ISA Journal Issue 14

ISSUE 14 | NOV 2016

ARTICLES

THE JOURNAL FOR INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

ISA JOURNAL

TEACHING STEM

IN ISA SCHOOLS

GIRLS ON BOARD: Tackling the Mean Girls Culture

RE-INVENTING

Gifted and Talented

Cover Photo: Parsons Green Prep 1School

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WELCOME

WELCOME FROM THE CEO AN AMERICAN FRIEND OF MINE OFTEN USES THE EXPRESSION, “MORE X THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK AT”, WITH X BEING A SWARM OF BEES, JUNK EMAIL, TRICK-OR-TREATERS OR WHATEVER HAPPENS TO COME HIS WAY, THREATENING TO OVERWHELM THE SYSTEM.

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ell, like just about everyone else working in education, my stick is shaking furiously and I’m sometimes not sure where to point. Govian fallout continues to narrow the post-16 curriculum and once-popular and certainly enriching A-levels are steadily being felled like trees at a Fracking site. Many standalone AS-levels may also disappear as schools are struggling to co-teach and Awarding Bodies cut their losses (“Co-teach” used to mean a shared class, not one class with one teacher and two specifications to cover). GCSEs have become incoherent almost overnight as the public struggles to comprehend the mix of 0-9 reformed qualifications and unreformed graded offerings, with deserved pity heaped on schools who have to enlighten bemused parents at subject consultation meetings. Explain that it’s only in England where this applies and employers in the audience will wonder what happens when an Englishman, a (Northern) Irishman, a Welshman and a Scot happen to walk into a bar looking for a job, clutching armfuls of incomparable certificates. Add on the calculations for Progress and Attainment 8, which rival the Duckworth-Lewis method for determining the result of weathershortened county cricket matches, and the confusion is palpable. All I know is that if a child’s GCSE English examination is disrupted by a hurricane then the D-L method kicks in with a C grade. Or a 4+. Heaven help them if they are studying The Tempest.

So I really do hesitate to mention compliance and inspections. After a consultation period which seemed like the antithesis of the interminable Goddard (Butler-Sloss, Woolf, Jay…) Inquiry, ISI has introduced a new inspection cycle largely based

on compliance and minimising the opportunities for true school improvement. There’s quite a backstory here as you can imagine, but schools are juggling with a fresh version of KCSiE at the same time as the inspectorate launched a raft of updated documentation, including a new “commentary on the regulatory requirements” (133 pages), in the first few weeks of September. Further, after historically reporting large surpluses (£1.1m in 2012), ISI’s accounts showed losses of £532,000 in 2014 and £682,000 in 2015. So it’s no surprise that schools are now facing an increase in inspection charges averaging 30%, though actual pricing details remain hidden despite commencement of the new cycle. Fortunately, following a period where many schools found themselves non-compliant for the most trivial of reasons, all ISA schools inspected in the Summer Term met the requirements and the feedback on the few integrated inspections carried out since is generally positive. Of course, the spectre of unannounced inspections unfairly triggered by parents disputing fees still forces heads to glance over proverbial shoulders rather than keeping binocular vision focused firmly on teaching and learning.

That’s why this edition of the ISA Journal trains its optics on what is truly important in our schools. Andrew Hampton (Thorpe Hall, ISA East) illustrates an innovative approach to tackling the “mean girls” culture, while colleagues from Parsons Green Prep and Alton Convent (both ISA London West) argue that creativity underpins successful STEM programmes in their schools. (I wonder how many ISA schools have appointed a STEM captain?) Helen Pascoe-Williams

(Princethorpe, ISA Midlands) describes how the school’s Da Vinci scheme has reinvigorated its approach to their Gifted and Talented, while David Brazier (St James’ Senior Boys’, ISA London North) muses on the skills and attributes of his senior leadership team, suggesting a powerful (and, phew, reasonably inexpensive) tool for schools to consider. You’ll also see what authors David Didau and Nick Rose believe every head should know about psychology, and what our own Chair, Stuart Nicholson (CCSS, ISA East) sees as the challenges that face us in the term ahead. Stuart’s stick wags just as furiously as mine, as you’ll appreciate.

Neil Roskilly, CEO

Write for the ISA Journal – ISA’s Members want to hear about best practice in any area. Send a brief outline or topic to neil.roskilly@isaschools.org.uk.

CONTRIBUTORS Editor in Chief Neil Roskilly, CEO Stuart Nicholson CCSS Andrew Hampton Thorpe Hall School Helen Pascoe-Williams Princethorpe College David Brazier St James’ Senior Boys School Louise McDowall, Alison Sugden and Shalyn Barrie Parsons Green Prep Graham Maher Alton Convent Design & print by BAINES – Barley House, Sopers Road, Cuffley, Herts EN6 4RY. T: 01707 872882 www.bainesdesign.co.uk

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In this issue 6 - 8

ISA School News

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From the Chair

11 Introducing Our New Members 12 - 13 Gaining with Training ISA Courses and Conferences

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14 - 15 Girls on Board Andrew Hampton on Takling the Mean Girls culture 17 - 19 Teaching STEM How ISA schools are leading the way 21 - 23 Re-inventing Gifted and Talented Princethorpe College’s Da Vinci Programme

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24 - 26 The Leadership Challenge Building an effective SLT 29 - 32 Psychology: What Every Teacher Needs to Know 34 - 35 New: ISA Gun Dog Challenge Final 2016 37 The Olympic Factor Stuart Nicholson on what we can learn from Team GB 40

News Round-up

42 Navigating the Challenges of the Digital Age 43

Making School Meals Sustainable

46 - 49 ISA Sporting Times ISA sport review and calendar of upcoming events 50 Why Local Authorities Are Failing Vulnerable Children 4

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ISA SCHOOL NEWS

SCHOOL NEWS BISHOPSTROW COLLEGE (ISA SOUTH-WEST) Bishopstrow College hosted an end-of-term graduation ceremony, saying goodbye to students moving on to their next boarding school in the UK. The College was delighted to welcome Rebecca Tear, Headmistress of Badminton School as guest speaker. Rebecca joined in celebrating the many achievements, both inside and outside the classroom, of the graduating students.

CLAIRES COURT (ISA LONDON WEST) Pupils from Claires Court School in Maidenhead were invited to a special tea party in the grounds of Windsor Castle, in celebration of HM The Queen’s 90th birthday. The event was broadcast around the world by ISA Gold Supplier Discovery Education and the pupils dressed in costumes to mark the different decades of the Queen’s reign.

ALTON CONVENT SCHOOL (ISA LONDON WEST) Alton Convent School pupil Lauren Shea has been awarded a prestigious Arkwright Engineering Scholarship.

The award, which recognises her potential as a future ‘Engineering Leader’, will be presented at a special ceremony at London’s Institute of Engineering and Technology.

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SCHOOL NEWS

LEEHURST SWAN (ISA SOUTH-WEST)

SHOREHAM COLLEGE (ISA LONDON SOUTH) Shoreham College hosted a lively European Referendum debate in the run up to the June election. Sir Peter Bottomley MP (Worthing West) and Tim Loughton MP (East Worthing and Shoreham) took part in the debate which was chaired by Headmaster Richard Taylor-West.

Talented swimmer Michaela Salmon took home four major medals at a recent Swindon swimming gala.

The Year 5 Leehurst Swan pupil scooped a silver in front crawl, a bronze in butterfly, and two bronzes in back stroke. In January of this year, Michaela represented her school and the South-West Region at the ISA swimming nationals.

ST NICHOLAS HOUSE (ISA EAST ANGLIA)

LYNDHURST SCHOOL (ISA LONDON WEST)

Seven-year-old Isaac Buchan from St Nicholas House Prep School in North Walsham travelled over 200 miles to take part in the Stoke-On-Trent UK Kids Fun Triathlon - where he completed a 25m lake swim, 1km bike ride and 500m run.

Isaac was absolutely thrilled to finish, is looking forward to being old enough to compete in an ISA Triathlon next year.

Olympic Silver Medalist Phil Burgess paid a visit to Lyndhurst School in Camberley recently. The Rugby Sevens star took part in a special assembly and Q&A session, and pupils were thrilled to have the chance to hold a real Olympic medal.

PRINCETHORPE COLLEGE (ISA MIDLANDS) Princethorpe College played host to this year’s ISA Midlands Art Competition, and was delighted to welcome artist and Old Princethorpian Tony Cowland as Chief Judge. 12 ISA Midlands-based schools took part in the competition – and the winners will go forward to the national final at ISA’s Autumn Study Conference in November.

See your school featured in the ISA Journal.

Send your news and high-res images to: isa@isaschools.org.uk

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SCHOOL NEWS HIPPERHOLME GRAMMAR SCHOOL (ISA NORTH) Hipperholme Grammar School are aiming for authenticity in their new prospectus – by asking pupils to provide the text and images.

Professional photographer Simon Jones visited the school to deliver a photography masterclass, and was really impressed with pupils’ camera skills. Headmaster Jack Williams commented, “we are aiming to show prospective parents what our school is really like - rather than the idealised ‘photoshopped’ version.”

SLINDON COLLEGE (ISA LONDON SOUTH) Slindon College has won a Good Schools Guide Award for its excellent GCSE Textiles provision. The College was judged to have outperformed all other English schools in the category, and Headmaster David Quick said that he hoped the award would inspire and encourage future Textiles students.

OAKHYRST GRANGE SCHOOL (ISA LONDON SOUTH)

ST EDWARDS PREP SCHOOL (ISA MIDLANDS)

A giant treehouse has been unveiled as the centerpiece of Oakhyrst Grange School’s new outdoor woodland classroom: Camp Camouflage. Forest School activities feature strongly on the Surrey prep’s curriculum, and the new play space is already a big hit with staff and children alike.

Pupils at St Edward’s Preparatory School in Cheltenham have been discovering a totally new language and culture this term through a series of Chinese Mandarin workshops.

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From Pre-Prep to Year 2, pupils have enjoyed learning basic introductions, greetings and numbers, through music, games and dances.

T: 01707 876555 barleyhousegrp www.theduckgetsnoticed.co.uk

FROM THE ISA CHAIR

A NEW LANDSCAPE FOR EDUCATION STUART NICHOLSON, PRINCIPAL OF CAMBRIDGE CENTRE FOR SIXTH FORM STUDIES AND ISA CHAIR 2016-17, REFLECTS ON THE CHANGES FACING ALL ISA SCHOOLS.

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elcome to the first ISA Journal of the 2016-17 academic year.

We’ve barely got into term and already it seems that education is retaining its grip on the political psyche as a major issue.

At all stages of education, significant changes continue to take place.

Changes to early years funding call existing models into question. How far through your primary school experience will you get before the spectre of some form of selection starts to impact on the way you are taught? If you are concluding your years of compulsory education, are your GCSEs measured in letters or numbers? If you’re going into the sixth form will you be taking reformed A-levels or unreformed A-levels or a mixture of the two? If you are a 10-year-old in Nigeria whose dream is to study at a British school and get a British degree, will the UK visa system welcome you into the country whose mother tongue you share? And if you are a four year-old at the beginning of your school life, how many of these things will have changed again before you reach them?

These of course are just the things that the public tends to be aware of.

Those of us who lead schools see so much more of the shifting landscape in which all teachers work. In the maintained sector, academies were a radical political decision at the time of their introduction and now they are routine. How they are managed and grouped seems as yet to be far from routine though. The whole concept of sponsors and multi-academy trusts sometimes seems to employ the language of private enterprise far more than the “private” schools that people have in mind when they think of schools in ISA. These are changes that I would never have envisaged

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twenty years ago and represent a shifting of political views that for now at least is in parties of all colours.

Within individual schools, however, we continue to wrestle with rather more intricate changes as society expects its schools and teachers to solve all its worries. Regulations, guidance and requirements are updated so frequently that we all struggle to keep pace. It’s not that good schools ever took the view that their job was only to teach “subjects” – we were always providing far more of an education than that – but the extent to which schools are dictated to and mandated has changed dramatically. It is not quite 30 years since I got my first teaching job. The Head who had the

courage to appoint me talked to me years later about the introduction of “policies” during his years of Headship.

“We didn’t really have any at that time”, he told me, “except my policy to try and treat everyone as fairly as possible whatever the circumstances.”

It seems to me that whatever changes take place in schools, to their structure and organisation, to the examination system, or to the regulations that bind us, his approach was a pretty good one. Maybe it’s not a bad ambition that all the children we teach will grow up to share that one policy too.

Stuart Nicholson is Principal of ISA’s Cambridge Centre for Sixth Form Studies, ISA East. www.ccss.co.uk.

INTRODUCING OUR NEW MEMBERS

INTRODUCING OUR NEW MEMBERS AS THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR GETS UNDERWAY WE’RE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME 15 NEW MEMBERS IN SCHOOLS NEW TO ISA MEMBERSHIP, PLUS 18 NEW MEMBERS ELECTED TO MEMBERSHIP IN EXISTING SCHOOLS. Offering a range of different educational settings and located right across the UK, these schools really reflect the thriving and diverse nature of our association. We’re very much looking forward to working with you all this year.

SCHOOLS NEW TO MEMBERSHIP: Bales College Mark Yearsley

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Huddersfield Grammar School N Tim Hoyle

Bowdon Preparatory School Helen Gee

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Hydesville Towers School Andrew McGinnes

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Bricklehurst Manor Kate Elliott

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Lewes New School Linda Morris

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Broadhurst School Zoe Sylvester

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Long Close School Brendan Pavey

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Dania School Islington Sandy Mathewson

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Meoncross School Sarah Ebery

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Myddelton College Andy Howard

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TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP: Adcote School Diane Browne

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Regent College Mrs Tharshiny Pankaj

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Brooke House College Mike Oliver

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Lady Barn School Mark Turner

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Cransley School Richard Pollock

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Oxford International College Kim Terrar

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Herne Hill School Ngaire Telford

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Radnor House School Rosie Gill

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Moon Hall School

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Radnor Sevenoaks (was Combe Bank) David Paton

Emma Fraser Moon Hall College Simon Leyshon

Myddelton College

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Redcourt St Anselm School Rachel. M. Jones

Bowdon Preparatory School

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Bales College

Southbank International Hampstead LN Shirley Harwood Southbank International Kensington LW Siobhan McGrath Langley Preparatory School at Taverham Hall Mike Crossley

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The King’s School, Eastleigh Heather Bowden

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Trinity Christian School Naomi Mobbs

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St Winifred’s School Southampton LW Jeanette Caddy St Margaret’s Prep school Callum Douglas

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Whitehall School EA Rebecca Hutley

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Rookwood School Mark Whalley

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Rochester Independent College LS Alistair Brownlow Saint Nicholas School David Bown

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Huddersfield Grammar School

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ISA COURSES AND CONFERENCES

GAINING WITH TRAINING DATES FOR YOUR DIARY ISA’s Professional Development Programme provides a range of high quality training opportunities for Members’ schools. This year we will be running over 50 courses and conferences at venues across the UK, promoting excellence in education and helping Heads and their staff to keep up to date with the latest issues affecting the sector. The Autumn Term Programme includes a number of new courses specially developed for ISA schools. Covering a range of practical teaching, leadership and inspectionrelated themes, our highly-rated training really does offer something for everyone.

To find out more and view our full programme of events visit www.isaschools.org.uk/events.

17 JANUARY 2017 HOW TO GET OUTSTANDING TEACHING AND LEARNING Gatehouse School, London

8 FEBRUARY 2017 INSPECTION 2: THE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS - Waltham Abbey Marriott

9 MARCH 2017 EARLY YEARS NETWORKING - EARLY EXCELLENCE CENTRE London

18 JANUARY 2017 INSPECTION 3: PREPARING THE COMPLIANCE DOCUMENTATION Bellerby’s College, Oxford

22 FEBRUARY 2017 LEADERSHIP 2: HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE SENIOR LEADER Cambridge International School

14 MARCH 2017 BEST PRACTICE FOR MARKETING INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS - ISA House, Great Chesterford

26 JANUARY 2017 TEACHING 2: RAISING ACADEMIC STANDARDS THROUGH CREATIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING ISA House, Great Chesterford

23 FEBRUARY 2017 WHAT SCHOOLS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH - Rushmoor School, Bedford

16 MARCH 2017 DEPUTY & ASSISTANT HEADS CONFERENCE - Nottingham Crowne Plaza

28 FEBRUARY 2017 SINGLE CENTRAL RECORD GETTING IT RIGHT - ISA House, Great Chesterford

21 MARCH 2017 SIXTH FORM LEADERS CONFERENCE - Bosworth College, Northamptonshire

27 JANUARY 2017 ISA’S BETT SHOW TOUR - EXCEL CENTRE, London 31 JANUARY 2017 SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH SEND FOR THOSE NEW TO THE ROLE ISA House, Great Chesterford

28 FEBRUARY 2017 EARLY YEARS NETWORKING - EARLY EXCELLENCE CENTRE – Huddersfield

1 FEBRUARY 2017 INNERMEDIA MARKETING COURSE ISA House, Great Chesterford

28 FEBRUARY 2017 USING SELF EVALUATION FOR WHOLE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ISA House, Great Chesterford

1 FEBRUARY 2017 INSPECTION 4: WHAT TO EXPECT AND HOW TO MAKE IT A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE - Birmingham Marriott

2 MARCH 2017 SUPPORTING THE ABLE, GIFTED AND TALENTED AND MISDIAGNOSIS - Hollygirt School, Nottingham

2 FEBRUARY 2017 JUNIOR, PREP AND PRE PREP CONFERENCE - Birmingham Marriott

7 MARCH 2017 ISSP: DEVELOPING CURRICULUM LINKS WITH MAINTAINED SECTOR NEIGHBOURS - ISA House, Great Chesterford

7 February 2017 SAFEGUARDING 2: BEST PRACTICE FOR SAFER RECRUITMENT IN YOUR SCHOOL - ISA House, Great Chesterford

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8 MARCH 2017 UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS 2: OXBRIDGE - AN EXPERT UPDATE ISA House, Great Chesterford

23 MARCH 2017 WHAT MAKES A GREAT SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR, INCLUDING YOUR ROLE DURING INSPECTION Nottingham Crowne Plaza

ISA’s Professional Development Team Alice Jeffries, Professional Development Officer. alice.jeffries@ isaschools.org.uk Jennie Quillen, Marketing and Events Assistant.jennie. quillen@ isaschools.org.uk

ISA INSPECTIONS COMMITTEE

FOCUS ON THE ISA INSPECTIONS COMMITTEE THE ISA INSPECTIONS COMMITTEE COMPRISES EXPERIENCED MEMBERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO VOLUNTEER TO REVIEW EVERY INSPECTION REPORT PUBLISHED ON OUR MEMBERS’ SCHOOLS. This peer review process is an important part of ISA’s quality assurance and accreditation of Members. ISA’s Articles insist that an acceptable inspection report underpins membership of the Association

and the committee’s invaluable work provides reassurance for the Association’s Executive Council as well as DfE and parents who put trust in ISA accreditation. Where Members’ schools have fallen short in areas such as

The Inspection Committee Chair, Angela Culley (The Mead School, London South), with Dr. Peter Woodroffe, ISA’s Deputy CEO who leads on inspection and membership, along with assistant and minute-taker Susan Hughes.

Inspection Committee members Jonathan Ulmer (CATS Canterbury, London South), Charles Runacres (Bellerby’s Oxford, London West) and Richard Lynn (Dixie Grammar, ISA Midlands).

compliance, the committee discusses appropriate support, such as help from one of our expert practitioners or suggestions of additional training that might be appropriate. In the rare event that a report is damning and a Member’s school consistently fails to meet the standards deemed appropriate, the committee can recommend that a Member’s school is reclassified under “Conditional Membership”, which removes certain voting privileges from the Member and allows ISA to insist on recovery within a fixed period. If a Member should receive a DfE “Notice to Improve” as a result of non-compliance, then this is an immediate trigger for Conditional Membership. Again, the emphasis is on assisting the Member to address weaknesses in the provision, though it is possible for full membership to be removed permanently if ISA’s Executive resolves that the quality threshold is still not being maintained.

Another feature of the committee’s work is liaising with senior staff at ISI, discussing reports and raising concerns brought by Members as a result of their inspection experience. These are often highlighted in Members’ post-inspection action plans or occasionally during the inspection itself. Members clearly benefit if they challenge anything that doesn’t seem right at the oral feedback stage of an inspection and ensure that the Association is made aware. Members can also raise issues directly with ISI during an inspection. ISA’s Inspections Committee also contains Ofsted and Estyn experience, just as its constitution covers the full range of provision, from Early Years to boarding, junior, senior, special needs and sixth-form.

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GIRLS ON BOARD

GIRLS ON BOARD:

TACKLING THE ‘MEAN GIRLS’ CULTURE ANDREW HAMPTON, HEADTEACHER OF THORPE HALL SCHOOL IN SOUTHEND, INTRODUCES A NEW SCHEME TO HELP GIRLS NAVIGATE THE CHOPPY WATERS OF FRIENDSHIP. ‘GIRLS ON BOARD’ OFFERS THE LANGUAGE, CONCEPTS AND SKILLS TO HELP GIRLS PROVIDE THEIR OWN SOLUTIONS TO TRICKY FRIENDSHIP ISSUES.

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n the whole, girls are good and want to obey the rules, get on with everyone and be happy.

However, they sometimes find that the search for trusting and reliable friendships is hard and that without such friendships they feel very unhappy. Their unhappiness is often displayed through tearfulness and even depression. Adults can help in only very limited ways because the problems within friendship groups are very fluid and difficult to express precisely.

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THE PROBLEM In 29 years of being a teacher and then Headteacher, girls’ friendship problems have been my greatest conundrum. I have seen between 5% and 10% of the girl cohort aged 11 to 14 leave my school - Thorpe Hall each year because their friendship problems were making them so unhappy; until I wrote and applied the ‘Girls on Board’ scheme.

When girls are having friendship problems they will present with a range of symptoms including

depression, self-harming, and crying themselves to sleep every night.

Girls will lie, be aggressive, they will make up stories, whisper falsehoods, manipulate parents, peers and teachers, break trust, create false social media accounts like ‘Who hates …’, play the victim, vow to behave and then… it all starts again. (If you haven’t yet seen the film Mean Girls, then now is the time.)

GIRLS ON BOARD And this is not exclusive to any part of the world, demographic, social strata or culture.

Like many teachers reading this I have tried many strategies to help. I have tried mediation chats, being harsh, being kind, getting very involved, not getting very involved - but I have been powerless and girls kept leaving my school!

NEW SOLUTIONS I recognised that maintaining the status-quo was not an option and that an innovative solution would be required. I turned to research from educationalists and sociologists and began the process of designing a new way of addressing the problem.

I was particularly inspired by the work of Rosalind Wiseman and her book Queen Bees and Wannabees. She writes, ‘The classic girl clique is like a life raft for adolescent girls. Imagine you and your daughter on a cruise ship. Then girls start telling each other that the ship is stupid and boring and it’s time to get off. As you watch helplessly, she leaves behind everything that is safe and secure, gets into a life raft with people who have little in common with her except their age, and drifts away.’

‘Once she’s on the raft, she’s too far away from you and realises her survival depends on bonding with the other girls in the raft. She’s desperately afraid of being cast out. We can see now how girls feel forced to act a certain way to be accepted by their peers.’

At the heart of the ‘Girls on Board’ scheme lies the simple but devastating universal truth: girls must not be alone. It is an existential imperative so powerful that, for girls, it overrides every moral code. It is where the scheme starts both for the girls themselves and their parents. Once a girl realises that she shares, with all her peers, her gutwrenching fear of being excluded, an ironic and healing bond starts to form.

The Girls on Board scheme goes on to describe in more detail the kinds of groups that exist within girl cohortsthe types of girls, types of parent behaviour - and seeks to equip girls with the language and concepts to be able to solve their problems for themselves. The scheme offers a way of thinking and using language that can be applied equally by teachers, parents and the girls themselves. In particular, the Girls on Board booklet offers firm advice for parents and picks up on Rosalind Wiseman’s summative

advice: to be the best parent you need to be a ‘loving hard-ass’.

SO… DOES THE SCHEME WORK? In a word, yes! Not one girl has left Thorpe Hall because of unhappiness since the scheme started four years ago.

The scheme is delivered to the girls from ages 8 to 15 at least once a year, and whenever fresh problems arise.

A culture has been established in which girls now approach and inform staff when there is conflict in their group, and request more sessions. The sessions offer pupils the chance to relate the ‘Girls on Board’ principles to the problems they face. Sometimes the session will remain conceptual and no names or situations will be addressed; at other times, after discussion, we will address the issue at hand e.g. why is Girl A ‘in-the-water’ and not on a ‘friendship raft’ right now?

When leading a ‘Girls on Board’ session, my role is primarily recessive, acting mostly as a facilitator. I like to joke with the girls if they ask me for a direct solution, ‘Hey, I’m a 58-year-old man, what do I know?’

WHAT NEXT? If you are having problems with girls from Year 3 and above have a look at the scheme on our website. The Girls on Board booklet is available to download at www.thorpehallschool. co.uk/parents/girls-on-board. It’s essentially a parent guide, so if you’d like specific help to introduce the scheme in your school, and let it work its magic on your girl cohorts, then do get in touch.

Andrew Hampton ahampton@thorpehall.southend.sch.uk. ISA East.

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Prof. Alice Roberts

E xc epti o n al s peak ers fro m t h e wo rl d o f T V to i n s pi re yo u r s tu den ts

Biological Anthropologist and Anatomist Time Team

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Origins of Us

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Saba Douglas Hamilton

Liz Bonnin - MSc

Wild Animal Biologist

Conservationist, Anthropologist Big Cat Diary

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This Wild Life

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Presenter and Author

Autumnwatch Countryfile

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Coast

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Nature’s Epic Journeys

Marine Biologist and Wildlife expert

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Bang Goes the Theory

Miranda Krestovnikoff

Michaela Strachan Springwatch

Stargazing Live

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The One Show

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MAN AG EME NT t : 0 1 1 7 9 2 7 9423 e : t a l k s@ Josa rsby.co m www. Jo s ar s by.com

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07/10/2016 11:09

TEACHING STEM IN ISA SCHOOLS

TEACHING STEM IN ISA SCHOOLS: ROOM FOR CREATIVITY? THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS TAKING GCSES IN STEM SUBJECTS CONTINUES TO RISE, WITH LATEST GOVERNMENT FIGURES SHOWING A 6% INCREASE THIS YEAR. AS DFE RE-ITERATES ITS PLEDGE TO MAKE BRITAIN ‘THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO STUDY STEM SUBJECTS’, AND THE DEBATE ON ARTS SUBJECTS GATHERS PACE, WE ASKED TWO ISA SCHOOLS TO SHARE THEIR APPROACH TO STEM TEACHING. WITH SPECIAL REPORTS FROM PARSONS GREEN PREP IN LONDON, AND ALTON CONVENT IN HAMPSHIRE, WE REVEAL HOW IMAGINATIVE STEM PROGRAMMES CAN ENRICH A CURRICULUM – AND EVEN FIND A NATURAL LINK TO THE ARTS.

PARSONS GREEN PREP: FROM STEM TO STEAM As the debate on STEM versus STEAM continues to heat up in education, at Parsons Green Prep we have been reflecting on our own STEM programme and examining whether there is room for a little STEAM. STEM subjects have been at the heart of our teaching since 2014 and having a whole school STEM focus has enriched our curriculum. Pupils have the opportunity to develop core STEM subject knowledge along with skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity. Our main aims have been to highlight the importance of these subjects, to create enjoyment and lifelong interest, and to help children see the potential in studying STEM subjects for future careers.

Core skills in maths and science have been further enhanced and enriched through cross-curricular learning opportunities. Our Year 6 pupils take part in a popular project to design a new fairground ride. They use a number of STEM skills with a particular focus on engineering in a real-life context.

Pupils need to apply their understanding of science and mathematical skills throughout, and develop their problemsolving abilities to create inventive and successful fairground rides.

More recently the debate about STEM versus STEAM has made us evaluate the importance of including the arts within this focus. We’ve

realised that in a primary school setting the arts are often intrinsically linked to the way we teach STEM subjects.

Creativity is naturally embedded in STEM projects through design, presenting, planning and evaluating.

And creative thinking in these projects sparks children’s imaginations, helping them to better engage.

A recent example is our ‘Wonders of the Universe’ whole school project, where we invited children to present work inspired by the title. Children interpreted this as they wished and produced a wide variety of creative and innovative projects, showing that art fitted naturally into what was initially

STEM at Parsons Green Prep is promoted in a variety of ways and these subjects are integrated across enriched our curriculum. Our Year 4 pupils recently researched different wind turbines, learnt about how they worked and designed, and created their own working models. This project created links between the STEM subjects within a real life context and increased the children’s awareness of engineering. It also spanned many areas of the curriculum. Pupils carried out research, solved problems, applied their understanding of science, used core numeracy skills and were creative with their ideas and designs.

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TEACHING STEM IN ISA SCHOOLS

a STEM-based concept. The children’s creations ranged from beautiful planets sewn onto a felt background, to a model of a black hole using marbles and even a telescope complete with its own tiny solar system. It was the arts element which captured the children’s imaginations and prompted them on a journey of discovery linked with space and science.

challenge to collect the colours of the rainbow by exploring outdoors. Children discovered that the world around us is full of colour and the variety of artistic interpretations of the projects was incredible. The children loved this challenge and the links it made with science and nature were a great way to introduce STEM-based learning to our Early Years pupils.

CREST activities (creativity in engineering, science and technology) are another way we inspire children and enrich our STEM-led curriculum.

Designed by the British Science Association, these activities enable children to solve science, technology, engineering, and maths problems through practical investigation. These challenges have particularly engaged and excited our younger pupils and the focused activities have allowed them to apply and consolidate knowledge across the STEM subjects. A favourite this year was ‘Rainbow Colour Collectors’, where pupils were given the

A further example of how naturally art fits into STEM can be found in our computing lessons. Our Year 5 pupils recently designed their own computer games. This unit of learning brought together scientific skills including observation, analysis, planning and testing, combining core programming skills alongside the artistic elements of design. This highlights how art and design can fit organically with STEM projects. Game development and coding give children ownership over their design ideas and help them bring their imaginations to life. They also help teach perseverance, encouraging children to

adapt their ideas as they debug and refine their designs through to fruition.

We are not losing our focus with STEM, but recognising that the benefits and links between all of these subjects enhance the pupils’ learning in a more rounded and diverse way. The last two years of concentrating on STEM have shown us that we need children to think creatively and artistically in order to solve problems and come up with innovative ideas. Original ideas and problem solving are in demand in today’s workplace and it is critical that we provide pupils with opportunities to develop these skills. By bringing the STEM subjects together more naturally and holistically and making cross-curricular links with the arts, we have seen a real benefit to our pupils’ enjoyment of the STEM subjects, with many now aspiring to future careers in these areas.

Louise McDowall, Alison Sugden and Shalyn Barrie. Parsons Green Prep, ISA London West. www.parsonsgreenprep.co.uk

ALTON CONVENT:

OUTREACH PROGRAMME BRINGS STEM TEACHING TO LIFE The independent sector is consistently recognised not only for academic excellence but for the development of soft skills which provide the differential in the increasingly competitive international market place. At Alton Convent we are continually striving ‘to be the best that we can be’; through the upgrading of our facilities, the rigour of our educational offering and the requisite employability skills to set our students apart in the world of work. Sowing the seeds

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for future growth and innovation is fundamental with 90% of jobs over the next 20 years requiring some level of technological skills.

We recently opened four new science laboratories. However, the upgrade of our STEM offering was much more than just the facilities. We also undertook a major review of our supporting outreach programme, creating a new education process not only for pupils but for teachers and parents too.

The reassessment of our plans was a collaborative endeavour, taking on board the most recent research in the sector. The school worked closely with the Women’s Engineering Society (WES), the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, local business partner Laleham Health and Beauty and school patrons Dawn Bonfield and Jessica Leigh Jones. Industry research revealed that information on engineering career pathways should be introduced at primary age and

TEACHING STEM IN ISA SCHOOLS

repeated regularly throughout the school lifetime. The ‘leaky pipeline’ of engineering talent, is most pronounced at 16 but the decision has typically been taken at 14.

There is a plethora of exciting programmes available to provide hands-on engineering experiences for school children. We felt it important that such activities were not onehit wonders and formed part of an ongoing STEM programme both within the school and the wider community.

Taking advice from our partners was fundamental to the decision-making process. WES, Primary Engineer, TeenTech, Cisco’s Little Big and Bloodhound were selected to deliver on the school’s STEM objectives, which were brought together under the framework of Cambridge Centre for Innovation in Technological Education’s (CCITE) iSTEM+ model.

The iSTEM+ model is fundamentally a highly energised local STEM network, driven by educators and immersed in the real world. It supports schools to link with industry and to ‘cut through the noise’ to share best practices and identify the best fit programmes. We collaborate with five local schools and a number of local science and engineering businesses. Linking with local schools and businesses was pivotal to bring engineering to life, to create opportunities for work experience, collaborative projects, site visits, role models and mentors.

We complement the above programmes with dedicated engineering and science sessions for our pupils from age 3 and up.

Such events are an eclectic mix of ‘home grown initiatives’ and industry developed. For example we

successfully launched WES’ national outreach programme and delivered Portia’s SET for Sport, (Science, Engineering and Technology). In line with the iSTEM+ approach aspiring female scientists from two local secondary schools were also invited to participate. Our students particularly enjoyed working with new team members to create and design their own solutions, and in so doing further developing their soft skills.

We recognised the importance of establishing role models in school and from industry. This included inspirational ambassadors, such as Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Dame Louise Makin and Jessica Leigh Jones - the first female to win Young Engineer of the Year. Dame Jocelyn and Jessica Leigh Jones are joined by Dawn Bonfield, CEO of the Women’s Engineering Society and Raj Long of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as patrons of science and engineering at the school.

We also created leadership and recognition opportunities within the school, with the inaugural appointment of a STEM captain in the senior school and science prefects in the prep school. Further to this, in the senior school five pupils from Year 9 to the Sixth Form were delighted to be chosen to serve as the Steering Committee for the Women’s Engineering Society’s (WES) Sparxx initiative. The project is seeking to address the STEM opt-out rate for girls during the critical teenage years, through a targeted stream of communication.

Alton Convent has embraced the TeenTech programme, both in terms of their interactive and engaging events which take place across the country, and also their challenging TeenTech Awards. Last year a team of three Year 10 pupils became national winners at the TeenTech Awards, followed by two national award winning teams this year.

The girls presented their concept at school prior to the final, and shared their experience after the event to further excite and inspire their peers.

The award programme enabled our students to operate as a micro business and to understand the engineering process end-to-end

whilst collaborating with professionals in the field locally, nationally and internationally.

Our programme was developed to create awareness of STEM possibilities across the entire pupil community.

Science clearly permeates the curriculum to include the very youngest children. However whilst tracking the most recent research, it became apparent that there was a gap in our offering – the parents. Awareness of opportunities is fundamental within the parent community who are seen as the key influencers for career paths amongst teenage children.

This is directly impacted by their ‘Science capital’ – ie their own science qualifications or those of members of their family. To address this in part the school ran a number of evening events targeting parents.

Work experience and carefully crafted programmes such as WES’,TeenTech, Primary Engineer, Cisco’s Little Big and Bloodhound enable pupils to gain meaningful engineering experience. The TeenTech events also provide teachers with invaluable insights into the latest developments in the world of STEM. Further to this awards such as the Special Leader and TeenTech, effectively extend the appeal of engineering and technology beyond the natural group of STEM devotees.

Last year five of our prep school pupils were regional winners in the Primary Engineer awards, and two of our younger pupils were national winners in the NWED draw an engineer competition. Most recently four of our Year 8 girls became national champions in Cisco’s Little Big Awards. STEM has become even more exciting and aspirational.

The success of the programme to date has been a result of the enthusiasm, hard work and commitment of all involved, both within the school and the wider community. The school is very appreciative of the support of its many partners, bringing the real world into the classroom, and opening the door to a wealth of dynamic, diverse and rewarding opportunities.

Graham Maher, Alton Convent School, ISA London West. www.altonconvent.org.uk

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REINVENTING GIFTED AND TALENTED

REINVENTING GIFTED AND TALENTED ISA’S PRINCETHORPE COLLEGE IN WARWICKSHIRE HAS RE-INVENTED ITS GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAMME, MAKING IT AN INTEGRAL PART OF SCHOOL LIFE. HELEN PASCOE-WILLIAMS EXPLAINS HOW THE SCHOOL’S NEW ‘DA VINCI PROGRAMME’ IS BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN BOTH STAFF AND STUDENTS.

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ur desire to understand intelligence has a long history of exploration, from the nature/nurture debate to a more recent resolve for intense, purposeful practice.

There have been a number of national initiatives supporting Gifted and Talented (G&T) education introduced by the Department for Education and Skills, not least the Government’s policy for all schools to identify the top 5-10% of their students in these terms. This approach aimed to ensure that schools put in place some provision for their most able learners. It was a step forward, but not without contention.

The problem with the Gifted and Talented programme is not just the elitist nature of it but the very words themselves, which suggest some sort of unique endowment or bestowal upon an individual; a gift of genius, artistry or cleverness. Similarly, talent denotes flair, brilliance, a gift.

Both words carry uncomfortable connotations of being given, innate, select and exclusive. What they do not engender is a sense of independence, hard graft and personal responsibility.

The terms ‘gifted’ and ‘talented’ are inadequate in so many ways and because of them, provision for the most able in education has been awkward and uncomfortable. We need to think creatively and reinvent how we identify and acknowledge excellence in schools.

Nowadays the notion of practice is championed as the bedrock of excellence and achievement but the issue is surely much more complicated than that. Over the

years, Princethorpe College has come to believe that intelligence and high performance is actually a very complicated set of variables including genetics, socio-economic factors, cultural norms, intrinsic motivation, date of birth, creativity and opportunity. We also believe that environmental factors, character, mindset, pastoral issues, parenting, teaching and learning, as well as commitment to practice and perhaps even serendipity, all have a significant part to play in the high performance of individuals.

In response to these concerns, Princethorpe College sought to reinvent and rebrand our Gifted and Talented Programme and, in 2013, launched an exciting new initiative called The Da Vinci Programme.

Rather than running a G&T scheme that felt like a bolt on, we wanted provision to be an integral part of school life. We wanted all students to aspire to the best that lay within them and and to be cognisant of themselves as learners.

The Da Vinci initiative is so called because of Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic status as a Renaissance man and the fact that the scheme itself aspires to the Renaissance ideal. This

ideal considers man as boundless in his capacities for development and champions the notion that people should try to embrace all knowledge and develop wide ranging capacities as fully as possible.

The exceptional men of the Renaissance sought to cultivate skills in all areas of knowledge, physical development, social accomplishments, and the arts. The ideal was epitomised by Leonardo da Vinci himself (1452–1519), whose aptitude was most evident in the fields of art, science, music, invention, and writing. In the same way, we want our students to aspire to pursue broad interests, profound knowledge, and to achieve wide ranging accomplishments; in short, to be young Renaissance men and women.

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REINVENTING GIFTED AND TALENTED Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2006), she proposes that those of us with a Fixed Mindset believe intelligence and ability are set and there is nothing you can do to change them. Those with a Growth Mindset believe that, while we may be biologically predisposed to excel at certain things, we are completely able to change those skills and develop them as much as we wish to. The da Vinci Programme seeks to bind these two mindsets together and provide a platform from which students can really achieve their potential.

Professor Joseph Renzulli’s ThreeRing Conception of Giftedness (1978) is at the heart of our rebranding and reinvention of G&T provision at the school. His research shows that giftedness is not due to one discrete factor. Rather, high achievers ‘possess a relatively well-defined set of three interlocking clusters of traits. These clusters consist of above average, though not necessarily superior, ability, task commitment, and creativity’. He proposes that ‘it is the interaction among the three clusters that research has shown to be the necessary ingredient for creativeproductive accomplishment.’

Another concept that was fundamental in the creation of our Da Vinci Programme was Carol Dwek’s exploration of fixed and growth mindsets. In her publication,

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The Growth and Fixed Mindsets are brought together powerfully in Renzulli’s trinity, where above average ability can be seen to illustrate the Fixed Mindset (think genetic predisposition, nature) and task commitment to illustrate the Growth Mindset (think purposeful practice, nurture, grit).

The final trait that Renzulli speaks of is creativity and this is certainly a fascinating topic. Where would we be without creative and innovative people who can think outside the box? In science? In business? In the arts? In all walks of life? Indeed, how does one become creative? Is that genetic too? Or is it the fruit of 10,000 hours or more of purposeful practice and combined multidisciplinary experience that sparks those eureka moments where a new idea is born?

Certainly Matthew Syed speaks of such moments springing from previous deep immersion of thought in a particular area, or on a particular

concept. In a TED 2014 lecture, Bran Ferren explains his belief that ‘the ingredients for the next Pantheons are all around us, just waiting for visionary people with the broad knowledge, multidisciplinary skills, and intense passion to harness them to make their dreams a reality’.

HOW DOES THE DA VINCI PROGRAMME WORK IN PRACTICE? Firstly, the Da Vinci philosophy was carefully explained to everyone in the College community, staff, students and parents alike. It was introduced by means of a carefully designed movie, demonstrating in itself the interlocking clusters of traits.

All staff members are on the look-out for evidence of above average ability, task commitment, and creativity in the work their students produce.

This work may be either in response to a standard task set or a specific Da Vinci task designed to facilitate stretch and challenge. When the teachers do see it in evidence, they award a special Da Vinci merit (in the form of a Renaissance-style sticker).

There are a number of different designs for the students to collect.

Each one is the equivalent to three normal merits and this enables their currency to feed into our whole school rewards system.

As well as giving the students a special sticker, the teacher inputs the information into our computer database . A message of receipt is sent to the awarding teacher, the student’s House Tutor and to

REINVENTING GIFTED AND TALENTED

the Da Vinci Coordinator. We can immediately congratulate the students concerned when we see them around the College and Heads of Houses equally celebrate their tutees’ achievements in regular House assemblies, thus raising the profile further.

The database provides access to a great deal of information: students being awarded Da Vinci merits across the spectrum of subjects; descriptions of tasks set and highest achieving responses; names of teachers making the awards; numbers of Da Vinci merits awarded by each member of staff; by each department; over varying timescales.

Comparisons can be made between classes, subjects, year groups, gender and cohorts. Differences and similarities can be noted between old G&T registers and new Da Vinci data. Previously identified ‘G&T’ students are still appearing on the new Da Vinci database, but, as one might have predicted, new names are joining the list; students we might previously have said are excellent, but not quite ‘G&T’. We are now identifying students who demonstrate tremendous resilience, perseverance and creativity in order to perform at the highest level, as well as those exceptionally high performers who appear to have a natural predisposition for certain subjects.

The data is inspiring quality debate.

A picture quickly builds up. Those students who are consistently performing at Da Vinci level are offered rewards and further opportunities for stretch and challenge: a chance to undertake a Level 1, 2 or 3 Project Qualification;

invitations to guest lectures; days out to learning centres; membership to IGGY (Warwick University’s International Gateway for Gifted and Talented Youth, an international, social and educational network for the brightest 13-18 year olds in the world). Those achieving the most Da Vinci merits over the course of each academic year are awarded high quality pin badges. These have different designs each year (much like the stickers) and can be collected. When worn, they often initiate interesting conversations between the students and visitors to the College.

There is much to celebrate: we display a roll of honour each term and Da Vinci work around the school; we celebrate Da Vinci level work in our termly College magazine ‘The Pinnacle’; we award the prestigious Da Vinci Shield to the person who achieves the most number of Da Vinci merits across the whole school and who most embodies the Renaissance ideal each year at our school prizegiving ceremony. There is a host of opportunities and new ideas are being generated all the time.

Our da Vinci approach isn’t just inspiring students, it’s inspiring staff too. Da Vinci homework tasks are often the most interesting and most creative outcomes of staff thinking outside the box too; it brings out the best in people. Likewise, parents are supportive of the change and often cite the Da Vinci Programme as a significant reason for choosing to send their children to Princethorpe College.

Our school inspection carried out by ISI in 2014 stated: ‘Teaching makes highly effective use of the school’s recently introduced ‘Da Vinci’ Programme to motivate pupils to learn independently’ and ‘to offer additional levels of challenge to all pupils’. The following comment was also made: ‘The school’s recently-introduced, bespoke ‘Da Vinci’ programme aims to inspire all pupils to work hard, be original in their thinking and be fascinated, energised and motivated to engage in an activity primarily for its own sake. This provides outstanding opportunities for all pupils to be challenged, including those who are more able and/or have particular talents. In addition, pupils from Year 9 upwards have the opportunity to study for the EPQ in areas of their individual interests. In sport, the school’s top athletes are identified and supported through its Elite Sports Programme’.

A new culture of mastery, creativity and task commitment is palpable in the College; it’s healthier, more inclusive and gathering momentum.

The Da Vinci Programme is nurturing an ideal that all our students can aspire to: to pursue broad interests, profound knowledge, and to achieve wide ranging accomplishments with curiosity and resilience– to be a Renaissance Princethorpian!

Helen Pascoe-Williams, Princethorpe College, ISA Midlands. www.princethorpe.co.uk

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THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE

THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE: BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE SMT DAVID BRAZIER, HEAD TEACHER OF ST JAMES SENIOR BOYS’ SCHOOL IN SURREY, SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE SMT.

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n my first day as a teacher some twenty-five years ago, I remember clearly walking out of the door of the school and thinking “this was what I was born for, I am home”.

My body, heart and mind suddenly clicked into alignment and all my energy felt like it was moving in

the right direction. My previous occupations in retail and then in sales seemed like a pale dream.

Even on that first day I knew I wanted to be a Head Teacher.

Fast forward some twenty-five years and six schools later and I am three years into my second Headship. St James Senior Boys’ School in Ashford, Surrey, is a boys’ independent school with around four hundred pupils between the ages of 11 and 19. The passion for education still burns bright.

In my role as a Head I spend a fair amount of time reflecting on leadership. There is so much mythology around notions of leadership (one thinks of Churchill in the war years or charismatic leaders like Shackleton) that any understanding of it is conditional and situational.

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St James is my second Headship; my first was Long Close School in Slough, Berkshire. This was a small preparatory school with a nursery that I extended to include GCSE level. The school was owned by the venture capitalist group Cognita, and I was interviewed for the position by Sir Chris Woodhead - an experience in itself!

In my eight years at Long Close, pupil numbers increased from 110 to over 310. The senior part of the school was established and we were awarded an outstanding inspection judgement for pupil achievement.

Perhaps the more challenging aspect of both my headships has been forging effective Senior Management Teams.

Invariably, these teams are already in place and have a way of working and a culture based on the previous guard. It is rare that a Head has the

THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE

opportunity to recruit their own choices as members of this crucial team and he/she must work hard to create a new team dynamic to meet future needs of the school and his/her vision.

As my Cognita boss, Jim Hudson OBE used to say, they are your ‘Pretorian Guard’.

My leadership approach has something in common with the paradoxical notion of ‘in charge but not in control’, rather like the director of a dramatic performance.

The management of policies and processes are of course essential in any effective school, but the leadership and management of the social actors and their energetic exchanges within the school structures and context is a more subtle art. It is this dynamic that defines a school. The theatre director, Peter Brook, expresses this clearly in his book, The Empty Space: “The director will see that… however much home-work he does, he cannot fully understand a play by himself, Whatever ideas he brings on the first day, must evolve continually, thanks to the process he is going through with the actors…in fact, the director who comes to the first rehearsal with his script prepared with the moves and business etc. noted down is a real deadly theatre man.”

This subtle art requires flexibility and the intuitive ability to read people and situations. The management (leadership) group must be understood and blended into a team that understand and support each other, while also being effective.

This can sometimes be a messy and inexact process.

Within inherited SMTs the following problems can often occur:

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A lack of recognition of other peoples’ skills and experience in the team. Individuals in the team can lack an understanding of each other’s values and beliefs in relation to their roles in the organisation.

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Asking for help and collaborative working can be perceived as a sign of weakness within such teams, which leads to a lack of a team dynamic or team culture.

This can mean a lack of joined-up thinking and an absence of accountability, so that tasks are not completed and communicated throughout the organisation.

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enior Team members can S sometimes view others’ contributions to the team with doubt or suspicion.

Although many ideas are discussed there can be a lack of movement when it comes to implementing and seeing initiatives through to conclusion.

Many causal factors can generate such problems, including the leadership style and approach of the previous Head Teacher, the historical culture of the school and a lack of values and cultural understanding. In my journey as leader I have looked at many instruments and approaches for developing my SMT. I am an avid reader and there are plenty of leadership books (and models) on the market and courses to attend. I tried Myers Briggs and other psychological and psychometric tests. However, it was not until I was introduced to the

science of Axiology or ‘Value Science’ and Axiometrics that things began to click into place.

Axiometrics™ Profiling is based on the Nobel Prize nominated research of Dr Robert S Hartman. Hartman was a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tennessee and the National University of Mexico. Hartman wrestled with that philosophical notion of how ‘Good’ is determined and this led him to an understanding of ‘values’ and how they can be measured and used to determine human behaviour within an organisation. This article is not long enough to detail Hartman’s journey or the history of Value Science as a way of understanding people capacity and performance – these can be found on The Axiometrics Partners’ website and in Hartman’s autobiography, ‘Freedom to Live’.

I am naturally critical of any new idea I encounter, and therefore took the online Axiometrics profile which took around 20 minutes. This was followed by a one-to-one feedback session with Axiometrics Analysts at Catapult Solutions Ltd on my Composite Attitude Survey (CAS) and Personal Value Analysis (PVA) reports, generated as a result of my profile responses.

This proved to be a revelation and gave me a real insight into myself and how I operated within the dynamic and culture of Long Close. I then went on to use this process with my whole management team. A dynamic workshop, led by a Catapult Solutions Ltd analyst, enabled the team to have a profound understanding of each other’s values and how these effected the way in which they performed their roles. The workshop also involved

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THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE designing a ‘shield’ that represented the current values of the team and where we wanted to be in three years’ time. From these conversations I learnt so much about how each member saw the world and what influenced their behaviour.

To provide a couple of practical examples, the profiles showed me that I was the only team member who really valued deadlines. This meant that I could put measures into place to ensure that deadlines were adhered to. I discovered through this process that one team member harboured a deep resentment towards me because their weekly meeting with me was always on a Friday. Because of the usual events that always seem to happen toward the end of a school week this often resulted in this meeting being cancelled. The manager involved would feel angry and under-valued throughout the weekend. This negative situation was easily remedied as the timing of the meeting was changed to a Monday, meaning that a cancelled meeting could be re-scheduled before the end of the week.

Following the success of the intervention at Long Close School, I decided to use the same approach at St James.

This resulted in each Senior Team member taking the online Axiometrics profile followed by one-to-one feedback with analysts. The subsequent workshop included a focus on what the team felt was working and what wasn’t; analysis of the senior team dynamic highlighting individual strengths and vulnerabilities and goalsetting and action planning.

A follow up workshop to review progress and assess the changes made was also held.

Each team individual is now much more aware of how they are perceived by other team members.

Each has awareness of their strengths and vulnerabilities alongside an understanding of how other people work and why they behave like they do. For example, one team member’s frustration with a lack of pragmatic solutions and action was voiced and understood in the Team Dynamic workshop. The way his valuing system operates has since been recognised and utilised within the team. This has resulted in him being happier and achieving more, while other team members have acknowledged the balance of thinking that he brings to the team as a strength.

There is now improved confidence and focus. One team member has embarked on a master’s degree to move his career forward. There is also better clarity about roles leading to

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greater mutual respect and efficiency.

For example, one team member previously seen as a ’fix it’ man or problem-solver is now seen as an effective project manager and is able to lead pro-actively on whole school initiatives. The self-understanding gained from the profile and feedback has raised the team’s awareness of the range of thinking and strategies available to them to deliver more effective results. We are much more end-focused and purposeful in the actions we take and the initiatives we implement. We are more selfevaluative and honest with each other.

I have also used the tool to recruit staff and ascertain the suitability of people for certain roles. My current school is particularly value-led with a unique philosophical ethos and so the alignment of values is crucial for us. Teaching excellence is, of course, vital when recruiting teaching staff, but using Axiometrics as an additional tool, I am able to see the extent to which an individual is likely to fit into my school’s unique culture and uphold our values and reputation.

The limits of those old top-down leadership models and the ossified cultures they produce are well known and in the commercial sector the power of deeper ‘values’ is now being clearly understood. Axiometrics™ Profiling is a powerful and reasonably inexpensive tool that can take leadership and understanding to another level.

David Brazier, St James Senior Boys’ School, ISA London North, www.stjamesschools.co.uk

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PSYCHOLOGY

WHAT EVERY TEACHER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT…

“This is a must-read book for every beginning teacher. And even the most experienced teachers will also find many new and useful things here. I certainly did.”

Dylan Wiliam, Emeritus Professor of Educational Assessment, University College London

Much of what we do in classrooms is intuitive, steered by what ‘feels right’, but all too often intuition proves a poor, sometimes treacherous guide. The science of psychology has revealed certain surprising findings that educators would do well to heed. But how can busy teachers know which research is worth investing time in reading and understanding?

WHAT EVERY TEACHER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT PSYCHOLOGY

PSYCHOLOGY: WHAT EVERY PSYCHOLOGY TEACHER NEEDS TO KNOW

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WHAT EVERY TEACHER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT…

PSYCHOLOGY

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David Didau and Nick Rose

MUCH OF WHAT WE DO IN CLASSROOMS IS INTUITIVE, STEERED BY Here, WHAT ‘FEELS RIGHT’, David Didau and Nick Rose attempt BUT to lay out the evidence and theoretical perspectives on what they believe are the ALL TOO OFTEN INTUITION PROVES A POOR AND most important and useful psychological principles of which teachers to be BOOK BY SOMETIMES TREACHEROUS GUIDE. A ought NEW aware. It makes for essential reading.

DAVID DIDAU AND NICK ROSE HELPS TEACHERS GET TO GRIPS WITH KEY PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES, AND SHOWS HOW THEY CAN BE APPLIED IN EVERYDAY TEACHING. IN THIS EXTRACT THEY £18 EXAMINE THE IMPORTANCE OF BELIEFS, AND SHOW HOW TEACHERS CAN CHALLENGE STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ABOUT INTELLIGENCE AND ABILITY.

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eliefs matter. Generally speaking if you believe you can do something then there’s a good chance you will, with effort succeed. Conversely, if you’re sure you can’t, then you probably can’t. Clearly beliefs must conform to reality - merely believing in your ability to read minds or foretell the future is unlikely to pay dividends – but most people agree that anyone can get better at playing the piano or speaking French through practice and that hard work will help anyone, no matter their current level of skill to improve their ability to ski, put up wallpaper and do cryptic crosswords.

But not everyone believes they can become more intelligent than they are currently.

Thanks mainly to Carol Dweck’s wildly popular book, Mindset, the idea that our perceptions about intelligence affect how we perform is well established. Dweck argues that it’s what students attribute their successes and failures to affects how they respond to the challenges and obstacles they face when learning in schools. Some students possess an ‘incremental theory’ of intellect (what has become known as a ‘growth mindset’), they frame the experience of

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school in terms of learning goals and see ability as something that can be increased with effort and time. Other students possess an ‘entity theory’ of intellect (a ‘fixed mindset’) and frame school work in terms of performance goals; seeing ability as something that is static and inflexible.

How people attribute the cause of their success or failure seems to influence how much effort they’re prepared to apply in the future. If we try a new task and our cognitive evaluation of the experience leads to a positive effect (i.e. a positive emotional outcome) and there’s a high expectation of future success, we typically show greater willingness to undertake such tasks in the future. Conversely, if the attribution leads to a negative effect and low expectation of success, we’re more likely to act in a more helpless manner when placed in a similar situation.

The idea of learned helplessness has been around for quite a while. In the 1960s, Martin Seligman conducted a series of fairly brutal-sounding experiments on dogs. One group of dogs were given electric shocks which they could learn to switch off by pressing a lever. A second group

were given shocks at the same time as the first group but had no lever to push. When the dogs in the first group pressed the lever their shocks stopped too, but they had no idea why – there seemed no explanation for why the shocks ended and the dogs learned that they had no power to do anything about the experience of being electrocuted. In a second round of experiments, the dogs were put into a room divided by a low fence. Seligman electrified half of the floor but not the other half. The dogs who had learned the lever trick soon learned to jump over the divide, but the dogs who had experienced arbitrary shocks just lay down on the floor and whined. They had learned that nothing they could do would improve their situation so they stopped trying.

Later researchers confirmed the debilitating effects of being unable to control an aversive stimulus. In one experiment, subjects were asked to perform a series of mental tasks as a distracting tone was played. Those who were able to use a switch to stop the noise rarely bothered to do so, yet performed better than those were unable to turn off the noise.

The conclusion was that just being

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aware of the option was enough to counteract the effect of the noise.

perform better on a variety of cognitive tasks and in problem-solving situations.

Essentially, this boils down to the belief that if you can control an outcome through your own efforts then you’re more likely to put more effort into challenging tasks. Similarly, if you believe you can increase your intelligence through effort then you are more likely to be willing to attempt challenging tasks. If you experience a setback then you are likely to believe that effort and practice will enable you to overcome most obstacles.

Whenever we fail at something we look for reasons. If those reasons are seen as within our power to change – “I didn’t try hard enough” – then we can do something about it, but if we find reasons that are outside of our sphere of control – “I’m not clever enough” – then we’re stuffed. It should go without saying that we will be better able to cope when our failure is attributed to a lack of effort rather than to a lack of ability.

But, if you believe nothing you do makes a difference and that your ability is never going to improve, then setbacks are more serious: they tell you that you’re incapable of a task and that your best bet is to give up.

After all, why persist if you don’t think you can improve?

This is not entirely uncontroversial.

Other studies have been unable to replicate Dweck’s original results finding instead that if students with a growth mindset were overly concerned with academic performance they tended to behave similarly to those students with a fixed mindset.51 There’s also a question as to whether a growth or fixed mindset is a global attribution, i.e. whether we really have the same mindset across all subjects and challenges, or whether we adopt a ‘fixed mindset’ for some things and a ‘growth mindset’ for others. Most of us cut our losses and give up on some things in order to improve on others.

It may be that a fixed mindset about,

Students with an incremental mind-set generally focus on learning goals and are more willing to take on challenging tasks in an effort to test and expand (as opposed to defensively prove) their intelligence or ability. Hence, they rebound more easily from negative feedback and failure. Accordingly, students who believe that intelligence and ability can be enhanced tend to

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say, our ability to perform quadratic equations, saves us from a good deal of frustration and wasted time. In essence, the ‘fixed mindset’ may be an adaptive response, an evolved strategy preventing us from ‘wasting’ effort where we have experienced frequent failure and the opportunity for future success is low and encouraging us to invest effort in areas where it may be more likely to pay-off for us.

Finally, there’s the question of cause and effect. It’s possible that the causal arrow between ‘mindset’ and performance is not a straightforward one. It’s natural to assume that changing a person’s beliefs will alter their behaviour, but the evidence on this is much more complicated.

It could be that students are more likely to adopt a growth mindset based on positive feedback on their performance. Maybe we are more likely to alter beliefs by trying to change behaviour.

The real question is what teachers can do to foster students’ beliefs that their intelligence and ability can be developed through effort and experience. Whilst successful interventions have been reported in relatively small-scale experiments,

PSYCHOLOGY it’s possible that the elements of a psychological intervention which led it to be successful will be lost or negated when scaled at a school level.

Of course, you can tell students that their failure at any given task is not due to lack of ability and that with effort they can enhance their performance, but will this make a difference? It sounds lovely, and it may be exactly what some students need to hear, but what if a student is trying as hard as they are able? What if they’ve already tried a range of approaches and still failed? Is telling them their performance can be enhanced with even greater effort likely to be motivational? Having a ‘growth mindset’ does not confer magical powers; Dweck herself admits a growth mindset alone is insufficient to affect pupils’ performance at school.52 Maybe we can all be cleverer, but surely there must be a limit.

Whatever beliefs we might have, clearly ability matters.

Dweck talks about the development of growth mindsets as a journey. She says it really isn’t enough to simply be told about mindset theory, you have to believe it. At first glance, this sounds a little like religious faith – it only ‘works’ if you’re a true believer. Dweck has identified a phenomenon she calls the ‘false growth mindset’: because there is a consensus that having a fixed mindset is egregious and a growth mindset makes you a better all-round human being, no one wants to admit to being ‘fixed’. When asked, we tend to say, “Yes of course I have a growth mindset,” because the alternative is to say, “No, I’m afraid I’m a terrible person.”

This is one reason why self-report questionnaires are unlikely to provide a valid way of measuring changes in student mindsets. Students will quickly cotton on to the idea that ‘four legs growth, two legs fixed’ and likely report apparent changes in attitude which do not reflect their private beliefs. But how else can you measure what someone believes other than by asking them?

It seems reasonable to suggest teachers are at least as prone to the false growth mindset as students; we tend to know more about the perceived benefits of growth mindset than most other people and so there’s a huge social pressure to fall into line.

But just saying you have a growth

mindset does not (quelle surprise!) mean you actually have one. Maybe what you actually have is a false growth mindset. This goes some way to explaining why schools are so bad at allowing teachers to behave in ways consistent with the growth mindset.

However, the idea of a ‘false growth mindset’ creates a potential problem for the science, as it risks making the theory harder to falsify. For example, if you run a mindset intervention and find that although children’s mindsets appeared to have changed there was no increase in performance, then it’s possible to dismiss this result by claiming the children had a false growth mindset. This may well explain some of the rather flimsy findings in the Education Endowment Foundation’s recent report, Changing Mindsets. This study explored two separate inventions. The first which focussed on informing students about the malleability of their intelligence through a series of six workshops seemed to a have a small effect on their progress in English and maths, but the other, which focussed on addressing teachers’ beliefs about intelligence though a two and half day course, seemed to produce a small negative effect on students’ progress!

So what should we do? Dweck suggests the first step is to validate and explore the fixed mindset and admit that we probably all have fixed and inflexible beliefs about something.

By honestly exploring our prejudices and biases we’re much more likely to embark on the kind of journey necessary to genuinely changing our beliefs about intelligence and ability.

There are two ways to take this. One could be to shrug cynically and point out that all snake-oil peddlers say we need to be true believers before we’ll feel the benefit. Or we could, if we were open minded enough, really try to interrogate our prejudices and reservations to find out why we don’t believe developing a growth mindset might work with ‘kids like these’.

MESSAGES ABOUT EFFORT Some students give up because they don’t believe they’re clever enough. If you’re never going to succeed, what’s the point in trying? Other students seek to protect their fragile egos

by not trying as hard as they might.

After all, if you try your best and fail then you must really be dumb; at least if you haven’t tried there’s a ready-made excuse for failure. Of course, no teacher would deliberately attribute students’ failure to their ability, but we may well communicate this inadvertently.

We should focus on what students can control, such as the effort they have invested in a task and the strategies they use. It can be useful to suggest that there are two types of work: excellent work and work which has not yet been finished. Ask students if their work is excellent, if not, suggest they crack on and finish it.

However, attributing failure to lack of effort is potentially problematic.

If you’ve worked your socks off and believe you’ve done your best, having this questioned by a well-intentioned teacher may well reinforce a belief that you have limited ability. Failure then seems like a character flaw.

Simply urging students to work harder is not the answer. The student may simply have wasted a lot of time and effort trying to implement an ineffective strategy. Students also need to be taught a range of potentially useful strategies. Sometimes we don’t need to work harder, we just need to work differently.

The overriding component in all of this is that students must believe they can improve though their own efforts.

Probably the best way of achieving this is for students to experience some success as a consequence of applying greater effort.

PRAISE Students’ beliefs can be affected by the way teachers communicate with students. For example, it’s probably better to avoid personal praise and phrase feedback in terms of the product, the effort involved or the process used instead. However, this rule of thumb has limitations. If we praise students for completing unchallenging tasks we may end up convincing them that success should be effortless. This might present problems when they face more challenging tasks in the future.

Another risk with praising students for completing routine tasks is that they

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might just conclude teachers have low expectations. It may be tempting to give a sympathetic or enthusiastic response to a student’s piece of work.

The problem is, if the student knows that it’s not very good, or certainly not their best work, they may well interpret that praise as meaning that the teacher doesn’t expect very much of them. It is probably better to be ‘tactically grumpy’53: hard to please, sceptical of excuses and exceptionally sparing with praise, thereby conveying the highest of expectations.

Avoiding unearned praise, offering support and expressing disappointment will not, of course, magically result in the creation of resilient students. Teachers must exercise their judgment when deciding how to interact with the students in their classes. But we should always be aware that sometimes well-intentioned actions may have unexpected, or even negative, effects on students’ beliefs about their own abilities.

SUPPORT If we’re serious about changing students’ perceptions about intelligence and ability, then it’s worth knowing that students are more likely to change their mindset if they first experience

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success. Interventions which focus on changing attitudes will have less impact than those which focus on increasing performance. The principle here is to encode success rather than failure: first provide support to help students experience of success, then, as students become more successful, we should make them aware of how their thinking and behaviour are changing.

should never use scaffolding to make easy work easier. We should only ever use it to make the impossible possible. We need to simplify the task sufficiently to allow pupils to attempt it, but make it hard enough so that everyone has to do something challenging. Everyone should struggle (and with effort, succeed), no matter their ability.

Thinking about where the scaffolding metaphor comes from is instructive.

Builders use scaffolding to enable them to attempt projects which would be otherwise impossible – or at least very unsafe. And then, when they’ve erected their shining skyscrapers, they take the scaffolding away. Unless scaffolding is removed we are unable to fully appreciate an architect’s vision.

Second, never put up scaffolding unless you have a plan for taking it down. If we leave it there, students will become dependent on it. They’ll never be able to perform without support, and this often ends up stifling their ideas and expression. Clunky straightjackets like PEE (Point Evidence Explain) and its many variants can be useful as a starting point, but as soon as students have mastered using them they need to be taken away. Taking away the scaffold forces students to struggle. The act of dredging memory for ideas helps the process to become internalised. If students are struggling too much, put the scaffold (or at least some of it) back. And then take it away again. As soon as possible.

However, builders do not use scaffolding to help them knock together a dwarf wall in your back garden or leave the skyscraper covered in scaffolding. In teaching, we tend to use scaffolding to make work easier. In order to prevent students feeling stuck, or overcoming difficulty, we give them a writing frame. Then, when they’ve finished, we leave it there.

There are two principles for the effective use of scaffolding. First, we

What Every Teacher Needs To Know About Psychology by David Didau and Nick Rose is published by John Catt Educational Ltd, and available now. www.johncattbookshop.com

THE ISA GUNDOG CHALLENGE

THE ISA GUNDOG CHALLENGE FINAL 2016 PUPILS FROM ISA SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY GATHERED AT THE MIDLAND GAME AND COUNTRY FAIR ON 17 SEPTEMBER FOR THE VERY FIRST FINAL OF THE ISA GUNDOG CHALLENGE.

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osted in the grounds of Shropshire’s magnificent Weston Park, which were bathed in brilliant sunshine on the last weekend of summer, the event

gave pupils the chance to meet real working gundogs, and display their handling skills.

Organised by Leicestershire-based The Gundog Company, the final was the culmination of a series of individual school rounds, which saw professional handlers visit ISA prep and primary schools across the country.

Over 50 pupils qualified for the final, and made the trip to Weston Park for the event, bringing teachers, family, and friends to cheer them on.

Impressing judges with their confidence and handling skills, 10 of the children scooped winners’ awards, with all of the participants receiving a small prize.

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In first place – winner of the ISA Gundog Challenge Shield - was Coopersale Hall School’s Zoe Blackburn.

Zoe’s school will also receive £2000 worth of playground equipment, courtesy of Red Monkey Play.

The nine remaining winners were presented with a glittering array of medals and trophies by The Gundog Company’s MD John Robertson, and Richard Walden – Chair of ISA’s Sport Committee.

A huge thank you to Leicestershirebased The Gundog Company for organising such a fantastic event for ISA schools.

To find out more about The Gundog Company, or arrange a display at your school, visit www.thegundogcompany.co.uk We’re delighted to share so many colourful pictures from the day, courtesy of Country Shots Photography. To see a full gallery, or order prints, please visit www.countryshotsphotography.co.uk.

THE ISA GUNDOG CHALLENGE

THE ISA GUNDOG CHALLENGE 2016: WINNERS 1st: Zoe Blackburn: Coopersale School 2nd:

Niev Fellows

3rd: Edward Flynn Hadden: Gosfield School 4th: Hattie Attwood: Cundall Manor 5th: Tallulah Lascelles: Cundall Manor 6th: Fred Perry: Lupton School 7th: Charlotte Sinclair: Oakhyrst Grange 8th: Eiden Siddle: St Hilda’s

All images copyright Country Shots Photography. Visit www.countryshotsphotography.co.uk.

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THE OLYMPIC FACTOR

THE OLYMPIC FACTOR:

WHAT SCHOOLS CAN LEARN FROM TEAM GB

Wasn’t it an amazing summer of Olympic action? A huge well done to our Olympic and Paralympic Teams on all their successes! What an enormous amount of enjoyment and pride we have all experienced from their soaring achievements in Rio. It’s not so long ago that this type of success would have been beyond our wildest dreams. We’ve been reminded quite often that in Atlanta the Great Britain Team achieved only one gold medal. What I remember from the Olympics 20 years ago was not so much the scarcity of gold medals but the frequency with which we didn’t even have anybody competing in the Olympic finals. We’d rather got used to reports of who had won the heats or the preliminary rounds, followed by the obligatory report on how British competitors had fared - and we’d hear that the British athlete had “finished eighth in his heat and failed to qualify”. What a transformation has been wrought across a single generation. And if such transformation can be achieved on the track, in the velodrome, and on the water, can it also be achieved in the classroom?

Four things seem to be key in the dramatic success of the GB teams, and all of them tell us things that can apply equally well in the educational world. Firstly, there is the message that whoever you are and whatever your standard, it is possible to improve.

Whatever your starting point you are not condemned to remain at that level, and even if you are at the very top

level there is always an even higher level to work towards.

Secondly, none of our athletes say that it’s been easy. I think we’re learning that there might be some natural advantages; it helps to be tall if you want to be a high jumper, or to have a slender frame to reduce air resistance if you want to travel at 40mph on a bike - but on the whole the thing that really matters is hard work. Learning how to do something better, practising it carefully and thoroughly until it becomes second nature, pushing yourself however hard it might feel at the time, is the only way of making progress. How many medal winners told us in their immediate post-event interview that this was what all the hard work, determined sacrifice, hours and hours practising and preparing were all about?

The third critical factor has been the investment in the very best support and coaching. Our athletes in the 1990s had no lack of determination and drive, but they did lack National Lottery funding to enable them to practise in the right conditions, with the best support team, to advise them on improvements they could make to their technique, and the coaches who could help them with the best preparation programme and encouragement.

Lastly, and perhaps my favourite, has been the recognition that huge overall improvement can arise as the sum of marginal gains. No aspect of performance is too small to be ignored, and I have enjoyed all the

“

EVEN IF YOU ARE AT THE VERY TOP LEVEL THERE IS ALWAYS AN EVEN HIGHER LEVEL TO WORK TOWARDS

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WE’VE ALL BEEN CELEBRATING THE SUCCESS OF TEAM GB, BUT SCHOOLS CAN LEARN SOMETHING FROM RIO TOO, SAYS CCSS PRINCIPAL AND ISA CHAIR STUART NICHOLSON

science, especially in cycling, that has examined the physics as well as the physiology in enabling bike riders to go faster. I listened as Sir Chris Hoy told us that Sir Bradley Wiggins had learned from Formula One when Lewis Hamilton had asked why he wore a ring on his finger when racing, as it would surely interrupt the air flow and contribute to increased drag.

All of these factors can be applied just as readily in schools as in the Olympic Stadium. Every child needs to know that improvement is possible, always. They also need to know that it takes hard work, determination and a willingness not to see a struggle as a setback but as the normal process of getting better at something.

Great teachers make a difference – they understand how to help, their enthusiasm motivates and their insight inspires. Finally, every little bit matters and in every subject each small gain in understanding helps build the picture that makes it all clearer.

Let’s set our sights on gold in the classroom too!

Stuart Nicholson is Principal of ISA’s Cambridge Centre for Sixth Form Studies, ISA East. www.ccss.co.uk.

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TAX FREE CHILDCARE

TAX-FREE CHILDCARE DON’T MISS OUT FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, ISA’S CEO HAS SAT ON THE HMRC TAX-FREE CHILDCARE (TFC) ADVISORY GROUP. MANY EARLY YEARS SETTINGS AND ISA SCHOOLS WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS INITIATIVE, WHERE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN UP TO THE AGE OF 12 (OR OLDER IF DISABLED) CAN SET UP AN ACCOUNT UNDER THE “CHILDCARE CHOICES” BRAND WHERE THE GOVERNMENT WILL ADD £2 FOR EVERY £8 DEPOSITED.

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he money can then be used to pay for all forms of wraparound care outside of “normal” school hours (those hours are not precisely defined).

Activities such as breakfast clubs, sports, activities, after-school and holiday clubs all qualify. It’s open to all families except those in the uppermost tax bracket (£100,000+), as long as both parents are in work - defined at a minimum of 15 hours each week.

ChildCare Choices will also advise on the 30 free hours of childcare for 3 and 4 YOs and other services (e.g. childcare vouchers) in a one-stop-shop for parents, though some of these are being phased out over the next few years as the emphasis subtly moves towards supporting working parents.

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The website is still in beta as an MVP (“minimum viable product”), but has undergone testing with a range of users and the Advisory Group are further testing functionality.

The requirement that both partners work a minimum of 15 hours isn’t set in stone, however. The online application for parents will ask for a declaration that each works for at least the national living wage over 15 hours, i.e. £107.20 each week (elsewhere stated as £115/week). That’s easily achieved by many part-time workers on a higher hourly rate not completing the full 15 hours, but HMRC don’t seem too bothered by this, given that the maximum claim is set at

£2000 for per year (or double for the disabled). Parents can pay as much into their accounts as they wish (not just the £8000 that would trigger the maximum subsidy) and use this as the source for payments. Interestingly, providing that parents pay in regularly, they will be able to save up the money in their accounts and just use it to pay for holiday clubs. Those clubs may well be provided by another setting or operation, of course, and as long as payments are made through the registered host setting, then that activity will still count for TFC. Many ISA schools will benefit from the scheme and more details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/

TAX FREE CHILDCARE

news/tax-free-childcare-top-thingschildcare-providers-should-know.

Please note that you don’t have to register with Ofsted to take part in the scheme, as some sources have suggested – registration with DfE as an independent school is perfectly adequate. This was one clarification that we achieved as part of attendance at this advisory group, otherwise dominated by private childcare providers. The link above tells you more about registration for the scheme, though at the time of going to press, it isn’t currently possible to do so as a provider. When this becomes available later this year, you’ll just need your HMRC Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), so make sure you have this to hand. Many providers have been sent a letter about the scheme but it isn’t certain if this reached every eligible independent school.

But don’t worry, as HMRC will provide information that you can provide to parents so they can enter the scheme and there will be media campaigns to

support the roll-out. 1000 parents are currently being identified to take part in a trial and once selected, providers currently educating those families will also be contacted.

It’s worth being aware that if ISA schools don’t take up the scheme, some parents could well look for another provider to make their money go (20%) further. Schools should also speak to their Management Information System provider to make sure that computer systems will cope, as well as ensuring that their billing processes clearly separate out wraparound charges, for obvious reasons – many don’t do that at present. It won’t be possible to use any of this funding to pay for core private school fees or to claim that elements of wraparound are included in the gross fees charged to parents.

It’s possible to speculate that schools with established wraparound services could be approached by parents with children not on roll looking to use their TFC savings to access activities.

In addition, those that outsource their vacation offerings with non-registered activities (such as a Chelsea half-term football camp that takes payments directly from parents – other football clubs are available, apparently) could miss out and may wish to start taking payments directly on behalf of those activities so parents can use their TFC funding.

ISA will continue to keep you informed via the ISA Newsletter or additional bulletins as the scheme develops.

Neil Roskilly, ISA CEO

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NEWS

NEWS THE LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES FOR ISA SCHOOLS TECHNOLOGY TO BOOST REMOTE LEARNING BY 2025 The class of 2025 will spend more time learning at home, and less in the classroom, according to a new technology survey by comms giant Polycom. Over half of teachers taking part in the ‘Education in 2025 – Technology Innovation’ survey felt that remote learning – using video collaboration, virtual environments and mobile devices – could be commonplace in the next decade – with the need to integrate technology with physical teaching seen as a key challenge for future teaching.

GUARDIAN CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD SHORTLIST Four children’s authors- including UK writers Tanya Landman and Alex Wheatle - have been shortlisted for this year’s Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.

Alex Wheatle is shortlisted for his contemporary drama Crongton Knights and Landman for her historical novel Hell and High Water, set in 18th-century England.

The pair face competition from Brian Selznick, the US author of The Marvels and from the Australian writer Zana Fraillon, who is shortlisted for Bone Sparrow, a story about refugees.

The four shortlisted titles were chosen from a longlist that included books by Malorie Blackman and Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock and the winner, chosen by judges David Almond, Kate Saunders and SF Said, will be announced on 17 November.

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OXFORD TOPS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS This year’s Times Higher Education world rankings placed Oxford University in the top spot for the first time, toppling The California Institute of Technology which has held first place for the last 5 years. The table, which placed Cambridge at number 4 and Imperial College London at number 8, reveals a mixed picture for European universities, while Asian institutions continue to rise. Phil Baty, Editor of the rankings warned: “The UK must ensure that it limits the damage to academics, students, universities and science during its Brexit negotiations, to ensure that the UK remains one of the world leaders in higher education.”

NEW GRAPHIC NOVEL TACKLES DIFFICULT THEMES Image(s) taken from a new graphic novel by Jag Lall, dealing with the difficult topic of rape and abuse. While only suitable for senior pupils and with caution, ”1400” could stimulate debate as part of PSHE programmes in schools.

It is available to order from most bookshops and online outlets.

NICOLA STURGEON URGED TO END TAX BENEFITS FOR INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS IN SCOTLAND Nicola Sturgeon is under pressure to end tax benefits for Scotland’s private schools after the SNP conference called for state schools to receive the same status according to a report in The Edinburgh Evening News.

Former SNP candidate Graham Sutherland told delegates it was a “disgrace” the Scottish government had rejected previous calls to end tax breaks .

He said: “Effectively we have a situation just now where the state subsidises educational segregation and class privilege. The system as it stands also perpetuates educational inequality and that has a knock-on effect on child poverty.”

Mr Sutherland said Fettes College – where fees are around £24,000 a year – received an 80% reduction in non-domestic rates while providing bursaries for two per cent of pupils. That meant Fettes saw its rates bill cut from £209,000 to just £42,000 while Wester Hailes Education Centre had to pay £261,000.

He called for state schools to receive similar tax breaks to create “a level playing field for Scotland’s children.”

NEWS

ACADEMIC CALLS FOR RETURN OF CLASSICS TEACHING

SATS : TEACHERS PROMOTE CREATIVITY AHEAD OF POSSIBLE BOYCOTT

A leading academic has called for classics to be taught “in every primary school.”

Growing numbers of UK primary school teachers are encouraging pupils to read ‘without stopping to count pronouns and adjectives’, as part of a new campaign against Sats.

Professor Dennis Hayes, from the University of Derby, argues that the revival of Latin and classics, could “transform education”. His claims were published just days after the DFE’s Education Green Paper suggested that independent schools should support the state sector in delivering such subjects. The DFE consultation document highlights the work of the York Independent-State School Partnership, which provides Latin GCSEs to maintained school pupils, as an example of good practice.

You Can’t Test This is rapidly gaining support from teachers across the UK, and is being backed by the NUT for the first time.

The campaign encourages schools to try out more “experimental” teaching techniques and creative classroom activities in direct challenge to the testing culture.

Schools taking part are boosting pupils’ creativity by holding poetry

performances, meditation sessions and using art and music to teach STEM subjects.

The campaign encourages teachers to show that there’s value to all learning and a number of schools have started to post their activities on Twitter under #YouCantTestThis.

Unions are stepping up their campaign to boycott next year’s Sats tests – as headteachers launch a petition against the current assessments.

Both the NAHT heads’ union and the NUT teaching union have written to their school leadership members outlining plans to carry out an indicative ballot – due to take place as The ISA Journal went to press.

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NEWS

FREE ONLINE ACCESS TO SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL’S ARCHIVE

MENTAL HEALTH : NEW TOOLKIT AVAILABLE FOR SCHOOLS

The prestigious Churchill Archive is offering free access to schools until 31st December 2020.

A new toolkit to help schools monitor and measure pupils’ mental health has been released by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families.

A great resource for teachers and students of History, the Churchill Archive includes over 800,000 primary source documents – from top-secret telegrams to photographs and newspaper reports, and from private letters to annotated versions of famous speeches.

The toolkit provides a practical guide to help teachers identify those who might need targeted support, and offers a series of steps to consider when evaluating mental-health interventions for the classroom.

Providing a fascinating close-up view of key events in the twentieth century, plus an expanding range of educational articles and topic overviews with links to relevant documents, the Churchill Archive also encourages the development of students’ independent learning and research skills.

The resources have been published following a new YMCA survey, published on World Mental Health Day, which found that many young people with mental health difficulties feel stigmatised in school. More than 2000 young people aged between 11 and 24 took part in the survey, with many revealing that teachers – as well as friends – had treated them differently. On a positive note, over 80% of those surveyed felt that school was the best place to combat any difficulties they were facing as a result of their mental-health problems. The majority believed that the best way to tackle the stigma was to encourage open discussion about mental health generally.

Schools can download the toolkit at : www.annafreud.org

To find out more visit www.jcsonlineresources.org/churchill

SAFEGUARDING UPDATES

Organised crime online

Tackling sexting

Europol has published its Internet organised crime threat assessment (IOCTA) for 2016. Key findings include: while peerto-peer networks are still a popular platform for the exchange of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM), there is an increase in the volume of material being exchanged on the Darknet; the use of end-to-end encrypted platforms for sharing media, along with anonymous payment systems, has contributed to an increase in the live streaming of child abuse.

The NSPCC offers advice to professionals about how to respond to incidents of sexting. This include: writing a sexting policy and procedures; what to do if a young person makes a disclosure about sexting; increasing public and professional awareness of issues surrounding sexting.

Contact them via the NSPCC website.

Source: Europol <https://www.europol.europa.eu/content/ internet-organised-crime-threat-assessment-iocta-2016>

42

CHILD INTERNET SAFETY

NAVIGATING THE CHALLENGES OF THE DIGITAL AGE HOW DO WE KEEP CHILDREN SAFE ONLINE WHILE ENCOURAGING THEM TO BECOME CONFIDENT DIGITAL CITIZENS? VICKI SHOTBOLT, EXECUTIVE MEMBER OF THE UK COUNCIL FOR CHILD INTERNET SAFETY AND CEO OF PARENTZONE, OFFERS ADVICE.

T

he online world is integral to young people’s lives. Young people expect to be working with technology in the future, and many aspire to careers in the technology industry.

In a recent survey, we asked young people aged 11 -18 if they thought they might work with computers in their future career. Nearly 40% expected that they would be using computers for technical reasons such as coding and programming, with just 4% imagining they might be working outdoors.

The most popular future careers were those in technology, with over half of our respondents wanting to be games, app or website developers when they leave school. Just 6% aspired to more traditional job roles such as doctor or lawyer. And even ‘astronaut’ failed to generate enthusiasm, despite Tim Peake’s record-breaking space mission.

So we really do need to think about how we are preparing young people for the technology-driven future they want – and not just through the effective teaching of STEM or STEAM subjects. It is just as vital we consider how effectively we are embedding digital social skills in them, and encouraging young people to think for themselves about how they can make the digital world a better place.

‘SERIOUS AND CHALLENGING ISSUES’ This is something independent schools do particularly well in the offline world. Great schools encourage pupils to recognise their responsibility to create positive change in the world. But how often do we take that same approach in the digital world? We are often too busy responding to the negative impacts of the internet to worry about long-term outcomes or new opportunities for future digital citizens.

This is understandable, given the catalogue of immediate risks and potential harms the online world presents. Teachers tell us that responding

to the flood of pupil issues brought into school after a weekend spent gaming or using social media can be time-consuming. Sorting the standard relationship and pastoral care issues from the serious safeguarding concerns requires time, resources, experience and training. And this is as true in the online as it is in the offline world.

At a recent Parent Zone Digital Safeguarding training day, we were reminded of the breadth of issues that are being amplified by the internet.

The new statutory requirement for schools to have ‘adequate monitoring’ of children’s use of the internet raises difficult questions about children’s right to privacy and the need to challenge and take risks in a safe learning environment.

Crucially, we need to remember that keeping children safe and dealing with poor digital social skills is a deficit model, and the best education focuses on an abundance approach. We need to find the skills and aptitudes each child has and utilise them to help them fulfil their potential.

That’s the sort of approach we encourage through our Digital School Membership programme. Our members are interested in keeping children safe as a starting point to a journey that will end with technologically accomplished, confident digital citizens, with excellent digital social skills and the knowledge to make a positive contribution to the online world.

‘THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONLINE RISK AND HARM’ Of course the journey has to start with safety. It isn’t possible to explore and take risks unless there are boundaries and rules and sadly, we’ve created a terrible credibility gap for ourselves when it comes to digital rule setting.

From the myth of the ‘digital native’ to the willingness on the part of some

professionals to declare that they ‘don’t do social media’, we have allowed young people to hear that adults are poorly placed to make decisions about their internet use.

We have to change their thinking by involving young people in the rule setting; by challenging ourselves to explain the rules and by really understanding that there is a difference between online risk and harm. That means we, as adults, need to learn about the digital world too, and not just leave it to the younger generation.

And while safety must be the start of the process, we have to shift our focus towards opportunity and digital social skills, which is why it is crucial they are taught in schools alongside the STEM and STEAM subjects that will give pupils the skills they need to follow the tech careers they dream of.

‘A FORCE FOR GOOD ONLINE’ The young people moving through school today are not just the people we need to trust to invent future technological innovations, but also the ones to build a safe, responsible online future. Encouraging them to understand their responsibility to be a force for good online, and celebrating when they are, is as important as dealing with the negative effects of the internet.

Modelling and rewarding the behaviour we want to see is commonplace offline and we need to make it commonplace for online behaviour as well.

Our best Digital Schools find ways – with our help – to do that. With effective and creative lesson planning and with knowledge and understanding of all aspects of the internet – including the grubbier parts.

In short, by educating children for a digital future, we can help children benefit from and shape the internet. www.parentzone.org.uk

43

MAKING SCHOOL MEALS SUSTAINABLE

MAKING SCHOOL MEALS SUSTAINABLE AND NUTRITIOUS

ISA GOLD SUPPLIER SODEXO IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF A DRIVE TO MAKE SCHOOL MEALS MORE SUSTAINABLE. MANAGING DIRECTOR JEREMY ALDERTON EXPLAINS HOW.

W

ith a focus on cooking fresh food from scratch, Independents

by Sodexo is renowned for the seasonality, provenance and freshness of our menus. As consumers become ever more aware of food provenance and its importance for welfare (as well as taste), so it becomes increasingly important for caterers to ensure that their food is not only fresh and nutritiously balanced, but also sustainably and ethically sourced.

A key component of this has been our approach to managing our supply chain and building trusting, long-term relationships with suppliers. All our fresh meat and dairy is Red Tractor certified, which means that it is sourced in the UK from farmers who ensure conditions meet stringent EU standards on animal welfare. In 2013 Independents by Sodexo became the first school caterer to supply pork and eggs from Freedom Foods suppliers to its 70-plus independent schools.

We have also had MSC certification for our school contracts since 2010 and our aim is to make sure that all fish we supply is sustainably sourced. We are working with celebrity chef James Tanner on creating signature fish dishes which use mixed species and

respect sustainable fishing methods.

We recently formed an innovative and unique partnership – Green & Lean - with conservation charity WWF, challenging ourselves to produce a set of meals that were even more sustainable and nutritious, but suitable to be served regularly in our independent schools.

The food we eat – growing, producing and consuming it – has a massive impact on the planet. WWF has found that food is responsible for around 30% of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions.

To raise awareness of this issue, WWF has developed LiveWell, a programme of work which aims to encourage businesses and policy-makers to facilitate the adoption of diets which are both healthy and sustainable.

Developed jointly by WWF experts and Independents by Sodexo chefs, the Green & Lean meals meet a set of 10 criteria to ensure they are nutritious, lower-carbon and that the ingredients are responsibly sourced. For example, plant-based foods have to account for at least two thirds of the volume of each meal; refined grains are replaced with whole grains; and meat and fish has to have relevant certification, such as MSC or RSPCA Assured.

The meals include favourites such as beef lasagne, chicken and leek pie and Lancashire hot pot. When we set out on this project, it was important that we achieved the sustainability and nutritional gains on the meals by making small changes to popular, well-loved dishes, without dramatically changing the taste or the look of the dish. For example, the Green & Lean lasagne contains more carrots, onions and celery than Sodexo’s original recipe and less beef mince.

In the autumn term of 2015 eight schools piloted the food as part of their regular menus, with almost 20,000 meals served. The changes to original recipes meant that over a tonne of extra vegetables were served and we saved the equivalent of the weight of a cow in meat. Feedback on the meals has been good – and even more Green & Lean meals will soon be available.

As part of a holistic approach in independent schools, we are also committed to educating students on the benefits of eating sustainably. We have produced materials which aim to explain certification marks such MSC and Red Tractor in simple terms.

We work closely with the MSC, who have visited several of our schools to talk about fish conservation and have provided additional lesson plans and materials.

We’ve also had great involvement from our schools in our waste prevention awareness week, Wasteless Week.

As a partner to our independent school clients, we take seriously our role in educating students about food, encouraging them to try new dishes and helping them to eat a healthy and balanced diet. Ensuring we provide sustainably and ethically sourced food and helping the next generation of consumers to make the right food choices, is an important next step.

For more information visit www.independentsbysodexo.com

44

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ISA SPORTING TIMES

THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL RUGBY

THE START OF THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR BROUGHT RENEWED CALLS FROM DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS TO BAN TACKLING IN SCHOOL RUGBY, AMID GROWING CONCERN OVER THE RISK OF SERIOUS HEAD INJURIES. DAVID MARTIN, HEAD TEACHER OF ISA’S GHYLL ROYD SCHOOL IN ILKLEY, WEST YORKSHIRE EXPLAINS WHY RUGBY IS SO IMPORTANT IN HIS SCHOOL, AND OFFERS STRAIGHTFORWARD ADVICE FOR MAKING THE GAME SAFER.

A

s health experts call for a ban on tackling in school rugby games, I sit here fearful for what outcome might ensue. It’s fair to say that nothing in life comes without some risk, particularly sport. I imagine even the mildest game of tiddlywinks could unwittingly blind an opponent with a particularly aggressive shot. My point: where will this all end?

Risk assessments ensure the mitigation of risk, and appropriate teaching ensures that safety is paramount. We are in very real danger of creating a society of individuals who are suffocated by health and safety guidelines and not equipped for adult life.

Surely the answer lies in ensuring that the rules of the game are adhered to and that players, coaches, parents and teachers are educated about and aware of the important safety aspects of the game? Equally players and parents must learn to respect the referee’s decision and understand the importance of their role in safety. A number of simple steps can help to ensure this. In professional rugby, for example, the referee meets with frontrow players prior to a match to ensure that they know how to safely present a scrum. This has seen a huge reduction in the number of spinal-related injuries in the game.

With 2.5m players, England accounts for 30% of the world’s rugby union players, of which an estimated 1.2 million are children. Rugby has always been a key element of boys’ sport, particularly in the independent sector.

Rugby is included within the curriculum whilst adhering to the strict rules set by the Rugby Football Union, with contact rugby introduced to children in Year 4.

This gradual introduction ensures that regardless of the RFU’s age-related guidelines, rugby coaching is ability-led

46

and linked to a child’s confidence. As a teacher of rugby you have to ask: “Is this child able and willing to do this?”

What is important is ensuring that children have a diverse range of sports in which to participate, allowing them to find and shape their individual talents.

skills transferable to many other areas of life, including working together and developing relationships. They often encourage greater academic focus, engender respect and teach the valuable life skill of how to be gracious in defeat.

At Ghyll Royd School our children are taught rugby by one of the coaches from local club Ilkley RFC, who are trained specifically to teach primaryage children the rules of engagement in a safe and fun way. Many of our children also play at the club at weekends, which ensures consistency in training and teaching.

In recent years Great Britain has seen tremendous success on the world stage for sporting achievements including cycling, tennis, swimming and gymnastics. The London Olympics saw a rise in children taking part in a variety of sports at grassroots level.

This passion and enthusiasm needs to be nurtured and developed if we are to continue to develop future champions. Here at Ghyll Royd we are always thrilled when our children are awarded sports scholarships as they move up to secondary school, as we know we have helped to nurture a potential star of the future. Inspired by the soaring success of Team GB in Rio, we should be looking to bolster enthusiasm and participation in a wide range of sports, not just rugby.

Our pupils should be encouraged to aim high and dream big, believing that one day they too could step up to the winning podium, and collect gold for Great Britain.

Rugby has never been safer. Last year the Rugby Football Union launched the ‘Don’t Be A Headcase’ campaign, promoting the importance of safeguarding players – and particularly younger players - on their return after concussion. The new guidelines stipulate a minimum 23 day absence from the sport for any player under 19 years of age. Here a gradual return to play is encouraged as and when the player is fit and ready to do so.

All types of sport benefit children in a variety of ways, building self confidence and promoting mental and physical well-being. Team sports also provide children with additional social benefits. They teach a range of

ISA SPORTING TIMES

ISA NATIONAL SPORTS CALENDAR 2016/2017 Date November 3rd - 4th TBC

Event PE Conference

Thursday 10th November U11 Rugby Thursday 24 National Junior Girls Hockey

Organiser ISA Sport

Organiser isasport@isaschools.co.uk

Venue Lilleshall National Sports

Rushmoor School Srichbell@rushmoorschool.co.uk ISA Sport isasport@isaschools.co.uk

Centre Bedford TBC Lee Valley

Christmas Holidays ISA Sport isasport@isaschools.co.uk ISA Sport isasport@isaschools.co.uk Adcote School lhudson@adcoteschool.co.uk ISA Sport isasport@isaschools.co.uk

London Olympic Pool Sherfield School Adcote School Lee Valley

November TBC

U11 /u13

Saturday 21st Jan TBC Sunday 5th February Thursday 9th February

Swimming Table Tennis Gymnastics National Junior Boys Hockey

13th- 19th February

U11/U13 Dubai College Netball Festival

TBC Thursday 16th February

Boys U16 Football Boys Hockey South U14/ U16

Edwin Doran February Half ISA Sport Justin Whitbread

Thursday 2nd March Saturday 4th March Wednesday 8th March

U13/U14 Rugby Sevens Cross Country U16 Rugby

Chris McCully ISA Sport Simon Carter

whitbread@ballardschool.co.uk isasport@isaschools.org.uk isasport@isaschools.co.uk isasport@isaschools.org.uk or

Queen Ethelburga’s, York Princethorpe College Maidenhead RFC

Saturday 11th March Wednesday 15th March

Senior Girls Netball U18 Rugby

ISA Sport Ben Wassell

sic@clairescourt.net isasport@isaschools.co.uk isasport@isaschools.org.uk or b.wassell@

Malvern St James St James

Friday 24th Match TBC

U11 5-a-side football finals Junior Girls Netball

TBC

Judo

elaina.sperring@sportstravelevents.co.uk Term isasport@isaschools.org.uk isasport@isaschools.org.uk or Justin.

stjamesboys.co.uk ISA Sport isasport@isaschools.co.uk ISA Sport isasport@isaschools.co.uk Easter Holidays Sarah Burkett isasport@isaschools.org.uk or

ISFA U13 Regional Festival Masterclass (Netball, Football,

ISFA Edwin Doran

sjburkett@gmail.com ianbent@isfa.org.uk elaina.sperring@sportstravelevents.co.uk

Hockey, Rugby) 10-14th April & 17-21st April Masterclass (Netball, Football,

Edwin Doran

elaina.sperring@sportstravelevents.co.uk

1-3 April 9-13 April

Monday 24 April TBC TBC

Hockey, Rugby) Skiing Triathlon Basketball festival

28th May-1st June

Dubai TBC Ballard School

Dixie Grammar TBC Oakhyrst Grange Shrewsbury School Spain Holland Hemel Hempstead Lucton School Queen Ethleburgas TBC

Masterclass (Netball, Football,

Phil Brown phil@impulse-racing.co.uk ISA Sport isasport@isaschools.co.uk Ben Kirk isasport@isaschools.org.uk or bkirk@qe.org May Half Term Edwin Doran elaina.sperring@sportstravelevents.co.uk

TBC TBC

Hockey, Rugby) Tennis Clay Pigeon

ISA Sport Oxford Gun

isasport@isaschools.co.uk david@oxfordguncompany.co.uk

National Tennis Centre Bredon School

TBC TBC TBC 11-19th July

Equestrian Athletics Golf Virgin Atlantic Calypso Sports

Company Alex Darkes ISA Sport ISA Sport Edwin Doran

alexdarkes@princethorpe.co.uk isasport@isaschools.co.uk isasport@isaschools.co.uk elaina.sperring@sportstravelevents.co.uk

Princethorpe College Alexander Stadium Jun-17 Barbados

Spain

Festival U16 - U19 Summer Holidays

47

ISA SPORTING TIMES

PUPILS BREAK NATIONAL RECORDS AT ISA ATHLETICS FINAL IT’S BEEN ANOTHER RECORD-BREAKING YEAR FOR ISA SPORT, WITH 8 NATIONAL RECORDS SMASHED AT JUNE’S NATIONAL ATHLETICS FINALS. ISA NATIONAL SPORTS COORDINATORS RICH STEDEFORD AND LAURA BLATHERWICK REPORT. In defiance of consistent rain and harsh conditions, over 300 children competed in the ISA National Athletics Finals on Wednesday 29th June at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham. Despite the weather, all competitors showed an exemplary attitude which further justified their qualification through to the finals. The day saw eight national records broken, including a Year 9 shot put record beaten by over one metre; a truly outstanding achievement

by Serena Vincent from London West.

The high standards continued on the track with many brilliant performances. Queen Ethelburga’s pupil Edward Lake stormed to victory, and achieved the sprint double in both the 100m and 200m. This was repeated by Cameron Duff of The Grange who achieved the same feat in the Year 8-9 Boys sprints. Heathfield School also have an exciting prospect in Olivia Jones who achieved a track and field double by winning both 75m hurdles and high jump events, with her performance in the latter almost achieving a national record. Again, she wasn’t the only girl to prove her athletic versatility with Olivia Herron of Cransley School victorious in both the Year 7 Girls 800m and high jump.

Despite having to bear the brunt of less than ideal conditions, records were tumbling. Congratulations must go to the following competitors who now own the ISA National Record for their respective events: Competitor Amelia Cook, Sherfield School J.Scott, Redhouse School Serena Vincent, The Gregg School Jessica Hall, Redhouse Jamaal Darlington, St James School Conrad Norman, Oakhyrst Grange School Riley Hopley, Claires Court Finn Keylock, Claires Court

Event Year 10/11 Shot Put Year 8-9 Boys 1500m Year 8-9 Girls Shot Put Year 8-9 Girls 1500m Year 6 Boys High Jump Year 5 Boys 600m

Old Record New Record 11.08m 12.46m

Year 5 Girls Long Jump Year 4 Boys Cricket Ball Throw

4.39.3

4.31.03

11.06m

12.21m

5.17.5

5.13.12

1.46m

1.47m

1.48.1

1.47.44

4.16m

4.20m

48.59m

51.38m

This year ISA also welcomed photo-finishing for the first time and a large number of highly-qualified UKA officials to whom we are extremely grateful. These improvements signify the high standards that all competitors bring to the event and emphasise the importance ISA gives to improving competitive opportunities for the 90,000+ children it serves.

After all the points were accumulated, London West achieved overall victory, amassing a total of 645 points. They were closely followed by the North on 564 points and London South on 503 points. A full copy of the team results appears below.

48

ISA SPORTING TIMES / SAFEGUARDING Overall Team Results 1st London West 645 2nd North 564 3rd London South 503 4th Midlands 468 5th East Anglia 384 6th London North 340 7th South West 302

Senior Girls 1st London West 2nd North 3rd Midlands 4th London South 5th East Anglia 6th South West 7th London North

214 190 189 142 107 90 68

Senior Boys 1st North 1st London West 2nd London South 3rd London North 4th South West 5th Midlands 6th East Anglia

208 208 161 122 121 115 114

Junior Boys 1st London South 2nd Midlands 2nd London West 3rd East Anglia 4th North 5th London North 6th South West

100 93 93 91 90 78 34

Junior Girls 1st London West 130 2nd London South 100 3rd North 76 4th East Anglia 72 4th London North 72 5th Midlands 71 6th South West 57

LOCAL AUTHORITIES ARE FAILING POTENTIALLY VULNERABLE CHILDREN R

ecently a headteacher contacted the HQ of the Independent Schools Association with his concerns over his local authority’s approach to safeguarding, in particular, regarding enhanced safeguarding responsibilities since 1st September where all schools (including private and academy) have obligations to contact local authorities with concerns as outlined in the DfE publication, “Children Missing Education 2016” (CME). CME makes it clear that all schools, as a result of legislation that includes the Education (Pupil Registration) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2016, must notify their local authority as they are about to remove a pupil’s name from the school admission register, when this falls outside of the normal transition

points in a pupil’s career. Those grounds include children continuously absent from the school for a period of twenty school days or where they have failed to attend the school within the ten school days immediately following an authorized absence. The circumstances where this might be triggered are legion of course, and may include permanent exclusion, extended overseas family-related trips and families moving house and school. However, the obligation can go further. The statutory guidance outlines that schools are also under a duty to provide information for children joining and leaving at standard transitions (for example at the end of primary school) if a local authority requests that schools make such returns. However,

onerous this sounds, the intention is of course to protect vulnerable children who may go missing from education, particularly those who may be at risk from harm or neglect, such as those in the child justice system or from traveler backgrounds, children of service personnel where continuity of education can be an issue, missing children known to the care system or runaways. Children should only be removed from admissions registers where both the local authority and school have made “reasonable enquiries” to establish the whereabouts of a child.

The referral system clearly relies on local authorities having robust systems and under the regulations they must have, “policies and procedures in place

49

SAFEGUARDING is mirrored in Barnet: “We initially took the Borough of Barnet to task when we requested information and they were unaware this applied to independent schools. We sent them the link to the new DfE guidance for local authorities. A week later they sent us the relevant new documents and thanked us for our vigilance”.

to enable them to meet their duty in relation to these children, including ensuring that there are effective tracking and enquiry systems in place, and appointing a named person to whom schools and other agencies can make referrals about children who are missing education”.

ISA schools have praised examples of where this works well. One reported that, “My school is in Slough and we have made referral recently to the tracking officer and have had some efficient responses, which has been pleasing. This involved a pupil who had moved abroad (Pakistan), as we always attempt to get confirmation of new schools when children leave.

We have made another referral with regards to a pupil who we would not let return and again received an efficient response - confirmed by the tracking officer that this pupil has started in a school in Acton”. Another commented that he is, “pleased to say we have an excellent relationship with Rochdale in this area and have not had any issues. Children who fail to return are reported and it is followed up. Conversely children who leave state school to join us and fail to inform the school are followed up by a call to us to check they are here”. This is particularly welcome given Rochdale’s recent history in safeguarding.

However, it’s clear from other responses that local authorities vary in their approaches and in some cases this may be failing potentially vulnerable children: “Today we sought support from both the Royal Borough

50

of Windsor and Maidenhead (our LA) and Slough, home LA for a child who is in danger of going missing, through most erratic attendance and inappropriate and vague communications from parents. After both LAs had tried to pass the buck, eventually we were directed to speak to the only remaining Education Welfare Officer in Maidenhead. We rang the number concerned, to hear her voicemail report that ‘she was on leave for 4 weeks for a shoulder operation’. This seeming abrogation of responsibilities is repeated in Lincoln where another headteacher said, “We have not been able to contact anyone from the LA. The number rings and rings then goes to voicemail where you cannot leave a message but it tells you to “press one” if you require a call back. We did this but no-one returned our call. We have requested this since the start of term.

We also wrote a letter giving details of the children who have joined us at ‘non-transition times’ but we have had no confirmation that they have received it”. Another headteacher in Southend explained that, “We got in touch with the CME (Children Missing Education) officer who we know of old anyway. He has told us that the LA is currently exploring a data capture IT solution for reporting CME and children moving in and out of schools. He asked me to hang on to the data we have generated so far since September and he will let us know when he is ready to receive it.

I am not entirely happy with this as a solution but it is what we have been told to do”. This lack of preparedness

Sometimes this lack of understanding by a local authority can result in endless chasing: “Last year I attempted to notify the LA (Leicestershire) when a child left our school and the destination school was outside Leicestershire. Admissions forwarded me to Safeguarding and Safeguarding sent me back to Admissions. I eventually gave up!”. Or simply no response, as in a case from Essex: “I have made referrals and recorded them on our system, but I have not received acknowledgement by email or post that we have made a referral and that it has been received.

Again this puts schools in a difficult position, as we would need to prove we had notified the local authority and I only have my notes as a record”.

In urgent cases, an authority’s lack of a robust system is potentially devastating for a child. One head in the London Borough of Havering describes how, “I have spent the last two days trying to notify the LA, via email and phone calls, of a child that has suddenly been taken out of school. Despite four attempts I have been unable to speak to the right person. My email at 9.02am yesterday has not been answered and the phone has just rung constantly for two numbers that I was given for the Education Welfare Team”.

The system clearly isn’t working and even though the examples above (received among many) relate to independent schools, the same must be experienced by state schools who are under a similar legal obligation to refer children missing education.

The general lack of knowledge by authorities of their own obligations is worrying in itself, and the failure to set up robust systems in line with their legal obligations can only mean that vulnerable children are still in danger of going missing.

Neil Roskilly CEO - The Independent Schools Association neil.roskilly@isaschools.org.uk

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