Sonja Jones

The Grammar School Test is taking place tomorrow and we are very proud that all our Year 6 children are taking it. We wish them every success and whatever the outcome we are here for them.

Although this can be an anxious time for both children and their families, it is also a time of great excitement. Here are top tips from our teaching staff who have had the privilege to watch many pupils go through this experience and achieve success:

1. Confidence is key, instil in your child the confidence that they can do this. They have spent many months learning, reading, preparing and boy, are they ready!
2. Start the day with a healthy breakfast. A banana or healthy snack on the way is a good way to keep their blood sugar levels up, which aids concentration.
3. Arrive in good time, have two adults in the car if possible. Traffic can be busy on the day and parking can be tricky. Having the option of an adult taking the child to the exam whilst the other parks the car can reduce stress levels.
4. Check your child has everything they need for the test, i.e., a magic pencil and a rubber. A break time snack, bottle of water and a couple of tissues are also good.
5. If they have a digital watch, turn any alarms off. Emphasise the need for your child to calculate their timings during the test. Listen to the instructor in the room!
6. Start every question afresh, if you struggle on one, move on and do not dwell on it. Every question is a new opportunity. Never give up!
7. Track answers, double check that they are in the correct spaces. The answer sheets can be tricky to fill in.
8. Prepare your child to cope with any distractions within the exam room. They must stay focussed and keep their concentration.

Afterwards……. celebrate!

Whether your child feels they have done well in the test or had a complete disaster, their commitment, time and determination deserve huge recognition. At Hopelands Preparatory School our knowledgeable and experienced teaching staff ensure that the pupils are ready for this test.

Over the last 5 years we have celebrated an average of 80% pass rate to Gloucestershire Grammar Schools. A fantastic achievement which we are very proud of, especially as we are a non-selective school. This is achieved through the individual attention and ongoing encouragement by our specialist teaching staff to all the pupils. Key to Hopelands is to instil a nurturing and personal environment which allows children to feel safe, grow and succeed.

To find out more about how Hopelands can support your child’s educational journey, please contact Mrs Sam Compton on 01453 822164 or scompton@hopelands.org.uk.

All every parent wants, is for their child to be happy at school. Seeing your child thrive in an innovative and nurturing environment is key to both their and your happiness. Listening to your child’s excited chatter at the end of the day about what they have learnt, or the games they have been playing, gives you the confidence that they are both settled and content at school.

However, sometimes this does not happen. Your child may be showing signs of struggling at school, becoming disinterested in lessons or have problems with friendship groups. Simply put, they are just not happy. Changing schools can seem extreme, especially part way through the year, but it does happen, and if it is done carefully, it can be incredibly effective in restoring your child’s happiness.

Is it easy to change schools?

At Hopelands, we receive many enquiries from families who are looking to move their child part way through their primary schooling. The first thing we advise them to do, is to come and visit us during a normal school day. They will be able to spend time with the Headteacher and be shown around the school by the Head Pupils. We feel it is important to hear what the children have to say about their school and to see how they behave in the lessons and during playtimes. After the visit we offer a taster session. This provides a great opportunity for the child to come and join their class for either a morning or an afternoon. As we are a small school, with an average of 12 children per class we find that this helps the settling in process as they soon get to know everyone, from Reception right through to Year 6.

What happens when you start at Hopelands?

We recognise that moving schools and making new friends can be a little daunting and we work hard to ensure there is a smooth transition. On the first day the child is assigned a buddy and for children in the younger years their buddy will be a child from Year 6. At Hopelands it is seen as a privilege to be a ‘buddy’ and the pupils treat this role with great pride and responsibility. The buddies often form great friendships with the younger pupils and even have ‘buddy’ photos taken at the end of the year when the school photographer comes in.

The teaching staff keep a close eye to make sure the new pupil is settling in well. If there are any concerns the children are listened to, and a resolution is swiftly found. We pride ourselves on pastoral support and teacher/pupil relationships are key to our success. Our small class sizes come into their own here. But if the new child does not yet feel confident to talk to a staff member, they can post their concerns in the worry boxes which are in every classroom. Every day, the worry boxes are checked by the form teachers to ensure no worries are ever missed.

What do the families say who moved here from another school?

At the end of the day no one understands better what the reality of changing schools means than the families who go through this. We always strive to achieve the best for our families and regularly ask for feedback – here is a snapshot of what some families have said:

‘We hadn’t planned to send any of our children to an independent school. We weren’t sure if we’d “fit in”! Hopelands is a really special place. Freddie immediately felt at home and has thrived and grown into the absolute best version of himself. He is much more confident and happier; he has really been nurtured by the small class sizes and the engaging teaching. We truly believe that moving Freddie to Hopelands has been the best decision we’ve ever made for him. He wasn’t failing in his previous school, he wasn’t unhappy there, but he wasn’t the Freddie we now have!’

‘Our eldest daughter joined Hopelands in year 3. We were nervous about the move as she had been at her previous school for 5 years (nursery & lower prep) but for various reasons we had to make the move. To say it’s the best decision we made is an understatement. She fitted in straight away and her teachers helped with our nerves! She is now just about to start year six and our only regret is we didn’t move sooner.’ 

We were obviously apprehensive about our son changing schools, but from our first contact with Hopelands we were impressed by how welcoming both the children and staff were. He settled in immediately, and the transition could not have gone more smoothly.’ 

To find out more about Hopelands Preparatory School please call 01453 822164 or email scompton@hopelands.org.uk

Choosing the right primary school for your child is one of the hardest decisions for any family. At such a young age you are deciding the next 7 years of your child’s school life. Although people look at different features in a school, most families want their child to achieve the following:

• Happiness
• Academic Excellence
• Creativity
• Confidence
• Resilience

and probably most importantly to instil a love of learning. It is important to choose a school which you believe will motivate your child to be the best they can be.

Here are key things to look for when visiting schools:

1. Open days/mornings are great but to get a true feel for the school, visit again during a normal school day. See the children in the classroom environment, do the pupils look happy and engaged in the lessons, are they working in teams, are they inquisitive? Observe a break time, are the children being kind and respectful, is there any bad behaviour and if so, is it dealt with both quickly and efficiently. Do they walk around school calmly and well behaved? Are they good ambassadors of their school? Do they wear the uniform with pride? Did you feel welcome when you first entered the school?
2. Look at the displays, they can give a good indication of what the children are working on in class. Do the displays celebrate the pupils’ work and achievements, are they interactive?
3. Ask questions, how does the school support high or low achievers, is there a parent / pupil survey which you can look at, where do children normally go to secondary school afterwards, is there morning and/or after school provision etc.
4. Find out if the school offers extracurricular clubs. If a school has a wide variety of both lunchtime and after school clubs this can really add to a child’s school experience, and is a sign of committed and passionate teachers, who will want to go the extra mile to support your child’s educational journey.
5. Study the schools’ website. Is there information on there about the school’s ethos and values? If so, do you agree with them? Read their latest OFSTED/ISI report. Does the school have regular newsletters, it may be useful to have a look through recent ones as this will give you an insight into daily school life, are the children’s achievements celebrated frequently? Check out the school calendar, is it filled with different trips and excursions? All these will enrich a child’s learning.

As well as considering the factors above, it is also important to trust your instincts when choosing the right primary school. Nothing beats the feel-good factor when you walk round somewhere. Primary schools can be a fantastic experience for both you and your family; great relationships, academic excellence, and a love of learning which will continue to grow.

The deadline for Primary School Applications for September 2022 is the 15^th January 2022.

At Hopelands Preparatory school we believe it is important for all children to be given the access and knowledge to not only learn a new language, but to also gain an understanding of another county and their culture.

French is spoken by over 221 million people across five continents and is the second most widely learned language after English. It is the international language of cooking, fashion, theatre, visual arts, dance, and architecture.

Instilling a love of language at an early age has many benefits, at Hopelands Preparatory School we support this by having a specialist French teacher who teaches the children from Reception through to Year 6. Through learning from an expert, the children become fully immersed in the world of language. Not only does this build their language skills it also supports their transition to secondary school. Our French teacher, Madame Trebble, outlines the following benefits.

‘Learning French’: 

1. Is fun! French provision at Hopelands offers the children the chance to explore French through games, songs, rhymes, and storytelling.
2. Promotes self-confident and curious learners. Pupils are encouraged to become language detectives and as they learn to ‘crack the code’ there is a repeated sense of accomplishment.
3. Enhances communication, social and literacy skills. Lessons focus on practising reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.
4. Provides opportunities to perform which nurtures pupils’ self-esteem.
5. Improves memorisation skills and the ability to interpret meaning. Pupils are presented with many new items of vocabulary and structures.
6. Enhances knowledges of your own language. As pupils’ study French grammar and compare it to their own, English grammar rules are reinforced and made clearer.
7. Increases intercultural understanding. Pupils are encouraged to explore, compare and contrast aspects of culture with those of other countries.
8. Develops critical thinking skills, problem solving, creativity and flexibility of mind. Learning a language helps to boost children’s cognitive development.
9. Improves performance. Many studies have shown that foreign language learners tend to perform better in maths, reading and vocabulary tests than those who don’t!

Learning a language allows you to fully appreciate the culture and engage with local native speakers when traveling, hugely enhancing the experience of travel.

Gone are the days where French lessons consisted of looking through the Tricolore and wearing a beret on the obligatory French day. Now the children discover the wonder of language through songs, games, puzzles, storytelling and more.

If you wish to find out more about what Hopelands can offer for your child please contact us on 01453 822164 or email scompton@hopelands.org.uk