FAMILY VALUES — AN ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE IN


15 FEBRUARY 2021 St Anthony’s School for Girls


St Anthony’s School for Girls began the academic year in September 2020 mindful that the children had endured longer periods of time indoors, enjoyed less social time with other children and experienced an increased intensity of emotion owing to restrictions of movement and stressful demands on parents


On the doorstep of Golders Hill Park, St Anthony’s School for Girls under- stands the benefits of the natural world on its children’s wellbeing, sense of belief and physical robust- ness. All the staff witness, appre- ciate and embrace the beauty of the park and the endless opportunities a wide, open space can create. Well- being Wednesdays at St Anthony’s have been introduced; an oppor- tunity for the school community to take part in weekly Wednesday walks through Golders Hill Park.


Tis initiative aligns directly with the spiritual and moral vision for the school — to nurture a curious mind, we must nurture our body and soul. During the recent school closure,


the school timetable has been successfully adapted online, with a full programme of live teaching from class teachers and all specialists. Tis approach ensured that all the Year 6 girls, successfully completed their online 11+ exams and inter- views without disruption. Feedback, so far, from senior schools has been extremely positive; acknowledging the girls’ maturity, confidence online and ability to adapt to the ever-changing situation. Te school has been mindful of


the pressures and screen fatigue that can develop, so it has timeta- bled daily pastoral ‘check ins’ with all the children and there are regular opportunities for aerobic and mindful breaks from their screens. In addition, a Wellbeing Week, in


conjunction with Children’s Mental Health Week (Place2Be), was organ- ised for the girls to connect, give, keep learning, get active and take notice, all within the theme of: express your- self! Te afternoon schedule was adapted to allow the girls to enjoy meditation, mindfulness classes, live poetry reading sessions, mermaid hair braiding, photography in nature,


St Anthony’s recognises the importance of key skills such as resilience, reflection and the need to build self-esteem


live cupcake making classes and daily live yoga to name but a few. St Anthony’s recognises the impor-


tance of key skills such as resilience, reflection and the need to build self-esteem as a proactive and inte- gral part of the curriculum. It isn’t enough to merely quote these words; they must be put into practice. Te school’s motto, ‘Actions speak louder than words’, inspires the teachers to respond to children’s ideas and initi- atives, ensuring the girls believe in their sense of agency, feeling empow- ered to make decisions, think inde- pendently and turn their ideas into concrete actions. Te creation of a Wellbeing Cham-


pion, as part of Year 6’s roles and responsibilities, ensures the children are always at the heart of everything at St Anthony’s.


stanthonysgirls.co.uk


Education & schooling 15


St Anthony’s School for Boys Te adage that ‘educating is more than teaching’ has never resonated more than now


St Anthony’s is resolute in its belief that it doesn’t simply have ‘students’, it has 310 individual human beings with a range of circumstances, needs and life circumstances beyond the school gates. It’s this approach that underscores all that it does as a school; its ethos is predicated on the unwavering resolve that all children are uniquely gifted, from the young man who exhibits unique sporting and musical prowess to the boy who might have less faith in his own potential but nevertheless a world of opportunities before him. Staff at all levels live and breathe approach. Tis


this is why the


young men develop as confident, worldly and inquisitive individuals throughout their time at the school. Online teaching and learning has


only served to amplify the impor- tance of approaching education not only in academic terms, but rather in the holistic sense. Te school’s success and excellent educational outcomes are hinged upon the philosophy that ‘happy children learn best’. Both online and face-to-face, the


school’s first and primary concern is the pastoral wellbeing of the children, especially as it shifted to remote teaching and learning. Boys and parents have welcomed the provision of ‘live’ lessons throughout the day, mirroring in most cases the physical timetable. Teachers are always visible on camera at the start


of lessons and available throughout to answer questions. Tere has been much creative thought


into


balancing whole-class teaching with pupil activities and ‘breakout’ rooms, which are used to stretch the able and support those in need of a little more help. All teachers have had their lessons observed by senior leaders who have reported both high levels of pupil engagement as well as enjoyment. Managing screen time has been


an important consideration and that’s why hour-long lessons have been shortened to between 45 and 50 minutes. Boys are encouraged to stretch and so do physical activity between lessons. Te last lesson of the day (at around 3pm) affords boys a degree of choice in that they can either attend a ‘live’ lesson or complete tasks posted on the virtual learning environment (VLE) later in the afternoon. Tis degree of flexi- bility has been welcomed by fami- lies. In addition, boys can expect spiritual, physical and pastoral nourishment through assemblies, online PE sessions and a weekly chat, one-to-one with their form teacher. Te monthly newsletter, Wellbeing Wednesdays, provides practical advice and relevant links to parents on issues ranging from e-safety to keeping fit. Te Covid-19 crisis has afforded


those of us who work in education an opportunity to think again about


Both online and face- to-face, the school’s first and primary concern is the pastoral wellbeing of the children, especially as it shifted to remote teaching and learning


the purpose of education. Embracing digital literacy has led to teachers reporting higher levels of pupil engagement and increased confi- dence from boys and teachers who are using technology to underpin and extend learning. Lower down the school, inquiring minds are encour- aged by traditional and modern methods and the new online library (with hundreds of titles available) has seen a growth in downloads. Boys making use of online platforms such as Century Tech or Atom Learning has also grown exponentially. None of us could have foreseen


the events of the last year nor would many propose ‘lockdown learning’ as a permanent feature of post-Covid life. But it would be a mistake to try and put the genie back in the bottle. St Anthony’s has started to think boldly about the future and how it can best prepare boys for senior school, university and the world beyond — not forgetting the past but not being afraid of the future. Building resilience, flexibility and a


desire for lifelong learning will be the hallmark of a St Anthony’s education.


stanthonysprep.org.uk


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