Priory School exists to educate the whole child—one who is both emotionally intelligent and sensitive, and who has become the very best speaker, listener, reader, writer, designer, performer, and competitor they can be. The difference a school can make to a child’s literacy and numeracy skills, for instance, is miniscule compared to the environment that a school and home can provide together.
At Priory School, we know that a child can only grow in fertile soil that contains love, patience, kindness, and warmth. From that springs the pretty flowers and petals of grades and academic achievements. But as parents of children who have become adults know, it is what has been forged in those very young hearts and minds that will determine their social, emotional, and professional blossoming throughout life.
We do not seek for a young person to “peak” at age 11, 13, or 18. We seek an upward trajectory throughout their entire life. This demands that a child is treated as a unique individual, on their own terms, subject to their own headwinds and tailwinds, flourishing in an environment so flexible that they are never forced to become round pegs in square holes. Before my own children were born, I may have felt my role was to focus on their first eighteen years, but I quickly realised that a truly loving parent sets their sights on their first eighty years, removing the arbitrary pressures and demands that might prevent them from becoming their true self during childhood.
This is why the very best schools think about the whole child when they reflect on their core beliefs and mission. Priory will never be an ‘exam factory’ that turns the wheel to generate cookie-cutter kids. Instead, it will, of course, pursue the very highest academic standards for every single child, but never at the expense of dampening or crushing their spirit or uniqueness.
I invite you to read more in the sections on ‘Our Catholic Heritage’, ‘Our Curriculum’, and ‘Our Approach to Teaching, Learning & Assessment’.
