What is a modern day education

What is a Modern Day Education?

Without doubt, the world of education is changing. We spoke to Mrs Watt, Headmistress of Eaton Square Prep and Nursery Schools.

“A true education is one that enables a child to fulfil their own, unique potential (both in school and beyond); equipping them with the skills, knowledge and self-assuredness required to go out and make their mark in the world.

As such, though a commitment to academic excellence remains fundamental to school life, the development of the skills and mindset required to fully prepare children for life beyond school should never be forgotten.

Below are four aspects of education that are particularly important in today’s world. All are high on our Eaton Square agenda.”

Mental Health

The happiness of our pupils has always been a priority. At Eaton Square, pastoral care is repeatedly rated ‘Excellent’ in all ISI reports and The Good Schools Guide even said of our pupils, “Children are happy here as they have the freedom to be themselves”. We are very proud of our in-house programme for pupil wellbeing, ‘The Listening Space’. This spans solo and group sessions, confidence workshops, mindfulness, problem solving and even a ‘worry post box’ where pupils can post any concerns they may have in total confidence.

Preparation for life

Education should focus on the whole individual – not just the results of an exam, the quality of a musical performance or the victory of a sports team. Confidence, communication, collaboration, emotional intelligence, leadership, resilience and critical thinking (to name but a few) are all vital ingredients for an individual to flourish at the highest possible level, throughout their lives.

At Eaton Square, we particularly foster these through our renowned debating and public speaking initiatives. As an accredited TedX centre, our pupils have the opportunity to write, rehearse, audition and perform their very own Tedx Talks via Tedx’s global platform (gaining 5 million + views to date!). Likewise, our Debating programme is, quite simply, legendary. Our debating team recently won the Dukes Debating Festival and hone their craft throughout the year at debating events at the likes of Blenheim Palace, the Houses of Parliament and Harrow School.

Digital Skills

It goes unsaid that in today’s modern world, an education that lacks digital learning is no education at all. As educators, it is our responsibility to ensure pupils can understand and embrace the world around them – both offline and online. As such, while our Eaton Square academic curriculum maintains a natural emphasis on the core subjects of Maths, English and Science, we hold digital skills in particularly high regard. Pupils explore coding, computer programming and algorithms during timetabled lessons – they particularly enjoy learning with their Bee Bots (floor robots)! In addition, from Year Four all pupils have their own individual Surface Go Tablets, enabling familiarity, skills and confidence in the computing skills they will require for life.

Environmental Responsibility

As last year’s COP26 summit highlighted, we must ensure today’s young people are aware of - and campaigning for - the environment. This is a key part of an Eaton Square, education. Impressively for a central London Prep School, we have achieved official ‘Eco-School’ status. Led by our very own pupil-driven Eco Committee (whose enthusiasm for protecting and preserving our planet is remarkable), school life here includes recycling competitions, building bug hotels and participating in nationwide campaigns such as Forest of Promises and Clean Up Your Act. Last month, two of our pupils even won awards from Westminster Council and Westminster Climate Action group for their exceptional work on wildlife protection and climate change. It’s of little surprise that Eaton Square was also shortlisted for the 2021 Dukes Education Sustainability Award.

How can I find out more about life at Eaton Square Prep School?

Visit us! We warmly invite you to our next Open Morning on Wednesday 16th March or Wednesday 11th May– to sign up simply click here. I would be delighted to welcome you into our wonderful school and very much look forward to meeting you.