Children the length and breadth of the Northern Hemisphere are preparing for a summer of fun in the sun; a world away from the classroom.  

Where debate remains, however, is choosing to send one’s child to an independent school aged 4 or aged 11. 

Bridget Saul, Headteacher

At Cameron Vale, we give regular thought to how values can be used to support each child as a reflective learner to promote quality teaching and learning.

Values nurture the development of good character, deep thinking and altruistic behaviour. In this digital age, however, the tendency can be for children to increasingly view happiness, for example, as something which can simply be found in the material world. 21st century life can, at times, inadvertently encourage children to experience life in a world which is external to their inner selves. As a school, we believe that our ethos should be built on a foundation of values.

How can schools set about promoting attitudes and values that will see children be successful not only now, but in their teenage years and adult lives?

We recognise that values are caught by children as much as they are taught. Our aim is for our school’s values to become a natural part of each child’s understanding of the world and work together to achieve this by embedding our chosen values into day-to-day life. Rather than categorising values in the minds of our children by delivering planned lessons, values underpin each child’s experience of life at school.

We have seven simple values which are designed to have a positive effect on the inner world of our children.

• creativity
• collaboration
• courage
• critical thinking
• curiosity

Case studies of schools who place values at the heart of their educational ethos note improvement in behaviour with children becoming more engaged in their learning as they adopt better self-control through thinking more intelligently. At Cameron Vale, what we see, is visible impact on children’s relationships with one another, their personal well-being, attitudes to learning and learning diligence.

Our hope is that our values provide children with a dynamic compass whilst at school to guide them throughout the rest of their lives, strengthening their resilience and well-being. Our aim is to ensure that, at the end of each child’s time with us, they feel that Cameron Vale has made a positive difference to their character, thinking and outlook; that the school has shaped who they will become. 

Disappointment is, according to the Oxford dictionary, ‘the sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfilment of one’s hopes or expectations’ and is, without doubt, one of the most immediate emotions a child will experience when they feel they have not achieved as they believe they should have.

The holidays will undoubtedly give children a well-earned respite from the routines of term-time; outings, catching up with friends, bike rides, park trips or making dens replace the English, Maths and Science lessons.

What may be of interest to some undecided parents, is that outcomes of educational research consistently conclude that the primary years are the most crucial in terms of laying the foundations for success.

I began my teaching career in a large maintained school, with the most powerful lesson learned, that what children really need to achieve their potential, is time and attention. What really matters, I believe, is size; an area where the maintained sector remains somewhat challenged. Compared to maintained schools, class sizes in prep schools are small with often enviable adult to child ratios, ensuring that each child is understood, valued and provided with the guidance they need. Such personalised and individual attention at the very early stages of a child’s educational journey and at such a formative stage in their lives, serves to maximise potential, building an intangible confidence which is pivotal to future success.

Another challenge facing many parents, is that prep schools come in all shapes and sizes. Some are part of a larger school environment where children can go all the way through to sixth form, others are stand-alone and some, like Cameron Vale, are part of a wider group of similar schools. What parents really need to look for, however, is a school’s ethos, customs and culture, which set it apart from others.

Having the time to find out what really ‘makes children tick‘, is somewhat of a rarity in larger schools but something that we do well. All children want their teachers to know them on a personal level; that they love skateboarding, play football or sing in a choir. Unfortunately, in some schools, children can feel anonymous. A natural by-product of a smaller environment is that every child is known to every teacher; nothing is missed. Teachers can closely monitor each child’s progress, both social and academic, and tailor their teaching accordingly. Parents who make the move from the maintained sector frequently remark upon the comparative speed at which their children progress.

As adults, we spend a great deal of time talking about achieving work-life balance, yet it appears to be often overlooked in many schools, where a drive for success in SATs, for example, results in reduced time allotted to the less ‘academic’ aspects of school life such as sport, the arts or languages. If schools are to instil a love of learning and equip children with healthy bodies and enquiring minds, it naturally follows that opportunities must be provided to develop wider skills and attributes; an area upon which most prep schools pride themselves.

As a prep school, we are not slave to the National Curriculum, but are able to tailor our curriculum to best suit the needs of the children in our care. Academic standards and rigour are a given, but the hidden side of what we provide, is an education which focuses on more than just exam success. There is no one-size-fits-all approach; we are in the enviable position of being able to cherry pick areas of the curriculum which we believe will best ensure our children achieve their individual potential, with equal value placed on learning English, maths and science as there is on sport, languages, music, drama, art and design.

The varied programme of extra-curricular activities that one finds at Cameron Vale, introduces children to new skills, engages them in social activities, develops positive learning traits and helps to shape their lives in a positive way. Every child is different, gifted with unique skills and talents, some of which take time to recognise; we see it as our duty to unearth these latent abilities.

A sense of family often epitomises a prep school education, built around open communication. At Cameron Vale, the partnership between the parent, the school, and the child, offers 360˚support, therefore seizing every opportunity for the child to flourish, both academically and socially. This, by its very nature, ensures that children feel safe and secure; there are few visitors to the school who do not comment that our children exude a quiet confidence.

I believe a prep school education enables each child to be treated as an individual, to feel valued, and, above all, to reach their full potential. Every child is different and unique and it is at this young age that excellent foundations can be laid, and a sense of aspiration created. All educational establishments have their own record of academic ambition and exam success, but prep schools provide a great deal more than just exam success, offering additional value on many other levels. A prep school education offers a wide and varied curriculum, above and beyond what one typically finds in a maintained school, enhanced by a diverse and complementary extra-curricular programme, which all serve to inspire the interests of each and every child.

At Cameron Vale, we recognise that we are a prep school and aim to provide an education which ensures that each child leaves the school as a well-rounded individual, having forged out a niche of their own.

Bridget Saul