Guiding Statements

The Guiding Statements provide a reference point for all decision-making at the College. The statements carefully connect our Mission and Educational Goal to the Learning Programme and the Wellbeing and Learning Principles that underpin it. Most importantly, they outline how the UWCSEA educational experience is designed so that students learn to live the UWC Mission.

A member of the UWC Movement, we have a passionate belief in the importance of education as a force for good in the world, and in the power of our mission, which is more relevant today than ever before. First developed by educationalist Kurt Hahn, our educational principles have since been expanded and refined by educators from across the globe, and are borne out by research.

The diagram below, and the statement above it, outlines how our Guiding Statements join together in service of our students and, ultimately, our Mission.

Because UWCSEA is driven by its Mission, Values and Educational Goal, we create an environment that is underpinned by Wellbeing and Learning Principles, and provide a holistic Learning Programme through a K–12 concept-based curriculum which thoughtfully and deliberately develops the Skills, Qualities and Mission Competencies that enable students to live the Mission throughout their lives.

Mission

UWC Mission

The UWC movement makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.

Values

Students, parents, staff, Board members and alumni are all considered to be part of the UWCSEA community and are accountable to our values.

Values in Action

A Values in Action consultation process conducted in 2019/2020 suggested that our values could be redefined. Further workshops with mixed stakeholder groups in 2020/2021 explored the link between these values (what we expect from ourselves and each other) and the behaviours (actions) that demonstrate them. These will be launched in the 2022/2023 school year.

Educational Goal

Wellbeing and Learning Principles

UWCSEA Wellbeing and Learning Principles

We believe that learning is a life-long process in which learners engage with and reflect upon information and experiences to construct new or modify existing understanding as well as develop and apply skills and qualities.

UWCSEA aspires towards a culture of care and wellbeing, named as our Wellbeing Principles, which in turn result in the creation of optimal conditions for learning, described in our Learning Principles.

Learning Programme

UWCSEA Learning Programme

The learning programme at UWCSEA consists of five interlinking elements: academics, activities, outdoor education, personal and social education and service. While students do not spend an equal amount of time on each of the elements (for much of the year, the academic element takes up most of their day), the College places equal value on them.

The five elements combine to provide our students with a holistic, values-based education that develops them as individuals and as members of a global society.

Profile

UWCSEA Profile

The UWCSEA learning programme provides a breadth of opportunity that enables learners to develop the skills and qualities of the UWCSEA profile. The profile is derived from our mission and supported by current research in education.

Through the development of these skills and qualities, members of our community lead by example, embrace challenge and take responsibility for shaping a better world. While each skill and quality is identified separately, they are interconnected and impact each other.

Mission Competencies

UWCSEA Mission Competencies

When students run a peace conference, set up their own edible gardening project or take up 'Coding for Good' these are all demonstrations of what we call ‘mission competencies’ in practice. Mission competencies are knowledge, skills, understanding and dispositions from our learning programme in action. They emerge when students, and our alumni, mobilize their learning in complex, real-world situations in service to the mission.

Described below are the five competencies that the leadership team currently undertaking a review of the UWCSEA Learning Programme have identified as reflecting both the breadth of our holistic learning programme and the ways that students and alumni can be seen to be enacting the mission.

In 2020/2021 these competencies were reviewed with the broader community and embedded into our guiding statements.

UWCSEA ambition

UWCSEA will be a leader in international education. We will have a worldwide reputation for providing a challenging, holistic, values-based education with an emphasis upon academic achievement, service to others, environmental stewardship, teamwork and leadership.

UWCSEA definition of internationalism

In our context, we understand the pursuit of internationalism to mean the pursuit of our Guiding Statements. In practice, we implement our approach to internationalism via our holistic Learning Programme and through developing the Skills and Qualities of the UWCSEA Profile in our community members.

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