School wins award for care

CAVERSHAM Preparatory School has won an award for pastoral care.

The independent school in Peppard Road was recognised in the Muddy Stilettos best schools awards, which attracted 400 entries.

The organisers described the category criterion as “a school environment where children feel safe and emotionally secure”.

The judges said Caversham Prep stood out for originality and its attention to detail.

School bursar Andrew Larson said: “We are delighted and a little bit shocked. Caversham Prep is a very small school of 74 pupils and the other finalists have 200 to 1,000 pupils, so all will have a much larger budget to invest in pastoral care.

“All we have is a dedicated team who work above and beyond.

“Covid in particular has had such a dramatic effect on children and staff’s mental health.

“The staff are pleased. It is always good to be recognised for doing something well.

“We do make a conscious effort to be pastoral but we are also academic, dramatic, musical and sporty.

“Our children won four music scholarships to independent senior schools in September. One of our year 6 children won the ISA National Shakespeare Monologue competition.”

Year 6 pupil Esmee Tanna said: “We choose kindness here.”

Rupert House School in Henley was highly commended in the inventive sports programme category and Queen Anne’s School in Caversham was highly commended in the originality in the teaching music and the arts category.