The Rugby Learner Profile

To achieve intellectual growth students need to encounter academic challenges that impel them beyond the limits of what they already know. This inevitably leads to situations where they will find themselves facing problems with no obvious solutions. They need to get into the habit of trying new approaches, taking intellectual risks, enjoying challenge and uncertainty when faced with problems or tricky questions. Being willing to adapt, to try new approaches to solving problems is the essence of versatility

We all encounter failure in life. We need to learn how to deal with it and overcome it. Students who have learned resilience understand that, through application and reflection, they can progress and improve. Failure does not necessarily mean that you have hit your limit; it represents an opportunity for learning. Our students are encouraged to recognise that they have a limitless capacity for growth and learning.

A disposition towards inquiry combines the practices of critical and creative thought. Critical thinking is based on seeking truth and understanding. This is achieved through reasoning based on evidence; weighing that evidence, developing connections between sources to develop a theory, and testing the theory by looking at alternative evidence and explanations. Understanding is facilitated by examining things more closely: looking for connections, considering possible applications and consequences, thinking ideas through to their limits, then pulling them apart, contrasting them and building up explanations. Carrying out these stages leads to the development of understanding and getting closer to truth.

Critical thinking means planning and anticipating, being methodical. Instead of allowing a situation to unfold, being strategic means devising and directing a plan of attack. It means asking questions, being sceptical, probing answers. A questioning mind looks below the surface of things, asks for evidence and proof, does not accept things at face value. We want our students to be active, not passive, when it comes to new information.

Creative thinking means searching for new and alternative solutions to situations and allowing one’s imagination to wander. It requires the student to be open-minded and flexible, to try out new ideas,– and to be curious. Curiosity encourages us to explore and to wonder, to wonder at everything, even the ordinary. Creative thinking is the beginning of the process of discovery.

Engaging in collaboration that is going to be useful requires students to support and learn from each and to accept responsibility for the progress of the group as a whole, rather than focusing on their individual progress. Good communication skills means students can easily engage with others, negotiate, compromise and convince, and learn to speak to audiences in a manner that suits the contexts and situation.

Being reflective means monitoring and evaluating one’s own thinking and understanding. It is a disposition that allows students to regulate their thoughts and feelings in the way they learn and behave.

Thinking globally means having the instinct and capacity to explore and imagine alternative perspectives, recognising that the development of other people (defined globally, nationally, and locally) is to the mutual benefit of the individual.