Word From The Head
Sian Bradshaw
Letting go of little hands at the school gates and trusting that your child will flourish in the school that you have chosen for her is one of the biggest decisions that you will make as parents. Choosing the right school for your child is not an easy decision, and it is one which requires close consideration. Our website is a starting point and I hope you will read the information closely and watch the videos to understand who we are as a school and what we can offer your daughter. If you would like to find out more, I hope you will join us for one of our open mornings to truly experience the infectious energy of Bute House and meet our dedicated, talented staff and lively, curious girls who are eager to learn and bursting with potential.
Bute House has an outstanding reputation for the academic success of the girls, but a great education encompasses so much more and, in fact, contributes to academic success. Bute House is forward thinking and offers a broad curriculum that develops skills alongside knowledge, provides opportunities for girls to excel in subjects like science and technology and develops their passions for creative and performing arts, sport and music. The accomplishments of the girls in these pursuits are phenomenal. Along with exceptional pastoral care, the girls truly flourish, are happy and develop a strong self-belief in who they are and how they can contribute to the world around them.
As parents it is important to understand and embrace the unique non-competitive academic ethos that runs through every facet of the school and work in partnership with us. Essentially, this ethos means that we do not limit the girls’ potential by labelling them or streaming them. No girl is set above another in terms of academic ability. They are taught in mixed ability classes where highly skilled teachers provide both support and challenge for every girl based on her own starting points. When we describe your daughter’s progress to you, we will use words, not grade letters or numbers because your daughter is so much more than data on a spreadsheet. We do not compare your daughter to any other girl, and we don’t expect you to compare her either.
Each of the girls at Bute House is unique with her own ideas, passions and talents but several things prevail universally between them all; these are the love they share for their school and the compassion that they feel for each other, their teachers and the wider community. The culture at Bute House provides the right environment to nurture individuality, confidence with humility, resilience, compassion, curiosity and integrity. Our non-competitive academic ethos is a huge contributing factor in this respect. You will only have to listen to your daughter, as a Bute House girl, and recognise these qualities to understand the importance of our approach: your daughter running her own best race.
It is a privilege to lead a school and shape the young women of the future ensuring that they leave for their senior schools having confidence in themselves, understanding how to build positive relationships, make good decisions and possess grace and integrity. My greatest wish is that every girl looks back at her journey through Bute House knowing that she had the time of her life!
We look forward to meeting you.
Sian Bradshaw
Head
isbi Schools
isbi Schools
