In Lower III (Year 6) one of our main aims is to provide the girls with opportunities to lead and to motivate others and they take on responsibilities as house captains, sports captains, charity captains, music captains, prefects and gold prefects. They play an important part in the School Council and Eco Council and have the opportunity to act as tour guides on our Open Days, communicating to prospective parents their enthusiasm for life in the Junior School.
We try to foster the girls’ independence by allowing special privileges in Lower III. The girls are encouraged to use their initiative in many ways such as leading assemblies, organising charity events and putting together teams for house matches. At the end of the year, they are able to demonstrate these important life skills when they visit Cornwall for a week’s residential trip, where they try abseiling, coastal traversing, climbing and surfing. Other Lower III trips and workshops which help to enrich the curriculum include a visit to a Buddhist community to increase their spiritual awareness, a team-building day at the REME Museum, a World War II and a Shakespeare workshop.
The girls are constantly challenged with a breadth of experiences across the curriculum. Each term parents are sent a detailed newsletter outlining the topics that their daughters will be studying. We offer an exciting programme of activities in Art and DT, including the opportunity to design and make a personal bread recipe, a pair of slippers and a spectacular headdress.
We embrace internationalism throughout our curriculum and links with our two partnership schools in South West Uganda are strengthening. One of our Geography topics involves independent research on a European country, culminating in a group presentation to their peers. The girls’ final term at the Junior School is full of exciting events and includes a spectacular musical extravaganza, requiring skilful teamwork. An awards ceremony at the end of the summer term celebrates the girls’ achievements throughout their time at the Junior School.