Parent and family

Visitors often comment on the family atmosphere they experience at Great Ballard School and this is something that everyone working in the school is keen to encourage.

As well as providing a “family environment”, the staff work together with parents and actively encourage their support with the children both in and out of school.

Parents are very much part of the learning process with their children and teachers enjoy getting to know families both at formal parents’ evenings and at informal gatherings for sports events, music recitals, plays, fundraising activities or just meeting briefly around the school. By providing parents with year booklets, parents can be aware of topics their children will be studying and will be given suggestions as to potential places to visit, web sites to scan and books to read.  These booklets also give a lot of general information and are a very useful reference.

When joining Great Ballard School, all children are taken around the school and introduced to school life by friendly guides. However, for some parents, it can be daunting getting to know new routines and where to find people or what time to turn up and where, so as well as providing help by our staff, particularly the Headmaster’s secretary, existing parents are also happy to provide advice to other new parents as they were once “new parents” too and helpful hints are often informally passed on.

There are a whole range of matches and events listed on the school calendar which parents are very welcome to attend. These range from Nursery assemblies, church services, the annual carol concert, music concerts, plays, sports days, swimming galas, school open days, Pre-Prep graduation days and the end of term Speech Day to name but a few! We are lucky to receive tremendous support for the many Wednesday fixtures and both parents and children are well rewarded afterwards with quality match teas.  

If parents wish to be involved more, there are plenty of opportunities to help with specific events or trips as required or to join the Friends of Great Ballard committee, FOGB which has raised thousands of pounds over the years to provide extra facilities or opportunities for the children. Typically, there are School Fetes, Balls and Garden Parties that are organised by FOGB and, as well as being great fund raisers, are great fun (despite the hard work) and really help enhance the tremendous feeling of family involvement within the school. The efforts of all parents and FOGB are really appreciated by everyone in the school.