4 minute read
Education Corner Podcast Interview
EDUCATION CORNER PODCAST
Miss Joanne Croft
RYE ST ANTONY SCHOOL, OXFORD
KEY TOPICS:
Rye St Antony’s ethos What is ‘The Rye Way’? Being apart of the Girls on Board approach Boarding options Supporting the students’ academic, physical and emotional wellbeing SEN and bursaries The school’s Oxford location
Could you tell me a bit about the school’s ethos and how you achieve it?
I am thrilled to be able to talk about Rye because it is a real hidden gem in Oxford. It is a small place, although 12 acres, hidden away, but is a fantastic school that has been there for 90 years. The school is focused on the individual child and that is why we chose to be small. It is a choice that we make. Our school is all about empowering the child to be the best version of themselves. It is about giving the child space to learn and love learning. It is about giving the child space to find their own talents, their own individual skills that they are good at. It is a place where they learn how to become global citizens, and that is so exciting for the future. The thing that underpins all that we do is our Catholic ethos. We are a community of respect. We show each other dignity and tolerance at all times.
The school particularly emphasises its ‘Rye Way’. Can you explain to me what this means for both teachers and students?
Yes. The Rye Way is a phrase that we coined two years ago along with something else that we were doing. It’s all about ambition. We were taking a look at the school, coming up to our 90th birthday, celebrating the 90 years of Rye. We thought, where do we see ourselves and where do we see the school? What do our pupils need? They need a first-rate education at all costs. That means that they should be challenged. They should be challenged, pushed, and challenged to think and be curious in their learning. The Rye Way is all about the way in which we teach. It’s about making sure that we go over things, and that we challenge them, remind them. We get them to ask questions about our curriculum. We now ask lots of questions. We want children to be questioning what they are
Rye St Antony, Oxford
learning and asking questions for the next step. Curiosity is at the heart of everything. For our students, it allows for them to see the passion of their teachers in their specific subjects. It’s not just about the GCSE specification, it’s the rest of that subject as well, which is actually really important. It is the rest of it that sparks the passion for future study.
In what ways do you think Rye stands out amongst the other schools in Oxford? What makes you unique?
As a school, we have been renowned for our excellent pastoral care. What we do alongside that is making sure that students have the academic opportunity too, and that is what is different. There are lots of hot houses in Oxford, it is known as a hot house city if you think about the University and the reputation that it has. Our school combines the two very well. We believe that children will do well academically if they are nurtured and supported. So, we have coined the phrase, ‘Be Well, Do Well’. Being well is all about mindfulness and wellbeing through sport, nutrition, having space to grow and develop.
Does the school have a strong SENCo department to provide for children with additional learning needs?
Yes, we have a very strong SENCo department and learning support department. These staff can work on an individual basis with children, or perhaps who oversee the individual education plan for children who are not having individual support outside lessons, but need individual support within a lesson. That could be through the class teacher themselves. We make sure that we have a really good communication and that we know the child’s learning journey. We learn what they like and what suits their learning, we review that all the time. The SENCo department is really important for the future. They help the children to embrace new ways of thinking. The use of technology for translation, scribing, it’s so many different things, and is about being open for the future, it’s about embracing things as they come along, that is super important. Alongside SEN is a strong team of G&T, which is really important, as some children who are dyslexic can also be the most able children. Giving them that support and that stretch can be crucial.
You do offer bursaries, how does a family apply for this if it is something that they are interested in?
We offer means tested bursaries for anyone who wishes to apply from senior school upwards. The thing about bursaries is that they are completely confidential. It is really important that parents know that. We do all that we can to make sure that this is a confidential process. We don’t want parents to be too embarrassed to apply.
We would like to thank Headmistress Miss Joanne Croft, Rye St Antony School, for giving up time to speak to us.
CLICK HERE
TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
www.ryestantony.co.uk
