News from the Head of Prep

We know that our EHS values run through the veins of life at EHS Prep School, but the Fundamental British Values are also key to preparing our girls for life in modern Britain. This week, in our whole school assembly, the forthcoming football World Cup gave me an opportunity to highlight these British Values of Democracy, the Rule of Law and Mutual Respect. The World Cup provides a chance for players to come together from around the globe. These players speak different languages, follow different traditions and come from different backgrounds. The World Cup shows us something important: that our differences are not something to fear, they are in fact something to celebrate. 

At EHS Prep, each of us is different, each of us has our own story, each of us has our own identity and each of us belongs. The girls know this because they are united by a shared uniform, a shared set of rules and a shared set of values. This sense of belonging helps build a safety net around the girls, so that they feel brave enough to be their true, unique selves. But, what we also focus on heavily, is kindness and our 'Courtesy counts' system is testament to this. It is a wonderful tradition, where the girls are awarded a courtesy count by demonstrating kindness to their peers, to visitors or to staff, it might be as simple as holding a door open, or helping a friend carry their belongings, it might be checking in with a friend if they are looking sad or helping a teacher to tidy the classroom. Then the fun begins! The Courtesy counts for each year group are placed in a pot, Summer Fete style, and a winner is drawn each half term! Tradition states that Miss Robinson, my wonderful Deputy Head, supplies the winners with a prize - a prize that varies from term to term, but rainbow Skittles are always a popular one! This tradition is one that has stood the test of time. Kindness will never go out of fashion and we will continue to champion it on a daily basis. 

This week, our Year Three girls enjoyed the thrilling experience of taking part in a triathlon set up by the Brownlee Foundation. Swimming, running and cycling are all disciplines regularly enjoyed across the Prep School, but not often during one event. If the smiles on the faces of the pupils (and staff!) were anything to go by, this could be the start of a wonderful new adventure for the girls. Watch this space! 

The return to school after the half term break has certainly been one filled with opportunities for our girls to prepare themselves for life in Modern Britain. With only five weeks until the end of the academic year, I know that our days are going to be jam packed with opportunity. Whether it be our Nursery girls exploring number formation under the sea, Year One immersing themselves in the joy of learning about capacity, turning cream into butter in Year Two, Year Four creating Mondrian inspired artwork, Year Five applying mathematical knowledge to solve real-life problems or Year Six developing their speaking, listening and geographical enquiry skills through their Ignite WorldWide presentations, we will continue to make the most of every moment.

After all, isn't that what life is all about?

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Mrs N Hobson

Head of Preparatory School