Change is an integral part of life.

This is something that our children have had to learn very quickly over the last three months. We know, of course, that change is constant. We all try very hard to help our children prepare for it, whether it is a small alteration to a routine, or a larger thing, such as moving classes or meeting new teachers.

The question I ask is whether change is a good thing? I know that, as adults, we would acknowledge that change can be a positive thing and sometimes, we need it. However, for some people, change can bring a range of emotions, such as uncertainty or fear, whereas for others, it heralds excitement and the possibility of new adventures.

With this in mind, it is vital we prepare our children for change. It is an important skill to know how to ‘manage’ change and the emotions that come along with it.

In Year 2, our PHSE topic over this half term has been looking at change; as a teaching team, we spent time considering what we wanted our children to learn during this period. We realised the most important thing was for the children to come away knowing that change happens. We can’t control it, we can’t stop it, it just happens. What we, as adults, can do, is help the children learn and understand that everyone deals with change in different ways and we all display our feelings of change in different ways. This may be excitement or nerves, anger or tears; all these feelings are normal and healthy.  

In Pre-Prep, there are changes of staff at the end of this year, when we will be saying goodbye to Mrs Gina Croucher, who has worked at the School for 22 years. She has taught primarily in Reception and cared for many children throughout the School. If anyone were to ask, ‘What is Mrs Croucher like?’ our reply would all be the same; a calm, peaceful and an unflappable lady. This is probably why she has enjoyed the hustle and bustle of Reception for so many years. Mrs Wilkinson will now be filling Mrs Croucher’s shoes, supporting Mrs Glover in Reception from September.

As a School, we hope to prepare the children with the new changes and challenges that are coming; new classes, new teachers and, for our Year 6 pupils, new Schools. We hope the children enjoy their Zoom ‘Meet Your New Teacher’ sessions on Monday and that this helps them to feel happy and excited about the next chapter.

Miss McCarmick

Head of Pre-Prep