School News and Head's Blog

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Posted on: 23/02/2024

The Five Pillars Of Wellbeing

Health and wellbeing are of the utmost importance to us all. While it is absolutely normal for everyone to experience poor physical and/or mental health sometimes, generally keeping ourselves ‘well’ is most people’s goal. Parents often ask how they can best support their children’s academic and co-curricular endeavours, friendships and happiness. The answer is, focus on the five pillars of wellbeing, which are: Sleep, Nutrition, Exercise, Purpose and Connections. Pillar 1: Sleep No child will be able to enjoy life to the full, maintain their emotional equilibrium or reach their potential if they are chronically sleep-deprived. Every child therefore needs a regular, appropriate sleep routine. The NHS guidelines on how much sleep children should have in each 24 hour period are: Infants 4 to 12 months 12 to 16 hours including naps Children 1 to 2 years 11 to 14 hours including naps Children 3 to 5 years 10 to 13 hours including naps Children 6 to 12 years 9 to 12 hours Teenagers 13 to 18 years 8 to 10 hours A child’s bedtime routine should start at a consistent time each day, around 30-60 minutes before bedtime. Screens and other distractions should be avoided during this time; the focus should be on bathing, brushing teeth, reading, practising mindful breathing or simply cuddling/chatting. When bedtime comes, there should be no electronic devices in a child’s bedroom to distract them from sleep. If a child does rouse after their bedtime, they should be re-settled as quickly as possible. With consistency, all children can adopt a healthy and enjoyable sleep routine. Pillar 2: Nutrition NHS research shows that children who stay a healthy weight are fitter, healthier, better able to learn and more self-confident. They are also less likely to have health problems in childhood and later life. Children learn by example, so adults should model enjoying a balanced, healthy diet at regular mealtimes. We should all ‘eat a rainbow’ every day! When offering a balanced diet for children, adults may need to be patient. Children may need to try a certain food over and over again before they grow used to it. We can start off by serving children fairly small portions, giving more if they are still hungry after finishing. Just like adults, children should eat at least five portions of fruit/vegetables every day (fresh, tinned, frozen or dried fruits and vegetables are fine, but fruit juice and smoothies should be limited to a combined total of 150ml per day as these contain so much sugar). Starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread and potatoes should make up around a third of a child’s diet and wholemeal/wholegrain varieties are best. With potatoes, skins should be kept on whenever possible as these are a good source of fibre. A child’s protein portion at each meal should be around the size of their palm. Meat, fish, pulses, beans and eggs are good sources of protein and the NHS recommends including one or two portions of oily fish per week and avoiding processed meats like sausages, bacon and ham. It is better to opt instead for lean meat or fish, limiting red meat. Children should have some dairy (cheese, milk, yoghurts) or dairy alternatives (e.g. soya drinks and yoghurts) as these provide protein, calcium and some vitamins. Ideally, these should be whole/natural versions and it is best to avoid flavoured yoghurts or fromage frais packed full of sugar.  When using oils/fats for cooking or in spreads, we should all choose unsaturated fats such as vegetable, rapeseed, olive and sunflower oils. For everyone, high sugar items such as cakes, biscuits or ice creams should be a ‘once in a while’ treat. The full NHS Eat Well guide is available here: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/the-eatwell-guide/ Pillar 3: Exercise Regular exercise is essential for keeping bodies and minds fit and healthy. There are many distractions in the modern world which might encourage children to stay indoors: televisions, computers, tablets and other screens, exciting indoor toys. It is up to adults to schedule time in the great outdoors for younger children and to inspire children to be active. This might include going for walks, using play equipment at local parks, cycling, skipping, scooting, swimming, trampolining or taking part in organised sports. Many traditional childhood outdoor activities are free, such as climbing trees, catching falling leaves, collecting rocks, pebbles or twigs, going on a bug hunt or jumping in puddles! Children will inevitably spend lots of time indoors too, and much of this can also be active. Rather than sitting still while staring at a screen, children could build indoor dens, do some cooking, try a bit of yoga or other stretching, or take part in active online games such as those based on sports or dancing. Tidying up, laying the table or helping to hang clothes on the line or put the laundry away are activities which inspire responsibility as well as movement! Gardening is good for the soul and it is never too early for children to learn how to plant, water and care for growing things. When a child is tired, even worn out, by being active, they - and their adults - can really appreciate the still, quiet times. There is something special about curling up after an active day to read a book, watch television, listen to music, do puzzles or simply sit and focus on our breath. Being active will also support children in getting enough sleep, as a tired child is more likely to sleep soundly. Pillar 4: Purpose Children are physically and mentally supported by a good sleep routine, a balanced, healthy diet, and a good amount of activity. The two final pillars of wellbeing are purpose and connections. If sleep, diet and exercise are the ‘hows’ of our lives, purpose and connections are the ‘whys’. Giving a child purpose is not as daunting as it might sound; here are some tips. Adults can help children to discover the joy of creativity with activities such as drawing, painting, learning to sing or play music, planting and nurturing a seed, building Lego structures or car/train tracks, making up stories or doing some cooking. Creating home-made items such as birthday cards and wrapping paper are a great starting point even for very young children. We can also inspire children’s curiosity, the basis for their lifelong learning, by talking with them about the world around them. For children, everything is a question. Why is the sky blue? What’s that girl doing? What makes the bubbles in water? Why do bees buzz? Adults might help children to uncover the answers for themselves, or perhaps join them on the journey of discovery! A curious child is likely to enjoy their educational journey and enjoying something is likely to make us do well at it. Children should be encouraged to find inspiration and wonder all around them. From the beauty of blossom to the enormity of elephants, from how sand feels between toes to the smell of freshly cut grass, there is always something to notice and appreciate. Adults should help children to recognise the beauty and wonder in the world, such as the new shoots in spring or the beauty of freshly-fallen snow, so that children may develop a sense of the wider world and of spirituality, awe and faith. Pillar 5: Connections This should, perhaps, be Pillar 1, because with strong and healthy connections, everything else becomes easier. Connections are relationships and our earliest relationships form the blueprint for healthy relationships throughout the rest of our lives. Relationships are not perfect all of the time, and we should not expect them to be. We should aim not to be perfect, but to be ‘good enough’. Healthy relationships are formed and enhanced by showing kindness, respect and patience, by listening attentively and communicating clearly. It is also important to set and maintain the right boundaries for both participants’ wellbeing. Between adults and children a crucial boundary is this one: ‘I am the adult, you are the child. I have knowledge and experience that you do not yet have. So, while I will listen to you with respect and kindness, I may not be able to grant your every wish.’ Helping a child with building their five pillars of wellbeing is not always an easy job. Often adults must spend time explaining the reasons for their decisions or justifying the boundaries they set. The good news is that if we can consistently ensure that children get the right amount of sleep, good nutrition, enough exercise, a sense of purpose and healthy connections, we will be enhancing their mental and physical wellbeing not just during their childhood but for their entire life. Which is, perhaps, the best gift of all.  
Posted on: 9/02/2024

Mindfulness in Schools

There has been a lot in the news this week about the tragic murder of Brianna Ghey and the way in which her mother has responded. The BBC have reported that she has launched a local campaign in Warrington which has raised £50,000 to deliver Mindfulness training in schools, and is now backing a nationwide campaign which is calling upon the government to fund Mindfulness training for every school in England. You can read their report here and find out more about the Mindfulness in Schools Project here.  While it is enormously sad that it has taken such a tragedy to bring this issue to the fore, I could not agree with Brianna's mother more. There is an urgent need for all children, and school staff, to be taught Mindfulness principles and techniques, and to use these regularly. Those who know St. Helen's College well know that we have been teaching Mindfulness to the children for many, many years. More than this, we have embedded Mindfulness as a school principle and staff and children practise Mindfulness daily, using a toolkit of techniques to combat the inevitable strains of modern, busy lives. Children here take on the role of Mindfulness ambassadors and over the last few years have led meditation sessions in assemblies and written about the effects of Mindfulness upon them.  This week, some of the Year 3 children have been talking about what being a part of a mindful school is like for them. They described how they have mindful moments in their classroom on Thursdays, when they lie down and put cucumber slices on their eyes. They also talked, unprompted, about liking how calm it is when they go into their classroom, about mindful moments in assemblies and about practising finger breathing to help them to stay calm and be in the present moment. One boy explained how our breath is always with us, and can be relied upon to calm us down if we can slow down and notice it. These ideas are clearly not unusual to St. Helen's College children, and it was obvious from the way they spoke that they do not see being mindful as something they have learnt, but as something they are. For children aged 7 and 8 to be able to articulate how and why Mindfulness is used in their day to day lives is wonderful and gives us all great hope for the future. I have no doubt that children throughout St. Helen's College feel the same, given that we have been embedding Mindfulness right from the start of a child's journey with us for so many years. This includes at Ducklings, our 2+ setting, where we use age-appropriate sessions such as teddy breathing to help our youngest children to experience and enjoy moments of calm self-awareness. You might like also to read a piece that I wrote about Mindlessness v. Mindfulness from 2021 here. There is no guarantee that Mindfulness training would have prevented Brianna Ghey's terrible murder. But there is certainly evidence that Mindfulness can help children and adults to push away negative thoughts and to embrace the positive, to ground themselves and to experience peace, self-awareness and acceptance. Mindfulness can help us all deal with impulses which may not be productive or good for ourselves or others, and give us time to examine and process our thoughts before acting upon them. I hope that Brianna's mother is successful in her efforts to bring Mindfulness training to all schools, and to all children, in the United Kingdom. Our love and thoughts go with her. I wish you all a mindful, happy half term break.
Posted on: 2/02/2024

Fairness by Mrs. Kahol

  Our school value over the past couple of weeks has been Fairness and we have had several opportunities in assemblies and around the school to discuss and see fairness in action and reflect on how we perceive fairness. Many of you may know that I am an avid supporter of an organisation called WomenED and one of the key principles associated with this organisation is ‘fairness’.  See the link here on the four WomenEd Campaigns. I have had many conversations with parents regarding equality and fairness and I am aware that many of you are active proponents of this in your work places and home lives. I am delighted to share this blog written by Mrs. Kahol, a parent who works at GSK. It is written with the pupils as an audience but so relevant for us all.  Ms Drummond   Dear Pupils, As you start the new year, I wanted to discuss the important topic of equality with you. Did you know that only around 100 years ago, women weren’t allowed to get a proper education? You might be surprised to know that the first college which allowed women to get into higher studies was the University of London, and that the first  women ever to receive degrees got them in 1878. Education, which is now a basic right for all, wasn’t granted to girls in this country just one hundred years ago.  Unfortunately, in some parts of the world, these issues still exist. While the right to vote for women arrived in the early 1900s in the UK as a result of the suffragette movement, true equality for women is far from achieved, both in the UK and globally. Let me give you an example to explain more clearly. Two girls and two boys participate in an activity and receive the same score. Should they receive the same award for it – say two chocolates each? How would you feel if the boys were given three chocolates each and the girls were given only two? Would that feel fair? This idea of rewarding men and women differently for doing the same job is called Gender Pay Discrimination and it has been illegal in the UK for 45 years. But it still exists in some other parts of the world.  However if, in the above scenario, girls were asked to complete five more tasks in parallel to the tasks they have been given, they would of course take longer hours to complete the tasks, get more exhausted and likely leave the initial two tasks to the boys. This would lead to the boys getting all the chocolates. This is what is known as the Gender Pay Gap: because women still do more of the unpaid work of a family (e.g. childcare and housework) than men do, they have less time for paid work. The causes of the Gender Pay Gap are complex and overlapping. While some women may choose to work less and earn less, others may be forced into this situation and may not be happy. According to the Women in Work Index 2021, at the rate the Gender Pay Gap is currently closing, it will take more than 50 years to reach gender pay parity. For every 100 men in the workforce, 69 women are in the workforce in the UK. That number is much lower for developing nations. Currently in the top 500 companies of the world (Fortune 500) only 9% of the CEOs are women. This equates to fewer role models for women which may lead women to have lower aspirations overall for their careers, a phenomenon called The Glass Ceiling. Inequality like this between men and women at work may have a negative impact not only on women but on men too. It boxes men and women in to assume that they want to take on gender roles as they were defined centuries ago, with women staying at home and men outside. Things have changed in the last few centuries. Both men and women can work now if they want to, they can take care of a family together and support each other. Financial freedom is no longer limited by gender. Boys and girls, you all have the opportunity to change this world. Each one of you can help in continuing to close this gap. It is important that the pupils of St. Helen’s College study hard and have equal opportunities to make names for themselves in fields of their choice in the future. Don’t let stereotypes box you into gender roles. You are the future and a good education from an esteemed school such as St. Helen’s College puts you in a great position to make your dreams come true. The world needs role models like you, prepared to call out any discrimination you see around you. Mrs. Kahol
Posted on: 19/01/2024

School Inspection

I am sure that many of you have read articles and reports in the media regarding the fallout from the tragic death of Headteacher Ruth Perry following her school’s Ofsted Inspection. Ruth took her own life in January 2023 before the publication of an inspection report rating Caversham Primary School in Berkshire ‘inadequate’. The chief coroner concluded that the inspection 'lacked fairness, respect and sensitivity' and was at times 'rude and intimidating'. Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, inspects and reports on anywhere that provides education for young people in England, including schools, nurseries and childminders. Schools or organisations are inspected every four years or 30 months depending on their status, and are then graded accordingly: 1 - outstanding 2 - good 3 - requires improvement 4 - inadequate Many parents rely on Ofsted ratings to help them choose a school or nursery for their child. As at November 2022, 88% of schools in England were rated either outstanding or good. As an independent school and part of the association IAPS (The Association for Preparatory Schools), we are inspected under a different inspection body: ISI (The Independent Schools Inspectorate).  Ofsted are contracted by the Department for Education to conduct and report on inspections of organisations such as schools (both maintained and academies). The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) are contracted to do the same but for Independent Schools. ISI is a Government approved inspectorate and the quality of its service is monitored by Ofsted on behalf of the Department for Education. Every year, Ofsted prepares a report for the Education Secretary about how the ISI has carried out its work. Overall Ofsted is satisfied but will normally comment on an area for ISI to consider. Both ISI and Ofsted report on independent schools’ compliance with the DfE Education (Independent Schools Standards) Regulations. These are the statutory rules the DfE imposes on independent schools against which ISI inspects. But ISI and Ofsted use a different framework and criteria for judging school quality, and they use different judgement words too. For example, up until last year ISI used 'excellent, good, sound and unsatisfactory', while Ofsted uses 'outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate'. Another difference is that ISI inspection teams largely consist of practising senior leaders currently working in independent schools, whereas Ofsted inspectors have not necessarily run a school. This means ISI inspectors are realistic and knowledgeable about the challenges for individual schools and their reports are more nuanced. For example, ISI inspectors evaluate independent schools against the higher standards of academic achievement and extracurricular activities in the sector as a whole as well as against national norms. The National Education Union (NEU) has urged school leaders to refuse to work as Ofsted inspectors until a health and safety assessment of the system is carried out. Ofsted inspections have been frozen and as well as calling for a freeze of inspections and the abolition of Ofsted, the motion instructed the union to 'call on all NEU leadership members to refuse to participate as inspectors in any further inspections until a full health and safety assessment of the inspection system is conducted'. Educational leaders in both the maintained and independent sector can only see the positive in this but sadly it is too little, too late for Ruth Perry. Many of you will know that I am a practising inspector for ISI and I am privileged to conduct regular inspections each year in other independent schools.  As an independent sector we also now have a new framework for our inspection process and ISI will now NOT give an overall judgement, and have abolished the four gradings of excellent, good, sound and unsatisfactory. Instead, they now focus on ‘nuanced reporting‘ within the report itself. The new framework places a strong emphasis on promoting the wellbeing of pupils. Pupil wellbeing is defined in section 10(2) of the Children Act 2004 as: physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing; protection from harm and neglect; education, training and recreation; the contribution made by them to society and social and economic wellbeing. This definition is used as a starting point for ISI’s approach to school evaluations, making it vital that all school leaders keep this at the forefront of their minds when updating policies and reviewing their curriculum and values. The new framework places an overarching responsibility of the school’s leadership, management and governance to 'actively promote' these five aspects of pupils’ wellbeing in all aspects of school life. Governors are reminded of their responsibilities to ensure their school is fully compliant and aware of the measures they need to take in order to mitigate against the particular issues their school faces. At St. Helen's College, we are approaching the end of our three year cycle and are due to be inspected hopefully by the end of 2024 under the new framework. The new framework emphasises that schools need to actively seek and take into account pupils’ views, wishes and feelings about their school experience. School leaders should enable pupils to communicate, develop positive relationships with staff, and make their views known. Parent and staff views are also taken into account and questionnaires are sent out from ISI at the onset of the inspection process to assist the team in their evaluations.  Safeguarding continues to be at the forefront of inspections. Inspectors will check to verify there are arrangements in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils and meet the expected standards and provisions as set out in the relevant legislation and statutory guidance. The new framework specifically mentions the need for schools to have effective arrangements to ensure that pupils know how to stay safe online and that these are regularly updated and reviewed. Schools can ensure they meet these criteria by having an effective PSHE curriculum in place as well as an Online Safety Policy (either stand alone or incorporated into the Child Protection and Safeguarding policy), which is appropriate for the ages and needs of the pupils. It should cover all aspects of staying safe online and must include appropriate provision to have monitoring and filtering systems in place.  I am proud to be part of the ISI inspectorate and how we as a body work together with schools to evaluate their provision to celebrate strengths but also to recommend areas of improvement to ensure that as a sector we are the frontrunners in our educational provision for your children.  You may wish to read more information about our inspection process here.
Posted on: 1/12/2023

Broadening Our Thinking

Recently Ms Gilham, our Head of Science and Challenge and Enrichment Co-ordinator, noted that when the children were asked to research a key scientist, they tended to name a European or American scientist such as Newton, Einstein, Fleming or Edison. It struck her that their knowledge of scientists seemed quite narrow in this global world that we live in.   Ms Gilham had already noted that Iron Age and Bronze Age scientists were mostly from other parts of the world, perhaps of Arabic, Indian or Babylonian origin. It was this that inspired her to broaden the children’s thinking and she tasked them to research names with a broader geographical and historical approach. The children were encouraged to discuss this at home and to think about people they knew who were in the world of science, including female scientists and scientists who worked or lived in places other than Europe or America. The results from Year 6 have been quite astounding and they have all learnt so much from the task, as have the staff! The pupils’ research revealed a great deal about a diverse range of scientists from across history and across the globe. The children certainly broadened their scientific knowledge and simultaneously learnt to take a global approach when tasked with independent research. Their thirst for knowledge also led them to research their own families and revealed some facts closer to home, including these. A Year 6 girl’s aunt is a gynaecologist currently working towards a PhD and her research aims to find out why childbirth is more straightforward for some women than for others. A Year 6 boy’s parent is a GP who used be a surgeon but found it too messy!  A Year 6 girl’s great grandfather was a professor named Dr. Drabu, who was born in Kashmir and qualified as one of the first General Practitioners in Pakistan. He worked in refugee camps after bearing witness to the partition of the Indian subcontinent. The children also discovered that our very own Ms Gilham (nee Emily Capulas) was a researcher at Sussex and Brunel Universities. For those interested, some of her research papers can be seen here: https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Emily-Capulas-33881681 Parents who are interested in broadening their own knowledge of scientists through the ages and across the world might like to start with this timeline: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_scientific_discoveries Have a super weekend. Ms Drummond
Posted on: 17/11/2023

Kindness/Anti-Bullying Week 2023

Throughout Anti-Bullying Week at St. Helen’s College, we have dedicated our time to educating one another on the importance of taking a stand against bullying. The word ‘bullying’ at our school is one which we rarely hear, as our children are aware of how to treat each other and what to do if they feel uncomfortable or upset about something which happens to them or a peer. However, it is important that as a community we share with our pupils what other children around the UK are discussing in their schools this week.  On Monday it was World Kindness Day and what a great way to introduce our new value of the week, kindness, and to remind our pupils of ‘kindness’ and how it looks at our school. It is with us all being mindful of ‘kindness’ that we can alleviate the behaviours which may lead to bullying. The AntiBullying Alliance has a wealth of resources to help schools and parents and I would recommend that parents use these tools to assist you in supporting your children. As you know, we take a preventative approach in our behaviour policy and our mantra of ‘ready, respectful and safe’ resonates around the school, encouraging all pupils to be the best version of themselves every day.   There was a time where we would hear the phrase, ‘Oh, it was only banter.’ However, many educators are now rightly dismissive of ‘banter’ being a fun means of communication as it can often lead to bullying behaviours. Any form of ‘banter’ is well avoided. Martha Evans, Director of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, says, “Banter is a fun part of communication, but too often bullying behaviours are dismissed as ‘just banter’. Recognising the fine line between banter and bullying is crucial for the development and emotional well-being of our children. We want to see schools having these conversations with pupils this Anti-Bullying Week. We must empower educators with the confidence to support children, fostering an environment where every child’s voice is heard and respected, and we hope Anti-Bullying Week 2023: Make A Noise can help achieve this.” On Monday, pupils in our Upper School assembly were very articulate in their discussions regarding bullying behaviours and being kind. They shared their views:   Treat others as you would like to be treated Do not say something or do something to anyone if you would not like it said or done to you If you see a friend looking upset or sad ask them if they are ok Tell a grown up if you see or hear anything unkind happening Stand up to someone if they are being mean to you or your friends These were the thoughts of our children and it was followed up during the assembly with some key points for us all (adults and children) to think about in order to support and care for those around us: Be Kind: A simple act of kindness can change someone's life. Speak Out: If you see bullying, don't ignore it. Stand up and speak out. Your voice will always matter. #makeanoise Embrace Our Differences: Our uniqueness is what makes us so special. Celebrate diversity and appreciate everyone’s differences. St. Helen’s College takes pride in being a school that nurtures, supports and uplifts every person that we welcome through our doors. #AntiBullyingWeek #BeKind #NoMoreBullying How are you going to share your ‘kindness’ this weekend? Happy weekend! Ms Drummond
Posted on: 3/11/2023

Making Time For Us

As you all know, here at St. Helen’s College we put pupil well-being at the core of everything we do. If we have happy and healthy children attending school, they will go on to thrive surrounded by loving parents and our supportive school environment with all that we offer. Staff well-being is also core to us and I hope that any member of staff to whom you speak would testify that we look after and look out for every member of staff, to enable them to give their best to your children every day.   It is more difficult to reach every parent to ensure that your well-being is in a good place to enable you to be the best version of yourself each and every day. Our parent body is incredibly diverse and you all have many, varied commitments as part of your lives. We all live very busy lives and sometimes, in our commitment to our families and our work, we adults can forget about ourselves. I enjoyed talking about adult well-being with parents at this week’s PA coffee morning and with staff on our return to school following half term. It was gratifying to hear that many of us are making time to look after our own well-being, perhaps away from partners and children. Spa days, weekends away with friends, attending yoga sessions, going swimming and morning runs before work are just a few ways that some of us make time for ourselves. Many parents have taken advantage of some of the provisions we offer from a school’s perspective. Our Teddy Talks, for example, were put together in response to a parent survey about which areas of parenting you would like some support with. Our team were very brave in embarking upon this and we created a series of videos on a range of topics including early speech and language development, growing a love of reading and supporting healthy eating to name but a few. Do take a look, following the link, if you have not seen these short videos. Any further suggestions for future talks are most welcome. Other parents have signed up for the Mindfulness in Schools course ‘.begin’ to give them a further understanding of how they may embed a more mindful approach to life’s challenges. See the link here for future course information. Many families are enjoying ticking off the list of '100 Things To Do In Our Centenary Year', which we sent home with each pupil earlier this term. Do let us know how you are getting on with this and feel free to share photographs of you and your children enjoying any of the activities. The list was written by Mrs. Smith to enhance our well-being by encouraging us all to spend time appreciating the world around us, especially the great outdoors. I know that staff are enjoying working their way through the list with their families too! This week was Mrs. McLauglins’s first week of running the next block of our ‘Baby Mindfulness’ sessions. The sessions are a bespoke six week course for mothers and babies, which we have been running at St. Helen’s College since 2021. You can click here to read a blog written last year by one of our current parents who attended with her newborn baby.  Mrs. McLaughlin loves running these sessions and they are open to anyone in the local community, not just St. Helen’s College parents. (The Teddy Talk where Mrs. McLaughlin explains her classes is here). This course is unique and there are no other such classes available to new mums in the Hillingdon area. If any of you are currently expecting a baby or know of new mums who you think would benefit from this class then please do contact Mrs. McLaughlin at pmclaughlin@sthelenscollege.com for further information.  It is so important that we adults look after our own well-being and make time to gather our thoughts, re-energise and just be ourselves - not someone’s parent, not an employee or boss, not a husband or wife - just us! It is when we give ourselves permission to take this time that we may become the best version of ourselves and this can only benefit everyone around us. Enjoy and cherish that time! Have a great weekend. Ms Drummond
Posted on: 13/10/2023

IAPS Conference 2023

As we approach our half term I have been reflecting on what has been an incredible start to our academic year. A couple of weeks ago I joined four hundred other Headteachers at our annual IAPS Head’s conference in Liverpool to return to the classroom to hear about developments and current trends in education across the world and nationally. The theme of the conference was ‘Venture Out’ and, as I attended keynote speakers and seminars, I felt so much pride in what we already do here at St. Helen’s College.   There were a host of speakers who shared their wealth of knowledge on topics, which included: Ben Edmonds who has just stepped down as one of the principal designers at Dyson to launch his own company. He reminded us of the skills and creativity which our children will need to be innovative in their future lives. Sarah Horrocks who shared her expertise on developing a digital strategy and tranforming the curriculum and the impact of blended learning. Needless to say, St. Helen’s College is already quite a front runner with our digital learning and our successful online platform throughout the pandemic was testament to this.   The Scary Guy (yes, that is his name) - please do look at his website. He gave us all food for thought and challenged us all to take part in the seven day challenge, during which everything that comes out of our mouths should be positive and not be derogative and negatively judgemental. If you do find yourself saying something ‘mean’ your challenge starts again. As adults we can find this difficult so how hard is this for children! Paul Main discussed his work developing his passion and research into the science of learning and we shared the tools and strategies that he has developed to enable children to ‘think for themselves’. These speakers are only four of many with whom I engaged over the duration of the conference. Although I found them all interesting, I did come away after my few days incredibly proud of what we already have embedded and other aspects we continue to develop at St. Helen’s College. It highlighted for me how innovative and committed the staff at SHC are in always keeping informed about research, pedagogy and being the best they can be to inspire your children. It is the drive and commitment of the team around your children who enable them to make such great progress and of course the parental support which helps the children to thrive and strive for excellence every day. The pupils and staff all now need to recharge over the half term break in order to return for the next half term to continue following their passion for learning. Happy half term to all! Ms Drummond
Posted on: 22/09/2023

Why Art?

Many of you may not be aware that Mrs. Pruce, our subject co-ordinator for art across the school, is also the national lead for art for the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS), an association of which we are members.  IAPS has 663 schools in membership (of which 47 can be found outside of the UK). The schools must reach a very high standard to be eligible for membership of IAPS, with strict criteria on teaching a broad curriculum, maintaining excellent standards of pastoral care and keeping staff members’ professional development training up to date. Mrs. Pruce supports art teachers in IAPS schools as part of her role and has run several professional development days for other teachers at St. Helen’s College, when she has invited inspiring artists into school to run workshops for the staff. These include Darrell Wakelam and Emma Collins. Mrs. Pruce’s ‘Why Art?’ blog appears on the IAPS website and I would like to share it with you (below). We pride ourselves on nurturing all of the arts and our enriched curriculum is a testament to the expertise of our staff at St. Helen’s College. If you do not already follow the St. Helen's College instagram page for art then please do - it may inspire you to be a budding artist with your children! Why Art? by Mrs. Nadine Pruce “Every child is an artist,” said Pablo Picasso, and he’s right. This September begins my fourth year at St. Helens College, Hillingdon, and what a few years it has been! Yet throughout, and since, the turmoil of Covid, our art has held classes together, united us in our joy for the subject and had us chuckling during online lessons, especially when dressed as royalty in crowns and tiaras with Year 2. Art is all around us, not just in galleries but on TV, packaging, book covers, graphic design, the restaurant industry and stage and film to name a few. The career options are numerous, and it is a subject to be taken seriously. The subject of art dates back thousands of years from all around the world. It adds to what we now know about history, from cave paintings to Henry Moore’s chalk work on the shelters during the war and Banksy’s political graffiti. Without these we can only guess at what really happened. In itself, art can be a way of communication to express ourselves, heal our souls when troubled, tell a story or be an experience to share our thoughts and feelings or just to while away time. For me personally, art has been something that I have only had the courage to embrace in the last 17 years or so. I say courage as I was the child at school who was too tall, stuck out like a sore thumb, and went easily red-faced when the art teacher told me that it wasn’t my best subject. That crushed all creativity I had for many, many years. I promised myself that no child I teach would be made to feel this way about their own talents. The introduction of new skills at St. Helens College has proven that Picasso was definitely right. The child who can draw superbly may not be the best painter; the painter may not be the best sculptor, who in turn may not be the best print maker. But they are all good at something and seeing that realisation dawn on pupils' faces is what drives me on. As teachers we have a role to play in encouraging our students, focussing on the good and inspiring the confidence to try. FAIL is the 'First Attempt In Learning' and even as adults we are still always learning. We adults have a lot to learn from our children, in school and at home. The artistic response to the pandemic blew my mind. The explanations given as to why pupils drew what they drew were clear, simplistic and openly honest. Arya in Year 2 with her “Rainbow Tree” and Riya, in Year 6, with “Breakout” were stunning examples that gave me goosebumps and tears in my eyes.  Arya won her age group for the IAPS Online Art Competition in my first year here. Have you ever been reduced to tears by art in any form? Poetry, music or a piece of writing? My first glimpse of the Taj Mahal, from far away, actually made me cry, not an emotion I expected over the sight of a building. The use of sketch pads at St. Helen's College has been changing and is changing further this school year. The desire to scribble out something not liked is natural but also pointless; we need to see our failures to perfect our abilities. In the book "The Dot" Peter H Reynolds shows us the power of one single adult's actions to change a child's life. “The book shows the importance of teacher-student relationships, and our connections as human beings. It shows how creative thinking on the part of a teacher can unlock a child's own creativity, confidence, and growth.” So, however old you are, I encourage you all to go and enjoy whatever art form you would love to explore the most, and remember… in art you are never wrong.     

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