Avanti Life – January 2015

Winter Edition January 2015 avanti.org.uk

AVANTI L I F E The official newsletter of the avanti schools trust

Loving to Learn Volunteering in India, Jay Laxman learns from those he teaches ALSO IN this issue Football gets fierce at kaps harrow Lessons in Leadership from Mary Lawson Creative Writing Goes through the roof at AVanti HOuse God's own garden – a visit from Leicester's faIth leaders

What is Avanti Schools Trust?

We are a family of state-funded Hindu faith schools that draw on the teachings of Krishna Chaitanya. Our schools promote three core ideals of educational excellence, character formation and spiritual insight. An inclusive approach to spirituality means that at all Avanti schools, students of any faith or none are welcome.

The Trust work to support and assist schools in key areas such as: character and ethos, quality assurance, school improvement, curriculum, management and training. The Trust central office is located at the Krishna Avanti Primary School in Edgware.

From the Editor Happy 2015 and welcome to the first printed edition of the Avanti Life biannual magazine!

Since trialling the magazine in a digital format, positive feedback continues to roll in, along with confirmation that our readers are longing for the tactility of print. We hope you enjoy holding this historic copy in your hands, and once read, pass it on – something you might be reluctant to do with your iPad! For each new beginning we celebrate, there's an end to commemorate. This issue coincides with James Biddulph, Headteacher of Avanti Court, moving on to work his magic in another lucky school – the University of Cambridge Primary School, a brand new project that needs a heart. We wish you every success James, and hope to stay in close touch. Readers dry your eyes and be inspired by his parting words on page 14.

Another touching article is courtesy of Jay Laxman, our flamboyant teacher of Sanskrit (see page 2). He journeyed to India, a land where Sanskrit was once spoken, to volunteer his teaching time at a charitable girl's school, located in Vrindavan (a Mecca for all lovers of Krishna). Offering education that is both first-rate and free, to girls that would otherwise be destined for a very hard life, Jay reflects on how both his eyes and heart were opened.

Matthew Whitlock – Editor

contributors Matthew Whitlock Mary Lawson James Biddulph Dr. Graham M. Schweig Jay Laxman Harsh Mandavia Mark Bennison Dimple Pandya Sapna Claire Meera Vasudeva Nicholas Jay Design & Layout Matthew Whitlock

cover image Sandipani Muni School, Vrindavan India, courtesy of Jay Laxman published Biannually by Avanti Schools Trust visit us at www.avanti.life www.avanti.org.uk general enquiries info@avanti.org.uk avanti life enquiries matthew@avanti.org.uk

Avanti Schools Trust is a private company limited by guarantee, and an exempt charity, registered in England and Wales under company registration number 07506598 with registered address: Camrose Avenue, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 6ES. VAT registration number: 122 8491 20

© 2015 Avanti Schools Trust All rights reserved.

Contents 2 Jay's Journey Jay Laxman volunteers at a school for impoverished girls in Vrindavan India, and discovers how teaching works both ways.

6 The Hangman's Noose A chilling tale of old, from the quill of Year 9 Karishma Banga, chronicling a vicious past, ending in painful remorse.

8 Colleague Spotlight

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As the new principal of Avanti House since September 2014, it's high time Avanti Life welcomed Mark Bennison to the family.

10 Getting Acquainted Enthralled by the story of Jay's working holiday, we decided to dig a little deeper. Why teaching? And most of all, why Sanskrit?

12 Getting into Teaching

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A student teacher gives us his perspective on a placement at the Krishna Avanti Harrow school, and the steps that lie ahead.

14 The Butterfly's Tongue Inspiration lies all around us, but we must first find it for ourselves before attempting to inspire others.

15 Let There Be Peace Krishna Avanti Leicester have created a living, lasting legacy to mark Interfaith Week and the Centenary of World War 1.

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16 Krishna Avanti Lions There's rumbles in the jungles of Harrow, as a pride of energetic lion cubs charge out to claim new territory.

18 Parent Power Avanti Court benefits from unprecedented community support. Meet the special parents that make it happen.

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20 Learning to Lead Mary Lawson reveals an often overlooked dimension to leadership, and the responsibilities that come with it.

24 From Despair to Deliverance Dr. Graham M. Schweig offers the mighty warrior Arjuna as an example of how we can turn tough times into good times.

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Jay's Jour Jay Laxman (everyone's favourite Sanskrit teacher) decided to share his love for language with Vrindavan's most deserving girls Interview by Matthew Whitlock | Photos by Jay Laxman

Tell me about your trip to India and why you wanted to go? I‘m doing my PGCE at university and there was an opportunity to do an alternative placement choosing either an EAL score, SEN, a PRU or somewhere abroad. As soon as I heard that I thought “Ooh! I’ll go abroad!” I love the idea of travelling and when they gave us the dates for October, I thought “that must be Kartik Maas” (considered in India as the holiest month) and I straight away thought of Vrindavan. I hadn’t been for 4 years and really missed being there. The first school to pop into my head was Sandipani Muni School. I’d visited 8 years ago and thought it would be a great opportunity, knowing that it gave a free education to poverty stricken girls. Girls in India can get a rough deal sometimes, so as a feminist, I thought "perfect”.

How might they get a rough deal?

They can be treated as secondclass citizens, married off as early

as 12, 13, 14. That’s the age groups I teach here at Avanti House! It was amazing to see the things they do for girls: a charity-run school providing a free education, medical help, uniform, meals – a chance to explore the world which is outside their small house and village.

problems at home. They arrive unwashed, messy hair, but they’re so happy to be there. Kids in this country spend ages doing their hair and looking good but are miserable, “I can’t wait till 3.30 so I can out of here!” It’s so different to the attitudes out there.

Have you seen for yourself how hard a child's life can be? You see little children playing in the dirt, or being made to clean the streets, doing very hard, menial jobs and I think “Huh? This is during the day – surely you’re supposed to be in school? (in India, the school week is Monday to Saturday) If you’re out during the week in this country, you wouldn’t see children.

They’re not taking the opportunity for granted out there… Not at all.

Are these children that would want to be in school if they had the chance? Definitely! At Sandipani Muni School, you can see it on their faces. They’re so happy and content, although you can tell they have so many

So were you scoring points while out there? Haha! Yes, it was part of my PGCE which I’m doing part-time. When I told the course leaders I’m going to India they thought it was amazing. The whole university heard about this and wanted to know more. They already do a trip to Sanga (in South India) and now want to liaise with Sandipani Muni School too.

What was your itinerary like? It was for 2½ weeks. School starts at 8.30 and finishes at about 3 o’clock.

I was supposed to observe lessons

rney but as soon as they found out I was a Sanskrit teacher and teach at the Avanti schools, they were “Ooh! We’re gonna have you teaching!!”

So during the day I taught Sanskrit to all the different year groups – mostly all primary and KS3, and that was interesting, teaching them grammar, as they already know the script (it’s the same as Hindi). After school I’d go back to my hotel, shower, get changed, so that at 4 o'clock I could start my seva, making flower garlands for the Radha Raman temple. I then deliver them to the temple, on the other side of Vrindavan, and then I’m there until the last darshan (service) at 9.45, where they play the flute while they put the deity to rest for the night, so I’d stay right till the end of the temple day. Then take a rikshaw home to sleep for 10, and up the next day and do the whole thing again.

Inbetween all of that, I’d have to plan lessons as well, so it was busy busy! I did have a break for five days during Kartik and Diwali, and spent a lot of time at the Radha Raman temple, so that was nice.

love it!” The only sad thing was that the Sanskrit teachers were actually Art teachers or English teachers and know some Sanskrit but because they were all Hindi speakers, they know the script but the pronunciation was all Hindi.

There were times when I had to say “er, that’s not how you say it” or “there’s errors in your grammar” and at one point they felt a bit intimidated by me, so I went quiet.

might not be encouraged at home, the school itself might be under resourced? I think because they’re so well behaved and have an amazing respect for their teachers, I think that comes to play, because spending time managing behaviour reduces teaching time. So I think out there, they’re really with it.

As soon as I'd arrive, I’m straight onto the board, teaching them grammar. They're actually well ahead! They read passages from Mahabharata, Ramayana and they understand. Here I have to start first with the Devanagari script and eventually move on to grammar.

In the afternoon I taught English phonics to a group of six. We went over certain vocabulary words like “What’s the meaning of tip, top and tap? They sound similar, but what are the differences? Translate them but use them in a sentence.”

I found that when they were given sentences, they would regurgitate it through memory. So I’d have to challenge them, “Now give me the word in a different sentence” but they couldn’t. In many projects, they were only repeating what they had been told, just to pass an exam, and that, I don’t like.

Sanskrit is taught everyday! I was like “Woohoo, everyday – I love it!”

Had the girls ever been taught Sanskrit at the school? Yes, yes, It's taught everyday! I was like “Woohoo, Sanskrit everyday – I

I didn’t want to do that to them, to make them feel that their lessons were inadequate. So when I got to teach, I concentrated on grammar, sentence formation – it was great.

Their mother tongue is Hindi, which gives them an advantage.

They know the Devanagari script, so straight away they can read, but it was whether or not they understood the sentence, so I was teaching pro-nouns and subjects, the nominative and the verb, the object, how you fit it all together.

How do you feel they compared to children of the same age in this country? Considering the fact that they might have started their education late, their learning

That’s a very old-fashioned

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approach… I know, so I would challenge them, using examples around them, like “look at the ‘top’ of that temple outside” or “what else is on top of the table?” rather than the same things they are memorising.

You went there to observe – it sounds like they were getting the most out of you! Did they end up observing you? There was a point during their classes that they would ask me, for example, “how would you assess that?”

They don’t have Assessment for Learning out there, but still, I didn’t want to tread on toes.

I imagine for UK students, studying Sanskrit will also deepen their understanding of the structure and origins of other languages, but in India, is there a special significance? Primarily I think it will be a devotional one – a spiritual one. It allows them to access all of their scriptures: the Bhagavad Gita, which is a part of the Mahabharata, the Ramayan, other epics, and if they go on to do Vedic Sanskrit, then the Vedas.

And there is SO MUCH literature depending on what school (of philosophy) you come from. It’s natural out there, that “Oh, I’m a Gaudiya Vaishnava” or “I’m a Sri Vaishnava” or a Shaivite, or follower of Durga. They all have scriptures from within their own school.

It sounds that while Hinduism is so diverse, the Sanskrit language acts as a thread that runs throughout the various sects – more evidence of its relevancy as a language subject. And it’s not just Hinduism. Sanskrit is also used in Jainism and Buddhism.

How would you describe the typical life of a girl that goes to the school, born into a poor family, in a traditional village in Uttar Pradesh? Many girls do alot of chores and housework; cooking and cleaning from a young age, being trained as a perfect housewife, serving her in-laws and husband. Her life will centre around the house, maybe going out to 4

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Radha Raman (above) is one of Vrindavan's most loved deities, and also one of the oldest. Originally, this deity was gifted by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to his disciple Gopal Bhatta. However, Radha Raman was originally a black riverbed stone from the sacred Kali Gandaki river. These stones (known as Shalagram Shilas) can represent Lord Krishna and are a popular form of worship. It is said that one morning, Gopal Bhatta discovered that the Shalagram had miraculously transformed into the form of Krishna playing the flute. the market or helping her parents with what ever job they have, so pretty much working all day.

They will most likely be married off at the age of 12 or 14 – very young – and once they’re married, they’re under the orders of the in-laws. It’s quite sad. In the UK, you never see anything like that.

For those girls, they might not know anything else, surrounded by people living a very similar life. Do they ever question their life? Are they happy to be doing what they’re doing? I don’t think they question because they’re not exposed to anything else.

Some don’t have TV or media to make them think “Oh, life could be this way instead”. They only see life in their household and – their mother did the same, her grandmother did the same – they think of it as normal.

Do some parents resent their child having broader horizons?

No, not at all. Many go on to study in colleges, like in Mathura (the nearest city to Vrindavan) and then go on to start a professional career, which is great! I remember one day, I was at the Radha

Raman temple and saw a girl I'd taught on the street, and wondered why she wasn't in school. So the next day I asked her teacher and they said that sometimes, if parents need them to do something, or run errands, they take them out of school.

So parents are quite casual when it comes to attendance? It seems so, but the school is trying to adopt the western approach of “no, your child must come to school everyday, Monday to Saturday, no matter what”. But it’s a voluntary school, so it’s difficult.

So in terms of the law in India…

Law? Is there one?! (laughing!)

Actually, they do have rules on attendance, but whether it’s followed is another thing!

You already felt strongly about equal opportunities, so I suppose this trip complimented your personal beliefs? Absolutely, I’m a real feminist. It was funny – on the flight back, I was watching a Hindi film about women that had been badly treated by husbands, helping them through education, like teaching them to read. It was so inspiring! And then I thought “this is alot like what I’ve been doing” – encouraging women to stand up for their rights, that they shouldn’t have to put up with being hit or treated like a domestic slave.

So when I got back I went straight to the Trust and spoke with Nitesh, “Let’s do something!” Here in the UK, we’re all trained teachers, we have 14 weeks off in a year – surely there’s a way we can give something back to a school like this? The trip really affected me, so I think “come on, we can do it!”

The beauty of your idea (of taking teachers to the school in India) is that there’s lots to be gained on both sides. You went out there to observe, but it transformed into something much more. How do you think a trip like this would benefit Avanti teachers? It was humbling. The classroom walls – they’re horrible. They have no resources. There’s no interactive

"Girls from villages will most likely be married off at 12 or 14. Then they’re under the orders of the in-laws"

whiteboard, just an old blackboard. There’s no photocopier. How do you teach when your resources are so limited?

That was amazing, to be given a piece of chalk and told “go on, teach”.

You’re thinking, “I need my white board! What about my PowerPoint?!” but you adjust. So now I’m back, if my laptop or whiteboard isn’t working I think, “right – the lesson must go on” and I just figure out how to make it happen. It gave me a new set of skills.

Another benefit is for those that want to learn more about Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Krishna. The Sandipani Muni School is trying to educate children alongside teaching this philosophy, so in many ways, our objectives are the same. They learn quotes from the Bhagavad Gita, they read the epics like Mahabharata, and all sorts of Vaishnava books. It would be great for our colleagues to see that out there.

Also, Vrindavan is the place where Krishna had pastimes. The stories become real, “this is where Krishna danced with Radharani, this is where Krishna played in the Yamuna river”. Teachers often tell me they’d like to go and see these places for themselves. I think it would be a wonderful experience.

I’m a Vaishnava Hindu myself, so for teachers that aren't of the faith, it'll be a similar experience to when I go to Athens and I see the Acropolis, where they did the sacrifices for Athena, or to Delphi, where they heard the Prophecies of Apollo from the Pythia.

How would you structure a trip? It sounds like you’d be the obvious choice for group leader and tour guide! Well, visiting Mayapur was also considered, because that’s where you'd learn all about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, but what I like more about the Sandipani Muni School, is that while they're a faith-based school, they're also very independent and not connected with any particular institution there. There's also a lot of westerners involved in the running of the school, from places like America, Australia, Italy, so it's very convenient for our groups.

There's a coordinator who allocates different classes to volunteers, depending on what subject you teach. They also have their own accommodation near the complex which was stunning! It was clean, near to shops – it was great.

The nearby ISKCON temple has an information centre and tour guides that take groups to see all the important places nearby.

There’s a lot to be learned from going out on these day trips. At school, we celebrate festivals like Govardhan Puja, so when the teachers come back, they can say “You know that mountain that Krishna lifted up? It’s not a small mound like you see in the paintings – it’s a BIG HILL, because we tried

to walk around it and it took 4 hours!” So it’s likely we’ll be booking rikshaws, because I can’t see everyone wanting to walk, do you know what I mean? (laughter!)

There are some beautiful temples out there, even deities that miraculously manifested on their own, like at the Radha Raman temple.

Many of these temples have a real significance to the history of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. And there are some great restaurants too, that are popular with westerners.

How long might the trip last? I think 10 days would be plenty.

That would mean 6 days teaching, with weekend either side, giving you time to take a look around and see the area. When most people think of India they think Taj Mahal, and Agra is only an hour from Vrindavan, so I can imagine everyone saying “Let’s go!” They get to tick off one of the seven wonders of the world!

Another thing that makes the trip is that Vrindavan is also a very typical Indian place. You will see monkeys stealing fruit from the markets, cows in the middle of the road – and what do you have to do? You have to go AROUND the cow – that’s normal! The traffic, going in all directions, people calling out from shops for you to come buy things, the smells of all the different street food cooking away; Vrindavan definitely gives you the full flavour of life in India!

You miss it don’t you! Don’t worry – I’m going back in 3 weeks!

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The

Hangman’s Noose

At Avanti House Secondary School in Harrow, students complete a weekly Free Writing task – an opportunity for imaginations to run wild, without fear of being levelled, a chance to use skills learnt in lessons, and experiment creatively with different types of writing.

Year 9 students were posed the following question: Imagine you are one of these objects from history – the Mona Lisa, the hangman’s noose, Stonehenge or the Orient Express. Write a monologue from the object’s perspective, in character (personifying the object) and explain your thoughts and feelings.

The following is an outstanding piece of Level 7 writing from Karishma Banga, contributed by Meera Vasudeva, Head of English, Avanti House.

T

here goes another life that I took so effortlessly.

1000. He was the thousandth person I had killed.

Other nooses would celebrate but not me. I never asked for this life. I’m a murderer, a cold blooded killer.

At the start, I enjoyed it. Guilty criminals were put in a place where they could cause no more troubledeath. I liked wrapping my strong arms around their evil necks; the feeling of their bones breaking as the floor disappeared from their feet was… was exhilarating! People from far and near would come to witness my strength, staring emotionlessly.

However, it all went wrong when Mary came and took place in my death trap; she was accused of killing

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her own son. An unbelievable deed for a mother but the court had decided, there was no backing down. I had to bring justice.

She looked at me with tear filled eyes. These were not the eyes of a killer but those of a warm loving mother. I couldn’t let her looks deceive me. My arms were secured around her fragile neck and everyone waited in silence for the lever to be pulled.

“Wait, no! Please stop! I’m her son, she didn’t kill me!” The boy shouted from the crowd. I looked down at the limp lifeless body. He was too late. She was dead.

She was innocent. This criminal was innocent. For the first time ever I was the guilty one and she was the victim. I just took an innocent life. Shocked expressions stared at the poor woman; the air was filled with the ear piercing scream of the boy. What had I done?

The body was taken away and the child followed helplessly after it. The crowd cleared away leaving me to wallow in my shame. The painful memories pushed through as I felt her neck snap; I felt her lungs take their final breath; I felt her delicate light body become heavy with death. Her salty tears stained my ropes. Her tears were a permanent reminder of the monster that I am.

by

rs he ac te

Hinduism Handbooks

d de en s m er m ch co ea Re r t fo

g r in e ad n Re r Co

The Ultimate

Rasamandala Das has produced two beautifully illustrated books to guide the novice and give food for thought to those more knowledgable about the traditions and culture of Hinduism – in all its guises.

Book reviewed by James Biddulph The books are well structured, easy to navigate and seem to be well received by both staff and children.

Children often turn to them when in my office to ask questions and I have heard some interesting discussions about the nature of the Divine. I found the History of Hinduism a helpful guide to understanding the cultural and historical contexts within which Hinduism grew and flourished.

The second book is more focused on faith and practice and is more about the religious tradition and practices – although always bearing in mind that with Hinduism there is never one practice but multiple practices influenced by so many factors including geography, culture, language and contextual understanding. Both available from Amazon, and well worth a read!

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Colleague Spotlight Avanti Life would like to introduce Mark Bennison, Principal of Avanti House, as well as Senior Education Officer for Avanti Schools Trust. He tells us why he took the role, and for him, what makes the school so special.

A

lthough, on the Avanti House School website, I do offer a weekly blog of life at Avanti House (The Principal’s Journal www.principalahs.wordpress. com) this is my first contribution to Avanti Life since joining the Trust in September last year.

I have held head and deputy headship roles across five different schools over 15 out of my 32 years in teaching. Whilst they have all been enormously rewarding and successful, I have served most of the time, by purposefully choosing and joining highly challenging, often failing urban and suburban schools. I have then played my part in building teams to lead them to good and outstanding judgments.

This is why most of my friends and colleagues in education were highly perplexed when I told them about Avanti. Having researched it online, “What possessed you to choose something so out of the ordinary” would be their paraphrased question.

The answer is simple. Leading an Avanti Schools Trust free school – a Hindu designated faith school – is an experience out of the ordinary, and for all the right reasons. The foundations of this and all Avanti schools are the same. Our work at Avanti House is inspired by the teachings of the 14th century Hindu saint, Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Chaitanya, a divine incarnation,

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was a social reformer and a key leader for the Gaudiya Vaishnava movement, whose successors now lead one of the largest Hindu sects globally. And our values – Respect, Self-Discipline, Integrity, Courage, Gratitude and Empathy quite literally spill out from His teachings and inform all that we do.

And what do we do? We aim to ensure, in the 15 years a student

"Leading an Avanti Schools Trust free school – a Hindu designated faith school – is an experience out of the ordinary, and for all the right reasons"

might spend at Avanti House, from 4–19, that character formation and spiritual insight stand alongside educational excellence with equal emphasis, rather than something that is bolted on to the curriculum to meet a cynical agenda. We also look, in our students, to build confidence, creativity and a spirit of enterprise. In this way we aim to work closely with families, to nurture all the traits,

as the child becomes the young adult – to ensure that they do not merely survive, but they thrive as they move into the world.

Our schools, when visited, can be witnessed as already living this vision to the fullest extent.

A momentum is gathering that is quite significant; in spite of the immense challenges around buildings and infrastructure we seem to face, relentlessly, the causal factors for which have been completely outside of our control.

The result is, as a school, although getting steadily closer to it, we still remain a long way from our final, physical resting places. In spite of this, with resolve and resilience, our school – loved by students, staff and parents for its authenticity and purpose – continues to grow in reputation and in popularity.

As Krishna said to Arjuna, on the battlefield – symbolic also of all of the challenges of life that will continue to arise, fade and arise again: "O son of Kunti (Arjuna), the non-permanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed."

Bhagavad Gita 2.14

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GettingAcquainted Our interview with Jay Laxman (see 'Jay's Journey' on page 2) has only scratched the surface of this charasmatic character. So where better to start than at the very beginning... Interview by Matthew Whitlock Have you always wanted to be a teacher? No. I did a BA in Classics – learning about the Greek and Roman civilization, including language and philosophy, and I loved it. In my last year they said I could do a floater unit course, because UCL is connected with SOAS. So I went to SOAS in Russell Square for the Sanskrit course.

They told me it would be very difficult, despite having Greek and Latin behind me, but I got a first! I

wanted to go on to do a Masters, but was told I couldn’t because I’d only done a small unit in Sanskrit, but I could study Hinduism with Sanskrit. But I wanted to focus on the Sanskrit, so I did a twoyear diploma course instead.

For my first year, again I got a first. So they said “you know what – forget that. Just do the Masters” and I loved it – learning all the grammatical rules, reading different scriptures from different eras;

we looked at Classical Sanskrit, which is what most people do, but then we looked at Vedic Sanskrit, which is pre-classical. I really fell in love with it; doing my theses on the Yajur Veda (which is a good example of Vedic Sanskrit).

What’s the difference between Classical and Vedic? Some words are pronounced differently. There are some metrical rules (involving accents, meaning you speak in

different pitches) and grammatical rules which are different. Also the meaning of certain words can be different, so it’s quite interesting.

But there’s something about the Vedic Sanskrit that get’s you thinking, “wow, this is what the Aryans used to speak, and for chanting all those mantras for sacrifices” so there's something quite mystical about it! The Yajur Veda is a very old scripture that explains these sacrifices, giving instructions for priests, like, “now the priest picks up this spoon and picks up the ghee with it” and reading this for the first time, I was like, “oh my gosh!”

There are six different versions of the text, but no original in existence, so my argument was that originally there was only one, so I produced a concordance of the six, matching them all up to create a version that I could present, saying “I think the original would have looked like this”. My lecturer was really impressed and asked me to go on to do a PhD. But I can return to do that anytime.

Instead I thought, “enough of being broke – it’s time to get a job!”

It's the curse of the student! Did you work while studying? Whilst studying I worked for John Lewis Oxford Street in the furniture department as a sales assistant – loved it. I was there for 8 years, always part-time. It really taught me professionalism, amazing customer service, how to present myself, skills I’m still using with the kids.

Once I finished my Masters I didn’t know what to do. I thought about teaching as a way to use my languages but didn’t want to risk doing a PGCE at that time.

At John Lewis I moved to visual merchandising and window dressing for the Food Hall. At Christmas I’d have budgets for going crazy with the displays, like £10,000 for champagne from Waitrose. It was so much fun, people tapping on the window while I was working; it felt like my own stage!

I considered working for schools in India, but then heard about Krishna Avanti Primary

School, so I came in to speak with Sandra Clarke, who was in charge of Philosophy & Ethics at the time. She was impressed with my background and invited me to volunteer, teaching Sanskrit to Year 2, the oldest class at the time.

Had Sanskrit been taught at the school prior to that? Two Brahmanas (priests) from the Bhaktivedanta Manor temple had taught them some Sanskrit letters, but that was all.

So you had free reign, a creative license to build your own curriculum from scratch? Yes, but it was really hard at first. I started out thinking “Maybe I’ll do it like this or maybe like that” but Sandra had a very specific way of doing things, “this is how we do it, this is the text we use, it has to be comic sans, for marking you have to use this colour pen, the date has to be written like this… “ I was like “what is a WALT? What is a WILF? We say Learning Objective” but this was my training.

I later took a part-time job for a while, but when Avanti House advertised for a teacher, I applied and was given the job. This was my chance to really start teaching Sanskrit at a higher level, so I had to think really hard about how this should work, so we got in touch with Prana in New Zealand from Goloka Books. His resources for Sanskrit were good but we also needed resources that would take the students to GCSE level.

I’m good friends with the Head of Sanskrit at St. James School, Kensington and we’ve been able to use their syllabus which I love. This brings them to the Cambridge University International GCSE paper, which has more value than the standard GCSE. Were St. James the first to develop a Sanskrit syllabus at this level?

Yes I think so. They have been teaching Sanskrit for over 20 years now I think. So with the lessons learned from St. James, working with the staff at Avanti House and the experience I’ve gained teaching there, my PGCE – with all this behind me, I’ve started

writing my own schemes of work, my own level descriptors, how lessons should run, the plans, I’ve had my NQT teaching with Jo Quelch, which was great, and that taught me about differentiation, assessment for learning – so you know what, I really feel like things are taking shape, and the subject is gaining recognition, not as part of Modern Foreign Languages, but as Ancient Language, which is much more accurate, as Sanskrit works so differently. So we have our GCSE, now it would be nice to get the A-Level in place, so our students can take it further, to SOAS for example, which is a great place.

You’re breaking ground here, which must be exciting, whereas if you were teaching at St. James, you’d be fitting into an already created structure. I like that I’ve been able to take my own journey. It's a real learning experience, getting to know why we should do this, or why we shouldn’t do that. And the kids seemed to have enjoyed it.

How similar is the curriculum at Avanti House to what is taught at St. James?

Eventually it will be the same, but their kids have been learning Sanskrit since Reception, so I’ve got a lot of extra work to bring my Year 8’s to where they need to be.

Luckily, St. James have also created a crash course book, learning the Deva Nagari script in one term, then the grammar that is usually taught over five years in two terms, which is amazing, but it means it’s a lot of work from my side and for the kids. Lots of homework, and lots of concentrating!

At Avanti House, is Sanskrit a compulsory subject after Year 9?

No it’s an option, so I’m competing with a lot of other subjects after Year 9! Fortunately, the kids here enjoy my classes, but I have to remind them “The subject is hard, so do it because you want to learn Sanskrit, not because you want me entertaining you at the front of the class!”

avanti schools trust | www.avanti.org.uk

11

Getting into Teaching You'll always spot a new face as you walk the corridors of Krishna Avanti Primary School in Harrow. A recent arrival, Nicholas Jay, tells us how he is turning teaching theory into practice Why did you decide to go into teaching? Was there a particular experience or influence that inspired you? I decided to go into teaching because I felt that it would be the best use of my skill set. From an early age, I enjoyed working with young people whether as a more senior member of an extra curricular group such as an instrumental ensemble or sports team or in a more formalised teaching setting. As a linguist, teaching offered me a way into the working world that enabled me to travel and also to impart my own love for learning on others from all sort of backgrounds.

Being able to incorporate music, art, sports and other interests

sets teaching apart from most other career choices. It's hard to single out a particular experience as having had a major influence or inspiration on me. Perhaps though teaching came about as a result of my own experiences in education, which were largely positive. I saw the impact that committed and inspiring teachers had on me and wanted to try to emulate that going forward.

Did you enjoy learning when you were at primary school? Are there teachers that you still remember today – for reasons good or bad!

I moved around a lot during my primary age years and this meant that I encountered many different

teachers and schools, all of which brought different approaches and learning environments. I often think back to those years - especially now I am on the other side of the desk! Overall, I would say that I always enjoyed learning. I always wanted to know more and was rarely satisfied with a "...because that's just the way it is" response.

The teachers I remember most are those who embraced the "why?" questions and always had an extra challenge up their sleeves!

I try not to dwell too much on negative experiences as no one is perfect and since I have entered into the profession myself I am increasingly aware of the pressures and demands placed on teachers.

"The teachers I remember most are those who embraced the 'why?' questions and always had an extra challenge up their sleeves!"

Have you taken guidance when deciding on the best possible route into teaching?

Yes, I have taken on board guidance from fellow teachers and family, but really it has been my decision ultimately which route I wanted to pursue. As I am quite academically minded, (and also due to my several years of experience working as a Teaching Assistant, Cover Teacher, English Language Teacher, Tutor, Manny, Youth Worker), it seemed to me that the PGCE would offer the academic rigour and theoretical knowledge that I need to become the teacher that I want to be.

How exactly did the Krishna Avanti chapter come about? What course of study is this a part of? I was placed here through my University, the Institute of Education as part of a one year PGCE course (Post Graduate Certificate of Education).

Anand Chhatralia (Y9) wins regional Young Writers competition Avanti House Secondary entered a Young Writers competition called 'Mini Monologues' where students had to write a monologue of a character's thoughts and feelings in 100 words. Congratulations to 1st place winner Anand Chhatralia – his work has been published on the front cover – and well done to fellow Avanti House students that also entered.

How is it going? What stands out as different from other schools you have encountered? As with any new post, the challenge has been to get to know the children and also the ethos and culture of the school environment. I have to say that this has happened much quicker than usual thanks to the school's supportive staff and engaging pupils. It is precisely this that makes KAPS Harrow stand out as different from other schools. It feels like a family and the way that each component part supports one another is a huge credit to everyone involved from the pupils and teachers to the governors and those working on the business side of things.

What comes next? I will be on placement at the school until the end of February and the course itself runs until July after which it's onwards and into my first job. There will be a year of continued support and guidance which is known as an NQT year (Newly Qualified Teacher), after which I gain full QTS (Qualified Teacher Status). So the course is best imagined as a two year process really.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? In 10 years from now I hope to be still enjoying teaching and perhaps have the opportunity to practise in a school abroad.

40 years from now?! Let's just say that given the current climate with all the changes being made to retirement ages and pensions, I'll be doing well if I'm retired somewhere hot and sunny looking back on a career well spent. Time will tell...

avanti schools trust | www.avanti.org.uk

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James Biddulph reminds us how inspiration lies all around us, but we must first find it for ourselves before attempting to inspire others

As educators it is our duty to be inspired: to find the joy in life, the magnificence in a butterfly’s tongue, to notice the gilding on a coffee table as the autumnal light filters through copper leaves.

To be inspired? The word originates from Latin for ‘breathing into’, to infuse (as life) by breathing, to draw forth or bring out and to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence. And yet as teachers we often default into believing we are machinists; churning the mix, rotating the conveyor belt with our precious product – the children in our midst. How often do we inspire ourselves? How do we nurture our own sense of self and identity so that we come to the classroom fully present to inspire the smiling faces in front of us?

John Dewey, one of the most influential educators in the last hundred years said that education is life itself and it struck me that what we do day in day out is about inspiring a life of learning. The challenges of opening new schools from scratch shows us that we, as adults, are on this everlasting journey… Dewey seems so right.

The Avanti Schools are about inspiration for the children and the wider community. But how can we breathe into the imaginations of the young people in our care if we do not breathe into our own imaginations the sense of possibilities? How do we involve them in exploring their world

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and indeed in constructing their world if we do not spend time writing, painting, dancing or singing our own worlds?

Maxine Greene, another incredible educator and philosopher, comments that engaging in dialogue (and within this, listening) is a corner stone in building respectful, thoughtful and fuller communities. She suggests that there are many voices silenced in the discourse about education and in my own PhD study I realise more and more how little we know of children’s lives, let alone hearing their authentic voices.

We have talked in our meetings and collaborations about developing Listening Schools and a key motivation has been how do we serve our unique communities; to hear them and respond to their needs and concerns.

"We are all different, but we all burn the same bright spark of inspiration" This is not always easy. The ethos of our schools does, somehow, inspire reflection and thought about the purpose of life and what contribution our schools make on our young people’s journeys of self-discovery.

We try to engage them in discussions about their school, the material and spiritual aspects of life, and ask them to think deeply.

Deep listening requires time. To find time in a crowded curriculum and the pressures of the normal school day requires commitment, tenacity and belief in the joys of life

and a heartfelt need to connect.

We try to listen to our parent body by including them, in breaking down the traditional school gate divide and bring them along the journey our schools are taking. We try to respond to their views by giving time. We try to acknowledge the differences and find ways through.

My time at Avanti Court has been inspiring. I am not sure whether there has been much time for me to be inspiring but that has been the learning point for me. As I move onto my next life challenge, I reflect on what my sojourn with Avanti Schools Trust has taught me: to be kind to oneself, to find time to connect with people, to find the joy in what we do, whether cleaning flooded toilets or in singing with children, to acknowledge that things go wrong and then they come right, that good things always require extra effort and that whilst we are all different, we burn the same bright spark of inspiration (whether called Krishna, spirit or humanity) that can burn brightest in challenging moments.

Once my good friend said to me that in every task that comes our way we should come to it with the same energy and spirit as a child feeding ducks and I rather liked the image. If we can inspire a little and be inspired, we will find ways through for every child, I think.

Robert Frost once said, “Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.” So in being confident that listening deeply will inspire, I think our schools will ignite so many possibilities and huge joy in the incredibleness of a butterfly’s tongue.

Let there be peace Krishna Avanti Primary School, Leicester have created a living, lasting legacy to mark Interfaith Week and the Centenary of World War 1 The school has created a garden of reflection and remembrance in declaring that peace and harmony is achieved through respect and understanding of our differences.

Faith leaders from across the city and the School Council planted a number of trees; one for each of the main faiths. Each tree species has a particular significance and importance for each of the faiths and their beliefs.

The garden will become a living lasting legacy

for peace and remembrance within the school grounds. Principal Mary Lawson explains, "We are a school that has a Hindu faith foundation, however we welcome those of all faiths and none into our school. It is one of our school’s core values that we have respect and empathy for everyone. Our children will maintain this garden and use it for learning and reflection as part of their schooling.

Over time we intend to make further enhancements with bulbs, wildflowers and seating area."

Take Pride in our Krishna Avanti Lions Harsh Mandavia of SuperSkills UK is coach for the newly formed football team of Krishna Avanti Primary School in Harrow. Avanti Life grabs him at half-time for the latest report

Is SuperSkills your own business?

What inspired you to work with kids? Yes it's my own business.

SuperSkills was formed and developed in Indonesia by exprofessional Dale Mulholland, who I first met when I was out there for 5 months coaching for Arsenal Soccer Schools Indonesia. I loved the idea behind SuperSkills – which was to create "Ronaldo"-like and "Messi"-like players for every team – and went into talks with him about franchising it out to the UK. We’re currently the only SuperSkills franchise operating in UK. My first experience of coaching in a school and seeing the positive influence we had on each child was truly inspiring. As coaches, to have a child learn from you, respect you and develop through your coaching, it’s an amazing feeling. At the same time, refining a child’s mindset for the positive growth and development of society – to create a better future for the children – is a challenge we accept daily and include as part of our regular responsibilities.

How did the Krishna Avanti / SuperSkills partnership begin?

We’ve been coaching at KAPS Harrow since April 2013. We advertised our after school club programme to several schools in the area. KAPS was one of the schools who found it of interest and got in touch with us. We set up a demo for the children, which they thoroughly enjoyed, and soon after that we began the club once a week. Once the results of our unique training methods started to show and the popularity of the club increased, we set up an additional day so more children could have the chance to enrol. We now have 75 children in total enrolled into our after school clubs at KAPS and we’re really happy at how well they’re progressing through our martialarts style belts grading system.

Is there anything you've noticed that stands out about the kids here? We can really feel the unity between the children here. The support and encouragement they

give each other is such a positive thing to see. Each student in our clubs is always willing to help another learn a skill they may have mastered, wishing the others good luck when they’re about to be graded, and they show great sportsmanship during the 1-v-1 Soccer games we play as part of our training. In fact, this unity was the reason our coaches believed it would be great for these children to form a school team.

Are there other ways the kids might benefit, like on a personal level? SuperSkills teaches the skills as per our name – "Super" Skills – i.e. Above and beyond normal skills.

It is true we start from the very basic skill set, but these children are developing and perfoming skills and tricks with the ball that they never would have imagined they

"The players know each other so well that I’m sure they’ll unite well for the game against Deansbrook"

the idea being that the school would have a Year 6 Football Team (with a few exceptional Year 5’s) and the Year 4’s would just be starting their team training early so that when they reach Year 5/6, they know how to play with each other and are ready to fill the shoes.

Do you have plans for the team to compete on a regular basis?

We’re hoping to enter a regional league starting next academic year. We don’t know the details of which league or fixtures yet, but I’m building contacts with other schools and finding out what leagues they are part of. I assume in any league, half the fixtures will be at home and half will be away.

KAPS Harrow has an excellent 3G Astro-turf pitch, which we can make use of as the host venue.

How many year groups in the school could potentially form teams? I see Years 3 and 4 as the developing stages, which means no matches for them, but we can start training them to have the skillset required to play in a team. School matches will be more for the Year 5’s and 6’s.

could do. Take balancing the ball on their foot for example, and then flicking it up, and catching it again on their foot. I, myself learned this skill when I was 16 years old, and these children have mastered it already. They’re all turning into the cool kid who can do so many tricks and show off with the ball – the cool kid that we always wanted to be! Their self-confidence is rising, and it's not just the boys, it's the girls as well! Incredible!

What's the atmosphere among the Krishna Avanti Lions team towards the upcoming match with Deansbrook? They’re so excited! They’ve been waiting for this for a long time. I believe the internal matches we’ve been having between the Year 5 team and Year 6 team has helped them develop the competitive edge, as well as learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses. As a result, the players know each other so well that I’m sure they’ll unite well for the game against Deansbrook.

What was behind the idea for a school football team? I discussed this project with Mrs. Sahni about a year ago – when I thought there were some talented players with potential who could represent the school well if the school had a team. The project kicked off (excuse the pun) from there really.

We set up lunchtime training sessions for Years 4, 5 and 6, with

What sort of an outcome are you hoping for? Deansbrook are a good side. It’ll be interesting to see how well we do in our first game against another school. I won’t be putting any pressure on them for a result, I want them to enjoy this experience and learn from any mistakes. If we play well as a team and encourage each other, it’ll be a very close game.

avanti schools trust | www.avanti.org.uk

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It has always been hard for reporters to get interviews with superheroes, so Avanti Life felt very lucky to get 5 minutes with Sapna Claire and Dimple Pandya of the valiant FOAC team from Avanti Court Primary School, Redbridge Interview by Matthew Whitlock

Can you tell us about some recent events you have organised?

What made them memorable for you? Any funny stories?

Dimple As Chair of the previous FOAC committee and Vice Chair of the current one, I'd say the most memorable for me would be the Cake & Bake Sale, Summer Fair and the more recent Disco Dandia event. The Cake & Bake Sale was a quick win idea really as it was low resource, cost effective, and with a high profit margin! The fact that all cakes and savouries were donated

by Avanti Court parents meant our costs were pretty much zero!

Some parents donated purchased cakes whilst many put their baking skills to the test; the outcome was fabulous! One parent baked a cake in the form of the Avanti Court emblem. This was a real hit; none of us really wanted to slice it up

but it was gone in seconds! We had fancy ladybird cupcakes; even ice cream style ones. The event was a sell-out so I'm sure another is on the cards for next year.

The grand finale of the former committee was the Summer Fair in July 2014. Although we made a last minute decision to move it indoors (due to unpredictable weather) the event was a big hit! For me the highlight was definitely the Avanti's Got Talent stage show! Lots of Avanti Court pupils performed by singing, dancing, telling jokes, sharing prayers etc. It was so heartrending and such a proud moment to see not just our own children but those of our school showcasing their skills. Ironically the weather held up, so we could have had the fair outdoors – ho hum!

Sapna I’ve been part of FOAC since the school first opened. This is my first year as Chairperson, and while I have found it challenging, at the same time it's very rewarding. In the last 2 years, my most memorable

event was this year's Summer Fair; in particular, the talent show. We had a lovely stage with a beautiful backdrop, donated to the school for the day by one of the parents.

It was brilliant! There was no competition; it was all about the children showing what they were good at and felt confident doing.

To make them feel special, each child received a medal. Also, our lovely Headteacher Mr Biddulph offered his services for a 'Sponge the Teacher’ stall, which the kids loved, and I think he did as well.

Dimple The first FOAC event of the current committee was the Disco Dandia event, just last week. With lots of different genres of Asian music blasting out, both kids and parents seemed to have fun dancing away – I know I certainly did, as my legs were in agony that night!

How receptive do you find local businesses? I expect it might be a challenge for a new school that local people are not familiar with…

The Summer Fair was such a success, it could mean only one thing...

It was the work of FOAC!!

Meanwhile, at the Winter Wonderland...

Dimple It has certainly been a challenge, however equally, for several events we've had some great prizes donated by local businesses, so we're slowly making our mark. I think events such as the Summer Fair, which was open to all the local community (and also advertised as such) gives us greater exposure and therefore generates more interest from local businesses. It's a hard task but we have to persevere to forge good relationships, so it's a win-win situation for all!

What methods do you use when communicating within the school community? Do you have any tips for effectively marketing your ideas?

Sapna Since the school has opened, we have always strived to improve communication. For up-to-date news, we have a closed group on Facebook, open to Avanti Court parents. Also, parents are more than welcome to update each other of forthcoming local events. We have a FOAC newsletter, announcing events we've planned for the year, monies raised for the school, etc. We have WhatsApp groups to keep parents in touch with daytime events at school, so I feel in this day and age, there are so many ways for us to communicate with one another.

Dimple I think our strategy is pretty good, in that we aim to inform people using whatever mediums are available – our Facebook page, posters around the school, the WhatsApp groups, the school

"I want every year to be better than the last"

newsletter... we don't want anyone to miss out on what we have to say!

It's definitely effective – not just for the school community but also for when we advertise events open to all. All it needs is for parents to share info with their friends and family and automatically we have a bigger audience.

If you had the chance to advertise on a billboard, but using only one message to inspire support for the school, what would you say?

Dimple 'With a unique ethos based on educational excellence, character formation and spiritual insight, why not consider Avanti Court Primary School. You have nothing to lose, everything to gain'.

Sapna ‘Educational excellence, spiritual awareness, a journey of self-discovery. Intrigued?

Come to Avanti Court Primary School, where we are all one and everyone is welcome’.

What has been the greatest challenge you’ve faced in running FOAC? Sapna I feel that every challenge is a great one. From the beginning to the end – the mad rush, the exhaustion, the fun and laughter from the children and their families.

It’s well worth it. The feedback and comments we receive from every event put you on cloud nine.

Dimple For me, getting the

team back on form postevents, as everyone is rightly physically and mentally shattered after all their hard work.

But we had to keep going, preparing for the next event... no rest for the wicked!

Tell us about your plans?

What’s on your Christmas list for Avanti Court?

Dimple Lots of exciting plans for fun events to take us through to the summer! We want the Avanti community to enjoy themselves as well as raising funds for our school. We have several projects in the pipeline but the Christmas list at present is a new library for the school, and gym equipment – both valuable resources and much needed!

Sapna As this year's Chair, I want every year to be better than the last. We recently had our first 'Disco Dandia', and are now working on our Winter Wonderland, which was a super hit last year, so this time we're aiming even higher. FOAC tries to involve everyone, so everybody can have a great time. Each year we have new team members which gives us fresh ideas and pushes our events to another level.

Come to our events and see the love and effort invested, to give our school community a brilliant time!

avanti schools trust | www.avanti.org.uk

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Learning to Lead A Spiritual Dimension At the 2014 Avanti Schools Trust Conference, Mary Lawson invites us all to become leaders, painting for us a vivid picture of leadership in a far more spiritual guise

Here I am – a committed Christian, Principal of Krishna Avanti Primary School in Leicester – a faith school based on the HinduVaishnava teachings of Chaitanya.

And you may be asking "Why?" An excellent question really.

What do I really know about the intricacies of this particular faith?

How could I possibly lead? Well, I didn't arrive here for a lack of a job and a need to find one.

Prior to joining Krishna Avanti I was the Director for Education for the Diocese of Leicester. Within the Diocese I had 97 schools, a multi-academy trust and we were an accredited sponsor. I was also Chief Executive of two businesses within this wider family of education provision. Certainly enough to keep me busy and challenged, to say the least.

So my move over to Krishna Avanti might be seen as an extraordinary move, and a 'backwards' one, returning to a single school environment. Well, the title of my talk is 'Learning to Lead: A Spiritual Dimension' and hopefully as I elaborate, you will see and understand, giving cause to reflect on your own journeys here and how you move forward from here back to your schools.

Let me start with an unreferenced quotation: "It takes a special person to light that fire, to raise our children's expectations for themselves and

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never give up on them, no matter how challenging it might be." All of us are here because at some point somebody did that for us.

Faith and education have been linked for just over two hundred years, since the National Society embarked on their ambitious mission to create a school for every parish in the country.

These schools were set up fifty years before the state took an interest in education for all. All

"Schools are about allowing children and communities to grow and flourish.

Like plants, they also need to be nourished and cared for"

schools, and especially those with a faith foundation, are about allowing our children and our communities to grow and flourish.

Like plants, they also need to be nourished and cared for. I believe that in schools this is achieved through the spiritual dimension of headship and leadership.

Sharing the leadership Both of my previous headships were in schools which were vulnerable and each time their OfSTED’s were due! Turning these schools around was indeed very hard work – certainly not a 9–3 job with long holidays – as many people believe! Turning them around with all the staff and governors and parents took total commitment; it was indeed very fulfilling and indeed a joy.

To have a Good/Outstanding school where the best is offered to all children is amazing; a place where all were happy and where all flourished; where solid foundations are built in each child, through values, faith, care and passion for what is right for every individual.

In some cases the safe, secure supportive and happy environment we provide in our school is potentially the only place our children have that feeling. This was certainly the case when I was the head of a school in the 8th most deprived part of Leicestershire, where the majority of the children

In 2004, an OfSTED publication offered a at the school were be a shared staff description of what a spiritually developed pupil very, very needy. understanding of what might be like at the end of their schooling. One They appreciated each of these areas phrase sticks out above all others – that a spiritually everything you did in includes. Spiritual developed person will show “a readiness to challenge such a simple way; development is the all that would constrain the human spirit". It goes on it was, I have to say development of the to list the kind of things that do this, for example: very humbling. inner being which What made it engages and sustains • poverty of aspiration; possible to transform us in life, and for them, was being able many people with • lack of confidence and belief; to engage all the religious beliefs, this • moral neutrality / indifference; staff and governors continues when we • force; in developing and die. It may be seen as • greed / self interest; delivering a shared the development of a vision for the school. As sense of identity, self • injustice; a head, it is impossible worth, personal insight, • fanaticism / narrowness of vision, and; to achieve success on meaning and purpose, • sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination. your own; it is essential the development of that we encourage a child’s 'spirit', soul This list reminds us all that spiritual development and empower every and personality or is not only about your inner life but also about the member of the character, the growing impact that you make on the world. team to lead. Some ability of children will embrace the to recognise and opportunity more act on the insights, but I knew it had to be a school than others but it's my principles, beliefs, where faith was fundamental – a firm belief that we are all guided attitudes and values that should Church of England school. in what we do and where we go in inspire or guide them in life.

There have been all kinds of life. Some people call this 'destiny'.

Our school curriculum is cultural shifts since then; one Others, with a deeper spiritual intended to provide opportunities of the most notable being the belief, will ascribe that to God. for this aspect of the individual re-emergence of spirituality in to develop, under the banner of our society as a whole, and in Witnessing a cultural shift “awe and wonder”! Doesn't this educational thinking. Supporting In all the schools I have worked enable all of us to look within pupils’ development in 'Spiritual, in, the one that I found most ourselves at our relationships, at Moral, Social, and Cultural draining was when I was a deputy the wider world, at our vision of the Education' has been a key purpose headteacher, prior to my first divine or the ultimate reality with of education since the 1980s, headship. The school took virtually characteristics of courage, hope, and more recently, renewed no account of spiritual wellbeing. acceptance, strength and love, so emphasis of this in OfSTED's No RE was taught, as they believed that we and all our children and framework from 2012 onwards. having ‘assembly’ (not Collective students can face the sufferings, In order to support Spiritual, Worship) 2 or 3 times a week challenges and opportunities Moral, Social, and Cultural covered it all! It was so much of human life in its fullness. development there has to easier for the headteacher (and Let me now focus on some therefore the staff) to handle. aspects of what the spiritual There was also an issue about dimension of leadership is. these assemblies – they were all based on work done in class, #1 We are all spiritual beings funny stories and of course moral To start with, we are all first and issues. Certainly no mention of foremost human beings; like faith, any faith, or God, or even the parents, staff, governors and prayers! This, I was told, was more every child in the school. Children than enough and certainly covered do find that very hard to believe Religious Education! My request at times! But simply as human for worship to include stories, beings, we need to take the references, prayers for all faiths, reality of their personal spirituality was scorned. I wonder what words seriously. They too are spiritual you would use for the ethos of this beings with souls to be nourished school? It was at this point that I and they need to recognise this had to look further. I wanted to and work on their own spiritual ABOVE: Mary and her team at lead a school, to guide the staff to intelligence and spirituality. the 2014 Annual Conference create a special place for children, avanti schools trust | www.avanti.org.uk

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#2 Take responsibility for spirituality The next dimension follows very straightforwardly – all the staff, governors and pupils with whom we work and for whom we have a responsibility, are also human beings. They too are spiritual people whose spiritual intelligence needs to be recognised and developed. Failure to do this is a failure to work with the whole child and every child does matter.

Depsite this phrase being dropped by the present Government, it hasn't been dropped in any of the schools that I've had the privilege to be head – only I say “Every child matters to God.” We all must note that we don't live in isolation, as separate individuals, but are made for community and communion with one another as well as with God. The nurture, care and development of everyone’s spiritual life is set within our communal life together.

Someone once said that “Before you are a leader, success is about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is about growing others”. In our schools, it's all about growing others, our pupils and the school community. #3 Do you have what it takes?

Thirdly, we can all be leaders and leadership carries with it a spiritual responsibility. Leadership is about vision and direction.

It is about 'administration' in the sense of being the driver, captain, helmsman or woman of a ship – steering the vessel on the correct course; avoiding the dangers wherever possible.

This takes real commitment and also takes courage.

Leadership requires a degree of personal security and calm; it requires the capacity to be still in the midst of the storm, calm in the face of panic, thoughtful when emotions are running high.

Leadership requires the ability not just to know something 22

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but to know how to use that knowledge – that is, it requires discernment and wisdom.

Leadership requires energy and focus and faithfulness. Leadership requires care and compassion. All of these – calm, thoughtfulness, wisdom, discernment, faithfulness, care and compassion – are all spiritual qualities.

In the Bible, Paul describes the fruit of the spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Good leadership is marked by all of these. Leadership is also about seeking the very best for the people involved in the life of that institution, and for the good of the institution as an entity itself.

"No teacher can be an island. An outstanding head will never use I but always We" This responsibility is a spiritual activity because it is about the total wellbeing of each child, from all backgrounds, creeds, colours, faiths, each member of staff, and the corporate life of the school.

The secret to an outstanding school As principal of the school, yes, you are the leader of many things.

A headteacher has to be the educational leader, the business leader and so on, but you are also the spiritual leader, and to ignore this dimension will be to diminish the whole of the head's leadership role, capacity and influence.

A principal is quite simply the spiritual leader of the life of the school community. What they do to tangibly create this spiritual environment in and around the whole school community is, in my view, what makes the difference

between an average headteacher and an outstanding one. If it's done passionately and genuinely you can feel it when you enter a school.

But the secret behind an outstanding school is a team of people who are drawn to the same path – striving for the best and leaders of not only the children within the classroom but for the wider school community. No teacher can be an island. An outstanding head will never use 'I' but always 'we'. An outstanding school has to have the total commitment and drive of everyone – 'we'.

It needn't be lonely at the top In April 2010, I found myself in a very privileged position, having been offered the job of Diocesan Director of Education for the Diocese of Leicester. I have to say on that first morning it was a very exciting but daunting (even scary!) place to be. 97 schools in the Diocese and a very small team of staff, as well as me!

For those of us that are principals, chairs of governors or chairs of trusts, it can also be relatively lonely. Everyone expects us to have the answers to every possible challenge and problem. But, we are also human!

We also need your support to keep us going along that path.

The following poem is called 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost. It's of particular significance to me and I felt the need to share it. Many times in life we reach a crossroad; which path to choose?

Do we have the courage and conviction to follow? In chapter 4 of the Gita it says that Krishna created the many paths upon which we all walk. He advises us to continue working, but without attachment, for the paths and ways created by Him are formed so as to rediscover our real nature and again share with love and freedom in His existence.

Learning to Lead: A Spiritual Dimension

clear in the leadership of schools within the Avanti Schools Trust family. Christian Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, spirituality is rooted in And sorry I could not travel both the following of Jesus And be one traveler, long I stood Christ. For our schools And looked down one as far as I could it is rooted in the To where it bent in the undergrowth; teachings of Chaitanya.

To quote from Ranchor Then took the other, as just as fair, Prime's book The And having perhaps the better claim, Birth of Kirtan: Because it was grassy and wanted wear; “Chaitanya ignited a Though as for that the passing there spiritual revolution. He Had worn them really about the same, defied the superficial, oppressive and And both that morning equally lay sectarian boundaries In leaves no step had trodden black. of His times by Oh, I kept the first for another day! declaring that pure Yet knowing how way leads on to way, love for Krishna (God) I doubted if I should ever come back. is the privilege of all souls regardless of I shall be telling this with a sigh their caste or station Somewhere ages and ages hence: in life. He taught and Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— explained how this love I took the one less traveled by, inspires compassion And that has made all the difference. for all beings – He proclaimed the precious treasure of this Putting our ethos into action love is within our hearts and If within our schools we can distil that everyone is entitled to it." our ethos, values and spiritual He taught that God has many purpose into a shared belief and names, each of them empowered common purpose, then everyone to awaken the dormant love within can take a lead in the school, our hearts.

He fearlessly confronted regardless of that person’s status. In prejudice of the oppressive caste fact, some of the best leaders I had system. He thought that sincere, in my previous school were a pair loving intent was all that mattered; of teaching assistants, who really not the material value of things. 'got it'. They emanated that ‘Ready Chaitanya extended his mercy Brek’ glow to everyone around equally from kings and to stray them – to be honest, putting some dogs. One qualification is to of the teaching staff to shame! open your heart to accept His Everything said so far applies grace – Jesus did the same – He to leadership in any school – any proclaimed 2 commandments, good school. Every school has a not 10. To love your God and to spiritual ethos. It may be entirely love one another. There are so secular or a generalised spirituality many similarities between the which recognises the broad brush teachings of both men. So, can we spiritual reality of people, or an take the teachings of both, reflect Islamic, Christian, Sikh, Hindu upon them and build them into a or Jewish spirituality, where the set of spiritual secrets for school school is rooted in these faiths. leaders? Yes I think we can.

So let's focus on the spiritual The Road Not Taken

dimension of leadership; something that should be very

A healthy spiritual diet In my experience, we need to

ensure we plan our work, allowing space for the other things that nourish and refresh us, to delegate – ensuring the priorities are kept in focus. Then we might ask for both ourselves and for our schools: “What feeds our spiritual life?"

What has continually fed God’s people down through the ages?

The answer is our holy texts, prayer, worship, fellowship, giving, witness and work. Being with God, stillness and meditation, trust and obedience in God, openness, working for equity and justice, proclaiming the good news to the world, and wishing goodness for all life and the world. These are the things that nourish spirituality.

If we are to lead, then we also need to be growing in our spiritual life. We need to offer a balanced diet in our schools – a balance of different traditions – a balance of activity and stillness and a balance of scripture and prayer.

The most important aspect of leadership is recognising its spiritual dimension. It's a role into which we can grow and develop. It's a role which is, I believe, God-given and it's God who creates that path, who leads you to the crossroads.

Which path would you take?

My career has been so fulfilling – the joy of each and every child and the school's ethos blazing out for all to feel and see, observe, and be drawn to. My question to you all: look at the pathway ahead.

How will you find your place in contributing to the leadership within our schools in more ways than just academic attainment, so that everyone in the whole school community can benefit?

I will leave you now with a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: “A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader.

A great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves” So go out today and find the confidence to be brilliant, and inspire everyone around you.

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From Despair to Deliverance We all prefer our journeys to get off to a good start. When it comes to enlightenment, that's not always the case. Dr. Graham M. Schweig offers the mighty Arjuna as an example of how we can turn things around.

karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah prcchami tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah | yac chreyah syan niscitam bruhi tan me sisyas te ’ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam || My very being is afflicted by a piteous weakness of spirit.

My thoughts on dharma are completely bewildered.

I ask you, tell me what is definitely better for me.

I am your student— instruct me, for I have offered myself unto you.

Bhagavad Gītā, Chapter 2, Verse 7

The Bhagavad Gītā is the great classic on yoga that opens with the tension of imminent battle, as each army, lined up like pieces on a chessboard, looks over the other, setting the stage for its teaching. The first half of the first chapter is the narration of the outer conflict of a civil war (1-27), which precipitates Arjuna’s inner conflict in the second half (28-47). Anticipating that he will have to fight and slay those whom he loves and reveres, Arjuna is overcome with debilitating despair. How do we act in a world of conflict and 24

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suffering? This is the essential question that the Gītā asks for all of us.

The first half of this verse expresses Arjuna’s condition of despair. He is feeling such torment, and he does not know how to think about his purpose in the world.

If we as humans do not know how to think clearly about something or how to understand it, and if we feel overwhelmed by weakness, then our actions are stifled. Here Arjuna does not know how to act as a

by

"Y o is ur te su m ff po er ra ing ry "

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d te en r rm ai To esp d

A appr rjuna oach Krish es na

From Despair to Dharma

na Arju om ed fr by t f i l is ir espa his d ching a oa r appr teache

The imm in batt ent le

warrior for a battle that is about to occur because of the ways in which he feels and thinks. He does not know how to act, for he is plagued by inner conflict.

Thus Arjuna, in the second half of the verse, turns to Krishna who is more knowledgeable, and who can see more clearly than he can. The ways in which Arjuna expresses his condition of suffering in the first half of the verse have moved him to the source of enlightenment in the second half. It is no wonder why the first chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā is traditionally entitled, “The Yoga of Arjuna’s Despair.”

Yes, the state of despair or suffering becomes yoga if it brings us to enlightened sources that constitute stages to enlightenment, if such sources can show us a way to feel our innate blissful nature, and if they can reveal how to think about our life purpose and activity, or dharma.

never be fully resolved or dissolved by earthly methods, but rather such conflict can lead us to our innermost hearts.

We learn through serious yoga practice that suffering is never permanent, yet happiness can be eternal, boundless, and imperishable. All temporary sorrow and happiness dissipates as we discover through yoga our authentic spiritual nature of eternal bliss.

An enlightened teacher knows often what is better for us, and thus Arjuna requests this of Krishna. But Arjuna also knows that he must submit himself to Krishna as a student, as he expresses his desire to do so here.

Such submission allows him to request instruction and guidance. Such submission tacitly expresses that Krishna is someone in whom Arjuna can place his full trust and confidence, a very powerful sense that it is Krishna who can be his shelter, his refuge.

This verse anticipates a later verse (Chapter 4, Verse 34) in which the student must find such a teacher who knows and sees reality with total clarity, who deserves our reverence, one whom we trust with any question whatsoever, and one to whom we can offer some service in gratitude.

"The greatest gift an exalted teacher offers is the assistance in hearing the voice of the divine within our own hearts"

Krishna, first his charioteer and then the teacher to whom Arjuna submits is later revealed as the very inner voice of the divine in all of us. The greatest gift an exalted teacher offers is the assistance in hearing the voice of the divine speaking from within our own hearts. From this voice, Arjuna will learn, as can all of us, that all forms of suffering and inner conflict can

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opening the doors to our schools

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