Closing the Loop on Education Shortfalls

Andrea Greystoke, founder of Abercorn School, a ‘family’ of schools in central London writes about the importance of ‘closing the loop’ on education shortfalls in a disrupted global world.

Recent global events have spotlighted the education shortfalls which we must address to ensure the future of the classroom. In the UK, we find ourselves at a critical juncture where the number of 18-year-olds is projected to rise sharply over the next decade.

It is important that the education sector responds to this by improving the provision of senior school education, as well as alerting parents to this demographic shift, which will undoubtedly impact on the availability of places. At Abercorn School, we are responding early to this by expanding with an additional new school premises which will open in September 2022 and cater specifically for an older age group. 

Further education shortfalls are evident in the delivery of mental health care for students. If there is one thing the pandemic has taught us, it is the importance of protecting the wellbeing of children. Ensuring happy and healthy pupils should be a number one priority for schools across the nation.

At Abercorn, we realise the challenges that children have faced over the past two years, and we have responded by placing an even greater emphasis on protecting children’s wellbeing in the wake of the pandemic in all areas of school life.

I have always believed in a culture which maintains a balance between academic excellence, creative pursuits and extra-curricular activities, all of which are essential to building healthy and happy students. At Abercorn, we pride ourselves on delivering an excellent level of pastoral care, with an open-door policy for pupils, as well as weekly yoga lessons and a focus on mindfulness and meditation.

There is no doubt that we are living in an increasingly disrupted world, where geopolitical tensions are impacting people all around the world. We have a duty to prepare children for real-world challenges early at school to ensure essential ‘future-proofing’ for students, contextualising and preparing them for the real world, while enhancing their confidence and strengthening their sense of wellbeing. In response to this, our new Senior School will adopt an internationally focused, highly transferable iGCSE curriculum with a strong emphasis on worldly perspectives to help nurture balanced, compassionate and globally minded students. 

We must ensure that the provision of education and classroom learning evolves as the world changes to ensure that pupils are equipped with the right tools to enable them to thrive in all areas of life and respond to real-world challenges while enabling and protecting their happiness.

See Abercorn’s online listing here.