JUNIOR SCHOOL
MR TOM SAVILL HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL
PREPARING THE CHILD FOR THE ROAD , NOT THE ROAD FOR THE CHILD
A SENSE OF BELONGING IS AT THE HEART OF OUR SCHOOL VALUES
Billy gets out of the car a little way down the road from the school gate . He says goodbye to mum or dad , having negotiated not being dropped right outside the front of school .
Billy walks into his new school among a melee of other students , all of whom are chatting to each other and looking confident about their surroundings . Billy gazes up at the imposing school building and then ascends the stairs to the main entrance .
When Billy arrives in the classroom , every other child is already seated . The class falls silent and focuses its attention on him as he scans the room for an empty space . The teacher in the room asks Billy who he is and asks Billy to introduce himself to the class . Billy , nervous , shares a short description of himself before sinking into his seat and trying hard not to draw any more attention to himself . Billy ’ s first day at school has begun . Billy ’ s experience seems to be one that Hollywood movie directors like to roll out as a clichéd depiction of a child ’ s first day at school . The script helps the audience connect to the challenges presented by starting at a new school , the nerves and anxiety that can be associated and the feeling of isolation that occasionally exists . However , it does not represent much of the hard work and preparation that schools and families do to try and help children manage this significant moment in their lives .
We pride ourselves , at Scotch , on knowing each and every boy , often before they commence their official first day . A sense of belonging is at the heart of our school values and we work hard to reinforce this through a plethora of experiences and opportunities .
We recognise the importance of building connections with families and working in tandem to create as smooth a transition as possible .
At a recent Junior School parent information evening , Dr Scott Marsh shared the following quote , which had appeared in a news article published that day : ‘ We must prepare the child for the road , and not the road for the child ’ .
As each boy comes through the gates of the school , he steps into an environment that is committed to
16 Great Scot Issue 168 – May 2023