From the Head of Junior School

3 Way Conferences 

It has been more than a couple of years since my daughter, who was around eight at the time, asked me why we had to look after her cousin when her parents attended parent-teacher interviews. To her, it was perplexing that adults were talking about her cousin’s learning without her cousin being involved in the conversation. 

It prompted me to reflect on the format of traditional parent teacher conferences; where students’ voices aren’t included in conversations about progress and attainment, challenges and goals. It then led me to imagine a manager talking to my own parents about how I was carrying out my duties and what areas I could improve on. It wouldn’t make sense for my mum to be talking to the Headmaster about my work so why do we exclude children from conversations about their own learning?  

We need to include children in discussions about their learning to empower them, foster a sense of ownership over their own learning, and enable collaborative goal setting and celebration of progress made.  

It has been a joy, as always, to walk around our Junior School this week seeing students discuss their performance and progress with parents and teachers at 3 Way Conferences over the past week. We love sharing the spaces the boys spend so much of their time in with their parents! One teacher, when I asked how she was on Thursday evening, replied ‘my cheeks are aching from smiling so much.’  I concur as I have also been smiling incessantly in response to the many proud moments shared between parents, boys and teachers this week.  

Thank you parents for being integral to the success of our 3 Way Conferences.  

Have a lovely weekend.  

Jasmine Taylor
Head of Junior School  

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