Recognised by the awarding body for the fourth consecutive year, the school’s shortlisting this year focuses on a project undertaken by the school’s students to bring their learning goals to life.
Each class from Years 2 to 6 worked collaboratively to create a character which embodied one of the ten skills acquired through the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. In addition to visualising and naming their character, they were tasked with describing how they might think and act. The resulting drawings were then given to a professional illustrator, who created a family of characters inspired entirely by the children’s work.
These characters – created for children, by children – have brought the students a far deeper understanding of the attributes vital for later life success which we prioritise developing at St George’s. Learner-centred, collaborative, hands-on and action-oriented, the journey of creating the new characters also perfectly embodies the school’s ethos and IB spirit.
Emma Adriano, IB curriculum lead at St George’s School Windsor Castle.
In addition to deep subject knowledge, the International Baccalaureate places significant emphasis on students acquiring a range of skills which both prepare them for life beyond school, as well as instil the value of becoming a responsible member of global society. These include becoming reflective, caring, open-minded, balanced and comfortable taking risks.
In line with the school’s vision for students to be ‘Real World Ready’, this development of the whole child is designed to prepare students not only for the next phase in their educational journey but also for the wider world beyond.
The schools shortlisted in the 2025 Independent Schools of the Year Awards will now be subjected to a further round of judging before the winners are announced in October.
With a record number of entries received, it has been harder than ever to reach a decision on which schools to shortlist, Independent schools across the world, it is clear, are working harder than ever to ensure that their students – and the whole community – will develop into well-rounded global citizens who are able to make the most of their own skills, in order to contribute positively to humanity.
Award organisers, the Independent School Parent magazine.
