Independent School Parent Junior Summer Edition 2016

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Summer 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

NURSERY & PREP EDITION

FREE FOR PARENTS AND PUPILS

Win!

A HOLIDAY TO THE CARIBBEAN

EXPERT ADVICE

• BURSARIES & SCHOLARSHIPS • PREP BOARDING • PLAYING IT SAFE ONLINE

HEALTHY EATING WITH SUPER CHEF

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI

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TRAVEL

A WEEKEND IN PROVENCE

TOP TIPS FOR

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THE POWER OF SPORT • HOW TO GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP • BOOKS AND APPS • WHAT TO DO AT HALF TERM • SPOTLIGHT ON CORNWALL • SCHOOL ALUMNI

A range of resources to help you and your child prepare at home

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Interactive 11+ practice at www.bond11plus.co.uk

CLAUDIA DUDMAN

EDITOR’S LETTER

Editor

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

CNP Ltd, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ Tel (020) 7349 3700 Fax (020) 7349 3701 Email editor@independentschoolparent.com For website and subscriptions, please visit: independentschoolparent.com/register EDITORIAL Editor Claudia Dudman Deputy Editor Natalie Milner Designer Natalie Dourado PUBLISHING Publisher & Managing Director Paul Dobson Deputy Managing Director Steve Ross Finance Director Vicki Gavin Media Manager James Dobson Brand Manager Chatty Dobson Subscriptions Manager Will Delmont 020 7349 3710 will.delmont@chelseamagazines.com Production www.allpointsmedia.co.uk Printed in England by William Gibbons ADVERTISING Group Advertisement Manager Freddy Halliday Sales Executives Hannah Inwood, Oliver Blalock, Sophie Acarnley, William Jaffray DISTRIBUTION Independent School Parent magazine is for parents of children educated in prep and senior independent schools across the UK. The prep and senior issues are published termly. Parents can subscribe for a free issue at: independentschoolparent.com/register Independent School Parent also publishes The Guide to Independent Schools biannually to help you choose the right school.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

© CNP Ltd 2016. All rights reserved. Text and pictures are copyright restricted and must not be reproduced without permission from the publisher. The information contained in Independent School Parent magazine has been published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. All liability for loss, negligence or damage caused by reliance on the information contained within this publication is hereby excluded.

COVER: Port Regis School, Dorset PHOTOGRAPHER: Janie Critchley

Welcome It really doesn’t seem like four years have passed since the Olympics came to town for London 2012. In Road to Rio (page 12) we meet just a few of the members of Team GB who went to independent school, and who are representing our country in a variety of sports. They’re all at the top of their game, but a special commendation has to go to Millfield’s Cameron Kurle, who at the tender age of 18 is one of Team GB’s youngest members.

There’s still lots of time to book your summer holiday, and with all the hassle that flying entails these days, why not head to the south of France, as I did in Weekend in Provence (page 62), and let the train take the strain? It leaves from St Pancras and arrives in Avignon six hours later. You simply board, find your seat and enjoy the journey. What a joy! If, however, winter sun is more your thing, enter our competition and you could win a family holiday to the Caribbean (page 60). To enter, simply visit our website: independentschoolparent.com/win Claudia Dudman, Editor

Independent School Parent, independentschoolparent.com

The little picture At Winkworth, we never stop searching for the very best for you. We ask lots of questions, listen to what you really want and discover all sorts of wonderful things to show you. We know our local areas like the back of our hands and recognise the tiny things that make a big difference in our homes, spotting what others often miss.

So whether you’re looking to buy, sell, rent or let, we’ll find the very best possible match for you.

Call us today on 020 7870 4878 or visit us at winkworth.co.uk

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WHAT’S INSIDE? Issue 23 Summer 2016

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News Our round-up of hot topics

44

Road to Rio We take a look at Team GB Olympic

Head’s Up

52

How exercise is linked to high levels

22

of achievement in the classroom

Nightmare to Neverland How to get a good night’s sleep

24

Prep Boarding

40

60

Drama School

54

Behind the Scenes Bryanston take us through the one-to-one tutoring programme

Festival of Fun

Caribbean – plus swimwear vouchers!

62

Weekend in Provence Take the kids to the south of France, writes Claudia Dudman

69

Spotlight on... Cornwall

partnership with state schools

coastline and the Eden Project

To Infinity and Beyond!

44

73 75

Food for Thought

Citizens of the Future the curriculum at St Mary’s, Cambridge

x + y2 = 4 Download our free app to read the magazine on your phone or tablet...

Book Club Our selection of top books and apps

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top tips for the family dining table Solving the world’s problems is part of

School Hero A cricket professional and hockey coach

Chef Jean-Christophe Novelli offers

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, IAN WEST/PA ARCHIVE/PRESS ASSOCIATION IMAGES

Win a luxury family holiday to the

Natalie Milner explores the rugged

astronaut Tim Peake live at the ISS

38

Competition

The Old Hall School celebrates a

Pupils get the chance to speak to

35

Ones to Watch Sporting success stories

studying performing arts

33

Talking Heads Top tips for moving to senior school

58

Bedford School on the benefits of

31

First Steps into a new school?

54

on the merits of living at a small school

28

Play it Safe Online Spreading the word on e-safety How can you help your child settle

Head of boarding at Farlington School

26

History of a School in 10 Pictures Behind the scenes at Lockers Park

47

hopefuls from independent schools

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Money Talk How to apply for fee assistance

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22 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD David Moncrieff, chairman Colin Bell, CEO, COBIS Claire Bourne, Hawkesdown House Andrew Fleck, Sedbergh School Tory Gillingham, AMDIS Ed Holmes, Independent Schools Council Aileen Kane, Boarding Schools’ Association Rachel Kerr, Girls’ Schools Association Glynis Kozma, education journalist Christine Ryan, chief inspector, ISI Heidi Salmons, HMC Sir Anthony Seldon, University of Buckingham Kris Spencer, Latymer Upper School Julian Thomas, Wellington College Ben Vessey, Canford School David Wellesley-Wesley, Independent Schools Show Peter Young, Marketing/Brand Consultant

We speak to children’s life coach Javier about dealing with nightmares

Calender Dates for your diary – what to do with your family this spring

82

School Memories Boat Race winner Charles Fisher

Keep in touch with us Tweet us @ISParent

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SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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“A very special place to grow up in” Good Schools Guide

Snapshot Mornings 23 September, 30 September, 14 October 2016

FRANC

HA LEAL

ETO GE

www.godolphin.org

NEWS

Our pick of the top parenting and education news PUPIL SPREADS HIS WINGS [Wisbech Grammar School, Cambridgeshire] Wisbech Grammar School pupil Thomas Fox, has recently achieved the “Beginning Falconry Award”, a nationally recognised qualification in falconry. The gruelling assessment took five-and-a-half hours and included both oral and practical work. The Year Six pupil is one of the youngest candidates to ever reach this standard.

St Paul's is a leading London school

Colet Court to St Paul’s [St Paul’s Juniors, London]

Colet Court, the prep school to St Paul’s, London, will be known as St Paul’s Juniors as of 1st September.

The school is often misconceived to be an open prep school preparing boys for Common Entrance, but it has always been the direct feeder school to St Paul’s.

Bursaries in the senior school for families with an income of less than £120,000 will also be available.

CHARITY CAFÉ [New Hall School, Essex] The Good Hope Café launched at New Hall School, in April, and will donate profits to UK charity, For Jimmy – set up by Barry Mizen MBE and Margaret Mizen MBE following the murder of their 16-year-oldson Jimmy. Margaret said “The Day Jimmy died I promised him two things: one, I would keep his name alive and two, I would dedicate my life to working for peace.”

LACROSSE CAPS [St Swithun’s School, Hampshire] Amelia (14) and Jemima Brown (12) played for Scotland at the Lacrosse Home Internationals tournament at Surrey Sports Park in April, for the Junior Scotland A team and the Junior Scotland B team respectively. Scotland lost their matches to the stronger English and Welsh teams on this occasion, but this experience has made the girls eager for further international competitions.

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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GET READING

Award-winning author Ian Whybrow and children’s illustrator Alan Rogers launched the new primary reading series, Cambridge Reading Adventures, at University College London’s Institute of Education (IOE). Each book, across 90 titles, is developed by Cambridge University Press and the UCL IOE and supports the reading journey, split into 11 book bands. £3.50, cambridge.org Illustrator Alan Rogers inspiring primary school children

CREATIVE COMPETITION Digital Storytellers is calling on talented young storytellers and animated narrators to submit a 30-second video reading a passage from one of the books from the Cambridge Reading Adventures series, visit education. cambridge.org/cra. All entries will be added to the Digital Storytellers YouTube playlist. Plus, entrants for the Young Illustrators competition will be asked to design a poster to promote Diego Fandango, a book from the Cambridge Reading Adventures series.

Pupils will be asked to submit illustrations. Deadline:15th June 2016. Winners announced: 6th July 2016. education.cambridge. org/cambridge-reading-adventures

x + y2 = 4

Sch ol tweet

@ISParent The Pre-Reception ducklings have begun to hatch..! #ducklings #eyfs #prereception #abercornschool #hatchingducks (Abercorn School, @AbdercornSchool)

CARAVAN GIRL [Port Regis, Dorset] Grosvenor, the senior girls’ boarding house, re-opened at Port Regis this spring. There’s now a wonderful new recreation area including a sofa that can hold the entire boarding house for TV nights; and a kitchen for cooking and making snacks complete with saddle bar stools – very popular with horse riders; a silver piano; a juke box; and outside there’s a mini caravan! When it’s prep time, there are two new computer stations for the girls to study at, leading out on to a new balcony.

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

BUCKETLOADS OF FUN [Pocklington School, Yorkshire] Pupils and staff, along with buckets of gunge, raised £2,825 during Pocklington School Charity Week 2016.

Teachers with the most votes were gunged and there was human 10-pin bowling. Money raised went to: Cool Earth; Winston’s Wish, Project Mala and Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Share your school news and tweet us @ISParent

CATERHAM SCHOOL

CATERHAM SCHOOL

HMC HMC Independent Independent Day Day and and Boarding Boarding School School for for boys boys & & girls girls age age 33 to to 18 18 years years

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HMC Independent Day and Boarding School for boys & girls age 3 to 18 years One One of of the the top top co-educational co-educational schools schools in in England England 80% A at 88% A* to A  One theat co-educational schools in England 88% A* of to B B attop A Level, Level, 80% A* A* to to A grades grades at GCSE GCSE Learning Award Teaching  88%winning A* to B at A Level, & 80% A* to A programme grades at GCSE Award winning Teaching & Learning programme being, care includes on  Awardfocus winning Teachingwell & Learning programme includes focus on student student well being, pastoral pastoral care and and digital learning includes focus on student well being, pastoral care and digital learning digital learning Extensive sport Extensive sport and and co-curricular co-curricular programme programme  Extensive sport and co-curricular programme Weekly and Boarding Weekly and Full Full Boarding  Weekly and Full Boarding 11+, 11+, 13+ 13+ and and 16+ 16+ entry entry  11+, 13+ and 16+ entry 15 15 miles miles south south of of Central Central London London  15 miles south of Central London 200 200 acre acre campus campus includes includes woodland, woodland, high high ropes ropes  200 acre campus includes woodland, high ropes course, outdoor outdoor learning learning centre, sports and swimming course, centre, sports and swimming course, outdoor learning centre, sports and swimming pitch centre and new all-weather centre andand new all-weather pitch centre new all-weather pitch including Extensive coach network Extensive coach network including connections connections to to  Extensive coach network including connections to and evening late bus service mainline train stations mainline train stations and evening mainline train stations and eveninglate latebus busservice service admissions from rising 3s Caterham Prep School Caterham Prep School admissions  Caterham Prep School admissionsfrom fromrising rising3s 3s

forthcoming Visitor You are invited to You You are warmly warmly invited to our our forthcoming Visitor Mornings.

Meet the are warmly invited to our forthcoming VisitorMornings.

Mornings.Meet Meetthe the with a tour of the school ‘in action’.

Headmaster and senior staff Headmaster senior staff with a tour the school‘in ‘inaction’. action’.

Headmaster andand senior staff with a tour of ofthe school

& Wednesday Wednesday 15 Wednesday 15 June Wednesday14 September2016 2016 Wednesday 15 June June && Wednesday 1414September September 2016

as are limited.

For Please reserve your place, Please reserve place, as spaces limited.

Forfurther furtherdetails detailsor or Please reserve youryour place, as spaces spaces areare limited.

For further details or please contact the Registrar, to aa private visit, to arrange a private visit, please contact Registrar,Mrs MrsAlison AlisonJones.

Jones. to arrange arrange private visit, please contact thethe Registrar, Mrs Alison Jones.

Email: admissions@caterhamschool.co.uk Email: admissions@caterhamschool.co.uk Email: admissions@caterhamschool.co.uk Situated the beautiful Harestone Valley, Caterham School the Situated in theinbeautiful Harestone Valley, Caterham School is isononthe Situated in the beautiful Harestone Valley, Caterham School is on the edge of the North Downs with access to Central London, Kent, easyeasy access to Central London, Kent, edge of Downs with edge Surrey of the the North North Downs with easy access to Central London, Kent, and Sussex.

Surrey Surrey and and Sussex.

Sussex.

Harestone Valley Road, Caterham, Surrey CR3 6YA Surrey CR3 6YA Harestone Valley Road, Caterham, Harestone Valley Road, Caterham, Surrey CR3 6YA Tel: 01883 335058 Email: admissions@caterhamschool.co.uk Tel: 01883 335058 Email: admissions@caterhamschool.co.uk Tel: 01883 335058 Email: admissions@caterhamschool.co.uk

www.caterhamschool.co.uk www.caterhamschool.co.uk www.caterhamschool.co.uk

HEADS on the move

HOCKEY CHAMPIONS

Chris Moxon becomes the new head of Moreton Hall Prep School this September.

Sarah Hollingsworth will be head of Gresham’s Nursery and Pre-Prep in September.

Kirsty Keep will become the head of Lancing College Prep School at Hove from September.

Laura Fowler will be head of Nottingham Girls’ High School’s Juniors this autumn.

Matthew O’Reilly joined St Mary’s School, Cambridge, as head of Juniors this summer.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SBM PHOTOGRAPHIC

Helen Barsham will be head of St Francis’ College’s prep school in September.

Nick TileyNunn will be Norwich High School’s Junior head this autumn.

[Loretto School, East Lothian]

A 6-1 score against Stewart’s Melville College, in Edinburgh, ensured Loretto School’s 1st XI team won the Open Boys Scottish Schools Cup held at Glasgow National Hockey Centre. The team has had a tremendous season, winning all 15 of their matches.

ISLAND ADVENTURE [Papplewick School, Berkshire] This spring, 16 boys and three members of staff visited the Caribbean island of St Lucia for a football tour in which they drew two games and won four.

The conditions and humidity were tough but fortunately the temperatures dropped around 3pm kick-off time. The boys also visited the Jermaine Defoe orphanage foundation; went out to sea on the black magic pirate ship; and took a trip to the volcano mud baths and hot springs.

HORSING AROUND [Mayfield, East Sussex] Girls at Mayfield beat 30 other counties to become National County Champions at Intermediate level for East Sussex, and reserve champions at Open Level, at Bury Farm, Buckinghamshire in the National Inter-County SJ finals. Director of riding, Jill Barker commented, “All of our riders followed the team plan and rode exceptionally well.”

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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Road to

RIO

Thanks to top-notch facilities and first-class coaching, independent school alumni will be well represented in Team GB this summer. We meet just a few of the Olympic hopefuls who are sure to blaze a trail...

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, IAN WEST/PA ARCHIVE/PRESS ASSOCIATION IMAGES, THOM TOUW, THOMTOUW.COM

OLYMPIC EDUCATION

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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OLYMPIC EDUCATION

surrounding the school in their lunch break, with other like-minded staff and pupils and would swim at the end of the school day.

Jonny swam for the school and played in the water polo team, while also being the U12 and U13 XI cricket captain.

Jonny says: “If it wasn’t for my time at Bradford Grammar School, I wouldn’t have been a sportsperson, especially not to this level. The Cross Country Club is where I actually started running. Hard work can get you a long way and that’s something I definitely learnt at school.”

NAME: Jonathan Brownlee, 26 and Alistair Brownlee, 28 SPORT: Triathlon SCHOOL: Bradford Grammar, West Yorkshire

J

onathan and Alistair Brownlee joined Bradford Grammar Junior School in 1998; Alistair in Year Six, and Jonny in Year Four. The school recognised the potential in each brother from an early age, both in their sporting achievements and academically, as can be seen in their school reports throughout the years.

In summer 2001, the Junior School headmaster wrote in Jonny’s report, “Excellent – an all-round performer. Well done Jonathan – the swimming was superb!”

Moving on to the senior school at Bradford Grammar, one of Alistair’s cross country reports read: “Alistair has once again made an outstanding contribution to the club. His racing is inspirational!”

In the Sixth Form, Alistair received the following report: “He has worked hard and thoroughly deserves to succeed at the highest level”. Jonny’s equally-glowing Sixth Form report read, “As ever, Jonathan impresses all

who come in contact with him. Well done!”

Bradford Grammar School provides a flexible environment in which pupils can flourish; Jonny and Alistair are the epitome of this, achieving excellence both on the field and in the classroom. A combination of the outstanding facilities, fantastic opportunities and high level of teaching enabled the brothers to gain impressive grades at A level. Alistair attained four A grades, one B and an AEA in chemistry, and Jonny achieved three A grades and one B. Alistair says: “We are very, very proud that we came to Bradford Grammar and proud that we’re from Yorkshire.”

Instrumental in Alistair and Jonny’s success were Tony Kingham and Selby Brock, former Bradford Grammar School cross country coaches, who encouraged the brothers to take advantage of the opportunities that the chool offered them.

The brothers were able to run across the hills

“Alistair has once again made an outstanding contribution to the club. His racing is inspirational!”

The brothers admire the timeline exhibition in the Brownlee Pavilion

“Excellent – an all-round performer. Well done Jonathan – the swimming was superb!”

Jonny’s Junior School report

FACILITIES AT BRADFORD • The Adrian Moorhouse 25-metre competition swimming pool • The Brownlee Sports Pavilion • A brand new Swingulator, the most advanced indoor rowing simulator and coaching tool • Extensive pitches, fields and courts • Fitness suites including cardiovascular machines, weights and exercise studio

Alistair’s Senior School cross country report

ALISTAIR BROWNLEE 2006 Junior World Champion • 2008 U23 World Champion • 2009, 2011 World Champion • 2011, 2014 World Mixed Team Relay Champion • 2010, 2011, 2014 European Champion • 2014 Commonwealth Games Champion • 2014 Commonwealth Mixed Team Relay Champion • 2012 Olympic Champion JONNY BROWNLEE 2010 U23 World Champion • 2010, 2011 World Sprint Champion • 2012 World Champion • 2011, 2012, 2014 World Mixed Team Relay Champion • 2014 Commonwealth Mixed Team Relay Champion • 2014 Commonwealth Silver • 2012 Olympic Bronze Champion

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

Where Do Olymic Sailing Champions Have Their Holidays?

“I was lucky enough to have worked at Wildwind before I got seriously involved in my Olympic commitments.

My best memories are blasting around the bay in a selection of high performance dinghies and catamarans, with the flat water and good afternoon winds, it really is a fantastic sailing destination” Chris Draper Olympic Bronze medallist, European and World Champion, America’s Cup helmsman +44 1920 444 091 | info@wildwind.co.uk | wildwind.co.uk

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s ult *to B s e 5 r % A to B 1 20 l: 88 A* ve 7% Le E: 8 A CS G

Norwich High School for girls ages 3 to 18 Join us at one of our events to find out how we can offer your daughter the best start in life.

Junior Open Morning (ages 3-11) Thursday 9th June 2016 Senior Open Afternoon (ages 11-16) Friday 17th June 2016 Call our Registrar on 01603 453265 or email admissions@nor.gdst.net to book your place. www.norwichhigh.gdst.net Norwich High School GDST @NorwichHigh

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

OLYMPIC EDUCATION

Old Kimboltonian Ben Saxon hopes to add to his medal tally at Rio 2016

NAME: Ben Saxon, 25 SPORT: Sailing SCHOOL: Kimbolton School, Cambridgeshire

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ormer Kimbolton School pupil Ben Saxton is thrilled to be representing Team GB at the Rio Olympics in the Nacra 17 mixed multi-hull sailing class.

Alongside team-mate Nicola Groves, the 25 year old is looking to make his mark with the event included in the Olympics for the first time.

Ben and his twin brother Tim, joined Kimbolton School in 2003, following in their Old Kimboltonian father’s footsteps. Both boys had a passion for sailing and the school is in close proximity to Grafham Water Sailing Club. He has been a member of The British Sailing Team since 2008.

“His enthusiasm for the sport was encouraged at school and he relished being able to go sailing”

Ben has dreamt of being part of the Olympics since he was 11 years old and has been competing and winning at international level since 2002. He says: “I’m pretty excited to do two things at the Games – one is to get a medal for Nicola and myself, and the other is to support the sailing team as much as possible.”

FACILITIES AT KIMBOLTON • Two astro turf pitches and one training astro pitch • 25-metre swimming pool • Five outdoor cricket wickets and four indoor nets housed in a large sports hall • Outdoor pursuits department that has a wide range of dinghies, based at Grafham Water Sailing Club, including Laser Picos for the beginner, Dart 16 Catamarans, Laser 2000s and the Junior • Olympic Classic Boat, the 29er

2012 Silver Open 470 European Championships • 2013 Gold Sail for Gold Regatta (Nacra 17) • 2013 Silver Nacra 17 World Championships • 2013 Silver 2013 ISAF Sailing World Championships Test Event (Nacra 17) • 2014 Bronze ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami (Nacra 17) • 2014 Bronze Sail for Gold Regatta (Nacra 17) • 2015 Gold Nacra 17 European Championships

H

eather Stanning was born in Yeovil, Somerset, and brought up in Lossiemouth in the North East of Scotland. She was educated at Gordonstoun, where she was head girl and went on to the University of Bath to study sports technology. She took up rowing while at Bath after one of her friends told her she would be good at it because she was tall. She was talent spotted in 2006 and started rowing under the Team GB Start Programme where she was coached

by Paul Stannard.

While at Gordonstoun, Heather showed signs of being a natural leader and had an aura of someone who would be successful in life – always self-composed and self-assured. In her school year book, her peers predicted that she would be the most likely to win an Olympic gold medal.

Heather’s PE teacher at Gordonstoun said: “Heather has an inner self-confidence, which is not arrogance and a drive to always do better. She was a powerful all-round athlete and it is no surprise to me that she has done so well.”

Heather said: “Gordonstoun was where I learnt to challenge myself, and was encouraged to grab hold of opportunities.

Without either of these I would not have achieved what I have to date.”

FACILITIES AT GORDONSTOUN NAME: Heather Stanning, 30 SPORT: Rowing SCHOOL: Gordonstoun, Moray

• Eight-court sports hall • Full size multi-use astro-turf (hockey, football, cricket, tennis) • Indoor heated swimming pool • Climbing wall • Four squash courts

2007 Gold in the Women’s Pair World U23 Rowing Championships • 2011 Gold in the Women’s Pair GB Rowing Team Senior Trials • 2011 Gold in the Women’s Pair at the GB Rowing Team Senior Trials • 2014 Winner of the Rowing World Cup series in the Women’s Pair • 2015 Gold in the Women’s Pair World Rowing Championships • 2015 Heather awarded “Olympic Athlete of the Year” at the GB Rowing Teams awards • *This is a selection as Heather has acheived many awards to date!

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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We invite you to experience We you to experience the invite true atmosphere of our We true inviteatmosphere you to experience the of our School with a personal visit. the truewith atmosphere ofvisit. our School a personal School with a personal visit.

For further details, please contact the Registrar: Tel: 01283 559222 For further details, please contact the Registrar: Email: registrar@repton.org.uk For 01283 further559222 details, please contact the Registrar: Tel: Email: registrar@repton.org.uk www.repton.org.uk Tel: 01283 559222 Email: registrar@repton.org.uk

OLYMPIC EDUCATION

G

lastonbury boy, Cameron’s progression over the last few years has been exceptional as he has propelled himself firmly on to the International swimming scene. In 2015, he won his first national youth titles in the 200m and 400m freestyle, and as part of the Millfield 4 x 100m free relay, and secured Under 18 wins in both the 200m and 400m freestyle at the British Open Championships, which earnt him a call-up to the British swimming team for the European Games held in Azerbaijan.

Exposed to the intense competition of an international event for the first time, Cameron excelled and came away with gold in the 4 x 100m relay and an individual silver medal in the 200m freestyle. This chain of success led to Cameron’s selection to the World Junior Championships in Singapore, in August

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2015, where he secured finals in both events.

In April, Cameron was selected as one of the youngest in the 26-strong Team GB swimming squad for the Rio 2016.

He says: “Without Millfield, I wouldn’t be in this situation – all of my coaches from Millfield Prep to now, have been amazing. I just can’t wait to get going!”

FACILITIES AT MILLFIELD • Olympic-sized swimming pool • International standard Fencing Salle • Three 3G pitches and state-of-the-art floodlighting • Top-of-the-range gym facilities spread across four high-tech gyms • Top quality athletics track

NAME: Cameron Kurle, 18 SPORT: Swimmer SCHOOL: Millfield School, Somerset

2015 British Open Championships U18 Gold 200m, 400m freestyle • 2015 European Games Gold 4x100m relay, Silver 200m freestyle • 2016 British Champions Silver Target Tokyo U21 400m freestyle

G Georgie will hopefully be selected with four other Old Reptonians

NAME: Georgie Twigg, 25 SPORT: Hockey SCHOOL: Repton School, Derbyshire

eorgie was the youngest member of the Great Britain, bronze winning, women’s hockey team at London Olympics 2012 and has high hopes for Rio 2016, along with four other Old Reptonians who are vying for selection.

As captain of hockey, at Repton, Georgie led the 1st XI to the National title in 2007/8 and played in all of the England National Age Group Squads. Shortly after leaving, she was selected for the Youth Olympics with GB U21 and her senior international debut came in February 2010, aged just 19. She has the unusual

“Georgie held the unusual honour of being selected to play for Great Britain before England”

honour of being selected for Great Britain before England.

Following on from the The World Cup and Commonwealth Games, Georgie was selected for GB at London 2012, where she won a bronze medal, and now has over 125 caps at Senior International level, and became a European Gold medallist in 2015. She currently plays for Surbiton HC.

FACILITIES AT REPTON • A floodlit double water-based astroturf and new sand-dressed astroturf • A swimming pool, which is the training venue of Olympian Adam Peaty • 18 outdoor and two indoor tennis courts • A fitness and conditioning suite, which includes more than 20 cardio-vascular stations, as well as a free-weights area.

• 11 football pitches

2010 Indoor EuroHockey Nations Championship III Bronze • 2010 Commonwealth Games Bronze • 2010 Champions Trophy Bronze • 2010 World Cup Bronze • 2011 EuroHockey Championships Bronze • 2012 Champions Trophy Silver • 2012 Olympic Games Bronze • 2013 World League Final Bronze • 2013 EuroHockey Championships Silver • 2014 Commonwealth Games Silver • 2015 EuroHockey Championships Gold

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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Visit our website for Open Event information

www.kgs.org.uk

#workwellandbehappy

KGS Advert 2015 - Independent School Parent 202x129.indd 1

27/02/2015 12:57:50

Knighton House|Dorset

Knighton House School day & boarding for girls 7-13. The Orchard Pre-prep for boys & girls 3-7.

The Visitor snapshot mornings give you the opportunity to come and see Knighton House and The Orchard pre-prep at work.

Call 01258 452065 or email admissions@knightonhouse.co.uk to book a place.

Knighton House School, Durweston, Dorset DT11 0PY. www.knightonhouse.co.uk

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

Come and see Knighton House and The Orchard at work on one of our visitor snapshot mornings:

• Friday 17th June • Tuesday 21st June

HEAD’S-UP

SARAH WICKS

head of Knighton House School, Dorset

I

f I ask parents, as well as the pupils, what they consider a key deciding factor in the choice of which school to choose, access to sport is often high on the list. In fact, it is often said to be one of the main advantages of the independent system which is why schools take such pride in their sporting provision.

In sharp contrast to the state system, pupils at independent school will, on average, take part in sport for over five hours per week, compared to their two. This is not simply because independent schools are keeping up their long held sporting traditions but because the advantage of pupils taking part in sport in backed by scientific studies.

The Benefits

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

Physical activity is vital to the “total” development of young people, challenging and nurturing their physical, social and emotional health. The benefits of sport reach beyond the impact on physical wellbeing. There is a growing body of research that links

[

GOOD SPORT The benefits of exercise are well-known and recent research proves that it is linked to high achievement, writes Sarah Wicks

sport to improvements in achievement, which should not be under-estimated.

In a world where increasing numbers of children and young adults suffer from mental health issues, the value of sport for mind and body could not be more crucial.

With increased exercise, general fitness and stamina will improve, it improves self-confidence as well as providing an avenue to release stress and tension.

Something for Everyone With the variety of sports on offer in independent schools, there really is something for

everyone; if the traditional offering of netball, rugby, football, hockey, cricket, athletics and tennis don’t appeal, there is now so much available – from wall climbing to sailing, riding to modern dance and Zumba. Sport enables pupils to learn to respect authority, rules, team colleagues and opponents.

Experiencing triumph and defeat and working hard to achieve are all key skills that sport can start to build on from school age.

Taking part will often mean being part of a team, which allows pupils to take ownership of what they are

I think that if girls believe they can perform as well as men on the sports field then they can do the same in the working environment too

]

Above, sports day at Knighton House, Dorset

doing. The power of teamwork has long been connected with life skills such as strong leadership, respect and a common purpose. Being part of a team will often take pupils out of their comfort zone, forging friendships, learning the value of competition – to inspire and be inspired.

Personal Achievement As a head of a girls’ school, I also see sport as a way of challenging gender stereotypes; girls and young women are taking part in what have traditionally been seen as male sports. These skills help girls as they progress on to further education and up the career ladder. I think that if girls believe they can perform as well as men on the sports field they can do the same in the boardroom too.

K WOR TE AM SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

21

JAVIER ORTI

children’s life coach, therapist and founder of Helping Kids

NIGHTMARE TO NEVERLAND

Does your child suffer from bad dreams? Javier Orti’s simple technique has his young clients asleep in minutes – with not a scary monster in sight

B

ad dreams are a huge worry for children: they come in the middle of the night, when parents are least prepared to help. They can go on to haunt children for weeks on end and make even the best of us cranky and sleep-deprived.

As the father of two young girls, I am used to hearing the nightmare panic cry. And in my work as a life coach and child therapist, many young clients are referred to me with problems caused by bad dreams.

HOW COMMON ARE THEY? Nightmares are common in young children.

According to research*, nearly 75% of school-age children experience nightmares, and 15% are frequent. They peak at age seven to nine. Common themes are family safety or intruders (56%), inside or outside noises (48%), bad dreams (39%) and imaginary creatures (22%).

Nightmares have a clear link to anxiety.

But we do not know which comes first.

“As a father of two young girls, I am used to the nightmare cry. In my work as a therapist I have many young clients referred to me” 22

independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

HOME TIME

Children learn coping strategies to manage – they include ignoring or distracting (50%) or hugging a soft toy (9.3%). To me, it is significant that only 27.9% of children talk to their parents about bad dreams.

Life coaching focuses on solutions, so I start by helping a child discover how to stop nightmares, and leave the “why” for later. I use a technique called “Neverland”, based on NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming). It

]

Javier Orti’s Neverland technique helps his young clients to banish bad dreams

prepares the child for sleep and helps them relax. For my clients, it is a winner.

HOW TO OVERCOME A NIGHTMARE Set aside 15 minutes of quiet time alone with your child, after they have finished their bedtime routine. Get two pieces of paper and coloured pencils. Tell the child that Neverland is Peter Pan’s island, a

make-believe place where anything can happen. Explain that they will create their own Neverland, and you will too. Draw your Neverland. You may start with a place you like and “transform it” into Neverland. The first few times you will have to show them.

Start by saying: “In my Neverland today…” and take turns with your child to describe yours. Let them draw whatever occurs to them. For example: In my Neverland today…

• The clouds are candy floss. When they are low, I can extend my arm and grab them.

• The sun is a margarita pizza and on a hot day, the cheese melts and I can make lots and lots of delicious cheese on toast.

• There is a tree-lined road that plays beautiful, calm music when I walk along it.

• It is warm and I can feel the sun, even when it snows and I have snowball fights.

TIME FOR SLEEP

ILLUSTRATION: ANDY WARD. *GORDON, KING, GULLONE, MURRIS & OLLENDICK, 2007

[

Nightmare themes can be family safety or intruders (56%), noises (48%), bad dreams (39%) and imaginary creatures (22%)

Start planning for sleep after about 10 minutes of Neverland creation. Help your child find a place in their Neverland to take a nap. This avoids anxiety about sleeping through the whole night. For example: “In my Neverland, I sleep on top of the clouds. I have a soft, cosy bed. I can smell hot chocolate and feel the warmth. I get on top of the cloud in my bed and I take a nap, just five or 10 minutes. I breathe calmly. I feel the cloud move subtly and I feel happy.

I close my eyes for a few minutes.”

Usually my daughters are fast asleep by now. Sometimes, I am too!

HOW NEVERLAND HELPS Neverland helps children relax and imagine a happy place. It also establishes a two-way communication between a parent and a child.

One of my clients said: “When I finish drawing my Neverland, I fold it and put it under my pillow”. My daughters now do this, and they have eight different Neverlands that they have created. Let your child draw their Neverland for the first few days. Then, guide them to create it in their head. Eventually, they will create their Neverland themselves.

Use a slow and gentle tone of voice.

Then, enjoy the calm that Neverland will bring to your life… and sleep tight. helpingkids.co.uk, info@helpingkids.co.uk

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

23

DEBORAH ROBERTS-BARTER

head of boarding, Farlington School, West Sussex

t is often easy to assume that a big boarding school equals a better boarding experience. However, this is not necessarily the case and it is certainly not always the right option for all children.

So, why should you choose a smaller boarding school? The reasons are many and varied.

At Farlington School, a day and boarding school in West Sussex, we have a strong tradition of catering for the individual needs of the girls – in the classroom, on the sports field and, not least, in the boarding houses. The small class sizes ensure that no girl goes unnoticed, and this is mirrored in both the houses, with small numbers of boarders from each year group.

Smaller Community There is an excellent staff-toboarder ratio, giving girls the opportunity to take part in a wide variety of trips and activities. The smaller community means that girls won’t get lost in the crowd – their suggestions are taken on board and implemented

[ 24

WHEN LESS IS MORE

Deborah Roberts-Barter explains the merits of a small boarding school experience wherever possible. Whether it is as simple as choosing the next DVD to buy, or perhaps suggesting a specific weekend trip or outing – the girls’ opinions really count.

Fishponds, the junior boarding house, is exactly that: a house. This gives the younger boarders – ranging from Year Four to Year Eight – a real sense of “coming home” at the end of the school day, and eases them into the boarding experience gently. They share smaller bedrooms, that are similar to a bedroom that they have at home. The emphasis here is on allowing the girls to progress through the years,

and really having something to look forward to – whether it be a later bedtime or more freedom and responsibility.

The house is run much like a big family and the pretty garden offers a safe and enclosed space for the girls to go outside and play.

Mansion House When the girls graduate to the Mansion House, for boarders from Year Nine to sixth form, they are afforded more freedom to use their time as they see fit – although there are still games and activities on offer. It is because of the small community that we are able to

]

Flexi-boarding is an easy option for parents, who will be safe in the knowledge that their daughter will be welcomed into the boarding “family” at school

independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

Boarding at Farlington has a family feel about it

allow the girls more freedom and independence; staff get to know the girls well and are able to base decisions and privileges on a strong understanding of each individual boarder.

Being in a smaller school means that the girls are known to all staff, whether or not they are boarders. This makes flexi and occasional boarding an easy option for parents, who will be safe in the knowledge that their daughter will be welcomed into the boarding “family”, and less daunting for girls who may not be used to staying away from home.

Likewise, the Extended Day facility ensures that younger girls can be cared for in a homely environment, giving peace of mind to busy working parents. farlingtonschool.net

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

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Inspired admissions@wellingtoncollege.org.uk | +44 (0) 1344 444 013 wellingtoncollege.org.uk SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

25

JULES CROSSLEY theatre director, Bedford School, Bedfordshire

T

Lighting a Spark I am always excited by the enthusiasm and passion of the boys who step up “to tread the boards” but I am also delighted at the potential of drama to light a spark in every boy.

True not every boy will wish to be in the spotlight, but for those who take centre stage drama offers them an opportunity to explore their creativity, imagination and dramatic skills, while having fun with their friends. Drama also develops their confidence and self-esteem, and helps them to articulate their ideas: all skills that are valuable long after the curtain falls. Indeed, these skills provide the perfect building blocks for debating with confidence, public speaking and delivering presentations – regular

[ 26

DRAMA SCHOOL Studying performing arts teaches pupils many attributes long after the curtain falls, says Jules Crossley

occurrences throughout their school years as well as future working lives. As members of the cast and crew, boys also learn the art of compromise, effective teamwork, time management, problem-solving, being trained and training others, and the importance of dedication – these are skills every teacher, coach and employer greatly values.

From Sound to Lighting Beyond the main stage opportunities also abound: from front of house to set design, from sound to lighting, from direction to writing. Due to the recent development of

our new school theatre, The Quarry Theatre at St Luke’s, there are now more chances than ever for boys to take part behind the scenes. The installation of a tension-wire grid means that boys can help to rig and focus up to 80% of the lights in our new theatre.

Through carrying out practical theatre, they also learn vital life skills, such as management, training and mentoring, which help them to grow as individuals. Through this they find themselves part of the collective spirit and success of a production, and experience the great sense of accomplishment that brings.

As members of the cast and crew, the boys also learn the art of compromise, how to work in a team, time management and problem-solving

independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

]

Above, Bedford boys jump for joy during their drama lessons

Learning and Understanding As audience members, theatre also has a key role in shaping the boys’ learning: enhancing core subjects, such as English and history, and working through issues such as the causes and consequences of human behaviour.

Drama helps the boys to become critical observers; aware and able to assess the visual elements around them, whether their involvement is as a performer, crew or audience member.

The Quarry Theatre at St Luke’s embodies our intention as a school to interact with the world around us.

Since we opened a year ago, we have staged over 148 shows with over 10,000 people passing through the doors.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

here were over 80 pupils in our all-boys’ school enthusiastically auditioning for 30 roles in the latest prep school production.

I can certainly say that drama is thriving in Bedford School’s stunning new theatre.

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27

SARAH THOMAS

head of Bryanston, Dorset

(Behind the Scenes) Bryanston, Dorset

PERSONAL TOUCH One-to-one attention has always been at the heart of our distinctive educational philosophy, says Sarah Thomas

T

utors are a common feature at most senior schools, although their role may differ. At Bryanston, the tutor is central to our one-to-one approach to teaching and learning.

ONE-TO-ONE TUTOR Each tutor has individual tutorial pupils with whom they meet, one-to-one, at least once a week. The allocation of tutorial pupils is governed neither by house nor year, but by a careful selection process based on shared areas of interest and individual needs. Crucially, the tutor remains with their tutorial pupils throughout their school career, ensuring a deep understanding and trust.

Pupils also see their subject teachers individually, in addition to timetabled classes, for “correction periods”. Used extensively in the sixth form, these periods give pupils the chance to test their grasp of a subject and can help them go from a sense of uncertainty about a topic to one of insight and authority.

This approach encourages pupils to be articulate about what they are learning, and to engage with adults in an

[

increasingly mature way. The sense of mutual respect between staff and pupils is at the heart of all we do.

Pupils at Bryanston have slightly fewer lessons than those at other schools to ensure there is dedicated time for correction periods, and also for “assignment periods”. With guidance from the tutor, these private study periods allow

]

The one-to-one approach encourages pupils to be articulate about what they are learning and to engage with adults in a mature way

The main house ,at Bryanston

“There is no ‘typical Bryanstonian’ and you will find our former pupils in all walks of life”

pupils to develop the skills needed for independent learning. that are essential if they are to continue to learn effectively beyond Bryanston.

DIVERSITY OF TALENT We encourage pupils to develop their individual interests outside the classroom too, through an extensive range of extra-curricular activities (ECAs). The ECAs enable pupils to discover what they are good and not so good at, alongside their friends. This carries real significance for the development of the pupil – whether it is through discovering a future career path or developing greater confidence within the classroom – and we rejoice in the diversity of talent it brings.

One might think that Bryanston’s focus on the individual would produce a disparate group of inward-looking individuals. However, our pupils are not that lonely ballerina in the jewellery box turning forever in her own orbit. They are a happy convocation of outward-looking and generous-minded individuals who use their talents to contribute to school life.

A variety of pupil-led activities, from arts festivals to charity fundraising weekends, that allow pupils to work together to deliver a specific outcome and each individual plays their part, contributes their own talent and knows that it is recognised and valued. We want

each of our 680 pupils to feel this and to feel that they belong.

NON-UNIFORM SCHOOL It is one of the reasons we see no need for a uniform at Bryanston. The sense of belonging which Bryanstonians have comes not from wearing the same tie but from the individual relationships they enjoy across the school, from knowing they are recognised, known, and valued.

Nor do we define our pupils by which house they are in or where their strengths lie at any given point in time. We understand that strong mathematicians can also be great hockey players or exceptional musicians, and being good in one area does not prevent a pupil from discovering or developing a similar talent in another field.

Indeed, there is no “typical Bryanstonian” and you will find our former pupils in all walks of life. Perhaps the common factor is that they tend to be happy in their own skin, think for themselves and follow the individual paths which motivate them.

Bryanstonians have a sense of belonging that nurtures many strengths

Manchester Oxford Right, Bryanston is in Dorset in the West Country

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MARTIN STOTT

headmaster, The Old Hall School, Shropshire

O

ne of my favourite days of the year at school is our Improvers Football Festival. It’s brimmed full of the kind of determination and raw enthusiasm that children’s sport should be about.

The shared focus of the schools we invite is that of inclusion for those who would normally not be selected to play in a tournament side. There are no results or places as such – all the players receive a certificate and a participation medal and enjoy the after-match hospitality, which is the norm for regular players. This event is for youngsters who just want to put on a team kit and play, regardless of ability – football for football’s sake.

The Best Day of His Life

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

After one particular festival, the mother of one of the players wrote to me to tell me that as her little boy went to bed that night (still wearing his medal) he said it had been the best day of his entire life. He had never played in a football tournament before. It is a day we stage here

[

FESTIVAL OF FUN

Our partnership scheme reaps huge rewards for children from the state and independent sector, writes Martin Stott for prep schools in the area but it is a constant reminder of how desperately important it is to make sport available to all children and to include those who would not necessarily be selected to represent their school in a tournament. To some, this may sound patronising, but for the children who get to play it is most definitely not: it offers a chance to shine and feel the buzz of competition and the excitement of donning the shirt and playing seven other schools on one afternoon. It’s the kind of day which makes me think how much we want to be part of a wider sporting community that encourages and welcomes all,

regardless of ability. We have worked hard to find a way in which we can encourage others to see us as part of the wider local community.

Our Partnership Luckily we were introduced to the Telford & Wrekin School Sports Partnership and were given the opportunity to fund part-time sports coordinator, Sandra Davies, for the project.

She works with a family of four state schools. Now in our second year, the scheme has proved invaluable in terms of building relationships and bringing even more children together on the sports field.

The Festival has proved invaluable in terms of building relationships within the community and bringing children together on the sports field

]

Above, pupils at the football festival enjoy warming up

Sandra has worked tirelessly to organise all manner of events, which has seen hundreds more children use the facilities and try a sport they would not have had the chance to try otherwise.

A Real Success Story So far, 16 events have been staged, including 11 new activities, with an impressive Street Dance afternoon.

The latest was a games carousel for 108 children, with additional needs, from 13 schools in the Telford & Wrekin area.

We have a commitment to being a part of our community.

It has been a success story.

Just seeing so many new faces around the school and seeing the enjoyment to be had from taking part in bigger events, which bring lots of different schools together, has been reward in itself.

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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SPACE MISSION

Pupils from 23 schools joined Wellesley House School, in Kent, to quiz astronaut Tim Peake in space

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!

L PHOTOGRAPHY: ESA/NASA

ast month, children made contact with Tim Peake during his six months on the International Space Station (ISS). Wellesley House School, Kent, was one of 10 schools to host a live amateur radio communication with the ISS. This was part of a series of nationwide events designed to inspire a buzz around science, a collaboration between Amateur Radio on the ISS (ARISS), the Radio Society of Great Britain, the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency.

[

Making Contact There were a few heart-inmouth moments as connections were established and the amateur radio societies worked hard to link with the space station 400km above the Earth. The moment when communication was finally established was breath-taking.

The school’s Space Explorer Club allowed pupils Ethan Becket and Benny Yu to obtain amateur radio licences, letting Ethan launch the contact with the ISS with confidence.

Question Time Children were able to ask Tim Peake a range of questions, such as: “What happens to a compass in Space?” Ellie (7); “Have you played any jokes on

your colleagues on the ISS?” Benny (12); and “What space exploration do you think we will be doing in 200 years?”

Ethan (12).

The event followed a host of space-related activities: moon rocks and meteor samples; a launch party to celebrate Tim Peake’s arrival in space; a planetarium; and astronomy with the Royal Observatory.

Pupils had the chance to ask Tim Peake a host of questions

Creating a Buzz Wellesley House School head Simon O’Malley said, “This is awesome. There has been an incredible buzz around the school. I hope it really inspires children who maybe didn’t think they were scientists, engineers, mathematicians but who now think they can be.”

There were a few heart-in-mouth moments as connections were established and the amateur radio societies linked to the space station

]

Above, live coverage of Tim Peake in the ISS

The events complemented the £3 million programme of education and outreach activities being run by the UK Space Agency to harness the inspirational power of Tim Peake’s mission. By bringing the excitement of space to classrooms across the country it is hoped that more children will take up STEM subjects.

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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HEALTHY EATING

Chef Jean-Christophe Novelli’s passion for healthy cooking feeds into his family life. Here he shares top tips for the table

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

H

ealthy eating to Michelle and I is about enjoying food and having the right attitude to the right foods, but equally important is to have respect and understanding for digestion.

When I was growing up there was little money, but we still ate good food, freshly prepared by my mother every day. One thing that is very important for digestion is craving for food. When we arrived home from school, the evening meal would be cooking and the house would be full of wonderful aromas. But we would have to wait for an hour or more before we could sit down to eat – all the time building up a huge appetite for our meal, making our

bodies ready to receive and enjoy the cooking. These days it seems people eat constantly; there is always food available.

When I was young there was no fridge packed with food or cupboard full of snacks available at any time, day or night.

Right, check out JeanChristophe's recipe: Poulet Provençale à la Moutarde on our website

PERFECT TIMING My mother raised four boisterous boys and she insisted on good table manners and eating at the right time. We ate meals slowly, using small bites and chewed each mouthful thoroughly. This has two functions: it allows saliva to start the work of digestion rather than expecting the stomach to do all of the work. Chewing properly amplifies the taste buds and also means the stomach doesn’t get bloated by gulping down lots of air. The body and the stomach are just machines and like all machines they are designed to work in a certain way – but we have to help them!

Chewing properly amplifies the taste buds and also means that the stomach doesn’t get bloated by gulping down lots of air

KEEP IT FRESH Healthy eating means cooking with fresh ingredients. Fresh produce is always available and we should use as much local produce as we possibly can. And ask yourself: do I really need all that food in my fridge? Instead try to buy just what you need for one or two meals in advance and then cook fresh food every day. This small action would certainly mean healthier meals with more nutritional value.

Treats are important for children, but fewer treats makes them more significant,

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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HEALTHY EATING Jean-Christophe involves his children in cooking from an early age

Top 5 TIPS SLOWLY DOES IT

Encourage your children to eat slowly.

It’s a good idea to give young children a teaspoon, or chop sticks, to eat with.

THIRSTY WORK

“Kids that eat healthily are easier to educate as concentration levels are so much higher”

Children should drink water or milk only (but not milk if the meal is acidic e.g. with citrus). Serve in cups to avoid overfilling the stomach. Try replacing fizzy drinks with chilled sparkling water.

CLOCK IT

Follow a structure of eating at the right time every day: weekdays, weekends and during holidays.

particularly if they have to wait to get them; perhaps only at the weekends and not during the day. If something is given every single day, then is it still a treat?

Choose your treats carefully, don’t give something packed with sugar and fat but make it tasty and a little different to what your children have every day. Remember that the treat is as much a psychological bonus as an actual food source.

FRUITY FUN

Bananas, packed with potassium, should be eaten in the morning.

Afternoon fruits should be juicy, e.g. apples, grapes or kiwi fruits. Dried fruits have a lot of extra sugar!

SWEET STUFF

Don’t give your children sugary desserts straight after a meal. Wait an hour to see if they are still hungry!

RESPECT YOUR BODY Healthy eating is not about nationality or culture, for me it is about education and respect for our bodies. When I welcome students on my cooking courses at The Novelli Academy, my home, it is obvious that many people have no idea how much sugar, salt or fat is in most foods or how detrimental they are for health. There is information on the label, but you usually need your glasses on to be able to read it!

If it was clearer then people could make better choices about what they were eating.

To eat healthily and feel good, we need to cut back on excess but we don’t want to compromise on enjoyment. I use a variety of herbs and spices at different timings in my cooking which gives flavour and taste, and removes the temptation to cover it with salt, sugar and saturated fat. It is indisputable that you can eat healthily without compromising on flavour.

LIVE AN ACTIVE LIFE Being healthy is also about leading an active life too. I’m really lucky because I can drop my son off at the wonderful Aldwickbury School, Hertfordshire, and I just love it. It’s our special quality time together and we speak only French on the car journey. One of the many things we both enjoy is our run together. We run over one kilometre every morning, on the school field, come rain or shine. I act as his personal coach and it’s fantastic. A variety of sport is not only a wonderful and fun way to nurture your child’s confidence, it’s perfect for father-son bonding.

SCHOOL DINNERS When it comes to school meals, I have personally taken a keen interest in the catering at my own sons’ school and

Above, The Novelli Academy has British farmhouse charm

nursery. I have no doubt that independent schools are doing the best they can for their students. I am convinced that some of the most talented cooks in the country work in schools. What I would love to see is some competition – a sort of Michelin or AA Guide for school catering – which would cover quality as well as how healthy the food is. That way parents and students could look at a rating for the food provided. I would personally volunteer myself as an inspector for such a scheme. Kids that eat healthily are easier to educate as concentration levels are so much higher when they have eaten well.

We must act as role models for young people – you cannot say one thing but do another, they are too clever for that!

Go to independentschoolparent.com for a Poulet Provençale à la Moutarde recipe. jeanchristophenovelli.com/the-academy

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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MR MATTHEW O’REILLY

head of Juniors, St Mary’s School, Cambridge

he world has many problems. Some affect whole communities, countries, and even continents, such as war, famine, natural disasters or climate change. Others affect some individuals within different areas of the world, perhaps through prejudice, the restricting of people’s freedoms, or genocide.

In the UK, we are fortunate to be rarely confronted by these issues. And that’s because the British values by which we are governed protect the rights of every person.

Education plays a vital role in this: individuals who fight for human rights in the political courts can only do so after learning about the law; scientists who develop cures for disease can only do so after studying science; and engineers who invent new processes to promote sustainability can only do so once they have a grounding in STEM. I am passionate about instilling in our girls, from Reception through to Year Six, this mindset of exploring the relationship between their own

[ 38

CITIZENS OF THE FUTURE

Solving the world’s problems is part of the curriculum at St Mary’s School, Cambridge, writes Matthew O’Reilly lives, and the lives of others around the world. Through our Development Education programme, issues such as poverty and hunger, unequal distribution of wealth and opportunity, environmental degradation and diminishing resources are confronted and, importantly, the girls look at what can be done to improve it.

As part of the Junior School Creative Curriculum, which teaches each subject as part of a joined-up theme, pupils pursue their Development Education programmes as part of their over-arching class topic. In this way, their learning is much more relevant and

enjoyable, when, for instance, their history, STEM, English and music studies all allow them to investigate different aspects of their topic.

When our girls are in Year Five they often study Africa in the autumn term. Last year’s Year Five pupils investigated water scarcity and, as part of their learning, tried to adapt their daily lives to see what living with very little water would be like. The experience prompted the girls to want to know how they could make a difference to families for whom water scarcity is a reality, and so they fundraised to donate money to Water Aid

]

Our girls, from Reception through to Year Six, have the mindset that explores the relationship between their own lives, and the lives of others

independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

Above, pupils try to adapt their daily lives to understand world issues

– so that a new well could be built in one community.

This year’s Year Five group focused on food insecurity, which led the girls to the work of Farm Africa and the charity’s “Welly Walk” fundraising event. The group then highlighted the disparity between food scarcity in parts of Africa, and food waste that occurs in the UK. They wrote to the secretary of state for international development, and some of the UK’s supermarket chains, to ask what plans there were for resolving this issue.

Nothing will change for the better without active, global citizens who are confident to act on the world’s problems.

The problems may remain unresolved, for now; we are investing in the next generation of globally minded citizens.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

T

ST. ANTHONY’S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

OPENING IN SEPTEMBER 2016 St. Anthony’s School for Girls will be a Catholic school located in Ivy House, North End Road, NW11.

An exciting new sister school to the highly successful St. Anthony’s School for Boys in Hampstead.

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21st 11th May 25th June June

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For further information or to register for a place, please contact us at St. Anthony’s School for Boys on 020 7431 1066 or headmaster@stanthonysprep.co.uk

www.stanthonysgirls.co.uk 8912-APG SAA-half page.indd 1

11/05/2016 09:23

St. Nicholas Preparatory School with Montessori Nursery & Reception

Open Morning Thursday, 16 June 2016 Join us at 9:30am for a school tour and a Q&A session. Call on 020 7225 1277 or email admissions@stnicholasprep.co.uk to reserve a place.

Private school tours with the Headmaster are also available upon registration. Call 020 7225 1277 to speak to the admissions team.

Independent day school for boys & girls aged 3-11 in Kensington St Nicholas Preparatory School is part of the Cognita Schools Group www.cognitaschools.com Registered in England: Cognita Limited trading as St Nicholas Preparatory School Number 03622490 Registered Office: Seebeck House, 1 Seebeck Place, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes MK5 8FR

23 Princes Gate, London SW7 1PT

www.stnicholasprep.co.uk

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

39

STRAP LINE

IRENIE MANFREDI registrar, Belmont, Mill Hill Prep School, London

Belmont, Mill Hill Prep School is situated in north-west London

How to...

SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES Need school fee assistance? You’ll find that there’s so much help out there.

Irenie Manfredi offers top tips on how to apply

B

elmont, Mill Hill Prep School is part of the The Mill Hill School Foundation which offers bursary funds that make a huge difference to young people’s lives. It offers opportunities that wouldn’t normally be available to pupils.

WHO CAN APPLY? Many children apply for bursaries in a school year, so demand for support and bursary requests cannot be guaranteed.

However, don’t let that put you off – if you think your financial circumstances qualify

40

independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

and your child has something special to offer the school, your application will be seriously considered.

WHO TO CALL? The first step is to call the admissions office, or look on the school website, to see if bursaries are offered at your child’s point of entry. Many schools offer fee assistance from seven-plus, others only at 11+ upwards. Do your research: a bursary is more likely to be offered from 11+ if the school has a senior school campus, or a sixth form, but a prep school, which ends at 13+ is more likely to offer bursaries from seven-plus.

A good call to make would be to the bursar’s office to see whether you can be sent the bursary policy and a form.

The school website will tell you if bursaries are offered at your child’s age

WILL THEY PASS THE ENTRANCE TEST? At the same time, find out if your child will meet the admissions criteria and show academic talent. Ask your child’s current school teacher what their current attainment levels are and what they are predicted to be at the time of the entrance test. Usually parents will start to make these enquiries around the start of Year Five.

“Scholarships will continue to be offered throughout the child’s time at the school but bursaries will need to be applied for every year”

MONEY TALK

Tf a child shows potential they could qualify for a bursary or scholarship There are often different types of scholarship on offer at schools

DO YOU WANT A BURSARY OR A SCHOLARSHIP? Does your preferred school offer scholarships and bursaries – do you know the difference? Scholarships (also referred to as Exhibitions or Awards) will be awarded to children who show particular talents e.g. an Academic Scholarship will be based on outstanding academic achievement so your child will be in the top 10% of academic scores. A Music Scholarship will be offered to a child who shows musical talent and will contribute to the music output of the school. Usually, scholarships offer between 10 to 25% fee relief. Scholarships are not means tested but bursaries are. This means that you will be awarded a scholarship on exceptional talent alone – it has nothing to do with your ability to pay. However, a scholarship can be topped up with a bursary so a scenario might involve a music award of 10% plus a 90% bursary offering 100% fee

All schools will differ in what else they will offer to bursary applicants: 100% recipients may be helped with items of uniform relief. Scholarships will usually continue to be offered throughout the child’s time at the school but bursaries will need to be applied for every year.

Parents should think about all possible scenarios as a bursary of 90% one year, and 65% the following year could be entirely possible. Families should also consider the consequences of having to make up the shortfall.

• Savings • Benefits • Other assets The form filling is detailed and lots of documentation will be required. Most people would like at least some idea of the maximum income a school would consider when offering for bursaries, so call the bursar’s office first to see if you qualify.

HOW DO I APPLY?

Schools will use different methods to validate your paperwork and would include credit checks, using outside agencies to check your information and home visits if appropriate. A bursary committee would meet to discuss each case on its own merits and take into account family income and assets.

All schools will differ in what else they will offer to bursary applicants: 100% recipients may be helped with items of uniform. Extra costs add up so if a pupil is not awarded full fee relief, these are additional costs to consider. There are lots of different scenarios which might qualify a pupil for fee relief. In the past successful recipients have included parents who have been disabled and can no longer work, and families starting new businesses.

Remember: be honest and you will be judged fairly.

Academic scholarships are awarded purely on the basis of your entrance exam performance, so if your child does well there will be a follow-up interview and hopefully a scholarship would be offered.

Music places have to be applied for and will be awarded on the basis of an audition and passing the academic test well.

Bursaries have to be applied for, and at this stage, you would probably be talking to the bursar and getting a feel for whether your income qualifies you as a bursary candidate. You will be asked to complete a form and give very detailed information on your financial circumstances based on the following: • Income • Property value • Rental income • Pensions

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

41

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7+( 23(1,1* 2) <($5 $'0,66,216 for entry in September 2016 Admissions are also currently open for limited places in Years 5 to12 307 8700 Co-educational 02070207 307 8700 0207 307 8700 DGPLQ#SRUWODQG SODFH FR XN 0207 307 8700 Co-educational Co-educational DGPLQ#SRUWODQG SODFH FR XN Co-educational 3UHS Ã 6HQLRU Ã 6L[WK )RUP DGPLQ#SRUWODQG SODFH FR XN ZZZ SRUWODQG SODFH FR XN DGPLQ#SRUWODQG SODFH FR XN 0207 307 8700 3UHS Ã 6HQLRU Ã 6L[WK )RUP 3UHS Ã 6HQLRU Ã 6L[WK )RUP Co-educational ZZZ SRUWODQG SODFH FR XN ZZZ SRUWODQG SODFH FR XN 3UHS Ã 6HQLRU Ã 6L[WK )RUP DGPLQ#SRUWODQG SODFH FR XN ZZZ SRUWODQG SODFH FR XN

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PROMOTION Luke Wabro‘s “Zebra”, now in the private collection of Rolling Stone, Ronnie Wood

call with lter Bun , his Jack Qua th. Below Be , er st his si h of Beth ap gr to pho

Last year ’s wi nner, Kitt y Sz ekely, with her “sun flowers”

NATIONAL OPEN ART CHILDREN’S COMPETITION Enter and you could win a chance to exhibit and a cash donation for your school’s art department

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aterstone’s Children’s Laureate, the highly celebrated writer and illustrator Chris Riddell, is to judge this year’s National Open Art Children’s Competition.

Budding artists aged 14 and under are being encouraged to submit paintings, drawings, prints, illustrations, photographs, wall hung installations, digital art and moving image pieces to the UK’s leading open art competition.

Chris, a former recipient of the Hay Festival Medal for Illustration, and whose work includes Goth Girl and The Emperor of Absurdia and is currently shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal for The Sleeper and the Spindle, said, “Judging National Open Art’s Children’s Competition is an exciting prospect. Children are often very creative and artistic by nature and there are some incredibly talented young artists out there.

Budding artists can submit paintings, prints and drawings

How to Enter “Anything that encourages and develops this talent is something to be celebrated, and NOA’s competition provides one of the very best opportunities around.”

The children’s competition runs alongside the main National Open Art competition, which celebrates its 20th birthday this year.

NOA will award a first, second and third prize in the children’s competition, consisting of a donation of £2,000, £1,000 and £500 to the artists’ school art departments, plus an individual prize each.

This year’s winning artworks will be exhibited as part of NOA’s prestigious Winter Exhibition at Mercers’ Company, the premier livery company in the City of London, in October, and which is attended by leading names in the arts industry. The children will be presented with their prizes during a private view on 28th October.

Visit: thenationalopenartcompetition.com NOA16’s Children’s Competition is open until 10th July 2016.

Entry costs £5 per artwork. The winners will be notified on 31st August.

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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Founded in 1874, Lockers Park is set in23 acres of beautiful woodland in Hertfordshire, it is a boys’ prep day and boarding school with a co-ed pre-prep.

Lockers Park endeavours to ensure the perfect introduction to boarding and prepares for living at senior school.

Originally created as Lockers Park quick a foundation school preparing bo ys ly established itsel f as one of the co for Rugby School, untry’s top prep sc hools

A HISTORY OF

LOCKERS PARK in10 pictures

Letting boys be boys is at the heart of the school’s kinesthetic approach. The Train Room, where pupils can play with a vast electric train set is hugely popular.

Music scholarships are secured every year, 95% of pupils play an instrument and there is a thriving Chapel Choir.

2015 saw the opening of a purposedesigned co-ed pre-prep school, expanding the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Early Years provision to include Reception.

Pupils have numerous opportunities to enjoy drama productions curated in the recently refurbished Centenary Hall.

Small class sizes combined with a focused and creative curriculum allow each boy to realise their potential.

The school remains true to its 19th-century roots with a strong focus on outdoor play combined with structured sport every day.

Lockers Park is one of the earliest preparatory schools purpose built to provide an inspiring learning environment. Find out more about the school at lockerspark.herts.sch.uk

INSPIRING INSPIRING YOUNG YOUNG MINDS MINDS ‘If anyone is going to bring out what your ‘If anyone is going to bring your child is good at, Port Regisout will.’what GOOD SCHOOLS GUIDE child is good at, Port Regis will.’ GOOD SCHOOLS GUIDE t. 01747 857914 | www.portregis.com | e. admissions@portregis.com | t. 01747 857914 | www.portregis.com | e. admissions@portregis.com |

A co-educational, day and A co-educational, day and boarding school from 3 -13 boarding school from 3 -13 @PortRegisSchool | @PortRegisSchool |

www.facebook.com/PortRegis www.facebook.com/PortRegis

Farleigh School is a leading Catholic co-educational prep

school near Andover for boarders and day pupils aged 3-13

SPARKLING WITH

POSSIBILITIES...

Come and see us at our next Open Morning on Saturday 24th September

www.farleighschool.com REGISTERED CHARITY NO. 1157842

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

@FarleighSchool

STRAP LINE

CHRIS CARLIER

housemaster and chair of the E-Safety Committee Bradfield College, Berkshire

Do you know if your children are using their digital time responsibly

HOW TO PLAY IT SAFE ONLINE

Through its internet safety event held in May, Bradfield College aims to create a community of schools who work together to keep children safe online

O

n 17th May Bradfield College, in Berkshire, hosted its second annual “iPrep” event, which brings together independent prep school leaders to discuss digital matters.

The event, organised in partnership with Grafton Marketing, reflects Bradfield’s commitment to encourage safe and

responsible internet use among young people, and to equip parents and teachers to do the same. Through discussing current challenges and sharing good practice, Bradfield College aims to create a community of schools working together to keep children safer online.

WHAT IS THE IPREP EVENT? iPrep is our key forum at Bradfield College for sharing experience and encouraging discussion around all digital matters, from online safety to strategy and marketing, with our feeder schools. As well as hearing

Bradfield College is taking the lead in promoting internet safety with young people

from leading speakers – such as international social media speaker Eric Stoller and Vicki Shotbolt, CEO of ParentZone – iPrep enables us to share what we have learnt with schools who are advising young pupils at the threshold of the world of social media.

Though technology continues to develop at a sometimes alarming rate, the pace of change of the digital landscape should be embraced as an opportunity, and not just considered a threat. Schools must take a lead in this area, capitalising on all the benefits that the digital world affords while

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

47

“Through Childnet’s Digital Leaders Programme, we have 12 fully-trained pupils who are taking a lead in safer internet use” responding sensitively and pro-actively to the evolving needs of today’s young people.

SOCIAL MEDIA FEARS It is easy to scaremonger when talking about social media and our young “digital natives”. News headlines include stories of internet trolling, cyberbullying and of lasting reputational damage caused by posting material online. When we are confronted by such fast-changing technologies, the question of how we protect our young people online might seem rather overwhelming, but it mustn’t be, and close partnership between parents and educators is key.

Let’s not forget the benefits, however.

Beyond socialising, social media allows us to forge networks, follow news, learn skills, share ideas and promote new initiatives. As schools, it is our responsibility to embrace new technologies and to demonstrate safe and creative uses of digital media to all our pupils.

Our approach at Bradfield, the same approach we recommend to parents, is to familiarise ourselves with emerging trends in social media and to engage proactively in discussion with our children. Our programme focuses largely on peereducation, working with our pupils to identify the latest digital trends, to inform our policies and to define together what responsible use of the internet looks like.

CHILDNET’S DIGITAL LEADERS PROGRAMME Through signing up to Childnet’s “Digital Leaders Programme”, Bradfield now has 12 fully-trained pupils who are taking the

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

lead in promoting safer internet use throughout the College. Our digital leaders are a valuable asset.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A PERSONAL VIEWPOINT The Digital Leaders talk about e-safety within the boarding houses, run assemblies on cyberbullying, deliver lessons as part of our wellbeing programme and can explain, from a personal point of view, the importance of protecting their reputation online. The next phase will be to offer their services to support local prep schools, a phase that begins at iPrep.

Did you know you have to be 13 years old to use Facebook?

As parents, we are largely familiar with Facebook, Instagram and perhaps even Snapchat, but there are new technologies developing all the time and we have to work hard to stay up-to-date.

A significant challenge confronting parents is the pressure that young children face to lie about their age in order to open social media accounts prematurely, but lying about their age on social media platforms can expose our children to ageinappropriate adverts such as alcohol, gambling and sexualised advertising.

It is also no longer sufficient to talk merely about securing privacy settings on

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

THE BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS

E-SAFETY

Top 5 TIPS FOR PARENTS STAY CURRENT

Experiment with social media like your children do, that way you will be better placed to talk with them.

TALK

Talk with your children about how they use social media. Share ideas with them, learn together and prioritise lines of communication about everything online.

LOOK OUT

Watch for changes in mood that might indicate a cyberbullying concern.

Search for your children online, help them to understand they are creating an online identity, and ask them to reflect on what that persona might look like to others.

REPORT

Make sure that you learn how to block unwanted posts, and how to report more serious concerns directly to social media providers.

REACH OUT

Talk to your child’s school if you are worried, and know how to preserve evidence of anything that might purport to be bullying online.

social media; as soon as our children post anything online, they must accept a loss of control over their material.

HOW PARENTS CAN HELP WITH INTERNET SAFETY It is interesting that our children are constantly contributing to a relatively fixed online identity at a time in their lives when their offline identities are still emerging.

At Bradfield, we believe the best way parents can support their children is by adopting a balanced approach. Parents can protect their children from dangers online by staying up-to-date, ensuring home networks have the appropriate parental controls in place, and by talking regularly about their use of social media.

We talk to parents about emerging trends in digital media, educate them about the

Children are contributing to a relatively fixed online identity at a time when their offline identities are still emerging

There are new technologies developing all the time and we must stay up-to-date risks and discuss with them how to manage the dangers. We urge our parents to search for their children online and to act as guardians of their online reputation.

Bradfield is a “talking school”, and we ask our parents and pupils to talk openly with us about any concerns they have so that together we can work towards solutions.

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

49

Capture this moment forever

Image: Simon Davis RP, Sophia

Commission a portrait from the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.

Our expert consultants will help you through the process throughout the year.

The Mall, London SW1 www.therp.co.uk enquiries@therp.co.uk 020 7968 0963

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MERINDA D’APRANO

headmistress, Notre Dame School, Surrey

FIRST STEPS How can you help your child settle into a new school?

A new book by Merinda D’Aprano tells you how

M

ost prep schools will be used to children joining the school throughout every year group.

In some ways, the younger the child the more anxious the parent, although the worry and protectiveness will never really go away, and older children may be able to rationalise their feelings more with their parents. Nonetheless, both parents and children are likely to have a few sleepless nights due to a mixture of anxiety and

excitement. Nothing solves that worry like a good first day, and that can be supported by a little bit of preparation beforehand.

independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

cannot visit. Schools want you to feel welcome whenever you arrive, and will do their best to make children feel at home.

IN THE BEGINNING

GET A ROUTINE GOING

Most schools will allow a taster day so that your child can make friends in advance, and be familiar with the setting. Many schools do a session in the new classroom before the year ends and will be happy to welcome your child on that day to meet the new teacher and be part of the anticipatory process. There may well be induction days and coffee mornings for you to see the school in action, while your child visits. Make use of all you can, but try not to be worried if you are abroad and

If there is any way of meeting children from the class and making contact with their families, then do so. Play dates will mean that your child will at least have one existing friend before the first day. Sleep is essential, so a run of late nights and high excitement at the end of the holiday is likely to be very unhelpful. Try to settle back into the pattern of going to bed and getting up closer to the times required for the school routine.

Experiment by letting your child try on their new school uniform. Donʼt forget to tell them how grown up they look in it 52

Share your first memories of school with us @ISParent

CALM AND COLLECTED Finally, and most importantly, try to keep your own anxiety out of sight, because that will affect your child more than anything.

If you are worried then they will think there is something to worry about. On the

HOME TIME

Schools will do their best to make their children feel at home

“Your reaction at the end of the day will also be important. Try not to grill them about their experience” first morning, be as cool as you can be, and try your best to step away from your child’s panic by reassuring, laughing with them and reinforcing your excitement because “this is going to be great”.

FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE Your reaction at the end of the day will also be important: try not to grill them about their experience, and do understand the children’s response. In my experience, children often cry once a parent collects, because they feel relief and/or exhaustion.

If you then follow up with questions about what went wrong, then you will have missed the chance to reinforce what went right, and create an excitement about the next and subsequent days. It is worth remembering that if you ask children what was wrong, then they will naturally assume that something must be, and focus on that.

GROWING UP FAST If you have a school prospectus or can access a website, look at it with your child.

Talk about what you find out and how it

may affect them. Involve your child when you go out to buy their uniform or any equipment (especially lunch boxes) they will need for school. Let your child try on the new school uniform. Don’t forget to tell them how grown up and good they look in it!

If your child is starting primary school, practise skills that they will need at school.

This may include putting on their shoes and possibly tying shoelaces, getting changed for PE, even wiping their own bottom! If they are struggling, break the skill into small micro-skills and practise each little bit until your child feels confident. If your child is going to have a cooked lunch, introduce them to some of the food on the menu over the holidays. If

Be positive when you talk about school

this is going to be a big issue, then work out strategies to help your child cope with new foods or new tastes they might try.

THE EXPERIENCE OF SCHOOL Be positive when you talk about the experience of school. At the same time, listen to your child’s concerns, empathise with them and ask them how they could deal with any situations they are worried about. If you are feeling emotional about your child going to school, do indeed try to keep it to yourself.

Head Teacher in Your Pocket: The Essential Guide to Your Prep School Journey by Merinda D’Aprano (£9.99, available from Amazon bookstore).

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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SENIOR SCHOOL

TALKING HEADS: BIG SCHOOL We ask six leading headteachers their top tips for taking the leap to senior school this autumn

Girls are fully prepared for boarding by the time they leave Hanford

Dr Graham Hawley

Rory Johnston

Loretto School, East Lothian

Hanford School, Dorset

It’s entirely normal to feel nervous so don’t worry about this. Do your best to smile, however you are feeling. We all look friendlier when we smile and it is infectious. Starting a new school gives you a fresh start; you can be who you want to be. Create good habits from the first day; complete your homework and spend a few minutes on personal organisation, eg filing any notes.

Develop a reputation as a risk taker – not with your personal safety, but as someone who is prepared to step out of their comfort zone. Risk taking might be as simple as putting your hand up to answer a question. Be that someone who is always prepared to have a go.

Loretto School, East Lothian

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We have three relatively simple bits of advice for our girls as they move on to “Big School”: take your time to settle in; make the most of the opportunities on offer; and keep in touch with us. Girls leave Hanford with such strong friendships – and so confident when it comes to boarding – that they can forget that these things often take time.

They should expect it to take a little while to settle in, but they should be confident that they will do so. The range of subjects and activities on offer at senior school is vast. We hope that our girls will have the confidence – and gumption – to give things a go. And the girls know that we will always be here for them.

EXAMS

Louise Higson Farlington School, West Sussex

Moving to senior school can be a time of mixed emotions, for both you and your child. They will be one of the younger ones working their way up in a much bigger environment; everything will be different. Instead of having one or two teachers, they will have many new ones.

It will be a steep learning curve!

“Fitting in” for them will be the priority.

When they ask for advice, don’t tell them what to do, talk through what they might do. Give them ownership of the solution to the problem. It’s about respect and recognising that they want to become more self-reliant. Your job is to be the safety net when they fall. Do not be the parent who ventures into the locker room to get their books ready for the morning lessons!

Fitting in will be a priority for your child.at senior school Bolton School, Lancashire

Sue Hincks

Jeremy Banks

Bolton School Girls’ Division,

Beachborough School, Northamptonshire

You’ve been deliriously happy at prep school and this is the person your new fellow pupils will want to see.

Embrace the idea that you’ve left a familiar setting and you’re now in an unfamiliar setting – it’s bigger, the older pupils are huge and nothing seems as obvious as it did at prep school. Tell yourself that this will all feel familiar quickly. Listen carefully, be prepared to ask questions and think before you speak. Eat well and accept that it’s perfectly normal to curl up with a book sometimes. Final thing… call home occasionally (if that’s not too old-fashioned!).

Beachborough School, Northants

Share your senior school memories with us @ISParent

Lancashire

The key is to understand that schools want pupils to make a successful transition just as much as the families themselves. All schools will have events for those who have “signed up” to come in advance of the new term. Be aware of what is required for the first visit – will they be expected to wear school uniform, smart or casual clothes? Otherwise, prepare them for what the visit will be like and what they want to gain from it. The major priority will be to get to know some of the people they will be with– whether in their new form or House group.

Julie Keller Nottingham Girls’ High School, Nottinghamshire

Happiness and working in partnership with parents are key factors for the successful transition to senior school.

Support from parents is needed to encourage students to embrace new opportunities – talk to new people, make new friends and engage in new activities by joining sports clubs or the choir.

We also understand the important role that pastoral care plays on the journey to senior school. Often, girls will worry about getting lost, getting to know their peers and getting to grips with new teachers and subjects, but reassurance from both staff and parents will help them to understand that everyone is in the same position.

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1 Gabriel Adams, 12 GB Snowboarder Shrewsbury High Prep School, Shropshire Gabriel Adams came 12th in the U16 age group in the World Rookie Finals in Austria, in April. His passion for snowboarding began when his family were living in France, where he was going off huge kickers (jumps) in the adult park when he was just eight years old. He was spotted by Team GB junior coach Steve Addicott and has been training with him for the past three years, spending the winter season in Pila, Italy. At the British Ski and Snowboarding Championships 2015 Gabriel won Gold in the Junior Men’s Halfpipe and Junior Men’s Snowboardcross.

2 Lara MacColl, 11 England U13 Race Walking Champion Sheffield High School, South Yorkshire Year Seven pupil, Lara MacColl, won the U13 2km International Race Walking competition while representing England in the Nihill Shield (after the British Olympic medallist) in the walking race in Dartford, Kent. After starting race walking in Year Five and gaining the motivation from early success in the Sheffield Federation for School Sport (SFSS) competitions, Lara went on to win this international race with a time of 11:51 minutes. Lara recently led fellow pupils and staff in a fundraising walk for the global children’s charity PLAN.

ONES TO WATCH We catch up with independent school sporting stars

1

3 James Malcolm, 21 Scotland Rugby Union Hutchesons’ Grammar School, Lanarkshire Former head boy, James Malcolm, who plays hooker, was spotted by selectors and has represented Scotland at U17, U18 and U20 level, and has 13 caps for Glasgow Warriors – two of them for the European Champions Cup in which he scored a try.

He recently announced that he had signed a two-year professional contract with Warriors alongside studying mechanical engineering at the University of Strathclyde.

James played in the school’s 1st XV rugby team and says, “The P.E. teachers taught me the basic skills while building my respect for the values of the game.”

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2

STAR PUPILS

4 Ore Adamson, 14

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England U15 Athletics Streatham & Clapham High School, London Ore Adamson, a sports scholar at Streatham & Clapham High School (SCHS), came first in the U15 long jump and second in the U15 60m sprint at the English Athletics Championship in Sheffield this February. Ore runs with the Herne Hill Harriers club and plays netball for SCHS’s A Team; Crystal Palace Netball Team; and the Surrey County U16 Elite Squad. Ore trains with the Development Squad at Surrey Storm – the Netball Superleague franchise for London and the South East, coached by former England attacker Tamsin Greenway.

4

5 Henry Baugniet, 16

5 6

England U17 Hockey Canford School, Dorset Henry was selected for the England U16 Hockey team and last summer was part of the England team which won all three international matches against Scotland. He also played for England in a Six Nations tournament in Breda, Holland. This year he is in the U17 National Age Group Squad and is undertaking an Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence run

by England Hockey. Henry owes a good deal of his success to the coaching of Terry Adby, Canford’s director of hockey, who passed away after a short illness in 2015.

6 Ed Scott, 26 GB and England, Water Polo Bolton School, Lancashire 2014 Commonwealth Gold Medal winner and 2012 Olympian, Ed Scott, was selected to represent the Senior GB Team during his A levels and went to study medicine at the University of Leeds, where he continued to play for Team GB. He took a year off for the Olympics, after which he was made captain of the GB and England teams.

“Because of water polo I have travelled the world, speak a second language and I am an Olympian – which wouldn’t have been possible without the opportunities and support I was given at school, for which I am immensely grateful.” says Ed.

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WIN!

A CARIBBEAN PARADISE

Your chance to win a seven-night, luxury family holiday to Jamaica with Beaches Resorts – plus £750 worth of stylish children’s UV swimwear vouchers with Sunuva

Sunuva’s collection includes a UPF50+ luxury swimwear range that blocks out more than 97% of the sun’s rays

B

eaches Resorts is teaming up with luxury children’s UV swimwear brand, Sunuva, to offer a chance to win a holiday for four to the Beaches Ocho Rios – A Spa, Golf and Waterpark Resort in Jamaica, plus £750 to spend on Sunuva’s spring/summer 2016 collection.

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LUXURY BEACH HOLIDAY Beaches Luxury Included® (all-inclusive) Resorts offer the most comprehensive family holiday available in the Caribbean.

Located across 22 acres of lush tropical gardens and a white sand beach, Beaches Ocho Rios has something for everyone.

Luxurious accommodation; gourmet dining in seven restaurants; five swimming pools and two whirlpools; onsite Red Lane® Spa* and attentive and friendly staff are a few of the things that make Beaches Ocho Rios the ideal family holiday. For the

COMPETITION

* TREATMENTS PAYABLE LOCALLY ** SCUBA DIVING INCLUDED FOR CERTIFIED DIVERS *** UNDER 12 YEARS OLD

“Located across 22 acres of lush tropical gardens and a white sand beach, Beaches Ocho Rios has something for everyone” more active guest, the resort offers a vast array of sports on land and sea including golf and scuba diving**.

KIDS ACTIVITIES Beaches Ocho Rios gives children a true taste of paradise with its Pirates Island Waterpark, Sesame Street® activities and shows, XBOX® Play Lounge and exclusive Kids Camps with a full schedule of age-appropriate activities. The teen and tween programme includes dancing the night away at under-18s nightclub, Liquid; learning how to spin vinyl at the Scratch DJ Academy; or lounging and mingling with new friends at Trench Town.

SUNUVA SWIMWEAR With so many outdoor activities for kids to choose from, it’s important to keep them protected from the sun, so the lucky

winner will also be invited to choose a chic holiday wardrobe from Sunuva’s spring/ summer 2016 collection. Offering the complete travel wardrobe for well-dressed kids from three months to 14 years, the collection includes a UPF 50+ swimwear range that blocks out more than 97% of the sun’s harmful rays and is validated by the British Skin Foundation.

Proving that practicality does not have to compromise style, the range features exclusively designed prints in bright, fun, beach colours and boasts a range of stunning accessories including cool caps, pretty espadrilles, beach bags and personalised towels, as well as a “mini-me” capsule collection allowing mums and dads to coordinate with their children.

Visit sunuva.com or call 0800 7789 789.

Find out more about Beaches Resorts at beachesresorts.co.uk or call 0800 597 0002.

Alongside £750 in Sunuva vouchers, the seven-night holiday to Beaches Ocho Rios includes luxury accommodation for two adults and two children***, gourmet meals and 24-hour snacks, premium brand drinks including Robert Mondavi wines, unlimited land and watersports, tips and airport transfers, in addition to all the added extras that come as a part of Beaches Resorts’ Luxury Included® (all-inclusive) experience.

HOW TO ENTER. Simply answer the following question by 11.59pm on 19th June 2016 at independentschoolparent.com/win Q. Where are you most likely to wear Sunuva swimwear?

A – At Beaches Ocho Rios B – Up Mount Everest C – At the North Pole

For full terms and conditions visit independentschoolparent.com/win. Beaches Resorts’ Terms and Conditions: One seven-night holiday is provided for two adults and two children in a deluxe room at Beaches Ocho Rios in Jamaica. Flights are not included. Children must be under 12. There is no cash alternative and the prize is non transferable and non refundable. The prize is subject to availability, cannot be taken during peak seasons (July 2016, 1st-15th August 2016, December 2016, New Year 2016/2017, Easter 2017), must be taken before 31st May 2017 and cannot be confirmed until 90 days prior to departure. Prize winners must be over 18. One entry per household.

Sunuva Terms and Conditions: The winner will receive £750 in Sunuva vouchers to spend on the collection on full-priced items from the spring/summer 2016 collection only. The vouchers must be redeemed by 31st July 2016 and cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion or discount. The vouchers cannot be split and must be used in one transaction only.

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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Domaine de Manville is a former farming estate

A Weekend in

PROVENCE Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to escape to the lush hilltops of the south of France with family in tow, writes Claudia Dudman

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

The medieval village of Les Baux

D

iscreetly tucked away in a valley, in Les Baux-de-Provence, in the heart of the Alpilles, is a former farming estate that has been lovingly transformed into a 30-bedroom luxury, contemporary hotel.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, DOMAINE DE MANVILLE

A LABOUR OF LOVE Domaine de Manville opened in 2014, and for its owners, Edith and Patrick Saut, their project has been a labour of love.

After busy careers, both originally from the area, they returned to work to renovate and extend the original farm buildings.

With the hotel now open, the Sauts are hands-on proprietors and, on my visit, were hosting an exhibition launch of sculptures dotted around the grounds.

Domaine de Manville is a very pretty hotel, and looking on its website at its sun-dappled, shuttered buildings framed around a gorgeous swimming pool, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that it could live up to what it promised. I was wrong.

Upon arrival, I was greeted and taken to my room, which was a Junior Suite set on the ground floor just adjacent to the pool. It had a small sitting room with

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You can stay in the hotel's spacious Family Suite

“The executive chef, Nantesborn, Matthieu DupuisBaumal, worked for three years under Michel Roux at The Waterside Inn” complimentary mini bar, a bathroom with a rainfall shower, a freestanding claw-foot bath, and a separate loo. The bedroom complete with flatscreen TV was light and airy, and just outside the French doors was a table and chair, sat snugly in their own little sun trap waiting for me to join them.

THE THINGS THEY DO TO FOOD On my first night, I ate in the hotel’s gourmande restaurant, La Table. This is France, where food and the enjoyment of it comes above and beyond everything else. Fine dining demands fine surroundings, and the huge chandelier, deep red walls and formal setting did just the trick. The executive chef, Nantes-born, Matthieu Dupuis-Baumal, 32, worked for three years under Michel Roux at The Waterside Inn, in Bray. He then returned to France where he worked at Le George V in Paris, and for four years at Maison TroisGros, in Roanne, under the French restaurateurs, Michel and Cesar TroisGros.

My waiter and the sommelier spoke excellent English and introduced succinctly the different courses and wines

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Clockwise from top, fun in the Kids’ Club, take dinner poolside, executive chef Matthieu DupuisBaumal

as they arrived. First off was tenderly cooked asparagus from Provence with an infusion of bottarga (salted fish roe) and citrus fruits: it was a beautiful beginning.

Next up was spring langoustine served with a verbena consommé and a delicate bowl of crisp snow peas. But my absolute favourite was the line-caught sole which had the starring role in my next course – stuffed with umami sauce vierge (a blend of soy and French olive oil). Accompanied by a glass of Vallon Des Glauges, Reserve des Gres, 2013, it made for an exquisite few mouthfuls.

THE CONSERVATORY One of my favourite places to eat in the hotel was the conservatory. Situated in the corner of the courtyard, two huge tables laden with croissants, pastries, fruit and yoghurts with a magnificent honeycomb

GETTING THERE EUROSTAR TGV You can take the train direct from London to Avignon – what a joy! In just under six hours, you are transported from St Pancras to the craggy hilltops and olive groves of Provence. The luggage allowance is generous and there is little of the security hassle that flying entails.

Travelling by train is easy: the carriages are spacious and the seats comfortable so you can sit back and relax. Fares from London St Pancras to Avignon direct, for a standard class return journey start at £99, standard premier, one way, £99.50. eurostar.com

taking pride of place, greeted me each morning.

I wanted to hike up to the Château des Baux and dropped into the resident Kids’ Club (open daily for age four-plus, free for residents and 10 Euros per hour for non-residents) on my way. Housed in two Romany caravans and in front of the estate’s first golf tee, activities range

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Below, the stunning view of the valley from the Château des Baux

Clockwise from top right, the Château des Baux, Carrières de Lumières, shopping in the medieval village of Baux

MAUSANNE-LES-ALPILLES

from gardening and scavenger hunts to painting and jelly making, there is also a pétanque pitch for the older children to play on, as well as volleyball and badminton.

CHÂTEAU DES BAUX DE PROVENCE

A 25-minute scenic climb up through the estate will take you to the citadel of Château des Baux. A fortified castle built during the 10th century, and the medieval village that surrounds it, can be reached by car, bicycle ride or by walking up through the hotel grounds. Wind your way through the olive groves, making sure you stop to take in the scenery as you ascend. The castle teeters on the hilltop overlooking the valley and from which you can see far

“Just about everyone I met recommended Carrières de Lumières. I found myself in an underground quarry, standing in awe” 66

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into the distance, to Marseille, and the sparkling Mediterranean.

NEWS TRAVELS FAST Just about everyone I encountered recommended that I see Carrières de Lumières. I did not fully understand what it was until I found myself standing, in awe, in what can only be described as a huge indoor quarry, watching footage of the artist Marc Chagall’s work, which was projected on to the 5,000m2 walls and pillars around me.

This new audio-visual show gives audiences, young and old, a remarkable opportunity to discover the impressive oeuvre of Marc Chagall, an artist of Russian origin who obtained French nationality in 1937. It’s just a several hundred-yard walk from the Château des Baux. It has to be seen to be believed and fully warrants a detour.

A 15-minute stroll or gentle bicycle ride from the hotel will take you into this bustling, typically French village with a church and town square at its centre.

For dining out, the hotel had suggested I try Ou Ravi Prouvençau. It offers an authentic provencal menu in unpretentious surroundings, that is well priced and very, very good.

For 55 Euros, you get three courses, cheese, a half bottle of wine and coffee.

For my main course, I had a creamy cod soufflé which was cooked beautifully, followed by dessert, an Ile Flottante, (floating island), that is a vanilla custard with a whipped egg white, drizzled with crispy caramel. To drink, I had Vin du Mas de la Dame, a white wine that is locally produced.

Whether you are on a family holiday, a weekend away for two, or playing a round of golf, Domaine de Manville caters for most tastes, giving importance to all yet priority to none. Bravo!

Stays at Domaine de Manville are from €250 per room, per night, based on two sharing on a B&B basis. domainedemanville.fr Call +33 (0)4 90 54 40 20. chateau-bauxprovence.com, carrieres-lumieres.com, restaurantalpilles.fr

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

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STRAP LINE

The Cornwall Hotel Spa & Estate is near Porthpean Beach

Spotlight on...

CORNWALL Exploring the county’s coves and coastline was a welcome breath of fresh air for Natalie Milner

T

he four-star Cornwall Hotel Spa & Estate is nestled in the rolling Cornish countryside between St Austell and the sea. The hotel is set in 43 tranquil acres of parkland – and it quickly becomes apparent that having this space to explore, play and take a breath of sea air is the key to a Cornish family getaway.

A hop, skip and a few jumps away (a two-mile walk through country lanes) you’ll find Porthpean Beach, offering rock pools and a host of watersports in the summer season. This quaint sandy cove is just the beginning of our trip along a small portion of the South West Coast Path, 230 miles long in total, which you can join at varying points to soak up the coastline.

NOSTALGIC TOWNS AND HARBOURS We walk north east and scramble down the sea-beaten steps to find the rocky beach of Duporth and, a few pebble skims later, we continue to the late-Georgian port of Charlestown where you can visit the Shipwreck and Heritage Centre, before grabbing a crab sandwich, all to the sound of wetsuit-clad children taking leaps off the harbour into the sea metres below.

The port was built in 1791 to handle the ore from the mines that was soon replaced with the famous China clay, a product entwined with south Cornwall’s history.

Nowadays, families can hire bikes or go horse riding along the so-called Clay Trails winding across the land.

Our taxi driver indicated how the landscape reveals its mining past, from the manmade hills dotted across the horizon, to the Eden Project built within a disused clay pit.

Above, the hotel is set in 43 acres of parkland

NEWQUAY EDEN PROJECT

ST AUSTELL TRURO ST IVES

CHARLESTOWN PORTHPEAN BEACH

PLACES ATTRACTIONS

THE EDEN PROJECT In 1995, this educational development was sparked by Tim Smit. Having restored the nearby Lost Gardens of Heligan, Smit was ready to launch a new project – an epic setting to showcase the world’s most important plants. Inspiration for the iconic biomes, designed by architects Grimshaw, was taken from Waterloo International and evolved into giant bubbles settled on the irregular clay pits.

A short drive from The Cornwall Hotel Spa & Estate, the Eden Project is a fantastic day out, with two giant biomes: the Tropical Rainforest and Mediterranean, plus you can download a Discovery Trail online for fun in the Outdoor Biome. If you’re feeling brave, jump on the SkyWire, England’s longest zip wire travelling 660 metres across the treetops. Or go pre-historic with Dinosaurs: Land, Sea and Air exhibition from 23rd July until 4th September.

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SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

Pick of the

BEST

Looking towards Duporth beach from the South West Coast Path

Great Outdoors CARDINHAM WOODS for stick man activity, stunning view points, cycle trails, BBQ facilities and outdoor play area. forestry.gov.uk/cardinham

COUNTRYSIDE ESCAPE

CLAY TRAILS, download maps, routes and activities before you go. claytrails.co.uk

After an action-packed day, The Cornwall Hotel Spa & Estate is a welcome retreat, especially with The Clearing Spa awaiting your arrival. Children can splash around in the indoor infinity pool, complete with bifold doors to let the countryside in during the summer months, while you can enjoy the steam room, sauna and jacuzzi or pamper yourself with a spa treatment.

DUPORTH BEACH (rocky) a secluded cove – you can find access via the South West Coast Path. beachesincornwall.co.uk PENTEWAN VALLEY TRAILS BIKE HIRE pentewanvalleycyclehire.co.uk

CONTEMPORARY LIVING The impeccably restored, 19th-century White House forms the core of the hotel and is home to the more traditional Victorian Suites and Rooms, with feature fireplaces and the dining rooms leading onto The Parkland Terrace where you can enjoy dining alfresco and afternoon tea (turn to page 78 for our reader offer).

Situated in the seamless addition to the manor house, our spacious Luxury Room has a cool, contemporary feel, with splashes of colour in the abstract artwork and the quirky Hummingbird wallpaper, and includes a flatscreen TV, comfy kingsize bed, dressing table, sofa, dining table and a stunning bathroom complete with rainfall shower. Double doors lead onto a large balcony with Rattan table and chairs where we take in views across the Estate. There are four sets of Luxury Rooms adjoining one another to accommodate families of four, while the three Junior Suites offer a lounge area and a sofa bed (extra beds can be supplied).

If you want a more independent experience or a group family holiday, the self-catering, Scandi-inspired woodland homes, on the fringe of the Estate, provide the best of both worlds with state-of-theart kitchens but use of the Hotel’s facilities.

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PORTHPEAN BEACH (sandy) with seasonal sailing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, snorkeling. cornwall-beaches.co.uk THE EDEN PROJECT, plus Dinosaurs: Land, Sea and Air exhibition. edenproject.com

Culture Trips CORNISH CUISINE The Arboretum Brasserie makes use of locally sourced produce for its seasonal menu. Meat comes from Brian Etherington Meat Co, a three-generation Cornish butchery; and fish fresh from the sea is caught by both Fish for Thought and Flying Fish Seafood – which supplies the likes of Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. Don’t miss the dedicated Children’s Menu for little appetites.

As we devour our Fowey mussels the aromas conjure memories of the beautiful yet rugged Cornish coastline. And this is what it’s all about – bringing the great outdoors into a luxurious yet comfortable setting; pure and simple.

A two-night stay starts at £165 for two guests in a Luxury BOOK IT Room including breakfast and free parking – children sharing with adults cost £15 per night inclusive of breakfast. For more information or to book visit thecornwall.com or call 01726 807509. To reserve a spa treatment call 01726 807576.

CAERHAYS CASTLE AND GARDEN, designed by Regency architect John Nash, with 140 acres to explore. caerhays.co.uk CHARLESTOWN SHIPWRECK AND HERITAGE CENTRE shipwreckcharlestown.com PRETTY HARBOUR TOWNS of Charlestown, Fowey and Mevagissey. cornwalls.co.uk THE LOST GARDENS OF HELIGAN, 25 years ago a chance discovery of a door in the ruins led to this restoration of a once great estate. heligan.com

Surf Schools & Watersports FISTRAL BEACH, Newquay (sandy) also offers coasteering. fistralbeach.co.uk FLOWRIDER for a simulated surf machine at Retallack Resort. retallackresort.co.uk LUSTY GLAZE BEACH, Newquay (sandy) including beach dodgeball, volleyball, football and surfing. lustyglaze.co.uk QUIKSILVER SURF SCHOOL, Newquay quiksilversurfschoolnewquay.com SIBLYBACK RESERVOIR for sailing, canoeing. visitcornwall.com

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, THE CORNWALL HOTEL SPA & ESTATE, BOB BERRY PHOTOGRAPHER, NICKSMITHPHOTOGRAPHY.COM, THE EDEN PROJECT

Top, the Eden Project, the Edward Junior Suite, Fowey mussels at The Arboretum Brasserie

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71

Escrick Park

Bringing out ‘‘ the best in boys’’

York

She believes she can.

So she will.

Call 01904 727630

A day in the life of Aldro... come and see for yourself Best School Food in UK

Independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 – 18 www.queenmargarets.com

If you would like to attend an Open Morning, to request a prospectus, or to arrange an individual tour, please contact the Admissions Office on 01483 813535 or email: admissions@aldro.org Aldro, Lombard Street, Shackleford, Godalming, Surrey GU8 6AS www.aldro.org

Hawkesdown House School

For boys aged 3 to 8 years Endeavour Courage Truth

27 Edge Street, Kensington, London W8 7PN Telephone: 0207 727 9090 Email: admin@hawkesdown.co.uk www.hawkesdown.co.uk

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

Where learning goes Where learning goes hand in hand with discovery Where learning goes Co-education Boarding & Day Prep School for 2-13 year olds, baseddiscovery in 90 acres of Worcestershire countryside. hand in hand with Two hours from London, an hour from the Cotswolds and Birmingham Airport. hand in hand with discovery Co-education Boarding &A:Day Prep School for 2-13 year olds, 9001299 acres896275 of Worcestershire countryside.

Abberley Hall School, Worcester, WR6based 6DD |in T: Two hours London, anfor hour from Cotswolds Birmingham Airport. countryside.

Co-education Boarding & from Day Prep School 2-13 yearthe olds, based inand 90 acres of Worcestershire abberleyhall.co.uk Two hours from London, an hour from the WR6 Cotswolds and Airport.

A: Abberley Hall School, Worcester, 6DD | T:Birmingham 01299 896275 A: Abberley Hall School, Worcester, WR6 6DD | T: 01299 896275 abberleyhall.co.uk abberleyhall.co.uk

STAR STAFF

SCHOOL

HERO

B

y the time I started a classical civilisation and archeology degree at Durham University, I was already playing professional cricket for my home county, Sussex, where I played for 10 years. I moved from Sussex to Durham CCC in 1997, and out of season, I played in New Zealand.

As a professional cricketer, I followed my dream and believe I learnt to understand what makes people tick, how to appreciate other people’s strengths and how to accept their weaknesses. I learnt to enjoy others’ success in equal measure and, in my mind, this was the best foundation for my current role at Sedbergh School, where I have been professional cricket coach since 2010 – well, that is my main responsibility anyway!

Variables of the Game

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

Cricket is a tough mental game.

It is about individual performances in a team environment, a statistics-based game whereby nearly every mistake is fatal – if you miss a

[

Sixth boys, having lunch, and they were just brilliant: confident, able to talk to you and look you in the eye. And they don’t forget you either: last Easter, I went to watch Wharfedale play Richmond at rugby. Three Old Sedberghians were playing for Richmond and one of them had been on that lunch table, on my interview day, and remembered me. It’s typical of Sedbergh pupils.

MARTIN SPEIGHT

Round-the-Clock

This professional cricket coach talks commitment, training and early starts at Sedbergh School, Cumbria Cricket is a tough mental game and demands total commitment

tackle in rugby, it’s not the end of your game; if you miss a ball in cricket, you’re out. The variables of cricket: the pitch, the weather, the individual skill sets, all make it a hard sport in which to predict how well you’re going to do and ultimately that’s the great fascination with it. It often amazes me how cricket mirrors life – one minute it’s great and the next it’s not. Therefore, my role is not just as a coach but a mentor, a friend, a tutor. I don’t regard myself as a school hero

– I just have a work ethic that demands total commitment.

Before coming to Sedbergh, I was running my own coaching business in the North East, effectively working 50 weeks a year, 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

When I applied for the role here, I knew about the school’s reputation. What convinced me to accept the job, however, was not the sporting excellence of the school but the pupils that come here. On my interview day, I sat with a group of Lower

]

What gets me is that in winter, it’s pitch black, it’s freezing cold and chucking it down with rain, and the boys walk to the indoor nets at 6am and wait for me to join them

To develop cricket at Sedbergh, I believed the answer was to get as much contact time as possible with the players. I utilised the one advantage I had: everyone boards. I set up early morning sessions for players aged 10 to 18, from 6.30am every morning, six days a week. Sixth form pupils who were doing well with their work were allowed to have one-toones during their study periods. From September to the end of March, I pursued my philosophy that the majority of the technical work should be done in the off-season, leaving more time to develop tactical and mental skills in the summer. It amuses me that everyone thinks the summer term is my busy term but they’re wrong – the winter is the hard graft!

What gets me is that it’s pitch black, it’s chucking down with rain, and boys are walking to the indoor nets at 6.15am waiting for me, and that just sums up people here.

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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Independent, co-educational preparatory day school | Ages 3-13

ISI Inspection 2016: Excellent in all areas W: knightsbridgeschool.com T: 020 7590 9000 E: office@knightsbridgeschool.com Head: Shona Colaco Principal: Magoo Giles Admissions: Mary Caldecott-Smith E: registrar@knightsbridgeschool.com Gender/Ages: Boys and girls, 4-13 years Total Pupils: 400 Type: Day School Nursery Fees: £5,948 Pre-Prep Fees: £5,948 Prep: £6,330 Principal’s Motto: Juniors: ‘Play Hard, Work Hard’. Seniors: “Work Hard, Play Hard”.

Entrance Procedure: Informal interview of both parents and children. Prospective boys and girls for Year 1 and above will be expected to spend a day at the school and will do assessments in Maths, English and Reasoning.

School Tours: Junior School tours are on Tuesday at 10.00am and Wednesday at 9.30am. Senior School tours are on Wednesday at 9.00am

67 Pont Street, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 0BD

Confidence Coaching Try a free session

School Coaching Partnership 5 free sessions within your school

74

HelpingKids

HelpingKids

Life coaching for kids 6-16 helpingkids.co.uk

Life coaching for students 6-16 helpingkids.co.uk

Call 0203 290 9395 or email info@helpingkids.co.uk

Call 0203 290 9395 or email info@helpingkids.co.uk

independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

BOOKS & APPS

BOOK CLUB

Great Outdoors

1

Our round-up of reads to get your little ones out in the great outdoors this summer

HD Compass Free Perfect for rambling adventures, take this high-definition rustic style compass wherever you roam. Great for your child’s iPad.

2

Kids World Map Free Get exploring and learn about the world through this app, featuring 445 of the most interesting facts from an illustrated world map.

Be inspired by explorers like Ranulph Fiennes

3

Animals Encyclopedia Free A pocket guide for animal-lovers featuring over 2,012 animals in 18 categories with fascinating facts, quizes and puzzles.

4

TOP SHELF:

BOTTOM SHELF:

Pattern Play by Nghiem Ta and Danielle Kroll (Wide Eyed Editions, £9.99, 5+) Cut, fold and make 3D-animal models.

Explore by Deborah Kespert (Thames & Hudson, £8.95, 9+) Real-life adventures of explorers past and present including Christopher Colombus.

The Jungle Book

by Robert Hunter

Nature’s Day: Out and About by Katy Maguire, illustrated by Danielle Kroll (Wide Eyed Editions, £8.99, 5+) Learn how to spot different leaves, birds and insects, make a bee hotel or ice art!

Nature Art by Jenny Bowers (Frances Lincoln, £12.99, 3+) Use this box and activity book to find, observe and exhibit natural discoveries.

Hot off the heels of the new Disney film, this reimagining of a classic tale brings to life much-loved characters with captivating illustrations.

My Book of Stories: Write your Own Adventures by Deborah Patterson (British Library, £9.99, 8-12 years) Story-starters based on classics, from authors like Rudyard Kipling and J.K Rowling – inspiring little writers.

EDITOR’S PICK (Frances Lincoln, £12.99, 4+)

Outside: A Guide to Discovering Nature by Maria Ana Peixe Dias and Ines Teixeira do Rosario, illustrated by Bernardo P Carvalho (Frances Lincoln, £18.99, 9-10 years) A team of natural history experts explain wonders of the natural world.

Gro Garden £2.29 Fun and interactive – become a virtual gardener, plant and care for crops, feed hungry animals, and make compost from the food scraps.

5

Solar Walk £2.29 Explore the planets, night skies and galaxies in this impressive 3D-model of the solar system.

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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HOW ABOUT A WILD DAY OUT? See the Amazon brought to life in the heart of London’s West End LARGE CAPACITY RESTAURANT SCHOOLS and GROUPS welcome EDUCATIONAL TOURS, PRE/POST-THEATRE DINING Call 020 7434 3111 or visit www.therainforsetcafe.co.uk/groups

BEST GROUP DINING AWARD WINNER 2015

CALENDAR Our round-up of inspiring things to do this summer

THE BIRTHDAY CROWN

New book, The Birthday Crown celebrates The Queen’s official 90th birthday this June. Written by Davide Cali and illustrated

by Kate Slater, this delightful tale follows The Queen’s search for the perfect crown to wear on her big day and makes use of an intricate and eye-catching, 3D-collage technique.

(Royal Collection Trust, £12.95) royalcollection.org.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES, CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION

HIGHLAND GAMES

Until Jul

[Scotland] Combine international athletes, local communities and visitors alike and you get Scotland’s Highland Games.

With traditional heavy athletic events like tug-o-war and the caber toss, as well as Highland dance competitions, track and field events, and piping, the games are a true spectacle. And it all takes place against a scenic Scottish backdrop. visitscotland.com

INFLATABLE MUSEUM

ANYONE CAN PLAY TENNIS [National] The Lawn Tennis Association is launching Tennis for Kids in partnership with Highland Spring and are giving away 10,000 free lessons to children aged five to eight. clubspark.lta.org.uk/tennisforkids

Now

Until Sept

[Greater Manchester] Manchester Museum has launched the UK’s first Inflatable Museum which will bring the museum experience to school halls all over Greater Manchester. Developed in partnership with stage designers and sound artists, this inflatable copy of Manchester Museum incorporates a performance area, exploratory activity spaces, and projection and audio equipment. manchester.ac.uk/museum

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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Reader offer!

Kids go free for afternoon tea when you quote “Independent School Parent”

A BUCKET OF FUN AT BAILIFFSCOURT HOTEL & SPA

If you fancy some good old-fashioned family time, look no further than the luxury Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa in West Sussex.

With 30 acres of private parkland to explore and the beach right on its doorstep, Bailiffscourt is all about families having fun. The challenge: to complete the Bucket List – from games and toys to play with, to learning the rules of croquet, quotis or tumbletowers, there’s also time to grab a snorkel and flippers and head to nearby Climping Beach. To book Bailiffscourt’s Bucket List, visit hshotels.co.uk

Until October

AFTERNOON TEA [Cornwall] This summer, enjoy a delicious Afternoon Tea for all the family at The Cornwall Hotel Spa & Estate. Relax on the terrace in the sunshine overlooking the lawns of the 43-acre Victorian estate, and enjoy a traditional afternoon tea for four adults.

Kids will receive a special children’s afternoon tea for free! For reservations please visit thecornwall.com or call 01726 874051. Turn to page 69 for our review.

DRESS UP AND DANCE

WHERE IS PETER RABBIT? THE MUSICAL

27-4

June Sept

[Cumbria] The World Of Beatrix Potter attraction celebrates its 25th anniversary on 28th July – the same day as the 150th anniversary of Beatrix Potter’s birth. So this summer will see the world premiere of the brand new family musical Where Is Peter Rabbit? Opening in the Old Laundry Theatre, the musical stays faithful to the little books and is composed by Steve Edis (The Silver Sword, The Invisible Man) with lyrics from Alan Ayckbourn and includes stunning projections. You can enjoy character breakfast, lunch and tea parties before or after the live show. hop-skip-jump.com

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

Macmillan Cancer Support is urging nurseries and schools across the UK to help raise awareness and vital funds via fundraising event Dress Up and Dance.

This fundraiser encourages children to dress up in their favourite outfit and have a boogie with their friends during school time, in exchange for making a suggested donation of £2 to Macmillan. macmillan.org.uk/dressup

17 June

22 July

THE BFG: MARK RYLANCE AS THE BIG FRIENDLY GIANT [National] Mark Rylance, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, has taken on another Spielberg part – and it’s his biggest yet. The actor is playing the lead in the director’s forthcoming Roald Dahl adaptation The BFG (the Big Friendly Giant). UK cinemas.

PHOTOGRAPHY:© 2016 STORYTELLER DISTRIBUTION CO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. * OFFER VALID UNTIL 31ST JULY, MAXIMUM NUMBER OF FOUR CHILDREN FOR FREE AFTERNOON TEA PER OFFER. SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY

[West Sussex]

Bright children, exceptional opportunities Newton combines knowledge of families with great space and facilities in which children are encouraged to be themselves. All the teachers understand my children, the team is open to fresh ideas and the school is large enough to accommodate variety.

Queen’s Gate School offers girls a warm, supportive environment where individuality is nurtured and academic standards are high. A range of Scholarships and meanstested bursaries worth up to 100% of fees are available to assist girls to join us.

For a prospectus or to make a private visit to the School, please contact the Registrar: 020 7594 4982 · registrar@queensgate.org.uk

Current parent

OPEN DAY: Sat 8th October 2016: 9.30am-12.30pm

HEADMISTRESS’S TOURS: Friday mornings term-time I N D E P E N D E N T D AY S C H O O L FOR GIRL S AGED 4 TO 18 133 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5LE · queensgate.org.uk

A co-ed prep school for children aged 3-13 020 7720 4091 www.newtonprepschool.co.uk 149 Battersea Park Road, London SW8 4BX

Houses of Parliament Houses of Parliament

Visit one of the world’s most iconic buildings

parliament.uk/visiting 020 7219 4114

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

79

Luckle HOUSE SCHOOL

Coeducational Day & Boarding School for Pupils Aged 11-18

OPEN MORNINGS Friday 17 June 9:30 or 10:40am

To book for an Open Morning

Ideal location for weekly boarders, with transport available from the London/South East area from Sept 16

A prep school for boys and girls aged 2-13

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UR

Roke Lane, Witley, Surrey Gu8 5NY www.barrowhills.org.uk

UK’S NO.1

80

J O R A PA R A M

email registrar@barrowhills.org

E: Registrar@luckleyhouseschool.org

www.luckleyhouseschool.org

MA

Pauline on 01428 683639 or

Luckley House School, Wokingham, Berkshire T: 0118 978 4175

AD

or private visit, please call

OVER 80 VENUES ACROSS THE UK

Family festival round-up June KEW GARDENS: A CLASSROOM FOR THE WORLD

[Richmond, London]

For more than 170 years it has been one of the world’s greatest gardens, but now there’s a vision to transform the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew into a giant outdoor classroom and laboratory, teaching both children and adults the importance of plant diversity in saving the planet. This June, a giant 17-metre beehive, home to a colony of bees, will launch and later plans include an annual science festival for youngsters, and much more. kew.org

PHOTOGRAPHY: BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW, WILLIAM DOUGLAS

TO TEXT OR NOT TO TEXT Software company Swiftkey and London guide visitlondon.com have teamed up to create ShakeSpeak – a fun, free app that allows you to type the first word or two of a famous Shakespeare quotation, and the technology will do the rest. ShakeSpeak is available to download for smartphones and tablets on Google Play and via SwiftKey Greenhouse. swiftkey.com/en/greenhouse

SOMETHING’S STIRRING AT THE GORING

1

June-Sept

[London] This summer, The Goring, in Belgravia, will be working with emerging British spirits brand Hepple Gin, to create a one-off, living pop-up bar bringing a taste of the soul-restoring Northumberland moors to the hotel’s private garden. Guests can also take part in an immersive gin safari around the garden, tasting each botanical from plant to glass. goring.com

Summer 2016 Three of the Best HAY DAYS

[Hay-on-Way, Wales] Are your children curious, May June adventurous, dreamy, imaginative and ready to have fun? Do they like listening, talking, cutting and sticking, singing, dressing up and reading? If so, the HayDays programme at the Hay Festival is packed with events designed to celebrate the creativity that can make all of that happen. hayfestival.com

26-5

DEER SHED FESTIVAL

22-24

[North Yorkshire] July One of the most welcoming family festivals, Deer Shed boasts a huge variety of child-friendly workshops, as well as milk-warming stations and nursing areas for those with very, very little ones. deershedfestival.com

WILDERNESS

4-7

[Oxfordshire] August An award-winning festival combining live music, contemporary arts, an array of theatre, craftsmanship and dining experiences. In the Kids’ Corner, you’ll find workshops from the likes of the V&A and the Polka Theatre. wildernessfestival.com

SUMMER 2016 | independentschoolparent.com

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MEMORY LANE

SCH

MEMOOOL R I ES

escribe your school in three words Academic yet rounded.

Did you customise your uniform?

No, I was on the other end of the scale. I had my top button done up even on the hottest of summer days.

Stalwart of the detention room or teacher’s pet?

I had two “supervisions” during my time at King’s (a minor form of detention) – one for encouraging a fight just before I took Common Entrance and the other for failing a Chinese test.

CHARLES FISHER

What prize were you most proud of?

The “most outstanding oarsman” trophy at the end of my Upper Sixth, because King’s boy, Toby Garnett (my idol at school), was awarded it in 2004 and he rowed in the 2008 Cambridge Blue Boat.

Where was your favourite lunchtime hangout?

I always kept busy at lunchtimes. I was part of the weekly debating club and a member of the politics society.

Which teacher stays with you to this day?

My two Sixth Form English teachers, Harry Chapman and John Cannon, were in a class of their own. Both are fiercely intelligent, superb teachers,

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2016

The winning Cambridge Boat Race oarsman was appalling at sport at King’s College School, Wimbledon, until he tried rowing

who would fit in perfectly as Cambridge lecturers. They kept a rowdy class in check, and I learnt a great deal from both of them. Though I don’t know how much metaphysical poetry I can still remember!

How would your teachers remember you?

Hopefully as someone who was well-rounded and wanted to make the most of what King’s offered outside the classroom as well as inside it.

Best prank?

Some of the muck-up days in my early years were pretty full-on. In one of them, a huge smoke bomb was let off

on the main field and the entire school was put on “lock down”. Things seemed to get tamer as I got older!

Would you rather double maths or an afternoon of art?

I was into the humanities at school, and loved English, history and geography – the three subjects I took for Higher Level at IB. I was no good at maths but at 13 I’d never complain about a Friday afternoon of art!

Share your school memories with us on #Throwback Thursday @ISParent

Are you a team player?

My philosophy is that you perform best as an individual when part of a team. You wouldn’t be able to get to a high level in rowing without believing that.

When I was growing up, I wanted to be a…

Pilot. I was fanatical about planes and my mum would take me to Heathrow to go plane-spotting. I have lived in Kew my whole life, which is under the flight path...

What piece of advice would you give your school-age self?

Working hard pays dividends later. I was lazy up to my GCSE year, reflected in below-par exam results. I turned it around for Sixth Form, which were incidentally the two years I most enjoyed at school.

The philosophy I live by is that you perform best as an individual when part of a team

PHOTOGRAPHY: TIM KOCH

D

Were you an all-star sports captain or outside field lingerer?

In my first two years at King’s I was appalling at all sports.

Highlights included the D team for football and rugby.

Being six foot one at 13 meant rowing was the logical choice and I have rarely looked back, rowing for 15 consecutive terms in the senior school.

We won national medals for four years running and I represented Great Britain in my Lower Sixth year.

MADE MADE LOCALLY. LOCALLY. TRUSTED TRUSTED GLOBALLY. GLOBALLY.

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LONDON WELSH CYMRY LLUNDAIN

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20 Y E A R S Est. 1996

“Best Open Art Competition in UK and Ireland”

NOA NATIONAL OPEN ART

Gavin Turk

open for entries

Deadline 10 July 2016

and

NOA children NATIONAL OPEN ART FOR CHILDREN

Age 0-14

enter online

www.nationalopenart.org