There’s something incredibly energising about speaking to young people but my recent visit to Lingfield College truly stood out.
I had the privilege of working with Year 9 and Year 10 pupils on Thursday the 23rd of April and what left the strongest impression wasn’t just their focus during the session: it was the depth and quality of their questions afterwards.
These weren’t surface-level or polite, “tick-box” questions. They were thoughtful, curious, and at times, challenging. The kind of questions that reflect genuine listening, careful processing, and the confidence to think independently.
That level of engagement is never accidental. It speaks to the culture being built within the school. Credit to Richard Bool for fostering an environment where students are encouraged to reflect deeply, think critically, and engage with ideas beyond the classroom.
My thanks also to Angela Brown for making the session possible, and to Michael Hoelters for ensuring everything ran seamlessly behind the scenes, particularly the AV, which always plays a bigger role than most realise.
Experiences like this are a powerful reminder: when young people are given the space and encouragement to think for themselves, they don’t simply absorb information: they question it, shape it, and grow from it.
And that’s where meaningful learning truly begins. ✨
