Welcome to the Nicholas Owen Block, the Pre-Preparatory department of St John’s Beaumont, where we have six bright and airy classrooms, all brightly decorated with the boys’ own work. Our boys are aged from 3 ½ to 7 years of age in classes from Nursery to Year 2.  Each class has a full time teacher and an assistant teacher to support the boys in their core subjects, reading and daily classwork. 

The curriculum is supported by a large number of special visitors and trips including; Odds Farm Park, the Science Museum, Mountfitchet Castle, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Our most special visitor this year was Her Majesty who visited St John’s in October and our boys in Nursery and Reception were thrilled to meet her present their portraits in person.

Nursery and Reception

Blandyke 4L and S are our Nursery and Reception classes.  We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and incorporate outside learning and ‘learning through play’ into daily planning so that the boys achieve the highest levels possible before beginning the National Curriculum. 

The boys benefit from daily lessons in Communication, Language and Literacy, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numbers, Knowledge and Understanding of the World, Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Creative Development and Physical Development.  Boys commence regular weekly swimming lessons in Nursery. Role play areas are crucial to development at this age and the boys thoroughly enjoy playing in these, whether writing a shopping list in ‘The Beaumont Shop’ or counting the fish that they have caught on ‘HMS Blandyke’.

Year 1 (Blandyke)

Blandyke 5 is Year One, where the boys begin their National Curriculum learning, incorporating English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Religious Education, Art, Design and Technology, Information Communication Technology and Music. Boys also continue their PE curriculum, making full use of the sports and swimming facilities. Year 1 boys also commence their rugby training which will stand them in good stead for the years to come!

Year 2 (Berchmans)

Berchmans is Year Two, where the boys continue their curriculum with has the National Curriculum as its core. In addition, French is introduced in Year 2. Focus is on independent learning and working and the boys take great satisfaction in completing topic work on such things as HMS Victory and Admiral Nelson, and the Great Fire of London.  The boys currently take SATs at the end of the year, giving evidence of their learning from the beginning of their lives at St John’s and preparing them for the move to the Middle and Upper School.
Facilities

All boys in the Nicholas Owen Block gain from a variety of experiences in school life, whether playing and having lessons in our grounds or using the facilities in the new Sports Hall or in the ICT Suite.  The boys enjoy the diversity of meals in the Refectory and enjoy the opportunity to participate in one of the many extra curricular activities that take place after school, including; Dance, Choir, Judo, Swimming, Craft Club and Football. 

Playtime

Playtime is encouraged, either on the painted playground or on the field during the summer months, and the boys enjoy playing with and challenging each other on the scooters, with the building blocks or with a football and the Year 2 boys take great pride in helping watch over the playground as a ‘Playtime Buddy’.

Assemblies

All year groups contribute to our weekly Assemblies on religious or topical themes and often perform these to their parents with great satisfaction and annual productions of the Nativity Play are thoroughly enjoyed by all the boys as well as the spectators!