We are pleased to announce our support for an upcoming free event titled ‘Parenting in the Digital Age,’ featuring Dr. Susie Davies, a GP, author, and founder of PAPAYA (Parents Against Phone Addiction in Young Adolescents). This important gathering, hosted by the Cambridgeshire Smartphone Free Childhood initiative, aims to address the growing concerns many families have regarding smartphone use among children.
With over 1,300 parents and caregivers in Cambridgeshire already engaging with the Smartphone Free Childhood initiative, it is clear that this is a pressing issue in our community. Parents are seeking guidance on questions such as the appropriate age to introduce smartphones and how to approach conversations about technology with their child’s school.
Dr Davies will lead a discussion unpacking the complex issues surrounding smartphone use, offering practical solutions that families can implement. The event will also feature remarks by Mr Fletcher, a Q&A session, providing attendees the opportunity to voice their concerns and share experiences.
We hope this event will attract families and schools from across the Cambridge area, fostering a community dialogue on the potential benefits of going smartphone-free in schools. We believe that through collaboration and awareness, we can bring about widespread change, promoting healthier relationships with technology for our children.
Event Details:
Tue, 26 Nov 2024 19:00 – 20:30 GMT
Location: Lady Mitchell Hall, Sidgwick Ave, Cambridge, CB3 9DB
Join us as we work together to create a safer digital landscape for our children. We look forward to welcoming families and educators from the Cambridge area to this vital conversation.
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People often ask me what are the benefits of sending their child to Heritage when they are still so young. Why not wait until they are older?
The reason is simply that young children thrive at Heritage in the prep classes.
Amidst the noise and brightly coloured, overstimulating, fast moving images in their lives, our low-tech, broad and stimulating curriculum – alongside so many hands-on real world experiences – offers a richness that seems lacking in many Reception classes.
A calm, quiet environment, meaningful tasks, and books that aim to stretch and inspire captivates their interest, imagination and curiosity. This allows our young pupils to make discoveries and connections for themselves, to observe and wonder first hand and helps protect the innocence of their childhood. For these children school is an enriching, interesting and exciting place to be; a place they want to be. What a positive start to a young child’s schooling to see them run into the playground each morning with such enthusiasm and delight as to what’s to come that day.
In History, they are mesmerised by the adventures of famous explorers, dramatic sea battles and the behaviour of British kings and queens of long ago. Inspired by lessons on Early Man, for example, they may in their play work together to design a trap to catch a mammoth. Similarly, in Geography they may choose to construct the Tower of London or the Great Wall of China with building blocks or Lego bricks as they look at iconic landmarks and learn about the world around them, including different landforms, countries and cultures.
In Art Appreciation, young children pore over great works of art and look in wonder as if at a friend when they come across these same paintings in the Fitzwilliam. They may re-enact great works of art in their play, cutting down the long grass, as for example, the workers in The Hay Harvest by Pieter Bruegel. They enjoy listening to traditional tales and classics such as Winnie the Pooh, Beatrix Potter and The Just So Stories and listen to a wide range of music whilst they eat, play and work. They delight in learning the names of the trees and flowers around them, learning to identify them by their shape, texture and colour, and greet them with joy when they are spotted on weekly nature walks, enthusiastically experiencing all the elements of nature by splashing in puddles, creating dams, connecting waterways, building snowmen, raking leaves, and twirling in the wind.
Preparatory class sizes are small and, with a higher adult to child ratio, children become known persons; anxieties can be addressed quickly, activities can be adapted to suit different needs and abilities, children can be more easily stretched and supported and time can be made to follow through with personal interests.
Within the timetable there is flexibility to follow different areas of curiosity – such as examining the life of a spider which made its home in the corner of the classroom, and taking time to find out answers to the questions they really want to know. For example: ‘Do spiders have a belly button?’
Early building blocks in phonics and maths are secured and children can build on these with confidence, many becoming competent readers at a young age. Their habit of attention improves, their vocabulary widens, and the skill in recalling the main points from a story read aloud strengthens. These young children make connections and link their learning, ask questions and think deeply.
This becomes a strong foundation on which to build all future learning. Pupils who have moved up through the school are noticeably engaged in their lessons, enthusiastic about their learning, keen to participate and listen with a high level of attentiveness. They have strong learning habits and a positive attitude towards school.
The early years at Heritage are designed to ignite a child’s natural curiosity and provide them with a rich, balanced foundation for learning. With individual attention, a thoughtful curriculum, and opportunities to explore the world around them, children at Heritage develop not only key academic skills but also a lifelong love for learning. As they progress through the school, they carry with them the joy of discovery and the confidence to approach new challenges with enthusiasm. Starting their journey at Heritage sets the stage for a flourishing educational experience that lasts well beyond their prep years.
https://heritagewebsite.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Early-Years-Featured-image-Oct-2024-3.png6281200adminhttps://heritageschool.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/heritage-school-logo1-1.pngadmin2024-10-15 13:38:352024-10-16 09:10:16The Early Years Advantage
Today, Heritage School is announcing an innovative Five Year Plan for Fees in response to the government’s proposal to impose new taxes upon independent schools – 20% VAT on fees from January and higher business rates from April for independent schools that are charities, as we are. Together, these measures pose a serious challenge to independent schools and the families they serve.
A position of strength
Since it was established in 2007, careful financial management has ensured that the work of Heritage School rests on a secure financial footing. This enabled the school to purchase Panton Hall in 2018 and its Brookside site in August 2020. At the start of this academic year, unrestricted cash reserves are healthy and pupil numbers are at their highest since 2017-18.
As we face these unprecedented challenges, we take courage not only from the strength of our financial position, but also from the growing recognition that Heritage School is unique. Parents cannot get what we offer elsewhere.
This starts with the fact that Heritage has a unique vision inspired by and anchored in the Christian tradition. Our recent ISI inspection report recognised that Heritage has, ‘a clear shared vision’, and that, ‘this well-articulated vision is expressed in all aspects of school life.’ Because of our size, Heritage also has a unique ability to care for its pupils. According to the inspectors, ‘Leaders know their pupils very well, and ensure that the provision meets their individual needs.’
Inspectors identified many unique aspects of our offering:
‘The curriculum includes substantial study of art, music and poetry.’
Pupils, ‘demonstrate advanced listening skills in using the technique of narration.’
‘Regular nature walks… enable them to make sophisticated connections.’
Our ‘knowledge-rich curriculum… gives pupils a learning experience which is highly effective,’ and
it ‘effectively develops the habit of attention.’
Recent coverage in The Sunday Timesunderlined the fact that Heritage School is one of a kind: ‘Heritage School – thought to be the only screen free school in Britain – has become a pioneer of the type of education that many parents are desperately seeking for their children.’ They recognised, too, that our academic outcomes are ‘the second best in the city’, adding that, ‘last year, 74% of GCSE results at Heritage were scored 7-9, against an average of 22% in England.’
A Five Year Plan for Fees
Although Heritage is in a strong position, Trustees are conscious that, like other small independent schools, our community is at greater risk from VAT and higher business rates than larger and long-established independent schools. We have sought, therefore, to respond with maximum sensitivity to parents, within the bounds of responsible financial stewardship. This includes a commitment to wages that enable us to attract the high quality staff who make Heritage so special.
Today, we are announcing a Five Year Plan for Fees because we want existing and prospective parents to know what these new taxes will mean for fees so they can plan carefully. The percentages listed on the table below refer to the actual fee rises –inclusive of VAT at 20% – that we expect parents to experience relative to our current fees.
Five Year Plan For Fees (inclusive of VAT)
January 2025
September 2025
September 2026
September 2027
September 2028
+9%
+6.5%
+4.5%
+3%
+3%
Unless changes are announced at the Budget on 30th October, the fee rise inclusive of VAT at 20% indicated above will be applied from January. Fee rises for 2025-26 and beyond are indicative, and will be confirmed before the end of the Spring Term preceding the academic year in question. Once we have responded to VAT and higher business rates, our objective is to keep future fee rises at or near inflation. We are committed to keeping Heritage as affordable as possible for middle income families.
Alongside fee rises, other measures will play an important role in our response to forthcoming challenges, including VAT reclaim, cost savings and fundraising, with support for bursaries as our primary objective.
Trustees are confident that the measures we have put in place will enable the school to meet the challenges ahead successfully. If, on 30th October, there were to be a softening of the government’s current position, this would only be advantageous, and we would update this announcement immediately.
The value of a Heritage education
We understand that the cost of a Heritage education is a significant investment for families, and we deeply regret that the government is making it harder to access.
It continues to be our conviction, however, that a Heritage education is worth it. We have seen its far-reaching impact. This is true academically, where we are adding significant value. More importantly, this is true for our pupils as people. They are emerging from Heritage settled in who they are and well prepared not just for further education, but for life.
We invite prospective families who may need support to learn more about our means-tested bursaries.
Thank you for considering becoming part of Heritage School.
https://heritagewebsite.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/School-Building-Featured-Image.png6281200adminhttps://heritageschool.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/heritage-school-logo1-1.pngadmin2024-09-27 05:40:592024-10-03 17:46:35Responding to VAT: A Five Year Plan for Fees
Photo credit: CHRIS RADBURN FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES/TIMES MEDIA LTD
We are delighted that The Sunday Times has featured Heritage School in its most recent issue, highlighting our innovative, screen-free approach to education. Heritage has emerged, the article says, as ‘a pioneer of the type of education many parents are desperately seeking for their children.’
‘Thought to be the UK’s only screen-free school’, the article explains that Heritage offers a rich curriculum that makes room for poetry, nature walks, enrichment, classical music and fine art – all while consistently achieving top academic results. It continues, ‘They also get the second-best GCSE results in the city, after the Perse School. Last year, 74 per cent of GCSE results at Heritage were scored 7-9, against an average of 22 per cent in England.’
The article underscores the significant benefits of our book and textbook based learning model, which, Mr Fletcher says, ‘actually delivers better outcomes. That’s because printed matter does a better job of cultivating the habit of sustained attentive engagement, the necessary precondition for effective learning.’
Having visited the school several times, actress Sophie Winkleman is quoted as saying, ‘I would love to join forces with someone and open many more Heritages around the country. If my husband and I weren’t stuck in London for work, I’d move there like a shot.’
Following on from the article, Mr Fletcher was interviewed for the Times Radio Breakfast show, where he discussed the reasons behind the school’s low-tech approach. He explained, ‘We’re trying to encourage our pupils to engage attentively with a knowledge-rich curriculum, because that is the thing that should be right at the heart of education.’ He noted that a book based approach to learning has worked for over 500 years, and he drew attention to the old adage, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’
We are encouraged by the growing movement to re-evaluate the role that technology is having in the lives of children, including in schools. Heritage wholeheartedly supports the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign, and the associated movement for smartphone free schools. We believe the role of EdTech in schools today also needs urgent re-appraisal.
As we look to the future, we remain dedicated to providing an ‘education for life’ – one that engages our pupils with an inspiring, knowledge-rich curriculum. Over the past 17 years, we have seen that this works; it enables our pupils to realise their potential and grow into young people able to contribute to the common good.
The full article can be found on The Sunday Times website. (You will need a subscription—or can sign up for a free trial subscription—to view the full article.)
The interview with Mr Fletcher can be found on the Times Radio web page (skip ahead to 03:48:28). Note that you will need to register but it’s free to listen. There is also an earlier segment (from 1:56:20) where Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times Education Editor, speaks about Heritage School.
https://heritagewebsite.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/Sunday-Times-Article-Featured-Image-Oct-2024.png6281200adminhttps://heritageschool.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/heritage-school-logo1-1.pngadmin2024-09-16 13:28:242024-09-16 16:25:14A Screen-Free Education with Top Results: Heritage Featured in The Sunday Times
We are delighted to share the outstanding success of our pupils in the 2024 GCSE exams, further solidifying Heritage School’s reputation for academic excellence.
This year’s results surpassed last year’s achievements, with an impressive:
86% of grades awarded 9-6 (national average 37%),
74% awarded 9-7 (national average 23%),
55% awarded 9 or 8 (national average 13%),
36% awarded the top grade of 9 (national average 5%).
Headmaster Jason Fletcher announced the results, saying, ‘Our Year 11 pupils have done extremely well in their exams this year, and we are very proud of each one of them. Yet again, our pupils have exceeded what standardised assessments predicted they would achieve, showing that Heritage is a school that adds significant value. Our small size and our distinctive knowledge-rich, book-based culture really do work and enable our pupils to thrive in many important ways, including academically.’
Our 2024 leavers are set to continue their academic journeys at a variety of institutions, including The Perse School, King’s Ely Sixth Form, Stephen Perse Sixth Form, Chesterton Sixth Form, Hills Road Sixth Form College, Long Road Sixth Form College, Comberton Sixth Form, Impington International College, and The Oakes College Cambridge.
For a summary of our 2024 results and a look at our GCSE performance since 2016, please visit the exam results page on our website. There you can also find our exceptional value-added data which shows that in recent years our pupils have, on average, achieved 1.3 grades higher than expected in every subject. You can also explore the future pathways of our alumni to both sixth form and university on the alumni page.
