Mr. Will Goldsmith

FROM BEDALES SCHOOL, HAMPSHIRE

In this episode of Education Corner Podcast we spoke to Mr. Will Goldsmith, Head of Bedales School, Hampshire. Will discussed the school’s informality and community ethos, as well as how they are preparing students for the future and the lasting impact of a holistic education.

Will’s journey to education began with his time at an international school in Kuala Lumpur, before attending a state boarding school and allboys’ boarding senior schools in the UK.

Will told us: “I think it’s always interesting to understand the educational experience that educators have themselves.” He describes working in education as a vocation: “It is very much a vocation for me. It is one which can sometimes be quite all-consuming, but for me happily so. I do use the word ‘vocation’ deliberately because, unlike many people in the 21st century, my career is something which is a constant.” Will’s teaching career, like his own education, has been varied; he first worked in state schools both in London and beyond, and then grammar schools, before moving to the independent sector. Will came to Bedales in 2021 as Deputy Head, before taking on the permanent headship in 2022: “I came to be Head at Bedales because I fell in love with the place in terms of both its ethos and its approach, and what I love about the intellectual understanding of education that is hardwired into the place, but also its spirit.”

Bedales was founded in 1893 - as an alternative to the more strict and traditional schools of the era - by John Badley, contemporary of the likes of Steiner and Montessori. Badley’s own experiences at all-boys’ boarding schools impacted his decision to found the school. Will described how some of this remains in schools to this day: “The amount of control and authority that is exercised within schools is at a very high level, and the amount of agency or individuality that is open to young people is at a very low level.” Badley also advocated for “heart learning”, which Will described as: “The creative, the emotional intelligence that we know is really important, that understanding of the connection with other human beings.” This remains a core part of life at Bedales, alongside “hand learning and the practical application of learning.”

This more informal approach continues today, with no school uniform and teachers being addressed by their first names. Will feels that the approach at Bedales prepares children for the modern world of work: “In most other professions, in most other occupations, the suit and the tie or the blazer are very much items of clothing of the past.” He told us: “It allows [the children] to be more used to being themselves [...] to feel comfortable and move around freely, and to explore their sense of self.” Will also described the success of this, as well as of the more informal relationship between staff and students: “Overly excessive, rigid structures and clothing and other things which inhibit connection between human beings in a shared endeavour will reduce the quality of the relationship and therefore will reduce the quality of the education.”

The motto of Bedales school is ‘Work of Each for Weal of All’. Will explains this: “The first thing one has to do when you’re reading our motto is to understand what the word ‘weal’ is. It’s connected with the idea of wealth, like a common wealth, but I suppose the word ‘benefit’ is a good way of translating it. So it’s all about the work of individuals, the work of each, for the benefit - for the ‘weal’ - of everyone.” This community spirit is core to the ethos and values at Bedales, “balancing the needs of an individual versus the needs of a community.” Will told us the goal of this: “In doing so, we are obviously developing the individual child, but we are also helping them to understand their place, initially within a relatively small community, but they can take the lessons they learn with us here and then translate those to the wider world.”

Bedales School was also home to one of the very first school councils, established in 1916. To this day, students describe the school as “a very student-run community.” This emphasis on student voice aids in developing their confidence and sense of agency. Will told us: “Anyone who’s worked in education will know that there is a great wisdom that comes from young people, sometimes a greater wisdom than adults dare express to each other.” Incorporating their voices and opinions allows students at Bedales to feel respected and allows the school to receive authentic feedback. However, Will also pointed out that: “We’re also conscious that as adults, we have responsibilities within a school context, which our students don’t have” and some rules and safety measures are maintained.

As a charitable organisation, partnership work forms a large part of life at Bedales. “That status resonates very strongly with our ethos, which, again, is this idea of us as an individual school being part of a greater community,” Will told us. The partnerships at Bedales span a wide range of topics and opportunities, from partnerships with local schools and community groups to national charities and theatre groups. International partnerships also form part of Bedales’ work, Will explained: “One of the things that we find very useful is stepping outside of the English bubble of education.” Recently, Bedales has worked with organisations from Canada, Singapore, China and beyond. “We really enjoy being part of that dialogue with educators from around the world,” Will described.

Supporting the wellbeing of the wider community extends to preparing students for their futures beyond Bedales School. A thorough digital curriculum and managed one-to-one devices, as well as teaching about things such as AI, encourages understanding and knowledge of the technology of the future. This is embedded in school life through practices such as Jaw, a tradition of talks and discussions across a wide range of topics in the place of chapel in more traditional schools. Will explained the impact of Jaw as “to fulfill our duty to provide spiritual and moral education” as well as “[to] expose our students to a variety of different ideas and beliefs of a profound nature.” Not only are the lessons learnt through these talks significant, but so is the ethos behind them: “We’re not afraid in this school to ask challenging questions. Actually far from being afraid, we encourage everyone in the community, whether it be students, staff, parents or Old Bedalians, to ask challenging questions.”

In recent years, Bedales has also moved away from just offering traditional GCSEs and now also offers Bedales Assessed Courses, which incorporate project-based learning and continuous assessments. Will believes that by placing excessive importance on exams, students are limited by pressure and stress: “We also feel that by reducing the stakes, so they’re not high-stakes external assessments, we’re actually enabling us and our students to spend more time on learning and less time on doing mocks and doing study leave.” This approach not only allows students to enjoy a more tailored, less pressurised curriculum, but also garners excellent results.

At Bedales, the balance between tradition and innovation, and between the individual and wider community is highly effective. Their holistic and open approach across the board encourages students to be confident and capable young people, with a strong sense of both self and community. Will emphasised the lasting impact of this: “I’ve never seen such an intense sense of connection to their former school as our alumni.” www.bedales.org.uk

We would like to thank Mr. Will Goldsmith, Head of Bedales School, for giving up his time to speak to us.