Mosman Prep, a leading all-boys school with a rich 120-year history, offers a unique educational experience for boys from Early Entry (pre-kindergarten) to Year 6.
The school’s innovative approach integrates play-based learning with a focus on core subjects, creative arts, languages, physical education, and spiritual and character development.
Mosman Prep’s Early Entry program, launched in 2007, boasts a proven track record of building core foundational academic skills, enhancing school readiness, fostering relational connections, and addressing individual needs.
At the helm of the school is Headmaster, Peter Grimes, a leader with more than 23 years of experience in primary school boys’ education.
Below, The Educator speaks to Grimes about his leadership philosophy and approach, the secrets behind his school’s successful early entry program, and taking a meaningful approach to early childhood education in Australia.
TE: Can you tell us about the philosophy that underpins your approach to leadership?
The first five years of children’s lives are critical for their development and strongly predict not only how they will perform in school, but also their long-term physical and mental health, and successful engagement with others.
Development of positive relationships lies at the heart of learning. The ability to build and maintain healthy relationships leads to a sense of belonging which is essential for confidence and optimal self-concept (key predictors of success). At Mosman Prep, we are intentional about supporting relationships by developing students’ social and emotional skills, and character. We believe that every child wants to succeed, and it is our responsibility to ‘skill them up’ to reach their potential and thrive.
We maximise this critical period in a boy’s development through structured and unstructured play, explicit instruction in literacy and numeracy, specialist teaching in creative arts, Mandarin, and physical education, and positive interaction with older students through ‘buddy’ programs. Using provocations and fostering an environment of curiosity and wonder, the boys are encouraged to explore the world around them, helping them to love learning and develop vital ‘future proof skills’ such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving.
TE: What are the most important ways in which the Early Entry program lays a strong foundation for children’s academic success? And what are the most notable outcomes you’ve seen since the program was launched in 2007?
The well-established phenomenon called the Matthew Effect, states that relatively small differences in scholastic ability in the early years, if not attended to, lead to relatively large differences in achievement by the end of school and beyond. While this phenomenon is referred to often in association with academic learning (and supported by NAPLAN data), it should also be considered in regard to social and emotional and character development.
At Mosman Prep, we focus on core foundational academic and future proofing skills, but also our boys’ school readiness and relational skills. We put in place support structures to set them up for success in the critical Kindergarten year and beyond.
Exposing children to a wide variety of rich learning activities with specialist teachers in these crucial years lays the foundation for developing a broad range of skills and confidence.
The benefits of well delivered pre-kindergarten education include better: language development, pre-reading, early number concepts, independence and concentration when starting school, performance in English and Mathematics, and social behaviours and self-regulation.
Our focused and intensive program allows individual social, emotional and academic needs to be addressed early, thus enabling engagement and confidence in learning and relationships to be maximised.
TE: I understand that the school also runs a Social Action program, among others. Can you tell us more about this program and any ways in which you might consider it unique?
According to research, paying attention to emotional intelligence with Primary School aged children is crucial. Taking advantage of learning during this first critical period of brain development means extending beyond academics to interpersonal skills and character development.
From pre-kindergarten through to Year 6, all students at Mosman Prep are engaged in our GoodCHAP Program (Community Helpers Assisting People). The program is an integral part of our School Community as it encourages us to live out our School Motto, ‘Not for ourselves alone’. Through GoodCHAP, students develop an increased sense of personal and social responsibility and a spirit of generosity as they identify the needs of others in the community and abroad, learning to contribute to the lives of others by living a life beyond themselves.
The GoodCHAP program has two formats.
Each class from pre-kindergarten to Year 6 is involved in deep connection and contribution initiatives such as the ‘Reverse Advent Calendar’ initiative or raising money for literature, blankets and sporting equipment to give to an Aboriginal Preschool in Coffs Harbour (Year 5 boys personally deliver the items to the preschool).
Years 4-6 boys complete 10 hours of self-initiated, outside school, individual or small group social action activity, such as cooking meals and raising money for the ‘Kids Giving Back Organisation’, involvement in local environmental clean ups, or the ‘ASRC Feast for Freedom’ to support people seeking asylum with food, shelter and health services.
This program is quite unique, in that boys develop a deep engagement with their cause. Through research and activities, they form a genuine connection and understanding of their charity, educate the rest of the school, along with raising money in support. Encouraging self-initiation helps to build intrinsic motivation and moves their engagement from empathy to compassion (action).
At Mosman Prep, we aim to develop young men who are committed to leadership in service, empathetic, compassionate, generous, and who have a desire to be connected and to contribute to the wider social environment.
TE: You said the school is urging the government to consider established programs like theirs when developing the pre-kindergarten offering. Looking ahead, what do you feel is the most meaningful approach the government could take to ensure early childhood education in Australia thrives?
Research is clear that teacher and educator practice has the greatest impact on early childhood education. I would suggest that the addition of ‘collaborative practice’ and collective teacher efficacy leads to an even greater impact.
Learning environments that have the greatest outcomes for children are engaging, caring, stimulating and respond to children’s individual abilities and interests. However, a culture of valuing the development of strong relationships between educators, students and parents, and collaborative partnerships with parents will lead to even greater positive outcomes.
Along with my love of surfing, I’m a passionate fisherman. To realise the goal of being in the 10% of fishermen who catch 90% of the fish, I have made it my mission to learn from others by reading, observing, and discussing tactics. There are many schools in NSW with longstanding pre-kindergarten programs (ours has been in operation for 18 years) who would be willing to share their experiences and host practicum students or qualified educators, potentially accelerating the successful implementation of pre-kindergarten tuition in government schools, rightly referred to in a NSW Government media release as, “a crucial transition to kindergarten, a game-changer”.