Early Years, ages 2 to 5
Play-led, with reading and number introduced gently rather than drilled. Two adults in every room at all times, which is what the one-to-nine ratio actually means in practice.
Children finish at 1pm, or stay until 4pm if you need them to. The afternoon session is quiet: lunch, a rest, and free play. It is not more lessons.
| Class | Age at September | Group size |
|---|
| Playgroup | 2 | 12 |
| Nursery 1 | 3 | 14 |
| Nursery 2 | 4 | 16 |
| Reception | 5 | 18 |
Primary, ages 6 to 11
English, mathematics, basic science and technology, social studies, civic education, computer studies, creative arts and physical education, following the Nigerian curriculum with the British primary framework used for English and mathematics sequencing.
Swimming on Thursdays for all year groups. Clubs run Tuesday to Thursday and are included in the fee, not charged separately.
Reading is heard individually, by an adult, at least twice a week in Years 1 to 3. It is the single most useful thing a primary school can do and the first thing that gets dropped when classes get large.
Secondary, ages 11 to 17
The full Nigerian secondary curriculum through JSS 1 to SS 3, leading to WAEC and NECO. IGCSE subjects are offered alongside for pupils who want them, taken in SS 2.
Sciences are taught in a laboratory from JSS 1, not from a board with a diagram. There are three: one shared between physics and chemistry, one for biology, one for computer studies.
Career guidance
Begins in JSS 3, not SS 3. By the time a pupil is choosing between science, arts and commercial, they have already spoken to someone about where each of those roads goes, and met people doing those jobs.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|
| JSS 3 | Aptitude conversations, stream choice, parents included |
| SS 1 | Subject combinations set, first university briefing |
| SS 2 | IGCSE sitting for those taking it, work experience week |
| SS 3 | WAEC and NECO, JAMB preparation, applications |
Languages
French from Year 3, and a choice of Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo from Year 4. The Nigerian language is a real subject with a real teacher, not a token half hour on a Friday afternoon.
Pupils keep the same Nigerian language through to JSS 3. Switching is allowed but discouraged, because three years of one is worth more than one year of three.
Examinations
| Examination | When | Taken by |
|---|
| Internal, end of term | Each term | Year 1 upward |
| Common Entrance | Year 6 | All primary leavers |
| BECE | JSS 3 | All |
| IGCSE | SS 2 | Optional |
| WAEC and NECO | SS 3 | All |
| JAMB | SS 3 | Those going to Nigerian universities |
Reporting
A written report at the end of each term, and a parents evening in the first and second terms. The report is a page of prose per subject area, not a grid of letters.
If something is going wrong we do not wait for the report to tell you. The class teacher calls. That is a standing instruction and it is checked.
Extra help
Given inside the school day, at no charge. A child who needs more time gets it from their own teacher during clubs or the last period, not from a paid lesson after hours.
We have one full-time learning support teacher across the school and can arrange assessment for specific difficulties. We will tell you honestly if a child needs more than we can give.
Apply for September