Future-Proofing

The dust may be settling on exam results for another year, but in today’s ever-changing world, isn’t it time for education to double down on what young people really need to prepare for the possibilities ahead? Deputy Head (Academic) of Lord Wandsworth College, Angela Watson, has been thinking it through….

 

The majority of careers for which schools are trying to prepare their students don’t even exist according to the World Economic Forum.

 

In what some are calling the fourth industrial revolution, existing methods of education, which focus on memory and content, won’t cut it when it comes to preparing students for a world that places more value on problem solving, innovation, emotional intelligence and adaptability.

 

So what next? Well, teaching must rapidly evolve to prepare our young people for their varied and multi-skilled futures.

 

The aim? To develop agile and confident lifelong learners.

 

The foundations of each student’s journey are often set in Years 7 and 8 when they may progress to secondary school and make the transition from ‘dependant’ to ‘independent’ – seeking to discover their place in the world. This period in a student’s life is one that I find particularly exciting. Mindsets and hopes are fluid and can be a force multiplier for the years ahead, if potential is harnessed early on. The opportunity to do this is fleeting and so it’s vital that we place students at the centre of everything we do, in order to help them become the very best possible version of themselves.

 

Working in partnership with parents is key to this and it’s crucial that life at school (both pastorally and academically) is bespoke. Taking the time to get to know each and every young person is critical, to understand their ‘starting points’ and what’s needed to achieve the best for them. Placing the ‘student at the centre of all we do’ sets a clear mission for the team in school to deliver exceptional, tailored outcomes.

 

But to achieve this, education also needs to be engaging and exciting.

 

It should be based around core principles aimed at creating lifelong learners who are confident and adaptable. Problem-based learning, the development of interpersonal skills, global citizenship and the delivery of an education with stakeholder input are all key elements of our approach at LWC.

 

By delivering an education based around these, we look beyond exams and help to develop future-ready learners who have the tools to be engaged, confident and imaginative.

 

Exceptional pastoral care is also at the heart of developing these lifelong learners. LWC was founded over a hundred years ago to help provide an education for those who had lost the support of one or both parents. That pastoral focus has never left us and strong pastoral care in schools should always offer emotional security; equipping young people with the skills they need to develop and safeguard their wellbeing long after they leave formal lessons for the final time.

 

But it goes much further than that. Wellbeing has a huge impact on achievement. 14% of the world’s 10-19-year-olds experience poor mental health according to the World Health Organisation. The online world and society can exaggerate the disparity between students’ lived experience and their perceptions or aspirations for the future. But success in life isn’t achieved through ‘perfection’. Instead, let’s equip our young people with the resilience and adaptability to manage adversity in all the forms it may take.

 

Our aim at LWC, is to help young people to go out and make a positive impact in the world. In order to do this, they need to grow into agile, confident and resilient adults. It’s our job as educators to help them get there.