Wealden Times | WT188 | October 2017 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

Education
How do schools quantify success?
In an age of increasing exam pressure and rigorous assessment, WT speaks to three schools to find out
what’s being done to reward achievement and identify students that may need extra support
Vicky Ellis, Head
Banstead Prep School
How does Banstead Prep quantify
success? I strongly believe that
succes s within school is about
far more than exam results, it
encompasses everything we do. I
subscribe to Winston Churchill’s
definition of success: “Success is not final; failure
is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
How are achievements celebrated at your school –
both inside and outside the classroom? We focus on
the positives and reward the effort pupils demonstrate to
achieve, not just the achievement itself. Children are praised
throughout each day for academic effort, attainment and
conduct. Commendations are awarded for superb pieces
of work and also to praise determination, perseverance,
thoughtfulness or manners. The whole school comes together
for our Friday Celebration Assembly to acknowledge
achievements both inside and outside the classroom, award
certificates for external accomplishments and to celebrate
sporting successes and the weekly house point total.
Are prizes offered to pupils that excel in certain areas?
How do you ensure that prize-givings don’t de-incentivise
pupils who have not been awarded a prize? At BPS we have
a termly prize-giving, which allows for a greater number of
pupils to be acknowledged. Prizes and cups are awarded across
the whole curriculum, not just for academic subjects, as well
as for endeavour and the key characteristics needed to learn
and succeed, such as perseverance, resilience and teamwork.
How do you monitor your pupils’ progress and help
those who are struggling in certain areas? Across the
whole curriculum, pupils’ progress is tracked against
key performance indicators. At a glance we know if a
child is working towards an objective, working within
age related expectations or has mastered a concept and
is working at greater depth. Analysis shows us where
additional support or intervention is needed and our
highly experienced SENCO co-ordinates additional
learning support, or works alongside our staff to ensure
appropriate support is given in the classroom.
What can be done to ease exam pressure during peak
periods? Broad curriculum coverage and excellent quality
teaching within the normal school timetable should be
adequate preparation for 11+ assessment, but parents can
exert further pressure and workload through external tutoring.
At BPS we work hard to help parents identify aspirational
but realistic school choices – if a child needs a tutor multiple
times a week, it’s unlikely that school is the best choice in
the long term. We also ensure pupils are able to express their
worries through our pastoral system of Form Teachers and
supported through our PSHCEE and Life Skills programmes.
bansteadprep.com
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