After 18 months in the role as Head of Prep, Claire Petrie recently sat down with two Year 6 pupils to share an insight into her journey so far.

What has been the most rewarding moment since becoming Head?

I think the most rewarding moment for me is the fact that the parents, the staff and the governors have all embraced my vision and direction for the Prep School. The staff and parents work in partnership to make Kimbolton Prep School the best it can be.

What is the best part of each day as Head of Prep?

I think the best part of each day for me is the mornings. I’m really fortunate that I get to be out on duty every morning, and I get to welcome all of the children from across the school. Seeing them come into Kimbolton Prep School happy everyday, and also I get to talk to a lot of the parents.

What is the biggest priority for Kimbolton Prep School right now?

I would say there’s three main priorities for Kimbolton Prep School. Ensuring that our curriculum an teaching and learning is preparing children for the modern world that we now live in. Secondly, making sure that our values underpin everything that we do, and thirdly making sure that we are enabling every child to achieve above and beyond their potential.

What change or improvement are you most excited to have introduced?

I’m excited to have introduced lots of new initiatives but probably one of the most exciting is the innovation period for Year 5 and 6 which happens on a weekly basis. This is where Year 5 and 6 get to be young entrepreneurs, they get to collaborate and work of their teamwork, their public speaking, their debating and lots of other fun ways to develop their learning outside of the traditional curriculum.

What do you enjoy most about leading a Pre School?

I think it has to be the energy, the excitement and the enthusiasm of children when they are between 3 and 11 years old, I love that.

What does a typical day as Head of Prep look like for you?

Out on duty in the morning and then Mrs Palmer plans the day for me with lots of meetings with lots of different people from across the whole school. I then also teach a little bit as well. I always have lunch with the children which is the highlight of my day as I get to know lots about what they are up to in school and outside of school. I also visit lots of lessons, so I walk around the school and visit the lessons and see what is happening in the teaching and learning space within the school. I get to as many co-curricular events and activities as I can and then a big part of my job is motivating the staff team to implement the strategic vision that I have for the Prep School.

What are you most proud of achieving so far?

I think I’m most proud of the opening of the Pre-School and changing the landscape of Kimbolton School forever as we are now a 3-18 school. Also everyday going into the Pre-School and seeing all of those children so happy and thriving.

How do you stay connected with pupils in such a busy role?

Staying connected with pupils is an absolute priority for me, so it’s really important that I know every child, and if possible know something about every child as well. I visit as many opportunities for the pupils as possible, in the classroom and outside of the classroom. I really enjoy celebrating all the successes of our children, successes that they have inside of school and outside of school as well. That’s really important to me.

“One of my highlights of the week in on Monday when you announce the values champions and all of the different things they’ve done. Like if they’ve helped somebody up or they’ve checked if someone’s okay, it just makes me feel really good that everybody’s being so nice to everyone” – Izzy, Year 6

Describe a typical Kimbolton Prep pupil in three words?

I would say they are ambitious, kind and fun.

Complete the sentence, a great Prep School should always…

A great Prep School should always be a place where children are happy and that comes from a warm and nurturing environment. It should be a place where children have lots of opportunities to find their spark. It should also be a place where the staff are preparing the pupils for the next stage of their journey. So for us that’s preparing you to transition into the Castle in the Senior School