​St Swithun’s launches storybook to help young children prepare for school

St Swithuns’s Prep School, Winchester has launched Alice and Sophia go to St Swithun’s Prep, a picture storybook especially produced to appeal to young people who are about to start school.

Jonathan Brough, who took up the headship of the school in September this year, wrote the book from the perspective of people for whom the school exists; the children. Perfectly sized for little hands, it tells the story of two siblings - one in Reception, one in Year Five - and a typical day in their lives at St Swithun’s. The reader follows the characters around as they go to assembly, join their lessons, have lunch and break, go swimming and enjoy clubs and music. It’s a bright and lively introduction to school life. There is also an audio version of the book complete with page-turn sound effects provided by the St Swithun’s Prep music department.

The book is intended to be useful for all pre-schoolers and their parents, whichever school they will be joining. For those children who will eventually attend St Swithun’s, the text and illustrations also present the opportunity to recognise the teachers and anticipate the daily routines which they can expect.

Jonathan Brough said “I very much hope the book can be read and enjoyed by as many children as possible. If it helps them to make the transition to school when the time comes, I will have done what I set out to do. I hope everyone enjoys reading it.”

Copies are available free of charge on request from storybook@stswithuns.com.