In 1954, Mrs Eva Murray-Browne, who was the wife of a Doctor and lived in Stonehouse, saw that there was a need for an affordable local school which offered excellent education. She was a mother of 4 children and she originally founded the school in her home which was called the Mount (pictured). Her vision was to encourage pupils to learn together in an environment of strong family values. It is incredible to think that our school originally started with just fifteen pupils round the dining room table and is now bustling with over 70!

The vision of Mrs Murray-Browne, developed over fifty years ago, is still integral to the success and progress of Hopeland’s Preparatory School. By working closely with our Hopeland’s parents, we retain the family and homely atmosphere while continuing to achieve academic excellence.  Our aim is to ensure, that by the time our pupils leave us in Year 6, they are confident, resilient, inquisitive young people who have gained a love for learning and a zest for life.

We love hearing from former pupils, and we were delighted when John Tuffin got in contact. He attended the Mount from 1954 to 1956, together with his brother and sister, (in those days boys had to leave when they turned 7). John said it was a happy experience where he received a high standard of tuition and unlimited kindness.  Here are some of his recollections from his time at Hopelands:

I have abundant memories of The Mount, as it then was. (Hopelands was the name of the house where it later moved, further up Regent Street).

Mrs Murray-Browne was the Principal and never far away.  On a day-to-day basis the school was run by two friends, Miss Gallie and Miss Bowmer.  They were talented teachers.  Miss Bowmer was very musical.  Other teachers were Miss Alliston and Miss Saint.  In keeping with the Parents National Education Union tradition, various mothers used to come in and help as well.

Apart from the three Rs we learned some general culture about Roman history and Greek legends.  We started French, read Bible stories, and had a lot of music.  When I was about 6, we had Picture Study.  Each term we were given a book of reproductions of about 10 paintings by a single artist.  Every week we spent a period looking at one of these and discussing it.  I did Vermeer, Gozzoli and Memling.  Vermeer and Gozzoli struck a particular chord with me, and I still have one of the Gozzoli reproductions.

We also spent a lot of time with games of all sorts, drawing and painting, sewing and crafts.  In the summer we played rounders outside. The food was excellent and abundant, and we had lunch in Mrs Murray-Browne’s dining room.

I have only good memories of Hopelands, I am delighted to see that you are still going, and I wish you every success for the future.

A fantastic insight into the early days of Hopelands!

Hopelands feature in the Stroud News and Journal about how we are keeping our children happy and learning through lockdown. The full article can be accessed here:

SN&J 20.01.21

Within a week of entering 2021 the nation was put on lockdown once more. With minimal notice, plans had to be cancelled, businesses and schools were closed, parents hoped their home IT was up to the challenge and school staff aged a few years overnight.

Within a day, Hopelands Preparatory School teachers moved their lessons online and the virtual timetable, which had been developed to strengthen pupils’ resilience and continue their passion for learning, was implemented. The virtual timetable mirrors the school day and runs from 8.30-3.30. Every subject continues to be taught including art, DT, dance, French, PE, and music. The children attend the lessons, interact with their form teachers, see their friends, ask questions, and receive feedback on their work. We know that home schooling can be both uninspiring and isolating, so having this interaction with teachers and peers is key to continuing the successful relationship the pupils have with our school. To date we have had an outstanding high engagement rate with our pupils through the virtual learning which we are incredibly proud of.

There are 10-minute breaks between each lesson as well as the longer morning and afternoon breaks and time for a healthy lunch. Children are encouraged to move away from the screen, run around outside or play with their siblings or toys.

Parents have both embraced and supported the timetable and have been instrumental in encouraging their children to carry on their love of learning. We have listened and acknowledged their feedback as it is important for us to understand how we can further support our families through these difficult times.

• ‘I am amazed and grateful for how well the online learning appears to be working and a credit to all those involved in accomplishing this.  Thank you.  Our son is certainly more comfortable with the experience this time round, if still a little reluctant to open his camera!  Tomorrow morning’s music session might sort that out as he presents his violin and a short piece of music!’

• ‘We have been blown away by how brilliant you have all been this term, and prior to this lockdown. It is evident there has been a huge amount of work going on behind the scenes preparing for a possible lockdown, but to roll out a full online timetable for all 6 classes with 24 hours’ notice is incredible! The communication has been fantastic, both from you all in the office, but also from all the teachers keeping us updated with lesson plans. We were very impressed with how the class teacher adjusted her teaching plans considering feedback from some of the parents, adapting content and providing resources such that classes could be carried out off-line if that was the parents’ preference. She has also been brilliant these last two days managing on-line teaching and 4 students in class. We are reminded, yet again, how pleased we are that we decided to send our child to Hopelands…. as before in the previous lockdown, the ‘I can, I will, I do’ attitude shines through.’

• ‘We are so deeply grateful for the day we stepped into the Head Teachers office: two confused worried parents, too frightened to make the change to Prep School. “Well, what are you waiting for?!” you asked us quite firmly! It was just the shake we needed. Our daughter is flying at grammar school and we are so grateful for the excellent quality of teaching our youngest child is receiving at Hopelands. So, thank you one and all.

• ‘Just wanted to say what a fantastic job you and the rest of the staff are doing. The Government really did spring it on everyone this time, but it has been incredibly smooth and well organised. Both my children really enjoyed the school experience yesterday, so thank you’

• ‘We just wanted to say how pleased and impressed we are with the provision of teaching during the lockdown. It’s great to see how well the children and teachers can work together remotely.’

Choosing the right primary school for your child is one of the hardest decisions for any family and made even more difficult during a national lockdown. At such a young age, you are deciding the next 7 years of your child’s school life. Everybody has a different set of criteria in terms of what they are looking for in a school. However, most families want to ensure their child achieves the following:

• Happiness
• Academic Excellence
• Creativity
• Confidence
• Resilience

and most importantly to instil a love of learning that leads to academic success.

In normal times you can visit different schools and see the children in the classroom environment. As soon as you enter a school, your instincts will tell you, if you have a good feeling about it. However, due to Covid, schools are currently closed to external visitors, which makes choosing much more difficult. There are other ways which can help with your decision:

1. Contact the school to arrange a virtual meeting with the Head Teacher. At Hopelands Preparatory School we are happy to organise meetings via Microsoft Teams with our Head, the appropriate class teacher, and the parents. At these meeting you can discuss your needs and hopes for your child. Ask questions, how does the school support high or low achievers, is there a parent / pupil survey which you can look at, where do children normally go to secondary school afterwards, is there morning and/or after school provision etc.
2. Study the schools’ website. Is there information on there about the school’s ethos and values? If so, do you agree with them? Read their latest OFSTED/ISI report. Does the school have regular newsletters, it may be useful to have a look through recent ones as this will give you an insight into daily school life. Are the children’s achievements celebrated frequently? Check out the school calendar, is it filled with different trips and excursions? All these will enrich a child’s learning.
3. Find out if the school offers extracurricular clubs. If a school has a wide variety of both lunchtime and after school clubs this can really add to a child’s school experience, and is a sign of committed and passionate teachers, who will want to go the extra mile to support your child’s educational journey.

Schools have been, and continue, to be working above and beyond during the pandemic. At Hopelands we are following our timetable online with every subject being delivered including art, PE, music, and dance. Our children have yet again risen to the challenge of virtual learning. They have all engaged and it is clear to see that their in-school training on Teams has been highly beneficial. Their focus, concentration and resilience has been apparent, and we are very proud of them.

If you wish to find out more please call 01453 822164 between 8.30-3.30 or email scompton@hopelands.org.uk to find out more.

This year I have been astounded with our children’s resilience, strength, and determination. They have not only readily adapted to life during a pandemic, they have also risen and exceeded the challenge of staying positive and focused on both their academic studies and future aspirations. They impress and inspire me every day.

As we end the Autumn term, I would like to share some of the highlights with you:

Reception have been busy settling into school and getting to know their new teachers and friends. They had a virtual visit from the local fire service, made ‘superpower’ vegetables, evil pea soup and learnt about our amazing world and space. They even had a spaceship land in our classroom and tried some freeze-dried astronaut food.

Class 2 have had a fantastic start to the year getting to know their new teacher, Miss Cook. A particular highlight for me was watching the children’s ideas come to life in DT where they designed their own superhero capes for their teddies. The children were careful with their needlework and produced some great work of which they were proud!

This term has been a steep step up for Year 3, and I must say they have all risen to the challenge. They have been learning how to survive the Stone Age when building replica axes; discovered their bearings by creating their own magnetic compasses; explored the local geology and bedrock of Stonehouse during the rock walk and started to develop essential (and lifelong) coding and multimedia skills.

Y4 have risen to many creative and academic challenges this term from the Roman invasion, creating their own haikus, tankas and cinquains. In DT, they have carefully planned, designed, and finally constructed individual ‘Toy Theatres’ for a live performance of ‘The Owl & The Pussycat’ by Edward Lear. The project was complex from the very start, however Y4 greeted every lesson with enthusiasm and a determination to succeed and they should be very proud of their achievements. A paper and card theatre can be bought from Amazon, but no shop bought construction can match the imagination and vitality of the hugely successful Y4 work!

This term, Year 5 have enjoyed learning about the crime and punishment in history in all its grizzly glory! Learning about the planets and constellations in science has been fascinating for all, especially discovering how big and messy the craters created by meteorites can be when they hit earth. They have also enjoyed the ‘Christmas’ activities with Mrs Elmore and creating fragmented horses in art. And of course, the best thing of all was ‘Barvember’ in maths!

This term, Year 6 have enjoyed making practical face masks in DT, creating mountain formations out of cake in geography, experiencing what it would have been like to live during an air raid in history and dissected pigs’ hearts in science. In ICT they have learned how to use code to create their own challenging point scoring games. As well as this, they have even had time to rescue Miss Porter from her worst nightmare – a huge spider stuck in her hair!

Last, but not least, we end this term with an immense sense of pride as a we have recently been ranked 35^th Top Independent Prep School in the country (Sunday Times 2020). What an achievement for a small prep school like ours.

As you can see, it has been a busy and successful term for your children, and I hope you agree that Hopelands remains true to its ethos in that it is a very special place where children are able to grow in a safe and nurturing environment.

As a small school, we have fortunately not been as affected by Covid-19 as some of the larger schools in the country. This has meant that your children’s education has not been compromised by the continuous disruptions the pandemic has created. I am very pleased that at Hopelands we have not had to return to online learning during the autumn term as all lessons could be delivered in school. The very few children who have had to isolate have received online lessons and we will of course continue with this for as long as is necessary. I am hopeful however that the positive trend continues. I thank you for the support you have shown to the school in this unpredictable time.

Finally, the festive season is on the doorstep. Christmas is such a special time of year, the opportunity to spend time with our families and taking time to reflect on and appreciate all that we are thankful for. I obviously want to wish all our families a wonderful Christmas break with lots of time for family fun, food and festivities. I always feel privileged that I get to spend part of the Christmas period with young children, for surely, Christmas is the perfect time of year for being around young people. The pure joy, innocence, and magic of Christmas for children is simply infectious.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year, and I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year to kick-start the spring term.

Mrs Bradburn

Head Teacher

We are in week 5 of virtual learning at Hopelands Preparatory School and after late nights for teachers who were busy exploring the world of Microsoft Teams, school life has started to settle down. Children are adapting and embracing this new way of learning.

Although all year groups are following the online timetable, each class has modified it to ensure the sessions apply to their children’s strengths and learning needs. Here is a typical day for our 7-8-year-old pupils in Year 3.

8.45 Morning registration & presentations

Pupils log onto the system and mark themselves in. They see their teacher and class friends and wave with a smile and a hello.

Pupils are given the opportunity to do a presentation to the rest of their class. They take turns to write a PowerPoint on a subject/hobby and upload it which enables everyone to see it. This is a great way for them to practise their presentation and communication skills and further develop their self-confidence. Today’s was on the exciting event of chickens hatching. The presentation was brought to life with plenty of pictures of eggs ‘rocking and rolling’, resulting in fluffy chickens. Pupils are invited to ask questions and discuss in more detail.

Afterwards the class has a general catch up where they share how they are feeling. In these unprecedented times it is more important than ever to enable interaction and discussions which support positive mental health.

9.30 – 12.30 Lessons

Subjects covered, on different days are Maths, English and Science, and the lessons are split into mixed ability groups. The teacher sets the work and the pupils are encouraged to share ideas and ask questions to each other within their groups. The teacher spends time with each of the groups, listening to them read to each other and discuss thoughts. Towards the end they all come together to share what they have learnt.

13.00 – 16.00 1:1s

The afternoon is spent on 1:1s. Every pupil has 30 minutes each with the teacher every 2 days. Work is reviewed together to check their understanding. The teacher will also listen to them read. Marking is done with them in real-time, the teacher reads their uploaded work and then directs the pupil to edit and review it. Marking together has been immensely beneficial to both the teacher and the pupil. For pupils not on a 1:1 they can choose how they spend this time. This can be catching up on work from the morning, reading, playing sport, doing a creative activity or having fun with their families.

It’s a busy day for our teachers but at the heart of all this is the children so we asked them what they thought of it.

What do the children think?

‘I am really enjoying the virtual learning particularly the Science experiments as they are a mixture of work and fun. My favourite one so far is testing daisies in different coloured water to see if they change colour in different temperatures. I’m hoping the blue wins…’

‘I love the online teaching.  The lessons are great although some of the work is hard and I definitely enjoy the interaction. We all get a chance to put our ideas forward and I really enjoy the early morning presentations. I love seeing and interacting with my friends and my teacher. I feel “happy and cheerful and good” about the online classes. I really enjoy that we can go into our own groups and really like the one to ones and being able to talk to the teacher and ask questions.’

And behind every child is a family who is helping and supporting. Here are some of their views:

What do parents think?

‘The family has enjoyed being back in the classroom and I have enjoyed experiencing the class interaction and dynamics first-hand. I must confess, there has been an improvement in my learning and understanding of the key subjects. How times have changed…’

‘Our IT skills have improved enormously during the past three weeks and we have experienced working in virtual groups and navigating our way round Microsoft Office. The teachers have helped enormously by providing clear instructions and adapting the procedures regularly to help facilitate the process.’

‘The Y3 children are supported by the 1:1 teacher and student sessions. These events take place periodically and allow for valuable time to discuss the day’s events and help to keep the children focused and motivated.’

‘Overall, we are finding the process enjoyable and manageable.’

‘As a parent, these daily lessons have made an amazing difference to my child’s attitude and outlook. Before they started, they were very low in self-confidence and we had a lot of tears and upset. However, she is now back to her usual self and going from strength to strength!  Being able to interact with friends has been wonderful and she has found the work the teacher has set incredibly inspiring and has wanted to do more things outside of class as well. Like everyone we have our good days and bad days, but the lessons really help to keep a structure and balance in these uncertain days. I can’t really express how thankful I am to Hopelands, and her teacher in particular, for putting these lessons together – they have really helped and made her so much happier and self-confident it’s been a joy to see.’

To find out more about Hopelands Preparatory School call us on 01453 822164 or email scompton@hopelands.org.uk