+1 Do one more thing

What one more thing can you do to make a conversation or interaction with someone that little bit better? It may be helping a friend with a piece of homework they are struggling with, or looking after them if they have hurt themselves or supporting them when they perform at a concert.  On the other hand, it could just be making a cup of tea for mum or dad. It is these small acts of kindness that we challenge all our community to make part of their daily lives.

+2 Be two years ahead

+2 is a phrase that is well-used at LWC. It is an aspiration and a mind-set that we ask our pupils to stretch themselves two years beyond where they currently are academically in each and every year. At the heart of this lies our own A2RH vision for education, supported by inspirational teaching, teaching which causes our pupils to ask that extra question, to risk linking two concepts together and discover new interrelationships, and above all sees them wanting to share their knowledge with others.

The academic curriculum at Lord Wandsworth College is underpinned by the four principles of A2RH: attitudes, approaches, routines and habits. Through these principles we aim to enable all pupils to find and develop a passion for learning that inspires them to improve and that will stay with them beyond their time with us.

We were delighted to be shortlisted for our A2RH programme in the Independent Schools of the Year 2022 Awards in the ‘Innovation Award for an Outstanding New Initiative’ category.

+3 Wellbeing & Happiness

Happy children are successful children in whatever guise that takes and this is underpinned by our school’s relentless focus on welfare, wellbeing and good mental health; the triumvirate of our +3 philosophy.

We aspire for LWC to be the most incredible place to live and work for both pupils and staff alike, and whether transforming the built environment or enhancing the emotional one, our appetite to get the balance right remains undiminished.

We were delighted to be recognised nationally at the Boarding Schools’ Association Awards when we won the Wellbeing and Mental Health Initiative Award 2019.

Following on from this, we won the Independent School of the Year Award for Student Wellbeing in 2020.

+4 Pupil Voice

Schools flourish when pupils have a meaningful, positive input and impact within their environment, and we aspire to be the leading school in the UK, by genuinely listening to our pupils and working with them to help run our school.

Within the past few years they have been integral in campus master-planning, exterior and interior building design, staff appraisals, academic feedback and most importantly, providing a clear stance to enhance the thriving culture within LWC.  Their desire to make a positive difference and leave a legacy for the years to come is inspiring.

+5 Character Education

Cognitive ability is not the only thing that determines a child’s life chances. It makes a considerable difference, and intelligence can change considerably through a person’s lifetime if stimulated appropriately, it is one’s character and application that can really shape one’s destiny.

This is an empowering message for children and their families. Character is not inherent; it is born of positive experiences and it can be taught. Character attributes of Fairness, Generosity, Empathy, Loyalty, Gratitude, Courage, Engagement, Creativity, Perseverance, Optimism, Self-control, and Curiosity are taught deliberately and with forethought in every lesson, in tutorial encounters and throughout our co-curriculum.

It is not enough to have an assembly once a week in which pupils are encouraged to be nice to each other. Instead, our rewards and sanctions, the way we praise and encourage day to day, and the way we respond to poor behaviour or attitude are underpinned by a Character Education philosophy.

We work hard to enable our pupils to know that their thoughts inform their actions, their actions their habits, their habits their character, and that their character will ultimately determine their fortune.

In 2020, we were delighted to be awarded a ‘School of Character Quality Mark’ from the Association for Character Education (ACE). This prestigious accolade is presented to schools that can demonstrate an explicit, planned and reflective approach to the cultivation of positive character attributes in their pupils in the interests of human flourishing. As one of only 17 schools worldwide to have achieved this recognition, we are suitably proud. Our thanks to our incredible staff for all their work embedding Character as the corner stone of our culture at Lord Wandsworth College.