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EDUCATION BOOK CORNER
Dear Readers,
We are thrilled to have been able to include so many leading schools and voices on education in our 23rd edition of Education Choices Magazine. We have now also recorded 121 podcast recordings with an ever-growing global audience, which is wonderful!
In this edition we are celebrating boys' education and recognise the incredible work taking place through the St Paul's School Research Centre, which has been led by High Master Sally-Anne Huang. We also are focusing on the incredible boarding provision that so many UK schools are offering children and families and the preparation they are offering for tertiary education and life skills for the future.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this exciting edition and to my wonderful team for their hard work!
Have a lovely Spring break! ��
Chloe Abbott (Founder)
www.educationchoicesmagazine.com
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
Protecting the Animal Kingdom
Beautiful books about the world around us
AGES 3-5
The Search for CarmellaChloe Savage
A story of a marine biologist and her search for the mythical creature Carmella. The pages are filled with a beautifully illustrated inky ocean and the effect is awe-inspiring.
Slug Life - Moesha Kellaway
In this colourful and humorous picture book, we learn that slugs are “misunderstood minibeasts.”
Charming illustrations and scientific facts show us how amazing slugs are.
AGES 5-7
Wonder World Earth: The Natural Science of Soil - Ben Lerwill and Xuan Lee
This book from the National Trust combines science with our sense of adventure to show us the abundance of life happening below the surface of the earth.
The Great Pollination Investigation: and How We Get Food from Flowers - Deborah Hocking
A vibrant and three-dimensional picture book full of exciting creatures, beautiful plants and fun facts to help children learn about pollination.
Respect the InsectJules Howard and Gosia Herba
Filled with serious facts and funny illustrations, this bright and amusing picture book shows us how amazing insects are and how they help our magnificent planet.
AGES 7-9
Wild Magic: Legend of the Black Lion - Abiola Bello and Emma McCann
In this tense and exciting adventure story, two magical twins join their wildlife presenter father on a trip to find the legendary black lion and learn about the threats that wild animals face.
Open Wide! JawDropping Mouths of the Animal World - Letizia Diamante and Ed J. Brown
This exciting and often scary book of illustrated facts tells us about the mouths of different animals,
from the venomous fangs of an anaconda to the tree-gnawing teeth of a beaver.
AGES 9+
Fia and the Last Snow
Deer - Eilish Fisher and Dermot Flynn
This is a beautiful and dark story of a girl searching for the Deer Mother to bring back the sun and the sacrifices she has to make along the way.
Jakub’s OtterCoral Rumble
In this thoughtful novel, a boy struggling with the weight of his responsibilities as a young carer goes on a trip and learns about the power of nature, friendship and perspective.
We Are All AnimalsBen Hoare, Christopher Lloyd and Mark Ruffle
With detailed diagrams and x-ray style pictures, this fact book goes right down to the cells to tell us what we have in common with the rest of the animal kingdom.
CARYS RICHARDS Assistant Editor
06 Learning Through Nature
The power of outdoor learning
07 Enhanced Family Flexibility
A new nursery class in North London
08 A Home-From-Home School
A growing prep school in Guildford
09 Developing Confidence
Supporting pupils to thrive
10 A Vibrant Boarding Experience
A community where children flourish
18-19 ECM Recommended Prep Boarding Schools 2026
21 A Healthy Balance
Boarding to suit modern families
22 A Modern Education Preparing pupils for the future
23 A Forward-Thinking School
Embracing tradition and preparing for the future
24-25 Inclusion by Design
Neurodiversity in an academically selective environment
26 Where Every Child is Truly Known
The impact of a personalised education
34-37 ECM Recommended Senior Boarding Schools
38 Supporting Modern Families
The importance of pastoral care in boarding
EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST
EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST INTERVIEWS:
11-13 Mrs. Nina Kingsmill Moore
Papplewick School, Berkshire
14-16 Mr. Fergus Llewellyn
Cumnor House School, Sussex
27-29 Mrs. Heidi Armstrong
London Park School Mayfair, London
30-33 Boarding School Panel Podcast
Ashfold School, Bradfield College, Marymount International School London and Haberdashers’ Adams School
40-42 Dr. Scott Crawford
Lancing College, Sussex
43-45 Special Feature
Mrs. Sally-Anne Huang St Paul’s School, London
46-48 Mr. Chris Wheeler Canford School, Dorset
49 Modern Boarding
Boarding options to suit modern family life
50-51 An Individualised Approach
Supporting boarders to thrive
52-53 Supporting International Boarders
Quintessentially British education with an innovative cultural competence
54 Education’s Best-Kept Secret
Widening access to a boarding education
55 Boarding and Belonging
Supporting boarders’ wellbeing
56 A Supportive Community
Supporting boys to flourish
57 Your Child Can Be a Published Author
Transforming children’s stories into beautifully illustrated hardback books
58 Respecting the Natural World
No one is too small to make a difference
59 Stop. Listen.
What does the wild say?
60-61 Can We Really Help the Planet?
Teaching children about climate change
62 The Adventure of Exploration
Answering children’s big questions
63-64 Exploring the Natural World
43
Discovering nature on your doorstep
65 How to Support Dyslexic Students
Preparing for Exams
“I’m a GCSE English teacher… and I can’t spell…”
66-67 Embracing Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity assessment and support
Skills for the Future
The AI advantage your child’s school may not be giving them
80 Three Ways to Raise AI-Ready Children
A parent’s guide to using artificial intelligence wisely
81 Adapting to Technological Change
How we can use AI effectively in education A Sustainability Mindset
Equipping next generation leaders
84 Addressing Global Issues
Driving sustainability progress for a decade
85 Staying Safe at University
How students’ unions support wellbeing
86-87 Countryside Lifestyles
Lessons in location
88-89 Spring Edit
A season of revival for contemporary family living
42 46
68 Neurodiversity and Mental Health
Five things we must do to support neurodivergent children
69-70 Supporting Boys to Thrive
The link between emotional literacy, behaviour and learning
71 Online Safety
Advice from NSPCC about children’s online safety in a changing world
72 Raising Kind, Confident Changemakers
Why social action is becoming part of everyday school life
73 Supporting Wellbeing in Schools
The power of mindfulness for students and teachers
74-75 Supporting Children Through Secondary School
New guidance for parents
76 Futureproofing Young People
The skills schools can’t afford to ignore
77 Boosting Girls’ Activity
Why PE kit choice keeps girls active and how to do it in your school
78 Immersive Experiences
Engaging children in history
Founder: Chloe Abbott
Social Media: Megan Payne and Ella Maria
Co-Editor: Megan Payne
Assistant Editors: Carys Richards and Imi Turner
Art Design: Grant Lucas
Podcast Editor: Emma Charleston
Photography: Mrs. Sally-Anne Huang, High Master of St Paul’s School, taken by Andy Paradise
EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE is now available to purchase both online and on paper copy. Please contact: chloeabbott@educationchoicesmagazine.com
Learning Through Nature
The
power of outdoor learning
Across the UK, Forest School programmes are now a recognised approach to early education, offering children the opportunity to learn through direct experience in the natural world. Rather than occasional outdoor activities, Forest School is designed as a sustained educational process centred on exploration, independence and a meaningful connection with nature.
Unlike traditional classroom teaching, Forest School does not rely on rigid lesson structures. Instead, it places the child’s curiosity and interests at the centre of the learning process. Children attend regular sessions in woodland or natural environments, guided by trained practitioners who encourage exploration, experimentation and discovery.
The Forest School Association emphasises that the approach extends well beyond academic learning, stating: “The process helps and facilitates more than knowledge-gathering, it helps learners develop socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually. It creates a safe, non-judgemental, nurturing environment for learners to try stuff out and take risks.”
For young children in particular, these experiences can play an important role in building confidence and independence. Through practical exploration, learners gradually develop problem-solving skills, resilience and a greater sense of responsibility for their actions. Sessions take place in woodland or natural environments, supporting the development of a lifelong relationship between learners and the natural world. The environment itself becomes an essential part of the learning process, encouraging curiosity, observation and reflection.
Forest School programmes are also learner-centred, creating a supportive community where children are encouraged to explore ideas, test their abilities and develop independence. The aim is to promote the holistic development of participants, fostering confident, resilient and creative learners.
Another defining feature of Forest School is the opportunity for children to engage in supported risk-taking appropriate to the environment and to themselves. Within carefully managed conditions, learners are encouraged to challenge themselves, try new activities and develop confidence through real experiences.
As the Forest School Association explains: “Our approach to risk means that learners constantly expand on their abilities by solving real-world issues, building self-belief and resilience. We believe that risk is more than just potential for physical harm, but a more holistic thing. There are risks in everything we do and we grow by overcoming them.”
Finally, Forest School sessions are led by qualified practitioners who continually develop their professional practice. Training,
reflection and adaptation form an important part of the approach, allowing practitioners to respond creatively to the needs of individual learners.
For some children, the impact of this approach can be particularly powerful. Outdoor learning environments often provide opportunities for pupils who struggle in traditional classroom settings to engage with learning in different ways.
Beyond the development of confidence and resilience, Forest School also encourages children to develop a deeper awareness of the environment. By spending time in woodland settings throughout the year, learners begin to observe seasonal changes, understand natural processes and appreciate their place within the wider ecosystem.
In an era when concerns about children’s mental wellbeing, screen time and reduced opportunities for outdoor play are increasingly discussed, Forest School education offers an alternative model that places nature, curiosity and independence at the centre of learning.
Following exceptional demand, Devonshire House School has opened a brand-new Acorns Nursery class. This new class marks the school’s third Acorns group for children aged 2-3, reflecting growing interest in early years places and the success of the school’s flexible approach to nursery entry.
The expansion responds to increasing demand from parents, particularly families with
children eligible for Devonshire House’s January intake. Designed for younger pupils born between September and December, this option allows children to begin nursery school slightly earlier and join their peer group at the right moment in their development.
Wraparound care
Further strengthening its Early Years offering, the school has introduced a new 8:00-18:00 wraparound care programme for children from age two. Delivered in partnership with Let’s Leap, the service provides a seamless extension to the school day, giving families added flexibility while ensuring children remain in a familiar, caring environment.
Demand at an all-time high Interest in nursery places continues to grow rapidly. For September 2026, Devonshire House has already reached 75% of its current capacity. The January 2027 intake is also proving popular and is already half-full.
With its new Acorns class now thriving and expanded services in place, Devonshire House School continues to invest in its youngest learners, ensuring children are supported by outstanding care, inspiring environments and a confident start to their educational journey.
LAURA MARTINEZ
Head of Marketing, Admissions and Communications
www.devonshirehouseschool.co.uk
INSPIRING EVERY BOY FROM THE START
Wetherby Prep School, an independent day school for boys in Marylebone, central London, is opening a new Reception class from September 2026.
Renowned for exceptional education and pastoral care, we prepare boys for the country’s leading senior schools, including Eton, Harrow, and St Paul’s. From day one, every boy is nurtured through personalised teaching and enrichment, building strong foundations in literacy, numeracy, and 21st-century skills.
Rydes Hill Pre-Prep and Nursery is a nurturing home-from-home school where children are carefully guided through each stage of their early development and supported to flourish both academically and personally.
From September 2026, Rydes Hill will be expanding its provision with the introduction of two new classrooms, Pips and Seeds, allowing the school to welcome
children from the age of 6 months. This marks the beginning of a phased growth plan that will also see the Prep Department expand with the addition of Year 3 in 2027, followed by Year 4 in 2028. By 2030, Rydes Hill will proudly offer an outstanding education for boys and girls aged 6 months - 11 years, providing continuity, stability and excellence throughout their childhood.
Rydes Hill is proud to be part of the Tormead School family, giving pupils access to specialist teaching from nursery onwards. Children benefit from expertled lessons in music, art, P.E., games, drama and forest school, alongside a carefully planned and ambitious academic curriculum delivered by class teachers.
For families seeking a school that combines academic excellence with genuine warmth, outstanding pastoral care and a strong sense of community, Rydes Hill Pre-Prep and Nursery offers an exceptional start to your child’s educational journey.
GEMMA GILBERT Marketing and Events Officer www.rydeshill.com
Developing Confidence
Supporting pupils to thrive
Families looking for a school in Hampshire will quickly see what makes Churcher’s College special. Set in the South Downs National Park, on the borders of Surrey and West Sussex and just an hour from London, the school spans two welcoming sites. Children start at the Junior School and Nursery in Liphook, surrounded by trees and open space, before moving to the historic Senior School near Petersfield. For girls and boys aged 3-18, Churcher’s offers continuity, community and a strong sense of belonging.
A nurturing start
In the Junior School and Nursery, children learn in a bright, supportive environment. Outdoor spaces encourage curiosity, play
and a connection to nature, while a broad curriculum stretches from languages and science to music, art, sport and adventurous outdoor learning. The school’s ‘have a go’ ethos inspires pupils to try new challenges with confidence. Pastoral care is at the heart of daily life: staff know each child personally and work closely with families, so every pupil feels safe, valued and understood. By age 11, pupils move on to the Senior School eager to continue their journey.
Growing in confidence
At the Senior School and Sixth Form, academic ambition meets personal development. Pupils excel in the classroom and have many opportunities beyond it to explore sport, music, drama, art
and adventure-packed outdoor education, discovering new talents along the way. With a focus on resilience, empathy and independence, Churcher’s nurtures confident, thoughtful young adults ready for life beyond school.
See the school for yourself at an Open Event.
AMANDA INKLEY Head of Marketing www.churcherscollege.com
TURN TO PAGES 52-53 to learn about supporting international boarders at St Catherine’s School, Bramley
Open events
A leading independent day school for girls and boys 3 - 18
A Vibrant Boarding Experience
A community where children flourish
The true measure of a successful boarding school lies in the happiness of its pupils. At Windlesham House, this philosophy sits at the heart of everything we do. We believe children thrive when they feel known, understood and valued as individuals, and when they are surrounded by a warm, dynamic and inclusive community. This is evident in the strong relationships between pupils and staff and in the relaxed, joyful conversations shared around mealtimes.
As a stand-alone prep school, Windlesham House is uniquely positioned to offer a highly personalised boarding experience. By continually listening to pupils and parents, we ensure our provision evolves to meet
the changing needs of modern families. Boarding here is far more than a comfortable home-awayfrom-home. From visits by Mutley, the beloved school cat, to tea and toast in the Grub Hub, spirited table-football matches or cosy Friday film nights, children quickly feel part of something special.
Our boarding houses are vibrant, purposeful spaces where children and staff work together to build a lively community full of opportunity. Pupils grow academically, socially and personally, discovering new interests and strengths along the way. Just as importantly, they learn about themselves and develop empathy for others, all while having fun.
We recognise the importance of balancing structured and unstructured time so pupils can relax, socialise and pursue meaningful activities. Every voice matters in shaping our community.
CAROLE KINNEAR Head of Marketing www.windlesham.com
EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST WITH THE HEAD ELECT
Mrs. Nina Kingsmill Moore
FROM PAPPLEWICK SCHOOL, BERKSHIRE
In this episode of Education Corner Podcast, we spoke to Mrs. Nina Kingsmill Moore, Head Elect of Papplewick School, Berkshire. Nina spoke about the school’s exciting co-curriculum, developing key skills such as resilience and preparing boys for the future.
Following several senior leadership roles including at Wetherby Preparatory School and Glendower School, Nina’s passion for teaching and leadership remains central to her upcoming move to lead Papplewick School this September. Having led schools through the COVID pandemic, Nina remains confident in the power of strong leadership and collaboration. She shared: “If you can lead through a crisis, you can lead through anything.” Having taught in both co-educational and single-sex boys’ and girls’ schools, the importance of strong leadership is crucial in any school. Nina explained: “People always ask: ‘How do you lead in a boys’ school if you’re a female?’ You lead in the way that is instinctive to you. I think education is education, if you’re passionate about it then you can take any school to the next step.” As a Berkshire local, Nina was familiar with Papplewick for several years and looks forward to joining the school in September. She told us: “I can’t wait to start!”
believe these are qualities that should be celebrated throughout their time at prep school.” This ethos will remain central to the school’s aims, with an emphasis on embracing the fun and freedom of the prep years. Nina commented: “There’s this wonderful, heady balance between boys being allowed to be boys, getting muddy knees, climbing trees and getting stuck in. Yet, if you look at the destination results, you realise, wow, these boys are really doing incredible things.” At Papplewick, embracing the joy of childhood and using this to encourage the boys to grow in their academic and personal development is crucial, Nina believes: “It’s the absolute sweet spot of education.”
Papplewick is passionate about nurturing the individual pupil, Nina’s predecessor Tom Bunbury described: “We know that boys of this age have a natural spark and individuality about them, and I
Through this, Nina plans to continue to work towards her personal goal as a Head, which she described as: “To produce boys who are confident, who are interested in and curious about the world around them and actually want to go and make a difference.” Promoting curiosity about themselves and the wider world is crucial at the prep stage, Nina explained: “If we can spark that interest, if we can really find what it is that makes that little boy’s eyes twinkle when he hears conversations about certain areas, it might be science, it might be art, it could be anything, then we really have the wheels in motion for him to learn. I’m deeply passionate about that.” For Nina, helping young students to identify and explore a wide range of interests is essential to her role and that of all teachers and plays a key role in preparing students for academic
and personal success. She told us: “Every child has something about them that you can spark that curiosity over. As a teacher, it’s our role to find those things.”
To support the development of their passions, Papplewick offers a wide range of co-curricular clubs, with every pupil having Thursday afternoons offtimetable for dedicated time to explore these activities within the school day. These not only give pupils opportunities to explore different areas of interest, but also help them to explore familiar subjects in new ways, Nina explained: “For example, in the snake club the boys may not realise that they’re learning all about science and biology, but they really are.” By offering a wide range of co-curriculars, including less common clubs or activities such as ‘Bibliomaniacs’ or clay pigeon shooting, all boys at Papplewick are given opportunities to find their strengths and build confidence. Nina described: “For boys who may not feel like they can be the leading rugby player or cricketer, or the obvious things that people assume all boys will be getting up to, then there’s an incredible club where they can go and really enjoy themselves.”
This co-curricular programme also supports students in their senior school applications by widening their interests and supporting crucial interview skills. Nina shared: “It helps them to become that really interesting young man who then enters the senior school.” However, she also emphasised the power of this throughout their life beyond education: “We’re actually preparing them for the wider world as well, not just senior school entry, by showing them that they have incredible capabilities that they may not have realised that they have. It’s those moments where they overcome those fears or try something different that they learn the most about themselves.”
These activities also help boys to develop crucial skills such as resilience and self-confidence, which
“There can be a tendency in the press to almost vilify young boys, particularly teenagers coming into adulthood. I feel like, as a woman leading a boys’ school, I have an incredibly rare opportunity to help these young men show the rest of the world that they are brilliant. They are polite, kind. Yes, they make mistakes, but who doesn’t? I don’t want perfect boys, I want boys who try things and get stuck in.”
are crucial in a world which is increasingly complex, with many challenges facing boys and young men. Nina hopes that, by instilling these positive skills in boys, they may be able to counter some of the negative messages about young men in the media. Nina told us: “There can be a tendency in the press to almost vilify young boys, particularly teenagers coming into adulthood. I feel like, as a woman leading a boys’ school, I have an incredibly rare opportunity to help these young men show the rest of the world that they are brilliant. They are polite, kind. Yes, they make mistakes, but who doesn’t? I don’t want perfect boys, I want boys who try things and get stuck in.”
Alongside the co-curriculum, boarding at Papplewick also supports boys to develop the crucial skills needed for their futures. Many boys will go on to be full boarders at senior school, so Papplewick’s flexible and friendly boarding allows them to build their confidence. Nina explained: “They really need to build that up in an environment that’s safe, that’s nurturing, where they are known already, where we can put on activities that are really centered around the age of the boys.” To support this, Papplewick’s boarding model is flexible and allows for lots of parental engagement, including many families visiting the
school for chapel and lunch every Saturday, allowing boys to settle into boarding life whilst remaining close to their families. As a parent herself, Nina understands the importance of this for both pupils and parents and she shared: “The feel-good factor in the school is off the charts. What a brilliant way to end a week - on a high with all the family together. There’s nothing more special than seeing your child happy in situ.”
Beyond Papplewick, boys progress to top senior schools across the country, including Eton, Harrow and Winchester. The school prides itself on its strong connections with top schools and its ability to prepare boys for senior school success, whilst maintaining a happy learning environment. For Nina, there are several reasons for this success. Firstly, the close relationships between staff and pupils enable close attention, Nina described: “Those boys are so well known to the staff, so if there’s an area where they need a little more support or extension, the staff are on it straight away.” In addition to this, close relationships between Papplewick and leading senior schools ensure that boys’ teachers can discuss their pathways and support them in finding the best fit senior school, as well as navigating the competitive scholarship system. At Papplewick, this includes many senior school Heads visiting for talks or attending chapel, so pupils, staff and families can know one another before embarking on the application process.
To Nina, it is essential that this is balanced with the school’s playful and exciting sports, arts and co-curricular programme. She explained: “We have these boys who have this incredible childhood and they achieve incredible results because we are balancing it out absolutely perfectly. It’s so carefully and strategically thought through to get the best results for these boys and it’s a formula that works.”
“We’re actually preparing them for the wider world as well, not just senior school entry, by showing them that they have incredible capabilities that they may not have realised that they have. It’s those moments where they overcome those fears or try something different that they learn the most about themselves.”
Looking towards her new role, Nina shared her excitement to get involved in school life. She described: “My plan is to come in and spend time in the classroom. I need to critically get to know those older boys who are moving into the next phase of their education. So, I’ll be spending time in the classrooms getting to know them, spending time getting to know the teachers as well and really trying to get under the skin of the school.” She also shared that she doesn’t plan to make big changes to the school, but to continue to support both the academic and pastoral provision to support all areas of life for all pupils, so they may continue to achieve wonderful results at Papplewick and beyond whilst maintaining the school’s strong community. Despite any small changes which may be made, Nina concluded: “We don’t want to lose that lovely ethos of Papplewick.”
We would like to thank Mrs. Nina Kingsmill Moore, Head Elect of Papplewick School, for giving up her time to speak to us.
EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST WITH THE HEADMASTER
Mr. Fergus Llewellyn
FROM CUMNOR HOUSE SCHOOL, SUSSEX
In this episode of Education Corner Podcast, we spoke to Mr. Fergus Llewellyn, Headmaster at Cumnor House School in Sussex. Fergus spoke about the school’s flexible approach to boarding, commitment to social mobility, outdoor learning and a cocurricular programme designed to help pupils discover their strengths. Fergus has led Cumnor House since 2020, bringing experience from both prep and senior schools in the UK and overseas, including roles at King’s Bruton, Cheltenham College and headship at a preparatory school in Kenya. Reflecting on his decision to join Cumnor House, Fergus explained: “We wanted a school that really resonated with our values as a family and where we could see our children having the best possible schooling, as well as the right culture. Cumnor just aligned beautifully.”
being really aspirational, particularly for our children, and really wanting the very best for them.” He added that the aim is to encourage pupils to think boldly about their future and set meaningful goals for themselves.
Kindness forms the second pillar of the school’s ethos and plays a central role in shaping the relationships within the community. Fergus believes kindness must extend beyond the school gates and influence how pupils engage with the wider world. As he explained: “‘Be kind’ is central to life and central to our community, not just here as a school community but how we view ourselves as a school within our broader community.” This sense of responsibility and connection to others forms an important part of the school’s wider mission.
Central to the school’s culture is its motto, ‘Aim High, Be Kind and Dare to Be Different’, which Fergus sees as a simple but powerful way of expressing the school’s values. Speaking about its meaning, he explained that the phrase helps pupils understand the aspirations and behaviours expected within the community. The first part of the motto reflects the school’s belief in ambition. As Fergus described: “It’s about us as a school
The final element of the motto, ‘Dare to Be Different’, reflects the school’s belief in individuality and authenticity. Fergus emphasises that every child arrives at school with their own talents, personality and potential, and the role of education is to help them discover and develop those qualities. As he stated: “Every single child is unique and wonderful.” From that starting point, the school seeks to give pupils the confidence to embrace their individuality. Fergus described the goal as: “Helping them to understand what makes them unique and wonderful, and then giving them the confidence and the courage and the opportunity to develop what it is that is unique about them.”
These values underpin many aspects of life at Cumnor House, including the school’s approach to boarding. Like many prep schools, Cumnor once operated a traditional full-boarding model, but changing expectations from families have led to a more flexible approach. Fergus explained that boarding should be seen as part of the educational journey rather than simply a practical arrangement, and he described: “We see boarding as a natural extension of the kind of education we want to give our children.”
For Fergus, boarding plays a crucial role in helping children develop independence, confidence and life skills at an important stage in their development. Early adolescence is a time when children begin to seek autonomy and rely more on peer relationships, and boarding allows them to experience that shift in a supportive environment. Fergus explained: “Growing social emotional intelligence is crucial. We think all the time about what our children are going to need in the world of work and I think helping children build empathy, build social emotional intelligence and helping them to negotiate emotionally with other children is really, really important and that’s something we see as a really important factor of boarding.” Importantly, boarding also creates opportunities for genuine friendships and memorable experiences. Reflecting on speeches given by senior pupils each term, Fergus noted: “They always talk about boarding as being one of the key memories of their time at Cumnor, because it’s just where this magic happens.”
The school’s setting in Ashdown Forest provides a natural foundation for outdoor learning. With 65 acres of woodland and outdoor space, Cumnor House integrates outdoor education throughout the curriculum. Fergus believes that time spent outside plays an essential role in children’s development, particularly in a world where digital technology is increasingly present in everyday life. As he explained: “Fundamentally, in a social media world, what we’re
“They always talk about boarding as being one of the key memories of their time at Cumnor, because it’s just where this magic happens.”
learning is that traditional childhood is really important.” Outdoor learning helps pupils develop resilience, teamwork and independence while also supporting their wellbeing. Fergus commented: “We see it as a natural extension of what our education is, in terms of helping children develop in their independence, autonomy and connections with other people, by being screen-free.” The school’s Forest School programme begins with younger pupils and continues into a broader outdoor education curriculum for older children. Activities include climbing, building, cooking over fires and problem-solving in natural environments. As he described: “We want every single interaction with a screen to be balanced by an interaction outside.”
The co-curricular life at Cumnor House plays a central role in the pupil experience. While many prep schools offer a similar breadth of activities, Fergus believes the difference lies in the quality of facilities and the passion of the staff leading them. As he explained: “If you get talent running those areas of life, then things can really soar.” With specialist teachers leading subjects such as design technology and the performing arts, pupils are able to immerse themselves in these areas and often discover interests that extend well beyond the classroom.
Innovation within the programme is equally important. One recent addition is the introduction of entrepreneurship into the Year 7 curriculum, including activities such as Dragon’s Den-style presentations where pupils pitch their ideas. Fergus sees this as an important reflection of the world pupils
will eventually enter, and described: “We identified that when our children leave school and university they’re going to have to be increasingly entrepreneurial.” He emphasised that this goes far beyond business, helping pupils build creativity, collaboration and communication skills.
The performing arts form another cornerstone of school life. With theatre and music facilities on site and experienced staff leading the programme, pupils regularly take part in productions, concerts and performances. Fergus believes these shared experiences become some of the most memorable moments of school. As he explained: “Performing arts is one of those things in school which generates really powerful moments for children.” Drama and ensembles nurture confidence and empathy, Fergus added: “In drama, you naturally have to pretend to be someone else. You have to think like somebody else.”
The school has also introduced the Kudos curriculum for pupils in Years 7 and 8, combining academic rigour with the development of life skills. Fergus shared: “There’s a whole host of skills like oracy, presentation, communication, problem solving, collaboration and project-based learning that they’re going to need, not just at school, but also in their working lives. So we’ve developed a curriculum that is a little bit more adaptable and bespoke.” The curriculum also offers a wider range of subject choices, including entrepreneurship, additional languages such as Spanish or Ancient Greek, coding and robotics, textiles and sports science. Alongside subject knowledge, the programme places strong emphasis on personal development, with initiatives such as a peer mentoring scheme designed to build empathy and emotional intelligence. Ultimately, the aim is to help every child grow in confidence and feel recognised for their individual strengths, Fergus described: “We call it ‘Kudos’ because we want every child to feel celebrated.”
“In a world of misinformation and social media, it’s really important that we’re helping our children know how to find out what’s true.”
Another important aspect of the school’s work is the Cumnor Foundation, which provides transformational bursaries for pupils who might not otherwise have access to independent education. Now in its tenth year, the programme supports pupils from Year 4 through to senior school, creating a tenyear educational journey. Fergus explained: “We’re seeing it being a transformational thing, not just for the child but for the family around them as well, which is ultimately about social mobility; I think it really enriches our children’s lives.” The programme also enriches the wider school community by bringing a greater diversity of experiences and perspectives into the school environment.
Looking ahead, Fergus is focused on ensuring that Cumnor House continues to evolve while remaining true to its values. Maintaining independence as a prep school is an important priority, allowing families the freedom to choose the senior school that best suits their child. At the same time, he believes schools must continually adapt to the changing world that pupils will inherit. Reflecting on this responsibility, Fergus explained that one current focus is helping pupils develop critical thinking and an understanding of truth in an era shaped by social media and misinformation. As he put it: “In a world of misinformation and social media, it’s really important that we’re helping our children know how to find out what’s true.”
Throughout the conversation, one theme returned repeatedly: the importance of helping children develop the confidence to be themselves. Through its values, setting and wide range of opportunities, Cumnor House aims to provide an environment where pupils can discover their strengths, build meaningful friendships and prepare for the future.
We would like to thank Mr. Fergus Llewellyn, Headmaster at Cumnor House School, for giving up his time to speak with us.
Aldro School
Ages: 7-13
Co-educational
Location: Godalming, Surrey
Top senior school destinations include: Charterhouse School, Harrow School, Eton College, Radley College, Wellington College and Westminster School.
Parent Comment: “The pastoral care is excellent and the values of kindness, respect and integrity really shine through.” www.aldro.org
Ashfold School
Ages: 3-13
Co-educational
Location: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
Top senior school destinations include: Bradfield College, Eton College, Harrow School, Lancing College, Stowe School and Wellington College.
Parent Comment: “A fantastic school, the pastoral care is excellent and there are so many opportunities for the children to try new things!” www.ashfoldschool.co.uk
Brambletye
Ages: 2-13
Co-educational
Location: East Grinstead, West Sussex
Top senior school destinations include: Eastbourne College, Eton College, Harrow School, Wellington College and Winchester College.
Parent Comment: “The sports facilities are top-notch, the music department is excellent and the teachers are always available to help.” www.brambletye.co.uk
Brighton College Prep Handcross Ages: 2-13
Co-educational
Location: Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Top senior school destinations include: Brighton College, Eton College, Marlborough College and Wellington College.
Parent Comment: “The school is great. The facilities are unbeatable, the place is beautiful and well located for outdoor activities.”
www.brightoncollegeprephandcross.co.uk
Caldicott
Ages: 7-13
Single-sex (Boys)
Location: Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire
Top senior school destinations include: Eton College, Harrow School, St Edward’s, Oxford, Charterhouse School, Wellington College, Stowe School and Winchester College.
Parent Comment: “It’s a fabulous school and they’re excellent at guiding you to the best senior school pathways.”
www.caldicott.com
Cheam School Ages: 3-13
Co-educational
Location: Newbury, Berkshire
Top senior school destinations include: Bradfield College, Eton College, Marlborough College, Radley College and Wellington College.
Parent Comment: “A really lovely school. The parent community is very friendly and the children are really happy there. The kids are busy and do lots of sports, drama, art, music etc.”
www.cheamschool.co.uk
Cottesmore School
Ages: 4-13
Co-educational
Location: Crawley, West Sussex
Top senior school
destinations include: Eton College, Marlborough College, Downe House, Harrow School and Oundle. Parent Comment: “My daughter says she loves every class and the way they are taught. She’s gone from a child who was achieving top marks but making little effort to a girl getting A’s for effort across the board. I think you can’t ask for more.”
www.cottesmoreschool.com
Cumnor House Sussex
Ages: 2-13
Co-educational
Location: Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Top senior school destinations include: Ardingly College, Brighton College, Tonbridge School and Hurstpierpoint.
Parent Comment: “The leadership is strong and very supportive. It’s a real open-doorpolicy type of school.”
www.cumnor.co.uk
Dragon School
Ages: 4-13
Co-educational
Location: Oxford, Oxfordshire
Top senior school destinations include: Wellington College, St Edwards, Oundle, Rugby, Eton College and Harrow.
Parent Comment: “In our experience, nearly all the parents we know would make the same choice again and think it’s an excellent school.”
www.dragonschool.org
Edgeborough Ages: 2-13
Co-educational
Location: Frensham, Farnham
Top senior school destinations include: Charterhouse School, Lord Wandsworth College, King Edward’s Witley, Wellington College and Cranleigh.
Parent Comment: “The children from Edgeborough are always so happy and well grounded. They nurture the children and bring out the best in them.”
www.edgeborough.co.uk
Godstowe Preparatory School
Godstowe Preparatory School Ages: 3-13
Co-educational ages 3-7 and single-sex (Girls) ages 8-13
Location: High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Top senior school destinations include: Benenden School, Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Wellington College and Wycombe Abbey.
Parent Comment: “Overall the school produces happy, confident, successful girls and the quality of teaching is brilliant!”
www.godstowe.org
Holmewood House Ages: 3-13
Co-educational
Location: Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Top senior school destinations include: Brighton College, Eton College, Harrow School and Wellington College.
Parent Comment: “Holmewood has a warm and
Cottesmore School
supportive community and lots of enrichment activities.” www.holmewoodhouse.co.uk
Horris Hill School
Ages: 2-13
Co-educational
Location: Newbury, Berkshire
Top senior school destinations include: Eton College, Harrow School, Radley College and Winchester College.
Parent Comment: “I could not recommend the school enough, boys are supportive of each other and individuality is embraced.” www.horrishill.com
Lambrook School
Ages: 3-13
Co-educational
Location: Bracknell, Berkshire
Top senior school destinations include: Bradfield College, Eton College, Marlborough College and Wellington College.
Parent Comment: “Absolutely outstanding school. High standards, great facilities and a real sense of community.” www.lambrookschool.co.uk
Ludgrove School
Ages: 8-13
Single-sex (Boys)
Location: Wokingham, Berkshire
Top senior school destinations include: Eton College, Harrow School, Radley College and Winchester College.
Parent Comment: “Ludgrove by all accounts is a fantastic school. Every boy we know that has attended has absolutely loved it.” www.ludgrove.net
Old Buckenham Hall
Ages: 2-13
Co-educational
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk
Top senior school destinations include: Eton College, Harrow School, Oundle School and Stowe School.
Parent Comment: “The school has lots of boarding options and support, it has been wonderful for my children, I can honestly recommend it.”
www.obh.co.uk
Papplewick School
Ages: 6-13
Single-sex (Boys)
Location: Ascot, Berkshire
Top senior school destinations include: Bradfield College, Eton College, Harrow School and Winchester College.
Parent Comment: “This school has ignited a passion for learning in my child, and the dedication of the staff ensures that every student not only excels academically but also grows in confidence.”
www.papplewick.org.uk
Port Regis
Ages: 2-13
Co-educational
Location: Shaftesbury, Dorset
Top senior school destinations include: Bryanston School, Canford School, Eton College, Marlborough College, Sherborne School and Charterhouse School.
Parent Comment: “I’d highly recommend Port Regis for prep boarding, they have absolutely amazing facilities!” www.portregis.com
Saint Ronan’s School
Ages: 2-13
Co-educational
Location: Hawkhurst, Kent
Top senior school destinations include: Charterhouse School, Eton
CHOOSING A PREP BOARDING SCHOOL
College, Lancing College, Marlborough College, Roedean School and Winchester College.
Parent Comment: “It is a fantastic school - very friendly, caring, creative, great education, lots of scholarships, forward thinking school. Any child who goes there is extremely lucky and will have lots of fun whilst still getting an amazing education.”
www.saintronans.co.uk
Sandroyd Ages: 2-13
Co-educational
Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire
Top senior school destinations include: Eton College, Marlborough College, Sherborne School and Sherborne Girls.
Parent Comment: “My son absolutely loves it and often asks to stay at weekends - the opportunities there are endless and I am always hearing new stories of go karts, matches against other schools or even den building!” www.sandroyd.org
Summer Fields School
Ages: 4-13
Single-sex (Boys)
Location: Oxford, Oxfordshire
Top senior school destinations include: Eton College, Harrow School, Radley College and St Edward’s, Oxford.
Parent Comment: “The level of care and attention given to our son is outstanding, we really feel that his personal tutor and all his teachers understand him as an individual and can tailor his programme to optimise his talents.” www.summerfields.com
Sunningdale School
Ages: 7-13
Single-sex (Boys)
Location: Sunningdale, Berkshire
Top senior school destinations include: Charterhouse School, Eton College, Harrow School and Sherborne School.
Parent Comment: “Very happy family atmosphere with lots going on in sports, music, art etc. Academically challenging but fun. The teachers are very involved, approachable and positive.”
www.sunningdaleschool.co.uk
Wellington College Prep Ages: 2-13
Co-educational
Location: Sandhurst, Berkshire
Top senior school destinations include: Brighton College, Eton College, Epsom College and Wellington College.
Parent Comment: “We love it! The vice principal is very good with the kids, the PTA is super involved and classes are still small.”
www.wellingtoncollegeprep.org.uk
Windlesham House School Ages: 4-13
Co-educational
Location: Pulborough, West Sussex
Top senior school destinations include: Brighton College, Downe House, Eton College and Marlborough College.
Parent Comment: “The staff are extremely friendly and really get to know your children.”
www.windlesham.com
Sandroyd
Windlesham House School
Ludgrove School
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A Healthy Balance
Boarding to suit modern families
Boarding at Wellington College Prep continues to thrive, welcoming a diverse and motivated group of pupils from across the UK and overseas. Our boarding house remains a genuine home-from-home, where pupils feel relaxed, supported and able to be themselves, while also being encouraged to grow into the strongest versions of who they can be.
We promote confidence, independence and responsibility through weekly assembly challenges, high expectations around organisation, daily dormitory scores and a clear system of house stars and rewards. Boarding continues to evolve, with pupil leadership playing an increasingly important role; our house prefects help shape the culture of the community and support their peers. Alongside maintaining valued traditions, we have modernised to make boarding more accessible, with many pupils choosing to board one or two nights a week to enjoy activities with friends and gain valuable experience for their future schools.
Our partnership with boarding families is stronger than ever. Most pupils spend time at home every other weekend, allowing the boarding team to focus fully on their academic, pastoral and social development during the week. These regular family connections help maintain a
Moreover, boarding at Wellington College is about feeling a sense of belonging at the most exciting time in your life. Rather than seeing learning and growth as separate events, the magic of boarding is that it combines everything into a single space of safe, supported and expert care. From having staff on-hand to support with academic extension through to enjoying the facilities that underpin physical and mental wellbeing in our 400 acres; from hanging out with your best friends to trying something new every day, boarding means that all parts of adolescent development are working together in every sense, helping the young person emerge into adulthood confident and equipped with a self-literacy that can only be fostered by being part of a vibrant and reflective residential community. Critically,
TURN TO PAGES 86-87 to read about Countryside Lifestyles
this is shaped by the immersion boarders experience by being part of one of our eighteen houses. This House structure helps enable lifelong confidence and compassion to flourish while also allowing the space for individuality and personal development. Everyone here is heard, known and valued through our pastoral structures, which means all the glorious unpredictability of being a teen can be recognised, managedand celebrated often! Young people learn the most from each other. Harnessing the excellence of everyone is what makes boarding the greatest of adventures here, bringing the fullest of rewards, and it is something we have been pioneering for over 150 years.
STUART BROWN and TOM WAYMAN Head of Boarding and Deputy Head of Pastoral www.wellingtoncollegeprep.org.uk www.wellingtoncollege.org.uk
healthy balance between home life and boarding life.
A Modern Education
Preparing pupils for the future
Ibstock Place School is a coeducational day school for pupils aged 3-18, set within a beautiful eight-acre campus on the edge of Richmond Park. Championing co-education since its founding in 1894, Ibstock embodies the best of modern education: academically ambitious, emotionally intelligent and socially conscious. A leader in oracy, with dedicated provision from kindergarten and a strong commitment to innovation - including a purpose-built Innovation Hub and Esports Arena - we are a genuinely forwardthinking school.
From September, the School will also open a new term-time nursery provision for children aged 3-4, further enriching its early years offering.
At Ibstock, we believe in nurturing kind hearts, inspiring curious minds and guiding courageous futures. These values shape everything we do, from supporting personal growth to preparing pupils for life beyond school. Small class sizes and expert
teaching from specialist subject teachers ensure tailored support and high levels of engagement. A rich co-curricular programme of over 180 clubs and societies allows pupils to explore interests and develop confidence. Our unique location supports wellbeing and outdoor learning, with regular walks in Richmond Park, a forest school, kitchen garden and varied indoor and outdoor learning spaces.
Childhood is precious and at Ibstock our pupils flourish in an environment that is simultaneously challenging and supportive, ambitious and kind.
CAROLINE FAITHFULL Marketing Manager
www.ibstockplaceschool.co.uk/visit-us
for girls and boys ages 3-18
A Forward-Thinking School
Embracing tradition and preparing for the future
When a school with roots in the fourteenth century makes a significant change, it is natural for families to ask why and what it will mean for their children.
In practical terms, from September 2026, girls will join Westminster Under School at 4+, 7+ and 11+, with Westminster School becoming fully coeducational from 2028. In one sense, this represents a milestone. In another, it feels like the completion of a journey that began more than fifty years ago, when girls first formally entered the Sixth Form in 1973.
Westminster occupies an ancient site within a UNESCO World Heritage setting. Longevity of that kind can encourage caution, yet the history of enduring institutions suggests that relevance depends not on the status quo, but on thoughtful adaptation.
The decision has not been ideological, financial or reactive; it has been guided by mission and conviction. Westminster exists to offer a rigorous liberal education to young people with the intellectual curiosity and appetite to flourish within a culture of academic enquiry. If that education is of value, widening access to it becomes a natural extension of purpose.
The move is not about declaring one model superior to another. Both single-sex and co-educational
schools work well for children; what suits one may not suit another. For Westminster, the question has simply been what best serves the School’s purpose and community. Full co-education reflects that judgement.
It is tempting to describe such a change as transformation, yet the more accurate word is continuity. The defining features of a Westminster education remain unchanged. The School’s ethos is constant and academic ambition continues to sit at the centre of school life. Traditions rooted in centuries of history continue to sit alongside progressive approaches to teaching and pastoral care.
What changes, then, is not the character of the School, but access to it. From the earliest years, girls and boys will learn alongside one another within the same distinctive liberal education that encourages enquiry, critical evaluation and exploration, with equal opportunities and support throughout their Westminster journey. In doing so, the School becomes a broader and more representative community, strengthening the experience of school life for all pupils.
The transition has been carefully planned over several years. New leadership roles, including a CoEducation Project Director and a Head of Girls’ Sport, are now in place. Investment in facilities
has supported this next phase, including the opening of Chapter House at the Under School and the development spaces old and new at Westminster School for pupils and the wider community.
Listening has been central throughout. Conversations with current Sixth Form girls have informed approaches to induction and integration. Curriculum representation, sports provision and pastoral care have all been thoughtfully considered to ensure that new cohorts are welcomed into an environment that is both ambitious and supportive.
The first offers for co-educational places at Westminster have now been made and the response from families has been positive: we have strong cohorts of girls due to arrive in 2026 and 2028.
In that context, co-education is not a radical break with the past but a purposeful evolution - the widening of opportunity within a framework that remains clear about its purpose. It reflects the conclusion that a Westminster education should be available to all who would thrive here.
Inclusion by Design
Neurodiversity in an academically selective environment
Academically selective schools offer remarkable opportunities for curiosity and scholarship - but for neurodiverse students, these environments can be both energising and challenging. At Wimbledon High, Temple Grandin’s reminder that: “The world needs all kinds of minds” sits at the core of our ethos: we believe excellence and inclusion are not competing ideas but mutually reinforcing ones. Our mission is to ensure that every girl - regardless of how she thinks, learns or experiences the world - is understood, supported and empowered to thrive. True inclusion means removing barriers, not lowering aspirations. In addition, as diagnoses of learning differences continue to rise, it becomes ever more important to recognise, celebrate and meaningfully support the strengths neurodivergent students bring to a community of learners. Neurodiverse students are often overrepresented among high academic performers while also being more likely to mask areas of difficulty. The pressures of pace, perfectionism and performance can feel intense. Our mission is that every girl feels known, supported and stretched. Through both pastoral and academic care, we create learning environments designed to be accessible to all, using our approach ‘Inclusion by Design’ to proactively craft curricula,
routines and cultures where every student can thrive. Alongside this framework, adaptive teaching enables us to remain responsive to each girl’s evolving needs, ensuring that challenge is never separated from strong support.
Working together
Where possible, early identification and close collaboration are essential. At Wimbledon High, families, teachers and our Neurodiversity (ND) team work in partnership from the moment a need is identified. Support is continually refined and evaluated so that it remains relevant, empowering and rooted in high expectations. We know that a strengths-based approach not only benefits individual learners but enriches the classroom as a whole. Our teachers draw on research-informed practices, including cognitive load theory, to reduce unnecessary processing demands and help students focus on core learning. Adaptive teaching then enables personalised adjustments - whether additional processing time, organisational scaffolds or support for executive function - without reducing intellectual challenge.
Small changes in lesson design create transformative shifts in student experience, ensuring ‘Inclusion by Design’ benefits every learner.
A central feature of our academic culture is ‘Playful Scholarship’: the belief that intellectual curiosity grows most powerfully when students feel safe to experiment, question, imagine and take risks. Encouraging girls to explore ideas joyfully, rather than perfectly, supports wellbeing as much as it strengthens learning, particularly for those who may otherwise be held back by anxiety or perfectionism.
Embedding good practice
Each department at Wimbledon High has an ND Champion who acts as a bridge between subject teams and the ND department, sharing effective strategies and modelling approaches that remove barriers to learning. Research shows that frequent, integrated intervention is most impactful. By embedding ND and SEND as standing items in departmental discussions, teachers collaboratively develop subject-specific approaches that become part of everyday teaching.
While classroom teachers know their students best, there are times when additional expertise provides a vital resource. Our specialist ND team offers targeted support ranging from study skills and revision planning to sessions on emotional regulation, social communication and executive function. Executive function coaching - an increasingly important areahelps students develop planning, prioritisation and time-management skills that grow in significance as girls progress through school.
Smooth transitions
A strong emphasis is placed on knowing our girls as well as possible, even before they join us, through close liaison with previous schools and parents. After a recent whole school assembly about Neurodiversity, one Year 13 girl remarked: “I felt seen.” Another Year 11 student shared: “My neurodiversity is part of me, part of who I am.”
As an all-through school (4-18), we work across the Junior and Senior Schools to support a positive transition into Year 7. Student-centred initiatives such as ND buddying, which connects younger students with older peers, and a familiarisation visit to the Senior School ND department in Year 6, have proved particularly effective.
Dedicated spaces
Some interventions take place in our dedicated ND space - a calm, welcoming environment designed with sensory regulation in mind. Research consistently highlights the value of such spaces in supporting sustained learning and emotional wellbeing and we remain committed to strengthening provision for both students and staff.
While these interventions offer meaningful support during school years, our aim is to nurture independence. Access to specialist support may be limited once students leave Wimbledon High; therefore, our priority is to equip girls with the strategies, self-advocacy skills and confidence that will serve them for life. We teach our students how to learn, not just what to learn, fostering a lasting love of scholarship.
Our ND provision works hand-in-hand with families and teachers, creating a culture in which difference is a driver of excellence rather than a barrier. By knowing each girl as an individual, we shape an environment where she can fulfil her potential at school, at university and far beyond.
FERDINAND DOEPEL Deputy Head, Academic and Innovation www.wimbledonhigh.gdst.net
Where Every Child is Truly Known
The
impact of a personalised education
At Hampton Court House, education is personal by design. An all-through school from PreNursery to Sixth Form, we offer a seamless journey in which children grow in confidence within a community that understands and values them as individuals.
Set beside the beautiful Bushy Park, our small classes and specialist teachers create an atmosphere of intellectual ambition grounded in warmth and trust. Free from the disruption of 11+ and 13+ transitions, students can focus on sustained progress, developing curiosity, critical thinking and intellectual independence.
Purposeful informality is central to life at HCH. First-name relationships between staff and students encourage mutual respect
and open dialogue, encouraging young people to express their ideas with confidence and take ownership of their learning. It is an environment where character and personal growth matter as much as academic achievement.
Learning extends well beyond the classroom. From bilingual French immersion in Years 1-4 to
TURN TO PAGE 76 to read about building resilience
Discover an education as individual as your child
Open Mornings
Held weekly
Personal Tours
Available throughout the year
London Independent School of the Year Finalist
Academic Excellence and Personal Growth
Winner: ‘Developing Student Voice’ national award
A Holistic Approach Where Every Child is Truly Known
Winner: ‘Sixth Form Innovation in Education’ national award
Fully Compliant : ISI inspection (October 2025)
a rich programme of experiential learning, creative arts, performance and sport, education here is broad, engaging and culturally aware. Students are encouraged to explore, reflect and connect their learning to the wider world.
Wellbeing underpins everything we do, with trained student wellbeing champions leading their own wellness initiatives, supported by a professional staff team. Our unique award-winning Preparing for Life Sixth Form ensures our students leave not only with excellent results, but with the confidence and perspective to thrive in life beyond school.
RICHARD ESKINAZI
Head of Marketing and Brand www.hamptoncourthouse.co.uk
Reception | 11+ | 13+ | Sixth Form
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EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST WITH THE HEAD ELECT
Mrs. Heidi Armstrong
FROM LONDON PARK SCHOOL MAYFAIR, LONDON
In this episode of Education Corner Podcast, we spoke to Mrs. Heidi Armstrong, Head Elect at London Park School Mayfair. Heidi spoke about the school’s ‘Learn like a Londoner’ ethos and the advantages of their inspiring central London location.
Heidi started her career in education at Croydon High School GDST and joined their leadership team as Head of Sixth Form before moving to Putney High where she worked for ten years, first as Deputy Head of Pastoral and then as Head of Senior School. She then started consulting and working for Dukes, which led her to LPS Mayfair. She told us: “The role came up for Head and I couldn’t not go for it; it was just marvellous. You go into that school and you think: this is something different, this is something exciting.”
means small class sizes with teaching adapted to students’ needs paired with exposure to the city and the world outside the classroom. She outlined: “In the environment we have, with Speaker’s Corner just down the road, students are encouraged to debate and use the building and the unique situation we’re in to develop their education and thrive.”
Heidi expressed her enthusiasm for the school’s location, stating: “I don’t think there are many schools where you can look outside the window and see Green Park with Buckingham Palace in the background. You’ve got Nelson in one direction and you’ve got Wellington in the other.” She elaborated: “The children are just incredibly privileged to be able to sit in a beautiful building, Grade I Listed, where Ian Fleming wrote his Bond stories, and be able to ‘Learn like a Londoner’, be in a cosmopolitan city and have a global outlook on life with all sorts of people coming through our doors.”
LPS Mayfair describes itself as: “A smaller school for bigger thinking.” Heidi told us that, in practice, this
The school’s ‘Learn like a Londoner’ approach, which is embedded throughout the curriculum, also encourages students to go out into the city. Heidi offered examples: “The pupils are immersed in the wonderful history, geography, politics and science that is on our doorstep, by going out to listen to the House of Commons speaking in a politics and history lesson, or measuring the levels of silt on the River Thames, or seeing the latest exhibition at the Royal Academy.” She explained that this immersive style of learning works on many levels: “It allows those who are gifted and talented and really able to express themselves to find out more about what’s going on in the learning and for those who have learning needs, the learning is becoming real and immersive.” Heidi told us that her personal aspiration is that pupils should be going home every day and saying: “Guess what I did today?”
Alongside its immersive learning structure, LPS is especially strong at pastoral care. Their Deputy Head Pastoral won the Dukes Award for pastoral care across all the Dukes schools. Their specific curriculum allows pastoral care to be embedded across everything the »
school does. Heidi described: “We’re coming in and feeling comfortable in our environment, happy in what we do. The children are free to express themselves.” The school has a counsellor who is on site every day and a SEND team who look after neurodiverse pupils, giving them confidence in their learning. Heidi stated: “Due to being a small school, they’re getting individual attention every day as much as they need so that we can allow them to thrive in their learning. Every child has the ability to do brilliantly at school, it’s just about the teachers adapting and creating an environment that enables them to thrive.”
LPS Mayfair is driven by the four Cs of success: Courage, Compassion, Creativity and Collaboration. Heidi shared with us that courage means being brave in one’s learning and trying new things. She added: “Compassion for me is a really important one. My favourite word is magnanimity: I think one should be big hearted in everything one does.” She also shared: “I don’t think you can do maths or science or any of what would traditionally be called ‘non-creative subjects’ without creativity. The world won’t develop and architecture, design and computing won’t change if we don’t have young people thinking outside the box.”
The LPS group also includes LPS Clapham, LPS Sixth and LPS Hybrid, which are in constant communication with one another. The hybrid pupils come into the school once a week and the nearby Sixth Form holds lots of events in collaboration with the lower school. As for LPS Clapham, Heidi shared:
“Due to being a small school, they’re getting individual attention every day as much as they need so that we can allow them to thrive in their learning. Every child has the ability to do brilliantly at school, it’s just about the teachers adapting and creating an environment that enables them to thrive.”
“It’s lovely because it’s a different school and it has a different vibe, a different Head and yet we have very much the same ethos, the same aims. We come together in terms of trips and events and speakers.” Despite LPS Mayfair having small class sizes, this network offers wide opportunities for the children. Heidi reflected: “For example, they all went to Porto together the other day on a football trip, they did big events at Dukes together and so on. We look at how the children can benefit from coming together.”
LPS Mayfair is part of Dukes Education group and Heidi shared that this offers opportunities to speak to other Heads and share and trial educational research and projects with other schools. She stated: “Dukes is thriving, Dukes is growing and that brings a real buzz and kick to everything you’re doing.”
As a non-selective school, LPS does not use entrance exams in its admissions process. Instead, they meet the whole family and learn about the prospective pupil. Heidi shared: “We will want to find out about that child and what they’re like, know what their strengths are, what they’re a bit worried about. Then we meet them and see what their potential is and whether they will fit into our family.” Once an offer has been made, a transition process is put into place to help relieve some of the stress of moving to senior school. As an example, Heidi highlighted: “There are a whole set of days where they can come into the school, where they get buddies and have a trial day so when they come in in September, they’re skipping into school, feeling like they know it already.”
Beyond LPS Mayfair, many students progress to LPS Sixth. However, the school offers them a foundation which begins before the run up to GCSEs or A Levels, tracking the students’ learning carefully. Heidi explained: “Once every two weeks, we see how they’re progressing. We talk to parents if they’re not on track. We see how we can adapt our teaching to bring them back on track if they need to, or they might take a GCSE early because they’re doing so well.” Supporting the students with regular check-ins, offering plenty of practical
support and celebrating their successes helps aid the transition into the Sixth Form. Even pre-Sixth, LPS Mayfair uses programmes such as Unifrog, as well as inviting speakers to come and explain different careers to help students understand their interests before they sit their GCSEs. When the time comes to apply to university, the school offers step-by-step guidance to pupils and parents to help elucidate the process. Heidi explained: “When my children went through it, the system had completely changed. Many may well be international parents and they haven’t experienced the very unique English process of moving on to university.”
“The children are just incredibly privileged to be able to sit in a beautiful building, Grade I Listed, where Ian Fleming wrote his Bond stories, and be able to ‘Learn like a Londoner’, be in a cosmopolitan city and have a global outlook on life with all sorts of people coming through our doors.”
Having worked with LPS Mayfair for some time, Heidi knows the school and the staff very well. She told us about her hopes and plans for its future: “I want LPS Mayfair to be a very modern school. I want it to be one that’s steeped in the tradition of its buildings, where it sits and the wonderful heritage around it, but I would like the children and young people to be modern, global thinkers.”
We would like to thank Mrs. Heidi Armstrong, Head Elect at LPS Mayfair, for giving up her time to speak to us.
EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST WITH HEADS
Mr. Mike Rickner
FROM ASHFOLD SCHOOL, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Mr. Jeremy Quartermain
FROM BRADFIELD COLLEGE, BERKSHIRE
Mrs. Margaret Giblin
FROM MARYMOUNT INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, KINGSTON UPON THAMES
Mr. Daniel Biggins
FROM HABERDASHERS’ ADAMS SCHOOL, SHROPSHIRE
A panel discussion about the varying types of boarding available in the UK, from prep, senior, international and state boarding, and how schools are adapting to meet the needs of modern families.
Mr. Mike Rickner, Head of Ashfold School in Buckinghamshire, spoke about the particular benefits of prep boarding and how it helps children
develop independence at an early age. Ashfold, part of the Stowe Group, is a co-educational prep school for children aged 3-13 and offers flexi, weekly and occasional boarding from the age of eight. Mike explained that prep boarding provides consistency for families, particularly as more households have two working parents, while helping pupils build habits that will support them later on, and emphasised:
“Independence is key,” helping children build the routines and habits that will support them later on. He also highlighted the importance of learning to live alongside others as pupils develop resilience, social confidence and a strong sense of belonging before moving on to senior school. Mike stated: “Working in that community with kindness and to develop those connections, it’s just going to be a massive benefit for them.”
At Bradfield College in Berkshire, Mr. Jeremy Quartermain reflected on the advantages of a large full boarding environment and the importance of balancing excellent facilities with strong pastoral care. Jeremy described the College as “a village”, where pupils are immersed in a wide range of opportunities across sport, the arts and wider school life. He highlighted the value of this breadth, and noted: “It’s that holistic educational offering where they have the opportunity to develop”. Yet for Jeremy, the real strength of boarding lies in relationships - he told us: “What we’re proudest of is the outstanding level of pastoral care provided by our staff, who really know each and every child.” He also reflected on the role of co-education, explaining that while boarding houses remain singlesex communities, the wider environment prepares pupils for life beyond school. Jeremy explained: “Being co-educational gives you access in exactly the same way as being part of an international multicultural community, which is diverse and inclusive. It gives you access to differing perspectives.” This balance helps the school to, as he stated: “[...] embrace all aspects of humanity within an educational setting, to gloriously celebrate diversity and to grow up to have really good relationships, because I think education is not just about professional success and examination results - it’s also about equipping young
“Bradfield embraces all aspects of humanity within an educational setting, to gloriously celebrate diversity and to grow up to have really good relationships, because I think education is not just about professional success and examination results - it’s also about equipping young people to live well and really flourish.”
Mr. Jeremy Quartermain
people to live well and really flourish.”
Mrs. Margaret Giblin, Head of Marymount International School London, offered the perspective of an all-girls’, international boarding school. Around a quarter of its pupils board, with seven-day, fiveday, flexi and ad hoc options available. Margaret is a strong advocate for single-sex education and believes it provides a powerful foundation for young women. She explained: “All of our education is tailored for girls. Our pedagogical approach is focusing on girls. Our classroom environment is very much there to empower our students, to give them their voice.” At Marymount, pupils are encouraged to pursue their interests without constraint, with a focus on developing confidence and independence across academic and co-curricular life. Margaret highlights: “It is really about giving our girls their authentic voice, harnessing those passions and really enabling them to develop holistically in the broadest sense, not just through academic rigour.” As an international school with over 40 nationalities, Marymount’s boarding community also plays a central role in shaping global outlook and understanding. Margaret described the boarding environment as: “A
ASHFOLD SCHOOL
microcosm of the world,” where “Girls really do have that nuanced and intercultural understanding, which enables us to ensure that students leave us as really empowered, accomplished, capable and compassionate global citizens.” Margaret also emphasised: “Being educated in a very much defined space really does develop girls to their fullest potential”, fulfilling their mantra that ‘Though the years will pass, our sisterhood lasts’ through a strong sense of community.
Mr. Daniel Biggins from Haberdashers’ Adams School in Shropshire explained the distinctive role of state boarding within the UK education system, where education is state-funded and parents pay only for boarding. Daniel explained: “That gives students access to a high-quality state education without the increased costs that you might get in the independent sector.” While boarding is currently for boys, the school’s recent move to co-education means this may expand in the future. Daniel emphasised that state boarding: “[combines] that academic excellence with a holistic approach to education, encouraging students to follow their passions.” Boarders are fully integrated into the day school, becoming part of the house system and wider community, while also gaining independence. As Daniel noted: “It’s a real positive experience, building that confidence, those relationships and a real strong sense of belonging.”
The panel also discussed how boarding helps sixth form pupils prepare for life beyond school. At Bradfield, Jeremy explained that boarding houses are designed to foster both independence and community, with pupils taking on leadership roles, mentoring younger students and organising house life. Crucially, he emphasised: “The thought that goes into really thinking about what it takes to help young people flourish.” At Marymount, Margaret highlighted the role of “boarding families”, where older pupils support younger students through shared meals and mentoring. Student agency and ownership are also key, Margaret emphasised: “The IB learner profiles are really being embodied, whether that’s open-mindedness, balance or risk-taking,”
“Girls really do have that nuanced and intercultural understanding, which enables us to ensure that students leave us as really empowered, accomplished, capable and compassionate global citizens.”
Mrs. Margaret Giblin
“We’re seeing more and more that both sets of parents are working and to provide that opportunity for parents that they know their son or daughter can stay over and they’ve got that security there as well for their children being at school in that amazing environment.”
Mr. Mike Rickner
helping students to understand “the nuance of being an international community.” Daniel described how Haberdashers’ Adams prepares pupils for independence through a boarding model designed around real-life transition. Senior students live in accommodation modeled on university halls and are given greater freedom, including time in the local town. He explained: “They’re trusted to get on with their work independently.” Across all the schools, boarding was seen as a foundation for life beyond education, developing not only independence but also empathy, responsibility and a strong sense of belonging and, as Daniel described: “A really good opportunity to gain those skills in independent living that they’ll need when they leave us.”
Supporting families during periods of uncertainty was another key theme of the discussion. Mike noted that weekly boarding can provide a reassuring and stable “Home-from-home environment” for children whose parents may be travelling frequently or working abroad. Jeremy reflected that schools are often at their most important during times of crisis, whether caused by conflict, bereavement, separation or relocation. He emphasised that
BRADFIELD COLLEGE
CHOOSING A BOARDING SCHOOL
beyond professional support, the foundation is human and shared: “There’s a real compassionate desire to look after young people and to look after their families.” Margaret highlighted Marymount’s personalised approach to admissions, induction and integration, particularly for international families joining at different points in the year. She pointed to the strength of an internationally minded community, with an “intercultural understanding and global lens” supported by the IB’s “globally recognised curriculum.” Daniel also spoke about Haberdashers’ Adams’ experience of supporting pupils arriving from overseas, including those affected by conflict. He stressed the importance of helping students settle quickly into the rhythm and security of boarding life. On top of work with international agents and EAL provisions, Daniel emphasised: “The focus is very much on making the students feel secure, settled, safe and supported, because coming from the areas of conflict that some may be coming from, it’s really important that they feel safe and part of a community here.”
Looking to the future, all four Heads agreed that boarding schools must continue to adapt to the realities of modern family life. At Ashfold, Mike described the growing importance of flexi boarding and the need to provide genuine convenience for parents, emphasising the importance of: “Being able to provide that whole education under one roof in a safe and loving environment.” At Bradfield, Jeremy explained that while the school offers a day boarding model, full boarding remains central to its identity, outlining that: “Boarding is a way of life here. Everything we do, our ethos, our values, everything
“The focus is very much on making the students feel secure, settled, safe and supported, because coming from the areas of conflict that some may be coming from, it’s really important that they feel safe and part of a community here.”
Mr.
Daniel Biggins
we’re able to offer to our day pupils as well is because we are 24/7 from the beginning of term to the end of term. There’s something really beautiful and magical about that sense of community.”
Margaret emphasised the importance of partnership with parents and the reassurance this provides. She described: “It’s not just the students that are joining our community; it’s the families. We are in a joint endeavour to really realise their fullest potential.” She also highlighted the practical flexibility schools can offer, from weekend stays to ad hoc boarding, ensuring families feel supported when circumstances change. Daniel echoed this, noting that flexibility must reflect modern family life without weakening the sense of community that defines boarding. He explained: “We’re quite conscious of taking away from the boarding community by offering too much flexibility. We really want them to be very much part of our boarding community.”
Despite the different boarding models represented on the panel, there was a clear shared belief in the value of boarding as a source of stability, opportunity and community. Whether building confidence in younger pupils, preparing sixth formers for life beyond school or supporting families through periods of change, boarding was consistently described as a way of life that fosters independence and belonging. As Margaret reflected: “A school that’s a home is a very special place.”
We would like to thank our boarding school panel for giving up their time to speak to us.
University destinations include: Oxbridge, Durham University, UCL and Russell Group Universities, as well as UCLA and Johns Hopkins in the USA.
Parent Comment: “They certainly get the best out of every student. Pastoral care is totally brilliant and the girls become a family.”
www.benenden.school
Blundell’s
Ages: 11-18 (Also Blundell’s Prep School for pupils aged 3-11)
Co-educational
Location: Tiverton, Devon
A Level: 38% A*/A
GCSE: 52% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, UCL, Durham University and Russell Group Universities.
Parent Comment: “An incredible school full of thoroughly expert teaching and support staff. A wonderful environment where pupils shine and get so much out of their time in and out of the classroom.”
www.blundells.org
Bradfield College Ages: 13-18
Co-educational
Location: Bradfield, Berkshire
A Level: 38% A*/A
GCSE: 63% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, Imperial, LSE, UCL and Russell Group Universities, as well as US Universities including Harvard and Duke.
Parent Comment: “My children are very happy there. Pastoral care has been extremely good and the house masters and house mistresses that we have experienced are lovely, responsive and communicative.”
www.bradfieldcollege.org.uk
Brighton College Ages: 3-18 (Also Brighton College Prep for pupils aged 3-13)
Co-educational
Location: Brighton, East Sussex
A Level: 85% A*/A
GCSE: 98% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, UCL, LSE and Russell Group Universities, as well as Harvard, Yale and Stanford in the USA.
Parent Comment: “Brighton college is an academic powerhouse in every sense of the phrase and they’re ahead of the curve with their curriculum.”
www.brightoncollege.org.uk
Bryanston School
The boarding provision at Bryanston is among the largest in the UK, offering a flexible and inclusive approach to school life. Alongside full boarding, pupils can choose ‘day with bed’ or ‘day without bed’. Rather than separating day and boarding pupils, anyone with a bed belongs to a boarding house and can stay overnight when needed. Day pupils are also members of a boarding house, with dedicated study areas and full involvement in house life.
Bryanston’s houses are warm, supportive communities led by experienced House teams and tutors who provide strong pastoral care. Beyond the houses, numerous central social spaces encourage pupils to mix naturally across year groups. Facilities such as the café and Sixth Form bar create a lively social hub, with school life continuing into the evenings and across weekends.
Weekends often bring a vibrant, festival-like atmosphere, with sports fixtures, creative events and community celebrations. Set on a beautiful 200acre campus in the Dorset countryside, Bryanston is just over two hours from London, offering families a discreet and peaceful haven while remaining easily connected to the capital.
www.bryanston.co.uk
Charterhouse
Ages: 13-18
Co-educational
Location: Godalming, Surrey
A Level: 60% A*/A
GCSE: 76% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, King’s College London, UCL and
Russell Group Universities, as well as Cornell and NYU in the USA.
Parent Comment: “Pupils are expected to engage in a wide range of artistic and cultural activities and there is an impressive choice of societies to join. Overall an impressive traditional but forwardthinking school.”
www.charterhouse.org.uk
Cheltenham Ladies College
Ages: 11-18
Single-sex (Girls)
Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
A Level: 70% A*/A
GCSE: 74% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, Imperial College London, UCL and Russell Group Universities, as well as Brown and Columbia in the USA.
Parent Comment: “We really loved the atmosphere, the girls all seemed very happy and found the Principal so inspiring.”
www.cheltladiescollege.org
Cranleigh
Ages: 13-18 (Also Cranleigh
Prep for pupils aged 5-13)
Co-educational
Location: Cranleigh, Surrey
A Level: 43% A*/A/B
GCSE: 76% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, King’s College London, Imperial College London and Russell Group Universities, as well as Harvard and Cornell in the USA.
Parent Comment: “I’d highly recommend Cranleigh. Excellent opportunities and character education with a focus on
Blundell’s
Charterhouse
Cheltenham Ladies College
Bryanston School
each individual child. A school where each child is known and nurtured.” www.cranleigh.org
Downe House
Ages: 11-18
Single-sex (Girls)
Location: Thatcham, Berkshire
A Level: 55% A*/A
GCSE: 81% 9/8/7 (A*/A) University destinations include: Oxbridge, UCL, Imperial College London and Russell Group Universities, as well as NYU in the USA.
Parent Comment: “Downe House puts a lot of effort into preparing pupils by providing many opportunities to develop character and experience. Extra-curricular activities are taken seriously and get a lot of support so pupils spend good times together. This builds bonds and friendships.” www.downehouse.net
Dulwich College
Dulwich College has a long-established tradition of boarding. The College hosts 140 boarders from 20 different nationalities, with flexi, weekly and full boarding available to students from Year 9 onwards. Our four boarding houses are warm, welcoming homes where every student belongs and is supported by exceptional pastoral care provided by Boarding House Masters and their tutor teams.
From Year 12, boarders enjoy the comfort of their own ensuite rooms, while also having the opportunity
to relax and socialise with their friends in comfortable communal areas.
Ben Pelly, Head of Boarding at Dulwich College stated: ”Pupils with long commutes, busy working parents or those who have co-curricular activities before or after school find our weekly boarding provision very appealing. While at school, boarders can focus on their academic work without having to worry about catching the last coach home. It works beautifully as school commitments are reserved for weekdays, whilst weekends provide an opportunity for them to go home and spend quality family time together. It’s a win-win situation for busy parents and their children.”
Boarding allows boys to develop their own independence and confidence, create a routine that helps maximise their academic potential and build lifelong friendships with fellow boarders. www.dulwich.org.uk
Lancing College Ages: 13-18 (Also Lancing College Prep Schools in Hove and Worthing and Dorset House School for pupils aged 3-13)
Co-educational Location: Lancing, West Sussex
A Level: 52% A*/A
GCSE: 62% 9/8/7 (A*/A/B)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, UCL, King’s College London and
Russell Group Universities, as well as Dartmouth and NYU in the USA.
Parent Comment: “It’s difficult to quantify the magic of a Lancing education. It’s more than the sum of its parts.” www.lancingcollege.co.uk
Marlborough College Ages: 13-18
Co-educational
Location: Marlborough, Wiltshire
A Level: 51% A*/A GCSE: 67% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, LSE, Durham University and Russell Group Universities, as well as Harvard, Princeton and Yale in the USA.
Parent Comment: “A great school with fantastic opportunities.”
www.marlboroughcollege.org
Marymount International School London Ages: 11-18
Single-sex (Girls)
Location: Kingston upon Thames, Surrey
IB results: 38% 38 points of above (higher than A*A*A* at A Levels)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, UCL Imperial College London and Westminster University, as well as top universities in the US and internationally.
Parent Comment: “An impressive school with small class sizes and great facilities.”
www.marymountlondon.com
Reed’s School
Ages: 11-18
Single-sex (Boys) (Coeducational Sixth Form)
Location: Cobham, Surrey
A Level: 51% A*/A
GCSE: 75% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, King’s College London, Imperial
College London and Russell Group Universities, as well as Yale and Northeastern in the USA.
Parent Comment: “Staff are passionate about, not only their respective subjects, but the pastoral care and evolution of well-rounded students.”
www.reeds.surrey.sch.uk
Roedean
Ages: 11-18
Single-sex (Girls)
Location: Roedean, East Sussex
A Level: 50% A*/A
GCSE: 76% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, King’s College London, UCL and Russell Group Universities, as well as UCLA and NYU in the USA.
Parent Comment: “I can’t recommend the school highly enough. Plenty of opportunities to make local friends as the school builds social activities into the curriculum.”
www.roedean.co.uk
Sevenoaks School
Ages: 11-18
Co-educational
Location: Sevenoaks, Kent
A Level: 86.4% A*/A
GCSE: 90% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, Imperial College London, King’s College London and Russell Group Universities, as well as Harvard and Yale in the USA.
Parent Comment: “A busy, energetic and demanding school that bright independent learners will most likely thrive in.”
www.sevenoaksschool.org
Dulwich College
Lancing College
Roedean
Shiplake College
Ages: 11-18
Co-educational
Location: Henley-onThames, Oxfordshire
A Level: 31% A*/A
GCSE: 38% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, King’s College London, Durham University and Russell Group Universities, as well as Yale and Princeton in the USA.
Parent Comment: “Shiplake is the premier rowing school in the UK, it’s the very best there is.” www.shiplake.org.uk
Shrewsbury School
Ages: 13-18
Co-educational
Location: Shrewsbury, Shropshire
A Level: 77% A*/A/B
GCSE: 60% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, Exeter University, Durham University, UCL and Russell Group Universities, as well as top US universities including Harvard.
Parent Comment: “Shrewsbury School is very good with excellent facilities and education. It’s also a lovely area to be schooled in.” www.shrewsbury.org.uk
St Catherine’s School, Bramley
Ages: 11-18
Single-sex (Girls)
Location: Guildford, Surrey
A Level: 70% A*/A
GCSE: 79% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, LSE, UCL and Russell Group Universities, as well as Harvard and NYU in the USA.
Parent Comment: “We’ve been so happy with the quality of care, the high standard of education and the sense of community. We feel it has been the best choice we could have made for our daughter.” www.stcatherines.info
St Mary’s School Ascot
Ages: 11-18
Single-sex (Girls)
Location: Ascot, Berkshire
A Level: 63% A*/A
GCSE: 94% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, Durham University, UCL and Russell Group Universities, as well as Columbia and Boston College in the USA.
Parent Comment: “Socially my daughter is very happy and has made very good friends. What strikes me is the value added and the results the school gets. The facilities, extracurriculars and the food are also amazing!” www.st-marys-ascot.co.uk
Stowe School
Set within 800 acres of spectacular landscaped parkland in Buckinghamshire, boarding is the cornerstone of life at Stowe, one of Britain’s leading public schools. Life in any of the 16 boarding Houses is energetic, full of character and deeply rooted in a strong sense of both House and School community.
Beyond the Houses, Stowe’s unrivalled educational and cocurricular facilities are a defining feature of school life. Pupils benefit from the Howden Design,
Technology & Engineering Centre, the Worsley Science Centre, the Roxburgh Theatre and the Chung Music School, alongside a state-of-the-art gym, an eight-lane athletics track, an equestrian centre, a sixlane competition swimming pool, a clay pigeon shooting range and even a golf course.
At the heart of the Stowe experience is our Change Maker ethos, inspiring pupils to think boldly, act compassionately and contribute meaningfully to their communities. This approach encourages curiosity, leadership and a genuine desire to make a positive difference in the world.
The result is a boarding experience that blends tradition with opportunity, where pupils form lifelong friendships and make the most of everything Stowe has to offer. Within The Stowe Group, pupils may also board at prep level at Ashfold, Swanbourne House or Winchester House. www.stowe.co.uk/school
Tonbridge School
Ages: 13-18 (Also The New Beacon Prep School for boys aged 4-13)
Single-sex (Boys)
Location: Tonbridge, Kent
A Level: 73% A*/A
GCSE: 77% 9/8 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, Imperial College London, LSE and Russell Group Universities, as well as Princeton and
Duke in the USA.
Parent Comment: “Tonbridge is fantastic! Very well-rounded, but also very academic. Lots of opportunities and the pastoral care is really good too.”
www.tonbridge-school.co.uk
Truro School
Ages: 11-18 (Also Truro School Prep for pupils aged 7-11)
Co-educational
Location: Truro, Cornwall
A Level: 50% A*/A
GCSE: 52% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, UCL, Durham University and Russell Group Universities, as well as Harvard and MIT in the USA.
Parent Comment: “Amazing opportunities to make the most of the Cornish setting, with activities like surfing and sailing.” www.truroschool.com
Tudor Hall
Ages: 11-18
Single-sex (Girls)
Location: Banbury, Oxfordshire
A Level: 24% A*/A
GCSE: 98% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, LSE, Durham University and Russell Group Universities.
Parent Comment: “They help the girls develop into intelligent, well-rounded and confident young women.”
www.tudorhallschool.com
St Catherine’s School
Stowe School
Truro School
Tonbridge School
Tudor Hall
SENIOR BOARDING SCHOOL CHOICES
Wellington College Ages: 13-18 (Also Wellington College Prep for pupils aged 2-13)
Co-educational
Location: Crowthorne, Berkshire
A Level: 68.1% A*/A
GCSE: 80% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, Durham University, King’s College London and Russell Group Universities, as well as Yale and Harvard in the USA.
Parent Comment: “Facilities are brilliant, but it was the teaching that most impressed us and the leadership of the Master, James Dahl, who knows every child.”
www.wellingtoncollege.org.uk
Westminster School Ages: 13-18 (Also Westminster Under School for boys aged 7-13)
Single-sex (Boys, fully co-educational by 2028) (Co-educational Sixth Form)
Location: London
A Level: 87% A*/A
GCSE: 97% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, Imperial College London, UCL and Russell Group Universities, as well as Yale and Stanford in the USA.
Parent Comment: “It is definitely all about the children, my son has been there for 4 years now, he loves it and has shown improvement in most things, he’s grown so much.”
www.westminster.org.uk
Winchester College Ages: 13-18
Single-sex (Boys) (Coeducational Sixth Form)
Location: Winchester, Hampshire
A Level: 75% A*/A
GCSE: 93% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, UCL, Imperial College London and Russell Group Universities, as well as Yale, Harvard and MIT in the USA.
Parent Comment: “A good fit for a well mannered and intellectually curious young person.”
www.winchestercollege.org
Wycombe Abbey Ages: 11-18
Single-sex (Girls)
Location: High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
A Level: 76.2% A*/A
GCSE: 97% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, King’s College London, LSE and Russell Group Universities, as well as Yale and Stanford in the USA.
Parent Comment: “Friendly and caring. My child is extremely happy there, having not only made some great friendships but also gained
a new degree of confidence. She loves the atmosphere, and the way they approach their teaching has certainly made her much more mature and independent.”
www.wycombeabbey.com
ECM Recommended State Boarding Schools 2026
Cranbrook School Ages: 13-18
Co-educational
Location: Cranbrook, Kent
A Level: 39% A*/A
GCSE: 53.4% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, UCL, Durham University and Russell Group Universities.
Parent Comment: “Kids love being at the school. It’s a safe small environment, with lots of options to get involved in extracurricular activities.”
www.cranbrookschool.co.uk
Gordon’s School Ages: 11-18
Co-educational
Location: Woking, Surrey
A Level: 41% A*/A
GCSE: 50% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, UCL, Durham University and Russell Group Universities.
Parent Comment: “We’ve been really impressed by the school, our son has made lots of friends and feels well supported.”
www.gordons.school
Haberdashers’ Adams Ages: 11-18
Co-educational
(Boys only boarding)
Location: Newport, Shropshire
A Level: 47% A*/A
GCSE: 59% 9/8/7 (A*/A)
University destinations include: Oxbridge, Imperial College London, King’s College London and Russell Group Universities.
Parent Comment: “Excellent in both education and sports.” www.adamsgs.uk
Royal Alexandra and Albert School Ages: 7-18
Co-educational
Location: Reigate, Surrey
A Level: 47% A*/A/B
GCSE: Not available University destinations include: Oxbridge, King’s College London, Durham University and Russell Group Universities.
Parent Comment: “We are really impressed with the school’s facilities and clubs. The most important thing is that our son is very happy there and has made a great group of friends.”
www.raa-school.co.uk
The Duke of York’s Royal Military School Ages: 11-18
Co-educational
Location: Dover, Kent
A Level: Over 50% A*/A/B
GCSE: Not Available
University destinations include: Oxbridge, Imperial College London, UCL and Russell Group Universities.
Parent Comment: “This school is exceptional at delivering a balance of strong education, independent life experience, good morals, discipline, self-belief and respect.”
www.doyrms.com
Wellington College
Westminster School
Winchester College
Gordon’s School
Supporting Modern Families
The importance of pastoral care in boarding
As a pastoral lead within the British boarding community, I have seen first-hand how boarding has shifted to meet the needs of 21st-century children and families. Traditional models, where full boarding was the default and pupils spent long periods away from home, are no longer the only, or the most appropriate, option.
Today, a more flexible approach is strengthening pastoral outcomes and helping boarding remain relevant within a fast-changing educational landscape.
Changing choices: from full to flexible
British boarding has historically centred on full residential provision. Increasingly, however, families can choose between full, weekly and flexible (‘flexi’) boarding. This shift reflects wider social change: dual-career households, more varied working patterns and greater awareness of adolescent emotional wellbeing. It has also made boarding accessible to families who may previously have dismissed it as incompatible with modern family life.
For many fifth and sixth form students, weekly boarding offers a balance between independence and home connection. Pupils benefit from full engagement in academic and co-curricular life during the week, while returning home at weekends for continuity, family grounding and emotional stability.
Pastoral benefits of choice and flexibility
From a pastoral perspective, the expansion of boarding models brings clear benefits.
Firstly, it supports stronger family relationships. Weekly and flexi boarding allow pupils to maintain regular contact with
parents and siblings, reducing the sense of disconnection some young people experience in more traditional arrangements.
Secondly, it allows independence to develop in stages. Flexi boarding in particular can act as a bridge: pupils build confidence gradually, rather than being expected to adapt instantly to long-term separation.
Thirdly, it enables wellbeing-led decision-making. Contemporary pastoral care recognises that adolescent wellbeing is not served by a one-size-fits-all model.
Choice gives pupils and families the ability to select a structure that fits their emotional and developmental needs.
Why these changes matter for British boarders
These developments are not only pastoral improvements, they also matter for the sustainability of boarding in the UK. Estimates suggest around 63,000-70,000 pupils board in Independent Schools Council (ISC) schools, representing roughly 11-13% of pupils recorded on census day.
However, these figures can understate the reach of modern boarding. Flexi boarding means some pupils are not counted as boarders on the specific census day, despite boarding regularly throughout the year. In practice, this means the annual number of children who experience boarding may be higher than headline statistics suggest.
Importantly, flexibility has reduced a key historical barrier: parental anxiety about prolonged separation. For many families, weekly or flexi boarding is now viewed as a practical and positive option, rather than an all-ornothing decision.
Looking ahead: the future of boarding
Adapting boarding for the 21stcentury child is not just about accommodation patterns. It requires embedding high-quality pastoral care into every model - full, weekly or flexi. Schools that thrive will be those that treat boarding not as a fixed tradition to preserve, but as a dynamic environment that supports wellbeing, resilience and identity development.
For senior boarders, this means creating a culture where pupils feel genuinely at home. It means listening to student voices, offering appropriate autonomy and ensuring that independence is supported by a strong, visible pastoral network.
In practice, this blend of flexibility, care and community is what makes boarding not only viable, but desirable for a new generation of British families and what will ensure its continued relevance in the decades ahead.
KEVIN PERRY-EVANS www.linkedin.com/in/ kevin-perry-evans
EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST WITH THE HEAD MASTER
Dr. Scott Crawford
In this episode of Education Corner Podcast, we spoke to Dr. Scott Crawford, Head Master of Lancing College in Sussex. Scott shared how Lancing College challenges pupils both academically and beyond the classroom, creating a community that prepares them to navigate a changing world.
FROM LANCING COLLEGE, SUSSEX
Scott joined Lancing College in 2025, having previously served as Deputy Head at Magdalen College School, Oxford, and before that holding several senior roles at Highgate School, including Head of Science and Housemaster. His background in biology and science education initially drew him into teaching, but he soon realised that school leadership allowed him to make an even wider impact on young people’s lives. Reflecting on his journey into headship, he explained: “Having a position of responsibility in school gives you the chance to impact a wider variety of young people than you can by being in the classroom alone.” Now at Lancing College, Scott described himself as deeply energised by the opportunity to lead such a distinctive school with a strong community, and he stated: “We have a culture of young people being upstanders rather than bystanders.”
Scott believes the College is grounded by its extraordinary school chapel which sits at the heart of the campus and plays an important role in shaping the school community. Three times a week, the whole school gathers there for chapel services, allowing pupils to reflect, celebrate achievement and connect
as a single community. He described: “It gives us a space where we can bring all of our students together, celebrate success and achievement, and have time to think about something greater than themselves.”
For Scott, the sense of community at Lancing College is rooted in a set of shared EDIB values that emphasise kindness, humility and responsibility towards others. With pupils from more than 40 different countries, the school community reflects a wide range of cultures and backgrounds. Scott explained that the school’s approach to diversity is centred on embedding cultural awareness throughout everyday life and stated: “It’s about the day-to-day cultural experience of the school that is so embedded in recognising that we are diverse.” These day-to-day activities include international celebrations such as Chinese New Year and the way pupils contribute their languages and traditions during school services. Socio-economic diversity is also a priority for the College. Since 2017, Lancing has offered a number of transformational bursaries designed to provide opportunities for pupils who might otherwise not be able to access an independent education. Scott explained: “I’m keen that the school is representative of society at large. It’s important to me that we have children here who have accessed our education through a transformational
TURN TO PAGE 55 to learn more about boarding at Lancing College
“It gives us a space where we can bring all of our students together, celebrate success and achievement, and have time to think about something greater than themselves.”
bursary and by golly, they have really contributed to the school community in a whole host of ways!”
Boarding remains central to the Lancing College experience. While around 40% of pupils are day students, Scott emphasised that the rhythm of school life is fundamentally shaped by boarding and he stated: “The rhythm of the boarding community is something that really sings here!” These longer days allow for a spaciousness where, he explained: “The pace can come right down and you can really spend time with young people, have those quiet conversations between students and trusted adults.”
In the Sixth Form particularly, rooms have been redesigned to offer greater independence, with more single and twin rooms that reflect pupils’ growing maturity as they prepare for life beyond school. The boarding structure also allows for greater flexibility for international pupils. Scott explained that the school now provides exeat accommodation with a variety of activities and trips for pupils who may not have guardians nearby or would prefer to stay at the College, ensuring they remain part of the school community even during short breaks.
Alongside boarding life, Lancing’s co-curricular programme plays a major role in shaping pupils’ experiences. With more than 120 clubs and societies available, pupils are encouraged to explore interests beyond the classroom and discover new talents. Scott described moments where pupils discover passions they had never anticipated, whether through music,
sport, academic societies or creative pursuits. He emphasised: “I’m interested in giving young people a chance to be surprised by something and to be surprised by themselves.” These experiences often help pupils build confidence and resilience, learning that success sometimes comes from trying something unfamiliar; a characteristic of the school that Scott recognised from his very first tour of Lancing. He described: “It’s largely a result of what happens, not only in the classroom, but in the co-curricular and giving children space to discover what really makes their heart sing. It’s such an important part of what we do.”
Partnership work and community engagement also play an important role in the school’s wider mission. Scott is keen to ensure that Lancing does not become isolated from the communities around it, but instead remains connected and outward-looking. Scott explained: “Making the site porous with people coming and going is another key part of our educational offering.” The school works closely with local organisations, including care homes, primary schools and SEND providers. Pupils are involved in volunteering activities and community initiatives that allow them to develop empathy and social awareness while making a positive contribution beyond the school gates.
Being part of the wider Lancing family of schools, including Lancing Prep at Hove and Worthing, Little Lancing Nursery and, more recently, Dorset House Prep School, the sense of community extends beyond the College itself. The aim is to combine the strengths of a group structure with the character and ethos of each community, Scott told us: “It’s important to me that we get the best of each other, but we don’t try to stifle the individuality of each school.” Pupils from the prep schools regularly visit the College site to access facilities such as the theatre, swimming pool and sports fields, as well as specialist teaching, helping to create a smooth pathway for those who may later progress to Lancing College. At the same time, the
group values the importance of keeping Years 7 and 8 within the prep environment, extending childhood before the transition to senior school at 13+. Staff across the schools also work closely together, sharing professional development and expertise, which Scott believes strengthens the entire group. As he described it, the partnership creates: “A happy family and a developing one.”
Technology and Artificial Intelligence are increasingly important considerations for schools, and Scott explained that Lancing is approaching these developments carefully. While recognising the potential of AI as a tool, he also stated: “It’s important for us that AI doesn’t steal the struggle of what learning looks like.” To address this, the school is consulting widely with pupils, parents and educational partners while exploring how AI can be used responsibly within teaching and assessment. At the same time, traditional learning approaches such as discussion, written work and face-to-face dialogue remain central to classroom life.
Beyond Lancing, pupils progress to leading universities across the UK and internationally. Preparing pupils for this next step is supported through a highly personalised approach, centred on Lancing College’s one-to-one tutoring system. In the Sixth Form, pupils choose a member of staff as their tutor and meet with them weekly, with conversations increasingly focused on university applications and future plans. Scott described: “For us, it boils down to individual choice and support.” Scott also shared the specialist support for certain areas of study, stating: “We’ve added a dedicated international universities coordinator who will be there to help them through some of the mechanics of international applications. We have dedicated pathways and programmes for medicine,
“It’s largely a result of what happens, not only in the classroom, but in the co-curricular and giving children space to discover what really makes their heart sing. It’s such an important part of what we do.”
engineering, law and increasingly architecture and art. There’s a lot of one-to-one guided advice here.”
Support continues after pupils leave through the Old Lancing (OL) network, which connects current students with alumni for advice and career insights. It moves beyond traditional alumni dinners to more focused networking opportunities, offering valuable insight into an ever-changing professional landscape. As Scott explained: “We have thousands of our OLs who are absolutely committed and open to supporting the next generation of young people as they find their place in the world.”
Looking ahead, Scott emphasised that his initial focus as Head Master is to listen and understand the school community, while continuing to strengthen Lancing’s position as a leading boarding school. Key priorities include evolving the curriculum for the future, enhancing weekend boarding provision and ensuring the College continues to recruit and retain outstanding teachers. He concluded by describing: “Fundamentally, I want Lancing College to be the boarding school of choice on the South Coast.”
We would like to thank Dr. Scott Crawford, Head Master at Lancing College, for giving up his time to speak to us.
Special Feature
EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST WITH THE HIGH MASTER
Mrs. Sally-Anne Huang
FROM ST PAUL’S SCHOOL, LONDON
In this episode of Education Corner Podcast, we spoke to Mrs. Sally-Anne Huang from St Paul’s school in London. Sally-Anne discussed the school’s intellectual culture, the transformative impact of its Founder’s Awards, the value of diversity of thought in the classroom and their growing contribution to conversations about boys’ education.
At St Paul’s, academic excellence is clearly visible. However, SallyAnne emphasised that these outcomes are not achieved by focusing narrowly on grades, but instead by placing intellectual curiosity at the centre of its educational philosophy. She stated: “We do get great grades, but I often say that we wouldn’t get those grades if we just concentrated on them. Getting the boys to the point where they can be confident in their exams is actually about all the stuff around the outside of that: about seeing connections, about talking to each other. It turns them into people who are intellectually curious for the future, who are questioning, who are interested in discernment, judgement and hearing other people’s opinions. We know that in the world that we’re in now and in the future, where there’s so much talk about what AI will do, it’s those skills, rather than the exam results, which are going to stand them in good stead.”
Diversity within the school community also plays an important role in sustaining intellectual curiosity. The St Paul’s Founder’s Award programme currently supports around 10% of pupils, with bursaries covering up to 100% of school costs including trips, travel and uniforms. While the impact on individual pupils can be life-changing, SallyAnne believes the wider school community benefits equally from the programme, and commented: “John Colet wanted us to bring people in from all nations and countries, because it’s about sharing different lived experiences. It’s really important that there’s diversity within the classroom: diversity of thought, ethnicity and socio-economic background. When we bring these boys in on the Founder’s Awards, they bring that intellectual curiosity, that different background, those different arguments into the classroom, and that benefits everybody.”
Although St Paul’s is primarily a day school, boarding has become increasingly popular. The boarding house offers a close-knit environment in which pupils benefit from structure, community and independence while remaining fully integrated into the wider school. Sally-Anne described: “It’s really the closest, warmest boarding community that I’ve ever known. It’s an extended family in the middle of the school. The boarders are very involved in all of the school activities and have the best of both worlds: they have a very safe boarding environment, but they also have the benefit of
“It’s really important that there’s diversity within the classroom: diversity of thought, ethnicity and socio-economic background. When we bring these boys in on the Founder’s Awards, they bring that intellectual curiosity, that different background, those different arguments into the classroom, and that benefits everybody.”
a large day school and being in London.” The school also offers a flexible boarding option with eleven beds, typically booked weeks in advance for families needing short-term accommodation. Both boarding options are currently oversubscribed, reflecting their popularity among families.
Another significant recent development is the formation of the St Paul’s School Group, created in partnership with Durston House and Shrewsbury House School. The initiative is designed to strengthen collaboration between schools that share a similar educational philosophy. One aim is to preserve notfor-profit preparatory education for families at a time when many schools are facing structural changes; another is to maintain 13+ entry as a viable pathway into senior school. Sally-Anne believes that this later point of transition often suits boys’ developmental stages more effectively, allowing them to join a larger school environment when they are ready. At St Paul’s, where thirteen-year-olds join tutor groups alongside older pupils, she noted: “If you have thirteen-year-olds in a tutor group with eighteenyear-olds, it works really well.” The group will also enable closer collaboration between schools through
shared pedagogy, staff development and events. SallyAnne explained that this approach reflects a broader educational aim: “It goes back to the idea of curiosity and meeting people from different backgrounds and different areas.” For her, the initiative is rooted in shared values rather than expansion and she emphasised: “It’s a model based on relationships and based on philosophy.”
Collaboration for improvement is also key in Sally-Anne’s involvement with the International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC) and the work being done through the St Paul’s Research Centre for the Education of Boys. Sally-Anne spoke about her motivation for supporting research in this field and told us: “As a mother of sons, I felt for a long time that nobody was talking about the boys and that it was really important, because boys have been falling behind girls at every level of education and in the workplace for quite a long time now. When I first came to St Paul’s, it was almost as though boys were seen as a problem that had to be solved; you couldn’t really speak up for them or advocate for them, but most of them are not a problem. Most of them are absolutely delightful and curious and want to be helpful. I felt that if a school like this couldn’t speak up for them and listen to them, then who would?”
The research centre aims to explore how boys learn and develop, sharing insights with schools both in the UK and internationally. The school recently hosted a regional IBSC conference featuring keynote speakers Rory Stewart and the American psychologist Dr. Niobe Way, whose research focuses on boys’ friendships and emotional development. Aligned with Colet’s vision, Sally-Anne believes: “We have a responsibility to try and disseminate what we learn and work with others so that we can improve things for boys generally, not just for boys who come to this school.”
While discussions around boys’ education often focus on challenges, particularly around online culture, Sally-Anne prefers to approach the issue constructively. She acknowledged the pressures that social media can create, but emphasised the importance of listening to boys and engaging them in open discussion, stating: “Most teenage boys are not violent and not misogynistic. If you listen to them and give them the opportunity to talk about these things in an open way where they feel they’re not going to be judged and you don’t shut them down, you don’t drive them towards the Andrew Tates of this world. At St Paul’s, we’ve completely revamped our PSHE programme in the last five years and we ask the boys what they want to discuss.”
Beyond academic preparation, the school aims to equip pupils with skills for life in the twenty-first century. Sally-Anne emphasised the importance of developing qualities that cannot easily be replaced by technology: “Discernment, flexibility, empathy, those soft skills. Some of that comes out in the classroom, absolutely, but a lot of it comes through the co-curricular programme, through leadership opportunities and the volunteering that the boys do. Our emphasis on diversity is part of that as well.”
St Paul’s has long been known for producing successful alumni across a wide range of fields. Sally-Anne believes that the school’s legacy lies not in political leadership but in creativity and entrepreneurship. She commented: “We don’t produce a lot of Prime Ministers here at St Paul’s, we let other people do that, but we do produce a lot of entrepreneurs and problem solvers. Those qualities are in the school’s DNA and they’re the things that machines won’t replace.”
The final stage of a pupil’s journey at St Paul’s involves extensive guidance around university applications. The school offers specialist advisors for both UK and US universities, ensuring that pupils receive tailored support. However, Sally-Anne emphasised that the aim is not simply admission to prestigious institutions, but long-term fulfilment: “What’s been successful for us is actually allowing them to be individuals. We talk all the time about their intellectual ideas and the areas they really want to pursue. That means they don’t just get onto the course, but they flourish once they’re there.”
Looking ahead, Sally-Anne hopes to maintain the strengths that already define St Paul’s while continuing to refine and improve its educational approach. She described: “My main aim is to focus on what we’re good at already. Make sure that we keep
“It turns them into people who are intellectually curious for the future, who are questioning, who are interested in discernment, judgement and hearing other people’s opinions. We know that in the world that we’re in now and in the future, where there’s so much talk about what AI will do, it’s those skills, rather than the exam results, which are going to stand them in good stead.”
improving on that and keep encouraging the boys to become young men with purposeful lives in the twentyfirst century. Some of it is about more of the same, but you can’t maintain that without always sharpening your sword, without improving your pedagogy, without looking at the opportunities around you and staying on top of the challenges that you have.”
Ultimately, her ambition extends beyond the school’s own campus, she shared: “Fundamentally, if we can keep driving for the very best provision for boys and extend that beyond our own site nationally and internationally, that would be the central aim for me.”
We would like to thank Mrs. Sally-Anne Huang, High Master of St Paul’s School, for giving up her time to speak with us.
EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST WITH THE HEADMASTER
Mr. Chris Wheeler
In this episode of Education Corner Podcast, we spoke to Mr. Chris Wheeler, Headmaster at Canford School in Dorset. Chris discussed Canford’s core values of humble ambition, gracious leadership, courageous attitude and purposeful engagement, and how these shape a culture where pupils make a difference beyond the school gates.
FROM CANFORD SCHOOL, DORSET
Chris joined Canford as Headmaster in September 2025, after several years as Principal and Chief Executive of the Monkton Family of Schools. He shared that Canford has been on his radar since the start of his career, having been offered his first job there before choosing to begin teaching overseas. Across his career as a Head of English and Drama, Housemaster, Deputy Head and Head, he has consistently combined academic leadership with pastoral commitment.
Chris explained that aspiration is embedded in Canford’s identity and is driven from within the pupil body, modelled and propelled by pupils themselves rather than being pushed by staff or parents. He explained: “Every conversation you have is a pupil talking about how they can do a little bit more, find a bit of extra time to do a bit more practice or to spend a little bit more time learning something about one of their subjects or to engage with some aspect of the broader part of the community.” At every level, pupil leadership is central.
Chris spoke about the school’s new Sixth Form College, stressing that its purpose goes beyond an impressive building. The intention is to smooth the transition points that can feel daunting in education, particularly moving into Sixth Form and then on to university. Lower Sixth pupils retain the strength of house identity and its vertical pastoral structure, while Upper Sixth pupils spend more time in the college environment, broadening peer networks and preparing for life beyond school. He explained that the residences are designed to build independence, with accommodation set up in smaller, university-style units, including shared kitchens and laundry facilities. The aim is to help pupils develop responsibility gradually, so that Sixth Form feels like a natural evolution rather than a sudden new world.
Pupil leadership was recognised as a significant strength in Canford’s latest ISI inspection, and Chris described how it is cultivated through structured, continuous consultation. From informal pizza evenings with Year 9 pupils, to house forums, school forums and pupil leadership boards, pupils are regularly asked what is working well and where the school should evolve. He emphasised that pupils are not only applying for existing leadership roles, but also proposing new areas where leadership is needed. Chris described: “It’s a really huge part of the Canford identity to be asking the pupils at all junctures what their
experience is and try to learn from that and, because we ask them all the time, the responses that we get are very mature, sensible and very engaged.”
Chris also shared how Canford’s co-curricular programme builds confidence, courage and purpose, from traditional sports to more unusual opportunities, such as real tennis, with Canford having one of just 26 real tennis courts in the country. He also gave a vivid example from Friday Foyer (an informal performance space in the theatre foyer). Rather than being curated, pupils drive the contributions live, encouraging one another to perform. Chris described seeing pupils demonstrate real courage, resilience and self-belief, especially a pupil returning to try stand-up comedy again after not going down well the year before. He reflected: “It’s really hard to put into words or to capture
“I’m a massive advocate of the impact that boarding has in terms of developing independence, responsibility, autonomy and the ability to build strong relationships and work out what it looks like when things are challenging.”
something that is so palpably a part of how children come out of Canford: full of the courage that says they’ll give things a go, full of the sense of purpose that goes with trying lots of different things and then finding the things that really fire your engine and doubling into that. It’s just tremendously exciting to be part of and to see.”
Chris described Canford’s approach to technology as thoughtful and evolving, aiming to avoid a blunt ban that could drive phone use underground. Pupils in Years 9-11 do not have phones in school, and boarders have structured access in the evenings, with Canford’s Sixth Form having more independence alongside phone-free areas of the school. He stressed the importance of bringing parents and schools along together, referencing work with Jonathan Haidt and the risk of harm when a child becomes the minority among peers. Canford also runs a bring-your-owndevice approach to learning where technology genuinely adds value, but he was clear that most learning still happens through conversation, listening and human interaction.
Chris argued strongly for the relevance of boarding in modern family life, focusing on the developmental benefits of independence, responsibility and sustained relationships. He shared: “I’m a massive advocate of the impact that boarding has in terms of developing independence, responsibility, autonomy and the ability to build strong relationships and work out what it looks like when things are challenging.” He also challenged the idea that boarding should be designed around parental convenience and stated: “I think there is a risk that in boarding we end up, as schools, misperceiving the client to be the parent. I would argue that the client is the child and so we’ve got to think about the child’s experience and what is valuable for them.” Chris felt that the value of boarding is time: time with peers, time building relationships, and time learning how to handle challenges and repair friendships. He also emphasised the importance of common-sense flexibility for family events, while avoiding patterns that disrupt routines and rhythms for teenagers.
Chris told us that Canford’s Futures provision goes far beyond careers and is rooted in developing “amazing people”, not simply employable ones. He explained: “We’re not running an institution to create little worker bees. We’re interested in creating amazing people and Canfordians are amazing people.” He described Futures as incorporating personal, social and moral development, including PSHE, community service, work experience, university advice and coaching skills. He also stressed that the deeper point is preparing pupils for a rapidly changing world and shared: “The world of the future is more uncertain than I think it has been at any time in history. And the reason is that change is ever faster. I think you just need to recognise that what that means is that humanity is the thing that is most important, particularly against the rise of AI. Emotional intelligence is hugely important. We want Canfordians to leave here as great parents, great spouses and great friends to one another.”
“It’s really hard to put into words or to capture something that is so palpably a part of how children come out of Canford: full of the courage that says they’ll give things a go, full of the sense of purpose that goes with trying lots of different things and then finding the things that really fire your engine and doubling into that. It’s just tremendously exciting to be part of and to see.”
also described the Beyond the Gates programme as a broad framework for exploring the world beyond Canford, including wellbeing, futures, global connections and partnership. He emphasised the importance of building links across differences, including strong partnership work with The Bourne Academy and wider local primary school engagement, describing partnership as mutually beneficial: “Building links with people who are very different from ourselves is very important, but also finding all of the commonality and all the similarities there.”
Looking ahead, Chris highlighted priorities including ensuring the Sixth Form College delivers its intended impact, continuing deliberate development of emotional intelligence, reflective capacity and mindfulness, and further strengthening creativity and the arts. He also spoke about helping pupils engage thoughtfully with digital identity and what it means to project themselves into the world online.
He ended with a compelling aspiration for Canford pupils: that school should create daily moments of awe and wonder. He shared small examples, such as pupils taking a moment to photograph a sunrise before handing in their phones and Sixth Formers discussing their favourite trees around the campus. He concluded: “I think if we can continue to offer our children those opportunities to feel a sense of awe and wonder at the world, we’re getting something right.”
We would like to thank Mr. Chris Wheeler, Headmaster at Canford School, for giving up his time to speak to us.
Chris
Modern Boarding
Boarding options to suit modern family life
St John’s School, Leatherhead is a leading co-educational independent school for pupils aged 11-18, offering day, flexi and weekly boarding. Our mission is to create an environment that is kind, supportive and full of opportunity, that inspires and equips pupils to thrive both now and in the future.
Our truly flexible boarding model has been created to suit the realities of modern family life while retaining the benefits of traditional boarding. Pupils can board regularly, weekly or for ad hoc nights, with arrangements that can change each term.
Boarding is embedded in the school’s pastoral system through four welcoming senior houses - two for boys and two for girls - and a dedicated Lower School boarding house. Each provides
a warm, supportive and genuine community where pupils feel valued and secure.
With excellent facilities, supervised prep and ready access to staff, boarders enjoy longer, fuller days and sociable evenings,
with organised activities or simply time to relax. Through these shared experiences, our pupils develop confidence, independence and lasting friendships.
Visit us to experience the spirit of St John’s.
EMMA BUSHNELL Head of Marketing and Communications
www.stjohnsleatherhead.co.uk
16th May 2026 10am - 12pm
An Individualised Approach
Supporting boarders to thrive
Reed’s School’s approach to boarding is highly individualised and bespoke, free from the constraints of a one-size-fits-all model, meaning that the approach centres on the pupil, rather than vice versa.
Pupils board for a variety of reasons. Some are ambitious academics who value extended access to the school’s resources and teachers, others are committed athletes for whom early sessions at the pool, a pitch, a court or the gym are a crucial part of their training. Many pupils board Monday to Friday, throwing themselves into school life and activities, meaning they can spend quality time with their families at weekends. The school also encourages flexi-boarders, for whom one or more nights of boarding can unlock travel logistics, specific commitments, wellbeing or workload. A number of boarders choose to stay for the weekends too and there is a full programme of trips and activities in place for them.
Numbers are kept small and staffing is specialist, allowing pupils to forge good relationships with house staff while enjoying the consistency of familiar figures. Each house has a Head of House who lives in the boarding house with their family, along with Boarding Assistants. They are all teachers and collectively focus on the pastoral care and personal development of each individual boarder. There is also a Matron for each boarding house; they look after the children’s practical needs
and provide them with support in many different ways. Boarders are also given access to a wider group of subject staff during evening prep sessions.
At every stage, Reed’s encourages pupils to become the navigators of their own journeys. Our responsibility to our boarders is diligently carried out without transgressing into a sense of ownership, creating a profound bond of trust between pupils and staff. The result is pupils who emerge comfortable in their own skin, confident but never arrogant, emotionally intelligent and adept at confidently navigating social interactions. Above all, they learn the invaluable lesson of taking control over their lives and understanding the paramount importance of happiness as a critical ingredient for success. At Reed’s, every child's potential is not just discovered, but celebrated and nurtured.
The three boarding houses at Reed’s are divided by age. This means that there is separation from pupils’ allocated main Houses, which are very much at the heart of the school, so they can
easily move from day to boarding without having to change their House affiliation. The Close (Years 7 and 8) places an emphasis on a small, homely and nurturing environment with its mantra of
‘Ubuntu’ (I am because we are) and its friendly house dog, Honey. School House (Years 9-11) sees pupils undertake a programme of domestic, practical and social life skills aimed at increasing
their independence, whilst the co-educational Sixth Form House prepares pupils to thrive in the wider world; many pupils start boarding at this point to experience communal living prior to attending university.
A distinctive feature of boarding at Reed’s is the way older pupils naturally support and socialise with younger boarders. This culture creates moments that are both joyful and formative: mixed-age games of touch rugby after summer barbecues, celebrations of the Chinese MidAutumn Festival alongside Guy Fawkes Night and evening football matches on the astroturf - where it is rumoured even the Headmaster has been known to join in and score a few wonder goals!
ALISON ATKINS Marketing Manager
www.reeds.surrey.sch.uk
Supporting International Boarders
Quintessentially British education with an innovative cultural competence
Here at St Catherine’s, we pride ourselves on the support available to boarders - and this often predates their arrival to the UK! We contact families who are still in their home countries so boarders and parents can meet key boarding staff and get a taste of the school at their convenience. The support only increases as boarders arrive and we have a team of Senior Boarding Prefects to support them as they become accustomed to life in the UK.
Set in rural Surrey, our boarders have the opportunity to experience typically British life that many only know from television. The Surrey Hills are a beautiful natural landscape and a lot of families appreciate the charm of village life. We have great connections with the wider community which gives our boarders a sense of confidence. Our boarders also have the opportunity to experience British classics like lacrosse and Bonfire Night. This cultural immersion is something that many alumni fondly remember.
To a teenager, food is very important. We go much further than respecting culture-based dietary requirements: our Dining Room Committee organises
special meals to celebrate culturally significant moments, including Lunar New Year, Nigerian Independence Day and Oktoberfest. For some, these events are a taste of home; for others, it is the opportunity to
experience their friends’ home countries. In many countries, eating together is very important, so we have a Community Supper every Wednesday where the boarding community comes together for a family-style meal. This strengthens bonds and reminds our boarders that they are valued, regardless of where their family is based.
Our boarders are cared for by our culturally diverse Resident Staff team. Many have lived, or are living, abroad themselves, making them more empathetic and better equipped to support boarders living in the UK for the first time. Staff receive regular training through the Boarding Schools’ Association and other accredited organisations. Our main goal is ensuring that we can offer child-centred care, helping them to adjust to life abroad while acknowledging where they come from.
Unlike other boarding schools, we don’t offer weekend lessons. This gives our boarders the opportunity to participate in sporting matches, organised activities and trips to places like London and Brighton. Our excellent facilities enable us to offer a wide range of onsite activities including swimming, exercise in our Fitness Suite, baking, skateboarding or indoor
archery, team sports and much more. Our music practice rooms are open after school each day as well as over the weekends, and Sixth Formers have an allocated Art Studio to work in during evenings and weekends. On weekend evenings, boarders are
encouraged to come together to play board games, do crafts, have a spa evening or watch a film together. Living on site removes commute times, ensuring there is ample time to balance fun and study, and to decompress after a busy week.
Boarding at St Catherine’s creates a home-away-fromhome for our girls, where they have the opportunity to be with people who make them feel safe and secure. Living in a boarding house gives them the opportunity to talk things through and make sense of their thoughts, emotions and experiences. Through boarding, girls learn to build good relationships with a diverse selection of people who have many different interests. St Catherine’s creates a supportive community around our girls, where they can grow and develop. This is a place to be curious, to be kind, to live fully, laugh often and love learning - together.
ROBYN FELL Assistant Boarding Housemistress
www.stcatherines.info
FROM SWIM SQUAD TO PROTECTING SMILES IN THE SCRUM.
Education’s Best-Kept Secret
Widening access to a boarding education
Often described as education’s best-kept secret, state boarding schools offer the facilities, pastoral care and academic excellence afforded by their independent counterparts but at a fraction of the cost.
Few have heard about them, yet there are around 30 state boarding schools in the UK. The state funds tuition fees and parents fund the boarding aspect. This means that parents could be paying less than £24,000 a year for full boarding, an excellent education and pastoral care, enviable facilities and a fantastic range of co-curricular activities! Added to which, state boarding schools offer the traditions, history and House structures championed by their independent counterparts.
As well as the financial benefits, they are a popular choice for families due to the school staff’s familiarity, expertise and experience in dealing with children from a range of backgrounds and cultures, including those in Service families.
Demand for places at state boarding schools is high. Gordon’s School in Surrey, a non-selective state boarding school, gives priority for places to children with a clear need to board, such as those from military families.
Boarders are kept busy! The extended school day for both day and boarding students at Gordon’s means a co-curricular activity every weekday and Saturday mornings with supper and prep for all. On top of this, children can choose from over 128 co-curricular activities, from chess or board games to mock trials or learning bushcraft in a forest school.
A rich seam of heritage and tradition runs through this coeducational state school. As the National Memorial to General Gordon, with an unbroken line of Sovereign Patrons, students at the school are proud of its history and the part they play. The tradition of marching, started in 1885 when the school first opened as a home for “necessitous boys”, is continued with drill every Friday,
regular whole-school parades and an annual parade, led by the school’s Pipes and Drums through Whitehall to General Gordon’s statue on the Thames. These regular drills, marches and parades not only instil discipline in the students but strengthen bonds between older and younger students.
Further unity comes with the chance of taking part in the Combined Cadet Corps, Ten Tors and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme expeditions. These activities are seen as vital, not only for their physical well-being, but for improving their transferable skills and ultimately their chances in whatever they decide to do after leaving school.
SARAH GRIFFIN Communications Officer
Boarding and Belonging
Lancing offers a fully immersive school experience, with routines, staffing and culture shaped around a strong and vibrant community. Many pupils are full boarders, living on-site throughout the week and weekend and benefiting from the continuity, stability and friendships that come with a shared daily life. Alongside them, the College offers a small number of flexi-boarding places, allowing pupils to stay in-House for up to three nights per week. This option supports families who want their children to experience aspects of boarding life while maintaining a more home-based routine. Regardless of boarding pattern, all pupils are integrated into the same House structure and pastoral systems, ensuring consistency of care and belonging.
Proudly diverse
The school is proudly diverse and welcomes pupils from over 40 nationalities each year. This global mix is a core part of the school’s identity and is actively celebrated. Diversity is embedded in daily life through community events, international representation, pupil leadership, curriculum development, staff training and inclusive cultural celebrations - all underpinned by a commitment to fostering a tolerant, globally minded environment.
A Lancing weekend
Weekends are an important and lively part of the Lancing experience. Typically, around 300 pupils remain on campus, creating a strong sense of community and continuity. Sports fixtures will typically follow Saturday school and PSHE-focused and career events. Sundays are intentionally calmer. A late morning brunch brings Houses together in a convivial atmosphere and pupils enjoy unstructured time alongside access to College facilities such as the swimming pool, sports hall, library and Art School. The school also organises regular trips and excursions, giving boarders opportunities to explore cultural, recreational and outdoor activities beyond the campus.
A
pastoral ethos
Lancing’s pastoral approach is grounded in kindness, empathy and a strong commitment to emotional wellbeing, and the 2023 ISI Inspection recognised pastoral care as a ‘Significant Strength’.
The House system sits at the heart of this provision: each of the ten Houses (seven boarding and three day) is led by an experienced Housemaster or Housemistress, supported by Assistant HMMs, Matrons and Tutors who provide
daily guidance and continuity of care. Every member of staff contributes to the wellbeing of pupils, ensuring a genuinely whole school approach. A distinctive feature of Lancing’s pastoral model is its emphasis on pupil leadership. Each year, more than 25 Sixth Formers train as Peer Supporters, offering a trusted listening ear for younger pupils who may prefer to speak with someone closer to their own age. The Chaplaincy adds an additional layer of spiritual and emotional support, offering space for reflection and guidance. Ultimately, these systems come together to create a boarding community where pupils feel known, supported and confident to grow academically, socially and personally.
A Supportive Community
Supporting boys to flourish
Boarding lies at the heart of Tonbridge School’s identity. Rooted in the motto, ‘Only Connect’, it shapes an environment in which boys are known as individuals and encouraged to engage meaningfully with the world around them. As one Housemaster reflected: “Our House system is a really sophisticated way of supporting the boys as individuals and for them to feel known, cared for, valued and accepted for who they are. House staff remain the same throughout a boy’s time at Tonbridge.” The result is a culture where academic ambition and personal development are equally prized.
Boarding is defined by our House system. Housemasters, Housemistresses and Matrons provide consistency of care,
often over many years, creating genuine stability and belonging. Each year group is supported by a dedicated House Tutor, ensuring continuity throughout a boy’s time at Tonbridge. Shared dining and common rooms foster connection, while protected lunchtimes strengthen friendships.
“My advice for those wanting to follow their passion for art is to experiment with your work.
At Tonbridge inspiration is never far away and there is limitless opportunity to create.
From Tonbridge to Oxford University, discover Ben’s journey into Fine Art.
Vertical integration within Houses is central to Tonbridge’s ethos. Younger boys benefit from the example and reassurance of senior role models, while older pupils develop empathy, leadership and a sense of responsibility in their roles as mentors.
House competitions, socials and informal gatherings add fun and a strong sense of belonging, ensuring that every boy has a place and a part to play. In a fast-paced world, boarding at Tonbridge allows genuine relationships to flourish and lasting self-confidence to grow.
CLARE ROWTON
Marketing and Communications www.tonbridge-school.co.uk
Your Child Can Be a Published Author
Transforming
Little Book Factory is an entirely unique concept that transforms children’s original stories into beautifully illustrated hardback books.
Unlike traditional personalised books that only insert names and pre-templated characters into existing stories, Little Book Factory takes children’s own creative work and turns it into a treasured keepsake.
Founded by Gemma Shelley in 2025, the inspiration struck when her primary-aged daughter asked her if she could ‘make a book’ from the story she had scribbled onto a notepad. It seemed such a simple question. After all, Shelley had spent years working in publishing, but this innocent query planted a seed that would eventually grow into Little Book Factory - a business dedicated to transforming children’s original stories and artwork into professionally bound
hardback books. The impact on children has been nothing short of educationally amazing.
The educational power of publication
When children know their work will be transformed into an actual book, something magical happens - writing transforms from a classroom exercise into purposeful creation. Suddenly, spelling matters. Story structure becomes important. Every illustration deserves their best effort.
Shelley explained: “I’ve been working closely with local schools to run creative workshops alongside our book service. I’ve personally witnessed reluctant writers blossom into enthusiastic authors, simply because their words would live on in a professionally bound book they could share with family and keep forever.”
Beyond literacy skills, creating a book builds confidence, resilience and pride in achievement. Children develop editorial skills as they revise and refine their work. They learn that creativity is valuable and their ideas matter.
From the kitchen table to classrooms
What began as a mother fulfilling her daughter’s wish has grown into partnerships with schools across the UK. Teachers tell us that class book projects have become a highlight of their academic year - moments
when every child, regardless of ability, experiences the thrill of being a published author.
Some schools create individual books, others collaborative class anthologies. We’ve seen everything from superhero adventures to heartfelt family stories, from scientific explorations to pure fantasy. Each book is utterly unique, just like its young author.
A keepsake beyond measure Years from now, when my daughter is grown, she’ll still have that first book - a tangible reminder of her six-year-old imagination, preserved in hardback. That’s what we create at Little Book Factory: not just books, but memories, confidence and proof that every child’s story deserves to be heard. Every child is an author. They just need someone to believe it.
GEMMA SHELLEY
Founder
www.littlebookfactory.co.uk
Respecting the Natural World
No one is too small to make a difference
When I started writing Land of the Last Wildcat, my focus was to explore the relationship between a single working mum, Allegra Lau, and her wayward, independent ten-year-old daughter, Puffin. As I delved deeper into the story, I made Allegra a research scientist specialising in the study of a unique wildcat called the kuri. The kuri in the story is a mythic wildcat from a place called Linger Island and is thought to have healing powers. No one believes that a kuri still exists, but Allegra makes it her life’s mission to try and find one. This fervour for her work means she is often absent from home, making Puffin a latchkey kid; a child that looks after themselves at times.
is faced with a dilemma - she realizes that the wildcat has been captured to discover the source of its healing power. Testing and experimentation lie in store for the kuri. Puffin cannot believe that harm is potentially coming to the wildcat just so scientists can find out how it heals. But what can she do about it? Read the story to find out…
One day (spoiler ahead), Puffin discovers a kuri locked up in the lab where her mum works and
Whilst I started out writing about Allegra and Puffin, I’m not surprised that themes of ethical research, nature conservation and respect for the natural world featured in my first children’s book. Like Puffin, I was a latchkey kid and spent many hours playing in remnant bushland near my suburban home in Australia. This fostered my love and appreciation for the wilderness. I also had a childhood fascination with science, in particular chemistry. Unbeknownst to my parents, I regularly experimented with household products! So, even in my formative years, I was interested in both science and nature. As a teenager in Western Australia, we were educated about how CFCs contributed to the thinning of the ozone layer in the Southern hemisphere. It was then that I understood that human behaviour and choices directly
impact the environment. Soon after, I started working as an environmental campaigner for the Wilderness Society. The campaign I worked on was to stop the deforestation of ancient jarrah forests in the southwest of Western Australia, a global biodiversity hotspot. Spending time in these magnificent forests magnified my disbelief that these ancient ecosystems were being turned into woodchips, to make… packaging paper! Working to stop old growth logging made me realize the effectiveness of wellorganised, non-violent civil protest and that doing nothing means that nothing changes.
We humans rely on nature to survive. What I wanted to explore in Land of the Last Wildcat is the balance between the application of science in the exploration and
exploitation of nature. When is enough, enough? When should natural resources be left alone rather than plundered? These are questions that I attempted to address through Puffin’s dilemma when she realizes what lies in store for the kuri wildcat. She struggles with the enormity of
Stop. Listen.
What does the wild say?
So begins Wildful, Kengo Kurimoto’s debut graphic novel, that asks us to open up our senses and listen to the natural world around us.
It was inspired by an encounter in the woods. A badger with a tiny cub in tow; “It was dusk and the light was all silvery”, he recalls: “It was so magical, I just wanted to capture that moment somehow, it was like a window into another world…”
what the consequences might be if she doesn’t act, and more so, if she does.
As a ten-year-old child, Puffin doubts herself in the adult world of science, research, profit and loss. There is no clear solution so, ultimately, she follows her instinct of what she feels is right to do.
In writing this book, I hope the reader takes away the feeling that, to quote Greta Thunberg: “No one is too small to make a difference.”
LUI SIT Author
www.lui-land.co.uk
Around this time, a friend from the Alderleaf Wilderness School introduced him to tracking skills, teaching him to understand bird calls and spot animal tracks. This was the original focus of the book, but with time, he chose to strip back the dialogue and let nature speak for itself.
One of the challenges was to depict birdsong graphically. “I had to listen carefully and imagine what shape it would be. I began with going up and down in pitch, but started playing with shapes too. Songs like the robin’s are unfathomably complex.” The story crescendos with the dawn chorus; “Now that was a challenge to draw!”
For Kengo, it was a break from his usual work as a game designer, working on titles like LittleBigPlanet. He shared: “It was nice to get back to just a pen and paper.” He hired a studio in a tumble down farm and walked five miles each day through the woods to get there. “This was my research,” he said: “You see a lot when you’re out there every day…”
Now that the book’s complete, he looks back at those days fondly: “The world felt so magical and alive. Back in my day job, I have to remember to still go out and pay attention, but I’m always so happy when I do.”
KENGO KURIMOTO Author
www.studiokengo.com
AUTHOR PHOTO BY CHLOE HARDWICK
Can We Really Help the Planet?
Teaching children about climate change
As a non-fiction children’s author, one of my favourite challenges is tackling a tricky topic and making it both accessible and engaging. Books about the environment definitely fall into that category. Take the importance of soil health, for example. Not an obvious topic for a children’s book, even though 95% of our food relies on soil, but pitch it right and it’s absolutely fascinating. What you need is a way in, ideally with some appealing characters - and what better way to explore the wonders of soil than by tunnelling underground with some wiggly worms in a question-and-answer flap book, charmingly illustrated by Moesha Kellaway? That’s how First Questions & Answers: Why do we need worms? was born.
At Usborne - the publishing company I work for - we call it “educating by stealth.” A worm in a lab coat peering through a microscope is hardly true-to-life, but open the flaps to see what she’s looking at and you discover that in just one teaspoon of soil there could be as many as a BILLION living things. You even get to meet some of the nematodes, bacteria, fungi and protozoa. And on the following double page, you see them in action at the soil factory, breaking down rock and organic
matter to make a super-rich soil. Yes, we’ve made them friendly characters with hard hats and aprons, working at a conveyor belt, but the science is all there - even down to the ‘Plant Root Café’, which
explains the symbiotic relationship between plants and bacteria. By comparison, you’d think writing about protecting polar bears, dolphins and tigers would be a doddle, especially when the animals are beautifully illustrated by Roisin Hahessy. But the challenge comes in explaining WHY they need protecting, whilst also maintaining hope and positivity for the future. Climate change, pollution, habitat loss - it doesn’t seem fair to burden young children with the problems created by previous generations. Yet this is their world and they are the future. Children have an innate love for nature and an innate sense of fairness; if we nurture both these things and build their empathy
and understanding, then they can stand up for what they believe in and feel better about the future. That’s the vision behind our Can we really help… series. In each title, the animals in danger come to the kids for help. They explain their predicament and the kids brainstorm brilliant solutions. For the polar bears struggling with melting sea ice,
the kids are inspired to write to the leaders of all the countries in the world with top suggestions on reducing greenhouse gases. For the dolphins suffering from sea pollution, the kids make a video urging governments to take firm action against big polluters, and the video ends up going viral. For the tigers being hunted and forced from their natural habitat, the kids
decide to make posters promoting wild animals and wild places. Their rationale: “If people fall in love with the wild, they’ll do more to protect it.” Their posters are put on display in the town square, attracting national interest and a visit from the Prime Minister - who agrees to the kids’ request for him to host an Endangered Species Conference! I love kids’ enthusiasm for the world around them, from holding a wiggly worm or jumping in a muddy puddle to discovering that gorillas are our distant cousins or that no two tigers have the same stripes. Let’s encourage this enthusiasm, spark their curiosity and empower them with knowledge - then they can face the future with positivity.
KATIE DAYNES Author and Editor
www.usborne.com
ONE HOUR A WEEK FLEXIBLE TIMES
The Adventure of Exploration
Answering children’s big questions
Frog is a narrative non-fiction picture book about the origins of the universe and of life on Earth. The story begins with a child gazing at frogspawn in a pond. They ask a question that I first heard more than a decade ago, when my son’s teacher sent home a note stuck to his reading diary: “If frogs come from eggs, and eggs come from frogs, where did the first frog come from?”
I kept hold of the note and kept thinking about it. I realised that, to fully answer the question, I’d need to explain where the building blocks of life came from and how they assembled themselves into the complex creatures we see around us today. I’d need to tell the story of the universe itself.
I often meet parents, carers and teachers who feel nervous about answering a child’s BIG questions, especially about the origins of life, evolution and death. I chose to tackle these subjects in Frog and its companion titles: Moth: An Evolution Story and Fox: A Story of Life on Earth to give families and educators the tools to begin those conversations. The best time to introduce big ideas to a child is
TURN BACK TO PAGE 9 to read about the benefits of Churcher’s College’s spacious setting
when they begin to ask questions. Learning is most powerful when it is led by curiosity and I truly believe children can understand anything at any age if it’s explained in the right way. The familiar features and shared storytelling of a picture book are a fantastic bridge to new ideas.
I hope Frog helps children to better understand their own place in our natural world, because the story of frog is also the story
of humans. As the very last line says, every living thing on Earth is both a whisper of the past and a wonder of the universe. We are all part of the same spectacular, interconnected tree of life. I’m thrilled that Frog has been so well-received, being shortlisted for the Children’s Wainwright Prize,
Peter’s Children’s Book of the Year and the SLA Information Book Award, shortlisted for the 2026 UKLA Book Awards and Spark! Book Awards and named a BBC Wildlife Best Book of 2025.
Ultimately, I hope the story and the stunning artwork by Daniel Egnéus inspires parents and teachers to dive in and talk about natural history with children. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the ‘right’ answers to their questions. Science is all about the adventure of exploration.
ISABEL THOMAS Author
www.isabelthomas.co.uk
Exploring the Natural World
Discovering nature on your doorstep
There’s no getting around the fact that the books I’ve written for Barrington Stoke, from The Fall in 2011 to Lark in 2019, are at times harrowing reads. If they eventually lead the characters (and the reader) to a place of transcendence and hope, they’re designed, along the way, to wring you out emotionally. So, when I began to think about a new story, it seemed time to try something a little less heavy, with laughs and adventure taking the place of sadness and struggle.
As usual, I began by going back into my memories. I first encountered the Wyke Beck, always simply called:
“The Beck”, in September 1976, when I started at Corpus Christi High School in Leeds. Back then, the Beck, which crawled its way through scruffy estates, past abandoned warehouses and windswept landfill sites, was something close to a sewer. Pretty much the only living things were the rats that frolicked on its banks and a green scum that floated on its surface.
Yet, for us the Beck was a source of excitement and adventure. After school, we’d hang out in our little groups of three or four, pushing each other in and horsing around. Though it wasn’t the richest of natural environments,
the Beck still felt like an eruption of the wild into our humdrum suburban lives. In some of the less polluted stretches, there was the faint chance of a newt or a clot of frogspawn. Even those rats could give you the thrill of encountering something untamed and the rumour that a cornered rat would fly straight for your throat thrillingly raised the stakes.
In the years since then, the Wyke Beck has been transformed. Water voles plop into the water to join the sticklebacks and bullheads; slow worms, a kind of legless lizard, slither through grassy banks. Most excitingly of all, the vanishingly rare white-clawed crayfish has found one of its last UK refuges in that little stream.
My story begins with my main character, Kyle, getting dumped by his parents on his irascible and eccentric granddad. With no Wi-Fi and only a broken TV, Kyle anticipates a day of boredom. Not even the presence of Rude Word, Grandad’s three-legged dog, lightens his mood. But then Grandad takes him down to the
Beck. Trousers rolled up, shoes and socks off, they wade into the water, discovering the glories in its murky depths. Much to his surprise, Kyle finds that he loves it.
Still, that wildlife only has a fragile hold and the main plot turns on the attempts by Kyle
and his granddad to thwart, not always entirely within the law, an industrial development that endangers the crayfish and other animals.
I wanted to show that the natural world, right here in the UK, offers the chance for young and old to
explore, discover and be enriched in ways far beyond the scope of our screens and devices.
However, being a McGowan book, there are still darker elements to the story. We become aware that Kyle’s parents have troubles of their own and a shadow of illness falls across this otherwise sunny tale.
But, spoiler alert, it’s a McGowan book without a tragic ending. For once, nobody dies, and that includes the dog!
Although a certain ancient Elvis wig does come to a sad end.
So, that’s The Beck - a book that I hope will educate, entertain and amuse.
• Introductory meeting to get to know your family and your child/children
• Assessment when required to establish your child’s levels
• School advice for both primary and secondary in the London area and beyond
• Support and advice on suitable school choices
• Booster sessions in key exam skills
Place your rising stars in our hands...
How to Support Dyslexic Students Preparing for Exams
“I’m a GCSE English teacher… and I can’t spell…”
I probably shouldn’t admit this as a GCSE English teacher, examiner and tutor… but I can’t spell. I often struggle to know whether an e should be on the end of a word, or whether I should be doubling my ns in verbs. And it’s not because I’m stupid.
I’m on the dyslexic spectrum. Do you know what? I’m pretty proud of it!
I began my career as a teaching assistant straight after university and it was the Head of the English department at the time who first saw my potential. He told me that if I wanted to become a teacher, he would support me through my two years of PGCE training - and so my journey began.
All through my academic life, I had worked differently from everyone around me. When it came to essay writing, my desk would be covered in colourful Postit notes, each one holding an idea. I’d move them around until I could see my plan visually and only then would I start writing. When I did exactly the same thing during my teacher training lectures, I didn’t think twice about it.
My tutor did. I was sent for an assessment and you guessed it - I was dyslexic. I could read and I could write; I just couldn’t spell reliably. I also planned methodically and visually… with lots of very pretty Post-it notes.
Without realising it, I began to incorporate my own way of organising and planning ideas into my classroom teaching. My students loved it. They sorted cards, followed writing frames and used sentence stems laid out step by step - methodically. Their marks improved, their grades went up and their confidence skyrocketed. From my point of view, I wasn’t doing anything revolutionary. I was simply teaching in a way that made sense. After all, why wouldn’t you give someone a clear structure to follow?
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re a parent of a dyslexic child or a teacher of one. Perhaps you have a neurodivergent teenager in your family or classroom. Maybe you feel unsure, or completely overwhelmed, about how to help them, especially when it comes to GCSE English.
There’s a lot of writing, a lot to remember and a lot of pressure across both English Language and Literature.
So here are three key things I would want every dyslexic and neurodivergent student to have in place when preparing for their GCSE English exams.
Firstly, clear writing frames for every question.
Writing frames remove cognitive overload. Instead of having to think about what to say and how to structure it at the same time, students can focus purely on the content of their response. At the risk of sounding ‘robotic’, this approach secures far more marks than letting a student wander down tangent boulevard. Structure
brings clarity - and clarity brings confidence.
Secondly, consistent practice with past paper questions.
Repetition works exceptionally well for dyslexic and neurodivergent learners. When question types become familiar, stress levels drop - and stress is often the biggest barrier to clear thinking in an exam. Rotating past paper questions over a period of six to twelve months helps build automaticity and calm.
Finally - and this can be controversial - some preplanning for creative writing. Students do not need to memorise a story word-for-word. However, having two or three well practised ideas gives them
Embracing Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity assessment and support
At the Children’s Wellness Centre, we provide thorough, compassionate and evidencebased neurodiversity assessments and support services for children and young people. We recognise neurodiversity as a natural and valuable part of human variation and are proud to be a neuroaffirming clinic that focuses on understanding each child’s unique profile of strengths, needs and ways of experiencing the world. Our approach is rooted in respect, collaboration and clinical excellence, ensuring that every family feels heard, supported and guided throughout their journey.
Comprehensive neurodiversity assessments
We offer a wide range of neurodevelopmental assessments, including assessments for ADHD, autism, combined ADHD and autism, and other cognitive,
something to walk into the exam holding onto. That sense of preparedness can dramatically reduce anxiety and increase confidence.
If you don’t currently have access to writing frames, past papers or guidance on how to pre-plan creative writing, start by speaking to your child’s teacher. You can also explore my social media pages, where I share simple, practical strategies to support dyslexic students in GCSE English.
From one dyslexic English teacher to you - good luck!
SARAH DAVIES Founder and CEO of Successful Direction Tutoring
www.successfuldirectiontutoring.mykajabi.com
developmental and learning differences. Each assessment follows national clinical standards and best practice guidelines, ensuring that outcomes are robust, meaningful and widely recognised. Our assessments typically include detailed developmental histories, information from parents and schools, standardised questionnaires and direct clinical observations, both in clinic and at school. We also have a licence to use QbChecks. This multisource approach helps us build an accurate picture of how a child is functioning across different settings, while keeping the process
respectful, child-centred and clinically sound.
A neuroaffirming, child-centred approach
As a neuroaffirming clinic, we do not view neurodivergent differences as deficits to be fixed. Instead, we understand them as part of natural human diversity. We work with children and families to explore how these differences show up in everyday life, learning, relationships and emotional wellbeing, and how environments and expectations can be adapted to better support the child.
We place great importance on creating a calm, welcoming and supportive environment. Our clinicians take time to build rapport, reduce anxiety and ensure that each child feels safe and understood. Throughout the process, we emphasise strengths as well as support needs, helping children and young people develop a positive and realistic understanding of themselves.
ADHD assessments
Our ADHD assessment pathway is a structured, gold-standard process led by experienced clinicians. It includes careful screening, detailed history taking, information from schools and inclinic assessment sessions. Where appropriate, observations and standardised measures are used to ensure that conclusions are wellgrounded and clinically robust.
Families receive clear verbal feedback and a comprehensive written report. This report explains the findings in accessible language and includes practical, tailored recommendations. These may include strategies for home and school, guidance for teachers, suggestions for therapeutic
support and information about medical pathways and further specialist input where appropriate.
Autism assessments
Our autism assessments follow a multidisciplinary model and draw on well-established diagnostic tools alongside clinical expertise and careful observation. We place strong emphasis on understanding each child’s communication style, sensory preferences, social experiences and coping strategies, as well as the environments in which they live and learn.
Families receive a clear, strengths-based explanation of the outcomes, along with thoughtful and practical recommendations designed to support the child’s wellbeing, learning and development in everyday life.
Support beyond assessment
For us, the assessment is not the end of the journey. We believe meaningful change happens through ongoing, practical support. That is why we offer a range of post-assessment services, including neurodiversity and ADHD coaching, therapeutic support and guidance for families and schools.
Coaching sessions are tailored to the individual and may focus on organisation, routines, emotional regulation, confidence, social
understanding and everyday life skills, always in a way that respects and affirms the child’s neurodivergent identity. We also support families with education planning and EHCP applications, helping them navigate systems with clarity and strong evidence.
Working in partnership with families
Across all our work, we prioritise collaboration, transparency and compassion. Our neuroaffirming ethos means we aim not just to help children cope, but to help them thrive, build selfunderstanding and develop confidence in who they are. At the Children’s Wellness Centre, we are committed to providing assessment and support that is clinically robust, deeply respectful and genuinely lifechanging for children, young people and their families.
TAMMI FIORAVANTI Co-Founder and Clinical Director
www.childrenswellnesscentre.co.uk
Neurodiversity and Mental Health
Five things we must do to support neurodivergent children
I hold a uniquely integrated perspective when it comes to supporting neurodivergent young people - one grounded in both lived and professional experience.
I’m neurodivergent myself, with first-hand understanding of school-based anxiety. I’m also a parent to neurodivergent children, navigating the daily blend of advocacy, joy and complexity that many families will recognise. Professionally, I’ve taught across every phase of education, from Early Years to undergraduate Psychology. As an Educational Psychologist, I specialise in neuroaffirming assessment and support, helping young people thrive within systems that do not always fit them. Through my company, Dr. Joanne Ltd., I consult with local authorities, academy trusts, schools, universities and families, giving me insight into both individual needs and systemic pressures. Through this combined lens, there are five foundations I see as essential for protecting and promoting the mental health of neurodivergent children.
1. Centre the young person’s voice
Neurodivergent children will grow into neurodivergent adults, so supporting their autonomy now builds lifelong self-advocacy.
In every assessment I undertake, the young person’s voice is central. I explore their strengths, passions, challenges, sensory experiences and support preferences.
Crucially, I adapt my approach to ensure meaningful participation, regardless of communication style. This might involve visual tools, interest-based discussions, written responses or observation.
At home and in school, we must move from “What is wrong?” to
“What works for you?” Furthermore, modelling our own needs for rest, routine and sensory comfort normalises self-advocacy and gives children scripts for how to do this.
2. Prioritise environment over ‘fixing’ the child
Luke Beardon describes the Golden Equation: Autism + Environment = Outcome
This principle extends across neurodivergence: mental health outcomes are not determined by a diagnosis alone, but by the fit between a young person and their environment.
When distress arises, the first question should be: “What needs adjusting around this child?” not “How do we make this child cope better?”
Through my Differently Parenting Programme, developed after seeing the limitations of traditional behaviour-focused parenting programmes, I support families to create neuroaffirming homes tailored to their children’s unique nervous systems, neurodivergent experiences and family dynamics. Similarly, in schools, support must move beyond compliance-based
expectations and towards flexibility, predictability and relational safety.
3. Make neurodiversity everyone’s responsibility
A child’s mental health deteriorates when they feel forced to mask, misunderstood or judged against neurotypical norms.
Psychological safety develops in environments where difference is normalised and respected.
Over 25,000 young people across England have attended my neurodiversity assemblies, and it is so lovely to have a child say excitedly to me: “You were talking about me!”
Families can reinforce this by choosing books and media that reflect neurodivergent identities, positively and realistically. Acceptance is protective.
4. Protect time for joy and regulation
In a culture of productivity, joy is often treated as optional. For neurodivergent young people, it is essential.
Deep interests, movement, nature - these are not distractions from wellbeing; they are regulators
of the nervous system. Time spent in flow reduces anxiety, supports identity development and builds competence.
5. Invest in trusted relationships Strong relationships are key to mental health.
Children regulate through co-regulation - borrowing calm from trusted adults. This process only works when the relationship feels safe. Across my work with schools and local authorities, I repeatedly see that the most effective interventions are
Supporting Boys to Thrive
relational, not programmatic. A calm, attuned adult can do more for a child’s nervous system than any behaviour chart ever could.
It’s important, too, that children have peer spaces where they belong. This can be beyond the school gates, such as within online groups.
Supporting neurodivergent children’s mental health is not about changing who they are. It’s about adjusting environments, deepening understanding, and strengthening relationships so they can thrive as their authentic selves.
DR. JOANNE RIORDAN Independent Neurodivergent
Educational
Psychologist
www.drjoanne.co.uk
The link between emotional literacy, behaviour and learning
Boys continue to be disproportionately represented in underachievement, behavioural sanctions and exclusion across the education system. While many explanations are offered - attainment gaps, attention, motivation, behaviour - one critical factor is often overlooked: the emotional and relational context shaping boys’ behaviour in the first place.
For many boys, behaviour and learning are not separate issues. Behaviour is often the outward expression of what a boy is struggling to manage internally. Emotional literacy - the ability to recognise, name, understand and regulate emotions - is the bridge between the two.
This matters because boys, as a group, are less likely to have been supported to develop emotional language early in life. Social
expectations still encourage boys to suppress vulnerability rather than articulate it. For boys growing up without a consistent father or positive male role model, this gap can be even wider. Emotional understanding is often assumed rather than taught.
In schools, what adults tend to see first is behaviour: anger, withdrawal, disruption, refusal or humour used to deflect attention. What is less visible is what sits underneath. Boys may be carrying grief, loss, confusion, shame or anxiety that
they do not yet have the words to express. When emotions remain unnamed, they tend to emerge through behaviour instead.
This is where many wellintentioned responses fall short. A boy who reacts strongly to criticism may be labelled as defiant, when criticism actually triggers feelings of failure or rejection. A boy who disengages from learning may be seen as unmotivated, when he is emotionally overwhelmed or protecting himself from further disappointment. The behaviour becomes the focus, while the cause remains unaddressed.
In our work at Lads Need Dads CIC, emotional literacy is the bedrock of everything we do. From day one, we create intentional spaces where boys are supported to become emotionally intelligent, not by telling them how they should feel, but by teaching them the language to understand what they are already experiencing.
Teaching emotional literacy begins with emotional vocabulary. Boys are introduced to a wide range of emotions, not just “happy” or “angry”, but frustration, disappointment, anxiety, shame, pride and sadness. They are then supported to explore what those emotions feel like in their own bodies, what triggers them and how those emotions might show up in behaviour.
Crucially, boys are also encouraged to reflect on how emotions are experienced by others. Through discussion, guided reflection and shared examples, they begin to understand how their behaviour impacts those around them and how others’ behaviour affects them in return. This process builds empathy - not as an abstract concept, but as a lived understanding.
TURN BACK TO PAGES 43-45 to learn about educating boys in the St Paul’s School Group
As empathy and self-awareness develop, behaviour begins to shift. Boys become more able to pause, reflect and make different choices. They start to recognise that behaviour is connected to feeling and that feelings can be understood and managed rather than acted out.
We embed this approach across our programmes, including our Reading Mentor programme with Year 5 and 6 boys, and our newer LADPODS programme for Year 7 boys. In both settings, emotional literacy and wellbeing are treated as foundational, not additionalcreating safe, structured spaces where boys can talk, reflect and learn alongside trusted adults.
For boys growing up without a father or without access to a stable male role model, this work is particularly important. Many are navigating identity, authority and belonging without the relational scaffolding others take for granted. Without emotionally
informed support, these boys are at a heightened risk of being misunderstood, sanctioned and left behind.
Emotional literacy should not be reserved for moments of crisis. When it is embedded into everyday practice, it becomes preventative, rather than reactive. Boys learn that emotions are not something to suppress or be ashamed of, but something to understand and manage. If we want to address boys’ underachievement meaningfully, we must look beyond behaviour alone; we must be willing to understand the emotional and relational worlds shaping it.
Emotional literacy is not an optional extra. For many boys, it is the foundation that makes learning possible.
SONIA SHALJEAN Founder and Managing Director www.ladsneeddads.org
Online Safety
Advice from NSPCC about children’s online safety in a changing world
For parents, keeping up with the online world can feel overwhelming. Social media, gaming and emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) are now a normal part of children’s everyday lives. While these tools bring many opportunities, they also come with risks.
In 2024/25, Childline delivered over 3,300 counselling sessions where the young person’s main worry was an online related issue. Common concerns shared in these sessions included seeing harmful content online, bullying, sexual extortion and grooming. While harm can and does occur on social media, children are also telling us that they’re coming across dangers on private messaging apps, online gaming and, increasingly, AI tools.
Our NSPCC Helpline also regularly hears from parents, carers and professionals who are looking for advice on how to keep up with these evolving technologies and protect children online. In the past year, we have supported adults through more than 2,200 online-related concerns for a child. At the NSPCC, we recommend parents bring open conversations with children about their online usage into daily life. Try asking your child open-ended
questions like: “What games do you enjoy online?” or “Who do you chat with when you’re playing?”
Approaching these topics with curiosity, not judgment, can help children feel more comfortable in opening up about their online activities. If your child does share something that worries them, stay calm, listen carefully and reassure them that it isn’t their fault, they did the right thing by talking to you.
There are often signs that a child may be experiencing harm, so it’s important to try and be aware of changes in behaviour - this could include becoming distant, upset or angry after being online or receiving messages. Withdrawing from friends or favourite activities to spend more time online with
new contacts can also be a sign that something is wrong.
For younger children, using sexual language, showing an understanding of adult issues that aren’t age-appropriate or referring to a mentor who is much older may also be indicators of exploitation or grooming.
Young people who might have been blackmailed online into sending explicit images of videos can use our Report Remove tool, which lets people under 18 request the removal of nude content of themselves that might have been shared online.
The NSPCC Helpline is always available on 0808 800 5000 to offer confidential advice if you are worried about a child. Additionally, our Online Safety Hub is full of up-to-date advice for supporting your children.
Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or through the website
ELLA BRADSHAW Policy and Public Affairs Officer for Child Safety Online www.nspcc.org.uk
Raising Kind, Confident Changemakers
Why social action is becoming part of everyday school life
When we think about education, exams and academic results often come first. But many parents want something more from school, too: confidence, empathy and a sense that their child can make a positive difference in the world.
Across the UK, schools are giving students opportunities to support causes they care about, run fundraising campaigns and take action in their communities. These experiences help young people develop real-life skills such as teamwork, communication and leadership, while having fun at the same time.
With citizenship becoming a stronger focus in the primary curriculum and enrichment playing an increasingly important role in school life, many schools are
looking for meaningful ways to help pupils understand their role in society, rather than just learning.
Children who might not always stand out academically often thrive when given responsibility and the chance to lead something meaningful. Working towards a shared goal builds confidence and helps students feel more connected to their school and community.
Designed specifically for education settings, SuperKind supports pupils to choose causes important to them and safely run social action and fundraising projects, without creating extra workloads for teachers. The platform features heaps of educational resources alongside the world’s only fundraising platform that can legally be used by young
people - and it’s used by over 2,000 schools and PTAs across the UK.
Just as importantly, social action helps children understand that they don’t have to wait until adulthood to contribute to society. Small actions - working together, helping others and speaking up about issues they care about - can have real impact.
Education isn’t only about preparing young people for exams. It’s about helping them grow into thoughtful, capable individuals who feel confident taking part in the world around them.
ANOUSHKA FREEMAN Head of Operations www.superkind.org
Supporting Wellbeing in Schools
The power of mindfulness for students and teachers
“I really enjoy teaching it and love to see the reactions on the pupils’ faces. The look of relief, calmness and the smiles are priceless. Helping with students’ wellbeing in this way has been the most rewarding.” - MiSPtrained teacher.
Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP) is a charity and community of mindfulness educators committed to supporting the wellbeing of children, young people and the adults who care for them. Our mission is to equip today’s young people with lifelong skills that nurture positive mental health and resilience. We do this by providing classroom-based mindfulness curricula for ages 3-18, alongside training that enables teachers to confidently deliver these programmes. Written by teachers for teachers, our materials are used across a wide range of educational and youth settings and can be adapted to meet each school’s unique needs. Research, case studies and community feedback show that mindfulness can be transformative for many children and young
people, helping to support healthy development through childhood and adolescence and into adulthood. Mindfulness approaches have been linked with increased self-worth, compassion, hope, aspiration and motivation for oneself and others. As one MiSP-trained teacher shared: “Every time I teach ‘breathe’ I’m impressed by how much so many of the pupils get from it at such an impressionable - and challengingtime in their lives.”
Educators also experience significant benefits, including reduced work-related stress and improved relationships with pupils. MiSP fosters an ongoing, supportive community for teachers, offering practice sessions, retreats, community
cafe, skills workshops and support groups.
Our Mindful Schools Pathways framework guides individuals and organisations to introduce and embed mindfulness sustainably:
• Step 1 - Explore possibilities for bringing mindfulness into your setting
• Step 2 - Complete an eight-week course and develop a personal practice
• Step 4 - Embedding mindfulness: experienced teachers can train as School Mindfulness Leads and teach adults
• Step 5 - Sustaining and sharing: become a MiSP Beacon setting by developing an organisation-wide portfolio of mindfulness-based support and sharing learning with other schools
“I feel very lucky to be able to bring this curriculum and these skills to our children. It’s a privilege to see children reach a point where the toolkit ‘Paws b’ gives them truly becomes part of their lives and are the tools they reach for when they need them.”
- MiSP-trained teacher.
Head of Operations
Supporting Children Through Secondary School
New guidance for parents
The Parent’s Guide to Exam Stress is a new book for secondary school parents. Praised by senior school leaders and mental health experts, it offers realistic, practical strategies which will help parents support their children through secondary school.
Why did you focus your book on exam stress?
Exams are right at the centre of the secondary school curriculum and they often cause complex dynamics at home. Parents want their children to do well but it’s not always easy to know how to help, especially as children get older and grow more independent. I wanted to write a book that would help parents understand the exam experience and give them the tools to support their children effectively.
What are the headlines about the exam experience?
The main headline is that taking exams is a really different process from 30 years ago, even if it doesn’t seem that way on the surface. GCSEs, A Levels, IB: the names of the qualifications haven’t changed much: syllabus content may be
fairly similar, students are still sitting in sports halls writing on paper, but the way we prepare for exams and the emotional temperature of the experience is different. Exams get mentioned much more at school, mark scheme requirements make revision more complex and, at GCSE in particular, the grade boundaries are much narrower. All of this means that teenagers are likely to find exams more challenging, more draining and more nerve-wracking than they used to be.
What can parents do to help?
The first step is to pause, so there’s space to understand what exams are like. This isn’t always easy because, as children get older, they tend to talk about school much less; often because, at the end of a school day, they’re tired and don’t want to do a detailed debrief. However, it’s also because preparing for exams is inherently competitive and the vast majority of teenagers don’t feel that they’re doing well enough or measuring up to their peers, so talking about how everything’s going can end up colliding with feelings of shame or embarrassment. Therefore, a large
proportion of the book is focused on ways that parents can open up constructive conversations about school - once you understand what the experience is like for your child, it’s much easier to support them through it.
Your advice is targeted at Year 7 to Year 13. Why did you include the younger groups who aren’t taking public exams? The relationship that a teenager has with taking exams is shaped by their experience of the exams they’ve already taken. This means that if parents want to help their child have a positive, motivated, resilient relationship with GCSEs or A Levels, the groundwork for this happens during the lowerstakes, more informal tests or assessments in the early years of secondary school. The book is divided into general strategies, which parents can use throughout secondary school, and agespecific guidance, which will help them with the different types of processes across different phases of the academic journey.
Do you include revision advice? Absolutely! Revision-planning is one of the areas where parents are usually seeking guidance; revision is much more open-ended than routine homework and many parents worry about whether their child is revising in the right way or working hard enough. In the age-specific chapters, there’s guidance about frameworks parents can use to work out if the study habits are effective. There’s also advice on strategies which will help teenagers develop a better work rhythm if they’re struggling. These strategies are calibrated to different types of work patterns: if your child is unmotivated or disengaged, there’s guidance for that, but there’s also guidance about how to help if parents are worried their children are hyperengaged and working too hard.
What’s your top takeaway for parents?
As parents, we all want our children to do well but sometimes we can end up so focused on the grades that we forget that the main cause of exam stress is the worry that there will be disappointment on results day. This risk and worry of disappointment is present all
workflow matters for sure, but there’s a second dimension to how parents can help. If a teenager is confident that they’ll find a route through even if things don’t go to plan, they’re much more likely to stay positive, resilient, energised and motivated.
KATHARINE RADICE Author and Consultant
www.katharineradice.co.uk
Futureproofing Young People
The skills schools can’t afford to ignore
Exams matter. Grades matter. League tables matter.
But if the last few years have taught us anything, it’s this: academic knowledge is not enough on its own.
Across primary and secondary schools in Cheshire, I hear the same concern from parents and teachers alike: “Are we really preparing young people for the world they’re walking into?”
Automation, Artificial Intelligence, global uncertainty and shifting career paths mean that many of the jobs today’s children will do haven’t even been invented yet. While curriculum content will continue to evolve, one skillset remains timeless, transferable and protective: resilience.
Resilience isn’t about “toughening children up” or telling them to get on with it. It’s about equipping them with the emotional, social and cognitive tools to adapt, recover and grow through challenges and schools cannot afford to ignore it.
Why resilience is the ultimate future
skill
The World Economic Forum consistently highlights adaptability, problem-solving, emotional intelligence and selfregulation as essential future workforce skills. At the heart of all of these lies resilience.
Psychologist Angela Duckworth popularised the concept of “grit” - sustained passion and perseverance for long-term goals.
Meanwhile, research in growth mindset from Carol Dweck shows that children who believe abilities can be developed are more likely to embrace challenges, rather than avoid them.
However, in schools, we often see the opposite, observing pupils afraid of getting things wrong; young people paralysed by perfection; anxiety around performance; and behaviour that masks low self-belief.
These aren’t character flaws, they’re skill gaps.
Last term, I worked with a Year 5 boy who would rip up his work the moment he made a mistake. He wasn’t disruptive - he was terrified of failing. Once he understood what was happening in his brain and learned simple regulation tools, something shifted. He began asking for help instead of tearing up the page. That small change altered how he saw himself.
Resilience is not fixed at birth. It can be taught, modelled and strengthened.
What resilience actually looks like in school
Resilience in action is a Year 6 pupil attempting a tricky maths problem again after getting it wrong. It’s a teenager navigating friendship conflict without escalating to social media drama. It’s a child recognising when their stress levels are rising and using a strategy before “flipping their lid.”
Drawing on the hand model of the brain developed by Daniel Siegel, we know that when children are overwhelmed, their ‘thinking brain’ goes offline. Expecting reasoning during dysregulation is unrealistic. Teaching regulation first is foundational.
If a child cannot calm their nervous system, they cannot
access the curriculum.
Resilience, therefore, is not an ‘extra’. It is infrastructure.
The
eight foundations of resilience
Through my work as a psychotherapist and founder of The Resilient Kid, I focus on eight core traits that underpin emotional strength:
• Empathy
• Gratitude
• Purpose
• Contribution
• Responsibility
• Self-care and health
• Connection and belonging When these foundations are embedded in school culture, behaviour improves, confidence grows and academic engagement follows.
Belonging, in particular, is powerful. Research from Harvard University highlights it as a key protective factor against disengagement and declining mental health. Children who feel safe and seen are more willing to take academic risks and persevere through difficulty.
Practical ways schools can build resilience
Normalise struggle. Shift praise from outcome to effort and strategy. Replace “You’re so clever!” with “You worked hard on that.”
TURN BACK TO PAGES 27-29 to read about building skills for the future at LPS Mayfair
Teach the brain.
When children understand their ‘guard dog’ (amygdala) and ‘wise owl’ (prefrontal cortex), they develop emotional literacy rather than shame.
Create regulation spaces. Calm corners, movement breaks and sensory tools are preventative, not indulgent.
Model repair.
When adults apologise and reflect openly, children learn that mistakes are survivable and relationships are resilient.
Strengthen connection.
Mentoring systems, inclusive classroom language and consistent routines build psychological safety.
Futureproofing means going beyond exams
Parents consistently tell me they want their children to be confident, adaptable and able to cope - not simply high-achieving.
Employers echo this.
In a world that will continue to change faster than any curriculum review cycle, the ability to self-
Boosting Girls’ Activity
regulate, collaborate and recover from setbacks will determine longterm success.
Academic knowledge opens doors. Resilience ensures young people can step through them with confidence.
And that is a future skill schools simply cannot afford to ignore.
ASHLEY COSTELLO Psychotherapist
www.theresilientkid.co.uk
Why PE kit choice keeps girls active and how to do it in your school
Wadebridge School’s PE kit policy is practical and popular. On PE days, pupils come to school wearing a breathable school PE top and any black lower-half item. This supports school-identity with personal choice and comfort. Teachers don’t worry about changing room issues, PE engagement is at an all-time high and pupils have one less bag to carry.
These small policy updates exemplify a fresh approach to PE kit, proven to drastically increase girls’ participation. New DfE PE kit guidance asks schools to offer choice and support inclusion, whilst the Schools’ Bill will limit school-branded items to three. Our ‘Inclusive PE kit policy’ is an
exciting opportunity to boost PE participation for all.
Fix the kit and they’ll stay to play
64% of girls leave sport at 16 and one third do so because of PE kit issues. However, research found 75% of girls felt they would participate in and enjoy sport more if they had a more comfortable PE kit.
‘Inclusive PE kit policy’ is a quick win to boost girls activity. The updates are simple: enable choice of any dark lower-half item, have a quality PE top, promote sports bras, increase flexible layers and support ‘PE kit days’.
How to do it?
The Inclusive Sportswear community platform: a new free online platform, created by Youth Sport Trust and Inclusive Sportswear - led by Olympian Tess Howard MBE - has been built to support schools to update their PE kit policies to be inclusive.
It hosts expert guidance, training, resources and an easy online four-step process for a teacher to update a PE kit policy and become a Champion School. 200 teachers already use the platform and you can join them for free today.
TESS HOWARD MBE Olympian
www.inclusivesportswear.com
Immersive Experiences
Engaging children in history
FKP Scorpio Entertainment are bringing learning to life with two all-new exhibitions coming to London this Spring. The experiences engage children in a whole new way, using cuttingedge technology to take them on a journey back in time that they'll be talking about for years to come.
Cleopatra: The Experience
Take a journey back in time to Ancient Egypt! Covering 3,000 square metres and featuring nine interactive galleries, Cleopatra: The Experience takes visitors on a captivating journey as they uncover the secrets of Egypt’s last queen.
Through a striking blend of original Egyptian artefacts, cinematic projection technology, a dazzling hologram, Virtual Reality (VR), a free-roaming Metaverse and interactive installations, the experience brings one of history’s most fascinating figures vividly to life. Developed in collaboration with historical curators and Egyptologists, the exhibition uses advanced projection technology to recreate the world of Cleopatra, delivering a new level of immersive storytelling and engagement.
Dr. Chris Naunton, British Egyptologist, writer, broadcaster and official ambassador for Cleopatra: The Experience, comments: “Cleopatra is one of the most well-known characters from the
ancient world. This new exhibition does a superb job of presenting the archaeological and historical evidence in a way that transports the visitor to the Egypt of Cleopatra’s time. It tells the story of her life and legacy in such a way that you feel as though you are living it with her.”
Both educational and exhilarating in equal measure, Cleopatra: The Experience sets a new benchmark for creative and technological storytelling. Designed with children, families, culture lovers, technology enthusiasts and history fans in mind, the exhibition offers an unforgettable journey into the world of one of history’s most iconic rulers.
Book tickets here: www.cleopatraexperience.co.uk/ london
Vikings: The Immersive Experience
Discover the legend of Ragnar Lodbrok, Queen Kraka (Aslaug) and their sons in a unique physical and immersive experience
blending history, myth, videomapping and VR.
The revolutionary new immersive, educational and historical exhibition goes beyond the battlefield and TV shows, offering an unprecedented deep dive into the lives of the Viking world’s most formidable family: King Ragnar Lodbrok, the wise Queen Kraka (Aslaug) and their world-conquering sons: Ivar The Boneless, Bjorn Ironside, Hvitserk and Sigurd Snake-in-the-eye.
This cutting-edge experience blends state-of-the-art technology with immersive historical storytelling from an era full of courage and mystery. Visitors can explore Viking replicas within elaborate physical sets, including a full-size forest of discovery and a towering mythological Yggdrasil tree known as the “World Tree”. The experience also features a virtual reality adventure for adults and children, a mist-filled portal room, interactive stations and a 30-minute 360-degree videomapped cinematic show, complete with a real-life Viking longship at the centre of the action.
Experience the story of Queen Kraka and King Ragnar brought to life as you're transported straight into 9th-Century Scandinavia and the lands the Vikings once conquered.
Book tickets here:
www.vikings-immersive.co.uk/ london
SUZY BRYANT Senior Marketing Manager
Skills for the Future
The AI advantage your child's school may not be giving them
Two Year 11 students. Same grades, same university application, same ambitions. One has spent two years learning to use AI properly: interrogating outputs, spotting its failures, knowing when to trust it and when to bin it. The other either worked it out alone or gave up. The interviewer won't know the difference, not at first.
Sutton Trust data from 10,000 teachers makes the picture clear: private schools are three times more likely to have a school-wide AI strategy and twice as likely to have trained their staff in AI. Research from The Tony Blair Institute found that private school students are three times more likely than their state school peers
to be taught what AI is. In state schools, 21% of teachers have had formal training and a quarter rate their AI confidence at zero. The pattern is sharpest in the most disadvantaged schools. Just 4% of schools rated Inadequate or Requires Improvement by Ofsted have any AI strategy in place. These are the students with the least margin for error, falling furthest behind.
A generation ago, knowing your way around a computer separated candidates. AI literacy is doing the same now, but faster and with heavier consequences. Employers and universities are factoring it in already. Sixth form students applying for competitive courses and apprenticeships will increasingly face selection processes designed around the assumption that they understand
AI. Those who do will hold ground, while those who don't will lose it quietly. The students who can interrogate AI, rather than just reach for it, will carry that advantage into every assessment and interview they sit.
Most parents won't find this in a prospectus, so ask directly: “Does the school have a formal AI strategy? Have teachers been trained or just left to work it out themselves? Are students taught to think critically about AI, or just given access and wished good luck?”
Three questions. The answers will tell you more about your child's potential readiness for the next decade than any open day ever will.
CHRIS CALDER Founder, Meta Pedagogy www.metapedagogy.co.uk
Three Ways to Raise AI-Ready Children
A parent’s guide to using Artificial Intelligence wisely
Artificial Intelligence is already embedded in the tools young people are using, from search engines to revision apps. The question for parents is not whether children should use AI, but how they can use it safely and well.
1. Reposition AI as a learning partner
If a child asks ChatGPT to: “Do my homework”, the learning stops there. However, if they ask it to explain a difficult concept in different ways, generate practice quiz questions or critique their draft, AI becomes a thinking companion. Prompts such as: “Help me understand…” rather than: “Do this for me” will position AI as a partner and collaborator.
2. Prioritise critical thinking
AI can produce convincing but inaccurate responses. Show children how to question outputs, asking them questions like: “Where did this information come from?”, “Does it match with what your teacher said?”, or “Can you verify it elsewhere?” This builds digital
discernment, a skill universities and employers increasingly value.
3. Model ethical use
Discuss plagiarism, data privacy and bias. Young people should understand that AI reflects the data it is trained on and that human judgement remains essential - always.
Stay curious together: ask your child to demonstrate how they use AI for homework or revision. Exploration, when guided by conversation and boundaries, turns AI from a risk into a powerful educational opportunity.
How are we supposed to believe that a student who cannot say “Good morning!” in English without a translator has written first-class academic work at a British university?
It is an uncomfortable question, but one that increasingly sits at the centre of a much larger debate: what does academic integrity look like in the age of Artificial Intelligence?
For several years, I worked closely with academic misconduct investigators at a UK university, reviewing hundreds of cases involving suspected plagiarism, contract cheating and authorship concerns. Over time, one thing became clear: the landscape of academic work is changing faster than universities are prepared to acknowledge. Artificial Intelligence has accelerated that shift dramatically. Tools that can generate essays, summaries and polished prose within seconds have transformed how students approach written assessments. The technology itself is not the problem. AI will undoubtedly play a major role in the future of education and the workplace. In many professions, the ability to use such tools effectively will soon be expected.
However, AI cannot replace genuine academic understanding. It cannot replicate critical thinking developed through discussion, debate and sustained engagement with ideas. It certainly cannot replace expertise in professional environments where individuals must defend, explain and apply their knowledge.
The difficulty is that much of the UK’s assessment system is still built around evaluating the final written product. For decades, this has made sense: a well-written essay or dissertation was assumed to be a reliable reflection of a
student’s own intellectual work. That assumption is now far less secure.
When assessments focus almost entirely on the quality of the finished document, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between genuine student learning and work that has been heavily generated, edited or influenced by external tools or third parties. Academics across many institutions are grappling with this reality.
The response from universities has often been to try to police or prohibit AI use altogether, but that approach risks missing the point. AI is not going away. Attempting to ban it outright is unlikely to succeed and may simply push its use further into the shadows. Instead, the education system must begin to work with the technology, rather than against it. That means rethinking how learning is assessed. Greater emphasis on discussion, oral
defence of ideas, iterative drafts and collaborative engagement would provide a far clearer picture of what students understand. In such environments, AI can be used as a tool - much like calculators or reference software - without replacing the intellectual work that education is meant to cultivate.
Universities have always adapted to technological change. From the printing press to the internet, each shift has forced institutions to reconsider how knowledge is produced and evaluated.
Artificial Intelligence is simply the latest challenge. The real question is whether higher education will evolve quickly enough to ensure that the degree awarded at the end of the process still represents genuine learning.
DR. SOPHIE MILLS Academic Integrity Specialist
www.uk.linkedin.com/in/ sophie-mills
Discover University for Parents and Supporters
We understand how important it is for parents and supporters to be well equipped to support their young person’s journey to higher education. Our dedicated Discover University webpages, newsletters and social media feeds will provide the key information needed at each stage of the journey.
We host online webinars throughout the year specifically for supporters coving topics such as financing higher education, applying to university, making the most of an open day and becoming a student.
To attend any of our virtual events or receive our supporter's newsletter visit www.exeter.ac.uk/supporters
A Sustainability Mindset
Equipping next generation leaders
Across the UK, families recognise that children are growing up in a world shaped by climate change, resource scarcity, social imbalance and rapid technological transformation driven by AI. In this context, workplaces, homes and schools are alive with debates on how to build a resilient, healthy and fair society.
As sustainability becomes central to how we live and work, the ability to navigate it is emerging as a core life skill and an essential quality of future leadership. Embedding this understanding in our education system is both practical and necessary for a thriving world.
Introducing sustainability early helps young people to grasp how the world works, the interconnectedness of nature, people and climate and their own ability to shape positive change. As Sir David Attenborough wisely said: “Teach them to love the planet and they will learn to protect it.”
Children who grow up connected to nature and practising empathy are naturally building a sustainability mindset. This foundation nurtures capabilities that employers increasingly prioritise: critical thinking, data literacy, ethical judgement, human-centred design, creativity and collaboration.
Linking classroom learning to real action - local biodiversity projects, school eco committees, community energy schemes - and navigating daily decisions about recycling, travel, energy use and ethical consumption at home, helps pupils understand that a thriving planet is achievable and something they can influence right now. They want education that reflects real life, not something separate from it. Their message is clear: “Don’t just teach us about a sustainable future, show us one.”
Our children are questioning parents, teachers, business leaders and policymakers about our choices and responsibilities. After all, the health of our planet and their future is a shared, all-in responsibility.
For adults feeling challenged
by young ones, lifelong learning is essential. We, too, must reskill and upskill to respond to, mitigate and adapt to climate change in our home and work lives if we are to model the leadership we hope to see in our children. This is the work of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL): equipping adult leaders to embrace and lead transformation to address the world’s most pressing challenges.
The next generation will be tasked with reimagining how communities, economies and environments can thrive together, but we adults can lead them on this path by tasking ourselves with the same. We can both equip young people to shape a world in which both people and nature will flourish, and show them by doing so.
www.cisl.cam.ac.uk
TURN BACK TO PAGES 14-16 to learn about outdoor learning at Cumnor House School
Addressing Global Issues
Driving sustainability progress for a decade
As parents and prospective students consider the values that define a university, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important priority.
At University College London (UCL), environmental sustainability is a strategic, research-driven commitment embedded across teaching, operations and campus life. This leadership has been recognised globally, with UCL achieving 1st place in the UK, 2nd in Europe and 3rd globally in the 2026 QS Sustainability Rankings.
UCL’s long-term approach is set out in its Sustainability Plan 2025-2035, which provides a detailed roadmap for tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and resource depletion. Targets include achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and reaching an 85% recycling rate across the campus by 2034. The university also aims to deliver a 20% biodiversity net gain across its campuses and commits to be a Nature Positive University.
Research and innovation play a central role in UCL’s sustainability leadership. The university and its students have pioneered solutions ranging from climate prediction systems to AI-driven coral reef conservation, while specialist centres such as the Centre for Sustainable Aviation and the People and Nature Lab drive interdisciplinary collaboration.
UCL’s long-standing Grand Challenges programme strengthens this work by bringing together research communities to address global issues, including climate and environmental justice. Two-thirds of UCL
TURN BACK TO PAGES 58-62 for books about protecting the planet
startups are contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the university’s Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) has become a global model for reducing the environmental impact of scientific and lab-based research.
UCL empowers its students to become sustainability leaders. The Students’ Union Sustainability Council provides a democratic forum for student leadership, while the termly Student Sustainability Forums allow students to influence
university-wide strategy. Extracurricular opportunities range from becoming Sustainability Ambassadors to joining climate-focused societies, participating in volunteering projects and attending the annual Sustainability Leadership Conference.
Sustainability is increasingly woven into teaching and learning. UCL has expanded its curriculum to include hundreds of sustainability related modules and its Education for Sustainable Development toolkit supports staff across all disciplines to embed sustainability into teaching practices. The aim is to equip every graduate with the knowledge, skills and values needed to navigate the climate and nature crises and contribute positively to society.
For prospective students and their families, UCL provides a clear example of how a leading university can embed sustainability across teaching, research and campus life.
ELLI LEE Sustainability Manager
www.ucl.ac.uk/sustainable/
Staying Safe at University
How
students’ unions support wellbeing
At Newcastle University, student wellbeing is treated as a shared responsibility. And for Lily Allan, elected Wellbeing and Communities Officer in March 2025 at Newcastle University Students' Union, the role is rooted in safety, inclusion and collective care.
Since taking office, Lily has prioritised improving student safety in the nighttime economy, addressing consent both on and off campus, supporting studentled campaigns that amplify underrepresented voices and delivering events designed to strengthen connection across the student body. She said: “My focus has been on making sure students feel safe, heard and supported in every part of their university experience.”
A significant strand of her work centres on tackling gender-based violence. Lily codeveloped a national student survey alongside students at Liverpool and Leeds, gathering anonymous data from Russell Group institutions to inform evidence-based recommendations for universities. She also cocreated the government petition ‘Make Misogyny a Hate Crime’,
petitioning for stronger protections and harsher sentencing around sexual harassment.
Her activism extends into the city itself. As part of the organising group for Reclaim the Night Newcastle and a confirmed speaker earlier this year, Lily has helped reinforce student visibility and solidarity. She is also co-leading Bring Your Own Boundaries, an event addressing consent, communication and stigma around sex. She explained: “Consent education has to move beyond tick-box exercises. It needs
to be honest, collaborative and student-led.”
The transition to university life brings its own pressures. Financial independence, wellbeing concerns and adjusting to living away from home can feel overwhelming. NUSU supports students through its Support and Advice Hub, offering academic and housing guidance alongside wellbeing support through dropins and private appointments. A weekly Student Pantry, stocked by FareShare, allows students to take up to five items at no cost.
With many students experiencing nightlife for the first time, the Union takes a harmreduction approach as an SOS accredited institution, providing information and resources rather than judgement. Cross-university collaboration has also proved vital, particularly through the Students as Partners Forum, which brings together Newcastle and Northumbria universities, both students’ unions and the council to improve city-wide safety.
Among Lily’s proudest achievements is contributing to the Student Mental Health Charter submission, introducing a supplemental vulnerability protocol in Newcastle’s nighttime economy and ensuring misogyny remains on the national agenda. Above all, she shared: “In a world filled with uncertainty, I want every student to know they are valued and that this community stands behind them.”
We would like to thank Lily Allan, Wellbeing and Communities Officer at Newcastle University, for giving up her time to speak to us.
www.ncl.ac.uk
IMI TURNER Assistant Editor
Countryside Lifestyles
Lessons in location
For some families considering boarding, where they choose to live is becoming almost as strategic as the school itself. Across Surrey and Berkshire, a clear pattern has emerged: parents are choosing to base themselves within easy reach of leading schoolsnot for the weekday drop-off - but to remain present throughout the school year.
Saturday sport, concerts, chapel services and parents’ evenings all shape the term-time rhythm. Being able to attend a last-minute match or stay for a performance without factoring in hours of travel has become part of the calculation.
Surrey: Space and a London reset
Around Guildford and the Surrey Hills, schooling and lifestyle increasingly go hand-in-hand. The area continues to attract families, particularly those relocating from South West London, with many using schooling as an opportunity to reassess how they want to live.
Guildford is home to many respected independent schools, including the Royal Grammar School, while boarding and day-and-boarding options such as Cranleigh School and St Catherine’s sit in nearby villages.
Ken Roberts, Head of Guildford at Strutt and Parker, says schooling may start the conversation, but the decision to relocate is rarely just about proximity to the classroom. He explained: “We’re seeing families make the move out of London earlier than they might have done previously. Schooling often provides the catalyst, but what they are really looking for is a place to put down roots while their children are growing up.
Village life matters. Being close enough to attend matches and performances is important - but so, too, is having countryside on your doorstep and a lively community that feels established.”
Villages such as Bramley and Wonersh remain consistently popular, offering established community life alongside countryside surroundings. Second steppers then often push further into the Surrey Hills, which provide additional space and outlook, while still remaining within comfortable reach of Guildford and its schools.
Berkshire: The boarding heartland
Berkshire’s identity is closely tied to its boarding schools and the county remains home to some of the most recognised names in education, including Eton College, Wellington College and Lambrook School. They draw in families from across the UK, as well as overseas.
Connectivity is one of the county’s defining strengths. With the Elizabeth Line, the M4 and Heathrow all within easy reach, Berkshire allows families to base themselves locally during term while being commutable back into the city and maintaining international links.
Chestnut Cottage, Surrey
Deerfold, Chiddingfold, Surrey
As Jo Chadwick, Head of Windsor at Strutt and Parker, describes it, the county’s connectivity is “exceptionally good”. Increasingly, she explained, families are treating Berkshire as a strategic term-time base, so that boarding does not equate to distance and much of the day-to-day logistics that term-time can otherwise bring are removed.
Competition and considered advice
Across both counties, demand for best-in-class family homes remains strong. Many of these houses are sold privately, particularly when they sit within the most sought-after villages.
For families making a move linked to education, timing and local knowledge can be critical. At Strutt and Parker, we draw on long-standing experience across a nationwide network of offices, including Prime Central London, to guide buyers and sellers through what is often a significant and carefully considered transition.
Spotlight on properties from Strutt and Parker:
Chestnut Cottage, Surrey - £1,795,000
Previously owned by the Duke of Sutherland and Jean Paul Getty, Chestnut Cottage has been thoughtfully renovated into a wonderful family home. The gardens, designed by a Chelsea triple gold medal winner, provide colour throughout the seasons, while the house balances period character with modern living.
Deerfold, Chiddingfold, Surrey - £2,750,000
Set against the backdrop of the Surrey Hills, this Arts and Crafts home spans almost two acres in the village of Chiddingfold. A tennis court, swimming pool and dedicated home office space make it particularly wellsuited to families balancing school life with flexible working patterns.
Latymer House, Winkfield, Berkshire - £1,890,000
Twelve acres of communal grounds surround this Grade II listed property. Inside, a grand reception hall leads to a dual-aspect kitchen and dining area –perfect for family life.
Hill House, Bray, Berkshire - £2,950,000
Renovated for modern family living and entertaining, this five-bedroom home includes converted barns that only add to its appeal. One has been cleverly divided - part games room and home office, part garaging - separated by glazed bi-fold doors so you can keep an eye on your car while you work. A detail that feels cinematic.
A season of revival for contemporary family living
As winter recedes and natural light begins to stretch gently into the evenings, our homes take on a renewed significance. Spring invites a quiet reawakening - an opportunity to refresh, restore and rethink the way we inhabit our spaces. For this elegant Regency townhouse in Hove, just moments from the sea and set within the architectural legacy of Brighton, the interiors now evoke the lightness, freshness and optimism of the season.
Home to a family of four, the property has been thoughtfully reimagined for contemporary living, paying homage to its rich architectural heritage and historic location. Though well-maintained and refurbished over the years, the home lacked inspiration and the clients sought a fresh perspective to transform their new house into a home. With a client-orientated design approach, Pfeiffer Design seamlessly blended contemporary comfort with the grandeur of the original period features,
enhancing the townhouse’s timeless elegance for 21st-century family life.
Through a meticulous restoration process, we celebrated the home’s architectural details while introducing a refined yet uplifting palette of materials and colour. Soft botanical greens, warm neutrals and subtle coastal hues reflect the optimism of spring and the quality of light unique to this seaside setting. Bespoke joinery and carefully considered spatial planning brought cohesion and sophistication, ensuring the interiors feel luxurious, inviting and deeply connected to the property’s storied past.
A thoughtful transformation for modern living
While rich in character and history, this Regency townhouse required a comprehensive refurbishment to meet the demands of modern family living. Though undeniably grand, the layout needed thoughtful
reconfiguration to enhance functionality, flow and everyday comfort. Social spaces were subtly re-zoned to encourage connection, allowing family life to unfold naturally while preserving moments of retreat.
Outdated fixtures and finishes no longer served the home’s potential, calling for a refined upgrade that balanced both style and practicality. By thoughtfully integrating contemporary fittings with new wiring, our comprehensive lighting and electrical design package elevated the home’s energy efficiency while introducing layered lighting schemes tailored to modern-day living. These enhancements not only improved performance and sustainability but also enriched the ambiance of each space, from busy weekday mornings to relaxed evenings together.
Illuminating space with purpose
Lighting played a crucial role in revitalising the interiors. With aged existing fixtures providing poor energy efficiency and inadequate illumination, we implemented a fully bespoke lighting design package, balancing technical precision with decorative elegance. Task lighting was carefully integrated into key areas such as the kitchens and bathrooms, while architectural features were accentuated through subtle, strategically placed fittings.
A key aspect of the project was the careful preservation of the home’s remarkable antique chandeliers. Rather than replacing
these statement pieces, we worked closely with skilled restorers to remove, regild and rewire each one. Their craftsmanship and heritage were respectfully retained while upgrading them for longevity and improved energy performance. This delicate balance of restoration and innovation allowed us to celebrate the property’s historic charm while embracing contemporary sustainability. Suspended once again within refreshed interiors, the chandeliers shimmer with renewed vitality.
Layered lighting at varying levels throughout the home adds depth, warmth and visual interest. As daylight filters through grand sash windows, the interiors respond effortlessly, shifting from crisp morning brightness to a softer evening glow.
Honouring heritage
As a landmark of Brighton and Hove, careful preservation and restoration of the existing architectural features were central to the renovation. Original ornate cornicing, elegant proportions and historic detailing were celebrated at every opportunity, providing a rich backdrop for design that reflects the personality and lifestyle of its owners.
Every detail was thoughtfully considered to honour the home’s heritage while seamlessly
integrating the functionality required for contemporary family living. By collaborating with expert craftspeople and restoration specialists, timeless craftsmanship was preserved and enhanced. The result is an interior that feels both elevated and entirely liveable, refined yet relaxed, sophisticated yet welcoming.
Sustainability through reuse and reimagining
An integral part of the design journey was incorporating the family’s carefully curated collection of antiques and vintage furnishings from their previous home. Rather than starting anew, we embraced these cherished pieces as part of the home’s evolving narrative. Each item was meticulously considered within the wider scheme to ensure its placement felt intentional and cohesive.
Key pieces were reupholstered in fresh, seasonally inspired fabrics, breathing new life into beloved furnishings while reducing waste. This sustainable approach allowed treasured items to continue serving the family for years to come, layering the interiors with authenticity and sentiment. The reimagining of these pieces reflects a broader philosophy that thoughtful design can honour the past while supporting a more conscious future.
Bespoke joinery was designed to enhance both functionality and refinement. Custom-built bookcases were crafted to house the client’s historic literature collection, while a beautifully tailored kitchen and elegant storage solutions provide practical sophistication for daily routines. Every element was designed from scratch with timelessness in mind, mirroring the architectural language of the property while embracing modern functionality. Creating interiors that feel truly personal to each of our clients is always at the forefront of our design process. Harmonising aesthetics with practicality, we aim to weave each occupant of the home into the very narrative of their interiors.
In this Regency townhouse, spring becomes more than a season, it is a sensibility. Through restoration, sustainable storytelling and thoughtful spatial design, this family home stands renewed - a harmonious balance of heritage and modernity, elegance and ease. Proudly positioned within the historic fabric of Brighton and Hove, it now enters its next chapter lightfilled, enduring and ready for generations to come.
SUSIE PFEIFFER Interior Designer and Director www.pfeifferdesign.co.uk
