Dear Parents,

Ms Neville has been very busy off-site this week. Wearing her inspector’s hat, she has been taking part in a pilot inspection, testing the new ISI Inspection framework which will soon come into force. Everything she has learned this week is of enormous value to us, ensuring that we are ever-ready to present the school in its best light, should an inspection be called.

On Monday this week, I spent the day in London at the IAPS Deputy Head’s Conference. One of the core messages from the day was on future-proofing our children in the new era of widely accessible artificial intelligence. While the acquisition of knowledge remains ever important for young people to make sense of the world, increasing focus must be given to nurturing their humanity. The qualities of being human are not (yet) replicated by computers and therefore we must ensure that children’s creativity and compassion, among many other skills, are nurtured. Of course this is not news to any of us at Rose Hill, and our Curriculum 2020 was designed with equal emphasis on the application of knowledge as well as the acquisition, for this very reason. However, it seems that we are very much ahead of the curve in our approach, with many colleagues in Prep Schools just starting to consider these issues.

I really enjoyed a talk given by Dr Kathy Weston, founder of Tooled Up Education. She advocates for the importance of resilience and a strong sense of self-identity, as key tools for maintaining happiness and well-being in young people when navigating the internet and social media. If children know (and like) themselves, and have a clear sense of who they want to become, they are less likely to be negatively influenced by others online. She reminded us that ‘comparison is the thief of joy’ and her message of ‘courage over perfection’ encompasses body image, self-kindness and strong moral beliefs.  Our 5 Keys to Success and Happiness, and their manifestation in School life, go a long way to supporting children’s inner-strength and developing their moral beliefs. But it does take a village to raise a child, and now more than ever, it is so important that we work together with you, to equip our children with the mindset, self-talk, digital values and skills that will give them the best chance of warding off digital harms and sustaining their digital resilience. I would recommend a look at the Tooled Up website, and please do book a meeting with Mrs Scarbrough if you would like further support.

Good luck to the Senior Athletics Team who are competing at the IAPS Athletics Championships at Ashford School today and we look forward to our Focus Day on Monday!

With warm wishes for another sunny weekend,

Philippa Lang

Deputy Head