Sue Williamson, Chief Executive SSAT, writes…
Today is a very special day for year 13 students and their teachers – A-level results. Modern technology may mean that some students have received their results by text or email, but most will experience the nervousness of opening the envelope. Hopefully, very many are enjoying the thrill of success and the realisation that they will be going to their chosen university or job. Sadly some will have experienced a near-miss or failure, and will now be taking remedial action. Their joy or sadness will be shared by their teachers, who have supported their learning and personal development for seven years.
As a headteacher and teacher, I got my greatest job satisfaction from seeing young people taking the next steps in their journey. I always hoped that we had prepared all of our students for the next challenges in their lives. Helping them to achieve good examination results is an essential part of a school’s role, but there is much more. Young people need to be resilient, confident, and determined, as well as good problem solvers, team players and leaders. Outstanding schools provide all students with the opportunities to develop these skills and attributes. Guy Claxton has worked with counsellors from Oxford and Cambridge on ’imposter syndrome’ – some very able young people struggle to accept that they are bright enough or have the skills to do well at Oxbridge. It is essential that schools challenge students to think, tackle difficult problems, and recognise that occasionally they will fail. As James Dyson frequently points out, you can learn much from failure.
For those young people who have failed to achieve the expected or hoped-for grades, today will be tough. They will regret not doing more and go through a long list of ‘if onlys’. Their teachers will share their disappointment, but no doubt the support team will leap into action to seek alternatives. I have always been so impressed by the dedication and commitment of teaching staff to track down alternative courses and universities, drawing upon their connections until a solution is found. Teachers really do care for their students.
A-Level results day is a milestone in many students’ lives that reminds us that a student’s education only happens once and it’s crucial we get it right. That is why SSAT’s National Conference in Manchester on 4 and 5 December 2014 will focus on the learner. We will be exploring how we can deliver a personalised, future-oriented education to all learners, to help them achieve their best at school and be ready to prosper in an unpredictable world. Students will be playing a starring role to inspire and surprise us over the two days. Please join us.
To quote the late Robin Williams in the film Dead Poets Society:
’Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.’
And that goes for girls as well.
