Deputy Head of Brighton College Prep Kensington, Chris Cripps, on Pastoral Care
We have exciting times ahead here at Brighton College Prep Kensington as we prepare to open our doors in September 2023 as a co-educational prep school for 2-13 years olds in the heart of Kensington.
Not only will we be providing our pupils with a Brighton College academic experience, we will also ensure we are delivering the incredible pastoral care that exists within the Brighton College family of schools.
I have been fortunate enough to be a part of the Brighton College family of schools for over a decade, having worked at the multi-award winning Handcross Park School in West Sussex for 10 years, most recently as the Deputy Head of Pastoral, where I have experienced inspirational pastoral care in action and its impact on the success of young people.
At Brighton College Prep Kensington, the philosophy is that only happy children will thrive and reach their potential. One of the many reasons Brighton College pupils achieve incredible accolades around the world, whether it is in the arts, on the sports field or in academic achievements, is because they work with passionate teachers who invest time in building self-esteem, confidence and an understanding of the world and their place in it.
Pupils are encouraged to be themselves and flourish as individuals who understand their own goals are unique to them. And whatever that goal is, it is our responsibility to ensure each child is challenged and encouraged to reach their potential. This can be achieved through our dedicated team of staff but will only be truly successful if it is delivered alongside an outstanding provision of pastoral care.
At Brighton College Prep Kensington, our emphasis will be on the importance of pupil wellbeing, where kindness will be within the very fabric of everyday school life.
We believe that with a community approach to pastoral care we can help our pupils achieve excellence. We will be encouraging our parents to be part of our school, with pastoral seminars and talks on topics such as ‘online gaming and safety’ and ‘conflict resolution’ taking place. These seminars will allow us to give advice or offer expert council on practical ways parents can support their children at home.
We also believe a child’s education should be about the ‘whole self’. Through a strong partnership between home and school we can foster self-aware, community minded, kind and curious children.
We are lucky enough to have London as our classroom with exhibitions at the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the V&A becoming part of daily life. Our 2-acre secret garden, accessible directly from our ground floor classrooms and our school hall, allows an outdoor education to be embedded into the curriculum from an early age. This enables pupils to build curiosity, inspires them to become life-long learners and helps us ensure wellbeing can be at the heart of everything we do.
If you’d like to learn more about Brighton College Prep Kensington, visit www.brightoncollegeprepkensington.co.uk.
If you want to chat with their admissions team directly ring 020 7591 4628 or email at admissions@brightoncollegeprepkensington.co.uk.
