The Benefits of an All-Through School

Going to one school from nursery to university

As anyone who has embarked on a journey that requires a change of plane or train can attest, there are particular challenges that travellers who go direct do not face. The same can be said of an all-through education, one that takes a child from the ages of 3-18, from nursery to A Levels, without the challenges that come from a change of institution, friendship groups or the sense of community and underlying ethos.

Traditionally, there have been disembarkation and reembarkation points in education: 7+, 11+, sometimes 13+ and 16+. However, these are becoming less and less pronounced as parents find schools that meet their needs and aspirations, and they stay within school groups that better meet their personal preferences. For those parents, it could be a case of If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but it is generally much more significant than that. With partnerships between junior and senior schools becoming ever more prevalent, there is now a natural flow of culture that may have been missing in the past, which allows children (and parents) to avoid the social dislocation that comes from moving between schools.

Loyalty to one school motto can have distinct benefits, but the children themselves need overt signs of progress. In addition, although the juxtaposition of a 3-year-old and an 18-year-old can seem ‘sweet’, their needs are, of course, acutely different. To that end, the wise all-through school still creates distinct sections, preferably with some geographic separation, under the umbrella of a common culture.

SIMON WILLIAMS Headmaster www.churcherscollege.com