Artificial intelligence is everywhere. Since ChatGPT launched in November 2022, it seems a day hasn't gone by without a shouty headline about robots taking over our jobs and schools. While much of the press has been predictably negative with lurid stories about cheating and plagiarism, it has pinpointed the potential artificial intelligence (AI) has to radically change the education landscape, for pupils and teachers. So, what effect is AI having on education?

"We are just starting to talk about AI in schools, as teachers and students," says Will Van Reyk, head of history and politics at North London Collegiate School (NLCS). Newspapers, he says, have reduced the story to, "give students an essay question and AI will give you an answer". But that "narrative misses the points about what AI brings in terms of benefits".

Mr Van Reyk is acutely aware of the challenges surrounding the introduction of AI into schools. Not least the demanding legal, ethical, compliance and safeguarding frameworks that schools must adopt to use it. But he is adamant that "if students and staff are taught in the right way then it could be very beneficial for both parties.

"AI offers a massive new dimension to students in the classroom," he says, with benefits to student's critical thinking, problem solving and scholarly research.

He cites a new AI tool, Perplexity – dubbed the 'Google killer' – which Amazon's Jeff Bezos has recently invested millions in. "It's an amazing knowledge research tool and will enhance any student's ability to access high quality articles," he says. "I think it's the best AI tool in education."

'You can really bring history to life'

Mr Van Reyk already uses ChatGPT in his lessons, often for role play scenarios. Students can 'recreate' a given historical event – the Cuban Missile Crisis, for example – where they can assume the role of US president John F Kennedy and ask ChatGPT questions which the AI then answers. "You can really bring history to life," he says.

And these interactions can throw up wider issues around AI that can then be discussed in the classroom.

For example, Mr Van Reyk explains how his class was studying Britain in the 1950s. The students asked ChatGPT to role model an average person from the era and it immediately said: "I go to the pub in the evening." "The default response was male," says Mr Van Reyk. This led to an interesting class discussion about the inherent biases in AI. "It is a reflection of a biased society, and it's about teaching students to recognise that," says Mr Van Reyk, adding: "Women are being cut out of the story in development of AI – as a girls' school, this is really important to us."

Mr Van Reyk says he is hopeful that the narrative will move on from the potential for cheating and "assessment itself will shift to assuming that all students are using AI and those who don't use it well will not be as good as a student who uses it in the appropriate way".

'Everyone is playing catch up'

Steve Birtles, head of digital teaching and learning at Eton College, is more circumspect about the advent of AI assessment. "Fundamentally, the way qualifications are assessed [in schools] with sit-down written exams – those are the things that need to shift before we can make huge changes to the way we approach teaching with AI," he says.

Eton is using ChatGPT to enhance learning in the classroom. Its launch less than 18 months ago has meant "everyone is playing catch up", says Jonnie Noakes, the director of teaching and learning at Eton. The reason this AI tool brought about such a sea-change in schools was twofold, he explains. Firstly, ChatGPT is an example of 'conversational' AI, which "has made AI accessible to anyone who can hold a conversation, so it's available to our school-age pupils in a way it wasn't before". And secondly, ChatGPT has a 13+ age rating, unlike say Claude AI or Google Bard, which both have an 18+ rating.

Eton, just like every other school, had to decide quickly what their stance was on using AI in the classroom. "We decided that if we forbade it that would effectively close down the discussion about its proper use, and we think it does have legitimate and educationally sound uses if used in the right way," says Mr Noakes. "We are trying to teach our pupils how to use it properly. Help them to understand the ethical concerns, help them to understand its limitations and really emphasise academic integrity and honesty."

Mr Birtles says students have been pleasantly surprised when invited to use AI, a reaction he says of, 'Oh, we are allowed to!' Teachers, on the other hand, have been "more cautious".

"We have been focusing a lot of attention recently on helping colleagues get up to speed," says Mr Noakes. "For a lot of colleagues who are not technically minded – and I put myself in that camp – this can seem like an enormous challenge. But it's a challenge people understand they need to be up for, because trying to ignore AI really isn't an option."

Eton has taken a 'platform agnostic' approach to teaching pupils how to use AI. In other words, developing pupils' skills across a number of AI platforms. The key, says Mr Birtles, is "prompt engineering". An AI tool is only as good as the question you ask it. Mr Birtles has created a cookbook of 'prompt recipes' for AI for students and teachers, scenarios to help them start navigating these new tech tools.

'AI is just another tool'

Jo Sharrock, Head at Putney High School, GDST, believes it's important that schools don't jump on the AI bandwagon without working out what it is they want to achieve first. "AI has been around for a long time – the gamechanger is generative AI. There is a lot of hype around ChatGPT but for us, AI is just another tool, part of our modern scholarship approach," she says.

She believes the use of AI should be something "we choose to use", not a default or a given. And it shouldn't come at the expense of developing pupils' critical thinking abilities.

"I do think it's really important that we stand up and say… just because you can do it doesn't mean you should do it."

She wants her students to understand their own "brilliant minds" first and remains wary of anything that de-skills or inhibits the natural learning process. "It is our responsibility to develop student's minds in the way that we need to," she says.

She cites Putney High School's (PHS) Science of Learning curriculum which runs across all subjects from Year 7 to Year 13. It has two aims, says Ms Sharrock: "To foster awe and wonder in the brilliance of human mind, and to create curious, self- sufficient learners who are comfortable with struggle rather than scared of challenge."

It's all about "How can I get my beautiful brain to do beautiful things?" says Ms Sharrock. Based on current research, it's taught through practical techniques, whether that's orienteering with a map and compass in the lower years or studying how to unlock the power of the brain higher up the school.

Now into its sixth year, "we can see the success in our raw results", says Ms Sharrock.

Summer 2023 saw the school's best tally of 9-8 grades at GCSEs and the most A* achieved at A-level since 2011.

"But more exciting is that we now have girls who have gone through the Science of Learning curriculum who are absolutely thriving. They tell us: 'It's because we know how our brain works… you've given us the skills that take us way beyond the exam hall.' Which is all we want to do."

'We have missed a step along the way'

Brighton Girls, like its sister GDST school Putney High, is an enthusiastic adopter of all things STEM with students coding from Year 2, design thinking plugged into the curriculum and AI being used in the classroom. "We want our students to feel from a young, young age that this is their world, their space," says its Head, Rosie McColl.

But Ms McColl has a different, personal take on the advent of AI in the classroom and it relates to students with special education needs (SEN). "There's so much talk at the moment about generative AI but I think we have missed a step along the way," she says.

Her own 10-year-old child is neuroatypical and struggles with dyslexia and dyscalculia. The biggest barrier to his learning is putting pen to paper. He is fine when he can use a simple voice recognition AI tool, such as speech to text, which he can use to write fluent essays.

"We use this all the time," says Ms McColl. "This is non-generative AI. We've leapt onto generative stuff but the non-generative AI is really powerful and could be really transformative at removing barriers to learning." Even generative AI tools – Ms McColl cites Mindstone, an open-source AI platform that can simplify huge passages of text at a stroke – can be really helpful for students with SEN.

However, as long as our "rigid exam system" insists that children are tested in final exams with pen and paper, Ms McColl says there's an enormous fear that governs how children, particularly neuro-divergent students, learn.

"The exam system is driving everything," she says. She would like to see less talk around generative AI and more focus on taking down the barriers for SEN pupils and harnessing the tools that have immediate benefits for them.

'Making AI work for teachers'

But Tom Rogerson, headmaster at Cottesmore School, wants to go further, faster with generative AI as he believes in its potential as a "wellbeing augmentor for teachers". Mr Rogerson received worldwide attention in autumn 2023 with the launch of Abigail Bailey, an AI chatbot with a female form who Mr Rogerson 'appointed' as a 'principal headteacher' to work alongside him at the West Sussex prep school. But behind the clever PR story lies a more serious intent.

Mr Rogerson says that from the first moment he discovered ChatGPT he saw the potential for a tool that could help the serious retention and recruitment crisis in schools by reducing "the paperwork pandemic" that burdens teachers.

"What I'm doing is trying to make AI work for teachers. That's the bottom line. I want them to have to stare into a screen less so they can be with pupils more. I want my teachers to be well."

And Mr Rogerson is putting his money, time and energy where his mouth is, holding the first conference about AI in schools at Cottesmore in May 2023 and a series of AI masterclasses – "a mega event" – for teachers across state and independent sectors in September last year.

Mr Rogerson was insistent that these events were cross-sector. His twin obsessions are wellbeing for teachers and AI inequity. It's one thing for a wellresourced independent school to invest the time and money implementing AI, but what about a state school? For example, ChatGPT 3.5 is free but ChatGPT Plus with access to GPT-4 with voice activation isn't – it sits behind a paywall. "We are not creating a superpower of AI at Cottesmore," says Mr Rogerson. "We want everyone to become an AI superpower. We want to be inclusive."

And as for Abigail Bailey, she is now ABI, Cottesmore's 'strategic leadership AI bot'. It turns out anthropomorphism is a no-no in AI so ABI no longer has a human form, but Mr Rogerson uses it regularly. "Educational leadership can be a lonely place," he says, and ABI is a hugely useful tool, a sounding board and sense checker at 1am in the morning "when your deputy head is fast asleep in bed as they should be".

This article first appeared in The Week's Independent Schools Guide Spring/Summer 2024, edited by Amanda Constance.

Is it best to move to senior school at 11 or 13? Experts, Rosie McColl and James Johnson, discuss the respective benefits of each in an article first published in The Week’s Independent Schools Guide.

The case for 11+

Let’s get one thing straight. The most important factor when choosing a school for a child is whether the environment is right for them personally and whether it feels like a good fit. Only then should concerns about the age of entry point arise. And even then, it will depend on the individual child. Where one might be raring to go with a new chapter of their school life, another may not be ready.

Levels of maturity are an important factor when transitioning to senior school and this partly explains why boys’ prep schools traditionally go up to year 8, while the transition point for girls is the end of year 6. As the head of an all-through girls’ school (from four to 18) with a key entry point at 11+, I do see a certain readiness to progress at this age in our new starters.

Anyone with a daughter will know, or will soon find out, that some aspects of school life can become more tricky for girls around year 5 and year 6. The word “tween” has entered the parental lexicon for a reason: whether it’s hitting puberty, a sense of out-growing surroundings or a need to spread one’s wings, this can be a time of turbulence.

Being a big fish in a small pond is not all it’s cracked up to be. This is the age where friendships start to change and frustrations set in. By year 6, whether they have acknowledged this verbally or not, many children will want to explore new friendships. The prospect of a fresh start in year 7, with transition events and induction days to look forward to, can be just what is needed to keep year 6 frustrations in check. When I speak to parents after school transition events, they tell me their child is “nervous but excited” about what is to come. This opportunity to step up, explore new interests and meet new people comes just at the right time for many.

Arriving in year 7 also allows pupils the luxury of time. Time to focus on settling in, forming wide friendship groups and understanding how relationship dynamics change over the months and years – and all way before they get to the seriousness of the GCSE years. A lot of growing up and confidence building occurs in these years.

Educationally, there is a lot to be said for an 11+ entry point. A far broader curriculum in years 7 and 8 means there are opportunities for pupils to explore new subjects before committing to GCSE options. This is the time when creative subjects – the ones that can really boost confidence – really shine. Children fall in love with new disciplines, be it coding or cooking, screen printing or drumming, Latin or lacrosse. At Brighton Girls, drama, dance, design and innovation, computer science, food and nutrition, music and art all appear throughout key stage 3. Years 7 and 8 are also an important time for learning about learning. There is time to develop study skills and revision techniques through low-stakes testing and the self- knowledge that is gained becomes invaluable as pupils progress up the school.

Having an 11+ entry is good for everyone. While younger pupils benefit from our mentoring system that sees older pupils acting as counsellors as problems and issues inevitably arise, I also think the energy and enthusiasm that 11 and 12-year-olds inject into a school bring joy to older pupils. You end up with a happy, balanced environment where GCSE and A level angst and teenage issues are counterweighted by year 7s and 8s playing, running to lunch and exuding that carefree attitude that is still unfettered by teenage cares.

Schools with an 11+ entry point always offer a thriving extra-curricular scene too, especially as year 7s and 8s still have that wonderful enthusiasm for trying new things. Speak to any year 7 parents and they will tell you that their children want to experience all the clubs. Harnessing this enthusiasm is something that all schools do well at 11+. By year 9, a combination of natural cynicism and emerging passions for particular activities mean that students are more reticent about trying everything on offer.

Capturing that year 7 keenness can have a huge impact. Everything is new and exciting. Many will try a sport or join an activity that they have never tried before. Pupils at Brighton Girls are queuing round the block for sea swimming, e-sports, skateboarding, politics, Spikeball, culture club and pizza and philosophy club. And when I see the quiet concentration of a 12-year-old as she shoots off the half-pipe or hear the peels of laughter as another plunges into the English Channel, I feel there’s something rather special about being able to offer such opportunities to these joyful tweens.

Rosie McColl, Head, Brighton Girls GDST

In praise of 13+

Education should be about what is right for the individual child. Some will thrive with the move to senior education aged 11. Others may find the transition better at a later stage. For parents, having this choice at all is one of the many positives of the independent sector.

I have been lucky enough to work in four excellent independent schools, Cheltenham College, Tonbridge School, Ardingly College and now Taunton School, enjoying them all in equal measure. All but Tonbridge have an attached prep school on a single campus. At Tonbridge, Cheltenham and Taunton, 13+ is considered the start of senior education. At Ardingly I was part of a senior leadership team that oversaw the structural change from the prep finishing at year 8 to the prep finishing at year 6, shortly before a move to Taunton and a return to the 13+ structure. Why the potted history of my career? Simply to demonstrate that I am comfortable with both the 13+ and 11+ model – and believe that both work.

At Taunton School, each September more than 70 pupils move up from year 8 in our prep to the senior school. They are joined by another 25 to 30 pupils from a variety of other schools (prep schools, state schools and international schools). It’s intriguing that parents of pupils from such a variety of educational settings are happy to endorse year 9 as the senior school entry point. We work hard on the successful integration of both current and new pupils. This starts with the considered allocation of houses, ensuring an even split of skills and interests and encouraging the formation of new friendships for those pupils transitioning from the prep. They have the best of both worlds: a secure group of friends already established and the exciting arrival of a new group of pupils who bring a different dimension to their year. No doubt such integration features in 11+ schools too.

So what are the advantages of the 13+ model? Firstly, there is no rush to grow up fast. Many parents, reflecting on their own education, feel that childhood is now all too brief. There is increasing social pressure for pre-teens and early teens to adopt adult personas well in advance of their emotional and physical maturity. Some might say the preciousness of childhood should be preserved rather than the precocious inadvertently encouraged. The 13+ model does not infantilise pupils in any detrimental way but rather allows children to be just that for a moment longer.

Secondly, there is a huge difference between an 11-year-old and an 18-year-old ready to sit final public exams, applying to university or about to start work, driving a car, able to vote. Many 11+ schools manage this seven-year spread of ages extremely successfully by creating a “lower school” provision for their year 7 and 8 cohort, but there is a reason why this separate experience is deemed necessary: often these youngsters don’t quite fit with the near adults wandering around the campus.

Thirdly, done well, the final two years of prep can be a precursor to the sixth form experience. Pupils have leadership opportunities and positions of responsibility that are hard to replicate in an 11+ environment where they must look up for their role models rather than being the role models themselves. Are positions of responsibility afforded to those in year 8 as part of a senior school environment really as relevant when they have only year 7 below them?

Finally, whilst some pupils will take high stakes 11+ academic assessment for senior schools entirely in their stride, for others it will be very damaging to confidence to be told, aged 11, that you have already failed on an educational journey that has so many more years to unfold. Looking back at my own academic development, I am extremely grateful that no one was telling me during year 6 whether I had passed or failed. I think I was too busy enjoying all the elements of education and childhood that should be the focus at that time.

As a parting observation, and you’ve heard it many times before, whether you opt for 13+ or 11+, the most important thing of all is to choose the school that is going to make your child happy.

James Johnson, Headmaster, Taunton School

The long summer holidays are over and it’s the start of the new academic year. As the autumn term gets underway we’re delighted to present the latest issue of The Week Independent Schools Guide.

Schools never rest on their laurels so our Autumn/Winter edition is packed to the gunnels with inspiring stories about education across the UK. This time round we’ve been finding out about the rise and rise of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM as it’s better known), the support that’s available for dyslexic pupils and the benefits of schools developing a broader global outlook. As Downe House’s Marya Akhtar told our writer Julie Henry: “Taking pupils out of their comfort zone opens their eyes and gives them different perspectives. They have a better understanding of how the world works and their place in it.”

Vicky Bingham takes up her new role as headmistress of North London Collegiate School this term and she has written a fascinating piece explaining why girls’ schools are needed more than ever. “Far from being an anachronism, girls’ schools are drivers of change,” she says. Meanwhile our regular school debate focuses on whether it’s best for children to move to senior school at 11 or 13. Our experts, Brighton Girls head Rosie McColl and Taunton School headmaster James Johnson, offer their wisdom and advice to parents wrestling with the decision.

Like our sister publication, The Week Junior, we’re passionate about reading so we’ve asked teachers and librarians across the country to recommend the best books published in the last three years. Their choices will inspire even the most reluctant of readers, but my own picks would be You Don’t Know What War Is: The Diary of a Young Girl from Ukraine by Yeva Skalietska and Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhhà Lại – both exceptional reads. Incidentally, look out for The Week Junior Book Awards – the winning titles will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony in London on 2 October.

Continuing the literary theme, we were thrilled when the brilliant Jacqueline Wilson agreed to be our Back to School interviewee. The award- winning author of more than 100 children’s books (my favourites are The Lottie Project and The Story of Tracy Beaker) fondly remembers her schooldays – and her primary school teacher in particular, Mr Townsend. “He was the first person who made me think I might be able to write and I’m deeply grateful to him,” she says. “He was a glowing example of what a teacher should be.”

Finally, don’t miss our exclusive annual guide to the best independent senior schools in the UK. We hope you enjoy the issue – and have a happy and productive autumn term.

Emma Lee-Potter is the editor of The Week’s Independent Schools Guide.

A bursary is a grant awarded to a pupil to enable them to study at an independent school when they might not be able to otherwise. Independent schools offer means-tested fee assistance to widen access for families from all walks of life, regardless of their earnings – but children must pass a school’s entrance exam to be eligible.

How many schools offer them?

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) reports that the value of means-tested bursaries and scholarships has increased by more than £220 million since 2011, a rise of 85 percent. The ISC’s latest census says that £494 million of fee assistance was offered by its 1,395 independent schools last year.

Nearly half of all pupils on bursaries have more than half of their fees remitted. Christ’s Hospital in West Sussex, for example, provides free or substantially reduced cost places to nearly two-thirds of its 900 pupils. Bolton School, a day school in Greater Manchester with Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions, is a leader in bursary provision. One in five of its senior school pupils is on a means-tested bursary and the school has a target of one in three by 2030.

How do bursaries differ from scholarships?

Scholarships are traditionally awarded for exceptional ability in a particular area – such as academic achievement, sport or music. Some families whose children are awarded a scholarship will also need a bursary award, says Ros Griffiths, foundation awards manager at Tonbridge School, a boys’ boarding and day school in Kent. “But a lot don’t, in which case they still have the status of being a scholar in the school.”

At Bolton School, the scholarship programme is “an acknowledgement of excellence, usually with a financial contribution of £500 to £1,000 attached”, says head of foundation Philip Britton. However, its bursary programme is “enormous in its scope and far more significant”.

How much financial support do schools offer?

While most schools offer bursaries on a sliding scale of up to 100 percent, some also award “transformational” bursaries covering more than that. Wellington College’s Prince Albert Foundation, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2022, offers “bespoke 110 percent scholarships for students with academic ability who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to attend”, says foundation head Sarah Miller. “We pay for what they need – fees, uniform, enrichment and school trips – all individualised as to what would best support this young person to thrive.” A record 30 foundation scholars will be on the roll at co-ed Wellington this month, most of them sixth form boarders. Uniquely, they are supported until they are 25 as they move through university and into work.

At Tonbridge School, 67 pupils are on significant bursaries through its Foundation Awards scheme, with a target of 100 by 2028 (one in eight boys). “We support not only the most disadvantaged, but also families that need more limited support,” explains Ros Griffiths.

Around the UK, schools like Wellington College and Ludgrove School, a boys’ prep school in Berkshire, work with organisations such as the Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation, which recommends young people for places. At Wellington, one in three bursary students comes through SpringBoard, which currently works with 120 boarding schools and 15 day schools. Ludgrove also works with SpringBoard and offers similar 110 percent transformational bursaries.

Do bursaries cover the whole of a child’s education?

In many cases, yes. Bursaries are means-assessed on a financial basis and require a parent or guardian to complete a declaration to establish whether the student meets the necessary criteria. “This is usually re-assessed each year that the bursary is required,” says the ISC. At Bolton School parents are asked to provide “a tax return or similar” rather than undertaking a full re-assessment, says Philip Britton. At Ludgrove and Tonbridge, awards are also reviewed annually.

Do prep schools as well as senior schools offer bursaries?

Some prep schools offer bursaries if their financial model is strong enough, says Simon Barber, headmaster of Ludgrove. “The size of many prep schools has been a barrier but that is changing,” he adds.

Ludgrove started offering bursaries, including its transformational bursaries, in 2015. It has now funded eight boys through years 7 and 8 (another boy is starting this month) and works closely with SpringBoard to ensure a smooth transition to an independent senior school. “It’s an incredible scheme,” says Mr Barber. “We are so proud to watch the boys blossom and do things they never thought were possible and take that forward to senior school.”

Meanwhile some senior schools work with prep schools to ensure bursary support ahead of year 9 entry. “Years 7 to 8 are a transition period where pupils are supported by us and a prep school and we share the cost,” explains Ros Griffiths at Tonbridge.

How do schools fund bursaries?

Many schools have set up endowment funds or trusts to secure bursary funding for future generations. “At Wellington, we aim to have 40 Prince Albert Foundation scholars by 2025,” says Sarah Miller. “We are on track to achieve that via our fundraising campaign for a £20 million designated fund.”

Both Bolton and Tonbridge have endowment funds – developed through donations and fundraising as well as routine commercial revenues. “An endowed bursary fund means we don’t have to fundraise in a hand-to-mouth fashion,” Philip Britton explains. “It is important we can fund those bursaries forever.” At Ludgrove, bursaries are funded from a charitable trust, which the school is working hard to grow. “Our ambition is to grow the scheme by 2028 to ensure we have three to five transformational bursary holders at any one time, in addition to a number of other means-tested bursary holders,” says Simon Barber.

This article first appeared in The Week’s Independent Schools Guide.

With spring on the way at last, we proudly present the latest issue of The Week Independent Schools Guide. As always, we’ve travelled the length and breadth of the country to find the most inspiring stories about the world of education.

This time round we’ve been finding out about forest schools, vocational qualifications and the links between music and adolescent brain power.

We also take an in-depth look at schools’ determination to put kindness at the heart of everything they do, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic. From kindness committees to “keep smiling” posters, the schools we spoke to are doing their utmost to increase kindness, empathy and tolerance. As Tom Rogerson, headmaster of Cottesmore School in West Sussex, told us: “Children love the thought of being kind and people being kind to them. It’s an inevitable consequence of talking about kindness that you get more kindness.”

Our regular school debate focuses on university choices – in particular, the pros and cons of going to university in the UK or heading to the US. Two leading lights in education, Wellington College master James Dahl and Lady Eleanor Holles School deputy head David James, offer their wisdom and advice for sixth formers and parents.

We’re passionate about highlighting the joy of reading so we’ve asked heads, teachers and librarians to recommend biographies and memoirs for readers of all ages. Some of their suggestions feature household names but others put the spotlight on people who aren’t quite so well known, like Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, three female mathematicians at NASA who overcame discrimination and segregation to play a vital role in the space race. My own pick would be the stunning Little People, Big Dreams picture books, which tell the life stories of everyone from Amelia Earhart to Marcus Rashford.

Continuing the literary theme, don’t miss our Back to School interview with Robin Stevens, the multi-talented author of the bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series (her stories have been described as “Agatha Christie for children”). She fondly remembers her days at Cheltenham Ladies’ College, her two inspirational English teachers and the school’s nooks and crannies that feature in her books.

“I’ve redrawn some things to fit the stories,” she says, “but it’s so similar that adults who have been there will be reading the books with their kids and will say, ‘this seems a lot like Cheltenham Ladies’ College’.”

Last, but not least, we’re delighted to reveal our exclusive annual guide to the best prep and junior schools in the UK.

Do let us know what you think – and we hope you enjoy the issue.

Emma Lee-Potter is the editor of The Week’s Independent Schools Guide.

How early should you start looking at schools?

We have all heard apocryphal stories about parents who put their children’s names down for a school before they are even born – but what do experienced heads think? Jane Lunnon, head of Alleyn’s, a co-ed day school for four to 18-year-olds in south-east London, advises parents to be aware that some admissions processes can take up to 18 months. She recommends starting to think about a 4+ place when your child is a toddler and for a secondary place by the end of year 4.

Chris Searson, headmaster of Beaudesert Park School, a Gloucestershire pre-prep and prep, warns that “timings vary considerably for prep schools” so organisation is key. “It is good to be lined up in your mind well in advance,” he says. “But sometimes circumstances mean that you can only make decisions in the term before your child starts. Find out if places are oversubscribed so you don’t miss out.”

How should you choose your shortlist?

Heads advise parents to draw up a realistic shortlist of schools, based on advice from your child’s current school. Jane Lunnon says that this is vital in a competitive market like London. “The best way to go about applying is to have a really strong, open and honest conversation with your child’s current school and to come out of that with three or four really strong contenders,” she says.

Is it important to visit schools in person?

At all-boys Stamford School in Lincolnshire, headmaster Nick Gallop says that a visit is “a vital component of the selection process, if only to ensure that expectations are rooted in reality”. Helen Harrison, head of Fettes College, a co-ed boarding and day school in Edinburgh, points out that while the pandemic has shown that it’s possible to choose a school without visiting it in person, it isn’t necessarily ideal. “A 360-degree video film can never replace an actual visit filled with the buzz of happy students and inspiring class visits, but it has its place,” she says.

Is it best to visit on an open day or a normal working day?

Visiting on an official open day gives parents the opportunity to see a school on its best behaviour but, for a more unscripted look, ask for a private visit during a normal school day. Beaudesert Park’s Chris Searson believes that a good open day enables visitors to get an idea of the “normal life of the school” but personal visits have the bonus of “allowing you time to absorb and ask questions in your own time”. Meanwhile at Fettes College Helen Harrison says that open days and private visits can give “different insights” and recommends trying to do both.

Should you take your child with you?

Heads warn that children can be inspired and reassured by select school visits but taking them to multiple schools – or too early in the process – is best avoided. “For most children, visiting more than three schools can turn the transition process into a chore and can confuse and complicate,” says Stamford’s Nick Gallop.

What if a child is nervous or reluctant about a school move?

For many parents, an anxious or reluctant child can make the process tougher. “Some children can be reluctant to go to any school – or be nervous about a particular school after a school visit,” says Jane Lunnon of Alleyn’s. She advises managing conversations to involve your child in the process. Also, to help tease out any anxieties, take them for a second visit if you still think the school is the right one.

What are the key things to take into consideration when choosing a school?

Practical considerations such as boarding or day, co-ed or single sex, location, facilities and the academic curriculum should help you draw up a list of potential schools before you dig deeper, says Helen Harrison at Fettes College. “It is a momentous decision and one that warrants lots of research and planning; think of it as a project.” Stamford’s Nick Gallop advises parents to look closely at “the extent to which a day and boarding school is geared to its boarding community”, with students in the minority required to just “fit in”. At Alleyn’s, Jane Lunnon says you should also consider a school’s values and whether the school is fun. “The synergy of values is so important and that’s why understanding a school’s ethos is crucial.” She recommends that parents ask themselves: “‘Is it fun?’ ‘Are they laughing?’ Education is about joy and, if it doesn’t seem to be, perhaps that should be something you need to consider.”

Is it important to meet the head?

Most parents expect to meet the head but this can be harder at large and over-subscribed schools. Chris Searson at Beaudesert Park says that it’s a good idea to meet the head if possible but, if it isn’t, parents should “ask those who know them what they are like”. Nick Gallop of Stamford agrees. “If the head is unavailable, it might be worth asking how often they meet with students,” he says.

How do you decide between schools?

This is where the all-important “gut instinct” comes in, say heads. “Listen to your gut,” advises Jane Lunnon. “Ask yourself: ‘What made my spirits soar most of all?’ Be really honest with yourself. Think to yourself: ‘Where was my child the happiest? Where did I see their eyes light up?’” Chris Searson takes a similar view. “If you follow what your gut is telling you then you won’t go far wrong,” he says.

• This article first appeared in The Week Independent Schools Guide 2021

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

selected by Emily Weatherby, Head of English, Bryanston

A classic coming-of-age novel, adventure, mystery and romance, with a cast of characters ranging from the comically pompous to the terrifyingly sinister. From the blacksmith’s cottage on the Kent marshes to the Inns of Court in lawyers’ London, the novel teems with realistic period detail – but its themes of exploitation, ambition and injustice are just as relevant today as they were in 1861. Dickens is the master of the satisfying twist, and the way that he opens an ironic gap between the wide-eyed narrator, Pip, and the reader’s own interpretation of what is really happening has been imitated but never bettered.

The Housing Lark by Sam Selvon

selected by James Methven, Head of English, Uppingham School

Right now, I recommend this to take pupils out of their bubble and gain a fresh perspective. Set in London in the 1960s, it is funny, poignant and challenging. Selvon focuses on a group of Caribbean immigrant males who chase jobs, money, rum and women. Their “lark” is a community pot of money to get themselves on the housing ladder and out of the clutches of “Englisher” landlords at a time when signs with “No Irish, no blacks, no dogs” were posted in windows. The novel rounds off with a hilariously and intentionally mangled version of English history on a trip to Hampton Court.

Seize the Day by Saul Bellow

selected by James Wilton, Deputy head, Repton School

This book meant so much to me in my early 20s – coming to terms with the sudden severance from the ladder-like experience of school and university. There was something utterly compelling to me about the protagonist, Tommy Wilhelm. He seemed to have been perpetually checking out his options and never being certain which of them would make him happy. There was also something revelatory about the manner in which he trusts the con-artist Dr Tamkin, who to me is a perfect example of those dangerous, plausible people who seem to have all the answers and you happen to meet, devastatingly, when you are not quite ready for the real world. An ideal – if not entirely comforting – novel for the school leaver.

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

selected by Jane Henshaw, Head of English, Sevenoaks School

The Great Gatsby may be a portrayal of the hedonism of 1920s prohibition America framed in Fitzgerald’s exquisitely seductive descriptions of Gatsby’s parties of “champagne and the stars” but the novel also holds up a mirror to now. Butting up against the glamour, Fitzgerald writes of the power of the market place, corruption, racism, domestic abuse and the powerlessness of the poor. At the centre of the novel however, Fitzgerald asks us to consider the enigma that is Gatsby – is he gorgeous or hollow? Does his life explore the false promise of empowerment or celebrate our capacity for wonder?

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

selected by Richard Redwood, Head of English, Canford

A coming-of-age story that teaches us all the importance of courage, community and conscience. For those who are eccentric, cantankerous or just plain inquisitive, To Kill a Mockingbird has the remedy. Discover the beauty of America and its “haints”, “morphodites” and “scuppernongs”. Grow with Jean Louise “Scout” Finch as she finds herself, her heroic father and humanity itself. Enter the mind of a curious child and really see an American courtroom. Revel in rumours from the fictional Alabama town of Maycomb. A timeless masterpiece packed with emotion. A springboard for discovering other American greats such as Willa Cather, Henry James and Edith Wharton.

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

selected by Tom Smith, Head of English, Hurst College

A dystopian world in which facts are frequently altered to suit the whims of a despotic leader. People living in isolation, plagued by paranoia and dictated to by images on telescreens. All sound rather familiar? Orwell’s dystopian vision of a bleak world in which the vague, terrifying figure of Big Brother is omnipresent was decades ahead of its time and still (scarily) has much to tell us about politics, trust and human relationships. You can always skip the appendix on The Principles of Newspeak if it seems a bit of a slog. It’s one of the most important and fascinating novels you will ever read.

Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood

selected by Darryl Toerien, Head of library, Oakham School

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood is a prophetic glimpse into our near-future. Like The Handmaid’s Tale and Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, it is a book that once read, haunts you. Perhaps more so than ever before, it is an urgent must-read for students. Catastrophe? Check. Virus? Check. Manufactured? Debateable, but possible. A series of overlapping waves? Check. Social disruption maximised, effectively preventing the development of a vaccine? Check and check (at least a coordinated one). Like all good science fiction it probes the future to shed light on the present. In this light, readers might help avert this fictional catastrophe.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

selected by Kate Jeffrey, English teacher, Putney High School GDST

The real value of Anne Frank’s diary is sometimes overlooked because it’s read in short excerpts or by younger readers. Besides its outstanding interest as a historical document and the tragedy of its author’s early death, it is also an extraordinarily candid and articulate record of adolescence with which any teenager today can readily identify. For just over two years, Anne grapples with feelings of rebellion, desire, ambition, hope and despair, all within the appalling confines of the annexe. Prickly and honest, acerbic and generous, Anne emerges as a young woman of modern sensibilities and prodigious talent.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

selected by Rutendo Tavengerwei, Author

This is one of my favourite reads – a book that is not only well written, but one that managed to challenge the norm in its time. It retells history from the African perspective and has inspired so many writers around the world to date. It is a classic, with excellent storytelling that just sparks the imagination. It opens up the young mind to all the places that only a well-told story can. Every teen should definitely not be deprived of the opportunity to read this amazing book.

Rutendo Tavengerwei’s latest novel, The Colours that Blind, is published by Hot Key Books

Atonement by Ian McEwan

selected by Rick Clarke, Head, Frensham Heights

I believe that the reading of novels is one of the most effective ways of helping us to develop empathy with others. Ian McEwan’s Atonement has an astonishing narrative surprise towards the end that literally made me gasp when I first read it, re-examining all that had come before. The story moves from 1935 to 1999, encompassing adolescent yearning, sexual awakening and the horrors of the Second World War. It is a compelling examination of the impact of crimes committed against both individuals and society, and a novel that sticks with you long after you finish reading it.

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong about the World – And Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling

selected by Lucy Atherton, Head librarian, Wellington College

I first came across Factfulness when it was published in 2018 and it generated a huge amount of interest. Bill Gates considered it so important that he gave a free e-copy to all new students in the US. I was drawn to the positive message of the book that, contrary to popular belief, the world is improving in terms of poverty, health, crime and education. This is an important book which has relevance to so many subjects taught at school, from geography and economics to politics and statistics. It is key to helping future leaders become informed global citizens and supports critical thinking – an important element in the International Baccalaureate curriculum. I am typically a reader of fiction but this book is so fascinating and thought-provoking that I championed it as a whole school read. It’s interactive and engaging and by the end of the book the reader has an infinitely better informed view of the world. Statistics and graphs are presented in an appealing and easily interpreted way. Don’t assume this is a dry textbook – Hans Rosling was a charismatic and humorous man and he’s full of eye-opening and honest anecdotes of his time as a doctor in rural Africa.

A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos (translated by Hildegarde Serle)

selected by Rebecca Jones, Head of library and learning enrichment, Malvern St James

This is a book that draws you into a perfectly constructed, alternative and complex reality. Characters are multi-layered and seemingly open but with mysterious depths and I often found myself trying to puzzle out their true motives. This is a memorable read that takes you to impossible places, that contains a brooding deeper mystery and fragments that initially defy analysis. The dialogue reveals that truth and lies often depend on context and that wit and self-belief are key elements of self-determination. Every place is a constructed hierarchy that the main character, Ophelia, has to navigate and she has to become increasingly politically adept to survive. For me this book reflects the complexities of modern cultures and relationships that hinge the personal and political, making it a must read. It is also a compelling and enthralling story.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

selected by Ros Harding, Head librarian and archivist, The King’s School, Chester

A Monster Calls was published when I was on maternity leave with my son and so by the time I came to read it, it had already won the Carnegie and the Kate Greenaway medals. My expectations were therefore high and yet, this book managed to surpass them. It deals with a very serious subject (the impending death of a mother) and is suitable for a wide age group. When I say 10+, I really do mean any age beyond that as this is a book that speaks on different levels to children, young people and adults. Although it is a tearjerker, Ness manages to create a strong message of positivity and hope, which speaks to readers regardless of their own experiences. Jim Kay’s illustrations breathe extra life into the book, working in unison with the beautiful writing to create an emotional masterpiece.

Ros Harding won the School Librarian of the Year award last year

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

selected by Jon Mitropoulos-Monk, Head of English, Latymer Upper School

A tender love story, a searing expose of America’s racial fault lines and my favourite novel of the last decade. Young and in love, Ifemelu and Obinze leave military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Race for Ifemelu was largely irrelevant in Nigeria. Now, studying at university in America, she is shocked by the many varieties of racial distinctions and widespread racism (both explicit and implicit) she encounters. “I wasn’t black until I came to America,” she says. “I became black in America.” She becomes known for her blog about race in America, which is blended into the novel itself, whilst the narrative moves between Nigeria, America, the UK and back to Nigeria. Adichie’s skill lies in making complex issues seem utterly straightforward, writing with astonishing force and clarity. An amazing read.

Brick Lane by Monica Ali

selected by Magnus Bashaarat, Head, Bedales

Monica Ali’s debut novel is an important book. It was well received by the mainstream white media but the reception amongst the Bangladeshi community it presented was more complicated. The tensions experienced amongst immigrants to the UK between integration and assimilation – or articulating and celebrating their own cultural and religious values – are explored from the perspective of Nazneen through her arranged marriage to the hapless Chanu. Nazneen’s final line, “This is England. You can do whatever you like,” might seem affirmative and optimistic, but 17 years after its publication, with displaced people, refugees and asylum seekers from Syria, Iraq and sub-Saharan Africa also now competing for a safe space to live in Britain’s cities, the tensions remain unresolved.

The Outsiders by SE Hinton

selected by Catherine Bruton, English and drama teacher, King Edward’s School, Bath

My own wonderful GCSE English teacher Mr Scott suggested I read The Outsiders. It not only opened my eyes to the power of stories but has been hugely influential on my own writing. SE Hinton was only 16 when she wrote the novel so it is the ultimate teen coming-of-age novel and it is heartbreakingly brilliant. The story of two rival gangs – the working-class “greasers” and the upper-class “Socs” – was made into a brilliant brat-pack film starring Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze and Emilio Estevez. It will break your heart and stay with you forever.

Catherine Bruton’s new children’s novel, Another Twist in the Tale, will be published by Nosy Crow in November

Persuasion by Jane Austen

selected by James Whitehead, Head, Woldingham School

Jane Austen’s last novel, Persuasion, is significant for those who value emotional maturity in others. These days much is said about emotional intelligence; this novel’s protagonist is brimful of it, as lonely Anne Elliot dexterously navigates the swirling currents of early 19th-century society, with its materialism, snobbery and sexism, speaking up for a radical understanding of human character and the need for the female author, as seen in chapter 23: “Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands.” As someone who believes in books, education and in human empowerment, as well as in love, Jane Austen strikes me as perennially relevant.

• This article first appeared in The Week Independent Schools Guide 2021

The pandemic has taken its toll on young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Research commissioned by NHS Digital found that one in six children and young people experienced a mental health difficulty in 2020, compared with one in nine in 2017, while an Ofsted report revealed that the children hardest hit by school closures and restrictions had regressed in basic skills and learning. Some lost physical fitness while others showed signs of mental distress, including an increase in eating disorders and self-harm.

Deborah Woodman, a consultant clinical psychologist at Evelina London, one of only two specialist children’s hospitals in London, says children have expressed an increase in “general sadness” and worry during the crisis. While younger children were less able to articulate their worries and sometimes exhibited physical symptoms like tummy pains and headaches, older children talked about feeling lonely and missing their friends.

“It was very much the hope that the reopening of schools in September would have a stabilising effect and for some young people that was indeed the case,” says Dr Woodman. “But for other young people the increased anxiety about being out in the community and at school resulted in an increase in mental health difficulty.”

She believes that it’s crucial for resilience to be embedded in school structures and approaches, through peer mentoring programmes, mindfulness and relaxation techniques, exercise and developing safe spaces for young people within the school environment – “places where they can go when they feel overwhelmed”.

“It’s about having all those things in an ongoing curriculum within the school,” she says. “I hope that what we’ve gone through over the last year has reinforced the importance of the ‘healthy mind, healthy body’ approach to schools. It’s linked to academic excellence because you don’t really get one without the other.”

Writing in The Sunday Times, Lord Layard, the economist and co-author of Can We Be Happier?, and former cabinet secretary Lord O’Donnell took a similar view. “If you want to predict if a child will become a happy adult, the best predictor is not their qualifications but their emotional health,” they said.

It’s clear that schools have a crucial role to play in looking after young people’s emotional health, building their resilience and giving them the skills to cope with the challenges of the pandemic.

St Chris, a day and boarding school in Letchworth Garden City, has devised an initiative called GRIT (it stands for guts, resilience, initiative and tenacity) while Cumnor House Sussex, a co-ed prep school near Haywards Heath, has introduced its pioneering iSpace Wellbeing curriculum.

Created and developed in 2017 by Paula Talman, director of compliance, health and welfare at Cumnor House Sussex, and aimed at children aged four to 11, iSpace Wellbeing offers a child-friendly approach to wellbeing education. It is taught through the school’s PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education) timetable and encourages pupils to talk about their feelings and to know how and when to ask for help. iSpace stands for “I stop, pause and calm everything”.

Year 7 and 8 pupils have their own bespoke curriculum, #iWonder, which helps them to understand their emotional, physical, social and mental health. The school is currently trialling a Wellbeing Compass app to help them review their wellbeing, put together self-care tools and develop coping strategies at school and at home.

During the first lockdown, Cumnor House Sussex ensured that every child had a wellbeing session every week. “We carried on remotely and if anybody wanted a private conversation we booked that in as well,” says Mrs Talman. She believes that developing resilience – the ability to get through difficult or testing times – is important for all age groups so resilience training is part of

iSpace Wellbeing and #iWonder. “We teach resilience in a child-friendly way so they can take the concepts on board,” she says. “At the age of four they are introduced to the concept of resilience using a story about learning to ride a bike. You fall off but each time you fall off you learn something new. You become resourceful and you get back on. You keep progressing and you feel great.”

The children also learn about the successes and failures of people like basketball player Michael Jordan, writer JK Rowling and adventurer Bear Grylls, all of whom have spoken publicly about the failures they experienced before going on to be successful.

Handcross Park, a co-ed prep school for two to 13-year-olds in rural West Sussex, also uses the iSpace Wellbeing programme and sees it as a helpful way for children to articulate their feelings.

When the country went into the first lockdown the school asked its 380 pupils to record how they were feeling emotionally and physically in an online wellbeing journal. Children in years 4 and below talked to their tutors every day and the older children had PSHE time every afternoon.

“The children found the wellbeing journal very positive,” says Richard Clark, director of studies at Handcross Park. “A year 8 pupil told us: ‘You’ll never know how important it was to me. It really was a lifesaver.’ We also asked them to try and do a good deed each day and to identify something that they felt gratitude for.”

In September 2020 the school produced a questionnaire, asking the children about their self-esteem and their feelings about returning to school. The school prefects launched HXPTV, a TV channel that covers everything from mindfulness to how the brain works. The wellbeing prefect, a year 8 pupil, started an agony aunt service, answering light-hearted questions from younger children.Mr Clark is convinced that the pandemic has made the pupils more resilient. “Given the right tools, they showed they have the ability to adapt exceptionally well,” he says. “In a recent assembly I showed them a 1797 penny because I wanted to talk about the importance of valuing and cherishing the small things in life – which again is great for the wellbeing message.”

Rather than talking to children about “resilience”, Jonny Timms, headmaster of Walhampton, a co-ed day and boarding prep school in Lymington, Hampshire, prefers to use the term “bouncing back”.

“Bouncing back – the idea of weathering difficulties and learning from them – is more meaningful to a child,” he says. “If 2020 showed us anything it’s that we can’t predict the challenges that lie ahead so children need to become confident, resilient problem-solvers – and those skills are definitely teachable. Our staff are brilliant at encouraging our pupils to have a go at things. During lockdown in January they encouraged the children to build their own shelters, cook on a camp fire and then make a video to show the learning journey they had been on. They absolutely loved it.”

Teaching resilience is equally important for secondary pupils. At University College School (UCS) in Hampstead, north west London, resilience is one of the school’s four learning values, along with responsibility, relationships and resourcefulness. The school defines resilience as “approaching your learning with confidence, never giving up and always motivating and challenging yourself to become a better learner.”

“We are a highly selective school and we are never complacent about exam outcomes but we don’t want to be slaves to them,” explains Mark English, the school’s vice master and academic director. “We want to give our students an educational experience that is future-proof so we help them to develop strengths that will be useful in later life, not just enable them to pass exams in order to get them into the next stage of their education.”

When the school switched to online learning during lockdown, UCS staff took a series of steps to look after pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. They built in five-minute breaks between lessons so everyone could get offscreen, walk about and get a drink and snack. Teachers stopped all homework for years 7 to 10 and gave pupils more time during morning registration to interact, socialise and talk to each other and their tutors.

Strategies like these proved so successful that when pupils returned the school decided to keep the longer registration times and five-minute breaks between lessons. “It isn’t a headlong rush from 9am to 4pm anymore,” says Mr English. “We have tried to get a greater sense of balance and a less frenetic sense to the school day. Pastorally, our decision to give form tutors far more time with their forms is something we have preserved too.”

In his view the current cohort of pupils have become more resilient during the past year. “They think their way round obstacles and problems,” he says. “They are open to advice but they are very solution-focused and phlegmatic about things that crop up. They seem to be much more flexible in their mindset and able to think their way round things.”

For Mike Lamb, director of staff and pupil wellbeing at Hurst College, a co-ed day and boarding school for 1,200 pupils aged four to 18 in West Sussex, resilience is often learned through co-curricular activities. Rather than simply running online academic lessons during lockdown the school organised a full co-curricular programme and sport three times a week.

“For me, developing resilience is about providing pupils with lots of opportunities to do things they are good at and build their self-esteem and things they might not be so good at but help them to learn from the experience,” says Mr Lamb, who teaches biology and psychology.

“It’s about providing opportunities to succeed but, if they fail, putting them in a position where they can fail but still feel safe and supported. It’s also about having an ethos in school where everybody has a go. For example every pupil who joins us in year 9 will do dance. It helps to develop the ethos where it’s important to try but it’s important to fail.”

Matt Bull, deputy head (boarding and external relations) at Bloxham School in Oxfordshire, points out that even though resilience is a buzzword in the education world these days it’s something that has always existed in schools.

“Resilience is the ability to keep going and deal with what life throws at you,” he says. “We include it in our PSHE programme but it’s sometimes better taught through something else. For example, being part of a choir and trying to prepare for a service when you’ve got failing AV [audiovisual] equipment and you’re exhausted at the end of term is far more powerful than a one-off lesson on resilience. Or being on the side of a mountain in a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition, cooped up with three people you don’t really know and having to navigate your way back – that’s the kind of resilience that’s often overlooked.”

In his view young people have been hugely resilient during the past year – “especially if you think about all the things that schoolchildren and university students are being denied right now that were life defining for our generation”.

He worries, however, about the increasing number of “lawnmower parents” in the world – those who “sit in front of the child and mow the grass before the child has even got on to it”. In other words, parents who try to protect their child from any type of struggle or obstacle.

“When they are at school children need to make mistakes,” says Mr Bull. “They always have done and they always will do. It’s our job as teachers to give them the spades to get out of the holes they have dug. That’s what resilience is all about.”

Mindfulness for all

Many schools have introduced mindfulness sessions to support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing, encouraging them to focus on the present by using techniques like meditation, breathing and yoga. Epsom College, for instance, has partnered with the Anna Freud Centre and is taking part in a study on the long-term benefits of mindfulness.

Mindfulness was introduced six years ago as part of Epsom’s PSHE curriculum and is now practised throughout the school.

“As much as we focused on delivering high-quality remote teaching and learning throughout lockdown and to those forced to self-isolate during the autumn, we also provided a full mindfulness and wellbeing programme remotely,” says headmaster Jay Piggot.

“Once pupils were back at Epsom, we delivered a full timetable of lessons and co-curricular activities. They volunteer their time for community initiatives, such as our virtual befriending service for local care home residents. All of these activities have helped to keep our pupils grounded, appreciative and resilient.”

Let’s give young people a pat on the back

When it comes to teaching resilience Jenny Price, deputy head pastoral at Godolphin School, a girls’ school in Salisbury, Wiltshire, thinks “the drip feed approach” works best. “I don’t think you can go into a PSHE lesson and say: ‘We’re going to do resilience today,’” she says. “We prefer to incorporate it into different parts of the curriculum, lessons, assemblies and activities like CCF, yoga and Zumba.”

She believes that kindness is a fundamental part of resilience – being kind to yourself and being kind to others. “Communication is important too,” she says. “A sign of resilience is knowing when to ask for help and being able to seek the right kind of help. We teach the girls that they’re going to come across things in life that don’t go their way but resilience is all about how they react, how they cope and how they set things right.

“I think this generation will be more resilient than previous generations. They have done amazingly well to crack on and keep positive during these times so let’s give these young people a massive pat on the back. When you ask some of our girls what they want to do in their careers, becoming scientists who can help make things better in the future are among their top jobs.”

During the pandemic an enterprising sixth former wrote a list of advice for those suffering with anxiety about Covid and the school posted it on its website. Her tips include the following:

• Restrict yourself to reading the news once a day.
• Create structure and make time for friends and exercise.
• Plan what you will do when all this is over and focus on self-care.
• Make time to talk to someone about your worries but keep it structured and regular.
• Breathing techniques are absolutely not over-rated as a coping mechanism for anxiety and stress, so establish your “go to” breathing pattern. Mine is: breathe in for seven seconds, breathe out for 11.

• This article first appeared in The Week Independent Schools Guide 2021

What is the International Baccalaureate?

The International Baccalaureate (IB) organisation is a non-profit foundation that offers four challenging, world-class education programmes for students aged three to 19. In the UK, it is studied mainly by young people in years 12 and 13 as an alternative to A levels.

The most popular IB programme in the UK is the Diploma Programme, which comprises six subject groups studied over two years. These groups are: languages and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics and the arts. Students tend to study three subjects at advanced level, and three at standard level. They also do a theory of knowledge component to develop critical thinking and a 4,000-word extended essay.

There is also an IB Career-related Programme for 16 to 18-year-olds, which gives an academic grounding with career-related study.

How many students take it every year?

The IB is offered by 5,300 schools in 158 countries worldwide and is studied by 1.4 million students. There are currently 130 IB World Schools in the UK, 60 per cent of which are in the independent sector, and most of which offer the Diploma Programme. About 4,500 students in the UK take the Diploma or Career-related Programme every year.

Some UK independent schools offer only the IB while others have a twin track and give sixth formers the choice of IB or A levels.

How does it compare to A levels?

“Comparing the IB with A levels is like comparing apples with pears,” says James Dahl, master of Wellington College. A levels allow students to study three or four subjects in depth, while the IB is more about breadth and depth, allowing young people to continue studying subjects they enjoy alongside those that will shape their university degree or career choices. And while A levels are usually assessed with end-of-course (or terminal) examinations, the IB has a more multilayered approach, with coursework and other assessment elements as well as examinations.

“A levels are challenging and can have more meat to them if you choose a difficult combination of subjects, such as further maths and the sciences,” says Mr Dahl. “But the IB also offers challenging combinations and probably involves slightly more work over the two years because of the breadth of subjects, constant coursework and the extended essay. So, it’s not really a fair comparison to say one is harder than the other – they are just different.”

What do schools think of the IB?

Sevenoaks School has offered the IB Diploma to sixth formers for 40 years and is one of the most successful IB schools in the world. Headmaster Jesse Elzinga says the decision demonstrates the innovative, global and forward-looking tradition of the school.

“The IB offers breadth and a balanced education which other qualifications do not offer,” he says. “Every student at Sevenoaks takes English, maths, a science and a language. We believe that, at 15 or 16, pupils are too young to give up core subjects such as English or maths. The working world of today requires young people to be independent thinkers with good interpersonal skills.

“It is also too young to close doors to university by making decisions too soon. The IB allows young people to keep their options open while developing in their teenage years.

“Sevenoaks currently has students from 46 countries in the sixth form, and this is partly due to the IB and the global perspective and appreciation.”

What makes it popular with students?

Sixteen-year-old IB student Gabrielle Deegan is studying English, French and politics at higher level and Spanish, maths and environmental systems and societies at standard level at Wellington College and plans to study law at university. “I love the more varied scope of subjects,” she says. “We have a friendly rivalry at school between students doing A levels and the IB, and we each think we are doing the best set of qualifications. I absolutely love the IB. It has made me a more versatile thinker and learner.”

Rhiannon Durant, 19, completed the IB at Sevenoaks School and is now studying biochemistry at the University of Oxford.

“The IB is challenging but it prepared me for the style of learning at university, where self-discipline and initiative are essential for success,” she says. “The breadth of the programme is a unique asset, allowing me to continue studying subjects such as Mandarin, which I would have otherwise had to drop. The extended essay and coursework gave me confidence in expressing my ideas and analysing academic research. Most importantly, the IB developed my open-mindedness, international outlook and ability to think critically – essential skills for living in the modern world.”

Is the IB recognised by universities?

Very much so. “Universities are very positive about applicants holding the IB Diploma qualification because of its depth and breadth,” says Dr Peter Fidczuk, the International Baccalaureate organisation’s development and recognition manager for the UK and Ireland.

“The theory of knowledge component develops critical thinking and the extended essay is a 4,000-word research project, so IB students are already prepared and confident in approaching any assignments they will receive in year one of their undergraduate courses. To put it in a nutshell, they are ‘university ready’ and statistics show that they have a very high continuation rate from year one to year two of their degree courses as well as a high completion rate and excellent results.”

Is the IB restricted to older pupils?

No. The IB’s suite of qualifications includes the Primary Years Programme (PYP), a child-centred approach designed to build confidence, creativity and learning skills for three to 12-year-olds, and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for 11 to 16-year-olds, which comprises eight subjects and focuses on approaches to learning, key and related concepts and independent learning projects.