The three precepts of Respect, Integrity and Endeavour underpin the nucleus of “The Kingswood House Way”. We believe that the need for young people to have emotional tools, such as resilience, as well as academic knowledge, has never been more important. Our pupils are encouraged and inspired every day so that they grow in self-esteem and achieve more than they believe is possible.
The Kingswood House Way
Thousands of years ago, the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, argued that “society will only flourish when we develop the virtues of our young”. This is still true today. More contemporary research also shows that good character is a more accurate predicator of academic and economic success – even happiness – than raw IQ alone. At Kingswood House, we believe that universities and employers want people who have the ability, and the self-discipline, to think for themselves.
Ken Robinson, a prominent educationalist, once famously said: “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.” Certainly, the need for school leavers to have emotional tools, such as resilience, as well as academic knowledge, has never been more important. With the advent of Artificial Intelligence becoming a very real threat to employment for the next generation, we have to ask ourselves what kind of a future we are preparing our children for? Surely, schools should identify and teach, the skill-sets that are needed for our young people to negotiate the pitfalls of a rapidly changing world?
So, if these are the questions, then what is the answer?
The solution I believe, lies in the need for schools to focus on a values-based education that incorporates academics as a constituent part of an all-round tapestry of learning. At Kingswood House, we have pioneered an inclusive pathway in order to capture the essence of this response. There is a very real commitment to developing creativity and character in the belief that we are forging the leaders of tomorrow.
We stand by the old adage popularised by Nelson Mandela: “It is not important how many times you fall – but how many times you rise.” The three precepts of Respect, Integrity and Endeavour underpin all that we do and form the nucleus of our new model of “The Kingswood House Way”. Our pupils are encouraged, inspired and supported every day so that they grow in self-esteem and achieve more than they believe is possible. They are, crucially, not only prepared to meet life beyond the school gate with the ambition to make a positive difference to society – but they are well-equipped with the tools of confidence and independence to actually make it happen. And that, I think, is what an outstanding school should seek to achieve.
Liam Clarke
Interim Headmaster
