Future Focussed Learning

Students today face a very different future to that of the generation before them.

The effects of increased globalisation, technological advancements and more recently the global pandemic and social movements have seen rapid evolution in today’s world and workplace. Interpersonal and creative skills are becoming more highly valued in employees.

The top 10 skills listed in the Future of Jobs Report by the World Economic Forum places complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration at the top of the list of vital employee skills. This demonstrates the influence of the technological and digital revolution and the importance for students to develop the transferable skills required for their future. These are known as the 6C’s: Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Character and Citizenship.

Attitudes towards gender in the workplace and gender based subject stereotypes continue to change and preparing students for a co-educational world and to learn in an environment that fosters equality, diversity and kindness is becoming more important than ever.

Guided by our heritage and traditions the College looks to the future to adapt and ensure its students are well-rounded citizens prepared for the 21st century.

Future Focussed Learning at Scots College

A Future Focussed Learning Strategy was developed by the Board in 2016 to ensure students continue to receive a high quality education that prepares them to successfully navigate the next steps of their education and futures in a continuously evolving world. 

That as well as providing the necessary knowledge to prepare our students for their futures we need to focus on the soft skills they will require to be successful such as emotional intelligence, social intelligence and cultural intelligence.

Core competencies for all students are: transferable skills including the 6Cs, digital preparedness and well-being strategies to assist students to be resilient.

A Future Focussed education is delivered in each of our schools:

Junior School

Innovative learning approaches in the Junior School prepare students for their digital futures by creating a seamless pathway to digital fluency that enhances critical thinking through hands on engagement. We offer this to students from Year 1 through makerspaces, robotics, problem solving and coding. Read more

Middle School

The Middle School curriculum continues to evolve to incorporate future ready skills. This includes a focus on the development of digital literacy and the increase of  interdisciplinary learning such as the Year 9 Interdisciplinary unit that brings together students’ English communication skills and Humanities research skills to create a pitch style presentation, addressing the UN Sustainability Goals. Read more

Senior School

The innovative Year 11 programme in the Senior School is specifically designed to concentrate on learning and the development of key transferable skills leading into success for students in either the IB Diploma Programme or NCEA Levels 2 and 3 in Years 12 and 13. Read more

Careers education

We recognise that the key to success, both within and outside of school, is for students to have a passion for subjects, values and interests that ultimately lead to a satisfying career where students reach their full potential. Career education is delivered at Scots College through the College’s Future Pathways Programme, incorporated for all students Year 7 to 13 through the pastoral care tutorials run through the House system. Read more

Facilities

Flexible learning spaces have been successfully introduced across the College in recent years, providing learning areas that encourage collaboration, project work and are adaptable for teaching and individual study. The most recent of these spaces to be introduced is the McKinnon Block equipped with a tertiary style common room for senior girls, food science resources and a fabrication lab encouraging students to explore their creativity. Read more

Co-education

The Board continue to review the College’s Future Focussed Learning (FFL) Strategy and in 2019 this included the launch of the new Year 11 Programme, in 2020 the move to co-education in the Senior School and the opening of the McKinnon Block. 

Upon careful reflection of the FFL Strategy and feedback from community consultation the Board resolved to introduce co-education across the full College. This commenced in 2021 with places being offered in the Junior School as well as in Years 7 and 9 in the Middle School and full co-education across the College from 2022.

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