A is for… Alumni

An apt place to start, since we are at the end of a school year and wishing our Year 6 children well for their exciting future endeavours! Fostering a close community and nurturing connections with families, we have built a strong community of Alumni who receive their own dedicated newsletter each month. We always like to share photos from days gone by and, although our surroundings and uniform may have changed over the years, the heart and soul of Greenfield's community remains the same as ever. Read our Life After Greenfield case studies from alumni in the last decade to see where they are now, and their thoughts on their time at Greenfield.

If you are looking to join our alumni community you can sign up to our mailing list for regular updates, news and reunion opportunities.

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B is for… Being Yourself

At Greenfield each child is celebrated for who they are and our education is designed to boost confidence and offer opportunities to help each individual succeed subject to their own talents, interests and passions. Greenfield is a place where children can forge their own path in the world and we know from experience that having the confidence to be yourself is the greatest and most powerful gift of all.

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C is for... Community

From fixtures, festivals and fund-raising, to concerts, class assemblies and the occasional black-tie ball, the Greenfield community comes together throughout the year to socialise and work together. 

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D is for… Diversity

Promoting inclusivity throughout the school is an integral part of Greenfield's ethos, as we aim to maintain a diverse and representative learning experience for every child. Our work in this area is never complete and it is a regular item for discussion throughout the school, as we work towards a truly diverse and inclusive school setting.

The judging panel at the TES Awards 2022 acknowledge our efforts in their area when they said that Greenfield is "bucking the trend of monocultural independent schools in the Surrey area and has a strong community focus".

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E is for… Ethos

Greenfield School fosters a culture of inclusion, acceptance and understanding, whilst maintaining excellence in all areas of school life. We pride ourselves on being academically non-selective and providing a warm and compassionate environment, as our children develop their wider skills and academic potential.

We celebrate our diversity and encourage our pupils to become kind, empathetic children with a strong sense of their place in the world. Greenfield offers an inspiring education for pre-eminence in tomorrow’s society.

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F is for… Facilities

2022 has been a momentuous year for Greenfield, in which we have been able to provide the following new facilities for our children to enrich their curriculum *deep breath*: a dining room and function space, a multi-media suite, a 3 court sports hall, changing rooms, a music recital room, a dance and drama studio, 9 classrooms, 4 music pods, a music practice room, a recording suite, dedicated breakout spaces for learning enrichment and small group work, 2 netball courts, playground, forest classroom, Zen garden - and we're not done yet! On the horizon we will soon see a 3G Multi Use Games Area for increased opportunities for outdoor sports.

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G is for… Growth

Over the past decade, Greenfield has doubled in numbers and the move to a new site has triggered a rapid growth in accommodation too. Whilst we maintain our high teacher ratios and small-school approach to teaching, we are now able to partner this excellent classroom education with incredible opportunities for the children across all aspects of their prep school lives.

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H is for… History

Greenfield School was created in 1935 and since then has continued to evolve and adapt with the changing times. Whilst we are proud to be a very modern school with a contemporary approach to education, we recognise and celebrate the values of our past.

A key part of Greenfield's rich history is the Ockenden Venture - an endeavour lead by Miss Hicks and Miss Pearce - a charity dedicated to assisting children and young people displaced by war and to provide them with an education. Many of the children who came to Woking as part of the Ockenden Venture were educated at Greenfield School. Read more: 

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I is for… Independence

Giving children the independence to learn and grow, boosting their confidence and self-belief in their abilities leads to a meaningful learning experience where children have the freedom to explore their passions and succeed. All children are offered "Take Away" homework; projects that give them the freedom to dive into their interests and flex their creativity with a degree of autonomy and independence.

Fostering independence starts from early in childhood, when children require the safety and security of their surroundings to explore their physical independence. Read more from our Nursery Manager with her thoughts on promoting independence in early childhood:

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J is for… Journey

With so many opportunities to explore and realise their passions, each child at Greenfield will forge a path that is different to their peers and is as unique as they are. The range of scholarships awarded to our Year 6s last year shows the varied disciplines that children can choose to undertake, and succeed in; from Art, Music, Academia, Performing Arts, Citizenship and Sport.

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K is for Kindness

Kindness is at the heart of the Greenfield Way. Every child is encouraged to show unconditional kindness to their peers - creating a welcoming environment for any child joining Greenfield School. At the end of each term we award Kindness Cups in each section of the school in recognition of consistent kindness to others; being an ambassador of the Greenfield Way. This year, we also introduced the Brooklyn Shield at Prize Giving, to recognise the Year 6 pupil who has remained unfailing kind by always following the Greenfield Way.

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L is for… Learning

We embrace every child's abilities and understand that each child learns at a different pace. Our outstanding Learning Enrichment department ensures that children are always supported, uplifted and are able to challenge themselves in their learning. Through small teaching groups, breakaway group work and one-on-one sessions we aim to guide each child to success. Our Aiming Higher programme ensures no child is left behind in their personal learning journey and helps us challenge every individual to reach their peak attainment.

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M is for… Mental Wellbeing

Ensuring that each child is safe, happy and secure in their environment is paramount to achieving success in their education. The addition of Enrichment Days, shorter lessons, Forest School, a school dog and student champions are just some of the ways in which we have prioritised the children’s wellbeing, whilst maintaining excellent academic standards.

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N is for… Nursery

Greenfield Little School opened its doors in January 2021 and hit the ground running - with 4 additional cohorts, 2 nursery rooms, their own dedicated outdoor playground and a whole new faction of Greenfield staff to join our workforce, Little School is firmly embedded into the Greenfield School family and we look forward to seeing our Fledglings soar to success during their Greenfield education. Current and incoming cohorts are full, so we recommend beginning your research early if you are considering Little School for your little one!

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O is for… Outreach

Throughout every school term, we look for ways to raise money and support initiatives around us, often propelled by our very conscientious children on matters close to their hearts. From our Young Zoologists club, who support the WWF and sponsor a jaguar, to regular Bake Sales and fundraiser days, to our incredible Dragon's Den challenge where our Year 6s raised over £1000 for various charities, there is always a way for Greenfield to reach out to our community and support those in need.

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P is for… Performance

As well as being able to hone their skills in our Music Recital Room and the Dance and Drama Studio, children of all years will perform on stage in numerous plays, concerts and recitals throughout their time at Greenfield. The advantages to them are immeasurable - as summarised by a recent testimonial:

"It was the greatest joy to see [our daughter] having the confidence to put on that performance; I can’t quite believe she is the same little girl who we delivered to you crying on her first days, logged off several times in lockdown out of fear of speaking, and was the only child in her last school without a line in the Christmas play due to her shyness... I am so appreciative for what you as individuals, and collectively as a school, are doing for them. Thank you so much."

 

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Q is for… Questioning

Encouraging curiosity and free thinking is an intrinsic element of Greenfield classroom learning. We aim to boost every child's confidence to allow them to question their world around them without fear. Our Beyond the Curriculum sessions encourage children to think about bigger questions in the world, promoting thoughtful discussion and respectful debate.

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R is for… Residentials

Children in Middle and Upper School head on exciting residential trips towards the end of the school year; often their first time away from home. Providing unique and enriching experiences like sailing, rock climbing, visiting historical castles,  coastal and wilderness adventures, and even residentials in other countries, creates memories and builds skills for life that enhance the children's journey at Greenfield and stay with them for years to come.

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S is for… Success

Despite being academically non-selective, our exam results speak for themselves as we continue to appluad our Year 6s on their Senior School entrance exam results. We feed into over 27 different schools in the area and children are encouraged to take the path that suits them. Over the past 2 years, 60% of our Year 6 leavers have been awarded a scholarship to their chosen senior schools, across a range of disciplines including sport, academia, art, music and drama.

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T is for… Trips

From Little School trips to Garson's Farm, to exploration of the glaciers in Iceland, children have plenty of opportunities throughout their time at Greenfield to embark on exciting education visits that enrich their classroom learning.

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U is for… UTW

UTW, or Understanding The World, is a unique lesson that features in every child's curriculum from Reception upwards. Covering culture, geography and history from other countries, as well as looking at current affairs and world news, UTW provides children with the opportunity to question, discuss and learn about the wider world.

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V is for… Variety

With a varied curriculum and a vast amount of extra-curricular opportunities, including an array of peripatetic lessons available and an all-encompassing range of after school clubs, variety is the name of the game at Greenfield. We believe that offering children greater opportunities is the best way to inspire them to pursue a life full learning and skill-building.

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W is for World Citizens

Every week, a group of children - the Future World Warriors - come together to discuss the current issues facing the planet, and what we can do to help. During our recent Children's Festival, Year 5 children put their skills of reasoning and debate to the test as we simulated a children's parliament, and listened to presentations about childhood around the world. Being able to consider wider issues and discuss global events is a key part in preparing our younger generations for the future, and we are proud to have such brilliant young leaders at Greenfield.

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X is for… X-tras

OK, a little tenuous perhaps but well worth celebrating! At Greenfield we offer a huge selection of little 'x-tras' that combine to provide the truly unique offer that is a Greenfield education. Whether it's our Aiming Higher programme, lunchtime clubs, impressive selection of subject specialist teachers, 1:1 sessions, access to an ELSA and Play Therapist or Masters programmes - to name a few - the added 'X-tras' are an intrinsic part of life at Greenfield and one that every child benefits from.

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Y is for… Young Leaders

Every year, our Year 6s impress us with the kindness, maturity and empathy they have developed over their years at Greenfield. Our oldest pupils are prepared to leave for senior school, having undertaking plenty of challenges to help them build leadership skills and take initiative. One example is our Dragon's Den challenge, where our eleven-year olds took on a challenge that would intimidate most adults - pitching their business ideas to the Dragons, engineering them to perfection and making plenty of profits for charity.

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Z is for… Zen Garden

A sunlit courtyard sits between our two school buildings, joining our Upper and Middle School with Lower School and Early Years. With classroom doors opening out onto the sunny space, the quietness of the Zen garden is perfect for outdoor learning, small group work and one-on-one sessions... and the odd celebratory BBQ or two!