Wealden Times | WT265 | June 2024 | Education Supplement inside

The Priceless Education Supplement sponsored by
New Beginnings at Hilden Oaks
Headmistress, Mrs Katy Joiner,
started at Hilden Oaks Preparatory
School and Nursery in September 2015
and set about making an excellent school
even better. The first new initiative she
introduced was Values-based Education,
for which we now hold an IVET Quality
Mark. Our Values have become an integral
way of life at Hilden Oaks, supporting
the children in developing strong social
and interpersonal skills, as well as
enhancing their academic achievements.
During the past twelve years, under
Mrs Joiner’s leadership, and with the help
of an incredibly supportive and creative
team, there have also been several other
new initiatives introduced including:
mindfulness, the THINK curriculum,
One Planet, Building Learning Power
(BLP) and Talk for Writing, to name but
a few. We have also received two Gold
Awards in succession for SMSC (Spiritual,
Moral, Social and Cultural development).
At the last full ISI inspection we
were also rated as ‘Excellent’.
During the pandemic our amazing
team provided a seamless transition
to online learning, making use of our
investment in new technology – every
child in the main school has access to
their own iPad. In 2021 we started a
new building project, including two
new classrooms, a music suite, a new
medical room, kitchens and more space
for teaching small groups and 1:1.
Throughout this time academic
achievements have remained high, with
the majority of children who take the
11+ and Common Entrance exams
moving on to their secondary schools of
choice – both grammar and independent.
Mrs Joiner has enjoyed welcoming
back past pupils and hearing how they
are flourishing. Her first Year 6 class at
Hilden Oaks are now at university!
It is now, however, time for new
beginnings, and although we are sad
that Mrs Joiner will be leaving us, we are
delighted to announce that Mrs Sharon
Wade will be taking over as Headteacher
in September 2024. Mrs Wade, who is
currently our Deputy Head and Director
of Studies, has been an invaluable support
for Mrs Joiner since they both started at
Hilden Oaks in 2015. Mrs Wade has a
wealth of knowledge and experience and
will be building on the strengths of Hilden
Oaks and will doubtless be finding new
ways to improve our already excellent
school. We look forward to hearing about
her new vision for the school when she
takes over in September. hildenoaks.co.uk
Another round of firsts for Cobham Hall
Cobham Hall is no stranger to firsts. The Hall’s Old
Library was the first home of cricket’s renowned
Ashes, presented to then-owner and England captain,
Ivo Bligh, before being donated to the museum at
Lord’s. Its grounds were the first resting place of Charles
Dickens’ famed ‘Swiss Chalet’ writing den after the
author’s death in 1870. And in the 1960s, pioneering
Cobham Hall was the first all-girls school to win a
place at the table of the international ‘Round Square’
network of schools committed to experiential learning.
Campaigns, speeches, secret ballots: democracy in
action at Cobham’s annual ‘Guardian Convention’
student leadership elections never fails to cause a
buzz. But there was an added frisson this term, as the
school’s newly co-educational Sixth Form yielded the
first-ever male candidate in its sixty-year history.
Local boy Jude upended tradition as he was elected
Deputy Guardian. But it was Nattakarn (Ruk) who took
the top spot and will lead the student body. Cobham’s
first-ever Thai Guardian, Ruk promises to draw on her
own experience as an international boarder and “make
Cobham Hall feel like Cobham Home to everyone”.
With eyes firmly on the future despite its historic
roots, last year Cobham added industry-focused Graphic
Communications to its array of A Level options – and
the subject’s inaugural cohort of alumni has scored a
first of their own. Sabrina, Year 13, has not only secured
a place at Loughborough – ranked first in the UK by
The Guardian for Graphic Design – but has also been
awarded a highly prestigious international scholarship.
Cobham Hall is certainly a school like no other.
To experience the difference, contact us to arrange
a visit on admissions@cobhamhall.com
97
priceless-magazines.com