Academic Life at St Catherine's Prep

In Art, girls have the opportunity to work with a variety of different media in our inspirational Imaginarium. 

Girls develop their techniques with creativity, experimentation and different kinds of art and design.  They are taught to create sketch books to record their observations and improve their art and design practice, including drawing, painting and sculpture using a range of materials.  They are also introduced to artists and designers to underpin their thoughts and ideas for their own artwork. 

We also run two weekly Art clubs where students have the chance to work in small groups and create a variety of projects in addition to the curriculum. 

Girls in Pre-Prep are taught Ballet as part of their curriculum.The curricular classes take place during the school day and aim to teach basic ballet technique and an awareness of the body and different ways of moving. Through imaginative, themed sessions, exploring fairy tales, classical ballet stories and links to school topics the dance classes will help the girls to harness skills in co-ordination, build their confidence and develop a greater understanding of working with others.

For students in PPII (Year 1) upwards ballet, Modern, Tap and Jazz dance classes are offered as an extra curricular activity taking place after school.

Dance School information

Drama is taught both as a discrete subject and as an important part of the English curriculum. As well as being great fun, taking part in drama develops the girls’ confidence, imagination and physical co-ordination, as well as their speaking and listening skills.

Girls have frequent opportunities to speak in front of an audience including assemblies, Harvest and Christmas celebrations and presentations to a group or class. LAMDA classes are offered to the older girls as an extra-curricular activity. Our two major public performances, the Pre-Prep Nativity and the end of LIII musical are always a delight and eagerly awaited by the school community and beyond.

The girls exude confidence, demonstrate great teamwork and perform with a maturity way beyond their years to create the most outstanding productions. We are very fortunate to be able to stage these events in the new, purpose built Anniversary Hall Theatre

Here at St Catherine’s, all girls are encouraged to foster a life-long passion for Music, and receive at least one hour of Music tuition a week from a specialist teacher. Music lessons include singing, listening, performing and composing using tuned instruments and percussion and studying a wide range of musical styles and periods. Our curriculum encourages music appreciation and progression of musical skill with the opportunity to try woodwind, brass and string instruments woven in. The PP3 (Year 2) String Scheme and Form 1 (Year 3) Wind Scheme are yearlong programmes led by instrumental specialists, where the whole year group receives instrumental tuition throughout the year. Each end of year concert demonstrates the progress made and provides a key performance occasion.

Girls have the opportunity to perform in informal concerts and more formal settings throughout each year, including the Senior School 300-seater Auditorium and local music festivals and community events. These opportunities of both solo and ensemble performance, are designed to encourage self-belief and build confidence from a young age. 

Individual Music Lessons

We have over thirty visiting instrumental teachers teaching a broad range of instruments and individual music lessons are available to girls upon application.

Individual Music Lesson information

Cookery is extremely popular at St Catherine's, and our cookery curriculum begins in Form I (Year 3), offering our pupils invaluable skills in food preparation, safety, and culinary techniques. We deliver many of our lessons in the modern Culinary Art Studio within the Senior School Art and Maker Space, which provides a wonderful environment for learning, with the remainder of lessons taking place in our well-equipped Prep School Imaginarium.

Our cookery program currently includes:

Cooking Fundamentals
Starting in Year 3, your daughter will learn essential skills such as preparing fruits and vegetables, measuring ingredients, and understanding food hygiene and safety. These foundational lessons pave the way for confident and safe cooking practices.

Nutritional Education and Seasonal Cooking
We emphasize the importance of a balanced diet and teach about the nutritional value of different foods. Your daughter will also explore seasonal fruits and vegetables, gaining insights into the benefits of local produce and seasonal eating habits.

Farm to Fork Insight
This part of our curriculum educates pupils about the journey of food from the farm to their plates. They participate in practical activities like tasting and evaluating different foods, which helps them understand food sourcing and encourages healthy eating.

Adopt a Chef Workshops
Led by the head chef from Harrison’s, Dan Marinier, this unique program includes three specialised workshops. These sessions provide an intimate look at professional culinary techniques and aim to inspire a deeper appreciation and engagement with the culinary arts.

Extracurricular Clubs
In addition to the regular curriculum, younger pupils in Pre-Prep can join the 'Cookery Club,' where they engage in fun, basic cooking activities. For pupils in Key Stage 2, we offer the 'Make, Bake and Create' club, which allows them to explore other recipes and creative projects.

Our cookery program is designed to not just impart practical cooking skills but also to cultivate a lifelong appreciation for food and its preparation. We take pride in seeing our pupils develop not only competence but also confidence in the kitchen, setting the foundation for a lifetime of healthy and enjoyable cooking.

Surrey Wildlife Trust Partnership

St Catherine’s have joined the Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Wilder Schools Project with the aim of increasing biodiversity in the schools grounds and at home to battle the decline in nature in the UK. Since starting, FI (Year 3) have been leading the biodiversity project by surveying the school grounds and assessing potential gaps to help encourage more wildlife. The girls have raised awareness of the project through creating posters and presenting these in assembly and have also created a plan outlining how they will raise funds to create some of the habitats. So far ‘no mow’ spaces have been created and the ‘blue heart’ competition has been launched while also forming log circles for lessons outside and a place for invertebrates to call home. There are still lots to come, including creating a pond in the Cottage Garden and planting a hedgerow in the Senior School.