About this episode

Charlotte Smiles discusses how to prepare children for future challenges through resilience and character development.

Are you considering how best to prepare children for a world that doesn't exist yet? Charlotte Smiles, Headteacher of Upland School has deeply reflected on how to support her pupils to be as prepared as possible to navigate their future life. In this episode, Charlotte shares how her school moved beyond academics to focus on the skills and attitudes children need for the evolving world. Underpinned by rich outdoor learning opportunities, real-life experiences, and a deliberate focus on character, and centralised around the thinking of a backpack analogy - the idea that every child should leave school carrying a set of skills for life's challenges. Charlotte is honest about developments, what changed, what was hard, and why early experiences matter so much. As she puts it, "we need to prepare children for a world we don't yet know," and the results speak for themselves: children's confidence and resilience have grown. If you're rethinking what a primary curriculum is really for, this is a not to be missed episode.

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