About Twyford - Twyford School

The Head

The children here are in their most formative years. This is the time of their lives when all sorts of behaviours, attitudes and habits are established. Our huge range of activity, inside the classroom and just as importantly outside it, is the key to success. But why is this so?

The point is that, with so much on offer for all ages from 2 to 13, every girl and boy quickly finds something that they are good at and enjoy. And then the magic happens –the one thing they are good at gives the confidence to try another thing and another thing. If they enjoy them, they become good at those as well. Being good becomes a transferable skill across school work, sports, music, drama, anything.

It becomes a positive expectation of success. And that is a gift for life. That is our aim at Twyford.

The Parent

We visited three or four Prep Schools when choosing where to place our son and daughter. We started to really think about what makes a good school. Not just what it does, but how it does what it does and why.

Our trip to Twyford was astonishing from the moment we drove through the narrow gap in the high wall in the village. We had never suspected what lay behind that wall – a vast horizon of rural beauty and fabulous old buildings. So, before we even got out of the car we had the feeling that this would be a surprising, mind-opening educational encounter.

We were right.

The Teacher

Come and watch a game of Court Cricket, a choir practice, a play rehearsal or take a peek at a few lessons.

What you will know for sure is that our children want to play and have fun but also they want to learn. To learn all sorts of things and to do them well. Our greatest reward is the sudden light of enthusiasm in a child’s eyes as they find something – whatever it is – that intrigues them and captures their imagination. At this age, imagination is the highest kite you can fly and we see the children become the heroes of their own adventures, Our job, inside the classroom and outside it, is to create the spark that will feed their enthusiasm.

If this sounds fanciful, just take a look at our scholarships board and our destination schools.

THE MATRON

I think we all know that the greatest gift of an adult to a child is time. Time to listen. Time to chat about nothing in particular that is in fact about something in particular. Time to let each girl and boy know that they are cared for and that the care is unconditional – as it is at home. The care is always there.

THE GRANDPARENT

We love coming to see our grandchildren at school, doing all the wonderful things they can do here. They really can have experiences that they could simply not have elsewhere. Most of all, though, we love that there is an innocence here that lets the children stay younger longer. That is so important. All the open green space, the campfire, the bonfire, the woods, the expedition to the beach to explore rock pools.

It reminds us of a time when there weren’t so many pressures on children as there are today. Twyford helps keep those pressures at bay for a little longer and we thank them for that.

THE REGISTRAR

Obviously most of the families I meet have been to see several schools, and so they should. I take them for a walk around the grounds. They are surprised and impressed, and yet other schools have lovely grounds. I show them all our modern facilities – theatre, music, performance spaces, sports hall, swimming pool, science labs. These are seen to be marvellous and yet other schools have some of these too.

I show them some lessons in progress with our small class sizes and fabulous teachers, and yet some other schools also have a good academic track record. I talk about our ethos of kindness above all and how we develop early on the crucial life skills that will set our children apart, and yet others may claim that too. But only Twyford offers the top flight version of all of the above. Every important aspect of a young child’s education is here in one place. The complete package. The full tool kit. No gaps.