EDUCATION
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
ST LAWRENCE COLLEGE :
WHAT IT MEANS TO STUDY AT THE MOST NURTURING CO-EDUCATIONAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL IN KENT
THERE ’ S A VAST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUDYING AT A SCHOOL THAT CONVEYS INFORMATION AND LEARNING AND THAT GENUINELY CARES — JUST ASK ONE OF THE 635 PUPILS CURRENTLY ENJOYING A FIRST-CLASS EDUCATION AT ST LAWRENCE COLLEGE . SINCE 1879 , THIS INSTITUTION HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO DELIVERING HIGH-QUALITY TEACHING AND STRONG PASTORAL CARE .
This very combination has mentally , physically and spiritually empowered graduates to take their next academic step with confidence – and not just anywhere . Countless St Lawrence alumni happily represent their school at esteemed universities like the University of Cambridge , Imperial University , the University of Bath , King ' s College London and University College London .
Outcomes like these made deciding to teach at the college an easy choice for head of college Barney Durrant , who has three children at the school . One of the major key factors he considered was whether his children would thrive in the school and fundamentally whether they would be happy .
BARNEY DURRANT
“ This may seem like an interesting thing for a head to say , but it does not mean that I don ' t value academia and nor does it mean that I am not expecting rigour within a school . Ultimately though , my children will thrive in a school when they are happy – but this does not happen by chance .
“ For schools to genuinely develop positive wellbeing amongst their children , there needs to be a clearly thought-out programme of social and emotional learning , and it must run throughout the school .”
New students are allocated a buddy who will not only serve as a first friend , but as a mentor too . All faculty members are trained to recognise and address signs of mental distress . The college also provides confidential counselling services for students who require professional help when facing mental health challenges .
This level of support does wonders in encouraging students to fully immerse themselves in the signature St Lawrence experience . Here , all offerings revolve around High Performance Learning ; an understanding that intelligence is not fixed and that high performance in education is achievable by all .
As one of the first schools in the world to be granted the status of a World-Class High Performance Learning School , the college leverages an established teaching and learning framework to evolve students into individuals with the values , attitudes and attributes needed to navigate the challenges of adulthood . Classes are small , various globallyrecognised curricula are offered and subject combinations are refreshed each year based on pupil preferences .
How they choose to excel beyond classrooms is entirely up to them , too . To create well-rounded individuals , St Lawrence offers a range of extracurricular activities , such as sports , arts , and mindfulness programmes .
“ Not only do these develop the essential soft skills vital in life , but they similarly have a direct correlation with academic achievement – with pupils engaging in self-development activities ( including sport and physical activity ) achieving 10-20 % higher GCSEs ,” explains Mr . Durrant .
These activities were not just set in place to help students advance their interests or discover new passions ; they aim to boost relaxation , self-expression and personal growth while promoting the development of coping mechanisms and stressmanagement skills .
After all , a study by the Department for Education demonstrated the effectiveness of such approaches . It found that pupils with positive emotional wellbeing in Year 2 had gained more than one additional term ’ s progress by the end of Year 6 when compared to those with neutral or negative wellbeing .
With all of this in mind , it ’ s easy to understand why St Lawrence College was recently shortlisted for Independent School of the Year in the Student Wellbeing category ; and why it won the ‘ Most Nurturing Co-educational Independent School in Kent ’ award just last month .
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