teacher and children

Let’s start at the very beginning

 A Teacher’s Experience by Jess Williams, Junior 1 Teacher

During the Early Years at Bedstone we don’t teach the curriculum, we teach the children. We take into account the needs of individuals and their strengths and weaknesses, extending and improving, supporting and nurturing. This approach allows us to truly bring out the best in every child, discovering their talents and interests to give them the very best learning experiences and opportunities.

People often ask me why parents choose to send their children to an independent school when they are as young as 4 years old. In the words of Julie Andrews “Let’s start at the very beginning, it’s a very good place to start!” If we can secure the foundations of education within each child from the beginning, they will grow and achieve great things, they are capable of amazing things even from that young, tender age.

Basic skills are key, on a daily basis we provide fun, kinaesthetic Numeracy lessons that secure each child’s understanding of numbers, shapes, space and measurements. We open children’s eyes to the world of reading through our Letters and Sounds sessions, enabling all children to immerse themselves in new worlds of literature. We encourage these children to pick up their pencil and scribe their thoughts, their ideas and their dreams.

Bedstone is a wonderful place to work, and an even more special place to be educated. Our ethos is that we are all part of ‘the Bedstone family’. Small classes enable the teachers to know the children in such detail, we know what they can achieve. I do not need to look back in my children’s book to see if one of them has fully grasped the concept of repeating patterns, I just know. I know what makes each child ‘tick’, I know what their interests are and their individual capabilities, I know their weaknesses and their fears, the lessons they struggle with and the obstacles they face.

Every summer Bedstone celebrates success, whether it academic, sporting or creative in our annual Speech Day. Children as young as year 2 are warmly welcomed upon stage to receive their award. The sense of pride when I see the children I have taught over the years, take to the stage to receive their awards is something that cannot be put into words. Bedstone offers education from Reception all the way to A Level, it’s an education for life.

So would I send my own child here? Yes! Part of the reason I took the job at Bedstone was so that one day my children could be a known and valued member of a small class. In a place where they felt confident to share their thoughts and ideas. Where they would be encouraged to try and pushed to succeed. I want them to come to a place where they will make lifelong friends, where they can be HAPPY! I once heard a Head Girl describe how she came to Bedstone seven years earlier, and how she felt like Hermione Granger walking around Hogwarts for the first time. That is what I want for my children, I want them to see and experience the magic of Bedstone.

If you would like to book a tour of the Junior School and meet Mrs Williams and the other teachers, please get in touch with us on: 01547 530961 or email: admissions@bedstone.org

Teacher and children