Prep

Welcome to Prep

Tockington Manor’s Prep, also known as Upper School, provides a traditional, family-based prep school education for children in Years 3 -8. Our small classes of less than 20 children allow us to nurture your child’s skills in observation and information seeking, developing their ability to pose questions and solve problems. By the time they leave us a Tockington child is a confident learner.

But academics are just one part of school life. We provide a rich experience at Tockington, making full use of our countryside location on the outskirts of Bristol. Outdoor learning takes place every day and wellies are part of the uniform. From Forest School in our private arboretum to Games Lessons (Physical Education) on our all-weather, floodlit astro pitch; Gardening Club to reap vegetables for our lunch the next day or a Science exercise next to our pond; we aim to instill a love of learning for life and some wonderful school memories to boot.

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Specialist Teachers

Our highly qualified teachers are one of our best assets at Tockington. We have specialist subject teachers in English, Maths, Science, French, Spanish, Latin, Humanities, Music, ICT, Art and DT, PE and Games. This means we are able to provide bespoke teaching in each subject and extend the learning of every child from a young age. High standards of teaching and learning are the basis for our success and at this stage.

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Senior School Success

We are extremely proud of our excellent track record in gaining pupils places at their first choice senior schools – a 100% success rate in fact! But more than that, many of them leave us in Year 8 armed with Scholarships to some of the best schools in the country. Children are prepared well for their applications, undertaking mock interviews and assessments, more so if they are on our unique Pathway Programme for Year 7 and 8 pupils with exceptional talent.

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Happy, Healthy, Confident Children Learn Best

Outside of our outstanding academic curriculum, we see sport, exercise and health as a vital part of a child’s overall development. – and we know that happy children learn best so we offer a combined approach. Healthy eating is encouraged in our dining hall, where children gather for meals prepared daily by our catering team. An active lifestyle is encouraged and Tockington is known for turning out extraordinarily fit and healthy children by the time they leave us at 13 (just ask our rival sports teams!).

Dedicated PHSE lessons and general assemblies focus on the importance of mental health. Children are commended for trying new things and beating their personal best in all areas of school life, boosting their confidence and inspiring progression. We seek to provide an environment where children can be children for as long as possible, but where they are also prepared with the attitude and aptitude for senior schools and beyond.

Sport

Tockington Manor School has an excellent record of sporting achievements in a variety of different sports, regionally and nationally – notably cricket, cross-country and swimming. This stems from our commitment to exercising every day as part of our curriculum and making the best use of our extensive sports facilities, including:

a 25m heated indoor swimming pool
a, dual pitch all-weather floodlit astroturf
a club standard cricket wicket with modern cricket pavilion
numerous rugby/football pitches
a 2.5km cross-country running trail, incorporating a running track for athletics

Learning to play as part of a team is important and as the children progress through the Upper School, they are encouraged to take part in competitive sports (appropriate to their age and gender) against other local independent schools. Ask us about the extensive list of sports on offer at Tockington Manor School!

Performing Arts

Drama and Music play an integral role in our school curriculum and throughout the year various productions take place from short pieces presented at morning assembly or in class through to full-scale musicals and performances involving the entire school.

Year 3 & 4 put on an annual Shakespeare Festival
The Year 5 & 6 performance takes place during the Spring term
Year 7 & 8 pupils close off the Summer term with a performance to pupils and parents

All children benefit from whole-class music lessons, taught by specialist Music Teachers and utilising a variety of instruments we have available – encouraging each child to ‘have a go’. The school runs choirs for each age group and they perform at various times during the year including the annual Carol Service. Private music lessons are also available.

Art, Design & Technology

Our fully equipped science lab, modern ICT suite, and inspiring art studio allow children to get creative in all areas of STEM learning. Bathed in natural light and with plentiful materials and resources, our Art room is the site of unique ideas and individual expression. We teach numerous methods and techniques, including photography. Design and Technology is taught formally up to the end of Year 5 with fun and engaging projects such as puppets, pop-up books and building bridges. The children also have access to sewing machines.

Our ICT provision is outstanding and we are even asked by fellow independent schools for guidance in using the latest technology not only in teaching but also in educating our children about the online world. Some of our older parents might be quite surprised by just how adept our pupils are at using cutting-edge technology for all sorts of school projects and activities.

Extracurricular and Clubs

Our wraparound care is designed to make life easier for parents who need flexibility, but it allows children to explore their interests through a variety of extracurricular clubs and activities. With more than 15 different clubs in the afternoons and additional ones during school hours, we aim to foster curious minds and develop confidence through different experiences. Clubs are changed termly but staples including Dance, Book Club, Choir, Swim Squad, Gardening and Craft ensure your child really can ‘Make the Most of Every Moment’.

Children who stay for supper complete their Prep, or homework, in school. We provide a quiet space where children can work without interruption and we believe this really helps the children to learn to work independently, to follow instructions and to be accountable for their own independent learning.