Nottingham High Infant and Junior School

Aims 

Nottingham High Infant and Junior School is a selective school, with high academic, cultural and sporting standards, which aims to develop each pupil’s potential and personality to the full.

The Infant section focuses on Early Years and Key Stage One education, and the Junior section Key Stage Two. 

In both age ranges we aim to achieve a caring, stimulating environment which provides a friendly and welcoming atmosphere where a relevant and evolving education is tailored to pupils’ learning needs. We encourage each child’s development and promote their confidence, social responsibility, self-worth and integrity, as well as their talents and range of interests. Staff encourage enough freedom to build self-esteem and trust, whilst maintaining stability and individuality. 

Entry 

The main entry point is at the age of four for Reception, although pupils can join in other years if there are spaces available. Entry is by an ability assessment process which is held in the Spring Term. The Governing Body is aware that filling places to simply maintain numbers is, in the end, counter-productive. Any entry to the School is considered on individual merit based on criteria including standardised tests. 

Our catchment area is extensive so pupils come from a wide range of environments and background and the School is committed to maintaining entry from both the state and independent sectors. 

Curriculum 

The Infant and Junior School follows many parts of the National Curriculum but, as an independent school, there is freedom to broaden the learning for all pupils. The Infant section follows the National EYFS curriculum in the Reception Class and the National Curriculum for Key Stage 1 in Years 1 and 2. The emphasis is on literacy and numeracy in the mornings with more of a topic-based approach in the afternoons. For example, recent topics have included ‘Australia’ and ‘Space’ The curriculum is taught in a creative way with a lot of hands-on learning and making frequent use of the impressive outdoor area.

All infant pupils swim and have PE lesson as well as music and modern foreign language lessons. Specialist teachers provide the swimming, Music and MFL lessons and Years 2 and 3 also have specialist chess tuition. 

The Junior section introduces a mix of new subjects such as ‘Independent Studies’ with the more established English and Mathematics. The curriculum is broad-based including Science, History, Geography, Drama, Art, Design Technology, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Music, Religious Education, French, Spanish, PE, Swimming, Games and PSHE. On Monday or Friday afternoons, the pupils are based at the High School’s Valley Road Playing Fields as part of our games programme. 

Trips and Visits 

It has long been our belief that the learning process is greatly enhanced by well-organised purposeful and constructive trips. Every effort is made to encourage links between the world of the classroom and world outside. Each infant class goes on at least one day trip or one in school experience each term to support the pupils learning. These can range from visiting local sports stadiums, travelling to the Space Centre, celebrating a Victoria Christmas, den building and wildlife spotting. 

In the Junior section extended fieldwork and day visits to places of educational interest all play an important role in the learning process, as do the visiting speakers invited into the School. Residential activities support academic study as well as personal and social development. Each year group is offered an annual residential trip. 

Co-Curricular 

There is an extensive range of co-curricular activities for infants and juniors. There is an expectation for each member of staff to run at least one co-curricular activity. Additionally, there are sports clubs offered such as tennis, football, cricket and dance which operate either after school or at lunchtimes. We also run a number of successful orchestras, ensembles and choirs.

Our junior age pupils benefit from many competitive fixtures with local schools, state and independent, and those further afield in both the East Midlands and the North of England. 

Facilities 

The Infant section occupies its own site across the road from the Nottingham High School campus. It has some exceptional buildings which were converted for its use in 2007. The original Infant section building was sympathetically extended in 2009 to provide a hall, music room, art room, information and communication technology (ICT) suite, dining room and additional teaching rooms and again in 2015 and 2017. Infant pupils use some of the sporting facilities of the main school campus, including the swimming pool. The slightly separated site provides almost entirely self-contained safe accommodation. The Infant section is fortunate to have a developed, secure school garden where the pupils play and learn outside. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is located on the ground floor of the school building with direct access to its own play area and school garden. 

The Junior section occupies the western part of the Nottingham High School site in purpose built accommodation, built in 1978 and further developed in 2012 plus an extensive build in 2017. The Junior section also uses facilities on the main school campus.

We feel that the dual site arrangement helps to provide nurturing and supportiveness and the best educational experiences and facilities for all our pupils. The secure enclosed site for Early Years and Key Stage One at the Infant School and the Junior section on the main school site helps to provide specialist teaching facilities and close links to the excellent facilities available to senior pupils.

Staff 

There are around 30 teachers who work at the Infant and Junior School supported by teaching assistants, administrative and support staff. 

In 2020 the School was recognised again as a centre for best practice by the Independent Schools Teacher Induction Panel (IStip) following their quality assurance visit.  This recognises the high quality of NQT provision at Nottingham High School.

In recent years we have focused in particular on the importance of stretch and challenge, meta-learning, interleaving and spacing, as well as the development of blended learning. As a result, we are seeking to employ dynamic, forward-thinking teachers who engage with teaching and learning initiatives, are committed to sharing best practice, and willing to adopting new technologies as appropriate.