Caldicott has a longstanding reputation of being at the forefront of our sector. We’re a unique institution that encourages boarding at a prep school age, is confidently boys-only, believes in the benefits of a strong sporting environment yet also strives for stellar academic results. We’re also not afraid to adapt when needed, as evidenced by Day Plus which will officially be an option for families entering Year 7 this September.
The Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA) and the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) are two of the most prestigious and leading institutions in the world of independent schools and so when they asked us to host the Prep Forum Conference at Caldicott, it was a privilege to accept. Senior leaders and heads of boarding from around the country gathered to share ideas on best practice and listen to insight from expert speakers.
Starting with a talk on neurodiversity, Narges Gonzalez shared new ways that boarding can be made more accessible to children on the spectrum; an autism education specialist teacher with 16 years of experience working in south Bucks, she was perfectly poised to give meaningful suggestions. Caldicott parent, Sam, then gave a more personal account of what it has been like to be a parent of a neurodiverse child who is boarding – her view of things was fascinating and perfectly articulated.
Some time was set aside for tours around Caldicott, and as we are when visiting other schools, our prep school counterparts were fascinated to see how we do things and get a feel for the incredible facilities the boys have access to. A special mention to IAPS and ISCC for putting on a fantastic lunch; James, who can be found often in our own school kitchen, reported that he had countless compliments on what they’d produced.
In the afternoon we got stuck into the finer details, covering Visas and guardianships. Kate Hollyer is the League and Public Affairs Director of BSA Group and in her incredibly informative manner stressed that visas aren’t just about admin, but are all about ensuring the welfare of children. David Walker, Director of BSA, moved onto guardianships, which is another branch of child welfare, and a crucial part of due diligence to make certain that children get the best care they can, even when they’re not under our roof.
Finally, the open forum was a perfect chance to share thoughts amongst eachother and talk about the sector as a whole. Mobile phones and valuables in schools, as well as the importance of working with parents, and not just children, were a couple of the talking points.
An enormous thank you to BSA and IAPS for organising the event and choosing us to host it, and of course to the representative from the many prep schools that travelled all kinds of distances to make it such a productive day for us all!
