EDUCAT ION
Diary dates UPCOMING OPEN DAYS AT LOCAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS BISHOP’S STORTFORD COLLEGE The Sixth Form open event for 16+ entry in 2022 will take place on 16 October, with a chance to check out the Prep School following on 13 November. Both will feature talks, tours and the opportunity to meet students and staff. Visit bishopsstortfordcollege.org for details on how to book. KING’S ELY Meet heads of school and other members of staff, plus current students, at the King’s Ely open events – the next of which takes place on 9 October for King’s Ely Sixth Form (years 12-13). Book online for the event, or contact the admissions team for a private visit. Find out more at kingsely.org. ST MARY’S SCHOOL, CAMBRIDGE The school will host an in-person open event for Preschool & Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form on Saturday 2 October (9.30am-12.30pm). There will also be several online open mornings throughout October and November, offering talks, videos and an interactive Q&A session. Details of open days can be found at stmaryscambridge.co.uk/visit . You can also book a personal tour by contacting the admissions team. THE PERSE SCHOOL Next month’s Perse School open days will take place on Saturday 2 October (Pelican School) and 9 October (Upper School), with tickets available from Eventbrite. Go to perse.co.uk for more. STOKE COLLEGE Suffolk-based independent day and boarding school Stoke College is gearing up to host an admissions event on 13 October, as well as next spring on 9 March, 30 April and 11 May. Find out more and register at stokecollege.co.uk.
TEAMSPIRIT Pupils from Bishop’s Stortford College celebrate on the sports field
continued improvements – to the facilities, or curriculum possibilities to address an ever-changing world?” adds Gareth. “Also, how will my child be looked after in the first few days and weeks? And, going forward, how will the school communicate with me?” Quiz the staff about enrichment opportunities, too, suggests Jeanette, and don’t forget to find out what happens when things aren’t going so well. “All children find some element of the curriculum, or their learning, a challenge at times. With this in mind, ensure that you ask what support is in place when things are not going as well as the school would like. You could also ask what happens when things are going amazingly well and a child needs to be challenged more.” All the schools we spoke to advised that looking around in person is an
essential part of the process – something made trickier by pandemic-related restrictions over the past couple of years. With the usual all-singing, all-dancing open events off the table for a time, schools in the area had to get creative to enable prospective parents and students to get a genuine feel for school life. King’s Ely hosted a series of bespoke open days, setting up 20 gazebos on the Old Palace lawns where representatives could meet individuals and family groups. “Teachers led the tours, and whilst the school was not in ‘full swing’, it did enable fuller conversations and gave more time for parents to ask questions,” explains Jonathan Shaw, head of King’s Ely Senior, who believes that the new-style events had a silver lining. “We certainly felt we got to know families better this way. In the year ahead, we want to maintain this QUIZ THE STAFF ABOUT ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES
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