The Lower School begins in Year 1 at the age of 5 and runs through to Year 2; this is known nationally as Key Stage 1 (KS1). There are six classes in total in Lower School, three in each year group. The transition from Reception to Year 1 is well planned, with pupils spending time with their new teachers at the end of Reception, while becoming familiar with their new classrooms and learning environments during a structured transition period.

Pupils will complete certain statutory and non-statutory assessments during their time in Lower School, including a Phonics Screening Check towards the end of Year 1, and end of Key Stage 1 teacher assessments in reading, writing, mathematics and science in Year 2. Pupils will be well prepared for these assessments by their teachers and support staff, and the school has a proven track record of achieving strong outcomes for pupils.

During their time in Lower School, pupils will have many opportunities to extend their learning beyond the classroom by attending educational visits. Educational visits are an important part of school life at William Murdoch Primary School and contribute significantly to pupils’ learning. Each year group will attend up to three educational visits per academic year to support, extend and enrich learning in the classroom. One of the visits during the year is to a local place of worship to enhance pupils’ religious education.

The school also engages with numerous partners and external organisations to provide pupils with a variety of enrichment opportunities to supplement classroom learning. For example, during Science Week, which takes place in the Spring Term, pupils take part in a range of workshops and activities designed to deepen their understanding of scientific concepts. In addition to this, staff in individual year groups source workshops for pupils based on the units they are studying across the curriculum.