Chapter House

Chapter House is a vibrant and engaging school with a warm family atmosphere. Children are welcomed from three months old and stay with us until Year 5, allowing them to build strong relationships with fellow pupils and their teachers.

VIRTUAL TOUR Early Years Foundation Stage Key stage 1 & 2 Useful info

“Our aim is to provide the most supportive learning environment for each pupil, so that individuals develop the skills and knowledge they need to thrive and are fully prepared for the challenges and opportunities in the next stage of their education.

We are focused on encouraging every one of our pupils to achieve their full potential, whatever their talents and abilities, and we pride ourselves on enabling our children to become confident, independent and enthusiastic members of the QE community.”

Head of Chapter House, Karen Kilkenny

Rated 'Excellent' by ISI

In February 2019, the Independent Schools Inspectorate judged the Chapter House Early Years provision as ‘Outstanding’ across all areas, praising the 'excellent care and learning experiences that the setting provides’.

Chapter House is split into the following learning stages; Queen's Kindergarten (3 months to 3 years), Nursery & Reception (4-5 years), Pre-preparatory (Years 1-2) and Preparatory for Juniors (Years 3-5). The Early Years Foundation covers all children across the Kindergarten, Nursery and Reception classes.

Our Approach to Learning

We respect, recognise and tune into the unique child and understand the power of play and social interactions in order to enable excellent learning and development. We capture the children's current interests and support learning through this.

Our purpose-built, friendly setting, nestled in the North Yorkshire countryside, offers the opportunity of free flow from room to room. This ensures children are familiar with all staff and environments easing the transition as the children grow. All the mealtimes take place in a dedicated Early Years dining room, specifically provided for by our own EYFS chef which enables us to cater for all nutritional requirements in a safe, homely atmosphere.

The recent internal and external refurbishments, provide bright and flexible spaces to support more interaction for different stages of learning and a smoother transition as children progress through the school. The outdoor, gated courtyard and discovery area is outstanding and a real joy for children to explore.

In Nursery and Reception, we promote the concept of 'Magic Moments', which are short bursts of planned activities that enable the practitioners to concentrate on key aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum and to work on individual children's next steps. We also provide excellent opportunities for children to develop above and beyond the standard curriculum with opportunities to begin learning a modern foreign language, to undertake expert music teaching and to access our superb sporting facilities for regular swimming, dance and multi-skills sessions. All our extra learning opportunities are carried out by specialist qualified professionals.

In addition to the stimulating in-house environment, a number of educational visits and visitors to the school are arranged, designed to capture the pupils’ imaginations and stimulate their interest in the world around them. Children leave Chapter House and move into King’s Magna as independent and happy learners with a strong grounding in key subjects and ready for the exciting challenges ahead of them.

Beyond Chapter House: Raising Aspirations for the Future

A voyage of discovery, Chapter House is about encouraging a sense of fulfillment and achievement in its widest sense, preparing for successful educational outcomes and exploring the wider interests that will prepare children for a happy and fulfilling future.

Through age-appropriate careers talks and activities each term, we raise our pupils' aspirations for the future. Pupils are encouraged to contribute positively to the lives of others within school. the local community and to wider society, whether through small acts of kindness or organised charitable work.

Children leave Chapter House as independent and happy learners, with a strong grounding in key subjects. They'll be fully-prepared and ready for the exciting challenges ahead of them in King's Magna.