For an Extraordinary Childhood

If you've visited The Mount recently, you'll probably have noticed that we've been rather busy.

Over the last year we've launched our tutoring service, transformed learning spaces, continued investing in our nursery and school, introduced exciting new facilities, rebuilt our website and spent countless hours talking about where we go next. It's been an incredibly exciting period for us, but it's also prompted a question that a few people have asked me along the way.

"Why keep changing? Why not just enjoy what you've already built?" It's a fair question. The answer is actually very simple: because childhood only happens once.

Childhood only happens once

When I bought The Mount in 2017, I didn't want to create a school that simply delivered a good education. There are many schools that do that exceptionally well already. What I wanted to create was somewhere children would remember for the rest of their lives. A place where they felt inspired, encouraged and excited to come through the gates every morning. A place that would help them discover who they are, not just what they know.

Over the past year, that vision has become even clearer.

Asking ourselves the right question

As a leadership team, we've spent a huge amount of time asking ourselves one simple question:

What would an extraordinary childhood actually look like?

Not from our perspective as adults, but from the perspective of a child.

What would make them talk excitedly about school on the journey home? What would make them discover a passion they never knew they had? What would help them build confidence, become more resilient and develop a genuine love of learning? What memories would they still be talking about twenty years from now?

Those conversations have shaped almost every decision we've made.

We also recognised that, when you're immersed in something every day, it's easy to become too close to it. So we deliberately brought in an external consultant to challenge our thinking, help us identify what already made The Mount special and, just as importantly, question where we could do even better. It wasn't about changing who we are. It was about making sure we stayed true to our purpose whilst being brave enough to keep improving and ensuring that the direction we were taking would continue to benefit children for many years to come.

One thing became abundantly clear. Everything we do should lead back to one outcome: helping children experience an extraordinary childhood.

Every investment should have a purpose

That's why many of the investments we've made over the last year probably don't look like traditional educational investments. Yes, we've continued investing in teaching, resources and the curriculum because those things are fundamental. But we've also invested in creating inspiring environments, specialist experiences and opportunities that help children discover new interests, uncover hidden talents and create memories that will stay with them long after they've left The Mount.

Whenever we're discussing a new idea, we now find ourselves coming back to the same question.

Will this genuinely make childhood richer for our children?

If the answer is yes, we explore it. If it simply looks impressive but won't make a meaningful difference to the children's experience, then it's probably not the right investment. That simple question has become our filter for almost every decision we make.

The story behind the London bus

Perhaps nothing sums up that thinking better than our London bus.

People often smile when they first see it, and that's exactly what we hoped would happen. But we never bought it simply because it looked impressive or because we wanted something people would talk about.

In The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett, he talks about what he calls the "Big Blue Slide Principle". At his company, Social Chain, they installed a huge blue slide in their offices. Not because people needed a faster way downstairs, but because it represented the culture they wanted to create. It became a daily reminder that they were building a business that thought differently, challenged convention and encouraged creativity.

That idea really resonated with me.

I realised we needed something that represented exactly what we wanted The Mount to become. Something that would instantly tell children, parents and staff alike that this wasn't going to be an ordinary school.

The initial idea was a yellow American school bus, but Mr Burton-Smith said, why not a classic London bus - and so it became our version of that principle.

Not because children needed a bus, but because we wanted a space that inspired imagination, creativity and curiosity every single day. Just like the blue slide, it had to be much more than a talking point. It had to earn its place.

Today it's used as a creative learning environment where children design, build, create, imagine and explore. It has become part of everyday school life. It's practical, purposeful and inspirational all at the same time.

For me, that's exactly how every investment should work. It should have a purpose. It should inspire. Most importantly, it should enrich the childhood our children experience every single day.

Never standing still

The exciting thing is that we're only just getting started.

There are already more ideas being discussed than we'll have time to deliver over the next few years, and I hope that's always the case. I never want The Mount to become a school that stands still. Children change. The world changes. Education changes. I believe schools should continue evolving too.

Some of the projects we'll introduce over the coming months will be big and highly visible. Others will be much quieter. Parents may never notice them, but our children certainly will. Whether it's a new learning space, a different way of teaching, another opportunity outside the classroom or an experience that sparks a lifelong interest, every decision starts in exactly the same place: will this help create an extraordinary childhood?

What success really looks like

Academic achievement will always matter, and we remain hugely ambitious for every child who joins us. But I don't believe parents should have to choose between academic success and an unforgettable childhood. The very best education should provide both.

I also don't believe success can be measured solely by exam results. Success is the child who discovers a love of reading. The child who finds the confidence to perform on stage for the first time. The child whose sporting talent is recognised and nurtured. The child who learns to persevere when something feels difficult. The child who leaves believing in themselves just a little more than when they first arrived.

Those are the moments that shape lives, and they're every bit as important as the qualifications children achieve along the way.

Looking to the future

I hope that when families visit The Mount, they don't simply see a beautiful school or impressive facilities. I hope they see a place with a real sense of purpose. A community that genuinely believes every child has unique potential. A team that never stops asking how we can make tomorrow even better than today.

Because childhood is precious. It passes incredibly quickly. If, years from now, our children leave The Mount with wonderful memories, lifelong friendships, confidence in themselves and a genuine excitement about the future, then we'll know we've done our job.

For me, that's what an extraordinary childhood looks like. And that's what we'll continue striving to create, every single day.