It is good to be able to connect with you all again following another eventful week here at Edge Grove. I trust that your children have settled quickly after their two week half term break and that they are finding ‘reason in the season’ to look forward to these autumn days here at school with youthful happiness and excited, content spirits.
On the back of personal experiences and observations from last week, it is in the context of the word ‘childhood’ that I felt it appropriate to share a few thoughts with you all at this time.
I have mentioned in previous messages to you all that, in my view, the adult world is invading, disrupting and threatening the period in a child’s life that we loosely refer to as their childhood years. There are many obvious reasons for this that you as parents, I’m sure, can work out for yourselves, so my focus is to touch briefly on some of what we, as the adults in their lives, can do to minimise these potentially harmful effects. This is particularly relevant when seen through a parent / school relationship and accord.
The acronym SEAD is useful in helping to frame what I believe Edge Grove is doing in a holistic, tangible and direct way to protect the necessary safeguards in support of creating a childhood-purposed culture of learning:
Securing a values-enhanced rite of passage - The very nature of what quality, child-centred education ought to be about is to secure the underpinning of critical life-skills and foundational knowledge through recognising and reinforcing essential core values. An obvious statement, perhaps, but one that is worth emphasising in light of a morally impecunious, digitally regulated world.
Emotional undergirding and strengthening - Children feel safe, trusting and happy, and so in a relaxed frame of mind to learn, when they know instinctively that they are being gently held in an atmosphere of love, kindness and care. If these pivotal emotional pillars are missing, or threatened in any way, we run the risk of leaving children emotionally exposed in a vacuum of mistrust and uncertainty.
Aware of individual uniqueness and identity - When home and school are able to join hands in constructive ways that allow the child to recognise, receive and reflect on who they are as beautiful unique individuals, the early years’ experiences are given purpose and meaning. Being able to embrace and celebrate their own uniqueness is a priceless childhood gift that we must offer our children.
Discovery and adventure opportunities - Children’s spirits are awakened and instinctively come alive when they are led into experiences that give them freedom to first explore and then to master what new frontiers in their own learning allow them to overcome. What is key here is that each individual child be offered their own safe discovery space in which to engage with learning opportunities that come their way.
Amongst a whole range of memorable cameo moments from last week, there are three in particular that stand out as snapshots which serve to capture some of what I observed as examples of all that the Edge Grove teachers are doing to provide the children with priceless seed-planting experiences, and that reflect the wonder of the SEAD referred to above coming to life:
At the Tuesday morning assembly the full 30 minutes were taken up with recognising, rewarding and celebrating children’s achievements and adventures. From poetry-writing certificates, book prizes to recognise reading prowess, and the sharing of a beautiful singing talent, to acknowledging on and off the field successes during the recent Barcelona football tour, and a champion young go-kart racer, there was much for the children to enjoy together. So much that reflects children finding their identity niche through an enriching array of discovery and adventure opportunities.
Football and hockey matches against Beechwood Park on Wednesday afternoon were played in the howling wind and at times, driving rain. In typical resolute fashion, the boys and girls dug deep, drew on each other’s resilience and support, and made the most of the afternoon. Plenty of examples of upbeat determination and maturing emotional resolve were on display for all to see.
From my office window on Friday morning, I observed the Lower Prep children using their creativity and imaginations to come up with a delightful array of bouquets all made up of colourful autumn leaves. As they worked with their teachers and each other so much in the form of cooperation, sharing, alertness and appreciation was evident. A real testimony to much that we look to engender in the form of core values being displayed as principled virtues.
In my opinion Edge Grove remains wonderfully placed and intentionally committed, as a well-grounded, learning for life educational institution. A purpose-driven preparatory school that serves to identify, guard, fashion and deliver for every girl and boy, their childhood rite of passage. So much of what is offered is done in ways that secures emotional undergirding, a recognition of each child’s unique identity and a carefully orchestrated freedom to discover and explore.
The safeguarding of the childhood SEAD is clearly alive and well here at Edge Grove and provides love, light and learning that hold and feed into the children’s hearts and minds each and every day.
As you will all be aware, Friday 11th November will again bring so many, young and old, together in spirit and unity as we honour and remember the many men and women who have fought and died giving their lives for King and country. Our ceremony here at Edge Grove will be in two parts: a formal service in the Apthorp Building starting at 10.00am followed by the wreath-laying at 11.00am. The latter will take place on the grass in front of the flagpole. We invite parents to join us for the wreath-laying part of the ceremony. Please be aware that areas of the grass quad will be cordoned off for the children and members of staff. Parents will be welcome to find standing space behind these demarcated areas.
It was a pleasure being present to hear Ed Balfour’s eloquent and impressively informed address at last Thursday’s Year 6 parents’ information evening. Anna Warren (Head of Upper School), Laura O’Hare (Deputy Head Academic), Brian McManus (Director of Sport and Co-curricular) and a few past and present pupils shared the platform with him and all played their part in helping to make the whole evening a worthwhile and important time together with a number of parents and other members of staff. There will be more of these sessions with other parents in the weeks and months ahead.
It is appropriate to mention and thank Heather Wood who has gone the distance and beyond in recent months in the interests of bringing alive the new Edge Grove Information App. Hearty congratulations and thank you, Heather.
This important new school information app, which many parents have already signed up for and are making use of, will provide for a more streamlined, efficient and user-friendly information and communication system with which to share a variety of relevant daily alerts and messages with parents.
As most of you will have all experienced first-hand, following my email to you all on Friday afternoon, the changes to the morning traffic flow system were implemented this morning. As much as there is obviously still much to consider and to improve on, we are trusting that some of the measures taken will lead to a more functional and practical traffic flow system. I am appealing to parents to help us by playing whatever part you can in easing the flow at a given time. If you are able to bring your child early, drop and go, it will help. If you are not in a rush and are a Pre Prep parent who is able to arrive a little later at around 08:30 in time for your child’s registration at 08:40 this too will help. I am confident that we can find a better way to make this work.
As for the overflow area which is used in the summer and drier months, I have it on good authority that it has been used before at this time of the year but within a day or two had turned into an absolute quagmire. In addition, when efforts were made by the school to lay hard plastic mesh, this soon froze solid when winter arrived causing a dangerous walking and driving surface. This piece of land is also part of the council-protected Green Belt and so may not be tarred or in fact altered by the school in any way.
Another suggestion worth considering is for those Edge Grove families who live in close proximity to each other to form car-sharing / lift-clubs for morning drop-off. If enough folk bought into such a scheme, it would take a good number of cars off the road, cut carbon emissions, and save the participants some money.
There is much to look forward to in the weeks ahead so don’t blink as you look forward, as parents, to being part of the many enjoyable seasonal events that you’ll be invited to be a part of and to enjoy with us here at Edge Grove.
Warm regards and God’s blessings covering you all.
Richard StanleyInterim Headmaster
