Year 3 Assessment for Year 4 entry
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Cygnets
Cygnets Club is a new club for autumn and spring term of Year 3. We developed this syllabus in response to challenges we'd encountered with the current Year 4, where we can see the effects of pandemic learning-loss among the children and feel that intervention in Year 3, to consolidate strong foundations and build an enjoyment of literacy and reading for meaning, is needed.
This class duration is one hour, and children learn to enjoy literacy, become avid readers, play literacy related games, and have fun reading plays, poetry and other texts and develop confidence in discussing them.
We begin consolidating spelling, vocabulary, comprehension and punctuation skills.
In addition to reading, for which prizes and rewards are given in all age groups, around 40 minutes of homework is set per week. There is no formal assessment for Cygnets admission, just a brief reading check to confirm that children read at a basic level to access the lesson.
Early Birds
Early Birds Club starts when children are in summer term of Year 3 at primary (or equivalent preparatory), following our Year 3 assessment in March. Children who need additional support to get ready for Year 4 are asked to attend, but the majority of pupils in Early Birds attend as parents would like the additional enrichment.
This class duration is one hour, and children learn to enjoy literacy, become avid readers, and develop confidence in a structured tuition setting. This class includes regular assessments to allow us to monitor progress and readiness for Year 4 Junior Club work.
In addition to reading, for which prizes and rewards are given in all age groups, around 60 minutes of homework is set per week.
Junior Literacy Club
Junior Literacy Club starts in September of Year 4.
The class lasts for one hour.
Further emphasis is made on confident use of a wide vocabulary, as well as the ability to use punctuation and grammar well. The spelling program continues. We focus on teaching and enjoyment of literacy and literature, and begin a thorough grounding in comprehension skills.
In addition to reading, around 60-70 minutes of homework is set per week. Home reading of at least 115 pages per week is an essential homework task.
Senior Literacy Club
Senior Club starts when children reach September of Year 5, when most children are nine old. It continues until autumn, Year 6 when the 11 plus examinations are held.
The class lasts for one-and-a-half hours.
Parents choose from two streams - one primarily focuses on Independent School exam preparation, and the other primarily focuses on Grammar School exam preparation.
Children are now expected to memorise vocabulary very well each week, and the program aims for a spelling age of at least 14 years by January, Year 5. Significant home reading is expected.
We focus on smart / deep skills for comprehension, start practising papers relevant to the examination, and learn about verbal reasoning in specific relevant formats.
The year starts with around 60 minutes of homework per week, increasing to up to 1.5 hours per week in the spring and summer term before the examination.
Dedicated parental support is needed to help children manage their work timetable well.
Writing Club.
We focus on standard comprehension skills as well as effective essay writing skills.
The Writing Club meets approximately once per month from November - October and is an available add-on for children taking the Grammar Prep course but who also want to be well prepared for Independent School exams too.
Children increasingly attend this club during Year 6 following their Literacy Club 11 Plus courses and our Friday Brook Lane group is primarily reserved for Year 6 children.