Guiding Principals
At St Leonard’s College, we prioritise experiential education, placing your child at the centre of their learning journey. By actively engaging in real-world scenarios and subsequent reflection, students develop a genuine sense of ownership over their educational experiences.
The cornerstone of our approach lies in active participation coupled with deliberate reflection. We emphasise the importance of students contemplating how they can apply their newfound skills or insights to future endeavors. This integration of experiential learning with other methodologies ensures a holistic educational experience, fostering practical, hands-on engagement to facilitate growth and insight.
Our experiential education activities are meticulously crafted and delivered by seasoned educators who embrace the uncertainties inherent in real-life learning. Through a diverse range of experiences such as outdoor adventures, community engagement, and cultural immersion, students are challenged to expand their horizons and develop essential life skills.
Central to our philosophy is the Sun Model of Student Co-Agency, which underscores our commitment to empowering students with a sense of agency in their educational journey. From consultation to leadership roles, we guide students towards greater autonomy and responsibility, supported by caring mentors every step of the way.
Sun Model of Co-Agency
Degrees of co-agency
0. Silence – Neither young people nor adults believe that young people can contribute, and young people remain silent while adults take and lead all initiatives and make all decisions.
1. Manipulation – Adults use young people to support causes, pretending the initiative is from young people.
2. Decoration – Adults use young people to help or bolster a cause.
3. Tokenism – Adults appear to give young people a choice, but there is little or no choice about the substance and way of participation.
4. Assigned but informed – Young people are assigned a specific role and informed about how and why they are involved, but do not take part in leading or taking decisions for the project or their place in it.
5. Adult led with student input – Young people are consulted on the projects designed, and informed about outcomes, while adults lead them and make the decisions.
6. Shared decision making, adult led – Young people are a part of the decision-making process of a project led and initiated by adults.
7. Young people-initiated and directed – Young people initiate and direct a project with support of adults. Adults are consulted and may guide/advise in decision making, but all decisions are ultimately taken by young people.
8. Young people-initiated, shared decisions with adults – Young people initiate a project and the decision making is shared between young people and adults. Leading and running the project is an equal partnership between young people and adults.
Image and content sources: OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030 Student Focus Group. Hart (1997[27]). Modified from the Ladder of Student Participation by the OECD Student Sphere (Linda Lam, Peter Suante, Derek Wong, Gede Witsen, Rio Miyazaki, Celina Færch, Jonathan Lee and Ruby Bourke). OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030 Concept Note © OECD 2019
Experiential Domains
Adventure
Environment
