Welcome to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. In every episode we’ll be talking to one of the members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this conversation, Stephen Arnott, Assistant Head Pastoral at Hoe Bridge, shares insights into his role focused on pupil welfare and happiness. He discusses the importance of building relationships with pupils, the significance of residential trips in fostering independence, and the collaborative efforts of staff to support pupil wellbeing. Stephen also reflects on his passion for teaching history and the balance between his leadership responsibilities and classroom engagement. He concludes with advice for parents on supporting their children's wellbeing and emphasises the strong sense of community at Hoe Bridge.
In this conversation, Arabella speaks with George and Olivia, the newly appointed Head Boy and Head Girl of Hoe Bridge. They discuss their experiences at the school, the responsibilities that come with their leadership roles, and the supportive community that Hoe Bridge fosters. The conversation also touches on their memorable moments, the values that guide the school, and their advice for younger students. As they look forward to the future, they express excitement about the opportunities that lie ahead and the importance of making a positive impact.
Amy Richards, a former pupil of Hoe Bridge School, shares her memories and experiences as a pupil and discusses her passion for sports, particularly football. She talks about the highlights of her time at Hoe Bridge, including sports tours and tournaments. Amy also discusses her current involvement in sports, playing for the school's first team in hockey and netball, as well as representing Woking Women in football. She emphasises the importance of balancing academics and sports and praises the support and opportunities provided by Hoe Bridge School.
Garen and Ben, parents from Hoe Bridge School, discuss their connection with the school and the factors that led them to choose it for their children. They highlight the nurturing environment, tailored education, and holistic development provided by the school. The importance of individual attention and the development of life skills are also emphasised. The parents discuss the involvement of their children in sports and extracurricular activities, as well as the unique opportunities, such as Forest School and Design Technology, offered by Hoe Bridge. They offer advice for parents starting the independent school journey and emphasise the importance of meeting children where they are and embracing the school community.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're speaking with Alexandra Arnold, Assistant Head Academic who has recently joined the school.
So come with us now as our host, Arabella takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're speaking with Assistant Head Early Years Eve Williams (Assistant Head Early Years). We explore whats Early Years in Hoe Bridge is all about.
So come with us now as our host, Arabella takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're speaking with Old Hoe Briginan, Ehsan Khan. We learn about his lasting memories and his international hockey career.
So come with us now as our host, Arabella takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode Arabella talks to Headmaster Mr Chris Webster about the New Academic Year
So come with us now as our host, Arabella takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're speaking with, Vicky Sturgess, the Head's PA, and Julie Wixted, Pre-Prep Secretary.
So come with us now as our host, Arabella takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're speaking with, Tim Suenson Thorpe an Old Hoe Bridgeian and current parent.
So come with us now as our host, Arabella takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're speaking with, an Old Hoe Bridgeian Indy Sheriden. We find out what it was like being the prize giving speaker, what Indy is doing and how she got her job and Indy provides advise into how to get into film and special effects.
So come with us now as our host, Arabella takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode, we're speaking with Head of Year 7 & 8 and Head of Geography, Brent Peal. We learn where his love of geography comes from, how young people at Hoe Bridge links between their strengths and extra curricular activities and we learn his ideas on mobile classrooms.
So come with us now as our host, Arabella takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're speaking with Head of School, Theo. We find out how it felt to become Head of School, what Theo finds difficult being Head of School and we learn some of his memories throughout his time at Hoe Bridge School.
So come with us now as our host, Arabella takes us into this conversation
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're hearing about Amanda Willis, Head of the Pre-Prep. We will find out whats been happening in the Pre-Prep and why the youngest Pre-Prep pupils are called Twigs.
So come with us now as our host, Arabella takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're hearing about James Shone's Charity I Can & I Am, and we hear about how the charity helps inspire confidence and 'inflate balloons of self belief'. We also hear about James' rowing challenge and who James would choose as his driving companion.
So come with us now as our host, Arabella takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. In every episode we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school. Now, in this episode we’re back talking to Headmaster, Chris Webster.
Chris is about to update us on what’s been happening at school over the last few months, how things are going with the expansion to Year 11, and how he’s hoping the school will be different by the end of this academic year.
But we also find out what Chris got up to in the summer holidays, what does a Headmaster actually do when not in school?
So come with me now as we speak to Headmaster of Hoe Bridge, Chris Webster.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're hearing about GAP students, Hoe Bridge welcomed GAP students from Australia and New Zealand to come and work to the school before moving on to their university careers up until 2018. Today, we are talking to two of the 2005 ‘Gappers’, Ellie and Tom who have a very special ending to their Hoe Bridge story.
So come with us now as our host, Arabella takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're hearing back from the original Headmaster Robin Barr of Hoe Bridge back in 1986. Robin Barr, will take us back and talk about how the School came to be, and his thoughts on how Hoe Bridge School has changed over the years.
So come with us now as our host, Arabella takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're hearing back from one of the pupils who left the school a few years ago. Jamie Clements of 'The Breath Space' talks to us about his experience as a boy at Hoe Bridge School, where he went to university afterwards and how the school helped him. But we also get to understand all about the importance of breathing properly and how it can help us all.
So come with us now as our host, Tracey, takes us into this conversation.
Jamie's own podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/man-down-the-anti-man-up-movement/id1513504795
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we meet Head of Science David Bray, we find out why Mr Bray became a science teacher and his favourite scientific experiment. We also discover more about science week at Hoe Bridge School and find out how pupils are excited by the world of science.
So come with us now as our host, Tracey, takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we are excited to catch up with an alumni of Hoe Bridge School who really is making a name for him self in the music industry. We find out how a cheeky message resulted in him signing for the Dirty Hit label. How he found his style of music and his future plans. We also discover what advice he would give to todays Hoe Bridge Pupils.
So come with us now as our host, Tracey, takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're celebrating Hoe Bridge School's recent sport successes with Sarah Thornton-Pickering, Orla & Annabelle - our Head of Girls Games and two of the Year 6 girls.
So come with us now as our host, Tracey, takes us into this conversation.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're talking to Adam Mansfield, Catering Manager. Adam will explore the Hoe Bridge School menu, he'll discuss why a healthy and varied diet is good for pupils learning and we'll even get to find out who inspired Adam to become a Chef himself.
So come with me now as host Tracey speaks to Catering Manager, Adam Mansfield.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're talking to Headmaster Chris Webster, who brings us a big announcement!
So come with me now as host Tracey speaks to Head, Chris Webster.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school.
In this episode we're talking to Amy Wixted, Hoe Bridge School's new Digital Marketing Apprentice. Amy will discuss why she chose to do an apprenticeship, how an apprenticeship works, and what her days at Hoe Bridge look like.
So come with me now as host Tracey speaks to Amy Wixted.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school. Now, in this episode we’re learning all about the admissions process with Admissions Manager, Liz Stobart-Hook.
Liz will tell us what makes a successful admissions manager, how she guides prospective parents through the admissions process and she’ll even give us three pieces of advice she has for parents looking at choosing a school.
So come with me now as Tracey speaks to Admissions Manager, Liz Stobart-Hook.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school. Now, in this episode we’re chatting to Assistant Head Pastoral, Stephen Arnott.
Stephen will share how he’s implementing wellbeing into each school day, his ethos for looking out for all the children and how he gets the rest of the staff in school to feel good every morning.
But Stephen will also discuss changing attitudes towards mental health and wellbeing, and why it’s so important that both staff and students are happy while they work and learn.
So some with me now as we speak to Assistant Head Pastoral, Stephen Arnott.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school. In this episode we’re speaking to Head Boy at Hoe Bridge, Oliver.
Oliver is going to tell us all about his role and responsibilities as Head Boy, how he looks out for fellow students and how he balances his own education with his school duties.
But we’ll also learn about Oliver as a pupil, the kind of subjects he enjoys, what sports he’s currently participating in and his plans for secondary school and beyond.
So come with me now as we step into this conversation with Head Boy, Oliver.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school. But this episode is a little different, to celebrate Christmas we’ve got a very special guest joining us today.
Host Tracey has invited Hoe Bridge pupils Jessie, Jamie and Fraser to come along and help her ask some very important questions that the children have written themselves.
So come with me now as we join some of the children from Hoe Bridge School and a very special guest indeed.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school. Now, in this episode we’re speaking to Anna Ruddy, as well as some pupils at the school.
Member of staff, Anna, will tell us what’s like working with the youngest children in the school, how she copes with all the noise and any tips she has for parents managing family time with work and school.
But we also get to hear from some of the children themselves, Jack, Orla and Casper. They’ll tell us a bit about themselves and their school life at Hoe Bridge, it’s really great to hear from pupils and all the good things they have to say!
So some with me now as we speak to Anna and some of the pupils from Hoe Bridge School.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school. And today we’re speaking to Director of Music, Fiona Taylor, to discuss just what music is all about at Hoe Bridge.
So today, Fiona will delve into how music has enriched the pupil experience, the kind of lessons, choirs and concerts children at Hoe Bridge take part in and the impact of trends in music and technology and how Hoe Bridge has kept up with the times.
We’ll also hear how Fiona encourages children to keep up their musical learning and exactly what it is that keeps Fiona so passionate about music at Hoe Bridge school.
So come with me now as Tracey discovers all about music at Hoe Bridge with Fiona Taylor.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school. Now, in this episode we’re learning all about STEAM, that’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths.
Member of staff, Alison, explains what STEAM is, how it goes about giving a structure to learning and we also hear what makes the school so special to Alison herself.
So come with me now as Tracey unpacks this world to us in this episode.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school. And today we have a mother of three girls sharing her take on life as a parent at Hoe Bridge School.
Nikki Thompson talks about all the opportunities that have been made available to her daughters, the process of moving up through the school years, and the responsibilities that come with this. But we also hear the advice that Nikki has for others with teenage daughters.
So come with me now as Tracey talks to mother of three, Nikki Thompson.
Welcome back to Life at Hoe Bridge School, the podcast where we speak to pupils, staff and parents to find out what it’s really like. Every week we’ll be talking to members of the school community to hear real stories of life in the school. Now today we’re talking to someone who’s a member of staff and an international hockey player, Jamie Whitehouse.
Now Jamie’s going to explain how sport helps children at Hoe Bridge School, how children deal with losses in sport, whether it’s wise for children to have a broad sports view and the advice he has for young people.
So join us now as Tracey talks to Jamie Whitehouse.
And today, we’re going into a woodland environment with Louise Holder who’s going to talk to us about Forest School, explaining about the principles, how and why the school embraces this learning approach.
But we also speak to the pupils about this too. Summer, Issac and Seb explain what they enjoy about Forest School and what they learn from Forest School.
So come with me now as Tracey talks to Louise Holder, Summer, Issac and Seb.
And today, it’s another fun episode because we begin by talking to Headmaster Chris Webster, then we speak to three Year 3 pupils, Darcy, Ben and Olivia. Followed by a catch-up with Amanda Willis.
I’m certain you’re going to love this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it for you, because we had a great time!
Chris talks about how the current Year 3 pupils have managed the move from Pre-Prep to Prep, the children talk about their favourite lessons and what makes the lunches so amazing, and then Amanda explains what happens after their time in Pre-Prep and why she’s going to miss them so much. But let’s not waste any more time but instead get into this podcast episode with Amanda, our VIPs, Darcy, Ben and Olivia, and our Headmaster Chris Webster.
And today we’re heading to a parent of a Nursery pupil, Alexander, and a Year 1 pupil, Amelia. Claudia O’Neill explains why she and her family chose Hoe Bridge School, the advice she’d offer to parents looking at schools for their children for the first time and some of the benefits of a tight-knit parent community. Tracey Clarke-Sullivan takes us into that conversation so come with us as we step inside now.
And today we’re heading to the England Cricket Team to talk to Phil Scott, also an old boy from Hoe Bridge School. Phil’s talking to us about his memories of Hoe Bridge School, how the school shaped his sporting career and prepared him for university and beyond. Tracey Clarke-Sullivan takes us into that conversation so come with us as we step inside now.
And today we’re talking to Stephen Arnott, Assistant Head Pastoral, about the happiness, confidence and achievement, something at the heart of the school. Tracey Clarke-Sullivan takes us into that conversation so come with us as we step inside now.
And today we’re talking to Callum Mackay who left the school in 2008 and is now a professional golfer. We’re going to find out how the school has changed since he was there, how Hoe Bridge made him who he is today and what his current life looks like as a professional golfer. Tracey Clarke-Sullivan takes us into that conversation so come with us as we step inside now.
And today we’re dropping into the classrooms in the school building to hear from two of the pupils, one from Year 8 and one from Year 6. We find out in this episode what life is like from a pupil point of view, what it feels like to play sport for the school, what happens if there's ever too much homework and also what the favourite school lunch is.
Tracey Clarke-Sullivan brings us right into the classrooms so you can hear what they have to say. Come with us as we step inside now.
Kate Tydman and Stuart Neal share with us the approaches they take when managing their drama classes, they talk about some of their favourite moments acting in west end productions, and they unpack what they can teach children from their own experience of times when an audition doesn’t lead to getting the part.
But we also find out what some of the possible options are for the next school play and I know you won’t want to miss that. Tracey Clarke-Sullivan leads us onto the stage so come with us as we step inside now.
And today we’re talking to Amanda Willis, Head of Pre-Prep, who’ll be talking to us about the importance of happiness at the school, some of the challenges she faced in the first few weeks of starting as the Head of Pre-Prep, and what some of her aspirations are for the future of Pre-Prep. But we also find out some of the things she likes to do at the weekend when she’s not in school so stay tuned to the end to find out what that might be.
And today we’re talking to Jo Hewitt, a mum of four pupils, so she really is someone who knows the school inside out. In this episode we speak to her about how to choose which school is right for your children, how to manage every day life at the school (including the school run) and we explore some of the opportunities available to pupils at Hoe Bridge School.
And today we’re talking to Chris Webster, Headmaster of the school, who’ll be sharing with us life at the school, the importance of happiness at the school, how a headmaster at Hoe Bridge School spends his time and we also find out where he and his family go on summer holidays each year.
Welcome to our new podcast, the place to find out more about our school and where we'll be speaking to staff, pupils and parents so that together we're all connected. Our first main episode is coming soon so be sure to check back here in the next few days to see the first release.If you have any questions in the meantime please contact the school through the main website. Thank you for taking an interest, we'll see you soon.