Handcross Park Prep School
Handcross Park Prep School
Between Crawley, Horsham, and Haywards Heath in Handcross, West Sussex, England, there is a private coeducational preparatory school known as Handcross Park Prep School. From the Nursery at age 2, through Pre-Prep, and into Prep until age 13, the school offers private co-education with a combination of day students, flexi, weekly, and full boarders. The institution was founded in 1887, and it relocated to its current location in 1968. Two prep schools, Newells and Desmoor, were combined to become The School.
Programs
Each child's needs are met in a stimulating and nurturing atmosphere by the highly qualified, caring, and pleasant staff who also provide a fun, play-based, and child-led curriculum.In addition to a variety of enrichment activities like dancing, athletic tots, music, mindfulness, Spanish, and Forest School, themes and topics are employed to pique the children's interests.Handcross Park Prep School values working closely with parents from the beginning because we are aware of the importance of home and school collaborations for your child's academic success. Online journals are used to communicate your child's learning, and the helpful, amiable staff is constantly available.
During the school year, the Nursery's schedule is flexible to accommodate both the needs of working parents and the children's various interests and levels of energy. The primary period of instruction offers a delightful blend of learning via work and play in the classroom, in and around the gorgeous Secret Garden, and throughout the first-rate facilities and grounds of the Prep School.The Pre-Prep students at Handcross Park Prep School benefit from a robust curriculum that encourages creativity and theme-based learning. Most importantly, learning is rewarding and worthwhile at every stage. Handcross School takes great joy in recognizing children's accomplishments since academic standards and expectations are high and go hand in hand with a child's overall growth.Daily instruction in reading, writing, and math from Reception to Year 2 lays a solid foundation of fundamental skills on which the other subject areas can be built, providing students with a diverse cultural learning experience. Sharing and cultivating a love of reading, as well as studying a variety of high-quality children's literature, encourages students to read with fluency, accuracy, understanding, and enjoyment. This then leads to emergent writing, where Handcross Park Prep School instructs students on how to communicate their thoughts in concise phrases while utilizing a variety of punctuation, grammar, and spelling techniques.
The goal of Handcross School is to lay a strong foundation of knowledge and abilities on which to build in addition to fostering a positive "can do" attitude in math. Children are taught all of the fundamental calculation skills as well as investigation and problem-solving techniques, making sure that learning is always embedded in relevant and worthwhile contexts. Children at Handcross School are encouraged to attain "mastery" in math, which is defined as knowing exactly what they are doing and being able to use their knowledge in a variety of circumstances that call for problem-solving.The students join in Year 3 and develop their independent thinking abilities and a love of learning, building on the solid foundations created in the Pre-Prep. Talented, specialized instructors administer a cutting-edge curriculum, and Handcross Park Prep School is incredibly proud of the great Common Entrance and Scholarship achievements obtained by the Year 8 graduates.There are many opportunities for the students. The academic, musical, artistic, sporting, creative, technical, and theatrical interests and skills are all catered for at Handcross Park Prep School, which is dedicated to provide a well-rounded education.
A crucial aspect of the students' daily lives at the school is the House system. When the school was created in 1887, the four houses—Brits, Normans, Saxons, and Vikings—were all introduced. When a child first enrolls at the school, they are given a House assignment, and the system fosters goodwill among the various year groups throughout the Prep School. The competitive attitude among the houses, which permeates all facets of school life, is alive. Every child can contribute to improving their House's final score, ensuring that everyone takes great satisfaction in each student's accomplishments and their involvement in the House competitions.
The years 7 and 8 are a vital time in a child's growth, both academically and personally. To offer them direction and incentive to achieve to the best of their abilities, students need a rigorous and innovative curriculum with a distinct end goal.
The students at Handcross School prepare for the Common Entrance and Scholarship tests that will be given at the conclusion of Year 8. These tests are effective for students of all abilities who are willing to put in the necessary effort to perform well on exams. The two years provide excellent GCSE and A Level preparation. The students are prepared for life in general as well as life at senior school by learning how to approach exams and developing the fortitude to handle pressure in a helpful and nurturing environment. External validation of the work done by students and staff at Handcross Park Prep School is also provided through Common Entrance.
School Life
Sport is an essential component of school life because it gives kids a platform to take on new challenges, find hidden skills, and ultimately have fun while leading healthy lives. Sport is not only competitive but also open to all students at Handcross Park Prep School. Through participation in sports, students learn the value of sportsmanship, including how to lose with dignity and triumph with grace (within a team and individual environment).
From third grade through eighth grade, every pupil participates in competitive sports against other nearby prep and senior schools. Wednesday afternoons are designated for games, and parents are welcome to attend to cheer on their children's teams and partake in matcha tea. The students at Handcross Park Prep School frequently have the chance to compete as members of their school teams by participating in tournaments, swimming galas, and cross-country meetings. In addition, Handcross Park Prep School participates in a number of sports-related regional and national IAPS (The Independent Association of Prep Schools) competitions.
The students at Handcross Park Prep School are honored for their accomplishments and efforts in a variety of ways, from end-of-season awards for "Coach's Player" and "Players' Player" to selecting girls or boys of the match after each game. Children in the Upper School work toward obtaining their "Colors" by the end of Year 8, and some even get the honor of being named Captain of a specific sport or receiving funding through the Sports Scholarship program when applying to senior high school.
Students at Handcross Park Prep School enjoy performing in front of their peers and parents frequently. They are exposed to music, drama, and dance from an early age.
Every child has weekly classes in drama and music from the trained tutors. Singing, internalizing rhythm, coordination, confidence, and public speaking are among the essential qualities that are cultivated.
The majority of the students at Handcross Park Prep School participate in numerous ensembles and bands and play an instrument. The school's choirs, jazz band, brass band, orchestra, and string ensembles are all prospering and present several performance opportunities each term. The group of great peripatetic instructors, who are all successful performing artists outside of their teaching responsibilities, provide all private instrumental and vocal classes.
The young musicians' dedication and hard effort are demonstrated by the 100% pass rate in the ABRSM, Trinity, and Rockschool exams.
In drama, students have several opportunities to grow and develop both on and off the stage. There is a separate large-scale production every term. Mary Poppins, Mystery at Magpie Manor, Aladdin, and The Lion King are just a handful of the recent productions that have been given to us.
Within the school, students have the option of enrolling in private LAMDA courses. More than a third of the students are now enrolled in the LAMDA program, and Handcross Park Prep School has a 100% exam pass rate with a high percentage of distinctions.
A brand-new, purpose-built, light-filled, and airy Art & Design Centre with its own tranquil garden space for outdoor artwork and an amazing gallery to showcase the students' great work is where art is taught. All students at Handcross Park Prep School can express their creativity to the fullest in the art department. For pottery, there is a kiln and wheel available, as well as a variety of sewing machines for textiles and modern cameras for photography. The high number of painting and photography scholarships attained, which is evidence of the excellent instruction and environment in this field, makes Handcross Park Prep School quite proud.
Future Prospects
The majority of senior schools currently choose students for enrollment in Year 9 using the ISEB pre-test assessment in Year 6. In Years 5 and 6, Handcross School prepares students for this preliminary examination.Students in Years 7 and 8 prepare for exams for academic scholarships or the Common Entrance. With a success percentage of 100% for Common Entrance passes, Handcross Park Prep School enables students to enroll in the senior school of their choice.The following senior schools have recently accepted students from Handcross Park Prep School: Ardingly College, Bede's, Brighton College, Bryanston School, Caterham School, Charterhouse, etc.
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