The head takes part in the school’s Bad Hair Day charity initiative to raise money for Great Ormond Street
We chat to headteacher Vanessa Bingham about life at the independent prep
How long have you been at The Lyceum" 
I have been here for just over a year now, having worked in the education sector for more than 40 years across a range of UK and international schools.
Can you tell us a bit about the school?s history" 
The Lyceum was founded in 1997 by two former state school teachers who wanted to create an independent school with a focus on holistic and topic-based learning. Over the past 19 years, we have created an ethos whereby we aim to ensure all our pupils develop morally, socially, academically, physically, spiritually and culturally. Our base, in the heart of Shoreditch, means we have a huge wealth of resources right on our doorstep that we regularly take advantage of, be it lessons in local parks, visits to the museums or trips to London?s theatres. What do you see as the school?s main strengths" 
The Lyceum has a long-standing specialism in music ? almost all students who study with us play an instrument and we have a full time director of music, as well as 11 peripatetic instrument teachers. We combine this with an extra-curricular programme, which helps students develop their confidence, people skills and team work. We also pride ourselves on being an incredibly happy school ? from the moment students walk through the door, to the momen...