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WHERE CHILDREN
Love to Learn
The school encourages and helps to develop confidence from an early age and offers a wide range of extra curricular activities and events. Every child is nurtured in a caring and supportive environment by experienced, dedicated staff. Children are encouraged and given every opportunity to develop their social skills and to build upon their levels of confidence and self-esteem.
Our broad curriculum is explored by the children in a variety of ways; topic work, performances and class assemblies, songs, visits and themed days all help to bring our curriculum to life. Â Our academic expectations for our pupils are high, laying the foundations for future success.
We’re so delighted with our child’s progress and to see them enjoying their school days.
CURRENT PARENT
LOOKING AFTER
Your Child
Every child is nurtured in a caring and supportive environment by experienced, dedicated staff. Mr Jeremy Harper (Head of Primary) leads a fantastic team of Primary teaching and support staff. Â
Our small class sizes mean that every child can be given the attention and support that they need. Â Our purpose built infant and junior buildings provide the perfect space for learning, creating and investigating. Â In addition to the core subjects offered, specialist teachers provide Music, French and PE and from Year 5 onwards, Drama and Science. Â
Our Senior pupils make regular visits to the Primary School to work with and read to the children and dedicated Primary Sixth Form Prefects work closely with the Head of Primary to support and enhance the work of the staff.
We understand the importance of a close and effective relationship between home and school. We are able to offer plenty of formal and informal occasions for parents and staff to exchange views on academic and social development.
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE
BEFORE SCHOOL
Pupils are supervised from 8am.
JUNIOR LATE WAITING
On Tuesdays and Wednesdays a system of late waiting exists to allow pupils who travel by bus to do homework until 4.00pm when the Senior School day finishes.
Primary Extra Time for all Primary Pupils runs from 3.30 – 5.30pm during term time and takes place in the Infant building. Junior pupils are collected from their classrooms by the Primary Extra Time Staff and taken to the Infant Building. They have a light tea and opportunity to take part in activities such as ball games, art and craft and board games.
Any of our Primary Pupils can join Primary Extra Time at any time throughout the school year, the cost is £7.25 per hour paid on a weekly basis.Â
AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS
Primary Pupils are invited to join in a range of lunchtime and after school activities to enhance their studies. Most after school clubs finish at 4:15pm, 4:30pm or 4:45pm. To view the current extra-curricular timetable, click here.Â
TRANSITION TO SENIORS
INTERNAL APPLICANTS
For our pupils, entrance to the Senior School is automatic on the condition that their work and progress demonstrates that they are ready to make the transition. A scholarship audition may be taken in January of Year 6 if you wish your child to be considered for a co-curricular scholarship.
We have an excellent transition programme to ensure that the transition between our Junior and Senior schools is as smooth as possible. Our Year 5 and Year 6 pupils are already accustomed to using the facilities within the Senior School. All those joining the Senior School are invited to attend a Year 5 Discovery Day, a Year 6 Experience Day and will attend a bridging morning and induction afternoon (held in June).
EXTERNAL APPLICANTS
Pupils wishing to join the Senior School at the age of 11 sit the Year 7 Entrance Examination which normally takes place in January. From the moment they accept a place with us, they are invited to join in specially arranged events to ensure they feel at home, right from the start of their journey at Derby High.
OUR PRIMARY
Curriculum
Our curriculum places emphasis on the teaching and learning of literacy and maths skills through a skills based creative curriculum. Through topics such as transport, farms, the seaside, the senses and the Victorians, all of the curriculum areas including geography, history and art are covered.
Our children go on many outside visits and we bring workshops, visitors and practical demonstrations into school in order to enhance the curriculum and really bring learning to life.
At Derby High we encourage our pupils to develop skills which will help them to become independent learners. Throughout the whole school we follow a Thinking for Learning (T4L) programme underpinned by Art Costa’s Habits of Mind, such as ‘Taking a Responsible Risk’, ‘Persistence’, ‘Managing your Impulsivity’ and ‘Creativity’. We value these Habits because they are student-owned, and so become a part of each pupil’s own, portable, toolbox for learning. Across the curriculum pupils have access to a wide range of classroom activities that support and develop the skills and which are designed to promote higher order thinking.
Our primary department broadly follows the National Curriculum, making it easy for children to transfer from other schools. In line with the majority of Independent Schools, we regularly assess the children throughout their time with us rather than spend valuable time working towards SATS at the end of Year 2 and Year 6
EARLY YEARS
In our Early Years department (Pre-School and Reception classes) the children learn through creative play-based activities and gradually develop their independence and readiness to learn.
Visiting parents are always surprised at how articulate our Early Years pupils are – our small class sizes enable us to give each child the individual attention they need at this age.
Children are encouraged to progress at their own pace and to develop confidence in their own abilities right from the age of three.
KEY STAGE 1
Pupils in Years 1 and 2 use topics and themes to provide interest and to involve the pupils in their learning. All children in Years 1 and 2 have a timetabled ICT lesson in our ICT suite.
In addition to the core subjects offered, specialist teachers provide Music and French.
From Reception upwards all children receive Physical Education lesson from our fully qualified PE teachers and all pupils from Year 1 onwards have swimming lessons.
KEY STAGE 2
In the Junior School our studies are broad and balanced to encompass structure, continuity and creativity. Small class sizes enable the children to receive individual support, both from class teachers and classroom assistants, in order to gain the most from every lesson.
Specialist teachers provide Science, Music, French and PE and links are forged with the Senior School staff in Year 6. The children throughout our Primary School are helped to develop a love of learning and respond well to the positive encouragement of all the staff.
In line with the majority of Independent Schools, we regularly assess the children throughout their time with us rather than spend valuable time working towards SATS at the end of Year 6.
The quality of the pupils' academic and other achievements is excellent.
ISI INSPECTION, JANUARY 2023
My child settled in so quickly at Derby High, it’s such a friendly and caring atmosphere.
CURRENT PARENT
THE NEXT STEPS
On your visit you will be given a tour of our Primary School by our Head of Primary, who will be more than happy to explain the ethos of the school, introduce you to our staff, show you examples of work and answer any queries you may have. Please feel free to bring your child along on the tour – we love showing people around our school.
Thank you for your interest in Derby High School. We are very proud of the educational opportunities we offer and we look forward to welcoming you in the near future on a visit to our school.
