Since2023,JohnTowers.GrewupinManchester andwenttoSaintAmbroseCollegeinCheshire (independentgrammar).Hetellsus,‘Education wasadrivingforceinmyearlylife.’StudiedHistory atBangorUniversity,PGCEinprimaryeducationat Nottinghamandamaster’sfromUCL.
HestartedteachingatChristChurchSchool, Chelsea(stateprimary)beforebecomingSENCo andthenmovedtoSaintThomasSchool(North Kensington)asheadofmaths.Whenadeputy headshipcameupattheNorthKensingtonBarlby School(state)hetookonthechallengeandthe schoolperformedsowellhewasoffereda headshipatBevingtonSchool.‘Itwasoneofthe lowestperformingschoolsinthecountryandIwas employedtomakerapidchange.’Theschoolwent fromfailingto‘outstanding’(Ofsted)in18months. Helaughs,‘Iwasgoldenboy.’
Qualifiedtocoach‘rookieheadteachers’andasa schoolimprovementadvisor,heworkedwiththe DepartmentforEducation‘citychallenge’andthen spentfouryearswiththe‘ReachtoTeach’charity, buildingover100pop-upschoolsinremotepartsof ruralIndia,beforereturningtoheadshipintheUK againatHomefieldPreparatorySchoolinSutton, leadingittoitsfirstISI‘excellent’rating.
Hebelievesinacademicrigour,highstandardsand targetsetting.Theseareunderpinnedbyastrong pastoraloffer,managingbehaviourand establishingteamswithinwhicheverybody's capacitytoimproveis‘recognisedandpromoted’. ‘Youhavetohavealaserbeamoneverysinglechild beingimportant’hetellsus.
EncouragedbythecharitableethosofBarrow Hills,oneofBridewellRoyalHospital’scharitable foundationschools,MrTowerssawanopportunity toleadaschoolinmakingthemostofits remarkablesetting.‘IwantedaprepwhereIcould knoweveryone,’hetellsus‘…andIwantedthe trees.’Cominghereisabout‘helpingstaffwork togetherambitiously’andfostering‘child-orientated teachersthatwillinvestinthebiggerpicture’.
Nowintohissecondyear,parentsdescribehimas ‘forward-thinking…focusedonthechildren.’‘He’s operationalandorganised’witha‘nurturingspirit’.
Aswellasrunningmountainbiking,publicspeaking andmindfulnessclubs,heteachesPSHCEtoyear5 andregularlycoverslessons.Helivesonsitewithhis partner,Stef,hastwochildrenofuniversityageandis atrusteeattheRoyalSocietyoftheArts,wherehe volunteersontheboard.
ENTRANCE
Entrancetoallyearsisnon-selective.Children canstartinnurseryfromthedaytheyturn2, followingatastersessiontocheck developmentalreadiness.There’sawaitinglist forplaces,withnumberscappedat15.
Inyear3,schoolbecomestwo-formentry. Applicationsconsideredonanindividualbasis. Oneparent,whosechildrenarrivedoutsideof normalentrypoints,toldushischildren ‘settledinquickly.’
EXIT
Pupilscanleaveinyear6orstayforupperprep, withmostheadingforlocalco-educational schools.Around25percenttakeupassured placesatpartnerschool,KingEdward'sinWitley, othersgotoCranleigh,Charterhouse,Churcher’s CollegeandSeaford.St.Catherine'sSchool, BramleyandPrior’sFieldarepopularall-girls destinations.Twenty-onescholarshipsin2024.
Parentssaythat teachersfindfunways to‘stretchandextend’ pupils.
Twenty-one scholarships in2024
Westartedourvisitinthechapel,whereyears3 andupwereinassembly.Alarge,brightspace, decoratedwithchildren’sartwork,thiswasonce thefinestroomof‘GreatRokeHouse’,agrand, domestichomebuiltin1910.Weeklyyeargroup assembliesareinadditiontothoseinvolvingthe wholeschool,andonFridays,the‘awardsand achievement’assembliesareopentoparents. Likeeveryoneelse,wewalkedawaysmiling andinspired.
Whenwepoppedintothenursery,wesaw childrenplayingbothinandoutdoors,inline withthe‘freeflow’ethos.Nearby,kindergarten hadbeenpressingdinosaursintodoughtomake fossils.Embeddedroutineslikeregistering themselvesandsigningoutsnacksgiveeventhe youngestchildrenasenseofresponsibilityintheir classroom.SpecialistinstructioninPE,music, French,forestschoolanddrama.
Fromachairnearthebaywindowinthe receptionclassroom,wewatchedhappy children,clusteredonthecarpet,concentrating ontheirword-soundsandwritingonwhiteboards. Differentlearningcentresofferedincredible choice,andfairytalecharacterpaintingspeggedupwereconfident,colourfuland expressive.
Whenwejoinedyear1,theywere‘doingthe wigglebear’(adance-basedmovementbreak)at theendofamathslesson.Teachersaimfora warmandpastorallysupportiveethos,instilling kind,caringvaluesandensuringthat‘noone slipsthroughthenet’.Nostreaminginpre-prep but‘noneed’,theysay,asallclasseshaveafulltimeTA.Atopic-based,crosscurricularapproach includeshistory,geography,Englishandscience. Receptiontoyear2usethesciencelabsatleast onceperhalftermandspecialistITandart teachingisaddedtotheirtimetable.
Wefoundlowerprep(year3andup)inThomas MooreHouse,wherethewrittenworkon displaywasofaveryhighstandard.Parentssay theychosetheschoolbecauseof‘howhappythe kidslooked,’andhow‘confidenttheyweretalking toadults’.Lessonsarefrequentlydeliveredinthe forestschool-‘Wetakealotofmathsoutdoors,’ oneteachertellsus,‘Discussionand collaborationincreasesignificantlybeyondthe wallsoftheclassroom…that’swhenwefinda child’sspark.’
Parentssaythatteachersfindfunwaysto ‘stretchandextend’pupils.InEnglish,year4 werestudyingthefeaturesofadiary,wearing luggagetagsaroundtheirnecks,likeevacuee children.Supportivechecklists,visualaidsand evenabitofhot-seating.Almostallpupilsjoined inwithdiscussions.‘Academically,we’revery pleased,’sayparents.‘Wetrusttheteachers.’
‘Academically,we’revery pleased,’sayparents.‘We trusttheteachers.’
‘Parentssaytheychosethe schoolbecauseof‘howhappy thekidslooked,’
‘Upperprepis transformational,’saidone mother,‘There’sadifferent maturity,different responsibility,different interactionswithstaff.’
Somehow,they’restreaks ahead,butyou’renotaware ofithappening.’‘There aren’tanyinvisible children,they’reall showcased’.
‘There’sarealdistinctionbetweenpre-prepand prep,’saidonemother,buttheyalso‘maintaina whole-schoolfeel’.Thiscohesioniswellsupported bythearts,whereworkisoftencollaborative.The nativityrunsfromnurserytoyear2,andyears3and 4,and5and6performtheirannualplaystogether. Recentyear7and8productionshaveincludedThe LordoftheFliesandLesMisérables.
Wevisitedhalfofyear6inLatin(12pupils,including 3girls),wherearmsstretchedurgentlyupwardsas childrenbeggedtocontribute.Teachingwaswellstructuredtosupportlearninginafun,interactive wayandwewereimpressedtocomeawayhaving learnedsomeLatinourselves.
Themusicdepartmentworkinequalpartnership withKingEdward'sSchool,Witley,andperipatetic instructors(manyofwhomcomefromLondon) deliveraround235musiclessonsaweek. Nightingaleschoirisforlowerprep,Larksforupper prepandBridewellChoir(thechapelchoir)joinswith KingEdward’sseniorchoirtoperformincathedrals includingArundel,Bristol,CirencesterChurchand evenSaintMark’sBasilicainVenice(extracost associated).‘Ifthere'stalent,we’llfindit,’saysthe headofmusic.
Insportaswellasmusic,thepartnershipwithKing Edward’sbringsadvantagesintermsofresources. TheyhavetwogameslessonsaweekandonePE, includingswimmingeitheratKingEdward's,orin theirown20-metrepool.There’saparticularfocus onhockey(lessrugby).Inweeklymatches,years5 and6teamup,asdoyears7and8.
Girlsinyears7and8canplayinKingEdward’s teamsowingtotheirsmallernumbers,includingin Saturdaymatches.‘Whattheydowithsmall numbersisunbelievable,’saidonefather.The sportingethosispraisedbyparentswhosummed itupas,‘Focus,determination,graciousinvictory andgraciousindefeat.’
Inyear8science,theteacherwasdissectingalung. Everyhandshotupwhenheaskedaquestion,and whenthefirstresponder(‘I’mnotsure,butI’llgiveit ago...’)gotitwrong,nobodybattedaneyelid.‘Upper prepistransformational,’saidonemother,‘There’s adifferentmaturity,differentresponsibility,different interactionswithstaff.’Otherparentsdescribed learningas‘anorganicprocess,notpushy. Somehow,they’restreaksahead,butyou’renot awareofithappening.’‘Therearen’tanyinvisible children,they’reallshowcased’.
Thedirectorofteachingandlearningandthe SENCoworktogethertojointhedotsbetween pastoralandacademics.Theapproachisoneof in-classsupport,‘Inclusiondoneproperly.’They alsofacilitatesmallbreak-outgroupsandlove teamteaching.
‘Theycouldn’tdoanybetter’saysoneparent, andanotherthat,‘Theynoticeifyourchildis struggling’.‘HighfivetotheEnglishdepartment andtheextratuitionthatgoeson,’saidone father.‘They’vegivenmysonconfidence…stuck himundertheirwing.’Childrenreceivingsupport ‘don’tfeeldifferent’hesaid,‘It’satestamentto theculture.’Anotherparentsaid,schoolhad ‘topped[herson]upeverychancetheycould’ andmadehimfeel‘likeadifferentkid…akidwho wantstogotoschool’.Whenwevisited,pupils weresupportedwithdyslexia,dyspraxia,ASC, ADHD,andsensoryprocessing.Unfortunately, nowheelchairaccess.
Year7and8helpwithsports,year1PE,actas wetbreakmonitorsandpeermentors.Asparents seeit,theymoveuptheschool‘pickingtheir responsibilitiesanddevelopingconfidence.’Year 8canbecaptainsingardening,firstaid,chess, maths,commonrooms,prep…‘Ifyouaskedfor it,youcouldprobablygetit,’onepupiltoldus.
Oneboy,who’dmovedfromanotherschool, said‘PeopletellmeI’vechangedsomuch, because[I’m]moreconfidenthere,andfriends witheveryone.’Anotheragreed,‘Everyone's reallyfriendly.’Comparativelyfewgirlsinupper prep(anissueexperiencedbymostlocalpreps) butthosethatstayhavenoregrets.
Childrenfeel‘supported,safeandsecure,’say parents.Stafftellusthatpastoralsupport, mentalhealthandwellbeingis‘comingontoa newlevel’.There’saschoolcounsellorandmore thanoneELSA(emotionalliteracysupport assistant).‘TheHappyHangout’isapastoral spaceforbreaktimes.It’salsosomewhereto meetupwithyear8mentors,whoarepraisedby parentsofyoungerpupils.
Whenitcomestodiscipline,pupilssay,‘There’s alwaysafairreason’forconsequences.‘Youcan getayellowfortalking,anorangeifitgetsworse, andthreeorangesaweek,well…andred...’they didn’tdaresay.Andwedidn'tneedtodiscuss ‘redplus’,becauseapparently,nobody’sthat naughty.
They’vegivenmyson confidence…stuckhim undertheirwing.’Children receivingsupport‘don’tfeel different.
Childrenfeel‘supported, safeandsecure,’sayparents
Itwasa‘smartmove’fortheheadtomakeafter schoolclubsfree,sayparents.Theoutstanding assortmentnowofferedbystaffincludes ‘squigglycalligraphy’,debating,maths, running,netball,musictheoryanddesign technology.‘Theywanttosignupforallofthem!’ saidonemother,whosedaughterattends‘French speakingclub’.Gardeningclubisparticularly popularwithchildrenwholikestructuredactivities atbreakandlunchtimes.
Newparentsdescribe‘averywelcoming experience’,withotherfamiliesreachingoutto helpthemgetorganised.Everyoneravesabout ‘SummerProms’,andeventsarewellattended. Onefathertoldus,‘Everyone’sworkingtosend theirkidstothatschool…hard-working,normal peopleinnormaljobs.’Amotheragreed,‘We’re notglamorous.’‘ThereareplentyofRange Rovers,’saidafather,‘…butalotofbangerstoo’.
TheParentSocietyfundraisersrecentlyboughta newlightingsystemfortheschoolhall,andtheir ‘Fridaymorningbaconsandwichstall’,was mentionedenthusiasticallybypractically everyonewespoketo.
MONEYMATTERS
Feesonaparwithlocalcompetitorsbutthere’s aconsiderableefforttoensure‘valueadded’ wherepossible.Freeafter-schoolclubsmean childrencanstayuntil5.30everydayatnoextra costandlearningsupportisofferedwithout additionalcharge.
THELASTWORD
“Ipassionatelybelieveincreating transformativeeducationaland pastoraljourneyswhereeverypupilis noticed,notmerelyseen…islistened to,notjustheard…isempowered,not simplyenabled.
JoannaWright,Head
Asmallschoolwithbeautiful grounds,BarrowHillshas theenvironment,learning cultureandpastoralcare balancedperfectlyto nurturesuccess. Particularlybigontaking responsibility,children developresilienceand confidence.Wemethappy childrenwholovedtheir teachersandwereproudof theirschool.’
