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The principal goal of most preparatory schools is, as the name suggests, to prepare children for entry to public school, usually at 13 years of age. Most preparatory schools, however, especially boarding schools, seek to do much more. English preparatory schools were founded on the principle that the early years's of a child's life are critical to the development of academic skills, and more importantly his or her character. Terrington insists that to "cope successfully with life in our competitve world, children need not only a sound foundation, but also strength of character and self confidence to face the pressures and challenges of modern society." Twyford tells parents, a good prep school "sends out its boys with the sound foundations of character well and truly laid, and with that sturdy independence which will enable a boy to stand on his own feet."
While many characteristics of the prep schools have changed, many fundamental traditional goals continue at many schools. Theories of education have undergone great changes in the past generation and these changes have significantly affected teaching methods at the modern prepschools. Most schools have added a wide range of activities to braden the range of the curiculum and to add diversion an interest. The atmosphere of the schools and physical amenities have also changed making the schools much more pleasant places to live and learn. Despite these changes most schools have retained much of the prep school tradition. Schools still stress their key role in promoting traditional values: responsible behavior, good manners, respect for authority, and consideration for others, along with a commitment to the Christian faith. Classroom organization tends to be very traditional. Alleyn Court school in Essex, like many schools, tells prospective parents that, "The training of character is considered of first importance, and special emphasis is. laid upon the necessity of proper behavior and good manners at all times." Colston's tells parents in Bristol (county?) that "stress is laid as much on character development as
on academic progress." A good description of the charcter the schools aim to promote is provided by Streete Court, "He learns to speak the truth even when this is damaging to his own cause; to appreciate the point of view of others; to apply reason and understanding when views conflict and to acquire the habits of industry, discrimination and self-discipline."
Many prep schools are convinced that their goals can best be achieved in a boarding setting. Here the schools see benefits in both the academic program and in the character building aspect of the prep school program. Boarders have far fewer distractions than at home. The most obvious difference is television, but the boys spend less time on video ganmes and other activities that many spend time with. And it should not be thought that prep school children are constantly working. Many are involved in more outdoor play and the older children more games (sports) than stay at home children. The girls spend less time on fashion and other matters. This frees up considerable time for other activities like reading, study, and a range of activities like learning musical instruments. Schools strongly incourage the children to read. It is safe to say that the average prep school boarder reeds more than their counterparts at home. There are other benefits as well flowing from boarding. Sone of these are the interpersonal relations coming from living together with other children. The boarding schools insist that these character traits can best be inculcated in a boarding environment, partially explaing why so many schools incourage the children, especially the senior children, to board. This once almost went unsaid and parents saw boarding as an inseperable part of the educational process. This has changed in modern Britain. Many parents are increasingly reluctant to board their children, especially at the traditional entry age of about 8 years of age. Increasingly they believe that younger children are better off with their parents.
Many in Britain see preparatory schools as a bastion of privlige and old fashioned methods and objectives. Many Britons had their views of prep schools indelibaly set by the BBC documentary "7 Up" where three little prep school boys who had not yet learned disgression openly discussed their school in an extrodinarily prigish manner. We suspect that this was not an uncommon attitude at the time. As far as we can tell, there have been substantail changes at most prep schools. Gone are the days when these schools were bastions of snobbery teaching upper-class etiquette, although in the public mind this image persits. Many schools have significantly shifted their educational aims and the atmosphere at the schools. We saw none of this among the children we visited, and certainly no effort by the schools to inculcate this kind of thinking. The headmaster at Harecroft reports that, "To those outside what goes in a prep school is often something of an enigma, even to the people living right on our doorstep. So many feel that schools such as ours are for the surpassingly intelligent only; that we are populated entirely by whizz-kids from the professional classes; that we are exclusive; that we still attach supreme importance to Latin, Greek, fagging and corporal punishment; and that we look inwards' and backwards; rather then upwards and forwards."
Modern schools have a variety of goals, but most now emphasize their desire to help a child develop his or her abilities in a caring atmoshpere. Many now stress that their goal is to help form a well-rounded child. Various schools importance to a variety of goals, common among the many goals mentioned are: tradition, idealism, individuality discipline, personal attention, and happiness. A brief review of the principal aims of various school as explained during the 1980s give an instrutive overview of the goals of a modern English preparatory school. Note in particular how so many schools stress the importance of hapinesss. This would have been less important at pre-World War II schools. Also note that the schools tend to stress personal development over skills and achievement per se.
A good indicator of how the orientation of prep schools have changes is the prospectuses prepared for prospective parents. Not too many years ago, many schools would prepare a prospectus with photographs of the major main school buildings, facilities, chapel, dining room,and other important facilities. Often schools would carefully photograph these facilities without the children. Such prospectuses were common in the 1950s and 60s. The prospectus prepared by Ellingham Hall in Northumberland in the 1970s is a good example of such a prospectus. Other schools had prospectuses including many pictures of facilities pictured without the children. Most schools have now changed the focus of the schools from the facilities to the children. Itis a rare school now that does not have a prospectus emphasizing the children with many smiling faces. Many schools take pains to show comfottable, homey dormitories, often with small groups of children clustered around the headmaster and his wife to share an evening snack or with matron to enjoy a bedtime story.
One aspect that many prep schools stress is personal develoment. Note the number of schools which stress the goal of helping a child realize their capabilities and preparing for a full life. This is much more common than any focus on academic, artistic, or athletic achievement. Most schools attach great importance to personal development. Here they are not just talking about skills, but often character and values. While academic skills have increased in importance, modern preparatory schools still seek to provide an education that includes more than just academic subjects designed to teach facts and skills. Prep schools continue to lay great stress in building character. This is especially true of the boarding schools. While much has changed at Britain's prep schools, the core of the program continues with many of the basic approaches. The modern prep schools, like their Victorian predecesors, continue to promote values.
While the fundamental goals are relatively standard, there are significant differences among schools. One of the more important differences is the balance different schools maintain between competition and cooperation. Many schools foster the competitive spirit, both in academic work and sports and even in recreational activities. Children are told just how they stand in their form. Some schools tend to give greater emphasis to cooperative activities, but it is probably safe to say that prep schools in general more vigorously encourage competition than schools in the state sector. Even so, more and more schools 'stress that they are seeking to turn out a happy, well rounded child. The goal of encouraging and rewarding achievement runs deep in the ethos of most prep schools, founded as they are to prepare children for the public schools. Many schools were founded by men educated at public schools and a considerable portion of the staff came from the public schools. One difficult decession is how to reward achievement without discouraging those who do not achieve as fast as the others. Sometimes the decession seems relatively obvious. The general approach at most prep schools is clearly to reward real achievement and proper behavior. Some educators would no doubt agree with the mother described above and ttempt to avoid discouraging young children. On the other hand it may well be more of a kindness to ensure in a secure environment that a child begins to understand his strengths and weekness to assess his capabilities in a realistic way. What educators sometimes loose sight of is that it is not just the clever who succeed in life. Motivation and character often more than make up for lack of innate intelligence.
The question arrises as to how successful prep schools have been in meeting their goals. Preparatory schools are ndeed remarakably successful academic institutions. Much of this success is due to the preservation of many of the characteristics of early prep schools, a commited staff, challenges, invidual attention, and academics. Modern schools have, however, incorporated many changes, not the least of which is the development of a much more friendly, secure atmosphere than was common only a generation ago. The results has been the development of highly effect schools.
