With the forthcoming opening of its Pre-School, Kimbolton Prep Head Claire Petrie reflects on why education is as much about character as knowledge
When parents talk about what they most want for their children, they often speak about kindness, confidence, and resilience – the qualities that help children thrive long after they have left school. At Kimbolton Prep, we believe that developing character is as important as developing knowledge. This begins the moment a child steps through the school gate. And soon, that will include our very youngest pupils when our new Pre-School opens next January.
In the earliest years, children are natural imitators. They watch closely how adults react to challenges, how friends take turns and how teachers encourage effort. Every small interaction becomes a lesson in empathy and integrity. That’s why we see character education not as an ‘add-on’, but as something woven into daily life. It’s evident in the way we greet each other in the morning, solve a playground disagreement or celebrate a moment of courage in assembly.
Formal curriculum will always matter, but a purely academic focus can overlook the subtle learning that happens through play, teamwork and conversation. In our Pre-School, play will form the foundation for character development. When a building block tower topples, it isn’t a failure but an introduction to perseverance. A disagreement over paint colours becomes a lesson in negotiation. These early experiences give children the emotional language to manage frustration, take responsibility and keep trying – the very qualities that underpin both wellbeing and later academic success.
As children move up through our Prep School, those early lessons deepen. Our pupils are encouraged to reflect on what our five school values – Curiosity, Kindness, Integrity, Courage, Endeavour – mean in practice. These are not just words on a wall, but reference points for everyday decisions. Whether on the sports field, in the choir or during outdoor learning, pupils learn that courage can mean trying something new as much as standing up for a friend, and that kindness often involves quiet acts of inclusion rather than grand gestures.
Educators and parents sometimes ask how character can be measured. The truth is that character reveals itself in small, consistent ways – in the child who stays behind to help tidy, the one who admits a mistake or the one who perseveres when a project feels impossible. These are the moments that tell us education is working.
At a time when young people face increasing pressure to perform, schools have a duty to safeguard childhood and promote moral as well as intellectual growth. Teaching values explicitly – and modelling them daily – equips pupils to make wise choices and build strong relationships. It also lays a foundation for citizenship: for understanding others’ perspectives, showing compassion and leading with integrity.
Character cannot be taught in isolation. It grows through community and through feeling seen, trusted and valued. That is why the culture we create here in our Prep School, and soon in our new Pre-School, matters so much. When children learn that who they are is as important as what they know, they develop not only confidence but purpose. And that, ultimately, is what education should be about.
Kimbolton Prep School kimboltonschool.com
Further reading: Edge Grove Prep School on supporting individuality
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