📚 Brockhurst and Marlston House School: The Diamond Education Model Explained | Brockhurst and Marlston House School的钻石教育模式怎么样？能给孩子带来什么？
Choosing a preparatory school is one of the most important decisions a family can make, because the years between age 2 and 13 shape a child's academic habits, confidence and social outlook. Brockhurst and Marlston House School is an independent preparatory school in Berkshire, England, known for its distinctive Diamond Model of education and a family-led tradition of more than 140 years. It educates boys and girls aged 2 to 13 and aims to combine the strengths of single-sex and co-educational teaching so that every child discovers their potential and grows into an open, confident and well-mannered young person.
为孩子挑选一所适宜的预备学校，是家庭要做出的重要决策之一，因为 2 至 13 岁这几年的经历，会塑造孩子的学习习惯、自信心与社交观念。Brockhurst and Marlston House School 是一所位于英国伯克郡的独立预备学校，凭借独特的 "钻石模式" 教育以及超过 140 年的家庭办学传统而闻名。学校为 2 至 13 岁的男孩与女孩提供教育，目标在于融合单一性别教育与男女同校教育的优势，帮助每个孩子发现自身潜能，成长为开朗、自信、举止得体的年轻人。
1. The School at a Glance | 学校概况一览
Brockhurst and Marlston House School sits in the Berkshire countryside of England and serves families who want a small, structured and academically ambitious prep school environment. The school's identity rests on three pillars: a long family-led heritage, a genuinely flexible approach to boarding, and the Diamond Model, which organises the school day so that academic lessons and shared activities serve different but complementary purposes. Boys and girls begin their education together, then learn in single-sex settings during the core academic years, and finally come back together every afternoon for sport, music and enrichment.
Brockhurst and Marlston House School 坐落于英格兰伯克郡的乡间，服务于那些希望孩子进入规模较小、管理有序且学术要求较高的预备学校环境的家庭。学校的特色建立在三大支柱之上：绵延多年的家庭办学传承、真正灵活的寄宿安排，以及 "钻石模式" —— 它把一天的校园生活进行结构化设计，让学术课程与共同活动发挥不同却互补的作用。男孩与女孩在早期一起接受教育，在核心学术阶段转入单一性别环境学习，随后每天下午又重新聚在一起，参加体育、音乐与拓展活动。
- Ages: 2 to 13 years old. | 年龄范围：2 至 13 岁。
- Location: Berkshire, England. | 地理位置：英格兰伯克郡。
- Tradition: More than 140 years of family-led education. | 办学传统：超过 140 年的家庭办学历史。
- Ethos: Open, confident, well-mannered pupils who fulfil their potential. | 育人理念：培养开朗、自信、举止得体并充分发挥潜力的学生。
2. What the Diamond Model Actually Means | "钻石模式" 到底指什么
The Diamond Model is a staged structure rather than a single teaching method. From nursery through to Year 2, children learn in a fully co-educational environment, which mirrors the mixed social world they already know. From Year 3 (around age 6) to Year 7, the school separates pupils by gender for academic teaching: boys learn at Brockhurst and girls learn at Marlston House. Every afternoon, however, the two groups reunite for around three hours of shared sport, music and co-curricular activity. The shape of this journey - together, then apart, then together again - gives the model its name.
"钻石模式" 并不是某一种单一的教学方法，而是一种分阶段的结构安排。从幼儿园到二年级，孩子们在完全男女混合的环境中学习，这与他们已经熟悉的混合社交世界相一致。从三年级（约 6 岁）到七年级，学校在学术教学中按性别分组：男孩在 Brockhurst 学习，女孩在 Marlston House 学习。不过，每天下午两个群体会重新会合，共同参加约三小时的体育、音乐与课外活动。这段 "先合、再分、再合" 的学习旅程，正是该模式得名的原因。
Nursery – Year 2: Co-educational → Year 3 – 7: Single-sex (Boys: Brockhurst / Girls: Marlston House) → Every afternoon: Co-educational
幼儿园 – 二年级：男女同校 → 三年级 – 七年级：单一性别（男孩：Brockhurst / 女孩：Marlston House）→ 每天下午：男女共同活动
3. Academic Focus in Single-Sex Classes | 单性别课堂中的学术专注
The central academic argument for the Diamond Model is that boys and girls in the middle prep years often benefit from targeted teaching. In single-sex classes, teachers can adapt pace, examples, discussion styles and pastoral support to the group in front of them, and pupils may feel less self-conscious about asking questions or making mistakes. The model does not claim that one gender is better than the other; it claims that a carefully managed single-sex phase can remove some social distractions during the years when core skills in English, mathematics, science and languages are being consolidated.
钻石模式在学术上的核心论点是：在预备学校中段，男孩和女孩往往能从更有针对性的教学中受益。在单一性别课堂里，教师可以依据眼前这个群体的特点，调整教学节奏、举例方式、讨论风格与关怀支持；学生也可能更自在地提问或犯错。该模式并不是宣称某一性别优于另一性别，而是认为：在英语、数学、科学与语言等核心能力逐步巩固的几年里，经过精心管理的单一性别阶段可以减少一些社交层面的干扰。
The school's stated aim is to take the best of both systems rather than to choose between them. Academic concentration is protected in the single-sex phase, while the shared afternoon programme ensures that pupils do not lose the everyday experience of working and playing alongside the opposite sex.
学校明确表示，其目标是取两种体系之长，而不是在两者之间做取舍。单一性别阶段保护了学术专注度，而共用的下午活动安排则确保学生不会失去与异性同学一起学习、一起玩耍的日常体验。
4. Shared Afternoons and Social Development | 共同时段与社交能力发展
The afternoon programme is not an add-on; it is the other half of the Diamond. For around three hours each day, boys and girls take part together in sport, music, drama, outdoor pursuits and club activities. These settings are naturally collaborative: a relay team, an orchestra rehearsal or a debating session cannot succeed without communication, negotiation and mutual trust. In this way, the model deliberately builds social confidence alongside academic progress.
下午的活动安排并不是附加项，而是钻石模式的另一半。每天约三小时里，男孩与女孩共同参加体育、音乐、戏剧、户外活动和社团项目。这些场景天然具有协作性：接力队、管弦乐排练或辩论环节，没有沟通、协商与相互信任就无法顺利进行。由此，该模式有意识地在学术进步之外同步培养社交自信。
In the lower, co-educational years, children also learn to mix naturally with classmates of different genders, which builds basic social awareness before the single-sex phase begins. When the two groups meet again in the afternoon, that earlier familiarity makes joint activities smoother and more inclusive.
在较低年级的男女同校阶段，孩子们也会自然地与不同性别的同学交往，这为进入单一性别阶段之前打下了基础社交认知。当两个群体下午再次会合时，早先建立的熟悉感会让共同活动更加顺畅、更具包容性。
5. Curriculum, Classics and Modern Languages | 课程、古典语言与现代语言
The curriculum is deliberately broad, and it is planned backwards from the requirements of 13+ entry to leading independent senior schools, including Common Entrance and scholarship examinations. Core subjects include English, mathematics, science and French. Latin is introduced from Year 5, and pupils may later choose Spanish, Greek and even Chinese. This combination gives pupils an unusually wide linguistic base for their age and supports the analytical writing and vocabulary skills that senior schools value.
学校课程设置十分广泛，并且是从 13 岁升入顶尖私立中学的要求倒推设计的，涵盖普通入学考试与奖学金考试。核心科目包括英语、数学、科学和法语。从五年级起开始学习拉丁语，之后还可选修西班牙语、希腊语，甚至中文。这样的组合让学生的语言基础在同龄人中格外宽广，也有助于培养高年级学校所看重的分析性写作与词汇能力。
| Subject area | 科目领域 | Details | 具体说明 |
| Core | 核心科目 | English, mathematics, science, French | 英语、数学、科学、法语 |
| Classics | 古典语言 | Latin from Year 5; Greek as an option | 五年级起开设拉丁语，可选修希腊语 |
| Modern languages | 现代语言 | Spanish and Chinese offered as options | 可选修西班牙语与中文 |
| Technology | 科技教育 | Fully equipped ICT suite; coding and robotics for all pupils | 设备完备的 ICT 教室；全体学生学习编程与机器人技术 |
6. Technology, Coding and Robotics | 科技、编程与机器人技术
Technology is treated as a core literacy rather than an optional extra. The school maintains a fully equipped ICT suite and teaches coding and robotics to all pupils, not only to those who already show an interest. The purpose is partly practical - senior schools increasingly expect digital confidence - and partly intellectual, because programming develops sequencing, logic, patience and the ability to debug one's own thinking.
学校把科技视为核心素养，而不是可有可无的附加内容。学校设有设备完备的 ICT 教室，并向全体学生讲授编程与机器人技术，而不只是面向已有兴趣的学生。这样做的目的，一方面是实用层面的 —— 越来越多的中学期待学生具备数字自信；另一方面也是思维层面的，因为编程能够锻炼顺序思维、逻辑、耐心以及修正自身思路的能力。
For pupils in the single-sex academic phase, computing also offers a neutral, project-based subject in which progress is measured by what a pupil builds, tests and improves rather than by how confidently they speak in a group. That can be valuable for quieter children who need a different route into academic self-belief.
对于处在单一性别学术阶段的学生而言，计算机课程还提供了一个中立的、以项目为基础的学习领域：衡量进步的标准是学生搭建、测试并改进了什么，而不是他们在群体中说话有多自信。对于较为安静、需要另一条路径建立学术自信的孩子，这一点尤其有价值。
7. The French Château and Immersive Learning | 法国城堡与沉浸式学习
Language learning at the school is supported by a striking resource: an 18th-century château in south-west France used as a field-study centre. Pupils travel there to learn French and French culture in an immersive setting, using the language for real purposes - ordering food, exploring a town, following instructions, describing what they see - rather than only practising it in a classroom. Immersion of this kind tends to accelerate listening comprehension and spoken confidence, and it gives cultural context to vocabulary that might otherwise feel abstract.
学校的语言学习得到一项颇具特色的资源支持：位于法国西南部的一座 18 世纪城堡，被用作实地考察中心。学生前往那里，在沉浸式环境中学习法语与法国文化，把语言用于真实目的 —— 点餐、探索城镇、听从指令、描述所见 —— 而不仅仅是在教室里练习。这种沉浸式体验往往会加快听力理解与口语自信的提升，也让原本可能显得抽象的词汇获得了文化背景。
The château visit also fits the school's wider philosophy: learning is more durable when pupils can see, touch and use what they are studying. For families applying from overseas, it is a concrete example of how the school turns language study into an experience rather than a timetable slot.
城堡之行也与学校更宏观的教育理念相契合：当学生能够看见、触摸并使用所学内容时，学习往往更持久。对于从海外申请的家庭而言，这是一个具体的例证，说明学校如何把语言学习变成一种经历，而不是课表上的一个格子。
8. Co-curricular Life: More Than 80 Activities | 课外生活：80 多种活动
Co-curricular provision is exceptionally wide. More than 80 different activities are available each week, covering sport, art, riding, shooting and many other fields. Breadth matters in the prep years because children are still discovering what they enjoy and what they are good at; a pupil who does not shine on the rugby pitch may find a genuine strength in ceramics, fencing, choir or target shooting.
学校的课外活动选择极其丰富。每周有超过 80 种不同的活动可供学生挑选，涵盖体育、艺术、马术、射击以及众多其他领域。在预备学校阶段，广度之所以重要，是因为孩子仍在发现自己的兴趣与长处；一个在橄榄球场上并不出众的学生，可能在陶艺、击剑、合唱或射击中找到真正的优势。
Because much of this programme runs in the shared afternoon block, activities also carry a social function: they are where boys and girls from the two single-sex academic settings build friendships, learn to lead and learn to lose gracefully. Parents are also allowed to tailor the afternoon activity timetable around their child's interests, which keeps the programme personal rather than uniform.
由于相当一部分活动安排在共用的下午时段，它们同时承担社交功能：来自两个单一性别学术环境的男孩与女孩在这里建立友谊、学习领导，也学习如何体面地面对失败。家长还可以根据孩子的兴趣定制下午的活动时间表，使这套安排更具个性化，而不是千篇一律。
9. Boarding Options and Fee Structure | 寄宿选择与费用结构
The school offers day places, flexi-boarding and full boarding, and it is the only prep school in West Berkshire to provide this kind of flexible boarding service. Boarding is available from the age of 8, which allows families to introduce overnight stays gradually rather than committing to a full weekly or termly boarding pattern immediately. Flexi-boarding is often attractive to families with two working parents, to pupils who want a taste of boarding life, and to overseas families who need a reliable base during the term.
学校提供全日制走读、灵活寄宿以及全寄宿等多种选择，也是西伯克郡唯一提供这类灵活寄宿服务的预备学校。寄宿生可从 8 岁起入住，这使家庭可以循序渐进地引入过夜住宿，而不必一开始就选择整周或整学期的寄宿模式。灵活寄宿往往对有双职工父母的家庭、想体验寄宿生活的学生，以及学期期间需要稳定落脚点的海外家庭颇具吸引力。
For the 2025-2026 academic year, day fees range from approximately £5,600 to £9,200 per term, depending on the year group and the length of the school day. Boarding fees are higher, and the school publishes full details for each year group. The fee structure is designed to be flexible so that families can match the arrangement to their child's age and needs.
在 2025 至 2026 学年，走读生每学期费用约为 5,600 英镑至 9,200 英镑不等，具体取决于年级与在校时长。寄宿费用相对更高，学校会公布各年级的完整收费细节。费用结构在设计上力求灵活，使家庭能够根据孩子的年龄与需求匹配相应安排。
| Option | 选择 | Key details | 要点 |
| Day | 走读 | Approximately £5,600 – £9,200 per term in 2025-2026, by year group and day length | 2025-2026 学年每学期约 5,600 – 9,200 英镑，视年级与在校时长而定 |
| Flexi-boarding | 灵活寄宿 | The only prep school in West Berkshire offering this service | 西伯克郡唯一提供此类服务的预备学校 |
| Full boarding | 全寄宿 | Available from age 8; higher fees than day places | 8 岁起可入住；费用高于走读 |
10. Scholarships, Bursaries and Family Discounts | 奖学金、助学金与家庭折扣
The school recognises that every family's circumstances differ, and it offers scholarships, means-tested bursaries and discounts for military families, diplomatic families and siblings. Scholarships usually recognise talent or achievement in areas such as academics, music, sport or art, while bursaries are designed to support families who need financial assistance so that a place remains accessible.
学校充分理解每个家庭的情况各不相同，因此提供奖学金、助学性质的助学金，以及面向军人家庭、外交官家庭和兄弟姐妹的折扣。奖学金通常用于认可学生在学术、音乐、体育或艺术等领域的才能或成就；助学金则旨在支持需要经济援助的家庭，使入学机会保持可及性。
Flexible pick-up times and the ability to shape the afternoon activity timetable are further practical ways in which the school tries to fit around family life. Together with the boarding options, these arrangements help families who are relocating, working full time or based overseas to plan realistically rather than ideally.
便利的接送时间，以及可以安排下午活动时间表，也是学校围绕家庭生活做出调整的务实做法。再结合寄宿选择，这些安排能帮助搬迁家庭、全职工作家庭或海外家庭进行切合实际而非理想化的规划。
11. Preparing for 13+ Common Entrance and Scholarships | 13+ 普通入学与奖学金考试准备
By age 13, the school's aim is that pupils leave thoroughly prepared for Common Entrance and for scholarship examinations at leading independent senior schools. That preparation is not confined to exam technique. It rests on secure subject knowledge built up over several years, on the habit of working independently in the single-sex academic phase, and on the confidence to perform under pressure that comes from sport, music and other activities in the shared afternoons.
到 13 岁时，学校的目标是让学生为普通入学考试以及顶尖私立中学的奖学金考试做好充分准备。这种准备并不局限于应试技巧，而是建立在数年积累的扎实学科知识之上，建立在单一性别学术阶段养成的独立学习习惯之上，也建立在共同时段里通过体育、音乐等活动培养出的抗压表现力之上。
Families considering the school should therefore look closely at where recent leavers have gone on to study, which scholarships have been awarded, and how the school supports pupils who need additional help or extension in a particular subject. The Diamond Model is only valuable if it translates into genuine academic outcomes at 13+.
因此，考虑这所学校的家庭应仔细了解近年毕业生的升学去向、获得过哪些奖学金，以及学校如何帮助在某一科目上需要额外支持或拓展的学生。只有当钻石模式最终转化为 13+ 阶段真实的学术成果时，它才真正具有价值。
12. How Families Should Evaluate a Prep School | 家庭应如何评估一所预备学校
Academic structure is only one part of the decision. When visiting a prep school, it is worth asking how the school handles the transition between its different phases, how individual progress is tracked and communicated, how pastoral care works for boarding and day pupils, and what the school does for a child who is struggling or, conversely, not being stretched.
学术模式只是决策的一部分。在参观一所预备学校时，值得询问学校如何处理不同阶段之间的过渡、如何跟踪与沟通个别学生的进步、走读生与寄宿生的关怀体系如何运作，以及学校会为遇到困难的孩子、或相反觉得挑战不足的孩子提供什么支持。
For families thinking about British prep schools, apart from the academic model, what matters most when evaluating a school: a deep historical tradition, the quality of the campus facilities, the degree of individual attention a child receives, or the breadth of senior school destinations for its leavers? The honest answer will differ for every child, and it is usually worth visiting more than once, on an ordinary working day, before deciding.
正考虑英国预备学校的家庭，除学术模式之外，在评估一所学校时，最看重的因素是什么呢？是深厚的历史传统、校园设施的水准、对孩子个体关注的程度，还是其毕业生升入中学的广泛前景？对每个孩子而言，诚实的答案都不尽相同，而通常值得在普通工作日多次到访之后，再做出决定。
For further enquiries about this school, families may contact 16621398022 (also available on WeChat). | 如需进一步咨询该校相关信息，可联系 16621398022（同微信）。
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