A Leading Independent
School in Birmingham

Pre-Prep begins in Nursery through to Year 2. Each year, the children build on their learning experiences, personal development, strength, coordination and agility and as they progress through Pre-Prep, they are introduced to specialist subjects such as Games, Creative Arts and Science. As children move through the Pre-Prep department, their learning evolves from play and exploration-based activities to more structured lessons. 

A girl sat in the Pre-Prep Library, smiling at the camera with an open book in her hand.
Six Pre-Prep children are pulling a teacher off the floor during a performance of The Giant Turnip.
Five Pre-Prep children playing on the adventure trail playground at The Blue Coat School.

A Typical
Pre-Prep Day

The School day in Pre-Prep is varied, with lessons spent in the classroom, outdoors, in the Pre-Prep Gym and in the swimming pool, no two days are the same at BCS.

Discover more about a day in Pre-Prep

Arrival

Children can arrive at School between 8am and 8.30am.

Lessons

Lessons begin at 8.40am with English and Mathematics for Years 1 and 2 or Literacy, Mathematics, PE or outdoor learning for Reception.

Lunch

Lunch begins at 11.50am with Nursery who eat in the dedicated Nursery Dining Room. The rest of Pre-Prep begin lunch at 12pm in the main Dining Hall.

Afternoon

In the afternoon, Nursery and Reception classes may visit Forest School and Years 1 and 2 may have a specialist lessons such as Humanities, PSHE or Music.

Pick-Up

School finishes at 3.30pm. Aftercare is available until 5.45pm.

Pre-Prep
Curriculum

The Pre-Prep curriculum is designed to meet the needs, challenge and enable our younger children to thrive. The Pre-Prep curriculum establishes a firm structure upon which future learning can be built. Within small classes, each child’s talents are identified and developed.  A spirit of enquiry is fostered through imaginative and creative learning.

All subjects are made as hands-on as possible to make these early experiences unforgettable and rewarding. Our topics are reviewed and altered from year to year to ensure our curriculum is current, innovative and exciting. Most half terms include an enrichment day linked to the topic to inspire the children to learn more.

Early Years Foundation Stage
Year 1
Year 2
Children walking through the trees in Forest School.

Visit Us

Come along and visit the school, meet the staff and ask any questions that you have. There is an Open Morning on Saturday 30 September where tours are guided by current pupils who look forward to telling you all about Blue Coat.

Or from September through to the beginning of July, we offer several tours each week during the school day so that you can see the school in action. These take place between 9am and 3pm and last approximately one hour. If you would like to visit the school during the week please complete the form below and we will then be in touch to arrange a time to suit you.

Visit Us

A girl holding up a star stencil with yellow paint on it and the piece of paper in front of her contains six yellow painted stars.

Our
E-Learning Platform

The Blue Coat School has an outstanding academic record and our pupils make rapid progress in all areas of the curriculum. 

Starting in Year 1, the School monitors pupil’s progress with a bespoke assessment tool: The BCS Blue. It is a secure, web-based interface in which staff, parents and pupils can view achievements, progress, and the next steps. It has already been shortlisted for two notable national awards which recognise The BCS Blue’s holistic approach and use of technology. 

The BCS Blue

Before and
After School Care

The School day finishes at 3.30pm for Pre-Prep, however, for busy and working parents, there is after school care available until 5.45pm. There are a range of clubs for Pre-Prep children to join in with, including Spanish, drama, LAMDA, Aston Villa FC, dance, gymnastics and rugby. Or children can play in our dedicated Aftercare space, fully equipped with fun toys, games and books. Children staying in Aftercare will receive sandwiches, fruit and a drink when they arrive. 

Before and After School Care