London is your classroom

Jonathan Taylor, Collegiate Head of North Bridge House, explains why the advantages of going to school in and around London go well beyond academic results...

London is a wonderful, cosmopolitan city. For children fortunate enough to be educated in and around the capital, the diversity of culture, business and character offer fresh, exciting experiences every day.

Where else can students spend the morning at the Chemistry Bar in the Science Museum’s Wonderlab, an afternoon’s work experience with international business leaders in the City, play a sporting fixture with local rivals after school, and enjoy an evening performance of Tosca in the West End?

London’s rich culture and heritage act as an extension of the classroom; they enable teaching well beyond the boundaries of the school. The city is home to some of the world’s top museums, galleries and music venues, all within easy reach using public transport. Its streets are awash with famous landmarks, beautiful parks and open spaces, enriching children’s learning on a daily basis.

London is big but it is also local – it is a series of villages, all of which have their own unique resources. On North Bridge House’s doorstep in Canonbury, for example, is the prestigious Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art. Through our partnership, our students visit regularly and develop a deep understanding of the artwork. They pose questions to spark debate about what they see, feel and hear. This in-depth, regular experience wouldn’t be achievable without being just round the corner from the gallery.

But London is more than a cultural and scientific hub, it is also an enormous generator of talent and opportunity. To compete in the highly competitive international job market, school leavers will need ‘global skills’. At North Bridge House we understand that means students have to learn how to think for themselves and to deliver creative and innovative solutions to problems. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is through direct experience of innovative business, which fortunately London has in abundance. It is home to many blue-chip companies with headquarters in the city. Schools are ideally placed to forge partnerships so that their students gain first hand understanding of the skills and qualifications they will need as future leaders.

North Bridge House’s World of Work programme, for instance, has developed partnerships with London businesses spanning all major industry sectors including creative, high tech, engineering, legal, medical and finance to help prepare our students for their future careers. A Canonbury student introduced to EY via this programme, currently studying Economics at University of York, is now an official student Brand Ambassador for the multinational professional services firm headquartered in London.

As a global crossroads, cultural diversity is at London’s very core. Around 37 per cent of the capital’s population have moved to the city from a different country (2011 Census, ONS). Daily exposure to the realities of the globalised world in which we live – from commuting on public transport, to urban noise and bustle, to the multicultural makeup of London society – equips children with global skills and resilience they need to adapt to the wider world when they finish their education.

We are committed to helping all North Bridge House students develop a global mindset, which owing to our campus’ cosmopolitan environment, begins for new students on day one. Students support local community groups and causes close to our school campuses and celebrate diversity within our student population and other schools in the community.

London’s independent schools are internationally famed for their academic prestige and often noted for their character-building expertise. This concentration of excellence means parents not only have a wide range of choice, it also means schools have excellent opportunities for collaboration on sporting fixtures, musical performances, teacher training and development too. Collaboration naturally drives healthy competition, keeping everyone – students, staff and even parents – on top of their game.

The world’s brightest and best teachers flock to London. With an ambitious, curious student population and exciting career advancement options, schools can retain and develop teaching staff of the highest calibre. The Institute of Education (IOE) at University College London, is a fantastic training resource, nurturing some of the best international teaching talent using innovative methods that benefit the capital’s children first hand. At North Bridge House, we are fortunate to work with IOE students and regularly employ its graduates. The sheer number of high calibre academic and education research institutions in the city also gives London schools a broad choice of partnerships, training and development. North Bridge House hosts debates in association with the Times Educational Supplement for teachers in the UK and around the world. We extend our partnerships to engage with parents and local community groups across the four North Bridge House Schools, running evenings with expert academic speakers covering hot topics such as child development, mental health, neuroscience and sleep research.

As we navigate unclear waters post-Brexit, London’s independent schools continue go from strength to strength, and the city continues to provide endless resources to enhance the curriculum we teach in the classroom.

Samuel Johnson said to Boswell in Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides (1785) “By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show”. Being educated in this great city is a unique privilege and one that our children should be rightly proud to experience.

This article appeared as the foreword to Which London School? & the South-East 2018/19, which is available from our online bookshop.