Mayville High School, Southsea

History

Mayville High School was founded in the home of Lottie West at 1 Gains Road in Portsmouth and moved to a number of different locations before settling in its current premises. Between 1911 and 1936 the school accepted boarding pupils but they were later transferred to Charmandean Manor School in Worthing, West Sussex. In September 1936, it was reopened as a day school. During the Second World War, when Portsmouth was heavily damaged during German bombings, Mayville was one of the few schools which were not evacuated. In 1980 Mayville became a charitable trust. Boys were formally admitted during the 1990s, though there had already been a small number attending since the end of the War. The school is now coeducational but boys and girls are taught separately.

Academics

Mayville caters to children aged 2 to 16. Junior School pupils are generally given automatic entry into the Senior School while new applicants must pass a test and an interview. The school caters to pupils of all abilities and there are specialised "units" to attend to gifted children and those with learning disabilities.

Early Years

The Early Years Foundation Stage at Mayville is divided into 3 areas:

Swans

The Swans (Years 2 and 3) are housed in a learning space called ‘The Cottage’, with different rooms focused on creativity, imaginative play, building and construction, and science and investigation. The Cottage includes a kitchen where food is prepared for pupils and an outdoor area where children are encouraged to play. Swans pupils are often taken out on short trips by foot, by minibus, or in six-seater buggies.

Kestrels

The Kestrels (Years 3 and 4) are housed in the Kenilworth building with the Pre-Prep and Junior department of Mayville High School. Interactive whiteboards and iPads are used as teaching utilities. As Kestrels, pupils are introduced to specialist topics such as music, physical education, and foreign languages, in classes led by teachers from the main school.

Lower 1

Lower 1 is Mayville High School’s reception class, and is deemed the first proper year of school. Starting with Lower 1, pupils are expected to wear uniforms and participate in whole-school events.

Boys and girls are taught separately for most of the curriculum, with learning styles adapted to both sides, but regularly join together for activities centred on independent learning.

Pre-Prep and Junior School

Mayville High School creates small classes during Pre-Prep and Junior School to allow teachers to give more individual support and attention to pupils. Teachers in this part of the school are specialists in topics including English, mathematics, science, history, geography, religious education, art, IT, music, physical education, drama, and foreign languages.

Pupils are encouraged to take part in extra-curricular activities to enhance their learning experience, including field trips, residential courses, concerts, themed curriculum days, productions, sporting competitions, community projects, and fundraising events.

Mayville High School nurtures relationships between pupils, teachers, and parents by giving parents the opportunity to meet with school staff informally every day.

During Pre-Prep and Junior years, Mayville High School puts an emphasis on confidence-building, and employs a dedicated department of teachers for this aspect of the learning experience.

Senior School

In the Senior School, Mayville pupils follow the curriculum guidelines for Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. Pupils take an online Multiple Intelligence Profiling Test during the second term of Remove (Year 7) which enables them to have a deeper understanding of their individual learning styles. Pupils also take CAT tests which are used throughout the school as baseline testing. Mathematics and French are set by ability depending on numbers and needs within each year group. Most subjects are taught in ‘half’ class groups providing a ratio of approximately 1:12 allowing targeted extension and support.

In Key Stage 3 pupils take all subjects until the end of Upper IV (Year 9) when GCSE option choices are made. French is the core modern foreign language but in Lower IV (Year 8) all pupils have the opportunity to learn Spanish.

In Key Stage 4, Lower V (Year 10) pupils are encouraged to be responsible for raising money for the charities selected by the Senior School Council. In the last term of Lower V (Year 10) and first two terms of Upper V (Year 11) pupils act as prefects and assist in running the school. They form part of the School Council. The School Council is made up of the Heads and Deputy Heads of the three Houses (Austin, Nelson, and Cavell) who are joined by the Form Captains for full School Council Meetings.

During the spring term Options Evening is arranged for Upper IV (Year 9) and their parents to discuss GCSE choices. The core subjects at GCSE are English language, English literature, maths, science and IT.

Dyslexia

Mayville is known for its expertise in the specialist tuition of dyslexic pupils. The school runs the ‘Harden-Davies Dyslexia Unit’, catering for dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, and mild speech and language disorders. Children aged 4 to 16 can receive an individual programme of support to help overcome their particular difficulties.

The Harden-Davies Dyslexia Unit is regularly inspected by CreSTeD, most recently in November 2013, when the Dyslexia Unit status was last renewed.

Catchment Area and Transport

Mayville High School’s catchment area is typically wide. A fleet of minibuses pick up pupils from Horndean, Portsmouth Harbour railway station, the Gosport Ferry, and the Hovercraft.

Pupils living outside Portsmouth can use Lucketts' Student City Link coaches.

Mayville have pupils who travel back and forth to the Isle of Wight each day.

Staff

Mayville uses general classroom teachers in the junior school and specialist teachers in the senior school, as is common practice in the United Kingdom. Alongside teachers, the school employs a range of support staff.

Past Pupils

Lorraine Hepburn - owner, Victory-Land Theatre School
Candice Doughty - current Mayville dance teacher
Sheridan Little - former children's wear designer
Peter Marcus - recipient of the City of Portsmouth Civic Award