While for most families the Summer holiday offers a much-needed opportunity to relax, it can also be a useful time to plan, to reflect on what’s going well, and to explore positive changes that can be made.
At Ashville Prep School, planning and reflection have been key themes this Summer term, after we welcomed an inspirational new leader, Mr Asa Firth, in April. With years of international experience, including a headship at Dubai’s top independent school, one of his key priorities in his first term was to undertake a full audit of the school, during which he spent a lot of time getting to know current pupils, parents and staff and listening to their views and experiences. The findings will contribute towards the strategic direction in which he will take Ashville Prep School from September.
For parents who are considering alternatives to their child’s current school, applying for Reception this Autumn, or who are moving to the area, we thought it would be helpful after Mr Firth’s initial assessment, to share the five main reasons why Ashville Prep School might be a good fit for your child.
1. The size is ‘just right’
Enjoying a dedicated site, as well as facilities offered by Ashville’s wider 64-acre campus near Harrogate, the Prep School is not too big and overwhelming for our children, but equally it is not so small that it lacks variety and life. Mr Firth uses a phrase perhaps most memorably described in the Goldilocks and The Three Bears tale: ‘just right’. This size enables our pupils to be known and nurtured as individuals and to explore a wide range of activities. Every child is considered an integral part of the Prep School’s welcoming and close-knit community. The size facilitates the regular coming together of pupils for assemblies, music, sporting events and House competitions, which build on the sense of community and help to form strong bonds and friendships across year groups.
2. Our class sizes are smaller than in state schools
Looking a bit deeper, into the classes themselves, Ashville Prep School offers smaller class sizes than state schools do. As an important part of our ‘just right’ philosophy, we believe that our smaller class sizes offer more dedicated individual engagement with teachers and opportunities for pupils to thrive where they are strongest and gain extra support in areas that they may find more challenging. A notable number of parents with new pupils joining us in September commented that one of the deciding factors for choosing Ashville was due to our class sizes, compared to the rapidly growing classes in their local state primary school, often resulting from the influx of new build homes across the popular Harrogate area.
3. We take a holistic approach to learning
This truly is a thriving Prep School in terms of the education we provide. We don’t prioritise any individual area of learning. Instead, we embrace any opportunities, inside and outside the classroom, that instill a love of learning and a sense of enjoyment, encourage curiosity and confidence, or are useful for the future. So do expect set curriculum and traditional classroom provision, but also prepare for experiential learning, an array of enjoyable and useful co-curricular activities, and your child to spend a lot of their time outside! A big priority for Mr Firth is outdoor learning, so we are taking the curriculum outdoors much more from September 2022. Being outdoors is so important for a child’s physical and mental wellbeing, and the activities planned will aim to develop our pupils’ imagination and enhance their creativity. In September, we are pleased to welcome Mr Paul Oldham who has extensive experience in the delivery of the curriculum through outdoor learning and will be integral to the introduction of this teaching method at Ashville.
4. It’s an exciting time to join the ‘New Ashville’
New leadership means a new approach. It really is an exciting time to join Ashville Prep School! Mr Firth, who took up his post in May, is hoping to mirror the success he achieved during 14
years’ teaching at schools in the United Arab Emirates – including 12 years at JESS (Jumeirah English Speaking School), Dubai’s top independent school, where he spent six years as Head. Since returning to his Yorkshire roots, Mr Firth is already taking Ashville Prep School from strength to strength and will be introducing a new and exciting approach to learning from September, such as coding classes for pupils in Years 1 to 6, and the sizeable school grounds being used more as an extension of the classroom.
Ashville College is also under new leadership; Mrs Rhiannon Wilkinson is Ashville’s eleventh, and first female, Head, and has just completed her first academic year at the helm. She believes that at the heart of any successful and happy school is a clearly articulated and well-understood culture of high expectations alongside an established rhythm of ‘’the way we do things around here’’. Alongside colleagues like Mr Firth and the school’s governing body, she is now working to implement the priorities and plans identified during her first year from September 2022 onwards.
5. Ashville offers a longer-term future for your family
A happy and caring all-through school for ages 2-18, Ashville prides itself on creating a world where children and young people thrive and emerge future ready for life beyond school. While parents with young children may initially only be considering the first steps for their child’s education, there are many benefits of choosing a Prep School with an associated Senior School. These include continuity, community, and an ease of transition between the key year groups – this term we have had plenty of transition events for both new and current pupils to make that move up as fun and seamless as possible. Parents with children of different ages can all be part of the Ashville family, as they progress from Prep School to Senior School to Sixth Form.
Being part of an all-through school also enables Prep School pupils to embrace the many key features offered by the Senior School, from specialist teachers in subjects like Modern Foreign Languages, Sport and Science, to the high-quality and varied campus facilities. Our on-site indoor swimming pool, for example, is the longest in the Harrogate district, and this is where all our pupils, from Reception to Sixth Form, participate in swimming lessons and clubs.
Mr Asa Firth, Head of Ashville Prep School, said: “This is a really exciting time for Ashville as a whole. I have had the advantage of spending my first term finding out more about the Prep School, its strengths, and where improvements can be made. I’ve listened to the pupils, parents and staff and I am now working on how I can directly address their feedback and suggestions, and retain and develop the things that they already love about their Prep School.
“Ashville Prep School is a remarkable school and I want to make it even better. Music, sport and performing arts are all really strong. They help set Ashville Prep School apart from other prep and junior schools in the area. When you combine them with quality teaching and superb experiences, both in and outside the classroom, our Prep School will be in a league of its own.
“If you are interested in our Prep School, I would definitely recommend a visit in person. We continue to run some tours in the Summer holiday, and in September we can offer tours during normal School day hours, where you can see our pupils, lessons, and busy campus in action. There’s also our next Open Morning on 24 September, which will not disappoint. However you choose to take your first steps through our doors, I look forward to meeting you in person in the near future.”
For more information on Ashville Prep School and to register for our upcoming Open Morning.
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