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  • Chigwell Junior School
    High Road
    Chigwell
    Essex
    IG7 6QF
  • Head: Mrs Evelyn Gibbs
  • T 020 8501 5721
  • F 020 8501 5723
  • E [email protected]
  • W www.chigwell-school.org
  • A mainstream independent school for pupils aged from 4 to 11 with a linked senior school
  • Read about the best schools in Essex
  • Boarding: No
  • Local authority: Essex
  • Pupils: 472
  • Religion: Church of England
  • Fees: £17,085 - £24,225 pa
  • Open days: June or October / November; visits at other times encouraged
  • Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
  • Linked schools: Chigwell School

What says..

Rarely have we come across such quiet learners on a school tour. There were so many heads in books in classroom after classroom that we gleaned more about pupils’ hair colour than their facial expressions (fortunately, we met many of them again later). ‘Drop everything and read’ is more than a mantra here – it’s a literal demand to kick-start every afternoon. Reading isn’t just big, it’s huge, with reading schemes, awards, competitions etc part of the lifeblood of the school. Later, in other classrooms, we saw pupils equally immersed in maths challenges. Although we saw no evidence on our visit, we were assured that these subjects, along with the rest of the national curriculum, are taught via experiential learning wherever possible, with topic work, workshops…

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Other features

All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.

What The Good Schools Guide says

Head

Since September 2024, Evelyn Gibbs (head of prep and pre-prep).

Entrance

Competition for pre-prep even fiercer than when we last visited. For entry into the pre-prep at 4, around 160 applicants for the 40 places, with young candidates evaluated via an assessment based on the EYFS curriculum and is primarily play based (top tip: they are mainly looking for good command of language).

Even more cut-throat at junior school level, where there are 120 applications for 20 places at 7+. At this stage, there’s an assessment, interview and report or reference from previous school. Another 40 places become available at 11+ - around six times as many as this apply. Exam and interviews are the deciding factor at this point.

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Special Education Needs

Despite being a selective setting, at Chigwell, we aim to support pupils with various Special Educational Needs or Disabilities through an inclusive approach that is individualised to each pupil. We have a strong Learning Support Department whose aim is to assist pupils who need additional support and ensure they are able to reach their full potential. All pupils are assessed on entry to the school as a means of identifying any specific learning difficulties. This process continues throughout a pupils time at Chigwell with regular internal screening tests. We offer a range of supports to pupils both within the classroom and on a one to one basis that are regularly reviewed with staff, parents and the pupil.

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

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