"The test of a successful education is not the amount of knowledge that a pupil takes away from a school, but his appetite to know and his capacity to learn." (Sir Richard Livingstone)
The Dorset House curriculum is tailored to the needs of the pupils and their future aspirations. Whilst the National Curriculum is a useful starting point, departments will adapt and enhance their programmes of study to ensure that every pupil is motivated, inspired and challenged. We strive to make our pupils independent learners, well-prepared for the next stage in their development. Classes are small and therefore the children can perform at the speed that suits them best and a very individual approach can be offered to every child.
What do senior schools want?
‘We would want them to arrive with the nuts and bolts of literacy and numeracy secure; we would want them to have started developing sound study skills, with an emphasis on independent learning; and we would want them to have retained the curiosity and the appetite for learning that they had as younger children.’ (Director of Studies - Public School)
Children at Dorset House explore a rich variety of techniques and subjects in Art. They use mixed media to create seasonal pieces such as boxes on a Christmas theme or pop-up mechanisms for Easter cards.
Each child from Years 3 – 8 has their own memory card and takes photographs in and around the school site. They can then manipulate these using Adobe Photoshop with some impressive results. Aerial photographs provide the inspiration for paintings of Dorset House and River Arun.
Batik and fabric printing using Indian patterns produce vibrant pieces. Children use recycled materials to make magical models in the school woods with the emphasis on texture – creating their own sculpture trail. Older children study line and pattern in order to design their name in 3D.
Dorset House is fortunate to have an amphitheatre in the grounds and an “Inner Barn Theatre”, both of which create interesting spaces for a wide variety of drama.
Each year there are well-rehearsed Junior and Senior Plays which take place in the intimate atmosphere of the theatre. All children take part so that there is a happy tradition of “treading the boards” which starts early. All Early Years and Reception class children take part in the annual Nativity play.
Additionally, in the Summer Term there is a House Drama Competition for Years 5 and 6 which takes place in the amphitheatre. This is based on improvisation skills and children are challenged to speak up confidently to their open air audience!
A specialist LAMDA teacher offers classes to children who are keen to take drama exams and this, together with drama activities and some drama lessons within English classes, ensures that there is continued interest in and enthusiasm for the subject.
The English Department at Dorset House seeks to foster the good writing, speaking and listening skills which are so essential to effective communication, and the reading habit which is at the heart of our understanding of others.
In lessons and through participation in annual Junior and Senior plays, in House Drama and Debating Competitions and the Poetry Competition “Recite!”, children are encouraged to develop the ability to speak confidently in public. Where possible, trips to the theatre and visits from authors are arranged so that children can learn from, and be inspired by, the talents and enthusiasm of others.
Writing imaginatively, clearly and accurately is an important priority and the School’s wonderful environment offers a constant source of inspiration. For some, however, additional support is needed and there is close liaison between the English and Learning Support Departments so that this is delivered sensitively and effectively. Others may need to be extended and these children are regularly given additional tasks to ensure that they remain challenged and engaged. Above all, those teaching English aim to make the experience fun!
The Junior “Bookworm” and Senior “Reading Challenge” Schemes, where children gain awards for their regular reading have proved very successful in motivating children to discover the pleasures offered by books. So it is not unusual, at Dorset House, for a child to be seen sitting outside at break time engrossed in a book in spite of all the other delights on offer…
At Dorset House School children are encouraged to have fun with the language through a range of activities including singing, role play and games. French is taught throughout the school from Reception to Year 8 (from a native speaker from Year 3 onwards).
In the early years the aim of the lessons is to develop an awareness of the sounds of the language while learning basic vocabulary. Later on, pupils are gradually introduced to all four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). As they progress through the school, they are taught through a more formal grammar based approach, becoming more confident and competent to eventually be tested at Common Entrance or Scholarship level.
Each year in the summer term Year 7 organise a French Café for parents and guests. Pupils serve croissants and pains au chocolat. Everyone has great fun and has to speak French!
Situated in the heart of the South Downs National Park with the River Arun and its vast flood plains running parallel to the school, Dorset House provides the perfect setting for our children to see much of this subject with their own eyes.
We want all young people to grow into informed citizens with a sound understanding of the human and natural processes that shape the globe and its people.
We consistently record good CE and Scholarship results in this subject with top scholarships to Winchester and Sherborne recently achieved. From Fieldwork projects, current newspaper articles and computer based programmes to ‘Powerpoint’ presentations and individual country studies, the scope to learn here is immense.
As committed teachers of this subject it is also our job to make children are aware that Geography involves a number of challenging considerations of the relationship between the earth and its people, investigating key concepts of place, the environment and space. Trips to the ‘Needles’ on the Isle of Wight and to the Jurassic Coastline in Dorset, help make the more ordinary Geography lesson come alive!
The aim of History teaching here at Dorset House School is to stimulate the children’s interest and understanding about the lives of people who lived in the past. We teach children a sense of chronology, and through this they develop a sense of identity, and a cultural understanding based on their historical heritage. Thus they learn to value their own and other people’s cultures in modern multicultural Britain and, by considering how people lived in the past, they are better able to make their own life choices today.
In our school History makes a significant contribution to citizenship education by teaching about how Britain developed as a democratic society. We teach children to understand how events in the past have influenced our lives today; we also teach them to investigate these past events and, by so doing, to develop the skills of enquiry, analysis, interpretation and problem-solving.
Our newly refurbished IT suite has nineteen work stations and every child accesses our system with their own user name and password. They also have their own email address and pass through a touch typing course during their time at Dorset House.
IT is taught throughout Years 1 – 8 and cross curricula links are made on a daily basis through other subjects. There is also an IT club for boarders in the evenings.
The safety of our children is of utmost importance and we protect pupils from inappropriate material and images using a filtering system.
For Yeas 5 to 8, we follow the ISEB IT syllabus. Pupils will gain a knowledge of and practical use of ICT skills which are relevant to their everyday learning experiences as well as laying solid foundations for future ICT courses at higher levels.
Latin is taught from year 5 to year 8. Year 5 and year 6 pupils have two lessons of forty five minutes each week. Year 7 and year 8 pupils have three lessons a week.
Year 5 pupils study 1st and 2nd declension nouns, 1st and 2nd conjugation verbs, singular and plural and the accusative case. In Greek mythology they learn about the adventures of Odysseus. Topics on the Roman way of life are also covered and pupils complete project work on the Roman baths and the uniform of a Roman legionary, for example.
Year 6 hone their translation skills with the Cambridge Latin Course book 1 and greatly enjoy discovering the life of Caecilius and his family in Pompeii prior to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. They study the Twelve Labours of Hercules and complete project work on Roman food and The Trojan horse.
Year 7 and 8 follow the Common Entrance syllabus and work from the "so you really want to learn" Latin textbooks 1 and 2.
Latin is an excellent subject to challenge our gifted and talented pupils and it enables pupils of all abilities to reach their potential as it is offered at Common Entrance at four different levels from level 1 to Scholarship level. The majority of our pupils sit level 2 with a few offering level 1 and level 3. Latin is an important subject at Dorset House as we believe it helps our pupils strengthen the quality of their spoken and written English as well as offering them a rich and varied general knowledge.
Prep:
Year 5 ..................................... 1 X 30 minutes fortnightly
Year 6, 7 and 8 ........................ 1 X 30 minutes weekly
Our philosophy is that children should, first and foremost, enjoy this subject and feel their confidence grow as they become more familiar with the concepts involved.
A range of different approaches is key to the subject with some children learning by doing the mathematics with apparatus, such as cubes and beads, whilst others are more adept at using mental strategies. Our job is to find the right approach for each child.
The department employs the latest technology in delivering the curriculum, with an interactive whiteboard used to enliven lessons and support learning whenever appropriate. Each teaching group has one lesson per week in the ICT suite, a dedicated learning facility allowing each child access to a computer. We are not afraid of bringing in some of the other disciplines to the Mathematics classroom, such as Drama, Geography and Science. The children really do enjoy this approach!
Children’s learning can take place in many different settings and at many different times from lesson times, during break times whilst looking at displays, or during the holidays when out and about with the family. Mathematics really is all around us, it is great fun and we should not be afraid of embracing it. At Dorset House, all children are encouraged to take risks in Mathematics: they enjoy it and are highly motivated learners as a result.
There is a fully equipped music room at Dorset House. Pupils are encouraged to try an instrument, and there is a team of dedicated peripatetic teachers. The school is often used as an Associated Board examination centre.
Boarders are expected to practise for twenty minutes every day and day pupils practise at home. The orchestra rehearses each week and plays for the Friday assembly, and the choir sings for school services as well as concerts and the RSCM Festivals.
There is a Christmas concert in December, an Inter-House Music Competition in Spring and a Summer concert at which every child from Years 1 to 8 performs.
In PE lessons children are taught primary co-ordination skills in gymnastics, swimming and athletics. Some lessons are also dedicated to developing fitness and the effects of exercise on the body. Games lessons are where the major team sports are coached.
Health and Fitness
This is a unit for Years 1-8, which is primarily aimed at promoting fitness. It also includes games activities which develop leadership, cooperation, self esteem, creativity and a sense of fair play. The emphasis is on fun and teamwork and not winning and losing. There will be some opportunities for children to plan their own work and to assess their own fitness levels. An important objective of the unit will be to increase the child's awareness of what is happening to their body before, during and following exercise.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is taught for a block of 5-6 lessons. In this unit children will focus on creating sequences to perform in front of the group. They will work with partners and in small groups displaying a wide range of body shapes and actions. The class will be working towards creating sequences across the floor and apparatus.
Swimming
The Swimming syllabus is primarily directed towards developing stroke technique. The children are also introduced to personal survival and life –saving skills.
Athletics
Athletics is taught in the Summer Term. All boys and girls receive 6-8 weeks of athletics training in their PE programme. A weekly games lesson is also dedicated to athletics for pupils in Years 3-8. The aim of all the athletics training is to help the children focus on developing their technical understanding of running, jumping and throwing actions. They work towards targets to improve their skills and think about how to achieve the greatest possible speed, height or distance.
The purpose of the PHSE course is to help children make decisions about their personal development, their role in society (including knowledge of public institutions and services in England), citizenship, multiculturalism and careers advice/secondary school guidance for senior children (Year 6-8). The course should also incorporate the‘Every Child Matters’ framework where appropriate.
The overall aims of PHSE are taught in lessons which inform, invite discussion and use role play. Lessons will employ the three learning routes: visual, auditory and kinaesthetic, and are planned to be fun and relevant as well as challenging.
In Years 1-4 Form teachers will integrate PHSE into their classroom teaching as part of the everyday life of the community. Years 5-8 will have a specialist teacher and will follow the guidelines of the PHSE syllabus, adapting some parts as the teacher feels necessary.
Teachers may wish to dip in and out of topics as they feel them to be important or relevant to the particular group they are teaching. In many instances the children themselves are good at evaluating where their needs lie.
Some care has been taken to match the term, in which a particular topic appears, with the Religious studies syllabus, especially where contemporary issues are concerned.
The PHSE team is lead by the Headmaster and he teaches Years 6 to 8 – using a number of set texts, such as: PHSE Answers by J Foster, Citizenship/PHSE by Folens, Good Thinking (Citizenship and Moral Responsibility) by Huddleston and Rowe and PSE and Cross Curricular Themes by Evans Education. Year 5 has a dedicated period with their form teacher and follow the scheme: Telling Tales (PHSE & Citizenship through Literacy). Years 1 to 4 are taught by their Form teachers.
By studying the nature of religion, children at Dorset House School are encouraged to ask challenging questions on the meaning and purpose of life, belief in God, the nature of right and wrong and what it means to be human.
Religious Studies develops knowledge and understanding of Christianity, which has shaped much of Western culture and thought, by studying a selection of foundational texts from the Bible and the nature and role of the Church.
Pupils also study links between religious thought and the issues facing contemporary society. For example, areas of study include the relationship between science and religion, environmental concerns, attitudes to death, prejudice and discrimination, human rights, justice and the abuse of power.
At Dorset House, children also learn about other world faiths. They are introduced to the beliefs and practices found in Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. This study gives an appreciation of the variety of human response to spiritual matters and fosters respect for those from different faiths and cultures.
There are close links between Dorset House School and the Parish Church of St John's in Bury. There are regular church services and the children use the church building to enrich their study.
At DH we are passionate, enthusiastic and excited about engaging our pupils in real practical science. Pupils learn to develop practical skills as soon as they enter the school and have a specialist science teacher from year 3 right through to year 8. Pupils learn best by “doing” and are then in a better position to apply knowledge to unknown situations and solve real life problems -for example: how to find the best indigestion tablet on the market. Pupils neutralise different brands on the market and compare their effectiveness. At DH pupils are able to explain their chemical findings in terms of word and chemical symbols.
Examination results are excellent with the majority of pupils going in to the top sets in their senior school and many pursuing science subjects at University.
The Science department has an exciting new laboratory. This is fully equipped with advanced apparatus such as the latest Dig flex with in built camera and e log sensors which all connect to the Interactive whiteboard which the department uses to enhance the quality of learning. There is a fume cupboard for all those fascinating demonstrations. The course is practical based with experiments happening in all classes as the subject “comes alive”. The emphasis is on problem solving and discovery and the department is well aware of the need to encourage and prepare new scientists and engineers for the real world. This can only be achieved by nurturing and fostering the love of science at prep. school.
As specialist teaching takes place from year 3 it is possible to begin the Common Entrance syllabus in year 6 rather than year 7 to allow more time to develop further practical skills and carry out research and project work. Pupils achieve excellent examination results at Common Entrance and Scholarship level.
The department has won a number of awards for environmental awareness and public school science challenges. Pupils have helped build a board walk across our pond to help enhance learning and habitat studies.
Habitats for study include a beautiful walled garden, pond and wooded area. We have visits from a mobile planetarium and Science Drama companies as well as visiting speakers from industry. Scientific visits include the Science Museum in London, Chichester Planetarium and Marwell Zoo.
All pupils realise their potential and for many science is a favourite subject.
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