Upper School Curriculum Subjects

English 
Our aim is to provide each and every child with a solid foundation on which to build. We hope that this will equip them for the demands of a senior school curriculum. Irrespective of the child's ability level in the subject, we aim to enable our pupils to achieve their own personal best. We hope to provide both a challenging and stimulating programme of study for our pupils, which ideally should engender a love of literature and writing in its many forms, along the way.

Allowing pupils to explore a text in its entirety is important. This begins in the lower school. Year Three to Year Six study a different text each term. Classic children's literature is given priority in order to provide excellent models for the pupils. This stimulates discussion, aids the acceleration of comprehension skills, as well as creates themes for their own writing. In Year Six pupils study adult literature, which includes an extensive module on a Shakespearean play.

Although writing is naturally a key mode of expression within the curriculum, this is not all that we do. The creation of models, drawings and the use of drama, all feed into the activities that the pupils access. Theatre trips and workshops are an important part of our programme, as well as Book Week activities, which may include authors and poets coming in to school. Additionally, we run in-house competitions: a handwriting competition in the spring term, a recitation competition in the summer term, as well as a creative writing competition also in the summer term. So all in all, every year is a busy year in the English department, which is just as it should be. We are passionate about what we do and we hope that all of our girls will be too!

Mathematics
At Glendower mathematics is a subject to be enjoyed not endured. Opportunities to take part in maths competitions are welcomed. A weekly maths club for year six pupils gives them a chance to investigate puzzles and conundrums in a deeper way than time would normally permit in a lesson. A bridge club gives opportunities for children to utilize maths skills. Emphasis is placed on ensuring mathematics is seen as being relevant to everyday life, essential as a tool to illuminating other curriculum subjects and as a subject which is creative in the abstract world of ideas. The mantra of, 'I hear I forget, I see I remember, I do I understand', is one which informs the teaching style of mathematics in the school. Every opportunity is given, at the outset of teaching new topics, for practical activities that are frequently packaged as a game. The use of whole class interactive teaching is used as an introduction and during plenary sessions. The children in years five and six are 'set' in ability groups and within this children will receive assignments which will stretch high achievers and supplementary help will be given, in small groups, to those who need more time to understand the concepts involved. There is movement between sets according to individual progress. Testing, often using the "Testbase" programme, is used occasionally at the start of topics and extensively at the end of topics. The content of the curriculum is based on the National Strategy for Mathematics and the Common Entrance Syllabus.

Science
'I am among those who think that science has great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not only a technician: he is also a child placed before natural phenomena which impress him like a fairy tale.'

I think Marie Curie would be pleased to know that we in the Glendower Science Department are doing our best to inspire girls from a young age to take a genuine interest in science.

Science is taught from Years 3-6 in our very well-resourced laboratory. It is an investigative subject, following the broad themes of "Life and Living Processes", "Materials and their properties" and "Physical processes." We deliver the National Curriculum in conjunction with the ISEB Curriculum for 11+ in a context that is meaningful to children of different abilities and use a range of practical activities so that they develop confidence whether working as a member of the whole class, a smaller group or individually. Its investigative activities include the planning, implementing and concluding of practical scientific investigations. The approach is "hands on" and, wherever possible, pupils will carry out experiments to test predictions they have made.

The school could not be better situated to facilitate trips to the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, Chelsea Physic Garden and the London Wetland Centre. The Year 5s and 6s also travel to a residential centre every alternate year to participate in a field studies and outdoor activities week.

Science is a huge part of our every day lives and we feel it is important for girls to learn science in its pure form and to be able to apply it to the world around them. We aim to stimulate thinking, investigation, questioning, reasoning and logic in our girls and ultimately engender an appreciation for any or all of the branches of science that will last a life time.

History
At Glendower, History is taught to encourage interactive learning through discussion, project work, school visits, independent research and workshops. Diverse activities such as painting woad on their faces to become ancient Britons and mummifying melons to see how the ancient Egyptians applied the technique involve the girls in history in an exciting way. The Roman market is an annual event to which girls from other years are invited to take part.

The girls gain an understanding and awareness of past societies where their historical skills are used to relate to currents affairs and life in our society today.

The History curriculum is taught from Year 1 to Year 6. We aim to teach a broad chronology of topics such as the ancient Egyptians, ancient Greece, the Celts, the Romans in Britain, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, the Tudors, the Victorians, Britain since 1930 and World War II. Speakers with specialist knowledge address the girls and there are many artefacts available to bring the lessons to life.

Geography
Geography is the study of places, the human processes which shape them and the people who live in them. Children have a natural curiosity about the world around them and this is a subject full of fascinating information about the world. The varied knowledge gained in Geography helps to equip a child with understanding and an appreciation of the world in which they live. Geography helps pupils to make sense of their immediate environment and that of the wider world; it also enables pupils to start gaining vital information and understanding - and to contribute confidently to many of today's current issues.

At Glendower, we view Geography as an exciting, vibrant and highly relevant subject.

By studying Geography we hope pupils will develop a strong sense of their own place in the world as well as other people's cultures and traditions. Pupils are encouraged to consider their values, and their responsibilities to other people and the environment. Real world issues are raised as well as ones which affect them so that evaluation and reflection can take place.

There are regularly organised visits to support the different units of study and a residential holiday which brings together many different aspects of Geography through fieldwork

Art and DT
In our thriving Art and Design Technology department the children work with great enthusiasm and enjoy learning a wide range of new skills, discovering different artists and cultures and being encouraged to use their imagination, inventiveness and creativity.

In Art the emphasis is on drawing and the majority of projects begin with observational drawing from life or reference material.

As well as improving the basis skills of cutting, gluing, mixing and applying paint etc the variety of topes covered include perspective, still-life, illustration, pattern-making, mosaic, marbling inks, collage, batik, tie-dye, calligraphy, print making and three-dimensional modelling in clay, wire, plaster, papier-mâché and willow sticks.

Artists from the past and present are always linked to the relevant project, and these include Picasso, Matisse, Hockney, Klee, Klunt, Chagull, Miro, Van Gogh and Hokusai.

In Design technology the emphasis is on craft, design and construction. Skills learnt include woodwork, felt-making, sewing, weaving, paper engineering and enamelling.

Projects range from making a bag, purse, felt corsage, soft toy and glove puppet to constructing moving toys with cam mechanisms. Vehicles, clocks, musical instruments and pop-up books.

We regularly enter and do well in competitions, visit London galleries, and the children are encouraged to help design and make costumes and scenery for the school

French 
French is taught at Glendower Prep School on average three times a week from Reception to Year 6 by a native speaker. In the Upper School the work is both oral and written.The pupils consolidate their speaking and listening skills through songs,mini role-plays, puppet shows and games. The software Rigolo2 and 2Simple French enable the girls to gradually develop their reading and written skills from Year 3 upwards. Emphasis is put on the kinesthetic approach, turning the class into a French market, cooking programme or a catwalk according to the topic. Children are sometimes filmed while acting out in role-plays to develop their confidence and self assess their performance. The girls also learn the cultural aspects of learning French through discussions and since recently while exchanging with a French primary school. Besides, every two years the year 5 and 6´s girl enjoy a five-day trip to France packed with language and outdoors activities. By the end of year 6, our girls are ready to learn further learning modern foreign languages at secondary school, having enjoyed an exciting introduction to French.

Latin
Pupils are introduced to Latin in Year 6. We use CambridgeMinimuscourse.Minimusintroduces pupils to the present tense through a series of themed chapters. Each chapter looks at a part of the sentence, English word origins and an aspect of Roman life.