Parent Zone

Boys come to Radley from a variety of backgrounds; some have boarded before and some have not. For all, it is a new chapter and the priority for the year is for each boy to build the foundation for a successful Radley career.

Relationships are key. Each boy needs to settle well into his Social and form strong bonds with the other boys in his year as well as getting to know the older members of the house. He will be mentored by a member of the 6.1 year, be overseen by a Form Master who will meet with him regularly, and the in-house team of Tutor, Pastoral Housemistress and Resident Sub-Tutor will help manage his day-to-day progress. Good relationships are built on kindness, respect, openness and a willingness to engage: we will be looking for and encouraging these qualities in each boy.

High expectations are key too. Academically, each boy needs to be determined to give their best and be willing to explore new ideas and subjects. In the Shell year, work habits will be developed that not only provide the basis for success in the GCSE courses and beyond, but also form a blueprint for intellectual stimulus that will help develop character and personality. We want each boy to love learning for its own sake. Beyond the classroom too, we want to see a determination to succeed and an appreciation of the value of hard work. We also expect the very highest standards of behaviour and believe that getting the small things right – punctuality, helping others, welcoming guests, thank you letters, appearance, respect for the environment, courtesy to all – helps to create a place where all can thrive.

By the end of the Shell year, we want boys to be happy at Radley, established in their friendships and to have a real sense of what they can achieve and, importantly, how to go about it.

Head of Year: Mrs Rebecca Beattie

It is all too easy for the Remove to be the year in which apathy sets in: no public exams and a sense that the ‘settling in’ bit is already done. In fact, we see it as a crucial year for precisely that reason. The boys have found their feet and know what’s expected: they can now begin to identify the areas in which they wish to thrive and develop the skills and character required to do so.

Engagement is key. The enthusiasm of the Shell year can all too easily wear away and – rightly – more independence is required as we begin to expect the boys to develop self-motivation and drive. Academically, they have now chosen their GCSE options and should recognise that engagement with their subjects (both the core and the optional) will reap rewards not only in terms of enjoyment but also in results. The greatest temptation for the fifteen year old is apathy, which in turn can lead to worse. Engagement is about embracing what one has to do as well as a willingness to pursue all opportunities that Radley offers; we will be looking for a cheerful enthusiasm for the compulsory as well as encouraging a growing sense of individual personality characterised by a thorough commitment to all that he chooses to do.

Resilience is a key characteristic we want the boys to develop. On the sports field, we want them to be in teams that do not know the meaning of defeat; we will encourage them through the CCF to go beyond their comfort zones and learn the value of teamwork and effort; we will expect them to push themselves in the classroom to surprise themselves as to their capacity for work and achievement; we want them to begin to set themselves goals and be determined in the pursuit of them. As temptations come their way, we want them to have the character that can resist and stand up to what is wrong and the maturity and self-awareness to regulate their own behaviour.

By the end of the Remove year, we want boys to be maximising the opportunities on offer and taking responsibility for their own decisions and actions, so they are well-prepared to take on the challenge of public examinations in the Fifth Form.

Head of Year: Alan Chandrachud

The priority for each Radleian in the Fifth Form is to achieve good results at GCSE and develop a sense of what the priorities are for the Sixth Form Years. At the same time, we want boys to develop a greater understanding of the world beyond Radley’s gates and in doing so appreciate the importance of placing those aspirations within a wider context.

Ambition is key. Radleians should realise the importance of doing well and strive to do so. Whilst results are not everything, a good set of GCSE grades, particularly in the new 9-1 grading, sets an excellent foundation. We will encourage a long-term approach to revision over the year and will expect a determined focus on the pursuit of success. Ambition should also be seen beyond the classroom too. Each boy will be honing his interests more to the specific and the specialised both in and beyond the classroom and there will be more effort required to achieve progress in everything they do. As they choose A Level subjects, they should have a clear goal in mind: it can simply be the pursuit of a top university place or it can be directly related to a career decision. We will help them begin to think about careers more seriously without narrowing their options. They should ‘think big’ in terms of work experience at the end of the year and look to use the time between GCSE and A Level wisely and productively. They should return at the start of 6.1 with a clear set of goals for the Sixth Form.

A sense of duty and service matters. The danger of ambition is that it can become self-centred. We always want it to be tempered with thought for others, the highest standards of sportsmanship and a sacrificial willingness to help those less fortunate than us. This is built into the Community Service programme that most boys follow and forms a key part of the Life Skills week at the end of the year, but we also look for boys to show initiative in this area, beyond as well as within Radley. We look to them to begin to develop leadership within their Socials and to be known as boys who contribute to the well-being of all around them. We look for greater maturity in terms of the impact of behaviour on others and for moral courage to stand up for what is right.

As they pass through the half-way point of their time at Radley, we want boys by the end of the Vth Form to have a clear sense of direction and a real hunger to do as well as they can. We want them to be proud of the results they achieve and clear as to what they need to do to succeed in the Sixth Form. We look to see their characters much more fully formed and for them to be known for their qualities of citizenship as well as their determination to be the best they can be.

Head of Year: Mrs Joanna de Ritter

Entering the 6.1 year is a crucial moment. It should feel different from the junior years in that each boy will be doing fewer subjects in greater depth and in classes which are smaller in size. They will be much more in charge of their own time and have greater control of their own profile of activities and priorities. Relationships with dons change too; there is much more expectation that mutual respect and mature exchange of views drive the dynamic. That privilege, however, is not an entitlement; it has to be earned.

Responsibility is key. 6.1 boys are expected to have a much better understanding of themselves, of their strengths and weaknesses, and adapt accordingly to minimise the latter and make the most of the former. Equally, they should show the maturity to look out for others and take responsibility for them too. They will have an important part to play in mentoring juniors and should act as role models for them in how they approach what they do. They will be laying the foundations of leadership for their final year and should take every opportunity to take on tasks: in societies, around Social, in sport, music, drama and art. It is an ideal year to take ownership of an activity or a project.

Responsibility requires independence. Academically, each boy will need to develop work habits that are self-starting and self-sustaining. They will need to explore new avenues of thinking that require their personal research. The onus will be much more on their preparation prior to lessons such that they can make the most of the expertise of the dons; they must avoid a passive approach to learning. We will encourage independence of thought and initiative in what they do and we will expect them to have a proactive approach to planning for the future, whether in terms of university destination or in alternative approaches to life beyond Radley.

By the end of the year, the 6.1 boy should identifiably be ready for the final year: prepared to take on the appropriate leadership positions for them, whether informal or formal, with a sound academic foundation to progress towards the best results possible. They should have a greater sense of their own position in the world and have begun to navigate their future within it. They should have the toolkit with which to succeed in 6.2 and beyond.

Head of Sixth Form: Mr Tim Lawson

The 6.2s set the tone for the school. It is incumbent on all the boys in their final year to recognise the importance of the example they set and for them to realise the influence they have. They are custodians of the ethos that make the school what it is: the atmosphere and environment that they have benefited from in the past and that generations will benefit from in the future. Alongside that collective responsibility, each boy should be planning for their own individual future, preparing for life beyond Radley.

Leadership is key. Some will have formal positions and should cherish them, seeking to serve others in what they do and how they do it. But all will have the opportunity to lead and will be expected to do so: to show moral courage in the day-to-day situations they find themselves in to set the very best example of diligence and respect, and to model the best of what a Radley education can achieve such that all who follow them can aspire to the same. They will be expected to lead themselves with increasing confidence and independence and not rely on others – dons, staff or peers – to step in. Equally, we will look to them to lead each other as they pursue the successful results and achievements which will round off their time at Radley in style.

They must keep their destination in mind. Motivation is vital and so we encourage them all to have realistic but aspirational goals and to keep them constantly in mind as they go through the final year. They need to think beyond the immediate horizon as they do their academic work: towards university and beyond. We will create links between them and the Radleian Society so that they have a clear sense of the value of the network they belong to. At the same time, destination must not get in the way of enjoyment of the final twelve months: we want them to stay fully involved, enjoy the opportunities and finish well.

As they leave Radley, we hope each boy is aware of their strengths and weaknesses, confident but not arrogant, fond of Radley but ready for the next step, a fine example of the values Radley instils but an individual in their own right, ambitious for the right things in the right way and with a good foundation on which to build.

Head of Sixth Form: Mr Tim Lawson

A relationship with Radley can be a relationship for life through The Radleian Society, which exists to harness and connect the 10,000 strong Radley community including current and former parents and staff, as well as Old Radleians.  The Society brings its members together through events, online communities and publications, and seeks to provide opportunities for people to link both socially and professionally, wherever they are in the world.

Networks are vital. There is something hugely reassuring about having access to a group of people who have a shared identity and are willing to help. Radley for Life is the professional networking arm of the Radleian Society and includes a LinkedIn Careers Group with over 2000 members, a series of networking events available for all ages and a team at Radley always willing to help. An Old Radleian need never feel professionally isolated. We also have Radley Connect, our unique website designed to link together those who have a connection with Radley in one place.

There should be much more than utilitarian value in staying in touch, however. There is a sense of community about Radley that marks it out from other schools, and we look to maintain that link as boys leave the College: to go to university (or not) and beyond that into the world, and increasingly to all corners of it. Regular contact is key and that can be both informal and formal: we love to hear from Old Radleians and we will update you regularly on what is happening back at base. There are social events to attend, groups to be part of, teams to play for . . . and we always love to see you visit.

We hope too, that ‘giving back’ will matter to those who leave. The networks depend on people giving time and expertise. The events need volunteers from the community to help them be successful; the publications need contributions and stories to tell.

The Radley Foundation also needs engagement and support from the global Radley community, as it plays a pivotal role in helping to deliver the vision for the school, a vision of enhanced opportunity and increased diversity – through helping those who are financially unable to access a Radley education.  As has always been the case, the College relies on philanthropic generosity to advance what it does. Fee income sustains a school but effective fund-raising drives it; from William Sewell on, Radley has been very fortunate to have those willing to invest in its future. Whether in time, expertise, or money, therefore, and in whatever quantity of each is possible, we hope that the affection for the school will encourage a spirit of generosity, which will in turn strengthen the bond and enrich the community.

Radleian Society