Our Prep School provides a nurturing and supportive environment for students in Years 3-8. As a specialist independent school, we are dedicated to delivering a holistic, mainstream-style education with a tailored, therapeutic approach to meet the unique needs of each child.
Integrated curriculum and support
Our Prep School classes are structured to ensure appropriate academic and social groupings, with a focus on reducing barriers to learning and helping students enjoy their educational experience. Each class is led by a teacher and teaching assistant, with additional support from our multidisciplinary team of therapists, including occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, and members of the senior leadership team.
The National Curriculum is taught across the school, complemented by the teaching of life skills, social skills, wellbeing, enrichment, and PSHE. This integrated approach allows us to address the academic, social, and emotional needs of our students, empowering them to develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to thrive.
Nurturing environment and individualised pathways
At Abingdon House School, we pride ourselves on creating a nurturing environment that celebrates the unique strengths and talents of each student. Our class sizes are based on 10 students, ensuring personalised attention and support. We understand that many of our students may be studying outside of their usual year group or demonstrate skills and needs both above and below their chronological ages, which is why we structure our classes to provide the most appropriate academic and social groupings.
The school day
The school day at AHS begins at 8:20am, with academic lessons running from 9:15am to 3:30pm. Students engage in six full lessons each day, with core subjects scheduled in the morning to provide a strong academic foundation.
Each day starts with a 20-minute wellbeing session or activity, designed to help both staff and students prepare positively for the day ahead. Following this, there are targeted intervention sessions which focus on the students’ tailored outcomes from their EHCP and/or IEP.
Additionally, students take part in a minimum of three enrichment lessons per week, typically held as the final lesson of the day.
Break and lunch times are structured and supervised, offering students a variety of activities both on-site and in the nearby local facilities including Hyde Park.
Our lunch hall serves home-cooked, balanced, organic meals, promoting healthy eating and well-being. Our dedicated chef prepares meals in a gluten-free and allergy-friendly environment, ensuring that all students have access to nutritious and familiar food to support their learning throughout the day.
Home/school partnership
At AHS, we value the importance of a strong home-school partnership for supporting our students’ holistic development. Through clear communication and sharing of specialist approaches we aim to provide a level of consistency that empowers students to apply the academic, life, and social skills they develop at school in the wider world.At AHS, we believe that a strong home/school partnership is essential to the holistic development of our students. Through clear communication and mutual support, we provide a consistent approach to students’ lives, empowering them to transfer the academic, life and social skills they develop at school into the wider world.
Our staff are in regular, open communication with parents and carers, ensuring that we work together to support each child’s unique needs and aspirations. We offer a range of formal and informal opportunities for families to engage with the school, including:
- Parent workshops run by our specialist staff help to support parents’ knowledge whilst also sharing resources and approaches that we use at school so that they can also be used at home.
- Regular information evenings, Heads coffee mornings and events which cover topics relevant to our pupils and their families
- Frequent informal check-ins and updates from teachers and therapists
- A strong and active Parents’ Association that collaborates closely with the school leadership
