What a year at Somerschool looks like

Settling in, making friends, and falling in love with stories and numbers through play.

Ages 4 to 6

Reading and phonics

Daily phonics in small groups, shared stories on the carpet, and a class library children get to choose from. We keep it warm and unhurried so reading feels like a treat, not a test.

Ages 4 to 6

Early numbers

Counting games, blocks, and real objects to handle. Children learn that numbers are useful and friendly long before they ever meet a worksheet.

Ages 4 to 6

Play and making

Sand, water, paint, and dressing up. Open-ended play is where small children practise sharing, talking, and trying things out without fear of getting it wrong.

Confident readers and writers, growing into curious problem solvers.

Ages 7 to 9

Writing and stories

Children write their own tales, letters, and reports. We celebrate the ideas first and tidy the spelling second, so every child sees themselves as a writer.

Ages 7 to 9

Numbers and reasoning

Maths through games, puzzles, and real problems from the classroom and playground. We want numbers to feel useful and never scary.

Ages 7 to 9

Science and nature

Simple experiments, a school garden, and a lot of questions about how the world works. Children plant, observe, and write down what they notice.

Independent thinkers getting ready, calmly, for the next school.

Ages 10 to 11

Reading widely

Chapter books, non-fiction, and the school library. Children read for pleasure and to find things out, and they talk about what they read with each other.

Ages 10 to 11

Art and design

Paint, clay, paper, and glue. Bigger projects now, often planned over several weeks, and proudly displayed in every hallway.

All ages

Music and movement

Singing, simple instruments, and dance that helps wiggly bodies settle and focus. Every class performs for the school at least once a year.