We follow the National Curriculum, but go well beyond it.
In the Junior School, we work hard to understand what is most effective in helping each individual girl achieve her personal best and classes are stimulating and fun.
At NHEHS, we carefully balance class teacher-led lessons with specialist teaching in several subjects. This ensures the class teacher has a good understanding of your daughter’s progress in many areas of the curriculum and anchors her pastorally, whilst she also benefits from expert instruction in Science, PE, Music, Computing and Languages. Much of the learning is linked to thematic topics which leads to great depth of understanding and equips the girls for an interdisciplinary future where subjects do not sit in silos. There is a strong focus on developing literacy and numeracy with daily lessons in each subject.
The Integrated Curriculum
We have developed an integrated approach to our curriculum and focus the learning for each term around a theme. In this way girls develop real depth of knowledge and key skills such as research, analysing results and interpreting and presenting information.
Designed to build independence and lateral thought and with a purposeful and fun approach to learning, the IC takes a creative approach to the way timetabled lessons in Maths, English, Science, Music etc, relate to each other. By exploring topics, which can be as diverse as `Discovery’ or `Swords & Sandals’, it allows girls to make connections in their learning and engage them in relevant, meaningful activities that can be connected to real life. It allows them to really take ownership of their learning.
“Pupils demonstrate excellent knowledge, skills and understanding across different areas of learning at each stage of the school”.
Specialist teachers bring passion to their subjects
Our Scientist in Residence has a mission to bring science to life and stimulate the scientist within each girl. This not only develops a mature understanding of scientific concepts but brings an incredible sense of fun.
Our specialist music teacher has created enhanced performance opportunities for our girls. New ensembles have been created, our younger girls now perform alongside the senior orchestra and rarely seen, our musicals have their own Year 6 pit band! Art inspiration is taught by the Senior School art teachers for each year group.
Immersion into a world of languages begins with Mandarin, where the sound of song is often heard through the junior corridors, delivered through specialised teachers. Latin is taught by our Senior School Classicists and girls will have the chance to join the French club led by our native speaker.
Freedom to develop
Each term for one full week, we implement Open Homework, other homework is suspended and all girls from year 1 to 6 are given the same topic, which can be as broad as `Unity’ or `Rise & Shine’, to do whatever they like, delving into their personal interests, to bring it to life and present to class. For example, when exploring the theme `Hundred’ last year to tie in with the Suffragettes anniversary, a sporty girl created a model of an Athletics track and created a staggering presentation on the history of 100m running.
