Dear Parents
You will agree with me that the world we find ourselves in is changing at an alarming, yet amazingly rapid rate. Technology in particular drives this, bringing people from all countries closer together both for professional or social reasons. I do not think any of us would fail to see the tremendous benefits in connecting our world and in engaging with and learning from people with different and diverse backgrounds.
The challenge we all face is how we accept and adapt to this constant change. For those of us who have been around longer and are a bit older, this may be more challenging but something we need to consider. We may have acquired habits which have developed over time and which we have become accustomed to and are therefore quite happy to rely on these to guide us through the world. On the other hand, our younger generation have their lives ahead of them and they will need to have the skills to adapt to the world and to whatever it turns out to be like for them in ten, twenty or thirty years’ time.
We cannot teach students what this world will be like because we ourselves do not know. We can be certain though, that it will be different. What we can focus on however, is developing the skills which will put students in the best place in which to meet the demands of an unknown environment. Ultimately it comes down to a few basic skills: independence, resilience and adaptability. It is skills like these that increasingly form part of modern-day teaching.
Assistance from home is always greatly appreciated in echoing and supporting the practices of the school. We aim to teach students how they can take responsibility for their own learning, for assessing their progress and recognising how to further improve. Anything parents can do to contribute to developing independence is greatly appreciated. Together we can enable our young people to grow into successful, confident adults for the twenty-first century.
Michelle Stevens
Head of the Early Years Centre