Headteacher Blog
We Go Together!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb3KnnZ3LR4
I’ve never really been a fan of the film Grease, but you would have to be hard fetched to find anyone of any age who hasn’t heard or come across some of the musical delights to have emanated from this cult classic. However, in reference to this particular song above ‘We Go Together’, I’ve never really understood what terms like ‘rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong’ mean or ‘shoo-bop sha wadda wadda yippity boom de boom’ for that matter, however, the overall sentiment of this classic number from the film Grease is an important one – that relationships are important and should be cherished and built upon.
To that end, a sense of belonging in school is vitally important in ensuring that children reach their potential. The degree to which pupils feel respected, accepted and supported by teachers and peers is heavily linked to how they will perform academically and in future life.
Therefore, at Forest Park an understanding of building relationships is the foundation on which we build our successes. We carefully plan effective practices to support children in the classroom and school in general, with a pastoral care system that ensures that every child is catered for. At Forest Park everyone is known and recognised for their achievements and strengths, whatever they may be.
Our small class sizes help us identify pupil personalities and we carefully cater our learning around the ways in which each child learns best. Pupils are listened to and we have a very strong pupil voice, where every pupil, particularly within our school council, has a say in the life of the school. Our very own pet dog ‘Ralph’ is a prime example of that!
Improving feelings of belonging in school can support both pupil engagement and achievement. Our children actively feel involved in the life of the school and therefore they put in more effort and are more motivated to learn and succeed, regardless of their ability. Our school motto ‘I Can and I Will’ is followed by every child, particularly when faced with difficulties or challenges.
Our dedicated teaching team plays an active part in building these relationships and a sense of belonging. Teachers play an important role in nurturing childrens’ sense of belonging. If a child considers their teacher to be caring and accepting, they’re more likely to adopt the academic and social values of their teacher. This can influence how pupils feel about school work and how much (or how little) they value it’s worth.
At Forest Park we are always prioritising high-quality teacher-pupil relationships and work tirelessly to engage pupils with their own learning. We create supportive and caring learning environments to cater for every child’s needs and offer emotional support to children, whenever this is needed. Sometimes, this requires us to be sensitive to the needs and emotions of pupils and carefully manage how best to support them with any issues they may have, however small they may be.
All staff show interest in the children at the school and we are always willing to understand their point of view, listening to what they have to say. We are respectful of everyone within the school community and treat everyone fairly fostering positive peer relationships and mutual respect between everyone.
Other significant approaches include giving children a voice, working with community partners to meet children’s needs, pupil participation in extra-curricular activities, and developing a culture of high standards and behaviours across the whole school is helping us continue to foster a strong sense of belonging and that together we are all in it together!
Nick Tucker
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Headteacher Blog – April 2024
Primary School Offer Day Guide
School offer day can go one of two ways; filled with joy and excitement because your child will begin their education at your first choice school, or stress and frustration because they were allocated a place you are unhappy with.
Your child starting school for the first time is a huge milestone for every family and we understand that this can already be a daunting experience. At Forest Park Preparatory School, we have put this guide together to make it as easy as possible for you to navigate Primary School Offer Day to secure a school place that will be best for your child.
Step 1: Check your offer email or letter
State school allocation notifications are usually sent via email, letter or an online portal. Make sure to check your spam or junk folder as well, as sometimes important emails can get filtered there by mistake!
Step 2: Read the offer letter carefully
When you receive your offer letter, read it carefully to understand which school your child has been allocated to. Make a note of any important information, such as the start date and term times.
Step 3: Consider your options
If you are happy with the school that has been allocated to your child, then congratulations! You can start preparing for the next steps, such as buying school uniforms and books. However, if you are unhappy with the school that has been allocated to your child, it’s important to avoid stress and carefully consider the many options available to you.
Option 1: Appeal the decision
If you believe that your child has been unfairly allocated a school place, you can appeal the decision. You will need to prepare a case and evidence for an appeal hearing. The appeal process can be lengthy and there is no guarantee that you will be successful, but it is worth pursuing if you feel strongly that your child has been unfairly treated.
Option 2: Join a Waiting List
Most schools in the state sector will operate a waiting list system, depending on whether there are spaces available. Your child’s position on a waiting list will be determined by a set criteria. They will move up the list if a child above them is accepted into the school, or is removed from the list and they will move down the list if another childs meets more of the admissions criteria.
Option 3: Consider an independent school
If you are unable to secure a place at a state-funded school that meets your child’s needs, you may want to consider an independent school. Independent schools are not governed by the local authority and have more flexibility in their admissions policies. Independent schools can offer your child a customised learning experience based on their individual needs to ensure they are happy, thrive and achieve the best of their ability. Children benefit from smaller sizes and more attention from specialist teachers. Compared to state schools, there is more emphasis placed upon character development which can be nurtured through a wider range of extra-curricular activities.
Steps if you are considering an independent school:
- Research schools – Look at websites https://www.forestparkprep.co.uk , inspection reports https://www.forestparkprep.co.uk/about/inspection-report , or schools grammar school results https://www.forestparkprep.co.uk/preparation-for-11/results-destinations to get a sense of their offer and if your child will be happy and thrive there.
- Consider the cost – You may not have planned for the financial cost of an independent school, but it can be more affordable than you may think. Different independent schools have different price points, so it is important to check and compare fees https://www.forestparkprep.co.uk/admissions/fee-structure/ as well as bursary and scholarship options. We offer an interest-free monthly payment scheme, which can allow for easier budgeting and help make payments more manageable for you. The fees for each term are split into three equal instalments and paid during the first three months of the term.
- Visit the school – There is no better way to get a sense of a school than to see it in person and assess if it is the right place for your child. View the facilities, assess the atmosphere and meet some of the teachers and pupils. At Forest Park Preparatory School, we offer personalised tours at a time which is most convenient for you, so you don’t have to wait until the next open day.
Talk to Forest Park Preparatory School today
If you have been left disappointed following School Offer day, then contact us today. We will be more than happy to talk through your situation and discuss your options with you.
Nick Tucker
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Headteacher Blog – Feb 2024
Teaching is a Work of Heart
Maybe it’s my age, but FaceTime, I just don’t get it! I mean the concept of seeing and speaking with someone is great and I have used the service a couple of times, but for day to day calls or chats, what is wrong with a voice call? My teenage daughters, on the other hand, use FaceTime all the time and are consistently chatting to their friends this way, so when I mentioned that it is not a new invention and that, in fact, Back to the Future Part 2 predicted its use back in the 1980s, she was very surprised to say the least!
In fact, many movies have predicted the future: Star Wars and holograms; A Space Odyssey and touch screen tablets; Terminator and drones; The Truman Show and reality TV; Dick Tracy and his phone watch; and even the early 1927 film Metropolis predicting robots (no, I’m not that old but I have seen this classic film). As we start a brand new year, 2024, there is a focus on refining many jobs in the future to be more reliable and performed by robots or Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) – this is quickly becoming a reality. However, there are some jobs that simply require too much passion and soul to be handed over to technology. Teaching is certainly one of them.
Teaching is about belief, and belief is about trust and making a connection with pupils. It is about having a clear and concise vision and delivering this – in person, with young minds. However much we trust our computers and technical systems, we cannot truly connect with them in the same manner that we do with other human beings. They do not inspire us to go that extra mile or give more of ourselves than we thought possible, like a teacher can with a child in their class.
At Forest Park, we are fortunate to have a team of dedicated staff that care, engage and motivate pupils every single day. It is the unquantifiable aspects of trust, hope and inspiration teachers elicit here that ensure that they are irreplaceable. There is no hardware or computer programme that can recognise a small knock in a child’s confidence or the tremble of a hand as a piece of work is being completed and intervention is required. There is no machine that can notice a child coasting who needs that extra challenge or enrichment.
No machine can laugh at the joke of a seven year old or offer advice to a concerned parent or worried colleague. Teachers do not need to be superheroes, but at Forest Park they are superhuman! I have personally worked within four school settings during my educational career, both in the state and independent sectors, and have spent time with teachers who have lacked humanity or who relied too heavily on computer tracking systems when tracking pupil progress, instead of actually engaging with children, face to face. Despite their talents, I would not be best pleased to have my children taught by them.
The teachers at Forest Park are different. They have a clear passion for teaching and working closely with the individual child, and all go above and beyond the call of duty; they are, without doubt, the best team I have had the pleasure of working with. I am in awe of their talents and achievements and am proud to see the fruits of their labour, when all of the pupils achieve their very best.
So human and complex is the teaching profession, should an avatar or robot be asked to take up a teaching position, I have a feeling the response would simply be, ‘Computer says no!’.
Nick Tucker
Don’t Worry Be Happy!
‘Think of all the beauty still around you and be happy.’ Anne Frank.
Emails. Don’t you just hate them? The vast majority of them add another task to the ‘to do’ list and they certainly aren’t what I got into education to read and reply to. However, I am lucky in the fact that as I work within a school, I am surrounded by children (or beauty as Anne Frank put it) and so whenever drowning in a sea of electronic communications, I venture out of my office and interact with the wonderful pupils at Forest
Park.
This week I have spent a proportion of every day on the school playground and with all honesty it has been the best part of my day. Only the other day I was delighted by what I witnessed. The children were playing beautifully on a fresh, sunny morning and one of our older junior pupils was helping another child manoeuvre around the play equipment as they were clearly having difficulties.
Now, this is nothing too unfamiliar in the family friendly setting of Forest Park, but when I looked more closely, and really observed this interaction, it was evident that there was a real connection between these two pupils from differing classes. The eye contact and smiles were clear to see. The older child was helping, supporting and taking a real interest in the younger child. She guided her carefully around the play equipment and the smile on her face was heart-warming to say the least.
It delighted me to watch two pupils share such a wonderful encounter and made me proud of the young people we are moulding at Forest Park. Offering genuine attention to somebody is a powerful gift and to be kind to others is the most important virtue in life. It doesn’t cost anything and its impact creates more than just a positive atmosphere. Simple, yet meaningful words are so rewarding and we actively promote this ethos with our pupils.
Recognising the positives about others and sharing our appreciation is a fundamental interpersonal skill. Making others feel happy and good about themself is vitally important. It lifts spirits, ascends to a new level of conversation and strengthens relationships. It brings the best out in people and becomes a source of happiness and motivates others to follow suit and behave in the same manner.
A simple act of kindness or a pleasing compliment does not simply last for that brief moment. They touch a core, they inspire and they even permeate through to how individuals view themselves in life. Compliments and acts of kindness benefit both parties and we aim to make as many as we can at Forest Park, because like so many other social skills, the art of paying compliments or being nice to others can sometimes get lost. Feeling happy, and sharing that feeling, is the single most important value we instil at Forest Park.
Daily use of text messages, emails and social media is changing the way we behave and communicate with one another. Research displays personal interactions are becoming weakened and conversations diluted. Yes, emojis and other images can reflect on screen our feelings but nothing beats a smile on a human face,
especially a child’s!
Many people are often so busy in life and with themselves, that they do not pay enough attention to what is going on around them. What others are up to and how they are affecting each other with their interactions. Fewer people say hello or good morning on their commute to and from work; instead they are busy watching a screen or texting someone. Too many of us are caught up in a rush to get somewhere, that we don’t take in our beautiful surroundings and the happiness that is staring us in the face.
The brain is hard wired for negativity and has a tendency to remember and store the bad experiences in our lives. That is why we often remember more of these times rather than the nice ones. It is why efforts are needed to consciously notice positives in others, to act kindly and make others smile. To be happy.
So, at Forest Park, we are generous with our praise and boost self-worth with all of our pupils. Little acts of kindness are in abundance here and the knock on effect is that our young people feel better about themselves. Not just because the staff praise and compliment them, but, just like the episode I saw on the playground, the pupils are kind with one another too. Spontaneously they go out of their way to help others, to say nice things to each other or even just say hello. The children at Forest Park help and support one another within our family and as a result our family is happy and strong.
We never forget that expressing gratitude leads to more fulfilling experiences for our pupils. It is such an effective way to increase happiness in our school as well as the happiness of others around us. If there is one thing our children remember most from their time at Forest Park, it is to make someone smile!
Have a wonderful, and happy, half term holiday.
Nick Tucker
