EDUCATION
ASK THE EXPERTS We put your education questions to those in the know
Be sure to immerse yourself in your child’s education when they eventually start school
HOW CAN I INTRODUCE MY LITTLE ONE TO EARLY EDUCATION WITHOUT BEING TOO PUSHY? Christine McLelland, headteacher of North Bridge House Nursery & Pre-Prep in Hampstead, says: Surprisingly, it’s not all about filling their brains with every little bit of information you think they ought to know. For example, it may sound counterintuitive, but try to hold back from teaching them the letters of the alphabet. Your child will not learn to read simply by reciting the alphabet, but by sounding out letters phonetically. Reinforce this by reading to them, singing songs and engaging in conversation. This will make them familiar with phonetic sounds in everyday contexts and broaden their vocabulary. If you only do one thing, read to your child as much as possible. A similar rule applies to numbers. It’s all well and fine teaching your child to count to 10, but can they recognise each digit? Do they know the value of each number? Can they count out a given number of objects? This is what they’ll be learning at nursery school. Which brings me to the most important point: when your child does start nursery school, immerse yourself in their education as much as possible. Take advantage of parentchild mornings, holiday clubs and workshops where offered. Parent workshops establish a crucial link between school and home. They are a celebration of your child’s work over the term. They also give you a vital glimpse into what it is your child is learning at school. If you want to continue the learning process at home, understanding what it is your child is learning at school and how they are learning is the key to success.
HOW DO CENTRAL LONDON SCHOOLS MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR LOCATION? Donal Brennan, headteacher of The Hampshire School, Chelsea, says: A central location brings with it a world of possibilities. We’re at the heart of one of the world’s great global cities – we attract a diverse student body, with families hailing from Switzerland to Saudi Arabia. This encourages children to develop a global outlook. Just last month, the school hosted a ‘UN Day’, where families were invited to host a stall representing their country of origin. Pupils regularly visit the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum, both of which are less than a mile from our school. They have even opened the London Stock Exchange. And finally, the capital is home to some of the best senior schools in the country, so when the time comes, children will be able to continue in first-class education.
MEET THE EXPERTS
Christine McLelland North Bridge House
132 | SEPT/OCT 2017 | babylondon.co.uk
Donal Brennan The Hampshire School
Catherine Kelsey Gabbitas Education
I’M SIX MONTHS PREGNANT AND FRIENDS HAVE SUGGESTED I START THINKING ABOUT NURSERY SCHOOLS – ARE THEY RIGHT? Catherine Kelsey of Gabbitas Education says: The race for schools – and increasingly nurseries, too – has become so fierce, parents are planning their child’s school career before they have even been born. Competition for nursery places is tight. The momentum seems to be for children to join the more structured environment of a nursery school, rather than go to a church hall and do some painting, singing and messy play. There is no right answer here, but it’s never too soon to start your child out on the right trajectory. Increasingly, ambitious parents like to put their child into a ‘good’ nursery as this will ensure a good pre-prep, and so on. The more competitive the school environment becomes, this has a knock-on effect all the way down to nursery schools. Historically, some parents would prefer to keep their child at home until the start of school age at four, with the occasional visit to a playgroup, but now the pressure to gain a good place for your child means they feel obliged to join other parents in the nursery school race, and the more ‘prestigious’ nurseries are able to pick and choose their intake as demand is so high.