Enhancing our Boarding and Day Provision at 11+

ENHANCING OUR BOARDING AND DAY PROVISION AT 11+

PROJECT 24

THE BERRYSTEAD IS A FAMILY HOUSE WHERE YOU CAN RELAX, BE YOURSELVES AND FORM LASTING FRIENDSHIPS. WHAT MAKES ME THE PROUDEST AS A HOUSEMISTRESS IS TO OBSERVE THE CHILDREN’S FANTASTIC JOURNEY OVER THEIR TWO YEARS WITH US AS THEY HONE AND DEVELOP QUALITIES SUCH AS KINDNESS, EMPATHY, RESPECT AND CONFIDENCE WHICH THEY THEN DISPLAY IN ABUNDANCE AS THEY MOVE ON TO THEIR SENIOR HOUSE.”

Mrs Sophie Fonteneau, Housemistress, The Berrystead

INTRODUCTION

Project 24 is our vision for securing the long-term security and success of our School for all our pupils, from the four-year-old joining Reception at Laxton Junior School to the eighteen-year-old preparing for life beyond Oundle. We understand that children develop at different rates and stages, with different needs along the way.

I am now delighted to share with you the plans for improving the transition and experience of our youngest children at Oundle, a core element of Project 24.

Project 24

ENHANCING

• A new, purpose-built girls’ boarding House will be constructed in the centre of Oundle

• A long-term ambitious rolling programme of refurbishment will be introduced across the whole boarding estate.

• We are developing a graduated approach to boarding at 11+ to complement full boarding at 13+, alongside further timetabling considerations for our two youngest year groups

• Both development strands will be in place for September 2023. We look forward to sharing both the finalised curriculum and full details of the boarding offer with parents by the end of the Lent Term.

• In September 2022, a new and innovative physical environment opened for Reception aged children, alongside upgrades to Science and Art facilities to support exciting STEAM education for all LJS pupils.

• From 2023, the existing 13-18 day Laxton House will be remodelled into two discrete senior co-educational day Houses: Laxton House and Sadler House.

STRENGTHENING OUR COMMITMENT TO BOARDING

Sarah Kerr-Dineen, Head

SCOTT HOUSE PROVIDES A WONDERFUL BASE WHERE THE PUPILS COME HOME AND CAN BE THEMSELVES, FINDING OUT WHAT THEY LIKE TO DO, WHILST GROWING TOGETHER.”

Mrs Fiona Quiddington, Housemistress, Scott House

OUR BOARDING AND DAY PROVISION AT 11+

ENHANCING OUR BOARDING AND DAY PROVISON AT 11+

Transition for our youngest senior school pupils has been a focus from the start of the School’s Strategic Plan 2016-26. The years between 11 and 14 (Key Stage Three) are among the most exciting in a child’s development. At Oundle, they coincide with several external changes: for example with children joining our LJS cohort

• The removal of formal entrance assessment for LJS pupils progressing to Oundle, other than those seeking a Scholarship or who joined LJS in Year 5 or 6.

• The introduction in 2018 of Scott House, our junior day House which offers day pupils a smaller and gentler pastoral environment in the same campus space as their boarding peers in The Berrystead.

DEVELOPMENTS FOR SEPTEMBER 2023

from other schools and other countries, as well as boarding taking its place in the life of our pupils. This combination of factors needed fresh thought if our pupils were to move confidently from childhood to adolescence within their school environment. Over the past five years, key developments have therefore included:

• The introduction of role of Head of Lower Years to oversee the First to Third Form Curriculum (Key Stage Three), helping embed good habits of learning behaviour and aiding transition.

• The expansion of Scott House in the summer of 2022 to accommodate a greater external intake at 11+, enabling a refreshed social dynamic within both year groups.

A more distinctive and tailored Oundle experience for our youngest pupils, combining the best of specialist teaching and resources with a new skillsbased enrichment programme that is appropriate to their age and stage.

Why?

• We recognise that we can make the early Oundle School experience more appropriate to our youngest pupils and wish to create a much softer transition from Year 6 to Year 7

• We recognise that a differentiated and graduated timetable for the First and Second Form (Years 7 and 8) will prepare them

better for the step up to Third Form (Year 9), nurturing growth in independence and selforganisation

• We recognise that in order to develop a love of learning and scholarship further, our youngest pupils need time and space to develop the kind of character traits which will help each and every child to find ‘their thing’.

How?

• The shape of the weekly timetable will be adjusted so that all academic lessons will take place on Monday to Friday, taught by specialist senior school subject teachers

• Saturday morning lessons will be replaced with Omnia, a dynamic skills-based programme based on academic enrichment and developing character traits

• First formers may opt out of Omnia should they need a little more time to adjust to a six-day week. Omnia will be compulsory for pupils in Second Form in preparation for Third Form

• From May 2024, an additional fixed exeat weekend for all First, Second and Third Form pupils will be introduced in the middle of the first half of the Summer Term

• There will be a more integrated transition from LJS to Oundle, with offers of places to be made by the October half term of Year 6.

SPOTLIGHT ON OMNIA

The aim of the programme, carefully crafted by Oundle teachers, is to develop character traits and skills that will benefit the pupils in both their academic progression and their wider development as they move through Oundle. Omnia will enable our youngest pupils not only to pursue current passions but develop new interests, igniting sparks and opening up new opportunities. It is designed to offer the perfect stepping stone towards Third Form where all pupils have Saturday morning academic lessons.

Timings

Omnia will consist of two 90 minute sessions on a Saturday morning, with a half hour break in between. Pupils from both Houses will take part together in a team-based structure. The programme will be delivered by Oundle specialist teachers, with expertise drawn in from further afield when required. There will be no extra cost to the programme for parents.

Session 1: 08.45 - 10.15

Session 2: 10.45 - 12.15

Lunch for all, followed by an optional sports session

SOMEHERE WITHIN THE FIELD OF WORK EACH BOY OR GIRL MAY FIND HIS OWN PART, AND SO TAKE PART IN THE CREATIVE LIFE, AND GROW BY DOING IT, AND BE ‘BITTEN’ WITH THE DESIRE TO DO, AND GAIN IN PURPOSE, IN DETERMINATION, IN SELF-DETERMINATION, IN CONFIDENCE AND IN OUTLOOK.”

Frederick William Sanderson, Headmaster of Oundle School 1892 – 1922 The Service of Schools, 1920

One Saturday per term will be devoted to a whole year group competitive event, to which parents will be invited.

First formers will benefit from a bespoke programme over the first four weeks to support their induction process. The emphasis will be on fun and team building to foster familiarity with each other, staff and the environment of Oundle. This will be followed by a carousel of activities in small groups, with each four-week activity focusing on a particular skill-set or character trait.

Sample activities

First Form

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

DISSECTION

CYCLING

FARM

MODERN LANGUAGES

VISIT

PUBLIC SPEAKING

SCAVENGER HUNT

VOLUNTEERING

TEAM BUILDING

ROBOTICS

BOARD GAME DESIGN

COOKING

Second formers will rotate through four key themes across four weeks: Global Citizens, Team Players, Critical Thinkers and Climate Champions. Either side of Christmas, there will be a pause on the main carousel, with the pupils changing groups, completing a First Aid course and working towards an Inter-Team Debate.

Second Form

LINGUISTICS

COMMAND TASKS

COOKING

CYCLING

DEBATING

KAYAKING

FIRST AID TRASHION

BACKSTAGE THEATRE

UPCYCLING

CLIMBING

AUTOMATION

We whole-heartedly recommend that all pupils make the most of this exciting opportunity, which is designed purely for our youngest pupils. We also recognise that some First Formers may need a little time to adjust to Saturday mornings or may benefit from an extra morning at home from time to time.

Why?

• We recognise that our youngest pupils need to be able to settle into the rhythms of boarding at their own pace

• We recognise that for some of our youngest pupils, a full boarding experience can be too great a commitment at their age and stage of development

• We recognise that some families would welcome the opportunity to consider boarding on a graduated basis in preparation for a fuller boarding experience in Third Form.

How?

• Both full and weekly boarding will be available in First and Second Form

• Full boarding will, as now, observe the same patterns as the older boarders at Oundle, with the additional Summer Exeat for First, Second and Third Form Second Form from May 2024

• Second Form weekly boarders will go home after Omnia at Saturday lunchtime and return on Sunday evening, while First Form weekly boarders will also have the option of departing on Friday evening

• A further 3-day boarding model on a fixed Monday to Wednesday basis will be available to First Formers

• A transport facility, particularly to London and Cambridge, is being considered.

SPOTLIGHT ON BOARDING

Boarding at 11 is a wonderful opportunity to develop independence and responsibility. All of our boarders are part of a large, extended family and each child plays an active role in contributing to the happiness of the whole House. We encourage our boarders to embrace all the opportunities on offer while taking great pleasure in watching them develop lifelong friendships and memories of shared evening and weekend experiences.

At 11, both boys and girls board together in a small but close House community, teaching them to live in harmony and get a better understanding of the opposite gender with regard to feelings, reactions and approaches. This also creates a real sense of being at home with brothers and sisters, while having friends constantly on tap to play games with, both indoors and outdoors.

The Berrystead offers:

• Individualised support, with a maximum of seven tutees per Tutor

• Strong pastoral care with one resident matron and three relief matrons

• A vibrant Sunday activities programme and regular film nights

• Activities and games with older Oundelians

• Support with personal well-being

• A buddy system

• Regular parental events

• Regular social events with Scott House and town access on Saturdays

• A structured routine to support their progression up to Third Form.

A more graduated approach to boarding will sit at the heart of our 11+ offer, providing the best stepping stone to our modern full boarding model at 13+.

“LEARNING TO SHARE, TO TAKE TURNS, TO WIN, TO LOSE, TO BE TOLERANT OF THOSE WITH DIFFERENT VIEWS – ALL THESE SKILLS ARE BROUGHT TO THE FORE IN A BOARDING ENVIRONMENT.”

A SAMPLE YEAR IN A BOARDER’S LIFE

RUTLAND WATER PARK

LASER SHOOTING

CINEMA TRIPS

POOL INFLATABLES

BOARD GAMES

OUTDOOR SURFING

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

CONCERTS DESIGN ACTIVITIES

CHESS

BISCUIT DECORATION

SOCIALS

BADMINTON

TABLE TENNIS

GIANT GARDEN WATER SLIDE

THEATRE TRIPS

CAKE-MAKING

ESCAPE ROOMS

PAINTBALLING

BASKETBALL TALKS AND SOCIETIES

SAILING

BOWLING

FILM NIGHTS

TRAMPOLINING

BUSHCRAFT

As part of the 11+ boarding developments, we are delighted to introduce the new role of Head of Junior Boarding Adventures. This person will support Sophie Fonteneau and her Berrystead team in delivering an enhanced programme of evening and weekend activities to whet every boarder’s appetite. Fuller details will be published in due course.

YOUR QUESTIONS

How will these changes aid progression to the Third Form?

Some children are ready for the fully immersive model of Oundle Third Form life from the moment they join the First Form, whether in Scott House or The Berrystead. Others would benefit from more time to acclimatise. These changes take this into account and ensure that we are giving all our pupils the opportunity to settle into the rhythms of both boarding and senior school at the right pace for them.

Why is the Saturday morning optional for First Form only?

The step up from Year 6 into a senior school is a significant one. Some children are ready for this and others need a little more time to adjust. A degree of flexibility at this stage enables those children who are not quite ready for a sixday week to graduate to it at a pace that is right for them. By Second Form, they have moved on from this transition period and are looking ahead to Third Form: our aim is to prepare them for this as thoroughly possible. Our hope is that as many First Formers as possible take part in the Saturday programme, which will offer a completely different experience to a normal morning of lessons

BOARDING

How many graduated places will be available and will there be a minimum number of full boarders?

We will always aim for the majority of our boarding cohort to be full boarders, creating a real sense of home from home throughout the whole week, including weekends.

A journey may evolve from 3-day to weekly to full by the end of Second Form, or maybe even sooner depending on the child. As a result, there will not be a set number of places allocated to each level of boarding and they will be subject to availability.

Those families wishing to secure full boarding places will be prioritised so that we can continue to deliver a rich programme of activities for our junior boarders throughout the week and at weekends. It is really important to us that we have a strong and cohesive full boarding community in the Berrystead home, and that this community is enriched by additional children staying on a regular, fixed basis.

What are the timeframes of these developments?

The new curriculum will be in place for September 2023, as will the different boarding models for the new First Form. Weekly boarding for Second Form will be introduced in September 2024.

What House will the three-day and weekly boarders belong to?

All boarders will belong to The Berrystead and have their own desk and bed space. Omnia will create further opportunities for children of both Houses to work and socialise together.

Will this have any financial implications for parents??

The financial modelling for both the transitional and weekly boarding models will be published by the end of the Lent Term. All other fees will remain the same and there will be no extra cost to parents for Omnia.

What is the commitment to the weekend boarding experience?

We hope that by having more boarders throughout the week, this will enhance the overall boarding experience for all. Alongside the Berrystead, we have thirteen senior boarding houses, all with full boarders. Oundle is therefore alive and vibrant seven days a week, with departments and facilities fully open to all and staffed throughout the weekend. For our 11+ boarders, we are also introducing a new Head of Boarding Adventures role, with the person responsible for introducing a new fun Wednesday activity night and a bespoke Sunday programme for full boarders which will have something for everyone. Weekly boarders will also have the option to stay Saturday night from time to time.

Will this boarding model be introduced in older years?

No, we are fully committed to a full boarding ethos and the opportunities that this offers pupils, especially at weekends when the boarding community is all in School other than on fixed exeats. Our pupils tell us again and again that they feel secure in an environment where they all share the same rhythms with their friends: we are either all here or all not here and that gives them certainty.

It is, however, worth noting that from May 2024, an additional fixed exeat weekend for all First, Second and Third Form pupils will be introduced in the middle of the first half of the Summer Term. This gives continuity for the younger boarders across the year, with the general boarding rhythm being three weeks in School, a break at home, three weeks at School, followed by a holiday.

CURRICULUM

How can the current curriculum be condensed into 5 days?

We currently have slightly different curriculums in the First and Second Form and this is an opportunity to align the curriculum more effectively across both year groups. In deconstructing the curriculum to fit Monday to Friday, the main change is a more even distribution of language teaching. Currently we give significant curriculum time to French/Spanish as well as Latin in the First Form, which is then reduced in Second Form to allow either German/Greek to be taught. Going forward, two languages will be offered alongside Latin in both year groups, with pupils choosing from French/Spanish/German/Chinese/Greek. This will lead to no net change in the amount of time spent studying languages but it will give pupils a greater freedom and choice in these two formative years. They will then have the opportunity to pursue these languages further or explore a wider range when they enter the Third Form. It makes for a broader and more balanced curriculum which is more evenly balanced across the two years.

We have already made structural changes to the timetable over the past five years and are continuing to build on this across the board, with all creative subjects and games being delivered in the afternoons so that children are most alert and fresh for their core academic subjects in the mornings. We believe these further refinements will allow our pupils greater time and space to develop and grow to become effective learners in readiness for six days of lessons once in Third Form.

How will the curriculum be staffed?

We are committed to retaining our breadth and depth of subjects, whilst building upon our unique advantage of specialised subject teachers who teach all the way through to I/GCSE and A level. We understand just how different teaching First and Second Form is, compared with Third Form and above and we are continuing to focus on ensuring that both the curriculum and our teaching approach in the classroom is adapted appropriately. This was one of the driving forces behind the role of Head of Lower Years; to oversee First Form through to Third Form. Our Summer Term staff training and sessions over the next few months with Heads of Departments will focus on these 11+ developments, alongside increased collaboration with teachers at LJS to ensure best possible transition.

What is the importance of subject specialists at this age?

Having subject specialists who teach all the way through to I/GCSE and A level enables our younger children gain true mastery of their subjects. This builds a solid foundation of learning and knowledge that prepares them for transition to Third Form and beyond.

Are the days likely to be longer in the week?

There will be very little change to the length of the day Tuesdays through to Thursdays. On Mondays and Fridays, sport will start a little later and finish at 5pm. The other thing to note is that with there being no formal lessons on Saturdays, there will be no need for homework to be done on a Friday evening. We look forward to pupils coming back to lessons on a Monday with refreshed ‘brains’ that are ready to learn again. The general rule of thumb is around 5pm for pick up during the week, extra-curricular commitments not withstanding, with Scott House open until 6pm.

What will the sporting provision be?

The sporting offer will be enhanced, with three scheduled games sessions a week instead of two, plus weekly curriculum PE lessons. A sport rotation on a Saturday afternoon after Omnia will also run on an optional basisoptions will be offered half termly and pupils will be asked to sign up in order to register their interest.

In general, matches for both First and Second Form will be played on Wednesday afternoons starting at 2.30pm. End time will depend on whether playing home or away and the sport in question. Mondays and Fridays will see sport start at 3.15pm running through to 5pm.

Sports offered across each term will not change:

Michaelmas - rugby (boys); hockey (girls)

Lent - hockey (boys); netball (girls)

Summer - cricket (boys and girls) with the opportunity to play tennis and train in athletics

OMNIA

How will the competitive element of Omnia work?

Part of the 11+ enhancements over the past five years has been about creating a deeper integration between the two junior Houses and we are committed to building on this. Pupils across the two Houses lunch together twice a week and share all the outdoor areas for recreational play and activities. They are also together in lessons, in sport and across the whole co-curricular provision. All Berrystead and Scott House tutors are specifically trained to work with junior pupils and the staff work in tandem across the two Houses, with the Head of Lower Years overseeing the First to Third Form Curriculum. The introduction of Omnia takes this integration another step forward. We will be introducing named Quarters, with each child being part of both a House and a Quarter. Through Omnia and beyond, First and Second Form will compete in their Quarters, helping them to get to know each much better, and enabling them to work, socialise and play together as units across the two Houses. It will create a much fairer structure for competition and create greater cohesive opportunities for all.

What are the aims and themes of Omnia and how will you ensure that pupils understand them?

Omnia is a supplement to our current academic and co-curricular provision, not a substitute for either. The main aim is to develop character traits and skills that will benefit the pupils as they move through the School, in both their academic progression and their wider development.

For First Formers, activities will support four main themes: ‘Transition to Oundle, ‘Farm to Fork, ‘Codebreakers’ and ‘Young Explorers’. For Second Formers, activities will be based around four key themes: Global Citizens, Team Players, Critical Thinkers and Climate Champions. This gives a sense of graduation and cohesion to the programme and as we move through each theme, we will ensure that pupils understand the bigger picture of what they are doing and why, encouraging them to reflect on what they have learnt with their teachers and tutor. The activities within each theme will be grouped by commonality of skill development, often combining quite contrasting fields. For example, Robotic and Linguistics will come together to form ‘Codebreakers’, utilising problem solving and logical skills. Climbing and STEM will come together to form ‘Young Explorers’, with both requiring inquisitiveness and resourcefulness.

In due course, a detailed grid showcasing the different themes, activities and character traits/skills will be shared with parents and pupils.

Will there still be Electives available on a Tuesday and Thursday?

Absolutely, Omnia does not replace the Electives programme. What we will seek to do however, is move a handful of Electives, especially those that are often over-subscribed such as climbing, into Omnia instead so that all pupils are able to benefit from them.

What are pick up times on Saturdays?

First formers who are weekly boarders may be picked up on Fridays after lessons/activities, on Saturdays before or after lunch which is at 12.30pm or after sport at 2.30pm. We hope, of course, that most will take part in the Omnia programme wherever possible.

Second formers who are weekly boarders may be picked up on Saturdays before or after lunch which is at 12.30pm or after sport at 2.30pm.