Yes. We are a British school following the British National Curriculum. All of our teaching staff are native English speakers and British-Government trained. Our Spanish and Catalan teachers are native speakers and trained in Spain.

Yes. Extra individual language support is provided where necessary.

Spanish, Catalan and French.

In educational circles, our class sizes are considered ‘small’ or ‘very small’. Optimal numbers are considered to be between 15-22 in most academic studies. At Olive Tree our class sizes for the next school year are as follows: Saplings (incorporating 2 year groups - Nursery & Reception) have a maximum of 20 pupils, Years 1 to 11 have a maximum of 18 pupils. We keep class sizes small to optimise the attention each child gets in the learning process.

Most of our year groups are now fully subscribed - the maximum is 18. We also only have one class per year group, keeping the overall school size small and personal.

Yes. Each Primary Year Group has a dedicated teaching assistant. Teaching assitants are not required in Secondary.

We do not use laptops or ipads in the classroom on a daily basis. Children have a designated ICT class where they develop tech skills as required by the British National Curriculum. Both Secondary and Primary develop their IT skills in ICT classes following the British National Curriculum.

Yes we are fully prepared for online classes. We quickly and smoothly moved all classes online at the start of the lockdown in March 2020.

Pupils continued their full curriculum online with classes in the mornings from 9.00 until 13.00. Teachers provided activities and a specific study programme for the afternoons so that pupils could work autonomously. We found that this was the right balance for the children and families. Children who had difficulty adapting to online learning were given extra support, and whilst it is impossible to fully replicate the educational experience of school being physically open, we feel we succeeded in helping all of our children to continue their educational development successfully.

We are fully prepared to move classes online again, should that be for a short period or in the event of a longer lockdown.

There is an established protocol to follow in the event of an outbreak of Covid-19 in any of the class bubbles. Full details are published on our website.

Our school is not a faith school. However, all religious faiths are respected equally.

We prepare students for the British GCSE/iGCSE examinations. We are a Pearson/Edexcel examination centre and also accept external candidates for examination in our centre.

As a matter of policy, we do not publish the detail of exam results, although we currently have a 100% pass rate.

There is no homework in Nursery and Reception. Homework is not normally set in Years 1 to 4, although parents are encouraged to develop reading skills with their children every evening. Years 5 and 6 will have some homework with realistic timescales to complete. In Secondary school, homework is introduced as a necessary part of the learning process and must be completed on time (the deadlines are always realistic, but are to be respected).

We prepare our students for British GCSE/iGCSE exams. All our students continue their education, normally completing British 'A' levels at another school in the area, although some students have completed their education in the Spanish system.

Yes

If children have special learning needs, a support programme is recommended for them after assessment by our specialised teachers. This could range from short-term speech therapy, help with dyslexia or an ongoing programme to deal with more complex learning issues. Specialised teaching support is available at all levels of the school.

Especially gifted children need individual support to help them optimise their learning experience. An assessment is carried out and recommendations for extra support are made.

We do not have a professional educational psychologist working on site at the school. However, where we detect a need for such, we recommend the correct professional support to parents.

Under normal circumstances, we strongly encourage parents to allow their children to attend for 1 or 2 trial days. Children are assessed by the class teacher during this time and any issues arising are discussed with prospective parents. The school does reserve the right to withhold admission. There is no formal exam or test.

Yes. Most of our year groups are now fully subscribed. Interested parents can join the waiting list. We ask parents to confirm their places for 2023-24 in March 2023. From 1st April 2023, we offer any places which remain unconfirmed to those on the waiting list strictly in chronological order.

1st September.

Yes, if there are places free in the class.

8.45 a.m.

4.00 p.m.

Yes, we have started an after-school club for ages 3-6 (Junior Teatime Club) and 7 to 11 (Senior Teatime Club) from 16.00 to 17.00.

No

Cooked lunch is provided at school by an external catering company. Children can bring a packed lunch if they wish.

Our external catering company can provide vegetarian and/or vegan meals on request. Other special dietary needs can be catered for on request (no pork, for example)

Primary & Saplings uniform

• light blue t-shirt/polo shirt with school logo
• dark blue jumper / cardigan / sweatshirt with school logo
• dark blue trousers/ shorts / skirt
• sports shoes and socks- any colour

Secondary uniform (Years 7,8, 9 only)

• white or black t-shirt / polo shirt with school logo
• black jumper or hoodie with school logo
• trousers / skirts, any colour
• sports shoes and socks, any colour

Years 10 & 11 - there is no requirement to wear a school uniform

There are a wide variety of activities offered in school clubs: Tae Kwondo; Football; Basketball; French; Musical Theatre; Forest School, and Hip Hop Dance have all been very popular. Many students take music classes after school or at lunchtime: drums, guitar, flute, piano & singing.

Physical Education is part of the British National Curriculum. A variety of sports are included within this as appropriate for different ages.

No - although we occasionally arrange friendly sports activities (for example, football matches or running competitions) with neighbouring schools.

Dedicated Science laboratory for Secondary; Primary Library; Secondary Library; School allotment

We have a large five-a side style football area (concrete) which is adapted for a variety of sports.

OUR AIMS
To inspire young people to be effective and passionate learners.

To empower young people to become compassionate and active members of our global community.

To equip young people with the skills they will need in all areas of their life.

Full details are available on the school website. In summary, we follow the British Curriculum and interpret it so that each child can optimise their strengths, exploring their interests in a positive and encouraging environment. We want all our pupils to develop a love of learning, as this provides the foundation for their academic achievement and the development of life skills appropriate to our fast-changing world.

In Primary and Secondary Years 7 to 9, we do not follow the curriculum from set textbooks. Instead, materials are drawn from a range of sources and emphasis is placed on experiential learning, project work, collaboration and self-expression. Our students are encouraged to take pride in expressing themselves both orally and in writing. A love of reading is encouraged right from the beginning in our Early Years (Saplings) classes, and children are encouraged throughout Primary and Secondary to extend their exploration of English literature using the extensive resources in our school libraries.

For Years 10 & 11 preparing for GCSE’s, textbooks are required to prepare for certain exam subjects and much greater emphasis is placed on exam technique to make sure our students optimise their grades.

Our school is inspected by The British Council (NABSS). Secondary was last inspected in November 2020, receiving the maximum authorisation for 4 years. Primary was last inspected in February 2022, receiving the maximum authorisation of 4 years.