The Easter break saw members of the school community disperse to the four corners of the globe. Some chose active holidays: others relaxed. The Headmaster and his family spent a week in the heart of Sicily. Whilst some were seeking Spring sunshine and relaxation, the Headmaster was keen to get under the skin of an…
An aspect of a Bickley Park boy’s education that is exceptional is his exposure to amazing adults who have achieved something remarkable in their lives. On average, twice a term, an interesting speaker visits the school to tell the boys about, and sometimes demonstrate, something fascinating they have accomplished. In the last four or so…
It has been an extremely busy week at Bickley and I will cover exactly what has happened. This week has been the ‘Science Week’ in the Pre-Prep. The boys have been doing a number of activities in class all related to Science and Design Technology. The smiles that were on the boys’ faces shows how…
Calm in Crisis Polydore Vergil, an Italian who spend most of his life living in England in the early years of the 16th century, wrote a history of his adopted country: Anglia Historia. In this work, he included one of the only descriptions of one of England’s most effective monarch’s: Henry VII. In my interview…
Dog Love When I was watching BBC Breakfast Television in half-term, I was struck by how brief, and low key, was the mention of the loss of life of 17 students and teachers at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Florida, at the hands of an ex-pupil, Nikolas Cruz. It was reported in a…
The Academic Quadrant enables intellectual potential to be realised whilst inculcating a love of learning, so valuable in ensuring a fulfilling and successful life in adulthood.
The school recognises its duty to maintain its fine tradition of academic excellence. In May 2015, the schools’ inspectorate judged the attainment of Bickley Park School pupils to be excellent. Boys go on to some of the U.K.’s leading senior schools, often with scholarships.
Boys work towards gold standard exams at 13+ which push GCSE standard. In fact, some boys sit GCSEs: A*s have been achieved by several 12 and 13 year old boys in Spanish in the last two years; regional and national competitions have been won. We equally believe that learning should be presented in a way that broadens horizons and engages boys’ interest, instilling a passion to discover.
The Arts Quadrant develops key skills of communication and confidence through its strong emphasis on self expression and performance from a young age. Through drama, concerts, public speaking and debate, children can have fun whilst being challenged to communicate confidently with others.
Every boy between 5 and 13 enters the annual public speaking or debating competition, with the finalists speaking in well-known public venues such as Speakers’ Corner, on the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta, and St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street.
Interesting performance opportunities include music tours to Paris, New York, Venice and Verona. The school offers excellent specialist provision in Art, Drama and Design Technology. Boys work towards exciting outcomes, including the annual art exhibition and design fair in which they make and sell products. They love the Spanish and Art trip to Barcelona and opportunities to join in cultural activities at concert halls and galleries in London. The quality of the arts at Bickley Park was judged to be high in the 2015 inspection.
Those who live the longest, most fulfilling lives belong to, and actively serve, a community. B.P.S. boys are taught what constitutes a successful community, be it a family, a school, or a wider community. They are helped to understand that some people live very different, often challenging lives.
An understanding of other cultures is developed through activities like ‘Our World Week’ and ‘World Culture’ lessons in which children prepare for the inter-connected world they will enter by learning basic language skills and about the culture of China, India, Germany, Russia and Arabic speaking countries.
A sense of social justice is developed in which boys are encouraged to come up with ideas for how they can serve the school and wider community. They are then encouraged to translate ideas into action. The four School Houses undertake community events which might involve local, national or international links. Herbert House has organised an event for elderly people who, as children, spent time sheltering in Chislehurst Caves during The Blitz, including a tea party, entertainment and night time tour of the caves. Initiative and a sense of responsibility are developed though the Community Quadrant. The inspectors judged pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development to be excellent in the most recent inspection.
Bickley Park has a strong sporting pedigree. A wide range of quality opportunities are offered in curriculum time, including rugby, football, cricket, athletics, tennis, hockey, badminton, basketball, squash, climbing and cross country.
Every child from 5-13 has a weekly swimming lesson in the school’s own heated indoor pool. Sporting opportunities extend to the extra-curriculum programme with, amongst other things, fencing, taekwondo, go karting, golf and triathlon on offer. High standards are attained in the many competitive matches that are played, while important life lessons are learnt: how to win and lose in the right spirit; how to lead effectively and how to play as a team.
A boy-friendly outdoor education programme includes regular Forest School for younger pupils in local woodland, and bee keeping and survival skills for older pupils. An outstanding new climbing wall was unveiled in September 2015. Senior boys walk 176 miles along Offa’s Dyke: the full length of the Welsh/English border. Key life skills of resilience and managed risk taking are developed through the outdoor education programme.