Prep School BICKLEY PARK
The school’s four quadrant learning curriculum is bold and aspirational in its vision for pupils earning it the top spot in this category
Futurologists write about a society that will be more fluid and uncertain, where out-of-the-box thinkers who are tech savvy, resilient and great collaborators will thrive. The building blocks for this future world are put in place through Bickley Park’s unique Four Quadrants of Learning, which aim to develop the skills and mindset for the future.
Within the Academic Quadrant, Bickley Park focuses on the premise that ‘We live in a fascinating, diverse world: let’s go on an adventure and find out more about it.’ Take literacy: boys join the Accelerated Reader scheme in which they read a book, at the end of which they complete a ‘quiz’. They love doing this. The ‘what’s in it for me?’ is answered by a word count that accumulates based upon the number of words a boy reads. Needless to say, there are now numerous multi-millionaire readers and reading ages sky rocket. Of course, exams are passed along the way: half of year eight was awarded academic scholarships to selective schools this year, despite the school being largely non-selective in reception.
The Arts Quadrant develops two key life skills for now and the future: quality communication and confidence. The diverse arts programme provides boys with the opportunity to express themselves, arming them with the tools to build great relationships in the future. With a strong emphasis on collaboration, specialist drama teaching and individual music and LAMDA lessons ensure every passion can be followed. Opportunities such as publicspeaking competitions, school choir performances and school productions all foster enthusiasm for taking part and embracing personal challenge.
The Community Quadrant recognises the best relationships are built on empathy and giving, and this lies at the heart of much outward-looking community engagement at Bickley
Park, both locally and further afield. Last year, 80 school families were involved in a pandemic befriending project, linking boys with elderly and vulnerable people living in isolation in and around Bromley. In international outreach, the school’s strong association with India was reflected in thousands of pounds being raised to support the purchase of ventilators for the country’s worst Covid-affected areas, as well as donations of raincoats to help underprivileged children in the monsoon season. Links between the Cygnus International School, Gujarat, and Bickley Park have enabled pupils to gain life-changing insights into each others’ worlds through science and arts collaboration projects.
Through the Sport and Outdoor Education Quadrant, the boys develop leadership skills; resilience and the ability to manage risk, experiencing up to 26 different sports, forest and adventure schools. They drive Land Rovers; undertake the Three Peaks Challenge; fly down the fastest zipwire in the world and undertake challenges while spending a day travelling around London in groups without adult direction.
Head, Tammy Howard says “we were thrilled to win this award for our ‘wellarticulated, coherent and holistic Four Quadrants of Learning programme’, which is testament to the hard work and dedication of our whole community.” bickleyparkschool.co.uk
“WE WERE THRILLED TO WIN THIS AWARD FOR our ‘well-articulated, coherent and holistic Four Quadrants of Learning programme’, WHICH IS TESTAMENT TO THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY”