Alumni and the cross-keys

I am delighted to announce that Mrs Kate Lord  has accepted the position of Boarding Houseparent and teacher for the year starting in September.  Many of you will remember Kate who worked with Mr and Mrs Newman in the boarding house last year.  She has a background in the army and has recently completed her PGCE.  The staff and pupils are thrilled with the appointment and I am sure you will join me in making her welcome.  Recruitment for a permanent houseparent will then take place over the Michaelmas term ready for September 2018.  I can also let you know that Miss Shannon Baker has accepted a position as a trainee accountant from May half term and we wish her well with her new career.  She has been a bedrock of support and fun in the boarding house, at school and on the games field.  Shannon will be replaced by Jodie Atkins for the rest of the term.  Jodie previously worked as the Boarding Gap here at St. Peter’s so is very familiar with the ropes!

Spending time with the children is absolutely the best part about being a Head and I joined Nursery for their ‘Hello song and dance’ on Monday morning.  I’ve welcomed children in my office explaining their work which has made it into the ‘Academic Book of Excellence’ (this week a three page French essay by Abbie in year 8).  I had lunch with some Year 6 in my study this week and they enjoyed telling me how impressed they are with the new food changes and we had a great discussion about their Science experiments that they are working on to present in the Science Fair in a couple of weeks.  Experiments are all designed by the children from testing the success of various mechanical hand, the porous quality of egg shells to the best chocolate brownie recipe.  (This last one is particularly fun!).  I’m looking forward to the presentations later in the term.  

This week I received a letter from a Year 6 pupil.  It was eloquently written, well argued and rather impressive.  I replied to the letter asking said child to meet me (with a friend) in my office at break time.  They remembered, ( on time ) and we had a super discussion all about my vision for the school and how important I felt the History of the school was.  The boys felt reassured that I would be rehanging the previous Headmasters’ portraits in the new library and that I would also be doing an alumni display.  The school has a fascinating history and I welcomed Mr Charles Abram for coffee last week, a previous head.  He shared with me a detailed history of school done under his watch by a previous master.  I particularly enjoyed reading that the school was founded in 1882, as a ‘High Class’ School at Exmouth for the ‘sons of Gentlemen’ .  The school was moved from Exmouth to the current site at Harefield in 1949.  It is often that I show round families with parents who had attended the school as children and are now looking for their own children.  If anyone has any photos or information for our History of St. Peter’s display in the new library, please do let me know.  Often they say that they remember St. Peter’s with such fondness as a wonderful place to grow up.  A traditional prep school with a real family feel to it which instills good values and nurtures children in an environment full of opportunities.  They feel that they benefitted and want the same for their children.  Here is a picture of one of the old school blazers and cap. Its really interesting to note the old shape of the shield.  In those days they had ‘pips’ for House points which were pinned onto the blazer.  This picture of the one above the office shows the original shield shape in more detail and it was we have echoed in our new branding as shown here on one of the new House T-Shirts.  .

Have a wonderful bank holiday weekend with the family.

The St Peter’s Learning and Research Hub - much more than a library

The St Peter’s Learning and Research Hub - much more than a library

Quiet spaces in schools are hard to come by, but they are essential.  The parent, staff and pupil survey in January highlighted very strongly that the community felt that such a space is needed at St Peter’s.  Children wished for a space where they could spend time colouring or building lego at break and lunch times, where they could chat and have some space and peace in the middle of a busy day and of course a space to read.  This place of quiet is only one of the benefits that our new Learning Space will create.  

The current office, a room at the centre of Harefield House, with two French windows overlooking the Estuary is the central space in the school.  By redesigning this as a Learning and Research Hub, the room will put the children and learning right at the heart of St Peter’s.  Bookshelves will line the walls and will be organised by genre.  Zones will be created for ‘mystery’, ‘adventure’, ‘animal stories’ etc.  There will be a Research zone with information texts alongside banks of laptops to enable the children to use a balance of technology as well as quality books for independent learning and group work.  Every child will have a lesson taught in this forward thinking learning space each week. They will be a taught how to use different sources for independent research and we have employed a dedicated librarian to work with the children to advise and guide.  

Opportunities for leadership will be available for older children to encourage and listen to other children read and to use the space for independent research, or for getting their prep done.  

Children will have space for creative and collaborative technology and the room will provide opportunities for quality presentations by both pupils and adults and for both pupils and adults, with a large moveable screen and projector.  A central table will provide opportunities for children to work together in large groups with their teachers taking in turns to lead the learning as in a ‘Harkness’ model of teaching (more next week).   Communication is one of the key skills of the Baccalaureate and the Learning Hub will provide a sophisticated space to enable quality presentations to take place.

A further benefit will be that the room will be a multi-functional space available for Parent workshops  (a programme of which is being developed for next year - on, for example Managing a Digital native at home, Maths workshops, Future schools’ advice), small concerts or poetry performances, drinks receptions for parents and match teas.  

I am delighted that the School and Friends of St Peter’s are working together to build and provide this Research and Learning Hub, a forward thinking space for the children but also for the community.  It is wonderful to have something of significance on which to spend funds that will make a huge, positive leap forward to the life of the school.  Without the support of the Friends it would not be possible to build such a space and this project is a real testament to how far we have come together over this year at St Peter’s.  I am sure you will join me in thanking all of those involved and I look forward to welcoming you to the new Learning and Research Hub next term.

Broadening Horizons - Future School options

Broadening horizons was the theme for St. Peter's parents at the next steps schools fair last night. There are many wonderful schools in the South West and it was tremendous to see them in

one place. Parents appreciated being able to chat to Heads and Registrars from the schools and get a real feel for what they could offer their child. It is that personal relationship which is key to build with schools to ensure the Best possible outcomes for the child and it is that which parents will buy into.

Welcoming schools from further afield such as Byranston, Clifton College, Cheltenham, Sherborne, King’s Bruton, showed some other options that may not have previously been considered. My great thanks to Rachel Elliott, Kaye Hurley  and Simon Brett for organising The senior schools certainly enjoyed their cream tea !

This week it has been a joy to spend time in classrooms and seeing the push on child directed learning having a direct effect.  Wonder walls are up in classrooms with children starting each topic with asking a range of questions on what they would like to know and then ‘discovering’ and ‘investigating’ themselves.  This is the reverse of seeing the children as empty vessels to be filled with knowledge and means that children become engaged and actively involved.  It is also lovely to see the learning lines displayed where children show where they are in the process of learning.  It is fantastic to work with such a committed staff who embrace new new initiatives in teaching and learning.

I’ve enjoyed seeing parents at the first Rounders and Cricket matches this week.  I have also very much enjoyed the match teas.  Next week I am  holding a Tea on the Lawn with parents on Tuesday 9th May and look forward to seeing many of you there.

The Summer Ball tickets are selling like hot cakes and we now have only eight tables left.  It is going to be wonderful evening, please do book via the website to guarantee your table.  

Have a super weekend with your families.

A 'Dramatic' pause for thought!

The importance of drama in the education of children can’t be underestimated.  The opportunity for role play, for interaction and communication ‘as somebody else’, the dressing up, the excitement and the team spirit as a group come together to create something wonderful is a joy to see, and this week at St. Peter’s has seen just that.  The cast of Olivia under the wise guidance of Mr Hoban, Mrs Colwill and Miss Smith have had the most wonderful week.  Dress rehearsals and performance at Taunton School have got them ready for the final performance at The Barnfield Theatre in Exeter.  Many congratulations and thanks to the staff and the children who have all worked so hard to get the show together. And what a show it was!

Last night was simply an exceptional performance where the cast delighted the audience in all ways.  The best Prep School drama production I have seen and a credit to excellence at St Peter’s.  I felt hugely proud of everybody.  A parent wrote “It felt like something magical happened!” and “The show was stunning and a reflection of the tremendous effort that you have all made!”

All teachers know the power of drama.  When they ask the children to empathise when they ‘hotseat’ and ‘become’ Anne Boleyn facing the axe or the first man to walk on the moon.  They understand others’ feelings and this helps them in a myriad of ways but, most important of all, it helps them with life.  Children working together improve their communication and listening skills, their teamwork, their confidence and become extremely proud of each other and their place in the school.

Drama is a wonderful thing.  From September Drama will be taught on the timetable from Year 1 up to Year 8.  The children are thrilled and we can’t wait!

The magic of grandparents - involving the whole community at school

My grandparents were hugely influential to me growing up and I recognise the importance of grandparents in a child’s life through the support, care and love that they can give that is different to a parent’s due to the extra level of responsibility we are all familiar with.  As Mrs Ball read in one of her poems during Grandparents' Afternoon this week, one of the joys of looking after grandchildren is being able to ‘give them back’ at the end of the day!

My Grandfather made this fort for my brother when we were little and it is a joy to see it being used now by Reception children at St. Peter’s, a little link to my own past every day.  The Grandparents' Afternoon was a wonderful assembly, with an enormous turnout.  Thank you so much to all the families who attended to see the children in Nursery to Year 2 perform for them and then proudly show their grannies and grandpas around their classroom and the school.  At St. Peter’s we are very proud of our links with our community.  My own grandparents ended their time in a wonderful nursing home and I know full well the joy that small children can bring to the elderly, having seen my own children and their cousins run in with smiles and hugs, not noticing the issues of being elderly and infirm.  At St. Peter’s we have developed a wonderful link with Pinewood Nursing Home where our older children have visited and this week, for the first time Reception visited.  And the pictures are a true joy to see.  My thanks to Mrs Glanvill and Mrs Bruce-Jones for enabling such a wonderful experience for the children and elderly residents at Pinewood.   

Managing Apps and Managing Screen time so home life doesn’t become ‘Scream time’.

At the moment, it can feel that in our own homes we have new imposters and these imposters are 'Devices'.  Digital technology that is changing so fast that we as parents find it difficult to keep up.  It feels, at times, that the children are in charge and then we hear of dreadful stories of how it can go wrong.  Parents turn to schools for advice and, as a parent myself, I am well aware of the battle that goes on at home with regards to the use of Technology with our children.  In many ways, technology is a wonderful thing: instant research; dictionaries; maps; access to help and support; images; videos of speeches etc: an exceptional educational tool.  In other ways it can be dangerous.  We hear of children with 'the glaze' from spending hours playing computer games. Cyber-bullying is terrifying. Adult themes influence the children through links on Whats App or Snapchat, etc. etc.  Our job in school as educators is to make sure that the children know how to use technology safely and we spend a lot of time teaching eSafety at school.  However, this very much needs to be a joint approach.  

It is how to control the use of technology and get that balance, as well as the main priority - keeping the children safe at home, that parents often speak to me about.  

My first piece of advice  is to always abide by the guidance.  Do not, on any account, let your child play a 12+, a 16+ or an 18+ game unless they are that age.  This guidance is there for a reason.  Games for older children or adults have adult themes, language and inappropriate content and it is a parent's responsibility to ensure that their children are safe.  On talking to children at St. Peter's about their games at home it is clear that many are playing games which they are too young to play.  This can be because of older siblings etc. but do please check and enforce at home.  No matter how much they argue!

My second piece of advice is to insist that phones, iPads etc. are not used in the children's bedrooms.  This means they use them in a public space, allowing you to look over a child's shoulder or talk to them about what they are doing and it becomes something in the public space rather than private bedroom space.  And do talk to them - ask them to explain how an App works, what they are doing - they will be delighted to show you. Do check an App's privacy settings.  Snapchat, Facebook. WhatsApp, Minecraft etc. all have settings to ensure your child remains safe. The website I recommend below has specific guidance on specific Apps.

Thirdly at bedtime ask the children to put their iPads / phones on to charge in a public space like the kitchen and make sure this happens every evening.  Sleep is affected by beeps, messages or the glow of the light.  

Fourthly make family mealtimes special times for conversation.  A rule such as 'no screens at the table - for anyone...' is clear and means you can chat to them and hear about their day.

And last of all, children learn by their parents' example.  Constantly checking your own phone / laptop / iPad is modelled behaviour and be aware yourself of when the children want to speak to you that you engage with them and give them full attention.  Children do say to us that they get cross and badly behaved at home because they aren't listened to as mum or dad are always on their phone. An interesting point to bear in mind.  

Other advice is to change the wifi password regularly and sites such as parental control apps such as ‘Our Pact’, as recommended by Jamie Oliver, can mean you can control your child’s access to certain Apps on their devices by your own phone.  http://www.mydomaine.com/jamie-oliver-parental-control-app/

I do hope you haven't found this a lecture but I am asked for advice and help from parents often.  

This website is excellent and offers guides on Apps, games, social media, You-Tube, even Digital detoxing...!!!

https://parentzone.org.uk/advice/parent-guides

Have a good week.

For every job that must be done, there is an element of fun! .....Mary Poppins on World Book Day.

For every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.  You find the fun and ‘SNAP!’ the job's a game!  I wouldn’t exactly call Headship a ‘game’ but some days it is certainly good fun!

Headmistress arrives for World Book Day

Sometimes we all need a bit of magic and my thanks to the office at St. Peter's for brilliantly making magic on these photographs of Mary Poppins arriving at St. Peter’s for World Book Day.  It was a wonderful turn-out - thank you to the staff, the children and all the parents behind the scenes who helped make it such a magical day.  

Well done also to those pupils this week who performed at Devon Performing Arts competition - St. Peter’s children had huge successes and many thanks and congratulations to the music department as a whole for enabling the children to do so well.  More details next week.

We have now confirmation on our 11+ Scholars for Years 7 and 8 at St. Peter’s next year.  I am extremely proud of them. They have worked extremely hard to great success.   Well done - I look forward to awarding them their badges at Speech Day next term. And also a well done to the pupils who gained successful entry to local grammar schools.  A real achievement for them and St. Peter’s.  

Exceptional teaching and inspirational teachers.  

I’m over halfway through my first year as Head of St. Peter’s and, reviewing the excellent feedback and ideas brought about by the various surveys taken at the beginning of this term and building a clear vision and development plan with the whole school community takes up much of  my time, but I also very much enjoy meeting parents and, the best part of all, spending time with the children and in classrooms.  It is these which make it most clear the central core value of St. Peter’s which the whole vision and plan will build around and that is exceptional teaching and inspirational teachers.  

On listening to parents and the children, observing the teachers with the children and seeing the patience, kindness and time that they take to make sure that each individual child is happy and making rapid and clear progress is formidable.  Their ability to nip any inevitable issues in the bud means that problems do not escalate as they can in some schools.  The exciting, challenging lessons and variety of independent individual projects and tasks means that children are so challenged with an ambitious and varied curriculum that one parent said to me that her son had learnt more within six months with us in year 7 than her other son had learnt in the whole of his Common Entrance and scholarship course at another prep school.  Another parent spoke of St. Peter’s creating such a culture of enthusiasm for learning in her Year 8 daughter who has blossomed from a shy uninvolved child when she joined us in year 6 to a confident, knowledgeable individual ready to take on the future! Exceptional teaching and inspirational teachers are absolutely the most important thing in a school.  The rest is of course important, the provision of the all-round education, the culture, the space, the results, the sport, the music, the friendships, but the core - the foundation and the central part has to be the teaching and teachers. From what I can see, from what I hear and from what I know - at St. Peter’s that is what we have got right.