Wider Curriculum

Wider Curriculum

At Eaton Square we are strongly committed to offering a stimulating, wide-ranging and responsible curriculum, always delivering excellence in all that we do. This is demonstrated by our consistently being rated ‘Excellent’ in all ISI inspection reports.

We nurture future potential by celebrating each girl and boy for their unique qualities, providing them with the specific expertise and opportunities required to explore and develop their interests, gaining confidence and ability as they progress.

While our rigorous academic standards go unsaid (more can be found on this in our ‘Academic’ section here), you can explore further details of our wider curriculum from the menu below:

Beyond the Core Subjects

Art

Art and Design are an important part of our curriculum. Pupils from Years 1 to 6 enjoy weekly lessons taught by experienced specialist teachers in our spacious, light-filled art studio overlooking Eccleston Gardens. The view is quite spectacular.

We believe that art plays a vital role in developing the ‘whole’ pupil and is crucial for developing minds beyond the classroom. We deliver a culturally diverse curriculum where artists, designers and craftspeople from around the globe are celebrated, and we encourage all students to think outside the box when forming their own creative outputs.

There is also a strong focus on developing practical skills, boosting creativity and establishing a sound understanding of visual elements. Eaton Square pupils have the opportunity to experiment with a broad range of media and processes. Every Summer Term, an artist is invited to run creative workshops as part of Arts Week. There are numerous opportunities throughout the year to participate in internal and external competitions and the children’s artwork is proudly displayed across the school.

Our most gifted pupils are invited to attend Scholarship Club to develop their portfolio for entrance into senior schools. Past alumni have gained scholarships and art exhibitions to Downe House, Emanuel School, Alleyn’s School, St Mary’s Calne, Queen’s Gate School, Roedean School and Francis Holland. It is our continued commitment to bring out the best in all our students.

Drama

Creative expression is highly valued at Eaton Square. We prioritise this area of the curriculum to allow children to explore their individuality and build their self-confidence. Beyond their structured learning, all children perform in the Whole School Assembly at St Michael’s Church and there are numerous musical concerts each term as well as a fantastic end-of-year production for the Seniors.

Notably, pupils can take one-to-one, dedicated LAMDA tuition at school. Benefiting from its international recognition and insight, pupils concentrate on the Communication and Presentation aspect of the LAMDA programme and work towards attaining graded LAMDA qualifications at the end of each unit.

Within their individual sessions, the pupils are introduced to a variety of poetic styles and structures and begin to practise the key skills of intonation, expression and voice moderation. They work towards a goal of reciting a prepared piece of poetry during a public performance for teachers and parents.

Pupils also receive an introduction to the art of good conversation, discussing a variety of contemporary affairs and events in a manner that engages the listener and demonstrates their understanding of the topics under discussion.

The value of empowering our young people in the skills of performance and public speaking is immeasurable. Not only is a public performance key for reinforcing memory skills and an understanding of poetic structure, it also boosts strengths in public speaking, self-presentation and empathy.

Music

Music is  integral to the curriculum at Eaton Square. We provide as many opportunities as possible for pupils to perform and sing throughout the year. The school productions are a highlight of this, with staff and pupils working together as a team to create enriching and rewarding theatrical experiences for all.

We encourage all children to take up one-to-one music lessons in one of the wide selection of orchestral instruments available, and they also have the opportunity to develop their singing talents in one of the four school choirs.

Sport

At Eaton Square Prep School, we aim to nurture a lifetime of enthusiasm and confidence through sport and physical activity. Our sporting ethos celebrates excellenceenjoyment, opportunity and teamwork – both on and off the field.

Every pupil participates in at least two hours of PE per week, with access to our own indoor facilities, as well as the state-of-the-art Queen Mother Sports Centre and Battersea Park Millennium Arena – both only moments from the school.

Above all, our vibrant sporting offering teaches the children the importance of positivity, fairness and teamwork.

While our broad, dynamic curriculum is constantly evolving, below is a broad overview of what we provide.

PE

The younger Eaton Square year groups focus on ‘The ABCs’: agility, balance and coordination. This is taught through activities such as gymnastics, team games, dance and problem solving exercises. Each aims to build a broad range of skills that aid the children’s development in all areas of their lives, including resilience, confidence, social awareness, and fine and gross motor skills.

As pupils move through the school, opportunities to take part in new sports increases, as does the ability to compete for the school in local, regional and national competitions. We offer an exceptional range in PE alone (see below), enabling pupils to experience and choose the activities they are best suited to:

  • Athletics
  • Badminton
  • Basketball
  • Fitness
  • Futsal
  • Indoor Hockey
  • Squash
  • Table Tennis
  • Tennis
  • Volleyball

The variety also provides pupils with the firm sporting foundations required when moving onto senior school.

Games

During Games, students are taught the core British sports in a co-educational environment.

In the Lower School, all children are encouraged to play each of the sports. This multi-sport approach enables children to develop a full range of movement patterns and muscle groups: all hugely beneficial later in life. As they progress through the school, pupils take ownership of their learning and are able to select which sports they would like to play each term, loosely from the below:

  • Autumn Football and Netball
  • Spring: Hockey and Rugby
  • Summer: Athletics and Cricket (plus Tennis for senior pupils)

Senior pupils take part in fun, friendly matches against other schools; as well as in larger regional and national tournaments, hosted by IAPS and ISA.

Each child will also compete as a member of an Intramural House (Belgrave, Chester, Eaton or Lowndes) in two whole school events each year: Swimming Gala and Sports Day. They also have the opportunity to compete in over sixteen House Competitions throughout the year in a wide variety of other sports.

Swimming

Swimming is an major strength of Eaton Square – and has been for man years

Children start their swimming journey in Nursery. Learning through play, the aim is for the child to feel confident and enjoy the water. This is a particularly important stage of each child’s development as it builds the essential foundations for progressing to the next stage.

From Reception through to Year 6, pupils are put into groups according to ability, ensuring that each child learns at their own pace.

Our phenomenally successful Swim Squad comprises three key groups. We run an annual swim tour to Tenerife where children train in an Olympic sized pool to prepare for the upcoming summer competitions.

The Eaton Square Swim Squad enjoys consistent success in a variety of events, including:

  • English Schools
  • IAPS (Independent Association of Prep Schools)
  • London League
  • ISA (Independent Schools Association)
  • London Schools

We also run the Eaton Square Swimming Club. Children train outside of school and compete on a different platform against external swim clubs. We consistently work towards gaining county, regional and national titles.

Public Speaking

Public speaking and debating are at the heart of our approach at Eaton Square Prep School. Our focus on spoken communication and critical thinking allows our children to be both confident and empathetic, but we also believe that the teaching of oracy will give them a big boost as they move to senior school and beyond.

We offer a range of exciting opportunities. Our ever-popular Debating Club for Years 5 and 6 offers the chance to learn parliamentary debating. Club members compete in inter-school competitions such as The Sir Winston Churchill Public Speaking Competition at Blenheim Palace. Other annual venues include Brighton Girls’, Epsom College and Haileybury. At the end of each academic year, Debating Club also visits UK Parliament for a guided tour and workshop. We occasionally even receive tickets to PMQs!

Our Debating Club is led by two elected Debating Captains from Year 6. They help run weekly meetings and prepare for competitions. This leadership role provides even further opportunity for growth and personal development. We also celebrate achievement in this area by awarding The Lemardeley Cup in Prize Giving to one child for outstanding contribution to public speaking and debating.

At Eaton Square, we offer our children a global platform through our annual TEDx programme. As a school, we are delighted to have our own exclusive TEDx license. After a challenging selection process, we select ten children in Years 5 and 6 to take to the stage and speak to an audience of one hundred guests. Their talks are professionally filmed, submitted to TEDx and then shown to the world on YouTube. Our young, talented  Eaton Square Tedx speakers have gained over 5.5 million views so far!

Looking ahead, there are many new and exciting initiatives in the pipeline. Our most recent addition is the Dukes Debating Festival, an annual get-together of ten prep schools in the Dukes Education family. Organised by us and held at Eaton Square Senior School, the Dukes Debating Festival is a day of workshops by Noisy Classroom, our training partner, and an inter-school competition.