If you are a parent, deciding where to send your child for their education is one of the hardest decisions you will have to make.
Reading is well served by two high-performing grammar schools, many strong mainstream primary and secondary schools and more than 10 independent Prep and Senior schools within the central and greater Reading area. Therefore, with so much choice available, why might you still want to consider a particular independent school?
Benefits of Independent Schools
Class Size and Individual Attention
Pupils benefit from smaller class sizes in independent schools, compared with mainstream schools. The full impact of the Government’s recent introduction of VAT on private school fees is yet to be seen, but it is widely anticipated that state schools will face further pressures with class sizes likely to increase, at least over the short-term.
Smaller class sizes allow teachers to get to know individual children and they can therefore stretch and challenge, or support each child, as appropriate. This individual attention ensures that pupils receive the best possible education tailored to their unique needs, helping them to grow as a person and reach their academic potential.
Small classes also present more opportunities for your child’s voice to be heard, whether in a lesson, as a member of a club or society or in a leadership position, all of which can boost their confidence.
Excellent Pastoral Care
Pupils’ wellbeing and pastoral care is embedded in the life of private schools in Reading, enabling children’s emotional, physical and mental health needs to be supported.
Small class sizes ensure a personalised approach within an inclusive and supportive environment. Typically, independent schools have a dedicated team of staff who are committed to guiding pupils on their educational journey, helping them to develop a strong sense of self and meaningful connections with the world around them. This approach fosters resilience, encourages positive relationships and prepares pupils to face life’s challenges with confidence.
Teaching Excellence
There is a strong focus on the quality of teaching at independent schools. Schools offer a broad and dynamic curriculum that allows students to broaden their knowledge, develop their talents and foster a lifelong love of learning.
Teachers are subject specialists who are passionate about their fields and dedicated to shaping the futures of their students. At St Joseph’s even the youngest primary-age children benefit from specialist tuition in Art, Drama, Music, Modern Foreign Languages and PE.
Teachers bring a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the classroom, inspiring pupils to engage deeply with their subject. Pupils not only learn content, but also learn how to apply it in practical, meaningful ways.
This comprehensive approach ensures that students are well-prepared to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world, equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to take on leadership roles in their future endeavours.
A Broad Co-Curriculum
Where independent schools add real value is the wide range of opportunities available beyond the timetabled curriculum. Often, the breadth of their co-curriculum across the Arts, the Sciences, the Humanities and Sport, including unforgettable trips and educational visits, sets them apart.
Your child may well have the chance to join a lunchtime or after-school club to learn new skills, develop new passions and forge new friendships, or take up a new sport, which they may not have otherwise had the chance to try. They can also take advantage of enriching overseas residential trips, experiencing different cultures which aid their own personal development and create life-long memories.
What we offer at St Joseph’s
As the only through-school in Reading, Berkshire, educating girls and boys from the age of three to eighteen, we at St Joseph’s College encourage pupils to develop their talents so they become lifelong learners and acquire the life skills necessary to achieve their full potential.
As a Catholic school, our strong moral and spiritual ethos naturally guides everything we do. St Joseph’s provides a warm and inclusive community where pupils of all faiths and backgrounds are welcomed and encouraged to make an active contribution to the spiritual life of the school.
We believe in fostering a sense of belonging, encouraging pupils to get to know each other forming a strong community. St Joseph’s isn’t just a place to learn; it’s a community where pupils feel supported, understood, and encouraged to explore their passions and have fun.
Placing an independent school education within the reach of as many families as possible is our aim. To this end we operate efficiently and manage costs carefully to ensure that we remain the best value independent school in Reading and Berkshire.
While sending your child to an independent school is certainly a personal choice and a significant investment, it is one that can pay huge dividends in terms of the confident and ambitious young person your child is destined to become as they leave school.
Contact us today to arrange a visit or book an Open Event – start to get a feel for what St Joseph’s could offer your child.
