Pre-Prep News Archives - Page 4 of 21

Prep school education is incredibly well regarded around the world and the benefits of a broad and wide ranging curriculum are clear, if tricky to quantify. In recent years there have been a number of excellent initiatives run by different organisations to try and make up for the shortfall that primary aged children are missing out on due to the constraints of the National Curriculum, class sizes and budget constraints in some primary schools and the demands placed on family life. The National Trust’s ‘50 things to do before you are 11 and three-quarters’ is an excellent list of fun, outdoor activities that all the family can become involved with. The Girlguiding Association and The Scout Association have been advocates of outdoor learning, problem solving and adventure challenge for years. I am delighted to note that the Education Department has now launched ‘My Activity Passport’ a list based on a vision for every child to have the opportunity to enjoy new and varied experiences. This comprises of key areas; “drive and tenacity; sticking at the task at hand; understanding how to work towards long term goals when reward might be a long way off in the future; and being able to pick yourself up and bounce back from life’s challenges.” www.gov.uk

This initiative is long overdue and a wonderful step in the right direction for all children. Behind the excitement of finally understanding the value of lessons learnt not sat at desks, is the realisation that for some children this way of thinking and being does not come naturally. We are so fortunate to have the wonderful grounds, the resources and the staff to facilitate these core skills being embedded into our curriculum alongside our unique Learning@Woodbridge ethos both within subjects and as stand-alone discrete lessons. Forest Schools, Mindfulness, Engineering, Food Technology, Drama, Music and PE are fundamental pillars of the experience at The Abbey. Together with House Captains, Leaders, Librarians, Eco-Committee, School Council and a myriad of other opportunities the skills of confidence, resilience, and involvement are woven throughout the curriculum.

This initiative should, in time, slowly start to enhance learning for all children and not just those who are fortunate enough to already benefit from this positive step forward.

The Reception children took part in their first Nativity Play this week “Lights, Camel, Action!”
They performed their dances beautifully and joined in enthusiastically with all the songs.

On Friday 30 November Year 2 took part in their first swimming gala against Ipswich School and Orwell Park. The children were all eager to show parents and staff the progress they had made this term and swam with confidence. The children were proud to represent their school showing determination in individual races and great team spirit in the relay races. There was a super atmosphere throughout the afternoon and we look forward to watching the children’s continued progress throughout the year.

Anna King

The Reception children have been learning about nocturnal animals this week. After reading the story Owl Babies, they produced this beautiful art work.

Ask anyone about education and they have an opinion on what should be taught and why. Quite rightly; we all went to school and we were all affected by the experience. Where we differ though is deciding what was the best / worst / most enjoyable / most important experience. History versus Geography seems to be a hot topic in my house!

However, at prep school level it is not the individual academic subjects that are so important; that comes later as exams start to play an ever increasing part in the educational experience. At this stage each subject works alongside the skills of socialisation, emotional intelligence, problem solving and resilience. No one area is more important than another as, if we ignore learning about appropriate behaviour, manners and compassion, we cannot ask the children to ‘top up’ and take an extra module at 16.

We have worked hard at Woodbridge to integrate the L@W (Learning at Woodbridge) into the curriculum so that it is overt and obvious and the children are aware that that they are learning key skills. The skills themselves are the essence of what makes a good prep school. However there is so much more on offer that also supports this key developmental area.

Engineering at The Abbey was integrated into the curriculum for Years 5 and 6 from September 2017 and the bespoke syllabus was written specifically by a member of staff with a background in engineering. Dividing the classes allows us to teach pupils in class sizes of up to 10 and ensures that the pupils all have the opportunities to develop their practical skills. Within the curriculum we cover a variety of engineering principles and branches including:
Mechanical engineering – manufacturing, automotive and aerospace; Chemical engineering – materials and process; Electrical engineering – robotics and computing; Civil engineering – environmental and water resources.

Each project is given a brief, not a list of instructions, and the children have to problem solve, work together and test their creations to arrive at the optimal conclusion. The box cart project develops the pupils’ study into forces and Newton’s laws of motion from Year 5 and their study on invention through the Victorian era and the links to mathematics and science are obvious.
Pupils design chassis, axels, brackets, steering and braking systems in teams. They make their own material and tool choices and problem solve their way to a finished product. Engineering encourages children to experiment, make mistakes – evaluate those mistakes and overcome them.
It is these skills, together and with equal importance alongside all other subjects, which will prepare our children for the future.

Our children need to be able to use their considerable knowledge, apply it to situations but also be adaptable and resilient as they move forward in life. Every subject therefore has a part to play ensuring that knowledge is deep, connections are made and problems solved. Alongside this we want our children to be wholesome, kind and engaging individuals who will every opportunity in the future to make the right decision for themselves as they move into adulthood.

So… what is the most important subject to teach at school and why?

In science the Year 2 children conducted experiments to test the friction created by different surfaces. They used toy cars on grass, gravel, sand and tarmac and made predictions about which surface would provide the most and least friction. The children discussed what is meant by a fair test and recorded their results in small groups. Great teamwork!

Some Pirate treasure has been discovered! Could it belong to the infamous Captain Blackbeard? It’s down to Year 2 to draw the evidence, using their skills of careful observation and accuracy. We need to do a still life of our discovery, in case that landlubber returns!

As part of their topic “All About Me” the children are learning about caring for their pets. This week they have had the responsibility of looking after the Queen’s House pet chickens. They have been feeding them, collecting the eggs and cleaning them out.

Announcement from Mrs Nicola Mitchell, Head of Queen’s House & The Abbey:

I am delighted to write with positive news regarding the plans for Queen’s House and The Abbey.

As you are aware I was in the fortunate position of being able to review the plans when I arrived last September. We have been able to ensure that the revised plans provide optimum teaching facilities, which improve on the current provision we have at the Pre-Prep, and ensure that the upgrade of the current Abbey site is thorough and ensures key areas are developed.

Pivotal to the decision making has always been what is right for the children’s education and what will be of maximum benefit to their well-being and the experience they have at School.

The approved plans will involve:

A purpose built classroom block for Reception and Year 1, replacing the current music practice rooms
A new Pre-Prep play area
New Music practice rooms
A new Astro Turf
Refurbished changing rooms
A multi-purpose assembly room
Upgraded Library
Renovated ICT provision
Refurbished Food Technology room

By creating new classrooms we have enabled free-flow access for the Early Years Foundation Stage pupils to the new Pre-Prep play area and appropriate sections of our wonderful outdoor areas. This will be a significant improvement on the current Queen’s House provision, which does not allow for this key requirement, and will enable us to structure the curriculum for the youngest pupils in an entirely child-centred way.

Moving the Music practice rooms means we are able to refurbish these and continue to ensure that the Music and performance opportunities are of the highest standard.

We looked carefully at provision for PE and Games and are delighted to say that we will be installing our own Astro-turf which means that lessons and skills development will be able to be continuously provided for throughout the year with space both indoors and outdoors.

It is important to monitor all areas of the School and it has been shown that the changing and toilet facilities can make a great deal of difference to a pupil’s experience. We will be upgrading and expanding these facilities to ensure they are safe spaces and easy to supervise; maximising pupil well-being.

There will be a second music, movement, Drama and assembly space incorporated within the Dewar Building to allow for House Meetings, lessons and year group work.

The Library will be modernised and upgraded as the important heart of the School and a vital point of inspiration for all the children. I.C.T. provision will be upgraded with an improved I.C.T. room. The main teaching buildings will receive a redecoration and upgrade which will also continue over the coming years.

Within the new plans there is the ability to keep specialist teaching zones for Spanish, Science, Art, Engineering, Music and Drama whilst developing and modernising the Food Technology area.

The majority of the upgrades for the existing buildings will take place during the holidays. The planned work for the Early Years classrooms will take six months and will be confined to the peripatetic music classroom block which is easy to isolate from the children on a day to day basis.

We are thrilled that we have been granted permission for the new plans and are confident that they will allow the teachers to ensure the curriculum is delivered and developed in exciting ways now and into the future.

We have carefully considered the impact of these changes on the immediate environment and are confident that they will impact in a minimal way and preserve the special outdoor space from which we are so fortunate to benefit.

With the plans approved we are now on track to ensure a successful completion of the development in time for a September 2019 start for the Pre-Prep at The Abbey.

Detailed plans will be available on 11 October at Queen’s House to coincide with Parents’ Evening. The following week there will be an information evening at The Abbey and displays set to highlight the changes.

We are very much looking forward to upgrading the Abbey site and welcoming the Pre-Prep pupils. The move will enhance the community feel that Woodbridge School has and improve the morning and afternoon routine for families. As always I am happy to answer any queries you may have and look forward to sharing the detailed plans with you.

It was our great privilege to welcome The Right Reverend Tim Stevens, erstwhile Bishop of Dunwich and more recently of Leicester, to help us celebrate and commemorate our founders and benefactors at our annual Commemoration Service. He embraced the opportunity to talk to the whole School community, from four to sixty-four (I’m guessing!), and took as his theme the importance of giving in all its guises: from the Sermon on the Mount and reflections on what brings true happiness, to Stephen Hawking (where the sermon started), to Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai whom we may not have remembered by name, but could not possibly have forgotten for her story – recovering from her attempted assassination by the Taliban as a child only to petition even more strongly and globally, on her recovery, in the struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education. Bishop Tim’s was a simple and passionate message for us to be the best we can, and to do the best for, and by, others and for our fragile world. It was what our founders hoped for us, all those generations ago. Now to rise to the challenge.