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What connects Queen Elizabeth II, F Scott Fitzgerald, space exploration and Jack the Ripper? Wellington College pupils are about to decide for themselves…
Wellington has launched a new academic extension course for Fourth Form (Year 10) pupils that they can choose instead of an HPQ (Higher Project Qualification). Fragments is an innovative and bespoke exploration of culture, brought to life by Deputy Head (Academic), Benjamin Evans.
The course acts as intellectual glue, pulling together seemingly disparate elements of the curriculum in order to cultivate deep and broad general knowledge. Each of the unique Fragments courses is designed along a loose theme by the teacher running it with the single aim that it is really interesting. Having launched in September 2023, it is being taught over 30 weeks with an emphasis on flexibility and free-flowing discussions.
Inspired by the quote ‘these fragments I have shored against my ruins’ from T. S. Eliot’s ‘The Waste Land’, the concept is for each class to pick up fragments of culture and examine them in order to form connections between the worlds of art, technology, literature, architecture, history, philosophy, music, film and more. Free from the constraints of an examined syllabus, pupils will be learning about things that have endured for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and making links between classic wisdom and modern culture.
Benjamin Evans says: “In our modern world in which AI will play an increasingly significant role, it is vital that we promote the fundamentally human skills of creativity, problem-solving and debate. It has never been easier to find out information, but the ubiquity of information is confusing. Sometimes we need to go deeper. Our hope is that every pupil who takes a Fragments course discovers at least one thing that stays with them for life. We are building the cognitive architecture that develops great storytellers and we are giving pupils the confidence to connect with others through shared interests and curiosity.”
The ten courses were chosen from a selection of proposals submitted by Wellington teachers. Dr Emma Ramsey, teacher of Classics and Director of HE, Careers, and International Universities, created a Fragments course based on the theme of ‘Lives’ exploring how and why lives are recorded. The pupils are looking at biographies, obituaries, paintings, statues and other art forms as well as discussing the evolving role of AI in digital legacies.
Dr Ramsey has given pupils ownership to explore their own interests and question what they would want their own legacy to be. Rather than a formal assessment, she has tasked students to develop a lesson plan based on what they’ve learnt, to be delivered in any format they want. Two pupils are currently creating a lesson about the ‘Life of Father Christmas’. Others have been looking at the difference between real and fictional lives as well as the role of Tik Tok when it comes to public interference and disinformation in police investigations.
She says “I have had a very positive response from pupils who are not only interested in the fragments of culture we are examining but who also understand that they are developing and testing skills that can be used in other subject lessons. The concepts we cover are wide ranging, spanning centuries, and they prompt pupils to reflect on what constitutes a life and to consider their own aspirations and goals. It’s one of the most exciting and thought-provoking courses I’ve taught in my career”
Religion and philosophy teacher, Mr Goulwenn Vincendeau, created a course around ‘Roots’ that incorporates botany, gastronomy, heritage, mathematics and music. His group started by looking at oak trees, in literature and in the school grounds, and they are now watching the progress of their own mini oak tree grown from a Wellington acorn. Next, they will explore the notion of home towns and how we show our roots through pop songs, books and personal experiences.
Throughout his Fragments course, Mr Vincendeau has incorporated creative elements including songs, poems, art and visual images. At the end of each unit, he asks every pupil to submit an image representing what they’ve learnt. In summer, at the end of the course, each student will amalgamate their images to create one final and very personal visual representation of ‘roots’.
Mr Vincendeau says: “Fragments is an incredibly refreshing and stimulating class to teach. I’m not limited by the scope of my usual subject area, or by the rigidity of an exam syllabus. I can incorporate my personal interests into the classroom, allowing me the freedom to be more interesting and individual as a teacher. It is good for the pupils to see us as human beings who are passionate about more than one thing. The course involves a lot of collaboration between pupils and presentation of their ideas. As a result, they are already showing considerable maturity and pride in their work. We are encouraging them to be cultural contributors and free thinkers, not bystanders”
We are looking forward to catching up with the Fourth Form pupils and teachers involved in Fragments at the end of the academic year to get more feedback on this innovative new course.
Find out more about the rich and stimulating Wellington curriculum here
