Discover Millfield Pre-Prep
At Millfield Pre-Prep, children are encouraged to have the confidence to explore and develop their methods of enquiry and to be resilient in their future learning. Strong foundations are set for every child to flourish socially, academically and creatively. With small class sizes, experienced teachers and a broad range of subjects and activities, each child is supported to make the most of their individual talents and potential. A broad curriculum, combined with stimulating indoor and outdoor spaces, allows for a positive, engaging and inspirational learning experience. Children’s wellbeing is fundamental to learning, especially in creating independent life-long learners, who feel safe, respected and valued. A thorough grounding in the core subjects – English, mathematics, science and computing is combined with a dynamic topic-based curriculum of humanities, French, swimming, PE, dance, music, cookery and Forest School. At Millfield Pre-Prep, our dedicated and committed staff work alongside parents to give every child numerous opportunities to thrive and start to discover their brilliance. Children are welcome to attend our additional clubs, whether that be our before-school and after-school clubs, or our after-school enrichment programme, which includes over 20 free activities. Parents also have the option to use the Early Years Entitlement and Childcare vouchers scheme. Children’s achievements and successes are celebrated continuously and linked to our school values. You cannot Be Brilliant unless you experience brilliance and this can only be achieved with brilliant staff, resources, facilities, environment and opportunities, which we provide in abundance. Please do come and see what makes Millfield Pre-Prep special, you are assured of a warm welcome. Mike Jory Head of Millfield Pre-Prep
Why Millfield Pre-Prep?
Education in the Early Years and Key Stage 1 is about igniting a passion and thirst for learning, to encourage children to be curious about the world around them.
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Be Curious
Be Kind
Be You
Be Brilliant
Be Challengers
• Be self-motivated to deliver and develop through work and play • Be devoted to your personal well-being • Prioritise your own happiness and have fun • Own your responsibilities
• Be sincere in the way you interact with others • Show integrity in the way you behave in all aspects of life • Be true to yourself in the way you reflect on actions and learn from them
• Have the enthusiasm to think and try new things • Have courage to test your ideas, to fail and to adapt • Be dangerously modern ready to lead the way, to change the conversation • Live in the moment and believe in possibility
• Positively challenge and question to encourage progress • Be global in your outlook to seek new ways to find solutions, embrace calculated risks • Be unshackled by tradition to quickly shape a different future • Be an activist
• Be respectful and inclusive to all • Be empathetic, always trying to understand emotions and feelings of those around you • Show humility at all times • Be aware of the impact you have on others
Our values
Millfield Pre-Prep is a happy, vibrant school where our children love to learn.
You love to learn
Virtual tour with Head, Mike Jory
Everyone is brilliant at something
You work hard and are part of the school community
You always give your best
You celebrate other people’s successes and achievements
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You know you will sometimes make mistakes but that you will learn from them
You try and explore new things
You believe anything is possible
Everyone is different and you know that is good
You are true to your own feelings
You are honest
You speak up if you have an idea and voice your opinion
You discover new and better ways to do things
You ask questions
You are positive influencers
You respect yourself, others and our environment
You care and are considerate of other people’s feelings
You are kind to everyone
Join Our Adventure
We know that optimum development in children occurs between 0-7 years, so building these foundations is important to their future learning success. Children can join Pre-Prep at any time of the year and in any year group.
Pre-School (Ages 2-4)
Our classes, named Tadpoles (2-3) and Frogs (3-4), offer a safe, stimulating and fun environment where our youngest children are gently introduced to a routine for learning through play, encouraging them to grow in independence. Activities include swimming, dance and Forest School.
Reception (Ages 4-5)
Children work towards the Early Years Foundation Stage goals in Reception class. They begin to grow in confidence with early reading and writing skills, problem solving and collaborative play.
Year 1 (Ages 5-6)
We follow the International Primary Curriculum, which provides a wide and varied framework for learning, ensuring that we build on Early Years experiences and develop foundations for future progress.
Year 2 (Ages 6-7)
We focus on broadening skills and developing independence before the transition to Year 3. The International Primary Curriculum continues and the children enjoy being respected as the older pupils, motivated by the responsibility of helping their younger peers.
Meet Millfield Pre-Prep
At whatever stage your little one starts Pre-Prep, they will be welcomed into our friendly community.
Going on a bear hunt
Rockets
Castles
Pets
Learning about animals and creatures
Discovering new food combinations
Mr Bunny’s Chocolate Factory
Learning about ice
Brain wave
From A to B
I’m Alive
The Toy Maker
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum
Longleat trip
Millfield Physics trip
Signs of Spring Farm trip
School Production
Kilve Trip
On to Juniors
Tadpoles, Frogs, Reception and Years 1 and 2
Exploring creativity
Music, drama and art are fundamental to the early learning experience.
Our specialist music teachers from Millfield Prep are on hand to engage the children in exploring their musical talents. From Year 1, children can sign up for individual music lessons to play instruments such as the violin, cello, recorder or piano. Pre-Prep children have great fun singing and performing in concerts and productions throughout the year, including the popular end of summer production, Harvest Festival and Nativity play. There’s lots of messy fun to be had with pottery, design and technology, collage and more. Children are inspired by projects outside the classroom, including art events and concerts at Millfield.
I love learning to play the violin and piano, and enjoy finding new tunes to play – Noah
A day at Pre-Prep
Our timetable ensures that lessons are broken up with plenty of break times for optimal learning to occur.
We know that family life is all about logistics for working families, so we offer early and late provisions to help you. At breaktimes, our healthy snacks include toast or crumpets and spreads, raw crudités and dips, fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, and rice cakes. Our children drink milk or water. Staff sit with the children for their two-course lunches. The children enjoy raw crudités on the tables and ample fresh fruit, in addition to their main meal. All dietary requirements are catered for.
The school has enabled the children to take supported risks, overcome challenges and try new things thanks to the exceptional facilities available. – Parent
Finn Year 2
Lulu Year 2
Clubs and activities
There are over 20 free after-school clubs, including pottery, cricket, gymnastics, cookery, tennis, gardening, computer skills, hockey, trampolining and jewellery making.
We also offer a number of specialist clubs, including ballet, horse riding, karate and golf. Breakfast Club each morning gives children a gentle introduction to the school day with a hearty breakfast and time with friends. Crèche and Late Club see children relaxing after a busy day and taking part in activities such as story time, play dough modelling and playing in the sandpit, Astro and Apple Tree Green.
A happy and secure childhood is surely the best start you can give anyone, while it’s possible outside, it’s virtually assured if that child is in Millfield. – Parent
Children are taught using a range of stimulating and exciting teaching methods, including kinaesthetic (learning through movement), visual and imaginative play, child-led learning, investigation and experiential learning. History, geography and science-focused themes run alongside the core subjects of English and maths, and children are taught French each week to introduce them to languages. We have specialist teachers for music and language classes. All of this, combined with ICT, games, PE, cookery and Forest School, means your child is getting the benefits of an all-round education from a very early age. Our Learning Development staff are able to monitor and assess pupils to identify any additional learning needs and provide extra support as necessary. Small class sizes, experienced teachers and friendly support staff ensure that the children all get the attention they need. Our Early Years Practitioners are all highly-qualified, friendly educators, and are paediatric first aid trained. Staff to children ratios are 1:4 for two-year-olds and 1:8 for three and four-year-olds. All our Pre-Prep class teachers are fully qualified with BEd or BA with PGCE degrees, and are first aid trained. There is a dedicated team of Teaching Assistants who work across the School.
Hands-on learning
Your child is already learning about the world and themselves through play. Our aim is to tap into their natural curiosity and eagerness to learn.
Since our son started at Millfield Pre-Prep we have seen him develop and shine. His happy demeanour has been allowed to flourish. Every day when we listen to what he has achieved it makes us very proud. – Parent
Millfield Pre-Prep and Prep are situated in 200 beautiful acres, meaning we have plenty of space to explore. Our on-site Forest School, located beneath Glastonbury Tor, is a magnet for our children. They enjoy the outdoor classroom, making freshly baked rolls in our bread oven, hunting for mini beasts, examining the flora and fauna, whittling sticks and anything else their imaginations can create, or simply taking time to think. In the gardens, they create miniature allotments, cultivate home-grown produce, look for pond life and make camp in the willow wigwam. We enjoy trips to nature reserves, the seashore, farms, zoos, museums and many other places to enable our children to broaden their knowledge of the world around them. As an Eco-School with Green Flag status, we teach the importance of reducing our waste, recycling and caring for animals, plants and the planet, to positively impact the environment.Our Learning Development staff are able to monitor and assess pupils to identify any additional learning needs and provide extra support as necessary.
Freedom to explore
Children have space and freedom to explore their interests. From the walled and sensory gardens, Forest School and apple orchards to the soft play area, they enjoy plenty of time outside.
Staff are always available for a chat at the beginning or end of the day. You are also invited to attend class assemblies, concerts, plays and special events such as Mother’s Day or Remembrance services throughout the year. We hold parent talks on subjects such as maths and ‘The Importance of Play’ and organise events when parents can view their children’s work and chat to staff. We pride ourselves on maintaining positive and productive communication between the School, the children and their families. For this, staff use a programme called Showbie, where teachers share individual and group observations and parents can reply, by writing messages, uploading photographs or sending voice notes. Every child has a home/school diary where messages about reading and any homework are recorded and parents can write messages back to us. We also use Showbie to enable staff to send ‘moments of delight’ home to parents during the School day. These moments could be to recognise a brilliant piece of work, a kind gesture or a special event that has taken place at School. Parents and other family members can login and view these and feel more connected with what their child is doing and learning at School.
Working with you
We have an open door policy in Pre-Prep, so you can be assured that communication between School and home is excellent.
My children have very different personalities, and it was wonderful to see their individual interests developed by the Pre-Prep staff – Parent
10 things our parents love about Millfield Pre-Prep
1. Friendly and caring environment
2. Amazing outdoor spaces
3. Imaginative and engaging teaching
4. Tailored learning to suit each child
5. Specialist PE, language and music teachers
6. Brilliant communication
7. A very strong school community
8. Variety of trips to experience
9. Great selection of extra curricular activities
10. Convenience of the Early and Late Clubs
Our extended Millfield family at the Prep and Senior Schools regularly welcome us to learn alongside them, which enriches our children’s learning opportunities. Children gain pleasure from taking part in charity work; be it raising money for nationwide campaigns or, on a more local level, singing and performing for elderly neighbours. They also enjoy visits from inspirational characters, including storytellers, actors, authors and local service providers, such as firefighters and police officers. This gives the children a sense of the world around them and demonstrates how we can all benefit by working together for our communities.
A sense of community
Millfield Pre-Prep is a happy, friendly community where the children are actively encouraged to be mindful, respectful and considerate of their classmates and teachers.
Sport
At Pre-Prep, healthy living and being active is at the heart of our philosophy. We have world-class facilities, expert Millfield coaches and offer weekly swimming lessons.
We believe that enjoyment and participation in a variety of games not only provides an education in its own right, but instils in children a healthy approach to life and learning. Proven benefits of sport include improved hand-eye coordination, honing of fine and gross motor movements, team work and leadership skills. Each week, all children from age two upwards benefit from swimming lessons in our 25m heated indoor pool and PE and games sessions that include dance, gymnastics and ball skills. Children can also build and apply their skills in after-school clubs, such as dance, cricket, tennis, hockey, trampolining, squash, rugby and football. They benefit from our expert Millfield coaches and the world-class facilities that our school is renowned for.
Whether it is having fun in the soft playground area or walled garden, enjoying regular Forest School sessions or learning how to look after our pets, your little ones will flourish in our inclusive community.
Things that matter
At Millfield Pre-Prep, children have space and time to run, play and discover.
Healthy eating is important to us and children learn about this first-hand by planting and harvesting their own fruit and vegetables. We provide a loving home to a variety of school pets, including guinea pigs. Children are able to spend quiet time enjoying their company and making sure they are well looked after. Giving children the opportunity to get to know the teachers and pupils in the Prep School and beyond, means that the step up to Year 3 will feel like a natural progression for them. We believe that it is vitally important to keep you informed of your child’s progress. You will be invited to talk to teachers at regular intervals throughout the School year and you are welcome to drop in and see your child’s work at any time. Our door is always open.
You can book a personal visit to view the School with our Admissions team. Please do call us on 01458 832446 or email via the menu bar. Alternately, you can attend one of our Open Mornings, which take place in October, March and May, as well as other dates throughout the year. Book a place in the menu bar. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with all the exciting things our children get up to.
Come and take a look
The best way to get a feel for our Pre-Prep is to come and visit us.
@MillfieldPrep @MillfieldPrep @millfieldschool
Millfield Pre-Prep School Glastonbury Somerset BA6 8LD +44 (0)1458 832446 preprep@millfieldschool.com
