At Barrow Hills we are immensely proud of the preparation we give our children for entry into their senior schools and learning beyond prep school.
We do not ‘hot house’ and our curriculum is kept broad and balanced all the way through to Year 8, giving children welcome respite from examined subjects and allowing those with particular ability to achieve scholarships in subjects like sport, design technology, art, music and drama.
11+ maths and English competencies are acquired over a number of years with children gently adding layers to their understanding of different concepts and working steadily to refine key skills. The Common Entrance syllabus is taught predominantly over Years 7 and 8 but again, subject skills are taught and honed over the preceding years. ‘Academic’ scholars are identified at the end of Year 7 and follow a rigorous programme of differentiated work.
The School and parents work together to identify suitable senior schools for each child with any number of consultations taking place until all are confident with the choice and chosen path for preparation. Children are encouraged to take ownership of their preparation, asking their teachers for help and advice, attending study skills and revision groups and managing exam stress using taught techniques. We also provide opportunities to attend practice interviews.
In 2023 children again achieved one hundred percent pass rate at Barrow Hills. Fifty percent of the year group also achieved scholarships to their next school spanning academic, drama, design and technology, art and sport, underpinning the School’s commitment to providing children with a well-rounded education.