The Freedom To Make Mistakes

– By Christian Sheehan, Director: Pastoral

Making mistakes is a fundamental human trait. In meetings with children who have ‘got it wrong’, I often find myself saying that we all make mistakes and the most important thing that we can do is to learn from them. This is so much part of our ethos that one of our walls prominently features Gandhi’s maxim about freedom not being worth having if it ‘does not include the freedom to make mistakes’. As a school founded on a Christian ethos, we believe in forgiveness and we don’t hold grudges.

In an ideal world, children would learn from their mistakes and then not make them again. Obviously, this doesn't always happen – and we therefore put a lot of effort into ensuring that our children not only have the freedom to make mistakes but also have the freedom to learn from them. This goes beyond more traditional sanctions such as detentions, which we still employ. What underpins our way of doing things is firstly a trust in colleagues to employ their professional judgment when it comes to behaviour. This judgment comes with guidance: we are explicit to staff and to pupils on what our expectations look like. This forms a benchmark against which staff are able to judge whether behaviour is acceptable. It prevents a culture of automatic sanctions, in favour of a culture where sanctions fit the circumstance.

This ‘being explicit with expectations’ involves overtly telling and modelling to pupils the behaviour we expect, and revisiting these expectations throughout the year for all year groups. Importantly, it also involves normalising how to behave well – so that this becomes the model of behaviour for all pupils. 

As an Inner London school, space is at a premium. As such, we have to manage our facilities with two breaks and two lunch times. Year 7 have their lunch at the same time as Year 10 and the Sxth Form. Year 8 have theirs at the same time as Years 9 and 11. Each academic year, we review this and make a decision on which year groups will go best together so that good and calm behaviour is modelled.

Teaching staff, who all do duties during lunchtimes, are offered a school lunch for free if they wish. They eat this with the children – a maximum of two staff per table – modelling polite lunch etiquette. Staff challenge impolite dining behaviour if it's exhibited by the children.

As children progress through the years, opportunities arise for leadership and to showcase good behaviour. Subject, behaviour and attendance awards are given termly in special awards assemblies. Recipients are awarded badges, which are worn proudly on their blazers. There is also a Chaplain’s Award (for essentially being an overall good egg and embodying our values) and a Scholar Award for one pupil in each year group who has excelled academically. These are all celebrated publicly.

Sports Leaders have unique ties, celebrating their continued representation of the Academy in sports teams. Our House Captains play an important role in leading pupils in the House Cup Competition. And in the Sixth Form, Head Students are elected to lead the Sixth Form student body. 

Perhaps most coveted is the role of Prefect: a role available to Year 11s. To become a Prefect requires an interview, during which pupils frequently talk about being a role model for younger pupils. Prefects are also required to adhere to our ‘Prefect Code of Conduct’ where they agree to model good behaviour.

Importantly, past incidences of poor behaviour do not prevent a pupil from becoming a Prefect if they can show that, over time, they have learnt from their mistakes. And so, this completes the cycle of what it means to model good behaviour after being given the freedom to make mistakes, to learn from them and to move forward.