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 Why choose St. James' School?
Below are all messages from our current parents. Similarly, should you wish to speak with a parent who has a child in the same year groups as your own, please contact the School and we would be more than happy to put you in touch.
Day Care
Our son, Rhys Thomas, started in The Fledglings at the end of August 2008. Before Rhys started we had a visit, and we were immediately impressed with the size of the School, the warmth and friendliness of the staff and pupils and the nursery class size: the maximum class size is 8 children!!
But as a parent, you're always concerned about the choices you make for your child; Rhys is quite small for his age (now 2 years 5 months) and he has already had a lot of changes to contend with in his little life; so although he had a few taster sessions the first few full days at Fledglings were quite daunting for us; But not for Rhys, he settled in immediately, he made friends quickly and really liked his class teachers, Miss Smith and Miss Cromer.
In two short months, we have already see him blossom in terms of his vocabulary, number power and in his confidence generally. Every morning he loves getting up to go to school, he gets out of the car with his green St. James' reading bag like a very big boy, confidently says good morning to everyone and then goes into the class to start his day; as a mummy and daddy, we know that he is safe, well cared for and that he is afforded lots of different learning opportunities throughout the day - but most importantly we know that he is happy and learning to become a well rounded, kind and confident little chap.
I have two children at St. James', Harry is in Year 1 and Sofia is in the Fledglings day care unit. Having attended private schools as a child, I was certain that I was going to 'opt' for the same for my children - although my husband had different ideas! He did not see the point of paying fees for something that you could get for free! As usual, I did get my way, and it took literally a matter of days until he realised what you get for your money!
Both of the children are treated as individuals and the size of the classes is fantastic. Harry has 10 in his class and Sofia, no more than 8. When Sofia started this term, having just turned 2, I was concerned about her settling as she had not been to a nursery before. She loved it!! I barely got so much as a 'goodbye' when I left and it has been the same ever since!
I would certainly recommend, to anyone who is not happy with their child's school, that you come and have a look.
The Prep School
There were lots of reasons for moving Dennis (Prep 5) to St James School in January 2010. The school was highly recommended, I was impressed with the staff, the level of teaching, how the children are treated as individuals, the level of support the school offers, the curriculum, the sport facilities and I am very impressed with how Dennis has been made to feel very welcome and part of the school quickly.
The taster sessions were very helpful and made me make that overall decision and up to now its been the right choice for Dennis! He seems to be so much happier and if he is happy I am happy!
My 7 year old son, Teddy, has been at St. James' since May of 2008 and is currently in Prep 2. He was at a local school and both myself and my husband became quite concerned about his progress. We knew from the work he did at home that he was a capable boy but we received no feedback from school at all. He was quite a timid child and with 30+ children in his class he was getting passed over. I talked to my husband into coming with me to look round St. James! After one visit, an informative guided tour of the facilities and a chat with the teachers, we moved him straight away. By February of 2009, to our delight, he was a free reader and his academic progress has been astonishing. It is a big commitment to opt to privately educate your child but the benefits are enormous. I was slightly dubious about meeting other parents and wondering whether we would "fit in" as such, but there was no reason to worry. St. James' is just full of parents wanting the best for their children and wishing to give them the best possible start in life.
We have three children who all attend St. James School. Our eldest daughter Lydia is 12 years old, in year 7 & our twin daughters, Gabrielle & Francesca are 10 years old, in year 5.
We found ourselves in a very difficult situation, desperately searching for a secondary school for Lydia to attend. Lydia was a very shy, timid girl, who lacked confidence. At the age of 11 years, Lydia was diagnosed with Dyslexia & Dyscalculia, a major blow to say the least!
Locating the right school for Lydia was certainly intensified.
My husband & I approached St. James' School & were welcomed with open arms! We were immediately put at ease and shown around the school, with the opportunity to speak with the teachers & pupils alike. Mrs Issacs was wonderful. She listened to all of our concerns, allaying any fears that had escalated.
We made our decision almost immediately, and moved all three of our children the following week to start the Summer Term. This gave Lydia a full term in St. James Prep to familiarise herself and make new friends, prior to the transition into the Senior School.
Mrs Issac arranged a new 'Buddy' for each of the girls, and we must say that this worked brilliantly! Their 'Buddies' took them under their wing, showed them around, introduced them to new friends, teachers, and situations & helped them to settle in.
We were also introduced to Mrs Smith, who; we must say; is absolutely wonderful, an incredibly kind, gentle lady with outstanding patience & understanding. She teaches Lydia extra lessons for her Maths & English. Lydia has not only made progress but has gained confidence, satisfaction and enjoyment in the subjects she once feared!
All three girls settled incredibly well and we have never looked back. They have all made new friends, progressed with their studies and most importantly, they all enjoy school!
Lydia moved up to the Senior School in September, with much apprehension on our behalf, however, we can honestly say that we need never have worried. Lydia 'just went' so to speak and has taken each step in her stride. She is doing well in all of her subjects and seems to embrace new challenges set before her, even if she does moan about the homework!
St. James' School is 'firm but fair'. It implements both discipline & respect, which we feel is important. It also offers a wide range of subjects in both theory & practical alongside an array of physical sports. An added bonus is the out of school care & after school activities. Our children also enjoy the choice of a varied menu in the school canteen at lunchtime.
We feel that we certainly made the right decision when we chose St. James' School for our children. Well done St James!
We chose St. James', in particular, because of the school size, opportunities offered and reputation. We are confident that because of the small class sizes our son receives excellent attention from his teachers. We especially like the opportunities offered at a young age at the School. We believe these would not be offered by the state system. Liam loves his French lessons and Music activities. We also chose the school because of its excellent reputation for turning out well rounded, independent and excellently behaved young people. We like that our son receives formality and discipline where necessary, the use of a formal school uniform and expectations of excellent behaviour from a young age help to maintain standards , these things we believe are sometimes lacking in the 'one size fits all' state system. St James' has a family atmosphere and our family felt welcome from the moment we stepped through the door. We are confident that all of the staff really know our son and his needs in a way only a small school can. The confidence that this brings out in Liam, knowing he is supported and encouraged at every turn makes all the difference to his learning and his enjoyment of being in the school environment.
Our son was struggling in the primary school he was attending. He has Asperger's syndrome which is not a condition that is suited to all the noise and distractions of a large 38 pupil class and as a result he faded into the background. His teachers did not even notice that he was distressed or that he was falling behind in his schoolwork as they had so many other children to look after.
It was our GP that suggested we look for somewhere smaller such as St James'. My son had one visit at St. James' and basically wanted to start there the next day! The small classes, and the way my son feels that he is valued as an individual, are making him actually enjoy school for the first time. He is coming on so well socially and academically. We only wish we made the change sooner.
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