Dallington School

Imagine a school where children can’t wait to run through the door on a Monday morning, where they learn in bright lofty classrooms and have their intellect and creativity set alight free from looming assessments. It may sound too good to be true, but Dallington School makes it a reality. Belying its location in the heart of London’s business district, it has a villagey family vibe and takes ‘warm welcome’ to the next level – head James Griffiths even has a soundtrack of happy music playing when he greets pupils and parents at the gate. Its innovative approach sees pupils of mixed ages learning alongside each other in easy equilibrium, working collaboratively and finding their own agency in the most nurturing environment. It’s no wonder they can’t wait to start each day.

Located on a quiet street in Clerkenwell, Dallington sits cheek by jowl with a very commercial part of London, and its cool design-studio feel belies a gentle but purposeful interior. An assembly space, admin and the head’s office are all found in the basement, Years 5 and 6 are on the ground floor, Years 3 and 4 on the first floor, nursery and reception on the second floor and Years 1 and 2 on the top floor. Each floor is one big, loft-style classroom with high ceilings and lovely double-aspect windows that let the light pour in.

With its super-convenient location, most families walk or scoot here – many drop their children off on the way to work and pick them up on the way home. Barbican Station is eight minutes by foot and Farringdon Station is 10.

The incredibly likeable New Zealander James Griffiths is at the helm here. He graduated in primary education before completing a masters in educational leadership, and he also did a stint as a general assistant in a paediatric ward where he supported both children and families, so he is almost certainly the safest possible pair of hands in all respects for his young charges. His love of teaching is almost tangible, as is his desire for every child to leave here confident in their ability to hold their ground academically and emotionally at the next stage. ‘Childhood is so precious,’ he notes, and drawing pupils into their own education and lighting fires within every individual is far more important for him than prescribed methods of learning or unimaginatively restrictive topic areas.

Titles on his bookshelf such as The Girl who Never Made a Mistake, All The Ways to Be Smart and I Am Not a Label are testament to his laser focus on the individual and the importance of embracing making mistakes while you learn. Pupils here are children, not units to be examined, assessed or ‘prepared’. Make no mistake, he firmly believes in academic rigour but pupils learn from their teachers and each other in a very holistic and creative way.

Free of the constraints of a big school, Dallington can constantly and gently assess pupils all the time, re-evaluating where they might need support or challenges at every turn, and having the flexibility to adapt to changes immediately.

James likens the evolution in teaching and learning at Dallington to the process for roasting coffee beans. It used to be thought that to make good coffee, every bean needed to be exposed to the exact same predetermined temperature and procedure. But experts now know that different beans need to be roasted differently to generate the best flavour and outcome – and children are just the same. Find the process that suits each individual human coffee bean and help them to ‘leave with a Iifelong learning habit and an understanding of their own and others’ passions in a context of working relationships honed from engagement, fun and play’.

This is a hugely inclusive school, which is reflected in Dallington’s non-selective entry policy. Places are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and numbers are currently on the rise. It’s totally co-ed and is popular with international families, especially American and Scandinavian who are attracted by its non exam-focused approach.

The school has a very integrated approach to learning, with topics intertwined in different subject areas to reinforce and broaden learning opportunities by echoing them throughout the day.

Class sizes are small and there’s a very relaxed approach to learning in mixed-year groups where necessary or beneficial, so that children benefit from the expertise of one particular member of staff or learn at their own pace and level irrespective of age. With two year groups being taught together, it means the upper year of each gets natural refreshers revisiting topics the younger year are learning for the first time. Staff are very open to new approaches; one teacher tells us she loves how there is a ‘freedom and focus on creativity for teacher planning and to engage students with their own interests and see the whole curriculum through their lens’. The school’s founder, Mogg Hercules, would be delighted to see that her philosophy of ‘making children feel like they are teaching me’ is still very much in action.

Pupil resources are located together on one floor, and there is art literally everywhere – which illustrates the emphasis placed here on the creative process. Creative writing too is championed, as are reading and the performing arts as gateways to self-confidence.

Pupils fly the Dallington nest to a wide range of destinations in the private and state sectors. There is no coaching to pass interviews; the ability to voice their own opinions eloquently is constantly being nurtured. Parents are invited to workshops to walk them through the process of future schools together and in Year 5 there are one-to-ones. Mr Griffiths ensures he visits all the senior schools of interest – and he’s had gratifying feedback from heads who tell him that Dallington pupils are happy, confident and at ease talking to adults. For his part, Mr Griffiths says, his pupils ‘end up being who they are when they leave’.

Recent leavers have headed to Stoke Newington School, Northbridge School, Portland Place, Francis Holland, Queen’s College and Camden School for Girls, to name but a few.

Dance, drama and music feature on the curriculum every week, and pupils are continually encouraged to act, dance, sing and play at every opportunity. Dallington uses a wonderful quote from the classical pianist Glenn Gould to encapsulate its reasoning for placing such a value on the creative arts: ‘The purpose of art is the lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity.’ And once you know this, the Dallington penny drops. Mr Griffiths tells us the creative arts are a way ‘to unearth hidden talents in children’ and the collaborative shows means everyone has a part to play, from seeding ideas to performing them. The school’s location also allows children to absorb the culture on their doorstep, with topic-based residentials and regular trips to Wigmore Hall, Globe Theatre and the Barbican.

The school is the key holder to a playground round the corner where they keep the PE equipment. Pupils have two PE sessions a week focusing on coordination, core strength, balance and hand-eye skills. Football, cricket, netball, tennis, rounders, hockey, tag rugby and basketball are all on offer, and there are even a handful of local fixtures on the agenda. Children from nursery also attend gymnastics lessons, and older pupils (Years 5 and 6) can give kayaking a go in Shadwell Basin, while the little ones go to King Square and Caledonian Park for forest school, as well as visiting different neighbourhood parks each day.

Clubs and activities form a wider part of pupils' enrichment and take place after school, with a termly selection of options ranging from board games club and crafts (parents run the textiles and art clubs) to eco warriors club which is very popular.

They’re a tight-knit bunch here – the school’s relatively small size means that staff and pupils (and parents) all get to know each other very well. There’s a sizable number of overseas families (many children speak English as a second language) but regardless of diverse geographical roots, it’s a community united by its belief in Dallington’s ethos. There’s a first-name policy throughout and pupils don’t wear a uniform, making the whole place feel very home from home. Adults are crucial positive role models, and the ‘no judgement’ atmosphere where mistakes are an integral and inevitable part of learning results in a very open and honest environment devoid of pressure and limiting conformity.

This lovely school has created an extreme juxtaposition: a village primary-school vibe in the heart of London and a wondrous alternative to the assessment-driven culture that often fails to accept or nurture the unique qualities of every child. Its founder’s motto of ‘value your own worth and understand the difference in others’ is a sentiment that would change the world if we were all a bit more Dallington.‘

Value your own worth, understand the differences in others,’ was the motto of founder Mogg Hercules (who, by the way, was awarded an MBE for visionary service to education in 2018). Her daughter Abi, now the proprietor, continues her work with as much, if not more passion than her mother, ensuring that pupils feel safe to push boundaries, make mistakes, grow and succeed. It’s a wondrous alternative to the assessment-driven culture that often fails to accept or nurture the unique qualities of every child. This is a school where childhood is celebrated, individuality embraced and creativity given free rein to thrive.