Change Makers Day

Published by Stowe School on Tuesday 29th of November 2022

Monday 10 October was the first Change Maker Day of the academic year and saw all pupils from across all three schools in The Stowe Group out of lessons to devote the day to a range of exciting opportunities designed to get them asking questions and developing skills in new ways beyond the normal curriculum.

Academic faculties and departments at Stowe were asked to design activities that would involve the pupils developing one or more of the six Change Maker Core Skills: Active Learning; Communication & Technology; Emotional Intelligence; Analytical Thinking; Creativity & Innovation and Leadership & Social Literacy. These activities were offered as a menu for the Fifth and Sixth Form pupils, who were then assigned to one of their top three choices.

The range and ambition of the activities was impressive and exciting, with groups engaged in: creating marketing campaigns with the Film and Business Departments; exploring how to build your personal brand with the Futures Department; producing a magazine around international culture and languages with the MFL Faculty; researching and creating an new visitor experience for visitors around the Temple of British Worthies in the Gardens with the History of Art Department; spending the day working with the archival resources on the relationship between Churchill and Roosevelt during the Second World War with the History teachers; developing practical mathematical skills for life with the Maths Department; gaining an external qualification as a Reading Leader to help develop literacy in younger children; holding a Philosothon, exploring the challenges faced by a new Prime Minister on day one; creating films with the Arts Faculty and also with the Psychology Department; designing and manufacturing miniature hovercrafts with the DT Department for a competition; working to write original pop songs with the Music Department; working with our Sports Department to develop individual coaching skills; learning to build and programme robots in Physics; undertaking the preparation for the launch of a high-altitude balloon; learning techniques to build academic efficiency; going on trips to Bletchley Park with the Computing Department; or to visit the Virology Department of Reading University with Biology; or going to the Silverstone Porsche Human Performance Centre with Sports Science; or going out with the Geography Department to plant trees and engage in conservation work in the local community.

The option was also there for Stoics to volunteer to help our Science Faculty run a day of activities and challenges for mixed groups of Year 6 pupils from Swanbourne House and Winchester House, or to help the Languages Faculty with the day they organised for Year 7, or for the Poetry Day for the Year 8. The younger Prep School pupils also combined forces, with Year 5 at Swanbourne House doing a play in a day, Year 4 at Winchester House looking at the environment, Year 3 out of school looking at different faiths and diversity, and Years 1 and 2 at Swanbourne looking at explorers and Nursery and Reception at Winchester House for an exploration day.

At the same time, all the Fourth Form and many of the older pupils at Stowe were engaged with field weekends with either CCF, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme or the Arts Award. The Third Form also had an exciting programme with a carousel of talks from inspirational and engaging visiting speakers Sean Rose (Paralympian skier), Helen Reeves (Olympian canoeist) and Richard Harpham (Adventurer), interspersed with outdoor activities and challenges to build emotional intelligence, social literacy and problem-solving skills.

The energy and buzz around all three sites was positive and palpable and one Stoic was overheard saying to a friend that this was the best day ever!

Dr Julie Potter, Deputy Head Academic