Reception | Devonshire House Preparatory School

Reception at Devonshire House: A Foundation Year for Confident, Curious Learners

Imagine a school which moulds to your child instead of the other way round. In Reception, that means an environment built around your child’s curiosity, confidence and sense of self – right from their very first year with us.

How We Teach in Reception

Each Reception class is led by a class teacher supported by a learning support assistant. Structured literacy sessions form the focus of the morning, when children are most alert, while afternoons open up into free-choice exploration.

Reception

Specialist Teaching from Day One

PE and Games

Music and The Arts

Coding and STEM

French

Forest School

Specialist teachers bring each of these to life from Reception onwards, so children build confidence across a broad curriculum from their very first term.

Learning Through Curiosity

Our classrooms are deliberately resourced to spark interest and child-initiated learning – dinosaurs might appear in the art area for a child fascinated by them, or building-site props might turn up to encourage mark-making during construction play.

Growing All The Time

Reception is a foundation year in every sense. We want your children to develop across five key areas that will shape them as they get older:

Confidence
Courage
Curiosity
Compassion
Independence

But there’s no rush to grow up just yet. We give all our pupils the space and time to grow into themselves, socially and academically, before moving up through Pre-Prep.

Joining Reception

We welcome children into Reception each September.

See our Fees page for Reception fees, and our Joining Us page for the wider application process.

Frequently Asked Questions about Reception

What does a typical day look like in Reception?

Mornings focus on structured literacy sessions when children are most alert, with afternoons given over to child-led, free-choice exploration and specialist lessons across PE, Music, Coding, French and Forest School.

What specialist teaching is available?

In Reception your child will have specialist teachers for PE, Music , Coding, French as well as Forest School.

How is the day structured?

Structured literacy sessions form the focus of the morning when your child is most alert. Free flow afternoons allow your child to explore and choose based on their interests.

How do I apply for a Reception place?

Register for an Open Morning or contact admissions to arrange an individual visit, then follow our Joining Us process to apply.