Why Invest in Primary?

Primary school is of primary importance!

The very nature of primary school is that it is of PRIMARY importance. High School is secondary. Primary school is when childhood and behaviour is open to adults as wise mentors. Children at this stage of development are sponges, sucking in the marrow of good role models.

Relationships in primary are swayed toward parent/adult counsel. They want to listen and are open to adult directions and support. Get to secondary school and kids are more eager to run with their tribe.

Watch the short video below in which our Headmaster John Stewart talks about why he believes primary school merits investment.

More videos on subjects like: "Why Boarding" and "Why Boys Only" are available in our video gallery.

Research highlights the importance of primary education

Research by Piaget defines the primary years as crucial periods of development. Children move from being self-centred without rational thought to concrete operations where abstract thinking is starting to be enhanced.

Another leading researcher in education, Vygotsky sees learning as a construction – where one thing is built on another. This he calls the zone of proximal reinforcement. If a child misses a stage he or she is at a distinct disadvantage.

A recent article highlights the importance of the early years.

Early Intervention is Widely Accepted as Crucial

Catching issues early is crucial. Ask any learning support teacher, and they will say the important years are the early years. Early intervention corrects before errors become concrete concepts. It is during the primary school years, we can best develop strategies to assist learning needs. It is in the primary school years special needs are able to be identified and supported. You can’t afford to let things slide.

Primary is when formal learning begins!

It is in primary school when the greatest amount of new information is taught. Children learn…

to read,
to count,
to write,
to be friendly,
to take turns,
routines,
to be organised,
how to learn!

Primary school is also the period when we can best promote good learning habits and positive attitudes to work as well as life, such as…

Persistence
Resilience
Confidence

Primary school is the foundation for future success

At Tudor House we focus on the future. We consider the child as an adult, navigating through a world vastly different to today’s society. Our philosophy defines the values, attitudes, habits and skills required to be successful. This focus is based on research-based evidence undertaken by Art Costa in his work on Habits of Mind. Costa interviewed successful people as adults and defined at least sixteen habits they all possessed...

Persisting
Managing Impulsivity
Listening with Empathy and Understanding
Thinking Flexibly
Metacognition – thinking about thinking
Striving For Accuracy
Questioning and Posing Problems
Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
Creating Imagining and Innovating
Finding Humour
Gathering Data Through All Senses
Remaining Open to Continuous Learning
Responding with Wonderment and Awe
Taking Responsible Risks
Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision
Thinking Interdependently

We believe in educating our boys to raise their emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence – or EQ – is held to be more relevant to future success than IQ. It starts in primary school. Research shows children’s behaviour as young as three to five years old, can determine their achievements as adults. The critical factors are…

Emotional self-awareness
Accurate self-assessment
Self confidence
Empathy
Emotional self-control
Influence

At Tudor House we teach these explicitly via our You Can Do It! program, focusing on the goal: social-emotional-behavioural well-being.

At a time when more and more children are plugged into multimedia nannies, interfacing through computers, Tudor House believes young children need to learn face-to-face.

It is clear from research and experience – primary school is formative. It is serious and can set your son on the right path.

It simply isn’t possible to detail all elements of Tudor House.

Why not register for a tour by contacting Mr David Musgrove, our Director of Enrolments, or phone the school on (02) 4868 0000. We're sure you will be pleasantly surprised!

Download The Case for Investing in Primary as a PDF. It might be useful for discussions with your family.

You may also be interested to read some of the research in the area of the Importance of Primary Education.

The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) Project: Findings from the Early Primary Years