Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery-Reception)

Nursery and Reception have a wonderful state of the art learning space, encompassing sliding doors between the classrooms to create a large free-flow area. At Hermitage we follow the principles of ‘Making Learning Visible (MLV)’ which aims to create innovative, flexible learning spaces, responsive to the needs of the children, which invite curiosity and discovery. Our pupils make rapid progress, surpassing national expectations.

Key Stage 1 (Years 1-2)

Careful planning ensures the transition from Foundation Stage to Year 1 is as smooth as possible. Year 1 still teaches using the principles of  MLV, ensuring all the National Curriculum objectives for Year 1 are covered in depth. The move to a more formal style of learning is gradual and is done when the child is ready to move on. Although the national curriculum is followed, learning is carefully designed to be exciting, engaging the pupils in the topics and encouraging the pupils to develop their own lines of enquiry.

Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3-4)

Although pupils quickly adjust to more formal styles of teaching, creativity and independence of thought is still valued and encouraged. Pupils cover areas of learning in more depth and strive to master an objective before moving on. Homework is set more  frequently and pupils are supported to take more responsibility for their own achievement.

Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5-6)

Pupils are encouraged to become more independent, making choices for themselves to ensure they cement their learning. They are encouraged to critique their own work and that of their peers, editing and improving their performcane, striving for excellence. In Year 6, we work closely with the  PiXL (Partners in Excellence) organisation to ensure optimal outcomes for our pupils, equiping them with the character and skills necessary to succeed in secondary school and beyond.