Bedales School on how it uses enquiry-based learning to prepare its youngest pupils for our technology-enabled future
The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has drastically changed the value of knowledge. Information is now available at our fingertips, and rapid technological advancements are creating a future that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.
The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2027, 23% of jobs will change, with 69 million new jobs emerging and 83 million existing jobs disappearing. At Bedales, we’re preparing our youngest students for such an uncertain future through enquiry-based learning, encouraging students to be curious and learn as active participants rather than passive recipients of information.
Nurturing skills
At the Pre-prep, we help children adapt, analyse, think creatively, solve problems, collaborate, and experiment – skills favoured by the most demanding universities and the entrepreneurial world.
Early years education is crucial because connections between nerve cells in our brains form fastest between pregnancy and the age of five, shaping long-term brain structure and setting the foundation for future success. Unlike traditional rote learning, the Pre-prep’s curriculum cultivates these skills through enquiry-based learning, encouraging all students – from Nursery to Year 3 – to ask questions and explore answers.
Our approach aligns with Bedales’ founding principles. Our founder John Badley believed in educating the whole person – ‘head, hand, and heart’. Enquiry-based learning promotes intellectual curiosity (head), hands-on experimentation (hand), and collaboration and empathy (heart).
Last term, for example, our Nursery children embarked on a learning enquiry about different cultures, exploring various countries through a series of journeys on a magic carpet, with characters Iainyok and Magon the Dragon. These immersive experiences used storytelling to capture the children’s interest, igniting their curiosity and introducing them to different traditions, languages and cuisine.
Creative thinkers
While enquiry-based learning focuses on long-term goals like developing understanding, critical thinking skills and a lifelong love of learning, the impact on the children’s enthusiasm and engagement was immediate. After a ‘visit’ to France, one child practised her new French words in front of the class while others built their own Eiffel Towers out of blocks or applied previously learned baking skills to make pain au chocolat.
Later in the term, our Year 1 students’ exploration of snow leopards and a habitats enquiry saw them follow a snowy pawprint trail leading to a classroom cave, sparking excitement and discussion. They junk-modelled supplies for an expedition to the cave and created viewfinders to inspect snow leopards’ features. As the enquiry evolved, it culminated in a visit to a nearby country park, connecting classroom learning with real-world experiences and inspiring each child to create their own shoebox habitats.
Although our children at Bedales Pre-prep are still young, enquiry-based learning is equipping them with skills to navigate an unpredictable future. Through hands-on, real-world projects, our young students are learning to communicate effectively, embrace curiosity, and develop resilience – skills that will serve them well throughout their education and beyond.
While we cannot predict the future, we believe that preparing children to cope with it today is the best way to ensure they thrive tomorrow.
* bedales.org.uk and instagram.com/bedalespreprep
This is a sponsored post created in collaboration with Bedales, an independent day and boarding school offering a progressive, liberal education for children aged 3-18 near Petersfield, Hampshire
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