"Every member of staff we encountered was warm and welcoming, and genuinely interested in talking to Leo. As we toured the school, I watched him begin to glow with enthusiasm. He left full of excitement, and desperate for the chance to join the school.  

"Leo started at King’s Ely Acremont Pre-Prep halfway through Year 2. He was made to feel at home from his first moment there, and he soon made friends, gained confidence, and became keen to take part in class in a way he had not done in a long time. It was obvious that he felt seen by his teachers, and that he knew his voice and his thoughts were valuable. That is an incredible gift to give a child, and I will be forever grateful to the staff at Acremont for the perfect balance of gentle support and challenge that they gave him. When there were bumps in the road, the response from the school was both swift and kind. There was never a moment where I worried that someone would not catch him if he fell, nor that someone would not be quick to encourage him to find his own feet again.  

"The word magical is one that I have heard used to describe Acremont on many occasions. It is a space where childhood is celebrated and the children are allowed to freely explore their imaginations, particularly in the fabulous garden. Whether they are in the classroom, outside making mud pies, playing in a carriage or on a tractor, or just sitting in the shade chatting with friends, they are allowed to lose themselves to the joy of just being children. Leo would so often come home exhausted, telling me he “had not done much”, before reeling off a long list of small adventures he had enjoyed and new facts he had learned. I think that is part of the magic: they are so busy enjoying childhood that they hardly even notice how much they are learning at every turn.  

"The school has a real generosity of spirit, and every member of staff we have encountered has been genuinely compassionate and caring. The teaching has been inspirationally creative, with topics approached in ways that engage the children and invite them to think around a subject in different ways. In such a short space of time, Leo has learned a huge amount, but (amongst so many other things) he has also had the opportunity to sing Evensong at Ely Cathedral, to romp around the garden with a visiting explorer, to enjoy a variety of school trips, to join an after school golf club and a choir, to raise chicks, and even to race around in the sunshine shooting teachers with water pistols. If that is not a childhood to envy, then I do not know what is!

"The transition to Year 3 has been handled perfectly. The children have been given the opportunity to meet various staff members from the Prep School, both on-site at the Prep and in the more familiar environment of Acremont. They have sampled the amazing array of lunch options at the Monastic Barn, and have been gently introduced to the changes they will face in such a way that I do not think it will feel like too big a jump in September. They have been allowed to see how ready they all are to move upwards, while also being given the chance to say goodbye to Acremont. I know Leo is incredibly excited by what is ahead of him. I am excited too. My overwhelming feeling when we first toured the school was that it is a place where each child is recognised as an individual, and every effort is made to help the children find their passions and to support them as they explore them. Since Leo has joined, I have seen this time and again.  Leo and his classmates are standing on the brink of so much opportunity, and I am looking forward to watching them all flourish at the Prep School."