Magdalene House Preparatory School Prospectus

learning piece by piece

magdalene house preparatory school

www.wisbechgrammar.com

magdalene housepreparatory school

“I love my school! I love my friends! I love my teacher! I love my Headmaster! I love my classroom! I love my lessons!”


seeing is believingAlthough this prospectus will give you an insight and flavour of the School, you will need to visit when we are in session to experience the positive atmosphere which abounds daily.

Please contact the Headmaster’s Secretary who will be happy to arrange a visit when you will meet both staff and pupils.

Magdalene House Preparatory School North Brink, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. PE13 IJX Tel: 01945 586780 Fax: 01945 586781


Contents

2 Nurturing the Future

4 A Love of Learning

6 A Confident Start

9 Opening Young Minds

10 Promoting Healthy Growth

13 Beyond the Classroom

14 A Caring Community

“It is the most wonderful place. I only called in to the school office to ask for a prospectus. Within the space of an hour I had been given a tour of the school by the delightful Head Girl and Head Boy, met most of the teachers and chatted like old friends with the Head over a cup of coffee.”


Here at Magdalene House we believe that children’s school days should be the happiest days of their lives, whilst at the same time providing a sound basis for learning and for life itself.

When you visit Magdalene House you enter a warm and vibrant world which simply buzzes with the sound of happy, enthusiastic and motivated children. We are a family school with strong links between staff, children and parents.

Our small classes enable us to give attention to the needs of each individual child within our extended family. When parents entrust their child’s education to us at Magdalene House, we are mindful of our responsibility to justify their decision to do so and for the need for a partnership to exist between school and home.

By the end of this partnership, when the children move on to Wisbech Grammar School or elsewhere, we aim to produce articulate and well-rounded Prep School pupils who have a natural zest for life and a burning enthusiasm to face the challenges of the 21st Century.

I would like to invite you to visit our wonderful school and assure you of a very warm welcome from the whole Magdalene House family.

Mr C E Moxon, BA, PGCE,

Headmaster of Magdalene House

02

nurturing the future

1379:Wisbech Grammar School founded by the Guild of the Holy Trinity

Lessons held above the church porch at the parish Church of St. Peter and Paul, Wisbech Dominus Adam Reynald first Master

1446:Jacob Cresner Appointed Master of the school

1549:Wisbech Grammar School is chartered by Edward VI “the instruction of boys and young men in grammatical knowledge and polite learning”

1407:Maurice Plank appointed by the Bishop of Ely John de Fordham to teach the Grammar Scholars of Wisbech

1548:Rev Henry Ogle appointed Headmaster

be part of our heritage

1547:Dissolution of the Guild of the Holy Trinity

03

1630:William Frisney M. A appointed Headmaster 1623:

Tristram Dymond appointed Headmaster

1615:Robert Howell appointed Headmaster

1580:Thomas Lowthe appointed Headmaster

1564:Mr. Rastall appointed Headmaster

1634:John Crane, Apothecary donates The Bull Inn to the School

1549:Wisbech Grammar relocates to purpose built premises in Hill Street following a bequest of William Bellman

1678:Francis Fern MA appointed Headmaster

Magdalene House provides children with a challenging, exciting and dynamic learning environment with an emphasis on encouragement and building confidence.

Academic standards are high and the children rise naturally to the many opportunities we offer beyond a standard curriculum. Our curriculum is both varied and stimulating, with the traditional building blocks of literacy and numeracy forming the basis of our teaching. We are constantly looking for ways to adapt this curriculum to the skills that children will need when growing up in the 21st Century, where ICT capability is vital.

We actively promote learning and thinking skills, constantly challenging the children to ask questions, to investigate, to analyse and to develop ideas.

They learn personal and emotional skills, identifying their own strengths and weaknesses, managing their own feelings and setting goals to work towards.

They acquire social skills: sharing, negotiating, respecting other people’s rights and responsibilities and learning to work together towards a common goal.

04

a love of learning

1657:George Frisney and William Pierson attend Magdalene College Cambridge as Holmes Scholars

1651:Additional school rooms built at Hill Street following a bequest made by John Crane

1640:Foundation of bye fellowship and scholarship for pupils of Wisbech Grammar School at Peterhouse College, Cambridge



1638:William Holmes donates £400 to the School. Scholarship arrangements with Magdalene College Cambridge established

05

1697:Thomas Carter MA appointed Headmaster

1680:Charter of Charles II confirms the Bishop of Ely’s rights of visitation. Boys are instructed to deliver a Latin oration in the Bishop’s presence

1727:Rev John Newson MA appointed Headmaster

1690:Thomas Johnson MA appointed Headmaster

1706:John Carter MA appointed Headmaster

1731:Rev Richard Forster MA appointed Headmaster

1735:Rev Robert Foulkes MA President of Magdalene College Cambridge appointed Headmaster

1792:John Clarkson O.G. becomes the first Governor of Freetown, Sierra Leone

“All pupils take part in weekly class music lessons.”

a confident start

In the security of a calm and happy family atmosphere, every child is able to fulfill their potential.

MusicAt Magdalene House we just love making Music! All pupils take part in weekly music lessons and our Music Department is equipped with a wide variety of instruments for class use.

Skills including composition and the understanding of musical notation and rhythm are developed from an early age. Magdalene House Choirs are well known locally and nationally, regularly receiving many invitations to sing and to help raise money for several charities, appearing at places such as The Royal Albert Hall and Ely and Peterborough Cathedrals.

We run The Magdalene House Choir, The Boys’ Choir, The Girls’ Choir and The Infant Choir. In addition to this there is a Magdalene House Orchestra and a String Ensemble, with pupils making the most of the many peripatetic lessons on offer.

06

be part of our heritage1747:Old Grammarian Thomas Herring becomes Archbishop of Canterbury

1766:Thomas Clarkson commences study at Wisbech Grammar School, later playing a leading role in the abolition of slavery

Appointment of Rev Richard Oswin MA as Headmaster

1738:Rev George Kilner MA appointed Headmaster 1760:

Birth of Thomas Clarkson in the School House

1749:Rev. John Clarkson MA appointed Headmaster


07

1817:Old Grammarian Thomas Hall becomes Professor of Mathematics and History at King’s College London

1796:Rev Martin Coulcher MA appointed Headmaster

1803:Rev Jeremiah Jackson MA Fellow of St. John’s College Cambridge appointed Headmaster. Rev Jackson is a renowned antiquarian

1826:Plans for a new school building are proposed by the townsfolk of Wisbech

Appointment of Rev. J.R. Major MA as Headmaster. He later goes on to become the Head of King’s College London

1831:Rev. George H.W. Thompson M.A. appointed Headmaster

“Mummy! A day here is worth a hundred days at my other school!”

1866:Old Grammarian William Johnson Smith wins the Jacksonian Prize, Royal College of Surgeons. Acts as surgeon of the Dreadnaught Hospital, Greenwich for 35 years

1890:Mr. A. W. Poyser MA appointed Headmaster. Mr Poyser had a degree from Trinity College Dublin and was a pioneering mathematics teacher

1891:An appeal for a new school building is launched under the leadership of Mr. George Dawbarn. The appeal is supported by the donation of land from the President of St. John’s College, Oxford

1883:Rev W.R. Stanton BD appointed Headmaster

08

1879:Rev. E. D. Holditch MA appointed Headmaster

1878:The School falls under the control of the Endowed School Commissioners. Queen Victoria becomes the School Visitor

1876:Rev James Paterson appointed Headmaster

09

opening young mindsDramaVisitors to Magdalene House never fail to comment on just how confident our children are as they go about their busy daily lives. Perhaps one thing that fosters this is that we encourage all our children to get up on stage and perform in front of an audience.

Every year there is a major whole school Musical production where every single child is involved, whilst year group plays and class assemblies encourage the children to act, sing and generally make the most of their natural talents.

All children from Reception to Year 6 are offered the opportunity to enter English Speaking Board Examinations (ESB), whose syllabus encourages them to speak in front of an audience and to participate in group work.

ArtThe school corridors and classroom walls are always covered in the children’s art work and they are never shy of pointing out the fruits of their labours.

The children develop the skills which enable them to realise their wonderful ideas. The staff openly encourage experimentation and nurture enthusiasm and enjoyment of the subject.

ICTFully networked, the school has exceptional provision for ICT through Interactive Whiteboards/Projectors in all classrooms and access to a dedicated computer suite. ICT skills are developed through timetabled lessons and children are encouraged to use the facilities for independent learning and research.

1893:Philip Vasser Hunt later pioneering researcher in underwater technology and first president of the British Ice Hockey Federation joins the school

1896:Following a major donation from the Peckover family the new school building plans are approved and building begins on South Brink

1899:The old school buildings in Hill Street are sold

“I just can’t believe that was my son up there on the stage performing so confidently in front of all those people. He’s only been here for a few weeks. What on earth have you done to him?”


1902:Middle Block is opened on South Brink

T.H.Pear becomes open scholar at King’s College London and goes on to have a distinguished academic career in the field of Psychology

The school is approved as a Secondary School by the Board of Education

1904:Wisbech Girls High School is founded and opened in Harecroft House, North Brink. The founding Headmistress is Miss Beatrice Sparks, one of the first women to achieve a maths degree from Oxford University

10

promoting healthy growth

SportSporting opportunities abound at Magdalene House and fixtures in the major sports of rugby, hockey, netball and cricket are played at local and national level, with regular tours for the Under 11 teams.

The school enjoys excellent playing fields, a large modern Sports Hall and a full sized Astroturf, all on site.

Whilst we are competitive and focus the children on achieving ambitious targets, we are also inclusive and every child is given the opportunity to represent the school in a team at an appropriate level. We celebrate the children’s achievements at Star Assembly each week when team captains read match reports they have composed themselves.

Great emphasis is placed on good sportsmanship and children, staff and parents are encouraged to set the highest standards of conduct both on and off the pitch.

Physical EducationIn addition to the regular afternoon Games sessions, all children follow an extensive P.E. curriculum. This includes dance, gymnastics and swimming.

Magdalene House is fortunate to have access to a full sized swimming pool and practice pool at the Hudson Leisure Centre which is situated directly next to the school.

We firmly believe that active minds are complemented by active bodies!

1940:The Stationers’ School is billeted on Wisbech Grammar School

Alan Chesters appointed Headmaster

1914:F. Dorothy Carless appointed Headmistress of Wisbech High School

1920:H. Lawrence White appointed Headmaster

1919:E.M.C. Prideaux appointed Headmistress of Wisbech High School

1938:J. Bamforth MAappointed Headmistress of Wisbech High School

1971:First publication of the School magazine “Riverline”

1970:Wisbech Grammar School and Wisbech High School merge to form a fully co-educational school on North Brink

1967:Dr Douglas Anderson MSc, PhD appointed Headmaster



11

2003:Opening of the Dwight Centre for the Performing Arts

1997:Foundation of Magdalene House, Junior and Infant Department of Wisbech Grammar School

1983:The School becomes an independent school

2008:Opening of the Sports Hall and Magdalene House extension block and Alan Salmon Hall

Nicholas Hammond MA (Cantab) appointed Headmaster

2010:Opening of the Hazel Centre for Sixth Form Studies

1991:A major extension to the school buildings was completed including the Russell Hall

1988:Robert S Repper MA (Oxon) appointed Headmaster

12

13

beyond the classroom

Clubs

Magdalene House is an incredibly busy school and an extensive clubs programme is available for all our children from Reception to Year 6.

For Infants a Homework Club runs from 3.00-3.30 p.m. every afternoon and then specially designed clubs and activities sessions take place from 3.30-4.15 p.m. These include such things as Karate, Puzzles and Games and Gardening.

At the same time Juniors can take advantage of clubs and activities such as Chess, Cookery, Textiles and Computers, as well as the various sports clubs running according to the season. A separate

Homework Club exists for those Juniors who may wish to complete their academic work before going home.

Extra sports sessions concentrating on specific skills such as rugby sevens and cricket nets take place between lunch and afternoon lessons. Almost all costs associated with this programme are included in the fees.

Trips, Visits and External Activities

At Magdalene House we like to get out and about. We believe the cross-curricular, hands-on approach to education is of great benefit to our children.

Day trips are organised regularly for all children from Reception to Year 6, with a programme of residential trips arranged for children from Year 3 to Year 6. These educational visits develop self-reliance and, through group and team-building activities, help children to learn to work co-operatively. They are also great fun!

Theatre groups, authors, poets and representatives from a variety of organisations are invited into Magdalene House to support and enrich our curriculum.


14

a caring community

Pastoral CareAt Magdalene House we believe in providing our children with a happy and secure environment in which they can develop with confidence. We are a large and happy family.

Our children are taught to help one another to deal with any difficulties and to share the different strengths that each individual possesses. Respecting one another is paramount and the individual’s dignity must be maintained at all times.

The school’s Code of Conduct has been written in conjunction with the children themselves.

SupportThe message which is constantly made clear to all Magdalene House children is that they must always seek help from an adult when a situation becomes more than they feel able to cope with.

The Head, the Deputy Head, The Director of Studies,

the Class Teachers, the Classroom Assistants and the Lunchtime Supervisors are all available to listen, to support and to advise.

In Circle Time each child is given an opportunity to talk about their thoughts, ideas and feelings, within the comfort zone of the class group. Regular assemblies help to strengthen the ideals and ethos of the school.

The school has a clear and well-established Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. There is a designated Governor for Safeguarding and Child Protection in addition to the Head and two other designated members of staff.

The school operates a carefully monitored Health and Safety Policy. Our children are encouraged consistently to think about their own contribution to a safe and healthy environment. The playgrounds are always fully supervised and all staff hold current first aid certificates.

DisciplineMagdalene House has a clearly defined Behaviour Policy. However, our Code of Conduct and the systems which operate within the school such as assemblies and Circle Time all promote positive behaviour through an understanding of the thoughts and feelings of those around us.

This is reinforced by our excellent House System in which the children take great pride. They are divided into four Houses: Clarkson (Red), Holmes (Gold), Peckover (Blue) and Sparks (Green).

Children gain ‘Points Up’ for working hard in class, for representing the school in a way that deserves recognition or to mark a special achievement. At our weekly Star Assemblies, stars are awarded to those children who have gained enough ‘Points Up’ and we celebrate their successes accordingly.

House Captains from Year 6, elected democratically, are responsible for collating information and totals under the supervision of a member of staff. The House Cup is presented at the end of each term.

Code of ConductWe are kind and do not hurt anyone

We respect others and try to understand their feelings

We listen to one another

We take a pride in the appearance of our work, our school and ourselves

We are polite and well mannered

We seek help when we are unhappy

We are always truthful

We do as we are asked the first time

We act sensibly and safely at all times

We organise our belongings and ourselves responsibly


15

16


“The only slightly annoying thing about Magdalene House is that my daughter wakes up around 5 o’clock every morning demanding to be taken to school.”


magdalene house preparatory school

Magdalene House Preparatory SchoolNorth Brink, Wisbech, Cambs. PE13 1JX

T: 01945 586780 F: 01945 586781

[email protected]

Wisbech Grammar School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Further

information on this aspect of the school along with a copy of WGS’ key policies can be found at www.wisbechgrammar.com

Registered charity no. 1087799

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Documents

Magdalene House Preparatory School Prospectus