The stresses and strains of school offers day – a headteacher’s reflection

“As someone who lives and works in Rugby town, the first and most important thing to remember is that there are lots of amazing schools to choose from. We are often geared to some key criteria when choosing a school such as location, reputation and their current Ofsted grading, but do we as parents ensure we keep an open mind and explore the options in detail? I know as a parent I went for the obvious closest school for my children, as I wanted that ease of access and proximity to allow them to build friendships close by and if I am honest I don’t think I looked at the Ofsted rating, but went more on the reputation instead.”

But do we risk losing out on the right school for our child by doing this? Whilst many parents do visit schools, there are still many who do not and even more so who do not look beyond their first or second choice.

Mr Newton worries that parents and therefore children miss out on what might be the right school for them. Whilst all schools follow the national curriculum, the interpretations of that and more importantly how that is taught and implemented vary greatly from one school to the next. “You could walk in one school and see a more traditional approach to teaching and learning, whilst just around the corner another school may have a heavily play focused attitude to learning, neither of these are wrong or right, but they could be for your child as one style may suit their learning and character more than another.”

Bilton Infant School on Magnet Lane in Bilton is a school with a very different approach to learning, where play based learning and continuous provision (child led activity work) are a key focus to their entire approach to learning.

The school has gone through huge change in recent years and has created an incredibly adaptable environment for learning that caters for the ever-changing needs of the modern child. In the space of a 5-10-minute walk around the school, you will see anything and everything from individuals learning in specially adapted rooms to whole class play based learning in their incredible outside space. You will see pairs and groups of children learning through play, where they get to choose how they learn and explore where that learning takes them, alongside whole class and group learning where teachers focus on groups to address their specific needs at that point in time.

Modern schools reflect the needs of modern society and are always adapting how they impart skills and knowledge and they are also adaptive to their community and its needs. Each school is different and can cater for the different needs of your child.

So, what is the learning and advice from an experienced headteacher and parent… “Keep an open mind and go explore, even at this late stage. Whether you get your first choice or not, go and have a look around – what if you missed a school that would be perfect for your child? Even if you set your mind on one school, don’t be afraid to see others and get some different perspectives on how your 4 year old will be taught.”

Mrs Charlotte Fawbert, the Head of School at Bilton Infant School adds, “We always say, every child is different, well the same is true of schools. Go see them, keep an open mind and think about what would suit your child best.”

Bilton Infant School is tucked away in leafy Bilton, with good to access to all parts of Rugby town and it has spaces currently for the Reception class intake in September 2025 (children who turn 5 between 1 Sept 2025 and 31 Aug 2026) and some spaces in the other year groups too.

They are part of the Bilton Community Federation, linked to Bilton Junior School.

Mrs Fawbert and the staff and children would love to show you and your child how play-based learning can look and how much fun school can be.

The schools contact details are:

• Telephone: 01788 811549
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: biltoninfantschool.co.uk