Junior School: age 3-6
Early Years Foundation Stage
Nursery & Reception (ages 3-5)
Children gain confidence and thrive in a warm, friendly and nurturing atmosphere where they feel secure and valued. Through a specialised play-based curriculum we plan for a rich learning environment that provides opportunities, both indoors and outside, for the children to flourish in all aspects of their development. All Early Years children enjoy weekly music, PE and swimming lessons (in our on-site pool) from Nursery onwards. Children also participate in a weekly Forest School session – providing children with opportunities to learn through exploring the environment and developing an awareness of the natural world.
Educational visits are ongoing throughout the year and include destinations and activities as broad and varied as learning about space at the Greenwich Planetarium, watching a performance by the London Symphony Orchestra and planting tomatoes at the garden centre.
Key Stage 1
Years 1 & 2 (ages 5-7)
In Years 1 and 2 children cover all National Curriculum subjects, building on the skills, knowledge, understanding and experience gained during their time in Nursery and Reception. Year 1 begin with learning through play in our continuous provision classrooms and as the year progresses, children are gradually introduced to further formal learning opportunities. In Year 2, children are well prepared to work in more traditional style classrooms. We set high academic expectations focused on the key skills of Reading, Writing and Numeracy.
We value opportunities for the children to learn outside, and children in Key Stage 1 continue to have access to our Forest School site.
Homework is set once each week in KS1 including maths challenges and spelling lists (with the addition on times tables in Year 2). Topic-based challenges are set to complete each half term.
Specialist music lessons support the children to prepare for a number of performances across the year and they also have weekly lessons with subject specialists in swimming and PE, making use of the extensive grounds and equipment on offer to the wider school.
Supporting all pupils
Colfe’s Junior School is committed to providing equal access for all pupils.
More Able
All our pupils, including the most able, have enhanced learning experiences through high quality teaching. Support and challenge is offered at appropriate levels for each individual pupil. Effective monitoring systems are in place for all learners, with close tracking of academic achievement and outstanding levels of pastoral care.
Colfe’s Junior School was awarded a Challenge Award from the National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE), in 2024.
SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)
Learning Support is made up of a small team of specialist teachers and Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs). For our youngest pupils, the team work to identify any pupils with emerging SEND and co-ordinate support required for to access the curriculum. Once needs are identified, support is offered via a graduated response of assess, plan, do and review. School staff work with parents and – where applicable – outside agencies to formulate the most effective individual support plans for every child.
High quality teaching ensures that there is a range of support depending on the identified needs of the child. This can include short programmes or ‘boosts’ of support in numeracy and literacy through to more extended interventions as identified and recommended by professionals such as Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists and Occupational Therapists.
Where possible, the school endeavours to make any reasonable adjustments that support pupils to take part in and enjoy all aspects of school life.
