Chesham Preparatory School, Chesham | The Good Schools Guide

Chesham Preparatory School
Two Dells Lane
Orchard Leigh
Chesham
Buckinghamshire
HP5 3QF
Head: Mr J Beale
T 01494 782619
F 01494 791645
E [email protected]
W www.cheshamprep.co.uk/
An independent school for boys and girls aged from 3 to 13.
Boarding: No
Local authority: Buckinghamshire
Pupils: 398
Religion: None
Fees: £9,540 - £14,820 pa
Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
ISI report: View the ISI report

What The Good Schools Guide says..

‘Definitely not some big swanky private school and that’s what I love about it,’ said a parent. ‘Whereas some car parks of other local preps feel like sports car showrooms, most parents here both work hard and you don’t even feel like the children know they’re at private school,’ voiced another. Parent after parent agreed that the two magic ingredients are the school’s ability to nurture and inspire. Children going home saying, ‘Guess what I did today in science or in art!’ is the ultimate goal. ‘Sport for all’ is a claim most schools make but the director of sport here is pretty convincing – whether the team wins (which they do like to do, ‘especially against The Beacon’, according to pupils) or loses, the children are taught ...

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What the school says...

Chesham Prep is a dedicated, nurturing, sporty, creative, inspiring and adventurous family, where children can blossom. Our Headmaster, Jonathan Beale, is energetic and forward-thinking, he is renowned for his approachability: four mornings a week he is at the school gates, greeting pupils and chatting to parents, and twice a week he spends time reading to the younger years. His five-year plan is ambitious; he wants Chesham to be the first-choice prep in the area.
As children progress through the school we continuously track their progress so that we can help advise on the best future school for each child, 60% qualify for local grammar school places. Every child is nurtured and looked after with the utmost care and attention for their welfare and safety. We welcome mistakes and embrace them as an opportunity for our children to learn and develop. We encourage children to take responsibility for their own learning and from Year 5 they are streamed for subjects. From Nursery upwards the children love being outside and learning in our Forest School. In September 2019 our new 4 lane, 25 metre indoor swimming pool opened, children from Reception upwards have swimming lessons every week. ...Read more

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What The Good Schools Guide says

Head

Since September 2017, Jonathan Beale BEd (history and PE at Liverpool) (early 50s). Previously deputy head, having risen through the ranks since joining the school in 1999 as a maths and PE teacher. Attended grammar school in Norfolk. Has taught in both state and independent schools and still keeps a hand in the classroom, teaching study skills to year 5s, adding that he ‘gets around as much as possible – that’s what it’s all about,’ with a sparkle in his eye that makes you feel he’s not just paying lip service. ‘In fact,’ he confides, leaning in closer, ‘if I’m having a bad day, I head straight to the reception class for 15 minutes because the atmosphere in the classroom can’t help but cheer you up.’

Like a favourite uncle, he’s...

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Special Education Needs

The Learning Support Department is near the Learning Resources area. We have three small rooms for individual and small group lessons. All staff are qualified to work with children who have specific learning difficulties. We have regular visits from an Occupational Therapist and a Speech and Language Therapist. We adapt our provision to the needs of the individual child. Some pupils have in-class support, some have small group interventions, some have 1:1. We provide interventions to develop fine and gross motor skills, confidence, social skills, handwriting, spelling, maths, literacy, in addition to our specialist dyslexia support and pastoral care. We work closely with staff in all areas of the school to advise and work together to help all pupils access all areas of the curriculum. We have dyslexia-friendly boards, books, specialist teaching, adapted cushions, pens and pencils. We accept referrals from staff and parents and usually complete an assessment before making decisions about the help a child requires. We have regular meetings with parents, teaching staff and pupils to create or review a pupil passport for each child. Provision maps are updated throughout the year and are used to identify the needs of individual children.

Condition	Provision for in school
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder	Y
Aspergers	Y
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders	Y
CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia
Dyscalculia	Y
Dysgraphia	Y
Dyslexia	Y
Dyspraxia	Y
English as an additional language (EAL)	Y
Genetic	Y
Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory
Has SEN unit or class
HI - Hearing Impairment	Y
Hospital School
Mental health	Y
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty	Y
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment	Y
Natspec Specialist Colleges
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty	Y
PD - Physical Disability	Y
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication	Y
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Special facilities for Visually Impaired
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty	Y
VI - Visual Impairment	Y

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