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Forest school Education out of the classroom
INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS OF THE YEAR 2021 AWARDS
STRIKING A CHORD The pre-school where music is a common language MY SCHOOLDAYS Entrepreneur Amber Atherton on Benenden EXPERT ADVICE What should parents expect from pastoral care in prep schools?
AWARDS
STARTING STRONG Excellent facilities, small class sizes, outstanding teachers and specialised learning all add up to an exceptional early education
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hoosing a school can be an overwhelming decision for many parents. It doesn’t matter how many glossy prospectuses, websites and schools guides you wade through, you may well still feel burdened by the decision. When finalising this choice, it might be helpful to identify what’s important to you and your family and select a learning environment that offers the best fit for your child. Three of the schools below are finalists in the pre-prep category of the Independent Schools of the Year 2021, this magazine’s awards campaign, while Yorston Lodge Prep earned a finalist spot in the small school category. They all richly deserve their place on these shortlists. The schools all have distinct differences in their educational and wider offering, whether it’s the level of attention they pay to pastoral care; the immersive learning programmes experienced by pupils; the nurturing environment where each child’s talents are identified; or new initiatives as a result of numerous lockdowns where parents have become more involved in the day-to-day life of the school…
Polam Pre-Prep, Bedford, Milton Keynes
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Occupying two large Victorian houses on a leafy avenue
in the heart of Bedford, Polam is a small pre-prep and nursery for children aged 12 months to seven years. The school prides itself on its home-from-home environment where every child is known by every member of staff with a distinct focus on pastoral care and wellbeing. As part of the Cognita Schools group, Polam takes part in Cognita’s annual Global Be Well Day. From this, the school developed its own Week to Be Well, which then blossomed into dedicated mental health activities becoming part of the weekly timetable. With a wellbeing champion in school, as well as a mental health first-aider, this reinforces the importance of pastoral care as the foundation that needs to underpin every aspect of education. With the appointment of a new headteacher a year ago, the school embarked on an immersive learning programme, transforming ordinary classrooms into themed, interactive learning spaces. Two rooms have since been completed: Discovery, a spacethemed IT suite, and Amazonia, a plant-fi lled rainforest room. Dressing classrooms with themed resources encourages the students to be absorbed and engaged, making their learning more purposeful – and of course, lots more fun! Having a unique, multipurpose space like Amazonia is a perfect environment to support wellbeing,
AWARDS
Pastoral care and immersive learning will enhance preprep and prep education
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AWARDS
providing the opportunity for meditation and mindfulness, imaginative storytelling and social activities, as well as specific learning from the curriculum. Polam’s nursery and pre-school, which feed into the pre-prep, have been judged outstanding in all areas for the past three inspections in a row. For the past two years the nursery has been working towards the Millie’s Mark accreditation (the gold standard in paediatric first aid and acts as an indicator that the nursery goes above and beyond the minimum requirements to keep children safe). It was awarded Millie’s Mark accreditation in January.
Yorston Lodge Prep School, Cheshire
The Knutsford school empowers healthy, happy children in a nurturing school community, supporting pupils to
Yorston Lodge Prep pupils benefit from enriched outdoor learning
become lifelong learners, dedicated to achieving excellence in everything they do. Pupils’ creativity and curiosity are sparked, and each child’s unique talents are harnessed to support their development. Renowned for academic excellence, this year has been no different at Yorston, as 61 pupils secured their top choice senior schools. In 2020, the school’s STEM-focused curriculum prepared pupils for the world ahead through engineering, coding and atomic theory. Yorston Lodge’s STEM focus has been recognised by global tech manufacturer Siemens, which has provided hands-on support and resources for students. This year the school introduced its Little Einstein scholarships, focusing on children who showcase high levels of independence, creativity and critical thinking. Due to the reputation and popularity of Yorston, there has been a fantastic response – with 70 per cent of prospective parents requesting applications. Its pupils are ‘future ready’ and grow to their full potential as independent learners. Its values ensure pupils learn to be inquisitive and creative, support collaboration and confidently communicate, as well as think critically. Through these values Yorston Lodge nurtures respectful, committed global citizens that are responsible and informed. This future proof approach prepares pupils for the world ahead, armed with the skills, values and principles to thrive in the real world. With a diverse mix of pupils, it prioritises a culture of
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Yorston Lodge Prep offers STEMfocused learning in a nurturing environment
AWARDS
IN 2020, THE SCHOOL’S STEM-focused curriculum PREPARED PUPILS FOR THE WORLD AHEAD THROUGH ENGINEERING, CODING AND ATOMIC THEORY inclusivity and children benefit from Japanese, French and Latin lessons, exposing them to new cultures and communities and broadening their view of the world outside of school. With a focus on wellbeing, the school utilises Sign4 Feelings & Behaviours, which encourages pupils to use sign language to express their emotions. All children are offered yoga classes and outdoor learning which allows them to expand their skills by solving realworld issues, building self-belief, resilience and confidence.
Lochinver House School, Hertfordshire
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Despite a year like no other, the all-boys’ pre-prep has remained committed to the school’s motto ‘Perstare Praestar’ (To Persevere, To Succeed). This embodies everything it has done, as the school hasn’t stood still. Determination has prevailed and it has continued to enhance its educational and extracurricular provision. Responding to the national and international stage, the teaching staff has updated topics, giving boys an ageappropriate understanding of issues and impact. Examples include developing a new unit of work on the lives of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole, incorporating the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the history of the NHS, the global pandemic, vaccinations and Black Lives Matter. With the announcement in late 2020 that travellers can apply for a series of dives to visit the wreck of RMS Titanic, a new unit of learning on this incredible vessel was written for boys, capturing their imaginations. A new vertical team system was introduced, celebrating effort, attainment and the demonstration of the school’s learning powers (collaboration, curiosity, focus, initiative,
Lochinver House School finds strength in community
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PARENTING
The journal has lots of engaging exercises that kids will love to share with friends and family as they learn
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PARENTING
future
PROOFED
In her new book, psychologist DR LINDA PAPADOPOULOS shares insights and exercises to help youngsters develop and maintain good mental health and social skills in an increasingly complicated world
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PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK/SKYNESHER;
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ith several studies indicating a rise in mental health problems among children and young people over the past few years, exacerbated by the period of uncertainty that Covid-19 brought our way, it has never been more important to be proactive when it comes to addressing our children’s mental health. Building their emotional resilience, social skills and empowering them to find inner strength in this challenging, ever-changing world is vital. In my work with young people, I frequently see the effects that the unhealthy use of social media can have. The constant quest for likes and follows is another demand on the daily pressures our children already face. The hyper self-awareness and insidious social comparisons are a huge challenge, and one that kids are often left to navigate on their own. As such, it’s important that we start looking at earlier intervention, and prevention. Right now, one in five children suffers from a mental health problem in any given year. That’s six in every primary school class… this is not OK. So, when Nadim (Saad) my co-author and co-founder of happyconfident.com I met, our discussions quickly turned to what more we could do to help children at an earlier age. Nadim has already developed a number of fun, science-based tools and journals for children aged six to 12 years, but we felt what was truly needed was to help children dig deep and really get under the skin of the life skills that would protect their mental wellbeing before hitting secondary school. We recognised a need for a structured method of helping kids navigate their emotions, and helping parents touch on the conversations and themes that are critical to good hardiness, good mental health, and positive emotional development. Our new Happy Confident Me Life Skills Journal draws on well-established research in the behavioural sciences but does so in child-friendly terms, helping kids to better understand themselves and how their bodies and minds work together. Through 60 engaging activities split across the 10 life skills recognised to enhance future happiness and wellbeing, our intention is that they learn through play – the most proven method for a child to absorb new concepts. We based the journal on core CBT tenets and exercises drawn from Nadim’s work in educational settings with children over his years of research. The ‘powers’ described in each chapter are presented so as to motivate kids to engage in important self-development. They’ll start their journal journey developing a deeper sense of self-awareness, ending it with a more rounded sense of self-acceptance. The 10 powers include Optimism, Growth Mindset, Resilience, Mindfulness and Compassion and each section builds on the previous power. AUTUMN 2021 | independentschoolparent.com
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THE GREAT OUTDOORS
STUART DOUCH, Headmaster of Sompting Abbotts Prep School in West Sussex explains how the school’s access to a rich variety of nature not only enhances the whole curriculum, it also instils pupils with an understanding of ecological and ethical responsibility
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fascination with nature makes it easy to teach green issues to them. Here, nature immersion means they get to do lots of the ‘old-fashioned’ stuff children love most. Like den-building, making daisy chains or hunting for the shiniest conker. In fact, our annual Golden Conker competition is a big event! Children in the pre-prep have regular Forest School-style outings to the woods. “From the nursery stage, our children collect wood to build their own fires and make tools from natural materials,” says Head of Pre-Prep, Kirsty Miles. That’s rain or snow: “The weather doesn’t stop us. We simply wrap up in waterproofs and put our wellies on!” “They dig in the mud, identify insects with magnifying glasses and iPads, and learn to recognise plant and leaf shapes. In the spring, we grab nets and use our big pond for wet habitat science learning to discover water boatmen, tadpoles and dragonfly nymphs. s
f children lose contact with the natural world, they won’t fight for it in the future. This has long been our grass-roots ethos. The climate emergency has only underlined the importance of learning about sustainability. Too many children, these days are losing touch with nature. A great many are more familiar with Pokémon and Minecraft characters, than species of British wildlife. Not so at Sompting Abbotts, which is set within 30 acres of mature woodland, chalk grassland and ponds inside the South Downs National Park. The children’s play area is green open space, which they’re allowed to roam. They have trees to climb (positively encouraged, with a few height rules!), squirrels to spot, and fresh air to breathe. Thinking green is part of everyday life at the school and extends through all key stages. Playing to children’s
AWARDS
At Sompting Abbotts Pre-Prep, weather is no obstacle to exploring
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