One of the school’s mottoes is Ready To Lead The Way, and for Simon Driver, Headmaster at Milton Keynes Preparatory School, that means so much more than simply relying on an excellent academic record.
Going so much further and deeper than good exam results, the school believes the emphasis should be on guiding children through the early stages of their education, ensuring they are happy, engaged and fulfilled because, from there, learning is a natural and enjoyable process.
Simon took over as Joint Headmaster in 2016, stepping into the role that had been held by the school’s founder, Hilary Pauley, since she opened her first nursery back in 1975. He held the role jointly with Carl Bates until 2018. Simon was more than familiar with the school, having previously been Head of Sport, Assistant Head and Deputy Head, and felt no real urge to bring about radical change. Under his leadership the school, which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year, has continued to grow and flourish.
“I knew the school very well by the time I took over as Headmaster, and my approach in the early days was to wait and learn what works well and develop it from there. Change needs to be thought out and considered, and it must be what’s good for the school, not just something that fits in with what I want.
“One thing that I heard, time after time, from parents, new parents or from visitors to the school was that its academic reputation was very strong. That’s obviously good, and what we want, but just as importantly for me was to show that we are doing far more than that.
“First and foremost, it is about happy children, engaging them in learning and helping them develop the personal skills to become fully rounded young people and adults. When children are happy and engaged in what they’re doing, they just get on with lessons or activities and enjoy them.”
Simon puts that engagement down to two key elements of school life. Firstly, and somewhat unusually at primary level, the school believes in having specialist teachers throughout. Even in Nursery and Early Years, children have specialist teachers for music, computing and sport. From Year 3, that widens out to specialist teachers for most subjects.
“All pupils have a form tutor who remains their focal point,” said Simon. “It’s important that children have someone they can talk to, someone that they trust, to go to about anything. Most of us have memories of that one inspirational teacher that made all the difference to us.
“But we also think that getting used to seeing different faces, learning from different people, is an important part of school life. It means that it’s not so much of a shift as they move up the school, and it’s certainly important to prepare them for when they move on to the next stage of their education when having different teachers for every subject is the norm.
“In addition, they are learning from teachers who are immersed in their subjects and while children are always going to have subjects they like and don’t like, having teachers that are incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about what they are teaching really motivates the children.”
The second key aspect of school life that engenders engagement is the wide range of opportunities for children to learn beyond the classroom. Regular school trips are organised, and the school benefits from its own Ecological Studies Centre. Additionally, an extensive programme of lunchtime and after-school activities offers further avenues for exploration and enrichment. Sport also plays a significant role, reflecting the school’s ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ philosophy. The number of pupils competing at county and national levels across various disciplines is a testament to the high quality of the school’s sporting provision and in this area.
Simon added: “We don’t have a specific school that we feed into, so children move on from here to a variety of schools including grammar schools such as The Royal Latin, The Royal Grammar School and both Aylesbury High and Aylesbury Grammar as well senior independent schools, such as Bedford School, Bedford Modern and Bedford Girls and also further afield to Harrow, Rugby and Sedbergh. Those schools want pupils who have more than just academic ability. That’s why it is vital to start developing personal skills from the beginning, for their future education, right up to applying for university places or attending job interviews.
“Pupils in Year 6, their last year with us, have General Studies sessions with me each week. Often, that takes the form of a debate, and we cover everything from AI to vegetarianism. Everyone gets to share their opinion and that builds confidence. The Year 6 children also take on leadership roles throughout the school, from Head Boy and Head Girl, to House Captains, Sports Leaders and Maths Ambassadors, right through to helping younger children in the morning with reading or spending time helping in the Nursery.
“One of the important things is to allow children to make mistakes and learn from them, in a safe environment. Not every child that comes through our doors arrives thinking they are good at something, but during their time here, they will find that they are good at many things.
“Our philosophy of Ready To Lead The Way is a very important one. Whatever stage they are at in their education, happy children and children with character, will do well.”
Find out more about Milton Keynes Preparatory School on 01908 642111, email info@mkps.co.uk or visit their website.
