Figure 1.-- We found at almost all the schools we visited happy, cheerful children. Most of the schools made a considerable effort to create a homey environment and took special care with the younger chilkdren. |
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British preparatory schools seek to develop a spirit of responsibility and concern for others. This is especially important in a boarding school where the school becomes an important part in a child's life. A boarder spends more time at school with his teachers and school mates than at home. Successful boarding schools now make a concerted effort to develop the atmosphere of a home away from home. Many British preparatory schools were once austere, rather forboding places for children. Happily, preparatory schools have significantly changed for the better in the past 25 years in this area. Headmasters and their wives at successful schools invariably make great effort to meet the emotional needs of the children entrusted to their care. There are a variety of reasons why these changes have come about. Certainly children now have more say in matters that concern in the past. Many schools give great attention to the atmospere of the school. Most schools provide rigorous academic studies, small classes, and challenging and interesting activities. But it is the atmosphere of the schools which can vary greatly. Many varied factors determine the tone and atmoshere at a school. The tone and atmosphere of preparatory schools vary significantly from school to school. Some schools continue to have quite strict, formal approaches. The number of schools which such strict discipline has declined sharply in recent years. Most schools are now much more informal. Most make a point of stressing their efforts to create a happy,' comportable atmosphere to allay the concerns of parents worried about boarding for young children. Prep schools describe the atmoshere they seek to create in various ways. These brief descriptions give an indication as to what the schools are seeking to achieve. As to how well they are accomplishing their goal, parents ill have to assess. Some children remember with considerable affection their time at prep school.
British preparatory schools seek to develop a spirit of responsibility and concern for others. This is especially important in a boarding school where the school becomes an important part in a child's life. A boarder spends more time at school with his teachers and school mates than at home. Successful boarding schools now make a concerted effort to develop the atmosphere of a home away from home. Often children have been in the same school for 5 years, or more if they started in a pre-preparatory department. These children have virtually grown up with each other and in many schools show considerable concern for each other. But such caring environments do not occur by accident. They require the hard work of a sensitive, dedicated staff. Where the staff is not actively involved in guiding and counseling the children, a very different atmosphere can develop.
Many British preparatory schools were once austere, rather forboding places for children. Many British authors have left us with troubling images of their school days. Not all authors describe unhappy experiences, but many do. Bleak dormitories, poor food, corporal punishment, bullying, and unsympathetic masters are some of the principal complaints.
Happily, preparatory schools have significantly changed for the better in the past 25 years in this area. Headmasters and their wives at successful schools invariably make great effort to meet the emotional needs of the children entrusted to their care. There are a variety of reasons why these changes have come about. Certainly children now have more say in matters that concern in the past. All too often until after World War II, a boy was sent to a school his parents chose, a he was expected to grin and bare the conditions there. Now children are more likely to compalin if they are unhappy and parents are much more likely to act on those compalints. Another key factor is the advent of coeducation. Many scools have had to adapt to the arrival of girls. This has meant for the most part the introduction of improved amenities. The spartan quarters often seen as acceptable for boys were not seen as accdeptablr for girls. And of course the schools could not have two standards for boys and girls. So the arrival of girls often brought an upgrading of amenities for the boys.
Many schools give great attention to the atmospere of the school. Most schools provide rigorous academic studies, small classes, and challenging and interesting activities. But it is the atmosphere of the schools which can vary greatly. Many varied factors determine the tone and atmoshere at a school. There are the tangible factors such as good equipment and facilities and bright and cheerful surroundings. Perhaps even more important, however, are the less tangible factors such as level of individual attention ensuring that the children's academic and emotional needs are met; the selection of faculty committed to working with the children both inside and outside the classroom; and a school organized to ensure that each child sees himself as an important part of a larger group. Children of prep school age need to have some one which they feel free to bring their problems, both large and small. Schools vary considerably on the individual attention offered and the, the level and quality of custodial care. Such and atmposhere is critical to the success of any school. As the Downs School in Worcester explains, "it is this atmoshere that a child will grow up in confidence; develop the habit of good manners and consideration for others; and lear how to live hapily and constructively in a family community with other boys and girls of the same age."
Certainly one aspect of the atmosphere of a modern prep school is the seriousness and businesslike ambiance of the classroom. The children do not fool arond, although some like any children might like to. Rather the children very seriously approach their studies. This is not to say that there is not humor and inquiry. It is to say that the children get right down to work and persue their assignments and class room activities with commitment and often enthusiasm. There is a general agreement among the children that this is what theu should be doing and that there studies are a beneficial effort. There is not a lot of playing about and certainly rarely any roudy behavior. Here some schools believe that the uniform, especially a formal uniforms, helps to express upon the children the seriousness of their studies, although many schools have introduced more informal uniforms as well.
The seriousness with which the masters and children pursue their work should not be overstated. Actually a teacher with aell desciplined can have nore fun with the children and engage in more different activities than aeacher who does not have his or her class under control. And a competent teacher can find ways of making learning fun. This does not mean that much of what traspires is not hard work, but an effective teacher can make at least some of it fun in aay appropriate to the age level of the children. In addition, there are recesses (breaks), free time, activity programs, and various diversions for the children to have fun outside of the classroom. And one of the nice aspects of boarding is that there is always some one around to have fun with. There are games, sports equipment, and facilities, and grounds where the children can pursue most anything a child woukld want to pursue. And we found generally happy children pursuing all kinds of activities bith insu=ide and outside depending on the weather. And this is an important part of the atmpsphere at a successful prep school.
The tone and atmosphere of preparatory schools vary significantly from school to school. Some schools continue to have quite strict, formal approaches. At one school, for example, children had to stop and stand against the wall when adults passed in the halls. Several schools restrict conversation during meals. The number of schools which such strict discipline has declined sharply in recent years. Most schools are now much more informal. Most make a point of stressing their efforts to create a happy,' comportable atmosphere to allay the concerns of parents worried about boarding for young children. The headmaster at Prestfelde describes why he chose the school to both work and raise his children: "One of the reasons was certainly space: separated buildings and spacious grounds meant that there was no feeling of being cramped in or not having freedom to play. Then the relationship between staff and boys seemed right: there was no feeling of large men shouting at small boys, or of not caring them, or caring only for the successful in work or games, nor that the school ceased at four or five o'clock. It was a school where people lived, and day boys, also, could stay long an be part of whatever was going on. The school had its own Chapel too, a centre where boys could feel that religion was not apart from life."
Prep schools describe the atmoshere they seek to create in various ways. Most schools seek to build a family atmosphere and are small enough to achieve it. Here there is often a delicate ballance between competition and cooperation. Some schools do a better job of creating a harmonious ballance than others. Not only is a family atmoshere the relationship most schools attempt to create with the staff, but they also encourage the children to look on the schools as family. As a result, the children commonly build close friendships. And at the successful schools there is a real feeking of community among both the staff and childrem. These brief descriptions give an indication as to what the schools are seeking to achieve. As to how well they are accomplishing their goal, parents will have to assess.
Some children remember with considerable affection their time at prep school:
Bramcote: "I have felt as if I was a member of a very, very large family. Mr. Bowles has been just like a second father, Miss Upton like a nanny. I think the masters have helped me a lot, they give up their free time to help any boys and organize extra activities." Martin, 13
Anyone familiar with English literature has read both fictional and non-fiction accounts of schools. Some authors recall their schools with some affection. Many more do not. We are unsure if this reflects on the number of unhappy schools or more likely the fact that the more literary minded are more likely to become authors. Many schools seem to have been very strictly run with frequent resort to corporal punishment of various sorts. As best we can tell, this was still very common through the 1950s. This was not the situation we found when we visited the schools. We noted happy, but well belhaved children that went about their daily activities with no real need for correction or certainly no corporal punishment. Few schools resorted to corporal punishment and instead used a wide range of more positive approaches. The results was a large number of very happy schools with none of the oppresive air that once marked many of these schools. We noted a sunstantial diversity in approaches to discipline at the schools we visited and this significantly affected the overall atmosphere at the school.
The names used at the schools are interesting. The conventions here vary quite a bit from school to school and reflect in part the atmosphere at the school. Traditionally last names were used alng with additioins for brithers like Minor and Major. Today the conventions concerning how the staff and children are called are much more varied. The trend toward coeducation in the 1970s played a major role in creating the diversity found at the schools today. There is now a greater informality, but a number of schools are still quite formal.
Many British writers mebtion bullying as a problem at their schools. Even some readers has mentioned this as problem. Certainly is a serious problem at some state schools. We saw very little evidence of bullying at the schools we visited. In fact we noted a very carying enviroment. The staff very closely looked after the children and encouraged a carrying attitude among the children. Most schools take great care to ensure that the bullying that was often reported at earlier prepschools no longer occurs. Barfield in Surrey tells parents, "One of the esential principles of the system is that all boys shall, at all times, be under direct but friendly supervision. This ensures that anything approaching bullying is immediately reported to the Headmaster, and shy or nervous boys are specially encouraged and helped by the master on duty." Evidence shows that there is little physical bullying at modern prep schools, but "emotional opression" can make children just as unhappy at school at it more difficult to identify. Moor Park tells parents that they "... want the children to learn to stick up for themselves but not to the hurt of others. Equally we want the stronger among them to learn moderation toward the weaker for after all it is the mark of any civilized society; a test of its civilsation, whatever kind of community, that it can look after its weaker members, and help them to grow in that community."
