Co-Educational Day School and Boarding from 0-18 years
Eastbourne Road
Seaford, East Sussex
UK, BN25 4NP
Tel: 01323 490000
Tel (Outside UK):
+44 1323 490000
Fax: 01323 898420
E.mail:
registrar@newlands-school.com
enquiries@newlands-school.com
Prep (8-13 YEARS)
Newlands Prep School Provides education for 8-13 year old boys and girls; thus they enter in Year 3 of the National Curriculum and leave in Year 8.
The curriculum is broad, balanced and seeks to promote the spiritual, cultural, mental and physical development of the children in the school. Besides the core subjects of English, Mathematics Science and Modern Languages (French and Spanish), the following are also taught: Geography, History, Religious Studies, Latin or Classical Studies, Design Technology, Information and Communications Technology, Physical Education, Art, Music and Food Technology. Personal, Social and Health Education forms an integral component of many of these although it is timetabled as a separate subject.
Numerous opportunities exist which enrich the basic curriculum, e.g.
- the Performing Arts Course in dance (ballet, modern, tap and jazz), music, drama and computer aided theatre design, which is undertaken by some students in addition to the above mentioned main-stream subjects
- sports' fixtures against other schools
- a strong dramatic tradition at Newlands gives large numbers of children the chance to act, sing or help back-stage; productions, created with the help of the Music Department, are presented once or twice a year
- large numbers of pupils also learn a variety of musical Instruments (string, woodwind, brass, percussion, classical guitar and piano) under the guidance of twelve peripateic staff; there is a flute ensemble, a recorder group, a guitar group, an orchestra, a choir and a jazz choir. Ensembles perform regularly at both school and public concerts, carol services, musical plays and morning assemblies. Pupils have the opportunity to join other schools in musical events and they can also undertake examinations from grades 1 to 8
- activity sessions for approximately one hour and occurring on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, permit children to take part in a wide range of pastimes, e.g. hobbies, extra sports, golf, judo and pottery
- Outdoor pursuits, organised by the P.E. Department, are undertaken by each year group annually, graduating from a day's field-work in year 4 to a demanding four day camp in year 8
- whole school assemblies, on three or four days a week, provide extra moral or spititual content; weekly Form periods permit opportunities for pastoral discussion and House meetings are held after each “plus and minus count” (the merit system), when a pupil's progress can be monitored.
All children follow the same academic curriculum but if they have a specific learning difficulty or they are learning English as an additional language, there are specialist staff available in the separate, well-equipped Gannon Centre to give the help that is required. Similarly, the needs of the most able are supervised by the Heads of Department.
Small teaching groups, of mixed ability or setted pupils, is one of the school's methods of meeting educational needs. The core subjects are set according to ability and the other disciplines are taught to mixed ability Form groups.
The school is committed to the principal of equal opportunity but in some cases it would not be in a pupil's best interest to study precisely the same as others. For example,
- strong linguists study both French and Latin; others study only Spanish. A pupil with a special educational need may not study a foreign language at all but undertake instead additional tuition in other subjects especially English
- those children in need of regular support from the Gannon Centre staff will have lessons timetabled during the course of the day at appropriate times
- some extra activities are conducted by external instructors and therefore need to be charged as an extra
