May 22nd 2022
The school grounds look particularly lovely at this time of year, and it has been a joy this Summer term to have some wonderful weather that has allowed for plenty of cricket. Boys of all ages and abilities have really enjoyed the opportunity for quality coaching and there have been a number of excellent matches across the year groups. To date, this has also been a successful cricket season for the school, although James Springer (Director of Sport) and I often remind each other that it’s not all about results. We both know that the boys learn as much from losing a well contested fixture as they do from victory. The ethos behind Moulsford sport firmly remains centered around inclusion, sportsmanship and developing life-long passions, and my thanks to James and his team who live this message out on a daily basis, and act as outstanding role models for the boys.
On the academic front, we are approaching the end of the year, but the boys’ education and development is a marathon not a sprint. The teachers have been assessing the boys at very regular intervals since September, and also observing their engagement, attainment and application in class. The year round observations are every bit as important as the series of both informal and formal assessments across the year groups this term, in informing teachers’ views on the make-up of classes for September 2022.
Moulsford’s approach to setting/streaming is flexible and we are not rigidly bound to one particular system. We use a variety of models depending on the specific dynamics of each particular year group. Just as every child is an individual, we also aim to treat each year group as its own distinct entity. Macro factors that come into play when deciding on a structure include the overall academic strength of the ‘cohort’ (and broadly, where that strength lies), pastoral considerations and friendship groups. It’s also worth remembering that boys develop at all kinds of different stages, and possess many varied skills. Connected with this, we are very wary of children being ‘academically’ pigeonholed at a relatively early stage in their education.
In response to the shift of many senior schools’ admissions tests to Year 6, we have moved to a system which allows for class teaching up to Year 5. Having a dedicated teacher as the central point of contact for your boys on both a pastoral and academic angle at this age, allows for a holistic approach to education in this key year. The Year 5 team of Jess Ringelberg, Grant Smart and Graham Sage have done an outstanding job in this regard during 2021/22, as have the class teachers in Year 4 and below. From Year 6 we aim to continue to develop the boys’ independence, and while the role of the form tutor remains critical, the boys start to move around the school more and experience a greater variety of teachers. This is all part of the preparation for the transition to senior school.
We will communicate classes for September 2022 in time for Move-Up Day, which takes place on Friday 10th June.
