Figure 1.--While many preparatory schools have given substantial attention to sports facilities. We note that often the libraries are a rather neglected school facility. The library at this school, for example, was quite limited. |
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A series of photo essays on different aspects of the British preparatory school experience can be viewed in this Apertures Press E-Book. Our photo essay here will eventually be a separate volume II of our British Preparatory Schools E-Book. As we are still working on Volume I, we thought that readers might like to have a look at the early stages in the development of the Photo Essays Volume II before we separate it from Volume I. We will add drawings, snipets of written work, and quotes from the children as well as material provided by the staff describing the schools and their educational programs. All this written material is designed to to help illustrate the photographs and to give an idea about what is on the mind of the the childeren pictured. The photo essays will cover all aspects of prep school life from beginning school in the morning to going to bed at night and is arranged in a kind of rough daily schedule order.
The children at boarding schools generally get up about 6:45 or 7:00 am. There is generally a bell or prefects to wake the children Getting up in the morning. They then wash up. get dressed, and make their beds. Then there is breakfast. The day children begin to arrive soon after breakfast.
The day children depending on where they live often have to get up before the boarders because of the commute. There are of course many ways of getting to school. A few day children are lucky to live close enough to school that they can walk or ride their bikes. Here they have yo live fairly close to the school. In the case of most private schools this is usually only a small number of the children. Riding bikes has become less common in recent years. At many day schools the children come by train or busses. Many boarding schools have a school bus. Also many parents drop off the children by car. Most schools require the day children to wear the full uniform with blazers and ties. Some schools also require caps, although by the 1980s that was becoming less common. Many schools believe that smartly dressed students are a good avertisement for the school.
Almost all British prep schools require the children to wear uniforms. These uniforms have varied widely from school and over time. The uniforms range in formality and at many schools are adjusted seasonally. Many schools require the children, boys and girls, to wear neck ties, but quite a number of schools are now more casual about uniforms and use open collars. Some times this is part of the seasonal change. Caps were once almost universal, but are now worn at only a few schools. Many schools have colorful blazers, bit they are usually not worn for classes and other activities. Some schools have corduroy uniforms. School scandals were once very common, but now not as widely worn.
Prep schools used to be very strict about hair cuts. They did not normally require short back and sites cuts, but the styles were definyely on the short side. Attitdes about hair changed considerably and the prep schools for the most part decided go go with the flow. We note a range of different styles in the 1980s. Most schools allowed the children considerable lattitude here as long as the hair was ke[t reasobanly near and off the collar. Here schools varied. Some schools continued to be very strict about hair styles. Sone schools have a barber come to school on a regular basis. Other schools let the parents handel hair cutting. Headmasters might, however, have boys whose hair is demmed beyond the pale visit a local barber. Girls cut for the most part left up to the individual as long as nothing exotic appears.
The traditional prep-school program began for boys about 8 years of age. Early prep-schools were flexible about this, but fter World War I, increasinglt the schools became more strict boy the age of entry. After World war, escpecially by the 1970s, prep schools became establishing pre-preps. They varied as to the age of entry, but commonly they dealt with children 5-7 years of age. There were many reasons for this development. There was the obvious academic purpose of ensuring that the children were properly prepared for preparatory school. Having a pre-prep ensured that the children could move seemlessly into the preparatory program. It also should be remembered that prep schools are all small businesses. Having a pre-prep ensured a continuity of new entrants into the preparatory school.
The classes at most prep schools are called forms. There are normally six forms, not includingb the pre-prep that many prep schools now have. Some prep schools use other terms, but form is by far the most common term. This term is used at the public schools and thus is the most widely used term at the prep schools. Normally the youngest children who begin at age 8 years are the Ist formers. The oldest children are the VIth formers who begin the form at age 12, but many are 13 when they finish. The coed prep schools normally have apprimately the same number of boys and girls in the first-fourth forms, but because many girl's public schools want the girls to begin at age 11, there are fewer girls in the fifth and sixth forms. The form numbers are repeated in the public school. Thus a prep school boy completing the VI form, becomes a Ist form boy again at his public school. This same system was once used in the state system, but schools there are adopting an annul progression system, but this varies from school to school.
The modern prep school is a place bustling with activity. Academic subjects dominate the morning classes. Going from class to class one sees a wide range of academic activities. The teaching styles varies at different schools as well as from teacher to teacher. Some schools persur rather traditional approaches with the children quietly listening or intent on the assignments at hand. One headmaster at a Staffordsgire school commented as he toured with us the quiet classrooms in the large country house serving as the school's main building, "You wouldn't think that these classrooms were full of boys." It is not all quiet activity at the midern prep school. Most schools have adopted a variety of modern, innovative approsaches. The authors have been unifoirmily impressed with the purposeful activity that almost aklways is observeable.
Of course there are all kinds of activities going on in the prepschool classroom. Many of the schools are quite traditional with the teachers seated at their desk giving a lesson to the children facing him or her lestening and taking notes, but there is much less of this than there used to be. Increasingly younger teachers are introducing all kinds of innovations to classroom work. Of course this varies with the subject matter. Science in particular permitted all kinds of interesting demonstrations which can easily interest the children. The art class is a favorite of many children permitting all kinds of hands own activities. The computer is also making a difference in some classes, although this was still relaively limited in the 1980s. And during the summer term there were a variety of activities that can be conducted outdoors.
All of the schools when we visited were beginning to integrate computers into the school program. Various schools were at different stages of this process. Many teachers, especiallu older teachers were unfamiliar with computers. Families at the time were just beginning to acquire home computers and so many of the children were also unfamilar with basic computer skills. There was, however, great interest, especially among the boys. Every school had at least somr boys who had achieved considerable computer literacy. Most schools had begun computer classes in basic skills and programs. Actually using computers in the classroom was still limited, in part because suitable educational programs were just beginning to appear and the intenet was still it a very early phase of development. Thus computing was both a classroom and extra-curricular activity.
Morning break is the term for recess at most prep schools. Normally it is about 11:00 am and weather permitting it is a time frentic activity for about 15-20 minutes. The children have spent the morning in their classrooms and this is a time to let off a little steam. Normally the boys choose a variety of active games. Girls often persue more sedate activities during the break. Here the popular games depend on the school and the age level. The younger boys may head for the playground. Many schools have suitable platground equipment. Okldrboys may choose a variety of active games. Some but not all all are sports related. Cricket batting using a tennis ball is popular. Various tag and a kind of dodgeball game are also popular. Some schools offer a little snack.
While many preparatory schools have given substantial attention to sports facilities, we note that often the libraries are a rather neglected their school library. While this is not the case of all prep schools, we have noted that a substantial number have very limited libraries. Quite a few have no dedicated library at all, but have a small collection of books in a multiple-use room. One school had a small collection of books in the billirds game room. Other schools have a library in a small room. Generally speaking the book collection is very limited meaning that there is little opportunity for the children to learn research and library schools. Some schools had reasonable libraries, but generally speaking even the best prep school linraries were inferior to the libraries at most state primary schools. I'm not surejust why the prep schools have generally given only limited attention to building school libraries.
The children's taste in books is quite electic. The titles of course vary over times. Children's authors like Roald Dahl are popular with the younger children when we visited in the 1980s. We saw the boys reading The BFG and James and the Giant Peach, but other titles were popular as well. The girls enjoyed the popular series like Nancy Drew. Throughout the schools children can normally perusing a variety of non-fiction books. Boys and girls differewidely on the books chosen. The boys tend to favor books on dinasaours, other animals, adventures, military history, cars, and sports. The girls often choose books on animals (here dinasaours are not such a favorite but horses are), and dance. The older children at about 12-13 years old begin to choose more adult novels. Mysteries seemed to have been especially popular. Most prep school strongly promote free reading. Some schools carefully monitor reading to mske sure the children "suitable" books. Usuall the children are not allowed to read comic books.
Most schools have lunch about 1:00 pm after morning classess. Some may have lunch a little earlier. The boarding schools all have dining rooms providing cooked meals. The food, seating arrangements, and other matters vary from school to school. The situation is a little more varied at day schools. Some have dining rooms also, but the children at many day schools bring bag lunches. There are varing approaches to supervising the lunch period at the different schools. On nice days the children may have impromtu picnics. Other schools have the children eat indoors. Of course during the Winter and on days with inclemate weather they have to ear indoors.i
Most schools have a rest period after lunch for about a half hour. Here regulations vary from school to school. Most schools insist that this be qwuiet time. Some schools are very strict. The general pattern is that the children must be in their dormitories laying down on their beds. This is not a universal approach, but it is by far the most common. Some children take a nap. Many children use the time to read books, but this is not required. It is left up to each boy or girl. At some schools the children can use the time more flexibly such as practice their musical instruments. Some children find the imposed quiet time difficult, but it becomes an accepted part of the daily routine.
While academics have become increasingly important at the modern prep school, games (sports) continue to be important at most schools. This of course reflects the public school tradition. Most readers will be familiar with the Duke of Wellington's remark that the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing field's of Eton. The prep schools after all are geared to prepare children for public schools. Here the ballance varies greatly from school to school. This is something prospective parents should seriously consider before selecting a school. Some headmasters place great importance on games. We have even known headmasters to get in fist fights on the games field--although that of course is quite rare. Schools have fixtures, mostly with other prep schools near by. The principal games for boys are cricket and rugby and now football (soccer). Field hockey was once common, but has gradually lost out to soccer. The girls compete in netball and hockey. A considerable part of the afternnon at most schools is devoted to games. Here the emphasis is on the main sports and individual coaching is provided. Attention is also given to other sports like track and field. The younger children might play games like rounders.
Life at British prep schools tends to be very structured. With classess, games, meals, rest time, musical instrument practive prep, and other scheduled activities, the children do not have a lot of free time. Thus for many their free time is very precious. The children use it in a variety of ways, depending on the time and weather. Many younger children like free play, building forts or playing ad hoc games. There are also inside recreation. Some schools have gym for various games or other activities like rollar skating. The schools have a good supply of board gamesand chess a prenial favotite. Several schools have model railroads. This is something that is difficult for boys to do in a small house, but with interested staff some schools have wonderful lay outs. Some children take the opportunity to go to the libray or read the newspaper. Generall television is not incouraged, except for the news. And now ith the computer, there are a whole range of interesting activities.
One of the fascinating aspects of prep schools like any school is of course the children. We have slected some captivating images of the children as they go about their daily routein. We not happy and sad children. Some having a good laugh and others deep in thought. We would love to give the children a penny for their thoughts. We notice others completely abosorbed in a book or other activity. These an many other experiences and emotions are all part of the daily life at any prepschool. Some of these images are posed with the children having fun getting theit photograph taken. Other images are candid portraits with the childre bblivious to our photographic activities.
Orep school students begin a 8 years of age and finish at 13. Boarders live and go to school together, spending more time with each other than their own families. Not all children begin at 8 or stay until 13. But some children starting in the pre-ptep sprnd even longer times together. The children become very close, not unlike brother and sisters. They know each other probably better than anyone ever will. As a result the children become vet good friends. They share not only school and sports, but meals and free times. Children can be cruel to each other, but with rhe proper guidance vey positive, suportive relationships develop. This was not always the case in British boarding schools, but this has changed. We noted very friendly atmosheres at almost all the prep schools we visited.
We found children at preparatory schools engaged in a wide range of activities beyond the academic program. Many activities were conducted at most schools. Other activities were conducted at only a few schools. Each school had its own unique range of activities and approasch to those activities. MOst schools scheduled days for clubs or occupations. Most schools offered some choice so the children could persue their interests, but this varied from school. The size of the school was a factor here. Also the schools generally incouraged the children to at least try new and different activities. Often children will only want to persue familiar activities or activities for which they already have some skills. For relatively small schools, most prep schools offered an impressive range of activities. A variety of factors affected the particular mix of activities offered. The interests of the children were similar at the different schools. Thus an important factor was the interests and skills of the staff.
Going home for the day children is generally stasggered. The younger children go home first, especially the pre-prep. The younger prep school children go home a little later. Often their prep period is very short. Older children stay later. They have longer prep and are often involved in games, both mastches and practices. Again when going home the children are expected to put on the full uniform including ties and blazers and caps if the school still required them. Some schools also had footwear rules. Some schools are quite strict about the children being properly turned out at the end of the day. Other schools are more relaxed about this. A few children walk or ride bikes. Other takes busses or trans which is cmmon at day schools. Boarding schools may have small busses for the day children. Often parents pick up their children.
A lot goes on at school after the day children go home. Here the program varies from school to school. It also varies seasonally. Generally the children are allowed to stay up longer during the summer term with longer days. Of course thed schools vary considerably as to the facilities availavle for freetime activities. There can be free time, supervised activities like a free swim, tea (evening meal), perhaps some television (usually the news), prep, and finally bed time. Some schools give more attention to free time while others place greater emphasis on prep. The children's bed-times are staggered by age so the younger children go to bed a little earlier. The amount of time in the evening depends on the child's age.
Most schools require the children to do some preparation ("prep") or homework every day. This is scheuled at various times, normally in the afternoon or evening. Here schools vary. Generally the younger children are given little or no prep, but prep is gradualy increased as they move from form to form. Prep is much more common in thr middle and senior forms. Schools have varying attitudes toward prep, but most schools assign at least some prep. Newlands like many other other schools believes that prep is "essential for the full benefits to be derived from the instruction given". Some offer the children more free time while others insist on more prep. At some boarding schools it constitututes a major part of the evening program. More commobly schools have the older children do aboit an hour of prep and then allow them to persue free time or organized activitoies before their bed time.
