The pupils at Westonbirt Prep benefit from a wide range of specialist teaching from the very earliest stages in their education. With access to teachers and specialist facilities shared with the senior school, these experiences are designed to ignite passions and inspiration and to allow children the opportunity to try new things, learn new skills and be challenged in a variety of ways.
In Reception, children are taught PE, Swimming, Languages, Drama and Music alongside their core subjects and wider curriculum. These subjects are delivered by specialist teachers and we make the most of facilities across the campus and in the senior school such as the Orangery Theatre, the Sports Centre, the Swimming Pool and the Music Technology Studios.
As children progress through the prep school, there is an increase in specialist-delivered provision to cover science, computing, art, product design and games, in addition to continuing with the subjects studied at pre-prep. These lessons make use of the senior school science labs, product design workshops and art rooms and are vital in preparing children with both the knowledge and skills for senior education and beyond.
Every class in the school benefits from weekly music and drama specialist lessons. Our performing arts team delivers a curriculum that allows children to learn theory, to explore and create using their own ideas and a variety of mediums and to perform in a multitude of different contexts. They use the shared facilities of the Orangery Theatre and Music Technology Centre to enhance their experience and allow for the best delivery possible.
Drama and music focus on inspiring the children and giving them the chance to enjoy the subjects and express themselves with confidence. They learn a range of different instruments, styles of music, drama techniques and performance skills. Every child gets a chance to be in a public performance each year with the Pre Prep Nativity, the Lower Prep showcase and the end of year Upper Prep production. We have musical performances for Christmas, Harvest and other celebrations and individual and group concerts for instrumentalists and singers. As well as this, drama is also incorporated into the pupils’ thematic work through forums such as class assemblies.
Additional clubs such as Prep School Choir and String Group and individual peripatetic music lessons allow children to follow their passions in our co-curricular offerings. Performing arts is one of the core pillars of the school and one on which we deliver our three core aims, Curiosity, Creativity and Courage.
