Junior School Teaching & Learning

Teaching and Learning

At Channing Junior School, we are proud to offer an enriching and exciting learning experience which is both broad and balanced.

Our curriculum is designed to inspire each and every girl to achieve, to reach her individual potential and be successful. Creativity and innovation are developed from the Early Years and across Key Stages 1 and 2. Girls are mostly taught in their form groups until Year 2. From Reception, they receive specialist teaching in Spanish, Music, Drama, PE and Forest School. From Year 1, the girls also receive specialist teaching in Art and  Design & Technology. Additionally, In Key Stage 2 (Years 3 – 6), the girls receive specialist teaching in French.

To further enhance our curriculum, pupils from Reception to Year 6 take part in workshops and educational visits every term, which are led by both Form Teachers and Specialists. These trips are designed to enhance our curriculum and broaden pupil’s experiences.

Some of our recent trips have been to Kew Gardens, Lords Cricket Ground, the RAF Museum, the Golden Hinde and Royal Festival Hall, to name just a few, and previous workshops and dress-up days include Florence Nightingale, the Aztecs, the Titanic and World War II. Residential trips take place for pupils in Key Stage 2 from Year 3-6.

In addition to this, we also frequently hold special weeks, which focus on a specific area. For example: Healthy Schools Week, Around the World Fortnight and Inspirational Women’s Week.

We strongly believe that learning does not just take place in the classroom and that girls must be inspired to take advantage of all the opportunities they are offered. This is why the PE curriculum is enhanced with off-site swimming lessons (for pupils in Year 3 and 4) and watersports lessons (for pupils in Year 5 – 6).

Monitoring Progress & Communication

Ongoing, comprehensive assessments throughout the year monitor the girls’ progress.

In addition to this, two Parents’ Evenings are held annually. Early In the Autumn Term, parents meet with Form Teachers to discuss how each pupil is settling into her new form as well as her academic attainment at the start of the year. Key Stage 2 parents can also meet with Specialist Teachers for academic meetings. In the Spring Term, parents meet with Form Teachers for their second Parents’ Evening appointment of the year to review progress and to discuss current attainment as well as academic targets for the term ahead. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 parents can also meet with Specialist Teachers for academic meetings in the Spring Term.

At the end of the Autumn Term, parents of girls in Year 1 – 6 receive a report for all subjects in the  curriculum (excluding PSHE which is reported in Summer Term) to provide an overall picture of what each pupil has achieved at the end of their first full term. Separate report grades are given for: Academic Achievement’ as well as Attitude and Engagement’. In English and Mathematics, the  grades are accompanied by concise targets for pupils to work towards throughout the Spring Term. Pupils receive their second full report at the end of the Summer Term, which also includes a Form Teacher comment and a PSHE statement.

Parents are invited to attend a Welcome Evening at the beginning of every year, which gives them an opportunity to meet their daughter’s teachers and teaching assistants and find out what the girls will be learning about in the year ahead. Curriculum newsletters are shared on the Junior School virtual learning platform, Firefly, each term.

Parents can arrange an appointment to discuss progress or areas of concern with any member of the Junior School Teaching Staff via direct email. Parents are also invited to make appointments with members of the Senior Team and the Head when required.

Homework

We like to encourage good habits from an early age and regular homework is one of them. From the start, girls take home reading activities and phonics tasks to complete, with the workload gradually increasing each year. In Years 4, 5 and 6, girls are expected to complete one piece of homework per school night. Importantly for us, this approach gives the girls plenty of time to follow their own interests outside of school.

Our homework provision prioritises English and Mathematics, utilising school-trusted online platforms such as SpellingShed, TTRS (Times Tables Rock Stars) and Mathematics, alongside paper-based resources for tech-free home nights. From Year 3 onwards, pupils are also assigned weekly project-based homework that focuses on a single foundation subject per half term: History, Geography, Computing, Science, PSHE and RE & Philosophy. See below for a breakdown:

English as an Additional Language

Many girls at Channing are bilingual and even trilingual. Girls who join us from homes where English is not the primary spoken language receive tailored support to ensure that they have access to f the curriculum. Teachers adapt lessons without compromising content, which allows girls to integrate fully with the rest of their form and learn alongside their new friends.

Special Educational Needs

Teachers thoughtfully adapt lessons to meet individual needs without compromising on challenge or content, allowing every girl to thrive and learn alongside her peers in an inclusive and supportive environment. At Channing, if a girl has an additional learning need, she benefits from the expertise of our dedicated Learning Support team, who provide tailored support to ensure she can access the full curriculum and experience success.