ to make the children more self-aware

❖ to encourage them to take more responsibility for

themselves

❖ to increase their knowledge of the wider world

❖Business and Enterprise project

❖Five day residential trip to The Isle of Wight

❖Form 6 Play

❖Visit from Transport for London

❖Day trip to France

❖Relationships and Sex Education Course

❖Navigate London Trip

❖Transition Day

In addition to all of this we:

- regularly assess children from Year 1 onwards (including

Reasoning, English and Maths) to give us a consistent and

accurate measure of their ability.

- provide a broad and balanced curriculum (including

science, art and DT, music, history, geography, PE and games,

ICT, RE and PSHE).

- always encourage the children to question, take risks and

to learn from their mistakes.

- take classes on approx. 3 trips a year.

- always encourage children to develop positive character

traits (approach to learning, socialising, PSHE, assemblies

etc).

- constantly review how we educate ‘the whole child’.

We are now going to consider ways you

can help, support and encourage your

children through the next few years….

Building

Resilience and

Wellbeing in

Children

Pressure

– The mental health of children as young as six is being blighted by exam stress,

education staff have told the Association of Teachers and Lecturers.

– Of 420 ATL members who responded to a poll, almost half said pupils in their

school had self-harmed - and 89% said testing was the main source of stress.

– Teaching staff complained the pressure placed on children of 10 and 11 by end

of primary school tests was "excessive".

Mental Health

– In order to help their pupils succeed, schools and families have a role to play in

supporting them to be resilient and mentally healthy

– Although we can’t stop all mental health problems, we can help children and

young people to develop habits that build their wellbeing and resilience

– ‘Resilience seems to involve several related elements. Firstly, a sense of self-

esteem and confidence; secondly a belief in one’s own self-efficacy and ability to

deal with change and adaptation; and thirdly, a repertoire of social problem

solving approaches.’*

*Rutter, M. (1985) Resilience in the face of adversity. Protective factors and resistance to psychiatric disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry. Vol. 147, pp. 598-611

So what can we do to help?

Parents, teachers and caregivers are a

crucial source of wellbeing for our children.

Be Yourself

– Helping children to recognise their character strengths is a great way to build

their confidence and appreciate the uniqueness they bring to the world.

– By shifting the focus from the things they can’t do to what they can, you

emphasise the positive aspects of their character. Character strengths aren’t

dependent on an outcome, a score or a particular achievement; they’re the

core virtues that make us who we are.

– There are many ways you can encourage children to notice and appreciate their

own strengths, and those of others too

Be Yourself

– Spot strengths in your child; “You worked through that homework really

carefully”

– Spot strengths in others; “Rosie has been trying for ages to do a handstand and

she just did a great one!”

– Find good role models with positive characteristics; “Mo Farrah trains so hard,

he never gives up”

– Try not to fall into the comparison trap of comparing children to each other,

celebrate their individuality

Be Mindful

– Our minds can be very busy, getting pulled into thinking about the past or

worrying about the future. Finding ways to focus on what’s happening in the

present moment is another way to build your child’s wellbeing.

– See handout for a few ideas of different ways to help children develop their

mindfulness skills, which will probably work best if you join in too (especially if

it’s younger children involved).

Mindfulness Activities Handout

– Draw for 10 minutes

Give everyone a pencil and paper, set a timer for 10 minutes, and draw something you can see. Bring your attention to the shapes, colours, and patterns. Look at the object from different angles. Challenge older children to see if they can spot when their mind’s wandering (or wondering!) and bring their attention back to the drawing. This activity isn’t about how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ the drawing is, it’s about whether you can focus on the activity and bring your attention back when it wanders.

– • Take a bear for a ride

Younger children may enjoy this simple mindfulness technique for bringing attention to their breath. Ask your child to find their favourite small soft toy. Lay flat on the floor and invite them to put the soft toy on their tummy. Set a timer for two minutes, and ask them to watch how the toy moves up and down as they breathe in and out. This simple act of noticing the movement allows your child to remain “in the moment” for more than one moment.

– • Train the “puppy mind”

Older children (and adults) might enjoy watching a video from the Mindfulness In Schools Project. It’s a 10-minute mindfulness practice that uses a fun and playful animation. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T5ut2NYdAEQ)

Nurture a Growth Mindset

– Being resilient means bouncing back when you encounter challenges, set backs or failures. We all go through times when we struggle, so building our resilience is crucial to helping us cope.

– One way to build resilience in children is to help them develop a growth mindset. This relates to the belief that our abilities and intelligence can develop with practice, feedback and effort. At the other end of the spectrum is a fixed mindset, the belief that our intelligence is fixed and there isn’t much we can do to change it.

– Children with a growth mindset are more likely to try again when they fail at something, and also to attempt to learn how they can improve. Research into this ‘gritty’ quality and growth mindset approach shows that learning from failure is one of the crucial tools for success and resilience. In contrast, children with a fixed mindset tend to give up when they encounter failure, believing that that just don’t have what it takes.

Key aspects of Growth Mindset

at St David’s

– We celebrate making mistakes – we can learn from them;

– We never give up – perseverance is the key if we are to succeed;

– We learn from each other;

– We don’t compare ourselves with others;

– We challenge ourselves and take risks;

– We remember that our brains are making new connections and growing all the

time.

How parents can nurture a

Growth Mindset

Here are some ways to encourage your child to adopt a growth mindset:

– Add the word ‘yet’

– Practise (and fail) with others

– Find inspirational stories of success and failure

– Consider your choice of language and comments

– Celebrate mistakes

– Have high expectations

PLENARY

• Helping your child is done most effectively by giving them your time. Discussing

homework, fun activities or bedtime stories etc., not only shows interest, but

stimulates their higher thinking skills. We have to be so careful not to fall into the

trap of doing it for them because it is quicker and easier for us!

The value of failure! The ‘culture’ we set as adults, both teachers and

parents, is vital. We have so many children who want to be ‘perfectionists’ –

which in certain situations is fine, but doesn’t give them the right mindset

because they would rather not try than be seen to fail.

Education is a journey, sometimes you need to fail to ultimately be

successful. You need to be able to recognise that you can have an idea

superior to your initial intention.

Concept of an open mind to capitalise on accidental discoveries – Alexander

Fleming and penicillin – leaving his lab messy over the summer he came back

to find mould had developed a bacteria free circle. He experimented further

and revolutionised medicine by discovering antibiotics.

A company called Kutol specialising in cleaning products saved itself from

bankruptcy by realising its failing wallpaper cleaner paste was in fact being

used by school children to make art and crafts. This was remarketed and

became ‘Play-doh’.

So in some ways we need to encourage children to embrace failure which

sounds ludicrous as no-one sets out to fail, no-one wants to fail and as

humans we don’t enjoy failing or seek it out. However, when something is

going wrong or not how we intended, rather than being overwhelmed or

disheartened, if we react in a positive way we will get a better outcome.

What am I trying to say? That coming to school isn’t just about exams and

book work. Yes, getting a good next school is really important but I don’t

want to lose sight as Head that education is about not just what you know,

but the ability to ‘think’, to rationalise and analyse information and

knowledge and then act on it and to enjoy learning. I don’t want to suck all

the fun out of learning which is why we are doing the Owls, Lego and Da Vinci

days.

A child’s character and mindset about success and failure are usually formed

by the age of 8!

I’ve photocopied a couple of articles which I thought you might find interesting

and put them on your chairs.

One is about choosing senior schools.

The other is how to handle disappointment.

Some thoughts to take away

We do know what we are doing – 8 years as Head preparing children and

getting ‘best fit’ schools for your children.

Tutors – don’t tutor your children into the ground and put them off learning.

If children are tutored too much how will they cope when they get there?

Look at the whole school, not just results when choosing a secondary school.

We do prep for grammar, mainly in Year 5 for tests in September of Year 6 –

this year makes a huge difference.

Individuality matters. We do think about each child and their needs. The

same school is not necessarily right for all of your children.