Prep
"Pupils make excellent progress and are highly successful in their entry to their chosen senior schools, with many winning academic and other scholarships and awards." ISI Inspection Report 2017
We see our job as preparing children for life with all its opportunities and challenges - building the high self-esteem, strong moral values and sense of social responsibility that will help them grow into adults that succeed in the widest possible sense.
When they are seven, children join our Prep department and become a member of one of our four houses, Abbey, Crescent, Holburne and Milsom, which helps to nurture a strong sense of identity and healthy competition. Children will continue to be taught the majority of their lessons including Personal Development, by class teachers in small classes, and are streamed for Maths. Children are continually assessed to ensure that they are receiving the most beneficial tuition path, and to set meaningful and achievable goals.
All pupils continue to receive specialist teaching for Art, Music, ICT, and French as well as PE and Games lessons, many of which are held at our secondary school, Prior Park College. Outdoor learning sessions continue, both with class teachers as well as local outdoor play pioneers Swainswick Explorers. Discover more about our curriculum here
From Year 4, children can look forward to residential trips where they become more independent, and forge stronger friendships with their peers. Read more about our co-curricular programme here
In Year 6, pupils are prepared for their entrance exams into Prior Park College which take place in January of the year in which your child will start secondary school. Many of our pupils also sit entrance exams for other local independent schools, and are often successful in securing exhibitions and scholarships. Click here to view our 2021 leavers' destinations.
Senior School (11 -17 years)
Our senior school is Prior Park College which is located a short distance away at the top of Ralph Allen Drive. The College is a co-educational Catholic Senior School in Bath for day and boarding children aged 11-18. Being located near to Prior Park College brings many practical benefits. It provides our children with access to the facilities of the senior school. This includes the indoor swimming pool, brand new all weather pitches, athletics track, tennis courts and our sports centre. We also use Prior Park's theatre, dance studio, design and technology, science labs and other facilities. Prior Park College teachers add their specialist knowledge to The Paragon's pupils' learning, particularly for science, sport and design and technology.
Smoothing the transition to secondary school
Greater access to the College enables The Paragon children to become familiar with the senior school environment, enabling a smooth transition from Year 6 to Year 7 and the curriculum is designed for continuous progression from junior to senior school. Visit Prior Park's 11+ page for further details.
