Over the past two years, Newington has made effort levels a priority amongst the student body. Timely intervention when boys record poor effort and low engagement is essential in maximising student performance. After each semester’s reports, students are followed up with the hope that this will help improve efforts.

Trying hard at anything can be a challenge. It can be uncomfortable, it requires courage, and it requires honesty. Effort levels that are sustained are a greater ingredient than intellect in student achievement, which is why it has become such a priority in recent years. Research amongst school age students indicates that sheer hard work and enjoyment in school life are the keys to success when completing final assessments and preparing fro examinations.

Effort levels at Newington are tracked in school semester reports and graphed in student profiles so that students can usually see if their overall effort levels have climbed or fallen. This graph, when explained to students, provides good feedback on their engagement in the classroom.

Our Year 9 boys have been looking at mental fitness through Positive Psychology and have observed the value of Grit– the ability to repeat efforts in order to attain a long term goal. [1] An acceptance that learning is hard at times, yet exhilarating and gratifying but also daunting, exhausting and sometimes discouraging is an important factor of Grit. In addition. the ability to show Grit comes from learning to continue efforts in spite of the challenges  which can lead to progress and growth. In short, Grit is the key to success in many areas of school life.

Having said this, we accept that we live in confusing times and students often receive mixed messages. Living in  a culture of convenience, where reality TV shows and celebrities who have gained fame through almost no effort at all distort our ideas of merit through perseverance. In some shows on TV, elimination of others is an aim thereby promoting back-biting, scheming and shortcuts as a way of getting to the top. However, reality TV is not real life and what most people achieve in the real world is through genuine effort.

The student leadership team have adopted ‘effort’ as a priority for 2015. Their slogan to ‘Strive and Thrive in one five’ is based around effort. To strive, to try, to aim and go for it is a commendable ethos to encourage through their teams, through their Houses and to every student in the College.

The end of year reports give an outline of achievements for the year, and they also give an account of effort each boy has shown. In fact the report is as much about effort as it is about intellect – it is about Grit, persistent effort. Teacher comments offer recommendations about ways to improve effort.

This year we will have an increased number of Character and Citizenship awards at Prize Giving. These awards are about effort because good character in action is all about effort. It is about resilience, Grit and engagement. These are five qualities that Newington takes seriously because we are in the business of creating ‘men of substance’ who are ‘too good not to be better’. In a nutshell – effort is everything.

Mr Bob Meakin
Acting Head of Stanmore / Head of Students 

1. Duckworth, A.L., (2004) https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/home