Lower School Newsletter
What a wonderful first week back!
There has been a real buzz around the Lower School as we have welcomed our children and families back for the start of the 2026/27 academic year. Classrooms are busy again, friendships are being rekindled, new ones are beginning and it has been lovely to see the children settling so quickly into their new classes and routines.
A new school year always brings a sense of possibility, and this year we have plenty to look forward to. Most importantly, we want every child to feel happy and known, love coming to school, be challenged in their learning and grow in confidence and independence as they move through the Lower School.
This week, we introduced our three Lower School rules to the children - Ready, Respectful, Responsible. Three simple words, but ones that can guide us through almost every part of the school day. We explored what these look like in classrooms, on the playground, around school and when we are learning together. Our aim is not simply for children to know the words, but to understand what they mean and increasingly take responsibility for living them.
One of our big focuses this year is helping children and parents understand the journey through the Lower School. From our youngest children laying strong foundations, through to our Year 6 students preparing for the next stage of their education, we want children to become increasingly confident, curious, independent and ambitious learners.
Our G.R.O.W. pathway captures this journey:
G - Groundwork
R - Readiness
O - Opportunities
W - Wisdom
You will hear much more about G.R.O.W. during the year and, importantly, what it looks like for your child at their particular stage of the Lower School. On Wednesday 2nd September, we will be holding a parent workshop, ‘Your Child’s Journey Through the Lower School’, where we will explore the G.R.O.W. pathway in more detail and share how learning, expectations and opportunities develop as children progress through the Lower School.
Our Year 6 students have started the year knowing that they now have a very special role to play and that they are the oldest students in the Lower School and important role models for our younger children. On Tuesday, Year 6 took part in a dedicated leadership day with Mr Wells, exploring teamwork, communication and the qualities of an effective leader. We have also officially opened applications for our Lower School Head Student Team. This year, we will appoint two Head Students and two Deputy Head Students, alongside a wider range of opportunities for children to develop their leadership skills throughout the year.
A huge thank you to our parents for your patience and support as we have introduced our new drop-off and pick-up arrangements. As with any significant change involving hundreds of children and families, we knew there would be things to refine once the system was operating in practice. We have been listening carefully to feedback throughout the week and making adjustments to help collection become safer, clearer and more efficient. We really appreciate families working with us as the new routines become established.
One thing we want to continue strengthening this year is the partnership between school and home. We want parents to understand not only what their children are learning, but how and why we teach in the ways we do and how you can support learning at home. Throughout the year, look out for opportunities to join us for parent workshops, open classrooms and our Coffee, Curriculum & Cake sessions.
To our returning families, welcome back. To those joining the DBS Lower School for the first time, a very warm welcome to our community. Thank you to our children for bringing the Lower School back to life this week, to our parents for your continued support, and to our staff for everything that has gone into making the start of the year such a positive one.
Here’s to a brilliant 2026/27 - and to Always Greater Things.
