EDUCATION
MEET THE HEAD Can you tell us a bit about the school, and what you do? Walhampton is an independent school for boys and girls aged two to 13 years old with a reputation for academic excellence sitting comfortably alongside our distinctive ‘Swallows and Amazons’ spirit. That atmosphere is helped in no small part by the school’s idyllic setting in 100 acres of beautiful New Forest parkland. I am the head of our Pre-Prep department and delight in welcoming children from Nursery up to Year Two. What do you see as the main strengths of your Pre-Prep department? It’s a nurturing and happy place where children thrive as they take their first steps in exploring learning, friendships and fun. As part of our well-structured and stimulating curriculum, the children are encouraged to love nature and the outdoors. Our classes regularly enjoy exploring the grounds, including being able to ride in the on-site equestrian centre and attend weekly Forest School sessions in the woods.
74 | MAR/APR 2018 | babyhampshire.co.uk
CLAIRE HOLLY Walhampton Pre-Prep
Behind the scenes at the independent prep school near Lymington We are just a short walk from the Prep school so when the time comes to ‘move up’, we help every child make the transition with ease and confidence. How do you ensure every young pupil achieves their potential? We nurture each child individually, creating bespoke learning programmes to help them build confidence and form essential social skills. This is made possible by having small class sizes and a strong team of highly experienced and committed teaching staff. We believe that nurturing relationships between our children and teachers minimises anxiety levels and enables shortand long-term achievement. Every boy and girl is unique and we help them reach their academic, creative and sporting potential, as
well as developing their strength of character so they leave us as self-assured, compassionate and independent-minded people. Families are always welcome at Walhampton and we work hard to forge meaningful partnerships with each child’s parents so that links between home and school are close. Do you offer extracurricular programmes for little ones? Our extensive grounds and facilities mean children take part in a wide range of activities both during and after the school day. We offer curricular and extracurricular activities as a natural extension of the academic experience, including swimming, cookery, drama, dancing, sport, Lego construction, sewing, choir and science club.
What’s in the pipeline for Walhampton this year? With increasing demand for places in our Pre-Prep we are investing significantly for the future; we have well-advanced plans for a new purpose-built nursery and kindergarten, which will provide an exciting and enabling environment for our youngest children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. And our two and three year old pupils will benefit from an environment which sensitively and creatively meets all of their needs. Right now, we are also reaping the benefits from a huge investment in ‘Clevertouch’ technology, an innovative educational touchscreen which engages our children in new and interesting ways. Despite our success, we are in no mood to rest on our laurels. We are planning a review of our curriculum to ensure that innovative, exciting and creative teaching and learning continues to be at the heart of the Walhampton experience. bh walhampton.com