Prep

Our aim is to encourage children to become continuous, enthusiastic and independent learners. We help pupils develop their confidence and discover more about their interests and abilities – all in a safe yet stimulating environment. We have found that the bright, cheerful feel of our large welcoming rooms with direct access to our well-equipped outdoor learning and play areas are of enormous help in this respect. We nurture that natural curiosity that goes hand-in-hand with this stage of life with a rich programme of exciting topics as well as activities, trips and visiting speakers.

In order to ensure each child is given the attention they deserve, we operate small class sizes during the early years. A class size of 12-14 children not unusual in P1.  These smaller class sizes allow our teachers to know each pupil as an individual, working with them to enhance their strengths and support areas of development.

Working within the Curriculum for Excellence framework, Dollar’s emphasis is very much on giving our pupils a solid grounding in a broad curriculum of disciplines. English and Mathematics are fundamental and it’s in these early Prep years that we lay the foundations for numeracy and literacy which will prove invaluable as they progress through school. In addition to this, all children in the Prep School receive specialist teaching in Art, Music, P.E. and Swimming each week from specialist teachers in our Senior School. Pupils also have guest Science lessons from Prefects and Senior School staff. P4 and P5 pupils also enjoy regular lessons in our Engineering, Design and Technology department, tasters of various modern languages as well as frequent visits to science labs and input from Home Economics.

Continuous assessment through observation, reflection and testing allows us to closely monitor each child’s progress. These insights are shared with parents in two yearly Parents’ Consultations, written reports in June, and informally through our commitment to an ‘open doors’ policy.

The core school values of ‘Work Hard, Be Kind and Get Involved’ are clearly evident in the Prep School. A culture of kindness and of supporting others is embedded from Prep 1, and pupils in Prep 3-5 are encouraged to take part in the Prep School Pupil Council.

Respect for others is an important principle in the Prep School – we take pride in fostering good manners and politeness and we have high expectations for behaviour and achievement. From this firm foundation, children are equipped to make a seamless transition through school.

The warm, friendly teachers in our  Support for Learning department support our children’s learning and development with advice to colleagues, in-class support, team teaching, small group tuition and tailor-made individual programmes. This includes regular contact with parents and a special sensitivity to ensuring continuity of support during key transitional phases.

We see our varied roster of clubs and activities as an essential accompaniment to academic learning. Children in the Prep School, particularly those in the older years, can take part in a number of complimentary clubs during lunchtimes and after school. A list of options can be found here.

We understand that wrap-around care is an important consideration for many families. There are a number of options available to Dollar parents:

Before School:

The Prep School day starts at 8:50am. The playground is supervised from 8:30am onwards and children may be dropped off and left from this time.

Parents who need to drop their children before 8:30am may wish to consider Dollar Nursery, a nearby private nursery, who are open from 7:30am and offer a drop off service to the Prep School.

End of Day Arrangements:

The Prep School day ends at 3:15pm. Our After School Club runs each day until 5:30pm and is supervised by two members of staff. For charging purposes there are two sessions, 3:15 – 4:30pm and 4:30 – 5:30pm, each charged at £9.

After school care is also available until 6:00pm at Dollar Nursery.