Meet the Head: Why Ivy House School is the best choice for your child

Below, he shares his expert advice on selecting the right place for your child.

1. What are the values of the school?

A: Finding the right school is more than merely assessing their academic offering. To become a successful school, there needs to be a sense of purpose for the children about why they are there. Having moral and cultural values is vitally important to develop this sense of belonging and providing a holistic, diverse experience for its students.

The Ivy House building is the former home of the London Jewish Cultural Centre and there’s a real sense of a life that was there before the school. The rich tapestry of history and culture feels alive throughout the school, linking the present to the past with a thread of spiritual, oral and cultural importance.

The families and staff of our school are wonderfully committed to the culture here, working together and trusting the ‘Ivy Way’ of thinking – we are a kind school that’s respectful, curious, inspiring in our classroom relationships and forgiving of our interactions with each other.

We shake each child’s hand as they arrive in the morning and address each other on a first name basis which lessens the barrier between staff and students. There are multiple opportunities throughout the day, week and term for parents and staff to communicate and get in touch with each other, so no issue gets left unresolved. Trust is a vital foundation for building a school community, so it’s important you get that feeling when you’re deciding.

I love this school; I love what I do, and this is a place where I would want my children to be. This has developed a strong sense of trust that bridges the gap between families and staff to create our community.

Ivy House is situated on a beautiful site on top of a hill, next to Golders Hill Park in London. (Image: Ivy House School)2. What kind of setting is the school located in?

I really believe we’re all a product of our environment, and so having an exciting place to learn is the key to keeping children engaged. Ivy House is situated on a beautiful site on top of a hill, next to Golders Hill Park in London.

The community is very blessed to have such a location on its doorstep, where we can introduce the children to science exploration, they can enjoy nature walks on a Monday morning to start the week off right, music concerts on the grass in the summer and so much more.

3. How does the school prepare its students for their future?

A: Academic grades are merely the foundation for a bright future. And whilst they are important, we teach our children the value of having an authentic voice, practicing politeness and becoming effective communicators.

Learning the art of assertion, articulation and being truly authentic to your own beliefs and ideas is a highly intelligent and crafted skill to have. It’s okay to say no; we want our pupils to find reasoning to justify their beliefs, be curious and ask open questions.

At Ivy House, our aim is to create a base for our students, which they can use to launch their own lives as they become young adults. We nurture and guide our students to become socially and emotionally developed individuals, which will prepare them properly for all areas of life after school.

We encourage them to express their likes and dislikes from being infants, right through to becoming teenagers, where they will write their own personal statements to progress onto the next level of their education.

I love this school; I love what I do, and this is a place where I would want my children to be. (Image: Ivy House School)4. Does the school offer a varying curriculum?  

A: Every child is their own person on their individual learning journey, and so it’s crucial to accommodate that within the offering of a school. This will naturally allow them to reach their highest potential and discover unique talents and passions, which is the core of the learning experience here at Ivy House.

We provide a rich curriculum of academic, integrated with music, sport, drama and art. The school holds five productions a year, we have a choir who sings nationally, we are associated with the Chelsea Ballet School and the National Shakespeare Programme., along with offering an expansive variety of sports which can be enjoyed on our athletic tracks and field space outside.

The cultural programme we offer provides our students with a well-rounded and wider perspective of the world, where they learn to embrace diversity, encourage individuality and form a profound appreciation for different cultures and religions.

Key celebrations are marked with our cultural calendar, Christian, Jewish, Hindu and Islamic significant  festivals and celebrated through with children learning to appreciate the cultural diversity within our community.

For more information on enrolling your child at Ivy House School, visit ivyhouseschool.co.uk/admissions. To contact the school, call 020 3869 3070 or email admissions@ivyhouseschool.co.uk.