Sussex


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-prepHead.jpg" alt="Cumnor House Sussex Prep School" class="wp-image-82193" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-prepHead.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-prepHead-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-prepHead-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-prepHead-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-prepHead-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-prepHead-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-prepHead-1100x1100.jpg 1100w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sarah Gibson, Head of Pre-Prep at Cumnor House Sussex</figcaption></figure>



<p>If a person’s tired of London, they’re tired of life – or so goes the old Samuel Johnson adage. On the other hand, they might just be parents. While it’s possible to give your kids a world-class education and dazzling enrichment opportunities in the capital, it’s equally possible to long for more space and a less frenetic pace.&nbsp;</p>



<p>That’s roughly where Sarah Gibson found herself before relocating to take up her new role as <a href="https://cumnor.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cumnor House Sussex</a>’s Head of Pre-Prep. As a teacher, she had spent a happy decade at Dulwich College Kindergarten and Infants School (DUCKS), having previously worked in state primaries around London. During that time, her home life had changed, however. Now, she and her husband were parents to two young daughters embarking on their own educational journeys. “I knew that I could do better for them”, she says. When the Cumnor position opened up, she leapt at the chance.&nbsp;</p>



<p>While her first encounter with the prestigious Danehill prep was as a prospective staff member, she’s also a parent at the school, both she and her daughters having started in September. Who better to answer our burning questions about daring to make the move to the countryside from the Big Smoke? Muddy caught up with her at breaktime to talk about protecting childhood, why soft skills are so vital, and the joy of a local pub.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_teacherpupil.jpg" alt="Cumnor House Sussex Prep School" class="wp-image-82192" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_teacherpupil.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_teacherpupil-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_teacherpupil-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_teacherpupil-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_teacherpupil-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_teacherpupil-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_teacherpupil-1100x1100.jpg 1100w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-made-you-move-nbsp"><strong>What made you move?&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<p>We wanted a better quality of family life and wellbeing and more space – we wanted nature. We got to the point in Southeast London where our small garden was overrun by foxes and crime was quite apparent on our doorstep. I could see our children growing up faster than I wanted. At the same time, I&#8217;m ambitious in my career, and had known about Cumnor House Sussex for a while. Its ethos perfectly aligned with my own, so when the job came up as Head of Pre-Prep, I went for it.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-did-you-grow-up-yourself-nbsp"><strong>Where did you grow up yourself?&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<p>I grew up in North Wales, and my childhood there was very free. I was given lots of independence – my playtime was in fields and orchards, and you came home when the streetlights came on. I really wanted that kind of freedom for my own children, but without being stuck in the middle of nowhere, and with academic rigour.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-did-you-move-nbsp"><strong>When did you move?&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<p>We moved over the summer. The girls have already been allowed so much more freedom and independence than they’d ever be allowed in London at this age. Here at school, my Year 3 child is allowed to go to the library or Ruby Towers, which is a playground, or to the DT lab at lunchtime to do a project. Equally, at home, we can send them into the woods with walkie-talkies and they make dens and little fairy villages.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-were-your-initial-impressions-of-cumnor-house-sussex-on-your-first-visit-nbsp"><strong>What were your initial impressions of Cumnor House Sussex on your first visit?&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<p>It&#8217;s like a village campus where the children are children, and childhood is protected. The difference was instantly recognisable. It was wintertime and it had just been snowing. There were snowmen outside on the field that the children had made, and inside three little girls were sat by the fire, warming their hands, and some boys were playing Lego. It was idyllic – very much steeped in tradition yet providing a really forward-thinking education.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-Preppers.jpg" alt="Cumnor House Sussex Prep School" class="wp-image-82190" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-Preppers.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-Preppers-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-Preppers-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-Preppers-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-Preppers-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-Preppers-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_Pre-Preppers-1100x1100.jpg 1100w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-were-you-at-all-anxious-about-the-reality-of-life-outside-london-nbsp"><strong>Were you at all anxious about the reality of life outside London?&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<p>We were really anxious – it’s a massive jump, so you want it to be right but it&#8217;s surpassed my expectations. There’s a huge community here and they&#8217;ve just picked us up and said, right, here&#8217;s where you go with your kids, here&#8217;s your local pub… We walked into that pub strangers and we came out locals because everyone around here takes the time to get to know you.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-there-anything-you-miss-nbsp"><strong>Is there anything you miss?&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<p>You can catch the train and be in the centre of London in 45 minutes – my husband still works there – so we get the countryside living and everything that goes with that, and yet it doesn’t feel remote. I really loved the diversity of London, and I was worried we might be leaving that behind but we certainly haven’t lost it coming to Cumnor. We&#8217;ve got lots of families from different backgrounds and cultures, who speak many different languages. Our motto is ‘Aim high, be kind, dare to be different’, and that ‘dare to be different’ is really celebrated.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-have-you-met-other-parents-who-ve-moved-down-from-london"><strong>Have you met other parents who’ve moved down from London?</strong></h3>



<p>I came in thinking that my story was somehow unique but I would say the majority of the parents here have done the same thing. Because so many have relocated, it’s very open-doors here at Cumnor. At drop-off each morning we offer tea and proper coffee in the school bistro, and that community creates a lovely base for learning and happiness. It’s just a really happy home.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-people-tend-to-relocate-for-similar-reasons-nbsp"><strong>Do people tend to relocate for similar reasons?&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<p>They all want the most nurturing environment possible for their children. As a parent, of course you want academic rigor, and at Cumnor that is a given, but they’re children for such a short amount of time; you want them to enjoy their childhood and remember it.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_playground.jpg" alt="Cumnor House Sussex Prep School" class="wp-image-82191" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_playground.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_playground-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_playground-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_playground-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_playground-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_playground-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/11/Cumnor_playground-1100x1100.jpg 1100w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-a-key-educational-difference-you-ve-discovered-between-here-and-london-nbsp"><strong>What’s a key educational difference you’ve discovered between here and London?&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<p>In London, you can’t get away from the fact that children often sit the seven-plus exams, and that completely changes the dynamic of the learning. So from Year 1, it’s an accelerated curriculum – they’re aiming to work a year or two year above the children’s chronological age, because they want to provide that competitive edge. In a non-selective school, that accelerated curriculum will work for some but not all, so parents then feel pressure that their child is not quite where they should be, so they start getting tutors in.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-did-you-see-that-impacting-the-children-you-taught-nbsp"><strong>How did you see that impacting the children you taught?&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<p>They can become afraid of taking risks, because they&#8217;re scared to be wrong. In their writing, for instance, they might start using ‘big’ rather than ‘colossal’. They know the word colossal, but they don&#8217;t write it because they&#8217;re too scared to spell it wrongly. I love that we don&#8217;t have that external pressure so soon at a school like this. You genuinely go at the pace of the child. There’s accountability and you want the children to be the very best they possibly can, but it’s about boosting confidence and determination so that they enjoy learning.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parenting-in-london-can-become-a-bit-intense-can-t-it-especially-with-the-prospect-of-senior-school-applications-looming-nbsp"><strong>Parenting in London can become a bit intense, can’t it? Especially with the prospect of senior school applications looming.&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<p>If you push too hard too soon, it ultimately puts children off. It might work initially but it unravels by the time they get to Year 6 because they&#8217;re riddled with anxiety. If there&#8217;s one thing we should get right in a Pre-Prep – especially in a world of AI – it’s the soft skills. If children know how to share and learn conflict resolution, if they know resilience and aren’t scared to make mistakes, then you&#8217;ve got all the right learning attributes in place.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-are-you-discovering-any-other-ways-in-which-a-rural-setting-benefits-learning-nbsp"><strong>Are you discovering any other ways in which a rural setting benefits learning?&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<p>It&#8217;s a slower pace of life so children’s independence and tenacity can be nurtured – their time isn’t quite so structured and it’s not adults doing everything for them. The children develop their own drive, and the further they go in education, the more important that becomes.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-daughters-are-in-year-2-and-year-3-at-cumnor-how-are-they-settling-in-nbsp"><strong>Your daughters are in Year 2 and Year 3 at Cumnor. How are they settling in?&nbsp;</strong></h3>



<p>They’re thriving. They were in a state school in London so they’re getting a lot more individual attention. They’re involved in drama productions, they’re swimming and taking part in sports matches every week, and they have freedoms that they wouldn’t have been allowed in London until they were lots older.&nbsp;</p>



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