News, events and schools' information for families across Bath and West Wiltshire

All Hallows Preparatory School has launched a new creative scholarship initiative for 2019. Creative scholarships with free boarding at the Shepton Mallet-based school are available and open to all, and will be awarded on an individual merit basis. All children with any creative flair – whether artistic, musical, theatrical or simply individually creative – are fully encouraged to apply.

“Creativity is championed and celebrated from the moment children arrive in the bustling courtyard in the morning at All Hallows wearing their bright cherry jumpers,” explained headteacher Dr Trevor Richards. “The Creative Centre was opened to encourage children to take a creative approach to all that they do, aiming to foster diversity, critical thinking, imaginative insights and fresh ideas through ensuring children are in touch with things that inspire and excite them. Pupils are encouraged to express themselves, to collaborate, to exchange ideas and build collective solutions to complex problems.”

Dr Richards added, “All Hallows school has a growing reputation for being a creative school in the broadest sense of the word and we were thrilled to have been shortlisted for the 2019 TES Independent School Awards for Creativity, the only school in the South West to have received this nomination.”

TES editor Ann Mroz said, “Independent education in this country is truly world class. It’s one of our great success stories. And those shortlisted for the TES Independent School Awards are the crème de la crème. We received a record number of entries this year and the standard is the highest yet, so to be shortlisted is an extraordinary achievement for any school.”

“The somewhat different approach at All Hallows, where creativity is embedded within the curriculum, is producing quite outstanding results,” said Dr Richards. “This is not only in terms of the number of scholarships and awards gained on entry to senior schools but also in the more ethereal outcomes of schooling such as long-term well-being, a sense of self, a degree of resilience, preparation for some aspects of work and an appreciation for philosophy, culture, creativity and civilisation – products of schooling which are no less valuable because they are difficult to quantify!”

Scholarships are open from now for September 2019 entry and will be limited by availability.

All Hallows is also holding an Open Morning on Saturday 2 February from 9.30am to midday. For more information on the scholarships and open morning, click here.