Why your children need to learn how to survive a zombie apocalypse

Iain Henderson, Governor at Wellington College International School Bangkok, and Deputy Head (Educational Developments and Partnerships) at Wellington College UK explains how a successful Enrichment programme is critical to cultivating success in the classroom and beyond. 

Having arrived safely through the Phuket sandbox, I am delighted finally to be back at Wellington College Bangkok again to work closely with the school community. In a year where it would have been too easy to hide behind the excuse-for-everything that is COVID-19, it is essential that our two schools remain closely connected. 

We have committed to doing whatever is required to develop these links. This is my second extended visit to Bangkok in the last 12 months. Every time I return, I am struck by the tremendous progress being made at the school. The new Senior School building is breath-taking. I know from my many years of teaching experience at one of the world’s leading schools that, under the leadership of Dr Panton and his highly experience teaching team, Wellington Bangkok students will have access to exceptional, inspiring and transformative education. The Wellington Senior School will ready them for success and happiness at university and beyond. 

Observing an imaginatively titled STEM Enrichment session last week about surviving a post-apocalyptic world reminded me again that a well-rounded, fun, visionary education is critical in preparing students for future happiness and success.  Enrichment stretches students in ways that are supplementary to the traditional academic subjects and is just as important. In the lesson I observed, students were working out how they could survive after the Zombie Apocalypse - how would they cook and eat without access to conventional forms of energy and power? By the end of the lesson, students were designing and making their own solar powered ovens to solve the problem.

Enrichment lessons like this enable students to engage in new and innovative learning experiences. They help students to develop a host of skills and capabilities which can then be translated back into the classroom. The application of skills developed in Enrichment and applied back to the classroom setting is a significant contributor to academic success at Wellington. 

Furthermore, the tailored individual enrichment programme that each student embarks upon enables them to grow their own interests and develop a strong sense of independence and ownership of their own learning. Students become more rounded individuals who can develop and channel their ambitions and aspiration for the future.

To meet these aspirations, as well as our own academic goals, we therefore cater for a wide variety of interests and this term’s selection includes STEM (aka ‘Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse’), Robotics, Duke of Edinburgh, Model United Nations, Yoga & Meditation, Modern Languages and Film Making, to name but a few. 

With the example of the ‘zombie apocalypse’ sessions, students go on to apply knowledge, skills and reasoning in unfamiliar situations. They learn about teamwork; about being comfortable and curious when they don’t know the answer; about resilience and perseverance through problem-solving. These are all critical skills to take forward through IGCSEs, the demanding A level programme, and then to university. 

I remember from my own admissions interview for Oxford that the formidable panel were not so much interested in my pre-existing academic knowledge (though of course, that was important), but in how I could think and apply what I knew in unfamiliar contexts and questions. Being able to think through challenging problems; ask questions and engage in exploratory dialogue; to be curious and be confident to say when you don’t know something, are all highly important traits that prepare you for later life and the workplace, as well as university interviews. 

So, at Wellington, we start in Year 7 and begin to learn these important life skills in a safe, enjoyable and inspiring way through surviving a zombie apocalypse.