EDUCATION
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
EDUCATION BEYOND GRADES
BY ED DICKIE , HEAD OF CLAREMONT SENIOR SCHOOL
HOW DO I STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD ? WHAT WILL GIVE ME THE EDGE WHEN UP AGAINST OTHER TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE ? THE TRADITIONAL ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION HAS TENDED TO FOCUS ON ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS . THOSE WITH A STRING OF A GRADES AT GCSE AND A LEVEL WOULD BE HEADING TO THE TOP COURSES AT THE TOP UNIVERSITIES . ADMITTEDLY , THIS IS OFTEN STILL THE CASE FOR MANY OF THE ELITE COURSES . BUT , IF WE ARE HONEST , THESE COURSES ARE OUT OF REACH FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE . YET THERE IS GOOD NEWS !
The diversification of higher education , with a proliferation of exciting and dynamic courses catering to a rapidly changing workplace , has meant that universities are now looking for much more than just those A grades . Increasingly , the importance of academic grades is being matched or even surpassed by the necessity of providing evidence that you can do something with these grades . That you can turn good ideas into reality , think outside the box and have the attitude that will make things happen . As AI and technology make inroads into every area of our life , it is ‘ human ’ qualities that cannot easily be replicated that are growing in value .
This reality has , in turn , placed a new responsibility on schools to ensure that developing soft skills , leadership and effective decision-making are at the heart of their offering . Academic studies will remain the central plank of future schooling , but providing young people with opportunities to develop their decision-making is critical . At our school , this is a process that can , and is , promoted both inside and outside the classroom . In lessons , the emphasis is on ensuring that learning is a student rather than teacher-led activity , where students ’ brains are working harder than teachers ’ and where ‘ struggle ’ is celebrated as part of the process .
Beyond the classroom , it can be sport , performing arts or a vibrant co-curricular programme that provides fertile ground for young people to learn how to make things happen . Interacting effectively with others , generating ideas and knowing how to develop them are critical skills for the workplace . Student empowerment is , therefore , an essential principle that a modern school needs to consider .
Nowhere can this process find its voice more than in the realm of student leadership . A strong student voice is not new , but there is increasing evidence that involving students in school decision-making leads to an institution where all are fully invested . At Claremont , our student leadership programme goes beyond the traditional ‘ school council ’ and supervisory roles and gets to the heart of the decisionmaking processes . Students are involved in significant decisions concerning marketing , wellbeing , diversity and management policies and actions . Not only does this give students invaluable experience to complement their academic studies but , invariably , the decisions that are made tend to be stronger as a result .
So , how does one stand out from the crowd ? The answer lies in taking advantage of the opportunities to develop your whole self while at school . I am as proud of our students who go on to study illustration at Falmouth or head into the workplace , as I am of those who study maths at Harvard , Cambridge or MIT . Whatever their journey , I know their success will be underpinned by skills that will be invaluable regardless of their chosen careers . It is this that may , in the long run , be the key to their prosperity and fulfillment in the workplace and beyond .
enquiries @ claremontschool . co . uk www . claremontschool . co . uk
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