contactus@regencyeducation.co.uk
Monday September 25th, 2023
With most school-age pupils a few weeks into a new academic year – and university students putting the finishing touches to their packing – there’s a definite sense of new beginnings in the autumn air.
This issue has a theme and it’s the idea of ‘immersion’, in an educational context. We’ll explore how being truly immersed in a hands-on experience can teach you so much more than theory alone.
So, I’m excited to share with you some brand new approaches to career guidance, and we’ll also look at Forest Schools, their rationale and growing popularity.
We’ve teamed up with a London-based organisation offering an exciting new approach to career guidance. Though to be honest, the word ‘guidance’ doesn’t adequately convey their offer. What sets them apart is their immersive approach to career ideas. They believe that true learning happens by experience and so they provide hands-on, interactive experiences across different sectors. Their programmes – available live online and in person – are all designed and run in conjunction with industry experts and enable children aged 12 to 18 to get a real taste of a specific career. Options range from fashion to forensic science, across 15 of the world’s most exciting industries. Examples of other directions young people could try:
Young Engineer Summer Experience
Young Doctor Summer Experience
Political Leader Summer Experience
Architect Summer Experience
Young Lawyer Summer Experience
Investment Banker Summer Experience
Tens of thousands of students from more than 100 countries have already taken advantage of their programmes, which range from a 1-day weekend masterclass to a 5, 10 or 15-day summer experience. Weekend programmes run from November through to January and you can book now for their summer 2024 courses. Drop us a line to find out more and secure a place.
We’re also working with one of the world’s leading English language educational companies to offer a unique journey of discovery for future leaders.
With a focus on global citizenship, this company is offering an exciting new series of programmes across four summers of immersive learning in four continents. Designed for people aged 13 – 17, the idea is that teenagers travel to a new destination each summer, spending two weeks with the same cohort of students. You can either sign up to the full four-year course, or attend for just one, two or three years.
In summer 2024, the two-week course is available for 13 – 14-year-olds at Harvard University in Boston and for 14 – 15-year-olds at Imperial College in London, with summer 2025 and 2026 dates for the same cohorts in Singapore (ages 15 – 16) and Africa (ages 16 – 17).
Five core topics feature in each two-week programme, and wherever possible modules will focus on real-life examples in the relevant cities and countries of that year’s destination. There are life skills units too, covering personal goals, public speaking, debating, studying and communication skills. All courses are delivered in English, so students need a good level of English to get the full benefit. Ask us about this.
These are the five main topics:
We love this unique approach to broadening our teenagers’ horizons! Not only would it support applications to Oxbridge and Ivy League universities and create lifelong networks, but it will also equip young people to thrive and succeed in an interconnected world.
To secure a place on this truly global programme and unforgettable four-year tour, get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help.
More than simply learning in a woodland environment, Forest School aims to connect children with a natural setting in a way that nurtures mindfulness, confidence and independent learning.
First developed in Denmark in the 1950s, its roots reach back to the Scandinavian open-air culture ‘friluftsliv’ (or ‘free-air life’). It arrived in the UK in 1993, and has become popular all over Europe, in the US and Asia. Forest education favours play and hands-on activities over classroom-based theory. Through a long-term programme of learning outdoors, children grow holistically through play, exploration and supported risk taking.
Founders and practitioners argue that there is risk in everything we do, and that it is by understanding, tackling and overcoming risk in a safe environment that we grow. So, rather than tackling tricky theoretical questions in an exercise book, children solve real-world issues through hands-on experience outdoors. And the idea is they become more self-aware, more resilient and improve their self-belief while they’re doing it.
In this way, the Forest School ‘process’ facilitates more than knowledge-gathering. It supports children to develop socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually through a meaningful connection with the natural world.
The number of alternative schools has grown rapidly in recent years, driven by the demand for a style of schooling that nurtures sustainability, mental wellbeing and independent, self-directed learning. It’s a movement that’s been both triggered and enabled in part by the post-pandemic growth in remote working – meaning relocation is not an issue. In fact, some families – where parents are freelancers or consultants – relocate regularly and move children from one education hub to another in a growing trend known as ‘world schooling’.
However, it’s still largely the case that parents who opt for the ‘progressive’ style of non-curriculum-based learning for children up to age 11, return to the more traditional approach and route through A Levels or IB and into university. That’s partly because there aren’t so many non-traditional senior schools, and partly because the few that do exist don’t yet have the heritage or the legacy to prove their worth in preparing pupils for exams.
That said, we’re seeing a rise now in hybrid schools, both nature-based and with an academic focus – the best of both worlds you could say. Many of the education hubs catering for families that regularly relocate combine consistently designed interiors and curriculums with an outdoorsy, mindful ethos so children can easily adapt and quickly settle into their new surroundings.
It’s a really interesting development in the education sector, and at its heart is the principle that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach isn’t the right one where learning is concerned. Ultimately, for our children to thrive – at school and in life – we need to help them find their perfect learning match. Whether that’s a more traditional classroom-based, curriculum-directed approach; a pupil-led, outdoors education, or maybe a hybrid of the two.
If you’d like to find out more about alternative styles of teaching that prioritise experiential, pupil-led learning – including the Forest School, Montessori, Steiner Waldorf and Sudbury models – please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We can help you identify the best fit for your child.
Until next time…
“ Regency Education helped all three of our boys get into a wonderful school where they now thrive. ”
“ REGENCY EDUCATION WAS ABLE TO HELP US WITH EVERY STEP OF THE SCHOOL APPLICATION PROCESS ENSURING THE EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS OF OUR CHILDREN. AN INVALUABLE SERVICE. ”
“ REGENCY EDUCATION WAS ABLE TO HELP US WITH EVERY STEP OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS ENSURING THE EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS OF OUR CHILDREN - AN INVALUABLE SERVICE. ”
