PREPARED. FOR EVERYTHING:
HOW PRINCE’S GARDENS PREPARATORY SCHOOL LAUNCHED DURING LOCKDOWN
How and where we educate our children is in the spotlight as never before. The focus on technology: from remote learning to VR and AI, the benefit of green spaces, the social and emotional benefits of school, beyond academics, are all paramount. Educators need to create environments and deliver teaching that will prepare children for a future that can’t be predicted. We spoke to Alison Melrose, Headmistress at Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School, who told us about her about her experience of launching a pioneering new educational space during a pandemic.
Building Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School was always going to be ambitious. Future-facing while preserving history, the brief from our parent group, Cognita, was to create the ‘best prep school in London’. The opportunity to build a new school from scratch, especially a pioneering one, is an exciting prospect for a head. But when we embarked upon the project several years ago, little did we imagine that our school motto, ‘Prepared for Everything’, would also apply to us!
The main challenge we faced was uncertainty regarding the building works. Transforming four Victorian townhouses in central London into a state-of-the-art educational space, while conserving the best parts of history, was already a complex project. But when COVID hit, and supplies and manpower were diverted to the Nightingale Hospital, we had to work to alternative plans. Being adaptable is an important life skill. We work on it with the children, but it applies equally to our staff, and I am proud of the way everyone pulled together to make our opening in September an incredible success, though in a temporary building.
Despite the adversity of 2020, I am delighted to say that we have now moved into the new school building and our location is second to none. We have so much space, with room to breathe and grow: not only do we have access to a huge two-acre private garden and Hyde Park five minutes’ walk away, but being in the heart of the city means London truly is our classroom. Some of the world’s greatest museums are close by, and they form a key part of our broad and engaging curriculum – bringing learning to life! We can hold concerts at the Royal Academy of Music across the road or go next door to Imperial College’s fantastic sports centre for games and swimming classes. No buses, no packed lunches. It’s all on our doorstep and part of a normal day at Prince’s Gardens.
We place a strong emphasis on wellbeing at Prince’s Gardens. In addition to all the outdoor space we have access to, we bring the outside in, following biophilic principles with proven benefits to academic progress and overall health. Our specialist STEAM spaces are designed to engage children with their learning as we focus on key skills in communication, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. And while technology is important, our well-trained staff understand how to integrate it within learning as an extension to every child’s pencil case. Finally, we are engaging with local industry to teach real-world finance, business and commerce skills. All of which are essential ingredients to nurture young children with the resilience and curiosity to ensure happiness and success in our ever-changing world.
We have been working towards the launch of Prince’s Gardens for several years and are very excited to be able to deliver our education to children in London, despite the challenges of the pandemic. In a future we can’t predict, we all need to be flexible. Our building and location provide us with incredible facilities, making it easy to deliver our curriculum, but as ever, it is the school community, which is at its heart.
Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School is a new independent school, for boys and girls aged 3 – 11, in the heart of Kensington. For more information see www.princesgardensprep.co.uk
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