What is a "well rounded" child in educational terms? And how does one become one?

[Santasfakebeard]

Just that. I see "all rounder" or well rounded mentioned on here all the time & I'm just wondering what that or "well rounded" means in educational terms.
What type of child is generally well rounded?

I see well rounded as someone who is capable of being kind and friendly as well as able academically.

I really think it’s just a wide range of interests and willingness to try something new. I’d say my DS(6) is well rounded; he’s very academic and good at maths and reading (hates to write though) but is also really artistic, enjoys bouldering, and is learning to play piano.

Surely on one level it can be implied though just by choice of A-Levels. 3 sciences suggests a strong bias or certainty in a particular direction - that might be particularly attractive or unattractive to future employers - where, for example, Maths, French and Music indicates something more flexible in terms of future workplace potential and direction.

It's shorthand for middle class.

Just read the descriptions given in this thread.

@CurlewKate Dc can join in if activities are free. That’s my point. Whatever your background, a dc can sing. I don’t subscribe to the poor child from a difficult background can never aspire to anything. It’s plain wrong and keeps such dc in their box. Everyone can be encouraged and I believe we do need to encourage all dc to join in with what they can. I was very clear that expensive kit and instruments are not needed and the best schools run everything I suggested.

@notafraidofthebigbadwolf A levels for science degrees require sciences. Dc can become more broadly educated by doing other additional activities with their time.

I’ve no idea why answering the question means I don’t understand what others can and cannot do. Schools in London have long used music and sport to try and add breadth to education and help dc. I didn’t suggest travelling widely, going to the theatre or riding horses! Reading, by the way, is one of the best things to broaden out education. Libraries still exist.

Someone who is genuinely interested in what's going on around them. A range of interests and open to new experiences.

I think, by having the same sort of parents, or by being naturally curious.

Completely.

@TizerorFizz "I don’t subscribe to the poor child from a difficult background can never aspire to anything."

Neither do I. But it takes a lot more than "well, there's nothing stopping them if it's free".Which I suspect you know.

DD is an all-rounder and she's finding it difficult to narrow her choices to three subjects for A Levels (she's in year 11 now so will have to choose very soon) - she's good at maths, English and the sciences, and she's also really good at sport.

DS1 is less of an all rounder and his subject choices were more obvious. But he's very good at the things he's good at, IYSWIM. I'm not sure which is preferable really.

This!

Two different things entirely.
A well rounded person doesn't need to excell academically. They need to be aware of the world around them, empathetic to others, have had different experiences.

I'd also say an all-rounder doesn't have to be academically brilliant either - just equally good at lots of things.

Yes, some posters are mixing up two quite different things.

You (and their school) can't control whether your child has natural ability and enthusiasm for all academic subject areas, sport, music, art, drama, building things, coding etc etc etc. You/the school can expose them to a wide range of subjects and activities, and encourage participation at whatever level they can achieve.

I'm not sure why you need to justify to us that science degrees require science A-Levels.

My point still stands with an alternative example. If the A-Level student were to pick History, English and Philosophy it would also tend to imply a certain skill set to a future employer that would not be implied by eg. Maths, French and Music.

We are talking about more than A levels. It’s those extra things you can do to add to your education.

I dont actually agree some dc have insurmountable problems with joining in with something. They can be helped and encouraged. It’s not about money, it’s about wanting to engage and schools finding a way to help. The best schools do and dc really can read books. A thirst for a wider education really helps.

Of course we are talking about more than A-levels, but in a couple of pages, no-one had mentioned them yet.

I'm as much in favour of co-curricular as the next mum, btw. I am particularly enjoying the thread about whether an audition for a major show should be allowed so close to GCSEs just this week...

All rounder and well rounded mean different things. An all rounder is someone who is good at all things, with no particular specialism, like the jack of all trades thing a pp mentioned. Well rounded means a general appreciation for the wider world and how other people work. So I think you can have a well rounded expert - someone who has a specialism but has other lower level interests and can ‘take part’, or you can have an expert that is obsessive to the exclusion of all else and no interest in other people and what they do/are good at.
That's a fair point. I tend to use them interchangeably but there's actually a slight difference.

My post up thread is more about being well rounded.

@notafraidofthebigbadwolf I think A levels or post 16 national qualifications had not been mentioned because everyone had to do something post 16. Therefore well rounded is usually used to describe more than national qualifications, whatever they are. Well rounded is more commonly used at GCSE where pupils are “required” to do core subjects like the EBac. Except of course many don’t.