News From Head of Prep

The Little Things Make a Big Difference!

Providing an engaging and stimulating education for pupils takes a huge team effort. It is more than simply planning a Scheme of Work, ensuring rooms are appropriately decorated or that high quality resources are in place. It is about the team surrounding the child. I want every pupil who walks through the doors to our school to feel a sense of belonging, but I also want the same for our families and for my teaching and support staff. I liken the intricate workings of our school to that of a clock; with every part working seamlessly together, the clock keeps time.

For EHS staff, in our Prep School, our pupils are at the centre of everything we do. Every decision we make is focused on the child. We know and understand that every decision we make, no matter how big or small, will be hugely impactful for that child as an individual. In my role, I am extraordinarily privileged to witness the little actions that take place in every corner of the school, on a daily basis. Whether it be in the Dining Hall when a smile is shared with a Nursery child who has managed to refrain from spreading the entire pot of yoghurt through her hair, on the netball court as a Year Six girl intercepts a shot and regains the ball for her team to whoops of delight from the coach, in the Languages Room as the wonderful Mme Hennous encourages girls to confidently and accurately identifying numbers in French, on the playground when a Year Three pupil takes a Year One by the hand and guides her to the Trim trail and receives a courtesy count for doing so, in Chess Club when the Chess Master empowers the girls to trial an alternative opening move, or perhaps it is simply a welcoming smile as a pupil comes into the classroom.

We know that the little things make a big difference and help to shape our girls into the fearless females that they become when they move on from EHS Prep at the end of Year Six. I was delighted to find out from Parisa, who is in Year Three, about her sustainability challenge. Together with her father, they challenged themselves to visit every single ‘Birmingham Bull’ using only public transport to navigate the city. Parisa proudly told me that people said ‘it can’t be done’…but this only seems to have fuelled the fire! Parisa’s favourite bull was ‘Cadbully’, a stunning bull sculpture, beautifully painted to resemble a rich, glossy chocolate bar!

Jashvita, now in Year Five, has had a similarly jam-packed Summer. From singing at the Royal Albert Hall, to becoming a finalist in a BBC Blue Peter competition and narrowly missing a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Canada (and securing a highly coveted orange Blue Peter competition badge along the way), to success at the Harborne Little League netball squad, Jashvita is passionate about challenging herself and embracing every single opportunity. But the most wonderful thing of all is that she does this with such incredible enthusiasm and humility…but always with a huge smile on her face.

My staff are here to inspire, to challenge, to support and guide but also to share the joy that learning brings. We know that happy children learn and if the smiles across the school this week are anything to go by, then they are well-placed for success.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Mrs Nina Hobson

Head of Preparatory School