Why a school for boys?
Educators at boys' schools celebrate and value the intellectual, physical, social, and emotional complexity of all that it means to be a boy.
Using FMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), researchers have observed differences between the developing male and female brain that demonstrate why boys and girls learn in different ways:
- Boys' brains are wired to require movement, space, action, and rest.
- Boys learn better when material is presented in small portions.
In a school that is boy-centred, teachers introduce more kinaesthetic and sensory experiences into their curriculum, engaging boys more fully in their learning. The importance of meaningful and purposeful, authentic work is vital to engage boys.
The work of educator Adam Cox emphasises that boys need to know why something is important in order for it to have significance for them.. "Boys," he says, "thrive on purposeful work" and "relish real-time achievement," when they are assigned tasks that give their school experience personal meaning.
At Asquith Boys High School boys focus with intention on learning that addresses not only how to excel academically, creatively and physically, but also how to grow into resilient and responsible young men of honour and empathy, ready to adopt roles in a globally connected world.
Without the social pressures of a coed environment, our boys explore values and establish foundations for making responsible decisions; they explore their own definitions of self, who they are and who they want to become; they learn to forge healthy relationships; they step out of their comfort zone to explore their potential. They are able to explore the many roles available to play as a scholar, leader, athlete, artist, musician, and friend.
Our teachers encourage their students to grow and mature at their own developmental pace, using teaching strategies that address learning styles and needs specific to boys and learning stages, striving to support each individual's needs and aspirations.
We embrace boys' competitiveness, physical activity and energy, in the ways that we structure purposeful learning predominantly through action. The best learning for boys embraces their directness and humour and thrives around the culture of maintaining positive and supportive relationships across the school community.