Building Confidence and Unlocking Potential at Truro School Prep

At Truro School Prep, our guiding principle is that every child should flourish. From Nursery through to Year 6, we place the individual child at the centre of everything we do, ensuring that each pupil is known, understood and supported to achieve their very best academically, socially and emotionally.

Standardised assessment results place the school considerably above the national average, and high-quality, inclusive classroom practice lies at the very heart of this success. Over the past two years, we have strengthened this provision through a renewed focus on metacognition, refined marking and feedback practices, and the development of cognitive ability testing to deepen our understanding of each pupil’s potential and learning profile.

Our work on metacognition, teaching children how to think about their thinking, has been particularly powerful. Pupils are explicitly taught how to plan, monitor and evaluate their learning. They develop strategies to approach challenges with confidence, reflect on what works best for them, and adapt their approach to become independent learners.

Alongside this, our revised marking and assessment approaches ensure that feedback is purposeful, developmental and responsive. As such, each child has the opportunity to learn to the best of their ability and to develop into the best version of themselves.

Furthermore, we benefit from an environment where it ‘is cool to learn and to do well’, and the children genuinely care about their progress and development. Difficulties and challenges are reframed as opportunities, and they appreciate the opportunity to ‘stretch themselves’ in their daily work and through regional and national competitions.

Within this strong universal provision, our enhanced SEND support forms part of a carefully structured plan to ensure that no child is overlooked.

Over the last two years, this SEND provision has been significantly strengthened. A dedicated full-time SENDCo now works across EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, with close links to the Senior School to ensure continuity and shared expertise throughout a child’s journey from Nursery to Sixth Form.

Our approach is graduated and responsive. Universal support ensures that all pupils benefit from adaptive teaching and inclusive classroom strategies embedded in everyday practice. Targeted support provides small group interventions such as Funfit, Nessy, guided reading, Precision Teaching and social, emotional and mental health programmes. Where required, Pupil Passports outline strengths and effective classroom strategies. Specialist support offers individualised programmes overseen by the Learning Support team.

Early identification is central to our philosophy. Early Years screening supports the identification of speech, language and communication needs, with dyslexia screening implemented at the beginning of Key Stage 2. This proactive approach allows us to respond before barriers become entrenched.

Support at Truro School Prep does not sit in isolation. It exists within a culture that recognises that strengths and challenges coexist, and the impact of this child-centred, layered approach is evident in the excellent progress pupils make from Nursery to Year 6.

Through strong universal teaching, intelligent assessment, early identification, structured transition planning and close collaboration with families, every child can flourish. As they move on to the Senior School, we are proud that the children leave us academically prepared and fully equipped with the self-belief, resilience and learning habits that will sustain success long into the future.

If you would like to find out more about our outstanding teaching provision at Truro School Prep, we warmly invite you to join us at our Open Morning on Saturday, 7th March from 10.00am to 12.00pm. Find out more and register your interest here.