What鈥檚 new in the independent schools world: March 2023

Main image: Taunton School

Here at Talk 脱裤吧, we are all obsessed with schools and education – and incredibly curious about what interesting developments are happening in the independent schools world. And thanks to our wide network of moles, spies and informers all over the world, we’re constantly amazed at how schools are continually evolving, expanding and surging forward to launch new curriculums, initiatives and state-of-the-art buildings. We’ll be keeping this feature updated to bring you everything that’s new and exciting in the global independent schools world – so watch this space…

UK SCHOOLS

Cumnor House Sussex, Sussex

Last September, Cumnor House Sussex launched a new pastoral initiative, the ‘Chapter Programme’, which weaves together threads of pastoral care, parental involvement and education – and is packed with research-laden strategies for understanding exactly what makes each and every child tick. A term and a half in, feedback has been resoundingly brilliant – and the new programme is helping Cumnor set itself apart when it comes to wellbeing. Now, children’s ability to self-disclose, to trust themselves, to trust others and their appetite for seeking change in different situations is scrupulously and carefully tracked and assessed so that staff can fully understand how each child is feeling and the environments in which they will thrive best.

In December, the school launched a series of parent surveys related to laying down boundaries and setting ground rules at home – and now the results are in, parents are being educated about everything from internet safety to social media too, with regular communications from experts in a dedicated newsletter, and parents’ charters designed to set out helpful expectations for parties, sleepovers, homework and the like. We’ve no doubt other schools will very soon be following suit.

Holme Grange School, Berkshire

Holme Grange School in Berkshire recently announced its plans to join forces with Holly Cottage Nursery in Wokingham – less than a mile from the school’s campus – creating a seamless educational provision for pupils all the way from birth to 16. To prepare for the merger, staff from Holme Grange have spent the past few months working alongside the Holly Cottage team (the handover has included rather lovely tasks including helping incubate, hatch and care for chicks, visiting the school farm and taking part in recycling workshops), and lucky nursery-aged children in the area will now be able to benefit from being part of the bigger and incredibly tight-knit Holme Grange community.

Pinewood School, Wiltshire

Jason Lang joined Pinewood Pre-Prep as the new head at the start of 2023 – and to coincide with his arrival, the school has just launched a new series of toddler mornings, open to all children under school age. There’s been huge uptake already, with the once-fortnightly group meeting for coffee, walks around the school’s bucolic 84-acre grounds, and activities with Pinewood’s highly experienced nursery teachers. It’s a great initiative –and a perfect opportunity for like-minded parents with children of similar ages to meet up, and build long-lasting friendships along the way.

Prince’s Gardens Prep School, London

Exciting news from Brighton: from September 2023, Prince’s Gardens Prep School in central London will formally join the Brighton College family, and rebrand as Brighton College Prep Kensington. It’s a compelling offering for London families: located within touching distance of Hyde Park (the school’s de facto sports ground), the capital is very much used as a classroom – and in their final two years at the school, pupils will follow the bespoke Brighton College curriculum, with many setting their sights on moving to Brighton College for senior school. Best of all, the school’s existing head Lois Gaffney already knows the Brighton College family inside out: she joined Prince’s Gardens in 2022 from her previous role at Brighton College Singapore – and has spent 13 years working in prep schools across the world.

St Anthony’s School for Boys, London

The St Anthony’s family of schools is about to add another string to its bow – a new nursery. Set to welcome boys and girls from the age of two and a half to four when it opens later this year, children will then be offered priority entry into Reception at both St Anthony’s School for Boys and St Anthony’s School for Girls (there’s already another nursery located on the same campus as the girls’ school). We’ve heard all about the plans for the new space and there’s plenty to get excited about: including dedicated indoor and outdoor learning spaces with subject specialists in music, drama, art and PE – all overseen by senior academic staff from the prep school.

Taunton School, Somerset

Breaking news from Somerset: Taunton School has just cut the ribbon on its ‘Green Heart’, a beautiful haven of trees, plants, benches and sensory areas where pupils can relax, take time out from their busy days and hang out with friends. The opening of the tranquil new space has also coincided with the removal of old asphalt roads connecting the pre-prep, prep and senior schools, with new eco-friendly pedestrianised areas helping children make the most of their leafy surroundings. ‘It’s so great to have this new space,’ says Year 8 pupil Harry. ‘It looks pretty with all the different greenery and the wooden structures and it definitely gives a modern touch to Taunton School.’

GLOBAL SCHOOLS

The International School of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

With the launch of its brand new interdisciplinary programme PRAXIS, Grade 9 students at ISKL now have the option to pick between two different classroom settings – allowing pupils to tailor their learning to the method that suits them the best. While some may choose to stick to the existing traditional classroom experience, PRAXIS is a one-year, highly flexible curriculum that encourages pupils to tackle complex real-world challenges, explore problem solving and boost their collaboration and communication skills. Pupils opting into PRAXIS learn in much smaller groups, follow a more fluid timetable in science, English, social studies and art and design, and engage in high-level debate while learning to think critically and creatively – and boosting their confidence while they’re at it.

King’s InterHigh, Online

King’s InterHigh continues to surge ahead with its innovations in education – and recently the online school has launched a slew of new technological developments. Last year, it became the first school in the world to offer the IB entirely online – and now VR is making its mark on the curriculum. There’s a dedicated head of VR in the staff room, and the technology is now being used to help create a more immersive learning experience for pupils. There’s even a VR playground, where younger children can connect and have fun together wherever they are in the world, just as they would if they were in a physical, bricks-and-mortar classroom.

Raha International School, UAE

At Raha International School in Abu Dhabi, the emphasis in the early years is on innovative and engaging child-initiated learning – and the school’s new desert school is designed for exactly that. With more than 80 different nationalities at the school, the idea behind the new learning space was to help bridge the gap between the school’s local and international students, while encouraging Emirati pupils to take pride in sharing their local culture and knowledge – and with its sand-coloured buildings and palm-tree shaded pathways, the school’s Gardens Campus provides the perfect setting for this outdoor learning experience. Children learn about indigenous trees (and their Arabic names), plant native flora and fauna, are taught about the needs of local animals such as camels and falcons, and find out how living things grow. It’s all part of the school’s efforts to teach pupils to become global citizens, while making the learning experience here feel spontaneous and exciting – and it’s been a resounding success so far.

Tanglin Trust School, Singapore

A few months ago, Tanglin Trust School unveiled one of its biggest building projects to date: its brand new, 11-storey Centenary Building – so big that it accounts for nearly 25 per cent of the school’s entire footprint. Packed to the brim with state-of-the-art facilities, there’s a world-class aquatic centre (complete with a 50-metre swimming pool), a climbing wall and Olympics-standard gymnastics centre. Then there’s two storeys of spaces for budding musicians, boasting a recording studio, individual practice rooms and two recital halls. The Institute @ Tanglin, elsewhere in the building, is a new hub for high-profile speakers to come in and talk about everything from athlete development to innovation and mental health. Little ones are catered for too: there’s a shiny new dining room for Tanglin’s infants and a handful of multipurpose halls linked directly to the infant school by a connecting bridge.

And it’s not just the pupils who are benefiting from the incredible new space. There’s now a buzzy café and lounge area for parents to meet up and hang out over a coffee, and even a co-working space designed with busy parents in mind, so they can hold a meeting or take phone calls while waiting for their children at the end of the day. It’s a first for any international school in Singapore – and we’re seriously impressed.

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What鈥檚 new in the independent schools world: March 2023

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