Our Vision
The Ostyæl Initiative is an innovative programme designed to bring fresh thinking into education by focusing on mindset development. In today’s fast-paced world, young people’s mindset and personal growth are often overlooked, which can lead to disengagement, disruptive behaviour, and a lack of motivation in school and beyond.
Our programme addresses these challenges by drawing on the values of TaeKwon-Do to inspire a genuine love for learning. By fostering key traits like discipline, respect, and perseverance, we help students become more engaged, motivated, and capable of long-term success. Alongside this, we incorporate insights from behavioural psychology and neuroscience, providing students with practical strategies to improve their learning.
To ensure these ideas have real impact, we pair them with creative, hands-on learning experiences. Just as martial arts teach physical discipline, we focus on foundational art skills and creative writing, culminating in a project where students write and illustrate their own book. This challenge not only allows students to apply what they’ve learned but also develops their creativity and independence.
Programme Structure
The Ostyæl Initiative is divided into three phases, each designed to develop both mindset and project-based skills, ensuring that students grow creatively and independently throughout the programme.
Phase 1: Core Character and Foundations
In the first phase, students are introduced to six key tenets that become central to their daily lives. These core principles are not just abstract ideas but are integrated into their routines, shaping their mindset and behaviour.
We also focus on building essential artistic skills, dedicating time to lay a strong foundation that links creativity with character development. Alongside this, students explore a curated reading list designed to enhance their understanding of writing styles and character development, with audiobooks helping to boost their reading proficiency.
Phase 2: Independent Autonomy and Creative Momentum
The second phase encourages students to shift from traditional learning to a more exploratory, self-driven approach. By completing their syllabus early, they are given the freedom to explore a broader curriculum. This sense of autonomy builds confidence and a genuine love for learning.
With this framework in place, students move on to more complex artistic challenges and are introduced to creative writing. This stage sets the groundwork for students to transition smoothly into independent work while continuing to refine their project-based skills.
Phase 3: Acceleration and Project Launch
In the final phase, students are ready to accelerate their learning and apply their skills independently. The focus here is on launching their project—writing and illustrating their first book. With planning complete and skills developed, students bring everything together, supported by educators who guide and assess their progress. The project becomes a unique reflection of each student's journey, showcasing their personal growth and achievements, with no pressure to rush completion.
Assessments
Our assessments are designed to measure both knowledge and mindset, ensuring a well-rounded evaluation of each student's progress throughout the programme.
Pressure Test
The pressure test is part of our creative skills curriculum and focuses on student preparedness rather than just results. Instead of setting a fixed exam date, students are informed that the test could happen at any time. This approach encourages them to maintain readiness and confidence, helping them stay consistently prepared. As the saying goes, "Fail to prepare, prepare to fail," but our method ensures students are always ready to succeed.
Silent Assessment
To evaluate the mindset components of the programme, we use silent assessments. These are conducted without the student’s knowledge, allowing us to capture their natural progress and behaviour. By comparing these results with other assessments, we gain a clearer picture of the student’s development, helping us better support their growth.
The final project, where students write and illustrate their own book, is designed to be adaptable for different ages and abilities. The goal is not to finish the book by the end of the programme but to equip students with the skills and knowledge to complete it independently at their own pace.
In this final phase, our focus shifts to assessing the entire creative process rather than just the finished product. We evaluate how well students have developed foundational skills and, more importantly, whether the core principles of the programme have become an integral part of their mindset.