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ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE
We expect them to be curious, to think and
to engage. Walk around our classrooms and
you will see and hear this happening across
the board.
Can you define ‘the coaching
culture’?
At St Edward’s we start from a position
that pupils have within them the solutions
to most of the challenges they face.
Our teachers, whether operating in the
classrooms or as tutors or on the sports
pitches, start from this premise and draw
out answers with well-directed questions
– this is what we mean by coaching. We
endeavour to limit very specific direction
and focus on helping pupils make decisions
for themselves. We put great trust in them
to work collaboratively with us. The hope
is to provide leavers with a toolkit such that
they “know what to do when they don’t
know what to do.” An element of coaching
is that there is no pro-forma for dialogue,
merely a St Edward’s style. For example, the
specifics of the pupil experience of tutoring
will vary significantly depending on what is
drawn out from questioning.
Do you believe the culture is behind
the recent success?
Yes, without doubt. And it is a big thing to
introduce a new culture. Staff have really
risen to the challenge, taking the time to
develop new ways of engaging with pupils
in the classroom. And of course it grows –
I know that several of our teachers chose to
work here because they liked what they saw
when they came for their interview day. The
quality of teaching here is outstanding – I’m
really proud of it. It’s teaching for the long
term goals, not just the results.
What do you mean?
If our pupils learn how to study well and
how to work productively with their peers,
they will be exceptionally well prepared for
life. That’s a big statement, but if they can
hit the ground running at university, having
developed all the skills necessary to thrive
in the new environment, and if they can
walk into their chosen career ready to look
people in the eye, discuss, compromise,
agree and be effective – then we will have
done our job.
Head of Physics Matthew Rigby with Henry Blackburn (
Windlesham House
) and Florence Howard (
Feltonfleet
).
Olivia Johnson (
The Dragon
) and Finn Cowan
(
Moulsford
) in a History lesson with Liz Boast.