St Peter’s 2-8 Phil Hardy

What a fantastic year we have had at St Peter’s 2-8, full of exciting adventures for children and staff, even for some of the parents! Although none of us could have predicted the challenges that we have been presented with, our children have proven themselves to be true Learning Superheroes, demonstrating collaboration, reflectiveness, resourcefulness and resilience against all odds. Their curiosity, adaptability and unbounded joy of learning has continued throughout the year, enabling them to embrace the new realities of remote learning when required.

The last couple of years have been difficult at times, and the staff at St Peter’s 2-8 have been sensational. The effort they make for the children is staggering and the children are incredibly fortunate to have them as their teachers, teaching assistants and support staff. Every single member of staff works incredibly hard to create such fabulous learning spaces and environments for the children, preparing exciting and innovative lessons that inspire then to learn. They have overcome so many unexpected challenges, changing their teaching methods and preparing the most amazing lessons on video that I am sure could be on TV, and while I have been nothing short of astounded by both the quality and imagination of the remote learning staff produced, I am pleased to see a return to face-to-face teaching with pupils back in school this year. Never has wellbeing and resilience been more vital and focusing on this has enabled our children to thrive through a year of constant change and uncertainty. Pupils were fully supported by an engaging remote learning programme during lockdown and our resilience and recovery curriculum on their return to school.

Themes were carefully chosen to provide opportunities for children to build their emotional literacy and address individual needs. Through the Learning Superheroes children develop resilience and selfawareness, working through challenges to manage the inevitable highs and lows that are inextricably woven into the learning process. Children are taught that acts of kindness and care for the environment have positive impacts. Small actions collectively make a big difference to themselves and others. Led by the School Council and inspired by a theme on oceans, the children pursued a campaign to stop the use of single use plastic bottles at school. They have also made a difference in our local community, with intergenerational music workshops in care homes and a reverse advent calendar for the homeless. In this ever-increasing digital world, ICT is integrated to enhance the children’s learning. Children are adept at using programable robotics, VR Headsets, Augmented Reality, and the creation of digital content as a platform to share learning. Our “classrooms without walls” approach means that much valuable learning takes place outdoors making use of not only our school grounds but of the city of York and environment beyond. The possibilities are endless for children at St Peter’s, whether they are reflectively practising mindfulness, collaborating to light a fire at Forest School, using resourcefulness to explore the Amazon Rainforest through Virtual Reality, or showing resilience by designing working Stone Age tools. We aim to nurture happy, curious, motivated, bold and adventurous children, unafraid to embrace life and seek new adventures.

St Peter’s 2-8 was named Independent School of the Year at the TES Independent School Awards in April 2021, one of the biggest nights in the UK education calendar. The judges felt that, in a competitive field, St Peter’s School stood out in exemplifying some of the best practice in the independent school sector. The judges praised the school’s use of a range of approaches to support pupils’ wellbeing and personal growth, whether through its Forest School, encouraging pupils to use ICT independently or helping pupils champion campaigns on a range of environmental issues. It was an honour to receive the Pre-Prep School of the Year Award for the second time in three years, and to follow this up with the accolade of Independent School of the Year is an astonishing achievement. These awards reflect the continued dedication of our amazing children, incredible colleagues, teaching, support staff, and the support of the wider school community including parents and governors. The awards have added poignancy this year as we reflect on all the challenges we have overcome as a school community in recent months.

Philip Hardy - Head of 2-8