A successful school year can significantly impact a child’s attitude toward learning, self-confidence and overall well-being. When a school and parents or carers work in partnership, an environment is created that fosters growth and an enthusiasm for learning in each individual child.
School should be a welcoming atmosphere where children feel safe to explore, take risks, and make marvellous mistakes. Every interaction has the possibility to be a learning opportunity. At Beachborough, a village prep school located close to Buckingham, Brackley and Bicester, our highly-skilled, nurturing teachers take time to build trusting relationships and connections with children, encouraging them to express themselves and engage in their learning environment with confidence.
The social and emotional development of children is just as important as progress in learning, and parents and teachers should work in collaboration to teach social skills, such as teamwork, sharing and learning to compromise. At Beachborough Prep, we run parent workshops as part of our ‘Joining Hands’ initiative to support parents on topics such as developing resilience and independence. In our Early Years (Nursery, Kindergarten and Reception), play-based learning is a key feature which helps children learn to collaborate with peers, take turns and respect the views of others. By providing guidance and positive reinforcement, we can help children build self-esteem and social confidence.
During the Early Years, language and communication skills rapidly develop, and at Beachborough Prep, the speaking and listening opportunities throughout each day are endless! Storytime, role-play and group discussions allow children to expand their vocabulary, practise speaking in full sentences and learn to listen attentively to others. Phonics is a key element in developing early reading skills in younger children. Through a structured and systematic phonics programme, children engage in multi-sensory learning, giving opportunities to learn through hearing, seeing and practising to apply sounds as their confidence grows. Beachborough Prep host learning workshops, on topics such as Phonics and early Numeracy skills, for our parents to understand how their children learn these important skills so they can be reinforced at home in daily life and family routines.
Physical development is an essential part of a child’s overall growth and we provide opportunities to develop both fine motor skills (such as writing, threading, gardening or Dough Disco-ing!) and gross motor skills (such as running, climbing, balancing and welly wandering in the woods!). Daily access to outdoor play areas, PE lessons and activities such as those included in our vast co-curricular offering such as ballet, help children develop co-ordination, strength and spatial awareness, and an enjoyment and appreciation for our beautiful outdoors!
Overall, one of the most valuable things parents can do is to foster a positive attitude toward school. By talking enthusiastically about school and showing interest in what your child is learning, parents can help children to feel excited and motivated to go to school each day. At Beachborough Prep, we place a great emphasis on developing this key relationship with each child’s parents, from our Early Years Coffee and Connect mornings to sharing each child’s learning experiences on Tapestry (an online learning journal). We take the time to get to know each family, and most importantly connect with each individual child, so we truly embark on the journey of nurturing and inspiring their child together.
Successful school years require collaboration between school and parents. At Beachborough Prep, we see this as a genuine privilege, and work in partnership with parents to ensure lines of communication are open and honest and foster a positive attitude toward learning, encouraging engagement in play-based activities, and supporting their child’s growing independence.
Together, schools and parents can ensure that all children have a strong start to their educational journey, setting the stage for lifelong learning and success.
