Month: February 2023

Although they mainly take place outside of the classroom, extracurricular activities can also help pupils to improve their academic performance. At Aldenham Education Group (AEG) we like to offer our pupils an all-round education, and extracurricular activities are a major part of that education as they give pupils a chance to carry on learning outside of the classroom. When engaging in interesting or creative activities, a child is more likely to be stimulated, and they’re more likely to bring that enthusiasm back to their academic studies. While activities like sports help improve pupils’ physical health, they’ve also been shown to improve their mental health – a 2020 study found that pupils who participated in extracurricular activities were less likely to feel anxious or depressed, and thus more likely to perform well at school.

A pupil’s education shouldn’t only take place in the classroom – they might not get the chance to learn new skills or develop undiscovered talents. Whether it’s a sport like badminton or curling, or an artistic endeavour like knitting or pottery, extracurricular activities give pupils the chance to try out new skills and discover where their talents and interests might lie. Our schools have a prestigious sporting history, offering our pupils activities including football, hockey, netball, cricket, sailing, rounders, and more. Our pupils also get involved in the arts, with drama productions and music lessons in state-of-the-art facilities. All sports and hobbies offer pupils a chance to learn something new that could help them later in life – chess teaches them how to plan ahead, learning a new language teaches them about the wider world, and music helps them develop movement and coordination skills.

Extracurricular activities help pupils to discover their passions, which in turn helps them to strengthen their sense of self. Children learn to define themselves outside the classroom, which in turn leads to higher self esteem and boosts their confidence. By dedicating time and effort to perfecting a skill or a talent, children are more likely to see an improvement, and when that happens, they’ll feel more motivated to continue trying. This motivation sees them challenging themselves to meet milestones, whether that’s playing a new song on the piano or mastering a gymnastics move, and they take this willingness to learn new skills into the classroom. At AEG, we encourage this – our pupils in the UK often take part in schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which sees them earning certifications for skills such as hiking, orienteering, cooking, and even volunteering their time to help others.

Whilst some children struggle to form friendships, taking part in extracurricular classes and activities gives them a chance to meet other children with similar interests. The activities and classes on offer at AEG schools instil a sense of camaraderie amongst our pupils, giving them fond memories and long-lasting friendships. By working and playing more with other pupils the same age, children learn to pick up social skills that will help them later in life. 

A paper published by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies showed that extracurricular activities helped pupils develop important skills such as showing empathy towards others. By meeting other children who they might not otherwise have encountered, they’re able to expand their worldview. At our newest school, Aldenham Prep Riyadh, which opened in Saudi Arabia this September (and we plan to open more soon across the Middle East), local traditions and values are embraced to encourage our pupils to learn more about other cultures. Extracurricular activities allow children to feel more of a sense of belonging as they connect with their fellow pupils or teammates, which in turn can make them feel more welcome at school and more willing to engage in the classroom. Team sports help with this, as they emphasise the importance of teamwork, and encourage pupils to work together more.

As well as teaching them valuable life skills, such as sporting talent, knowing a foreign language, or knowing how to play an instrument, having participated in a wide range of extracurricular activities reflects well on a pupil. Universities, for example, look for extracurricular activities on applications, and those that show a range of skills and interests make a pupil stand out from the crowd. Sports, creative activities, and those that show leadership skills, are some of the most sought after. Even after university, extracurricular activities still come in useful, as they can be included on their CVs when they’re applying for graduate roles. At AEG, one of our main goals is to prepare our pupils for life after school, as best as we can. As well as offering an all-round education, we also encourage our pupils to take up the extracurricular activities that will benefit them the most.

Extracurricular activities have a positive impact on our pupils’ development – not only do they help our pupils both academically and socially, they also set them up for successes in later life. From sports and music to art and drama, they all help children to find new skills and boost their confidence. To find out more about the kinds of extracurricular activities that we offer at our schools, visit the Aldenham School or the Aldenham Prep Riyadh websites.

One of the biggest education trends that you can expect to see more schools adopting over the next twelve months is nano learning. This teaching method is designed to make complex subjects more engaging and interesting for students, by breaking them up into lessons that are short, simple, and more ‘bite-size.’ The rise of Snapchat and TikTok has shown that people want information delivered to them clearly and concisely. Nano learning aims to do that in the classroom by using different types of media including videos, images, animations, and interactive games. 

With nano learning, teachers can break up topics or themes into much more manageable modules, to prevent students’ minds from wandering. Research has shown that our working memory, where we process new information, is very limited, making it difficult for students to retain new information. Nano learning keeps attention levels high, increases retention of information, and improves productivity. The short and quick lessons involved in nano learning can last from around two to 10 minutes, and make it easier for teachers to work out which students may be struggling to grasp a particular topic. If they are, they can tackle the subject in a different lesson and tailor it more towards the students, perhaps using flash cards or a quiz.

Both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, and it won’t be long before we see them used more often in schools. In fact, according to a report by Market Research Future, the AR and VR in education market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 18.2% between 2022 and 2027. Using VR, students could travel to different places – or even different times, like Ancient Egypt – without ever leaving the classroom, or even visit a virtual classroom without leaving home. The immersive nature of this technology means it can be integrated into every subject, and help students to focus more and understand subjects more easily. 

Some EdTech companies have already turned to VR and AR tech, with headsets and AR overlays. According to a study by Lenovo, 54% of teachers and 41% of parents want an increased usage of virtual and augmented reality solutions in the classroom. Another study, by the National Training Laboratory, found that VR technology could help students retain information by 75%, compared to just 10% without the technology. At all of Aldenham Education Group’s schools, we embrace modern technology wherever we can. Our newest school in Saudi Arabia, Aldenham Prep Riyadh, is equipped with state-of-the-art features – not only do the classrooms feature interactive teaching walls, the learning resource centre houses a 3D printer, computers with video production software, and a high-tech VR system for students to unleash their creativity.

You can expect schools and teachers alike to start utilising learning analytics more. These can help education providers to get a better picture of how well their students are learning and progressing, making it easier for them to work out how to best tailor their strategies and learning plans. Many businesses and industries are benefiting from harnessing the power of big data, and the education sector is no exception. 

With more learning software and online tools on offer, schools now have access to far more information on their students’ education than they once had. Just a few years ago, they would have had information on students’ progress from reports, assignments, and exams. Nowadays, however, schools can also get more real-time data on how students are learning, so teachers are able to adjust their lessons as the term progresses. If students use online tools such as quizzes and videos, teachers will be able to have access to information including how long the students used the tools, how many tasks they worked on, and whether they answered questions correctly or incorrectly. Teachers can then monitor students’ engagement and analyse their behaviour, and then use this data to tailor their lessons based on what they know works well.

It’s not all about technology, though – another of the biggest education trends to watch out for is schools placing more of an emphasis on skills-based and holistic learning. The focus of education has changed in recent years, and today’s schools aren’t looking to concentrate just on their students’ academic performance, but on equipping them with the skills to succeed in life and become well-rounded members of society. Skills-based learning is all about bridging the skills gap and teaching students to develop skills rather than just acquire knowledge. By engaging students more and teaching them to do things for themselves, teachers can encourage creativity and help them to think outside the box. At Aldenham’s schools, we want to prepare our students for their future careers, and offer a wide range of skills-based lessons including music and the performing arts. We also offer extracurricular activities, and Aldenham has a long sporting tradition – our students take part in football, hockey, cricket, sailing, and more, and often compete against other schools. 

Holistic learning, meanwhile, emphasises a student’s overall wellbeing. While their intellectual learning is important, physical, mental and emotional wellbeing all play a vital role in children’s development – and by supporting their wellbeing, schools can help students grow up to be more motivated, more resilient, and more confident. While both of these strategies are considered a modern trend, Aldenham’s unique all-round approach to our curriculum is a combination of both, and something we’ve been doing for 425 years. We believe our students’ ​​academic and pastoral needs are inseparable, and take care to support their mental health. We also provide the highest standards of education to nurture their talents, whatever they might be – academic, creative, or even sporting. At all of our schools, we encourage our students to flourish – they are at the heart of what we do. We believe one of the aims of any educational institution should be to prepare students for their future, and it’s what we strive to do at Aldenham.

These trends highlight how far education has come, and how much it can still change – some of them could transform the way that schools operate. At our Aldenham schools, even though we boast centuries of tradition and history, we’re still focused on the future. We’re always looking for new ways to best serve our students, whether that’s with cutting-edge technology and tools or the best strategies to equip children for life after Aldenham. Head to the Aldenham UK website to find out more about our forward-thinking ethos, and how we aim to add value to all of our students’ education.

There’s been a rise in the number of pupils learning online over the past few years, and not just because of the recent global pandemic. Even before COVID-19, companies were investing in virtual classrooms and online learning technology – in fact, the market is expected to be worth $350 billion by 2025 (£293 billion). Developers are already working on classrooms in the metaverse, seeing it as the future of teaching. While that might seem like companies latching on to what they hope might be the next big thing, the metaverse could have huge benefits for pupils. In a couple of years, as metaverse technology advances, pupils will be able to visit 3D, immersive universes and explore virtual worlds, or even travel back in time. 

They’ll be able to do all this without setting foot outside the classroom – or even without leaving their house. The pandemic showed that pupils don’t always have to be in the classroom to learn. Some schools faced challenges with online learning during lockdown, but that doesn’t mean that this technology causes more problems than it solves. In fact, these issues can be blamed on the fact that these schools lacked the proper technology and infrastructure to teach online effectively. Others were forced to make the leap to this teaching method without warning or preparation, causing disruption to both teachers and students. There are countless benefits to virtual classrooms, though. For a start, they’re more accessible and flexible – pupils can learn from anywhere. This would be particularly useful for pupils who live in remote or rural areas, and would give them access to the same education as other children living in big cities.

Another technological innovation that could revolutionise the future of teaching is game-based learning. Essentially, game-based learning is an education method that uses the principles of games to engage with pupils and improve their learning. Studies have shown that the use of video games can help pupils with attention disorders, and they can also enhance pupils’ development, with benefits including enhancing their memory as well as their hand-eye coordination. A recent survey of teachers, by The Joan Ganz Cooney Center, showed that 55% of teachers already used video games in the classroom at least once a week – and 47% of these teachers say the pupils who benefit the most are the low-performing pupils.

Pupils who learn in this way are more engaged with their learning, and more likely to keep on learning outside of the classroom – and even after they’ve left school. Depending on the games, pupils can pick up skills that could be valuable later in life, from how to read maps or use logic to solve problems to how to use a computer and even the basics of coding or programming. As technology advances, and more classrooms begin to use computers or tablets in the classroom, more pupils will be able to see these benefits.

Both virtual classrooms and game-based learning have the potential to help pupils immensely. More importantly, though, they can both teach children to not see learning as a chore. By getting their pupils more engaged in their education – whether that’s through virtual reality school trips or playing games – teachers set them up for later life, and that’s something that we at AEG aspire to do. We’ve always seen learning as a lifetime endeavour, and something that doesn’t just stop as soon as pupils graduate from school – we aim to support our children as much as we can and steer them on the right path, whatever their talents might be. 

Aldenham was founded in 1597, and even though AEG has centuries of timeless tradition and experience, we’ve always looked to the future of teaching whenever and wherever we can. At Aldenham School in the UK, for example, our purpose-built theatre was built to the highest standards, with state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment that our pupils can learn how to use. By putting on high-quality plays and performances while they’re at school, our pupils learn valuable creative skills and boost their confidence at the same time, while also picking up technical skills that they can take with them into their future careers. Our newest school, Aldenham Prep Riyadh, opened last year with cutting-edge facilities throughout the building – in the Learning Resource Centre, pupils can make use of a 3D printer, and get creative with a VR system and video production software. We pride ourselves on embracing modern technology and investing in the latest EdTech, or educational technology, to provide our pupils with the best opportunities.

While we don’t know for certain what the schools of the future will look like, one thing we can be sure of is that they’ll make the most of the latest technologies. New innovations like the metaverse and online learning tech have the potential to revolutionise the way subjects are taught in schools. At our Aldenham schools, our facilities are constantly upgraded in order to ensure we’re offering our pupils the best start in life. To find out more about our ethos, and how we’re always looking forward to the future, head to the Aldenham UK website.