The importance of developing character

Life at Hatherop is extremely exciting –  but the one constant has been our children.

Their enthusiasm, their boundless energy, their optimism, their camaraderie, their sense of fun, they make every day worth getting up for. They remind us that teaching and learning is not always one way, not always top down, every child in this school is Hatherop’s finest asset.

At Hatherop Castle, we provide our pupils with many opportunities.  Over the course of the year we have witnessed all our pupils from the Nursery to our Prep 8 perform on stage. By standing on stage and communicating effectively, each and every pupil went out of their comfort zone, they took a risk. Yes mistakes were made but their performances became better as a result, they worked collaboratively, had to listen with empathy to each other and most of important of all, each and every one of the pupils loved every minute of it, the joy on their faces, the enthusiasm, the sense of belonging, the camaraderie, it is experiences like these that develops character.

Some corners of education and the business world would called these skills as ‘Soft Skills’ – there is nothing SOFT about these skills, they are hugely important. 

Our Hatherop Values are all about Character, it is what we cherish and champion at Hatherop. Academics are important, however we take great joy in building and developing CHARACTER, allowing children to follow their own passions and interests, which in turn lead to improving a child’s self esteem, their confidence.  In today’s modern society, we are crying out for independent, well grounded individuals who are both empathetic and effective communicators.

It is important stuff… These are the qualities that will take you far in life, make no mistake, character really matters…

Mr Nigel Reed, Headmaster