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School facilities

School facilities include sports, arts, academic, careers, boarding and catering facilities, as well as services such as wrap around care and transport.

But do more and better school facilities mean a better education? And are some school facilities more important than others?

Blended Learning; what you need to know

Schoolsmith · Published: Jan 25, 2022 · Updated: Feb 15, 2022

Image of a remote school house for Blended Learning article

Blended Learning, a hybrid of face-to-face and online learning, is the buzz phrase of this year’s prep schools admissions round. The phrase, ‘Blended Learning’, delivers two messages. One defensive; ‘We can educate your child remotely should they need to self-isolate’. And the other aspirational; ‘We can develop the skills for your child to master their […]

School sports facilities; how do they vary?

Schoolsmith · Published: Jun 12, 2019

Image of a football pitch for the School sports facilities post

All schools have sports facilities. But the standard of sport they facilitate varies. In this post I’ll expand on the Typical Facilities in UK Schools post to help you navigate your way around school sports facilities. What facilities might you expect at a primary or secondary school? And how do you know when a school […]

School academic facilities; how do they vary?

Schoolsmith · Published: Jun 5, 2019

Image of several globes for the School academic facilities post

Newness aside, there is often little to differentiate between schools’ academic facilities. The exception is Technology. In this post I’ll expand on the Typical Facilities in UK Schools post to focus on school academic facilities. After all, academic learning is at the core of a school’s purpose. What should you expect? And how can you […]

School arts facilities; how do they vary?

Schoolsmith · Published: May 23, 2019 · Updated: Jun 5, 2019

Image of an electronic keyboard and headphones for the School Arts facilities post

School arts facilities reflect the importance of the arts to a school’s balanced curriculum. In this post I’ll expand on the Typical Facilities in UK Schools post to focus on school arts facilities. What arts facilities schools offer and how you might differentiate between schools. The multi-purpose school hall The most basic school arts facility […]

Typical facilities in UK schools

Schoolsmith · Published: May 16, 2019 · Updated: Jul 30, 2020

Image of a wall of lockers for the Typical facilities in UK schools post

The typical prep school has twice as many facilities as a state primary. The typical independent senior school, however, has less facilities than the typical state secondary. There’s a complicity in contradiction about school open days. Heads and staff will state that there is more to a school than its facilities. Parents will agree. And […]

Why choose a school nursery?

Schoolsmith · Published: Feb 19, 2019 · Updated: Feb 16, 2022

Image of a playground for the School nursery, day nursery, pre-school or other childcare? post

Even for parents with a child starting in Reception, the school nursery is a main reason to choose the school. Why? Consistently in my surveys about 40% of parents rate “school nursery classes” as one of their 5 main criteria for choosing a prep or primary school. For these parents, parents of children starting Reception, […]

The school careers department come of age

Schoolsmith · Published: Jun 21, 2017 · Updated: Apr 10, 2019

Image of dimly lit shelves for the School Careers Department post

The school careers department has a crucial role in pupil employability. When I was at school the school careers department was the small dimly lit room at the end of an otherwise forgotten corridor. Inside there was a coffee table, though there was no coffee. There were a few low armchairs, the ones with the […]

Do better school facilities mean a better education?

Schoolsmith · Published: May 30, 2017 · Updated: May 16, 2019

Image of a red corner flag for the Do better school facilities mean a better education? post

School facilities are a means to an end, not an end in themselves. We parents like school facilities. Or rather, we like schools with lots of facilities. Why? Because we assume that such schools provide a better education. So we treat school tours as little more than a guide around the school facilities. We walk […]

What’s so special about a sixth form centre?

Schoolsmith · Published: May 25, 2017 · Updated: Apr 10, 2019

Image of a glass building for the What's so special about a sixth form centre? post

Schools are using the sixth form centre to attract and retain a more transient sixth form population. One of the weapons in the school facilities arms race is the sixth form centre. You’ll spot them on your school tour. They are the modern glass edifices thrusting out from between the more tired older brick and […]

Out of hours and wrap around care at school

Schoolsmith · Published: Jan 12, 2017 · Updated: Apr 10, 2019

Image of a full moon for the Wrap round care at school post

Schools not only teach, but they provide wrap around care to cover parents’ working hours. If you ever wanted evidence of how far schooling has evolved since we were at school then surely wrap around care at school is it. Out of hours care, wrap around care, breakfast club, after school club, extended day, it […]

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