Our Aims
Overview
Greenfields is a local and international Day and Boarding School. We are a non-selective, non-denominational, mixed school welcoming students between the ages of 3 and 18 years. The school is located in Forest Row, near East Grinstead, Sussex. It was founded in 1981 by Educator, Margaret Hodkin.
Aims
The purpose of the School is:
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To provide an education that prepares its students for life, where study seems desirable, and the world of knowledge is open to them.
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To provide the knowledge, skills, rationality, cultural level, and character that fits them for their life ahead.
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To provide an education that teaches its students to think and has fostered their self-determinism and initiative and where their individuality, knowingness, native ambitions, intelligence, ability, and drive have been preserved, and where their basic purpose has been increased and reinforced, all to achieve a high level of survival in life, where they can accomplish the actions of their chosen profession, professionally.
The product of the School could be summed up as follows:Â
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Students who leave the school happy, and confident that they are prepared for life, that study is desirable, and the world of knowledge is open to them, are provided with the knowledge, skills, rationality, cultural level, and character that fit them for their life ahead, able to think and operate with self-determinism, initiative and responsibility, able to achieve a high level of survival in life, where they can accomplish the actions of their chosen profession, professionally, and where both students and parents know that this product has been achieved.
General characteristics
Charity Status
As part of a charity with students from different backgrounds and faiths, local and international, Greenfields keeps its school fees low to be accessible to as many children as possible. The charity also provides a free tutoring service in East Grinstead.
Executive Structure
The School has an Executive Head, overseeing deputies for each teaching division of the School – Nursery, Infants, Juniors, Lower Seniors, Upper Seniors and the Sixth Form. The Executive Head also has a Senior Management Team consisting of a Facilities Manager, Bursar and Public Manager.
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The Executive Head reports to a board of five charity trustees. This Board of Trustees has overall responsibility for the school. There is also a Compliance Officer responsible for keeping the School’s regulatory requirements. The Compliance Officer works in liaison with the Executive Head and is acting secretary at Trustee Meetings with the Executive Head.
International Composition
Greenfields has a significant number of students from around the world, from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Due to this overseas intake, Greenfields makes special provisions to train overseas students in English to give them the option of obtaining English examination qualifications such as IGCSEs, for application in their home countries or elsewhere.
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Many students of various ages and abilities arrive at the school unable to speak any English, but Greenfields emphasises servicing the individual’s needs and places each non-English-speaking student according to an assessment of their literacy level, progressing them through internationally recognised qualifications. This from the very basic level taught on the Cambridge Young Learners programme (YLE), through Key English Test level (KET), Preliminary English Test (PET), First Certificate in English (FCE) and Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) and Proficiency levels. This is done in many cases in parallel to their studies of GCSE or IGCSE subjects.
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The school also uses the Rosetta Stone programme to enhance people’s lives through the power of language and literacy education. The Rosetta Stone programme adds value to the already-successful Cambridge curriculum so that our students benefit from the advantages of both.
Adding Value to a Non-Selective Intake
Being non-selective, Greenfields Nursery, Infant and Junior schools also provide facilities to support and encourage students by concentrating on adding educational value at every stage of their development. A unique to Greenfields division called Qualifications ensures that they are helped through each stage of their education with one-to-one assistance as needed. The school strives to give Year 9 the widest possible choice of subjects ready for their examinations in Year 11 and beyond, in alignment with its aim to provide tailored, individual support.
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Greenfields uses annual assessments for quality control purposes, and individual teachers use other formal and informal assessments to ensure that students are making progress in each school year.
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Greenfields School respects every child and young person as an individual and aims to give them opportunities to explore and realise their potential in their development of academic, sporting, creative and social skills.