WHEN SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO INVEST IN INDEPENDENT EDUCATION? | Surbiton High School
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WHEN SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO INVEST IN INDEPENDENT EDUCATION?

Posted: 7th January 2022

Deciding on the right school environment for your child is one of the most important decisions you make as a parent and there are so many factors that need to be taken into account.

However, academic results often come top of the list and it’s not hard to see why when independent school pupils are three times more likely to gain the top grades at A-level than state school pupils. Not surprisingly, this is why approximately 6.5% of pupils attend an independent school in the UK.

However, with so many good state primary schools around, it can be difficult for parents to understand the value that lies in starting a child’s education within the independent system right from the outset. The early years of schooling provide the foundation on which the building blocks of education, learning, inquisitiveness, creativity and curiosity are developed.

Independent schools are fortunate to sit outside the confines of the national curriculum and can adapt and tailor their education provision to deliver a robust, creative and engaging approach to teaching. In preparatory schools, this is clearly demonstrated where pupils often benefit from subject-specific teaching and a broad range of co-curricular opportunities that unfortunately cannot be catered for within the state provision. This leads to younger children developing a wider range of interests and broader exposure to a variety of sports and music.

At Surbiton High School, we believe the facilities, resources and expertise of a Senior School provision helps equip our Preparatory School pupils with skills beyond their years. One such example is technology which is embraced throughout the Schools. iPads are an integral part of the learning journey, as well as a resource tool for pupils.

Continuous capital development within independent schools ensures they are innovative and constantly evolving. We keep our eye on the requirements for the future skills of those undefined jobs that our pupils will be applying for with an approach to education that is entrepreneurial, creative and forward thinking. This has allowed us to develop a range of in-residence roles at Surbiton High, such as an Entrepreneur in Residence, Artist in Residence, Writer in Residence and Composer in Residence.

Independent schools are able to offer the benefit of smaller class sizes, enabling teachers to provide a bespoke learning platform for each child. These smaller classes also provide an opportunity for every voice to be heard and for pupils to develop their friendships and confidence within a supportive, cohesive environment, where each child is known as an individual and a tailored approach to their educational and well-being needs can be adhered to.

A good education provides children with opportunities to develop both academically and personally, and the investment afforded to developing strong well-being programmes supersedes the care and attention that can be provided elsewhere. Our own Charter for Well-being permeates every aspect of our three Schools, as does the in-depth research we have been able to conduct to devise our Philosophy for Learning an integral approach to developing positive learning habits in pupils of all ages that will stay with them for life.

As with many independent schools, we are incredibly proud of our outstanding academic results. However, we appreciate that a good education should equip our pupils with the skills for a fulfilling life and with the confidence in their abilities, resilience to face challenges, the courage to follow their passions and the right approach to learning as a lifelong skill. It is wonderful to see how much pupils can flourish when schools are able to invest their energies in each child from the early years.

If you would like to find out more about Surbiton High Boys’ PreparatoryGirls’ Preparatory or Girls’ Senior School, please visit us.

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