The LGS Learner: Learning for Lifelong Success
For over 500 years Loughborough Grammar School has been a specialist in educating ambitious boys for success. Our philosophy is that School should be a preparation for life and academic attainment is very much central to that. LGS prides itself on the relationships between staff and boys that ensure every learner is supported and challenged, whilst having fun on their learning journey to academic excellence. We equip boys with a broad portfolio of learning skills which enable them to excel in public examinations, universities, the workplace and their life.
Our curriculum trains our boys to be independent learners who love study, thrive on challenge and have the self-discipline, resilience and motivation to aim high and to realise their potential both within School and in life after LGS.
We want our boys to be fully engaged in their learning, not because they have been told to do so, but because they value scholarship. We recognise the importance of metacognition and encourage boys to use a wide range of approaches to reflect on their learning, challenge their own assumptions, think strategically and holistically and become intellectually confident communicators.
We aim to cultivate curiosity and open-mindedness. Boys and staff alike are encouraged to take risks and to try new things, to be creative, solve problems and to inspire others around them.
Our boys are expected to take responsibility for their learning and that of others, to ask questions, to articulate their views and lead their peers. LGS boys see beyond their own academic success and the short-term goal of achieving top academic qualifications by considering how their learning contributes to society at the local, national and global level.
All these high expectations are embodied within the LGS Learner.
The LGS Learner represents our academic philosophy in action and is the everyday, working language used by our boys and staff to develop the key learning attributes for lifelong success. Throughout the curriculum, around the school in labs, classrooms and corridors there are reminders of the four key attributes, each with their own strong identity so, that even if glimpsed from the corner of the eye, they act as prompts and reminders and reinforce the LGS Learner ethos.
As LGS Learners our boys can be confident that they will leave LGS equipped with a rare breadth and depth in their learning giving them the skills and values they need to excel in an exciting world of ever-changing opportunities.
Independent
Ambitious
Aims high and pushes himself to do more difficult things.
Proactive
Takes control of learning and seeks out answers before asking his teacher.
Practice
Trains through repetition to become proficient and so that some skills become automatic.
Persistent
Tries hard in everything, does not give up and sees failure as a part of learning.
Resilient
Overcomes setbacks to remain confident, focused, and flexible.
Meta-Thinker
Big Picture Thinking
Can see and work with big ideas and holistic concepts and make connections.
Metacognition
Thinks about the best way he learns and links ideas to existing knowledge.
Strategic
Connects new learning experiences to existing knowledge or concepts to plan how to approach his work.
Reflective
Reviews his progress and works out what went well and what could be better.
Intellectually Confident
Communicates evidence-based ideas orally, digitally and in writing.
Problem-Solver
Curious
Interested in lots of topics not just those needed for an exam, challenges assumptions, keen to learn, uses knowledge to develop own views.
Creative
Generates ideas that are original or build on existing ideas, uses initiative to solve a problem.
Analytical
Breaks down complex tasks, weighs up the pros and cons and uses data to work out the best strategy to solve a problem.
Flexible
Open-minded to a range of perspectives and to new ways of learning, will abandon one idea for a superior idea, can generate multiple solutions to a problem.
Risk Taker
Confident to try something new and to tolerate uncertainty, even if it is difficult and he may fail.
Responsible
Organised
Punctual to lessons, meets deadlines and keeps schoolwork in a logical, ordered way.
Considerate
Makes sure his actions do not harm the learning of others and takes the lead to help others work together to solve problems.
Collaborative
Asks for the opinions of others, listens to their views, is willing and able to work in teams, takes a variety of roles and evaluates his ideas and contributions.
Global Learner
Understands how his learning contributes to society, recognises differences and similarities between people, is aware of cultural heritage and sensitive to ethical and moral issues raised by his studies.