Admissions FAQ

Stormont is a one form entry school with the capacity for 24 children in each class. The class is divided into two mixed ability groups enabling our specialist teachers to work with much smaller groups. Whilst one half of the class may be learning French with our Specialist French Teacher, the remaining 12 girls may be having an English or Maths lesson. Because the ratio of adults to children is high, the staff know the girls really well and are able to personalise learning to suit all abilities giving our girls strong foundations from the outset.

Pupils wishing to join Stormont at the start of the academic year in Reception are able to providing there is a space available. Parents are encouraged to view the School which includes a tour of the school with one of the Senior Leadership Team or the Registrar to which pupils are welcome to attend. Offer letters are sent to those who have previously registered.

Our Reception staff work quickly from the start of the first term to establish and build on the ability of each pupil and plan the next steps for them regardless of ability.

As your daughter progresses through the school, half class teaching allocation increases giving the pupils more focussed time with their teachers and therefore enabling them to make the best possible progress.

We have high standards and expect the girls to do well. We have specialist teachers for English, Maths and Science amongst other subjects. The girls are taught in half classes on their timetable with a maximum of 12 in each half class group, these are not based on ability. The smaller groups provide a high ratio of adults to children in each year which ensures that your daughter gets unique quality teaching time in a nurturing but challenging environment.

Online assessments are carried out each term, the results are tracked allowing us to adjust the teaching and learning. When a child excels at a particular subject there is extension work set and equally if a child has difficulty grasping something, interventions are put in place.

Our results speak for themselves in terms of which schools our girls go onto and the offers received and Scholarships awarded, see here.

Once the offer of a place has been accepted by the parents and an acceptance fee has been paid, the girls arrive in Reception in the Autumn Term and we work with them on our EYFS programme.

Parents may move their daughter to us in Reception to Year 6 from another school following a meeting with the Head or the Head of Pre-Prep if there are spaces available. We would arrange for your daughter to take part in informal assessments for us to be aware of her learning levels and for you to know that this is the right school for her. We would contact her current school for a reference and ask you for a copy of her most recent school report.

We accept children from all faiths and welcome them to Stormont. Our specialist R. E. Teacher covers all religions so that the girls have a good understanding of other people’s beliefs. They enjoy learning about cultures far and wide and we invite parents in to assemblies or classes to share their beliefs and how they celebrate at home.

Reading is a must have skill that is encouraged from day one. From Reception your daughter is listened to by the teacher, supporting Teaching Assistants or parent volunteers on a daily basis. A lot of work is done on forming sounds to build their confidence in being able to read. We encourage parents to be involved at home as much as possible and to involve the extended family in a love of reading. Each class across the school is well stocked with a variety of books to increase their level of reading. Our library is extensive and allows your daughter to be independent in her choice of books to read for pleasure with encouragement from staff.

Reading records are kept and discussions with parents are held for those who may be reluctant readers and those who have a thirst for a good book.

At the beginning of the Autumn Term, Pre-Prep parents are invited to attend reading workshops giving hints and tips on how to support and encourage your daughter. These are well received and give you, the parent, the confidence to be part of the journey with us. There is nothing better than having a child read to you with enthusiasm and to be able to talk about the plot and the characters.

Homework timetables are set at the beginning of the year for all years and are age appropriate. Clear instructions are given and the girls are expected to write in their planners what the homework is and when it should be in by. If homework is not handed in reminders are given to the pupil and if it does not materialise on a regular basis then Form Tutors will contact parents to discuss.

We encourage the girls to be independent learners and encourage them to think for themselves and be organised.

For Pre-Prep children there is regular contact with parents on how they can support their daughter in their learning at home. Each class has their own homework timetable and parents are encouraged to contact the teacher.

We are open to hear from parents if they feel their child is unhappy or if an incident occurs that is uncomfortable for anyone. Stormont girls follow our Golden Rules, being kind to each other and considerate is promoted throughout the school day and beyond. Bullying is frowned upon and discussions with the pupils, the Form Tutors and parents are paramount to ensure that this does not occur and is covered in PSHEE lessons across all years and in assemblies.

We have excellent peripatetic teachers who are employed by the school and coordinated by the Head of Music. There is a huge variety of instruments to learn, from guitar to oboe to drums and lots in between. Recorder and singing are on the school curriculum but children can have individual lessons as well. Girls can learn an instrument from Year 2 and many take exams to get their grades. There are rock choirs, ensembles and Stormont Singers for the girls to join and take part in concerts held throughout the year. Many are chosen to play at Open Days for our visitors.

Playing sport is important at Stormont School. Our P.E. Specialist Teachers have lots of experience in teaching all types of skills. It is not just about playing a sport but being collaborative, being skilful, being enthusiastic, assessing the game and enjoying sport. Netball, gymnastics, swimming and skiing feature regularly on the calendar and girls are entered for competitions against other schools. P.E. is built into the timetable and girls are encouraged to take part with enthusiasm.

Stormont continues to be a school that prides itself on valuing all subjects equally. Whilst preparations do take place to ensure pupils feel confident to tackle any interviews and exams, we will not substitute foundation subjects in favour of extra exam preparation. Our aim is to nurture and develop both interest and ability across all of the curriculum areas giving each pupil the best possible foundation in education.

From Year 5 we start the conversations with parents about the schools they are interested in. The Head Teacher delivers a talk to parents about the secondary school transfer process and how we prepare the girls. The Head Teacher also meets with parents individually to offer advice on future schools. As we assess and track each pupil from Reception, we are able to offer an informed view from the data we have as well as knowing the personality of each pupil. At this stage parents are advised to talk to subject specialists as soon as possible about potential scholarships such as sport, music, art or academia.

Our staff have a lot of experience and knowledge of secondary transfer who will advise and make suggestions about which school they feel will suit your daughter best being realistic about expectations.

Form Tutors and specialist teachers work with parents and pupils in preparation for entrance exams. The girls have explicit verbal and non-verbal reasoning lessons from the Summer Term in Year 4 through to Year 6 as well as mock exams and interview preparation. We believe that the girls should feel prepared and confident to undertake exams but that it should not dominate the curriculum. Specialist teachers work hard to create a curriculum that is engaging as well preparing the girls for future exams. The success of our approach can be seen through the happy, confident and ambitious girls that leave Stormont at the end of Year 6 recognised by the multiple scholarships awarded.

Stormont prepares all girls for the next steps in their educational journey regardless of whether they are continuing to stay in the independent school system or moving to the maintained system. Our curriculum is geared towards the 11+ exams; we do not sit SATs exams at Stormont. Senior school choices are often governed by their locations, previous siblings in the family and personal preference, for example single sex or co-ed. A full list of previous destinations of our Year 6 girls and any awarded scholarships can be found here.

Stormont girls whose academic performance meets St Albans High School for Girls (STAHS) Senior’s entry criteria are offered places without needing to sit the Year 7 entrance assessment. STAHS is one of the top-performing schools in the country and a long-established destination of choice at Year 7 for Stormont leavers. To find out more about Assessment-Free entry for Stormont pupils to STAHS Senior, click here.