Why the long day at Gordon’s School is so popular
Rob Pavis, Deputy Head (Pastoral) at Gordon's School explains the benefits of an extended school dayBilled as a solution to anti-social behaviour in London by the Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield, extended school days have been part of the fabric at Gordon’s School in Surrey since it first opened its doors in the late eighties.The thinking behind the extended school day - which…
Nature boost – why schools take learning outside
We all need nature, and for children it's now recognised as critical – not only boosting mental and physical health but also supporting different learning styles and capacity to learn and build confidence. We speak to three schools that celebrate and promote learning in the great outdoors and see its far-reaching benefitsAt QE, learning outside is part of the schedule all year round, whatever…
Why schools love pet therapy
Animals can bring joy, calm and even improve learning outcomes. Absolutely Education speaks to four schools that make full use of pet therapy superpowersPets are known for their ability to change the dynamic of hospitals and care homes – bringing pleasure and health benefits to those who interact with them. No surprise then that schools are cottoning on to the value of a bit of animal magic…
Roots: Queen’s Gate School – a pioneer of progress
Having marked its 130th birthday in 2021, Queen's Gate is a London school with a rich and remarkable history – and a long tradition of being in the vanguard of educating girls and young womenIn the 1860s The Taunton Commission had reached the conclusion that the sexes had equal mental capacity. Despite that, education opportunities for girls remained severely limited in the decades that…
Taunton School shortlisted at the TES Independent School Awards
Taunton School is amongst the most outstanding institutions in the independent sector which has been recognised in the shortlist for the 2019 Tes Independent School Awards.
The School has made the shortlist of the coveted Awards for its Wellbeing Initiative.Tes editor Ann Mroz said: “Independent education in this country is truly world class. It’s one of our great success stories. And those…
St. Anthony’s School for Girls on happy learning
We sit down with Donal Brennan, Headmaster of St. Anthony's School for Girls, to find out more about its academic and pastoral approach that sets happy and confident pupils on the road to successCan you explain more about the history of St. Anthony's School for Girls?We are a Catholic school – welcoming of all faiths – and were established in 2016 as a sister school to nearby St.…
Elstree School pioneer awards for prep girls
Elstree School is hosting a Girls’ Discovery Morning and lunch on Saturday 7th March. The first ten girls who then enrol for a place in September 2020, will be offered the Elstree School Pioneer Award.* This equates to a fifty percent reduction of the day fees for the duration of their time at Elstree (see Terms & Conditions* below).Elstree announced
last year that it was becoming fully…
Maida Vale School – in conversation with Magnus Bashaarat
In his new role as Head of Maida Vale School, Magnus Bashaarat brings with him great experience and a belief that education must evolve to meet the needs of today's students and tomorrow's workplaceMagnus Bashaarat may be 'new boy' at Maida Vale School, having taken over the reins at the start of the summer term, but he's an old hand at leadership. This is his third headship in a career…
Alastair Speers, on why it ‘adds up’ to choose a boarding prep school
There’s an unresolved mathematical problem that today’s parents are desperately trying to solve. If there are 24 hours in a day, how can we fit in the time it takes to do the school run, an eight hour school day, an hour or two of clubs, tutoring, or ‘cv-boosting’ activities (plus their travel time), a family dinner to discuss the day and encourage good manners, along with some ‘downtime’ to…
Redcliffe Gardens School on managing the news
Redcliffe Gardens School Head Sarah Glencross examines how to discuss news stories, particularly with younger childrenWhile the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla is a news story children have been responding to with enthusiasm, this is a rare example of a good news story making front-page news. If we consider last year, news included the sad death of The Queen and war in Ukraine.…