Future Focused

Educating children for over 150 years, Old Buckenham Hall is a leading co-educational preparatory school for children aged 3-13 years. James Matthews went along to discover what makes it unique

OBH is special place for children to begin their educational journey. They experience, they learn, they grow, but they do so within one of the most idyllic environments imaginable.

The team are clearly very proud of their beautiful school, but it’s what goes on within these walls and in the grounds that really matters. Every teacher at Old Buckenham Hall is committed to delivering the very best for every child. This means inspirational academic and co-curricular teaching, outstanding pastoral care and embracing risk and challenge. Children here feel happy and safe and they have a chance to explore their aspirations and develop their character.

Old Buckenham Hall, have two key aims. Firstly, children should leave the school having developed intrinsically important and recognisable characteristics that will support them, and the communities in which they live, for the rest of their lives. Secondly, every child who attends the school will be challenged academically according to their ability, so that they have developed a love of learning and are able to achieve first choice entry to a range of public schools.

To achieve these two aims, the school has a set of values called the OBH Way. These values underpin the behaviour of all members of the school community and all activities, be they academic, pastoral or co-curricular. In summary, the OBH Way defines the ethos and culture of the School.

Crucially, the OBH Way was created by every child at the school as a way of celebrating what they judged to be important. These goals and aspirations were then discussed by teachers, the Senior Management Team and Governors. Today, the OBH Way stands as a testament to the collective school voice.

www.obh.co.uk