Nursery
Young pupils love investigating, creating and building so at Ballard we feed their innate passion for STEM with plenty of opportunities and equipment to do just that.
Whether it is a giant Lego fort or using our outdoor building blocks our pupils work independently and together to build.
Ballard Nursery and Kindergarten pupils are also very curious – planting the first seeds of scientific investigation – why, how? This has been very apparent whilst at Forest School where they love getting involved with the natural world.
They are also very at home using their computers which have extra-large buttons for small fingers.
ICT & Computing
Ballard Nursery and Kindergarten pupils have a chance to get involved with Computer Science. We have bespoke Early Years’ computers with chunky, colour-coded buttons on a large keyboard which are easy for even the smallest of fingers to use.
They love playing educational games and embrace the technology with such ease, putting some of us to shame with their ability to pick things up so quickly.
Mathematics
At Ballard we believe in introducing Mathematics as early as possible and we understand that the way to build our pupils’ skills at this age is to capture their imagination and let them explore and practice.
Opportunities to count and make shapes are all around us: whether it is counting wooden building bricks or parking the correct number of cars on the numbers’ mat for our garage, we make it as interesting as possible.
Pre-Prep
At Ballard we offer our Pre-Prep pupils many opportunities to explore, build, create and investigate both in the classroom, dedicated play areas, Forest School and the wider Ballard grounds.
Whether it’s building a marble run, working out the best angle to hold the pipe so the bean bag comes out, or measuring rainfall, our Pre-Prep pupils are very keen on STEM.
They also feel incredibly comfortable with computers and iPads which they use daily.
ICT & Computing
In Pre-Prep our pupils move onto iPads and more sophisticated computers; they still have the coloured buttons but the keyboards are only slightly larger than normal. Pupils can log onto the computers in the library and can spend time on educational games, they can also take iPads into the classroom for many of their lessons.
Computers add another dimension to their work and support learning in different ways. Composing their firework poetry on iPads enabled Year 1 to not only add colourful imagery but also to see which onomatopoeic words they had spelled incorrectly.
Mathematics
After Nursery and Kindergarten Ballard pupils feel very comfortable with Mathematics when they join Pre-Prep. We build on this and help stretch the more able, whilst supporting those who find some topics more challenging.
There are lots of exciting approaches to learning Mathematics in Pre-Prep and our pupils look forward to their lessons. Whether it is using the computers and iPads to test their skills or working with whiteboards in front of their peers, our pupils are keen and eager to get involved.
Science
Ballard pupils are a curious bunch and we fully support the hands-on approach to learning. Whether it’s in the classroom, the Science laboratories or out and about in our expansive grounds and varied habitats, we give them every opportunity to feed their inquisitiveness. They really do start their scientific journey from an early age here at Ballard.
We love children who ask why and we enjoy seeing the delight on their faces when they work out answers for themselves. Whether it is measuring liquids, identifying trees or hunting for insects in the bluebell woods, our pupils love their Science lessons.
Lower Prep
Lower Prep pupils at Ballard have the benefit of access not only to GCSE teachers for STEM projects but also fully equipped departments. These include a Junior ICT suite, a specialist Junior Science lab that has undergone a full refurbishment this summer and a DT lab with access to a laser cutter, 3D printers and CAD.
This access enables our children to tackle complex projects and underlines their “can do” approach. Recent projects have included animated merry-go-rounds and Knex buggies which they then raced.
Year 5 take part in a weekly apprentice challenge which involves a number of different entrepreneurial STEM projects. Lower Prep pupils can also join a number of our popular STEM-related extra-curricular activities.
Design & Technology
Lower Prep pupils are taught DT by specialist teachers and have the opportunity to use all the GCSE equipment in our DT lab including the CAD suite, laser cutter and 3D printers.
Work is project-based and often cross-curricular. For example, a trip to Paultons Park to look at the physics and structure of funfair rides links to the creation of a working model carousel.
We make sure that during their time in Lower Prep, pupils experience a wide range of different techniques, whilst keeping the finished product relevant. Year 5 make key rings, photo frames and clocks.
ICT & Computing
ICT is taught by specialist teachers. In Years 3 to 5, the use of computers is fully integrated into the curriculum. Pupils have access to devices in the classroom as well as access to the IT Suite in the main school. Other subject teachers bring pupils into the IT suites to add another layer of learning to their lessons. Year 3 often work as a group in their French lessons before splitting into pairs to practise what they have learnt with the aid of a fun computer program.
Pupils are encouraged to be creative and take advantage of the myriad of applications available to develop their IT skills as well as enhance their learning. Typing challenges encourage them to improve their keyboard skills.
Regular work on internet safety develops their awareness of how to use the internet responsibly. Creating animations for History, designing posters for English or working with DT to research, design, create and display a project as part of a mini Dragons’ Den, all provide inspiration, fun and learning opportunities.
Mathematics
Ballard views the Mathematics syllabus in terms of a helical model. Topics are introduced at a simple level and are revisited at intervals, always building on and extending previous knowledge.
We use a variety of techniques to repeat and refresh our pupils’ skills so that they feel challenged but happy. We integrate IT into our lessons with popular learning software, which pupils can use at home to extend their learning.
Year-by-year our pupils’ grasp of the subject is both reinforced and enlarged. Whilst the more able pupils are constantly stimulated by more challenging examples, others benefit from regular reinforcement and therefore develop confidence through success. We also use Mathematics in other key subject areas.
Science
Science is taught with a strong emphasis on investigative work and scientific enquiry providing the pupils with solid foundations for the Science they will develop further up the School.
Our Junior Science Lab has undergone a full refurbishment ready for the start of Autumn term 2019.
We strongly believe in a hands-on approach to Science at this age, enabling the children to experience awe and wonder in the subject and to capture their natural curiosity about the world as they experience it.
Our team of teachers, chosen for their passion for Science, present the subject in a stimulating and lively way with each class having access to a specialist Science laboratory as well as a considerable wealth of resources, specialist equipment and apparatus.
Whether it’s becoming part of a food chain or working out which solids melt, our pupils’ imaginations are constantly engaged and their enquiring minds filled with skills, which will prepare them for the future.
Ballard is also lucky to have such extensive grounds, including meadows, woodlands and a beautiful water garden, which are frequently used for studying the local ecology. This has inspired a group of Lower Prep pupils to not only investigate the outside world but also to try and protect it through the formation of an extra-curricular ‘Eco-Committee’.
They have been successful at implementing change across the School on a wide variety of topics and, having won the Silver Eco Award this year, are currently working towards the prestigious Green Flag Award.
Upper Prep
Again, Upper Prep pupils at Ballard have fantastic STEM opportunities and facilities available to them because of their access to our specialist teachers and equipment.
Pupils in Upper Prep also have some amazing opportunities to tackle STEM projects both in and out of School. Our Year 6 pupils take part in the CREST discovery programme – investigating the science of cycling and external events have included UK Big Bang in Birmingham and the Solent Teen Tech.
They also have a number of extra-curricular STEM clubs from which to choose.
Design & Technology
DT in Upper Prep is all about increasing the complexity of the projects and introducing new techniques.
Pupils look at developing their Problem solving skills and develop independent learning skills that they apply through their projects- At this stage pupils look at the impact of design upon the world around them.
