Wealden Times | WT262 | March 2024 | Kitchen & Bathroom Supplement inside
The lifestyle magazine for Kent & Sussex - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
The lifestyle magazine for Kent & Sussex - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
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Meet the<br />
Head<br />
Malcolm Gough, Headteacher at<br />
Hilden Grange Prep School, tells<br />
us about his everlasting gap year!<br />
istockphoto.com/ olnik_y<br />
What led you to a career in education?<br />
I was born in Zimbabwe and then moved<br />
to South Africa where I attended school and<br />
university and read Law. From there I came to<br />
England for a gap year and took a job in an<br />
independent school, where I discovered a love<br />
and aptitude for teaching (happily the head<br />
teacher agreed). A PGCE and senior leadership<br />
positions followed. I met my wife at Somerhill,<br />
she’s from Kent and so we’re now settled here<br />
with our two children. The gap year continues!<br />
What drew you to Hilden Grange?<br />
When Hilden Grange came up I knew it was<br />
the perfect place for me. The size is ideal. With<br />
300 children we’re large enough for great team<br />
sports alongside wonderful music ensembles<br />
and theatrical performances; whilst being small<br />
enough to really know each child as an individual<br />
– I think this is particularly important for this<br />
age group – and for a really strong community<br />
feel. I also like the fact that we’re co-ed, which I<br />
believe brings benefits to all the children. Most<br />
of all, Hilden Grange aligns with my educational<br />
philosophy – to keep expectations high but to<br />
do so with kindness. Another factor was that we<br />
have the best of both town and country being<br />
here in Tonbridge, with close links to Tonbridge<br />
School adding great facilities, and ease of access<br />
to the train station for parents, but with grounds<br />
of 22 acres including fantastic green spaces.<br />
What sets Hilden Grange apart?<br />
We’ve got a great reputation for academic<br />
excellence and a tremendous record for 11+,<br />
which is right at the very top in our area,<br />
even though we’re a mixed ability school. This<br />
year we had a 100% pass rate. Our sport and<br />
performing arts departments are two more<br />
jewels in the crown, providing a real breadth of<br />
experience. We’re proud of our results but we<br />
don’t like to be boastful. Our children are likely to<br />
become influential in their chosen fields and it’s<br />
important that they appreciate their privilege<br />
and have a really strong sense of compassion<br />
and responsibility to others. Confidence is<br />
a wonderful gift for children but arrogance<br />
is unhelpful. We’re keen to instil potential<br />
future leaders (in whatever capacity) with<br />
the ability to be clear and lateral thinkers,<br />
to be resilient and, crucially, to be kind.<br />
“...keep expectations<br />
high but do so<br />
with kindness.”<br />
How do you achieve your impressive results?<br />
From Year 3 all of our children are taught<br />
by specialist subject teachers for every lesson,<br />
which is earlier than at most schools. So from<br />
this young age they will be taught science by a<br />
teacher who has a relevant degree, for example.<br />
We also set the children for maths and English<br />
so that we can effectively tailor and target their<br />
teaching. Our lovely nursery is next to reception,<br />
so while the little ones get going with phonics<br />
and numbers, those that feel ready can also pop<br />
into reception class. These structural elements<br />
create a situation where great outcomes naturally<br />
flow without the need for too much pressure.<br />
It’s important that the children get to have fun<br />
and be kids. They only get their childhood once.<br />
We want to provide everything they need to be<br />
inspired to learn and also to enjoy themselves.<br />
What are you most proud of?<br />
Hilden Grange is a very warm place, with a really<br />
friendly atmosphere. We have a very strong parents<br />
association and a great community. I’m very<br />
proud of our diversity, especially considering our<br />
My Favourite<br />
Things...<br />
Book: I love reading about the life<br />
of Nelson Mandela and how his<br />
strength of character stands up from<br />
every angle. I have two favourites:<br />
the first was written by his PA,<br />
Zelda LaGrange, and is called ‘Good<br />
Morning, Mr Mandela’. The second<br />
is written by his chief bodyguard,<br />
Rory Steyn, ‘One Step Behind<br />
Mandela: the Story of Rory Steyn’.<br />
Song: I love so many songs but<br />
I’ll choose U2’s I Still Haven’t<br />
Found What I’m Looking For.<br />
Place: Barcelona for the<br />
incredible Gaudi architecture.<br />
location. Since I joined, our pupil body identifying<br />
themselves to be of an ethnic minority or mixed<br />
race background has grown from 6% to 27%.<br />
We’ve also joined the Inspired Education Group<br />
– a global community of schools – so we will<br />
virtually visit schools across the world and even<br />
explore the jungle outside a school in Peru, for<br />
example. It’s important to look outwards and reach<br />
out, and whilst we’re dedicated to using these<br />
advances to enhance what we have, we’re careful<br />
not to break what already works so well for us.<br />
I’m thrilled by the outstanding musical, theatrical<br />
and sporting achievements of our pupils. We have<br />
about 200 individual musical instrument lessons<br />
here each week and the standard of music and<br />
singing is really phenomenal. It’s an absolute joy.<br />
Find out more about Hilden<br />
Grange at hildengrange.co.uk<br />
107<br />
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