Education | ED06 | Summer 2019

Kent | Sussex | Surrey 

PRICELESS 

SUMMER 2019

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Nursery & Prep School 

St Leonards, East Sussex TN37 7PW . 01424 751555 

Senior School & Sixth Form 

Bodiam, East Sussex TN32 5UJ . 01580 830396 

enquiries@claremontschool.co.uk . claremontschool.co.uk

2019 

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Contents 

44 

7 

Noticeboard 

Local educational 

news and events 

School of Rock 

The modern way 

into music study 

FREWEN 

The Dyslexia School 

Since 1910 

COLLEGE 

11 

15 

19 

23 

29 

31 

35 

39 

43 

Educating the 

whole child 

A well-rounded 

approach to education 

the whole person 

The educational philosophy 

in practical terms 

Ask the Experts 

Tips for parents of 

young children 

On their Marks... 

First steps in sport 

read all about it 

Rebecca Cuffe’s book picks 

for children up to seven 

Planting the seed 

Schools where pupils 

grow fruit and veg 

ask the experts 

Prep school kids 

POETRY please 

The winners of our 

poetry competition 

READ ALL ABOUT IT 

Books for children from 

seven to thirteen 

50 

52 

59 

61 

63 

67 

68 

75 

80 


Going up to big school 

Meet the matrons 

The joys and challenges 

of boarding 

read all about it 

Young people over 14 will 

love these book picks 


Surviving GCSEs 

educating the 

future 

How to get your child ready for 

the jobs of tomorrow 

The life scientific 

Advances in science teaching 

This art of mine 

Magnificent art by pupils 

Going Solo 

Young people who shine 

in individual sports 

ASK THE EXPERTS 

Sixth formers 

Cover image photographed by David 

Merewether at the science and technology 

centre at Sevenoaks School, Kent 

Prep 

School 

Senior 

• • 

School 

Sixth 

Form 

Frewen College is a leading Day and Boarding 

School for girls and boys aged 7-19 with Dyslexia 

and Dyspraxia. We are proud to be different: 

Frewen is the oldest specialist 

dyslexia school in UK 

Winner of the BDA’s 

‘Best Dyslexia-Friendly School’ 2018 

All teachers have specialist 

dyslexia qualifications 

Assistive Technology is used 

throughout the school 

Best exam results ever in 2018. GCSE 9-4 

grades and ‘pupil progress’ increased for the 

4th consecutive year 

Daily mini bus service from: Battle & Bexhill, Tunbridge 

Wells, Hastings, Wadhurst, Hawkhurst & Ashford. 

Frewen College, Northiam, East Sussex, TN31 6NL 

www.frewencollege.co.uk 

Published by Priceless Media Ltd. Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent 

TN17 3HF | Call 01580 714705 | Email info@priceless-group.com Visit priceless-group.com 

Copyright © 2019 Priceless Media Ltd. The views of the advertisers & contributors are not 

necessarily those of Priceless Media Ltd. 

3 wealdentimes.co.uk 

FrewenCollegeED06.indd 1 12/06/2019 12:39

A School Full 

of Opportunities 

“Vinehall clearly encourages excellence in all areas. Whilst 

our daughter will be able to embrace her broad passions, 

underpinning everything there is a solid academic 

foundation.” New Parent 

Vinehall 

ROBERTSBRIDGE EAST SUSSEX 

VINEHALLSCHOOL.COM

editor’s letter 

the theme of this year’s issue of the education magazine 

is educating the whole person. rather than channelling 

all effort into safe ‘academic’ subjects, encouraging 

young people, with their wonderfully supple minds, to 

experiment in all areas. Not just to cram, but to grow. 

so i was very glad to hear on the radio as i drove into the 

office this morning, a spokesperson for the russell group of 

elite universities saying that they are officially tearing up the 

list of recommended ‘facilitating subjects’ they used to advise 

increased chances of being accepted by one of them. 

what they are more interested in now, he said, is young 

people who have stretched and challenged themselves in lots of 

different areas, including the pure arts of drama, fine art and 

music, languages and vocational technical subjects. 

bravo to that! and we would also add the importance of 

varied physical education, to help our children reach their full 

potential in every aspect of life. 

in this spirit we have devoted most of this special issue 

to school initiatives in sports and the creative arts – from 

solo sport, to junior rock bands – at all ages, balanced with 

expert advice on four key stages of education from the experts 

themselves, the teachers. 

we hope you will find plenty in it to inform and inspire you 

on the exhilarating journey of your child’s education. 

Education team 

editor ....................................................................................... Maggie alderson 

editorial assistant ........................................................................rebecca Cuffe 

design director ..........................................................................anthony boxall 

design team .................................................................................... Freya bruce 

ryan huggins 

tanya goldsmith 

executive Chairman ...................................................................... Julie simpson 

Managing director .............................................................. Vivien Cotterill-Lee 

sales Manager ................................................................................... Jen shearer 

Lisa gordon-hughes 

senior account Manager .............................................................sarah Norwood 

Cinnamon Lacey 

Nadene weed 

katie wood 

distribution ....................................................................................... kate watts 

katie wood 


KentCollegeCanterburyED06.indd 1 11/06/2019 16:18

Moor House School & College 

VOICE TRIALS 

for boys aged 7 & 8 

9 th November 2019 

Enquiries are welcome 

at any time 

Substantial scholarships are awarded 

and choristers benefit from an all-round 

excellent education at St Edmund’s 

School Canterbury. 

The Master of Choristers, David Flood, 

is always pleased to meet and advise 

parents and their sons. 

Moor House is a registered charity, specialist 

School and Sixth form college in rural Surrey 

providing life changing education and support to 

children and young people with Developmental 

Language Disorder (DLD), helping them to achieve 

extraordinary outcomes. 

Consistently rated outstanding by Ofsted, Moor 

House provides individually tailored education with 

integrated speech and language therapy for those 

with the most severe and complex forms of the 

condition. 

Our holistic approach ensures that our students 

achieve their learning potential, maximise 

their communication skills and become happy, 

confident, independent and valued members 

of society. 

Open Days 2019/20 

25 Sep, 16 Oct, 20 Nov 

22 Jan, 25 Mar, 22 Apr, 20 May 

To register please email info@moorhouseschool.co.uk 

“Moor House is a beacon of support and teaching” 

Parent Feedback 

For further details please telephone 

01227 865242 

davidf@canterbury-cathedral.org 

@No1Cathedral 

www.moorhouse.surrey.sch.uk 

@MoorHouseSLCN 

info@moorhouseschool.co.uk 

01883 712271 

Moor House School & College, Mill Lane, Hurst Green, Oxted, Surrey, RH8 9AQ 

CanterburyCathedralChoirWT207.indd 1 02/04/2019 MoorHouseSchoolED06.indd 15:04 

1 04/06/2019 16:42 

Not all family lawyers 

are the same 

Specialising in one area of law keeps our 

solicitors on top of the ever changing legal 

landscape. Technical excellence and years of 

experience combine to give our solicitors the 

upper hand in gaining the best outcome for 

clients. 

Visit our website to see our client feedback. 

It also contains a wealth of knowledge about 

family law. 

Call us today 

01892 337540 

@TMFamilyLaw1 

@TMFamilyLaw 

London | Sevenoaks | Tunbridge Wells | Tonbridge | Maidstone 

www.tmfamilylaw.co.uk 

Thomas Mansfield 

Solicitors Limited, 

First Floor, 121-123 Mount 

Pleasant Road, Tunbridge 

Wells, Kent TN1 1QG 

surrey-homes.co.uk 

6 

ThomasMansfieldWT202.indd 1 20/11/2018 16:02

the Mhs colour run 

Children, parents, staff and past pupils of Marlborough 

house school all came together for a hugely fun and 

colour-filled afternoon to raise money for local charity 

taylor-Made dreams on Friday 29 March. under a 

beautiful blue sky, 362 runners took part in a huge group 

warm up and then with an explosion of colour, they set 

off around a 2km course. the route snaked around our 

beautiful grounds and at various points along the course, 

the runners ran through paint stations where more colour 

was thrown into the mix. the atmosphere throughout 

the whole day was electric and they were thrilled to raise 

a total of £2,409.44. marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk 

Noticeboard 

The latest school and event news from the South East 

artistic opportunities 

JaM on the Marsh has been working 

with primary schools on romney 

Marsh since 2014. this year has 

been no exception, as they have 

teamed up with the singing stars 

weekly after-school club of palmarsh 

and hythe bay primary schools, 

where there are limited resources or 

opportunities for progression. once 

a month, inspirational professional 

vocal tutors have been joining the 

stars in preparations for a public 

performance at JaM on the Marsh 

on thursday 11 July 

with the 

Chapel Choir of selwyn College 

Cambridge, Canterbury Cathedral 

girls’ Choir, top quintet onyx brass 

and professional soloists. Marsh 

primary schools have also eagerly 

taken up the opportunity of joining 

beach artist Jon Foreman to learn 

about the environment, ecology and 

how to tie maths into design, while 

also building teamwork skills and 

enjoying outdoor activity. 

jamconcert.org 

the greatest show 

this year Manor house school 

in bookham’s senior production 

of Barnum took on an ambitious 

33 musical numbers with over 

400 costume changes. the circus 

extravaganza is based on the life of 

circus showman p.t. barnum which 

inspired The Greatest Showman. 

the production challenged the 

cast to master circus skills along 

with complicated song and dance 

routines choreographed by adrian 

edmeades, bbC Children’s 

Choreographer, for three nights 

of performances from Monday 

25 to Wednesday 27 March. 

manorhouseschool.org 

on point 

ballet Central is a critically 

acclaimed company celebrating rising 

stars who are about to graduate from 

Central school of ballet in London. 

having left home aged 16 to train 

full-time in London, it is a shining 

example of the commitment and 

artistic achievement of young people. 

this year they tour england from 28 

March to 20 July, giving the dancers 

valuable performing experience and 

audiences the chance to see the 

ballet stars of tomorrow at just 

£15 a ticket. 

balletcentral.co.uk

Noticeboard 

Open days 

Thursday 12 September 

Reigate Grammar School 

Reigate Road, Reigate, 

Surrey RH2 0QS 

reigategrammar.org 


Mayfield School 

The Old Palace, Mayfield, 

East Sussex TN20 6PH 

www.mayfieldgirls.org 

Wednesday 25 September 

Moor house School 

& College 

Mill Lane, Hurst Green, 

Oxted, Surrey RH8 9AQ 

moorhouse.surrey.sch.uk 

Saturday 28 September 

St Edmund’s School 

St Thomas Hill, Canterbury, 

Kent CT2 8HU 

stedmunds.org.uk 

Saturday 5 October 

Tonbridge School 

High Street, Tonbridge, 

Kent TN9 1JP 

tonbridge-school.co.uk 

Friday 11 October 

Dulwich Prep 

Cranbrook 

Coursehorn, Cranbrook, 

Kent TN17 3NP 

dulwichprepcranbrook.org 


ACS Cobham 

International School 

Heywood House, Portsmouth 

Road, Cobham, Surrey KT11 1BL 

acs-schools.com 


Claremont Senior 

and Sixth Form 

Bodiam, Nr. Robertsbridge, 

East Sussex TN32 5UJ 

claremontschool.co.uk 

There is no planet B 

We all feel that we would give our children the world, but the truth is that our 

planet is the ultimate legacy that they will one day inherit from us. From 27 

May, Cumnor House Sussex hosted its first Green Week in an effort to inform 

and encourage practical action in aid of the environment. The week included 

a plastic pledge, clothes swap tent, den building for woodland animals, fashion 

workshops for alternatives to ‘fast fashion’, weighing food waste, a collaborative 

art installation made with plastic bottles and a ‘Night Without Light Challenge’ 

to ditch electrical gadgets for a week or longer, to raise money for the week’s 

chosen charity, SolarAid. cumnor.co.uk 

Heads up 

Spring Grove School is delighted 

to welcome Mrs Therésa Jaggard 

who succeeds Mr Bill Jones as Head 

in the Autumn Term 2020. Mrs 

Jaggard is currently Deputy Head 

Teacher at Leybourne St Peter and 

Paul CEP Academy and is also an 

accomplished musician – a violinist, 

pianist and singer who is highly 

experienced at running orchestras 

and choirs. Mrs Jaggard commented 

that she is “extremely honoured and 

privileged to have been chosen to 

take over the leadership of Spring 

Grove School”. 

springgroveschool.co.uk 

Orchard Theatre 

This November, an amazing new 

production of David Walliams’ bestselling 

story Billionaire Boy comes 

to Dartford’s Orchard Theatre. 

From the award-winning West End 

producers of Gangsta Granny and 

Awful Auntie, comes the tale of the 

richest boy in the country who has 

his own sports car, two crocodiles 

for pets and £100,000 a week pocket 

money. This family-friendly show 

will be at the Orchard Theatre 

from Wednesday 13 to Sunday 

17 November with tickets starting 

from just £19.00 (plus there are 

generous group and school rates). 

orchardtheatre.co.uk 


8

Registered charity 1101358 

From a top IB school, expect a winning formula. 

Maya Raman Jones came to Sevenoaks 

when she was eleven. In the Sixth Form she studied 

Chemistry, English, Maths, History, Biology, Russian 

and Theory of Knowledge. 

“At eleven I really loved English. Later on, 

the sciences turned my head! But as the IB curriculum 

at Sevenoaks is so broad, I didn’t have to choose 

between the arts and sciences until I applied to 

university – by which time I was sure Chemistry was 

the one for me.” 

Which explains why Maya is now reading 

Chemistry at the University of Oxford and dreaming of 

a PhD and a career in scientific research. 

www.sevenoaksschool.org 

Maya scored an impressive 44 in the International Baccalaureate (IB) and is now in her second year at Oxford. 

Our commitment to the IB is unwavering after 40 years, thanks to world-class, life-shaping results like this.

Sutton Valence 

Preparatory School 

svs.org.uk 

Is your child starting 

school in September? 

Visit us to learn about our small class sizes and traditional values • 

See our superb facilities and enjoy our glorious location • 

Meet our teachers • 

Please contact Miss Abigail Betts 

T: 01622 842117 | E: bettsa@svs.org.uk

ducating 

Ethe whole child 

A 

radical and exciting revolution is taking place in 

education and it’s one guaranteed to produce happier 

children, more fulfilled young people and more 

capable and cheerful adults. 

If this sounds too good to be true, it’s worth knowing that 

this revolution is long overdue and that while its full results 

have yet to be seen – education is a slow business, it grows at 

exactly the same rate as the young human being – everyone 

involved in it is confident of success. 

This revolution is both absurdly simple, yet also subtle and 

complex. It involves seeing all children as the individuals they 

truly are and then offering them an education that encourages 

every aspect of themselves to flourish and grow. 

It’s also an idea that has its roots in ancient ideas, right back 

to ancient Rome, when the poet Juvenal coined the phrase 

mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body). 

English philosopher John Locke’s influential work Some 

Thoughts Concerning Education of 1693 

proposed a similar theory, that education 

must address three areas: a healthy body, 

a virtuous character and an appropriate 

academic curriculum. 

Now, ‘educating the whole child’ is an 

idea that has spread rapidly across all schools 

in recent years, first taking off when the 

innovative headmaster Anthony Seldon took 

over Wellington School and introduced hippy-style ‘happiness 

lessons’ into an institution that had until then been mainly 

known for its links with the military. 

‘Schools,’ he explained, ‘should open the minds, as well 

as the hearts, of the young. It is vital that they do this as 

many adults possess neither open minds nor open hearts. 

Our young should learn how to think and how fully to feel. 

Education is their greatest chance to learn how to live.’ 

Since then, the revolution has galloped ahead and virtually 

all schools now say they aim to offer an all-round education. 

This is clearly visible in the way they reach out to potential 

new parents. Test and exam results are still important, 

but they no longer fill the whole stage. Instead schools 

emphasize that their pupils play in the mud, sprawl on 

their boarding house beds, laugh a lot, make music, 

dress up, help others and do lots of hands-on learning. 

Of course, schools have always offered arts and 

Our education writer Hilary Wilce explains 

the new – and ancient – philosophy which is 

coming back to the fore in British schools 

sports and after-school clubs, but one of the fundamental 

underpinnings of this new style education is the recognition 

that great academic results spring out of personal happiness 

and fulfillment, not the other way round. 

The revolution has been driven by forward-looking heads, 

but also by parents who wanted to find ways their children 

could avoid the distress of ‘exam treadmill’ schooling. 

Now, say schools, parents actively seek out a rich and 

happy school experience, asking probing questions about 

the provision of emotional and social learning alongside the 

academic curriculum. 

Significantly, one of the most popular schools in London at 

present, with a long waiting list, is an alternative forest school 

that educates its children entirely outdoors in all weathers. 

So what does educating the whole child actually involve? 

Of course, pupils still get regular lessons, but these are 

increasingly tailored to meet the different learning styles 

of the children in class. Factory-style 

“Factory-style rote 

learning is long gone 

and pupils are offered 

opportunities to develop 

their creative side” 

‘Logic will get you 

from A to B. 

Imagination will 

take you everywhere.’ 

Albert Einstein 

rote learning is long gone. Pupils are 

offered opportunities to develop their 

creative side, through drama, art and 

music, their adventurous side through 

outdoor play and exploration, and their 

leadership and teamwork skills through 

group projects. 

In addition, many schools now 

emphasise serving others through charity and community 

work. And underpinning all this is a whole new focus on 

character education and the importance of developing 

students’ inner strengths such as resilience, 

tenacity, kindness and empathy. They 

may be encouraged to take risks, 

set goals, make mistakes and 

review their actions. 

‘Intelligence plus 

character – that 

is the goal of true 

education.’ 

Martin Luther King 

‘Educating the mind 

without educating 

the heart is no 

education at all.’ 

Aristotle 

11 wealdentimes.co.uk

Another vital element 

is the recognition that 

today’s students face 

many new challenges. 

Social media can lead to 

insecurity and bullying, 

fragmenting families can 

mean emotional instability 

and a rapidly changing world 

means an uncertain future. 

‘It is vital when 

educating our 

children’s brains we do 

not neglect to educate 

their hearts.’ 

The Dalai Lama 

Schools now provide older students with sophisticated personal 

education programmes that include questions of racial and sexual 

identity, and mental health issues such as depression and selfharm. 

Students are taught ways to look after both their physical 

and mental wellbeing. 

All this makes for a much kinder, more inclusive education 

than in the past. Today’s non-sporty child will find success in 

fencing or yoga. The anxious one will have learned mindfulness 

and know who to ask for help. The swotty pupil will be able to 

pursue their own advanced science projects, while a creative one 

might be busy producing their own film and soundtrack. 

Of course, many students will still experience difficulties and 

parents need to watch out for these. They should also be cautious 

about any school’s glossy claims of what’s on offer. It’s always 

important to look below the surface to make sure it’s not just fine 

words. The key is to watch closely what’s actually going on and 

ask existing pupils about their day-to-day experiences. 

A NEW UNIVERSITY FOR A 

NEW AGE OF PUPILS 

Some people in education think only a really radical 

shake-up of our whole system will meet the needs of 

students in the 21st century. 

One institution striking out on a new path is the 

London Interdisciplinary School, which opens in East 

London next year. This new ‘university for polymaths’ 

will train students to solve complex problems by 

bringing different skills and strands of knowledge to 

bear on a single issue. The Metropolitan Police has 

already asked it to study the problem of knife crime, 

for example. 

All students will take the same bachelor of arts 

and science degree, incorporating science, technology 

and the humanities and including ten weeks of handson 

work experience. 

The university is building on the experience of one 

of its co-founders who helped set up the pioneering 

School 21, also in East London, which takes pupils 

from 4 to 18 and teaches them through a progressive 

mixture of coaching, character education, in-depth 

teaching and real-life learning to develop the skills, 

confidence and creativity needed for modern life. 

The school emphasises the need for young people 

to be able to speak out confidently and fluently and 

aims to send them off with the ability to shape and 

change their world. 

londoninterdisciplinaryschool.org 

OUTSTANDING 

ACADEMIC AND 

PASTORAL 

CARE 

An Independent Catholic primary 

school and nursery in a rural 

setting. We welcome boys and 

girls aged 2-11. 

ISI rated ‘Excellent’ in all areas. 

We offer an individual and 

exceptionally high level of care 

and education to all our children. 

Scholarship and 11+ success. 

Small classes and affordable 

fees. Book a personal tour to 

come and see what makes us 

such a special little school. 

01892 783414 

www.sacredheartwadhurst.org.uk 

TOP 100 PREP SCHOOLS 2018 


12 

SacredHeartSchoolED06.indd 1 10/06/2019 11:00

Fosse Wealden Ad May19 Fin 24/5/19 3:43 pm Page 1 

Providing all children with the opportunity to become 

independent young people with a love of learning. 

“A friendly and warm 

academic school. 

Children flourish 

as confident happy 

individuals, encouraged by 

nurturing and kind staff. 

I can’t recommend 

highly enough!” 

Current parent 

An independent co-educational school for children aged 2 – 11 years in Hildenborough, Kent. 

Providing the individual care that being in a small class with a high staff to pupil ratio affords, 

and with an excellent academic record in Kent Tests, children enjoy an extensive 

curriculum including forest school, swimming and so much more. 

Breakfast, after school care and holiday clubs 

7.30am – 6.00pm, for 50 weeks of the year 

Do get in touch to find out how your child could benefit from a Fosse Bank education. Visits are always welcome. 

Please email admissions@fossebankschool.co.uk or call 01732 834212 

FosseBankSchool-ED06.indd 1 30/05/2019 15:35 

Celebrating 

years! 

OF OUR WAY OF LIFE 

CHALLENGE · CREATIVITY · COMMUNITY 

WWW.THEPREP.ORG.UK/CENTENARY 


SevenoaksPreparatoryED06.indd 1 11/06/2019 10:22

Curiosity. 

Integrity. 

Compassion. 

Respect. 

“Through TASIS I’ve had the 

opportunity to learn about 

other people and cultures, and 

become a member of a global 

community.” 

Current TASIS Student 

We are an international school and community 

near London where the aspirations and 

potential of every student are fostered, 

nurtured, and challenged. Discover more at 

www.tasisengland.org 

Coldharbour Lane, Thorpe, Surrey TW20 8TE 

Call us on: 01932 582 316 

Email us at: ukadmissions@tasisengland.org 

Open Morning 

October 4 

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN ENGLAND

The whole person 

and nothing but the whole person 

Dr Adrian Rainbow, Deputy Head (Co-curriculum) of Sevenoaks School, describes how the whole person 

education philosophy is applied there and the benefits pupils – and society – enjoy from it 

We live in precarious times: climate change, species extinction, 

tariff wars, the impact of Artificial Intelligence and the threat 

of a global economic depression, to mention just a few. So it’s 

easy to understand doomsayers claiming that humans are on a dangerous 

trajectory and that our children will inherit a damaged world, rife with 

uncertainty. But this does not have to be the dominant narrative. 

By equipping young people with the skills to think critically, creatively 

and collaboratively within an educational model predicated on character, 

resilience, leadership, social responsibility and liberal internationalism, our 

young people will possess the resources to re-write this narrative. This is 

the power of educating the whole person. 

At Sevenoaks School we firmly believe in such holistic education. 

Our interdisciplinary approach focuses on the interconnections and 

intersections between academic, pastoral, and co-curricular programmes. 

We believe each one is equally important and pivotal in enabling us to 

nurture our students so that they can flourish and achieve their potential. 

Although our students achieve exceptional exam results, this is not 

our main objective; indeed, our high academic results are in some ways 

ironically a result on our focus on all of the learning our students are 

doing outside of the academic curriculum. 

Content knowledge is important and academic achievement is the 

cornerstone of everything we do. Like all schools, we recognise that 

our students need to achieve high grades to get into their choice of 

Top and above: The new Science and Technology 

Centre at Sevenoaks School 


university and secure a job that is right for them. 

So, although we have reduced the amount of internal 

exams we set at Sevenoaks, we ensure our pupils are prepared 

for national exams through a diverse and creative academic 

curriculum, with teaching and learning practices based on 

inspiring curiosity, enquiry and a love of learning. 

It is clear, though, that education should not be about just 

exam results and there is much current pedagogical discourse 

about the purpose of education and what schools should be 

doing to enhance the character of the student beyond the 

context of formal lessons. 

This is where the co-curriculum programme, or experiential 

learning outside the classroom, can be so valuable. At Sevenoaks 

School we are fortunate to be able to offer an array of activities 

that develop these soft skills, through sport, music, drama, CCF, 

Duke of Edinburgh and the many varied clubs and societies on 

offer to our students. 

Through these activities students learn skills such as creativity, 

collaboration, leadership, teamwork, resilience, problem solving, 

confidence, communication skills and emotional intelligence, 

to name a few. In these activities they are pushed out of their 

comfort zone, learn how to assess risk and, most importantly, 

how to fail and how to recover from failure. 

This is one of the key areas where we can help our students to 

develop a ‘Growth Mindset’ – and these lessons 

learned outside of the classroom equip students 

with the ability to flourish inside it. 

This holistic education extends further 

to pastoral support and any form of 

progressive education now looks at student 

wellbeing very seriously. The demands 

of any school can be very challenging for 

young people and educators have a duty to provide top 

quality pastoral support whereby students feel cared for, 

supported and nurtured at all times. The happiness of the 

young people in our care is always paramount and mental 

wellbeing must never be sacrificed for exam results. 

Students need to be offered platforms to develop their inner 

confidence, self-efficacy, and what some educators are calling 

‘identity achievement’. Young people should be provided with a 

toolkit whereby they are able to self-reflect, to increase their selfawareness, 

and manage their own stress in order to function well 

and be prepared for their next step in life. 

Thus, a robust supplementary programme, such as PSHE 

(covering personal, social, health and economic issues) and 

anything else related to mental wellbeing, is essential. Time 

and energy spent outside the academic classroom on strategies 

pertaining to wellbeing, is well spent to develop the whole 

person – and will also strengthen academic outcomes. A happy, 

“Any form of 

progressive education 

now looks at student 

wellbeing very 

seriously” 

confident and self-aware learner is a productive learner. 

Lastly, the other area often overlooked in an education system 

that focuses too much on exams and material certificates is the 

need for students to engage with community, whether this be 

local, national or international. 

Much of the above discussion on educating the whole 

person focuses on the individual and how students can become 

empowered and flourish independently. A necessary component 

of a holistic education, however, and one that we believe in 

fervently at Sevenoaks School, is the need for our young people 

to look beyond their own sense of self towards community 

engagement and service. 

Although sometimes students might not immediately 

recognise the value of volunteering in the community it is clear 

that educating them to give to others develops their empathic 

skills, a sense of compassion, understanding and respect for 

others, and a sense that we are all inextricably linked. 

In today’s competitive market for university 

places and future jobs, it is understandable 

that schools feel compelled to focus 

extensively on academic results, but ultimately, 

the purpose of education is not rote learning, 

league tables, and exam grades. 

And once we look at holistic education 

more closely, it is clear that academic rigour 

and the experiences students engage in outside the academic 

curriculum are not mutually exclusive endeavours. Indeed, this is 

a false dichotomy and why educators should invest heavily in the 

other aspects of education that enhance the whole person, and 

simultaneously benefit society. 

This will empower students to be their optimal selves, prepare 

them for the uncertainties of the future, and equip them with 

skills to enact positive change in the world. 

Educating the whole person is complex and diverse, but 

it is essential to provide our young people with the best 

opportunities in life, as well as for our future generations 

to find solutions to the problems they will face. 

Exams matter, but everything else a student 

can learn in school matters so much more. 

Sevenoaks School, Kent 01732 455133 

sevenoaksschool.org 

Essential strategies for educating the whole person 

• Creative and innovative approaches to teaching and 

learning 

• Excellent learning opportunities outside the classroom 

• A focus on character and resilience 

• A robust pastoral support system, based on compassion 

and kindness 

• Strategies for students to self-reflect, increase selfawareness 

and manage their own stress 

• Opportunities to develop empathy, connect with others 

and give back to society 

• A sense of social responsibility and internationalmindedness 


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years 

Invaluable tips from experienced 

teachers for each stage of 

education 

Ashford Prep School 

The Pre-Prep Team 

How can parents best support their 

child as they start in Reception? Be 

positive as this is an exciting time. Don’t 

make school a big deal as this can make 

children more fearful of their transition. 

Try not to show your own anxiety or 

upset about your child starting school. 

On the practical side, practise zips, 

getting dressed and undressed, putting 

on coats, shoes, wellies and ensure 

children are toilet trained. 

Prepare them for learning by reading 

lots of stories and talking about 

the characters, storylines and make 

predictions. Build mathematical language 

into everyday play routines, such as 

counting out the correct number of 

knives and forks at the dinner table. 

Ensure they get plenty of rest with a 

calm bedtime routine at a sensible time 

and don’t sign them up for lots of after 

school activities in the first term. 

What signs should parents look out for 

that their child is not happy at school? 

If they seem unusually withdrawn or 

there is a clear lack of friendships. Also if 

they start complaining of feeling unwell 

when they appear to be fine or are tearful 

for no clear reason. 

What should parents do if they think 

their child isn’t flourishing at school? 

Discuss with your child about how 

they might be feeling, then make an 

appointment to see the class teacher to 

discuss concerns further. Don’t try and 

speak to them at the beginning or end of 

the day as this can be the busiest time. 

Explain to the class teacher what the 

purpose of the appointment is so that 

they can prepare in advance. Ask what 

can be done at home to help and get 

feedback from the teacher on any areas 

where a child might be struggling. 

Is there anything parents do with good 

intentions, which is actually unhelpful? 

Some parents feel they are being helpful 

carrying their child into school with all 

of their belongings, but this encourages 

parental reliance. It’s better to encourage 

the child to be independent, hanging up 

their own coat etc. 

It’s also tempting for parents to dress 

their child for speed in the mornings, 

but it’s really helpful if they can allow the 

child to learn how to do it themselves, so 

they can change unaided for PE. 

It’s also helpful if the child can prepare 

their own school bag. This will train 

them to be more organised and feel in 

control of their own routine. 

Lingering in the classroom after drop 

off can destabilise their own child’s 

emotions and be unsettling for other 

class members. It also makes it difficult 

for the teacher to start the day with their 

class routine. 

We delight in children’s mark making 

and attempt to build on these skills in 

school, but please be aware that a child 

learning at home to write only in capital 

letters is a difficult habit to break and 

makes handwriting more difficult. 

Ashford School, Ashford, Kent 01233 625171 ashfordschool.co.uk 

“Prepare them for learning 

by reading lots of stories 

and talking about the 

characters and storylines” 


Reigate St Mary’s 

Sam Selkirk, Head of Lower School 

Fostering independence is one of the 

best ways you can help your child to 

get ready for school. This can be done 

at home by encouraging them to dress 

themselves in the morning, cut their 

own food at mealtimes and have a go at 

tasks such as pouring a drink. 

These small things start the process 

of building their confidence and 

self-esteem. In addition, providing 

opportunities for them to explore 

their world and play independently 

are essential whilst motivating them to 

‘have a go’, persevere, think and solve 

problems. These are all an essential part 

of learning how to learn. 

One of the biggest indicators that a 

child is not happy would be a change 

in their behaviour, perhaps becoming 

slightly more subdued or restless but it 

could present in a plethora of ways. 

However, at Reception age it is often 

tricky to identify the root cause of any 

change in behaviour. Questioning a 

child can result in them answering in a 

way they perceive we want them to. 

A close relationship with a child’s 

class teacher is key in these situations 

and if parents are concerned, it is 

important that they are able to engage 

in an open, solutions-focused dialogue 

with the school. 

If parents think their child isn’t 

flourishing they should observe and 

monitor their child with the aim of 

identifying specific areas of concern 

and then arrange a meeting with their 

child’s class teacher (or GP if relevant) 

to discuss. Working collaboratively with 

a cohesive approach will ensure better 

outcomes for their child. 

However, young children do develop 

at very different rates so parents should 

try not to be too unduly concerned. 

Parents’ lives are very busy and 

sometimes they are tempted to do 

things for their child to speed up the 

process. The more time we afford 

children in their younger years to 

develop their independence, the less 

time will be needed to help them to 

complete tasks in the future. 

Reigate St Mary’s, Reigate, Surrey 

01737 244880 reigatestmarys.org 

Dulwich Prep Cranbrook 

Clare Mackie, Head of Little Stream (Years 1-4) 

To help to prepare your child for school, here are a few simple 

and supportive things that you can do as parents: 

Be positive 

Parents can support their child 

by thinking positively. Change 

can be rather daunting, but by 

focusing on the positive elements, 

your child can be encouraged to 

look forward to all of the new 

and exciting opportunities ahead. 

School is one big fun adventure 

so what is there not to look 

forward to? 

Encourage 

independence 

If your child is able to dress, 

undress and toilet independently, 

and find and organise their 

belongings, this will aid their 

transition to school beautifully, 

making everyone’s lives easier. 

Promote resilience 

We all want our children to 

succeed and thrive in life so 

it is important to encourage 

your child to have a go at new 

activities and challenges so that 

they are regularly pushing their 

own personal boundaries. 

If they do not initially succeed, 

praise them for their efforts and 

support them by encouraging 

them to have another go. 

Resilience and the ability to 

‘bounce back’ is a necessary life 

skill so that our children learn 

not give up at the first hurdle 

when they find things tricky. 

Celebrate success 

No matter how big or small, it’s 

really important to acknowledge 

and celebrate your child’s 

successes. When praising them, 

remember to focus on the process 

rather than the end product or 

result. For example, you can 

praise their hard work, focus or 

determination rather than the 

result from a spelling test. 

Dulwich Prep Cranbrook, 

Kent 01580 712179 


“It is important to encourage your child to 

have a go at new activities and challenges”

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Here at LCA, our classes, workshops and masterclasses are 

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BabingtonHouseSchoolED06.indd 1 28/05/2019 12:12

On their marks… 

A lifelong love of exercise can be inspired by the right 

approach to teaching sport at the earliest stage 

Ashford Prep School 

Harrison Straw – Head of Pre-Prep PE 

I believe it is very important for children to take part in 

physical activities right from the start in Reception because 

it teaches them about healthy lifestyle and exercise. It also 

embeds a culture of teamwork, the feeling of working to 

achieve something and the joy of succeeding, as well as 

motivation and courage to step outside comfort zones. 

Exercise allows children to escape the pressures of the 

classroom and stimulates the mind ready for learning 

when going back. We find they are able to return to 

their lessons with a fresh mind and settle down more 

easily after having a break from working their minds. 

From Reception to Year 2 children take part in two 

hours of PE a week and their activities change every few 

weeks, so they get to do gymnastics, tennis, swimming, 

multi skills, football, hockey, netball, cricket and rugby. 

We start off with multi skills, during which they learn 

the key basics of each sport. This prepares them for 

competitive sports which they first experience in Year 3. 

Dance is also taught to all children at this stage, 

which allows the children to be more creative than some 

of the other sporting activities. All year groups also 

spend an additional hour swimming once a week. 

From Year 3 it goes up to four and a half hours 

a week, including games sessions with matches. PE 

sessions include learning and playing different sports, 

including cricket, hockey, netball and football, plus 

gymnastics, dance, athletics and water polo. 

Occasionally there are children who are unmotivated to 

participate and as they get older it is common for them to 

dislike a sport if they feel they are not good at it. So we make 

sure each lesson is different, with a range of activities so all 

children can join in, finding new ways in which children 

learn and will get the most out of each session. It is essential 

that all PE lessons are fun and engaging for every child. 

Ashford School, Ashford, Kent 

01233 625171 ashfordschool.co.uk 

 


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Beechwood Sacred Heart School 

At Beechwood we believe that sport and exercise have 

many benefits other than just keeping fit. Sport increases 

confidence, improves personal growth, helps with attention 

levels, reduces anxiety and stress and improves behaviour 

and sleep levels. We feel sport should be accessible at 

all levels for all pupils and strive to continue to provide 

plenty of opportunities throughout the school year. 

We support a wide and varied sporting curriculum from the 

Early Years to the Senior School. We are committed to helping 

all our pupils maintain a fit and active lifestyle and introducing 

fun and exciting activities in the Early Years helps build their 

interest in sport and supports a healthy attitude to exercise. 

From the Nursery upwards, children can participate in 

dance lessons, music and movement and ball games. As 

they move into Reception, we add ball skills and more 

structured sports lessons, with both boys and girls enjoying 

athletics, football, cricket, tag rugby and many more. 

Head of Sport, Mr Joshua Rowe, is keen to stress 

the importance of the children exploring opportunities 

and allowing a sense of creativity and having a 

go, rather than assuming one size fits all. 

In addition to our sports hall and tennis courts, 

we are fortunate to have recently opened our brand 

new, fully floodlit all-weather pitch and can offer 

even more sports provision than ever before. 

Beechwood Sacred Heart School, Tunbridge Wells, Kent 

01892 532747 beechwood.org.uk 

 


24 

BroadstairFolkWeekWT208.indd 1 22/05/2019 10:45

Hilden Grange Preparatory School 

for Girls and Boys aged 3 - 13 

Small classes - Superb extracurricular opportunities in Sport, Music, Art and Drama 

High academic standards - Innovative Early Years Outdoor Learning area 

“ Hilden Grange treats children as 

individuals and encourages them 

to be the best they can be.” 

Current Parent 

T: 01732 351169 / 01732 352706 E: office@hildengrange.co.uk 

Dry Hill Park Road, Tonbridge, Kent, TN10 3BX 

HildenGrangeED06.indd 1 10/06/2019 11:25 

‘A great place to grow’ 

for boys and girls aged 

2 to 11 years 

Spring Grove School, Harville Road, Wye TN25 5EZ 


SpringGroveSchoolED06.indd 1 23/05/2019 17:33

Spring Grove School 

Ben Smith, Director of Boys’ Games; Dee Langford, 

Head of Girls’ Games and Bill Jones, Headmaster 

CreativeDanceCompanyWT208.indd 1 20/05/2019 12:53 

Blackland Farm 

Outdoor Activity Centre 

Come and join us for 

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Why not have your 

birthday party here too? 

Blackland Farm 

Kayaking 

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Zip wire 

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...and many more! 

01342 810493 

blackland@girlguiding.org.uk 

www.blacklandfarm.org.uk 

Sport and outdoor activities are a priority for all children at 

Spring Grove. We believe strongly that encouraging children to 

spend time outdoors every day helps to set healthy habits that 

will last a lifetime. Our sports programme is designed to allow 

boys and girls to learn and develop new skills, to participate, 

and most of all to enjoy sport, now and for years to come. 

The ‘little ones’ at Spring Grove start their sport 

lessons in Nursery, with PE sessions led by the sports 

staff, and from Reception upwards we introduce weekly 

swimming lessons in our heated, covered pool. 

Sport for all is embedded in our ethos. We offer rugby, 

football, hockey, tennis, cricket, athletics and cross country, as 

well as encouraging health-related fitness in PE sessions. We 

make the best use of our beautiful location in Wye – not only 

does the school stand in 14 acres of grounds, it is surrounded by 

stunning countryside that lends itself to cross-country practise! 

Spring Grove is also well placed for matches against a wide range 

of local schools, and there are full fixture lists in all three terms. 

At Spring Grove we see the benefits of sport in helping 

children to develop self-esteem and self-confidence, 

to learn teamwork and how to communicate, and to 

foster resilience, discipline and respect. And while 

winning is great, it’s also important to lose – because 

it’s by making mistakes and dealing with failure that 

the greatest lessons are learned, in sport and in life. 

Spring Grove School, Wye, Ashford, Kent 

01233 812337 springgroveschool.co.uk 


26 

BlacklandFarmWT201.indd 1 11/10/2018 15:52

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ChilstoneWT208.indd 1 22/05/2019 15:30

Planting 

the seed 

gardening is good for everyone’s wellbeing – and 

children who grow their own vegetables are far more 

likely to eat them. we hear from two schools where 

pupils grow their own 

dulwich prep cranbrook 

dulwich prep Cranbrook has a gardening Club which runs at lunchtime 

break for children in Years 5-8. we grow lettuce, beetroot, carrots, parsnips, 

potatoes and rhubarb, herbs such as chives, basil, mint and sunflowers. 

the Club runs all year apart from mid winter. our head of science, 

Mr Middleton and head of english, Mrs dart run the club. Mr 

Middleton says gardening teaches the children about the seasons of the 

year and helps them learn patience as there is no instant gratification. 

edward in Year 6 said he likes getting out in the fresh 

air and being with nature. he enjoys cooking and took 

home the potatoes he grew which were delicious. 

Younger years also enjoy growing vegetables in the raised beds 

outside each classroom. every classroom in Nash house (early Years) 

has its own outdoor classroom space with a retractable roof so the 

children can be outside rain or shine. this week the Nursery will be 

planting vegetables, which will be harvested before the end of term. 

the kids in eco Club fill the planters in the playground with colourful 

plants every spring and Year 1 particularly enjoyed harvesting a bumper crop 

of strawberries last year which they enjoyed as their snack at break time. 

dulwich prep Cranbrook, kent 

01580 712179 dulwichprepcranbrook.org

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Reigate Grammar School, Reigate Road, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0QS 

reigategrammar.org | 01737 222231 | admissions@reigategrammar.org 

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Frewen college 

pupils at Frewen prep have enjoyed harvesting fruit 

from their edible garden for many years. it is a small 

but well-established plot with pear and apple trees, 

which have beautiful blossoms as well as tasty offerings. 

the raspberry plants produce full and juicy fruits 

and each year pupils help to harvest these along 

with strawberries in the summer months, which 

are shared amongst the pupils at break times. 

it was initially planted as a sensory garden, 

so as well as edible fruits and herbs, there 

are fantastic roses to enjoy and tall bamboos 

chosen for their shape and texture. 

the garden is always evolving and pupils have 

been helping plan for the next stage. we are currently 

creating a roald dahl garden, working alongside our 

head gardener, Josh taylor who will be advising on 

chocolate and candy-themed plants for the borders. 

we are also planning an exciting water feature which 

will represent the chocolate river from Charlie and the 

Chocolate Factory where pupils will be able to explore 

the physics of water by altering both the flow and 

water pressure – and water our garden at the same time! 

Frewen College, Northiam, east sussex 

01797 252494 frewencollege.co.uk 

TONBRIDGE 

JuniorsDayNurseryED06.indd 1 12/06/2019 10:21 

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WHERE INDIVIDUALS REALLY MATTER 


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A Summer of Outdoor Theatre at Belmont 

The Winter’s Tale - Friday 5 th July, 7.30pm 

Leontes has everything a man could want, wealth, power, a 

family that loves him and friends, but he is not at peace. Inside 

he harbours a bitter jealousy that drives him to destroy all he 

holds dear. Years later, in a distant country, a journey begins that 

may ultimately heal his pain and reunite his family. 

Adults £22, Ages 10-18: £12.00. 

Nell Gwynn - Sunday 21 st July, 3.00pm 

London, 1660, King Charles II has exploded onto the scene with 

the love of all things loud and extravagant. And at Drury Lane 

a young Nell Gwynn is causing stirrings amongst the theatre 

goers. Enjoy an evening of theatre in our beautiful Walled 

Garden. Adults £22, Ages 10-18: £12.00. 

Treasure Island - Sunday 18 th August, 2.00pm 

Pack a picnic and enjoy an afternoon of entertainment in 

the gardens of Belmont House. Join Chapterhouse Theatre 

Company for this brand-new adaptation of everyone’s favourite 

swashbuckling pirate adventure. Adult £16.00 / Child £11.00 / 

Family (2 Adults & 2 Children) £46.00. 

Love Learning, 

Learning, 

Love Life 

Love Life 

" 

We were right to entrust 

Our excellent teaching team 

The New Beacon with 

understands how to draw the best 

from these every important individual years boy; in inspiring 

confidence, our child’s nurturing education. a love of 

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PARENT 2018 

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BelmontHouseWT209.indd 1 04/06/2019 NewBeaconED06.indd 17:00 

1 03/06/2019 12:22 

Early Years 

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15 June 

To register please contact 

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‘EXCELLENT’ 

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Reigate St Mary’s School, Chart Lane, Reigate, Surrey RH2 7RN 

reigatestmarys.org I 01737 244880 I office@reigatestmarys.org 

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The Junior School of Reigate Grammar School 


34 

ReigateStMary'sED06.indd 1 28/05/2019 15:54

school 



education 

Claremont Prep School 

Rachel Potter, Head of Pre-Prep 

What do parents need to consider 

when choosing a prep school? A 

good place to start is to choose a 

school with the same values as your 

own. A school’s value system and 

ethos plays a central part in giving 

each one its own unique ‘personality’, 

an essential point of difference that 

will help you decide if your child is 

going to be happy and thrive there. 

Great facilities, resources and small 

class sizes often come as standard 

in prep schools, but curriculum 

design, great teachers, enrichment 

programmes, after-school care and 

how the school engages, supports and 

involves parents can often set it apart. 

Be inquisitive and come armed 

with lots of questions and if you are 

in it for the long haul, find out about 

the school’s long-term vision and 

future plans for developing teaching 

and learning. 

Should they ask about which 

secondary schools the prep school 

feeds up to? It helps to get an idea of 

how your child’s whole educational 

journey will play out, but plans often 

change along with the needs and 

aspirations of pupils as they get older. 

Ask how the transition process 

from prep to senior is managed. This 

will ease progression and bring a 

welcome air of familiarity at what can 

be an anxious time for a child. 

Should parents be looking for a 

school that plays to their child’s 

strengths at this stage? Yes, but 

it’s important to look for a school 

that offers a broad curriculum that 

encourages children to not only 

develop their current talents, but 

also to explore new and unchartered 

learning territories. 

Choose a prep school that does the 

basics extremely well, but also has a 

diverse and imaginative co- and extracurricular 

programme all wrapped up 

in a nurturing pastoral environment 

that empowers every child to shine. 

Is staying with a peer group a child 

is comfortable with important at 

this stage? No, children make friends 

so quickly. A happy, nurturing and 

supportive school environment will 

ensure this, and the right school 

will work hard to ensure a seamless 

transition and a swift but calm 

settling in period. 

Claremont Prep School, Hastings, 

East Sussex 01424 751555 


“How the school engages, 

supports and involves 

parents can set it apart” 

Chinthurst School 

Cathy Trundle, Headteacher 


when choosing a prep school? Does 

this school value children and build 

positive relationships with them? 

Children need to be treated with 

kindness and love so they can challenge 

themselves and make mistakes along the 

way, confident that they will always be 

supported. 

It is also very important that the 

school makes lessons fun. Children 

should skip into school excited about 

what they will learn that day! 



feeds up to? This is important, 

particularly for families joining a 

school in Year 3 or above. A good prep 

school will ensure its children progress 

to senior schools that suit each child’s 

individual academic levels and talents. 

Close relationships with parents and 

children are key to ensuring a school can 

properly guide families in their choice. 

Should parents be looking for a prep 


strengths (academic, sport, arts) 

at this stage? Children’s talents have 

not always developed when they first 

start school and, as they mature, their 

interests and strengths can change. It 

is more important to look for a prep 

school that will give children a wide 

range of opportunities and the time and 

space to develop their skills and find 

their niche. 



this stage? A good school with happy 

children and experienced staff should 

be able to welcome new pupils at any 

stage and ensure they settle in quickly 

and form bonds with their new class. 

Kindness and a focus on relationship 

building should ensure that a child can 

confidently join a school without the 

need to move with a peer group. 

Chinthurst School, Tadworth, Surrey 

01737 812011 chinthurstschool.co.uk 

 


Vinehall School 

Joff Powis, Headmaster 


when choosing a prep school? Fees, 

location, class size, academic reputation 

and wrap around care – all are vital. 

However, I believe that parents find the 

best fit prep school for their child only 

once they have visited and experienced 

the atmosphere first hand. 

They must look beyond the results 

and facilities of a school to focus 

on what really matters, which is the 

happiness of the children, the calibre 

of the staff and the strong relationships 

between the teachers and parents. 



feeds up to? For many parents, entry 

into the secondary school of choice is 

paramount to their decision to enter the 

independent sector in the first place. 

I would encourage parents to keep 

an open mind in order to allow a 

child to grow and develop before a 

secondary school choice is finalised. The 

‘destination of leavers’ will be proudly 

stated on any prep school’s website 

and the greater the variety of these 

destinations on offer will reflect a prep 

school’s strength in developing the 

individual child. 

Should parents be looking for a school 

that plays to their child’s strengths 

(academic, sport, arts) at this stage? 

How can a parent possibly know 

their child’s strengths yet? The 

purpose of a prep school is to lay 

as many opportunities at a child’s 

feet as time will possibly allow. 

As their confidence grows, their 

interests will spread and new strengths 

“The purpose of prep 

school is to lay as many 

opportunities at a child’s 

feet as time will allow” 

and passions will be discovered. In a 

small, family school, the needs and 

talents of each individual child can be 

recognised, valued and developed in time 

for the next phase at secondary school, 

where children will finally specialise. 


is comfortable with important at this 

stage? To feel comfortable and confident 

within your peer group is absolutely 

critical in a child’s overall development. 

A child’s peers are every bit as important 

as the greatest teacher in creating 

a sense of belonging, empathy and 

encouragement. A sense of place and a 

sense of purpose is instilled in us all at a 

very young age by our childhood peers. 

Of course, the term comfortable 

can have an ulterior meaning and 

this is where a stimulating learning 

environment and high expectations will 

support each child to grow and reach 

their potential. 

Vinehall School, Robertsbridge, East 

Sussex 01580 880413 vinehallschool.com 

The New Beacon 

Mike Piercy, Headmaster 


when choosing a prep school? 

Research is key and a great deal 

can be discovered through schools’ 

websites. Unsurprisingly, many 

schools appear to have similar aims 

and it can be difficult to differentiate 

– the ‘news’ pages can be revealing: 

what achievements does the school 

celebrate? Education, however, is a 

human business: talk to trusted friends 

and family to discover personal stories. 

Consider also single-sex or 

co-education. Boys learn in a very 

different way to girls and, particularly at 

prep school age, they will often develop 

better learning habits at an earlier stage 

in an all boys’ environment – but you 

would expect me to say that as Head of a 

boys’ school! The proviso is that pastoral 

care must pay equal attention to the 

gentle and sensitive boy as to the lively 

and ebullient. 



feeds up to? Yes, absolutely! A good 

indicator is a wide range of destination 

schools which suggests a bespoke 

approach, tailored to the individual 

child. The range of schools should be in 

keeping with your aspirations for your 

child – but beware of aspirations which 

may be too ambitious. 

Should parents be looking for a 


strengths at this stage? A prep school 

is, by definition, ‘preparatory’. There 

should be a wide range of opportunity 

on offer from the academic to the 

co-curriculum, to the arts, performing 

arts and sport. If at an early stage your 

child shows leanings and talents in a 

particular direction then some prep 

schools do have specialisms – but beware 

of narrowing your child’s opportunities 

at too early an age. 

There is a temptation to live out our 

own ambitions through our children, but 

my advice would be to provide breadth 

of opportunity at this early stage coupled 

with a school’s willingness to support the 

pursuit of excellence in any given field. 



this stage? Friends are important to 

children – they provide comfort and 

security – but they should not be 

the determining factor in choosing or 

changing schools. At The New Beacon 

in Key Stage 1 we ‘shuffle’ classes 

almost every year to enhance social 

development and in response to varying 

levels of maturity and development. 

Children are more resilient and adaptable 

than we, as parents, may think. There is, of 

course, socialisation in the classroom but 

it is by definition a place for learning and 

playtime is primarily for friends. 

The New Beacon School, Sevenoaks, Kent 

01732 452131 newbeacon.org.uk 


36

100 Years of Education, 1000 Years of History 

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38 

GranvilleSchoolWT208.indd 1 21/05/2019 14:20

Poetry please 

we are thrilled to share the winners of 

our poetry competition, judged by awardwinning 

children’s author Sally Gardner 

one word sums up our response 

to the entries to our first 

poetry competition: wow! 

and not only because the pile of entries 

when printed out and gathered together 

was an astonishing 10cms high – the 

sheer quality and variety of the poems 

submitted was so exciting. 

editor, Maggie alderson read them 

all and narrowed it down to a short list 

of 35, which she and sally gardner read 

together, agreeing on the winners with 

not a single moment of disagreement. 

the original plan was to have a 

winner and two runners up in each age 

group, but so many of the entries didn’t 

have the age, or year group written on 

them that proved a little tricky. 

instead we decided to have a winner 

in each age group (who will each 

receive a £20 book token) and three 

non-age specific runners up. and in 

an exciting new development – sally 

was so impressed by one of the poems 

she decided to create a special award 

just for it. so congratulations to roshy 

orr, who is the winner of the sally 

gardner poetry prize. sally said: ‘this 

poem is well over the years of the writer, 

it’s quite astounding. this is clearly 

someone who reads, they love language 

and had a real feel for their brief. i’m 

sure i will run into roshy on the literary 

circuit in the future.’ 

please note we have left all the 

spellings and punctuations as they 

appeared in the original entries. we are 

also showing some of the lovely poems 

we received with illustrations, which 

were greatly appreciated. 

Summer Poem by Roshy Orr 

year 7, The lady eleanor holles School 

we left the garden fat with summer’s growth 

left behind the still, parched air thick with smoke 

from next door’s pit 

scorched flatbreads, garlicky baba ghanoush 

and morsels of piping hot fatty lamb 

and plunged towards the coast 

seeking air that is heady with ozone and salt 

rock pools glinting with spangled light 

toes exploring crevices in the rock 

where winkles may be hid. 

Fringes of seaweed tickle my soft undersoles, 

so i wade deeper wanting to sink into the silty sand, 

splash my sun-charred flesh in the cool green water. 

swaying in the pool i hear the guttural yaw of the engine first, 

peering up into the blue bowl of sky 

i see a tiny plane carving the air, 

pirouetting, streaming headlong 

in spirals and arabesques, 

leaving a looping, white contrail 

in his wake; 

i follow his every move in wonder 

he skims the rim of the sky, 

arches back impossibly and nosedives 

pell-mell towards our placid sea 

pulling up wildly just before the two 

elements crash. 

i see this matchbox plane of finespun metal, 

a platinum gleam in the summer sun 

spun by this pilot, across the skies 

in a dangerous wonderful web, 

for nothing more than our own momentary 

revelling in a wonder that is a summers day. 

saLLY 

gardNer 

award

wiNNer 

10 to 13 

age group 

The Persistence of the Sea 

by Benjy Day 

age 10, banstead Preparatory School 

the persistence of the sea is when 

the waves advance and dissolve your castle 

it draws near and eats away your tent 

it detains a life to keep it company. 

the persistence of the wind is when 

it whisks away your umbrella 

it bites your nerves and makes you yield 

it loosens the nails for your marquee. 

the persistence of the children is when 

they try in vain to net a fish 

they try to raise a floundering crab 

they desperately try to unbolt a clam. 

SallY Said: ‘there are 

no clichés, or “like a” in 

this poem, he uses “is”, 

which is so much stronger. 

the last line alone was 

enough to win. benjy also 

has very nice writing.’ 

ruNNers 

up 

Honor Goodman, Vinehall 

dry ground, 

green trees, 

bird sound, 

summer breeze. 

hot sun, 

boiling sand, 

summer’s come, 

take my hand. 

the sky is blue, 

but it won’t be long, 

till summer’s through 

then it’s gone. 

it’s getting cold, 

we’re saying goodbye, 

summer’s sold, 

No longer dry. 

SallY Said: ‘this is very concise and deceptively simple. 

it’s much harder to write less and honor has done that – and 

covered the whole arc of the summer season.’ 

Hollie-Mae Olwant, 

age 10, Skippers hill manor Prep 

i adore summer because…… 

Classes are over and there is no more school, 

holidays and bbQs are loads of cool fun, 

relaxing and playing under the hot baking sun, 

wiNNer 

5 to 9 

age group 

Zac bengtsson 

cobham international School 

the sun shines bright 

in the bright daylight. 

if you lie in the sun 

it will really be fun, 

then you swim in the pool 

while you’re cool. 

if you’re wet 

You’ll probably want to sweat! 

super 

unstopable 

Magnifasent 

enchanted 

radicale 

i love summer because …… 

we bring out the tent ready to camp, 

Not forgetting the tables chairs and the lamp, 

we dust off the stove ready to cook, 

and i power my torch to read my new book, 

i like summer because…… 

when the sun is hot we go down to the sea, 

and my dad buys an ice cream just for me, 

i like when it melts and drops onto my hands, 

and slips around my fingers onto the sands, 

i don’t like summer because…… 

i get hot and bothered lying in bed, 

i keep turning my pillow to cool my head, 

and the nights are so light they keep me awake. 

oh please, please let me sleep for goodness sake! 

i hate summer because …… 

the mosquito army come out to attack, 

and they bite my legs, my feet and my back, 

as i rub on the lotion to keep the bites cool, 

i remember it will soon be over and it’s back to school. 

SallY Said: ‘hollie-Mae has used a very interesting and 

original structure in her poem, with a classic rhyme scheme, 

which really makes it stand out.’ 

SallY Said: ‘this 

poem has real oomph 

that i like. he’s a player 

with language, rare in 

one so young. i think 

he could be a really 

good rapper.’ 

Amal, 2b cobham international School 

in summer, flowers bloom. 

in summer, no one is gloom. 

in summer, winds blow. 

in summer, i glow. 

SallY Said: ‘amal’s poem is a tiny little gem. 

it’s very simple, but conveys a lot.’

CranbrookSchoolED06.indd 1 24/05/2019 15:26 

REGULAR 

OPEN MORNINGS 

OUTSTANDING 

11+ RESULTS 2019 

For dates and to register please contact 

admissions@chinthurstschool.co.uk 

Part of the Reigate Grammar School Family 

Co-educational school for children aged 23-11 years 

Chinthurst School, Tadworth Street, Tadworth, Surrey KT20 5QZ 

chinthurstschool.co.uk I 01737 812011 I admissions@chinthurstschool.co.uk 

@Chintschool 

facebook.com/ChinthurstSchool 


ChinthurstSchoolS48.indd ChinthurstSchoolED06.indd 1 1 03/06/2019 12/09/2018 12:53 12:20

1 

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2 

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43

School of 

roCK! 

Violins and flutes are all very well, but a great way to engage a 

wider swathe of young people with music is to allow them to 

play the style they most identify with

An interview with 

siMpLy GLEB 

Claremont Senior School 

what better way 

to appeal to teenagers than 

give them the freedom to express themselves 

through rock instruments? it helps them to experience 

and appreciate the art of performance, collaboration, 

sharing creative ideas then trying them out to see what 

happens. Quite often, these initial musical experiences 

inspire students to delve deeper into other genres. 

all pupils here have access to the electric/acoustic guitars, 

amps, basses, keyboard and acoustic/electric drum kits 

and Claremont senior school students have always banded 

together to play music with each another and regularly 

‘rock’ the performance stage in the space theatre. 

at the Compassion talent show in March this 

year one notable band, simply gleb, formed by 

russian student, gleb buchnev, covered rage 

against the Machine’s Killing in the Name with the 

help of students Jack Lofting, tom o’brien hughes 

and performing arts assistant, harry Mousley. 

gleb filled the stage with his infectious rock ‘n’ roll spirit, 

unleashing his mane of hair and teenage angst in front of 

a mesmerized audience of parents and fellow students. 

the performance began with the band playing the intro 

before gleb stood up at the back of the audience, belted out 

the first line of the song, then proceeded to march through 

the theatre telling everyone ‘you do what they told yah’. 

also performing that night was the Jam Club. this 

popular club incorporates many different musicians, 

songs and instruments including brass, drums, guitar, 

piano and more. the Jam Club covered amy winehouse’s 

Valerie, Expectations by Lauren and paolo Nutini’s Iron 

Sky, with a different lead vocalist performing each one. 

this club allows students to better understand 

collaboration in music and their performance at 

the Compassion talent show echoed this. 

Jack, drums; Tom, guitar; 

Gleb, vocals guitar, bass and drums 

how did the band form? we were helping out a mate 

(gleb), who wanted to play some songs as it was his 

last year at Claremont, then it turned into something 

much more, and watching the audience reaction 

just added to our enjoyment and performance. 

What music do you play? rock/rap music. 

do you write your own songs? gleb does, however 

they are more on the rap side than rock music. 

What music do you like? gleb: rock music, rap 

music, russian music mostly. Tom: i enjoy all sorts of 

music from 80’s rap to hard rock. Jack: any music. 

Who are your rock and pop idols? Tom: i really look 

up to and admire Led Zeppelin, the guitarist Jimmy 

page is an icon who keeps surprising with his riffs. 

Jack: Jimi hendrix and roger taylor from 

Queen, because he’s a sick drummer. 

gleb: other than my russian idols, i am 

inspired by kurt Cobain, bon Jovi and Mr 

Mousley our performing arts assistant. 

does being in the band give you cred with the 

other kids? gleb (agreeing before the question 

was even finished): Yes it does and it feels great 

being complimented at the end of a performance, 

particularly after all the hard work that goes into it. 

Claremont senior school, hastings, east sussex 

01424 751555 claremontschool.co.uk

INSIDE is where 

the magic happens 

Everything we do is 

designed to keep our 

children believing in 

themselves, so that they 

can make the absolute 

most of every opportunity. 

dulwichprepcranbrook.org


MAniC 


Clemency Whiting, Head of Music 

pupils can learn 

almost any instrument at 

dulwich, with a team of twenty visiting music 

teachers, many of whom are professional players themselves. 

our rock school formed about two years ago and 

since then it has grown with popularity. we have 

three bands made up of pupils largely in Years 7 and 

8, but pupils as young as 9 or 10 are now forming 

their own bands, often with the guidance of the 

senior pupils, which is wonderful to see. one of our 

bands is called Manic, the others are still deciding! 

in February we had our first rock school Concert 

in aid of the sam west Foundation* and this 

summer rock school will perform at our summer 

Concert, the Friends of dulwich summer Fair, 

and at the woodlands Festival in hawkhurst. 

it is only a matter of time before some of them go 

on to form proper bands. when we see our pupils 

perform, it is hard to believe how young they are. 

we have one pupil, twinkle (an excellent rock ‘n’ 

roll name), who sounds like the next adele. 

Charlie andrew, brit award-winning producer 

of alt J, is a famous former dulwich pupil, and it 

is only a matter of time before we have more. 

our music department values all types of music and 

this is certainly an avenue for children who prefer rock 

and pop. however, we often find that our best rockers are 

also top players in our orchestra. For example, we have an 

excellent guitarist who is also an incredible bassoonist. 

if you have a love and enjoyment of music, it is 

natural to explore different genres and get involved. 

in this way, our pupils get a truly rounded experience 

of what music can offer, shaping their curiosity for all 

types of music as they move into their later teens. 

dulwich prep Cranbrook, kent 01580 712179 


Twinkle, vocals; Henry, drums; Elliot, keyboard; 

Alex, electric guitar; Zane, electric guitar 

elliot: in my very first week at dulwich our 

teacher realised i played the keyboard and invited 

me to meet the others, it was so great. 

we are like a big family, it is such good fun. 

so far Manic have performed Born to Be Wild 

and The Best of You by the Foo Fighters. we are 

now working on a new song that twinkle has 

written, inspired by sam smith’s Stay with Me. 

we like a wide variety of music, twinkle listens to 

60’s music, i like guns & roses and aCdC. 

after our concert, loads of people came up 

to us and said we were amazing. it made us 

feel really proud and more determined. 

*the Sam West Foundation has been set up by the family 

of Sam West, a cranbrook student who took his own life, 

after suffering depression. the charity’s mission is to help 

people find the appropriate resources to improve their 

mental health and wellbeing. samwestfoundation.org

Hurst College 

Will Carroll, Head of Music Technology 

pupils can learn guitar, vocals, 

drums, keyboards, you name it, taught by 

college music teachers and visiting teachers. 

it attracts children who might be put off by the 

idea of classical music to learn an instrument. 

everyone likes the idea of being a rock star. 

we have a band in each year group which generally 

stay together throughout their time at school. the 

hurst rockers is our main uVi (upper sixth) band. 

there are a minimum of three concerts each 

year at the college with others outside school also. 

Many of our bands stay together after school and 

perform throughout university and onwards. 

pupils are encouraged to try every style of music 

so they are welcome to play in rock bands as well 

as the jazz band or the school orchestra. 

hurst College, hassocks, 

west sussex 01273 833636 hppc.co.uk 


ThirTyfourspoons 

Thomas Bettle, Year 13 

i am on guitar and vocals. playing in bands at school 

is really fun – making your own songs and playing in 

concerts at various locations inside and outside school. 

we are all friends who play instruments in the 

same year group. we got together and started 

writing and performing music. we play pop/ 

rock/progressive and we write our own songs. 

i like a wide variety of music, including 

Jimi hendrix, david bowie, the who, 

the specials and stevie wonder. My friends 

like coming to see me perform. 


ThE rEMoVE 

Fin di Castiglione, Year 10 

i really love playing music with other people 

in my band, and even though i didn’t enjoy 

it at first, i now really like performing. 

we’re just a group of friends who all play music and 

love to do it, so naturally we formed a band, and now 

we practise every week and we’re getting pretty good! 

we play a bit of everything – some rock, some 

pop, a mix really. we don’t write our own songs 

yet, but we’ll probably start soon. i’m not a huge 

fan of pop – i like more rock/indie rock type 

music e.g. guns n roses, green day, oasis etc. 

My friends think it’s cool that i’m good at guitar and 

singing, and when i have my guitar in college, they get 

me to play songs at break time. 

surrey-homes.co.uk



education 

to big school 

The New Beacon 

Mike Piercy, Headmaster 

How involved should the child be in the 

choice of upper school? Involved yes, but 

not the ultimate decision-maker. Often, 

a child will be influenced by where 

his/her friends are going, which again 

should not be the determining factor. 

The change to senior school brings 

children together from different social 

and educational backgrounds – social 

development going hand in hand 

with academic development. 

If you are thinking of 13+ transfer, it is 

good to take your child on a tour of two 

or three short-listed, achievable schools to 

give a sense of ambition, probably around 

Year 5 or 6 (10 or 11 years of age). 

How can parents best support their 

child as they progress from prep 

school to senior school? In truth, 

this is as much the school’s job as 

the parents’ responsibility. A 13+ 

school should engender confidence, 

resilience and independence; the 

ability to ask for help when needed. 

When the child rises to Year 8 the 

best help at home will be supporting 

and encouraging him/her to learn to take 

responsibility for belongings, equipment 

(the right things to school on the right 

day), managing workload and homework. 

These are independent work habits which 

will serve well in Year 9 at ‘big school’. 

What signs should parents look out for 

that indicate their child is not happy at 

their new school? Look out for changes 

in behaviour while keeping firmly in mind 

the adolescent hormones pinging around 

indiscriminately and inexplicably. Grunts 

and silences are common! 

At pick-up or in the evening, review 

the day but focus on and encourage 

the positives while listening out for the 

negatives. Is a new social life emerging: 

asking friends round, going to their 

houses, meeting in town? Above all, 

be patient. Some children, naturally 

gregarious, will make friends quickly. For 

many, however, it will take time. 

Who should parents speak to if 

they are concerned their child isn’t 

flourishing academically? All schools 

have different systems but it should 

be made very clear to you who is the 

direct contact, the teacher looking 

after your child’s social and academic 

welfare. Send an email initially, perhaps, 

asking for feedback on the teacher’s/ 

tutor’s impressions and reporting what 

you are seeing at home – or what 

is worrying you. Good schools will 

respond quickly – but don’t expect 

an immediate, daytime response as 

the teacher is most likely teaching. 

Thereafter, regular review and 

contact if your worries are not assuaged, 

with the school suggesting and 

implementing strategies for support. 

How much notice should parents 

take of their child’s friendship group 

at this stage? Friends are important 

but do remember they will be chosen 

by the child and not by the parents! It 

is advisable however to take careful 

notice of (and good to get to know) 

your child’s friends. Encourage them to 

“Good schools will provide regular feedback on their 

pupils’ performance, welfare and personal development” 

visit your home, after school, weekends, 

sleepovers, holidays and you will soon get 

a measure of an emerging social group. 

Getting to know their parents is always 

helpful and can also develop your own 

social group. Teenagers are exposed to 

temptations at ever younger ages; peer 

pressure can be difficult to resist and few 

have the emotional maturity to gauge risk 

with accuracy – trusting communications 

with fellow parents can be invaluable. 

How can parents support their child 

with academic work at this stage? Or 

should they leave the school to it? Good 

schools will provide regular feedback 

on their pupils’ performance, welfare 

and personal development. Many will 

provide easy access to assessment scores 

through online portals which give a good 

indication of progress and achievement. 

Careful (preferably discreet) 

monitoring at home will indicate 

whether due time and attention is 

being given to homework. ‘Discreet’, 

because communication is as 

much about listening as it is about 

talking. Adolescents need cautious 

care: too much pressure and they will 

cease to communicate entirely! 

Children’s progress, both 

academic and social, is not a straight 

line graph: there will be periods of 

acceleration and deceleration, lumps, 

bumps and plateaux. Every child 

is different and there are generally 

differences between the genders. 

Our policy at The New Beacon is 

to say that we will contact the parent 

if we are concerned and equally, we 

invite parents to contact us if they have 

concerns at home. In the latter case, 

our response is often simply to provide 

reassurance. The key is a strong, mutually 

supportive relationship with the school. 

The New Beacon School, Sevenoaks, 

Kent 01732 452131 newbeacon.org.uk 


50

WHITGIFT 

OPEN MORNING 

21 SEPTEMBER 2019 

Sir William Perkins School 

Amanda Stebbings, Head of Year 7 

Choosing a senior ‘big’ school in the independent 

education system is much like buying a house. It is 

a huge investment and, whilst the spec might look 

perfect for your child, if it doesn’t have the right 

feel, like a house, you are unlikely to buy it. After 

all, assuming your child will make the most of the 

vast array of co-curricular activities on offer, this will 

become their second home for the best part of seven 

years of their life. 

So, how involved should your child be in the 

decision? Very, is the answer. Your child is the one 

who is going to be taking up residence, so needs to feel 

comfortable and at home. 

At the very least, looking around and signing up for 

any pre-joining activities which may be on offer, i.e. 

Year 4 workshops or Year 5 taster days is a good idea. 

Once the choice has been made, do not be a stranger, 

keep visiting and attending any appropriate events 

which allow your child to feel part of the community 

before their arrival. 

When the big day comes and they are standing 

for the obligatory photo in their new uniform, try to 

put your own nerves to one side. Experience teaches 

us that the moment they enter the gates is far more 

traumatic for parents than the children. Suddenly they 

are independent, they will probably be using different 

transport and their journey may well be longer. 

Friendships will morph endlessly in the first three 

years of secondary school and guidance should always 

trump interference. Encourage them to have a wide 

friendship group; getting involved in a variety of 

different clubs is a good way to make lots of new 

friends with similar interests. 

Homework will probably increase from what your 

child is used to and it is advisable to take an interest 

in what they are doing. It will probably be vastly more 

varied than your own experience of homework! 

If in any doubt, contact the Form Tutor who will 

have an overview of how your child is getting on both 

socially and academically. 

Sir William Perkins School, Chertsey, Surrey 

01932 574900 swps.org.uk 

Whitgift is one of Britain’s finest independent day 

and boarding schools for boys aged 10 to 18. 

Set in 45 acres of parkland, we offer pathways for 

IB and A Levels plus a Section Française. 

Generous bursaries and scholarships are available. 

Join us at our Open Morning on 21 September to find 

out more about our inspiring school community. 

admissions@whitgift.co.uk 

+44 (0)20 8633 9935 

www.whitgift.co.uk/opendays 

Whitgift School 

Haling Park | South Croydon | CR2 6YT 


WhitgiftSchoolED06.indd 1 05/06/2019 10:12

Meet the matrons 

(or house parents as they are now called) 

Boarding can be a wonderful experience, producing independent young people, 

ready to go out into the world – but the prospect can be daunting, so who better 

to ask for advice about it than matron? (sorry, house parent) 

Battle Abbey 

Sara Walkley, Matron 

Ihave been a matron at Battle Abbey 

since 1995. My mother was a matron 

here and she loved the environment and 

her work, so when a position became 

available I applied. 

A matron needs a good mix of 

kindness, empathy, patience and 

understanding – and being able 

to provide a compassionate ear is 

as important as any one quality. A 

reasonable level of diplomacy and tact 

is also very useful. You also need to 

be able to maintain discipline in the 

boarding house so it’s essential to be 

able to switch on a more authoritarian 

side when necessary. 

I’m on the evening rota so after a 

handover with day staff I go to supper 

and supervise boarders’ prep time. I’ll 

spend some dedicated time chatting to 

pupils on my mentor list or who may 

need help. I’ll start supervising younger 

pupil’s bedtimes, then turn lights out in 

dormitories at the relevant times. 

To get a child emotionally ready for 

boarding we advise parents to talk about 

it in a positive way in the run up to 

their child’s departure. Explain to the 

child that there may be rough days, but 

there will always be people on hand to 

help. It’s important to encourage a child 

to be open about their feelings about 

going away from home. 

The main issue will always be 

homesickness and we work hard over 

the boarding induction process and 

the first few weeks to try to limit any 

isolation boarding pupils might be 

feeling and make sure the separate 

Matron Sara Walkley 

with boarder Prokop Spanel 

nationalities socialize together. 

Matrons need to spend time with new 

boarders, offer reassurance, encourage 

them to make friends and team them 

with a boarding buddy if necessary. 

We also assist with team building and 

boarding social activities. 

In the many years I’ve been at Battle 

Abbey there’s only been a couple of 

children who haven’t settled. Most 

former students we talk to have great 

memories of their boarding life at Battle 

Abbey School. Young people who board 

at school learn how to live in a large 

community with different individuals 

and cultures. It’s the global village 

in microcosm! They learn how to be 

independent and amass an array of life 

skills that stand them in great stead for 

university and adult life in general. 


52

Prokop Spanel 

A termly boarder, Year 10 

I was eleven years old when 

I came to Battle Abbey. I’m 

from the Czech Republic and 

it was a tough adjustment at 

first, coming from a different 

background and entering a 

new culture. 

I thought adjusting to 

another culture and language 

would be a challenge, 

especially at such a young 

age, but everyone was 

welcoming and helpful 

through my journey of 

settling in. 

The time it takes to 

settle in is definitely 

something a child should 

be aware of before coming 

to a boarding school. 

There are several things 

that I like and enjoy about 

boarding but one that stands 

out for me is the way it 

improves my organisation by 

structuring the day better. 

I feel this is a crucial part 

of growing up for anyone 

who wants to be successful 

at school. At home it’s very 

difficult for me to achieve 

the same level of organisation 

and structure. 

I also like the fact that I 

meet people from different 

backgrounds and I learn 

things I would never learn, 

speak to people I wouldn’t 

otherwise speak to and get 

out of my comfort zone. 

There are certain people that 

I’m glad I met and if it wasn’t 

for boarding, I don’t think I 

would’ve done. 

Everything has its 

advantages and disadvantages, 

but I feel boarding has made 

me a better person by making 

me deal with these things, as 

I think it is an important part 

of becoming independent 

and growing up. 

Battle Abbey School, Battle, 


battleabbeyschool.com 

Frewen College 

Boarding team: Sarah Medcraft (Head of Boarding) 

Hannah Lewis and Ben Swinson 

Being a houseparent is a way of 

life rather than just a job. It’s 

being a ‘mum away from Mum’ 

and creating a caring community 

which nurtures, encourages 

and provides boundaries for 

students of different ages, from 

different cultures and with different 

needs and expectations. 

Each day there is a basic routine 

which involves making sure the 

boarders get to school on time, 

prepared for the day ahead. Later 

we have an evening meal, followed 

by homework club and then we 

run a choice of activities such as 

cricket, baking, rounders, crafts, 

volleyball, music and gym. Outside of 

that, anything can happen! House 

parents need lots of patience, a sense 

of humour, warmth and kindness. It’s 

important to be a good role model and 

to encourage children to find the best 

in themselves. 

Boarding is a big change and helping 

your child in advance to develop some 

independent life skills, such as being 

able to change their sheets and load a 

dishwasher can help prepare them for 

boarding. 

If they have never slept away from 

home arrange sleepovers with friends 

or family. Talk about any worries and 

reassure them that they will have support. 

If possible, meet with boarding staff 

before they come so a child gains a sense 

of collaboration around their wellbeing. 

First time boarding can be daunting 

and feeling lost and unsure what to do 

can add to being unsettled. Allocating 

a house buddy helps as they’ve 

almost certainly experienced the same 

feelings. Keeping them busy and having 

fun helps, as well as clear routines. 

Our boarding team will talk with the 

student and their family to enquire how 

things are going. Most students settle in, 

although some take longer than others. 

It’s important to let them give it a fair 

go and avoid rushing into decisions. 

Boarders develop a real sense of 

independence and team spirit. They get 

a well-rounded holistic education and 

experience personal growth. They make 

friends for life and great memories. 

We love what we do and hearing from 

students years later who remember things 

you did to support them makes even 

the most challenging days worth while. 

A Frewen full-time boarder 

I was 14 years old when I started boarding. It took a month or two to settle in and 

sometimes I did get homesick. It was good that I had an instant connection with 

my roommate and the supportive boarding staff really helped too. There is a really 

nice atmosphere and it’s is a relatively small boarding house so that helped. 

It feels homely – a real home away from home. There is routine with an element 

of freedom to make some choices, and my own space and time. There is a good 

variety of weekend activities. I like the respect between staff and peers and the 

sense of community. 

Frewen College, Northiam, East Sussex 01797 252494 frewencollege.co.uk 

Head of Boarding 

Sarah Medcraft, 

with boarders 

 



Kate Montgomery, Senior Housemistress 

Amatron is a ‘Super Mum’, being a boarder each day what they are doing 

mum to the boarders in her charge, and where to go. Each boarding house 

organising and preparing all the things a has its own noise and smell, something 

mum does, but on a much larger scale. to adjust to... but it all comes with time. 

You wake the boarders at 7am with a All children will get there in the end, 

smile (and occasionally a song!) and carry some just take longer to settle than 

on until after all the boarders are in bed. others. My best example is a boy who 

I came to the career after studying cried every morning while his parents 

Child Care & Management, then I were living aboard, but when he returned 

joined a prep school from there. after Christmas he just stopped crying. 

A matron needs to have stamina, By then I had another new boy and 

so you can just keep going and work he started crying every morning... so 

outside the normal nine to five. You need I asked the first boy to look after him 

patience, and lots of it, laughter and an and, after a week of chatting as to how 

ear to listen to concerns. When boarders things would improve, I had two very 

think they are getting up to mischief, you happy boarders who both went on to 

might as well be wearing a T shirt saying Tonbridge as full boarders. I still see 

“been there, seen that before” on it… them and we joke about it now. 

Parents of new boarders should 

What kids get from boarding is 

prepare their kids by always talking amazing experience in managing 

about boarding in a positive way, never oneself. You can always spot the boarder 

saying “well if you don’t like it, you can on a residential trip, they are neat, 

come home”. Help them learn practical organised, know to get up, get dressed, 

tasks, such as how to change a bed, shower, make their bed etc. There is 

clean their shoes, pack an overnight an air about a child who can cope and 

bag and make lists of things to do. manage day-to-day life without a parent 

Then make packing for boarding standing by. Parents have such busy 

fun. Choose a day to shop together for lives now, so it is helpful if a child can 

boarding essentials, such bedding, towels, deal with simple day-to-day concerns. 

toiletries, underwear, pyjamas, casual Boarders are encouraged to help 

clothes and stationery and get the child during mealtimes in the dining 

to help with name taping all items. room, wash up the items they 

For many kids who are starting, a use in the boarding house and 

problem is not knowing where to be at to keep their dorms tidy. 

the right time. Schools can be a large Above all they learn to think about 

place and it’s so easy to get lost when it others and be part of a wider boarding 

appears that everyone else knows where family. This helps hugely with their 

to go and what to do. Matrons can be confidence and the way they interact with 

in the background gently reminding a other people for the rest of their lives. 

This page: Matrons 

preparing the dorms 

and a knitting lesson 

Freddie, 

A termly boarder in Year 7 

I started in Year 4, when I was 8. 

I gradually built up my boarding 

experience from one night per 

week, to two nights and so on, over 

a course of a year, so it only took 

me a short while to settle and did 

not miss my parents too much. 

My parents emailed me often so 

I felt in touch with my family. I 

also loved receiving letters – when 

you are boarding it’s very exciting 

to receive post, and sometimes 

the letters contained treats! 

The matrons were brilliant when 

I started and really helped me feel at 

home. I feel I can ask the matrons 

anything. They are always jolly. 

I love the nice cosy dorms, 

the huge variety of food and 

all the activities we do each 

night. I loved learning to knit. 

I also enjoy looking after and 

helping the younger boarders 

who are just starting out. 

There is a wonderful boarding 

community in the school. There 

are lots of games in the house 

to play with friends on winter 

evenings, a pool table, table 

football table and table tennis. 

I am going to be a full boarder 

at my senior school and feel 

my boarding at Dulwich will 

stand me in good stead. 

Dulwich Prep Cranbrook, 

Kent 01580 712179 


 


54

SATURDAY 21 September

Gordon’s School 

Daniel and Gemma Aukett, 

House Parents 

As house parents, primarily, we 

perform two roles – pastoral 

and academic support. In a pastoral 

sense, we look after every aspect of a 

student’s wellbeing when they are in 

our care. This can be as wide ranging 

as helping them find their socks in 

laundry, to assisting them with settling 

into life as a boarder, or helping them 

deal with peer relationship issues. 

From an academic perspective our 

role is to support them when they are 

not in lessons, liaising with teachers to 

understand where students might need 

extra support and whether through extra 

revision sessions, or in-house support 

to improve their time management. 

To help children to settle into 

boarding quickly, parents should visit the 

boarding environment before arriving. 

The more familiar they become with 

their surroundings the better they will be 

able to adapt, so attend any orientation 

days that the school may offer. 

Understandably, students often 

suffer with homesickness in the first 

few weeks of boarding. One thing that 

worked really well in the boarding 

house at the beginning of the year was 

reading to the Year 7 dormitory at bed 

time. They really enjoyed hearing the 

amazing stories of Roald Dahl and it 

helped take their minds off any concerns 

and settle in to their new lives. 

David and Angela Mathews, 

House Parents 

We look after 90 girls in a 

residential and day boarding 

house. We are also teachers and 

parents of our own two young 

children, plus a tortoise and cats. 

Running a school boarding house 

is very much a family affair as our 

children love being with the girls. 

Girls start boarding either weekly 

or termly from the age of 11 and are 

immersed in fun events to occupy them 

and keep homesickness to a minimum. 

They are all assigned a ‘buddy’ 

who acts as a mentor to help and 

support them while they get used 

to being away from home. 

While the hours are long, the 

thrill of seeing the girls succeed both 

academically and in inter-house 

activities is very rewarding. Watching 

the girls develop and grow to be lovely 

young ladies is a real highlight. 

Gordon’s School, Woking, Surrey 

01276 858084 

gordons.school 

Noah Sempala-Ntege, 17 

A full-time boarder 

I’m about to start my sixth 

year boarding at Gordon’s. I 

arrived aged 11, the first of four 

siblings to attend the school. 

My dad is in the Army so had 

the potential to move around 

so I boarded from Year 7. 

It was quite hard at first, 

getting used to being away from 

home but my house parents did 

lots of bonding things which 

made it easier. They put on lots of 

weekend activities. On Saturday 

evenings we have treats – a 

movie night with cheesy bread! 

My house parents were always 

there when I needed them. 

When in Year 9, my Dad went 

to Iraq, it was really nice having 

my house parents. I could 

openly speak to them about it 

and they would reassure me. 

We boarders have such a close 

bond. When you are boarding 

you have to learn how everyone 

reacts differently to situations 

and to respect people and 

socialise. I would send my own 

children to boarding school 

because it helps you develop as 

a person. At Gordon’s they urge 

you to be the best you can and 

give you all the opportunities 

to be the best you can. 


56

GORDON’S SCHOOL 

BOARDING IN SURREY 

Ranked in the top 1% of all schools in England and Wales 

over the past 3 years at A Level. 

Years 7, 9 and 12 boarding places available from £5,615 per term. 

2019 Open Days 

Please see website www.gordons.school to book a place. 

GordonsSchoolED06.indd 1 24/05/2019 14:39 

We provide a wide 

range of services 

throughout Kent & 

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• 24hr/365 Days Emergency Service 


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St Edmund’s is a day and boarding school where every pupil 

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Open Day Saturday 28 September 2019, 9.30am 

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60 

StMichaelsHospiceWT208.indd 1 22/05/2019 14:22

GCSEs 



education 

Claremont Senior School 

Claire Martin and Victoria Liggett, Assistant Heads (Teaching and Learning) 

This is the most stressful time of 

the whole school journey – how can 

parents best support their children? 

Planning can really help here. During 

holiday times, in the run-up and half 

term in the middle of exams, make sure 

that your child isn’t having to choose 

between fun activities and working. 

If you can plan the family day 

and their social engagements around 

providing time for them to revise, it 

will make it much easier. Perhaps come 

to an agreement that they work in the 

mornings, with a prompt start, but the 

afternoons are for relaxing. 

The run-up to exams is often the worst 

time. Discuss that although exams are 

important, they are also just a stepping 

stone and will soon be over. They need 

to do as well as they can, but not at 

the expense of their mental or physical 

health. Reassure them that doing their 

best is what is important to you. 

What is the best way for parents to 

support kids with revision? Help them 

plan a ‘Goldilocks’ revision timetable 

“Reassure them 

that doing their 

best is what is 

important to you” 

that is realistic in terms of hours – not 

too much, not too little, just right. There 

isn’t such a thing as a one-size-fits-all 

revision timetable and it doesn’t matter 

what your child’s friends are doing, it 

needs to be right for them. 

Make sure they include all their 

subjects – not just the ones they like 

or the ones they find the hardest. One 

good suggestion can be to use their 

lesson timetable as a guide to ensure that 

subjects are evenly spread. Don’t leave it 

too long before revisiting subjects. Try 

and rotate them regularly. 

Show an interest in what they are 

doing, but not so much that they feel 

stifled. Maintain the usual routine as 

much as possible. What signs should 

parents look out for that their child is 

dangerously stressed? 

Watch out for sleeplessness and lack 

of eating, or any major and unexpected 

changes in behaviour. A little bit of 

stress is to be expected and can be a 

good thing as it can often enhance 

performance, but it shouldn’t change 

who they are and how they behave. 

If they cut themselves off from their 

friends or you, start refusing to go to 

school or exhibit behaviour that’s out 

of character, that may be a sign that the 

stress has gone beyond ‘useful’ levels. 

And what should they do to combat 

serious stress? Speak to them if you 

can about what their specific worries 

are and talk to the school. Make sure 

you tell people that you are worried 

about your child and find out whether 

they are seeing the same behaviour 

as you are. The school will be able to 

offer advice about what to do next 

and if you are seriously concerned 

you can always speak to your GP. 

How can parents support their child 

during the actual exam period? 

Late night revision sessions are not 

going to help. Try to encourage a 

reasonable bedtime. Good nutritious 

meals and some time spent outside 

away from the revision when possible 

is good. Try and encourage them to 

go outside to offset the hours they 

will spend sitting and studying – 

that will help with mood swings. 

If they want to talk about how the 

exam went, that’s great, but many 

won’t want to talk about it at all. Try 

to be OK with that! Most importantly, 

once the exams have started, everyone 

will feel like the end is in sight. 

How can parents look after their own 

wellbeing at this time – so that they 

can best support their child? It can be 

a very stressful time for parents. I often 

hear from them how powerless, anxious 

and sometimes frustrated they can feel at 

this time. Try and roll with the punches 

and not allow inevitable self-centred 

and stressed behaviour get to you too 

much – it is only for five weeks. Get 

early nights yourself, relax when you can 

and, when in doubt, have a glass of wine! 

Claremont Senior School, Bodiam, 




Open Morning 

Saturday 28 September 2019 

9.00am – 12 noon 

The Principal will speak at 9.15am 

The World’s Oldest Cathedral Choir School 

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Is your child ready to become 

a Cyber Attack Agent or an 

Algorithm Bias Auditor? 

Jeremy Lewis, head of school at aCs egham international school, 

looks at ways you can ensure your child is prepared to meet the 

challenges of the 21st century workplace 

what will today’s children be when they enter 

the workplace? with the rapid pace of change 

in society and the furious advance of new 

technologies, it’s increasingly hard to predict both what and 

where new jobs will be. 

the world economic Forum estimated that six in ten 

children today will have careers that, as yet, simply don’t exist. 

and very recently, it firm, Cognizant, created a list citing 21 

possible ‘jobs of the future’. these included some thoughtprovoking 

job titles including Cyber attack agent, algorithm 

bias auditor and head of Machine personality design. 

it’s interesting how we all take for granted that the jobs 

of the future will be created primarily in it and technical 

industries, but what really struck me about this list, was just 

how many of these so called ‘new jobs’ also alluded to a high 

degree of creativity. 

i was greatly encouraged by this as it suggests that it’s 

by following a broad and well-rounded curriculum that 

our children will be best prepared for these new and 

challenging roles. 

STEAM vs STEM 

at aCs, we believe in the steaM approach. this is steM 

(science, technology, engineering and maths), with the 

addition of the arts. 

while an education focused on steM will help prepare 

students for scientific fields, studying the arts is clearly 

increasingly important and relevant in industries that rely 

on innovators and creative minds to generate new ways of 

thinking about the world. 

it’s the people who can truly 

synthesise ideas and create new 

and exciting options who will be 

headhunted as the next Cyber attack agent or Virtual identity 

defender, so by encouraging students in drama, music or the 

visual arts as much as we do in traditional steM subjects, we 

can truly help them develop the imagination needed for the 

pioneering industries of the 21st century. 

Building an entrepreneurial mindset 

we also believe, in tandem to this, that developing an 

entrepreneurial mindset can provide a strong foundation for 

success in these pioneering industries and indeed create new ones. 

our own report inspiring entrepreneurship in education 

underpins this view. the report presents research 

commissioned by the National Centre for entrepreneurship in 

education (NCee) and aCs international schools amongst 

heads of enterprise (hoes) in 62 universities across the uk and 

cites that 90 per cent of hoes believe more should be done at 

school level to develop entrepreneurship competence in students. 

what’s more, considering perceived barriers to 

entrepreneurship in schools, two thirds of university hoes 

believe narrowing of subject choices has a negative impact on 

entrepreneurship interest amongst students. 

Factors that have a positive impact on students’ interest in 

enterprise and entrepreneurship by the time they arrive at 

university include the general ethos of the school; having teachers 

trained in entrepreneurship; the students’ peer groups; and the 

school teaching specific character-building skills. 

and nearly two thirds of hoes also believe that exposure 

to different nationalities and cultures while at school is highly 

beneficial to students’ entrepreneurial outlook. 

other positive factors include social media, crowdfunding sites, 

tV programmes, such as dragon’s den, and e-commerce. 

bottom of the list of factors were a lack of experience of 

failure and brexit. 

A qualification for the 21st century 

in my view, our emerging generation of schoolchildren is, 

if anything more powerfully determined than the so-called 

‘millennials’ to do things differently. 

they see entrepreneurship as a way to independence and 

control in their careers and to making the world a better 

 


your child and will advise on the right study programme for 

them. But what else can parents do? 

place. As such it’s vital that schools develop activities which 

create a springboard for students to explore and advance their 

entrepreneurial skills and ambition at university and beyond. 

So, what can we all do to encourage and support students as 

they prepare for this brave new world? At ACS we believe that 

the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) 

provides a great foundation. Offered at ACS Egham, the IBDP 

allows students to select a wide range of topics to study across 

the sciences, arts and languages. This means they graduate with 

a mix of skills rather than the comparatively narrow subject 

areas they would have to choose at A Level. 

With A Levels, students often pick just three subjects whilst 

IB includes six, three at higher level and three at standard, 

which cover languages, social studies, science and maths. 

And while it’s often cited that A Level students emerge with 

in-depth knowledge of their chosen subjects, I believe that 

this can sometimes push them too early down a set path that 

becomes difficult to deviate from later, especially when it comes 

to choosing university options. 

It may be harder for an A Level student who only studied 

humanities to then change their mind and secure a place on 

a science degree, for example, and vice versa. The IB, with its 

broader span of subjects, keeps higher education options 

much more fluid, a great advantage. 

As well as six IB subjects, students also undertake extra 

components which count towards their final grades, including 

a mandatory 4,000-word extended essay: while the IB’s ‘Theory 

of Knowledge’ component is designed to actually teach students 

how to apply knowledge to real-life situations. 

A fundamental part of the IB is ‘Creativity, Action, Service’ 

or CAS which shows students the importance of extracurricular 

activities as an integral part of life. As part of CAS 

projects, ACS students have built school facilities in Nepal, 

fundraised for Great Ormond Street Hospital and supported 

local charities. 

Over the last decade, ACS research amongst university 

admissions officers has consistently cited the IB as the best 

preparation for university, outscoring A Levels on attributes 

such as encouraging independent inquiry, developing workplace 

skills, nurturing an open mind and creativity. 

However, it’s important that students choose the right 

qualification and study programme for them as individuals, so 

it is always worthwhile discussing with teachers who also know 

Building resilience 

Coming back to character-building skills, it is evident that 

we must also teach students resilience and show them how to 

take responsibility. 

Just last week a new report suggested that many recent 

graduates lack the required mindset and determination to cut 

it in the workplace but, of course, the reasons underpinning 

this view are perfectly understandable. We’re all fed a constant 

media diet of horror stories about what could happen to our 

children if we leave them alone for any length of time. 

And while social media platforms and smartphones make 

it simple to stay in touch, a downside is that our offspring 

have been taught from an early age to rely and depend on 

pervasive parental presence which, while well meant, may 

have reduced the ability of young people to make and learn 

from their own mistakes. 

An exciting new world awaits our children, it is our job to 

teach them to make the most of it. 

WAYS TO ENCOURAGE INDEPENDENT KIDS 

• Set them regular tasks at home to learn 

responsibility. It may be as simple as keeping 

their room in order, but do be prepared to impose 

rigid penalties for jobs not done – a reduction 

of pocket money, less treats, less online time for 

example. Make them realise that failure to deliver 

on agreed tasks has implications. 

• Let them organise their own school equipment 

such as a sport’s kit or project work, even if it is 

quicker and easier for you to do it. 

• Give them physical freedom to take informed 

risks. Playing sport and being part of a team is a 

great way to enable this. On the playing field they 

have no choice but to make their own decisions. 

• Teach them not to expect to have everything at 

once. Help them learn patience by creating more 

distant end goals and encourage them to save 

pocket money to buy that item they crave or earn 

the money to pay for it themselves. 

ACS Egham International School is part of the ACS 

International Schools group, serving both local and global 

families since 1995. The school is non-sectarian and 

co-educational, enrolling over 550 students aged 3 to 18 

years. ACS Egham was the first IB World School in the UK 

to offer all four International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes: 

the IB Primary Years, Middle Years, Diploma and Careersrelated 

Programmes. 

ACS Egham International School, Egham, Surrey 

01784 430800 Twitter: @ACSEgham acs-schools.com 


64

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SATURDAY 13 TH JULY 

SATURDAY 13 TH JULY 

Celebrate summer with friends and family at the Leeds Castle 

Celebrate Classical Summer summer Concert with friends on Saturday and family 13th at July the 2019. Leeds Castle 

Classical Summer Concert on Saturday 13th July 2019. 

This year will be a unique celebration of Leeds Castle’s 

This remarkable year will 900-year be a unique milestone, celebration with the of Leeds world Castle’s premiere of 

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Band “A Tribute accompanied to Leeds by Castle” the Royal performed Philharmonic by the Royal Orchestra. Marines 

Band accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Enjoy a wonderfully varied programme ranging from the 

Enjoy traditional a wonderfully classics to varied world programme class soloists, ranging all rounded from the off with 

traditional a spectacular classics firework to world and cannon class soloists, finale. all rounded off with 

a spectacular firework and cannon finale. 

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LeedsCastleWT207.indd 1 17/04/2019 ABC.indd 16:34 1 12/12/2018 17:15 

Boys 13 - 18 • Boarding and Day 

OPEN MORNING 

Saturday 5th October 2019 

Come and 

see our new 

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Scholarships & Bursaries available at 11+, 13+ and 16+ 

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66 

TonbridgeSchoolED06.indd 1 05/06/2019 11:53

Just as technology is now involved with every aspect 

of life, the school subjects that used to be considered 

the preserve of boffins and nerds are becoming much 

more integrated with other parts of the curriculum. And a 

proper grounding in theoretical and practical sciences is now 

essential for careers in an ever-increasing range of areas. 

Schools are rising to the challenge, investing in innovative science 

blocks and taking new approaches to teaching these subjects, making 

them more approachable to the broadest range of pupils. 

Nick Ellwood of Tonbridge School explains the thinking behind 

the school’s state-of-the-art new science centre. 

The life 

scientific 

In every aspect of life, science is 

more important than ever – and 

schools are rising to the challenge 

Science at Tonbridge took a great leap forward this year 

with the opening of the Barton Science Centre, a truly 

ambitious development which provides a world-class 

environment for innovative teaching and learning. 

Named after Nobel Prize-winning chemist Sir Derek Barton, 

a former Tonbridge pupil, the spectacular three-storey building 

places science and technology at the heart of school life, blending 

new classrooms and spacious laboratories with many architectural 

features from the school’s original Victorian science building. Features 

include an interactive periodic table, a TV wall, a beehive, thoughtprovoking 

sculptures, a roof garden, a greenhouse and three libraries. 

The school’s Head of Science, Bill Burnett, describes the 

centre as: ‘striking, innovative and simply fun to be a part of. 

‘Everything reflects our approach that science should be a 

creative and exploratory endeavour, not dry fact learning. Practical 

work is used to stimulate questions pupils want the answers 

to, not to confirm what they already knew beforehand. 

‘Classrooms have a flexible layout, with a range of imaginative 

designs. There are specialist labs for optics in Physics, microscopy 

in Biology and fume extraction in Chemistry. Other rooms 

provide opportunities for independent project work. 

‘The centre’s location, in the middle of the school, is significant 

too. Staff and students are encouraged to wander through and 

take notice of the presentations, experiments and other activities 

that happen in its shared areas. A sixth-form international science 

“Science should be a creative and exploratory 

endeavour, not dry fact learning…” 

conference, an art exhibition and a ‘Mission Discovery’ educational 

course run by NASA astronauts all took place in recent times. 

‘The Barton Science Centre will also have a wider public benefit and 

the school hopes it will become a regional hub for the community. It 

will enable the school to enhance its outreach programmes, such as 

the popular Science for Schools project that benefits hundreds of local 

primary school pupils each year, and to host more public lectures.’ 

‘When you walk around,’ adds Phil Deakin, Head of Physics, 

‘you are more likely to see teachers and students building a 

Heath Robinson machine side-by-side, than you are to see 

a teacher lecturing at the front of a class laid out in rows. 

It is an extremely exciting time for science at Tonbridge.’ 

Tonbridge School, Tonbridge, Kent 

01732 365555 www.tonbridge-school.co.uk 

All pictures: The new Barton Science Centre at Tonbridge School 


Maisie Kirby year 10 

Hermione 

White year 10 

Deterioration Sophie 

Cutting year 12 

t h i s 

ART 

of 

minei 

The art that young people can create even from ages 

as young as 6 is truly a wonder to be celebrated 

Kitty Atherton year 12 

Nature in Art April Yang year 13 

Drawing in 

fine liner William 

Xunning year 10 

Portrait in Pencil 

Kitty Atherton year 12 




68

Tiger Jack 

Walker age 15 

Landscape of 

a discarded tin 

mine Connor 

Field age 16 

svs.org.uk 

Joshua Hughes age 11 

bricklehurst.co.uk 

Grace Williams-Preece age 10 

Orla 

O’Sullivan 

age 6 

Coke Isabel Gowing age 9 


Lucy owen year 11 

tim Liu year10 

Nature in Art april Yang, year 13 battle abbey 


rosa Liakos year 5 

edward Newman year 8 

Mother’s Day project year 3 

Jed westcott year 8


Yiman Yang year 11 

tom owen age 11 

dylan kist age 12 

harry kerman age 11 

beechwood.org.uk 


Yas year 13 

tasisengland.org 

Lucy year 13 

ashanti year 13 

manorhouseschool.org 

Reflection Human Figure isabel Morgan year 11 

Looking bella Jakob year 11 

Reflection Fish Pond eve white year 11 

Clay Clay tiles tiles year year 8 8 

Reflection Margate Cecily 

Foad year 11 


72

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CUMNOR HOUSE 

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NURSERY, PRE-PREP & PREP SCHOOL 

Open Morning 

Friday September 27th 

“The instant happiness of 

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Aim High, Be Kind, 

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CUMNOR PARENT 

To book your place or to arrange a private 

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CumnorHouseED06.indd 1 31/05/2019 15:09

Encouraging children to 

reach for the stars since 1874 

‘A superior all-round option - kids nurtured, brains engaged, 

the opportunity to get involved in loads of different activities 

in a nurturing environment that has been judged Excellent 

in every possible area.’ Muddy Stilettos, 2019 

Why not come and visit us? 

Contact Emma Houchin on 01580 753555 or registrar@marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk 

Valuing self and others 

Boys and Girls, Nursery-13 years. Day and Flexi Boarding 

Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, Kent, TN18 4PY marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk

Going solo 

Team sports don’t suit everyone – some 

pupils flourish competing alone 

Hurst College 

Rebecca Jutson, Assistant Director of Girls’ Sport 

With a greater number of students in the school we are now providing a broader 

range of sporting opportunities, and the uptake for more individual sports has 

increased. We now have a wide range of activities on offer including tennis, athletics, 

swimming, golf, sailing, climbing, kayaking, aerobics, triathlon, cross-country, archery, 

gymnastics, squash, fencing, show jumping and skiing. 

Students who don’t wish to get involved with team games derive a great deal of 

confidence from performing in more individual activities. Hurst focuses on the 

development of the individual, whether that be through team sports or individual 

sports. Our responsibility is to find activities which suit the needs of the student rather 

than those of the school. 

Sport is compulsory and everyone is expected to involve themselves, whether that 

be at participation or performance level. To a degree the sport is irrelevant, it is more a 

belief that the sporting environment is there to provide youngsters with the opportunity 

to develop personal and interpersonal skills which will benefit them in later life. 

It is also there to provide them with a physical release from their studies and 

encourage them to lead healthy, active lifestyles. The skills and qualities they derive from 

participation in sporting activities are certainly more important than the outcome of a 

particular match or the achievement of a result. Within this culture and central to our 

students’ development is the promotion of personal confidence. 

Joe Sullivan, 

Year 12, Golfer 

“I started playing when I was four and 

my best achievement to date is playing 

for the England U16 squad last year for 

the first time. My dad introduced me to 

the game and I really enjoyed it. From 

playing golf I have learned that I have 

a good temperament and I am able to 

bounce back after a bad run. I think 

overall I have become slightly 

more confident over the 

last couple of years.” 

Hurst College, Hassocks, West Sussex 01273 833636 hppc.co.uk 

Felix Warren, 

Year 9, Climber 

“I have been climbing for five years 

now – since I was nine. I always used 

to climb trees and when our local 

climbing centre opened I gave it a 

try and got really into it. I love it 

because there are so many challenges 

and when you complete something 

you have been working at for a while, 

there is an overwhelming sense 

of satisfaction.” 

Tallulah Sullivan, 

Year 9, Triathlete 

“I have been competing in Triathlon since I 

was around eight or nine years old. Before I 

was injured I came third in the South East 

of England for TS1 girls and I also have a 

few other trophies for achieving a top three 

position. I have always been a strong runner 

and I thought it would be a good opportunity 

to compete in a sport that could stretch 

me in aspects that running alone couldn’t. 

I like that it pushes me to work hard and 

train hard and it gives me adrenaline.” 

Jamie Briggs, 

Year 11, Fencer 

“I first started just after my 7th birthday 

and, because of my age, I had to use foam 

swords. A year later I was able to progress 

to the proper thing and took part in my 

first competition in March 2012. I have 

been on the U13, U15 and U17 England 

squads and last year I was invited to be 

a part of the GB U17 squad. It has been 

amazing to be able to represent 

my country in a sport 

that I love.”

Elizabeth Fraser 

Fencing Champion 

“My favourite thing about fencing 

is the tactics and mental strength it 

takes to win a fight. I have learnt 

a lot about myself through fencing 

– particularly my ability to bounce 

back. In the last two years I have 

suffered from two injuries, but I 

didn’t let this hold me back. 

I trained hard to get back and 

now I am able to 

compete again.” 

Sutton Valence School, Maidstone, Kent 

Sutton Valence School believes that all pupils can be successful in 

sport and, with a strong sporting tradition, we offer every child 

the opportunity to develop their fitness and love of exercise which will 

support them throughout their life. 

Under the care of the Director of Sport, Mark Howell students 

flourish across a huge breadth of sporting disciplines. Alongside the 

major sports (rugby, hockey, netball, tennis and cricket) the school 

supports sportsmen and women excelling in individual sports. These 

include gymnasts, equestrian riders, runners, dancers, skiers, sailors, 

martial artists and fencing champions. 

The sporting provision at the school has been developed to work 

with the broad range of needs of these sports. Working with the 

strength and conditioning coaches, pupils optimise their core skills 

of speed, power and agility, giving them a competitive edge. 

The sports department provides bespoke training 

programmes for the students in the Talented Athlete 

Programme and, at the elite level, they work with their 

coaches to provide the best complementary support. 

Students are also invited to lectures on nutrition, sports 

psychology and more to ensure they receive a professional 

insight into the world of sport that will allow them to reach 

the next level of their own personal development. 

Sutton Valence School, Maidstone, Kent 

01622 845200 svs.org.uk 

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76 

MsgsportsWT204.indd 1 14/01/2019 CheekyMonkeyS40.indd 16:45 

1 25/01/2018 15:42

www.kings-school.co.uk 

OPEN MORNINGS 

13+ - 

Saturday 5 th October 

Sixth Form - 

Saturday 21 st September 

Watch our film 

www.kings-school.co.uk/school-film 

A 21 st Century education within 

the historical City of Canterbury 

Watch our film 

www.junior-kings.co.uk/school-film 

www.junior-kings.co.uk 

OPEN MORNINGS 

Saturday 12 th October

Mayfield School 

Antonia Beary, Headmistress at Mayfield School, shares her 

school sport philosophy – and her own experiences 

Teachers from my own schooldays might be rather 

sceptical at my writing an article on the benefits of sport, 

and rightly so, as any recollections of my youthful endeavours 

to avoid cross country or the 1500 metres (I think I was the 

only person in my year not to do it) would elicit, at best, 

amusement. However, even the most recalcitrant child can 

surprise themselves and others. 

Sport teaches us all, not just our children, skills and 

helps discover abilities which can prove invaluable as life 

skills. Playing as a team requires not only working together, 

but thinking about other people and understanding their 

strengths and weaknesses. 

Good team players will be able to see themselves 

contributing to something bigger, as they have to look beyond 

their own individual goals to the shared, common good. 

Representing our school, county or even country, requires 

working towards an altruistic goal, espousing what may seem 

old-fashioned values, which are increasingly at odds with 

those of the self-centred society in which we seem to live. For 

teenagers to appreciate both that it is not just ‘all about them’ 

but also that they have something valuable to contribute, 

promotes a balanced sense of self-esteem. 

Practice, as we know, makes perfect. In a world where 

there is a disproportionate focus on individuals plucked out 

of obscurity allegedly to fame and fortune, sport offers an 

excellent lesson: while natural ability may be an advantage, 

it is nothing without consistent effort and application – 

whatever the weather. 

With our increasing dependence on mobile phones 

allowing the best-laid plans to be changed at the last minute, 

understanding the concept of commitment to a match or 

practice is important. It doesn’t matter if you have a better 

offer – you have a responsibility to your team. In making 

sacrifices, so character is built and captaining a team can lead 

on to more significant leadership roles and the responsibility 

being a role model entails. 

Learning how to win and – more importantly – how to 

lose, graciously are skills which should not be underrated. 

Sport provides an arena where it is almost impossible not to 

make mistakes, offering opportunities to learn how to cope 

when, inevitably, things do not go to plan. Learning to roll 

with the punches – literal and metaphorical – is a vital skill. 

At the same time, having to conform to a set of rules is 

no bad thing for a child, whilst fair play and respect for the 

umpire’s decision needs to be learnt and can’t necessarily be 

assumed. Sport should help instil in our young people the 

fundamental value of integrity. 

Computer games may offer a certain type of stimulation 

but there is nothing to beat fresh air and physical activity for 

real wellbeing. Regular physical activity also means that you 

can get away with spoiling yourself with a food treat every 

now and then. 

Sport also provides a vital outlet for pent-up tension – as I 

discovered when I worked in a boys’ school, one harsh winter 

when I had to teach classes unable to play sport due to frozen 

pitches. Expending energy on the playing field, means that 

you can focus effectively on your academic study. 

Equally, the skills of concentration, focus and 

determination are easily transferrable and success in a match 

can boost confidence and instil a self-belief which in turn 

allows you to approach a challenging maths problem or a 

philosophical conundrum with more conviction. 

There is a reason why we ‘play’ sport – it has to be about 

having fun. For some, that pleasure will come from being 

intensely competitive, for others simply in being part of 

something bigger than themselves and spending time with 

their friends. 

And the joy of sport is that there is something for everyone. 

For the record: the girl who, aged 13, tried to arrange her 

music lessons in PE, in a few short years found herself 

representing Cambridge University in the Boat Race. Who 

says miracles don’t happen? 

Mayfield School, Mayfield, East Sussex 

01435 874600 www.mayfieldgirls.org 


78

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form 

invaluable tips from experienced 

teachers for each stage 

of education 

frewen college 

hazel lawrence, head of Sixth form 

at this stage our kids are young 

adults – not children. how can 

parents support them in a way 

that respects this? (and not get 

irritated!) speak to them and listen 

to what they are saying, even if it 

sounds outlandish. several of my 

students have suggested it’s easier 

to have these conversations when 

you are doing something else, like 

washing up, or preparing dinner, as 

this makes them feel less intense. 

start sixth Form options discussions 

early. it takes away the pressure 

to make immediate decisions if you’re 

not agreeing. the summer term of 

Year 10 is a good time to start. 

work with them! explore all the 

options and try to get to a point 

where your son or daughter thinks 

it was their decision. using a ‘drip, 

drip’ approach to achieve an outcome 

everyone is happy with. 

how can parents best support 

their children with their choices? 

at Frewen College we have a strong 

ethos of working with students and 

young people to help them make their 

next steps and we include parents 

too. all Year 11 students have a weekly 

mentor session to discuss options as 

well working with the young person to 

keep them on track. in Year 10 students 

will also have a one-on-one meeting 

with our independent careers adviser 

to start thinking about next steps. 

encourage your child to visit as 

many colleges as possible, particularly 

if they are undecided and/or there 

are several colleges offering the same 

courses. this is really important 

as each course will vary slightly. 

For young people who have a 

strong idea about what they want 

to do and learn in a more handson 

way, apprenticeships are another 

area to pursue. there are a range 

of them in different fields; from 

the more traditional like catering 

or construction industry to newer 

ones like cyber security. 

take time to visit apprenticeship 

fairs and events which will provide 

both parents and young people 

with information and advice. 

Many colleges will also offer taster 

day events for Year 10 students 

towards the end of the summer. this 

is an excellent opportunity to get a 

feel for a college and experience new 

courses – many of the courses offered 

“Reassure them it’s OK to not 

know exactly what they’d like 

to do in the future at this stage” 

at bteC or a Level will be very 

different from those offered at gCse. 

also, reassure them it’s ok to 

not know exactly what they’d like 

to do in the future at this stage. 

What is the best way to resolve 

tension when parents and young 

people have different ideas about 

what the next step should be? 

try to visit colleges and/or 

universities which the young 

person is interested in – and those 

which you think are suitable. 

ask lots of questions, such as: 

‘what do typical students go on to 

do once they have completed this 

course?’ this can be very revealing 

and can sometimes show the limited 

possibilities a desired course may 

present for job opportunities. 

if you have friends or family members 

who have experience in subjects or 

professions your son or daughter is 

interested in, encourage them to have a 

chat with them about their experiences. 

speak to the career’s adviser at your 

child’s current school. also speak 

to their teachers – what do they 

think about the options available? 

what are the alternatives? what will 

they need to do to secure a place 

at a russell group university? 

What is a good way to resolve the 

gap year/not gap year dilemma? 

For many students the idea of a gap year 

seems exciting after 13 years of formal 

school. at Frewen College we work 

with students who want to take a gap 

year and encourage them to develop a 

plan detailing what they hope to achieve 

at the end of the year. universities 

will want to know this as well. 

For those of our students who are 

seriously interested in pursuing a 

gap year they have looked at options 

through organisations like Vso. 

these offer young people several 

short- and long-term opportunities 

in a number of different fields. 

Frewen college, Northiam, east Sussex 

01797 252494 frewencollege.co.uk 


80

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Education | ED06 | Summer 2019

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