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In one sense we prepare our children, quite excellently, for entry into their senior school of choice. The curriculum at Mowden readies children for the next phases of their academic lives and for the demands of a more specialised senior education.
We send pupils to a wide range of schools nationally. They gain entry either through the Common Entrance or Scholarship examinations and a large number of awards are earned each year.
In the longer-term we look to engender a sense of ‘what if’ and ‘why’, so that Mowden pupil scan make an impact on the modern world we live in, rather than passively letting the world happen to them. In this sense, our children are prepared for the rest of their lives, to meet challenges head-on and to move through the modern world with genuine intelligence and modest confidence.
At Mowden Hall our expectations are high and we encourage pupils to take pride in their work. The maths team work together to help pupils to understand how mathematics works and ultimately how to explain and adapt it to different situations. Within maths lessons work comes in the form of written exercises, mental exercises, regular appropriate use of ICT or through practical experimentation and games.
Maths starts in the Early Years with continuous provision giving the children wonderful mathematical knowledge through hands on activities both inside and out. The Pre-Prep builds through a solid base of differentiated teaching, with form teachers and teaching assistants working with small groups. In Year 4 children are taught Mathematics by a dedicated form teacher in small classes, enhanced by additional in-depth class support via a classroom assistant. Ability sets are introduced from Year 5 and extra help, both in the classroom and on a one-to-one basis, is always available. Ultimately pupils are well prepared for Common Entrance, scholarship or Senior School examinations.
Throughout their time at Mowden Hall our pupils develop the skills to ensure that their work is well laid out with clear workings; they understand the concepts of Logic, Algorithms, Decomposition, Patterns, Abstraction and Evaluation.
Our overall aim is to ensure that Mowden Hall offers pupils the opportunity to:
All children, according to their particular needs and ability, are encouraged and supported in class to speak confidently and to listen attentively to the views of others. During their career at Mowden, they are guided and supported in a closely monitored reading scheme, engaging meaningfully with a wide range of increasingly challenging and rewarding text types to promote increasing levels of understanding and appreciation of different genres and writing styles. Critical and imaginative writing skills, intimately connected to reading, are taught enthusiastically by the department using a range of visual and aural stimuli with the aim of inspiring the children to write with clarity and vision.
A strong link exists with the Drama department and, when relevant, there is scope within English lessons when examining a text to engage with improvised acting in order, for example, to clarify aspects of plot line or character development. This link with Drama is further developed with whole Year involvement in the annual dramatic presentation, allowing every child to experience the rehearsal process before performing in front of an audience.
As is typical at Mowden Hall School, there is an extensive extra-curricular programme. Pupils have the opportunity to attend creative writing classes, write for the School newspaper, visit the theatre and other external venues to extend their enjoyment of this core subject.
Practical work is fundamental to understanding and applying scientific theory as well as being fun! Designing, carrying out experiments, observing, analysing data and concluding are all skills which are learned through practical lessons. With two bright, well equipped and resourced labs we are able to fully accommodate the needs of our younger and older children. Mowden also provides vast grounds and a pond, which bring exciting lessons out of the classroom.
Science trips feature for every Year group to interesting venues such as the Centre for Life, Dynamic Earth and Durham Botanic Gardens. We have good links with local Senior schools and attend specialist Science days at Durham School and Ampleforth College.
Open days provide an opportunity for visiting children to take part in a workshop to sample some of the activities and experiments that we do at Mowden.
At Mowden, the pupils are taught that being a historian is like trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle. There are lots of pieces, not all from one box, and we don’t know where to place them. We have no lid to look at, with its nice clear picture of how the past was.
People attempting to create the same jigsaw may use some different pieces and make a different picture altogether. Children like the idea of being detectives, of hunting down clues and trying to solve a historical puzzle using the evidence available. To this end, there is a termly House History competition, on varying, often topical, themes, where the children need to go forth and find out for themselves.
Nevertheless, there remains a narrative story to tell and all the pupils require a framework of knowledge and understanding into which pupils can place new information. This applies particularly to chronological understanding. This sense of time and place allows Mowdenians to move through their senior schools’ History curriculum with confidence and a real appetite for the past.
Our greatest hope is that all pupils leave Mowden with a real interest in humans and their past. Their achievements, mistakes, wars, beliefs, passions and their everyday lives. We hope that Mowdenians, after their historical education, are better placed to make sense of the world around them, by asking questions and making informed decisions based upon clear thinking and evaluation. In this sense they can go into the world and ‘happen’ to it. Not sitting back and letting the world ‘happen’ to them.
Welcome to the Mowden Hall Geography Department. In Geography, the emphasis is placed on pupils developing an understanding of the world around us and using the skills of research, investigation and analysis.
Children learn about the local area in order to compare and contrast their environment and lives to other regions in the UK and the rest of the world, such as in India.
Human and Physical aspects of the world are considered and the children look at the importance of sustainable development and environmental problems from local to global scales. This is achieved through the use of a variety of teaching resources, including ICT, which is encouraged for research and to enhance the presentation of data. The curriculum is enhanced by fieldwork visits, such as finding out where the wettest place of an area is, looking at the Sphere of Influence of a village and studying rivers in Northumberland. Other fieldwork takes place on site.
Pupils develop a knowledge of places and environments, the ability to read and interpret maps and understand current issues affecting people and the environment. Lessons aim to develop the geographical skills of questioning, observing, recording and comparing.
We see proficiency in foreign languages as a crucial part of a child’s general education. The modern world is one of multiculturalism, disappearing borders and merging nationalities.
Even if the argument that foreign languages may, one day, be good for business, there are many reasons to celebrate our enthusiasm for French.
The ability to speak a foreign language shows an ability to look beyond the physical and mental boundaries we are brought up with. At its best, it shows a desire to communicate with other people, to understand their history and to embrace their culture. The ability to speak to a foreign person – business partner or otherwise – in his own language, demonstrates a willingness to engage with him or her on a level far more profound than can be achieved with English alone.
At Mowden Hall School, we are fully committed to the study of French, with pupils starting to learn French at the age of three (Nursery).
We introduce them to the family of Caecilius, a real Roman, who lived in the city of Pompeii almost two thousand years ago. This draws the children into the different aspects of Roman life through Caecilius and his family’s daily routines. Language points are introduced through a series of captioned pictures; pupils are encouraged to identify connections with English and other languages they know, alongside the images, to work out the structure and meaning of the Latin. From this they quickly realise that many English words are derived from Latin, and consequently improve their command of their own language by adding to their vocabulary.
Once a buzz and curiosity about the language has been developed, we begin to introduce elements of grammar to the teaching. This gives the pupils a structured framework upon which to formalise their understanding of Latin’s structure. It is from this early point that we begin practising their Latin composition skills. We maintain a balanced approach to learning throughout their 4 year journey into the Latin language, with grammar, translation and composition being of equal importance.
In addition to this, we take time to delve into the fantastic world of Greek myths and legends, from Jason and the Argonauts and Heracles’ labours to the epic adventures of Odysseus; these are familiar tales that have inspired generations of writers and poets, from Shakespeare to J K Rowling. Echoes of these stories can be found throughout literature and the children take great pleasure in discovering these links. A number of different approaches are used to explore the stories and bring them to life, for example research projects, writing newspaper articles and dramatic retellings to name a few.
Programming is taught in every year group with basic coding leading to Scratch, Python, HTML and other languages. In addition to programming and coding, the children learn the key elements of a range of Google Apps, as well as developing good levels of competency with many elements of our electronic world such as creating websites, photo-editing, film production, digital music, wiki’s, blogs and video logs. Children are formally assessed on a regular basis and we work hard to accommodate their individual needs. Children are encouraged to attend additional computing sessions throughout the week. The cross-curricular use of technology is considerable.
Music is accessible to every child in the school and the curriculum covers a broad range of topics aiming to stimulate participation in some aspect of the subject. A huge emphasis is placed on exploration, through composing and performing on keyboards, and basic theory is also covered. In fact, a number of students develop a strong interest in music theory, resulting in them taking formal ABRSM examinations.
All children are encouraged to study at least one musical instrument, ideally from Year 4, when they learn about all the instruments of the orchestra, and some children study 2, or even 3 instruments. Currently, over 90% of our pupils have instrumental lessons each week. A team of eleven visiting music teachers assist the Director of Music in the provision of a wide variety of instrumental studies, ranging from standard orchestral instruments to rarer offerings such as Northumbrian pipes and harp.
The Art Department’s home is a newly decorated large, airy, organised and well equipped studio in the ‘Stable Yard’ area of the school. The pupils love and relax into this working environment.
The Head of the Art Department coordinates the subject throughout the school and teaches the children from Year 2 in Pre-Prep through to Year 8.
The Head of Art refreshes and designs all schemes of work annually based on local and national exhibitions. She organises in-house workshops and gallery visits linked to the pupil’s projects for all year groups travelling as far as London and Scotland. The pupils can then see past and current artists, craftsmen, and designers firsthand. Which in turn, helps influence and develop a strong set of skills, ideas, and techniques developed back in school.
All pupils have the opportunity to study and experience drawing, painting, collage, mixed media, printing, clay, sculpture, graphics, illustration, photography, digital media, and textiles. To accommodate some of these disciplines the department has its own i-pads, Chromebooks, sewing machines, printing press, and pottery kiln.
All children have regular access to Drama lessons that are appropriate to their age and stage of development. Whilst working closely with English in some areas, Drama should be looked on not only as an independent and vital subject area but also as an important link with cross curricular activity within the School. The Drama scheme of work at Mowden begins in Reception and runs through until Year 8.
Drama is expected to make a significant contribution to life at Mowden and there is a commitment to provide access for all, with each child in the School performing at least once a year on the stage as well as attending Drama lessons and taking part in assemblies and creative workshops. The curriculum is designed to ensure there are ample opportunities for students to present their work, both scripted and improvised, to a wider audience including parents, peers and staff, thereby allowing opportunities for others to take part in and/or witness the creative responses the pupils make. This provides a stimulating and creative environment where ‘something is always happening’ around the School, allowing the children to see and understand the relevance that Drama can have for their personal development.
Our aim at Mowden is to promote a wide-ranging understanding of theatre and performance and to enable students to make critical, interpretative and creative judgements about the work they encounter. A purpose-built theatre enables the children to learn about all aspects of staging plays and each class, from Nursery through to Year 8, develops its own production during the year. Scripts are often original works written by Mowden staff (and children) to complement study programmes in specific subjects, for example Classical Studies. Most plays are accompanied by a musical score written for the production and many children form part of the orchestra.
They will be introduced to people, and their religious, philosophical and ethical ideas, from the past and present. They will explore their impact on humankind, and our beliefs and behaviour around the world. They will use debate skills to develop clear and unbiased views of issues that will help to forge their moral pathway.
There are excellent playing fields, a new Astro pitch with room for 6 tennis courts and an 11 aside hockey pitch, a sports hall with facilities for a variety of sports, an indoor heated swimming pool, and a 3 hard tennis courts which double up as 2 netball courts. In addition to Physical Education lessons, all children in the Prep School take part in at least five games lessons a week, lasting roughly sixty minutes, throughout the school year.
Boys’ and girls’ teams compete regularly, and Mowden has an excellent record in inter-school matches. Matches are generally played on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the school year, with other mid-week matches from time to time. We value games highly as we believe sport encourages confidence, builds self-esteem, teamwork and a sense of fair play, as well as helping to develop the full physical potential of each child, for this reason we promote full participation in as many fixtures as possible.
In the Autumn and Spring Terms we focus on invasion games; primarily rugby, hockey, netball and football. With pupils representing Mowden Hall at numerous festivals and in inter-School fixtures across the North East and Cumbria.
In the summer, striking and fielding team games take centre stage, as our pupils predominantly play cricket, with rounders also taught.
Across the year pupils also received regular coaching, and competitive opportunities, in cross country running, swimming, tennis and athletics.
Weekly lessons follow the Swim England Learn to Swim framework, delivering a high-quality and effective swimming program. Throughout their time at Mowden Hall School, pupils are continually developing and acquiring new core aquatic skills. Pre-Nursery and Nursery lessons encourage water confidence and movement around the pool to gain Duckling badges. During Pre-Prep and Prep School their swimming journey allows the children to become competent, confident and proficient swimmers, who can demonstrate a range of strokes. Their progress is rewarded by to Learn to Swim Awards, Rainbow Distance Badges and School Speed Awards. In addition to this, water safety, survival and self rescue skills are included during lessons and pupils are also able to acquire Personal Survival and Swimming Challenge Awards.
The skills that the pupils master allow them to confidently participate and enjoy other parts of school life such as Swim Squad training, residential trips with water-based activities and swimming galas. In Year Eight pupils have the opportunity to take part in activities such as coasteering, kite surfing, surfing and canoeing. They also undertake open water swimming training and have the chance to face the challenge of participating in Europe’s biggest open water event the Great North Swim in Lake Windermere.
Here at Mowden Hall School, we promote spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical developments to all our pupils.
Our new and exciting programme of study; JIGSAW PSHE develops pupil’s aims to develop skills and attributes such as resilience, self-esteem, risk-management, team working and critical thinking in the context of three core themes: Health and SMSC, Relationships and Living in the wider world.
It has been created using the most recent government regulations, alongside the United Nations Convention on the ‘Rights of a Child’. The Convention applies to EVERY child without discrimination, gender, religion, language, abilities or any other status. UNICEF works with schools across the UK to promote a rights-based approach. They share good practices in improving outcomes for children.
Therefore, Mowden Hall School community uses the 45 UNICEF Children’s rights to learn, teach, practice, respect, protect and promote all aspects of PSHE+SMSC. We include the statutory Relationships and Health Education (RSE) within our whole-school PSHE Programme.
Primarily, the library collection instills a meaningful interest in reading, whilst offering the opportunity to develop at an ipsative level. The Accelerated Reader Programme allows pupils to track reading progress independently, using theTOPs report, and with support through teacher-pupil discussions. AR encourages book talk, independent reading choices, and resilient reading behaviour at every level. Academically, it facilitates independent access to a wider and more challenging curriculum.
Collaboration is the mainstay of our library. Together with the Year 8 Librarians, we foster a love of reading in their younger peers. Children become familiar with our collections through making ‘Yes, No, Maybe’ piles, personal research, shared project work and team reading. Collaboration in the library means learning to allow each other the time, space and peace to read quietly on the couch, overlooking the garden, or to build a reading fort (the current incarnation being ‘Bear Castle’). Groups of budding entrepreneurs might launch a small business on the beanbags, whilst a keen drawer is inspired by sharing their passion with a more experienced artist, as members of the Eco Club draft a speech to the Prime Minister.
