If childhood has changed, should education change too?

By Clare Kirkham, Head of Bedales Prep & Pre-prep

When the Princess of Wales visited Reggio Emilia earlier this year, she brought renewed attention to one of the world's most influential approaches to early years education.

The Reggio Emilia philosophy emerged in northern Italy after the Second World War, built on a powerful belief: children are naturally curious, capable and motivated to make sense of the world around them. Learning is not something that happens to children. It is something they actively construct through exploration, inquiry and collaboration.

For many parents and educators, that idea feels increasingly relevant.

It also raises a bigger question. If the world our children are growing up in has changed dramatically, should education change too?

At Bedales, we believe it should.

Beyond traditional models

The Reggio Emilia approach is often discussed alongside Montessori education. While the two differ in practice, they share a fundamental conviction: children learn best when they are active participants in their own education.

Maria Montessori believed children flourish when given freedom within a carefully prepared environment. The classroom itself becomes a teacher, enabling children to access resources independently, make choices and take responsibility for their learning.

Reggio Emilia extends this idea through its concept of the ‘third teacher’ - the environment itself. Learning spaces are designed to provoke curiosity and create a seamless flow between indoors and outdoors.

This resonates strongly with the Bedales philosophy. For us, one of Montessori's most compelling ideas was that outdoor spaces should be places for real work. She recognised the deep learning that happens when children engage physically and practically with purposeful tasks using real tools. It is a philosophy that feels remarkably contemporary and one that closely mirrors what we call Outdoor Work.

Whether tending land, building structures, caring for animals or undertaking practical projects, children develop responsibility, resilience and problem-solving skills through meaningful work rather than simulated exercises.

These ideas have long been embedded within Bedales' own educational thinking. Montessori herself visited the school and met our founder, John Haden Badley. More than a century later, many children arriving from Montessori schools recognise familiar values in the way we approach learning.

Curiosity and rigour are not opposites

One of the most persistent misconceptions about child-centred education is that it lacks academic structure.

In reality, the opposite is often true.

Children still learn within carefully planned frameworks, clear objectives and rigorous expectations. The difference lies in how learning begins. In a traditional lesson, the topic is often introduced first and explained by the teacher. In an inquiry-led classroom, learning begins with curiosity. Instead of being told about frog habitats, children might be asked: What animals live in our local environment? Why do they live there? How do they survive? The questions lead them to the knowledge, rather than the other way round.

Observation, classification, scientific investigation and communication are all still being taught. The curriculum remains rigorous. What changes is that learning starts with genuine curiosity. This distinction matters because engagement deepens when children feel ownership of the process.

For example, at Bedales Prep, eight-year-old Ari became fascinated by what happened in his garden after dark. Using motion-sensitive infrared cameras borrowed from our Outdoor Work department, he documented hedgehogs, pheasants and deer visiting at night. His interest evolved into a scientific investigation and ultimately a presentation that he delivered in a Prep School assembly.

Similarly, 13-year-old Hugo developed such a fascination with electromagnetism that he chose to lead an assembly on the subject himself.

These examples are not exceptional. They are the natural outcome of a culture that treats children's interests as starting points for learning rather than distractions from it.

Responsibility builds confidence

A second principle shared by Montessori, Reggio Emilia and Bedales is a belief in children's capability. When children are trusted with responsibility, they often exceed adult expectations.

A recent production of James and the Giant Peach by our Group 1 (Year 4) students offered a striking example. Rather than being tightly managed by adults, the children took ownership of the production. They managed props, coordinated scenery changes, ensured they were in the right place at the right time and maintained the discipline needed backstage throughout the performance.

The expectation was not that they would behave because adults were supervising them. The expectation was that they would behave because the production belonged to them. The result was more than a successful performance. It was a demonstration of what happens when children are entrusted with genuine responsibility. Given ownership, they rose to the challenge.

This principle extends across school life. Time and again, children prove capable of more than adults initially imagine.

Preparing children for a different future

Innovative education goes hand-in-hand with academic achievement. Learning is purposeful, rigorous and interdisciplinary, encouraging independent thought, deep inquiry and meaningful connections.

Students who progress through Bedales Pre-prep and Prep to Bedales Senior often go on to achieve some of the strongest outcomes for GCSEs, our own Bedales Assessed Courses (BACs) and A Levels, because they understand how they learn.

They are accustomed to asking questions, managing projects, communicating ideas, working collaboratively and taking responsibility for their progress. These metacognitive skills become increasingly valuable as academic demands grow.

Of course, there is direct teaching too. Children learn phonics. They learn number bonds. They practise, repeat and master essential knowledge and skills, but knowledge alone is no longer enough.

In an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, the qualities that will distinguish successful individuals are adaptability, creativity, communication, critical thinking and intellectual curiosity. Education must develop these capabilities alongside knowledge. After all, if machines can increasingly provide answers, the real value lies in knowing which questions to ask.

Learning that looks different

Visitors walking through Bedales may see children investigating stick insects, designing experiments, building puppets, caring for animals, presenting assemblies or pursuing questions that emerged from their own observations. What they are witnessing is a holistic education in practice, in which children are supported to achieve academic excellence whilst celebrating the joys and value of childhood.

Education should prepare young people for examinations, but it should also prepare them for a lifetime of learning. The habits, confidence and curiosity developed during childhood shape everything that follows.

The growing interest in approaches such as Reggio Emilia reflects a wider recognition that education is not simply about delivering content. It is about developing capable, confident and engaged young people who can navigate a complex and rapidly changing world.

The question is no longer whether children can take greater ownership of their learning. The question is whether education systems can adapt quickly enough to make that possible.