Welcome to Cokethorpe

Dr Sarah Squire DPhil, MA, PGCE, appointed by Governors to succeed retiring Headmaster of 23 years, Mr Damian Ettinger.

“I feel privileged and honoured to be building on Cokethorpe’s strong legacy and am very excited about leading the School into the next chapter of its history.”

Headmaster, Mr Ettinger, reflects on the philosophy and principles which have guided his teaching career and 23-year tenure leading Cokethorpe.

“Twenty-three years is a significant stand at the crease. What have been the significant perspectives in that time to have guided your approach in building such a successful innings?
We are proceeding directly to the analogies, I see! Well, as with any successful innings, there are moments which call for different approaches to be taken, for different priorities to come to the fore.”

Cokethorpe prides itself on the strength of the pastoral care system, which is the foundation of our school environment. 

Deputy Headmaster, Mr Stevens, discusses the system and what makes it so effective.

Head of Prep School, Mrs Black on the sense of
belonging and why it matters.

“How do we promote the sense of community in Prep School?
It is integrated with everything we do. In the Prep School, we operate in the main on a Class Teacher model; the relationship this allows for and the sense of belonging it generates with the teacher, with the class, and within the wider School is the central pillar of the approach. Core to the class community is the emphasis on it being a welcoming environment and modelling the behaviour we want to see from the pupils, scaffolding that community and ensuring it builds in the manner we would expect.”

We spoke to Miss Freeman about fundraising in the Prep School and why the concept of giving is so important for young people.

“How are you involved in the fundraising efforts in the Prep School?
I started by organising the Sponsored Walk last year and running the London Marathon alongside it. Following that, I asked if I could organise a Giving Week, but instead of raising money for external charities, each activity would focus on our School community.”

Deputy Head of Prep School, Joanna James, discusses the importance of strong foundations for learning in the Prep School, and the benefits of the through school model. 

Our Director of Studies discusses the symbiotic relationship between traditional approaches to teaching and the burgeoning opportunities for integration of technology into the modern classroom.

Building a strong pastoral system: three of our current Heads of House, Matthew, Bella, and Freddie, discuss their experiences of the House system at Cokethorpe.

Reception Class Teacher, Caroline Brash, explains play-based learning and its wider benefits to children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. 

The move to Sixth Form is commonly recognised as one of the more significant transitions in a child’s educational development.