Frequently Asked Questions

When can children join the school?

Entry points are Nursery, Reception and Year 3.

A few extra places become available in Year 5 and entry into other year groups is possible but depends on availability. Please contact us for further information - [email protected].

What happens in the assessment morning?

(Years 2 to 6)

The children are made to feel very welcome and spend some time being immersed in lessons (when on a school day) with children in their cohort. We keep the structure relaxed so we can get to know them at their best. They will be expected to participate in some team games, a discussion and complete some assessments in maths and English which includes reading, writing and comprehension.

How do I prepare my child for the assessment tests?

Children should have good basic numeracy and literacy skills. We do not recommend tutoring; children should have plenty of exposure to reading and real-life problem-solving involving numbers. We look for children who have a ‘can do’ approach and developed learning behaviours.

How soon will we hear results from the assessment morning?

Parents will receive a letter in the post within 10 days.  Sometimes, we may wish to share any observations with parents and may invite pupils back for another visit.

What is the process for children who wish to enter the Nursery, Reception or Year 1?

We invite your child in for a taster session with us and we observe them to ensure the school can meet their needs and that they can thrive here. We look for children with well-developed speech and language, as well as well-formed social and emotional skills. We look for developmental age-related milestones for children of this age group.

Will the school speak to my child’s current school?

We are required to contact the school, albeit with parents’ permission, to obtain a school reference; this may include pastoral information and standardised data (if available and relevant). We may also ask your child to share their maths and English learning from their current school. With your permission, we will contact the school for a reference and we are compelled to request safeguarding information about your child(ren).

We sometimes support children by visiting their current school or nursery which can help us observe a child in a familiar setting.

How is the transition into Year 3 managed when my child comes from another school?

The transition is smooth thanks to our experienced Year 3 teachers who know this age group very well. A team-building day is arranged during the first week of term to help establish friendships and embed a cohesive ethos to the year group. Many of our new children come from a variety of schools, independent and maintained, yet all children, new and existing, settle quickly into life in Year 3.

Some children may take a little longer to settle and we support them with their friendships through PSHE and circle time.  We work with parents to support and guide, making suggestions such as play dates and sleepovers, where appropriate. Early communication with Class Teachers is recommended.

The Parents Association Class Representatives arrange pre-term get-togethers and new families are encouraged to attend these as another way to connect.

How many classes are there?

There are two parallel classes from Reception to Year 4, and three parallel classes in Year 5 and Year 6.  Classes are reorganised at appropriate times during their time here and this supports the pupils’ personal development.

Are the children taught in sets?

Adult to pupil ratios are high here and in the younger year groups, there are shared full-time Teaching Assistants, many of whom are qualified teachers.  Specialist TAs are also used to support pupil progress throughout the school.

We are a research-led school and the research supports mixed ability teaching at this age group.  Children are not taught in sets but stretch and extension opportunities, as well as support and reinforcement, are available in all lessons.

How do you provide stretch and extension?

This is provided in every lesson and is available to all pupils. We believe that intelligence is not fixed and thus there is no glass ceiling to achievement. Children are set ‘next steps’, where appropriate. There are opportunities for pupils to access stretch opportunities in both enrichment and extra-curricular activities. Challenge tasks are always available and pupils are encouraged to aim high to reach their potential. 

Pupils attain above the national average and so they work at a high level in all areas of the curriculum. The breadth of the curriculum also provides natural stretch for our pupils. 

What foreign languages do the children learn?

Spanish from Nursery to Year 2; French from Year 3 to Year 6.  We also offer extra-curricular Spanish Club for Junior Pupils (Years 3 to Year 6) and a French Club for Infants (Year 1 to Year 2).

How much homework do the children have?

In Reception, children take home reading books, learn non-phonetic ‘red’ words and work on phonic activities. In Years 1 and 2, the tasks will include reading, spellings, maths activities, and key words. Years 3 to 6 are given 20 to 40 minutes of homework plus reading and times tables on 3 or 4 nights per week.

The children in Years 3 to 6 are issued with a homework diary which parents are asked to check and sign every week. There is almost always no weekend homework, and we do not set holiday homework. It is an expectation that pupils continue to read when there is no homework set.

Early Birds runs from 7.30-8.20am (at extra cost); breakfast is available.

After-school Study/Late Club runs at no cost from 3.40-4.30pm alongside after-school clubs. From 4.30-5.30pm, Tea Club is available at an extra cost. Early Birds and Tea Club are available for all children (Nursery to Year 6).

Pastoral care has a high priority at the school, and staff are committed to promoting the welfare and happiness of each pupil. Ensuring children are happy at school underpins everything we do. 

Class teachers take primary responsibility for the general well-being of children in their class and are the first point of contact for any concerns. Heads of EYFS, Pre-Prep and Prep track and monitor well-being as well as academic progress.

The Deputy Head is our pastoral leader and supports both pupils and parents in any pastoral ‘bumps’.

The Junior School has the services of a qualified counsellor, ELSAs (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants) and a play therapist; occasionally children are referred to them following discussions between teachers and parents.

We work with Raising Resilience who teach termly resilience lessons, and this is introduced from Year 1.  The Raising Resilience team comprises of two clinical psychologists and specialise in child mental health.  They run parent workshops and offer opportunities for parental consultations at no extra charge. 

Our aim is to ensure the children make a smooth transition and are happy at the Senior School. The vast majority of children move successfully to the Senior School, whilst a small number may choose to transfer elsewhere for different reasons, such as a different academic environment which may suit a child better, moving to a different area, or other family circumstances.

Helping children step up into Senior School readiness is key and we help guide and support pupils and parents through the process. We communicate with parents where there are concerns regarding their progress and readiness for the Senior School. Conversations of this nature occur in either Year 4 or Year 5.

What Sports do the children participate in?

All children in Years 1 to 6 can take part in the five main sports played by the school - football, netball, hockey, rugby and cricket.

• In Years 1-3, children will play all five team games.
• Children follow a sporting pathway in Year 4-6 of either netball, hockey, football and cricket, or football, rugby, hockey and cricket.
• Fixtures are offered for all the main sports from Year 2 onwards. Fixtures start as mixed-sex in Year 2, moving to a combination of single-sex and mixed-sex fixtures further up the school.

PE lessons in the Infants (Reception - Year 2) focus on gym, dance, fundamental movement skills, tennis and athletics.

Juniors (Years 3 - 6) take part in outdoor adventurous activities (OAA), handball, volleyball, dance, gym, spikeball, basketball, tennis and athletics.

Infants receive 10 weeks of swimming lessons over the year with the Juniors receiving 8 weeks of swimming lessons over the year.

What if my child needs Learning Support?

We know that children do not necessarily progress in a simple linear fashion and some children may require some short-term intervention with their learning; this support is available from the Learning Enrichment Department. If we are concerned about a child’s progress, we discuss this with parents and involve the Head of Learning Enrichment. 

Following discussions with class teachers, further observations and assessments may be carried out. Some children may require some group intervention e.g. school phonics tutoring, maths booster or pre-teaching, fine motor or handwriting support. Sometimes, we may recommend further assessments with an Educational Psychologist or Speech and Language Therapist. A Speech and Language Therapist and Occupational Therapist visit on a weekly basis and some children receive these interventions in agreement with parents and as a private arrangement.

Many of our families live locally and travel to school by car.  However, we understand logistics can be challenging, and to help families navigate the journey to and from school, we run a ‘Home-to-School' bus service across Surrey and Hampshire for Year 1 pupils and above.

There is also a Senior School/Junior School Link Bus for pupils in Reception to Year 6 which runs between each school with a chaperone. Please note some routes collect Senior School pupils who travel with Junior School pupils.

Bus Routes Information

What extra-curricular activities are available?

There is a wide variety of choice, most of which happens after school between 3.50-4.30pm, whilst some take place either before school or during lunchtime. From paid clubs (e.g. dance, yoga, fencing, chess) to clubs run by CCJS staff (e.g. art, music, drama, sport, Lego and much more) there are plenty of opportunities to try new things.  LAMDA is also available at extra cost, from Year 3.

Musical instrument lessons

All children have music lessons as part of their curriculum and there are plenty of extra-curricular musical ensembles on offer too, e.g Big Sing, keyboard club, brass ensemble etc, they can be involved in. 
There is also a wide variety of individual instrumental lessons available. From singing to trombone, there is something for everyone. Instrumental lessons, at an additional cost, usually take place within the school day on a carousel system. 

Performing Opportunities

There are also many opportunities to perform on the stage with regular drama productions and class-led assemblies taking place.

How do parents get involved in school life?

Parents are invited to attend assemblies, special themed events and certain trips. Parents are always welcome to support the children at fixtures. 

There is a thriving Parents Association (PA) with a very proactive PA Committee which consists of a Chair, a Secretary, Treasurer, Key Events Coordinator, 250 Club administrator and parent representatives. Meetings are held once or twice a term. 

The Class Representatives promote a sense of community within the school by organising social events such as Quiz Nights and the Christmas Fayre, and arrange social events for the children, e.g. pre-term pupil gatherings, school discos and a film night. 

The PA also fundraise for the extras and take the ‘wait out of wanting’ to provide noticeable benefits for the children through fundraising. Typical acquisitions funded by the PA over the years have included play apparatus, a kiln, a greenhouse, cricket equipment and choral risers.

When is the deadline to register my child for entry?

By the Autumn Term before intended start. There is no cut-off date, but applications do need to be submitted before the entrance examination which takes place in January for entry the following September.

When is the Entrance Exam held?

The penultimate Saturday in January of the year of entry. It is held at the Senior School in Petersfield. Exams are taken in classrooms in small groups of approximately 12 children.

How many children apply for how many places?

For 11+ we have approximately 260 children applying for 130 places. For 13+ we have approximately 25 applying for between 8 and 10 places.

What subjects are tested?

English, Mathematics and Verbal Reasoning. One hour per paper.

Is there an interview with the Headmaster?

Yes there is. Over the course of the Autumn Term before entry, each child meets the Headmaster for 15 minutes one to one. 

When do we find out the results?

Letters are posted and should be received within 10 days of the date of the exam day.

How many children in each class?

On average 22. From GCSE (Year 10) this can vary.

Are the children set for all subjects?

1st Year: Maths set by two broad ability bands at Christmas. All other subjects mixed ability. 2nd Year: Maths; French; German set by ability. 3rd Year: Maths; Science; Spanish; French; German set by ability. Children also select either Latin or Classical Civilisation and choose between Computing and ICT.

What is the boy to girl ratio at the school?

Whole school approximately 60:40. This can vary by year group.

What language options are there?

All children take Spanish and choose between French and German for the first three years. Up to two modern languages can be taken at GCSE. All children also start with Latin for two years before choosing 3rd Year options.

How much homework do the children get?

1st Year & 2nd Year: 20 mins per subject per week.
3rd Year: 30 mins per subject per week.
4th & 5th Year: up to 60 mins per subject per week.
Sixth Form: up to four hours per subject per week.

Is sport compulsory? What is the ethos of the department?

All pupils have compulsory lessons of PE and games which are timetabled alongside academic studies to provide a balanced curriculum. The aim of the department is to promote physical activity and sport to the school community through these compulsory experiences.

The PE curriculum is designed to help pupils find their ‘sporting niche’ and build a positive relationship with exercise as well as improving the general fitness and physical literacy of pupils so they are able to feel physically and mentally confident to enjoy physical activity whatever the level of their participation.

The games curriculum give pupils experiences across our key termly sports and promotes skill development and positive competitive sporting experiences for pupils, we believe that these school sport experiences provide excellent development not only in a physical sense but the skills of leadership, resilience, cooperation, and confidence in our pupils.

There is also a plethora of extra-curricular sporting opportunities, it is very much the norm for pupils to expand their sporting participation through involvement in these activities, which creates a very positive and strong sporting ethos within the school.

What sports are on offer?

Core term sports are: Autumn > Rugby and Hockey. Spring > Hockey and Netball. Summer > Cricket. Many other sporting opportunities are also available through our extra-curricular programme.

How much sport (games/PE) is covered in the timetable?

Every week each year group has a double lesson for PE and a double lesson for Games. Each lesson is 40 minutes. Training for team sports is after school. Sport fixtures are on Saturdays.

What swimming opportunities are there?

Swimming is a core element of our PE curriculum each year group (1st-4th yr) work through two blocks of 5 weeks of swimming/aquatics in an academic year. This includes cores swimming, water polo, lifesaving skills, synchronised swimming and aqua aerobics. Swimming also becomes an option for our 5th Year and Sixth Form students in their Games lessons.

We also offer extracurricular swimming before and after school which is split into Development Squad and Competitive Squad. Our swim squad competes in regular interschool galas and also local and national level school competitions.

What if I have out-of-school commitments on a Saturday that clash with school sport fixtures?

It is strongly encouraged for all pupils to become involved in competitive school sport on a Saturday. This sporting culture is part of the heart of school life, giving so many benefits to the pupils. If a pupil is selected for a sporting team on a Saturday they are generally expected to participate, however, we do understand that pupils juggle a range of extracurricular commitments and some concessions can be made.

There are many pupils who combine their participation in sport with drama, music, and other sport outside of school whilst also playing school sport on a Saturday and midweek. In the example of football there are many clubs/leagues that play on a Sunday and a large number of pupils maintain their football development whilst also participating in rugby and hockey on a Saturday in the autumn and spring terms. On occasions, there may be clashes between activities on a Saturday and we work with parents and pupils well in advance of clash dates to compromise so that pupils can maintain both commitments effectively.

Can I play football at Churcher’s College?

We have a large programme of competitive fixtures for our main sports which doesn’t allow time or facilities to run a competitive football programme. Students do have the opportunity to play football within the PE & games curriculum and an opportunity to play every lunchtime with their friends. We have a number of students who also continue playing football for local clubs whilst also maintaining a commitment to school fixtures on a Saturday which only continues to improve their transferable skills and general game fitness.

Do you support children with additional needs eg. Dyslexia etc.?

We have a strong and established department. Extra Time is given in the entrance exams after a review of a valid Education Psychologist report or assessment.

What provisions are there at school?

Teachers are notified and there are strong links with the Heads of House. Accommodations can be made within the classroom. 

What clubs are on offer?

We have a vast offering of extra-curricular activities that run either before school, during lunch time or after school. We hold a Fresher’s Fayre late in September where all club opportunities are represented for the children to explore and sign up to. Clubs are optional and a great chance for pupils to try new things.

What is your outdoor and adventure provision?

Churcher's offers a comprehensive adventurous activities programme for all age groups. Please see our Expedition & Adventure page for full details.

Can children take up instrument lessons through school?

We have 28 peripatetic music teachers. Over 50% of pupils take up an instrument. Lessons are held during the school day on rotation in the timetable for those in years 1 - 5. Those learning two or more lessons have one lesson on the rotation and 2nd/ 3rd instruments would be on a fixed time, before, at lunchtime or after school. The Sixth Form students have lessons during their private study periods.

What music/drama opportunities are there?

There are around 30 ensembles being rehearsed on a weekly basis, from various choirs and large instrumental ensembles to small chamber ensembles. A wide range of musical styles are seen within these groups from Classical music, to Jazz through to singer/songwriter sessions and Rock with the Rock school taking place on a Saturday. There is also a studio for those interested in music technology.

Large and small concerts take place throughout the school year with numerous opportunities for pupils to perform solos or within an ensemble.

Tours take place abroad, most recently the orchestra to Lake Geneva.

Large scale musical productions take place each year, together with smaller plays.

More About Music & Performing Arts

Do you offer LAMDA?

LAMDA at Churcher’s College is thriving. Children can take private lessons and tuition in verse and prose, acting, devising drama, performing Shakespeare, musical theatre, and public speaking. Children have 30 minute weekly lessons that can be taken individually, in pairs, or in groups - all leading to an exam in the Summer term. Additional fees apply.