Prep School

Discover a Love of Learning

Notre Dame Prep School forms the foundation for our children’s educational journey. Our strong academic grounding is interweaved with a rich exposure to sport, STEAM, art, music, RE, languages and drama, all taught by specialist teaching staff in exciting and stimulating learning environments.

A message from the Head

Notre Dame Prep School is a very happy school with a wonderful sense of community and a great sense of fun and spirit! We are very proud that we have been educating girls and the youngest boys for more than 400 years since our foundress, Jeanne de Lestonnac, established the Order of the Company of Mary our Lady in 1607 with the aim to provide girls of all faiths with an education in life and for life.

The Prep School forms the foundation for our children’s educational career. Everything we do is underpinned by a strong academic grounding in a safe, exciting and stimulating learning environment.

We are committed to the pastoral needs of our pupils. All children have a voice and all successes, no matter how small, are celebrated. We strive to educate our children to be good people with strong moral values and encourage all members of the community to stretch out a hand of kindness to others. Most importantly, our pupils look forward to coming to school and have a genuine love of learning.

I look forward to welcoming you to our school and relish the opportunity to start your children on their educational journey at Notre Dame.

Mrs Amelie Morgan
Prep Headmistress

EXCITING and Challenging Prep Education

We believe in a mastery approach to teaching and learning where key skills and concepts are taught and understood before moving on, encouraging deep learning and thinking. We want our children to be inquisitive problem solvers and to use their imaginations for creativity and original thought; we are very proud of our strengths in our drama, art, music, Religious Education, sport and languages and by our pupil-centred humanities curriculum.

We have high expectations of our pupils, encouraging them to excel in all areas of school life though we work hard to allow our children to be children by giving them access to a truly rounded, exciting and challenging curriculum.

Reception Curriculum

We continuously encourage and nurture pupils to be independent, curious, creative and resilient learners who show respect for each other, their communities and the environment which God created for us.

‘To Know You More Clearly’, the new Religious Education Directory.

Our curriculum is further enhanced with lessons taught by specialist teachers that include drama, dance, swimming, PE, music, forest school, and Spanish.

Reception girls are taught by a dedicated teacher and teaching assistant. Staff work and plan together to ensure the principles of the EYFS curriculum are met and in line with each girl’s age and stage of development.

These themes encompass seven areas of learning:

Prime Areas:
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Physical Development
Communication and Language

Specific Areas:
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design

Infants Curriculum
(Key Stage One)

Throughout the infant department, personal and social skills are a fundamental part of our teaching.

We are a family and, like all families, our children are taught to care for and support each other and to work together harmoniously. We want our pupils to become well-rounded, confident, sociable individuals who persevere when met with challenge and who flourish as their strengths are recognised and celebrated.

Junior Curriculum
(Key Stage 2)

We know our girls well and track their progress carefully to ensure a high quality experience for each individual. Every girl has challenging, objective targets against which her development is measured. This means we can intervene quickly to assist in keeping all girls on track, to achieve above and beyond expectation.

Throughout the Prep School, we share the same aims as our Senior School where girls have a strong sense of place and worth.

‘Children confidently articulate their school mission statement and how they live it out in daily life at Notre Dame’.

RE Focus Visit Report.

Catholic Social Teaching

At Notre Dame Prep, we embrace Catholic Social Teaching (CST), rooted in the belief that God has a divine plan for creation — a plan to establish His kingdom of peace, love and justice.

Our commitment to this mission is a vocation for the common good, calling us to treat everyone as our brothers and sisters, a shared responsibility that unites us all and that underpins our school mission, aims and ethos.

Through our curriculum, special events, awareness days and everyday actions, we instill the seven principles of social teaching in our pupils, ensuring these values are integral to their education and personal growth.

Pope Francis reminds us that it is our duty to collaborate in creating a more just and peaceful world — putting love into action. We encourage our pupils to articulate the connection between Jesus’ teachings and the importance of performing good deeds in their lives both inside and outside of school.

“GIRLS ARE HIGHLY MOTIVATED, SECURE IN THEIR VALUES AND ABLE TO MAKE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIETY.”
Independent Schools Inspectorate Report

Enrichment

Our extensive enrichment programme is intended to complement and enhance girls’ timetabled lessons. It provides a wealth of opportunities for girls to develop their talents or find new interests. Co-curricular clubs and activities also help develop pupils’ ability to work together and builds a sense of community.

Able, Gifted & Talented

In the Prep School, our Able, Gifted & Talented Programme is called Above & Beyond the Curriculum (ABC). Able, gifted and/or talented children are those with marked academic ability or potential, and talented children who have a high ability or potential in sport, STEAM or the visual/performing arts.