At home with three children under the age of four, and with no thoughts of doing anything other than staying at home and being a housewife and mother, a complicated house move saw Hilary start something that became one of Milton Keynes’ leading prep schools.
Today, Milton Keynes Preparatory School and Nursery provides a happy environment in which children can flourish both academically and on their journey to becoming fully rounded individuals who have the confidence and social skills to be ‘the best they can be’.
With around 450 pupils and more than 100 staff, the school is one of the largest independent prep schools in the area, and its size reflects the ambitions of the school, where teachers are not only specialists in their subjects but also play an important role in the wraparound care that was the driving force in the school’s earliest days.
Hilary Pauley explained: “We moved to Leighton Buzzard because of my husband’s job and although I was a qualified teacher, I fully intended being at home with the children for a few years. But property issues soon made it clear that I was going to have to earn some money.
“After a memorable interview to be a teacher in a local state school, when I couldn’t get childcare and had to take my children with me, and then watched the headmistress’s face as three small boys wreaked havoc in her office, I realised that it wasn’t going to be easy!
“So instead, we moved the whole family upstairs, converted the ground floor of our house and opened a nursery. In those days, very few mothers went out to work and I thought it would be a place for children to simply come and play. But times were changing, and women were starting to go back to work after having children, and I soon began to get requests for longer hours, and to extend the age range to include babies.”
Having seen the business grow into a busy nursery in a larger building in Leighton Buzzard, and seeing that many children were reluctant to leave her nursery at four or five to go to school, Hilary decided to extend provision further, bought land in the flourishing new town of Milton Keynes nearby, and Milton Keynes Preparatory School opened and grew the age range to children up to 11 years old.
Even for an experienced teacher, it was a steep learning curve for Hilary as she worked with the Department for Education to navigate the process of setting up a school, from the accounts and regulations to developing a curriculum, and setting down values that have led to many pupils describing the school as a ‘second home’.
“I’d never worked in an independent prep school before, so I just did what I thought was right,” said Hilary. “From the early days I wanted children to have teachers who were passionate about their subjects and to make learning fun. At this stage of a child’s education, teachers aren’t always subject specialists, but we have English, Maths, sports, art, and a range of other specialist teachers, and their passion for their subject shines through. Children pick up on that, and through it find their own particular skills and passions.
But just as importantly, I have always wanted the school to be somewhere children feel cared for and safe. Core teaching hours are 9am to 3.30pm, but children can arrive any time from 7.30am for breakfast and can stay on until 6.30pm. Those afternoon hours are for after-school clubs and we have an amazing variety, from Lego or chess to art or sport, or just a time when we go out and kick the leaves or play in the snow and have some fun.
“Many of the parents are also past-pupils, adults now, coming back here with their children and it’s lovely to see the people they have become. When you leave school and get a job you can always learn new skills, but if you haven’t the grounding of being a decent human being with the social skills to treat people properly and present yourself well, then you’re going to struggle. We believe in children understanding our expectations of behaviour in school, of course, but when they know the boundaries and feel confident enough to express themselves and know that they will be heard, that is what is most important.”
Milton Keynes Preparatory School takes pupils from two months old up to 11 years, caring for them through each stage of learning, helping them develop the independence they need for the next stages of their lives.
Several 50th Birthday celebrations are being held over this year, where current pupils, past-pupils, staff and parents are gathering together to mark the special anniversary.
Looking back over the evolution of the school, Hilary Pauley said: “I just did what I thought I should do if all these children were my own. Children only have one go at their schooldays and it has to be the very best it can be for each and every child.
“Each child has a strength; it’s up to us to find it. Every child wants to make their parents and teachers proud, and feel that same pride in themselves.
“One of the things that I am very proud of now is having chosen Simon Driver as our headteacher. He has been my successor for nearly a decade and he is a kind, personable and inspirational people person who agrees with our fundamental philosophy and can listen to and relate to people whether they be children, staff or parents, and who is, quite frankly, doing a much better job of it than I did.
“When you step aside from your life’s work, it’s bound to be difficult, but I am more than happy knowing that the school is in excellent hands!”
Find out more about Milton Keynes Preparatory School on 01908 642111, email info@mkps.co.uk or visit their website
