-
A Parent writes (September
2007):
“**** and I wanted you to know how much
of a privilege it has been to have spent the last three
years of ****’s prep school life involved with Packwood,
where we have watched **** thrive in an exciting and dynamic
environment.
Academically, I think the teachers
inspired him to do his best and this has given him a solid
and firm foundation to begin his public school life, which
incidentally he is already thoroughly enjoying, having
settled in very well.
His sporting achievements were a
particular highlight culminating in an unforgettable tour of South Africa which I can honestly
say **** and I will remember for the rest of our lives and
of course **** will too.
So, thank you, Packwood is very lucky
to have such a dedicated, approachable and very professional
Headmaster at its helm – and we feel lucky to have
experienced your special brand of magic.”
-
A Parent writes (August 2007):
“I thought I would write briefly to say
how much we have appreciated the education – in the broadest
sense – which Packwood has given to **** and ****.
It seems a long time since ****’s first
term – which of course was also your first as Headmaster –
and memories of attending the Carol Service when **** read
part of the first lesson.
So much has happened for us and for the School since
then, and I am pleased to say that our decision to send both
children to a school over two hours’ drive away has been
fully vindicated.
We will all miss Packwood for many
reasons, but I have picked five of these:
·
A wonderful, Christian
atmosphere with outstanding pastoral care at all levels, and
great hospitality whenever we visited.
·
High academic,
extracurricular and sporting standards.
·
The excellent and memorable
productions by Jo Westlake, Howard Bourne, Jane Jones and others,
and the annual Carol Services which were well worth the long
evening drives.
****’s godfather’s thought so too – and flew over from
Jersey for
The Pirates of Penzance.
·
A pleasant group of parents
in ****’s year with whom we achieved a good rapport.
·
The speed and efficiency with
which you dealt with my e-mails and letters of a variety of
matters. I know
from talking to friends across the country that very few
preparatory school heads take as much trouble and personal
interest in their pupils and parental concerns as you do.”
-
A Grandparent writes (August
2007):
“It is I that thanks you
and your wife and colleagues at Packwood for having inbred
my grandson with all the qualities that are the ethos of
your splendid school.
The school is full of well mannered,
polite, friendly and well-spoken children.
You have taught my grandson to enjoy working quite
hard and the achievement and camaraderie of team games.
Mrs Westlake has been instrumental in
his enthusiasm for music generally, and singing and trombone
playing.
He has had a fantastic ten terms at
Packwood, has made a lot of friends, and is now looking
forward to starting all over again at the bottom at
Shrewsbury!”
-
A Parent writes (July 2007):
“I have been meanting to write since
the end of term to say thank you so much for all that you
have done for **** during his three years at Packwood.
He has had a wonderful experience there and we are so
happy that we left Tokyo slightly earlier than we should have so
that he could have that time there.
I think one’s prep school years are just as important
if not more important than secondary school years.
Packwood did him proud and all the
encouragement from you and most of your teachers meant so
much to him as well as to **** and me.
Your kind words on Speech Day brought home to me how
well you know ****!
The first thing **** did when he got home from school
was to check his Eton
calendar to see when he could come back to visit ****.”
-
A Parent writes (July 2007):
“I am writing to convey our delight at
the way in which Packwood has encouraged and developed ****
into a responsible, confident and well rounded boy and very
much ready for his next big step to Shrewsbury.
We shall both miss Packwood very much
but look forward to when our youngest child **** can join
you in 2008.
Please convey our sincerest thanks to all of your
excellent team”
“I just wanted to thank you
and all the Staff at Packwood for everything you have done
for **** over the last three years. **** really enjoyed his
time at Packwood. He made many friends, some of whom will
probably be lifelong friends and I know he will always look
back at his time spent at Packwood with many happy
memories.
**** learnt a great deal under
your guidance and we were thrilled when he passed his Common
Entrance into Harrow; I would like to particularly thank all
those teachers that made that possible, as I know that ****
was not always the ‘perfect pupil!’
It was wonderful that ****
was encouraged so much with his music and I know he enjoyed
being in the Choir and Miss Moore did a wonderful job
encouraging him to play the trumpet and we so enjoyed seeing
him in the Brass Ensemble and Concert Band. The sport at
Packwood is of course fantastic and I know **** really
enjoyed all that enormously. Thank you too for arranging
for him to go to the extra judo sessions, which I am sure
was of great benefit to him.
I have just had **** home for
the week-end on his first exeat from Harrow. He appears to
be enjoying himself and settling in well and they are
certainly keeping him very busy! I hope all is well at
Packwood and I look forward to **** and **** following in
****’s footsteps in due course.”
We hope you have
enjoyed the summer hols and that all is well at Packwood. We
miss the school so much and feel very envious of the parents
that can enjoy all those wonderful afternoons on the touchline!
**** has settled well into life at Repton but we're still in
mourning for Packwood!
We are so grateful to
the staff at Packwood for all they did for ****. He thoroughly
enjoyed his three years with you. He made so many great friends
at Packwood and they are sure to remain friends for life. We
were delighted with ****'s CE results and we must thank you all
for helping him to achieve such pleasing grades. The revision
was obviously vital and we would like you to know that the
geography revision, in particular, was just brilliant. It was
clear, interesting and easy for **** to either be tested by
us or test himself. We all joined in on the geog revision and
had fun doing so. Please thank Mr Reavill for us.
Packwood really is
the most amazing school. Thank you all very much.
“We must thank you for
the wonders you have wrought in a ten year old boy in seven terms.
He took to Packwood like a duck to water and is obviously very
happy, and he has been encouraged into music, singing, soccer and
rugby, the mysteries of cricket, and the work ethos. You and your
colleagues run a wonderful school with old-fashioned values of
discipline and politeness shining out from all pupils big and
small.”
“It goes without saying that *** and I
are truly grateful for all that you have done. If you had asked me
what I really wanted from Packwood all those years ago, I
would have told you not to change her. Well, you didn’t! She just
grew up and turned out to be everything I ever wanted from a
daughter. All credit goes to you and your staff and even though I
‘bleat’ about the fees…what an investment!”
“Packwood provides a
supportive and happy boarding environment where boarders thrive and
where they can benefit from opportunities to grow and develop in a
range of contexts.”
“Pupils can choose
to be boarders, many do so, to be with their friends and this
socialisation is promoted by the school. The pupils presented as
being happy and relaxed. They showed a caring attitude and helpful
demeanour towards others, thereby upholding the schools ethos.”
“Recreational and
sporting facilities at Packwood are provided to a very high
standard. The school offers an outstanding range of activity out of
school time and at the weekends. It is clear that the school
continues to be a community where the best interest of the children
is at the centre of everything.”
“Packwood Haugh strives for
excellence. It has gone a long way in achieving its aims, and it
has many strengths. The school gives serious consideration to the
development of the whole child, and its pupils, especially those who
board, are fortunate to live and learn in such an attractive, happy,
caring and safe environment. The extraordinary range of activities,
academic, sporting, musical, artistic and cultural, available to
pupils, and the high standards reached, enhance and enrich the ethos
of the school.”
“No one could ever suffer from
boredom in this boarding school; this is very much acknowledged by
the pupils who appreciate all the opportunities available to them.
They recognise that these play a large part in their all-round
development and take full advantage of them. Without a doubt,
pupils develop enquiring minds, a real enthusiasm for learning, a
sense of self-discipline and a zest for life that is a joy to
witness and which prepares them very well for their future
education.”
“The school succeeds in providing pastoral care
of the highest quality, which leads to very good, considerate
behaviour and an atmosphere of co-operation and mutual
understanding. This is a school which sees the promise in each
individual and keeps faith with its parents who entrust their
children to its care. Many pupils go on to study in great and
famous schools but the foundations of their future success are laid
at Packwood Haugh.”
The end of ****’s time at Packwood came and
went in a flurry or excitement. He began his time at Shrewsbury on
Sunday full of enthusiasm and surrounded by Packwood friends. You
will recall that when **** first arrived with you, he was confused,
anxious and lacking in confidence. It is a tremendous credit to you
and your staff that the young man now embarking on his senior school
year is confident, significantly more assured and comfortable with
his surroundings and his peers.
“…As far as *** is concerned, he
has relished every aspect of life at Packwood, and enjoyed all
that the school has to offer. However, I’m sure he would say
that it is the people who make it such a happy, exciting and
enterprising school. He enjoys and respects – (probably even
admires, although it is not at all cool to admit that) – all the
different personalities who have taught him so much. The
teaching has been fun, lively, challenging and erudite; it has
opened his eyes to the real rewards of scholarship. He has made
some great friends among a lovely bunch of children, and been
very fortunate to be part of such a happy, friendly year group.
All we can say is ‘thank you’. We
too have enjoyed the warm Packwood welcome to so many excellent
and enjoyable events every term. Everything about Packwood is
special, and we wish the school and all the staff and children,
the best of everything in the future.”
“**** has been
stretched and challenged both in the classroom and on the
playing fields. In his second week of school, I picked him up
from soccer club and he described to me how they had played
soccer during sunset and he was in goal. All he could hear was
the thud of the ball being kicked around, the odd shout and
birds singing. He said he looked at the sun and felt very, very
happy. This was music to the mother-of-a-new-child's ears. I
can't remember a single moment when he hasn't been happy since
he started at Packwood (apart from this morning because his
Wetherby coat seems to have vanished). He always gives a
blow-by-blow of all sorts of things that happen in
class; anything to do with Mr Jones always makes me laugh out
loud. He seems to relish his classwork. He is also loving his
artwork (he wants to frame a William Morris picture for his Dad
for Christmas) and he has enjoyed taking up the trumpet with
gusto (I am beginning to hear some discernible tunes). I never
have to ask him or remind him to do anything as he enjoys it so
much that he is mad keen to do it anyway. I have so many
highlights from this term: seeing Mr Lee's incredibly rousing
pep talks at half-time during football matches, seeing the
children all playing in the golden light of the Autumn trees
beside the bonfire on November 5th, seeing **** and the boys
pelt from the pool to the changing rooms on a freezing winter
night after canoeing club (they were far too cosseted before),
watching **** rollerblading with his friends when he wasn't
aware that I was there and one great memory is catching the
second half of the Sixes Music Competition when we were all kept
on tenterhooks by the judge's wonderful summarising speech.
Every day seems to be a good one for ****.
But the biggest surprise of all for us has been to see ****’s
progress. **** really was never that bothered about the
academic side of things. In fact, doing homework with her in her
last school was like extracting blood from a stone; she just
wasn't very interested. She disliked maths particularly and I
think she was sort of drifting along getting away with doing the
bare minimum. Well, Mr Bourne seems to have her firing on all
cylinders and she now claims that maths is her favourite
subject. Although she has to a lot to learn and attain, she is
really trying her hardest and she has never done that before. I
caught a glimpse of a sort of fan mail letter which she had
written to Mr Bourne last night and it was a page long; she told
him that she was trying her hardest and that he was the best
maths teacher she had ever had because now she could
understand! She also said something like that she couldn't wait
to come back to Packwood next term. On the sports front, it is
wonderful to see her taking on so many new activities - pop
lacrosse, hockey and netball are all new to her - and even
having a chance to go off and play matches. She never stops
singing songs that she has learned at school and the song of the
moment is the "Personent Hodie", one which makes a pleasant
change from "Help!".
“Clearly, the continuing
success in scholarships reflect the superb teaching and all
the hard work put in by your excellent staff. The academics
is only a part, albeit a very important part, which makes
Packwood such an excellent and all round whole.”
“It also has to be said
that Packwood has been, is, and will continue to be the
best school in the world for ****. He is always, happy,
stimulated, challenged and leaping forward in his life.
He adores his music, science and IT and is thrilled with
being in the choir. Lots of teachers have won his
respect and admiration: Mrs Lambkin, Mr Ford, Mr
Lloyd-Jones, Mr Jones, Mrs Haythorn are some of the
names which pop up. He also sees you as a team leader
who commands respect but is approachable as a friend.
You have made him feel that you have a personal interest
in him as an individual. To me, that is a great
achievement for any ‘headmaster’ who has his hands full
of little people, all needing different things.”
"You must know how thrilled xxxxxx and I have been at the way that
you, and
all at Packwood, have encouraged xxxxxxxx and guided him towards realising
his potential in so many areas of school life. We are very, very grateful
to you all.
He has been a very lucky chap to have been part of such a fantastic
school
with such energetic, sensitive and utterly committed staff. and the
same
applies to his parents - what fun - how happy - these last five years
have
been"
"It has been a pleasure to
have sampled the excellent environment of Packwood. As you know Txxxxx
has settled in well into life at Shrewsbury having been given a good grounding.
I am sure Axxxx will make the same transition to Malvern Girls College
and will blossom into adolescence"
"He rang me this evening and, I quote, said "Thank you so
much for sending me to this school, - the food is fantastic!!" I
know he was only talking about the tip of the iceberg, he seems so fulfilled,
so excited about his sport, his art prize and the indefinite loan of Nxx
Pxxxxx's yo yo! I have never known him so happy, it is an enormous relief
to know that he is at the right place at the right time...."
- Good
Schools Guide Website
"Boys and girls work hard - they can be found doing so in their free
time in
small happy groups all round the school - and play hard too. Good learning
support department. Careful streaming. High standards, but no sense of
pressure cooking."
For more information on Packwood Haugh, visit the Good
Schools Website's Packwood Page.
“A serious prep focused on
academic excellence and Christian values. Packwood Haugh is
wonderfully traditional, with cosy dorms and ample matrons. Socially
it's more beef Wellington than tofu salad.”
“It was clear that Packwood Haugh
is a happy and confident school, where boarders thrive and where
they can benefit from opportunities to grow and develop in a
range of contexts”
"I think all of the food is delicious. I would like to thank all
of the staff for making the school such a wonderful place."
“Thank you so much for my wonderful three years at Packwood.
Packwood is a fantastic place to be in and around due to the
friendly family atmosphere which is there because of the
school's efforts to try and make the years you spend at the
school the best in your whole life. And in my case they
certainly achieved that. I am sad to leave Packwood, however the
school has set me up ready for my next hurdle of public school
and I will remember my time at Packwood for the rest of my
life.”
"Thank you both for a wonderful time at Packwood.
I take to Radley fond memories of my prep school....................................Thank
you again for all that you did for me. Rxxxx Bxxxx."
"Although it is really great here (at Harrow) and I love it, it
has made me appreciate how good Packwood was. I didn’t appreciate
it at the time; I just took it for granted, but if I think about it, it
was really good....................Txxx Cxxxxx"
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