– Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
There are two schools of thought regarding getting the best out of children: the carrot or the stick. The stick approach prevailed historically, but for a while there has been a change with the focus on encouragement. Of course, this approach is best when children have the confidence to push themselves to succeed because of the belief that is being instilled in them rather than achieving purely because they had to or because they were driven to do what was expected of them. Character beats extrinsic reward.
When inspecting a ship, Wellington commented “I see much shining metal but few shining faces.” This could be said of a school in January or February. The days are short, the weather challenging and the summer seems a long way away. A crew with self-belief and optimism for success was, in the General’s opinion, more likely to gain success. When asked later in life if he had regrets, he said that he should have “given more praise.” It is ironic that Wellington’s great rival, Napoleon, described himself as “a dealer in hope.” As we considered Children’s Mental Health week in both schools this week we have been focusing on what pupils can do to ensure that they remain positive through this winter period.
In education the power of encouragement is second to none. If a teacher conveys to a child the belief that goals can be achieved, they tend to perform better. Confidence motivates. We are about to issue interim grades in the Senior School and these reward the effort expended, and achievements made in the classroom. Each student must have the confidence to see the good in what they have done and use it to achieve still higher. The same is true of the mock grades that are being issued to Years 11 and 13.
On Tuesday evening I was delighted to see so many parents attending our futures information evening. If ever there was confidence in the future, it was there. We are preparing our young people to go to some of the greatest universities in the world and challenging them to take the courses that are most suited to their talents and interests. We have 6th formers who have places at Europe and North America’s best universities and some with generous scholarships. This was not achieved without encouragement to reach for the stars.
If I needed any reassurance about confidence, then I found it with Year 2. I’d been invited to the class to talk about prehistoric societies, and it was a pleasure to hear the ideas that were generated by the questions posed. This self-confidence is borne from teachers (and parents) who encourage enquiry and curiosity, not with empty praise but with an understanding of what progress for the individual looks like.
We live in a world where we believe that confidence is in short supply. If we are to meet the challenges of the future, then we need to ensure that our young people feel the positive power of encouragement and meet obstacles with positivity.
Nicholas Hammond
Headmaster
