Where Learning Comes to Life
The Abbey Junior School is a lively, nurturing environment where curiosity is welcomed, individuality is celebrated, and learning feels like an adventure.
From Little Knellies Nursery onwards, our girls are immersed in a culture that values both challenge and creativity, where academic excellence is nurtured through encouragement, exploration and a genuine love of learning.
Outstanding teaching, thoughtful pastoral care, and an engaging, expansive curriculum work together to build strong foundations—intellectually, emotionally, and socially. With access to excellent resources and specialist teaching from the very start, our students are well-supported as they explore their world and grow in confidence.
Learning here is hands-on, meaningful, and great fun. Whether experimenting in science, performing on stage, solving a tricky maths puzzle or simply sharing ideas with friends, our girls are given the freedom to think deeply, to question confidently, and to enjoy the process.
Through real-world experiences and wide-ranging opportunities, our girls grow into global citizens—thoughtful, open-minded, and ready to make a difference. They leave us not only well-prepared for the next stage of their education, but empowered to be agents of change in a rapidly evolving world.
We know that when children feel known, supported, and excited to come through the door each morning, remarkable things happen.
We’d love to welcome you to The Abbey and show you what makes our community so special.
Mrs Beccy Newton, Head of The Abbey Junior School
Approach to Learning Learner Profile
Highlights ten attitudes that we encourage in all those involved in learning – from Nursery to Sixth Form. We hope that our students will carry these attitudes forward into higher education and into a future of lifelong learning.
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School day
The school day begins at 8:15am where girls receive a warm welcome from staff before proceeding to their forms for registration. Gates are open until 8:40am and there are several drop off points to support our families.
Days then consists of eight 35 minute teaching blocks, which are sometimes combined to ensure students receive a broad and balanced curriculum offer across all subjects where they are supported to deepen their understanding. There are specialist computing, music, science, sport and languages teachers and many opportunities to take part in hands-on experiences, trips, competitions, theme days and events.
Morning break begins at 10:20am where the girls enjoy time outside, making use of our equipment and are served a freshly prepared snack.
Lunch is then served between 11:50am and 1.00pm and is prepared in our state of the art kitchen connected to a light, airy dining hall – a particular favourite are our pastry chef’s strawberry tart desserts! After they have eaten, if not running around outside, students can often be found sitting on the toadstools in the Library or accessing some of the extra curricular clubs on offer such as Nature Detectives, Coding or Story Writing.
At 1.00pm students enjoy time to read for pleasure in their form before embarking on their afternoon learning, which finishes at 3.30pm.
Before and After School Club (BASC) operates from 7:30am until 8:30am, with breakfast provided, and 3:30pm until 6pm, with a hot supper. At both, a wide range of exciting activities are available and staff are skilled at shaping the provision around pupil interest.
Reception
In Reception, attributes of independence and resilience are strengthened, with girls being encouraged to develop skills of learning as well as developing their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Curiosity and inquiry-based learning are at the core of our teaching and principles. Throughout this year, our students begin to progress from predominantly child-led experiences to more adult directed lessons in preparation for their transition to Lower Prep (Year 1).
Reception marks the first step in each girl’s school journey. This is the year in which they learn how to ‘be’ in school; understanding structure and routines associated with a school day and adopting key skills in a nurturing environment. The balance of excitement and engagement is what we strive to achieve through our teaching and provision for Reception children. The learning in our Reception year is designed to build a secure foundation for development that is suited to each individual, whilst working within our setting.
Staff inspire and guide the natural curiosity and enthusiasm. Each student’s learning and development is documented through their individual Learning Journey, which is available to students and their families through our online platform Tapestry. Regular communication with parents and families through formal reporting, parents’ meetings and a child’s Learning Journey form part of our connection between home and school, as well as daily communications through our home-school liaison books.
Lower Prep and Upper Prep (Years 1-2)
Reaching Lower Prep is exciting, opening the doors to Key Stage One and the Primary Curriculum but it does not mark the end of child-initiated learning, nor the beginning of rigid formal instruction. We continue to nurture our children’s sense of agency, their capacity to act independently, make choices, and take ownership of their learning. We are developmentally sensitive to the needs and stages of each child.
We continue to provide opportunities for students to set their own goals, reflect on their actions, and consider the impact of those actions on their environment. This approach fosters self-awareness, responsibility, and resilience, laying the groundwork for confident, thoughtful learners.
Our Lower Prep and Upper Prep timetables are split into a greater variety of subject specific slots which includes Spanish, Geography, History and Computing alongside the core subjects. Despite its formality we endeavour to provide a balanced approach which embraces both child led and adult led learning. Play also still has its place in Key Stage One, specifically in Lower Prep but the type of ‘play’ that is offered shifts. Stations are set up in our outside area with challenges linked to our current learning intentions; when children are not being taught directly as a class or involved in group work, they are busy engaging, grappling with and completing these tasks. Our stations also take into account the ongoing need for fine and gross motor development, to be active and for sensory stimulation whilst encouraging our children to be creative thinkers and problem solvers.
Because of the close-knit community in our Prep corridor, children feel a genuine sense of ownership and belonging. This familiarity with all the faces and spaces ensures a smooth transition to Upper Prep. Guided by our school rules of Ready – Respectful – Safe, students effortlessly adapt to a more structured classroom environment and are keen to take on new challenges. These are the years when they begin to explore leadership roles and take on greater responsibilities. Alongside their developing love for learning, they forge strong friendships and create happy, lasting memories.
Lower I and Upper I (Years 3-4)
When girls join Lower I and Upper I, their days are filled with exploration, challenge and application of concepts.
They begin to exercise their voice and agency and take more ownership of their learning. At this stage, pupils grow more curious about the people and world around them. They show an increasing interest in reading and writing and become more focused when completing tasks, gaining confidence in physical skills and learning how to appropriately express themselves. They continue to develop problem solving and interpersonal skills, as friendships become more and more important.
Much of the curriculum is integrated, and form teachers and specialist teachers help pupils make connections between different areas of their learning. While the majority of this takes place in spacious and well-resourced classrooms, a dedicated Library, our ‘Fab Lab’, Science Lab, and other facilities are used in lessons throughout the week and during co-curricular activities.
Pupils start to explore Google classrooms at this age and are involved in sporting fixtures for the first time. They are able to take on positions of responsibility in various areas to capture student voice, such as Food Forum Reps and Digital Leaders. They go on residential trips to gain the experience of being away from familiar environments in their ongoing journey to independence. Lots of workshops and other school trips also take place to enhance learning. These have included visiting The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, The Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden and a Virtual Reality (VR) workshop.
Upper II and Lower III (Years 5-6)
During their final two years at The Junior School, students are encouraged to embrace their growing independence while still enjoying the freedoms of childhood. The physical move to Somerleaze House affords a sense of ‘moving up’ and is an important milestone for students, gradually preparing them for the next stage of their education.
The academic pace increases as the students move through to the final stage of the Junior School experience. Girls are encouraged to explore and discuss issues that impact them and that are part of wider social discourse. They are supported in these discussions in order to ensure that their voices are heard and valued. Developing resilience is extremely important as they face challenges in terms of curriculum and socially as their friendships develop. Acknowledgement and understanding that these challenges are normal underpins all that we do in preparing the girls for the next stage of their educational journey.
The educational visits programme continues with residentials to Surrey for Upper II (Year 5) and Pembrokeshire for Lower III (Year 6). Personal expression is encouraged via the creative arts and dazzling evening productions. Sporting fixtures are a regular part of the school year.
Independence, organisation and responsibility all play a large part in the life of a Lower III (Year 6) student. As the girls move confidently towards the end of their Junior School experience the Summer term allows them all a period of reflection and celebration. An Exhibition of Learning takes place during the Summer term, along with a year-group performance, a musical recital and a Leavers’ Ceremony. These events allow us to celebrate all that our students have achieved on their journey through the Junior School.
