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Congratulations on the admission of your son. Now is the time to enjoy his education as it unfolds through the years. In the absence of meetings, I am sending you a longer letter than usual.I am writing to establish a number of points about what Aitchison stands for, how it educates, and what we would appreciate from you as parents in our partnership. The first and most obvious point is that Aitchison is a boys’ school. This simply means providing opportunities for a boy to develop, among other boys, his full range of competencies and interests. This is important as boys learn differently from girls and our focus is entirely on . The social pressures are much less stressful and boys become more comfortable with non-traditional subjects and activities. Importantly, boys will also learn that there are many routes to manhood.Success usually depends on the level of enthusiasm and the willingness of parents to support school programs. For example, upwards from K4 riding is a compulsory part of our progam in Junior School, so support it when it begins. Otherwise, sport is compulsory in some shape or form throughout the school as soon as COVID restrictions end. Your son will also be offered a good mixture of sports to build his strength and aerobic capacity, sharpen reflexes and coordination, and acquire a knowledge and appreciation of games as he grows. By playing games, he will learn the principles of fair play and the value of good teamwork. He will engage in clubs or activities (depending on age) to stimulate his mind and encourage positive socialization and share interests. Indeed, we place considerable emphasis upon the value of collaboration. Of course, we want boys to have fun and make friends in the process. Notice I have not mentioned grades as yet. While all this takes place, he is keeping on top of his work. Aitchison boys are busy boys, but this excellent educational formula can unravel very easily. Please consider these warnings.. In modern education, for example, we now regard ‘positive socialisation’ and not grades as the best first step for young boys. Boys joining us will bring different backgrounds and capabilities, both boarder and day boy alike. Accordingly, it will take time for them to meld as a cohort, whereas the individual boy must learn to be comfortable in himself and his surroundings before he can ‘take off.’ The dynamics of this are so important in your son’s development; something too often ignored when grades become an obsession. In this way, Aitchison offers visible and invisible benefits. For example, new boys usually bring with them a rote form of learning, sometimes a fear of failure, having been heavily tutored at home or outside the home. This is understandable. We need to challenge this habit. Previous results achieved at preparatory or other schools do not interest us and will most likely have been inflated to impress. Do not compare and despair! If that is what you seek then I politely suggest you find another school. Parents should help educate their boys and discuss schoolwork, but please avoid doing their work for them. Cramming for admission tests is not how we educate at school. Learning with authenticity is the only effective way of progressing smoothly and with inner-boyhood confidence. Overcoming minor adversities and facing up to challenges is character building.We instill the fundamentals of core subjects of course, but always find ways in which boys have opportunities to explore, imagine and apply knowledge in collaborative surroundings. We want boys to express themselves and to enjoy the act of learning. Here, for example, you might think about your son also taking up a private music lesson at some stage. The more young boys experience at school among their own cohort the more likely they are to excel as people. Boys are here for the long journey and are expected to engage broadly.At the end of schooling –despite the ‘ups and downs’ –our boys secure the best university admissions. As indicated a boy will go through phases. He may also ‘stumble’ occasionally or fail to satisfy his or the school’s expectations. As long as your son is behaving and doing his best, please encourage him. This is why we have ‘attitude and effort grades.’ I encourage you to look at these before considering the results. It can often suddenly ‘bounce’ with maturity, unexpected sources or interests. It certainly will not bounce from a lack of encouragement or stress. Avoid comparing your son’s results to other boys as a start to this process. There is nothing worse than doing this. Lend an ear and keep positive. Try to understand his perspective and encourage him to communicate. Praise him while staying objective about his progress. Boys look for and feed off encouragement. Small steps turn into bigger ones before boys start running on their own. Allow him to enjoy his school without falling for the trap of becoming his PR agent or the parent that sends him to tutors on top of a heavy school day because he is not getting an A* grade in everything he attempts or he does not come first in an event or you think the school program is not doing its job. None of this is beneficial or required. Relate to your school This brings all sorts of imaginings to people who do not know Aitchison. Our primary focus is to develop happy, confident, well-mannered and active boys –boys of good character! Of course, boys bring a range of emotions and reactions to settling into a big school. Our teachers know and practise best principles of childhood education and will do a lot to help your son feel especially welcome and safe when he arrives. Boys will be taught what is and is not appropriate behaviour at school. Do not sweat the small stuff. If something concerns you, please contact the Head of School’s office. Do not send messages through other people or anonymous emails. We expect boys to run, jump and play (and fall over), and to express themselves as young boys need to: sometimes without thinking too much at all. Be content that Junior School and Prep School are very happy and productive places. We are not preparing your son for Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard or Stanford in Junior School or Prep School. We introduce homework or prep gradually; not in grades 1 to 3. There are no formal examinations in the early learning school. We also believe that very young boys need home time and not constant schooling. We do encourage reading for enjoyment. In our opinion, language is the crucial key to unlocking academic success. Our curriculum is Cambridge based and our teachers are specialists in this. Please do not bring other expectations to Aitchison. Our reporting is largely diagnostic and criteria based at these levels. from one year to the next, understands how he can improve, gets the most from himself, enjoys learning, makes lots of friends, returns home happy with good news, and is eventually ready to move from Junior into early adolescent education in Prep School, then beyond. This is not to suggest that Aitchison is not inherently competitive. It is by the nature of boys enrolled. However, research is very clear on this point: boys with high self-esteem get more from school. By the time your son reaches IGCSE or O Levels, he will be ready to tackle the most demanding period of academic school life. year in excess of 80% of our H2 boys were awarded an A* to B. 40% were awarded A* and boarders equaled the achievements of day boys. The journey works. This allows teachers to focus on their work without pressures or distractions. Every parent is treated equally. Queries and concerns should be directed to the relevant Head of School. We conduct parent-teacher meetings to discuss learning and assessment, and to explain our program. During the pandemic we will rely on portal communication. Please read our SOPs very carefully. Keep up with school portal information and let us hope that we can spring back to normal school very soon.This is an exciting time for boys. We look forward to welcoming you. Enjoy your new school!