Academic

• Pre‑Prep (Ages 4–7, Reception, Prep 1 and Prep 2).  At Leweston Prep, our Pre‑Prep provides a warm, secure start to the prep school curriculum. Each class has an experienced class teacher for security and continuity, supported by teaching assistants in larger classes.
  Pre‑Prep offers a joyful introduction to school life, combining a secure, nurturing environment with specialist teaching in languages, the arts, sport and Forest School from the very first year. 
• Prep (Ages 7–11, Prep 3, 4, 5 and 6).  In the Prep pupils follow a rich academic curriculum at Leweston Prep. Depending on year size, pupils are taught in one or two classes capped at 20, with teaching assistants supporting larger groups. As pupils move through the Prep, they benefit from specialist facilities, including dedicated Art and Science departments, Design Technology rooms and the school theatre, as well as teaching from Senior School staff. 

Curious minds, rich curriculum:  at Leweston Prep children explore exciting cross‑curricular topics that spark curiosity and immerse them in learning, blending literacy and numeracy with wider subjects across our prep school curriculum. We encourage pupils to take ownership of their learning and understand their learning style as they grow. 

• Specialists from the start: From Reception, pupils enjoy specialist lessons in French, Spanish, Art, Music, Religious Education, Performing Arts, Forest School, Computing and dedicated PE and Swimming each week.
• Outdoor learning: Weekly Forest School and wellie walks in Pre‑Prep bringing the curriculum to life.
• Progress with the right stretch: Teachers tailor planning so every child is challenged just enough to make sustained progress, with assessment tracked carefully across the curriculum.
• Contact with home: Assessment and communication are seamless thanks to our online learning journals, which share progress, photos and achievements with families in real time

Leweston Prep is proudly SATs‑free. We do not prepare pupils for national SATs tests in Year 6 because these assessments can narrow the curriculum and create unnecessary anxiety. Instead, we focus on robust teacher assessment across the full prep school curriculum, cross‑checked with light‑touch benchmarking (for example, INCAS), so we can teach for depth and breadth throughout Prep 6 rather than spending the year revising.

This approach means Prep 6 remains a teaching year rich in subject matter (from Shakespeare to coastal development), public speaking awards and a celebratory residential, helping pupils finish Prep as confident, resilient, inquisitive and adventurous learners ready for Senior School.

Daily habits include reading and practising timestables, alongside weekly spellings. Each child receives a weekly homework sheet with core tasks and one or two linked activities, plus optional topic‑related extensions to encourage pupil‑led enquiry.

Expectations are age‑appropriate: in Reception to Prep 2 this means regular reading, weekly tables and spellings, and the occasional consolidation task, but no formal homework.

In Prep 3 to 6 pupils continue with regular reading and weekly tables and spellings, and also complete linked homework to deepen understanding, set on Friday and due on Tuesday.

Homework is supported through a daily after‑school prep club for Prep 3 to 6 and a weekly support session for Reception to Prep 2. Many families collect at 5.45pm, with the majority of homework already completed.