Education has never been such an important and heavily debated issue. As we continue to ride the pandemic rollercoaster, it is our children who find themselves pushed and pulled around as policies change overnight, and the return to home learning hides around every corner.

It has also become clear that our school communities can react to rapidly changing circumstances with agility, compassion and continuity, and that our children are blessed with an admirable and enviable resilience.

Independent schools have always had the advantage of significantly smaller class sizes and better pupil-to-teacher ratios, benefits that matter more now than ever.

South Wales Argus: Independent schools have always had the advantage of significantly smaller class sizesIndependent schools have always had the advantage of significantly smaller class sizes

They also have dedicated subject teachers from pre-prep upwards, meaning even their youngest pupils can be taught subjects such as French, art, swimming and music in well-equipped facilities with specialist staff who are ready to move online at a moment’s notice.

At Dean Close St John’s Prep school in Chepstow, pupils thrived during the first lock-downs and returned to school knowing that their learning environment would be both safe and supportive, with small bubbles, an on-site school nurse and a new wellbeing suite.

While academic continuity remains a huge focus, happiness is also a fundamental aspect of life at St John’s, where children are allowed to discover what childhood is really all about – freedom, fun and the importance of independence.

If you’d like to find out more about what real childhood means at Dean Close St John’s, please register for our February and March open mornings – or if you would like a conversation with headmaster Nick Thrower about what an Independent education can offer your child, please contact:

Email: admissions@deanclosestjohns.org.uk 

Tele: 01291 635 382

Web: www.deanclosestjohns.org.uk