Dear parents

We have spent a great deal of time celebrating our pupils' academic achievements over the past few years. It has been great to share in the joy of public examinations candidates as their results continue to rival those of the best schools globally, for example, and successes in university admissions are now well known to everyone in our community. I have seen how success breeds success in our school, raising the aspirations and expectations among pupils and parents so that even the most ambitious goals become achievable ones. That is an energising factor for us all; there is no more potent force in raising standards in schools than a belief that once distant dreams can become an everyday reality.  

For some pupils, however, sharing such messages of high achievement is not easy. We have been conducting research for several years on identifying the ways our pupils think of themselves and their school in the context of their learning. Some parents may even be familiar with the PASS test we do here each year. PASS stands for 'Pupil Attitudes to Self and School'. Unlike the CAT4 test, which all children from year 4 do annually, the PASS test is not designed to assess academic potential. Instead, it shows us how pupils feel about their learning – about their confidence as learners, how they feel about their teachers and the curriculum, and the levels of motivation they have for education. It is a very useful counterpoint to the CAT4 test, as it provides us with another way of supporting pupils who may be experiencing attitudinal or emotional hurdles to higher achievement.

It is important to note that the results are not linked to cognitive ability - the capacity to learn and do well academically. Pupils with very high CAT4 scores, thus with high academic targets, can score poorly on the PASS test, and vice versa. Mr Roundell has been working on a research project for the past few months, designed to use the information we get from the PASS tests to address emotional concerns among pupils and help them overcome some of their barriers to accelerated academic progress. The good news is that the vast majority of pupils show exceptionally positive responses to themselves as learners and their school; in fact, our external consultant reports that he has rarely seen such strong results. There are, though, some pupils who show lower scores on what is termed their 'learner self-regard'. This is, in effect, a child's idea of his or her level of self-worth as a learner, irrespective of their actual learning ability. For these pupils, not believing themselves to be strong and capable learners is a barrier to higher achievement.

What can be done to support such pupils? Many of the school's priorities for this group are focused on developing a more positive self-image – in other words, praising effort and 'grit' rather than results (you may remember I discussed the importance of a growth mindset in a Week Ahead piece last term). We offer pupils 1-1 mentoring with senior teachers and focus group discussions to foster a greater sense of self-esteem in their approach to learning. At home, if you suspect that your child has low levels of self-worth as a learner, there are some indications to guide you, including a reluctance to discuss schoolwork, accept praise for high grades or test scores, or a stubborn unwillingness to take perceived 'risks' in their education by joining competitions or debating groups. Strategies to adopt at home can include:

Addressing these areas will help our young people gain greater resilience and independence in their learning, unlocking their potential as they grow through the school. We will be sharing more work around the PASS data and strategies to help our pupils develop their confidence in learning in the coming weeks and months. If you would like to know more in the meantime, please contact Mr Roundell (toby.roundell@wellingtoncollege.cn).

Best wishes

Julian Jeffrey
MASTER

Duke of Wellington Room
1400hrs-1500hrs, Thursday
4th March

This week's Meet the Master slot is open to parents of pupils in the years 7 to 11. If you would like to attend, please confirm via email with Ms Emma Shi (emma.shi@wellingtoncollege.cn) by Wednesday 3rd March. Parents of children in other groups are also welcome.

Online
0900hrs-1015hrs, Friday
5th March

In this presentation, Mr Toby Roundell, the Pastoral and Safeguarding Lead, explores what wellbeing is, why it is important, and how Wellington nurtures and evaluates wellbeing across the schools. Finally, he reflects on adult behaviours that support happiness and wellbeing in the community.