Talking Heads: Camilla Webster, Junior King’s Canterbury

We caught up with Camilla Webster head of Pre-Prep and Nursery at Junior King’s in Canterbury. She reveals what’s in store in her time at the helm…

There’s been a big turnaround at Junior King’s in Canterbury with Mrs. Camilla Webster joining as Head of Pre-Prep and Nursery in September 2023. It was a tough role to fill as her well-loved predecessor left after 20 years at the school, but she has been a breath of fresh air with plenty of new initiatives already in play.

Webster joins Junior’s Kings having previously been Head of Pre-Prep and Lower School at Old Buckenham Hall School in Suffolk for 7 years. It’s been all change for her family too as her two daughters have also recently joined JKS, so collectively they have been discovering a new corner of the country.

We caught up with Webster to discover what is in store for the Nursery and Pre-Prep of this independent school which offers boarding from Year 5 onwards. 85% of pupils head to its Senior School, King’s School Canterbury, which (fun fact) is the oldest school in England so your child can stay all the way through which is music to many parents’ ears.

1. Making Outdoor Learning More Accessible

The school sits in 80 acres of stunning grounds, so JKS pupils have always had the benefit of extensive land to explore and discover new skills beyond the classroom. There has been a dedicated site for forest school but it is some distance from the Pre-Prep especially with little legs.

Webster says: ‘Once the children have put on the right footwear and walked over to the Forest School, we did not have as much time as we would like for them to get fully engage in the session so we have now created a mini forest school site closer to our base so the children can get properly stuck into the activities and can fully immerse in the outdoor learning experience. We have also weaved six key themes within our outdoor learning (Community, Wellbeing, Create, Explore, Expedition & Wildlife) so we can ensure that they are picking up valuable life-skills along the way too.’

‘Whether it is litter picking to protect the wildlife or car washes for the parents as a community project, we know that the children are thinking about the positive impact of their actions, and it has already been a big hit with both parents and pupils alike.’

2. Enhancing Classroom Life

Less is more in the new look at Pre-Prep as classrooms have been refreshed and are now natural and neutral spaces with hessian pinboards where children and teachers can pin ‘wow’ work for that immediate sense of pride plus they can take them home on the same day to show off their work at home.

Aesthetically it works too as there is less clutter on the walls, teachers are encouraged to bring plants from home for that additional homely feel and there is an overall sense of peace and calm throughout the Pre-Prep and Nursery. Not a bad achievement when you have 85 enthusiastic children in your care!

Webster says: ‘It has been fantastic to see our teachers fully embracing how we can do things a little differently when it comes to our learning spaces. Whilst learning tools like Twinkl are hugely helpful, I have encouraged them to look beyond these resources for their wall-displays, have more ownership of their space and opt for more creative and natural materials when it comes to decorating their classrooms.’

‘We have also loved seeing how involved the children now feel in the learning process as it is their work that they see pinned on the walls so there is a more united approach between staff and the students.’

3. Putting Children at the Heart of Learning

One of the plus-points of the new look classroom is that the teachers do not have to spend as much time creating and designing wall displays and can utilize that extra time for the children. 

Webster says: ‘Within each learning environment, our teachers are constantly thinking of innovative ways to bring more child-led learning activities into play. For instance, in Reception, our children are learning about Celebrations so there are dressing-up kits for weddings, craft materials to create celebratory cards, as well as shopping lists to write items needed for the party, so there is plenty of fun to be had along the way too.’

‘Our aim is to promote independent thinking from an early age, so we want to ensure that there is an activity available that they will gravitate towards as it grabs their imagination, and this will help to establish their love of learning.’

4. Extending Childcare Support

As Junior King’s runs from Nursery to Year 8, Webster acknowledges the need to accommodate families with multiple children.

Webster says: ‘We have many parents who have children throughout the school, so we need to make sure that there is extensive and engaging wrap-around care to fit with the siblings’ schedules. We have now enhanced the day to include specialist clubs run by specialist teachers, including Mindfulness, Construction and Story Writing, so children can stay until 6pm and they are being educated and entertained during this time.’

Healthy snacks and drinks are also provided so there is no parent-guilt here if parents cannot go earlier to scoop them up. For those who can make the earlier pick-up time, the School’s Adventure Playground is a natural meeting spot to occupy younger children whilst waiting for their older brothers and sisters to finish.

There are also plans underway to expand their Nursery provision as Webster is looking at ways that they can accommodate children from two years old so watch this space as she has a reputation for making things happen!

5. Welcoming More Parents more into the School Community

Junior King’s has always had a good reputation for its open-door policy to parents, but Covid played its part across all schools with a more restricted approach when it came to visitors, but Webster is flinging open the doors once again.

Webster recently set up a free Baby & Toddler group for the local community with the lure of storytelling and singing, with a different theme each week, led by JKS staff plus coffee (complete with a free JKS coffee mug) and snacks for parents and kiddies. Unsurprisingly, they have been a big hit with extra sessions laid on to accommodate the numbers.

Webster says: ‘We have been delighted with the response to our Baby and Toddler group as not only have they supported local parents, but it has also been a great way to show the JKS way of life to those considering the school at a later stage.  It is also important that our parents feel very included in their children’s education and we recently hosted a very popular morning when parents accompanied their children to school and joined in with the activities.’

‘There is also always an excuse to host a coffee morning so we can all get to know each other as Nursery and Pre-Prep is such an important starting point in a child’s educational journey so parents need to feel that they are part of the journey too.’

See for yourself: Attend their Nursery & Pre-Prep Open Morning on Fri 10 May, 9:15 – 11:30am or Junior School Open Morning on Sat 11 May, 9:45am – 12pm.

Junior Kings Canterbury, Milner Court, Sturry, Canterbury CT2 0AY, Tel: 01227 714000, junior-kings.co.uk

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