Worth School Assistant Head (Sixth Form) Matthew Doggett discusses why community is such an important element of 16+ learning

Whether a student remains in the same institution for sixth form or chooses a fresh start somewhere else, the concept of ‘community’ for this 16-18 age group has, arguably, never been more vital in terms of instilling core values to last a lifetime. The social, emotional and academic pressures facing sixth formers can lead them into the trap of focusing exclusively on their own needs, which is neither healthy for the individual nor pleasant for those around them.

The good news is that the start of Year 12 is an optimum time for educators to intervene to instil new habits and ways of learning. The change in educational context can neatly disrupt habits, allowing opportunity for kind and outward-looking character traits to develop and take hold, in addition to the grit and determination required for academic success.

At Worth School, Community is one of our six values alongside Humility, Silence, Worship, Stewardship and Service. These values form a firm foundation for the education we provide. Without these elements, education could be reduced to a mere set of skills to be applied to the workaday world, rather than the formation of mind and spirit to prepare young people for a secure, fulfilled and happy life.

Research shows that embracing a sense of community – and the generosity and altruism which follow – is not just a desirable trait. Selfless acts improve psychological wellbeing, and this is particularly effective for the formative 16 to 18 age group, for whom long-term benefits have been recorded.

“Selfless acts improve psychological wellbeing, and this is particularly effective for the 16 to 18 age group – long-term benefits have been recorded”

We have found that a powerful way to inspire our Sixth Form with this outward-looking direction is through our Leadership Formation programme. Introducing this course to Year 12 has been revolutionary. Every student is invited to take part (and nearly everyone does) and students benefit from a challenging year-long programme. It includes workshops, listening to the experiences of guest and internal speakers, reflection essays and personal portfolios of what they understand a leader to be. Crucially, this prevents the competition to be a prefect in Year 13 from being purely about popularity. From our Head Boy and Head Girl through to the subject-specific prefects, students are awarded their positions on their true leadership merits.

Although not all of the students can become prefects the process is attractive, nonetheless. Everyone is rewarded for their efforts with the appropriate grading (distinction, merit, pass) and formal certification but, most importantly, we instil in them values and a moral compass that will guide them now and beyond school life.

Each individual will have learnt to become servant leaders: grounded and looking to support the community that they represent (in our case, this means setting an example to, and leading, the younger years of the school) while honing life-changing skills in communication, resilience, understanding and compassion.

For so many young people who focus intensely on their own goals, it can be a seismic shift to take responsibility for their role in other people’s lives, especially in our current – increasingly digital – world.  It can be too easy to overlook the needs of others and not truly grasp the skills required to enjoy happy, healthy, real-life relationships with those around us. Community and altruism are integral to every young person’s development – put to work properly, the transformative power is clear.

Worth School worthschool.org.uk

Further reading: Education for life at Eltham College

Feature Featured independent schools senior Sixth Form Worth School