Best Boarding Schools in Europe

2021 | VOL-04 | ISSUE-03

BEST

BOARDING

SCHOOLS IN

EUROPE

Credo Thinking The Importance of Having a Philosophy of Education

Jumpstarting Growth Advantages of Studying in Boarding Schools

COLLÈGE

CHAMPITTET

The Playground for Higher Thinking

EDITOR’S NOTE

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

E

ducators shoulder the challenging task of taking care of a child’s future. And when it comes to boarding schools, they become more accountable.

On boarding schools lie the onus of wholesome development of the child. In the absence of the parents the school is responsible entirely for the child. They are committed to supporting students, helping them discover their potential and interests, develop their knowledge and skills besides academics and extracurricular activities.

The safety of the child is a huge responsibility and boarding schools need to have proper strategies and infrastructure in place, back-up plans and quick sharing of information. Keeping a track of students is one of the biggest responsibilities of residential or boarding schools. With technological boom and rapid advancements in it, the challenges boarding schools face only multiply.

Unlike non-residential schools where the child’s responsibility is divided between parents and the school, boarding schools being more or less solely responsible for the child, there is

every possibility of being at the receiving end, God forbid if parents are unsatisfied, or something goes amiss.

Boarding schools have to inculcate discipline in the children yet not make them feel homesick. Educators and rectors need to be more attuned to the academic and personal needs of students. Providing the best possible pastoral care is imperative for a child’s wellbeing during the formative years spent at the school and later in life after leaving the school. Indeed, establishing a home away from home is no picnic.

In a conducive environment, students develop close bonding with teachers and boarding mentors. Boarders also develop strong community feeling because entire time is spent at the boarding school.

Europe houses some of the most distinguished boarding schools in the world. The European continent is known for its world class education system and a variety of courses which ensures excellent employment opportunities. With excellence in education and one of the most sought-after education hubs, having boarding schools is but natural.

to conquer challenges of various kinds that life throws at them.

High quality education and discipline are the biggest advantages in such schools. Teachers are of high standards and possess unparalleled expertise in their respective domains. They inculcate values that will uphold the reputation of the school.

Europe was always the place to be at for good education and is even today. As a mark of tribute to such an education system and excellent boarding, we at The Knowledge Review, chose few of the best schools for this edition titled – Best Boarding Schools in Europe.

We insist to you not to just flip through the pages of this magazine but to have a thorough read of these remarkable schools that have managed to remain consistently popular.

Have a happy read!

T R

The infrastructure and academic curriculum in European boarding schools are second to none. These schools are efficiently and diligently shaping confident individuals to become responsible global citizens and

Sumita Sarkar sumita@theknowledgereview.com

COLLÈGE

08

CHAMPITTET The Playground for Higher Thinking

Credo Thinking The Importance of Having a Philosophy of Education

24

40

Jumpstarting Growth Advantages of Studying in Boarding Schools

CONTENTS

18

Alison Colwell To make a Difference through Education

Zinzendorf Schools Quality Education to Strive For

30

36

Dragon School Discover the Dragon

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BEST

BOARDING

SCHOOLS IN

EUROPE

Name of the Institution

Collège Champittet

Dragon School

Saint Felix School

Seaford College

Sidcot School

St. Bees School

The Royal Senior School

Whitgift School

Woodbridge School

Zinzendorf School

URL

Brief

champittet.ch

Collège Champittet is a luxury Swiss school operated by the Nord Anglia Education, and offers a highly personalised international education which is both traditional in its values and innovative in its methods, with the aim of supporting students to become curious, enthusiastic and resilientt learners.

dragonschool.org

Dragon School is one of the leading Prep schools in the UK whose reputation as a school where every child can nd, explore, and develop their talents has been well earned. It is a vibrant, happy, and aspirational place promoting a love of learning, breadth of opportunity and a strong sense of community.

stfelix.co.uk

Established over 120 years ago, Saint Felix is an independent co-educational school which facilitates a broad curriculum and extensive offer of more than 40 enrichment activities, providing opportunities for all children to develop their own particular talents, wherever they may lie.

seaford.org

Seaford College presents the opportunity to study on beautiful grounds with world class facilities, where students are encouraged not only to full their academic potential, but also to participate in a wealth of cultural, social and sporting activities.

sidcot.org.uk

Sidcot is a British co-eductional independent school associated with the Religious Sociey of Friends. It is one of seven Quaker schools in England which focuses on values of curiosity, simplicity, equality, empathy, personal responsibility, speaking up and being heard.

stbeesschool.co.uk

St Bees School is much more than just a private secondary school in the UK; it places a lot of pride on its uniquely developed Fusion Curriculum, which enables students to participate in the world both academically successful and wellrounded as a person.

royal.surrey.sch.uk

The Royal School provides a rst class education in a vibrant and caring environment. It believes in the power of inspirational teaching to bring out the best in everyone, and delivers an extensive, exciting curriculum inside and outside of classroom that successfully promotes strong personal development.

whitgift.co.uk

Whitgift is an independent day and boarding school for boys where the curriculum is designed to stimulate independent thinking and a lifelong passion for learning and intellectual life in its broadest sense.

woodbridgeschool.org.uk

Woodbridge school is a community built on Christian values in which the quality of relations is given the highest priority and the pupils are helped to develop into happy, condent, caring, resilient young men and women.

zinzendorfschulen.de

The Zinzendorf Schools in Königsfeld are one of the largest state-recognized private schools and boarding schools in Germany. Its aim is to promote each individual acording to his or her abilities and to lead him or her to responsible independence.

COLLÈGE CH

Cover Story BEST

BOARDING

SCHOOLS IN

EUROPE

HAMPITTET The Playground for Higher Thinking

T

he majestic Alps, the placid lakes, the quaint villages, the cosmopolitan cities, and the towering castles – that is just a glimpse into what Switzerland has to offer. Lausanne, the capital of the Swiss canton of Vaud, combines a dynamic commercial town with the locality of a holiday resort. In the heart of this Olympic Capital, set amongst the beautiful surroundings near the Lake Geneva, lies one of the foremost schools of the country providing a safe and stimulating environment for students to grow – Collège Champittet.

Collège Champittet is a private day and boarding school in Lausanne, the French part of Switzerland with a unique location – just 500 metres from the famous Lake Geneva. The school was founded in 1903 by a group of Dominican Fathers from France. Their stewardship of this private school lasted for nearly 50 years. In 1960, Collège Champittet became a Swiss private school welcoming more than 600 students, including several boarding students.

Increased demand for places encouraged the school to add another school building. In 1984, the school opened its doors to girls for the first time. A second school was then inaugurated in Nyon in 2004, 20 kilometres from Geneva.

Now, a total of 800 students are enrolled in the school. Collège Champittet has embraced the learning potential of 21st century technology, providing primary and secondary classes with iPads as part of a mobile classroom initiative in partnership with Apple and having collaborations with worldrenowned MIT, Julliard, and UNICEF.

An Excellent Vision Champittet excels at raising positive leaders of tomorrow, citizens of the world, confident in their academic abilities but also endowed with social skills such as a sense of collaboration, empathy, constructive leadership, and curiosity about the world. Above and beyond instruction, together with parents, the school aims to contribute to the total education of young people: ‘academic performance + physical and artistic balance + spiritual and philosophical reflection’.

At Collège Champittet Pully, they offer secondary school students a choice of three diploma programmes in high school: The International Baccalaureate (IB Diploma), the Swiss Maturité and the French Baccalaureate. Each of these diploma programmes is internationally renowned and recognised by top universities around the world. Last year, the school had 100% passing rate across

all Diploma programmes, with 35 average IB score. Students who are not fluent in English yet, can benefit from the EAL course (English as an Additional Language). The college also offers a unique full French immersion program for international students who are interested in learning a new language.

COLLÈGE CHAMPITTET FEELS A CLOSE CONNECTION WITH THE OLYMPIC GAMES, WITH SPORT PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE LIVES OF ITS STUDENTS

Leading the Educational Drive Since Spring 2015, the school is managed by a Champittet alumnus, Philippe de Korodi (Managing Director), who had his career in the Swiss export industry. He is conscious of both academic exigencies and the market needs

and is giving a fresh start to Collège Champittet. “Allowing students to reach the best results at the exams, to grow up the best way as individuals and to obtain the confidence in their capacity to improve the world, Collège Champittet will accomplish its educative mission in the widest sense, respecting the Champittet values.”

To Engage and to Challenge The student life at Collège Champittet is not limited to classes and homework. Students can significantly enhance their education by supplementing their formal learning with extracurricular activities including various sports (basketball, football, volleyball, tennis, etc.), music, drama, language classes, programming, and much more.

The students also benefit from collaborations with world leading organizations such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), that worked with the institute to co-develop its multidisciplinary STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) program; The Juilliard School for the Performing Arts, with whom Champittet has developed its world-class performing arts program for younger students; and UNICEF, with whom the institute works so that its students can use their knowledge to help tackle important, real-world issues.

Korodi, had this to say: “We enrich learning and encourage social responsibility through one of a kind opportunities, such as our humanitarian expeditions to Madagascar, Cambodia and Thailand

THE STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE GLOBAL CAMPUS, CONNECTING THEM TO STUDENTS AROUND THE WORLD AND GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE PART IN A VARIETY OF EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES WHETHER IN SCHOOL, ONLINE OR THROUGH INTERNATIONAL EXPEDITIONS AND TRIPS

as part of the Collège Champittet Foundation initiative.”

Aspiring to Make a Difference Collège Champittet is a Swiss school open to the world. There they welcome students of more than 50 nationalities while approximately 40% of students being native Swiss.

This creates a nice combination of Swiss-ness and internationalism at school. The bilingual education (French and English) offered by this school allows students to master one of the national languages, which helps international students to become part of a local Swiss community.

During the year, students learn about Swiss and worldwide traditions, cuisines, and cultures. Various trips are organised across Switzerland to learn more about this beautiful country and the nature enveloped around it.

Collège Champittet feels a close connection with the Olympic Games, with sport playing an important role in the lives of its students. The school

also shares many values with the Olympic Movement and draws this connection to raise awareness of Olympism and its values, such as friendship, excellence, respect, courage, determination, inspiration and equality, among its students.

To the Future..!

Collège Champittet benefits from being part of the Nord Anglia Education family of schools. The students have access to the global campus, connecting them to students around the world and giving them the opportunity to take part in a variety of exceptional experiences whether in school, online or through international expeditions and trips. “The teachers also benefit from the support of a global network of world-leading teaching professionals and education experts, with whom they collaborate to ensure that the highest levels of education are provided for the children,” concluded the astute leader – Philippe de Korodi.

WE ENRICH LEARNING AND ENCOURAGE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH ONE OF A KIND OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS OUR HUMANITARIAN EXPEDITIONS TO MADAGASCAR, CAMBODIA AND THAILAND AS PART OF THE COLLÈGE CHAMPITTET FOUNDATION INITIATIVE

THE TEACHERS BENEFIT FROM THE SUPPORT OF A GLOBAL NETWORK OF WORLD-LEADING TEACHING PROFESSIONALS AND EDUCATION EXPERTS, WITH WHOM THEY COLLABORATE TO ENSURE THAT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF EDUCATION ARE PROVIDED FOR THE CHILDREN

PARENT TESTIMONIAL Parents of Adriana and Marc

“Now that our children are leaving the school, I would like to use this opportunity to express our warmest appreciation to Champittet and all the teachers.

Adriana and Marc spent more than 7 years under the umbrella of Champittet. I must say that these were years full of joy and happiness for them. Champittet had offered them a lot: wonderful facilities, dedicated staff, interesting extracurricular programmes, good course selection and entertaining school tours. They met wonderful friends and we hope that these friendships will continue.

We would like to thank the school and the teachers for all the knowledge they passed to our children, for the attention and the encouragement, and for the good care they showed them through all these years. Thanks to them our children became more confident, they have grown up emotionally as well as academically.

Thanks again for your patience and understanding, and most of all, your ability to listen to them and value their thoughts and feelings.

We have always felt more than satisfied with the education our children received at Champittet, but more than that we will remain ever thankful to the teachers who helped our children become well-rounded young adults.”

Alumni Testimonial: Philippe Rebord, Head of the Swiss Army.

“I especially learned to think independently at Champittet. This helped me during my studies in Lausanne and my training at the ‘Collège Interarmées de Défense’ in Paris."

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ZINZENDORF SCHOOLS Quality Education to Strive For

T

he city of Königsfeld is widely regarded by its admirers as being a safe, quite city fashioned around lush green gardens and hills spreading as far out as the eye can see. It is one of those places where one would very well want to spend the rest of their days, living life to the fullest. The climate here is pleasant all year round and the people are mostly amicable. And the natural scenery of the Black Forest makes for a great backyard. In the heart of this hub of tranquillity, lies the pride of Königsfeld – the Zinzendorfschulen (Zinzendorf schools).

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The Zinzendorf schools in Königsfeld are one of the largest state-recognized private schools and boarding schools in Germany. Located on the edge of the Black Forest. The campus of the Zinzendorfschulen (”Zinzendorf schools”) has been a well-established place of learning and growth since 1809. Christian values and a cosmopolitan attitude are firmly rooted in its philosophy.

‘There are no dead ends, only turning points.’

This is the philosophy of the Zinzendorf Schools. The aim is to

promote each individual according to his or her abilities and to lead him or her to responsible independence.

The different types of education which include secondary school level (for ages 10-18), vocational school and grammar school, let everyone choose his or her individual path: as a boarding or day student. The surrounding nature, leisure activities and the international atmosphere of the Zinzendorfschulen offer a comprehensive educational concept that goes far beyond the common curriculum. www.theknowledgereview.com

Best Boarding Schools in Europe

Crafting “THE” Learning Environment The Zinzendorf School campus is located in a small historic town center on the edge of the Black Forest. The beautiful surroundings, with high recreational and leisure value, offer many opportunities for sports and serenity.

The school offers to its students the opportunity through four different paths to achieve the Abitur (a set of exams taken in the final year of the secondary school), in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg is especially highly valued within Germany, and therefore to obtain any of the German secondary school leaving qualifications and various vocational school leaving qualifications, which entitles them to study any subject at all colleges/universities.

We see ourselves as a modern institution where the concept of permeability defies rigid educational systems and makes it possible for everyone to choose the path that best takes him/her forward - the individual path to the goal that so many elsewhere wish for

www.theknowledgereview.com

The different degrees offered allow students to follow a very individual path. In addition, the grammar school offers a bilingual teaching model in English, as well as the possibility of choosing between 12 or 13 school years (G8/G9). Students can even combine school with golf, thanks to the school's cooperation with the Königsfeld Golf Club and a renowned PGA golf school.

The “Learning Campus” is a separate wing with various workspaces, a computer room, and teacher's rooms.

Here and in the new ‘Learning Atelier’, students can learn in the way that suits them best.

Students can also attend one of the symposiums specializing in business and economics or through the pathway oriented towards social and health sciences studies. Both lead to the general higher education entrance qualifications in the years and it entitles the holder to study any subject at all colleges/universities.

At the Zinzendorfschule, there also exists the College for Social Pedagogy (one year). In order to attend the college, students require a proof of an intermediate school leaving certificate (promotion to class 10 (G8) or class 11 (G9) of a Gymnasium) or an equivalent level of education according to the "9+3" regulation and a contract with a socio-educational institution for children or youth welfare (for the practical days).

The one-year vocational college prepares you for training at the "Fachschule für Sozialpädagogik" (training as an educator) or "Sozialwesen" (training as a youth and home educator).

Educators work in different areas, for example in day-care centers and crèches, in after-school care, in residential education, in recreation homes, youth centers, youth leisure homes, supervised playgrounds or facilities for children and young people with mental and/or physical disabilities.

Leaders of Past and Present The sponsor of the Zinzendorf Schools, the Protestant Brethren Unity, also known as the “Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine”, is a member of the Protestant Church in Germany as a Protestant free church. The Herrnhut Watchwords and the Herrnhut Stars, which originated in the Moravian Church, are particularly well known.

Nikolaus Graf von Zinzendorf, who gave his name to the Königsfelder School Association, was one of the central figures in the history of the Moravian Church. As early as 1723, he founded an educational institution for girls in Berthelsdorf, Saxony, and from then on it was said: “Where there are Herrnhuters, there are schools.”

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The surrounding nature, leisure activities and the international atmosphere of our school offer a comprehensive educational concept that goes far beyond the common curriculum

From the very beginning of the foundation of Königsfeld in 1807 by the Brüdergemeinde, it was decided that the new settlement would become a school location. Therefore, the history of the Zinzendorf Schools Königsfeld began in 1809 with the establishment of the girls' institution.

Today, the dynamic team leading this wonderful institution to new heights comprises of: the Administrative Director - Mr. Tobias Banholzer, the Deputy Headmistress - Heike LutzMarek, the Head of Secondary School - Helmut Hertnagel, the Head of Department for Vocational High Schools - Michael Sauer, and Head of Department Social Pedagogy and Social Affairs - Maria-Elke SchooSchemmann.

Standing Apart The Zinzendorfschule is simply more than just a school.

With plenty of forestry and biotic factors in the Black Forest, leisure activities such as golf, sailing, archery, football, and many other engaging cocurricular activities, Zinzendorfschulen 20 | APRIL 2021

offers a comprehensive educational concept going far beyond the common curriculum.

The Zinzendorfschulen is the only school in the region offering two different school paths(G8/G9) leading to obtain the Abitur.

The campus comprises of a mix of modernized historic buildings and young architecture. Tablets, interactive whiteboards, overhead projectors, and an online learning platform owned by the school enable modern teaching. In addition to the regular school, our additional learning campus facilitates all aspects of learning where students can attend study blocks in the afternoon and get assistance from the teaching staff while considering not only students' schedules but also their leisure time.

Holistic Development School success and good fellowship are not the only things that matter.

With additional offers, there is something for everyone.

Students and the faculty can avail the 18-hole professional golf course of the local golf club and in cooperation with a PGA golf school. Archery, learning to sail on Lake Constance, skiing in winter or sporting adventures in the natural environment of the Black Forest are all the unique experiences that are available for the students.

The school’s large art studio, choirs and orchestras, and activities like theatre projects or learning a musical

instrument, not only provide knowledge but also help strengthen the overall personality. On weekends, the boarding school offers excursions, activities, and joint experiences.

During the holidays, international students can travel to their respective homes or stay at the boarding school, which if they do, the language courses and/or suitable activities are offered.

Tribulations of the Pandemic To deal with these uncertain times, comprehensive hygiene concepts put in place at the school and at the boarding school guarantee homogeneous stipulations and are regularly updated in close cooperation with the public health authorities. Parents also maintain a high level of transparency and regular knowledge of the processes and regulations, by employing digital channels. Masks are compulsory throughout the school grounds outside the classrooms.

In the boarding schools, there are exclusively single and double rooms which can function independently of each other. The boarders are divided into small groups; designated caretakers (social education workers/teachers) are their interlocutors for direct communication, management, and daily routines.

In the boarding halls, the boarders have PC rooms available for quiet study. On the study campus, emergency support can be organized for study in small groups during acute pandemic situations. www.theknowledgereview.com

The school parish pastor is present to support students in special circumstances and counsels them for all their questions and problems. The school psychologist offers support to students and parents as well.

At Zinzendorf, telephone consultation and individual interviews for student admissions are always possible at any time of the year, and there are no fixed application or enrolment deadlines.

The teachers can be contacted via individual school email addresses and other platforms which facilitate virtual meetings with students and parents.

Engaged parent representatives and liaison teachers act as additional contacts for students and parents.

All students can use and have access to a uniform and free digital platform for online teaching with their own free account (Teams™ from Office 365). In this way, the school ensures consistent online teaching for all types of schools and grades.

The Games to Come The Zinzendorfschule is aspiring towards: • A leading position in the education system through innovative pedagogical concepts and through the religious foundation.

• Quality management works in the school are implemented both in the classroom and in the boarding school.

• The school will continue to offer a boarding school experience that attracts both local and international students.

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EDUCATION

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Credo Thinking

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“Education has become a prisoner of contemporaneity.

It is the past, not the dizzy present, that is the best door to the future.”

- Camille Paglia

E

ducation is an extraordinarily long and complicated process. In that what we call as the education system, there are specialisations within the overall division of labour. Like, there are kindergarten teachers, or middle school mathematics teachers, or high school literature teachers. They all must know their particular specialisation expertly and become very proficient at it.

If you ever take a graduate school class for education, you will need to study the various philosophies of education. You are going to learn the basics of idealism, realism, pragmatism; about how Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato got their mark on education and what they believe about education. You are going to read about Alfred Waddel and Jean-Jacques Rousseau and many different philosophers of education.

We are going to take a look at the umbrella philosophies of education and consequently learn about their importance and examples.

Essentialism

But also, the understanding of where one fits into this profession is to see if what he/she is doing in his/her respective specialisation is affecting the overall big picture. So, what then one needs to ask of this overall process of education is, how they are preparing students for life. And that takes us into the philosophical questions - ‘what is it to live a full human life?’

When educators guide their students to the completion of their education, put that stamp of approval, send them off in the real world and say that ‘you are on your own now’, what do they take that real world to be? What do the educators want them to do with their lives? What goals do they want them to achieve?

What core capacities do they want their students to have developed to adult proficiency so that they can achieve their goals in the real world?

When we start asking questions like that, it takes us towards the philosophy of education. As educators, you would want the students to do the particular things that make their lives meaningful and significant. As fellow humans, you would want the students to understand their lives in a philosophical way and how they fit in the big picture.

Thus, the role of philosophy of education for professional educators is that they have to know all along the way what that big picture or the end goal is that the students have to work towards, so that they can guide them through the process before turning them lose in the world.

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Essentialism really teaches at its core the essentials. It strives to teach students about the core understandings of topics in a very traditional setting. It teaches students accumulated knowledge of civilisation through core courses. Most of your parents attended school in an essentialist setting. It covers a ‘back to the basics’ approach where you are taught the three R’s (Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic).

Essentialists frown upon electives as they water down academic content. They rely heavily on testing to assess progress.

Perennialism Perennialism can be thought of as a cousin to essentialism. As in essentialism teaches the essentials; perennialism teaches the eternal truths of education – those truths that do not change. Perennialism ensues students acquire knowledge of unchanging principles or great ideas of education.

This is where you can see a play of Aristotle or Socrates, where you learn about the constant truths that are happening in our world, as opposed to the fads of education. You are not going to see a perennialist teach ‘Hunger Games’ or any other young adult literature book for the matter; instead, they will emphasize on the classics to teach.

Essentialism and perennialism are both very teachercentred type of philosophies, where in the class they www.theknowledgereview.com

are the authority who dictate what to learn. The role of students in such a class is very passive.

Goal of perennialism: Teach students to be independent and critical thinkers, whilst making them culturally literate.

Progressivism Progressivism is also somewhat similar to essentialism in the sense of the purpose that ‘School should model life in a democratic society’. This philosophy is increasingly more popular in developed countries where progressives want schools to mirror what would happen in everyday life.

Progressivism really came out as a protest of the perennialist view of universal truths. They believe that schools should encourage cooperation, not competition. Progressive curriculums are experience-centred, relevant, and reflective. The popular slogans of these types of classrooms are ‘Learn by doing’ and ‘Learn by discovery’.

Social Reconstructionism

Constructivism Constructivism is truly allowing students to construct their own understanding of the knowledge. A view of knowledge and an approach to instruction in which individuals connect new learning to familiar experiences to gain in their understandings. Students must be involved and active in constructing their understandings about people and the world.

The purpose of this philosophy is: Assist students in creating and discovering their own personal knowledge base.

The philosophy of education is a varied field but understanding its roots and applications can help educators to guide their pupils in a more efficient manner. It is not always necessary to subscribe to any one particular philosophy, one can use an amalgamation of complementary principles and ideas that they deem necessary to furthering their students’ growth and participation in the world.

- Aditya Umale

The core of the philosophy of social reconstructionism is the idea that schools should take the lead in changing or reconstructing society. In social reconstructionist classrooms, the curriculum in classes is designed so that students can go out and lead change in society through their learning.

Behaviourism Behaviourism is the theory of learning that focuses on the observable effect of the environment on human behaviour. The goal of behaviourism is, in a nutshell, to change the classroom environment so that students are rewarded for desirable behaviour and punished for undesirable behaviour.

Behaviourists believe that ‘free will’ does not exist and humans are a product of responding to the environment. They argue that human behaviour can be modified effectively through positive and negative reinforcements. www.theknowledgereview.com

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Alison Colwell To make a Difference through Education

She has been an educator for 28 years now. Although, she remarks, “I don’t know where the time has gone to!” Most of her career has been in challenging schools, as school improvement is something that she is passionate about. "As a teacher, you get to mould and help to determine the futures of young individuals - which is a real privilege," she added.

Baleares International College (BIC) Baleares International College offers a British education with an international outlook delivering high quality education since they were founded over 60 years ago.

Regardless of the changing times, the schools have remained steadfast in their values of independence, integrity and resilience.

Baleares International College has two schools: one in Sa Porrassa, Calvià, a very convenient location along the southwest coast of Mallorca, and the other in Sant Agustí, a very beautiful area just outside Palma. The Sa Porrassa school provides education for children from 3 to 18 years of age, while Sant Agustí provides education for children from 2 to 11 years.

BIC is supported by Orbital Education, who provide access to the latest educational thinking and innovative teaching methods from the UK, which enables them to deliver highest quality education for their students.

Alison joined Baleares International College around 18 months ago as Principal, at BIC Sa Porrassa.

And as always, she was very excited to take up this new challenge. Fortunately, she found a wonderful team of staff, a delightful student body and very supportive families.

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“

It Is A Source Of Great Pride To Me To See So Much In Evidence My Team’s Tremendous Skill, Professionalism And Dedication To Our Students, As Well As The Resilience, Adaptability And All-round Wonderfulness

“

G

rowing up, Alison Colwell made very happy and positive memories of school. This early affinity towards schooling coupled with her desire of a profession that makes a difference to children’s lives, led Alison Colwell to become a teacher.

Of Our Students.

Bringing fresh eyes into any school is really important. She was lucky to be appointed at the same time as a fantastic new Head of Primary, Mrs. Elizabeth Compton, and Alison found that they were completely aligned on standards, values, and moral purpose. The Principal further adds: “We have been joined this year by an equally amazing new Head of Secondary, and a superb Head of Sixth Form, and together we are determined to continue my mission, which is to make BIC Sa Porrassa the number one school of choice on the island.”

With their focus on delivering outstanding teaching and learning, an excellent curriculum, high standards and expectations, ensuring stretch and challenge for all, putting the children’s well-being centre stage alongside their academic progress, and – most importantly – ensuring that

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Alison Colwell Principal, BIC

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students enjoy school, and are happy and feel safe there, Alison assures that they will achieve this all.

“Back in March, we went through one of the most draconian lockdowns in Europe,” she comments. “On the ominous date Friday 13 March, we closed the school gates for what would turn out to be the rest of the school year.

Despite the considerable challenges we all faced, I was so proud of what my team – and our students – achieved,” she added.

What it means to Lead During the lockdown, Alison’s team switched to online learning, something that they share with many schools around the globe. The teachers at BIC proved exceptional in delivering live lessons to all their students and maintaining those personal links that were crucial during such an unprecedented and challenging time.

With children having been out of the school building for more than five months, Alison Colwell was determined to have everything restored to business as usual, when they returned in September 2020. She stressed to the school staff the “C” words that are far more important to them than the current pandemic one – children, curriculum, culture, character, care, compassion, creativity, curiosity, challenge.

The school knew that there would be a huge social and emotional element to the children’s return after such a long absence from the classroom, as well as an academic one,

but it was a smooth and successful transition.

This school year, the staff have continued with outstanding teaching and learning across the school, and in addition held a wealth of extra-curricular activities and events, that are such an important part of a great school. They held science week, recycling week, kindness week. The school also held inter-House competitions, ran a debate club and organised sporting fixtures.

BIC also conducted highly successful online parent consultation afternoons and hosted numerous webinars to give parents additional information, on myriad matters from our sixth form, English as an Additional Language support, revision for exams and the transition to secondary school.

The staff performed a pantomime, recorded their carol service, and had primary students perform socially distanced carols at pick-up in the last week!

“It is a source of great pride to me to see so much in evidence my team’s tremendous skill, professionalism and dedication to our students, as well as the resilience, adaptability and all-round wonderfulness of our students,” remarked the proud Principal.

Just last year, a parent said to Alison: "I bet you wish you'd never come to the island!" But for Ms. Colwell, nothing could be further from the truth. More than ever, the joy and the privilege of school leadership are very clear to her. She adds that she has never gone through the challenges such as the ones presented last year. Personally and professionally, it has been daunting road for Alison Colwell, but with the excellent team she has around, the support of Orbital and of parents, and staying focused at all times on her mantra of, ‘children first’, it is a challenge she hopes to live up to.

“Working alongside such a committed, hard-working, and conscientious team of staff, as we have at BIC, reminds me every day of the importance of education and

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Most Empowering Woman of the Month of school in our children's lives,” Ms. Colwell noted.

In addition, she further remarked that warm words of thanks and appreciation from parents, and recognition of all the work the team is doing and goals that they are aiming to achieve has been very gratifying. “On many occasions, a kind and timely email has helped to keep me afloat through some, at times, very choppy waters,” winked Ms. Alison.

“Surrounded by outstanding teachers, and delightful children and young people, means that actually, in the year that we have all gone through, I have never felt more blessed,” she added.

Meet the Community!

In thinking about school community, about what makes BIC unique and special, Alison notes its initials encapsulate it perfectly. Being the only truly British school on the island, it brings out the best of the British education system, it has the advantages of being British owned (with all the benefits and strengths of belonging to a group that it brings) and the teachers are steeped in the best of British training and innovation.

“We value academic rigour and excellence, high standards and expectations, stretch and challenge,” said Alison. But within that Britishness lie also British values - tolerance, inclusivity, fairmindedness, equality. These are values and virtues are the features Alison’s team seek to draw out in their young charges, and help to develop them into kind, thoughtful and responsible young people.

“Equally, the internationalism of our student body and culture is at the heart of who we are and what we stand for,” commented the school administration. They welcome students from over 40 different nationalities (this truly international mix is again unrivalled), and celebrate while actively promoting language teaching, cultural awareness and diversity.

Language proficiency is a central element of BIC curriculum. As a British international school, BIC prioritises two key elements of this: acquiring a high level of oracy and written skills in English and learning to speak and write other languages fluently. Living in Spain, of course, all BIC students learn Spanish from the earliest years, and it is a compulsory part of the curriculum up to and including Year 11.

course),” says Alison. “Many of our students choose to study two languages, but equally many also opt to study German, French and Catalan,” she added.

However, as per the school, an important priority for all its students - indeed the reason why many families choose BIC, including British families - is being able to master the English language, whether British born or not, able to talk fluently, to be articulate, to have a wide range of vocabulary, to express themselves in grammatically correct, eloquent English. The great orators of history and of our time speak with ease and style, as do the successful business owners, the politicians, the doctors, the teachers, the journalists, the lawyers, the actors, the pilots - and many other professionals. But equally, as members of the human race, BIC announces to want to help all its young people to talk with care, confidence and clarity.

And finally, but most importantly, at BIC they put children first. Caring deeply for children, the BIC staff put their students’ welfare and well-being centre stage. “Enjoyment of school - of loving learning, of being inspired by great teachers, of never wanting to miss a single day - these are the most important success indicators, to me, of any school.”

Ms. Colwell is very proud of the good work her team does, still never being complacent and always, constantly, looking for how they move forward and improve, even in the midst of a pandemic when they could very well be forgiven for standing still!

Aspire to make a Difference If there was one thing Alison would have changed in education, it would be for school leaders – those who know what it is really like to run a school – to be free from outside meddling from government and authorities who often do not have an understanding of the reality of school life and leadership!

“That said, I still believe that teaching is the best and most important job in the world, and would encourage well qualified, passionate experts to join the teaching profession,” concluded the austere Principal, Ms. Alison Colwell.

“I'm still failing miserably in my efforts to learn Spanish and am constantly humbled by the bi-lingualism or even trilingualism of so many of our young people (and our staff of

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DRAGON SCHOOL

B

y the sound of it, the name of this school sounds like a Dragon's Den spin-off. But it is, in fact, a preparatory school in Oxford that has served as the learning grounds for some of Britain’s most watchable actors, like Hugh Laurie, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Hollander,

Emma Watson and many others.

Welcome to the place where old-world British charm meets avant-garde teaching with a flair of posh. This is Dragon School.

Dragon School is set in a quiet area of North Oxford, amid extensive grounds which reach down to the river Cherwell. The school has always embraced the changes that a modern world demands and since the Oxford preparatory school was founded in 1877 it has evolved into the thriving establishment that it is now. That small school, initially created to educate the sons of Oxford dons, changed its name to Dragon School, welcomed boarding and day pupils equally, moved to the current Bardwell road site, admitted its first girls in 1904, established its own thriving Pre-Prep School nearby, and is now renowned internationally as one of the foremost prep schools in the UK. A Dragon education aims to: Ÿ Provide a purposeful learning environment, establishing high expectations for all children, and enabling each ‘dragon’ to fulfil

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Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

Ÿ

their potential through the promotion of learning habits of diligence, resilience, ambition, collaboration, and organization.

Foster intellectual curiosity and a desire to learn, and nurture emotional intelligence within a supportive environment, with the pursuit of excellence throughout the curriculum and across extracurricular opportunities.

Inspire the Dragons, through the school’s values of kindness, courage, and respect. To learn and show compassion, integrity, resilience, citizenship, loyalty, and enthusiasm, throughout their school life and beyond.

Encourage the ‘dragons’ to take risks, be adaptable, and develop independence. Their individuality and wide-ranging achievements are valued and celebrated within a community that appreciates diversity.

Offer expansive learning opportunities, to enable the Dragons to approach a broad range of challenges, both within and outside the classroom. They

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Best Boarding Schools in Europe

become articulate, creative, and exceptional children who display confidence and independence as they actively engage in their education.

Life at Dragon School The Dragon Prep sits proudly amid stunning open playing fields in North Oxford on the banks of the river Cherwell and the Pre-Prep is in the heart of Summertown.

The school’s distinctive approach encourages enquiry, confidence, and enthusiasm. The breadth of intellectual and philosophical challenge underpins an expansive academic curriculum. There are six separate science labs, opportunities to learn classics and three large art and DT (design transit) studios where children explore drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and ceramics and experiment with a range of materials and electronics.

The Dragon School offers over 20 sporting activities for its boys and girls

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to enjoy including sculling, fencing, football, golf, cricket, equestrianism, and judo. There is a busy calendar of fixtures against other schools and senior squads can go on overseas tours. Music and drama are our real strengths as you would imagine from a school with alumni such as Emma Watson and Tom Hiddleston. There are annual plays and musical productions and over 800 individual music lessons per week (held in soundproof pods) and 60 music ensembles.

The Thrill-imbibed Training Sometime ago, the Dragon School also introduced ‘Dragon Quest’ – an enrichment curriculum programme on Saturday mornings. A timetable of activities provides Dragons with a wide range of options, including farm visits and yoga, from film making to animation, first aid and debating through to astronomy, orienteering and cultural exploration in Oxford. Dragon Quest facilitates the children with the opportunity to discover wonderous talents, develop new skills and dare to embrace new challenges.

Every Sunday evening, the Dragon bus from London takes boarders back to school. Day and flexi boarding are increasingly popular with modern families and day pupils can spend regular or occasional nights enjoying life in a boarding house. Boarders are drawn from local, national, and international backgrounds and they live with dedicated house-parents in familystyle boarding houses. With an informality that builds trust and allows children to develop a sense of responsibility and respect for others, pupils are helped to become wellrounded, confident, independent, and motivated – all the attributes they will need to become socially adept and emotionally intelligent adults.

2020 Leavers: 55 pupils have been awarded academic or specialist scholarships to a wide range of leading schools including Eton, Winchester, Wycombe Abbey, Radley, Cheltenham Ladies College, St Edward’s Oxford, Harrow, and Marlborough College.

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but you are also making it such an energising and fun experience.”

The Dragon’s reputation as a school where every child can find, explore, and develop their talents, has been well earned.

‘Old Dragons’ go on to be successful in many different fields - Sir John Betjeman, Dame Cressida Dick, Tom Hiddleston, Tim Henman and Emma Watson are just a few of the famous alumni.

Ancient models of emotional, social, and spiritual support that can be found in all cultures and traditions, have been added in the nomenclature of the 21st century as Pastoral Care. At Dragon School, pastoral care is paramount.

According to the school, this will be more important than ever during these challenging times. The children have regular form time with their tutors/class teachers and boarders see their friends virtually through house meetings with their houseparents.

Young Dragons also enjoy game sessions, take part in activities and challenges at home and individual lessons continue virtually for all those who learn an instrument. Dragon Quest is on offer to years 4 and 5 on Saturday mornings and the children select from a number of options to allow them to

Rising to the Challenge The announcement of a new national lockdown in England necessitated major changes for the start of this new term. The school is operating a comprehensive and engaging provision of remote learning for its pupils with on-site supervision for around 70 children whose parents are key workers. Every child follows their full timetable of live academic lessons using the on-line platforms with which they are familiar, and so far, the school is positively delighted to have had positive feedback from parents: “We are so incredibly impressed that not only are you managing to teach the children through a zoom environment,

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discover and develop a new interest.

The inspirational Friday evening ‘Spectrum talks’ are made available for all Dragon families to enjoy as well as disco on Saturday mornings, which is a series of academically enriching lectures, talks and forums designed to extend and enhance pupils’ understanding of academic subjects in A–C block.

During the first lockdown, the Dragon family demonstrated great ambition, speed, and agility in setting up a virtual holistic curriculum for their pupils.

A representative of the school administration stated: “Just last term, some of our boarders remained overseas and learned remotely, which also gave teachers the opportunity to develop their remote teaching skills and expertise even further. We are confident that the community will again rise to the challenge of this situation with resilience and creativity.

However, as soon as lockdown restrictions are lifted and it is permitted to do so, we very much look forward to being able to welcome back all pupils to School.”

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Advantages of

STUDYING

BOARDING SCHOO

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Jumpstarting Growth

in G OLS

G

rowing up, Alice was quite a troubled child. She was never the agreeable kid; lacked in proper social skills and was always quite reserved. In hindsight, I presume it was the result of overprotected upbringing of her affluent parents who provided everything for her; all she had to do was ask (or cry). Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I met her during university orientation, around ten years later, and she was like a completely different person.

She appeared merry, confident, sure of herself, sufficient with agency, and mature yet with a childlike persona. The drastic change in her outlook piqued my curiosity. So, I cautiously broached the question: “I hardly recognise you now. How did you transform so much from that grumpy little child I knew back in pre-school?” She gave me head-tilt: “Do you want the short version or the long version?” I smiled back: “The long version please.” And long version I did get.

We ended up spending all evening talking about how her parents came to the conclusion of admitting her to a respected boarding school and how her life turned around completely.

Alice summarized that getting her enrolled in the boarding school was perhaps the best decision her parents ever made, whilst noting all the benefits and attributes of this form of education. So, allow me to generalise the main pointers, looking at the important advantages of studying at a good boarding school: • Discipline training To survive in a boarding school, you need to have discipline. You do not have your parents to wake you up, no one to serve breakfast in bed, no one to get you ready for school, no one to push you to get your things done in time. At boarding schools, the students have to take care of most of these things themselves. They have to stick to their breakfast, lunch and dinner timings, have to do exercise regularly, have to take care of their bed and bags themselves.

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Discipline teaches students the importance of rules in becoming socially more acceptable, it teaches them that everyone is equal since everyone has to, more or less, follow the same schedule. But most importantly, discipline teaches children the importance of punctuality. When discipline is inculcated in your daily routine, only then true success can come your way.

• Meet different people Meeting all kinds of different people and sharing early school experience with them is undoubtably a positive experience for a pupil. You get to choose which people you want to hang out with, hear all their stories and their unique background and family-life. Often you get to understand different perspectives on the same matter, arming you with nuanced opinions.

Meeting different children, teachers and staff members also gives you an understanding of differences in traditions and how each tradition is unique in its own way. Thus, respecting different cultures and its people become second nature to you. Boarding schools show you the importance of inclusivity and compassion.

• Become more social Meeting different people is one thing but being able to communicate with them is another thing entirely. At a boarding school, students have no option but to learn essential social skills as there are no parents to moderate their conversations. Alice recounted how she got over her fear of talking to other children when she had to study with them. She had to ask others for help when it came to homework. Soon enough she became part of a study group where they not only discussed problems and completed projects, but also played games and talked about movies and shows. Slowly by slowly, her barriers began to crack and she relished in the company of others.

• Holistic development Boarding schools have a plethora of activities and events to keep students’ minds engaged, enthralled and challenged.

From word-games to quiz competitions, from boating to horse-riding activities, from tech-workshops to summer camps, from drama class to orchestra, there are so many things that different boarding schools have to offer. The children learn how to add different skills to their platter and master different abilities. Additionally, children learn the value of teamwork and get to explore different fields. This helps them in forming informed opinions when it comes to university applications.

• University preparation Students who enrol in boarding schools are generally more prepared to go live in a university lifestyle than your average person. In addition, many boarding schools have extensive college preparatory programs to help students form college applications, select the right type of university, and guide them through the entire process of application and acceptance.

• Fluency in languages Students whose first language is not English often become fluent in the language in two semesters (roughly) through language immersion. Also, boarding schools provide training in other languages for those who opt to learn it. It is also a general assumption that students who stay in a good boarding school for more than three years become bilingual. Studies have shown that students who know to write and read in two or more languages score higher on standardised tests and possess higher problem-solving ability.

Alice also noted that growing up in her boarding school environment rich with language studies helped her develop sophisticated oratory skills.

• Personal Responsibility Last, but certainly not the least, boarding schools teach you how to be responsible for yourself. Responsible adults must abide by a personal moral code, otherwise they run the risk of compromising their key values, sacrificing their individuality and falling for traps, which they often set for themselves. This is one area where boarding schools come to the rescue, helping young ones gain a moral fibre which helps them cultivate into an indomitable individual.

Although I delineated the advantages through the example of Alice, boarding schools are not necessarily for troubled kids only. Any parent who wishes to inculcate the above mentioned and many more fun advantages of studying in the boarding school into their children, can do so.

But it needs to be said that not all boarding schools are the same, and many of them have a varied range of problems that one would not want their children to be associated with. Hence, it is of crucial importance that parents do their homework, find which institution has the best educational offering, find out if their child is even suited to that particular boarding school, and only then enrol their child into a prosperous school.

- Aditya Umale 42 | APRIL 2021

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