Looking after our students
Our students’ happiness is at the centre of everything we do.
The secret is being neither too systematic nor too big. At its core, in the bigger year groups from 11 up to 16, class sizes can be ten or twelve, but in the Prep and Sixth Form they are more like tutorials. Class assistants in the Prep School often sit individually with smaller groups of children as they work on projects and presentations themed around big topics like Space or Africa. Children who struggle a bit more with Maths and English are quietly extracted from other lessons to get a bit of extra help.
We know every child and every family. We are responsive to day-to-day issues which parents bring to us and we also follow how children in the school are interacting and getting along closely. Form tutors are often parents’ first port of call, is always on hand to ensure that every child is reaching their potential Watson, Deputy Head Pastoral, but Rebecca.
We have clear structures for monitoring pupil wellbeing and clear measures when disciplinary action needs to be taken. Our priority is to foster kindness and happiness, but there is no naivety or nervousness about the need for plain talking when things aren’t going quite right.
It is not always easy to instill a consciousness of health and wellbeing in children (and to our shame we do supply a pretty regular stream of cakes from our Food Tech and Canteen kitchens), but we believe children grow into healthy adults if they develop healthy habits of diet and exercise, supplemented by Suffolk’s finest fresh air.