India comes to Herm

FOR new residents Neil and Juliet Waterhouse, the chance for daughter India to attend a small island school was too good to resist.

Employed as a nanny and family support worker in Bodiam, West Sussex, Juliet was well aware of the importance of environment in a child’s development, so she jumped at the chance to bring her daughter up in the quiet surroundings of Herm.
‘We visited seven or eight years ago for a holiday with Neil’s older children and they had such a wonderful time,’ said Juliet.
‘We all fell in love with the island and never forgot it. When we saw the job advertised on the website, we had to apply.’

The Waterhouses are the third new family to move to the island since the beginning of the year and are looking forward to being part of the community.
Neil has come from a background in managing a chain of agricultural stores to take over the Argosy gift shops and post office.
Juliet is leaving behind three jobs in order to become a Herm mum.
‘I’ll miss my work with children a lot, but I’m going to help Neil in the shop. Also I’m very much into art and painting, so I’m really inspired to start drawing some of the beautiful many views on Herm.’
India arrived just in time to start the new term at the school. Already she is enjoying the freedom and safety of being a Herm child.
‘At first it’s hard to imagine how the different ages can play and learn together, but it obviously works,’ said Juliet.
‘The older children take on more responsibility
and the younger ones see that and aspire to it.’
In the UK, India’s new class would have been made up of at least 30 children, but in Herm there are only two Reception pupils.

Juliet realizes how lucky her daughter is to be able to grow up here.
‘It’s nice that all the children have an important role in the school. In such a small group, more attention can be given to each individual student and they seem to thrive on that.’ The thing the family like best about the island so far is the close-knit village life.
‘What really struck us at first was the fact that there is a real community spirit,’ said Juliet. ‘Pennie and Adrian [Heyworth] obviously have a real passion for Herm and it’s rubbed off on everybody else. Everyone who lives here is really proud of the island and is working towards the same result.’