“The world is full of miracles, but none greater than how far a young person can be carried by someone else’s belief in them.”
‘Knowing the Boy’ is a phrase I first heard used by former Headmaster Bill Dickinson. At Scotch, this is the foundation of developing positive relationships. It is about making every student feel known, valued and appreciated for the person they are. We want them to understand we see the person they might become and the good they might do.
Richard Ledger, a former Head of our Middle School, said that whilst knowing the boy involves knowing a student’s name and using that name on a regular basis, it is also about face-to-face interaction. Everyone loves to be acknowledged and to hear their name. It is a basic building block of human relationships and, when combined with a smile and a simple ‘hello’, you have the beginning of something meaningful. From something as
simple as asking how they are, how their day is going, what they have planned for the weekend or how they went in sport, music or an activity outside of school – all of these take our connection to another level, recognising them as a multi-dimensional person rather than just a student. Knowing the boy is more than knowing someone’s name; it is about knowing what makes them tick.
It’s also about recognising that people change. The boy who starts at Scotch is a very different person from the one who finishes. There is one constant – that he knows we care about him and want him to become the best person he can be. He might not always like what we do, or what we expect of him, but if we have a strong relationship with him, he will hopefully understand that what we are doing is in his best interests.
This concept runs through everything we do at Scotch, from the classroom to the playground, from the sports field to the stage. The phrase underpins our weekly Turas Programme (Gaelic for ‘journey’), a wellbeing programme run through Years 6 to 8. Turas has been designed to teach and practise important life skills as boys shift from being dependent to independent by learning how to manage themselves, work with others and
back themselves when things get tough.
The programme is built around the pillars of Relationships, Respect and Resilience, which we believe are central to becoming a good person. Our aim is to develop the whole boy, both inside and outside of the school gates, so that he can exercise core skills and cultivate characteristics that we know will strengthen his resilience and mental health.
Building on tradition, at the very start of Year 7 during their Welcome Week, we begin with a ceremony at the Gooch Pavilion where the boys are piped up to school, mirroring their final day of Year 12 at March Out, when they are piped out through that same gate at the Gooch. Welcome Week is designed to build a sense of belonging, connecting students to something larger, enabling them to focus on understanding the College’s expectations around learning, behaviour and participation.
Throughout his time in Middle School, we provide multiple opportunities for each student to reflect on the person he wants to become by the time he graduates from Scotch. The ages of 10 to 14 are a critical time in a young person’s life. During Middle School, boys are dealing with a great deal of change – physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. We recognise this and, it is no coincidence, that we place significant focus on building resilience and character to help them cope with future challenges in life.
At Scotch, we know that we see the best of our students when they feel ‘seen’ and useful and, because of this we know we should never underestimate the power they draw from our support.
Mr James Hindle Head of Middle School
Ms Amanda Marocchi Deputy Head of Middle School – Pastoral Care
