Senior Department > Curriculum

The Curriculum
All children follow a curriculum of Mathematics, English and Drama, French, Science, History, Geography, Latin, Religious Studies, Art & Design, Music, Information Technology, PHSE and Sport.   During the last two years the syllabus followed leads to Common Entrance or Scholarship Examinations.  The pupils take the National Curriculum tests at Key Stage 2, in the 5th form.

Setting is introduced in Mathematics in the Upper 4th.  It is important to remember, however, that boys in each set will follow a common syllabus and that the principle of mobility between sets is inbuilt.  In the fifth form, setting is extended to include subjects such as English, French and Latin.

Facilities
Children are taught by specialist staff and have timetabled access to dedicated facilities such as the Art and Technology Suite, Music Suite, Computer Room, Science Laboratories and Sports Hall.  Games take place on the playing fields on site but where appropriate, external venues (such as Sutton Cricket Club, Cheam Baths Swimming Pool, Cuddington Golf Club, Sutton Churches Tennis Club) are used.  For such visits off site parents are required to complete a generic consent form at the beginning of the academic year.

Class Sizes
The intimacy of class size is important since it gives children visibility and ensures the equality of opportunity and access as well as individual attention.  The Senior Department has excellent pupil teacher ratio 1:9.  The maximum class size in the Senior Department is 22 and the average class size is 17.

Teaching and Learning Styles
Pupils are exposed to a variety of teaching styles in order to meet their individual learning preference, and are also instructed in various study skills techniques.  Pupils will encounter a mix of whole class teaching, individual and group activities. Emphasis will be placed on developing speaking and listening skills.  They are encouraged to be fully involved in their own learning through self-assessment and self-evaluation.

Homework
From the Lower Fourth to the 5th Forms the boys receive one piece of homework a night or occasionally two.  In the last two years, they receive two pieces of homework each night.  Homework provides the opportunity to extend work covered in the classroom or to reinforce it, and should last, optimally, for thirty minutes each.  Every pupil is issued with a Homework Diary which serves as a reference and reminder of homework set and should be taken home every day.  It is also used for communication with parents regarding homework or other school related issues.  Parental encouragement is not frowned upon, but subject staff should be kept informed. 

Our detailed Homework Policy is displayed on the school’s website.

Assessment and Monitoring of Academic Progress
Assessment is ongoing.  This is done primarily as a means of appraisal of strengths and weaknesses before entry into the Senior Department.  In very rare instances it may be suggested that a boy would be better able to cope at another school, but advice will have been given at an early stage and every effort will always be made to support and keep a child on board.

The pupils’ academic progress is monitored closely throughout the year.  Work is graded to avoid the over-divisiveness of marks and supported by teacher comments.  Boys are awarded aggregate grades for effort and attainment in the middle and end of each term.  These grades range from 1 to 10 for academic achievement and the letter grades E(excellent) S(sound) V(variable) C(cause for concern) for effort.

There is a Parents’ Evening twice a year at which parents meet either their son’s tutor or their son’s teachers at booked appointments in the Assembly Hall.   Full written summative reports are sent home at the end of each academic year.  Examinations are held in the Summer Term and, additionally, in the Spring Term for boys in the fifth form and above.

In addition, pupils’ academic potential and attainment are assessed through cognitive baseline tests.

Common Entrance and Scholarship
Homefield’s primary purpose is to prepare children safely for their first choice of Senior School.  The usual route for entry to Senior School at 13 is Common Entrance. This is an academically rigorous examination, pitched at level six of the National Curriculum, set by the Senior Schools in common.  It covers the subjects of Mathematics, English, French, Science, History, Geography, Religious Studies and Latin.

Where appropriate boys may be entered, at the school’s recommendation, for entry to Senior Schools via the Scholarship Examination.  Over the past ten years the boys have achieved a 100% record of success at Common Entrance, and on average every year 14 Scholarships and Exhibitions for Academic work, Music, Art, Sport and All Round ability have been won to a range of Senior Schools.  This year we achieved a record 27 Scholarships and Exhibitions for Academic work and artistic, musical and sporting distinction.

Senior Schools
Homefield is an independent broker.  This is reflected in the wide range of senior schools for which Homefield’s boys are prepared.  Schools to which Homefield sends boys include:-


• Ampleforth College
• Box Hill School
• Charterhouse
• City of London Freemen’s School
• Cranleigh School
• Dulwich College, London
• Emanuel School
• Epsom College
• Eton College
• Ewell Castle School
• Hampton School
• Harrow School
• King’s College School Wimbledon
• Kingston Grammar School
• Lancing College
• Latymer Upper School
• Millfield
• Pangbourne College
• Radley College
• Reed’s School
• Reigate Grammar School
• Repton School
• Royal Grammar School, Guildford
• Royal Russell School
• Sherborne School
• St. Edward’s Oxford
• St. Bede’s School
• St. James Independent School,  Middlesex
• St. John’s School Leatherhead
• St Paul’s School
• Tonbridge School
• Trinity School, Croydon
• Westminster School
• Whitgift School
• Worth School

The school is justifiably proud of its strong record at this level in recent years.  The decision of a choice of school is dependent entirely upon each child’s individual gifts and development, and is always specifically tailored.  Preliminary discussion is advised with the Headmaster in the Lower and Upper Fourth forms but final decisions are frequently deferred, quite properly, for developmental reasons until a boy’s last, or penultimate year.  An information evening is staged annually to help parents to make an informed choice of next schools.

Art, Music and Sport
In addition to its established academic strengths, Homefield is especially proud of its reputation in Sport, Music, Drama and Art.   A number of awards have been won in these areas annually to Senior Schools. 

The boys will already have had experience of inter-school sports competition in the Junior Department.  An increasing number of appropriately competitive matches are played against other schools from Year 3 across the age range in all the major sports.

Individual music tuition is available in a wide range of instruments.  Drama productions and musical concerts are held for all age groups throughout the year.

After School Clubs
Although Homefield is a day school, it has a boarding school’s attitude to the school day.  A large variety of clubs are run at lunchtime and after school (4.15 p.m. - 5.15 p.m.).  These complement the formal school curriculum and are being added to all the time.  They now number over 40.  Attendance at clubs is not compulsory, but it is informally monitored by tutors and encouraged.

Clubs presently on offer include basketball, badminton, computer club, cycling, cross country, debating, fencing, football, handwriting, table tennis, tennis, squash, judo, karate, rugby, cricket, athletics, French, art, chess, computing, cycling, design and technology, speech and drama and many musical groups.  Recent additions reflect staff interests and include Russian and Mandarin conversation classes as well as classical Greek.