There are two classes in each grade:

Grade 000 (Bees & Ladybirds)
Grade 00 (Dormice & Fieldmice)
Grade R (Owls & Squirrels)

Oakwood is undoubtedly the busiest part of our school. This is where firemen and nurses, fairies and magicians, truck drivers and computer technicians all work and play and learn. This is where your child is able to be whatever they wish to be, while they are readied for Grade 1 and all that formal school will demand of them.

Our pre-school is a friendly, happy one where your children can enjoy a beautiful environment and the attention of teachers who regard each child as a unique individual. Somerset House offers relevant and high quality schooling to children from Grade 000 to Grade 7. The fact that this is all offered on one campus enhances communication and co-operation between teachers of pre-school and primary school allowing for a smooth transition between the two.

We aim to begin educating your child for life – encouraging independence, self-sufficiency and a passion for learning. We believe that, in building the child’s self-confidence, allowing the child to make their own decisions and teaching him or her to solve problems independently and creatively, this will be achieved.

Oakwood provides a carefully researched and well-planned curriculum that provides opportunities for all children to succeed in a caring atmosphere. Our programme is based on learning through play as the teachers provide intentional play activities as well as allowing for spontaneous play. We encourage self-discipline within the framework of loving, but firm, adult guidance. We look to build on your child’s independence and self-confidence while creating opportunities to mould our children into problem solvers and critical thinkers.

There is a clearly-defined curriculum for Grade 000, Grade 00 and Grade 0 (Reception Year or Grade R) which aims at ensuring that your child is school-ready. The Pre-Primary Head meets weekly with the Head of the Junior Prep and the Head of the Senior Prep to ensure a streamlined curriculum between the three phases. We follow a Singapore Maths based approach to our mathematics and our Jolly Phonics Literacy Programme ensures that the children are ready to follow the Floppy Phonics approach when learning formal reading in the Junior Primary.

School readiness refers to the child’s readiness to learn and the ability to benefit from formal education in a group without pressure or emotional stress. It is the duty of the Grade R teacher to assist the child in for the formal learning that occurs in the prep school. As we believe strongly that each child learns at his or her own pace, we differentiate our teaching and planning according to the various needs in our classes.

The purpose of a programme for ‘readiness to learn’ includes the following:

1. to assist the child to develop emotionally in order that he/she might control his/her emotions and take into consideration the feelings of others
2. to assist the child in their social adaptation in order that they might play and work in group situations
3. to assist the child to develop muscle co-ordination in order to control their movements, at first in the larger movements of walking, running and jumping and secondly, in the smaller movements which pertain to the handling of objects and writing tools
4. to assist the child to observe and interpret what he/she sees, hears, feels, smells and tastes
5. to develop the child’s intellectual ability i.e. their language usage, understanding of number, perceptive ability, memory, understanding and spatial relativity, ability to learn, think and solve problems
6. to take into account the child’s individual approach to learning, including enthusiasm, curiosity, temperament, culture and values

School readiness is determined in a large measure by the child’s environment which needs to be a healthy and safe place, allowing the child to develop at their own pace, to reach their full capacity. Their basic needs of nutrition, safety, adequate clothing and shelter, appropriate education and access to medical services must be met to allow for optimum growth.  The child also needs strong, nurturing relationships within their families, communities and peer groups, as well as opportunities to develop their talents and skills.  Early intervention is imperative for children with any type of learning or physical disability to prevent later, more serious problems.  Children also need to be protected from violence and abuse as well as discrimination and if exposed, to be given the opportunity of healing.

Staff from our Educational Support Centre (including a remedial teacher, speech therapist, occupational therapist and a play therapist) are involved in determining the school readiness of each child towards the end of their Grade R year.

A Parent Evening is held in the First Term where class teachers have the opportunity to discuss the various aspects of the school year and the daily routine with the parents. This is an important discussion and we encourage all to attend.