There are important transitions to be made throughout the school journey: from Nursery to Reception; from Pre-Prep to Prep; from Junior School to Senior or Secondary School. Whether your child is staying at the same school or changing schools, the transitions throughout the educational journey are crucial as they can determine how happy and settled they feel and also have an impact on their future success.
St Benedict’s is the top co-educational Catholic school in west London. The London school provides a well-rounded, seamless education which can begin in Nursery and continue to the end of Sixth Form. We have teamed up with St Benedict’s to find out more about the benefits of a seamless education for your child. Read on to find out more.
Each school stage is a natural progression
When the educational journey is seamless, the transition through each school stage is a natural progression – rather than an unsettling jolt.
At St Benedict’s, transitions through the school are managed very carefully. Pupils who start at the School from Nursery and go right through to Sixth Form benefit from a continuity of approach, ethos and community. Excellent pastoral support also ensures successful school transitions. Even if your child is joining at a later stage, settling in is very easy.
Familiar surroundings and facilities help to ease the journey through school
A seamless education offers pupils the opportunity to share facilities and mix with older year groups. When pupils progress through the school, this helps to make the transition feel less daunting as they are already familiar with their new surroundings.
For example, at St Benedict’s the Nursery and Pre-Prep children share activities and resources as they are all accommodated in the same new Early Years department. And junior school children frequently attend events at the senior school, including the Science Fair, art exhibition, concerts and author visits. For older pupils, the School has a brand new Sixth Form building with state-of-the-art facilities which was opened in 2017. The Sixth Form Centre is separate from the rest of the school, but very much part of the St Benedict’s community.
Co-curricular activities also provide another opportunity for year groups to mix. St Benedict’s offers more than 100 different co-curricular activities designed to inspire and engage children outside the classroom.
A seamless school experience allows children to make lasting friendships
Sending your child to a school that goes right the way through from nursery to sixth form, allows them to build lasting connections and form solid friendship groups. Even if your child doesn’t join at nursery, the perfect school for your child will make the settling in process as easy and seamless as possible.
St Benedict’s School prides itself on its happy, caring environment. Understanding that education is about enriching lives, the seamless journey through the school helps young people to foster life-long friendships. New pupils joining the school at a later stage not only benefit from solid pastoral care, but there’s also a peer mentoring programme – where older pupils offer additional support to younger pupils.
St Benedict’s is known for having a strong community as well, which continues on even after leaving school. Set up in 2019, St Benedict’s Connect is a private networking platform for St Benedict’s alumni. The platform offers a full Mentoring Programme, employment and internship opportunities, university contacts and advice, as well as information about the School’s many alumni reunion dinners and events. Many of St Benedict’s alumni stay in touch and are part of the School’s community for life.
If children feel secure, they are able to focus on their studies and achieve academic success
A seamless school experience helps to make children feel secure. When children feel secure, they are able to thrive, reach their full potential and attain academic achievement.
The upward trajectory of academic standards at St Benedict’s School is a good example of this. The School believes that if children are happy, and are known individually by their teachers, they will thrive and fulfil their potential.
St Benedict’s was ranked in the top 5% of all schools in the country for ‘value added’ from GCSE to A level, in the Government’s 2019 league tables. 81% of St Benedict’s students secured places at the UK’s top 30 universities in 2021, including Oxbridge, Russell Group universities and the majority went to their first-choice university.
Children are happier when their school journey is seamless
Pastoral care is a key component of a seamless school journey. A strong support network – from school staff to other pupils – can make a huge difference to a child’s happiness as they progress through school.
Supporting children is very important at St Benedicts. Pupils receive lots of individual guidance from the very beginning – from their tutor, Head of Year, subject teachers and fellow pupils. The school prides itself on pupils feeling happy and safe, developing positive relationships with their teachers and knowing that they are part of an inclusive and caring community.
This is a sponsored post created in collaboration with St Benedict’s School, independent day school for pupils aged 4-18 in Ealing, London.
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