Heathcote Nursery & Reception provide a happy, warm, caring, stimulating Early Years environment for children aged from 2 years. We pride ourselves on our inclusive, supportive ethos that recognises every child as a unique individual, deserving of the very best care and attention from our highly qualified, professional team of staff.
At Key Stage One, we provide our children with a smooth transition from Reception into a more formal but nurturing approach to teaching and learning. Following on from the Early Years Foundation Stage, our child-centred approach gives each child a part in shaping their own learning environment. Children are listened to, and as a result, they in turn, learn to value other people’s opinions and work together as a stronger and more harmonious team.
In Key Stage 2, teaching is more subject based, although pupils are still mainly taught by their form teacher who combines close pastoral care with academic support. The children continue to follow a broad curriculum including Mathematics, English and Science together with History, Geography, PE, Computing, French, Drama, Music, PSHE, Swimming and Art. Children also have 11+ lessons each week including Verbal Reasoning practice. Many external visits and visitors help to broaden and inspire learning in these subjects.
Here at Heathcote we offer a wide range of opportunities that enrich and extend our children’s academic talents.
The new National Curriculum is a ‘mastery’ curriculum. Mastery is your child’s ability to apply their learning across the curriculum. This means, children must master the objectives taught, rather than just be taught them.
In the assessment of each unit of work children are assessed against the new National Curriculum objectives. At Heathcote, there are five categories for each stage of their development and these relate to the end of year expectations for English, maths and science.
Our recent academic assessments show that 100% of our KS1 pupils attain above national average standards for reading and 82% above for Maths. Our KS2 data shows 82% are above average for reading and 76% for Maths. Our recent 11+ pass rates for local grammar secondary schools, including KEGS and CCHS in Chelmsford, show we achieve an average pass rate of 79% of these pupils. We are immensely proud of our Heathcote children!
A selection of lunchtime and after-school co-curricular clubs are held for the pupils. A new timetable is set each term, clubs can include 11+, Athletics, Art, Music Theory, LAMDA Speech & Drama, Science, Board Games, Newsletter, Netball, Football, Band Camp, and Library.
Wraparound care is provided through Breakfast Club (7.30am – 8.30am) and Twilight Club (3.30pm – 6pm) every school day.
Each month we celebrate a different value. We encourage families to use the monthly theme to stimulate discussion at home. We aim to explore the value in order to reinforce its importance in the world in which we live. Time is given in assemblies to introduce and explore the new value and it is linked to fun and stimulating activities in class, giving the children an opportunity to reflect upon these ideas and relate the value to their own behaviour.
At Heathcote, we think it very important that our pupils develop a strong set of values and principles, and that they question and understand what it means to grow up in British society. We promote the core aspects of British values through the SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) work that is integrated throughout every year group. Through rich and challenging citizenship and religious education lessons, PSHRE, form times and assemblies, we invite pupils to reflect upon their role in a diverse, multicultural and multi faith society.