Malvern Living Mar - Apr 2021

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Image courtesy Heathfield School FAMILY LIFE IN LOCKDOWN by Jane Prescott We all know how limiting, frightening, and all-consuming the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to be on our lives. But there have also been positives, and in many households, enforced lockdown has been an opportunity to re-engage with family life and reclaim relationships and values. As a head teacher, I speak to other Heads as well as the staff and children in my own school. While there are always concerns and individual struggles, what I repeatedly hear is how many of us are now doing things together as a family. Many of us are eating more healthily and cooking with our children, dining together around the table, rather than in front of the TV. This is such a valuable lesson for children, preparing meals from basic ingredients and enjoying the social benefits of family mealtimes. Families are taking walks and gardening together. For teenagers, walking can be an opportunity to enjoy one-to-one time with a friend whose company they might previously have enjoyed only in a group. This is when friendships can deepen and flourish. Indoors, we’re digging out old board games and jigsaws, and reading books with younger children has become a joy rather than something to shoehorn in at the end of a frantic day. Parents are brushing up and passing on their knitting and crocheting skills. It’s as if lockdown has given us permission to slow down, be creative, and talk to one another instead of being hunched over our mobiles all evening. Of course, screen time remains important. School moved online during lockdown and technology helps children to stay in touch with friends. Nevertheless, it seems we now use technology together to contact extended family and grandparents. I regularly hear about online quiz nights for all generations of the family. You could argue that some families are more in touch than ever, as the grim reality of the pandemic makes us more inclined to reach out to those we love. Time plays tricks on us. When we have less of it, we try to recapture it with ready meals and gadgets. When we have more of it, we often squander it. But when we are forced to embrace day after day at home, we bake bread, play games, and take walks. In fact, the amount of time available is always the same, it’s simply that lockdown has demonstrated what can happen when we choose to enjoy it with our families. I want all my students back in school, where unhappy children are less likely to fall through the net. But lack of family time can also impoverish a child, and it’s my hope that children who have flourished during lockdown are able to carry on enjoying those valuable, whole-family experiences. Image courtesy Westfield School Jane Prescott is President (2020/21) of the Girls’ Schools Association and Headmistress of Portsmouth High School GDST. www.gsa.uk.com 6 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk
What did you learn at school today? Pose that question to a child at The Downs <strong>Malvern</strong> and you’re likely to receive some very interesting unusual answers from excited young learners… including how they learned to drive a railway engine or design a spare part for it. ADVERTISING FEATURE As well as a host of sporting and leisure activities and hobbies that keep day-children and boarders alike busy when they’re not studying, the school is extremely proud of its unique learning resource: the world’s oldest privately-owned miniature steam railway. The “Downs Light Railway” – with its own charitable trust to fund and guide its community teaching work – has just been entered for a national heritage award, and for 92 years it has been imparting a rich range of skills to pupils. The importance for their later careers cannot be underestimated, with the nation facing growing skills shortages in science, technology and engineering. “Our railway really brings engineering to life,” says Headmaster Alastair Cook, “inspiring generations of pupils. It acts as an outdoor classroom, encouraging young people to develop practical skills that will not only act as a foundation should they go on to careers in technology or the sciences, but also prepare them for the world of work. “We teach them about design and workshop practice and often find that the children are more interested in this than actually driving the trains! They also develop life skills such as leadership, teamwork, risk awareness, time management and responsibility which will last them a lifetime.” That’s an awful lot that children can learn from just one activity! Inspired. Individual. Independent. PART OF THE MALVERN COLLEGE FAMILY OF SCHOOLS Inspiring children to reach new heights “I love the way that the children are prepared for the bigger world. It’s wonderful to watch them flourish in such a beautiful environment with such supportive staff.” Current Pre-Prep Parent www.thedownsmalvern.org.uk Want to learn more? Call the Registrar +44 (0)1684 544108 CO-EDUCATIONAL PREP SCHOOL 3-13YRS. DAY & BOARDING OPTIONS. #inspiredtolearn www.thedownsmalvern.org.uk
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Malvern Living Mar - Apr 2021

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