Strategic Plan 2030

Strategic Plan

2030

An Education Full of Wonder

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Packwood was founded in 1892 by J. Bradshaw.

His intention was that Packwoodians would

embrace the challenges and opportunities of life

with an independent outlook.

Over the next one hundred and thirty-two years, Packwood has evolved but never

lost sight of these guiding principles. As we look to the future not dissimilar to the

uncertainty at the turn of the 20th century, Bradshaw’s vision for educating young people

is as relevant now as it was then.

Introduction

We have come to understand what we feel

sets a Packwoodian out from the crowd:

a cheery outlook, confident, charismatic

and unafraid to take on challenges.

2023

The Science

Faculty is opened

following the

school’s 125 appeal.

1993

Acorns, Packwood’s

Pre-Prep opens.

1968

Packwood becomes

co-educational.

1892

Packwood is founded.

2019

Packwood becomes

part of the Shrewsbury

School Family.

1988

The Centenary appeal

launched and Park

House opened.

1940

Packwood moves

from Warwickshire

to Ruyton-XI-Towns,

Shropshire.

I am sure it is for this reason, and the

loyalty that a pupil develops here, that

we hear so often that the friends made

at Packwood last a lifetime.

Generation Alpha - children born

between 2010 and the mid 2020s - are

living through a time where the very

notion of an idyllic childhood once taken

for granted is not only changing but

under threat.

Packwood’s approach, both in the

past and now looking to the next five

years, is restlessly focused on the

joy of childhood whilst inspiring this

generation to develop character virtues,

an adventurous spirit and a developed

mindset for soaring performance.

Together with our values of respect,

tenacity and humility, a Packwoodian

will leave here a confident, spirited and

determined child, equipped with friends

for life and backed by experiences and

academic results that will shape their

future lives.

The Packwood Way underpins the

values of our pupils. Building on a

strong heritage, our position within the

Shrewsbury Global Family of Schools,

and first class facilities and staff, a

carefully designed approach now defines

our pupil orientated plan for the next

five years. An Education Full of Wonder.

Will and Cat Goldsmith

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Vision and Purpose

The Packwood Way -

Our Values

Vision:

Pioneers of a childhood that is nurturing and contemporary.

Purpose:

An integral part of the

Shrewsbury Global Family of

Schools, enabling a worldclass

education that connects

wisdom with ideas and

competencies, for life.

Packwood is:

n Inclusive, rigorous and dynamic

n Committed to small class sizes and

maintaining an outstanding and caring

team of staff

n Built on the ethos of a family-focused

boarding community

n Co-educational with a wide breadth of

opportunity for girls and boys

n Highly distinctive as a globally leading

prep school.

The values, skills and character that Packwood instils in

all its students were pivotal for me. The dedication of the

teachers, the nurturing environment, and the emphasis on

both personal character and academic growth were amazing.

I feel extremely fortunate to have been a pupil at this school.

Packwood past pupil

A Packwoodian will have:

n The tenacity to embrace new opportunities and challenges.

n The respect for diverse opinions and the world around them.

n The humility to reflect, adapt and forgive.

The Packwood Owl

“If anyone knows anything

about anything, it’s owl

that knows something

about something”, says

Winnie-the-Pooh.

From Athenian symbols of

wisdom, depictions in Picasso’s

artwork to a multitude of

representations in literature,

the owl – in its physical and

emotional form - has always

enthralled humans.

In popular fiction there are

depictions of the owl displaying

tenacity, respect and humility,

and given our rural community,

it is hardly surprising that

Packwood is home to many of

these fine birds.

Together with the Big Tree,

the owl, known as a symbol of

wisdom has become synonymous

with Packwood.

Woodi, the

Packwoodian Owl

I remember Packwood

being just amazing.

I made life-long

friends there.

Packwood past pupil

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The Packwood Way is a vibrant,

innovative whole person preparation for

the ‘serious fun’ of senior school life -

and beyond!

Leo Winkley, Headmaster

of Shrewsbury

Mission: An Education Full of Wonder

Packwood for me

is the outdoors,

adventure and

learning.

Packwood Parent

Soaring Performance:

what we know

Empowered through

growth-mindedness, pupils

seek out challenge and learn

from feedback; through

hard work they pursue

excellence; and through a

commitment to mastery,

they derive joy from their

accomplishments.

Adventure:

how we use what we know

Empowered through learned

wisdom, pupils expand their

agility; through empathy

they nurture teamwork;

and through collective

imagination, they embrace

the fun of learning.

Character:

how we engage in the world

Empowered through

resourcefulness, pupils

develop resilience in the

face of setbacks; through

bold authenticity they grow

their independence; through

the confidence to be their

best selves, they share in a

desire to make the world a

better place.

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Ambitious Academics and

Experiential Learning

Learning Attributes

Empowered to embrace excellence and inspired to

think creatively, a Packwoodian’s limitless ambition

in the classroom will be matched by unrivalled

experiential learning outside.

Soaring Performance

What we know

Wisdom begins

in wonder.

Socrates

Understanding

Empathy

towards others

and in active

stewardship of the

natural world

Excellence

to be your

best self

Tenacity

Respect

Humility

Boldness

to persevere in

the face of

challenges

Imagination

to engage with new

ideas and think

outside the box

Competency

How we engage in the world

Character

Resourcefulness

to be entrepreneurial

Teamwork

to collaborate with

others to solve

problems

Growth-minded

to act on feedback

Adventure

How we use what we know

Awareness

A Packwoodian has the freedom of thought to

become entrepreneurial.

Packwood Parent

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Ambitious Academics

Experiential Learning

Purpose:

Forming a fusion of knowledge, skills

and mindset, Packwood’s curriculum

will instil a readiness to learn and

prepare pupils for their senior school

and beyond.

Over the next five years,

Packwood will:

Learning and Teaching:

n Design and launch a new, inclusive,

relevant curriculum and assessment

framework from Reception to Year

8, enabling a seamless transition to

senior school, focused on:

- Knowledge: A strong basis of

understanding enables thinking.

- Mindset: Having the ability to learn,

unlearn and relearn.

- Skills: Application to real world

context.

n Facilitate meaningful collaboration

across faculties.

n Develop links with the Shrewsbury

Global Family of Schools, enabling

collaboration for all classes.

n Launch Service Learning, whereby

pupils link their learning to local

contexts.

n Embed a focus on oracy, a key skill

for the future.

n Implement robust and effective

tracking of individual pupil progress.

n Building on the first class science

faculty, continue a programme of

refurbishment of all classrooms

to create optimum environments

for learning.

Digital Learning:

n Further embed the use of digital

technology in classrooms, with the

ambition of becoming a Microsoft

Showcase School.

n Utilise AI for teachers to

monitor pupil progress and

enable personalised learning.

n Focus on teaching the ethics, morality

and responsibility of driving positive

use of AI.

n Through a dedicated STEM faculty,

deliver a robotics and engineering

programme.

Preparation for the next stage:

Shrewsbury and a range of other local

and national senior schools

n Develop preparation pathways for

assessment and interview processes

for all pupils.

n Embed a personalised approach of

guidance and support for all families.

n Enable a seamless transition to

Shrewsbury School.

Purpose:

Technology is now embedded in our

day-to-day lives; our purpose is to

embed a love of nature and passion

for outdoor learning in the pupils’

day-to-day lives. This provides pupils

the necessary skills and support

for developing healthy habits and a

balanced approach to life.

To pioneer outdoor education with a

focus on developing leadership, selfreliance,

agility and a developed sense

of what a young person can achieve. To

provide opportunities for all pupils to

be recognised for what they can do.

Over the next five years,

Packwood will:

n Relaunch the Packwood Award

enabling all pupils from Reception

to Year 8 to master life-ready

competencies.

n Further utilise the stunning

Packwood estate for residentials,

adventure programmes and

paddock-to-plate initiatives.

n Launch Adventure Week

in September and explore

opportunities for Adventure

Saturdays.

n Design a leadership programme

for Year 7 in collaboration with the

Alpha Academies Trust in Stoke.

n Train Acorns teachers in Forest

School and develop a structured

outdoor learning approach.

n Embed Learning Outside the

Classroom within the academic

programme.

There is more to us than

we know.

Kurt Hahn, founder

of Round Square

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People:

Parents and Staff

The Co-Curricular:

Sport and the Arts

Purpose:

“It Takes a Village to Raise a Child”

(African proverb) is as true in a school

as any community. To embrace families

and staff as crucial in the success of

Packwood and the pupil experience, and

to ensure Packwood continues to attract

and retain staff who encapsulate the

Packwood Way.

Over the next five years,

Packwood will:

Parents:

n Strengthen communication channels

and methods with parents on

academic progress and day-to-day

matters.

n Launch Holiday Camps for children

across a range of different options.

n Develop ‘Friends of Packwood’ to

maximise opportunities for parental

involvement with the school.

Staff:

n Implement a professional

development and leadership pathway

programme for staff.

n Further develop the exceptional

staff culture and explore strategies

to affirm that our staff are held

in high regard and work within

an environment of professional

excellence.

n Design teaching networks across the

Shrewsbury Global Family of Schools.

Packwood enables children to do such wonderful things in

a beautiful place, surrounded by fabulous people.

Packwood Parent

Purpose:

Building on the wealth of opportunities

available for Packwoodians to pursue

their passions, creativity and joy of

performance, continue to develop the

arts faculties. Maintain and build on the

existing focus on the breadth of clubs

and activities. Preserve Packwood’s

reputation of sport for all and build on a

framework which benefits every pupil.

Over the next five years,

Packwood will:

Sport

n Develop the breadth of sports on

offer - traditional team and

alternative - for girls and boys.

n Successfully navigate performance

and opportunity for all, developing an

approach to be of benefit for every

child.

n Seek to maximise specialist coaching

in major sports, including the

development of a cricket centre of

excellence.

The Arts

n Build on Packwood’s track record of

impressive drama in the purpose-built

theatre, continuing to ensure that

all pupils have the opportunity to be

involved in a wide range of theatrical,

technical and creative experiences.

n Extend the provision of music for

all to broaden the scope for pupils

to perform and develop music

technology and production.

n Build on the school’s existing

opportunities for dance in the

curriculum and in performance, and

develop further opportunities for

specialist coaching in a range of dance

styles.

n Develop excellence in fine art by

nurturing artistic ability from an

early age, exploring a diverse range of

mediums, artists, cultures and styles,

and offering art scholar enrichment

programmes.

There is a lovely umbrella

at Packwood. They can

do anything and

everything.

Packwood Parent

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A Holistic Approach:

Pastoral Care and Boarding

Governance and Future

Proofing

Purpose:

To put advocacy and individualised care

and our boarding ethos at the heart of all

we do. By empowering Packwoodians to

be the very best versions of themselves,

to develop core character virtues to

tackle life’s opportunities and challenges

with tenacity, respect and humility.

Over the next five years,

Packwood will:

n Launch an additional mentoring

programme for all pupils between

Year 3-8 to strengthen the team

around each child.

n Develop our mental health strategy

to increase access to counselling,

mental health first aid training for

parents and staff, and a programme

of support for parents.

n Develop Year 8 leadership

opportunities through a peer listening

scheme, mentoring of younger

children and ambassadorial roles for

all pupils.

n Reinforce the Sixes (house structure)

to instil a further sense of belonging

for all pupils.

n Implement an Equality, Diversity and

Inclusion strategy.

n Strengthen our commitment to

boarding and build additional

pathways beyond occasional and full

boarding.

I feel immense gratitude for the foundation that was

laid during my time at Packwood. I remember my time

at Packwood with deep fondness and appreciation.

Over the next five years,

Packwood will:

n Diversify revenue through non-fee

income.

n Contribute to social impact locally and

through the Alpha Academies Trust in

Stoke.

n Sustainably reinvest in the school site to

deliver facilities to support the strategy.

n Engage with alumni and past parents

to create strong lasting links with

Packwood.

The Governing Body

is excited by the

many development

opportunities that are

planned for Packwood.

James Pitt,

Chair of Governors

From our position in idyllic Shropshire, Packwood is tuned

into the constancy of change in the world. Our 2030 Strategy

focuses on a unique fusion of a nurturing childhood, with a

pioneering ethos for innovation.

Packwood past pupil

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Part of the Shrewsbury

School Family

01939 260217

admissions@packwood.school

Ruyton XI Towns, Shrewsbury,

Shropshire SY4 1HX

www.packwood.school

Illustration by Louise Tate