Select a subject:
Classics:
Notwithstanding the general decline in the study of Classics in education, Latin has always been considered an important part of the curriculum at Hordle Walhampton, as it is in most independent preparatory and senior schools.
During the past decade the Daily Telegraph and the Times have conducted a campaign to promote the study of Classics, and Latin in particular. Columnist Boris Johnson, Mayor of London and president of the Joint Association of Classical Teachers, is one of its most enthusiastic advocates. “The fact is, Classics is the ultimate crunchy subject: intellectually stimulating and challenging at the same time, unlike so many of these soft option subjects that are available today. Access the classical world and, in my view, you have the key to untold riches.”
A strong argument for Classics in the curriculum is presented by Dr. Lorna Robinson, leader of the Iris Project which teaches Latin in state schools in Hackney. “Our whole way of life is imbued with the language and culture of the classical world. I believe that this knowledge should be at the disposal of all children, no matter what school they go to.”
There are many good reasons for studying Latin. A basic grasp of Latin provides an insight into the English language, helping particularly with vocabulary – some 60% 0f English words derive from Latin – and with grammar and sentence structure.
Boris Johnson asserts that “Latin is in many ways more useful as a starting point than a modern foreign language because it gives you the key to so many other languages.” Would that his fellow politicians might heed his advice! Latin helps with learning Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and to some extent French.
Perhaps the most persistent advocate of Classics over the past two decades has been Dr. Peter Jones, sometime lecturer at Newcastle University and founder of the educational charity Friends of Classics. He quotes American research into the benefits of studying Latin. “In 1973 there was a serious survey done in Indianapolis on the effects of teaching Latin on 400 sixth-grade children in six schools. After five months of Latin they discovered that the children had advanced eight months in word knowledge, one year in reading, one year and one month in language, seven months in maths, nine months in problem-solving….”
And thinking of problem-solving…. Latin can help you solve the Daily Telegraph cryptic crossword. E.g. clue: Sincere Roman (4,4) – solution: bona fide
All children at Hordle Walhampton are given the chance to study Latin. To begin with, in Year 5 we use the Minimus text book – Minimus the mouse who according to his publicity has “made Latin cool”. The aim of the author, Barbara Bell, is “…. to acquaint children with Latin words and grammatical structure through the adventures of a little mouse and, of course, cat (Vibrissa), who share a house with a real-life Roman family at the fort of Vindolanda, near Hadrian’s Wall, in AD 100.” Besides discovering fascinating connexions between Latin and English vocabulary and language structure, the children learn about the background of life in Roman Britain. Each chapter of Minimus also introduces a Greek or Roman Legend – we find that this is a very effective way to generate pupils’ interest in the subject.
From Year 6 we introduce the Disce Latinum series of text books. As with Minimus, the course is translation-based, but greater emphasis is now laid on the foundation of grammar learning. The Latin stories are based around a family living in Rome in AD 82, and thus topics of Roman life are covered: domestic (clothes, meals etc.), social (slavery, amphitheatre, chariot racing etc.) and historical. The Common Entrance syllabus also requires knowledge of the legends of Perseus, Theseus, Hercules, Jason, the Iliad and the Odyssey.
Almost all children in Year 8 sit the Common Entrance examination in Latin, at either Level 1, 2, or 3, depending on their attainment and the requirements of prospective senior schools. More advanced pupils may well sit the more demanding scholarship examinations, some of which require a knowledge of grammar and syntax almost equivalent to GCSE.
We try to add a practical perspective to classroom learning. Hordle Walhampton is well situated to take advantage of Roman sites in the vicinity. Year 3 often visit Rockbourne Roman villa near Fordingbridge www.hants.gov.uk/museum/rockbourne or Bignor villa near Chichester as part of their study of the Romans www.bignorromanvilla.co.uk Fishbourne Roman palace near Chichester www.roman-britain.org/places/fishbourne and Brading on the Isle of Wight are also popular destinations www.bradingromanvilla.org.uk .
In conclusion, we hope that in our Latin lessons at Hordle Walhampton we shall have contributed something towards our pupils’ appreciation of the rich classical legacy mentioned by Stephen Pile recently in the Sunday Times. “Latin and Greek are unrivalled subjects. The most advanced modern minds could not devise such an effective multi-disciplinary course which teaches the essence of your own language and six others, plus the basics of history, law, myth, administration, poetry, philosophy, mathematics and military science.” And crossword puzzles!
English:
Let us switch you on to reading and writing, discussing and thinking!
Our aim is to encourage and assist children to become rounded individuals who are confident and accomplished.
Whiteboards – We have many interactive programmes and we use them to create interest and enthusiasm for the subject.
There is a handwriting programme and there are many spelling games and storyboards that our pupils can use.
Action from the Dickens workshop
Workshops – A wide ranging programme of workshops is organised throughout the school year. This year we are running Creative Writing and in- depth workshops about Set Books. We invite specialists in and we go to them. The Pre-Prep and Prep school work together and produce cross-curricular days.
Theatre Trips - It is our policy to encourage theatre visits and participation in drama and Year 6 has already visited the Bloomsbury Theatre and we have had a visit from Charles Dickens which has fired our imaginations.
Useful Links:
- KS2 Recommended Reading Books list on Amazon
- Keystage 2 Problem Solving
- The Word Pool Parents’ Corner
- Love Reading
French:
“If you speak to a man in a language he understands, you speak to his head. If you speak to him in his language, you speak to his heart.”
Nelson Mandela
At Hordle Walhampton School we believe that learning a foreign language provides an opportunity for children to develop a lifelong skill which enables them to broaden their intellectual horizons and enrich their cultural awareness.
European Day of Languages
Here, there is a real sense of the importance of valuing different cultures and of learning their languages. This emanates from the fact that, as we are fortunate to have children and staff who have lived and worked abroad, a variety of different languages are represented within the school.
CILT [The National Centre for Languages] recently identified 700 reasons for learning a language. These ranged from the more obvious in terms of enhanced job opportunities, to the more subtle, such as that expressed so eloquently in the above quote. As there are between 6000 and 7000 languages spoken in the world, we hope to inspire an enthusiasm for learning languages which will lead children to see language learning as a means of making sense of and communicating effectively with the world around them.
How do we set about achieving these aims?
By starting young! Young children are fascinated by new sounds and new language and are not afraid of trying to reproduce them. Nor are they put off by hearing language that they do not understand: this does after all happen to them quite frequently in English. The Pre-Prep is, therefore, the perfect place to start learning a language. Here they start learning the basic skills of Listening and Speaking in a Foreign Language and most particularly, through exposure to games, rhymes and songs, they practise the very important skill of extracting what they need to know from a body of unknown language.
As children progress through the school, the number of lessons increases from two per week to five per week in Year Eight. In Years Two and Three they are taught by their class teachers and from then onwards they are taught by a subject specialist. Gradually the emphasis will move from Speaking and Listening, to a greater emphasis on Reading and Writing. This is to accommodate the rigorous demands of the Common Entrance and Scholarship examinations in which French has a very impressive track record.
At all times, however, COMMUNICATION is at the centre of our approach. In our languages lessons children might be acting out a short conversation, giving a presentation, using an interactive website, learning a new tense, drawing a poster to explain a grammatical point , designing a brochure, doing a vocabulary test, creating a PowerPoint, listening to authentic recordings, conducting a survey, playing vocabulary games, singing songs, talking about music or working with puppets.
Activities such as these are created in which children are given the language to learn and then use independently. They are given the opportunity to explore new language collaboratively and then show what they have learned through simple conversations, role plays and short performances. Above all, children are encouraged to pursue an active engagement in their learning and are invited to learn in a happy, non-threatening environment. In doing, so they develop self confidence as well as expertise in the language.
As a department we are constantly looking for ways to show the children the relevance of what they are doing and to bring the subject to life. We recently celebrated European Languages Day in which every child dressed up to represent a country of his or her choice. During the day they were given taster sessions in a number of different languages including German, Spanish and Russian. These sessions were offered by a number of staff in addition to the Languages Department and stand as testimony to the interest and expertise in language learning in school.
Mr Whately-Smith on European Day of Languages
These taster sessions are followed through in Year Eight when children who have finished their examinations are offered the opportunity to learn German. Here they see that the skills they have acquired in learning French and, indeed, Latin can be employed to learn other languages. We hope that this will encourage them to think positively about tackling other languages as they progress through their school career.
We are keen, too, to impress upon the children the need for them to take charge of their learning and to learn independently. We talk to the children about how they should learn, as well as delivering the content of the examination syllabus.
Below are a number of particularly useful websites recommended not just for our Common Entrance and Scholarship children, but hopefully also for others in younger years to enjoy.
Recommended websites
- www.targetlanguage.co.uk
This website contains all the vocabulary for Common Entrance and much, much more. - www.linguascope.com
Your child will be given his or her own username and password to access this site which offers material suitable for absolute beginners to GCSE and beyond. - www.languagesonline.org.uk
This website can be accessed freely and provides practice material for all areas of the Common Entrance Examination. It caters for all levels from the very basic to advanced grammar and vocabulary. - www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french
- French steps – 6 chapters covering Common Entrance topics
- Ma France -24 chapters covering Common Entrance topics
Geography:
If the Earth…
If the earth were only a few feet in diameter, floating a few feet above a field somewhere, people would come from everywhere to marvel at it. People would walk around it, marvelling at its big pools of water, its little pools and the water flowing between the pools. People would marvel at the bumps on it, and the layer of gas surrounding it and the water suspended in the gas. People would marvel at all the creatures walking around the surface of the ball, and at the creatures in the water. The people would declare it sacred because it was the only one, and they would protect it so that it would not be hurt. The ball would be the greatest wonder known ………… if the Earth were only a few feet in diameter.
Adapted from a Greenpeace leaflet
Geography at Hordle Walhampton, attempts to foster an awe and wonder about the planet that the children inhabit. It tries to put into a framework that they can understand, the information that they see on television and the internet, that they read about and the places they visit, such as when they go on holiday.
The subject is concerned with the study of places, the human and physical processes which shape them, and the people who live in them. Geography helps pupils make sense of their surroundings and the wider world in which they live.
Aims
- To help pupils to develop a knowledge of their world by looking at
- a) the interdependence of people, places and environments throughout the world and the development of the human environment.
b) how the surface of the earth was created and its effect on the human population.
c) local, national and global events where relevant to the above. - To stimulate the children’s interest in their surroundings and in the variety of human and physical conditions on the earth’s surface.
- To foster the children’s sense of wonder at the beauty of the world around them.
- To help children to develop an informed concern about the quality and future of the human and natural environment.
- To enhance the children’s sense of responsibility for the care of the earth and its people (with particular reference to the future and sustainability).
Objectives
- To investigate and learn about the physical and human features of their own environment and appreciate how their locality is similar to and different from other places. To this end, fieldwork is vitally important as a teaching tool, and the children are frequently taken out to various locations such as the Dorset coast, a local river, Mull in Scotland and locally in Lymington.
- To encourage the children to ask geographical questions such as …… Where is it? What is it like? How did it get like this? By providing the situations that encourage these questions, the children may be more inquisitive and open minded about the world in which they live.
- To develop and use geographical enquiry skills including use of various sources such as their own knowledge and experiences, fieldwork, textbooks, photographs, newspapers, videos, DVD’s, maps, IT and the internet.
- To be interesting, relevant and also ……fun!
Geography is taught by a specialist teacher from year 5 to 8 in a specific classroom set aside for the subject, preparing children in Year 8 for Common Entrance and scholarship examinations. In years 1 to 4, the subject is taught by form teachers. Geography has three 30 minute lessons in years 7 and 8 with a 25 minute prep and two lessons in the rest of the school, with preps for 25 minutes in years 5 and 6. In the younger years of the school, the subject is taught through cross curricular topics.
Geography is probably one of the most important subjects, because where we are now is a result of where we have come from and where we are going in the future is a result of where we are now. Where we are now is what Geography is all about.
R.S.:
Overview of the Department
Hordle Walhampton has a strong Christian tradition that the Religious Studies Department promotes. However, in today’s multi cultural society several other faiths are also taught and the teaching of Religious Studies reflects this throughout the school. With a staff of nine, the Department has a wealth of experience and knowledge of the subject and Religious Studies is taught as separate subject from Year 1. In mixed ability classes, in Year 1 and 2, one lesson per week is allocated while in Years 3 to 8, this is increased to two lessons per week and classes are streamed from Year 6. Many topics and stories are covered during a child’s time at Hordle Walhampton, ranging from studying Christianity through both the Old and the New Testament to studying various world religions in Years 2, 6 and 8. These include Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism while Christianity does remain the focal point, particularly as it forms two thirds of the Common Entrance syllabus. Scholarship syllabi vary from senior school to senior school and the Head of Department adapts the curriculum in order to prepare the candidates effectively.
The Religious Studies Department aims to enable pupils to acquire a basic knowledge of a variety of religious faiths that will help them through life and prepare them for any future study of the subject. It also aims to raise pupils’ spiritual and moral awareness and to understand how religion shapes our society and our culture. Finally, it aims to encourage a religious tolerance for the beliefs of others and through this prepare the pupils for the Common Entrance and Scholarship exams that they might take.
The Religious Studies Department sees discussion as vital to the pupils’ development in this subject. The pupils are encouraged to ask questions in order to challenge themselves and to make a sense of who they are and what their beliefs and values are. All sorts of contemporary issues are discussed in depth and this forms the basis of most lessons. Religious artefacts are also used to help the pupils make sense of the world around them and to help them understand the different practices and beliefs that exist. Interactive whiteboard teaching, drama and power point presentations are also used to involve the pupils more in their own learning and to inspire them to think more carefully about a variety of issues.
The Chapel is the heartbeat of school life at Hordle Walhampton and it is a vital part of the pupils’ moral and spiritual development. Every day of the week, except Saturday, some form of worship takes place here with the principal service on a Friday afternoon. A variety of guest speakers come from far and wide to take a service and to enhance the pupils’ understanding of the world.
The Religious Studies Common Entrance and Scholarship results over the past three years have been very impressive with 29% of pupils gaining A grades, 56% achieving A and B grades and 81% gaining A, B and C grades. This reflects how well the children have performed in their external exams and how much they know about the subject. The future of the Religious Studies at Hordle Walhampton is looking very promising.
Science:
Young children exploring their world are naturally scientific. The emphasis of science at Hordle Walhampton is on children using the processes and skills of science to find out about themselves and their environment. We are also committed to enabling the children to fulfil their academic potential within the subject and are justifiably proud of our record of success in Common Entrance and Scholarship examinations.
Science teaching is well resourced throughout the school and these resources are constantly reviewed and renewed to enable staff to maintain the best quality teaching and learning in the subject. The two purpose-built laboratories are fully equipped with benches with power and gas supplies, Bunsen burners, a range of glassware, measuring apparatus and other hardware. The department also boasts a fume cupboard, 20 brand new microscopes, electronic data-logging equipment, interactive whiteboards with an electronic pupil response “voting” system, a clinostat, incubators, oscilloscopes and an electronic water bath. In addition to this, we have the extensive school grounds with a variety of habitats and we are currently developing this further with a large dipping platform in the planning stages to be placed in a canal between two of our lakes.
The main approach used with Reception to Year Two is whole class teaching, very much “hands on” with observation, simple investigation, and recording using a variety of methods. Safety is discussed in relation to experiments.
Approaches taken with Year Three children are designed to be motivating and exciting. Activities are varied from week to week and sometimes within the lesson. Again the work is practical and the children are often asked to find out things at home or complete tasks at home with their parents.
Years Four and Five are taught in the Biology / Junior Science lab allowing use of a wider range of equipment and methods. This allows for more formal experiments to take place, along with giving the children experience of handling laboratory equipment.
Years Six to Eight are taught separate sciences by specialist teachers in the Biology / Junior Science and Chemistry / Physics labs. In these lessons we continue the strong practical and experiential element of the teaching, while delivering the core skills and knowledge required for CE and Scholarships. At this stage of school, the lessons are both challenging and exciting and the staff work very hard to ensure that everyone reaches their full potential while doing all they can to make the teaching inspiring and enjoyable for the children.
Maths:
Overview of the Department
The Mathematics Department at Hordle Walhampton is fortunate to be staffed throughout the Pre-Prep and Prep schools by caring and dedicated teachers and classroom assistants. Children are stretched and nurtured to meet their individual needs with excellent support from the Learning Support Unit and by a flexible setting system, allowing frequent movement across sets as pupil’s ability and confidence develops. Pupils are set in year three and above and Maths can be taught by maths specialists in years four upwards.
Pupils in the Pre-Prep receive an hour long daily numeracy lesson. In the Prep school, years three and four receive four and a half hours of teaching and this is slowly reduced to make space for other subjects in the upper part of the school. Year eight pupils receive three hours of maths lessons which are supplemented by several after-school activity sessions to give extra support to those approaching examinations. A Maths Club is run to provide challenges for potential scholars and others who simply enjoy the subject.
Pupils are assessed regularly with our carefully designed progress tests. These allow, short term teaching plans to be amended and are very useful for integrating new pupils into the school having identified any gaps in their Knowledge. They are a valuable aid to setting.
Overall Aims of the Department.
The department has several aims. We aim to prepare pupils for the demands of Entrance examinations at 11 and 13 years of age to a variety of schools. These include Common Entrance and the vast variety of scholarship papers set by schools such as Canford, Eton, Harrow, Winchester College, St. Swithun’s, Cheltenham Ladies’ College, King Edward 6th, Clayesmore, Marlborough College, Bryanston, Ballard, Milton Abbey, Radley, The Oratory, Downe House, Wellington College, and others.
We aim to challenge the more able pupils by entering National Competitions including the Primary and Junior Maths Challenges. For those pupils who find maths more difficult the aim is to ensure they leave with a good foundation of basic skills that can be built on as they approach GCSE maths and to give them confidence and fluency in carrying out maths that they will encounter in everyday life. Another important aim is to encourage thinking and reasoning skills. This is done using individual, paired and group practical and investigative work. The increasing use of I.T. helps to make lessons more fun and relevant to a modern way of life. We believe that if Maths is more fun better learning will take place.
What is unique about the way we do things?
The use of IT is becoming increasingly important. At Hordle Walhampton we use Interactive White boards in conjunction with a variety of programmes that allow pupils to share, experiment and learn. Computers in the new maths rooms will mean that there is more individual time to use such programmes. In the future we are planning to use more on-line learning platforms and we will install internationally used packages such as “mathletics” to allow our pupils to compete with others around the globe. We use excellent proven web sites such as nrich maths and others to help children achieve their potential. Some lessons take place outside and we a replanning to develop the use of our extensive 90 acre site for learning in many areas of the curriculum.
Our Staff have received training and differentiate lessons to cope with the needs of individual pupils. This includes provision for those identified as gifted and talented. Our Learning support team come into lessons and also provide help out of class on a one to one basis. Individual extra help from the Maths staff is given when necessary during break times to support the work covered in lessons.
The Department encourages all pupils to take an interest in the history of mathematics. Attention is focused on prominent mathematicians, particularly those such as Pythagoras, Archimedes, Fibonacci and Newton, who have made significant contributions to the development of the subject and hence to cultural development generally.
The Department regards the study of mathematicians and the history of mathematics as a useful medium for engaging the interests of those pupils who are not naturally captivated by the subject as taught for school examinations.
The history of mathematics is pursued through projects and assignments. Pupils are encouraged to use the internet for research, and they use their ICT skills to enhance the presentation of their work.
The Department has both an expanding library and an increasing collection of stimulating videos and DVD’s on the History and Development of Mathematics. Staff try hard to include in their lessons, topics from the History of Mathematics when they can be appropriately related to the schemes of work.
Our department has an excellent track record of CE and Scholarship results. In 2009 Thomas Shakesphere’s A grade in maths helped secue his award to Winchester College and we had 23 pupils achieving awards in the National Junior Maths Challenge, a competition aimed at the top 40% of pupils in year 7 and 8. Eight of our year 6 pupils won certificates including one with a gold award. In the last three years we have had pupils do so well that they qualified for the National Maths Olympiad where the country’s top 1000 Mathematicians in this age group compete. Mathew Truell was awarded one of the few Gold medals in the country.
The department is fortunate to be moving into three new maths rooms which will be developed into a forward looking working environment.
Useful Websites.
- http://nrich.maths.org
This site has a wealth of resources covering the whole of the national curriculum. There are links to monthly problems that pupils and submit solutions to as well as a huge archive of past problems and articles relevant to all ages. - rainforestmaths.com
Aimed at pupils up to year 6, this site is excellent for practising problem solving and basic numeracy in a variety of contexts. - learnpremium.co.uk and primaryresources.co.uk offer alternative good sites.
History:
Overview of subject / Department
The History Department at Hordle Walhampton is in great shape. With a staff of 11 throughout the Pre-Prep and Prep School, the subject is taught by enthusiastic teachers with a passion for History. In Reception and in Year 1, it is taught as part of a termly topic where the children, in mixed ability groups learn about their family, the past and present, household objects and books and toys. In Year 2, with one double lesson a week the pupils learn about famous people and famous events such as Boudicca, Alfred the Great, the Battle of Hastings, Anglo Saxon life and life in Lymington. When the pupils reach Year 3 they are still in mixed ability groups and they are taught History as a specialist subject for two lessons a week covering the Egyptians, the Celts and the Romans. This format continues into Year 4 where they are taught about the Tudors and in Year 5 about the Victorians and this is when a formal History prep is introduced for the first time. In Year 6, the pupils are now streamed in all subjects including History where they still have two lessons a week and one prep session. The topic this year is the Stuarts. In Year 7, three lessons a week are introduced as the pupils begin their Common Entrance syllabus or for those who have been identified as potential scholars, will follow the same syllabus, that of the Medieval realms but at a more advanced level. In Year 8, still with three lessons and a prep a week, the pupils will continue to follow the Common Entrance programme which includes studying more Medieval History, the Spanish Armada and the Napoleonic Wars. These topics and the skills that the pupils have acquired aim to give them a balanced and broad view of History through the ages and will enable them to be in a strong position to answer Common Entrance and Scholarship questions confidently.
Aims of the History Department
Year 3 Egyptian Workshop
The History Department at Hordle Walhampton has several aims. We aim first and foremost to promote a love and enjoyment of History which we hope will stay with the pupils for the rest of their lives. Secondly, we aim to prepare the pupils for the challenges of external examinations including the Common Entrance and Scholarship papers that they will sit to a variety of senior schools. Finally, we aim to broaden the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of famous people and famous events enabling them to make a sense of their own background and how the past and present are intertwined.
What is unique about the way HW approaches History?
Our approach to teaching History is very simple. If we can encourage the pupils to enjoy the subject then the battle has been won. With this in mind, lessons, where possible are interactive with I.T playing an important part in helping the pupils improve their research and investigative skills. This helps bring History to life through a variety of pictures, stories and characters. We also aim to bring History into the classroom and into the school grounds through Battle reinactions such as Hastings and Agincourt while the Assignments that the pupils complete in Year 7 and Year 8 allow them to be creative and independent. Each year a whole feast of cakes in the shape of castles, medieval banquets and delicious Bayeux Tapestries are produced as the pupils are able to make History fun. We also aim to identify each boy and girl’s particular learning style and lessons are planned with this in mind allowing pupils access to their own best way of learning information and helping them develop their skills in this subject.
What has the History Department achieved this year?
Year 7 Battle of Hastings
To bring History to life, visits and trips are vital for pupils to engage with the subject and a variety of exciting excursions are undertaken each year. St Barbes Museum in Lymington, East Wellow, Butser Iron Age Farm, Rockbourne Roman Villa, Hampton Court, the Mary Rose and HMSVictory are among some of the places visited, while an Egyptian day is organised for Year 3. Year 4 and 5, on alternate years are treated to a day at school amongst the Tudors and the Victorians which aim to enhance their understanding and enjoyment of those particular periods. All these experiences help the pupils develop greater empathy with the topics that they are studying and a great deal of fun is had as well.
What have been the History Department’s Results?
The History Common Entrance and Scholarship results over the last three years have been excellent with 37% of pupils gaining A grades, 65% gaining A or B grades and an exceptional 94% achieving A – C grades in their respective exams which is a fantastic achievement. A number of pupils are also entered in the Townsend Warner History Prize and last year Jamie Truell secured a most impressive 8th place out of a field of over 800 throughout the country.