dean close preparatory school - information

Prep School Information BookJanuary 2013

DCS PREP 2013 Information Booklet Adam Master:Layout 1 08/03/2013 14:45

2 l PREPARATORY SCHOOL INFORMATION BOOK

New Performing Arts Centre & Classrooms opening Autumn 2013


When visitors come and spend time with us invariably whatstrikes them is the warm and welcoming atmosphere, with bothstaff and children happy and enjoying being in school. I suspectthat lots of factors may contribute to this but central is the strongChristian ethos that underpins everything about us. Whether ornot everyone who belongs to the school shares this Christianfaith, they value very much the living out of these principals.

With a school population of 260 the sense of a family-likecommunity can be developed in such a way that it is possible forall children to know each other and also be cared for through ourvery strong house system. From the youngest that join us at Year7 through to those at age 13 whose next step will be on to theSenior School, there is a greatly appreciated emphasis on theright combination of supervision, encouragement and initiative toensure that education becomes in reality the whole of life. Due tothis our children are able to move towards reaching their potentialwhether in the classroom, the music school, the games field, theICT suites, or just as importantly, in learning what it means toexist in community, to celebrate success and handle failure, or tolook beyond personal needs to the needs of others. We expectmuch from our children simply because we know that each onehas so much to offer in who they are as much as in what theycan do. Seeing them develop in the various ways they do, is aconstant source of joy to us.

People are what make communities; buildings and facilities helpcommunities such as ours to function. The better they are thebetter we enjoy being at school. Our Governing body issupportive and forward looking and has enabled us to improvefurther in this area by way of an impressive ongoing buildingprogramme. Most recently the School has invested £4.5million ina state-of-the-art building which will be completed in Autumn2013. The new building will contain a Performing Arts Centre,further academic and music classrooms and parents’ receptionarea. In the recent past boarding and day house accommodationhas been extended and refurbished, astro turf pitches have beenfloodlit and a brand new Sport Hall and cricket pavilion built. Allthis set in a 50 acre site makes the School a wonderfulenvironment of which to be part of.

Finally, being part of a whole school community which has over900 children from under 3 to over 18 being educated in threeinterdependent schools means that we at the Prep School playour part in the provision of the kind of continuity that parents arelooking for.

I hope you enjoy taking in what follows and that you might cometo see Dean Close as the special place that it is.

Rev’d Leonard Browne Headmaster

PREPARATORY SCHOOL INFORMATION BOOK l 3

Contents

Introduction 3Day and Boarding 4Christian Life 5Tewkesbury Abbey Scholar Cantorum 5Academic Curriculum 6Learning Support 7English as a Second Language 7Scholarships 7Sport 7Music 7

Drama, Art and Design Technology 8Extra Curricular Activities 8Visiting the School 8Entry Requirements 8Term Dates 9Fees 9Management Team 9Governers 9Location 10

Introduction

www.deanclose.org.uk


DAY AND BOARDING The House SystemThe day and boarding houses are all located in the Prep Schoolgrounds. There are three day houses and three boarding houses,including a junior boarding house dedicated to the needs ofyounger boarders.

DayAll day children are members of a day house – it is their homewithin school, a place where they can relax amongst friends atthe beginning and the end of the day. The three day houses areclose together in the centre of the school. Children are allocateda day house when they join and it remains their home, withinschool, for the remainder of their time at the Prep School. Eachhouse has a mixture of boys and girls from Year 3 to 8. Itencourages friendships across the years and enhances the senseof community. Siblings automatically join the same day house,unless parents request otherwise, which enables the pastoralteam in each house to fully support each family fully.

Children join together in their houses before school starts in themorning, at lunchtime, and after school. Many children are keen

to stay after school and play with their friends in their houses ifthey are not participating in one of the many clubs that are onoffer through the week. Each of the houses is equipped with aselection of games and toys and various games tables includingtable tennis, pool and air hockey.

Each house has a complement of academic staff, known ashouse tutors, who are responsible for the pastoral care of thechildren. They are also there to monitor pupils’ progress and tobe available to parents for discussion, at the beginning or the endof every day.

School meals are eaten in the Prep School Dining Hall. Day pupilsare welcome to join the boarders for breakfast for a smalladditional charge. Lunch is provided for all pupils and supper isfor boarders only.

Day pupils are able to stay for occasional sleepovers uponrequest, when there is space in the boarding houses.

Day pupils can arrive from 8.00am and, stay until 6.00pm. Theschool day starts at 8.00am and unless involved in activities day


DAILY ROUTINE

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

8.20am House Registration RegistrationChoir Practice

8.30am Form time Assembly Lesson Congo/Assembly Life Skills 8.40 amChapel Service

9.00am Lessons 9.30 am- 11.00am Lessons

11.00am Break 10.40 amBreak

11.30am Lessons 11.10 am- 12.50pm Lessons

12.50am Lunchbreak 12.30 pm& Activities Lunch

2.10pm House Registration

2.20pm Lessons Lessons Games Lessons Lessons- 4.20pm & Games & Matches & Games

4.20pm Buns Buns Buns Buns- 4.40pm

4.40pm 30 mins Prep for 30 mins Prep for 30 mins Prep for 30 mins Prep for- 6.00pm Years 6 - 8 Years 6 - 8 Years 6 - 8 Years 6 - 8

Activities Activities Activities Activities

Games ifrequired

Year 3Childrendo notnormallycome toSchool onSaturdays


pupils may leave as follows – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday andFriday at 4.20pm. On Wednesday pick up time is 3.30pm forchildren who are not involved in matches. There is an optionalsupervised Prep period for all pupils in Year 6 -8 on Monday,Tuesday, Thursday and Friday until 5.15pm. There is a Schoolbus service with a number of routes which arrives at Dean Closeat 8.15am and departs at 6.00pm. Full details can be obtainedfrom the Admissions department.

BoardingAbout a third of the pupils at DCPS are boarders. 92% of theboarders are full boarders, the majority of whose parents live andwork abroad which means that there are always plenty of otherchildren to play with at the weekends.

The three large bespoke boarding houses are on the edge of theschool site, so there is a real sense of going home. There is ahouse for younger boys and girls (Years 3-5); girls only (Years 6-8)and boys only (Years 6-8). On the lower floors there are gamesrooms with table tennis, pool, air hockey and also a kitchen sothe children can cook and make snacks. On the ground floorthere are sitting rooms and a Prep room for study and on the topfloor are the dormitories and bathrooms. Each of the houses hasbeen designed to suit the age and gender of the pupils living inthem, so the boys’ house has a model-making room, the girlshouse has a sewing room and the junior house has a dressing-upcupboard, dolls house, Lego fort and guinea pigs.

After school the children are invariably to be found playingoutside. Roller blades and skateboards are always popular, butthe children also enjoy exploring the extensive school grounds.Our own woods and brook give children the opportunity to createtheir own entertainment and the wide range of sports facilitiesand organised activities mean that the children learn to use theirtime constructively.

The children are able to email, skype or phone home every dayand the House Parents can be contacted throughout the day andnight if necessary. In case of illness there is a fully staffed medicalcentre on site and a hospital two miles down the road, so allmedical problems, large or small are immediately dealt with.

Weekend ActivitiesFor Boarders weekends are full of activities including ice skating,visits to the cinema and outings to local places of interest such asDrayton Manor Theme Park, @Bristol, Gloucester Rugby Club orRAF Brize Norton. We are well served in this area of the countyfor places that also offer more physically challenging pursuitssuch as canoeing, sailing, hill walking or dry slope skiing. Wehave a covered play area, which is floodlit and in the wintermonths provides a base for outdoor play, such as football or rollerblade hockey up until the bed bell. During the light evenings,under supervision, the boarders are able to take advantage of thelarge school grounds and the excellent facilities such as thecricket nets and tennis courts. Every Saturday night there is adifferent fun activity organised for the whole Prep Schoolboarding community.

Day BoardingDay Boarding allows a child to enjoy the benefits of boardingwithout, in the first instance, becoming a full boarder. This is anexcellent way for many families to begin to experience boardinglife. It can be of enormous benefit for extremely busy families

and it often serves as a stepping stone to the full time boarding.Pupils can stay up to three nights a week as a day boarder.

Overseas PupilsOverseas pupils, whether they are from foreign nations or fromexpatriate families, need extra care when they are living such along way from home. We help in the following ways:

n For those parents who do not have a guardian in the UK theSchool is very happy to suggest reputable guardian agencies,with whom they have worked very closely over many years

n The School can make arrangements to equip children with allthe necessary uniform at the School Shop on campus

n The school helps families to arrange travel to and from theairport with a reputable child-friendly taxi service who deliverthe children to the check-in desk

n The boarding community work hard to recognise andembrace other cultures by acknowledging notable culturalevents throughout the year.

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE OF THE SCHOOLThe School has an evangelical foundation and its Christianprinciples are at the heart of its ethos. There is a residentChaplain and two Chaplain’s assistants in the Prep School. Wehave two assemblies with worship each week and from Year 4upwards children go to Chapel every Saturday morning. Theschool chapel is situated at the Senior School.

Christian Union ClubsWe have an active Christian Union. Every Monday afternoon, atthe end of the academic day, three separate Christian Unionclubs meet. Each group is led by Christian members of staff whocover different topics during the term and who lead the children indiscussion, song, prayer and fun. Regular events for members ofthe Christian Union are held throughout the year includingcanoeing, rock climbing and residential week-end camps.

TEWKESBURY ABBEY SCHOLA CANTORUMThe boy choristers of Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorumare all educated at Dean Close Preparatory School, Cheltenham.They sing in public four times a week – usually at the weekdayservices in Tewkesbury Abbey. They do not sing at Easter orChristmas and their commitment to the choir is largely term time only.

The choir’s repertoire is huge, with unaccompanied works fromTallis and Sheppard to large-scale works including the St JohnPassion and St Matthew Passion of J. S. Bach and Handel’sMessiah. Over the last few years, the choir has been involved ina number of large-scale concerts and services in WestminsterAbbey, St David’s Hall, Cardiff and Cheltenham Town Hall. Thechoir has made numerous highly acclaimed CDs on the Delphian,Guild, Hyperion, Naxos, Priory, Regent and Signum labels. Thechoir regularly broadcasts on the BBC. In 2009, Laurence Kilsby,a chorister in the Schola, won the title BBC Radio 2 YoungChorister of the Year.




The choristers love touring, and in the last few years the choir hasmade three lengthy visits to the USA, six visits to France and tripsto Italy and Germany. The choir has sung in Notre-DameCathedral, Paris, St Mark’s Basilica, Venice and St ThomasChurch, Fifth Avenue, New York.

Boys are usually offered chorister scholarships from Year 4 untilthe end of Year 8. They spend their first year as ‘probationer’choristers learning the ropes with a reduced choir timetable. Allboys receive individual singing lessons free of charge. Theirschedule is demanding, but the boys enjoy the huge rewards ofworking in a team, travelling as a group of friends and performingas professionals.

Choral DirectorSimon Bell came to Dean Close from Winchester Cathedral, where he was Assistant Director of Music. As graduate of LeedsUniversity and the Royal College of Organists, he held organscholarships at Leeds Parish Church, St Alban’s Cathedral andWestminster Abbey. Simon went on to become Assistant Organistof Westminster Abbey, and Director of Music of the Abbey ChoirSchool, where he played at many national and international events,including the funeral HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Hethen spent five years as Assistant Director of Music at SouthwellMinster in Nottinghamshire, prior to moving to Winchester.

Chorister and scholarship bursariesWe audition children for chorister scholarship from age 7 to 11All external pupils will be asked to sit a Verbal Reasoning, Mathsand English paper.

Candidates will need to bring a piece of music of their ownchoice which can be of any style they like – or just a hymn – butsomething they feel confident to sing.

They will be required to do some aural tests and will be asked tosing a few scales. They will be given some simple exercises toexplore their vocal range.

Successful candidates will become probationary choristers. Theywill also be encouraged to take up an instrument and to becomefully integrated members of school taking advantage ofeverything that Dean Close education has to offer. A fullscholarship of 25% can be topped up with a bursary.

ACADEMICThe children follow a broad based and stimulating curriculum thatis delivered by specialist teachers who bring their own love oftheir subject into the classroom. The academic curriculum isbased upon the National Curriculum in Years 3 to 6 and theCommon Entrance Curriculum in Years 7 to 8. Throughout theschool pupils are taught by specialist teachers for French, Music,PE and Games. As pupils move up the school they see anincreasing number of subject specialists.

Dean Close Preparatory School meets the educational needs of awide range of individual abilities and aims to provide anappropriate education for every child in the family. The Gifted andTalented Co-ordinator, small classes and experienced LearningSupport Department mean the school is able to extend the mostable to academic excellence while supporting the less able on anindividual basis.

We seek to develop the whole person in preparation for entry tothe Senior School. All children take part in a Life Skillsprogramme, which encourages them to consider issues abouttheir lives and the lives of others. Life at school is very busy andthe pupils quickly learn how to apply themselves with a keensense of purpose.

Educational Activities Throughout the year the children are given the chance to takepart in many different activities both in and out of school, whichare designed to further enhance their educational development.Visits to the theatre, art galleries and museums as well as toplaces of historical and geographical interest take place forchildren of all ages throughout the year. Apart from offsiteresidential trips all trips are included in the fee structure.

Years 3 to 4 Junior PrepAt the age of seven children join the Preparatory School . For thefirst years most teaching is based around their classroom. InYear 3 most subjects are taught by the form teacher, with agradual increase in specialist teaching from Year 4 onwards.There are two classes of mixed ability in each year group. Withinthe class pupils are set for spelling and maths. From Year 4onwards children attend Saturday morning school.

Years 5 to 6 Middle PrepAs children move into Years 5 and 6 they are learning to be moreresponsible, disciplined and self-motivated. In Year 5 pupils arestill taught by their form teacher for most subjects but do have awider input from a greater range of teachers. More subjects aretaught by specialist teachers and the children move around theschool to take lessons in rooms dedicated to particular subjects.At Year 6 children start to learn Latin and are set for English,Maths and French. Each class has a form tutor who sees thechildren three times a week to assess each child’s individualachievement. From Year 6 onwards children may stay for asupervised prep period after school four days a week, when staffare on hand to give extra help if needed.

Years 7 to 8 Senior PrepPupils in Years 7 and 8 are members of Senior Prep and taught inclasses according to ability. They are also further set for Maths,French and Science. Each pupil has a form tutor who checksthat they are keeping on top of their studies, encouraging andsupporting them in their learning. Children in these years mayattend a formal prep time as part of their school day. At the endof Year 8 children take their Common Entrance exam to go ontotheir Senior School of choice. Most pupils go on to Dean CloseSchool. In Year 8, Academic Scholars are taught as a separategroup for some subjects and with the top set for others. Anumber of pupils are invited to follow the Academic ScholarshipSyllabus during Year 8.

Monitoring progressAll pupils are assessed at regular intervals and parents areinformed of progress. If any child is not making the necessaryacademic progress after an initial settling-in period a meeting isorganised with parents as soon as possible to work out a route toresolving the situation. This may include the creation of anIndividual Support Programme that sets out specific milestonesto be achieved in class or with the help of Learning Support.



LEARNING SUPPORT The Learning Support Department is an integral part of theschool’s academic provision. The department provides a rangeof additional support services in literacy, numeracy and thecurriculum. It tailors specialist tuition, one-to-one or in smallgroups, to the individual needs of each child. All one-to-onetuition is charged. All pupils who receive support follow amainstream academic programme.

Literacy Support – The department offers specialist support forpupils with mild dyslexia and provides a structured course todevelop spelling, literacy, comprehension skills and organisationin any area of the curriculum.

Numeracy Support – In collaboration with the Head ofMathematics, a small number of pupils are selected for MathsSupport, which is held weekly. Individual tuition from a specialist teacher may also be advised. A charge is made forindividual Mathematics support, which is added to the bill on atermly basis.

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGEFor those pupils who need extra help with the English language,we offer English as an additional language with a specialistteacher in our EAL department. Children either have one-to-oneor group lessons which cover vocabulary, grammar andpronunciation set in the context of listening, speaking, readingand writing. There is a strong emphasis on reading and exploring the classics of English Literature, appropriate for theEAL students.

SCHOLARSHIPSYear 3 EntryThe school offers an academic scholarship to pupils joining inYear 3. The assessment process takes into pupil’s ability,potential, attitude and work ethos. The Prep School awardscommence on the 1st September of Year 3 and run to the end ofYear 6, by which time pupils will have the opportunity to sit for11+ scholarships.

Year 7 EntryThe school offers six different types of scholarship for pupilsjoining in Year 7. These are: Academic, Music, All-Rounder,Sport, Art and Design Technology. For those applicants whoshow considerable academic promise, but not of the standardrequired for Scholarship, an Exhibition or a Headmaster’s Awardmay be offered. Awards are subject to good behaviour,academic endeavour and commitment to the whole life of theSchool. Scholarships and Exhibitions given at 11+ continue untilthe pupil leaves Dean Close. They are rarely revoked or reduced;however, they are reviewed annually and reassessed at 13+ forentry to Senior School.

SPORTThe school’s outstanding sports facilities include extensive sportspitches, two floodlit astro pitches, indoor 25m swimming pool,large gymnasium, tennis and squash courts, climbing wall and anew sports block containing a large sports hall, dance studio andfully equipped gymnasium.

Everyone plays organised sport at least three times a week. Theboys play rugby, hockey and cricket and the girls play hockey,netball, rounders, tennis and cricket from Year 7. Every pupil is ina team appropriate to their ability and represent the school inmatches against other schools from Year 4 upwards. All childrenparticipate in cross country and athletics. As well as theorganised games lessons every child has a PE lesson each week,which includes a regular swimming lesson. In all sports,professional coaches encourage children to reach their potential.There are also lots of sporting clubs the children can join atlunchtimes and after school.

Break times in the morning and at lunchtime are always outsideeither on the playing fields or on our outdoor covered play area,so the children have the opportunity to run around and get somefresh air.

MUSICThe school has a large spacious Music School whichencompasses two music classrooms, a music technology room,a song school, and music practise rooms. Every child has weeklyclass music lessons where they learn to read and write music.There is also a wide range of instruments on offer for privatemusic lessons so every child has the opportunity to findsomething they can enjoy.

We offer tuition in the following instruments:

Violin, viola, cello, double bass

Guitar – bass, electric and acoustic

Clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon

Cornet, trumpet, baritone, euphonium

Tuba, French horn

Saxophone

Orchestral percussion, drum-kit, trombone

Singing

Piano

Harp

Organ

Music incentive awards, involving free lessons for up to a term,may be offered to selected children taking up the more unusualinstruments – viola, cello, double bass, oboe, bassoon, Frenchhorn, trumpet and trombone.

Music GroupsThese vary year by year depending on the needs and abilities ofthe children. Currently the regular groups are:

Junior Choir Senior Choir

Flute Group Chamber Choir

Chamber Music Senior Strings

Orchestra Junior Strings

Swing Band Grade 5 theory

Wind Group Pop Group

Vocal ensembles




DRAMA, ART AND DESIGN TECHNOLOGYDramaAll pupils in Years 3 – 6 in the Preparatory School have timetabledClass Drama as part of the curriculum. In these lessons, pupilsare encouraged to express themselves vocally and physically andlearn to work with others in a group situation. They are alsotaught to listen and interact with others. Two productions areperformed annually – a Junior Play for Year 3-5 and the SchoolPlay for Year 6-8. This gives every child in the school theopportunity to be involved either in acting, dancing, singing orbehind the scenes on the production side with set design, makeup or sound and lighting.

Speech and DramaSpeech and Drama lessons serve to focus attention on theindividual, developing performance skills such as diction,expression, characterisation and performance and communicationskills. Pupils taking these lessons also benefit hugely byparticipating in the annual Cheltenham Festival of Performing Artsand are entered for the LAMDA Verse and Prose GradedExaminations. Pupils can choose to have lessons eitherindividually, in a pair, or in a group of 3 – 5 pupils.

ArtThe light and airy purpose-built art and pottery rooms provideexcellent facilities for painting, drawing and collage as well asceramics, sculpture and textiles. The children take great pride intheir work, which is exhibited throughout the school. Pupilsregularly visit art galleries, both local and further afield, to studyspecific artists or to encourage the development of artappreciation. They also visit exhibitions by visiting artists at theSenior School.

Design TechnologyAll children are taught Design Technology in the state-of-the-art‘design technology’ department. Pupils start working on simpleprojects such as moving wooden toys and move on to producebespoke pieces of furniture. The pupils complete their initialdesigns on paper or with the aid of the computer, their designsare then cut out using the class laser cutter, they then use wood, plastic, natural or manmade cloth, or metal to constructtheir pieces.

VISITING THE SCHOOL – The Admission ProcessVisitors are warmly welcomed to Dean Close Preparatory Schooleither to one of the four Open Mornings during the year or for apersonal tour.

Personal TourAll prospective parents are invited for a personal tour of the school.A personal tour gives prospective parents time to discuss allaspects of school life and ways in which the school can meet theirchild’s individual educational needs. During a personal tourparents will be given the opportunity to meet the Headmaster ofthe Preparatory School and other key members of staff such asthe Deputy Head (Academic), boarding and day house parents,the Director of Music, form and specialists teachers. To arrange avisit please telephone the Head of Admissions, Rebecca Chaplin,on 01242 258001.

Open MorningsRegular Open Mornings are held throughout the year. OpenMornings are an opportunity for prospective families visiting theSchool to spend time with pupils who act as tour guides. Thetours are conducted by members of the Senior Prep (Years 7 and8). Open Mornings begin at 9.30am and finish at 11.30am.Guests are taken on a tour of the Prep School in time for theSenior School tour, if desired.

Following their tour parents and children are invited to join staff forrefreshments before their tour of the Senior School. If you wouldlike further information about Open Mornings, please contact theAdmissions Office on 01242 258001.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTSAll pupils are expected to sit papers in Maths, English and VerbalReasoning. Papers can either be sat at the Preparatory School inthe Admissions Office or arrangements can be made to send thetests out to your child’s school if appropriate.

Admissions TeamHead of Admissions: Mrs Rebecca Chaplin 01242 258001 [email protected] Co-ordinator: Mrs Rhian Hayes 01242 258001 [email protected] Close Preparatory School Lansdown Road, Cheltenham,Gloucestershire, GL51 6QS


EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Arts & Crafts Club Design Technology Club Jewellery Making Shooting

Basketball Digital Photography Karaoke Songs from the Shows

Chess Club Fashion, Fun & Fabrics Lacrosse Speech and Drama

Christian Union Football Norman Wisdom Film Club Swimming

Christmas Clubs (seasonal) Foreign Language Films Outdoor Games Tennis

Climbing Gardening Club Pop Groups Trampolining

Cookery Golf Riding Warhammer

Cricket Greek Robotics Watercolour

Cross-country Handwriting Roving Reporters Whiteboard

Dancing - Modern Tap & Ballet Hockey Rugby & Mini-rugby Woodwork




TERM DATES Lent Term 2013Tuesday 8th January to Friday 22nd March (12noon)Exeat: Saturday 2nd March & Sunday 3rd March Half Term: Friday 8th February (4pm) to Sunday 17th February

Trinity Term 2013Tuesday 16th April to Saturday 29th JuneExeat: Saturday 4th May, Sunday 5th & Monday 6th MayHalf Term: Saturday 25th May (4.30pm) to Monday 3rd June

FEES 2012/13Dean Close operates an inclusive fee system where mostitems are included thereby avoiding a long list of extras.

Monthly Termly

Day Year 3 £838 £3,350

Year 4 £908 £3,630

Years 5, 6 £1,223 £4,890

Years 7, 8 (Senior Prep) £1,235 £4,940

Day Boarding Year 3 £970 £3,880

Year 4 £1,040 £4,160

Years 5, 6 £1,355 £5,420


Boarding Year 3, 4 £1,395 £5,580

Year 5, 6 £1,748 £6,990


Details on paying monthly instalments and for the capitalpayment of these fees in advance may be obtained fromthe Deputy Bursar (Finance).

What is included? n All course text books and stationeryn Laundryn Games equipment not listed as an optional extra n Entertainments in Schooln Laboratory and CDT expensesn Travel on strictly educational expeditions and for

teams to School matchesn Lunches for day pupils and all meals for boarders

What is not included?n A few books (eg. atlas) and personal equipment

(eg. calculator) listed in the joining instructionsn Learning Support and English as an Additional

Language lessonsn Optional extras such as Instrumental lessons, Speech

and Drama tuition, Dance and Riding lessons

Insurance Pupils are automatically enrolled in the followinginsurance schemes unless we receive writteninstructions to the contrary before the end of thefirst week of term. i The School Fees Refund Scheme (loss of fees through

sickness) at 1% of feesii The School’s group membership of BUPA, at £65 per

termiii The Pupils’ Personal Accident Insurance Scheme at

£3.75 per termiv Personal Effects Insurance Scheme at £10.00 per

termv Denplan scheme (accidents and emergencies) at

£3.60 per term

Please note that personal possessions are not coveredby the School insurance. Parents should check whethertheir own insurance covers such items whilst at Schooland if appropriate consider taking advantage of thePupils’ Personal Effects Insurance Scheme.

Policies The following policies are available to view in theSchool Office (please ask for further details), and onthe School website. 1. Policy for admissions, discipline and exclusions2. Educational and welfare provision for pupils with

statements and pupils for whom English is anadditional language

3. Curriculum policy4. Antibullying policy5. Policy for Health and Safety on School visits6. Rewards and Sanctions policy7. Academic performance in previous school year8. Complaints procedure9. Child protection (Safeguarding)

MANAGEMENT TEAMHeadmasterRev. L. J. Browne MA (St Catharine’s College, Cambridge) 2003Deputy HeadMr. A .S. Brown B.Ed (Hons) (Gloucestershire University) 2008Deputy Head (Academic)Mrs. V. Beevers B.Ed (Hons) (Cambridge) 2012Senior MasterMr. E. Harris B.Ed (Sussex) 2006Head of BoardingMr. S. Cahill B.Ed 1991Senior MistressMrs. E. Bailey BSc (Durham), PGCE (Bath) 2000BursarMr J. Ewbank FCMI 2008

TRUSTEESChairmanMrs Patricia NapierCorrespondence address for Chairman: Mrs P G Napier. C/o The Clerk of theTrustees. Dean Close School. Cheltenham. Gloucestershire. GL51 6HE.

A full list of all Common Room and Trustees can be found on our website www.deanclose.org.uk



Dean Close School is situated in Southwest England inCheltenham, Gloucestershire, in the midst of the picturesqueCotswolds. It is easily reached from Junction 11 of the M5motorway via the A40, or from the nearby Cheltenham Sparailway station.

The School is a five minute taxi ride or a ten minute walk from thestation. Train times can be found on www.nationalrail.co.uk

The nearest international airports are Birmingham, Bristol andCardiff which are all about one hour away by car. There is a localairport at Staverton.

The School sits on the largest plot of privately owned land inCheltenham, just off the outskirts of the Regency town. The PrepSchool is located on Lansdown, and for SatNav purposes, visitorsshould enter the postcode GL51 6QS. Visitors should come

through the iron gates into our Visitors’ Car Park located at thefront of School. The Admissions Building is in front of you as youenter the school.

On the School website (www.deanclose.org.uk) you will find linksto Google maps as well as a range of downloadable site maps.When on the homepage, go to the section ABOUT US – HOW TOFIND US.

Local Taxi companiesA2B: 01242 580580727: 01242 523523

Dean Close Preparatory SchoolLansdown Road, Cheltenham, Glos, GL51 6QSwww.deanclose.org.uk 01242 512217

LOCATION


DEAN CLOSE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Lansdown Road

Cheltenham

Gloucestershire

GL51 6QS

Telephone 01242 512217

Email [email protected]


HathaGraphics Ltd. 01558 822433


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