For the past three years I’ve had the great privilege of leading Hall School Wimbledon, an inclusive, non-selective school in South West London for pupils aged 9 to 18. I have seen first-hand the great benefits of establishing an inclusive, kind and nurturing environment for all children – one in which the hackneyed question, ‘How smart are you?’ is replaced with a better one: ‘How are you smart?’. At my school, we know very well that intelligence and talent come in myriad different forms, few of which are truly measurable, being impervious to the sorting and ranking lens.
Leading an inclusive culture is so much more exciting. Inclusion, of course, is not the end, it is only the beginning; the real aim, in our school, and right across the Chatsworth Schools group in which I am lucky to serve, is to give all children a sense of belonging.
How powerful it is when a child feels they belong! How heartening when a student can bring their settled-self to school, safe in the knowledge that they are known, welcomed and celebrated for who they are.
And perhaps this is the secret to creating a sense of belonging – knowing your students. We all have learning differences, preferred ways of learning, and some of us have learning diagnoses – the sharp rise in diagnosed educational needs over the many years I’ve been teaching has been extraordinary to witness. We are better equipped now more than ever to understand how to tailor our teaching to enable every child to flourish. New insights into the nature of SEND have revolutionised the way we teach and the way we interact with pupils in school. But for me, knowing each child as well as their parents know them is the key to unlocking their potential and helping them, dare I say, enjoy school. When a child is truly known – and feels there is a unique space for them in school, one that flexes and grows as they grow – they feel brave enough to try, invested enough to care and daring enough to take risks.
When we belong, we relax into ourselves, free of judgement and possessing a self-assuredness that brings the confidence to have a go. At Hall School Wimbledon we have a mantra – self-worth leads to self-discipline. And the very best way to instil self-worth in our cherished pupils is to seize every opportunity to help them feel welcomed. This is why I still insist on being on the gate every morning, to say hello and catch up with everyone. Fifteen-year-old students are not always as chatty as I am in the mornings, and that’s fine, but they still know – really know – how pleased my colleagues and I are to see them, and how thrilled we are to have them on our team.
Andrew Hammond 