Education News

from Primary Times in Hereford & Worcester - OCTOBER HALF TERM 2021

Roundabout

ACQUIRING LIFE SKILLS AND LEARNING IS CHILD’S PLAY AT THE DOWNS MALVERN

Autumn term has certainly proved a “hoot” for the children in the Nursery and Reception classes (EYFS) at The Downs Malvern in Colwall. “As ever at this age, the emphasis is on making learning fun, fun, fun,” says Mr Alastair Cook, Headmaster, “giving young minds and bodies the chance to explore and experience new activities and acquire new skills along the way.

“With the school’s fabulous resources at their disposal, our younger children enjoy a rich mix of free play-based learning and adult-led input activities which help develop their social skills, learning, self-assurance and resilience. What’s more, anyone sending their young child to Nursery qualifies for up to 30 hours government funded childcare.”

One of this term’s innovations has already proved a huge success: the school’s “Hoot Parent and Toddler Group”, a new weekly parent and toddler group held on Tuesdays throughout term times between 9.30 and 11.00am. Children are given the opportunity to make the very most of the school’s indoor and outdoor resources and facilities, and receive inspiring sessions delivered by the school’s teachers.

“There’s no cost to attend,” says Mr Cook, “although any donations made go to a local charity. It has proved so popular that anyone coming for the first time will need to call in advance to make sure there is space.”

Another new venture this term is “Skills to Thrive” – a series of cross-curricular themes in lessons for children of all ages. These provide a firm foundation for the years ahead. Resilience is one those seven skills, along with Reflection, Motivation, Communication, Creativity, Collaboration and Curiosity and, as Mr Cook points out, “Resilience is what can help children overcome the many challenges throughout their life and reach their full potential.”

The skills are brought into each child’s education and tailored to their educational stage: for Pre-Prep (Nursery—Year 2), for instance, each skill is accompanied by an animal and a story ensuring the children can clearly picture what each “Skill” is about. This also continues during their French lessons via their specialist language teacher. In Computing, the children have been learning to set basic programming codes on the “Beebots”, using iPads regularly and acquiring the online skills that today’s “digital natives” will need going forward.

There are also lots of ways for younger children in Nursery and Reception to burn off excess energy and gain confidence in their physical skills. Ready and safe access within the school grounds to the woods means they can build dens, climb trees and splash in the stream during Outdoor Adventures. A variety of sports are enjoyed in the large modern Sports Hall for PE and weekly swimming lessons for Reception and Years 1 and 2 take place in the splendid pool at Malvern College.

In the words of the school’s Head of EYFS, Louise Hannis: “This is where the learning begins but the fun never ends! We pride ourselves on providing an engaging, enjoyable and enabling environment full of opportunities to think critically, problem solve and learn.”

If you’d like to visit The Downs Malvern’s Nursery or Pre-Prep facilities, contact the Registrar Mrs Katherine Cox on +44 (0) 1684 544108 or email her at registrar@thedownsmalvern.org.uk.

CHRIST COLLEGE RESTRUCTURES TIMETABLE TO FOCUS ON OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND CHARACTERBUILDING POST-PANDEMIC

Following 18 months of upheaval for the education sector, independent school Christ College Brecon has reshuffled its weekly timetable to include more extra-curricular activity to help with pupils’ physical, spiritual, social and moral development.

Christ College Brecon already ensures each year group experiences ‘Adventure Days’ in the nearby Brecon Beacons National Park during the year, but as of the new academic year, the school has been offering its 370 pupils a mix of outdoor adrenaline activities such as mountaineering, climbing, paddle sports and trail running, as well as creative arts including our senior musical production, masterchef, action photography, robotics and video game development. The additional options have created a ‘second curriculum Saturday’ leaving weekdays with the positive blend of academic lessons, music, including ensembles, the orchestra and individual tuition, academic clubs, academic support groups, hockey, rugby, netball and badminton fixtures and adventures in our Cadet Force.

During the pandemic, Ofsted found that some children have regressed in their reading and writing and many have lost physical fitness. A recent Active Lives Children and Young People Survey found the number of children meeting the government’s guidance of an hour of activity a day dropped by more than 100,000 in the summer of 2020, compared to the same period in 2019 and nearly a third of young people do less than 30 minutes of exercise each day. Head (Pastoral), Simon Hill, said: “The past year has not been easy for many school-aged children, but we believe that combining academic lessons and a rich extracurricular programme with plenty of opportunities to experience the outdoors or try a new hobby or skill is a great way to help develop a young person and give them the best start in life.

“The new Saturday programme has started really well. We have received really positive feedback from pupils about how much they are enjoying participating in adventurous activities in the Brecon Beacons, playing sport, trying new hobbies and clubs, playing musical instruments and rehearsing for the Senior Musical Production. Parents have also praised the timetable change and the freedom it gives children to try wonderful activities on the weekends and focus on their schoolwork during the week.”

The Saturday programme, which has already been introduced to sixth form pupils as part of the school’s Curriculum for Life programme, joins the college’s Spirit Days which invites the whole community, including parents, to watch and enjoy the school teams, matches and performances on selected Saturdays during the year.

Christ College is one of the oldest schools in Wales and utilises the surrounding Brecon Beacons to deliver its extracurricular activities as well as its 40 acre site, including an onsite fitness suite, hockey astro-turf pitch, new multi-use games area and a swimming pool. A through school, students undertake their school journey under one roof, joining from Reception or any other year group, they are assured of a warm welcome into the Holy Trinity family. A broad curriculum, the school values the world of academia, but equally the creative arts and PE, as the skills and attributes developed in these subjects help students to become well-rounded individuals. With a swimming pool on site, all students learn to swim as part of the curriculum provision, and in doing so, develop an essential life skill.

Adept at teaching across both the primary and secondary phase, supports an effective transition from Year 6 through to Year 7. Within the primary phase, students receive specialist teaching from senior staff in PE, music, French and art, as well as some subject specialism within each year group in Key stage 2. Sixth Form students benefit from small tuition groups, with many opportunities to develop leadership skills within the main school, as well as receiving individual support with their UCAS applications.

Admission deadlines for September 2022 entry:

Year 7 31st October 2021

6th Form 30th November 2021

Reception 15th January 2022

All applications to be made via Worcestershire County Council and for further information please call the Head’s PA Mrs Roth on 01562 822929 or email: karen.roth@holytrinity.co.uk