School of the Week: St John's-On-The-Hill

For the first time in its 93 year history, the independent prep school appointed a female head teacher in Ruth Frett.

Formerly of Cranleigh School, where she ran a boarding house for 116 girls, Mrs Frett brings experience to her new role.

Having been a professional singer for more than a decade, as well as performing on Radio 4 and in shows across the world, Mrs Frett also brings her passion for music and performing arts to the pupil's at St John's.

Mrs Frett, who has been in her role for 13 weeks, praised the school and its 180 pupils for their welcome and the “community spirit” which it fosters.

She said: “The atmosphere has been amazing and there's a real excitement at the school.

“The first thing I did was get to know all of the children at the school, what they are enjoying about it and what they were looking to achieve.

“These are children that are buzzing and want to be a part of the community.”

A strong part of St John's ethos is that the school, its students, teachers and other staff, are a family.

The school's boarding house has six dormitories capable of housing 36 pupils with around half of that number currently boarding at the school.

Boarders also get the opportunity to be taken out by teachers on the weekends for extra-curricular activities such as cinema trips and ice skating.

“What I love is children who will come up and tell me what they've done in the day,” said Mrs Frett.

“It's very informal and helps to nurture that idea of the school being one big family.”

A sense of community spirit extends outward from the school's listed-building facade and into its extensive grounds.

Pupils are coached by specialist teachers in rugby, cricket, hockey, netball and tennis among other sports.

Every Wednesday afternoon and Saturday the school faces off against Welsh and English school teams in inter-school fixtures.

St John's athletes also compete in regional and national competitions throughout the year.

“I think that we punch well above our weight as we play sides with larger pools from which to pick players,” said Mrs Frett.

“From what I've seen so far we don't stand on the sidelines, we get stuck in.

“This has led to success when playing other schools. We play with passion and heart.”

Pupils also have a presence in the communities that surround them, with each of the four houses – Severn House, Dean House, Wye House and Gwent House - having the chance to raise money for their own charities earlier this year.

Football tournaments, fancy dress and dances were among several events held by the school this year, raising thousands for local and national charities.

The layout of the school, and the way in which it delivers its stimulating subjects, has seen some changes over the last year.

The school's library has been relocated, allowing more bookcases and room for students, with several of the classrooms undergoing renovations.

“We're seeing massive developments across the school, which shows that we are investing in our pupils,” said Mrs Frett.

St John's offers the chance for its students to get ahead of their peers, most notably in areas such as the sciences.

The science department, headed by Dave Bennett, gives pupils the chance to get hands-on experience in the subject with experiments in the the science labs as well as away on regular field trips.

With a background in music, Mrs Frett is keen to praise the work of St John's musical director Dave Mitchell.

The school's budding musicians were recently given the chance to perform alongside Scott McKeon, fiddle player with Caldicot indie-roots band Rusty Shackle,

The visit coincided with a special assembly they launching a new folk music club at the school called the “Celtic Club”.

Mr Mitchell said: “The club will cater for children who have never picked up an instrument as well as our more experienced musicians and if our assembly is anything to go by it will be great fun.”

Along with the traditional subjects, Mrs Frett said that a large part of her own teaching ethos, and that of the school's, is to teach important life skills.

“We're looking to the next 15 to 20 years with out students, not just the rest of their secondary education,” said Mrs Frett.

“There the saying that around 40 percent of the jobs they will be going into haven't been invented yet, so we want to to build a resilience in them so that they can deal with whatever life throws at them.

Once pupils reach the end of Year 8, they must leave the comforts of the school perched above the Wye to continue their education – but Mrs Frett is adamant that leavers will be fully enriched from their experiences.

“People always talk about being happy but happiness is a bi-product of feeling secure, valued and loved.

“Children can only learn in an environment where they are valued and listened to, and have people around them who are passionate about their futures.

“Our role is to provide this cushion of support, so there is no limit to what children can achieve.”

FACT FILE

St John's-On-The-Hill School, Chepstow

Headteacher: Ruth Frett

Number of pupils: 180 aged between three and 13

Chairman of the Trustees: Kathryn Carden

Warden of Dean Close Schools: Jonathan Lancashire