News from Head of Prep

I always enjoy spending time with our Early Years pupils and this week has been no exception. Whilst the rest of the country have been commiserating over the seemingly never-ending rainfall, the Early Years staff could be heard saying 'I hope it's going to rain this afternoon'! The girls have been learning the 'u' sound and, as usual, the wonderful staff wanted to ensure the girls were immersed in the learning...under their umbrellas! Donned in waterproofs and EHS hi-viz jackets, the girls ventured, out in the rain, next door to The Botanical Gardens and could be heard chanting their latest phonics sound.

We are extremely proud of the firm foundations an Early Years education at EHS Prep provides and our experienced staff are extremely adept at putting into practice the latest evidence to ensure our girls are well-placed to succeed. Extensive evidence demonstrates that excellence in spoken language skills (often referred to as oracy or oral language) is a crucial predictor of better academic achievement in the long term. Good spoken language serves as a "bedrock" for literacy, cognitive development and classroom learning, with early proficiency levels at five years old significantly impacting attainment in reading, writing, and mathematics at age 7, 11, and beyond. So, the rainfall has been beneficial, at least for our Early Years girls, if the confidence with which they are able to identify their initial phonics sounds is anything to go by!

Also making the most of our fantastic location, has been our Year Six pupils who visited the unique Lapworth Museum of Geology at the University of Birmingham. The Museum is the epitome of small but mighty and the girls enjoyed an inspirational visit. Chatting with the girls when they returned to school, I was delighted to discover that the trip served to highlight potential career paths for many of them. An animated discussion resulted in one pupil earnestly debating the merits of whether to choose to become a Geologist or an Engineer. Both fantastic career paths and testament to the fact that our girls have their eyes opened to a variety of opportunities right from their Prep School education.

This week, we were also visited by Mr Christian Pritchard, who will be taking over from Mrs Anne Howarth as our Safeguarding Governor after the half term break. Mr Pritchard is the Head of a large Co-Educational Preparatory school in Hertfordshire and spent time with pupils and staff during his visit on Tuesday. Before he left, he shared with me how he had been struck by the unique golden nugget that our school contains. Which was, of course, the girls! I know that EHS Prep School is a very special place, one that provides an environment where girls are at the centre of everything we do. We are a school where girls are given the tools and support to gain the confidence to be brave enough to become their own unique selves. We are not a 'one size fits all', but one where we celebrate and champion individuality whilst ensuring every girl is supported to make the best possible progress. So, it was with great pride that I listened to his feedback. 

The opportunities we provide for our girls are continuously evolving, but they are always focused on ensuring our girls are supported to become 'Fearless Females'.

Have a wonderful, half term break.

Mrs N Hobson

Head of Preparatory School