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A series of bespoke month-long courses were introduced to Fourth and Fifth form pupils at the start of this academic year to bring GCSE subjects to life. The aim is to create an inspiring, ambitious and intellectually rigorous education that bridges the gap between GCSE and A Level or IB teaching.
The courses are spread out over two years with each subject teaching their course at a different time so that pupils are always learning something ‘Wellington-unique’. We are able to deliver these new courses thanks to 15% extra teaching time that has been added to subjects during Fourth and Fifth form. The GCSE specifications make up about 75% of what is taught while the rest bridges the gap to Sixth Form, makes serendipitous connections between subjects, and builds genuine expertise in the discipline itself. This helps pupils to recognise and feel more confident in certain concepts at A Level or IB.
Benjamin Evans, Deputy Head Academic at Wellington College, is coordinating the new initiative which evolved from Wellington’s two-year curriculum review. He began by asking subject heads what they would want to teach if they were given a month without the constraints of syllabus or curriculum. The heads used this question as a jumping off point to design their own course. Some of the courses are totally different to the GCSE curriculum and some expand on elements of the syllabus.
Benjamin says, “Thanks to technology, it’s not that hard to be an efficient teacher today but it is harder to be an inspiring one in the true sense of inspiring pupils to find out more. You’re battling against so many pulls on young people’s attention like social media and gaming. These courses are designed to inspire pupils to be curious, to investigate and to want to discover more, instead of just thinking about what is needed for prep. Courses Within Courses also empowers Wellington’s talented teachers to design an aspect of the curriculum. That’s what teaching should be all about, especially at an independent school”.
Different departments have approached the challenge in different ways. Chemistry have partnered with the University of Southampton, to develop an exciting course aimed at deepening pupils’ understanding of the role played by computers in the field of chemistry. Dance pupils will be visiting an industry-leading dance company in January and will then be guided by professionals to direct every aspect of their own dance company project from choreography, staging and advertising, to filming, marketing, and budgeting. History pupils will embark on a local history study of Spitalfields. They will learn about its origins as a haven for outsiders and outcasts avoiding the reach of the City authorities, and how migrants seeking a better life have gravitated there and the impact they have had.
The more that pupils expand on their learning within a broader context, the more synergy is created between subject areas, instilling an innate love of learning. At Wellington, our goal is to create a more interesting educational experience for pupils without sacrificing results. In fact, Benjamin anticipates this initiative will only enhance exam results. As well as using revision and past papers, encouraging pupils to become experts in a subject through exploration and storytelling is an equally, if not more effective way of reinforcing knowledge and developing mastery and expertise.
It’s an educational philosophy already reflected in Fragments, a popular academic extension course for Fourth Formers which is about capturing the most interesting things from the corner of one’s eye, and putting them front and centre, if only for a short time. This approach is founded in cognitive science that has revealed the extent to which humans are hardwired to respond to stories and narratives.
Benjamin says, “To make Courses Within Courses a success you need brilliant teachers and smart, enthusiastic pupils and we are fortunate to have both at Wellington. We provide teaching that sparks conversation so that when our pupils leave the classroom they continue to talk about a topic or concept that has ignited their interest. By talking up not down to our pupils, we’re letting them know how capable we think they are”.
Academic study isn’t a separate entity to well-being, the two are inextricably interconnected. Whether young or old, we all love to learn something new and Courses Within Courses encourages excitement around learning. Along with Fragments, these initiatives provide a healthy counterpoint to assessments and revision. When pupils tap into their natural curiosity they can begin to design an exciting and fulfilling future for themselves.
