We reveal everything you need to know about preparing your child for their future, whatever it may be.

“A tailored education is key to creating well-rounded individuals. By playing to their strengths and providing a holistic experience it prepares them for the real world, beyond the classroom,” says Rob Jones, headmaster of Rendcomb College in Cirencester.

Below, Rob shares three core themes and transferable skills that the school is developing through its revised curriculum at Key Stage Three (Years 7-9). This will help educate your child beyond their subject knowledge, whilst staying true to the college’s values of developing thoughtful, adventurous and ambitious pupils.

The themes:

1. Empowerment

“It’s vital that pupils understand the importance of inclusivity towards others and themselves,” Rob says. “We must encourage our children to be comfortable in their skin and embrace the person they are.”

The school embraces inclusivity as every pupil is valued and encouraged to be the best they can be.

“It’s embedded into everything that we do, not something that we touch upon just once a year. Our aim is to integrate these core ideas into pupils’ everyday lives so it becomes second nature in the way they think and act,” Rob explains. “This way they can feel empowered, grow their self-confidence and stretch their potential.”

%image(15709237, type="article-full", alt="Pupils are encouraged to try new experiences and develop a varied skill set.")

2. Entrepreneurship

“The pursuit of business endeavours is often missed throughout the curriculum in schools. It’s important that the focus remains on grades and academia, but in doing so, I want to keep the spirit of creativity alive for my students,” Rob shares.

“The goal is to get pupils actively looking for new and exciting opportunities where they see potential or chances for progression.

"At Rendcomb, we run a Sixth Form class called ‘C-Cubed’, which translates to ‘Creativity, Communication and Collaboration.’ -

The class teaches innovation, encouraging students to think outside of the box.

"This course, along with our growing Careers Mentoring and Networking program, where pupils get to meet with professionals and business leaders, has helped them to make the connection between school and a career," Rob adds.

“In everything that we do, we aim to develop these transferable skills which our students can utilise in the outside world."

3. Environmental awareness

Sustainability is crucial for our future, which is why Rob feels it's important to improve students’ understanding of environmental issues.

“We bring different themes and ideas into our classes and try to make links between subjects. We are blessed with living on an incredible estate in the beautiful Cotswolds, and showing students how they can actively protect our world is key to their future,” he says.

Rendcomb College focuses on societal change and current affairs, preparing its pupils for life after education.

%image(15709238, type="article-full", alt="The College is situated in a stunning location in the Cotswolds.")

The transferable skills:

In addition to an ambitious curriculum, the college is developing a greater breadth of opportunities. “We want pupils to excel in the usual classes, but also build a portfolio of skills and interests that will prepare them for life after school," says Rob.

Younger students will have the chance to take up a focused route where they explore multiple languages, or a broader route where they study nutrition and catering, and learn a musical instrument, and one language.

1. Nutrition and catering

Nutrition is a core skill, no matter which path a student takes. “At Rendcomb, we focus on the basics of healthy eating, teaching our students about food and how to prepare it so that they can cater for themselves and others at university and beyond,” Rob tells us.

He explains how school should be an environment that provides ample opportunities for individuals to build their skill set and get a taste of real-life experiences. Garden House is an independent living experience that takes place for one week every year. The experience is complete with budgeting, cooking and entertaining in a separate building on site.

“We need to think beyond the curriculum and not restrict education to simply passing exams. We want our students to become well-rounded individuals that are prepared for later life, and not just their degree or career,” Rob says.

%image(15709239, type="article-full", alt=""We need to think beyond the curriculum and not restrict education to simply passing exams."")

2. Music

New pupils can try a variety of instruments within their first weeks of the class, before settling on one from the brass, wind, or strings group for the duration of the term. At the end, they will prepare for a concert. This allows every pupil to experience the joy and discipline of learning a musical instrument, with many continuing to formal lessons.

3. Languages

Rendcomb College offers French and Spanish for their pupils. “Speaking another language is a hugely underrated skill, as the ability to communicate is key to a student's future,” Rob explains.

“For an academically focused approach, pupils will have the chance to take up both languages to allow them to challenge themselves. They will not miss out, however, as there is an opportunity to take up any of these other skills in their extra-curricular choices if they wish.”

For more information on Rendcomb College and the range of opportunities and classes they offer, visit rendcombcollege.org.uk/.

For enquiries, contact info@rendcombcollege.org.uk or 01285 831213.