Junior School Headteacher Mrs Brown explains why girls here positively thrive.

At Redmaids’ High Junior School, we focus on the ‘whole child’. This means developing all aspects of a pupils’ character, and supporting their personal interests and talents, alongside their academic studies. We provide an extensive range of opportunities, to ensure we achieve this aim, and have a school culture that encourages every pupil to ‘have a go’ without fear of failure.

This emphasis on character development is something we know our parents really value, because when you help a child to solve problems, to communicate effectively, to work independently and to lead, you build a really strong foundation for future growth. Soft skills, such as kindness and consideration for others, also play their part so these young people grow up to be responsible young adults.

The chances to learn and grow start in the classroom. Here, our teachers plan differentiated tasks and encourage pupils to take responsibility for their own success. Within each topic, the girls are guided to select the level that reflects their current understanding so they can make appropriate progress. They each keep a learning diary and analyse what went well and what needs more work. Weekly review sessions allow them time to reflect on this, make corrections, extend their knowledge and / or seek help if required. This approach means they start taking ownership of their learning, which in turn builds self-reliance.

Of course, they are backed by a team of experienced educators who systemically monitor and track progress to quickly identify any child who needs additional guidance, or who could be stretched even further.

Beyond this, a real strength of our school, is the way we make learning fun and interactive. Intellectual challenges may come in the form of national science, maths or ‘memory’ quizzes, creative writing competitions or industry-led robotics events. Young people also gain so much from physical activities, be that team sport fixtures against other schools, or adventurous days out spent sailing, orienteering, climbing, camping or caving. Then there are the arts. Not only do our girls love taking part in recitals, concerts, plays and productions, we know there is an academic benefit too. Research from Birkbeck University London, published in 2019, informs us that live theatre boosts academic performance, social bonding, and emotional and cognitive skills in children. 

In addition, our well-resourced art studio is a place where girls get to be bold and take risks, to have a go and make mistakes as they create, conceive, collaborate, imagine, adapt, build, fabricate, invent, and have fun!

These outstanding opportunities and targeted academic interventions, along with our small class sizes, mean that every girl here is known and understood. From the minute they join us, we see them thrive and flourish – something we take enormous pride in. But to fully appreciate all we offer here, I warmly invite you to pay us a visit.