Supporting Our Boys’ Independence
A famous film director said that ‘being independent... is being innovative out of inspiration as well as necessity.’ When our boys start at the Junior School at the age of 7, developing their ability to be independent is vital.
It is a necessity that the boys have the skills to learn and thrive, and develop into well rounded, capable, motivated young men ready for the next stage of their education. Developing independence through a varied curriculum and co-curricular offering is also key in equipping our young people with the appropriate experiences, knowledge and skills which inspire and nurture curiosity, problem solving, innovation, and creativity. Our aim is for the boys who leave the Junior School at the end of Year 6 to have, value, and cherish their independence whilst understanding their roles and responsibilities in the school and wider community.
In Year 3, our boys are in classes of a maximum of 20 and this high staff: pupil ratio enables us to get to know the boys very well. Boys are taught the core subjects by their form teacher, who oversee their pastoral and academic wellbeing. The three classrooms are along the same corridor, which provides a close-knit environment in which the boys can become more independent in their new routines. Boys also have lessons taught by subject specialists - sometimes in their own classrooms - but they also start to move around the school, taking advantage of our designated computing, art and design technology spaces. This gentle introduction to a more ‘senior school’ model helps the boys improve their organisation and sense of being responsible for their own learning.
Throughout their time in the school, the boys develop strong links with their form tutors who provide that consistent, nurturing support in developing personal organisation. This becomes important as the boys move through the school, where they start to follow a more dynamic curriculum which utilises the opportunities offered by our specialist staff and facilities such as our science lab. Boys also become more familiar with the wider Myton Campus and Senior School staff, who they meet as they move forward with their journey through Warwick School.
Boys are not only provided with the organisational structures and support to be more independent in moving around the school and adapting to different subjects and teachers, but they are also supported in being more independent and responsible learners.
Our curriculum provides the breadth and depth of knowledge and skills which provide the foundations for true independence. Without the academic foundations, which are supplemented by our learning strengths of focus, resilience, independence, creativity, empathy, responsibility, communication and reflectiveness, children cannot be independent learners. Inspired by their teachers and surroundings, the boys are challenged and supported in lessons, and encouraged to broaden their knowledge and apply their skills in different contexts through clubs such as philosophy, engineering, legal eagles, coding and chess. Our wider curriculum offering supports all the boys in taking up opportunities which are outside their comfort zone. This includes productions in our theatre, representing the school in a range of sports at local, regional, and national levels, and performing as soloists, in ensembles and as part of choirs and orchestras in the Warwick Hall. Boys also have the opportunity to develop their confidence and self-belief through attempting new experiences such as marital arts, fencing, making podcasts and creating their own animations. Supplemented by an extensive residentials and trip programme, developing the independent skills needed for future life is a key part of what Warwick Junior School is about.