It's that time, our daughter is in year 5 and we are now having to focus on what her, and our, options are. We have been talking about it for years, but now is crunch time. Where should she go next? Which School is the BEST SCHOOL!?!
There are many choices, Comp or Private. Which Comp? Which Private?
Living in #Berkshire we are blessed with a mind-boggling array of choices, #outstanding #stateschools and #academytrusts and top of the leader-board #independentschools
- What do we want from her next school?
Reading through the various websites, prospectuses and welcome letters from the #headmaster / #headmistress it really brings the decisions home with a sickening crunch of reality... schools that only measure success in academics and those that hide poor results behind a thinly veiled message about caring for the whole person and not just results. How do we read between the lines and identify the true meaning and agenda behind these letters? In reality we are looking for the best of both worlds. A school that not only focuses on the academics and has outstanding results but also genuinely cares about the #holistic #wellbeing of our children, not just a token gesture to tick the box.
Both my wife and I were incredibly lucky and went to schools based on #kurthahn 's philosophy of #holisticeducation, nurturing the whole person. Kurt Hahn, the co-founder of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award #DofE, developed an educational theory regarding The Declines and Antidotes of Modern Youth
The 6 Declines
- Decline of Fitness
- Decline of Initiative and Enterprise
- Decline of Memory and Imagination
- Decline of Skill and Care
- Decline of Self-discipline
- Decline of Compassion
The 4 Antidotes
- Fitness Training
- Expeditions
- Projects
- Service
And the #dukeofedinburghsaward was born and named after the (more famous!) co-founder, Prince Phillip himself.
Nowadays holistic education isn’t merely offering the DofE award; what about global youth development #expeditions? Debating and politics societies? Opportunities for students to challenge and stretch themselves to build #resilience and inner perseverance? Wellbeing activities to help students to manage stress and anxiety brought about by our ever increasing schedules and diminishing personal time. A reminder to all students to look outwardly rather than to focus merely on that elusive grade A (9?!). A reminder not only of our place in the world, but also of the role we should play in it for the betterment of all.
If the above sentiments seem a bit too naive to those who understand the pressures of the modern world of recruitment and employment - the fact is that today’s students cannot leave education with great results alone under their belt, there has to be something else that they can offer beyond academic greatness. How do we help them to stand out from the crowd? What makes them SHINE as the talented individual that they are? More importantly, how do we allow them to see for themselves the wealth of skills and potential they possess beyond those letters?
I am a facilitator of change, the vehicle I use is #outdooreducation. Take the positive power of simply being outdoors, mix this with over 20 years of educational practice and theory and watch what happens! I still buzz with excitement when I see students learn and develop as they experience new things. Take any person out of their normal environment and change happens, their barriers break down and they listen, hear, absorb and learn.
Different Perspective Training Ltd. specialises in working with schools and empowering teachers to step outside.
Is it safe? – let us help you and train your staff and develop your policy to ensure it is.
Is it worthwhile? – let us show you, we can deliver sessions with your students and allow you to judge for yourself!
Is it a justifiable investment? – get in touch and find out!
I only remember two English lessons from my entire time at school…
1- The lesson I spent the entire time flicking blue ink over my English teacher's white handbag… sorry, Miss!
2- The lesson we went outside and read Romeo and Juliet under some trees.
What memorable moments do you want your students to leave with?