By Julie Lodrick, Headmistress of Kent College Pembury
With my father in the Navy, it made sense for me to have a stable senior school education, so my parents chose a boarding school for me from the age of 11. Having read many Enid Blyton tales of the excitement and adventures that took place at such schools, I couldn’t wait to go. And the reality did not disappoint! We did actually have midnight feasts, the equivalent of the modern ‘sleep over’, I think, and enjoyed the excitement of spending time exploring the woods and fields that surrounded our school.
Whether boarding or not, school should be an adventure both in and out of the classroom. Yes, there is the serious business of the newly reformed GCSEs and A-levels to contend with, but that is even more reason why we need to provide an inspirational environment in which intellectual curiosity and a love of learning is fostered. As Einstein said “I never teach my pupils, I only provide the conditions in which they can learn”.
As a school, we are constantly thinking about how everything we do is engaging and different. Even our Open Morning is taking ‘Time Travel’ as its theme and is an opportunity for parents, pupils and teachers to try new activities and look at things from a different perspective. We make time for all our pupils, right up to the Sixth Form, to take part in creative and sporting activities and for younger pupils, we take the classroom outside with the Forest Schools curriculum.
Growing up with a sense of exploration and adventure will equip our young people with the skills, confidence and character to adapt to a rapidly changing world, and I certainly agree with Helen Keller’s view that “life is either a daring adventure or nothing”.
