Education
Education at The Acorn School is about creating well-rounded individuals. Our aim is to nurture and develop each student’s intellectual, emotional and physical self-confidence through a balanced curriculum that integrates academic, creative and physical activities, underpinned by a strong commitment to moral values.
The size of the school allows for an intimate and family atmosphere, where each student can be fully understood by all members of staff. Students feel they belong and feel that they are respected for who they are. In return we expect a high level of commitment from all students and parents to our shared ethos and approach.
As a result of our unique approach, we take pride in the fact that The Acorn School attains standards, both behaviourally and educationally, that are not often achieved in mainstream education, whether state funded or independent.
Freedom from public exams means that we can follow an extremely broad curriculum with rigour, depth and meaning.
Our focus on creativity and imagination means that students are encouraged to explore for themselves and as a result take great pride in their work.
Our unique approach to physical education and outdoor activity, which plays a major part in school life, fosters personal development and the ability to work together.
THE ACORN SCHOOL - Vision
My vision for the future is to continue to enable all children to receive an individual education, offering a balance between academic, practical, physical, artistic and moral values.
My intention is to enable the children to achieve extremely high levels in all subjects, commensurate with their ability.
This relies on a close and intelligent relationship with the entire parent group, embracing the true values of education, both at school and at home.
The exemplary upper school students, set standards for the younger children in the school to aspire to.
I take enormous pride in what each student achieves, and I believe that the school offers a futuristic education, not achieved elsewhere in the country.
The continued commitment to a moral education will be a feature for the future.
The school curriculum is specific, and therefore we do not sit formal government examinations, but I am planning to formalise our internal testing system, in order to work more closely with the universities.
Universities have made the (common) statement that the education and standards here are far above what is achieved in other schools, both state and public, and that the upper school leavers are very well prepared for a university degree.
The very high number of applications (and acceptances) from The Acorn School, direct to universities for undergraduate study, is a testament to the acceptance of this education by higher education bodies. (see Alumni).
The two OUTSTANDING OFSTED inspection reports of 2005 and 2009, are another testament to the quality of education at this school.
THE FUTURE
I have no plans to discontinue the school in the future, and all my five children are committed to it continuing, as a tribute to my vision and work.
I plan to continue teaching at my current level for the foreseeable future, but I will make administrative changes, so that I can continue to make an unequivocal commitment to my teaching. That is what I choose to do. That will mean the school may change in respect of its internal organisation, but the pedagogical realm will be unchanged.
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE ACORN SCHOOL
The school was founded in 1991
There are 12 classes, with class 12 leavers being approx. 18.5 years of age.
The school does not recognise state curricula or state examinations, until university degree education.
The school has a Parents’ Charter, support for which is a pre-requisite for entrance into the community.
The school is opposed to electronics, television, computers, computer games, etc., for children in the lower school. Contrary to popular belief, parents may watch television, play games, have a computer, use the Internet, and do anything at all!!
It is recommended that cinema be left until class 7, and then only with careful scrutiny of films.
The upper school students are taken away regularly on adventure activities, featuring the following: - water sports (including surfing), water skiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding; climbing; hill walking; caving; kite surfing; snow skiing and snowboarding; expeditions; Canadian canoeing trips in the Wye valley; cinema and cultural activities; theatre trips; and a host of other activities designed to create group-harmony, self reliance and an appreciation for the environment
The upper school embarks on a 4 four-week European Tour, four years out of five, in connection with History of Art. The journey usually takes them through the following places – Calais, battlefields of the World Wars, Rheims, Black Forest, Uberlingen, Lake of Konstanz, Austrian Tyrol, Venice, Assisi, Rome, Naples, Vesuvius, Lauro, Pompeii, Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa, Carrara, French Riviera, Cannes, Marseilles, Paris and home.
In 2007, the entire upper school went to Paris for the end of term trip, visiting the cathedral of Chartres, Paris, including the Musee d’Orsay, The Louvre, Monet’s Garden in Giverny and Le Touquet.
The school offers gymnastics clubs after school for all children who are engaged in formal gymnastics lessons in the school curriculum.
The school follows the Steiner curriculum in kindergarten and lower school, but the upper school has its own curriculum, designed by the founder.
The school’s OFSTED reports are in the top 10 in Great Britain, state or independent education, and a copy is available from the school office. The school’s last two OFSTED inspections were carried out in 2005 and 2009.
The school offers mixed classes, to create a family ethos in each class.
There is minimal special needs provision in this school.
The school cannot not accept children with emotional or behavioural difficulties, nor can it accept children who have an educational statement. This is regretted.
Class 12 are engaged on writing self-researched modules, which are submitted to universities in lieu of A levels. So far no student has failed to gain direct entrance to university using this system. See alumni.
Class 13 attended a two-month period in Thailand in 2007, and 2008, working in schools, orphanages and with HIV babies. This trip was undertaken by the students without a teacher, which is unique in education! Those students are now studying as undergraduates in university.
The current class 12 leave for Thailand on the same experience, at the end of February 2011.
The graduates from this school have achieved a minimum of 2:1 degrees, with some firsts! Over 45 students have gained entrance so far, and none have been refused admission.
The school accommodation is secure for the future.
The school helped a new upper school initiative to come into being – The Aquilla School in Ringwood, in 2004,. It is now the upper school of the Ringwood Steiner School. A student from this school, Kristoffer Nilsson, laid the foundation stone of white quartz, with a copper platonic solid, which he made.
Craft main lessons, under the leadership of the school’s craft teacher, Mark Indge, are occasionally a feature of the upper school.
The school has class orchestras, and lower, middle and upper school choirs, under the leadership of Yael Libson.
The entire school meets for assembly on Mondays, and any parent or friend of the school is welcome to attend.
The upper school are away each winter on ‘Winter Camp’ in Wales, for one week.
The school offers a Summer Adventure Camp in Wales each year.
The school offers a skiing and snowboarding trip to Austria each winter.
The school considers itself to be a family school, with total integration between the various age groups of children, through breaks and festivals.
The school has a considerable amount of adventure equipment, including several sports boats, a handmade Polynesian Proa, 24’ long with an outrigger, made by the students under the leadership of a parent and designer, Rod Nelson. This craft is used regularly. It also owns a 24’ Caledonian Yawl, gaff-rigged, made by the students under the leadership of a boat builder, which is used regularly on trips. In addition, the school has a fleet of Canadian canoes, which are used on camps and trips.
The school was started in Graeme and Sarah Whiting’s conservatory, on 16th September 1991, moved after one week to Edge, moved after one term to Stroud, where it was situated in the British School, then moved to Thrupp. It then settled in Nailsworth, it’s current venue.
An academy/college to degree level is planned for the future, based on the school’s current ethos.
In 2007, Graeme and Sarah took a group of upper school students to Thailand for 3 weeks, visiting Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Ko Samet and Ko Lanta.
The school is an ‘open school’ and parents are encouraged to visit when they wish, but by arrangement.
The school building was a Church of England state primary school for many years, from the mid-19th century.
There are 14 teachers on the staff, both full and part-time.
The school has a modern Ford Transit, 17-seater minibus, for trips and daily excursions.
The various montages around the school show the elements of the school you don’t see when you walk around it. These contain photographs back to the beginning of the school.
Seven years ago, a parent, Paul Libson, made a short film about the school, which can be obtained from the school office.
Graeme and Sarah run a Swim School, currently at Wycliffe Preparatory School, on Wednesdays, for two hours. There are four groups, and approx half of the children in the school attend.
Overseas students are a feature of the upper school, and stay for a term, a year, or sometimes longer. There are currently six such students attending. This form of education also suits students from conventional schools, state or public/independent, who may already have taken conventional examinations, but who wish to experience a dynamically different and much more varied education programme. Placement is by interview.
The school took delivery of a 2009 Mastercraft X2 Wakeboarding boat, in 2009.
The school’s physical education teacher, Barnaby Franklin, walked to the North Pole in 2008, during the Polar Challenge.
The school produces many plays, throughout the ages, each year. The upper school produces a Shakespeare Play, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, every two years.
Graeme Whiting - January 2011