Perfect Primary

By Mike Embley

Executive Principal
British School Beijing

First day of school today, Mum! I’m scared, I don’t want you to leave me, I don’t want to stay in the classroom, will you come in with me, will you hold my hand, can you stay there, can you stay where I can see you…

Sound familiar?

Much of the focus of parents on choosing the right school for their child is on the future. Secondary school, university entrance, career choice and even beyond. These are of course vital. To a young child taking their first steps into the world outside the home, though, these concerns are perhaps somewhat less important than how friendly, welcoming and caring their teacher is. In terms of building a solid foundation for later life, both in terms of academic success and social confidence, the curriculum and practice in primary school is absolutely critical.



It is very easy to suggest that endless homework for under 7s will help them to achieve, or that absolutely no structure and constant free play for under 9s will allow them to enjoy school. Conversely, it is easy to suggest that a playground environment should be completely calm and that children should be discouraged from running and jumping, or testing themselves in a safe and supervised fashion on the climbing frame.

The British Curriculum gives balance to the sometimes conflicting needs of a developing mind: freedom and structure, academic progress and free play, risk taking and safety, living in the moment and planning for the future.

While these goals are easy to write in a list, their actual implementation in a school requires a careful focus and a dedicated and reflective team. The fact that a school has a gentle approach to its children does not mean it is any less academic. In fact, supporting young minds as they reach for new learning is key to their development.

Different curricula place a slightly different emphasis on various areas of a child’s developmental pathway. Some emphasise more free expression and play and place less emphasis on structure. In fact, some go as far as to suggest that any structure is harmful for children. Others, on the other hand, place a high, or indeed one might say heavy, focus on academic subjects. At one extreme of the spectrum this might include a great deal of rote learning. And some schools suggest that they offer a balance of the two approaches.

The fundamental issue is, do they? The British Curriculum guarantees that this balance is built in and is rigorously held to, through an inspection regime and a thorough set of standards and documentation. This inbuilt balance, combined with dedicated, passionate and compassionate teachers, is the foundation of a child’s future. Every child does indeed matter.

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