WINCHESTER IN THE 21 ST CENTURY
teaching to the brightest pupils at local state schools , topping up with lessons in subjects not covered with online classes from Winchester dons .
‘ We could say to a school : “ Rather than taking your best pupils , we will help you get your first two students into Oxford .” This way the local Headmaster will see benefit in achieving things for the children , showing the school ’ s capabilities to parents and thus becoming a more attractive school . It could be a more natural partnership , without forcing the pupils into the more rarefied environment of Winchester .’
Sir Richard believes in a more diverse school . He supports the Governing Body ’ s ambition to establish a more global curriculum , with more pupils going to university abroad and extending its international reach to reflect our increasingly global society . ‘ My background does affect the way I see the world . I ’ m very conscious of how connected and interdependent it is . I ’ m very aware of the growing weight of Asia relative to the rest of the world , and we need to ensure that the school is well-aligned with these changes . I think the best way to prepare our pupils will inevitably involve them engaging with other countries , other peoples , in ways that were not very typical 30 , 40 , 50 years ago .
‘ I would like the school to be more international and to modernise the way it works and thinks . We need pupils who understand modern China , as well as the ancient Greeks . The History curriculum for example will become less eurocentric . If you don ’ t understand how most Indians see the Raj as well as how the Brits see the Raj , you ’ re going to move through life with misconceptions which could well lead to misjudgements . This is not , in my view , about constraining the way we think . It ’ s a matter of intellectual rigour and properly understanding both sides of the issue .’
‘ We ’ re looking for greater flexibility of mind and the ability to work in teams . The way Winchester has always thought about education is about helping its pupils to develop character and skills rather than force-feeding them knowledge . It ’ s about helping them to be creative , to challenge orthodoxy , to think laterally , to work collaboratively . We ’ re not changing the way we teach , just refocusing it .’
There will be new teaching around entrepreneurship . Sir Richard believes the one-stop career is a thing of the past : ‘ We must teach pupils not to assume that success is a corporate job for life . They ’ re much more likely in future to have a series of careers . In future people aren ’ t necessarily going to be joining Ernst & Young for 40 years . For the most part , they ’ re going to be experiencing lives in which they will need to have a more nimble and flexible approach .’
The practical side of such change is inevitably led by the Headmaster who is in the process of replacing Pre-U exams with toughened up A Levels . As well as a new state-of-the-art sports and leisure centre , there will be a renovation programme for the school science laboratories .
Dr Tim Hands
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