Allow children to shine by offering as many opportunities as possible, says Edge Grove Head
By the time a child leaves school, he or she should have had the opportunity to experience as much as possible and this can be achieved by offering a variety of lessons and activities so that there is always something that will appeal to pupils and enable them to shine.
So believes Ben Evans, the new Headmaster at Edge Grove Preparatory School in Aldenham Village, Hertfordshire. “We’ve been spurred on this summer by the Olympics but we have always known that by offering children as many opportunities as possible, they will find something they enjoy and are good at,” he explains.
“If they are lucky and dedicated, they will excel in their chosen field but, if not, they will still have had a rich childhood that has prepared them to try things and to know that there are always possibilities.”
Mr Evans says good education is simply commonsense. “Education can be more narrowly defined as the child grows older, but at the prep or primary school age, providing a wide range of opportunities is essential.”
Previously the Head of the Junior School of The British School Colombo, Sri Lanka, Mr Evans says the challenges he faces at Edge Grove are similar to the ones he experienced in Sri Lanka. “Among the most important lesson I have learnt is that good and open communication with parents is the only way they will understand what you are trying to do in your school. No one can educate children in isolation – it takes close links and an open door policy with staff and parents to ensure what could start as a minor issue doesn’t become a huge problem.
“Simply put, a happy child makes good progress.”
Edge Grove achieves this by offering a holistic education that encompasses academic excellence as well as rich and varied opportunities for sport, performing arts and extra-curricular activities. This requires a combination of first-class facilities, progressive teaching and an environment that makes children feel happy and confident.
Allied to this, the school is launching a new Activities Programme offered to all pupils in Years 3-8. Pupils can participate in a programme of varied activities after school until 6pm and on Saturday mornings, including chamber choir, junior choir, multi sports, squash, girls’ hockey, art club, yoga, Perform ‘dance and drama’, speech and drama (LAMDA), war-gaming, ICT Office application skills, gardening club, tennis, ICT 3D modelling, basketball, rugby skills and drills, Eco Warriors, golf and taekwondo.
In addition to ensuring teachers have sufficient professional development, Mr Evans also plans to develop opportunities for girls in sport at Edge Grove. This will encompass not only the traditional girls’ sports of netball and hockey, but will be expanded to include non-traditional sports such as girls’ football. “The London 2012 Olympics has inspired a whole new generation of sports people and we’ve found there’s such a demand for coaching outside of school. Surely we should provide as much of that as possible within the school day?” he says.
“Education in all its forms should be accessible, fast-paced, interactive and practical and I hope to be able to ensure that is what all children at Edge Grove receive.”