Admissions

Registration Form

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Curriculum

St Martin’s delivers a rich, broad and balanced curriculum throughout the school. This begins in Kindergarten and Reception which follows the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, using child initiated, teacher initiated and teacher led learning in the six key areas of learning and development. The boys are also introduced to the French language and culture. A high teacher to boy ratio facilitates greater individual attention and the opportunity to foster strong relationships between teachers and the boys.

This continues as the boys enter Pre-Prep, where in addition to the core subjects of mathematics, English and science, they delve into history and geography; develop their ICT skills; participate in a variety of sports and explore their creative skills within design and technology; art and music. Several of these are taught by specialist teachers, enabling the boys to benefit from the superior knowledge and experience these teachers bring to their subject.

Transfer to the junior school (years 3 and 4) is a smooth process. Boys continue to enjoy the pastoral support of a form tutor who teaches their class for the majority of subjects, alongside the expertise provided by specialist teachers. In order that the boys are working at a pace that best suits them, they are placed into sets for mathematics and English; this greatly aids the development in these areas. As with other areas of the school, lessons are brought to life with the use of interactive whiteboards and enthusiastic teachers. The boys have access to three ICT suites and these are used to enrich their educational experiences. One of these is available for individuals during lunchtimes and proves to be very popular with the boys. Year 4 make excellent use of the new Woodroffe Centre for drama activities and parents can enjoy a delightful Christmas performance provided by the boys.

The pastoral care is the human face of St Martin’s School, and in the middle school (years 5 and 6) The boys continue to receive excellent pastoral support and encouragement from their form tutor, helping them to develop sound moral attitudes that are inculcated within the ethos of the school. The boys now benefit from specialist teachers in all subjects and begin to study Latin. Lessons and inter-school sporting fixtures also provide them the opportunity to become more adept at working co-operatively with others. The boys are taught, and helped, to become increasingly independent and organised.

In Years 7 and 8, the boys at St Martin’s enjoy various positions of seniority and responsibility; the boys are guided in their roles, helping them to develop their skills of leadership and communication; this is further enhanced for Year 8 when they take part in a residential water sports and climbing activities week in Europe, focusing on team building and personal achievement. Small class sizes help build upon all the important work previously carried out in the school and provide the boys with a thorough preparation for scholarship and entrance examinations for a variety of independent schools. In addition to their academic work, the boys also perform in the School Play and assist in the production process in the Spring Term and celebrate their achievements with an English and French play in the summer term. Towards the end of their final year all the boys in Year 8 take part in an ‘Activities Challenge Week’, which includes a variety of expeditions and on-site activities to promote character development and training in life skills. The activities include: first aid training, sailing and kayaking, a presentation no drugs awareness given by the police, taekwondo training lessons and display, cookery and visiting speakers offering information and advice on careers guidance.

All boys’ achievements are celebrated through our culture of praise; the display of work throughout the school and the public presentation of awards; an example is where year 8 boys collaborate to produce a newspaper.

The curriculum is enriched with visitors and wide ranging educational visits, including a year 7 geography residential field trip; entrance into competitions such as the National Spelling Bee (St Martin’s winning the first such competition in 2009) and an extensive array of interesting and enjoyable extra-curricular activities.

Extra Curricular Activities

Supervision of Care/Prep

From the age of three there is a pre- and after-school care facility which is available from 8am until school starts and then from 3.00pm to 6pm. It is ISI registered and run by experienced staff. There is an extra charge for boys who attend the Pre-Prep sessions. Boys can do their homework during this period and activities on offer are varied. They include: Outdoor Play, Bikes and Trikes, Short Tennis, Cookery, Arts and Crafts, Board Games and Story Time. Every day there is a supervised prep session for Years 3 and 4 from 3.30pm to 4.00pm. These boys may go home then or stay with the Year 5 to 8 boys. As part of the school’s duty of care, boys are able to stay at St Martin’s in a supervised environment until 6pm. The boys can be collected at any time during this period. During supervision of care boys can complete prep, then read or play a quiet game.

Activities

St Martin’s offers a very comprehensive After-School Activities programme with more than 50 clubs taking place each week. Years 3 to 8 activities take place every day and the Pre-Prep have some activities after school. Boys are expected to do at least one activity a week. Many boys do more than this. The activities on offer are wide ranging and include academic and arts based clubs, hobbies as well as sporting pursuits. The activities are run by members of staff and occasionally an external organisation. The majority of activities are included in the school fees, although there are some options that require additional payment. The Junior School have activities each day starting at 3.30pm with the majority finishing at 4pm or 4.45pm for most sporting pursuits. The first activity session for Years 5 to 8 is from 4pm to 4.45pm and the second session is from 4.45pm to 5.30pm. Educational Visits: The aim is for every year group to go on a trip at least once a year. We are always looking for new and worthwhile destinations. The school has an Educational Visits Co-ordinator and all trips adhere to government guidelines. Recent trips have included the Ardeche Canoeing Trip, Bath, Hatfield House, Theatre Trips, Normandy, Geography Field Trip to Dorset, Art Galleries, Water-Sports/Climbing in the South of France & Italy, Ski Trip to the Alps, Saracens Matches, Dublin Rugby Tour, Harrow Orchestral Day, Farm visit, and the Natural History Museum.

Admissions

3+

Boys can start in our Kindergarten the term after their third birthday, in September, January or April. Prior to this they are invited to come for an informal visit/assessment accompanied by one parent. The boys visit in small groups of up to five. During this time they are observed and monitored by St Martin’s staff as they join in with activities and mix with the current Kindergarten class. The Head of Kindergarten speaks to parents and boys as well as answering any queries during the assessment.

4+

At the age of 4 boys will be assessed for our 4+ entry into Pre-Prep Reception classes. This assessment takes place at the end of February or early March preceding September entry. The tasks in the assessment are child-friendly and are recorded by Pre-Prep staff. There are 40 places currently in Pre-Prep Reception (two classes of 20). Kindergarten usually fills at least 25 of these, leaving approximately 15 remaining places each September. Competition is therefore rather fierce and early application is strongly advised.

7+

Boys in Year 2 are assessed in November for the following September entry, in English and Maths. The Year 3 intake is mainly from our two classes in our Pre-Prep department. There are approximately 8 places available; the year group is split into three mixed ability classes of approximately 16 boys.

Boys may enter the Main School at ages other than the 7+, should a place become available. Interested parents should contact the Headmaster’s secretary and arrange an assessment date. There are examination papers in Mathematics, English and Verbal Reasoning. Candidates will be interviewed by the Headmaster and given an opportunity to visit classes on the examination day.