SCHOOL OF THE WEEK: Haberdashers’ Agincourt School and Nursery

It’s a new era for staff and children at one school in Monmouth having welcomed a new headmistress in the last academic year.

More than a year after taking the helm of Haberdashers’ Agincourt School and Nursery, Jennie Phillips is relishing her role at the school, which lies on the outskirts of the town.

Mrs Phillips has immersed herself into school life and said she feels very lucky to have joined the thriving school.

“It is my dream job.”

“I am very lucky to have a dedicated and enthusiastic team of staff, who work very hard to ensure that each and every child feels valued and happy,” explained Mrs Phillips.

“The enthusiasm of my staff is fantastic.”

“The small class sizes and excellent support staff allow us to know and understand our children extremely well.”

“There is a great feeling of support and it does feel like a family.”

She strongly believes that learning should be relevant, meaningful, enjoyable and personalised for each child.

“We do our utmost to ensure every day is a rewarding and enjoyable experience for everyone in the school community.

“Through our teaching we equip children with the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to be able to make informed choices in other areas of life.”

“They learn all the skills here. This foundation is built upon when they move on to our preparatory schools, Inglefield House and The Grange in the Haberdashers’ family.”

With her second school year underway Mrs Phillips, who also teaches one lesson to every class each week, has already introduced several initiatives and made changes to the school.

“I wanted to keep the traditional elements whilst introducing interactive projectors and iPads into each classroom, as well as laptops in the IT room, which we use for editing.”

“I wanted to create a balance between a modern style and keeping a family atmosphere where manners are important and children are taught to respect each other.”

From learning in the forest schools area to learning about castles, chess club and playing sports –no two days are the same at Agincourt.

“The whole school is following our creative curriculum which means everyone studies the same topic which this term is ‘Turrets and Tiaras.”

Each year group explores castles, princesses, dragons and knights through stories, science, history, geography and castle visits.

During the first week of term the children visited several castles in the area and recently spent the day at Raglan Castle. The topic is incorporated into their science lessons which see them learn about drawbridge mechanisms.

“We try to do something magical each week. A ‘dragon’s egg’ mysteriously appeared on the top of their welly shed so that the children would discover it when they arrived in school the following morning.”

“They were so enchanted. We want to inspire their creativity and love of learning and it was one of many experiences that engages and enthuses them.”

“Next term we will study the world and each class will ‘visit’ a different country through various people coming to visit us and workshops such as drumming.”

“The parents have been fantastic and really supportive. We get them involved in as much as we can, with many volunteering to either help fundraise through the Friends of Agincourt School or by running clubs like gardening and drama.”

The school has a range of clubs on offer at lunchtimes and after-school that include a ball skills, sewing, bird watching and a popular Deconstruction club in which the children take apart items such as a laptop.

Among the popular activities the children enjoy is chess. Taught by coach Kevin Thomas there has been an explosion of interest with 50 children taking up the game.

He said: “The benefits children get from playing chess include an increased concentration, learning how to lose and developing social skills.

“I think they enjoy winning and the fact that no two games are ever the same.

“We hold several events annual at Monmouth, including the forthcoming Welsh Junior Championships.”

Music, singing and sport also play an important part of life at Agincourt.

Mrs Phillips is a firm believer that learning outside the classroom is high on the agenda. One of her first changes when she arrived at the school was to provide each child with purple wet weather heavy duty outfits so that they can go outside whatever the weather.

“We are blessed with beautiful grounds, which provide endless opportunities for learning through discovery, forest school activities and fun.”

“Learning outside can make science fun rather than learning from a textbook in the classroom. At the centre of everything is that the children are happy when they are learning. It’s hands-on all the time.”

“The conservation area, pond and vegetable garden encourages children to explore habitats and plant growth, as well as encouraging them to take responsibility for their own surroundings. We also have an excellent array of play equipment to encourage athletic and imaginative play.”

There is an active school council and eco monitors who have a strong voice in the running of the school.

“They had an impact on the school menu and have asked for lots of extra clubs and activities. They also created a meadow for wildlife last year. Last year my year two leavers asked the governor’s permission to build a chicken run and after research and contacting suppliers did so. We supplied two chickens and two ducklings and the children are responsible for their care.

The children’s efforts are rewarded every Thursday at a special assembly, hosted by Gilbert the puppet. Each week a star is chosen from each class and certificates handed out for their achievements as well as stickers for those who have tried hard.

“Our motto is that we never give up.”

“It’s an exciting time with Christmas fast-approaching. We are preparing for our festive production at The Blake Theatre.”

When asked what she hopes the children will leave with, she replied: “Learning skills is really important and giving them an enduring enthusiasm for learning.

“Fundamentally we want them to take with them magical memories of their time at Agincourt”

FACTFILE

School: Haberdashers’ Agincourt School and Nursery,

Address: Dixton Lane, Monmouth.

An independent pre-preparatory school for boys and girls.

Headmistress: Jennie Phillips

Ages: 3-7

Pupils on roll: 136

Chair of Agincourt School Committee: Caroline Davis

Last Inspection:

Estyn last inspected the school in May 2013 and found that most children make good progress in line with their age and ability. Learning experiences are fun and exciting and that resources are of good quality. The accommodation both indoors and outdoors is used effectively to enhance children’s experiences and wellbeing; and the relationship between adults and the children is very good. Almost all children use numbers naturally in their daily activities and enjoy taking part in practical mathematical activities and learning number rhymes. The setting makes worthwhile use of the expertise of its parents and the school community to provide additional learning experiences that have a beneficial impact on children’s skills.