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ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE
Remember when you used to
get told off for speaking in class?
There has been a quiet but determined revolution taking place in the classrooms of St Edward’s.
Gone are the days when pupils sat quietly in rows, listening to a teacher, raising their hand to
contribute. In a deliberate and systematic programme, the Warden and Deputy Head Academic,
Matthew Albrighton, have swept aside outdated notions of classroom practice and embraced
a new order; conversations are central to the classrooms of today. We catch up with Matthew
and English Teacher, Dr Lucinda Gallagher, to find out more.
Clearly, there’s more to this new
approach than chatting.Tell us more.
Matthew:
When I arrived, it was evident
that classrooms at Teddies required a big
injection of diversity and energy. At that time,
some four years ago, we were relying on a
teacher-centred approach; I firmly believe in
a pupil-centred approach. I quickly came to
the conclusion that Shells required a specific
curriculum to help them bridge the gap
between the rote learning of prep school
days, and the skills required for university-
level study and the workplace beyond. Pupils
need to be able to work collaboratively,
explore new ideas, and express themselves
clearly and confidently. Sitting quietly in rows
seemed wholly inadequate as preparation for
life in the 21st century.
Lucinda:
By the time I applied for my
post here, the new approach was already
underway and it was a big part of my decision
to come and work at St Edward’s. Dialogue
is central to life at Teddies, and not just in
the classroom. As teachers,
we also have roles within
Houses, so dialogues begun in
the classroom continue in the
evening in House and therefore
cross over into all aspects of
life at School. In a boarding
school, you see your pupils in
so many different contexts – in
the classroom, in House, on the
sports field, in Tutor periods,
and so on.
Give us some examples of the new
approach.
Lucinda:
Imagine an English class in which
we’re discussing whether or not we feel pity
for Eddie in
A View from a Bridge
. I could ask
for contributions, and the keen, confident
few would raise their hand, leaving others
to disengage or doodle. My preferred
approach is to ask all the children to stand up,
immediately raising energy and engagement
levels. I then ask those who feel Eddie has
been hard done by to stand at one end of
the room, and those who
don’t to stand at the other.
There is no escape; they have
to form a view. And then,
because they’re up and about
and feeling lively, they’re more
willing to share their view – and
so they learn as much from
each other as from me.
Matthew:
In a Geography
class, I might ask them in small
groups to annotate a graph. There will be,
say, six different groups standing at white
boards, coming up with thoughts and ideas;
towards the end of the lesson, groups will
present to each other, giving pupils a far wider
set of notes and insights than they might
have developed on their own.
It is hugely collaborative; they
will never feel alone in their
endeavours. Pupils and teachers
are working together with a
shared sense of purpose which
is enormously beneficial and
motivating.
Why do you prefer this
approach?
Lucinda:
It’s more fluid.
Children have been trained
over the years to write their ‘best’ work in
their books. We find that they are less willing
to experiment in their thinking when they
write it down – they can imagine only too
easily the teacher’s red pen! They are much
more willing to ‘have a go’ verbally. The
other enormous benefit is that lessons are
driven by the particular interests of the pupils
in that class on that day; they are far more
likely to engage if they’re interested in the
conversations going on around them. Modern
thinking about education – and development
in its broadest sense –
acknowledges that taking risks
and experiencing failure is a
sure-fire way to improve.
How do these
conversations feed into
wider school culture?
Matthew:
We are an
exceptionally close-knit
community. At 680, we are a
manageable size; pupils know
each other well. Classroom dialogue further
binds our pupils together and fosters a deep
and lasting understanding that not everyone
looks at the world in the same way. We are
proud of our broad entry level and wide
range of academic abilities; everyone has
different ideas to bring to the table. We also
have an eye on social trends – young people
can become fixated on digital communication,
but this will never get them through
an interview. To make their way in the
workplace, they will need to be able to look
people in the eye to debate and discuss – we
must keep direct human interaction at the
forefront of what - and how - we teach.
Lucinda:
Children come to school to learn
how to be adults and if we don’t show them
how, we are doing them a huge disservice.
You can’t teach ‘being an adult’, you
have to model it, and we believe that this
collaborative approach to their development
inside and outside the classroom creates a
hugely positive and supportive culture of
growth.