Interview with Head of The New School Rome

Headteacher Norman Doyle talks about life on the New School Rome.

Q. The New School Rome (NSR) curriculum follows the A-Level programme. How distinctive is that this method throughout the Roman or Italian academic panorama? What particular alternatives does it open up for college students by way of college entry and world mobility?

A. We are the one college in Rome providing an entire suite of the Gold normal A-Level {qualifications} which are recognised by universities internationally. We are additionally one in every of solely two faculties in Italy to have an accord with the Italian Ministry of Education that permits our bilingual Italian talking college students to sit down the Esame di lingua e cultura italiana which, when mixed with their A-Levels is recognised as an equal to the Italian Maturità, opening up much more alternatives for our college students.

NSR is thought for its small class sizes and powerful sense of group. In your expertise, how does this atmosphere translate into tutorial efficiency, confidence, and total scholar wellbeing?

With our small courses we are able to present a bespoke curriculum for all of our college students which focuses on particular person strengths and potential. Our alumni usually speak of the heat and help they skilled as college students and the way this shut private contact inspired their excessive efficiency. Year on 12 months our college students obtain glorious examination outcomes and go on to attend elite universities in Europe and additional afield.

Beyond lecturers, what would you establish as the college’s different core strengths? Are there specific programmes, values or traditions that you just really feel outline the NSR identification?

Our Vision is ‘to create a group of lifelong learners who worth inquiry, important and artistic pondering, and act with integrity and compassion.’ This deal with appearing with integrity and compassion is supported by the excessive stage of scholar management and participation in our choice making. All of our college students full the Duke of Edinburgh International Award and lots of participate in our Model United Nations programme which builds public talking expertise while creating empathy for the plight of others.

The college has undergone a number of latest developments. Can you share extra about these modifications and what they goal to attain? Are there any upcoming initiatives or long-term plans you’re notably enthusiastic about?

Absolutely. We have simply completed the redevelopment of our eating space and most excitingly we now have opened an on-site kitchen for the primary time in over 20 years, which means we are able to now present our college students with freshly cooked natural meals.

Our subsequent challenge is the development of a brand new indoor sports activities facility which is on schedule to be prepared for September 2026 and can enable us to host tournaments in addition to present a state-of-the-art facility for normal PE classes.

NSR welcomes college students from ages 3 to 18, representing many alternative nationalities. How would you describe the dynamic between the assorted age teams? How does the college domesticate unity and interplay whereas assembly the wants of every developmental stage?

Our college is a ‘Family School’ the place friendships throughout 12 months teams are frequent and our older college students act as optimistic position fashions for our youthful college students. It is frequent to search out our Sixth Formers studying to main courses and training them in sporting actions. We maintain common entire college assemblies to make sure that a standard college spirit is bolstered however on the similar time our school are skilled age group specialists who’re centered on the training wants of every developmental stage.

With such an internationally numerous scholar physique, what position does intercultural schooling play in on a regular basis college life? How do college students profit from studying in such a globally minded atmosphere?

We rejoice the nationwide days and traditions of our numerous scholar physique inviting college students and oldsters to share their tradition by way of particular assemblies, worldwide meals occasions, topical debates and even conventional dancing. This offers a ‘world centred’ schooling that leaves our college students with a transparent understanding of the significance of empathy for the opposite.

How does NSR help college students’ transition between totally different phases of education—early years, main, secondary and sixth type? Are there particular programmes that ease these tutorial and emotional transitions?

Yes, we now have members of the college who work collectively on these key transitions, inviting college students for ‘going up days’ as they make their transition by way of the important thing phases. We even have specialist tutors for every stage who assist the scholars to navigate these modifications and make sound choices about topic selections, college locations and profession selections.

The A-Level programme permits for extra specialised examine. How does the college information college students in selecting the best topics, and the way early does this steering start?

It at all times begins with a deal with what our college students take pleasure in most and the place they’ve demonstrated affinity and powerful progress. However, we’re additionally nice at signposting which topics are required if a scholar has a selected undergraduate or profession ambition forward. The focused steering begins in Year 9 (age 13/14) and continues all through the remainder of our college students’ schooling.

In an period of speedy technological, cultural, and social change, how is NSR adapting its instructing methodologies to arrange college students for the world they are going to enter after commencement?

As for all faculties, probably the most prescient problem is that posed by AI. As a college we’re busy upskilling to make sure that we are able to equip college students with the instruments to make use of AI with tutorial integrity and to know the ability that they’ve at their fingertips. Increasingly the college are additionally utilizing AI and different applied sciences to develop their very own instructing and studying and to create thrilling, dynamic classes.

Finally, what do you hope every scholar takes with them after they go away NSR—academically, personally, and as world residents?

I’ll return to our Vision right here, ‘to create a group of lifelong learners who worth inquiry, important and artistic pondering, and act with integrity and compassion.’ It is a cliché, however we’re greeting future leaders and it’s our hope that these leaders will undertake these traits and make choices of their futures that can genuinely enhance the lives of others in addition to themselves.

Interview by Marco Venturini

New School Rome, Via della Camilluccia 669, tel. 063294269, www.newschoolrome.com.

Cover picture: A key a part of the New School Rome is engagement in outside studying and play.