a guide for staff recruitment Stephen Perse Foundation, Cambridge, UK
Foreword
From Tricia Kelleher, Principal Do you enjoy learning? At the Stephen Perse Foundation everyone is a learner. While our pupils enjoy the benefits of a creative and innovative learning environment, our staff strive to inspire and engage through using a wide range of pedagogical approaches. We draw inspiration from our location in Cambridge. In a city boasting the scholarship of Cambridge University and the enterprise of Silicon Fen, the school is well placed to build on its strong academic tradition in a dynamic, fast-changing world. We know that our pupils' future will be very different from our past and we are confident our holistic approach to teaching and learning offers the best possible education for their lives in this brave new world. This iBook aims to capture the distinctive ethos of the Stephen Perse Foundation – a school steeped in history, with a vision of education for a future of unknowns. Note: In order to reduce file size, most of the video content is streamed. Please view video and other interactive widgets (soundcloud, googlemaps, twitter etc.) while online.
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Table of Contents Chapter
Title
Page
1
Who we are
4
2
Where we have come from
10
3
Learning: Our way
12
4
Inspire Me
22
5
Enriched learning
24
6
The results
29
7
Opportunities
35
8
Where next
37
9
Friends of the Foundation
39
10
Cambridge and the surrounding area
42
3
Who we are
1
The Stephen Perse Foundation is different. We achieve exceptional exam results without sticking blindly to the syllabus or cramming facts and figures – but what you learn in class is only half the story. What happens on the sports field, in our art and music departments, on the stage or in our clubs and societies is just as important.
Our schools The Stephen Perse Foundation is a group of six independent schools in Cambridge, Madingley and Saffron Walden.
Our family: six schools, five sites
Founded in 1881 as The Perse School for Girls, we have always been in the forefront of education developments, providing the best opportunities for our students. You may know us as the school that inspired St Trinian’s. We are not quite like that now but our historical roots are important to our current developments. We already have full co-education at Dame Bradbury’s (aged three to 11) and our co-educational pre-preps in Cambridge and Madingley and our 6th form. Boys joined our Cambridge Junior School in 2014 and we are now moving to a diamond model from 2016. Boys will join our Senior School in 2018. In November 2014 we were awarded the title ‘Independent School of the Year’.
Think again Stephen Perse 6th form college. Award-winning preparation for life (and the best universities in the UK and abroad). Sunday Times IB School of the Year 2010 and 2013.
The Stephen Perse Foundation is different. We achieve exceptional exam results without sticking blindly to the syllabus or cramming facts and figures – but what you learn in class is only half the story. What happens on the sports field, in our art and music
The Foundation is also the holder of the Independent School of the Year Award 2014 – 2015
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Our vision Our vision is to push the boundaries of pedagogy in order to equip our students to face the unknown, as well as the known, challenges of the future.
idea or issue that we investigate and encourage in our pupils by giving them invaluable thinking tools.
We achieve exceptional examination results but our focus is never the exam. We model our approach to education around the needs of the individual – put simply, we always start with the child and are committed to maintaining breadth of learning all the way through from age three to 18.
It’s a very different kind of education, where great results are a by-product. More importantly, it helps our pupils and students to think their way through when there is no text book or multiple choice paper as a prompt. In short, we teach them to think for themselves.
In traditional schools, there’s a straightforward, correct answer to every question – you only need to tick the right box. But what if there are several valid answers? Some might be best in a specific situation, while others might do the trick under different circumstances. And what if you need to combine different options and approaches to reach your goal? That’s the way it is in real life, so our curriculum and approach to teaching and learning aren’t confined within rigid boundaries. Some subjects have natural synergy, so we group them together. Some positive attitudes can help us to deal with the opportunities and challenges life throws up, so we work to develop good learning habits. And there are key approaches to an
We say we are different in our approach. We challenge students to think differently. Our animation shows you that we walk this walk as well as talk the talk. http://youtu.be/dPrFBnfE_oQ
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All the spaces in schools should be learning spaces. That means the corridors, the outdoor spaces – everywhere. The glue which holds this together is digital technology. Every student has their own iPad so there are fewer boundaries that ever before to accessing information or using it in creative ways.
Inspiring learning spaces Innovation in the classroom has become one of our trademarks. It is therefore right that innovation in teaching and learning should be partnered by a reconsidering of learning spaces such as classrooms and libraries. If we are saying that collaborative work is important and if we are claiming that it is vitally important for students to engage with books in this digital age, then it is also right that we reimagine the spaces in which our children learn. We have re-imagined our junior school library to create a space in which the power of the story can be experienced. We have made this, solely, a library of fiction (all the non-fiction is now found in the classrooms). A performance stage and story-telling chair allow books to come to life and young minds to engage with reading in fresh ways. We have incorporated an outdoor courtyard as well so there is a space for everyone at any time.
The Innovation Room is simply an open space with Ideas-Paint on the wall, 4 Apple TV screens and a master TV. Students work collaboratively and visibly.
Our senior school library is now a cabinet of curiosities – an idea based on a medieval concept. Traditional books, combine with artifacts, exhibits and digital resources in this space. Libraries are no longer stores of books, they are gateways into a world of learning. 7
Working with the community
to children from a number of primary schools. Our students become mentors and teachers share ideas. Under the STeP Out Primary Partnership Programme, our teachers and students visit a local primary school to deliver fun projects – stretch activities – to challenge and inspire their more able pupils. The programme is aimed at pupils in years 5 and 6. On the next page you can see Spanish outreach classes at Newnham Croft Primary School.
Connecting We are proud to be part of our local community, with our facilities used by many different organisations and our staff and students involved in learning projects with schools in Cambridge, Saffron Walden and the surrounding villages. Our links with local secondary schools go back many years and include activities within the Independent State School Partnership (ISSP) and our Saturday morning Community Music School. We've recently extended these activities to younger children through two new initiatives. At Dame Bradbury’s, we have established links with other local primary schools both through arts and music events that we organise and host, as well as through numerous sports fixtures. Through The Shine Trust independent/state school partnership programme Serious Fun on Saturdays, we open up our facilities 8
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These programmes are a great opportunity for our students to learn through service. They help the teachers and act as mentors to the children as they work alongside them, expanding their horizons, developing leadership and communication skills, building self-conďŹ dence and making a valuable contribution to the local community.
Please see our website for full details. We also have substantial links with local, national and overseas charities and groups. For example, in 2013 some of our 6th form journeyed to Kenya to help teach in a rural primary school and to work on a building project. Raising funds before they went, the impact of the installation of extra water tanks was clear to see and probably one of the most memorable events in the students’ school careers.
Our SteP-In programme is a full opportunity to sample life at the Stephen Perse Foundation through masterclasses, workshops and lessons such as our Chinese language classes, maths sessions or Saturday music school. We are also pleased to run holiday playschemes for young children.
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Where we have come from
2
You might know us as the school on which St Trinian’s is based. We are not quite like that now, although we like to think there is a certain special spark.
Dr Stephen Perse was a man of vision who, back in the 17th century, believed that education should be a right rather than a privilege, accessible to those with ability rather than dependent on income.
Our roots lie in his 1615 will, which included a bequest of land for the establishment of what was then described as a Grammar Free School, in Cambridge. It became The Perse School and was, of course, originally reserved for boys, but in 1881 the complementary Perse School for Girls opened, as part of the strong 19th century movement to educate women.
The Stephen Perse Foundation retains this attitude today, aiming to offer an exceptional start to boys and girls from every kind of background who come to us from both the maintained and
Today, the schools of the Stephen Perse Foundation are entirely separate from The Perse School and include the mixed Stephen Perse 6th form college, which opened in 2008, and Stephen Perse pre-prep, which began in 2010 at Madingley and in 2012 in central Cambridge (also mixed). The Stephen Perse Foundation junior school is admitting boys from September 2014 and will follow a diamond formation, teaching boys and girls in separate classes from age nine to 16. The senior school will therefore admit boys from September 2018.
private sectors. education should be a right rather than a privilege
Our curriculum itself is not gender specific. We believe strongly that boys, as well as girls, should be offered this excellent education. This aligns with our merger with the excellent, coeducational, Dame Bradbury’s kindergarten, pre-prep and prep school in Saffron Walden in September 2013. As we have no endowment, we rely on donations and current fee income to sustain our mission in the 21st century, funding the future for many of our pupils and students.
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Learning: our way
3
We are a community of learners. That means the staff as well as the students.
Curriculum model Reinventing the wheel Click on the rings and spokes of the wheel, to the right, then watch Dr Helen Stringer, Vice-Principal (Academic), explain our curriculum model on the next page. The six wives of Henry VIII, E=MC2, the effect of glaciers on the landscape – facts and figures are undoubtedly useful when it comes to exam results but they’re not what a Stephen Perse Foundation education is about. We don’t believe that learning is something that’s reserved for lessons or aimed solely at a certificate decorated with A grades, let alone that it should be limited to a list of topics on the curriculum that year. Our pupils and students aren’t receptacles for a series of subjects – they’re individuals, with their own unique challenges and opportunities. To fulfil their potential, they need to learn how to bring ideas and concepts together creatively, to solve problems, find their own perspective and come out equipped to face all the opportunities and uncertainties that the future will hold. This wheel sums up our approach and shows what we are working towards –equipping our young people to achieve their aspirations, to do whatever they choose with passion and purpose and to make a positive difference to others. Click on our learners first and then explore the different concepts on opposite sides of the rim
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The wheel
Dr Helen Stringer, Vice-Principal (Academic), explains the concept behind the Stephen Perse Foundation Curriculum Model http:// youtu.be/OjP8RN8lXDs
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The digital dimension It’s about learning, it’s not about apps!
Digital learning with Modern Languages
Learning is a lifelong experience with an ever changing environment challenging us to adapt and continue our development. We will always choose to give our students the best of traditional and digital. Progress in the digital world has meant that learning has become a process of discovery and filtering, with a wealth of information available at our fingertips. Perceived barriers to learning, such as complicated IT systems, have been replaced with intuitive interfaces. This means that the process of learning has developed from ‘finding’ the answer to ‘what can we do’ with that answer.
Our journey with digital • The school is a Google Apps for Education (GAFE) domain – Google is our chosen cloud storage for students and staff and allows the seamless flow of resources.
Expressions of learning and creativity are no longer dominated by the written word. Instead we can narrate an animation, edit a movie or record a video conversation from anywhere in the world whilst collaborating on a project. The tools available to us are used if they enhance learning. In truth the digital world now supports a learning environment that has always been desired, one of challenge, variation and adaptation.
• Our senior school (11-16) has been iPad 1:1 since 2012. Sixth form have joined them in 2013. Junior, Pre-Preps and Dame Bradbury’s have class sets. • All teaching staff have their own iPad as well as suitable access to iMacs and PCs • iTunes U courses are being developed and are already being used in several departments. Around 100 are publicly available. • 12 IGCSE Biology iBooks Textbooks were published by us in January 2015. The teacher is now completely in control of the published materials and is able to produce in professional quality.
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• Our Principal gave one of the Keynote speeches at Apple’s European Education Leadership Summit in 2015 and is regularly invited to present across the world. • We have our own AppCreator software being used across age groups to produce our own apps. • Computer coding, both as extra-curricular clubs and within lessons, is integral from junior school upwards and it is a development area for us. Our Director of Innovation and Learning is establishing the route forwards as well as training and supporting our staff. He is also a speaker and trainer across the UK and abroad including at Apple sponsored events. And, yes, many lessons just use pen and paper - that’s how it should be! The right tools for the right job at the right time.
Our iTunes Room, contains all of our publicly available iTunes U courses and iBooks Textbooks. All are available to the world for free.
Appropriate use of an amazingly powerful pedagogical tool - that’s what we expect and that’s what we train our teachers to do. In the end, everything comes down to learning. The technology is just there to help.
It is also possible to help with giving better feedback to students through annotating their music, online. The same can work for orals in languages https://soundcloud.com/stephen-perse-foundation/evelyns-blues-song .
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school (BBC, 19 January 2015)
topics such as molecules and enzymes and animal nutrition. The textbooks will be available for download worldwide and cover a course taken by 500,000 students in 160 countries.
A leading private school, with some of the best results in England, is publishing digital textbooks which are available to download free online.
The school, the current Independent School of the Year, has already made resources available online through iTunes U. It has been a leading innovator of the idea of schools using digital technology to produce their own customised course materials.
Free online textbooks from top private
The Stephen Perse Foundation in Cambridge is publishing 12 multimedia textbooks for IGCSE biology. They are being made available on Apple's iBooks online store to use on iPad tablet computers. It is believed to be the ďŹ rst UK school to publish free online textbooks covering an entire exam syllabus. Schools and pupils are "hungry" for such digital resources, says principal Tricia Kelleher. With the exam revision season approaching, the Cambridge school is pioneering the publication of its own bespoke textbooks, which will be open to anyone without charge. School publishing This ďŹ rst set of books will cover the Cambridge IGCSE biology course, with touchscreen, multimedia explanations, covering 18
"It's important to us that these resources are being offered to the world without charge. There is a world of learning and we want to continue to be at the hub of this approach," said Ms Kelleher, the principal.
In terms of whether there will be a wider range of subjects and textbooks, senior teacher Simon Armitage says it "feels a little bit like looking at the starting years on Wikipedia". "For the future we see digital resources as being integral to how teachers teach and how students learn. We want our students to use the very best resources whether they are digital or traditional. However, the flexibility of digital resources is hard to beat, so we do see that it will be likely that more subjects will be producing resources along these lines."
"The reception that we have received for bringing nearly 100 iTunes U courses to the world has been tremendous. It's about helping teachers to deliver the lessons that they have always wanted to, but now the technology allows it to happen." The school has been a proponent of using technology in lessons, every pupil in the school has their own iPad which they can use to access the school's online resources, produced and updated by their own staff. "Traditional textbooks are so much more limited with static content that is often not up-to-date," says Daniel Edwards, the school's director of innovation and learning. He says it is a "real bonus" to have materials produced by teachers for the specific needs of their own students with a particular course specification. The author of the textbooks is biology teacher Alex van Dijk, who says the "ability to make instant updates is invaluable. No more need to re-print or wait for a new edition".
Our iBooks Textbooks in the New & Notable section on the iBooks Store
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Excellence is integrated
Kindergarten and up
Knowledge vs skills?
Thinking creatively and independently starts early. It’s not all about learning the content and then having ideas later.
The debate goes on and on – but we believe that it isn't a choice between one or the other.
We’re here to help our boys and girls master some of the basics of thinking for themselves – and how to apply these skills to a range of subjects.
Our approach to learning places the pupil at its core, is holistic and integrates the key areas of knowledge and understanding with thinking skills and learning characteristics.
We focus on: • Asking questions – looking for more information
In practice, this means we're breaking down the boundaries between disciplines and that every school day contains a wealth of opportunities for independent learning and critical and creative thinking.
• Creative thinking – coming up with new ideas • Critical thinking – working out whether information is helpful or important and considering what might happen as a result of it
A traditional subject-by-subject curriculum does little to prepare for the interconnected world students will face, so our curriculum is designed to encourage them to explore and appreciate the links between different disciplines and topics or follow longer projects that pique their interest.
• Memory – there’s no point learning something if you forget it immediately • Researching – knowing how and where to find new information • Thinking about thinking – pausing to think about what you’re doing and how you’re doing it 20
Senior school
Junior schools
Individual subjects are going to be more important at this level but the focus remains on learning how to think. The mural next to the school entrance reminds us of its importance; think again.
In our junior schools, our curriculum is guided by the learning habits that we seek to convey.
We see students as individuals not as groups of subjects. That is why each develops their own learner profile which is regularly revisited with tutors and shared with parents. Our students are, whether they are aware of it or not, building a portfolio of characteristics, interests, skills and ambitions. We like to keep an eye on this and make sure they are being suitably encouraged, challenged and inspired.
Developing habits such as courage, co-operation, perseverance and resilience should be part and parcel of any child's education but these qualities need to be carefully nurtured. That's why all our pupils get to know and understand the 20 learning habits adapted from CJ Simister’s work – key attributes encompassing everything from curiosity to creativity. We see these as fundamental building blocks of learning. They are displayed in our classrooms, incorporated in our lesson planning and are the focus of regular assemblies, so everyone has the opportunity to explore what they mean, try them out and practise them until they become second nature. These learning habits quickly became part of the language of the school and, with one chosen as a particular focus for each half term, we're all getting the habit.
We love this video because it shows collaboration and ingenuity. Watch out for the use of iPads next to cutting and sticking and drawing. As we keep saying, it is about the right tools for the right job at the right time. http://youtu.be/JF-yJYKaLUY
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We feel that it is natural to group years 5 through to 8 as a learning unit. Working closely with our junior schools enables this to happen smoothly at the same time as welcoming in many new students to the senior school.
evolve knowledge enables ideas to be explored to a greater depth and for wider challenges to be encountered. We are in the process of reducing the standard number of examinations taken at the end of year 11 to nine or ten. This also leaves time for wider, non-examined, courses to be taken and enjoyed by all.
In the same way, we strongly encourage students to keep a breadth of examined subjects in their GCSE / IGCSE years. The natural group here is years 9 to 11. Taking a little more time to
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6th form college Our students have the most successful university entry rate in the region but academic success in the 6th form is not all about narrowing the goal. Rather, it is about preparation for life ahead.
At the same time as many schools have had to cut back on diversity in the 6th form curriculum, we have expanded it. Two sessions of curriculum enrichment per week, a non-examined theory of knowledge course for all (taken from the IB curriculum) and the opportunity to choose to research and write an extended essay.
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Inspire me
4
Our opportunity is to inspire the next generation. It is too important to simply ‘offer advice’. Cambridge is awash with ideas - academic and entrepreneurial. That’s integral to how we operate.
Our visiting speakers address the big subjects: technological, scientific, political, economic, historical, cultural, artistic, ecological and ethical. They are people who communicate the excitement of working in their field, whether that's business or cosmology, and share their ideas on motivation, leadership and teamwork.
Inspiration is more than advice Inspire me goes beyond traditional careers advice. It brings in individuals and groups to share their fascinating careers and life stories, inspiring students, parents and alumni to think differently.
Some sessions provide practical, how-to advice, others challenge the accepted norm, provoking thought and encouraging debate.
When Silicon Valley came to the UK, the Stephen Perse Foundation was their showcase of choice.
A selection of recent events is listed here but it is really the tip of the iceberg. Look at our website for full information. So successful has the programme become that ‘inspire me’ has become our de facto motto. Topics and opportunities are, deliberately, kept as broad as possible. For example: • Working in film and media – Call the Midwife • Recent developments in genetics • Working in a field hospital in Afghanistan • Art work for the 4th Plinth in Trafalgar Square • Journalism and Russia - an evening with Bridget Kendall
Extraordinary inspiration is too often found to be ‘normal’ in the Stephen Perse Foundation. We are blessed to have such a problem! http://youtu.be/UBSp-IyekTg
• Hustings with Parliamentary candidates • Our annual Mock Trial in Cambridge Crown Court
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Enriched learning
5
Learning outside the classroom = enrichment.
Curricular enrichment Breadth as well as depth
“I didn’t even realise I was learning!” (overheard from a year 5 student).
We aim to give each year group opportunities to engage with cross-curricular learning built into their regular timetable.
Learning with Harry Potter
Taking inspiration from the International Baccalaureate’s learner profile and applying our own curriculum model we now have a range of programmes across our school. This has also been explained in chapter 3 of this book. Here are a few of these programmes. 6th form students all take the IB’s Theory of Knowledge course. Year 10 and 11 take critical thinking classes. Year 8 has the global outlook course – a range of topics from dance to the classical world, co-taught by our specialist teachers and 6th form students.
http://youtu.be/hWjUYZ_QMtg
At our junior school in Cambridge we have enjoyed various themed learning weeks. One example was the Harry Potter Experience. For a whole fortnight, learning in languages, mathematics, history, science, music, art – everything – was done through the medium of Harry Potter. Dame Bradbury’s followed suit with a week of learning based around Dr Who.
At this age, it is all about making connections between subjects and having the confidence to push boundaries in learning. We say we like students to think outside their subject boxes. It is therefore more important than ever that we create specific opportunities for this to become reality – also that our teachers think outside their subject specialisms as well! 27
Performance in pre-prep years is in-built but there is still a question of encouraging it to blossom. One of our strongest recommendations for the use of arts in learning surely has to go to the wonderful Tumblr feeds. The enthusiasm with which these little gems have been greeted by parents is a great joy!
Performing and visual arts There has never been a more important time to celebrate and promote the arts in schools. Nationally under threat from so many angles, the arts could be said to be the life-blood of invention and the development of knowledge.
Dame Bradbury’s participated in the Shakespeare Schools Festival in 2013, performing an adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on stage at the Mumford Theatre, Cambridge. Experiences such as this, art exhibitions and music help children to gain confidence on their journey through the school.
The arts – visual and performing – provide excellent opportunities for students both in and out of the classroom. Creation, collaboration, seeking different perspectives, understanding cultural contexts, dealing with the technicalities of digital technology, performance – all these are integral to the arts and the Stephen Perse Foundation schools are all delighted to celebrate them.
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Beyond the school boundaries
Exploration Society
We would like to think that all of our students are able to have amazing experiences outside the school walls but which the school facilitates.
We have a structured programme running from our junior school. Base Camp introduces pupils in years 5 and 6 to the great outdoors through games, challenges and local overnight camps. They learn to work together to reach their goals. A taster session in the spring term is the perfect introduction and paves the way for the Bushman build-up course, which consists of two sessions held at weekends in the summer term. The culmination of the experience is a three day Bushman expedition during the summer half term break.
Charities This is a small flavour of what we do from our senior school. Each term, our student-led charities committee selects a different charity and girls use their organisational and entrepreneurial skills to arrange fund-raising events, from cake sales to car washing, in their form groups. Our Barnardo’s event is another favourite fixture in the school calendar (our links with the charity stretch back nearly 70 years). At Dame Bradbury’s, house captains lead the selection of annual school charities and organise fund-raising events with fellow pupils.
Enrichment activities in our 6th form
Ascent Group is for pupils from years 7 to 9, with participants enjoying growing responsibility and independence. The Summit Team, years 10 and up, works on building up members mentally and physically for an ambitious expedition abroad. An eight-day Viking expedition involving canoeing and wild camping around the Swedish lakes is one option. Group members
A selection of what is on offer Click here for the 6th form!
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are fully involved in planning these expeditions and their logistics.
Language, art and history combine with some wonderful wider cultural opportunities for our year 10, 11 and L6th in Berlin. Children in years 5 and 6 at Dame Bradbury’s participate in a residential trip to France filled with similar language and cultural opportunities.
We've also been running the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme for many years. and we have run charity expeditions to Africa for many years – initially to The Gambia and, more recently, to Kenya.
Overseas travel is part of learning
Overseas trips Everyone expects schools to run trips and, of course, we do. From what is probably their first overnight stay away from home in year 4 of Dame Bradbury’s, when they travel to York to preparing for an expedition hike into the Himalaya in the 6th form, these trips enrich the lives of the children and students and provide them with memories to treasure. We prefer these trips to be cross-curricular to allow greater participation and also to show how learning relates to the world – and, again, it is not in those subject boxes! Overseas trips are also often across year groups – it helps socially and academically.
Political forces at work in Berlin
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The results
6
Results matter but there is no one-size-fits-all outcome. Our results are the best in the region – in fact some would claim that they are amongst the best in the world.
Summary results 2014 International Baccalaureate: GCSE:
Average point score 40 (out of 45).
A* grade: 71% of all entries
On the UCAS tariff, this is equivalent to almost 4 A* grades at A Level plus 1 A at AS Level.
A* and A grades: 93%
Our 2013 results are the joint-highest in the world, as confirmed by the IB themselves.
A* to B grades: 99% 51% of students achieved 9 or more A* grades
A Level: 93% of A Level students have achieved ABB or more (the government's benchmark figure related to university admissions). This figure rises to over 95% when including the IB students. 37% of grades were A* 73% of grades were A*-A 96% of grades were A*-B The average result for the whole year group, in A Level equivalent terms, is more than A*A*AA (using the official UCAS tariff). 19% of A Level students scored 3 or more A* grades.
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University destinations 2014
University Destinations 2014
We are seeing increased interest in courses overseas. In the past three years we have had students join universities across the USA, Hong Kong and, most recently, the Netherlands. It is about securing the right course at the right place - globally. The spread of courses for the 2013 cohort gives an idea of the range of interests.
Agricultural Engineering Harper Adams Archaeology and Anthropology Oxford, Keble Astrophysics Edinburgh
Some global university choices
Chemistry York Chemistry and Maths Leeds Classics Cambridge, Jesus Exeter Oxford, Oriel
Our students are currently studying full time in these locations.
Computer Science York 33
Preparing for the next stage can seem daunting but, with the right advice, the world opens up. We expect around 80 to 90% to progress to Russell Group universities, around 25% to Oxford and Cambridge. The right destination for the right course for the right person.
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European Social and Political Studies University College London
Dentistry Leeds
Geography Durham
Economics Cambridge, Murray Edwards
History Bristol King's College, London Oxford, Merton Warwick York Edinburgh
Economics and Maths Trinity College, Dublin Education Goldsmith's, London Engineering Oxford, New
History and Russian Oxford, New Exeter
English York Oxford, Lincoln Edinburgh Cambridge, Pembroke Goldsmith's, London
Japanese Leeds Law Durham Newcastle Exeter
Environmental Policy and Economics London School of Economics and Political Science
Liberal Arts 35
Carleton College, USA New York University, USA King's, London
Imperial Physiotherapy Sheffield Hallam
Maths Imperial
Politics Leicester
Medicine Exeter Leicester Imperial Oxford, Balliol King's, London Cambridge, Jesus
Philosophy, Politics and Economics Exeter Warwick Psychology and Linguistics Oxford, St Catherine's
Natural Sciences Cambridge, Trinity
Rural Property Management Reading
Pharmacy Durham
Spanish Edinburgh
Philosophy and History Exeter Southampton
Spanish and Arabic Oxford, St John's
Physics Nottingham
Television and Radio 36
Salford Veterinary Science Cambridge, Jesus Zoology Manchester We pride ourselves on providing the very best guidance and advice for all university applicants. To give an idea of the range of our guidance, please visit our website area. We regularly host academics, admissions tutors and former students to share information on higher education. When combined with our inspire me programme, this is a package of guidance that is second-to-none.
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Sunday Times IB School of the Year Reproduced with permission: Sunday Times (17 November 2013) by Sian Griffiths and Alastair McCall
As the school that helped inspire the St Trinian’s stories, Ronald Searle’s comic tales of disreputable schoolgirls, the Stephen Perse Foundation in Cambridge has not always been associated with academic excellence. But now the school has achieved distinction of a different kind by coming top of the world league of schools offering the international baccalaureate (IB). The Stephen Perse 6th Form College is ranked joint first worldwide for its IB performance this year. The college also tops the new Parent Power rankings for fee-paying IB schools published today.
Downtime in the 6th form coffee shop
A third of the school’s upper 6th follow the IB diploma programme, averaging 42.2 points out of a maximum 45. Two pupils scored 45 points, which, according to a tariff for university admissions, is equivalent to at least six A grades at A-level.
The foundation has in its archives several original copies of the St Trinian’s books, donated by Searle, who grew up in Cambridge. But the unruly and disreputable 6th formers of Searle’s cartoons bear little resemblance to the pupils at the modern coeducational 6th form college.
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Tricia Kelleher, the principal, said the children’s success had been achieved because the school took a creative approach to teaching. “We’re not thinking about the results; we’re thinking about the children as individuals,” she said. The IB table is one of 14 in the new edition of Parent Power, The Sunday Times’s schools guide. The tables feature the top 2,000 schools in the country for academic attainment, spanning the state and independent sector, primary and secondary schools. The top 500 state secondary schools and 425 independent secondary schools are ranked by the proportion of A-level grades A*-B achieved this summer and the proportion of A* and A grades gained at GCSE.
“We’re not thinking about the results; we’re thinking about the children as individuals.” (Tricia Kelleher, Principal)
The tables set the bar considerably higher than those to be published by the government in the new year and show parents which schools are the most academically successful.
More than 150 schools in the UK offer the IB diploma programme, which involves studying six subjects as well as writing an extended essay. Worldwide, 2,500 schools in 142 countries teach it. Simon Armitage, the school’s former director of 6th form, said the diploma improved students’ degree and career options by preventing them from specialising too young.
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Opportunities
7
Our people are our greatest asset – and that means our staff as well as our students.
Never standing still
Examples of recent projects include:
We want to invest in our staff. Their professional development is our opportunity.
• Outreach programmes operating both in and outside the school (Step-in and Step-out) – having an impact on the lives and learning of a larger number of students in our immediate Cambridgeshire community and beyond.
This is why we ask all teaching staff to choose their professional development programme from a portfolio of options. At the moment we have several staff undertaking PhD research as well as several textbook authors, conference speakers and examiners.
• Speaking at a workshop as part of the International Baccalaureate Africa, Europe and Middle East regional conference in The Hague.
The International Baccalaureate automatically links us to a wide family of schools, world-wide. Our digital profile is also a main connector – we are regularly in dialogue with educators across the world via our blogs and twitter feeds.
• Leading and contributing to curriculum innovation in a dedicated working party and running professional development sessions. • Introducing a non-examined, cross-curricular course for year 8 – Global Outlook. This is co-taught with 6th form students.
@SPFLearning
• Working on plans for our new facilities at Dame Bradbury’s school and on our main, Union Road, site. • Leading and developing our tours – sports to South Africa, music to Belgium, Exploration to the Himalaya are just a few. • Leading workshops and delivering keynotes at the Apple European Education Leaders summit in London.
https://twitter.com/spflearning
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There has never been a more challenging or exciting time to be involved in education. As an independent school, we are able to make the very best decisions for our students without fear of reference to transitory external forces in government. Even our examination choices allow us more control over the stability of our curriculum. Stephen Perse Foundation schools are among the fastest-paced and most dynamic in the UK. Working closely with some of the leading academics and entrepreneurs in Cambridge and with companies such as Apple gives us a certain edge in the employment market. We want to invest in our employees.
AA http://www.stephenpersefoundationlearning.com/
SPFlearning.com is our learning showcase website – the thoughts of our teachers and the work of our students
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Where next?
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Never standing still, we are always looking to innovate and develop.
centre and Pre-Prep developments. Improved performing arts space at the senior school.
Development We believe in the importance of investing in the future – a future that includes many unknowns.
• The creation of improved learning facilities (indoor and outdoor) at the Latham Road sports site.
Who would have envisaged the full and current impact of the digital revolution in schools, even five years ago? How will the future of publishing influence the availability of resources in the next 24 months? How would our schools have evolved without the merger with Dame Bradbury’s? What challenges are posed to our sites by the progression of boys to our junior school in 2014 and to our senior school in 2018?
• Further refurbishments at Dame Bradbury’s School. • Development of our outreach programmes. We see our online publications as part of this. • Developing our Continuing Professional Development Programme showcases of learning and research online at www.stephenpersefoundationlearning.com and giving students enhanced opportunities through innovation such as in the use of digital technology in the classroom.
With a total student body of over 1,000 we have a very secure platform for the coming years. We have an excellent base in that just over half our pupils are in year 6 or below.
We are currently being approached by dozens of schools and educators every month to come and view our facilities and hear about our experience, particularly in curriculum development and the use of technology. This is a further potential avenue for development.
Cambridge is also a growth location in the UK economy. Our staff are highly qualified and we have a clarity of vision for education against which we can evaluate our decisions. Among our current projects are: • The reconfiguration and redevelopment of our senior school site at Union Road. This will include a full-size sports hall and a re-designed STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) 44
Friends of the Foundation
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Their stories reflect something of their experiences with us.
Our alumni reflect the diverse range of interests that you will find in any Cambridge family.
“I was taught that you can achieve whatever you set your sights on”
Take plenty of academics, mix in a range of entrepreneurs, ensure there is a strong multi-cultural mix and, since 2010 when the first boys graduated from the 6th form, you can now add boys to the girls.
Alison Eke meant to become a surgeon but fell in love with flying. She joined the army, specialised in aviation medicine and became the first female military pilot in the British forces. Today, she is senior medical officer at an Apache helicopter station.
In addition, families of current students are increasingly involved in our school community not least through the inspire me programme.
'I was told, “We do not have female pilots in the military.” I qualified as the first serving female military pilot in the British Forces’
It is fair to say that the school has undergone something of a revolution in the past decade and this is reflected in the positive growth in our alumni and friends network.
Samata Pattinson is a womenswear designer, public speaker, journalist and author who has her own fashion label, 'Samata'. Her clothing label has been worn by the likes of Dawn Angelique Richard and Jennifer Lopez. She is now the Global Campaign Director of Red Carpet Green Dress, working between Los Angeles, New York and London. In 2011, Samata was invited to discuss her fashion industry journey and addressed the Prime Minister David Cameron, George Osborne, Peter Jones (entrepeneur), Doug Richard, Vince Cable, and an audience of MPs, entrepreneurs and media.
A few of our alumni Bethany Hughes graduated with a BSc Hons in biochemistry and began a career as a research scientist in Cambridge before deciding to apply her scientific background in a different area. After four-and-a-half years of training in London, she is now executive pastry chef at The Hole in the Wall in Little Wilbraham and establishing her own company making bespoke petit fours, chocolates and celebration cakes. 46
Listed by Red Magazine as 'one to watch' in the 'Top 20 women under the age of 30' in 2011, Samata is also a guest lecturer at the London College of Fashion and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
graduating was awarded the college’s Derbyshire Cup for Services to School and Community. As soon as he completed his A Levels, we were delighted that Nye was one of several alumni who came back to take part in our first
Freya Sanders recently left the 6th form with maximum marks (45 points) in the IB. She is now reading English at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge and has recently said this about her time with us,
Keeping in touch is a priority
“I can't imagine a series of schools that could prepare me better for life. The challenges, opportunities and support I've had over the years have facilitated an education that was more than fulfilling; it's been inspirational.”
Nye Williams-Renouf is reading Law at Peterhouse, Cambridge. He came to SPSFC on academic and music scholarships as one of the second cohorts of boys in our 6th form. He threw himself into life in the college, editing the school newspaper, setting up our Model UN Society (something that we brought into the curriculum on his departure) and helping to run the debating club, as well as playing trumpet in the school orchestra. In his final year with us he was Student Vice-President, and on
Alums and friends of the school speak at a recent Inspire Me event in the school hall.
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fundraising campaign. Nye was our most successful fundraiser and has gone on to participate in similar telethons at Peterhouse, where he has repeated the feat in both his years at the college. Nye has also continued to contribute to the college since going up to Cambridge, coming back on several occasions to give talks on law and Oxbridge applications to our current students. Currently, Nye is on an Erasmus exchange in Madrid, where he is studying Politics and International Relations at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, and will take his Finals at Cambridge next year. After graduating, he intends to commission into the Army before applying for a Masters degree in International Relations in the United States.
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Cambridge and the surrounding area
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Have a life
its HQ here, as does AstraZenica’s, which has based its new global research centre at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus as well.
A vibrant community Cambridge is one of the most culturally diverse cities for its size. At only around 120,000 population this community maintains a stable core as well as a more dynamic, changing group of people associated with the universities (Cambridge University and Anglia Ruskin) and local businesses.
Home-grown companies such as ARM have risen to become global leaders in their field – in this case semi-conductor IP. Cambridge is at the hub of major regional growth in the UK and, at only 50 minutes by train to London and just 30 minutes from London Stansted airport, expansion is set to continue.
We are home to some of the region’s largest employers as well as to many entrepreneurial start-ups. Microsoft European R&D has
Kings College Chapel - Andrew Dunn
Old Vicarage, Grantchester - Howard Somerville
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Cambridge traffic is not the greatest, we have to be honest. However, many use the park-and-ride services which run from all the corners of the city and there are ways to make the journey flow better. We can provide parking for some of our staff on the teaching sites or at our sports field, Latham Road. Many choose to cycle and we belong to the cycle-to-work scheme.
Property Housing is not cheap but there is a wide range of options in terms of rental or purchase. There is also a very strong buy-to-let market. Typically the south and west of the city are the more expensive areas but many staff prefer to live in the surrounding villages. You usually get more for your money in the north and east.
At Dame Bradbury’s, we have a large car park but some staff from Cambridge prefer to use the train connection to nearby Audley End or to take advantage of the local bus service.
Travel
Cultural life Cambridge is a well-known, year-round tourist destination. Whether it is the arts cinema or theatre, the world-famous Fitzwilliam Museum or the performance venues at the Junction or the Corn Exchange, there is something for everyone. Similarly, Saffron Walden boasts a lively market, a stately home (Audley End House) and its own cinema. In the summer, you can always watch the university boat-crews on the River Cam or you can join a club yourself and join in. Plenty of advice is found on the local authority website.
We regard Cambridge as our inspiration and we hope you will too! Fitzwilliam Museum - Andrew Dunn
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