Port Regis is a school where we believe anything’s possible, and this begins with our talented teaching staff. Many are specialists in their field with a wealth of knowledge and deep passion for their subject. Add to this small class sizes and careful streaming, and the result is an education that inspires, stretches and supports every child.
Of course, there is far more to education than academic prowess. So in everything we do, we seek to develop character - we celebrate kindness, instil wonder, and embed a culture of tolerance and good manners. We even give out trophies for it!
Whether it’s coding, poetry, nature or engineering, we’ll help kindle and nurture your child’s passion. We’ll also give them the broad and balanced education that they need to flourish in their later education and beyond. It’s no coincidence that all Port Regis children secure a place at their senior school of choice, with many achieving scholarships to the UK’s leading schools.
At Port Regis, plenty of curriculum time is devoted to the critical core subjects in all year groups, leading to a challenging Common Entrance or academic scholarship level in Year 8. English and maths are taught by subject specialists from Year 5, while the amount of time dedicated to science increases as children progress through the school, from one hour a week in Year 3 up to three hours from Years 6-8. Science lessons (again, delivered by specialists), in which we place great emphasis on the practical as well as the theoretical, are taught in one of our three dedicated laboratories.
We are very proud of our international outlook, and our humanities teaching (geography, history, and religious studies) gives pupils further opportunities to explore the way the world works, with their studies ultimately leading to internally set papers at the end of Year 8. Port Regis also has a Classics Department staffed by four specialist teachers. In Year 6 pupils study Latin 'ab initio' with some also choosing to take Classical Greek.
The process of learning a foreign language can bring additional benefits such as improvement in critical thinking and increased creativity and encourages pupils to become more open-minded. In keeping with our multi-cultural community, children can learn Mandarin, Italian, German, and Japanese, as well as French, Spanish. Like the core subjects, languages are externally assessed: French is taught throughout the school by native speakers, and in Year 6 pupils can choose to build on this foundation or start Spanish.
We are incredibly lucky to be based in such an inspiring part of the world. As well as the natural beauty of Dorset, we regularly organise trips to leading art galleries including Hauser & Wirth in nearby Bruton and Messums in Tisbury.
Back in the classroom, children learn to draw, paint, make prints and work in three dimensions.
We have our own ceramics kiln where many of these incredible works are brought to life. Our specialist teachers draw on artists past and present to inspire creativity.
Some people have dreams, others ideas. Our Craft, Design and Technology (CDT) department has the expertise and facilities to enable children to realise their ideas (sometimes dreams) as they learn to use tools and equipment not normally available at prep school level.
Most visitors hang around CDT a little longer than they intended when they visit for the first time, often wanting to have a go at laser cutting, steam bending or woodturning for themselves.
We can show you fantastic plastics, wonderful woods, magic metals, rambling robots, a few smart materials (and a few smart children to use them), not forgetting cracking glass and shocking electrics. Our gallery hosts a wide and impressive range of objects made by the children. It's no wonder that Design and Technology scholarships to senior schools, for boys and girls, have become commonplace. Seeing their dreams realised or ideas work for the first time creates unforgettable emotions and lifelong memories.
Led by Head of Drama, Hazel Hiles, all children 'tread the boards' at least once a year in incredible productions, performed in our 350-seat theatre. It is part of the weekly timetable for Years 3, 4 and 5 (F, E and D Forms) and there is also an opportunity for Year 5 and above to study for LAMDA exams with visiting specialist drama tutors. The school has an enviable record of drama scholarships to senior schools, including all-rounder scholarships with drama as a key element.
These unforgettable spectacles are made all the more impressive by a 'stage crew' comprising entirely of pupils, who manage each production including sets, props, costume, make-up, lighting and sound. In fact, it is so popular that we've created a dedicated Stage Crew hobby which is always oversubscribed!
Music starts young at Port Regis. All seven-year-olds learn the recorder and how to read music. At eight, they take up the viola and at nine, we teach them keyboard skills. Our stunning purpose-built music school has a 132-seat recital hall where our choirs, bands and ensembles perform regular classical, rock, pop and jazz concerts.
We have several wind, brass and string ensembles, two school orchestras, 2 senior and 4 junior choirs, samba band, swing band and many other formal and informal groups. Performance Days and Novices' Concerts introduce beginners to the thrill of performing in public and to the excitement of playing with other people and for other people. It is that thrill that makes the practising so much easier!
