EDUCATION
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
What is Round Square? If you’ve heard of Cobham Hall, chances are you’ve also come across the term ‘Round Square’ – after all, at Cobham we say proudly and constantly, “We are a Round Square school” and we talk at length about our Round Square ethos and how it underpins everything we do and everything we aspire to.
But what does Round Square mean and why is it so important? It is a multi-faceted term that encompasses an organisation, a philosophy for living and an enormous range of life-changing and worldchanging opportunities and experiences. Round Square takes forward-thinking German educationalist Kurt Hahn’s idea of education through experience and breaks it down into six philosophical principles: internationalism, democracy, environmentalism, adventure, leadership and service. Round Square schools like Cobham take these six ‘ideals’ and turn them into affirmative action – practical expressions of some of the most profound notions a child (or an adult) could have. This is where the brilliance of Round Square becomes clear. How many times have you heard children complain that they’ll never be able to apply what they learnt from their
history/geography/mathematics lesson in a real life situation? The practical nature of the Round Square philosophy inspires young people to understand how theories learnt in the classroom are relevant and applicable to their everyday lives. A girl at Cobham might learn the theories behind world poverty in her geography lesson, but it is only when she spends time building a school on a Round Square community service project in one of South Africa’s poorest towns that she’ll understand poverty’s true meaning, what she can do to change it and be consumed by a desire to do so. At Cobham, Round Square and the subtleties of the six philosophies or ‘pillars’ uncovers a wealth of opportunities for our girls to have a rich education. Girls can go on student exchanges to almost anywhere in the world through the extensive Round Square network and any student who attends a Round Square
conference (one international and several regional conferences are held each year all over the world) will come back with a changed perspective. Closer to home, Round Square philosophies are very much ‘lived’ at Cobham – with girls joining us from over 30 different countries, a democratically elected student leadership team, environmental projects including the largest photovoltaic system in the local area, adventures outdoors, overnight and overseas for girls of all ages and a constantly evolving service programme that is intrinsically linked with the Sixth Form International Baccalaureate Diploma. Through Round Square, girls at Cobham Hall discover, “there’s more in you than you think.” www.cobhamhall.com
IB World School and Member of Round Square Situated in 150 acres of historic parkland Close to A2/M2 and M20 17 minutes by train from London St Pancras Full, weekly and flexi boarding IB Diploma offered in Sixth Form Independent Boarding and Day School for Girls aged 11 to 18 years
OPEN MORNING
For more information contact Admissions: T: +44 (0)1474 823371 E: enquiries@cobhamhall.com W: www.cobhamhall.com
Saturday 16th March 2013 9.30am—12.30pm
”There’s more in you than you think.”
30
www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk