PROSPECTUS
There are no glass ceilings at Fettes Prep. We pride ourselves in giving every child the opportunity to maximise their potential, discover new talents and find the area of learning where they can excel. Charlie Minogue, Headmaster
Love learning at Fettes Prep
WELCOME Not every child can be good at everything, but every child can be good at something, and it is our job to discover an area of success for every pupil. It is our passion to ensure that children’s talents are maximised in whichever area they excel or show an interest and there are no glass ceilings set here. In particular, Fettes Prep pupils are given every opportunity to fulfil their potential in the classroom, at whatever level. However, Fettes College Preparatory School does not simply cater for the most talented. As important to us are those small individual triumphs: a tackle made when it might have been missed the previous week, an improved maths test score or a first public performance are all celebrated. I am passionate about prep school education and have always enjoyed working with parents to provide the very best for their children. Parents should feel part of a school community and it should be fun to be a Fettes Prep parent too! Please come and see us to get the full feeling for what makes this such a unique environment. My wife, Becky, and I moved here in part because we felt that Fettes would give our children the best possible start in life, and I hope that we can do the same for yours. I look forward to welcoming you to experience for yourselves what we offer.
CGO MINOGUE HEADMASTER, FETTES PREP
THE FETTES FAMILY Fettes Prep is a happy place, where our pupils (boys and girls, aged 7 – 13) learn together, play together, eat together, and have fun together – our pupils are often referred to as ‘busy bees’ and we encourage them to love learning and strive to nurture the qualities of honesty, courtesy, and tolerance. 24% of our pupils are boarders and for all our pupils (day and boarding) the day begins early and is packed full of stimulating lessons, fun activities, and exciting trips: in the company of peers, that can become lifelong friends. We provide flexible wraparound care, with a range of pick-up times, which can be especially helpful to working parents.
“Fettes Prep is a happy, safe environment – completely child focussed.”
Everything that we do at Fettes Prep shows the commitment we have to the happiness of our pupils. We want them and you to feel part of the Fettes family which is a warm, caring and nurturing environment - building strong foundations for the future and a family for life.
“So far I think the boarding experience has been exceptional from a parent’s perspective.” “It is an absolute pleasure to be a Fettes Prep parent, and to watch the incredible academic and personal growth of my children. I genuinely believe they have achieved much more and been much happier at Fettes Prep than they would have been anywhere else.”
LEARNING We want our pupils to love learning at Fettes Prep. Visit one of our classrooms and you’ll be struck by three things: the light, airy atmosphere, the smiling, engaged children and the small class size. Small class sizes mean teachers have the chance to get to know each child as an individual and provide extra teaching time for any child who requires additional help. As an independent school, Fettes Prep can maintain a wide and varied curriculum inspiring pupils to think creatively, fully engage with each lesson and build on their academic potential. We believe that as well as building a strong rapport with their Form Teacher, it is important that every child learns specialist subjects from specialist teachers. So expect your child to be taught Science by a Science Teacher and Art by an Art Teacher.
“They say a happy child learns best and I have certainly found this to be the case. Great staff, led by a superb Head and very welcoming parents too!”
A strong emphasis is also placed on a sound and thorough grounding in the traditionally important subjects of Maths and English. We have extensive IT facilities and encourage the use of IT throughout the school – not that this generation needs much encouragement! If a student requires extra help, we have a superb Support for Learning department and classroom assistants too.
SELF-EXPRESSION Although we place huge emphasis on Maths and English in our curriculum, that in no way undermines our dedication to the teaching of the arts. We believe that Music, Art and Drama are vital to every child’s development, giving them the chance to be creative, learn new skills and above all have fun. The vast majority of our children learn at least one musical instrument, from the violin to the saxophone, the piano to the guitar, and as a school proud of its Scottish heritage, the pipes and drums. The enthusiasm and expertise of our Music staff means we have excellent orchestras, Pipe Band and choral groups with plenty of opportunities for musicians of all abilities to perform. Our superb art facilities are stimulating, and a creative art curriculum utilises different media, techniques and inspirations. As everyone loves
“The ethos is of all-round nurturing, enabling each child to grow and become the person they were meant to be.”
to see their children’s own masterpieces we have vibrant displays that change on a regular basis. We are in the very enviable position of having access to the spectacular Drama facilities of Fettes College, with professional staging and lighting equipment. Perhaps that’s why our pupils and staff can stage such fantastic school productions – but maybe we’re biased. We allocate generous time to the arts because it encourages creativity, builds confidence through performance, and because one day we’d love to say that a great artist was inspired by their experience as a young Fettesian.
“Our three children have all gone through the Prep School: they have left home each morning with a smile on their faces, looking forward to a school day and have come home each evening brimming with the events of the day – no better testament than that.” “The Prep School is both welcoming and inviting. The children seem to love their school and their classes.”
SPORT Whether your child is a future Olympian or an enthusiastic amateur, we believe that sport is important. Not just because it is fun, or encourages a healthy lifestyle, but because of the real lessons it teaches: teamwork, determination, discipline, self-esteem and manners.
We actively encourage maximum participation and offer your child something very special: the opportunity to represent their school in a sporting activity. Every child wins a place on a Fettes Prep team, so every child can look forward to competitive games against other schools.
Thanks to our affiliation with the College we have access to outstanding indoor and outdoor facilities. Rugby, hockey, netball, tennis, athletics, cricket, swimming, cross-country and shooting all play an active part on the curriculum and are there for your child to enjoy.
Sport isn’t the only way we keep our children fit and healthy. We have outdoor break times, weather permitting, giving our pupils the chance to build dens, play hopscotch or have a turn on the swings. When the bell rings for lunch, the food is delicious, the choice is wide and everything is cooked fresh on the premises.
“One of the most positive aspects is that each child is given the scope to develop their abilities, wherever they lie – their individual strengths are recognised and further developed.”
BROADENING HORIZONS Your child can also learn a great deal outside the classroom. Our annual Classics Day brings a History lesson about the Roman Empire to life. How much easier is it to explain Geography to an 11-year-old after you’ve led them to the top of a mountain? Whether your child is a boarder or a day pupil, we offer them the opportunity to be part of an exciting and stimulating activities programme. These activities can take many forms: big trips such as visits abroad and skiing holidays; house trips, like a weekend in Oban or a surprise challenge, ending up in the middle of London or the middle of nowhere.
“They really are busy bees, everyone getting on with things, working hard but having fun too.”
Your child may spend time at an international rugby match, horse riding, ice skating, on a sailing trip, or simply enjoying an evening at the cinema. They will be just as likely to be organising an informal barbeque as attending the School’s annual Burns Supper. We give our pupils as many opportunities as possible; we even have a Pupil Council which allows them to decide for themselves exactly what they’d like to do next. We encourage activities outside of school for many reasons but probably the most important one is to broaden their horizons, because you can’t do that just sitting at a school desk. Not even one of ours.
“I see everyone being valued and contributions encouraged.” “My child enjoys the co-curriculars. She felt she has been included and given all the opportunities to excel and try new things.”
LIFE AS A BOARDER If the school is a family then, for a boarder, Fettes Prep becomes their other family home away from home. We have two boarding Houses, Arran for the boys and Iona for the girls, both of which have full boarders living with us every day of the week. Arran and Iona have a warm, welcoming feel with rooms for playing games, reading or simply relaxing as well as homely bedrooms where your child will share with two or three (Arran), or three or five (Iona) other boarders. Weekends are full of exciting trips and activities, from beach visits to hill walks, learning to cook to bowling and go-karting. Of course it’s not just what’s in the Houses that make them special but who is in them. The staff at Fettes Prep are of the highest calibre and the role of Houseparent is undertaken with great care and
“Fettes Prep has surpassed our expectations. Our son has taken to the school and boarding House like a duck to water. We and he could not be happier.”
enthusiasm, as are the supporting roles provided by House Tutors and Matrons. Experienced and professional, they dedicate themselves to creating a secure and happy home from home for your child. We are here for our boarders night and day, we will look after them if they are unwell, we will make sure they never miss a dental appointment and at the end of the day we will read them bedtime stories, just as you would. Communication is vitally important and we will keep you updated and informed of your child’s wellbeing. Phone calls and email communication with parents mean that daily dialogue is entirely possible. You will be able to view photos and films from the trips they are involved in so that, even if you are on the other side of the world, we hope you will feel included.
ENCOURAGING INDEPENDENT THINKING Encouraging Fettes Prep children to think independently and creatively in and out of the classroom whilst helping them to avoid a fear of failure is at the heart of the process. This also makes learning fun, something we have a lot of here! Fettes Prep staff pride themselves on really knowing individual children and we take pastoral care personally. This is a kind school, and we know that happy children are more likely to learn and develop as we would all want. Visitors often comment on the openness and enthusiasm of Fettes Prep children, and we believe that you will feel the special atmosphere that this creates when you visit.
Our pupils are fully prepared for the next stage of their education in secondary school and benefit from our close association with the worldclass senior school that is Fettes College. This relationship extends to sharing ideas and information as well as superb facilities so that there is a very natural progression through to the senior school once children have finished their prep school journey.
“Fettes Prep has a plethora of musical groups designed to cater for all interests and abilities. It is an area of school life in which we are keen that students participate and around three quarters of the school are usually involved in music of some kind.”
PREPARATION FOR THE FUTURE The very meaning of our name ‘prep’ spells out our mission: to prepare your child for the future and encourage them to love learning. We believe that every child has what it takes to make something of themselves. Our job is to nurture that potential, to reveal every hidden talent. That’s why we make sure our school is an inspirational place to live, learn, and to grow. We want Fettes to be an environment where we can coax out your child’s academic potential without pressurising them. We believe that academic excellence can be partnered with a confident, but never arrogant, outlook on life.
“There is a great ethos of working together, using the talents that you have and helping and respecting others.”
We achieve these aims by encouraging hard work, honesty and a determination to help others. Most importantly, when your child leaves Fettes Prep, we make sure that they are aware of the opportunities life presents. We fill them with the confidence to grasp those opportunities, as they continue the next stage of their education.
THE PROGRESSION TO FETTES COLLEGE We believe that every Fettes Prep student has gained a wonderful start and has the benefit of an education that will set them up for a bright future, in the senior school. That is because our school has a very distinct identity of its own, with teaching professionals and facilities that are second to none. However, it also has something rather special on its doorstep: Fettes College, our senior school, is one of the world’s leading senior schools. Each day our pupils benefit from the proximity to the senior school. We share many facilities; from the 25-metre swimming pool to the dining hall, the rugby pitches to the drama theatre. So our pupils have a positive experience of the College before they even start there at age 13.
“Our children will carry fond memories of Fettes Prep into later life, as shall we as parents.”
Fettes College and Fettes Prep also share one other important, fundamental thing: our ethos. This manifests itself in a determination to provide the best education your child could ever hope for inspiring them to aim high and give back. All of these elements combine to make the transition from Fettes Prep to Fettes College a very smooth one. Where no entrance exams are required for our pupils, removing that pressure from their lives. We like to think of it as giving your child a head start on the next stage of their education.
“Students participate in Earth Day and learn about sustainability.” “Our recently appointed Estates Gardener has introduced several initiatives, including ‘our tree’, working with our Prep School children to propagate tree seedlings which are then planted out in the grounds on the pupils’ transition to the Senior School at the age of 13.”
SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES Means-tested bursaries are available to any applicant who passes the Entrance Examinations for Fettes Prep School or Fettes College and requires financial assistance. There is a finite amount of funding available each year and parents are advised to refer to the ‘Guide to Bursaries’ to assess eligibility. This guide can be found under Admissions on our website and can also be obtained from the Admissions Team. All bursaries are co-ordinated through the Bursar’s Office. Please contact bursarsoffice@fettes.com Bursaries are managed independently to scholarships and awards.
“Our son announced one day about a year after starting at Fettes ‘I thought I was happy at school until I came to Fettes and realised how happy I could be’.”
For details of our scholarships and awards please refer to our ‘Admissions Guide’. This guide can be found under Admissions on our website and can be obtained from the Admissions Team. Please contact admissions@fettes.com
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www.fettes.com Thank you to all the Fettes Prep parents who provided the quotations. Fettes College is a registered Scottish Charity, No SC051259