Social Skills

Social Skills - Manners maketh man and woman

It is very important for young people to know how to greet people, how to behave in social situations and to have good communication skills.

From a very early age pupils are taught about appropriate dress for certain occasions, about healthy eating and how to lay a table for a formal dinner.

At the beginning of each academic year all children are invited to pre-lunch coketails with members of staff.

On entering the Senior School Year 7 pupils are invited to a black-tie dinner and dance. From the age of 11 pupils are invited to a formal Christmas lunch with the Principal. Staff dine with pupils each day and formal family style lunches are held each week with Mentors dining with their Mentor groups consisting of children across the age range.

Pupils learn how to reply to invitations, write thank you letters and the etiquette of e-mail - for instance when an e-mail is appropriate and when it is not - and the dangers of new forms of communication which can so easily cause offence if messages are dashed off without re-reading.

From an early age pupils gain the confidence and experience of delivering a presentation to an audience. This may be through Assemblies, Public Speaking or Debating. Part of the Senior School Entrance Examination consists of a formal presentation on a chosen topic using powerpoint and other visual aids. Candidates are also interviewed by the Principal. Interview techniques are very important and emphasis is placed upon how to dress, how to sit properly, good eye contact etc.

The leaders of tomorrow are in our schools today. Pupils are given the opportunities of guiding and leading others through the Playground Leader scheme, School Councils, Healthy Life Style Committees, Duke of Edinburgh scheme and positions of responsibility e.g Prefect, House / Games Captains and Mentors.