It is questions, not answers, that truly matter

Adam Williams, Headmaster of Lord Wandsworth College, believes that ‘+2’ students are the future...

In February 2017, it was widely reported that geologists claimed to have discovered a new continent to the East of Australia: Zealandia. At 4.9 million km2 of land mass, 94% of which is underwater, Zealandia would be the world’s smallest (and 8th) continent. It broke away from Australia 60 to 85 million years ago and then slowly sank back into the Pacific ocean. It is bold statements such as these, statements based on years of detailed research, curiosity and a creative approach by our scientists that sets our minds racing with more questions than answers. Maps and projected images entice us further to think, to postulate and to become embroiled in the what ifs…

The same can be said of recent archaeological discoveries on the Ness of Brodgar, Orkney, which uncovered a thriving civilisation 5000 years ago (potentially Britain’s first Ancient Capital), whose stone circles pre-dated and potentially inspired those of Stonehenge and countless others, and which through painstaking research revealed its secrets of art, engineering, architecture, and navigation in some of the most treacherous waters in the UK, even by today’s standards. For 1000 years, this society thrived before (it is thought) relinquishing their Neolithic way of life, enticed by the modern technologies of the Bronze age on the mainland.

One could choose many a reference point, but in this world of the more mundane and predictable passage of passing exams, it is an absolute pre-requisite for us, as teachers, to seek out the inspirational, stretching and bending our exam courses well beyond the specification and into the realms of research. We must aspire for our pupils to greet our teaching with a chiming chorus of “but why?” “but how?” or “sir, I’ve been thinking.” We call this our ‘+2’ at Lord Wandsworth College, encouraging pupils to stretch themselves to an academic level two years ahead of where they currently are and providing staff with a mandate to do the same. Embedding such behaviour at schools means all become role models and all can aspire for the +2 at their level. One only draws the line at the Upper 6th, who in looking at the years ahead often ask if they can lie in until 12pm and miss lectures…

Schools are becoming ever better at engendering relationships with University research, business, and professional networks – just in time too, for “we’ll all be obsolete in 20 years”’ is often a tongue-in-cheek response to a September morning INSET on technology and the future. And yet, for all these changes, education will never disappear – in fact one might argue that the pupils of today who sit eagerly in front of us with iPad and skinny latte in hand have never needed us more. But how can we prepare our pupils for this brave new world?

Pupils can ‘plug in’ and be taught A level Film Studies from California as part of the MOOC world for example, and it will be this diversity of time and place for learning that will take us onwards. Recently, our pupils joined up for joint Biology lessons with a school in Ghana as they compared and contrasted experiments in differing biomes; teaching walls will allow their debates to flourish across time zones and virtual worlds will be commonplace. However exciting these new technologies are though, our tech-savvy pupils require us, as educators, to ensure learning is collaborative and inspires creativity and curiosity. Lord Wandsworth College’s inaugural coding competition, sponsored by the world-renowned Red Hat organisation, was testament to this. One cannot overstate the importance of inspiring curiosity and creativity in the generations to come: it is non-negotiable.

We seek learning that brings real-world problems into the classroom as we cast off the shackles of a Victorian education system, rather, be inspired by schools such as High Tech High in San Diego. Project-based learning and a clear understanding of data interpretation still require lashings of emotional intelligence, a strong moral compass and a need to be both a mentor and coach.

It is an exciting future for us all and even though we, as a school, sit nestled in 1200 acres of rolling countryside on the edge of London with tractors and ploughs keeping our landscape in check (tracked by satellite, of course), the future shines bright for our +2 pupils.