Wealden Times | WT261 | February 2024 | Education Supplement inside

The Priceless Education Supplement sponsored by
A Day in
the Life
... of a boarder at Millfield Prep – named Independent
Schools of the Year Awards’ Prep School of the Year, for
proactively teaching about pupils’ mental health
istockphoto.com/ Mikhail Seleznev
Pastoral care and wellbeing
is at the heart of Millfield
Prep School. Boarding pupils
benefit from extremely high standards
of pastoral care, with all boarding
staff, assistants and matrons working
together to ensure that individual
needs are met, and information is
shared harmoniously between boarding
houses and school leaders. A Pastoral
Committee meeting each week allows
key staff to discuss the diverse needs of
the children.
After an induction day with parents,
each new pupil is given a buddy
within the boarding house, someone
who has been at the school for at
least a year. Their buddy helps them
familiarise themselves with campus
and be a listening ear. Houseparents
and assistant houseparents and their
families live within the boarding
houses which provides the necessary
supervision and support for boarders,
whilst establishing a genuine family
atmosphere. The staff to pupil ratio is
excellent.
Life is busy at Millfield Prep. Pupils
wake up at 7am ready for a full day
of lessons and activities. The school
day starts at 8.25am and ends at
3.45pm. Games and activities take
place from 4pm, supper is at 5pm and
homework at 5.30pm. From 6.30pm,
houseparents put on activities for
pupils to enjoy such as movie nights,
football and arts and crafts. The
evening routine starts from 8.15pm
for the younger years through to lights
out for all at 9.15pm. Some pupils
will take part in sports sessions before
breakfast, at lunchtime and after
school, depending on their interests.
The weekend is an exciting time for
houses to enjoy activities offsite such
as Go Ape, Dorset Adventure Park and
the seaside. Every so often, pupils enjoy
a well-earned lazy Sunday morning
before an afternoon of fun.
The innovative Wellbeing Curriculum
was launched in September 2021 with
the aim of teaching children skills to
cope with modern life. The curriculum
teaches pupils to identify poor
wellbeing and empower them with
the skills to recognise and improve it
through activities such as yoga. The
concepts explored link to the school
values Be Kind, Be You, Be Curious,
Be Challengers and Be Brilliant.
millfieldschool.com
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