Jo Cameron Principal, Queenswood School
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What does a bespoke education actually mean?
Almost all independent schools
There will be greater support for children
proudly assert that they offer a
with special educational needs, and further
‘bespoke education’. As the Principal
opportunities to stretch the gifted and
of a girls’ boarding and day school, I
talented.
am often asked what this means in practice. Small class sizes are of course a crucial factor. Many parents are justifiably alarmed by the ever-increasing class sizes in state schools. An article in the June 2019 edition of Schools Week revealed that the number of classes of over 30 (some as high as 35) has almost doubled in five years. So it’s no wonder that the considerably smaller class sizes in independent schools are a real attraction. Consider just how far-reaching those benefits are. In an average class of around 15, a child will receive twice as much individual attention from the teacher, who will soon develop an understanding of how he or she learns best.
Independent schools generally place
considerably greater emphasis on the
creative arts. At a time when curriculum time for subjects such as music, drama
and dance is being squeezed nationally,
TAILORED TO PUPILS’ INTERESTS AND PASSIONS Freedom from the constraints of the National Curriculum in the independent sector means that at Key Stage 3, the range of subjects on offer – and the schemes of work and syllabuses delivered within those subjects – can be tailored to the genuine interests and passions of the pupils themselves. The range of modern foreign and classical languages taught in independent schools is a case in point – while language learning is in decline in the state sector, Japanese, Arabic, Latin and Ancient Greek are all thriving in private schools.
and no provision for the arts is made in
the Department for Education’s EBacc (the
set of eight recommended GCSE subjects), pupils at independent schools are very
fortunate to enjoy the advantages of an
education that values creativity, originality and resourcefulness. Boarding pupils are
especially able to enjoy all the activities and
opportunities on offer during the school day and in the evenings and weekends.
A CREATIVE EDUCATION Beyond the sheer satisfaction of selfexpression, a creative education offers many benefits to pupils. Research has shown that regular and sustained participation in musical activities stimulates the brain to
