From the Head’s study…

Thinking back to my own school days, when I attended lessons, I didn’t leave my body at the door and take my intellect in. I took my whole self into the room, and the best teachers noticed. When they saw the shape recognisable to them as Andrew Hammond walk in, they didn’t see a receptacle being used to carry a brain from one room to the next; they observed that I was a whole child and they got to know me.

Those talented teachers who could see that I was a whole person, could also see that I was not just in the room to answer questions, but rather to ask them too. They deduced that I was not there merely to memorise and repeat whatever they said or whatever they told me to read; they knew that I was there to contribute something as well – something original, if I could. Of course, they had to remind me occasionally that in order to contribute anything of quality, first I needed to learn a few things; being opiniated without being knowledgeable can be pretty vacuous can’t it. (Not that that stops people tweeting today).

Not every teacher noticed. Some were content to believe that I, like every other student, was in school to read, remember and regurgitate the syllabus, and that this was the most efficient way to secure grades of which they, and our headteacher, could be proud.

But the gifted teachers knew that if they were to keep me engaged, keep me motivated, and keep me out of trouble, then they would need to provide problems for me to solve, situations for me to untangle, and challenges for me to grapple with.

A million years later, I find myself in a school where everyone notices the whole child in front of them and everyone tries their very best to keep them motivated and engaged in their learning. That’s what learning at HSW is about.

I hope you have a great weekend – a time to rest the body and the mind!