Family life can be incredibly busy, with work, school, childcare, appointments, sports and clubs to all fit in – and many parents are now considering independent schools that cater for the whole of a child's academic life, including sports activities and after-school clubs, from pre-school right the way through until Year 13.
Wycliffe College and Wycliffe Prep have been providing an 'all-through' education since 1928, from a beautiful co-educational campus in the heart of Stonehouse near Stroud.
SoGlos, together with Wycliffe College, rounds up 10 brilliant reasons why an all-through, independent school could be the perfect educational path for your child.
Consistency
When children join Wycliffe Prep school aged three, they join a warm and nurturing pre-school that encourages development and independence through creativity and play. Right from their very first Nursery class, children are encouraged to develop a love of learning, an inquisitive mind, a passion for creativity and a respect for each other and the community.
The same ethos and shared community values are fostered throughout the whole school, right up until Year 13 when young adults are sitting A-levels; and it is this consistency and care that helps foster confidence and resilience, embedding the school's core values from an early
age and encouraging understanding and security in the familiar setting of the adjacent campus.
Better facilities
Pupils at Wycliffe Prep have easy access to the senior school's first-class facilities, including state-of-the-art indoor sports halls; expansive campus grounds spanning 52 acres of countryside; and its top-class drama and music studios.
The school is able to invest in its facilities and keep them up-to-date due to the healthy number of pupils attending the school and the wide age range of children.
Understanding individual needs
Teachers and staff build long-term relationships with pupils and families throughout their time at the school. The continuity of attending an all-through school enhances trust between teachers, pupils and families alike and provides vital support over a longer period of time.
Strong relationships lead to a more bespoke educational journey where the needs of each individual child are personalised and prioritised.
A home from home
The same community ethos is shared across Wycliffe's boarding houses, too, ensuring that a smooth transition is not just about what happens during the traditional school day, but nurtured in time off, too.
With the Prep and Senior schools located adjacent to each other, the school run is much easier and less stressful for families with multiple children of different ages.
Shared innovation and best practice
One of the benefits of an all-through school is that from Reception through to Year 13, all teaching and support staff work together to share knowledge and expertise.
A larger community of teachers means that pupils have access to more specialisms across the school, with teachers working in a collaborative environment, regardless of their Key Stage and subject leads.
No clashing dates
If you have children at multiple schools, you'll know how tricky it can be to co-ordinate dates for each child's events, such as parents' evenings, assemblies, performances and sports days. It can feel like you're constantly at one school event or another!
Attending an all-through school helps to alleviate this pressure on parents as they will generally share the same term dates and event dates, freeing up calendars to avoid work and life clashes. Not only that, but Wycliffe collaborates across both
schools to ensure key calendar dates are kept separate.
More pupil leadership roles and mentoring opportunities
Excellent all-through schools will make sure to maximise every opportunity for their older pupils to be role models to their younger children, with pupil leadership roles and cross-peer mentoring schemes.
At Wycliffe, these opportunities are available to pupils early on, giving children confidence, independence and allowing them to learn what it's like to provide support and guidance — vital experience for later life.
Smoother transitions
Nerves about moving from infants to juniors or primary school to secondary are a natural part of growing up and moving through life stages, but with an all-through school, the familiarity children are already used to helps to make transitions so much smoother.
Pupils at Wycliffe will have engaged with staff through their whole school journey, using communal facilities across the site — so the leap between schools feels far less daunting, especially given that they are located on the same campus, too
Wider community connections
Encompassing an age span from three to 18 means that the school community as a whole adapts, making sure that every age is catered for.
From clubs to sports and family events, all are welcoming for children of all ages, fostering an inclusive environment for everyone.
A more engaged alumni
Young people attending an all-through school will spend a significant amount of their childhood in the setting, whether they're day pupils or boarders.
This will naturally create long-lasting friendships with peers and strong connections with teachers, which are perfect for an alumni community. Wycliffe's alumni association is called the Wycliffians and offers career opportunities and guidance for pupils further on in their school careers. Alumni associations help the school community stay connected and make friends for life.
For a tour around Wycliffe Prep or Wycliffe College or to enquire about a place for your child, call 01453 820471 or visit wycliffe.co.uk for more information.
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