This is espoused by Sarawakian-born Yasmin Sarwar, who has led two top-performing A-level colleges in the United Kingdom for 15 consecutive years.

The 41-year-old is the founder of Cardiff Sixth Form College, which topped the Education Adviser’s League Tables from 2010-2017, and is now chief education officer at Oxford International College, one of the UK’s top-performing independent A-levels colleges.

For over 20 years, Yasmin has dedicated herself to helping people excel and get them into top universities and careers. Here are five principles she believes in to unlock her students’ highest potential.

1. Nurture passions and talents

Most students go to school with little idea of what they really want to do, and simply go along with what their parents or guardians tell them.

Yasmin believes good schools allow young people to discover their passions and help turn those passions into talents. This, ultimately, leads to successful careers.

This, she explained, is where a school’s extracurricular and super-curricular programmes come into play. Super-curricular activities, like extracurricular ones, are done beyond the classroom, except they relate to one’s studies. These activities extend beyond the school curriculum.

She shared a story about a student who believed from a young age that he would become a doctor. In college, however, he was exposed to many different activities, and discovered his true calling in engineering.

“Students, therefore, should be exposed to as many life experiences as possible – not just classes about life experiences. Things like voluntary work or taking part in competitions are great ways to learn important lessons,” Yasmin said.

2. Utilise a data-driven approach

Yasmin is a proponent of regular assessments, the data from which can be used to identify areas a student may need assistance with. Teachers are then able to create individualised plans to help each student succeed.

Her approach involves providing guidance in the form of “interventions” – extra study hours where students are divided into groups based on their understanding of a week’s topics.

The students are also categorised according to the colours of a traffic light: those in the “green” category do well with a topic; those in “amber” have some problems; while those in “red” are struggling.

It is possible for someone to be in “green” one week, and subsequently be in “amber” or “red”. Help is provided according to their needs, which ensures a holistic learning experience for all.

3. Streamline teaching faculties

Yasmin’s belief in following your passions is not limited to students but to teachers as well. Educators, she said, should focus on their desired subjects.

“For example, those who are passionate about chemistry should focus on teaching chemistry. There’s no need for them to conduct other activities they are not interested in,” she outlined.

This freedom also means teachers have higher contact time with students to work on their specialty subjects, as well as necessary “interventions”.

4. Collaborate with parents

Good family relationships play a key role in someone’s upbringing. As such, Yasmin emphasises the importance of engaging with parents or guardians in frequent dialogue throughout a student’s journey.

“All parents want the best for their child. I like to find educational solutions that fit with both a parent’s expectations and what their child would like to do,” she said.

It is also crucial for institutions to refrain from judging parental styles. “Many schools make this mistake, giving labels such as ‘tiger mother’ or ‘helicopter parent’. There are so many different types of parenting out there, and there is no one right way to do it.”

5. Promote a culture of excellence and wellness

Yasmin believes people should set high standards for themselves and achieve those standards through discipline and hard work. Students, therefore, have the right to demand excellence in their education, and it is important that the teams she works with share this vision.

She also believes that schools can push students to challenge themselves while prioritising their welfare and wellbeing.

“Wellbeing is like oxygen. We must provide students with enough pastoral care and equip them with the tools to look after themselves. But that doesn’t mean we take away their drive for excellence,” she stressed.

Ultimately, “not every child has to be at the top of the class; it’s the aspirational journey that counts. Regardless of the outcome, you get better students who are better learners, who can be boosted by confidence to achieve great things”.