EDUCATION
EDUCATION SPECIAL FEATURE
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
A FLEXIBLE EDUCATIONAL OFFERING FOR MODERN FAMILY LIFE
SCHOOLS HAVE CHANGED ENORMOUSLY OVER THE YEARS, BUT PERHAPS THE BIGGEST CHANGE HAS BEEN IN THE LIVES OF THE FAMILIES WE SERVE.
WORDS BY JOFF POWIS, HEAD, MARLBOROUGH HOUSE VINEHALL
For many parents today, work no longer fits neatly between 9am and 5pm. Some commute long distances. Others divide their time between home and the office. Family life has become more fluid and with that, parental expectations of educational provision have changed too.
This presents schools with an interesting challenge. Our responsibility is, first and foremost, to provide an outstanding education. But, if we can also make family life a little easier without compromising the quality of children’ s experiences then we should.
That thinking sits behind the way we have developed the wraparound provision at Marlborough House Vinehall. For some families, this starts with Breakfast Club. It is a relaxed start to the day, giving children time to settle, catch up with friends and arrive in the classrooms ready to learn.
When lessons finish, the school day certainly doesn’ t. Every afternoon the site remains full of life, with children heading off to rehearsals, fixtures, art, carpentry, outdoor learning and dozens of other clubs.
Boarding has become another important part of this picture. While many families choose a regular boarding pattern, an increasing number value the flexibility that occasional or flexi-boarding offers. Sometimes it is because of work commitments, sometimes family logistics and sometimes because children simply love staying. Whatever the reason, it provides families with reassurance and children with an experience that builds confidence and independence.
Our support begins in our Early Years. We are proud to offer a nursery that operates for 50 weeks of the year, recognising that family life does not stop during the school holidays. Parents can choose from flexible collection times that suit their own routines, safe in the knowledge that their children are spending the day in a nurturing environment with staff they know so well.
School holidays deserve to feel different, but they also need to work for parents.
Through our partnership with Apex Activities, children aged five to 12 can enjoy active, imaginative holiday programmes on our own grounds, surrounded by familiar faces and familiar surroundings. For many families, it has become an extension of school life rather than an alternative to it.
None of this is really about childcare. It is about providing families with confidence. Confidence that, whether it is 8am on a Monday morning, 5.30pm on a Wednesday afternoon or the middle week of the Easter holidays, their children are somewhere they know well, with adults they trust and friends they enjoy spending time with.
That sense of continuity matters. Schools have always been places of learning. Increasingly, they are also communities that help families navigate the realities of modern life. I believe that is one of the quiet strengths of Marlborough House Vinehall. We have created a school that works for children, but also for the people raising them.
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