Round Square is an international network of schools, based on the educational concepts of Kurt Hahn, and named after a distinctive building at Gordonstoun. Founded by a group of seven schools in the late 1960s, by 1996 it had grown to 20 member schools worldwide, and has since expanded to over 200 schools.[1] Round Square is incorporated in England as a Company Limited by Guarantee, and is a registered charity.

Round Square
FounderKurt Hahn (educational concepts)
Jocelin Winthrop Young (organisation)
TypeEducational
Membership
New schools inducted by election of member schools
Official language
English
Websitewww.roundsquare.org

History

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Between 1962 and 1963 Jocelin Winthrop Young and Roy McComish listed all the schools which they considered to have adopted the educational ideas of Kurt Hahn or had included them at their foundation.[2][3][4] These schools were: in Scotland, Rannoch School and Dunrobin School; in England, Abbotsholme School, Battisborough and Milton Abbey; in Germany Louisenlund; in Switzerland Aiglon College, in Ghana Achimota School; in India The Doon School; and the soon to open Athenian School in California. Salem, Gordonstoun, Anavryta and Box Hill were 'taken for granted' as the already established and pre-eminent Hahnian schools.[5]

On 5 June 1966, Kurt Hahn’s 80th birthday was celebrated at Schule Schloss Salem, and as the headmaster of the school Winthrop Young invited the headmasters of Box Hill School, Gordonstoun, Louisenlund, Anavryta, Battisborough, the Athenian School, and the recently opened Atlantic College, to discuss the establishment of a Hahn schools conference.[3][6][7] This meeting was chaired by King Constantine and during its course an agreement was reached on naming the conference "The Hahn Schools", it was then decided that the first conference would be held at Gordonstoun in 1967.[7] At this first conference at Hahn's insistence the name "The Hahn Schools" was dropped in favour of a new name "The Round Square" after an iconic building at Gordounstoun.[2] Six of the schools that attended this first conference and were the founding members of the Round Square: Box Hill School, Gordonstoun, Anavryta Experimental Lyceum, Schule Schloss Salem, Aiglon College and Abbotsholme School. At the 2nd Round Square conference held at Box Hill the principles of the association were established and co-education was the first of the sequence of conference themes that were discussed.[7] At a later conference held at Box Hill in 1980 the R.S.I.S. (Round Square International Service) was created to promote and organise overseas voluntary service projects in much the same way as the project in Cephalonia.[7] Winthrop Young retired as headmaster of Salem in 1974 but continued to run the Round Square association as Honorary Secretary and later as Director until he retired from that position in 1992.[8]

Activities

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RSIC 2024 Opening Ceremony, opening speech featuring her right honorable Ngina Kenyatta

Round Square schools encourage students to take part in a range of community service activities both locally and internationally. Many projects are run through the school and further opportunities are available via the Round Square Region, Network and Worldwide Organisation.[9][10] Notable events including the Round Square International Conference (RSIC), where as the most recent 2024 conference took place in Brookhouse School, Nairobi.

Round Square IDEALS

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Round Square schools are characterised by a shared belief in an approach to education built around six themes, our IDEALS, drawn from the theories of the educationalist Kurt Hahn.[11]

The Round Squared IDEALS
Themes Expectations
I Internationalism Discover and embrace similarities and differences between countries and cultures, promoting lasting transnational understanding and respect.
D Democracy Develop a personal compass for equality, fairness, justice, self-discipline, responsibility and a desire to do what is right for the greater good.
E Enviromentalism Broaden horizons to understand mankind's place in the universe, the forces that shape our surroundings, and the impact we have.
A Adventure Push beyond perceived limits, cross boundaries, and discover that they are capable of more than they thought possible.
L Leadership Recognise that successful leaders are driven by a desire to be of service to others and to nurture, guide, develop and help them to improve and succeed.
S Service Ready and willing to volunteer and be involved where we are needed, applying and developing skills and understanding in support of individuals and communities both close to home and further afield.

Member schools

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Founder Members
School name Country
Abbotsholme School United Kingdom
Anavryta Experimental Lyceum (no longer a member) Greece
Aiglon College Switzerland
Box Hill School United Kingdom
Gordonstoun School United Kingdom
Schule Schloss Salem Germany
Other Members
School name Country
AKS Lytham United Kingdom
All Saints' College, Nainital India
Amman Baccalaureate School Jordan
Anania Shirakatsy Armenian National Lyceum Armenia
Appleby College Canada
Ashbury College Canada
Assam Valley School India
Aubrick Multicultural Bilingual School Brazil
Ballarat Grammar School Australia
Bangalore International School India
Bayview Glen School Canada
Barker College Australia
Beijing Concord College of Sino-Canada China
Belgrano Day School Argentina
Billanook College Australia
Birla Public School, Pilani India
Bishop Druitt College Australia
Bishop's College School Canada
Bridge House School South Africa
British Overseas School Pakistan
Brookhouse School Kenya
Buckingham Browne & Nichols United States
Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School Australia
Cadet College Hasanabdal Pakistan
Calgary French and International School Canada
Carrollwood Day School United States
Cate School United States
Cayman International School Cayman Islands
Chadwick International South Korea
Chadwick School United States
Chanderbala Modi Academy India
Cheongshim International Academy South Korea
Chittagong Grammar School Bangladesh
Chittagong Grammar School National Curriculum Bangladesh
Christ's College, Canterbury New Zealand
Cobham Hall School United Kingdom
Gimnasio Campestre Colombia
Colegio Anglo-Colombiano Colombia
Colegio Gran Bretaña Colombia
Colegio Los Nogales Colombia
Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil Switzerland
College De La Salle – Amman Jordan
Collingwood School Canada
Craighouse School Chile
Dainfern College South Africa
Daly College India
Dhirubhai Ambani International School India
Dover College United Kingdom
Elaraki School Morocco
Elmwood School Canada
Enka Schools Turkey
Ermitage International School of France France
Felsted School United Kingdom
Fern Hill School Canada
Fountain Valley School of Colorado United States
GEMS Modern Academy Dubai
Genesis Global School India
Geraldton Grammar School Australia
Glenlyon Norfolk School Canada
Godspell College Argentina
Green Hills Academy Rwanda
Hackley School United States
Hebron Academy United States
Herlufsholm School Denmark
Him Academy Public School India
Holy Innocents' Episcopal School United States
Hotchkiss School United States
Hunan Concord College of Sino-Canada China
The Indian High School, Dubai United Arab Emirates
Indian School Al Ghubra Oman
Inter-Community School Zürich Switzerland
International Community School Ghana
International School of Kenya Kenya
Inventure Academy India
Ipswich Grammar School Australia
Ivanhoe Grammar School Australia
Jhamkudevi Senior Secondary School India
Junior and Senior High School of Kogakuin University Japan
Kansai International Academy Japan
KC Public School India
Keimei Gakuen Japan
Keystone International School Turkey
Kilittasi School Turkey
Keystone Academy China
King's Academy Jordan
King's College, Auckland

New Zealand

Kinross Wolaroi School Australia
Klosterschule Roßleben Germany
L K Singhania Education Centre India
Lakefield College School Canada
Landheim Schondorf Germany
Latymer Upper School United Kingdom
The Lawrence School, Sanawar India
Lawrence School, Lovedale India
Le Salésien Canada
Linden Hall High School Japan
Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School Australia
Lower Canada College Canada
MacLachlan College Canada
Maria's Public School India
Markham College Peru
Matthew Flinders Anglican College Australia
Mayo College India
Mayo College Girls School India
Michael Ham Memorial College Argentina
Miles Bronson Residential School India
Milton Abbey School United Kingdom
MLC School Sydney Australia
Millwood School United States
Modern School, Barakhamba Road India
Mody School India
New England Girls' School Australia
Newcastle Grammar School Australia
Nightingale-Bamford School United States
Ningbo Huamao International School China
Nishimachi International School Japan
Okinawa Amicus International School Japan
Olive Tree International Academy China
Palmer Trinity School United States
Paradis International School Romania
Park City Day School United States
Pathways World School India
Penryn College South Africa
Pinegrove School India
Providence Day School United States
Radford College Australia
Rajkumar College, Rajkot India
Rajmata Krishna Kumari Girls' Public School India
RDFZ China
Regent's International School Thailand
Regents International School Pattaya Thailand
Renaissance International School Saigon Vietnam
Riverdale Country School United States
Rockhampton Grammar School Australia
Rockport School United Kingdom
Roedean School United Kingdom
Rosseau Lake College Canada
Rothesay Netherwood School Canada
Ryde School with Upper Chine United Kingdom
SAI International School India
Saint Andrew's School United States
San Silvestre School Peru
Sarala Birla Academy India
Scarborough College United Kingdom
Schule Birklehof Germany
Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya India
Scotch College, Perth Australia
Scotch Oakburn College Australia
SEK International School Ciudalcampo Spain
Seth Anandram Jaipuria School India
Shenzhen (Nanshan) Concord College of Sino-Canada China
Shiv Nadar School, Noida India
Shirakatsy Lyceum Armenia
Singapore International School, Mumbai India
St Andrew's College South Africa
St Andrew's School for Girls South Africa
St Andrews School, Turi Kenya
St. Clement's School Canada
St Constantine's School Tanzania
St Cyprian's School, Cape Town South Africa
St George's Diocesan School Namibia
St George's Grammar School South Africa
St John's-Ravenscourt School Canada
St Mary's School, Colchester United Kingdom
St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School Canada
St. Paul's Co-educational College Hong Kong, China
St Philip's College Australia
St Stithians Boys' College South Africa
St Stithians Girls' College South Africa
St. George's College Peru
Stanford Lake College South Africa
Starehe Boys' Centre and School Kenya
Step by Step School India
Stiftung Louisenlund Germany
Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School Canada
Sunbeam School Lahartara India
Sunbeam Suncity (School & Hostel) India
Sunshine Montessori School Canada
Tamagawa Academy Japan
The Affiliated High School of Peking University's Dalton Academy China
The Armidale School Australia
The Athenian School United States
The Bermuda High School Bermuda
The British School Indonesia
The British School India
The Doon School India
The Emerald Heights International School India
The English School (Colegio de Inglaterra) Colombia
The Hutchins School Australia
The Hyderabad Public School India
The Kingsley School United Kingdom
The Lyceum School Pakistan
The Marvelwood School United States
The Millennium School United Arab Emirates
The Private Realschule Gut Warnberg Germany
The Punjab Public School India
The Sagar School India
The Samworth Church Academy United Kingdom
The Sanskaar Valley School India
The Scindia School India
The Shri Ram School India
The Southport School Australia
Tiger Kloof Educational Institution South Africa
Transylvania College Romania
Trevor Day School United States
Trinity Anglican School Australia
Trivandrum International School India
United World College of South East Asia Singapore
Vidya Devi Jindal School India
Vivek High School India
Welham Boys' School India
Welham Girls' School India
Westfield School United Kingdom
Westminster School Australia
Whanganui Collegiate School New Zealand
Wilderness School Australia
Windermere School United Kingdom
Woodleigh School Australia
Wyoming Seminary United States
Yadavindra Public School Patiala India
Yakumo Academy Japan

References

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  1. ^ The Good Schools Guide, Amanda Atha and Sarah Drummond, pp.343 (Macmillan 1996)
  2. ^ a b "Our History". Round Square. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b "History of Schule Schloss Salem: The Kurt Hahn Archive and a journey through time". Schule Schloss Salem. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  4. ^ "Gordonstoun | Our history". gordonstoun.org.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  5. ^ Jocelin Winthrop-Young 28/3/1999 - accessible https://www.jocelinwinthropyoung.com/work/round-square/
  6. ^ "Gordonstoun | Our history". gordonstoun.org.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d The muscles of friendship - Speech by Jocelin Winthrop Young on the occasion of his retirement in October 1992 - Accessible https://www.jocelinwinthropyoung.com/work/round-square/
  8. ^ "Life". jocelinwinthropyoung.com.
  9. ^ Tacy, Peter (2006). Ideals at work: education for world stewardship in the Round Square schools. Deerfield, Mass.: Deerfield Academy Press. ISBN 9780975575826.
  10. ^ Higham, Rupert; Djohari, Natalie (5 March 2018). "From voting to engaging: promoting democratic values across an international school network" (PDF). Oxford Review of Education. 44 (6): 669–685. doi:10.1080/03054985.2018.1433649. S2CID 150049210.
  11. ^ "Living the Round Square IDEALS".