Headteacher’s Blog: Why the junior years matter in girls’ education

As a Junior School, we are specialists in Key Stage 2 education and provide a step up in expectations of learning and behaviour from day one. That said, our culture nurtures the individual, enabling them to take responsibility for their learning which in turn enthuses them to achieve.

Starting KS2 is a natural time of change, moving from infants to Juniors and embracing new curriculum skills. It is a crucial step in a child’s emotional and academic development.  Year 3 represents an exciting time and opportunity for learning and character development to take off.

We know that the junior years are vital to putting the building blocks of positive learning behaviours in place and once children head to senior school, they need to be ready to make choices and be motivated to learn with a solid foundation beneath them. The Times recently reported that just two-thirds of primary pupils reach the reading, writing and maths targets by the end of Year 6. According to 2024 government statistics, only 8% nationally are meeting the higher standard in reading, writing and maths.

With smaller classes and specialist teachers, we are able to provide individual support so that progress is made. Whether that be additional learning support or stretch and challenge, we can provide this. Our tracking shows that in this academic year, 51% of pupils have achieved significantly above average in reading and 40% in maths.

Joining us in Year 3, aged 7, gives your daughter the time and space to be supported and to develop the characteristics of our learner profile, gaining a secure sense of self to approach the later challenges of senior school.

Being in our Year 3 is an opportunity for a fresh start, with all girls joining at the same time. We celebrate that there are no limits for girls, and knowing this from a young age can be life-changing for them. We know that stereotypes and attitudes continue to influence the choices that girls make, but here, every subject is for girls from the start of KS2. We know that girls perform better in all-female environments, and we are building for a future where STEM subjects should be a career choice for more girls, where females remain underrepresented.

 It all starts here - the daily culture and nurturing at age seven means we can offer the best start. Recently named as the top Bristol school for academic excellence for the third year in a row and in the top 10 schools in the South-West, do visit us on Thursday 6 February Visiting Morning or arrange an individual tour to see what a day in the school-life is like for your daughter. I look forward to meeting you!