Page 6 - Malvern Buzz - Autumn 2020

MALVERN BUZZ
The Pre-Senior Baccalaureate prepares young children for the challenges of life as young adults in senior schools academically, personally, socially and culturally. It centres itself around three main core values – ‘Independence’, ‘Collaboration’ and ‘Leadership’ with each of these values having three strands to them – ‘Thinking and Learning’, ‘Reviewing and Improving’ and ‘Communication’.
Malvern College whole-heartedly supports the Pre-Senior Baccalaureate (PSB) and fully comprehends what it stands for. We recognise that its carefully considered framework will help young people pursue and enjoy lifelong learning. It guides them on how to make the successful transition to senior school and to discover their individual learning styles, whilst encouraging them to communicate effectively, set personal goals, celebrate success and be mindful of areas in need of additional effort. We understand exactly what makes it such a successful and forward-thinking qualification at Key Stage 3.
As part of the College’s strategic vision toward academic excellence, Dr Wells will now take primary responsibility for the coordination, management, and supervision of the extension and enrichment offerings and programmes for our gifted and talented academic pupils across the entire College. Building upon the enrichment and
extension opportunities that already exist within the various Departments and in the Super Curricular, Academic Enrichment Programme, Dr Wells will help develop more extensive and bespoke individual and collaborative enrichment opportunities both within and beyond the classroom.
Dr Wells is no stranger to Malvern. He is perhaps best known as being the Head of English since arriving at Malvern over five years ago. In that time, he has not only overseen outstanding results in GCSE, A-Level and IB, he has also launched various academic initiatives such as the George Sayer Fellowship. He came to us from The University of Sydney in Australia where he was a lecturer, tutor and doctoral scholar in the Faculty of Arts. In addition to his teaching and research, his passion for education and pastoral care was evident in his appointment to various leadership roles in university residential colleges, including as Vice Master of Wesley College and Fellow of St Andrew’s College. Prior to this he taught at some of Australia’s most prestigious independent schools including Shore School, Scotch College and Sydney Grammar School.
At Malvern College the PSB aims align with Malvern Qualities which we embed into our curriculum throughout the school, and they fit neatly with our new FY (Year 9) curriculum and our desire to enhance the transferable skills of pupils and make their education not only balanced, but also transformational.
The education of our young people and their experience of their time at school will have an indelible life-time effect. We can sometimes overlook the fact that the education they receive can have a far-reaching influence in the personal and professional paths they might take. It is crucial, therefore, that we are able to prepare children for the future and for the modern world by focusing not just on the ‘what’ of learning but also on the ‘how’. It is the ‘softer skills’ – the skills that will stand the test of time - such as communication, reflection, independence, risk- taking that become so very important.
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As part of his new role, he will be engaging with Prep Schools and universities, building on current links and forging new ones, in order to develop more coherent and effective pathways toward academic excellence. Buzz caught up with Dr Wells and asked him how he felt about his new appointment.
“I am very excited and honoured to be appointed to this new role. Just like our elite sportsmen and sportswomen have been supported and inspired by such things as the Malvern EPP programme, it is great to now have the opportunity to provide something similar for our elite academics.
I have always been passionate about our duty as schools to better prepare our pupils for the transition beyond school and into the tertiary world. For our top academics, be they Oxbridge candidates, Russell Group aspirants, or pupils considering a top university overseas, the opportunities to open their worldview and broaden their skills are endless, and never more important in order to help them prepare for the world beyond Malvern and their duty to serve an ever-changing society. Indeed, never has the world needed the gifts and talents of our scholars more than now.
I have been very lucky in my life and career to have worked on ‘both sides of the fence’ and seen the joys and challenges of pupils as they make the transition into school, and from school to university, and I know how important teachers, parents and mentors are in that process. Indeed, this collaboration is crucial. For pupils to become truly independent scholars of the highest order they need support, encouragement, opportunity and inspiration. I can’t wait to bring this to my new role.”
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EARLY PREPARATION FOR THE TRANSITION TO SENIOR SCHOOL
PRE-SENIOR BACCALAUREATE (PSB)
HEAD OF ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP
DR BRADLEY WELLS