Curriculum
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Critical Thinking
Our dynamic Critical Thinking lessons aim to inspire young minds and encourage independent thinking.
Educationalists agree that ‘higher order’ thinking is hugely beneficial and key to a child’s academic and emotional development.
Spanning subjects as varied as plastic pollution and animal welfare through to how a parliament is formed and what is justice, our boys are encouraged to go on a journey of self-discovery. Critical Thinking gives pupils the ability to understand and make connections between concepts by themselves and apply them throughout their work.
As well as encouraging our boys to think and learn independently (an important tool readying pupils for senior school life), these sessions are also about learning important life lessons, helping them better understand themselves, their motivations and goals.
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English
At Lockers Park we aim to inspire a love of literature in our boys. From the traditional classics to contemporary authors, poets and playwrights, no stone is left unturned. We cover everything from Shakespeare’s rhyming couplets through to The Simpsons’ deployment of satire!
Children are prepared for their senior school exams, be it the ISEB’s Pre-Test in Year 6, senior school entry tests, or indeed Scholarships in Year 8. To that end, high standards of effort, presentation and accuracy are encouraged and regularly assessed to monitor progress.
Regular competitions peppered throughout the school calendar cement pupils’ learning in an expressive way with poetry recitals, short story and debating competitions as well as through our junior and senior school plays. These all encourage our boys to demonstrate their learning and ability in a stimulating yet relaxed, confidence-boosting environment.
Year 8 classes follow the model of senior school and tutor groups and are geared towards allowing pupils to animatedly discuss and analyse complex literature, readying them for the path ahead.
Here are our English objectives:
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Maths
The Maths Department at Lockers Park aims to engage all pupils in an appreciation of Mathematics, with a focus on what Maths is and its relevance to everyday life.
We build firm foundations while also developing pupils’ problem-solving skills. Our boys are encouraged to put their hands up, to ask questions and not be discouraged if they make a mistake. We know that with Maths, building confidence is absolutely key.
As pupils work their way through the Prep School, our dynamic teachers help support them as they tackle increasingly complex calculations to further their knowledge.
Mathematical learning here is brought to life by events including Maths Week, which sets challenging problem-solving tests to pupils (and their parents!), as well as participating and enjoying success in a variety of national competitions.
We want every child to look forward to their Maths lessons and to achieve the highest standard that they possibly can.
Here are our Maths key objectives:
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Science
Science at Lockers Park will blow your son’s mind! Practical work takes centre stage, aiming to stimulate and inspire using hands-on, grown-up experiments that wouldn’t look out of place in a senior school.
Our boys are encouraged to ask questions and get involved, with the aim of developing logical approaches to scientific problems and being able to communicate their findings clearly and concisely. Independent learning is actively promoted – a vital skill when it comes to moving on to senior school.
The school’s extensive grounds provide pupils with ample opportunities to study outside the classroom and the calendar is peppered with exciting events to see science in action. That might be welcoming external speakers or class visits to the likes of the Royal Observatory and the Science Museum. Our most popular trip has to be when our Scientists team up with the Geography Department for a once-in-a-lifetime expedition to Iceland!
Did you know Lockers Park has a variety of school pets that the boys help look after? These include Snakespeare the Corn Snake and Sir Isaac, the Bearded Dragon. If you’re lucky, you may get to take one home to look after in the school holidays!
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French
Learning French at Lockers Park is a vibrant affair. Fast-paced lessons featuring fun activities, games and songs are expertly taught to engage the boys on their language-learning journey.
Focusing on the cornerstones of grammar and vocabulary, our French lessons incorporate role play, music (rapping in French anyone?), writing poetry and plenty of teamwork. And of course there’s a strict ‘no hands up’ rule in French, a technique that builds confidence as pupils work together to answer questions. This buzzy programme ensures our boys acquire excellent language proficiency and are well-placed when it comes to their final exams in Year 8. Our pupils commonly achieve A Grades across the board in their Common Entrance French examinations.
Lockers Park boys leave with the confidence to build on their French learning at their chosen senior school imbued with enthusiasm about the French language and culture.
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Classics
At Lockers Park we are passionate about Classics. Studying Classics enriches our pupils’ vocabulary and grammar as well as highlighting the powerful influence of this world on modernity.
We excel at bringing the Ancient World back to life, adding colour and depth by looking at the culture, architecture, farming, sport and government of the time. Our pupils are enthused to learn about Athens and Sparta, the Roman Empire, as well as delving into mythologies such as Homer’s Odyssey.
For older Prep School pupils (Years 6 through to Year 8), Latin is also studied. Learning Latin helps our boys understand the structure of English by teaching where words come from and how sentences are structured. Decoding language, logical deduction and expressing yourself with fluency and accuracy are fundamental to the development of a successful all-rounder.
Moreover, pupils’ Latin knowledge forms a formidable base when the time comes to move on to their chosen senior school.
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History
Here at Lockers Park, we bring History to life for our boys, aiming to develop a real thirst and enthusiasm for the subject.
Dynamic teaching techniques including traditional historic enquiry, role play and rigorous discussion are employed throughout History lessons here. Pupils have been challenged to wear chain mail armour and see how far around the school field they can run to assess whether they too could do battle like a medieval knight!
School trips to places of historical importance such as the Imperial War Museum, Hampton Court Palace and on our doorstep, Berkhamsted Castle, further serve to give pupils a sound understanding of the past.
We build firm historical foundations by looking at the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, before moving on to the Norman and Medieval periods. For those taking senior school scholarships, the British Constitution is also covered.
Lockers Park boys leave as able and confident historians, prepared to engage in a sustained analysis of historical themes.
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Geography
We believe there is no better way for pupils to understand the world and their place within it than by a sound grounding in Geography.
Studying elements of physical, human and environmental Geography, our boys enjoy a strong emphasis on fieldwork, relishing the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom. We teach geographical skills and knowledge within context, utilising a variety of topical and relevant resources.
Pupils are encouraged to develop their thinking and questioning skills, learning to conduct effective research and draw compelling conclusions from data. As boys move up the school, they are encouraged to make links between current affairs and what they are studying in class.
A particular highlight of the Geography Department is the eagerly-anticipated bi-annual trip to Iceland in partnership with our Science Department, enabling our teachers to really bring the subject to life for your son. See School Trips to find out more.
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Sports
At Lockers Park, we believe in instilling healthy habits that will last a lifetime. Our inclusive approach encourages all boys to develop their own sporting passions, whatever their ability. Our pupils enjoy structured sport every day and very much see it as an opportunity to let off steam outside and have fun with friends. We know that playing sport is key to helping build confidence, self-esteem and team spirit and importantly, boosting wellbeing.
We help bring out the best in every boy, providing expert coaching in a wide variety of sports from the traditional Football, Rugby and Cricket through to Basketball, Badminton, Swimming and Squash. And every boy is given the opportunity to represent the school in competitive matches through his Lockers Park career, as well as participate in a range of Inter-Set (House) competitions, which often prove to be passionate and spirited events!
Lockers Park is included in The Cricketer Magazine’s 2022 Guide to the top 50 prep schools for cricket excellence! Howzat?!
Our excellent facilities span the school’s 23-acre grounds and include: an Astroturf pitch, heated outdoor swimming pool, tennis and squash courts, croquet lawn, putting green and a .22 shooting range. We also host a popular weekly Ski & Snowboard Club at the local Snow Centre, which sees nearly a third of the school head off onto the indoor slopes.
Follow Lockers Park Sport on Twitter (@LockersSport) for the latest updates.
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Music
Lockers Park is a school with music at its heart. We believe being able to play music enables personal expression and emotional development. Some nine out of ten pupils choose to learn a musical instrument, with many learning two or three. We have ten expert Music teachers who take pupils for individual lessons.
We focus on the social aspect of music-making to ensure it’s as engaging and as interactive as possible. Many of the boys play in our orchestras and chamber groups or sing in one of our choirs.
Pupils are taught the musical foundations of creating and performing before moving on to look at Music Technology. A fully-equipped Music Studio, with state-of-the-art audio and visual recording equipment is integrated into lesson plans and many of our boys enjoy studying this aspect.
The Music Department produces a full and vibrant calendar with highlights including Informal Concerts (where every boy performs), the Summer Concert, as well as performing at prestigious venues such as St John’s Smith Square in London.
Unsurprisingly, with all of these musical opportunities at their fingertips, Lockers Park pupils frequently win Music Scholarships.
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Art
Here at Lockers Park, Art is a valued component of the curriculum, aiming to stimulate pupil curiosity, interest and enjoyment.
We encourage each boy to have fun and express their ideas and personality through their work. During lessons boys are motivated to open their minds to new ideas and alternative ways of thinking, providing opportunities for them to delve into the never-ending possibilities that the imagination has to offer.
As well as traditional drawing and painting, boys are introduced to a variety of artistic mediums from sculpting in clay and plaster through to photomontage and collage. Pupils hone their artistic knowledge, skills and vocabulary by creating compositions and through looking at both great artists of the past such as Turner and Lowry as well as more recent artists including Damien Hirst and Banksy.
Art Extension Groups are available to talented artists as well as those who simply love the subject and there are plenty of opportunities to showcase work, including an eagerly-anticipated Art & Technology Exhibition in the Summer Term.
The Art Department has an excellent record for successfully supporting pupils who apply for art scholarships at a wide range of leading senior schools.
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Drama
Drama at Lockers Park is dynamic and vibrant. Every pupil has the chance to perform in a variety of shows throughout the year because discovering passions and finding out what makes you tick is an important part of our ethos.
Drama may not be an examined subject at Common Entrance, but few would doubt the benefits it brings to the boys’ self-esteem, confidence and communication skills.
Whether performing in a school play, writing a sketch, or entering LAMDA Speech and Drama exams (six out of every ten boys choose to take study for such exams), Lockers Park boys are actively engaged in developing important life skills that will enable them to become confident, expressive and collaborative adults.
Our productions include the stage management and technical aspects involved in live theatre, giving pupils the chance to experience a variety of roles.
Pupils are encouraged to regularly hone their talents by participating in school assemblies and debates, performing in musicals and plays – there are two large-scale drama productions every year – as well as competing in Inter-Set (House) Competitions.
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Computing
At Lockers Park we teach Computing to all pupils, encouraging them to feel confident and safe using computers. Learning how to code from an early age has been part of our ethos for many years now.
Computing lessons are fun, purposeful and relevant, covering Computer Science, Information Technology and Digital Literacy. All of these areas are themed to suit a boys’ school environment and pupils are supported and challenged to extend their own ideas and projects.
We recognise Computing has the ability to motivate and enthuse pupils, enabling them to work both individually as well as collaboratively. By the time they reach Year 8, pupils will have designed numerous programs, a website and worked in teams to develop an app. We work on a number of other projects with our boys too, from stop frame animation to robotics.
One of Lockers Park’s most popular clubs is Computing Club, which is open to enthusiastic programmers in Years 7 and 8.
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Design & Technology
Building robots for Robot Wars and creating mini farms for their pets are among the many fun projects our boys get up to in our fully-equipped D&T Studio. Lockers Park boys spend many happy hours honing their design and making skills with us, learning how to be innovative designers and problem solvers.
Design & Technology encourages children to explore their creative interests and develop planning and practical skills using a range of materials. Every project follows a design process. Pupils are tasked with researching target markets for the various products they craft, sketching designs and carefully choosing appropriate materials before beginning work on the final design.
Electronic-based projects, laser cutting and 3D heat forming of plastic are just some of the projects boys can get stuck into, learning core practical D&T skills such as measuring, cutting and finishing techniques along the way. Recent projects have included working with The Boxmoor Trust to build bird boxes for our local swift community.
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Religious Studies
Religious Studies encourages Lockers Park boys to develop an understanding of the main faiths, promoting positive attitudes to the diverse beliefs and values of others.
Pupils are encouraged to explore, discuss, accept and further their own understanding. From exploring the stories from the Old and New Testaments through to introducing the boys to all of the major world religions, lessons inform but do not indoctrinate. Older pupils dissect what these stories have to teach the modern world.
The boys are taught using a variety of approaches all designed to be inspiring and thought-provoking. Art, drama, plus school trips to Christian, Hindu, Islamic and Jewish places of worship form part of the syllabus and complement written tasks.
We are lucky enough to have a beautiful School Chapel onsite, where we meet as a school four times a week to begin our day. These sessions provide a broad, sound moral framework for everyone to learn from and share.
We believe Religious Studies makes a valuable contribution to other areas of school life such as citizenship, personal, social and health education.
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PSHE
At Lockers Park, PSHE (Personal, Social, Health & Economic Education) is a carefully-planned programme that aims to help our boys grow and develop as individuals.
We care for the emotional wellbeing of all our young charges, embedding a supportive, positive mindset and normalising discussions about our emotions, setting in place healthy habits that will hopefully last a lifetime.
Lockers Park employs a ‘whole school’ approach to PSHE, led by our Pastoral Committee, which sees termly themes such as resilience and empathy filtering through the curriculum. We also offer regular extra-curricular avenues for our boys to explore, including external guest speakers (for example, a recent talk was hosted by Dr Natalie Ashburner AKA the Mental Health Doctor) to enable pupils to further develop their emotional intelligence.
We aim to equip our boys with the knowledge skills and understanding they need to lead healthy, independent lives and to become informed, active and responsible young men.
