First Eleven Senior Edition Summer 2012

SENIOR EDITION

FOR PARENTS OF PUPILS AT INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS WWW.FIRSTELEVENMAGAZINE.CO.UK SUMMER 2012

WIN! A STAY IN A LUXURY SPA

The pathway to Uni After GCSEs: what happens next?

Helping you write your personal statement Make the most of your gap year

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Summer 2012 Contents

Editor’s letter Welcome to our summer issue packed with school news, education and exciting ways to spend the summer. As the children get older, it might seem hard to find a holiday that ticks all the right boxes and we explore the cultural attractions of San Francisco, motor along the winding roads of Tuscany and go sailing in the crystal blue waters of Antigua.

First Eleven’s focus tackles the gap year and we have advice and tips on how to get the best out of your child’s time out from education. There is also the chance win a stay at a luxury hotel, complete with a visit to a teen spa – perfect for some of that essential mother-daughter time.

As one academic year comes to a close, another beckons. James Durant of UCAS advises on how to write a winning personal statement and there are some sage words of advice for those who are about to wave off their children to university for the first time.

Finally, I write this letter with great sadness as it is my last. After two-and-a-half wonderful years as editor – during which time we have launched a senior schools’ issue, as well as a guide to the best independent schools in the country and reached nearly 250,000 readers – I have decided it’s time to move on to other projects. I have had the enormous privilege to meet and talk with some exceptionally talented people in the independent education sector.

I cannot thank them, my team at First Eleven, and you enough for supporting it and for making First Eleven the magazine that it is today.

FOR PARENTS OF PUPILS AT INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS SENIOR EDITION

FOR PARENTS OF PUPILS AT INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS WWW.FIRSTELEVENMAGAZINE.CO.UK SUMMER 2012

WIN! A STAY IN A LUXURY SPA

Becky Armstrong, 18, of Trent College, Nottingham

Cover: Pupils from Brighton College, East Sussex Photographer: Daniel Shearing

The pathway to Uni After GCSEs: what happens next?

Helping you write your personal statement Make the most of your gap year 001gj_FESUM(S) 5.indd 1

www.firstelevenmagazine.co.uk

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

15/06/2012 14:33

3

Better funding Brighter future Close Brothers Limited in partnership with Marsh gives you a better way to pay school fees.

Close Brothers will pay the fees directly to the school on your behalf at the beginning of each term, which allows you to spread the cost and repay Close Brothers in simple monthly instalments.

For more information please contact us.

Telephone: 0844 742 4243 Email: info@closeschoolfees.com Website: www.closeschoolfees.com

Registered Office: 10 Crown Place, London, EC2A 4FT. Registered in England and Wales No 195626.

Close Brothers Limited is a subsidiary of Close Brothers Group plc.

Summer 2012 Contents

What’s inside NEWS

7

28

News

A round up of school, gap, university and career news

COMMENT

17

Head view

22

The pre-u

24 32

If your child doesn’t make the grade they could be forced to move schools, says Andrew Fleck The ideal prep for university study, assures Ann Puntis

If at first you don’t succeed...

A dose of failure is good for your child, advises Heather Hanbury

Student view

Temping is a great way to save for uni or a gap year, says Katie Back

The next step

Glynis Kozma says sixth forms and universities are offering a stepping stone into higher education

31

Bridge the gap

62

Shall we dance?

GAP

35

Dr Suzannah Lipscomb argues that pupils do not have the study skills to take on higher education Tracy Cook asks: are school proms worth all the pomp?

FOCUS: Gap year choice

Alice Baines explains the options; Charlie McGrath advises how to keep safe; Ed Flack helps to budget and Hektor Krome says an unplanned gap year can expand your CV

UNIVERSITIES

26

Express yourself

James Durant of UCAS advises how to write a winning personal statement

FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN AT INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

CNP Ltd, Liscartan House, 127-131 Sloane Street, London SW1X 9AS Tel (020) 7901 8000 Fax (020) 7901 8001 FOR PARENTS OF PUPILS AT INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS Email info@firstelevenmagazine.co.uk

For website and subscriptions please visit www.firstelevenmagazine.co.uk/magazine

Ed Flack has worked for long spells with HSBC,

Handelsbanken, ING and Postbank.

He left the city in 2011 to start his own company WizeUp, which delivers financial awareness skills’ workshops to schools. Outside of work he is a governor with Waltham Forest College and is married with 3 children. Ed writes about budgeting for gap years (p, 40).

Student Anmoli Sodma explains how to make it truly unique

CAREERS

SCHOOLS

18

How I wrote my personal statement

Contributors

45

Leading lights A surgeon, an illustrator, a bespoke furniture maker, a property entrepreneur and a co-founder of a PR company on how they got there

HEALTH

53

Alcohol and your children

57

Surviving freshers’ week

Thea Jourdan asks: how do you promote safe drinking among teens?

Victoria Lambert has the answers

66

Teen spa

69 76

80 82

books for parents.

A former teacher in independent and state schools, Glynis writes for the national press where. she focuses on family, education and health.

“With children who have recently graduated, I’ve experienced many of the issues which parents and young people face today.” Glynis looks at lifeskills (p, 18).

Olivia de Courcy speaks from experience

58 61

LIFE

Glynis Kozma is an author of two self-help

Agony aunt

The waiting game

How to combat stress in the period leading up to results Two teens indulge in a day of pampering to keep stress at bay during their GCSEs

Travel

How do you find a holiday that caters for a family of differing ages and tastes? Raffaella Barker, James Dunford Wood and Ann Binet report

Tracy Cook is well versed in the issues that

Parent’s page

Where you talk to us and we talk to you

Property Short-term lets could pave the way for a new revenue stream, says Anna Tyzack

University memories

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher MacGregor on Birmingham

EDITORIAL Editor Annabel Heseltine Acting Editor Claudia Dudman Editorial Assistant Natalie Milner Designer Steve Place ADVERTISING Sales Executives Andy Mabbitt, Freddy Halliday, Natasha Syed Deputy Managing Director Steve Ross

PUBLISHING Commercial Director Vicki Gavin Publisher & Managing Director Paul Dobson Consultant Publisher David Moncrieff Marketing Manager Will Delmont Subscriptions Sophie Robson Production allpointsmedia www.allpointsmedia.co.uk Printed in England by Wyndeham Heron, Essex Copyright CNP Ltd 2012. All rights reserved.

Text and pictures are copyright restricted and must not be reproduced without permission from the publisher. ISSN: 1756-7173

come home from independent school with her two children and for FE, in which she tackles the School Prom (p 62). She has written for The Times, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph and has also freelanced for the Independent Schools Council.

Before that she spent many years producing documentaries.

DISTRIBUTION First Eleven is read by 250,000 parents of children in private education. One senior schools issue and one junior schools issue per term plus two schools directories per year are distributed by UK and international independent schools to their parents

All pictures by Thinkstock, except those of specific schools and people

The information contained in First Eleven has been published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy.

All liability for loss, negligence or damage caused by reliance on the information contained within this publication is hereby excluded.

www.firstelevenmagazine.co.uk

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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CREATE YOUR OWN ADVENTURES THIS SUMMER

For truly unique and action-packed days out, enjoy endless adventures with an eTrex GPS handheld and Garmin GB Discoverer maps.

Go on geocaching treasure hunts and find new places to explore for fun-filled memories in the great outdoors.

garmin.co.uk/onthetrail FOLLOW GARMIN UK

News

Schools, gap, internships, universities, non-graduate schemes, careers

schools now

The voice of iPhone 4s Jon Briggs, 47, alumnus of The Dragon School and Magdalen College School, is the voice of Siri – a voice activated assistant on the iPhone 4S. The recording came from work he had done 7 years ago using synthesized voice technology.

Jon also helps the British Computer Association of the Blind, was the voiceover for The Weakest Link for 13 years and records his voice for a string of satnavs, namely Land Rover.

Silence is golden

Alex Brown, 17, aspiring young film director, Brentwood College, Essex, was inspired by The Artist’s recent success and produced a silent film based on Sophocles’ plays Oedipus the King and Antigone. He aimed to combine his passion for Classics and film and plans to study Media Production at the University of Lincoln.

Flying the flag for Wales

Sixth former Helen Price, Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls, Monmouthshire, has been awarded a full scholarship on Yale University’s Ivy Scholars Program. The annual two-week summer event is a university-level global leadership program with one-to-one mentoring.

Caroline Lakin, a year 13 student at Howell’s School, Cardiff, secured a place with the highly sought after HSBC undergraduate internship programme. She will undergo the placement during her gap year prior to studying Business Management at Exeter University.

COMPETITION: PICTURE PERFECT Practical Photography and Digital Photo have launched Young Photographer of the Year. Enter the Still Life, Natural World & Travel rounds. Win £200 of Jessops vouchers! Deadlines: 10th July, 7th Aug, 4th Sept. Enter at: www.photoanswers.co.uk/ypoty2012

www.firstelevenmagazine.co.uk

Olympic artists

Two sixth formers at King’s Bruton helped create a community art project that was awarded the Inspire Mark by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games. Artist Elliott Brook created the Goaloid art project: consisting of wooden rotating cubes, of same dimensions as the goal posts used in 1908 Olympic Games. Circulating for 45 minutes each way, it reflects the changes of time and space on a football field. The piece will be exhibited on Shepherds Bush Green, where the 1908 Olympic football finals were played, during the games.

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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Make the grade at A level

At CIFE we’re not just about getting the right grades or getting you into the best university. We’re about bringing out the best in you as an individual. That’s why our 2-year A level courses have so much choice and flexibility built in. In fact it’s what our association of highly accredited independent sixth form colleges is all about. Yes, we’ll help you meet others’ standards – but fulfil your own promise too.

To discover how CIFE can enable you to achieve your full potential, call 020 8767 8666 or visit www.cife.org.uk

i First 11 ad_05-12 31/05/2012 14:19 Page 1

Full-time professional degrees for careers in banking and finance The ifs School of Finance has over 130 years experience of educating financial services professionals. The degrees offered are also the only available professional banking awards.

We aim to provide unparalleled exposure to the industry via the ifs’ extensive alumni network and industry contacts, greatly enhancing the employability prospects of our students.

BSc (Hons) in Banking Practice and Management UCAS code N310 BSc (Hons) in Finance and Accounting for Financial Services UCAS code NN34 BSc (Hons) in Finance, Investment and Risk* UCAS code N300 *Subject to validation

Open days at our London campus Saturday 20 October 2012 Wednesday 7 November 2012 Wednesday 14 November 2012 Take the opportunity to meet academic staff, view the facilities and talk to current students about their experiences.

Visit www.ifslearning.ac.uk/undergraduateopendays to find out more and to register to attend.

www.ifslearning.ac.uk/BSc 8 FirstEleven

Summer 2012

01227 829499

enquiries@ifslearning.ac.uk www.firstelevenmagazine.co.uk

Schools News

SCHOOLS NOW National win

Royal Hospital School, Somerset, paddlers are ranked the top school team in England after paddling to victory in the Junior Section of the Waterside C race. The team completed 23 miles with 35 portages on the Kennet and Avon Canal in Wiltshire. Errol Drummond and Rhys Evans set a school record of 3 hours and 43 minutes.

Scholarship record

Pupils at St Faith’s, Cambridge, have been awarded a record number of senior school scholarships this year. 25 were given by eight different schools including: The Perse, The Leys, Uppingham, Repton, King’s Ely and St Mary’s.

Anyone for Cricket?

Cricketing legends are set to descend on Magdalen College School, Oxford for a day of fundraising. West Indian greats Courtney Walsh and Gordon Greenidge, plus England’s Darren Gough are lined up to feature in a Lashings World XI at MCS on 8th July.

Devon Malcolm, Saqlain Mushtaq and Colin Croft are also in Lashings’ squad of 14. In aid of charity Helen and Douglas House. Info: lashings@mcsoxford.org

STATISTICS OF THE WEEK Two hours of homework per night is linked to better English, maths and science results (The Dept. of Education)

CIFE Award Eighteen students who gained outstanding A level results last summer were awarded for academic excellence at the House of Lords this Spring. Poppy Waskett, Lansdowne College, West London, gained the top prize: the Council For Independent Education (CIFE) Gold Award, having overcome three years of ill health to achieve three A*s at A level after only one year’s study. She is now reading Experimental Psychology at Oxford University.

Design for NASA

Two students from Cardiff Sixth Form College, won awards for exceptional leadership and scientific insight at the International Space Settlement Design Competition for the UK, Imperial College London. Last year’s champions, including pupils from Cardiff, have been invited back to NASA.

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

9

News Schools

SCHOOL’S OUT Insanely Driven

The new psychometric test on the block just got more creative. Insanely Driven is a fun, interactive, online experience developed in conjunction with Dr Tomas ChamorroPremuzio, Professor of Business Pschology at University College London. Equal parts film and character profiling test – this is not easy to fake! www.rb.com/insanelydriven

Build on your craft School for Creative Startups is a new project, founded by Dragon’s Den investor Doug Richard, showing students how to hone their creative flair into a business. The course provides access to a network of industry contacts and consists of workshops and bootcamps by UK experts. 100 places each year. No age limit. Deadline: 15th August for Autumn 2012, £3,000 fee. www. schoolforcreativestartups.com

All abroad!

Japan Day by Day by Matt Alt, Hiroko Yoda & Melinda Joe. Frommer Travel Guides, £18.99.

Insider info and itineraries for all time frames.

New domestic flight routes in Japan with Peach Aviation, Air Asia and Jetstar is now making it easier for travellers to explore the country.

Plan ahead

The Year in Industry places post-A level and undergraduate students within 300 top UK companies every year in the technology, science and engineering sectors, including Shell, L’Oreal and National Grid. The skills gained provide students with a competitive edge and can inform decisions about university and beyond. Start applying from the Autumn before the placement. www.etrust.org.uk

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Summer 2012

Volunteer for two weeks assisting reporters for Baraka FM in Mombasa, Kenya. In your free time take a safari trip! Stay with a host family. 18+ www.subsaharanadventure.com Work as an Editorial Assistant for two months for an award-winning non-profit organisation in India’s vibrant New Delhi with Gap Guru. Titles include children’s fiction, while it also runs community schools for street children. www.gapguru.com Projects Abroad offer an exciting range of journalism opportunities in Argentina, Jamaica, Romania, Cambodia and many more! www.projects-abroad.co.uk

Fair volunteering

Look out for the GIVS Volunteering Standards Group kitemark for ethical and responsible international volunteering organisations. www.tourismconcern.org.uk

Monthly income, beautifully balanced Broaden your income horizons with the new Schroder Managed Monthly High Income Fund: – Catch some air. With an aim to pay out a regular income of around 5.5%* each year or half a percent paid each month. *The expected yield of 5.5% per annum is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The income and return of your original investment is not guaranteed. As the annual management charge is deducted from capital, this may be eroded.

– Keep your balance. Approximately half of the fund will be invested in shares and half in bonds, helping to reduce the risk, compared to an investment in only shares. Please note incorporating bonds can introduce market, credit, default and interest rate risks. The fund will offer diversification as it will obtain income from not one but four sources – income from bonds, from property shares, dividends, and finally, Schroders’ Maximiser income enhancement strategy.

– Stay on top. With multiple investment strategies run by Schroders’ experienced fund managers including Thomas See, Gareth Isaac, Nick Kirrage, Kevin Murphy and Richard Sennitt.

Be the first to get on board.

Schroder Managed Monthly High Income Fund

** 0800 718 777 www.schroders.co.uk/mmhi Investment in bonds and other debt instruments including related derivatives is subject to interest rate risk. The value of the fund may go down if interest rates rise and vice versa. The fund will not hedge its market risk in a down cycle. The value of the fund will move similarly to the markets. A security issuer may not be able to meet its obligations to make timely payments of interest and principal. This will affect the credit rating of those securities. Non-investment grade securities will generally pay higher yields than more highly rated securities but will be subject to greater market, credit and default risk. The fund invests in other funds and its liquidity depends upon the liquidity of those underlying funds. If underlying funds suspend or defer the payment of redemption proceeds, the fund’s ability to meet redemption requests may also be affected. Schroders has expressed its own views and these may change. **Please note that phone calls may be recorded. Issued in May 2012 by Schroder Investments Limited, 31 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QA. Registered No: 2015527 England. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. UK03143 w41682

News Schools

moving on

Top 10 Universities for Student Experience (THE)

1 2 3 4 5

Dundee Loughborough Sheffield Oxford Cambridge

6 East Anglia 7 Southampton 8 Aberystwyth 9 Glasgow 10 Leeds

More university places are expected to be allocated to top-grade A level students this year. Universities Minister David Willetts says 85,000 places – rather than the anticipated 65,000 – would go to students with AAB A level grades as universities relax their limits.

Do A levels measure up?

In a letter to exam regulator Ofqual, the Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove said that universities should dictate the content of A level papers and review them every year – taking power away from the exam boards. If the proposals go ahead it would affect students sitting A levels in 2016, with an aim to create a smoother school to university transition. Cambridge Assessment, which runs the OCR exam board, reported that many lecturers found students unprepared for degree-level work – one reason why more and more independent schools are leaning towards the challenge of the International Baccalaureate and Pre-U courses in sixth form.

On the other hand, a poll by YouGov showed that those who did not support the proposal highlighted that A levels should not be viewed solely as a gateway to university. But do A levels measure up for the non-university route either? According to a recent survey only one in ten adults believe that the main purpose of A levels is to prepare young people for the world of work (YouGov). This reinforces the fact that an overhaul in the A level system is looming.

2 b or nt 2 b Alex Edwards, 22-year-old student from Northumbria University, has been commended with a Roses Award for his translation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet’s famous Act II, Scene II into text-speak. Alex’s aim, rather than creating a modern version for text-happy teenagers, was to “give people the power to reject the degradation of the English language [and] highlight the beauty of the written word”.

Alex provoked the reaction he intended, with students saying it was much easier to read Shakepeare’s language than his alternative text-speak – with translations such as “O rmo rmo were4 art thou rmo” this is not hard to believe!

12

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Schools News and the winner is...

ME!

I’m a Scientist Get Me Out of Here!e!

Vicky Young, The University of Edinburgh, won I’m a Scientist Get Me Out of Here! competition this Spring. The events create an interactive online environment for pupils to ask real scientists a whole host of science related questions and eventually vote for their favourite candidate. A total of 2,636 pupils took part. Vicky won £500 to spend on a project. Teachers can sign-up online, and involved their pupils in future events at www.imascientist.org.uk

Commentator for the day

University of Birmingham student Joe Townsend won the chance to commentate in front of 46,000 spectators at the “2012 Hours to Go: Evening of Athletics and Entertainment” evening at the Olympic Stadium. The UK wide Universities Week competition was held at the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Visa Outdoor Athletics Championships (OAC) test event and provided coaching from the LOCOG Sports Presentation team and BBC commentator Paul Dickenson.

The Royal College of Art (RCA) is set to open The Dyson Building for the 2012/13 academic year – part of its new second campus in Battersea. It will house the Departments of Printmaking and Photography and provide a large gallery fronting Battersea Bridge Road creating space for a shop window to display artistic processes to the public.

Incubator units for the use of emerging designers will add to the creative momentum of the College. Designer and entrepreneur Sir James Dyson is Provost of the RCA.

OVE

is already a member, indicates a twoway transatlantic stream of students – as more and more UK applicants look towards the US for universities as the

www.firstelevenmagazine.co.uk

R

THE PO

gap closes between fees at home and over the pond.

Uni in the USA by Alice Fishburn, Anthony Nemecek & John Wallis, Paperback, eBook, The Good Schools Guide, £17.99. A definitive guide to US universities for British students, with reviews of over 65 different universities plus detailed guidance. Originally written by the funny, sharp-eyed and very British Alice Fishburn while at Harvard, and Anthony Nemecek, then Director of Advising at the US-UK Fulbright Commission, this new edition has been trebled in size by Cambridge student John Wallis, who crisscrossed the US writing down-to-earth witty reviews of each university based on hundreds of student interviews.

D N

Don’t miss the USA College Day 2012, Fri 28th-Sat 29th Sept, if you are considering undergraduate study in the US. Speak with over 125 exhibitors representing universities and educational service providers. Free admission if you register in advance, £5 on the day. Kensington Town Hall, London www.fulbright.org.uk Keele University is the first English university to join the Common Application system for university admissions in the United States. This means that US students can apply in the same way to Keele as to more than 450 institutions in the US – the latest development of internationalism in higher education. This admissions process, of which The University of St Andrews, Scotland,

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

13

News Schools

MOVING ON Universities fight cyber attacks

GCHQ has awarded eight UK universities £50,000 each for research in cyber security. This forms part of GCHQ’s strategy to make the UK’s business cyberspace more resilient to attacks. The University of Bristol, Imperial College London, Lancaster University, University of Oxford, Queen’s University Belfast, Royal Holloway, University of Southampton, University College London have all been granted the label: “Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research”.

Cementing his place Architecture student James Boon, 23, from The University of Bath, has been named one of Google’s Zeitgeist Young Minds for his social responsibility enterprise: ElephantBranded.com.

His ethical company sells bags, wallets and purses made from recycled cement bags and for each product sold, a school bag, stationery or a book is sent to an African or Asian child.

James’ scheme was inspired by his placement year in which he designed and built schools in Africa and Japan.

You’re hired!

The Financial Skills Partnership (FSP) has gained government funding to help develop employer-led higher apprenticeships in banking and insurance. They aim to create an initial 270 vocational opportunities – which will be the equivalent to the first year of a degree - with major companies, including HSBC.

STATISTICS OF THE WEEK In the last two decades 61% of Team GB Olympic Games medalists and 65% of Team GB gold medalists have been to university.

(Universities Week)

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Summer 2012

Give it some thought So far two-thirds of the students awarded provisional places at the New College of Humanities, London, are from independent schools. The new independent college was established by a series of leading academics to rival Oxbridge and is headed by philosopher Professor AC Grayling . All degrees are accredited by the University of London. The tuition fees amount to £18,000 per year and so far seven students have been awarded scholarships.

Esprit Football Academy was established to nurture the football stars of tomorrow. The 1 and 2 year residential professional football programmes (with some day-scholar vacancies, alongside a range of short-courses and taster sessions) offer dedicated young footballers, aged 16 -25, the experience of a professional football academy and is so much more than a boarding school with a football provision: Esprit scholars truly live, learn and train like professional footballers!

All programmes have been developed alongside industry professionals, to provide the best opportunity to scholars to progress into employment or further training. The Esprit educational programme boasts a 100% retention and achievement record and is rated as outstanding in the sector.

This paired with a top level coaching team, many of which have played the professional game at a very high level, gives scholars the best possible opportunity to succeed in a professional football environment.

What to expect from Esprit Football Academy: • Premier-standard football training facilities • First-class football coaching programmes • Exceptional, UEFA A and UEFA B licensed coaches • Highly competitive regular match fixtures alongside friendly’ matches against Academy and Centre of Excellence opposition • Integrated, professional oversight – including individual player and performance development programmes, with regular reviews and goal setting activities • Valuable, internationally accredited, education courses (Level 3 BTEC Diploma in Sports Performance and Excellence – equivalent to 2 A-Levels and Level 1 FA Coaching qualification), delivered on-site • Full board accommodation (7 nights per week – 3 meals per day) The Academy enjoys outstanding facilities at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, ideally situated for major football cities including Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham.

Doncaster is also only one hour and forty minutes from London by train.

esprit-fa.com

Esprit is now taking applications for the 2012 residential professional football programme from the UK and worldwide and has previously welcomed scholars from all over the world including the UK, the Cayman Islands, Oman, Ivory Coast, Malta, Albania, India and Nigeria.

The annual fees are £18,500 GBP (Pounds Sterling) – which is fully inclusive of full board and accommodation, training and coaching, access to training facilities, educational programmes, seminars and workshops, visits to top pro-academies for training sessions and games, guest coaches, kit package, various cultural activities, on-site physiotherapist and access to the scholar support/welfare team.

Esprit Football Academy is the ultimate football experience and is the opportunity of a lifetime.

The Esprit experience was best summed up by the parents of an International scholar: “The impact of the two weeks trial with Esprit has been enormous, with the journey back being full of cheerful stories of his time there.

Our son even said “These two weeks have changed my life!” and we can tell you that if it has changed his life, it will change ours too!”

For more information about Esprit Football Academy, the exciting open days, or to book on the 1 and 2 year residential programmes, please visit www.esprit-fa.com or call 0844 9970130.

Apply now to join one of the world’s leading professional football academies.

Enjoy world class facilities, outstanding coaching and an internationally accredited educational programme. Live, learn and train like a professional footballer.

Professional Football Training Courses We offer exclusive one and two year professional residential training courses.

Book now to secure your place on our 2012 residential professional football academy programme. Places are strictly limited to 25 players.

or av t C ai ou la rs bl e e s w t & w Ple hro S u w . a ug m fo esp se v ho me r d ri is ut r et t-fa it 20 Ca ai .c 12 mp ls o - s m

Apply now at:

Scholars have visited Old Trafford and attended many football matches, including Manchester City v Sporting Lisbon at the Etihad Stadium. Scholars also benefit from international trips with exciting games already scheduled for next season, including a tour of Scotland to play Celtic and Rangers.

Sh

Live The Dream.

The squad play against centre of excellence academy opposition with previous visits to selected opposition including Fulham, Hull City, Huddersfield, Barnsley and visiting international academies from the USA.

What would YOU do at

Sedbergh?

Music?

Orchestras, Choirs, Brass Band, Ensembles and Groups – from Rock to Bagpipes, Jazz to Classical.

5 pupils currently in national orchestras, ensembles and choirs.

Sport?

34 sports; internationals in hockey, cricket, lacrosse, rugby, running, shooting and sailing

Proper boarding in a safe, secure environment.

Why not visit us and find out more about one of the great schools of England.

Founded 1525 • Co-educational • 13 -18yrs

For information: 015396 20535 or enquiries@sedberghschool.org www.sedberghschool.org www.facebook.com/sedberghschool

SS Chelsea Mag One of the Great Schools ad.indd 1

19/01/2012 15:39

Abbotsholme an education for life

Set in beautiful, rural surroundings, Abbotsholme is an independent co-educational boarding and day school for ages 4-18, with additional nursery provision. It is a school unlike any other.

• • • • • • • • •

Individual academic excellence and achievement; Small class sizes (around 15), enabling individual attention and support; Separate Prep school facilities, with access to all senior school facilities; Outstanding Outdoor Education programme with indoor climbing wall and Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme to Gold level; Sporting excellence with key focus on hockey, rugby and cricket; 70 acre working farm and BHS approved Equestrian Centre; New dedicated sixth form centre for independent learning; First class facilities for music, art and drama; Scholarships and forces bursaries available.

COME ALONG TO OUR NEXT OPEN EVENT SATURDAY 29TH SPETEMBER, 10AM Contact Jessica Ash on 01889 594 265 or visit www.abbotsholme.co.uk Abbotsholme School, Rocester, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, ST14 5BS

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Head Viewpoint Schools

The Public School Cull T If your child doesn’t make their GCSE grades, they could be shown the door, says Andrew Fleck

he Glorious 12th is not only the start of the shooting season but heralds the time of year that Public School parents should dread.

Many will not know it, but they should. It isn’t the imminent arrival of GCSE results but the consequences of those results. This is when the Annual Cull takes place.

While Scottish estate managers cull their deer stocks gradually between July and October, the Private School Cull takes place on a single day. On Wednesday 22nd August, headmasters and headmistresses will review the GCSE grades gained by their pupils and decide whether to admit them into their Sixth Form or cast them aside.

On Thursday, lucky parents may get a sympathetic phone call from an apologetic teacher who will make them aware of the impending crisis; others will merely receive a standardised letter informing them that their child has failed to meet the threshold for entry into the Sixth Form. “Push off elsewhere, you’re a threat to our League Table position”, is the message.

Every Public School website will trumpet the strength of its community, the breadth of activities on offer, how highly they value the development of all-round talent and “the whole person”. All this is true, until the Annual Cull.

Then, on a single day, those lofty aspirations are swept aside amid excuses that “our Sixth Form curriculum is too demanding”. It no longer matters that James manages the lighting in the school theatre, that Rosie has cycled 500 miles for charity or that William leads

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a Reading Club in the local nursery. They haven’t gained five Bs or eight As and they aren’t wanted any more. Game Over – Push Off. The most ruthless schools repeat the exercise at the end of Year 12, midway through their A-level course, placing pupils under constant pressure to perform or face expulsion. This is bad educational practice, which takes no account of a pupil’s mental or social welfare.

Such practice is bad enough in day schools where, despite a change of school, friendships and extra-curricular activities can still be maintained within the locality. But this pales into insignificance compared to the dislocation when pupils are dismissed from boarding schools. Years of friendship that have been built through shared endeavour and experience are severed with a single letter. Imagine the horror for parents who spent months agonising over the choice of school, now blaming themselves and worrying about where to go next.

The worst of this practice is that schools know exactly what pupils are capable of well before admitting them. From the age of 11, children face a barrage of aptitude, verbal and nonverbal reasoning tests before entry to senior school, all of which provide an accurate prediction of GCSE outcomes. There can be no excuse that “George is finding the work more difficult than we forecast”.

The Cull is a cynical device employed by schools with league-table ambitions that go beyond the ability profile of their recruitment pool.

If they chuck your child out, demand a refund!

Andrew Fleck is Headmaster of Sedbergh School.

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

17

Schools University

Mind how you go

Sixth forms and universities are offering a stepping-stone between school and university life, says Glynis Kozma

T

he day when you wave goodbye to your son or daughter as they settle in to their university hall of residence can resurrect the emotions you felt way back when they started school.

The transition to university life cannot be underestimated. How will they cope emotionally, practically, financially and academically? Is university life a long alcohol-fuelled party or is the reality rather more sobering?

Even for teenagers who have spent years boarding, the challenges of studying and living entirely independently are a rite of passage. However, parents, schools and universities can do much to minimise the challenges.

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Summer 2012

There are the academic demands which often, according to Dr Dominique Thompson, Director of Student Health at the University of Bristol, “hit them like a brick”, but there are also the practical demands of budgeting, cooking and eating healthily, managing their laundry, making friends and creating a social life.

Universities are aware of the potential problems first years encounter. Thompson acknowledges, “There is peer pressure around socialising, drinking alcohol and taking drugs. There are issues with having to navigate the NHS alone for the first time, and other support services. Minor illnesses such as colds can be quite overwhelming if they don’t have familiar people around to whom they can ask advice.”

For the first time in many teenagers’ lives they

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are not going to have a parent, house staff or matron to keep an eye on them. But an increasing number of schools are tackling these issues to ensure their sixth form students are prepared for university life.

One example is by creating accommodation which replicates halls of residence.

As St Mary’s Calne, Wiltshire, headmistress Dr Helen Wright explains, “In our sixth form we ensure that girls have plenty of preparation for independence. Our new Upper Sixth Form House provides a set-up very similar to university halls. The girls have their own study bedrooms, a kitchenette on each floor and a cafeteria for communal eating. They can do their own laundry and cooking if they wish.”

In 2006, Fettes College created Craigleith House,

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a separate boarding house for their Upper Sixth.

The new building is a conduit between school and university life. Fettes Head teacher Michael Spens explains, “By making the house co-educational, we are treating our eldest pupils as young adults and giving them a realistic living environment that would equip them for university.” Students have single study bedrooms, with en-suite facilities. Craigleith has its own library, resources and social centre. There are laundry and cooking facilities, and matron runs lessons in washing and ironing. No more white shirts being washed alongside new denim jeans here!

Many students find that living in close proximity with other students is one of the trickiest parts of life at university. Even seasoned boarders find that

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

19

Schools University

Above, log cabins at Abbotsholme School, left, pupils at Fettes College, below Cheltenham Ladies’ College

Even seasoned boarders find that harmonious university living depends more on doing their share of the washing-up than liking the same bands

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Summer 2012

harmonious university living depends more on doing their share of the washing-up than a liking for the same bands. In my experience, as a parent of a son and daughter who have recently graduated, the conflicts around sharing a tiny kitchen, respecting privacy, and keeping down the music volume, frequently outweighed any study issues.

As a parent you can help by ensuring your son or daughter knows how to use a washing machine, budget for and cook economical meals, understands basic food hygiene, and essential cleaning. The summer holidays are an ideal time to have a trial run. Other top concerns are Freshers’ Flu – which is not a myth, they all get it – and the worry of meningitis.

Equipping your teenager with a basic first aid kit and information on meningitis is invaluable.

Steve Fairclough, Head Teacher of Abbotsholme School, Shropshire, acknowledges that many teenagers lack essential life skills, which is why his school offers its Upper Sixth the unique option of living in log cabins in the school’s grounds. The cabins sleep six in twin bedded rooms. There is a shared living area, kitchen and laundry facilities. House staff live alongside in another cabin but it’s strictly “hands off ” unless they are needed.

As Fairclough explains, “They do fall out with each other when the washing up isn’t done. They have to learn to rub along – there’s

nowhere to hide.” He also firmly believes that students come out of it learning to respect each other’s personalities, and better equipped to living in university accommodation.

At Cheltenham Ladies’ College, the practical skills required at university are covered in Saturday morning sessions, organised by Sue Morton, Opening Minds Co-ordinator.

Sessions include cookery, and lectures from visiting speakers on driving safety, drugs and alcohol, personal safety, internet safety, budgeting and banking. Many girls participate in expeditions, sometimes overseas, where they are responsible for organising their own transport and accommodation.

It’s not just the practicalities that present a challenge to first year students. One important difference between sixth form and university is that students are expected to manage their study time, including exam revision and extended learning, without a teacher or parent reminding them every five minutes.

The value of independent learning is acknowledged at Oundle School, Peterborough.

Carolyn Gent organises the School Leavers’ Programme, which prepares students for the world of university and work. It develops skills such as independent learning and critical thinking, recognising these as essential for undergraduates.

Choosing your own tutor may be every student’s dream but it’s the reality for sixth formers at Shrewsbury School, Shropshire.

Sixth form tutors oversee academic progress and university applications, yet the essential value of the role lies in expanding students’ intellectual, personal, cultural and moral horizons in preparation for entry into higher education and the adult world.

Winchester College has a teaching style similar to universities. Director of Studies, Dr James Webster, explains, “Winchester College’s whole approach is aimed at encouraging a love of learning for its own sake, not merely exam results. Division, Winchester’s unique, nonexamined, subject is taught to all year groups.

Pupils are encouraged to engage in academic debate with their teachers, rather in the manner of university seminars. Sixth Form pupils have small-group, extra-timetable lessons with specialist subject teachers where they cover

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University Schools

topics not necessarily on the exam syllabus but which will help make them better prepared for the type of teaching and extension work which they may expect at university.”

Apart from the demands of the academic work and settling in to accommodation, the other pressures that face new students are friendships and sexual relationships. The vast majority of universities take student welfare, encompassing emotional and physical health, seriously. Most offer counselling and students have a personal tutor to whom they can talk.

At the University of Bristol’s Students’ Health Centre, Dr Thompson finds that “Sexual health and contraception are a familiar theme in the first year as students often start new relationships and can get carried away, with little thought to any risks involved. The university has many support services in place to help in the first year, as well as later.” There is communication between academic and medical staff if there is concern that a student is struggling and needs support. Bristol is unique in that its student health centre offers

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a specialist-run clinic for eating disorders.

Cambridge University offers, alongside other support services, Peer2Peer. These are students who are trained to support fellow students in a similar way to a counsellor. They can be the first port of call for any student who is troubled about anything. Additionally, student mentors are available to help students with time management, organisation or other issues.

So although the transition to university is a major step in a teenager’s life, universities understand this. If parents are worried that their son or daughter seems unhappy, Dr Thompson suggests a softly-softly approach along the lines of “You seem a bit down – is everything okay?”

Most students find university a life enhancing, richly satisfying experience where they make life life-long friends as well as gaining qualifications. A little preparation from parents and schools pays dividends in helping them adjust successfully, and parents should be reassured that support systems within universities are available.

The transition to university is a major step in a teenager’s life and universities understand this

Below, students at Bristol university

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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Schools Pre-U

Getting in or getting on?

T The Cambridge Pre-U nurtures the key skills needed to embark upon university study, says Ann Puntis

22 FirstEleven

here is undoubtedly a lot for students to consider when they make the transition from school to university. They, together with their teachers and universities, want the transition to be smooth and problem free.

This is no easy feat. Putting aside issues like managing budgets, finding new friends, maybe even dealing with being away from home for the first time – there is the matter of embarking on a new kind of study and academic life.

We addressed this issue in 2005 by developing a new pre-university qualification: Cambridge Pre-U, in partnership with schools and universities. We did this at the request of schools who wanted a qualification that would better prepare their students for undergraduate study.

The issue of students arriving ill prepared for their first year of university is a subject of ongoing debate.

The government’s recent announcement regarding A-level reforms opened this area of discord once again – it also indicated a need for change.

Their proposal is a significant step in the direction for strengthening the relationship between universities and final school examinations. It also demonstrates that Pre-U is one step ahead of the game.

It was designed specifically to prepare students for university. This means the focus of the curriculum is to develop key skills required for undergraduate study, such as problem solving, critical thinking, essay writing, research and effective communication skills.

Some may argue that these skills can be developed by students in their final years of school regardless of the qualification they study. However, given the feedback from universities, it is clear that a curriculum created to concentrate upon building these skills is of enormous value.

In the sixth form some schools choose the option of a curriculum that includes all academic areas, such as the International Baccalaureate, where pupils cover a wide range of subjects in specific combinations.

At Cambridge we design our programmes and qualifica-

Summer 2012

tions to be flexible. This means when studying qualifications like Pre-U, students can choose any combination of subjects, so that they can specialise or study a breadth of topics. Students that specialise, as many do, have the advantage of developing in-depth subject knowledge.

Students who have completed Pre-U tell us how well it has prepared them for university and informed their decisions about the future. One student, now studying Physics at Oxford University, said Pre-U “allowed more time to understand the course material and go deeper into interesting topics.” “This understanding helped with my interview for Oxford and confirmed my choice to study Physics at university.”

Another student, now studying English Literature at Bristol University, comments that Pre-U helped her to “develop a more independent approach to choosing, reading and writing about literature.”

When it first started, Pre-U was seen by some as the preserve of the elite. The fact that take-up of the qualification is nearing 50:50 in terms of the state versus private school split proves this is simply not the case – it is growing in popularity for schools across the board. More teachers and students are experiencing the benefits of a different learning environment.

“Teaching to the test” is not an option for schools that adopt Pre-U because there is no formal assessment in Year 12. This means teachers have more time to nurture students’ passion for their subjects, enjoyment of the process of learning and willingness to take intellectual risks.

This is crucial because this learning environment not only helps the student to smooth the transition between school and university but can help to affirm their choice of undergraduate course. Moreover, it enables pupils to develop attributes that universities want - the very attributes that will carry them through school, university and life beyond.

Ann Puntis is Chief Executive, University of Cambridge International Examinations.

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Summer 2012 FirstEleven

23

Comment Education

If at first you don’t succeed...

A dose of failure is good for your child, says Heather Hanbury

24 FirstEleven

F

ailure: It’s a big word – whether you are six, 16 or 66. Yet failure is a fact of life for everyone at some point – even for the most gifted person, the one with the Midas touch.

So why are we so shy of talking about it in our schools – and in our homes? We rightly talk up successes with honours boards, league tables, and parents encouraging success in their children. But do we praise each little achievement so much that children have no idea that they might get things wrong, let alone know how to deal with it when they do?

“Failing well” is something we can, and should, teach our children: to take failure on the chin, to pick themselves up and try again. It is a useful skill at any age and especially for those in the transition years of prep to senior school.

Younger children are more willing to “have a go” – they often measure success, or fun, in terms of the number of “goes” they have, not upon the result of each attempt. As they grow older, however, they worry about getting things wrong and often put pressure on themselves to succeed in everything at the first attempt. This growing selfconsciousness may be partly learnt from observing us. Adults are very resistant to “having a go” in case they make a fool of themselves – when was the last time you volunteered to go first when asked to participate in role play?

Rather than shielding children from risk, we serve them better by teaching them how to assess risk for themselves.

Children who join in with lots of extracurricular activities get used to trying – and sometimes failing at – new things. They soon realise that noone can play the piano perfectly first time, so why expect perfection in their schoolwork straight away? They learn to say to themselves: “I haven’t got it right yet”, and in doing so learn the true value of success; as one of our students said: “If you fail at first, and then succeed afterwards, the feeling is amazing!”

When Wimbledon High School recently held a Failure Week some assumed we were promoting a non-com-

Summer 2012

petitive environment where everyone’s a winner. On the contrary! Winning matters a great deal and competitive sport is crucial in teaching life skills of perseverance and tenacity. Children should be encouraged to strive for that number one spot. But second and third places are praiseworthy too – why else have silver and bronze medals?

So back in the classroom how do we encourage children to “fail well” and develop intellectual robustness? We start by rewarding students who don’t always ask for help immediately, who don’t want everything spoon fed to them.

We watch out for students who always get top marks and encourage them to take more risks with their learning, attempting more difficult questions and projects. We ensure a positive atmosphere where students help, and are helped, by their peers. As a parent commented: “It is healthy that the girls can share their disappointments and gain support from teachers and friends.”

A large number of the supportive emails I received as a result of our initiative alluded precisely to the lack of support people faced when things went wrong for them at university, or later in life. One mother wrote: “Suddenly at Oxford she was no longer the best of the best, as she had been throughout her school career, and this came as something of a shock”. Another high achiever told me that he found university work unbearably difficult because school lessons had come easily to him, thus he lacked self-study skills. Learn how to cope in school, with all the pastoral care around you, and you’re set up for life, they affirmed.

How can parents help? Praise them for “having a go”, for their effort and resourcefulness. Instead of saying: “That is a great picture of a tree”, try saying: “What an interesting picture, you used great colours to draw that tree”. If it clearly looks nothing like a tree, your 10-year-old will know! But most of all, when something goes wrong, encourage them to say so. Make it clear that adults don’t get everything right either. Don’t brush failure under the carpet – call it what it is and you’ll be doing your children a favour.

Heather Hanbury is Headmistress of Wimbledon High School, GDST.

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Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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Schools Personal Statement

Express yourself S

Be prepared to go the extra mile when you write your personal statement, says James Durant of UCAS

your outside interests to the courses that you ome course tutors find UCAS perare applying for. For example, playing a musisonal statements crucial when makcal instrument shows sustained commitment ing decisions on applications, so it’s and the ability to juggle your time effectively important that you’re able to make between your school and music studies. yours stand out. Linking volunteerYou can show how you have acted on your ing and leadership in extra-curricular activiinterest in particular subjects by attending ties to your area of study will strengthen your extra-curricular activities or events. Talks at application. Along with writing about why you the Royal Society or local university are good have applied for the course, universities also examples of where someone has taken their like to know the range of skills you have that passion beyond the school gates. If you help will help you on the course, or at university. run a sports club or do any volunteer work, There are several different UCAS deadthis will also add weight to your statement. lines depending on which courses you are There is also an employment section on the looking to apply to but it’s never too early to application where you can put paid employstart thinking about your personal statement. ment down so the university can get an idea It could be the only piece of written work of whether you have been doing anything admissions professionals see before making towards the course. The statement allows a decision. The writing should demonstrate you to elaborate on what you have learnt and your best abilities and following these ground particularly why you want to do the course. rules should get you off to a great start.

Think beyond the university course: for Go for a strong opening line to grab the courses with a high-placement element and a reader’s attention. A punchy opener will bring specific career at the end applicants must show attention to your application straight away, a strong knowledge of the role of a professional and give you something to build on for the in that career. Writing about the career paths remainder of your personal statement. Try to that you are interested in after graduation make it as original as possible. shows that university that you are seriExpressing an interest in your chosen ous about your application. subject and showing real passion Getting the basics right shouldn’t is crucial. Demonstrating your be underestimated. Simple enthusiasm in as much detail Go aspects of writing that are as possible will show admisfor a strong often forgotten can really sions tutors that you really opening line to take away from your are excited about studying grab the reader’s beautifully crafted this subject at higher edupersonal statement. cation level. attention. A punchy Checking your spelling It’s important to relate

opener will bring attention to your application straight away

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Summer 2012

Stand out from the crowd

and grammar before submitting the application is of upmost importance. Admissions selectors are assessing your ability to write an essay at university standard. Think about your paragraph and sentence structure. Place yourself in the position of the university by reading your statement back to yourself; would you be impressed by it, or are silly mistakes letting it down?

It’s important to use language you are comfortable with so as not to lose the focus of your writing. Try not to go too far and use words you wouldn’t normally choose, to try and sound more “academic”. For example, an “incomparable orator’ is more naturally described as “having an aptitude or interest in

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Birth Dates Schools

UCAS Deadlines! public speaking”. Universities and colleges will pick up on this and won’t look favourably on it.

Take time to make it your best work. The UCAS application software is designed for you to log in multiple times before submitting your application, so there’s no need to rush. Start early, take your time and get feedback on your work before finally submitting it. Applicants’ personal statements help institutions identify suitable candidates, especially in the most competitive courses. Rushing will mean mistakes and not provide you with enough time to get it checked over by your parents or teachers.

The deadlines are important. As long as you get your application submitted to UCAS by 15th October, 15th January or 24th March (de-

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15th October for Oxbridge applicants, and for those applying to study medicine, dentistry, veterinary science and science 24th March for those who are applying to study art and design courses 15th January all other applications but neither of the above

pending on which courses you are applying for – check the UCAS website if you aren’t sure), then the universities and colleges will consider your application alongside everyone else. If you decide to apply after the relevant deadline for your courses, all is not lost, you can still send in your application as UCAS continues to process them until 30th June. If the university still has places, they will still consider your application and

could make you an offer.

While the date may seem like a long way off, it is never too early to start drafting your personal statement.

One final point to remember is that every personal statement is checked against a library of those previously submitted to UCAS. Any statement showing a level of similarity of 10% or more is reviewed by UCAS. The key message here is, don’t cheat.

Universities want to hear about you – not anyone else. As long as you follow the advice here, and tips given to you by your teachers, you won’t go far wrong. Good luck!

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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Schools Personal Statement

Time to shine…

Y

our personal statement is the only self-written window into yourself that you can give to prospective universities. It’s no wonder that there is quite a lot of hysteria and anxiety surrounding this one-off 4,000-character piece.

I was incredibly worried about every aspect of my statement – the content, style, length, tone...and when I received little guidance from my teachers, I felt Anmoli frustrated and let down. Yet after finishing both Sodha of my statements (one written pre- and ansays stay clear other post-A Level), and having received offers from all of the universities I apof too much plied for, bar one, I can honestly say advice so you that the lack of advice was the best can write a guidance that could have been statement given – because this enabled me to write something truly personal. that is truly That being said, there are a few personal basic steps to writing your statement and some lessons I learnt along the way that will hopefully help others who feel as helpless as I did.

The first choice you have to make, with regards to your personal statement, is what degree you are applying for.

This really does make a difference – a statement written with conviction reads significantly better than one with no academic focus. Optimally, you will have chosen a l Don’t leave your word length on the prospective degree before personal statement UCAS box, online. the summer holidays – allowto the last minute.

There are two limits: ing you to explore relevant l Research your a) 4,000 characters material references you may subject and show and b) 37 lines. Thirty want to incorporate into that you have activiseven lines in Word is your statement based on ties outside of school more space than 37 your subject choice in your that depict your inlines in UCAS Apply. time away from school. terest in the degree.

Check in advance I wanted to go that one l Make it personal. that you comply with step further. When pickBe honest about both rules by sticking what reference matewhat inspired you. ing your statement rial might be best for you to l Don’t ever joke. into the box online. include, I would look up the l Don’t get caught l Calm down! It’s imdepartments at the universiout. Make sure portant but it is not ties you plan on applying to, that you check in the be all and end all and see if they recommend advance about the of your application. any reading material, or a

Points to consider

28 FirstEleven

Summer 2012

focus in your prospective course which differentiates the course from other universities. Referencing these texts on a certain topic will show that you are interested enough to carry out targeted research. I applied for Philosophy, Politics and Economics and roughly split my statement up into tenths – dedicating three tenths each per subject. In each subject subsection, I mused on at least two academically relevant texts, often concerning the same topics or approaches, so that I was able to compare and contrast views. This allows you to demonstrate the study skills that are expected of you at university.

Make your statement believable. You must be able to convince the reader that your choice of degree was organic rather than forced, and that you believe that this is what you want your life to revolve around for the next few years.

Using a phrase such as, “I was born with the desire…” should really be left behind – this lowers the integrity of your writing. You can also refer to the extracurricular activities and work experience you may have done. I wrote about my work experience in finance and a study I had carried out on political power. When referencing my gap year travels in China in my second personal statement my motivation was a particularly inspiring history lesson when I was 15. However mundane the root of your thoughts, do mention them, as this gives you a real sense of personality.

Next, the supposedly tricky bit: actually writing your statement. This may seem hard, but remember that the tone should not be colloquial – jokes are a no go.

Portray your character through your research, your zeal for the subject matter and your interests. All universities really want to gain by reading your statement is the belief that you can get through years of studying many, many more words in your beloved degree than 4,000 characters’ worth.

Anmoli Sodha is in her first year of her degree in PPE at the University of York.

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We have been sharpening our axes

“A

Andrea Freeman, Principal, Oxford Media & Business School

braham Lincoln said ‘If I had six hours to cut down a tree, I’d spend four hours sharpening the axe’. What he meant was that in order to achieve a big task you have to plan, prepare and have the right implements available.

Every student studying on the Executive Personal Assistant courses at OMBS now has the sharpest axe imaginable!

Unemployment figures for young people make gloomy reading, yet the employment success rate for OMBS graduates remains close to one hundred per cent.

Today’s Personal/Executive Assistant has to be able to do more than traditional duties, and this is where the value of our students’ knowledge lifts them to the top of the pile of job applicants.

OMBS students are all equipped with the skills and knowledge that employers are looking for. Each of them is on the verge of a new start. Before they take that next step, we should take a moment to look back on all that they have achieved on their course, and how perfectly positioned they now are to compete in the job market. This is my personal message to them as they graduate…

”

Your core office skills make you highly employa keyboarding, au ble. Accurate dio typing and shorthand are modern office. the very backbo ne of the IT is the key. W e have taught yo u to use IT, not provide solution to just do IT. To s to business pr use it to oblems using ‘w able to forecast hat-if’ scenarios trends and pla , to be n accordingly us produce busin ing ess communica databases, and tion of the highe to st possible stand You have learn ard. ed the value of inf or mation to busin to apply this in ess, and will be the workplace to furnish your able information that employers with will assist them meaningful in making difficu lt bu sin es You have looke s decisions. d at how busin esses are using company and se the Internet to ll their products market their or services. Yo you understan u are bang up d viral marketin to date; g, QR codes, Se and Social Media arch Engine Op Marketing amon timisation g others. You als in three months o time, there will understand that be much more Internet is evolv to add to that lis ing all the time t; the and today’s su adapt and innov ccessful comp ate with it. any has to You know how the world does business. You ha and politics, at ve looked at go share prices an vernment d the stock ma world events, lik rkets. You have e elections, terro seen how rism and natura the way in which l disasters have the commercia affected l world works an on the price of d will eventuall the loaf of brea y impact d in your corner shop.

Probably the mo st important th ing you learn ab Throughout th out though is yo e course you ha urself. ve looked at yo development, ur personal and and this has led career you to where yo success just wa u are today. Yo iting to happen u are a and it has been to have been pa a pleasure and rt of the proces a delight s that has led to this success.

”

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info@nchum.org 020 7637 4550 www.NCHum.org Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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Comment Schools

Louis in XIV minutes?

S There is a distinct skills gap between sixth form and university study, says Dr Suzannah Lipscomb

chools face a difficult task at the moment. The best independent schools try, quite rightly, to prepare their pupils for their final exams – be it A level, Pre-U or IB – knowing that most universities award places on the simple arithmetical basis of grades, and predicted grades, alone. Yet, the skills needed to prepare pupils to succeed in their school exams do not exactly map onto the skills that a student needs as they enter higher education. There is a skills gap.

Let me give you an example. I am in the process of becoming a Governor at an independent school and I spent half a day attending lessons, including an AS level history lesson on Louis XIV. The teacher was bright and interesting, the pupils animated, but the task that they were preparing to sit in the exam seemed stultifying.

Rather than completing four essays in three hours, as I remember doing at A level, for their AS level they would be required to write four mini-essays in 1 hour 15 minutes. Two of the mini-essays should take 24 minutes to write, two 12 minutes. A challenging task of time management! In the longer essays, the chief requirement was to provide two points for and two points against a proposition such as, “Louis XIV was an absolute monarch”.

This tests the memory, the capacity to be succinct about complex issues and the ability to pass swift judgment on historical matters.

What it does not do is allow the candidate an opportunity to demonstrate the ability to write and argue in carefully considered, fluent prose, nor, even more importantly, the mental space and depth of knowledge to develop critical thinking.

When students arrive to study humanities at university, these two qualities are essential to success. They need to be able to write essays that showcase their ability to think analytically, critically and creatively. If they haven’t practised this at school, the jump to higher education will be a hard one.

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One way of encouraging this is for pupils to read beyond their textbooks. For our history pupil, reading a number of history books which give different interpretations on the life and reign of Louis XIV, analysing their use of evidence, and considering whether s/he is persuaded by their conclusions, is an ideal way of starting to bridge the gap in thought between the A-level exam and a degree. This is a skill that all pupils going on to university need to have.

Another way that schools could tackle this is to undertake a dissertation. Thinking on something at length and writing about it in an extended way gives pupils an opportunity to get profoundly interested in a subject of their choice. It is a good way of preparing pupils for the mental challenges ahead.

Students at university need to know how, and how not, to use the information they find online and they need to know what constitutes legitimate research, and what is plagiarism.

Schools can give them a head start. It is not sufficient to tell pupils not to cite Wikipedia: they’ll use it anyway. They need to learn how to take notes, and how to reference their work so their assertions can be checked.

One helpful way might be to explore with them the process of creating knowledge.

This is one way in which the IB, with its “Theory of Knowledge” course, has been so successful. Our historian, for example, needs to realise that there is no great “book of facts”. Everything we know about the past is patched together from a range of different sources – letters, diaries, chronicles, ambassadorial reports, state papers, tax rolls – and everything has been interpreted by historians. Ultimately, our pupil needs to learn to identify what is reliable and what is not – Wikipedia included!

Dr Suzannah Lipscomb is Senior Lecturer and Convenor for History at the New College of the Humanities.

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Schools Student Viewpoint

Tempted to Temp?

Whether you are saving for university or a gap year, temping is the key to emergency moneymaking, says Katie Back

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T

emping – the act of filling a person’s shoes as a temporary worker for a day, week or sometimes months – is a brilliant way to earn money in the gulf between one stage of education and the next.

The alarm goes at 8am; you open your eyes blearily and reach for your phone. Scroll to the temping agency contact, and manage to say, in words fogged by sleep, “Hi, my name is… I’m available for work today.” Conversation over, you bury yourself back under the duvet. The phone may ring, or it may not, your job is to be ready and waiting to step in and fill the gap – happy to have a go, whatever the task. Welcome to the world of temping!

Its main attraction is the flexibility involved because the work schedule is entirely yours to mould. You can choose which days you work and politely turn down any jobs that don’t suit you for whatever reason – it could be distance or a better offer.

When you are called, initially you tend to be asked in for a couple of days, then if you get on well, and they still need someone, you could stay for weeks afterwards. It is impossible to predict exactly how steady your temp work will be as it is entirely based on someone taking sudden leave, unexpected illness or a project comes up that needs extra hands.

One of my favourite things about temping was the way it let me explore London. It took me all over the city into areas I never knew existed. You can stumble upon nice restaurants, beautiful buildings and great pubs. One of my best finds was “Little Italy” when I was working near St Paul’s – an incredible fast food Italian that had my business every day from then on!

Simplicity is another appealing factor of temping. You know exactly how much you are going to earn. You fill your timesheet in as the week goes on, clocking up the

Summer 2012

hours. At the end of the week, you email it through to the agency who will then ensure the money hits your bank account not long after.

Some offices will work out better for you than others.

One of my more memorable weeks working in London involved a lot of birthdays and company celebrations, meaning every lunchtime was brightened with free-flowing champagne! That was fun, but out of the ordinary. Some places will be high-profile and you will be party to “sensitive information” that can make the job more interesting.

So, how do you stand out from the other temps? You have to have the right attitude. It can be exhausting finding your way to a new office every few days – then smiling and nodding at all the new names that you will undoubtedly forget and not need again – but it is important to give each new arrival the same enthusiasm that you showed at your first ever placement. Offices can sometimes blur into one in a busy week with all the computer screens and filing cabinets that are your domain. However, no one wants a sulky worker looking bored in the office, or settling down to menial tasks with a dull groan at the monotony of it all. You will not be asked back if you behave like this and no one will want to provide you with a good reference.

It is best to sign up to two or three agencies so there is more chance of something being available each day. To get on their books, simply ring up, send your CV and arrange an interview so they can meet you and be confident to recommend you to others. After that, ring up each morning so as to be top of the priority list. You’ll get a call back that details the hourly rate and location as well as a brief description of what the job entails.

Though temping may sometimes be tedious, for a few days you are part of a company and you never know who you might meet in an office, or what role they could play in getting you that dream job one day.

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Year 11s Ever thought about studying the

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Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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Gap Year Focus

FIRST ELEVEN

IN FOCUS

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your choice Taking a gap year is one of the most self-defining decisions you will make.

Alice Baines of The Leap explains what kinds of gap years are out there.

Charlie McGrath advises how to keep it safe. Ed Flack helps you budget for your year out and Hektor Krome says taking an unplanned few months off could do wonders for your CV

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Summer 2012 FirstEleven

35

Focus Gap Year Far left, Harrow boys in their boaters; Stoneyhurst College in Lancashire; pupils at

Research is key Do your homework and you’ll find the right gap year, says Alice Baines As with higher education, gaps come in many shapes and sizes.

These vary from a Summer gap: filling the space between the end of exams and beginning of university, to a full academic gap year, which runs for 15 months and requires the gapper to defer their UCAS application.

There are benefits and drawbacks to both types of gap, well worth considering as a family. While a Summer programme provides a welcome break from study during A levels it exerts obvious time restrictions, such as needing to be in the UK to react to exam results. Also, it doesn’t give the same opportunity for self-funding and flights tend to be at a premium during this time.

A full year out before university provides fantastic scope to combine a variety of work and travel, gain valued skills and personal development which, when used constructively, is of huge benefit in the competitive jobs market. It gives you time to truly immerse yourself in new cultures, become independent of your parents and consider your future options.

Conversely it’s a long stretch of time to be out of education and without proper planning a gap year can easily be lazed away. Consider your personality, drive and determination – do you have (or desire to develop!) the gumption to organise and fund yourself for a full year, when school friends are moving on and enjoying the spoils of university life without you? If the answer is no, perhaps a Summer gap or post-grad gap year might be more up your street!

The next big decision is the type of experience you want from your gap. Google “gap year” and it reveals the dazzling variety of organisations and destinations, let alone types of activity you can fill your time with.

Put simply, you can narrow the options to four main types of gap activity:

GAP EXPERT

VIEW

Gap courses are designed to help develop a new skill or improve an existing one including drama, sub-aqua diving, water and winter sports. Some, such as TEFL even result in qualifications that can be used to gain paid work in future.

Often overlooked by gappers looking for a complete break from studies, remember these courses are often delivered in exciting locations – from art history tours of Italy to learning Spanish in the Andes – they look great on the CV and are often taught in groups providing a ready-made social life.

Expeditions are a good fit if you’re looking for adventure or to develop self-confidence and leadership skills. From summiting the world’s highest peaks to trekking through deserts, jungle or arctic landscapes, expeditions offer a real physical challenge and the chance to pit your wits

36 FirstEleven

Summer 2012

against nature! Again this is generally a group activity led by qualified leaders and can be combined with scientific research or local volunteering. The sense of personal achievement that comes from completing an expedition is not only a great buzz, but also demonstrates strength of character and determination to succeed.

Work Experience and Internships have been growing in popularity, perhaps due to the recession and gappers’ increased awareness of the need to compete in the jobs market. Practical work experience, whether paid or unpaid, at home or abroad, is a vital addition to a graduate’s CV. So if you spent all, or part of, your gap year working it will help to set you apart when applying for a graduate job. It also gives you the opportunity to try your hand at different vocations before you commit to further study in that area. The Year

Questions to Ask Before You Sign up...

1. Who can take part and how are they selected?

2. Who benefits from the programme? Will anyone else benefit from this placement apart from me?

3. What exactly will I be doing?

How has the programme been chosen and checked out? Will I be alone; who will I be placed with?

What can I expect in terms of accommodation and food?

I go? Who is responsible for travel visas and work permits?

Who provides insurance and what is included in the cover?

Health, possessions, cancellation and repatriation? What about innoculations and health precautions? How about training and pre-departure briefing – do I get any of that?

Further advice: Year Out Group is a partner with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s Know Before You Go campaign. It’s well worth reading before your trip.

4. What’s the cost? What does it cover? What is the recommended budget for extras? If I have to pay a deposit, is it refundable?

5. The Organisation: Why does the organisation exist? Do I have to sign anything? Does the company have funds if there is an emergency?

6. What can I do before

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Gap Year Focus

Gap year volunteering in Ghana courtesy of Latitude

Skills for life Alex Lock’s strong work ethic and “can-do” attitude won over her future employers at Christies In 2008 I finished my A Levels at The Cheltenham Ladies’ College. I was excited about the possibilities that lay ahead of me. I knew I wanted to go to university and have a career, but it was the path I would take to get there that I was determined to make as exciting, unique and adventure-filled as possible.

I decided on a gap year and signed up for two team trips with The Leap, spending ten weeks in Ecuador, taking Spanish lessons, living in impoverished communities and working to build a house for a school teacher. Then I worked with kids in the Andes and helped construct an eco-museum in the Amazon Basin. Next I spent six unforgettable weeks in Cambodia, teaching English in an orphanage and a school, making water purifiers and distributing them to extremely poor communities.

I am now working for the auctioneers, Christies and believe that my gap year experiences demonstrated to them the strong work ethic which they were looking for. Having an expansive knowledge and understanding of different cultures and languages is vital to the work I’m doing as is a “can-do” mentality and ability to work as a member of a team. My gap year furnished me with direct, transferable skills and has helped me to get where I am now.

Dashing across London one day to source a very particular steamer for a certain Elizabeth Taylor’s clothes, perilously close to their impending display might have been a scary prospect. However, having overcome the challenge of finding one’s way across Phnom Penh in an apocalyptic thunderstorm with a Khmer speaking tuk-tuk driver and no map, you realise there are far more daunting tasks! It’s really only since entering the world of work I have realised how much confidence I gained during my gap year.

Through the many and varied experiences of my Gap Year, from the grief of losing a parent, to the triumph of embarking on extraordinary adventures and meeting amazing people, I have come to appreciate how blessed I have been to have been given opportunities and an education and wish to pass that gift on.

G a p p e r

view

in Industry has long offered paid gap placements in 300 companies across the UK working in technology, science and engineering but it is also possible to gain career specific work experience in more exotic locations. The Leap and other organisations offer overseas internships in areas as diverse as medicine, dentistry, media, tourism and business. These make a great talking point when applying for jobs!

Volunteering is a wonderful opportunity to contribute as you travel, and one of the activities looked on most favourably by employers and admission tutors. For those looking for genuine cultural exchange and to get off the “beaten track” volunteering can offer insight and experiences which many tourists miss. There really You can is something for everyone including teaching, even take gap courses sport, care work and conservation projects. in winter You can choose to specialise with a single type sports of project or opt for a combined placement such as those offered by The Leap, mixing community and conservation projects.

There are hundreds of Gap Year Organisations based in the UK and overseas so selecting the gap year organisation that is right for you requires careful research.

There are a multitude of decisions that go into choosing a gap year, and the mistake many people make is to underestimate the research required to ensure they are right for you. But get it right and your gap year can equip you with the skills and contacts to set you up for life.

“

Volunteering can offer insight and experiences which tourists miss

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Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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Focus Gap Year

It’s okay to play it safe Safety on your year out need not be a restriction to adventure, says Charlie McGrath If it’s an action-packed adventure you’re after, as a general rule, the further you get off the beaten track the safer you will be. When you travel, the “big three” risks, regardless of your experience, will be crime, road traffic accidents and disease.

In exploring the wilds or working in orphanages, in rural communities, you will be less at risk from the first 2 of the “big three”. Insurance companies and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) report more thefts and general trouble occur in Thailand than any other country, simply due to the mass concentration of targets for the aggressor.

So how to have a safe Gap Year? Firstly, do some research on the country you are visiting. The FCO website, www.fco.gov.uk is an excellent place to start but look at other sites such as the BBC or Lonely Planet, too. The FCO will tell you which areas to avoid; do you need to carry ID; are you at risk of getting Malaria or Dengue fever? (If so, say goodbye to travel and hello! to a thoroughly miserable 6 weeks).

Make sure you get to know something about the culture, religion and general etiquette of the country.

For those going to India, John Keay’s classic book Into India is a brilliant start and you will soon understand, for example, why the caste system is still relevant today.

Argentina is a very popular destination but as a Brit you had better know where the Malvinas Islands are and what happened to the General Belgrano in 1982. For girls, it’s really important to appreciate how you dress. Your behaviour, too, will have consequences as to how you are treated.

To wear a skimpy dress or visible thong may send out signals way beyond a sense of fashion and could lead to unwanted attention and deep trouble.

So how do you avoid becoming a victim of crime? It’s simple. Reduce the chances by being aware of how and where you are at risk. Criminals strike where there are lots of travellers, such as markets and bus

SafetY expert

view

38 FirstEleven

Summer 2012

“

or railway stations. I have had endless reports of day sacks being stolen at bus stations, this year, especially in Peru and Bolivia. As you enter the bus station team up with others and don’t allow yourself to get distracted.

Lowering your profile is another good defence mechanism. Play “the grey boy or girl” so you are not noticed. If you do get mugged, just comply and hand the goods over.

As for the roads, please wear a seat belt at every opportunity – and consider taking one with you. If you take a strong adjustable cargo strap, you can tie yourself into the seat on the countless buses in Latin America and Asia where there is no seat belt. As for the taxis, one business traveller’s view to me was that his starting point was to assume that they are “all bastards”. Don’t hail one from the street; book it through your hotel or guest house because you will end up with their friend or cousin and it’s in the hotel or guest house’s interest to keep you safe. Before you get into the taxi, check it’s for you and have some idea where you are going – and how much the fare will cost.

Of my final “big three” threats, disease and illness will certainly be a concern for those with the exploring instinct. But it’s a risk worth taking in order to have a

”

The big three risks will be crime, road traffic accidents and disease fulfilling gap year. Get yourself jabbed up and know the health risks of your destination via www.fitfortravel.nhs. scot.uk. Eat well-cooked food or fresh food and be strict with your water safety. A final piece of advice, if the limit of your imagination does only stretch to the beaches of Thailand, please don’t get a tattoo as a souvenir – it can not only be hard to remove in the long term but beware that diseases can be spread through dirty needles.

Charlie McGrath is a Director of Objective Travel Safety, www.objectivegapsafety.com

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Gap Year Focus

GAP VETERAN

view Right, gappers from Sherborne and Leweston at the Holi festivail in India

Gapportunity knocks!

For those without a place at university in September, there is a sunny and terribly exciting alternative: an independent opportunity to improve one’s self confidence, life skills, and ability to plan, budget and improvise without the constant well-intentioned interference of your elders.

I took a Gap way back in 1972, and I’m still on it: I’ve never been back to the City, the drudge of working 9-5, and reporting to a boss. The word “Year” is a misnomer and puts many off. It’s a long time to be away from the familiarity of the comfort zone, and for the past 20 years of my motivational talks for school leavers, I’ve stressed that it is, however, an opportunity not to be missed. Two months is more than long enough to dip one’s toes into the University of Life and graduate with a diploma in life skills and independence. It’s a truly practical addition to the CV and something that will give any school leaver great pride and stories to tell for the rest of their life. It’s a gap, and an opportunity – a gapportunity!

For those who have already elected to take a deferred entry, and there are a surprising number of them, I suggest that you work all the hours you possibly can through the summer to build up funds at the supermarket, the pub, picking fruit, babysitting, whatever it takes. Birthday presents of travel and health insurance, mosquito nets, Aquapure water, purifying bottles and head torches are most useful. However, forget about buying or asking for a new backpack though – as I tell the boys and girls that I speak to – you want your pack to be the last to be noticed outside a hostel or on top of a local bus and not the first! Remember, you are far less likely to be hassled by opportunists if you don’t look as though you’ve just got off the plane.

A gapportunity is not an excuse to loaf around but it is a great chance to add some really useful qualities to your CV. Gappers may well enjoy their new found freedom for a few days on the beach, but you’ll be making new friends every day who will encourage you to seize the day and start to adventure. Most will travel the well worn Lonely Planet or Rough Guide path – the “dotted line” as I call it.

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Taking an unplanned few months off could do wonders for your CV, says Hektor Krome

It offers great security and is comforting to know that the places you stay, eat, and visit are highly recommended by those who have trod the path before you. These guides, are extremely keen to maintain their reputation and to be sure that travellers are safe and happy. Most are therefore well catered for; their hosts speak many languages – so interaction is not a problem but instead a great pleasure. It’s important too to have reliable travel insurance covering all foreseeable eventualities.

Volunteering ad hoc along the way is very doable in so called “Third World” countries who greatly appreciate a gapper’s time and effort to help them out. For example, you can head straight to the local school’s staff room, where a smile and a brief introduction go a long way. I’ve done this in hundreds of schools around the world and it’s without fail, extremely welcome. Or, you can roll up your shirt sleeves and tackle a project like an irrigation ditch or help out in an orphanage. This is all mutual enlightened self-interest – on both parts: local people have the opportunity to practise their English and learn first hand about life in the UK and the gapper has an informal and a less touristic insight into the local culture. Who needs to pay an organisation to arrange worthwhile and valued work when you can easily do it for yourself?!

It’s really important to photograph your volunteer work.

Back home when you start interviewing you can pull out your photographs of you with friendly appreciative locals, and accompany them with stories of adventure, challenge, independence, risk assessment and adaptability.

The independent gapper should stand out to future employers as a bit of a star showing maturity and practical gumption – someone good to have on board.

For those parents interested in an independent “Gapportunity”, Hektor Krome has been advising others for over 20 years and can offer the same exciting and inspiring presentation from his own 40 year “gap” from the City. See www.ugap.co.uk.

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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Focus Gap Finance

Make sure you get a sound budget in place for your time out, says Ed Flack The earlier you draw up a carefully constructed and financed gap year the better. It should go without saying that a gap activity which pays no money will need a bigger budget to finance than one that pays a wage.

As a starting point any basic budget will need to include travel, food, accommodation and insurances.

When calculating travel costs, divide destinations into “must sees” and “would be nice to visit” then arrange these into geographical order.

Highlight those legs that you would like to cover overland or by sea. Once this is done get the advice of a specialist gap year travel agent to find the cheapest flights linking the remainder of the destinations. Be prepared to go through the same place two or three times because chain-linking destinations may not be the most cost-effective way to fly.

The agent may also be able to help with the costs of ferries and buses. When a final figure has been achieved, build in a 10% excess to cover any un-planned trips.

The cost of eating abroad may be very different to what is the norm at home. Indeed many places may offer food in return for work done. It is worth checking out the likely costs before departure by asking people who have been to a particular destination before via gap-year websites and social networking sites.

The cost of accommodation will also vary. Back packing and staying in hostels for example may be more expensive than staying in accommodation supplied by a company or l Plan what you will charity employer. Either way it is vital that the do and where you first few nights’ accommodation are booked want to go and if possible paid for before departure. l Budget carefully Adequate travel insurance should also be include travel, food, taken out before departure. Apart from covaccommodation ering the cost of cancelled flights it should and insurance. also cover things like phone, camera, iPod l Add in spending and money loss as well as other personal efmoney, toiletries, fects. Ensure that all activities are covered. medical care, Extra insurance may need to be purchased clothes to cover dangerous sports like bungee jumping if these type of activities are going to be undertaken. Medical insurance also needs to be considered as costs outside of the EU can be very high.

Once the main items have been budgeted for then things like spending money, toiletries, medical items and clothes can be added in. Be realistic with costs when these objects are being included. Once again build in a 10% excess to cover unexpected items.

Once a final budget has been finalised it can be FinAnciAl exPeRt

viEw

Top Tips

40 FirstEleven

Summer 2012

shown to someone who has been on a gap year already to see if it is realistic. If this can’t be done then gap-year agencies will always be glad to help.

As a rough guide £4,000-£6,000 for a year is a tight budget. Once a budget is in place, attention should turn to raising the cash! Open an interest-bearing account into which regular payments can be made; take on an extra job; tell family members so that birthday and Christmas presents may be made with the trip in mind; do some fundraising like car boot sales, quizzes or sponsored events; get some publicity in your local paper, on the web or at school.

Before you head off on your trip, think about how money can be accessed. Third l Be realistic world countries may not necessarily have l Build in 10% for banks and cash machines to withdraw unexpected items cash when it is needed. Debit cards may be l Get some help accepted but there may be charges associand advice if ated with using them. It is worth searching needed around for an account which has no such l Raise money surcharges attached. A pre-paid currency l Visit GP card may also be a good option. These may l Make sure you be topped up from home when needed. can access the Whatever method of “plastic payment” is money overseas chosen, mixed currency including travellers cheques should be taken. Take notes that are split into small denominations and use several small wallets kept in different places. That way even if one is lost or stolen, not everything will be gone.

Don’t forget to visit the local GP to ensure vaccinations and other forms of personal protection are up to date.

It is possible that circumstances may change while on a gap and the budget falls a bit short. If this happens then try finding some local paid work to boost income. But be careful about falling foul of visa restrictions and local laws.

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Leading Lights Careers

Leading lights Not everyone knows what they want to do when they leave school, but trial and error can lead to some fascinating and rewarding careers

Michael Wareing, Consultant ENT Surgeon, Barts and The London NHS Trust, The London Clinic (where they are now trying to fail you) and then speciality training in South London and Kent, which took 12 years until I was appointed back to Barts.

I always feel the big question is “would I do it again”? And the answer is yes. I’m lucky – I have a fantastic job with variety and interest on a daily basis. There are academic and intellectual challenges and technical/manual challenges relating to the art of surgery. There is also the advantage of working with, and hopefully helping people, which mainly means one’s patients but also junior doctors, nurses and other paramedical staff. ENT is also a civilised specialty, in that the majority of work fits in to sociable hours, which is important for the work/life balance issue.

So what do you need and what should you be prepared for if Medicine interests you? Well, there is little doubt that a Medical degree requires hard work as well as understanding many new concepts; if you don’t put the effort in you will get found out.

After qualifying it then gets more difficult, as there will be occasions when it is a matter of life and death! The academia and studying never stops but has to be fitted into a working life.

My experience has been a very conventional, single minded one but there are lots of different avenues in Medicine, so in many ways there is something for everyone.

Work hard, play hard

T

here was no one eureka moment for me that lead me into Medicine. I was lucky enough to get into Haberdashers on a statefunded place (sadly no longer possible) and being near the top academically, with an interest in science and people, Medicine was both possible and a desirable choice.

I ended up choosing Barts because I met some students playing hockey, got invited to look round, applied, got an interview and they said yes! Nowadays, some work experience seems necessary – perhaps just because everyone else does it, although you should have some idea what you’re getting yourself into.

Medical school is fantastic fun – so much

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so that I took 6 years and got an additional degree along the way. You do have to work hard but medical students are rightly known for playing hard as well. After an uninspiring medical attachment when I thought about giving up, my enthusiasm was really fired by a surgical placement in Southend. That set my heart on surgery – I just had to decide what sort of surgery. All the Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) surgeons I had met seemed to have their lives sorted out so I did an elective period in ENT and decided to pursue it.

After qualifying, I began the rather long process that eventually leads to a Consultant post. This involved some anatomy teaching, junior surgical training posts, a few exams

www.michaelwareing-ent.com

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

45

Careers Leading Lights

Trust the way life unfolds

I

’ve wanted to spend my time writing, drawing and painting for as long as I can remember and I’m now very fortunate to be pursuing this ambition, though the path has not been smooth. And I’ve done many other things along the way!

At 16, I won an art and academic scholarship to study A levels at Charterhouse: it was as exciting as it was baffling and gave me some wonderful opportunities.

Although I knew I would never have to be encouraged to pick up a paintbrush, I was unlikely to ever motivate myself to write critical essays without some extreme forcefulness!

I applied to read English and won a place at Christ Church, Oxford. During my second year there, author and illustrator Quentin Blake came to give a talk. Afterwards, I wrote to ask his advice regarding my career hopes and he invited me to go through my portfolio with him. His comments were useful, though more important to me at that time I think, was his interest. He took me seriously and that gave me the confidence to persevere.

After Oxford, I struggled to make back the

Louise Yates, award-winning children’s author and illustrator time I felt I’d lost while not practising art. It was constantly frustrating to not be working in the career that I’d hoped to, but this spurred me on. I juggled part-time work while developing my portfolio.

I worked as a waitress; made and sold customised clothes; learned to make and bead corsets. I studied etching at evening classes and I lived in France with a lady who allowed me several hours a day to draw and paint in return for my housekeeping. I was a gym receptionist; a tutor; a costumier for film and theatre; and worked in a bookshop.

While working as a costumier I came across a clown shoe that inspired A Small Surprise with which I won my first publishing deal.

Working in the bookshop inspired my second, Dog Loves Books – this went straight into The New York Times Bestseller List and won the Roald Dahl Funny Prize in the UK. Looking back, I see that the times when I felt circumstances were forcing me to stray from my intended path contributed something essential to what I’m doing now. I think it is very important to trust the way life unfolds. Dreams are often fulfilled in ways that you cannot imagine.

Put down that Xbox!

I

generally struggled at school, having dyslexia, and so found it pretty tough in the classroom. Once classes were over, you would find me in the Art block or on the playing fields. I wanted to go to Art School but I somehow missed the entry deadline and by chance found a summer job as an apprentice furniture restorer in London.

I had no idea what that really entailed but learnt about lacquering, decorative Rupert Bevan, paint work, bespoke furnigilding and ture maker and antiques. It founder of Rupert was a shock.

I was paid £1 Bevan Design an hour and if late, was sent home without pay! I learnt a vast amount there, not just about restoration but also how to conduct myself in a professional working environment. My apprenticeship lasted for 4 years, a university education in itself (and cheaper) after which I set up my own business as an antique furniture restorer/gilder in London.

46 FirstEleven

Summer 2012

Twenty-three years later, I employ 20 people in a design studio in Shropshire and a finishing workshop and showroom in London. We now design and make bespoke furniture and finishes for top interior designers and private clients in an endless array of different materials, styles and finishes – something I have built on from being a restorer.

It’s incredibly difficult finding a job that you want to do. Take time out to enjoy yourself and experience as many different things as you can. But when it is time to knuckle down, don’t be afraid to choose a job that isn’t necessarily right for you.

Finding a job from an unemployed position is much more difficult than if you were working. Just being employed counts for so much more than you might imagine. A university/college education is a wonderful thing but it is absolutely not for everybody. The value of an apprenticeship/employment is far better than a second rate degree in Turf Management or an NVQ in Shelf Stacking (real courses by the way)!

Never be afraid of failure; if in doubt stick your neck out!

Failure is a valuable learning curve and without that experience you’ll learn very little. Having your own business is 24/7 with huge responsibilities, but when you love what you do (and I do), it’s not a job or a chore. Put down that Xbox and get out there!

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Careers Leading Lights

Grab life’s opportunities

W

hat do you do when you find yourself with two young children, a career in real estate and a requirement to be flexible around your working hours? You start a company with your sister, of course.

After several successful house renovations and having run a business managing small interior refurbishment projects, my sister and I discussed over Sunday lunch the idea that we could establish a small family run property management business.

It helped that we had both spent considerable time working for one of the UK’s premier estate agents and had an intimate understanding of the lettings and

properties into updated, modern living spaces. He does this full time while I focus on smaller refurbishment works and property management for our clients.

Colette Hamilton-Davies, founder What I have of boutique property management learnt over the past 25 years is company, Managed By that you have to be brave and grasp opportunities as and when they ing others. I then found myself present themselves. You must be heading up investments and proactive as nothing ever comes acquisitions at a well-known, fast to those who wait and you must growing London estate agents enjoy what you do. I have been where I worked closely with the property management industry. very fortunate with some of the chief executive. Following the We both had young families and people I have worked for and birth of my son, I moved to Savills we were both keen to be sucworked with, however, I firmly and a job letting top end residencessful and make some money. believe that it’s up to you to get tial property in Chelsea. During My career to that point had out there and seize the day. this time my husband and I been somewhat unconventional: developed what one might call following Queensgate School in www.managedby.co.uk. an instinct for turning tired old London, I went straight into the film industry working as a runner on shoots for advertising agencies. My skills developed around being organised and organis-

It’s about creativity...

I

So when a PR job came up in the consumer side of ACP, I crossed over to the “dark side” and never looked back.

I came back to London via Asia, Sri Lanka, Kashmir and India, and I went into books and arts PR. It was chaotic, but I learnt how to write copy and to sell stories to stressed literary editors and picture desks. One of our books was The Savoy Cook Book by Chef Anton Edelmann, and during a meeting he tipped me off that there was a job going in the press office – and a week later I was officially The Savoy Centenary Co-ordinator. At last, PR and travel had come together for me. A year later, I was promoted to Group PR Director, looking after five hotels, four restaurants and one health farm.

Lucinda Buxton, co-founder and After I had my daughter I worked freelance director of Mango PR, a hotel and for a year. One of my clients was One Aldwych, the fabulous hotel which was about to open luxury specialist PR company in Covent Garden. This was when I first met Sarah Curra (formerly Hurley). We did the opening of One Aldwych together. Five years later we less secretary and I was given the were both ready for the next thing and set up in business title of Editorial Assistant. I was in together. And so Mango PR was born. We now have 14 heaven. I learnt what makes a story, people working for us, with an office in Singapore and we and what doesn’t – vital in PR. are setting up in Hong Kong later this year.

I saved enough money to go to When we recruit at Mango what we really look for is inAustralia where my mother comes from. In Sydney I got telligence, common sense, an eye for detail and creativity an editorial job on Gourmet Traveller magazine. I was in – someone who thinks out of the box and has ideas – who charge of the upfront news pages and this was my first can tell a story. experience of being on the receiving end of calls from PRs.

48 FirstEleven

was brought up in Africa and Switzerland, so travel has been in my bones since I was born. To me, A levels were just inconveniences which got in the way of my plans to go travelling. I managed to pass them, but by then my parents had booked me into a secretarial course in London. After a series of hilariously disastrous temp jobs, I fell on my feet as a secretary in the features department of The Telegraph Sunday Magazine.

They soon realised I was a hope-

Summer 2012

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Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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Alcohol Health

Alcohol and your children Thea Jourdan asks: how do you promote safe drinking among teens?

A

glass of bubbly is a wonderful addition to a party, while sipping a G&T with a slice of lemon can feel like a perfect way to unwind at the end of a stressful week.

Most people in Britain enjoy drinking in moderation, using it as a social glue and relaxant.

But combine alcohol and your teenage children and suddenly you want to put the Pimms in a locked box and throw away the

www.firstelevenmagazine.co.uk

key! Or you go all French and offer them watered down Merlot with their nursery tea from the age of eight.

“The fact is that there is a lot of confusion about what is the best thing to do when it comes to introducing kids to alcohol. On the one hand, parents want to ensure that they don’t create a taboo by avoiding the subject altogether,” says Lizzie Jeans, Campaign Manager for parents and young people at the charity, Drinkaware. “On the other hand, there is a lot of fear that if parents are too liberal then kids will be reckless with alcohol.”

The annual Newquay beach-crush, Cornwall, is just the thing to send parents

into a panic. Last summer the beaches were crammed with thousands of pupils celebrating the end of their GCSEs. Many were downing something stronger than lashings of ginger beer as they tore up their exam papers.

But Lizzie Jeans says that highlighting booze fests like Newquay can give a false impression

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

53

Health Alcohol

Young people from abroad find it hard to comprehend the British yearning to down “shot bombs”

of the bigger picture. In fact, statistics about alcohol consumption and young people are relatively optimistic. NHS reports show that in recent years there has been a steady decline in the proportion of pupils who drink alcohol. The proportion of 11-15 year olds who had never drunk alcohol rose from 39% in 2003 to 55% in 2010.

Parents, who are the biggest suppliers of alcohol to underage drinkers, have a crucial role to play in delaying the “first drink” – now consumed by British children at an average age of 13.8 years. “Research shows that the earlier a child drinks alcohol, the more likely that child is to drink to increasing risk levels,” says Jeans. Young people are also more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol. “We are fully behind the official Chief Medical Officer guidance which states that an alcohol-free childhood is the healthiest option.”

This is because young bodies are still growing and alcohol can harm their development. Regular drinking can lead to cancer, liver disease (which is on the rise in the UK), heart disorders and impotence in later life.

Those who do get into a drinking habit early are likely to join the growing ranks of binge drinkers. Among 35 European countries, the UK has the third-highest proportion of 15 year-olds who report having been drunk 10 times or more in the past year. Binge drinking is a particular feature of British teenagers, perhaps because our climate discourages the cafe culture and we share a Northern European penchant for getting maudlin drunk.

Young people from other European countries find it hard to comprehend the British yearning to down “shot bombs” in lager to the point of passing out. Laura Lombardo, 24, a graduate student from Italy studying English in London says, “We would be embarrassed to fall over drunk in the street in Milan, but people here seem to be proud when they humiliate themselves in public.”

Alongside parents, schools have an important role to

54 FirstEleven

Summer 2012

play too. Neil Roskilly, chief executive of the Independent Schools Association says: “The general consensus is that alcohol abuse is a major issue which needs to be an integral part of the curriculum.” It is common to find the topic raised in science lessons and Personal, Social and Health Education programmes. PSHE has been part of the national curriculum in schools in England since 2000, although it is not obligatory in independent schools.

Roskilly also points out that boarding schools often feel that they have a particular responsibility as they look after children 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Millfield School, Somerset, has a policy that “encourages a mature approach to alcohol consumption by young adults and a respect for those who choose not to drink”. It also makes a clear distinction between the rules for sixthformers and pupils in years 9-11.

So although drinking is expressly forbidden to those under the age of 16, Millfield pupils over the age of 18 may drink in local public houses from 8-10pm on Saturday evenings with houseparents’ permission. There are also various times when pupils aged between 16-17 can have alcohol under strict supervision. Most schools have a range of disciplinary measures if a pupil is found intoxicated or in possession of alcohol, depending on the age of the pupil, the circumstances and any previous record.

The Good Schools Guide makes a point of noting how schools deal with the issue of alcohol. “Different schools take different approaches,” says Jeanette Wallis, a Senior Editor at The Good Schools Guide. “Certainly some schools have more of a problem with alcohol than others.”

Flick through the guide and you can come across entries

Tips on Talking about Alcohol ● Take your cue from soap operas, films and news stories to discuss alcohol. ● Drinking too much has physical effects but it also affects people’s ability to make rational decisions.

ing two to three units of alcohol a day for women, three to four units for men, so you can pass on realistic messages about what is and isn’t a risk. www.drinkaware.co.uk/children-andalcohol/parents/tips-and-advice

● Teach by example.

Young people learn more from watching their parents than they do from listening to them. ● Make sure you know the safe limits for adult alcohol consumption: not regularly exceed-

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Alcohol Health

Young women often say it’s a lack of confidence as their reason for binge drinking

such as “booze seems to be a permanent problem” with parents sending six-packs to teens in tuck boxes. Other statements approve sixth formers dining at special supervised feasts with a glass of wine to go with the pudding.

Going up to university is another stress point for young people who may have had limited access to alcohol in the past. “This is a real transition period when a lot of people are leaving home for the first time. Suddenly, they can buy alcohol themselves and feel the need to make an impression,” says Emma Healey, Campaign Manager for Young Adults at Drinkaware which runs its “Why let good times go bad?” campaign with support from the National Union of Students.

Many activities for Freshers at universities revolve around alcohol, from Freshers’ fair events to initiation ceremonies for sports clubs. Commercial bar crawls have hit the headlines recently as young students have been photographed desecrating war memori-

als while heavily intoxicated. “We need to be challenging this irresponsible, and potentially dangerous, drinking culture, but the fact is that it’s a minority of young people aged between 18-24 who claim to go out with the specific intention to get drunk on a regular basis,” comments Healey, who says that young women who drink too much often cite lack of confidence as a reason. Young men are more likely to be motivated by peer pressure.

Seb Baird, Vice President for Welfare and Equal Opportunities at the Oxford University Student Union (OUSU) says that colleges and university clubs have already taken steps to ensure that Freshers can have fun and feel included without becoming inebriated in the process.

“There are lots of activities in Freshers Week that are not focused around alcohol and colleges take this very seriously.” OUSU provides health information directly to students, as well as advice and training for Presidents of Junior Common Rooms at individual colleges.

The more decadent dining societies, such as the louche Piers Gaveston and the infamous Bullingdon Club should probably be given a wide berth by anyone who values their livers and reputations in later life.

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

55

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Alcohol Health

A Survivor’s Guide to

Freshers’ Week

S

itting on a stranger’s bed three hours after arThe first week want to take advantage of cheap shooters and £1.50 vodka riving at Nottingham University last year, while of uni doesn’t and cokes on offer.

But overall I think we were lucky at Nottingham. Freshwatching numerous bottles of vodka being have to be ers’ Week is organised without the emphasis on alcohol. opened by fellow undergraduates, I knew my one long Each night had a different fancy dress theme, beginning ideas of what to expect from the university drinkboozathon, at around 7.30pm, cleverly not leaving enough time to ing culture were about to change. “pre-drink” – the term used for drinking a lot of alcohol At the best of times, the transition from school explains with friends prior to going out as a cheap and social way to to university is fuelled with anxiety. Becoming Olivia de begin the evening. conscious of my seemingly unusual drinkCourcy As we started partying early during Freshers, most ing habits just added to my list of worries. were ready to leave and get back to their halls by about Not only was I surprised that neither midnight. Plus, there were events held, such as a hypnotist wine nor cider – drinks I was used to evening and a film night, which meant those who chose – were present, I was also shocked at not to drink or go clubbing felt included, having the option the general casual attitude towards to attend events where alcohol consumption was not alcohol. One boy was boasting really encouraged. about how much drink his mother The four “Week One” second-year had sent with him reps were a huge presence in my hall of to university. residence, which made me feel at ease.

I am a Moreover, the warden and the postformer pupil of l Know your limit, not your friends’ limit. Don’t graduate students acting as “hall tutors” Bedales School be a burden and ruin everyone else’s night. meant that there was still an older adult in Hampshire, present if something went wrong. where possesl If “pre-drinking”, choose a drink with low Nottingham’s Student Union’s “Easy sion of spirits alcoholic content to begin with.

Tiger” campaign, which ran through out results in automatic Freshers’ Week showed their pro-active suspension. Wine and l Try a “mocktail”. It will be cheap, tasty and prostance in making students aware of the cider were the choice of vide much needed re-hydration when drinking. problems of too much alcohol. tipple for most sixth-formers, Initiation into sports teams is a big so the prospect of downing l If someone buys you a drink deal at university, and it often demands spirits was a whole new concept. make sure you accompany excessive amounts of alcohol consumpOne of my new friends, a petite brunette, them to the bar. The last tion. One Fresher, who is teetotal drunk three bottles of vodka in two weeks. thing you want is to become a due to his religion, refused.

I wondered if that was what lay in wait for victim of drink spiking.

It took guts, he told me: “I me. Was I going to have to throw caution to was terrified I would get the wind and just go for it to feel accepted? l You will not lose your friends kicked off the team.”

And was I normal if I didn’t want to get drunk by swapping the odd night But the club used every night? out for a night-in. its imagination for During Freshers’ Week, which takes his initiation: from place the week before term officially begins, l If you don’t have “tutors”, drinking pints of and is packed with events to ease underfind someone who you can milk to eating dog graduates into the university lifestyle, I felt contact in an emergency and stick food. It obviously pressured into drinking more than I wanted their number on your fridge; it may worked since he in order to make friends. But gradually I be quicker than calling an ambulance. has been elected realised that true friends would accept me as Social Secretary as I was. Once I had decided this, I drank, for next year. but nowhere near as much as they did, As he and I both which some couldn’t understand. Yet, I still found, drinking is a rite of passage for had a great time. new undergraduates but you can say no For many, university is their first time away from home.

– or at least not yes as often – and still have The excitement of student life - the freedom to do what a good, if not better, time. you want, when you want - means it is easy for Freshers to

Tips for Freshers

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Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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Agony aunt How can you stop your daughter wanting Botox? Is university right for a budding entrepreneur and how do you advise your son about a career path you know nothing about? First Eleven’s Agony Aunt, Victoria Lambert, rounds up the experts to answer your questions…

My 18-year-old son has found a sudden interest in politics as a career.

His careers master is steering him more to teaching – he is a classicist, but our son resists.

What subject should he read at university, and what experience can he gain?

Gill, Northants Victoria says: It’s great that your son is showing interest in politics. But getting a “proper” job first – like teaching – is no bad thing. Many of the best politicians gain life experience before they become an MP or councillor, including time in law, journalism or teaching. Understanding how life outside the political bubble works can be hugely important once you are in it.

A degree in traditional Politics, Philosophy, Economics (PPE) is popular but he could equally look at courses he will enjoy and do well in – such as Classics at a Russell Group university, and an MA in political theory or economics could follow.

Internship schemes, or joining a political party and volunteering, is vital. Look at: www. parliament.uk/education and www.w4mp.org.uk. You can try TheyWorkForYou.com to contact your local MP for his advice.

My 17-year-old daughter has very hormonal skin, and she is in despair. She has acne scars and some pigment patches. She now talks constantly of having Botox as soon as she is allowed. I think she is far too young – although she knows that I see a London beauty therapist and have Botox myself!

Where can I steer her for some sensible help?

Jane, Staffs

The Doctor French Aesthetic Doctor Dr Jules Nabet has over 25 years’ experience, with clinics in Paris, London and Moscow. www.julesnabet.com

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Summer 2012

Dr Jules Nabet says: I use the beauty treatment Botox to help patients look well and a little younger. It is a fantastic treatment if used subtly and on women who are worried about the signs of aging.

It is not appropriate for younger women, like your daughter, and it cannot help with acne scars and pigment patches.

Your daughter’s skin concerns are the result of changing hormone levels during puberty, making skin oilier – causing spots or acne.

My best advice is to live a healthy lifestyle, be happy and positive. Keep active, get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water.

She should exfoliate to help the turnover of dead skin. There are many make-up brands good for camouflaging problem skin.But keep it as natural as possible and remind her to remove her make up before bed.

If scars and pigmentation are causing her a lot of distress there are light peeling or laser treatments which can help but she would need an in-depth consultation with a specialist.

My son and his friends are off to Cornwall for two weeks surfing. How do I warn 17-year-olds about skin cancer? They are all laughing about burning and debating who will turn most “lobster”. Some scare tactics wouldn’t hurt either!

Meredith, north London Rebecca Maxwell says: When it is cold wetsuits will protect your body when it’s cool, unless it’s a half wetsuit and you will still need to apply SPF to lower arms and legs, face, neck and hands. If it’s summer most surfers will wear a rash vest

The Nurse Rebecca Maxwell is a Senior Screening Nurse at The Mole Clinic, 9 Argyll Street, London W1F 7TG. www.themoleclinic.co.uk

and long board shorts – most have SPF protection in them. You can “scare” kids into wearing

them by saying that sometimes the wax on the board reacts with your skin resulting in an allergic reaction!

Another tactic is to say that sunburn is painful – going lobster red on the first day will probably lead to less surfing from then on!

My 16-year-old daughter is having a bit of a “moment” about university.

She is voicing doubts about more study – student debt being one. Her tutors say that she could achieve Oxbridge, but as her long-term goal is to run her own business, should she go for a non-graduate trainee management position instead?

Caroline, west London Isobel Douglas Hamilton says: Certainly your daughter’s drive and hunger for the “real world” is something to be encouraged.

But graduates don’t have to pay anything

The Student Isobel Douglas Hamilton is a second year student at University College London and is reading French and Russian.

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Advice Health

back until they are earning more than £21,000. So, if your daughter is capable of getting into a top university, then surely it is worth repaying? It can be seen as an investment.

University can give you the time to figure out a life plan. It can be a valuable source of contacts, especially for someone who is keen on creating a business. She may just come across her future business partner! But it is also the one chance she’ll have to explore her own interests and meet fascinating, like-minded people.

Your daughter is yet to do her A levels. Perhaps give her ideas some time to breathe. In the meantime, she should channel all that energy into applying for internships and work placements during her holidays. Keep her options open and why not apply to both university and a non-graduate trainee management position at the same time?

My son is taking eight GCSEs next year and is already worried about the prospect of mocks as well as the real things. I want to spend the next few months really helping him towards the exams – so it isn’t all a last-minute panic next spring. What can we do to help prepare him, and I am worrying too much?

David, Berkshire Jerry Jarvis says: Early preparation for exams is a great idea. There are three ways to go about this.

Firstly, obtain a copy of the specification for each subject from the relevant exam board’s website. This will outline the essentials that

The Sixth Former Claudia Miller is in her final year studying A levels at Bedales School, Hampshire.

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your son needs to learn. Secondly, obtain a copy of the mark scheme and exam paper for the most recent GCSEs in each subject.

The mark scheme shows what examiners are looking for and gives clear indications on how to maximise marks and grades.

My final piece of advice would be to relax.

Of course you want the best for your son, but his final year of compulsory education shouldn’t be all about exams. Too much stress may rub off, so encourage and support him, but also have some confidence in his, and his teachers’ ability to prepare.

niless in the last few weeks, however they will learn quickly and will be better prepared for saving larger sums of money as they get older.

We’re caught in a pocket money stand-off. My husband thinks our 14-yearold twins should be managing a monthly allowance of about £50. I favour a weekly payment of about £10 – as I don’t think they are quite ready to control larger sums. The boys are more concerned with the quantity, citing friends with unlimited funds. What’s the current average at boarding schools and do you have any tips for money management?

Janie, Wiltshire

Lynnette Peck Bateman says: First of all I wouldn’t worry, as your daughter sounds wonderfully refreshing. She seems immune to all the pressures of “a celebrity image” that surround her. You admit that you are “not much of a clothes horse” so she probably hasn’t had a chance to learn about fashion from her environment growing up. Perhaps start offering to take her shopping for new summer items and then again in September for autumn – introducing a seasonal outlook on buying clothes. To show her that fashion can be fun perhaps buy a magazine like Company and Elle and introduce her to websites such as asos.com, riverisland.com and newlook.com as they are inexpensive, fun and aimed at her age group. As she sounds quite individual perhaps vintage fashion might be more for her? See lovelysvintageemporium.com or beyondretro.com.

Claudia Miller says: Learning to manage money is a skill which everyone has to learn and it is necessary to have an idea of this before entering the “real world”. Managing a sum of around £40 per month (the average, I believe, from talking to friends) is not a hard task to overcome.

True, in the first couple of months they may be left pen-

The Fashion Expert Stylist Lynnette Peck Bateman has been a style editor for titles such as Vogue Australia, New Woman and Cosmopolitan. She is MD of Lovely’s Vintage Emporium.

My 17-year-old daughter seems clueless about clothes – almost anti-fashion. At weekends she seems to live in a mess of old jumpers and jeans. I don’t expect her to look like a model but I wish she would make more of herself. How can I teach her fashion is fun? Where should we shop? I’m not much of a clothes horse either. Help!

Frances, Wiltshire

The Exam Board Jerry Jarvis is the former MD of Edexcel, the UK’s largest exam board. He is author of Cheats, Choices & Dumbing Down, Pukka Publications. www.examlinks.co.uk

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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Birth Dates Schools

What now?

J

Waiting for exam results is a worrying time for teens, says Janey Downshire

parents can help to manage expectations and miliar reluctance to discuss the exams. une can be a stressful month for any help their child practise the vital life skill of parent who has had a child facing exams. l Avoidant behaviour (camouflaging emoSome families are facing any combination resilience – bouncing back from life’s ups and tions) an overly inflated opinion of performof Common Entrance, GCSEs, AS, A levels, downs, being realistic about what the future ance masking fear of shame or pride. holds and being willing to change tack should university exams or Finals. Parents may need l No energy/enthusiasm/slumped in front of circumstances require it. to tread carefully in order not to upset the TV – I don’t care attitude which masks a real Early warning signals for parents that your apple cart. Alternatively, you might have been fear of failure. child is not 100% and might be suffering tearing your hair out because your teenager l Increased time spent with friends drinking/ undue stress include: has cruised through their exams when you smoking/drug taking/computer games – actually wished that their foot WAS on the acavoidance/ masking the pain of reality. l Negative or obsessive thinking (for example celerator. Then within Tempting though a second, it’s all over. it may be, parents Some may be should avoid: elated and pleased this is likely to result in l All behaviour MASKS un- about THEIR options. l Grilling your child with their achieveabout the exams. lower predictions. You can derlying emotional need. l If your child is worried ments, others angry There is a fine Try to respond to feelings that they have done badly, then remind them when and disappointed balance between they outperform. Setting not behaviour, (eg. Sulky, help them think through by how they have wondering whether unrealistic, un-achievable aggressive child may be the implications and performed. a contingency plan goals is a habit, which FEELING uncertain, fright- (hopefully) realise there is As the summer is required, versus ensures failure and low ened, angry). Acknowledg- still hope. progresses, exams, making your child self-esteem. ing emotion helps child to l Help them face the fear and the new chapters feel even worse. defuse them. of failure by talking casual- lTalk through the alternathey open, can be a l Don’t raise the issue of l Crying over spilt ly about times in your own tives. Have a light-hearted useful opportunity to milk – if it has gone results unless your child life when things did not go discussion to discuss all ponder on the wider wrong, parents need does: see yourself as step- well so that they can put the options/choices availpicture. Exams are to demonstrate resilping back from microable. In the aftermath of “failure” into perspective. milestones, which ience to their child management and re-del Help your child to set exam disappointment, you mark life’s journey and to not have an fining yourself as someone realistic goals. Ask THEM can remind your child of and represent a sigemotional meltdown who your child CHOOSES what they think the any pursuable alternatives, nificant hurdle, which themselves. to turn to for guidance, re- outcome is likely to be should a change of direcall children have to assurance and discussion just after their exams, as tion be required. l Shutting the door overcome. How your after the horse has child gets through bolted – now is not this time is an education in itself, because a the time to remind your child how little work a genuine belief that they have failed or teenager develops a pattern or way of being, they did BEFORE the exams... under-performed using language like “never”, and this is how they will respond to life’s “always” “failed” “useless”. l Showing your disappointment – this is your future challenges. child’s journey, not yours. l Un-shifting mood swings including pesParents are role models and how they simistic, depressed, unnecessarily snappy, l Sharing the turmoil with your friends. react and respond to life’s crises are crucial at tearful or aggressive. this time. From now until results are known, www.teenagerstranslated.co.uk l Non-communicative (monosyllabic/unfa-

TIPS to help your child

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Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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Life Parties

Shall we Tracy Cook asks is the school prom becoming bigger than the exams it is meant to celebrate?

I

t used to be a disco with coke and crisps. But now, school leavers looking to celebrate the end of exams want a ball they will remember for the rest of their lives. Complete with limos, corsages, ball dresses, bands and photographers, the traditional school leavers’ party has become a pivotal night of teenage life.

Fuelled by American shows like Glee and Gossip Girl, the school Leavers’ Ball has become a big event.

“It’s a real rite of passage, their final farewell to their school days,” says Suzie Longstaff, Head of sixth form at Putney High School. “The last time we will have seen the girls, they will have been heading for exams.”

More and more schools are holding Leavers’ Balls either after GCSEs, or more commonly, after A levels. At some schools, like Putney High, the Ball is a very traditional affair, where girls mingle with parents and teachers in ball gowns. The whole event is held in a marquee on the school lawns, accompanied by a jazz quartet.

“It’s usually about two weeks after the exams have finished. It gives everyone something to aim for,” says Longstaff. “It’s a chance for staff to chat to the girls and find out how exams went. It’s a lovely way to say goodbye and to celebrate the end for them.”

Unusually, at Ardingly College in Sussex, their formal

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style sixth form ball is in May, to accommodate pupils whose International Baccalaureate exams finish before A levels. “We have a few students from American schools and they tell me that for them, the Prom is really big. We have taken on a few ideas,” says the Head of sixth form, Jane Collier. “We have a Yearbook and on the night there will be prizes for ‘who is most likely to become prime minister’ or ‘who is most likely to become a millionaire’. It’s a last chance to get all the sixth form together. It’s a lot of fun and a lovely occasion.”

Ardingly are not the only school to be adopting American-style dances. “We are having prizes for best-dressed girls. And they will be making an entrance in a vintage double decker bus,” says mother Sarah Turnbull, who is chairing the post GCSE Prom committee for parents at Manor House School in Surrey. She started planning ten months in advance. “It’s a formal buffet dinner at a golf club, with pre-Prom drinks at the Deputy Head girl’s house first. We want to make it a really special night.”

Lottie De Lapuente, 15, says television shows like High School Musical have undoubtedly fuelled a fascination with American-style Proms. “We’ve grown up with the idea that the Prom is a really big deal,” she says. She is one of seven enterprising pupils organising the Prom for St

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Birth Dates Schools

dance?

George’s College GCSE students in Surrey. “We’ll be having a crown and tiara for the Prom King and Queen. People will make a big effort with their dresses and wear corsages; the boys will wear black tie. Lots of people are planning to arrive in limos.”

But for Lottie, organising the Prom at a local golf club is also an opportunity to gain valuable work experience. “I see it as something I can put on my CV in the future,” she says. “It is a lot of responsibility, but I enjoy organising. And I think it’s better if we decide things, rather than parents, because we understand what our age group wants.”

But while teenagers may be excited at the prospect of a Prom, some parents have their misgivings. “I worry that this is something much bigger and more expensive, than it should be. My daughter had bought her dress by Christmas and in January was already worrying that she should be eating less.” says mother Erica Hussain. “I just think it is something that shouldn’t be in their heads at this early stage of what is an important exam year.”

Other parents worry about the anxiety caused by their teenager having to find a partner for the big night. “As soon as the Prom was announced in September, there was a jostling for partners, boys asking girls and other people being left out,” says Maggie Kent, whose daughter is in the

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Top Tips for your Prom Book your venue, transport and photographer before Christmas the year before. Summer is prime wedding season so venues go early. ●

● Remember

it is their event, not yours. Discover what your school leavers really want. It may not be a sit-down three-course dinner that you desire. ● Involve

everyone. Invite other parents/students to meetings and canvas opinions. ● Discuss

the alcohol question. Is there to be any?

● If

offering gifts like hoodies or Yearbooks, get orders and payment in advance. ● Avoid

tears with the tiaras. Some pupils start a Facebook page to log who has bought which dress and when, to avoid embarrassing clashes.

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Life Parties

fifth form at a co-ed school. “It was ridiculous and quite unpleasant. It seems to have settled down now, but she was getting quite stressed.

While you want them to have a good time, I did wonder if it was all worth it.”

As schools hold ever more lavish events, Proms have become big business. An industry has sprung up to cater for every whim, whether it is being chauffeured by stretched limo, New York Taxi, fire engine, or even by helicopter. And making a big entrance is only the beginning – there are also bands, entertainers and photographers to consider too.

Even Debenhams reported last year that the end of exam period had become their second busiest time of the year, after Christmas, with huge rises in the sales of occasion handbags and false eyelashes!

“We have definitely seen an increase in the

Pupils at Ardingly College dress to impress

last few years,” confirms Amanda Rowland, owner of prom dress shop Encore, in Surrey.

She says girls travel from up to 30 miles away for an appointment. “Just like a wedding, it’s all about the dress. The amount people are spending has also increased.” She says girls usually buy dresses in the £220-£320 price bracket. “I’m often asked if I can find the same-style dress as a particular celebrity.”

Photographer Steve Thornton of Breeze Photographic, based in Berkshire, agrees.

Leavers’ Balls account for the bulk of his summer business and he says if they didn’t all fall in the same few weeks, post exams, he could have been booked for over 40 events. “A big Leavers’ Ball is just an accepted part of school life now,” he says. “But they are lovely events to go to. The kids have so much energy and there is always a great atmosphere.”

Find out more www.promdress.co.uk A website listing prom dress suppliers throughout the country www.limobroker.co.uk Offers stretched limos, hummers and novelty vehicles throughout the UK www.helicopterhire.net Go out on a high. Prices from £500 to £3,000 for a two-to seven-seater helicopter www.encore-uk.co.uk Prom dresses in Surrey

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16

Teen dream Health Teen Spas

Above, Phoebe and Eve getting away from it all at the spa, right, the pool and spa

I

had just finished GCSE maths – eugh – so I had been what can only be described as stressed beyond all levels. Looming on the horizon was maths (again) and French and then even more exams for what seemed like weeks ahead. However, a day’s pampering at a teen spa seemed like the perfect distraction and so me and my best friend, Eve, who was staying with us for the weekend, headed off to try the new Teen Spa menu at the runnymede-on-thames, Surrey.

Upon arrival, we were given white fluffy robes and slippers – these made us feel very special and like celebrities.

Eve and I were shown into our private room, which was called Aquitaine (named after Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine – whom we were told was the mother of King John who signed the Magna Carta – right across the road from the hotel at Runnymede – that’s enough history!) As we munched on delicious pastries and fruit and surveyed our surroundings, we could see that the suite had a relaxation

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Summer 2012

Smack in the middle of their GCSEs and super-stressed, Phoebe Solon and Eve Phillips indulged in a day’s pampering at a teen spa room with a massage chair, a huge sofa, a manicure and pedicure station, a huge screen for watching movies and a little kitchen. Then there was a double treatment room, where we had our facials and massages, which had mood lighting that changed colour. The rest of the spa had pale wooden floors, lots of natural daylight and a large pool which made for a friendly atmosphere.

Neither of us had been to a spa before – we were actually a bit nervous about what to do – but because the staff were so friendly and helpful, we didn’t feel at all embarrassed. We are quite conscious of fitness and both go to a pilates class once a week as well as going to the gym two or three times a week. This might seem quite a lot but we are definitely less obsessed about our appearance than other girls of our age. Plus we eat absolutely everything that is put in front of us!

As we had our facials, gentle music played in the background. There were several stages using Clarins’ range of

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Teen Spas Health

Make-up is quite complicated so it was great to be shown how to do it properly. She also advised us on the products to use and the ones that would work best with our skin.

The teen spa menu is a great idea and we think it will catch on among our friends. Having the treatments with friends makes the experience even better and turns it into a social event. It is much more relaxing than other activities such as going to the cinema or shopping and Mum and Dad can have lunch by the river too. Being with friends, enjoying being pampered and being looked after by such wonderful staff was a very special experience.

As we left and re-entered a world of normality, we were given a goody bag full of products from Clarins – moisturiser, cleanser, toner – all the things we need to keep our skin looking good. It’s hard to say what was the best thing about the day: we thought that it is much more about the whole experience and how it makes you feel. Both of us would definitely save up our money to go again. Better still, we would ask for another visit as a treat or a birthday present – it was such fun and a different way to spend a day out.

The spa @ the runnymede-on-thames, Windsor Road, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0AG, www.therunnymede.co.uk Call beauty reservations on 01784 220973.

Competition

Win A SpA BReAK At tHe RUnnYmeDeon-tHAmeS First Eleven and the runnymede-on-thames have joined forces to offer our readers the chance to win a fantastic luxury break.

The prize includes: l one night weekend stay in a twin room with lunch on arrival in the hotel’s award-winning spa l A mother and daughter spa day including an hour’s treatment each l Dinner in the hotel’s riverside restaurant, Leftbank, and full english breakfast the following day

Energizer products which are specifically designed for younger skin. This involved learning how to cleanse, tone and moisturise properly. It was so refreshing and when we looked in the mirror afterwards we could really see a difference. We both loved trying on all the make-up and amazing oils and creams. I’ve never tried on so many different smelling things in my life. We tried them all: moisturisers, day creams, night creams, eye creams, the lot. It was such fun and really interesting to test all the products – because it’s not something we had ever done before.

One of the beauty therapists then gave us a talk on how to look after our skin and how to use make-up sensibly.

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All you have to do is email editor@ firstelevenmagazine. co.uk the correct answer to the question: Which range of products are used at the Teen Spa? Closing date: 23rd August 2012 For competition terms & Conditions, visit firstelevenmagazine.co.uk/category/competitions

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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Travel Life

Family ties A holiday that caters to all tastes can be tricky to find...

o c s i c n a r F n Sa

With its laid-back charm and array of cultural attractions, San Francisco ticked all the right boxes, says Raffaella Barker

T

he tug of war that can happen over the precious family holiday is a surprise parents aren’t always expecting, but for a holiday that will work for you and for your children – particularly as they get older – a trip to San Francisco is a perfect family destination.

It is a city that exudes laid-back cool: a melting pot of distinctive areas, districts and culture on every level. It was originally a small settlement of about 200 residents that flourished during the Gold Rush to a boomtown of around 36,000 by 1852.

Whether you’re seeing the sights or mesmerised by cheer leaders and the rabid fans at the American Football stadiums, you can be sure to have fun in San Francisco. The thing is, you just may have trouble wanting to leave...

On our first day, we took a rollercoaster ride on the tram from the beautiful clapperboard house we rented up on Russian Hill.

The tramlines cut through the city, dipping in and out of the mist as it sweeps in from the sea, past a range of architectural delights: bold and vibrant Victorian

Top, Raffaella with Esme, Roman and Lorne, right, The Golden Gate Bridge www.firstelevenmagazine.co.uk

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Life Travel

Left, a tram ride takes you through architectural delights

Tuscany

homes, modernist glass pent houses and wonderful art deco haunts.

Our first port of call was the Museum of Modern Art, or MoMA for short, on 3rd Street. The fantastic building takes its place beyond the sky scrapers of the Financial District, and houses a fabulous collection of 20th century American art. It hosts a changing rosta of cutting-edge exhibitions that are guaranteed to interest even the most jaded of teenagers. MoMA is seconds away from the Mission, the area that is currently the cutting edge of cool among the young. Leaving my 21-year-old son in a bar, I dragged my daughter, who was salivating over a pair of $400 shoes, across town seduced by the mood of this city, bold with sophistication and style.

In an old bowling alley in the hippy haunt of Haight Ashbury is Amoeba Records. If your kids are into music then this place is perfect: we flicked through the sea of CDs, and as is usual for parents, bought what ever was playing in the shop. Height Ashbury is full of vintage shops and quirky cafés, and from here you can walk to Golden Gate Park, and then up to the bridge to watch the sunset.

The Golden Gate Bridge is an icon not to be missed, and another great way to see it is to hire bicycles in The Bay Area and take a cycling trip up and over it into Sausalito and beyond.

The Ferry Building Market Place in the Bay Area is one of the largest to stand over water and remarkably has withstood two earthquakes. Packed with a farmers market and some great restaurants, make sure you fit in a meal at the utterly delicious modern Vietnamese, The Sliding Door.

Don’t knock the ultimate tourist trip in San Francisco.

Visiting Alcatraz, the infamous high security prison – now defunct – was one of the highlights of our trip.

The whole Alcatraz experience is eerie, fascinating and exciting – from the ferry ride over to the island – to the audio tour of the prison itself. Walking in and out of the cells, while listening to what life was like within those walls was spine chilling. Culminating our day there, we grinned cheesily for the camera, posing with the obligatory fake backdrop of Alcatraz which resulted in a great photo for the family album – one which we will all laugh at for years to come.

Crossing the scenic bay back to the mainland it was hard not to imagine the anguish of life-long inmates of the prison gazing out at this beautiful city.

Sitting in the famous Cafe Trieste in North Beach is a great way to take stock of a trip. San Francisco is a place to go back to again and again, the stuff of songs and dreams, and a city to fall in love with.

Top, overlooking Florence, and above, playing tennis in Borgo Casa al Vento, Gaiole in Chianti

A road trip from Florence to Rome proved to be a roaring success for James Dunford Wood and his family

H

aving done one trip to Italy with the children with variable success, last year I decided to try it again.

It was partly an age thing the first time around. We took the twins to Venice aged 7, and of course – foolish me – they showed no interest at all in the mosaiced mysteries of the Basilica of St Mark. The gondola was fun, the ice cream and pizza even more fun, but that is the extent of their memories of the most romantic city on earth.

This time we had been invited to a family gathering over a weekend in Rome, and it seemed the perfect opportunity to persuade wife and children to go on a road trip. Nobody was very keen, because my wife Melissa has a dread of moving from hotel to hotel and fears - correctly as it turns out - that I will hire the cheapest, smallest possible car for the six of us. Still, we had already

The whole Alcatraz experience is eerie...walking in and out of the cells was spine-chilling

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Travel Life

managed a three day road trip in California (spacious), and last summer did a two-week one in southern India (not spacious), and if you judge a holiday by the intensity of the memory, as I do, then they were roaring successes.

So I looked at the map, and settled on Florence. We had four days to get to Rome.

Putting the perfect road trip together is rather like curating an exhibition: it’s all about balancing the highlights. For example, I love to mix up the accommodation, and knowing that our ultimate destination was the five star Hotel de Russie in Rome, I had some rope to play with. To start, I chose one of my favourite hotels, the Four Seasons. True, it’s slightly out of the centre, but it has parking for cars, as well as one prized asset: a swimming pool in extensive gardens, rare in Florence. The rooms are magnificent, in typical Florentine style, and as a first introduction to Italy (apart from that pizza trip to Venice for the twins), it creates a great impression. The rates are eye-watering, but we

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were only there one night. My God, do I want to go back!

We flew in early, so had the best part of 36 hours in Florence. With children up to the age of 15, sightseeing needs to be introduced judiciously, and with the widest scope given to their imagination. This tends to die a slow hot death in museums – much better to stimulate it out of doors with the streetlife and architecture. What they really want is atmosphere and great eateries, and Florence has both of those in spades.

There’s also a huge amount to see just by walking, so we skipped the Uffizi, and I took them to the Convent of San Marco, which has the Above, the Campanile benefit of smaller crowds, a di Giotto, 40-minute timespan, incredFlorence, ible Fra Angelico frescos and left, Castello di Potentino real life cells. Then a stroll on to the Ponte Vecchio, and dinner. We ate in one of my favourite places – the Cinghiale Bianco across the river – huge Fiorentina steaks and massive ice creams, and everybody was happy. The following day we just had time for souvenirs from San Lorenzo market, before heading off towards the Via Chiantigiana.

This road winds through the heart of the Chianti winegrowing region, and is by far the most interesting way to drive south, avoiding the autostrada. The landscape is unchanged in 400 years – grey green olive trees, tall cypresses and hilltop villages. There are some delightful places to stop for lunch – Panzano, Gaiole, Radda. Our Right, Ellie and Tilly taking a break in Piazza del Campo, Siena

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Life Travel

Sailing in Antigua was a winning formula for Ann Binet and her teens

Above, the Ponte Vecchio in Florence

first day was a leisurely drive, via lunch in Panzano, to an agriturismo called Borgo Casa al Vento. This place is an upmarket B&B which does dinner and is attached to a vineyard producing what they now call the Super Tuscans.

At the end of a windy, bumpy track, the farmhouse style of this place, including assorted chickens and ducks, was a good contrast with the night before. The silence and beauty of this part of Tuscany is magical. The children bounded into the huge, baronial style bedrooms with alacrity – we had already established an important order of precedence as to who ended up in which bed!

The morning after another Tuscan feast we loaded the boot with wine and headed on to the next place, Podere Terreno – via a leisurely village stop for incredible pizza - which billed itself as a Maison d’hote. This means you eat with the family, so the success of these places boils down to pot luck, as the host is everything. Well, first the positive aspects – the house was an ancient converted mill with an enormous inglenook fireplace, a roaring fire, and an incredible array of antiques and bric-a-brac, along with yellowed dog-eared postcards from exotic parts of the world, written in German. The clue is in the “yellowed”, for this place had been all the rage in the 70s – with Germans.

After 40 years in the Maison d’hote business – the elderly host and his wife were clearly coming to the end of their vocation. Faced with four noisy West London children (German children are apparently very well behaved), their tempers snapped, and we had to tiptoe around the place for fear of further recriminations. The final straw came when 13-year-old Ellie snapped the garden swing seat.

We made the best of these eccentric surroundings, before setting off the next day (as early as decently possible) for our last stop before Rome, a castle in southern Tuscany called Potentino. We arrived at dusk. The drive there was incredible, leaving the cosy, leafy comfort of Chianti for more dramatic landscapes and a sense of a primeval, lesscivilised past. The castle is owned by an Englishwoman, Charlotte Horton and, part apartments for rent, part Maison d’hote, it also produces a top quality range of red and white wines and some incredible olive oil.

Dinner was another highlight but this time with eccentricities of an altogether different sort. We dined with Charlotte and her mother, two visiting Swedish pop stars, some of the residents, and an assortment of “woofers” who come to help with the cooking and the wine production each year, and ended up singing late into the night.

The following morning, the children raced down to the river and scrambled around the rocks. Our only regret was not to have spent longer here – Potentino was a tempting place to break our road trip but the de Russie in Rome beckoned, along with family dinners and relentless sightseeing. For a moment though, time had stood still in a Tuscan forest in the lee of an ancient castle.

I

t was late Easter and a call for warm weather and sunshine was enough for six families that ski together to try something completely different. Destination?

Nonsuch Bay on Antigua – an island with a sailing pedigree that dates back to Horatio Nelson and claims to be the super yacht capital of the Caribbean. With offspring aged between 6-22 – and most of them between 10-15 – would a holiday based around sailing hold the same key ingredients that make skiing such a perennial success?

Nonsuch Bay is a new resort set in a large bay of its own name, away from the main tourist strips on the secluded south-east coast. This area is also home to the exclusive Mill Reef Club, Emerald Cove and sites such as Half Moon Bay and Harmony Hall. First impressions brought wide eyes and smiles all around; stunning views out to sea and along the lush coastline; spacious and beautifully furnished accommodation; outdoor dining perched above the beach; a fleet of boats setup and ready to go; a warm breeze and sunshine. We were going to be spoiled here. The main area which housed the accommodation, beach, pools and restaurant was a kind of natural amphitheatre and immediately we felt safe – no need to keep constant tabs of the kids.

Would a holiday based around sailing hold the same key ingredients that make skiing such a success?

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Antigua

Travel Life

down with a book by one of the infinity pools, sunbathe Fed up of your teens among the palms dragging their heels every on the beach keeptime a family holiday is ing an eye on the mentioned? Here’s some sailing from a safe ideas that will have them distance. Or we’d grabbing their passport: get out in a boat too, to skim across the brilliant turquoise Walk on the wild side and waters and explore the bay. With a hint of choose from 11 family-friendly competitive spirit, some mothers quietly safari camps and lodges oftook private sailing lessons and a couple of fered by Zambian Horizons. the dads limbered up for their kite-boarding www.naturalhighsafaris.com debut. Families reconvened for lunch, either self-catering with their paninis and Dedicated section for salads or slipping off to enjoy the restauholidays for teens and their rant. In the afternoons, the sailing school parents. Trek the Inca Trail in ran activities for parents and children: Peru or encounter elephants mini regattas, trips to explore and snorkel in Sri Lanka. at uninhabited islands or the repeatedly www.adventurecompany.co.uk requested Nonsuch Bay version of water rugby in sailing dinghies.

Rent a luxury villa with friends Over ten days, we ventured out and cruised who have children the same around the island on a giant Wadadli cataage in Greece, Italy and more. maran, visited the super yacht harbours at www.abercrombiekent.co.uk Nelson’s Dockyard, had a great evening at Shirley Heights Create a bespoke trip, from Lookout with the steel band an Icelandic Adventure to and a BBQ at sunset. Someexploring the wonders of the times the younger children ate rainforest in Malaysia. at an early sitting in the restauwww.originaltravel.co.uk rant and would gather in an apartment afterwards to watch Combine a city break in a DVD, leaving the parents and Vancouver with trekking, older teenagers to enjoy drinks kayaking and mountain biking and an extended dinner. The in the Rockies. restaurant has a wonderful setwww.canadiansky.co.uk ting and serves the best food Left, out on we ate on the island. the ocean, top So, by some good fortune we found the Rob, Andrew, Ann and Pen perfect holiday formula for families with the Binet, right, diverse interests of teenagers, younger a stunning children, active parents sunset and those that have just earned a good rest.

Each family had its own home with everything you’d hope for – yes, there were iPod docks, wifi and cable TV, too. Some of our party chose the fabulous apartments on the hillside, just behind the beach, while others opted for the beach cottages which are closest to the boat and beach action, and which became popular for pre-dinner drinks. The largest family took a villa, set on a ridge high above the resort with its own pool and spectacular views of the barrier reef.

We all slipped into the groove easily. The children couldn’t wait to finish breakfast and head for the waterfront with Leslie, Natasha and the team. All of the kids (except those studying for A levels on their verandas) joined in the morning’s group tuition which catered happily for all levels.

After an extended breakfast, we parents would settle

Top Teen Trips

Antigua’s location in the trade wind belt on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean ensures reliable winds ideal for sailing and year round daytime temperatures of between 25-32 degrees celsius. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have regular direct flights from Gatwick and prices for a family of four start from £599 per person for accommodation and unlimited sailing. www.nonsuchbayresort.com

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Parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s notebook The page where we talk to you and you talk to us...

London 2012 festival time to celebrate everything British

London 2012 Olympics 27th July12th Aug and Paralympic Games 12th Aug-9th Sept

Mine to Medals Watch it Live!

Big screens will be popping up across the country so that neighbours, families and friends can follow the Olympics together. Go to london2012. com/join-in/live-sites and find destinations near you. Admission FREE.

British Museum, London, WC1B 3DG, showing until 9th Sept. Follow the tale behind the medals for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, made by the Royal Mint, britishmuseum.org

Pick of the best festival Design Stories

The Architecture Behind 2012. Royal Institute of British Architects, London, W1B 1AD, 25th June-21st Sept, architecture.com

BBC Proms

13th July-8th Sept. Every concert at the BBC Proms will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and online.

Film Nation Shorts

until 9th Sept. A showcase of young prize-winning filmmakers displayed online and in Olympic venues, filmnation.org.uk

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Exploratory Laboratory 27th July-9th Sept, various locations in Dorset. Look out for new artworks installed in unusual locations across Dorset as art meets science on the Jurassic Coast. Admission FREE, bigpic.org.uk

Pop-Up Comedy

Until 9th Sept.

Special comedy events, follow on Twitter: @ london2012fest or Facebook: facebook.com/ london2012festival to be the first to hear details.

Susan Philispsz

2nd Aug-2nd Sept, Edinburgh.

The Turner Prize winnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s installation follows a historic line through the city, edinburghartfestival.com

The World Shakespeare Festival

April-November The biggest celebration of Shakespeare ever.

Staged in London, Stratford-uponAvon, Newcastle, Gateshead, Birmingham, Wales and Scotland, worldshakespearefestival.org. uk

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London

Summer fun

The Fun Fed

Belsize Park, NW3 4QP Singing, dancing and games for grown-ups!

020 7722 7438, www.thefunfed.com

Make It In GB

The Science Museum, SW7 2DD, makeitingreatbritain. bis.gov.uk

The South Bodyflight

Bedfordshire, MK44 1RF Fly in a wind tunnel, or try flowboarding: combining surfing, wakeboarding, snowboarding and skateboarding within one new sport in the FlowHouse.

Family flying session £145; family flowboarding £99; 0845 200 2960, bodyflight.co.uk

Open House

London, various venues, 22nd23rd Sept An array of buildings of architectural interest open their doors, including historic houses, schools, town halls. Admission FREE, londonopenhouse.org

Top 5 Festival Essentials

Wellies to combat the inevitable muddy terrain Foldable mac for a sudden downpour Torch handy to navigate the guy ropes Warm fleece for the evenings Wet wipes for every occasion, even if the sun does shine!

The Making of Harry Potter Sculpture at the Grove

Hertfordshire, 1st May-30th Sept, WD3 4TG The Grove, London’s Country Estate, has invited 24 sculptors and artists to present work based on the Olympics and Jubilee Year, including a quirky pair of bronze boxing hares! thegrove.co.uk/ sculpture

Get Sporty!

SummerFest, St Edmund’s School Canterbury, Kent, CT2 8HU, 23rd July-10th Aug. St Edmund’s School is creating three weeks of Olympic fun, 5-15 years, stedmunds.org.uk/ summerfest

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Scotland Ben Nevis Challenge

29th Sept Join the team and conquer the UK’s highest mountain for Breast Cancer Care. breastcancercare.org.uk

National Museum of Rural Life

Wester Kittochside, South Lanarkshire, G76 9HR Demonstrations of country skills incl. beekeeping, dry stone dyking, spinning and sheepdog trials! nms.ac.uk

Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 7LS For the first time the secrets of Harry Potter are unlocked. See behind the lens, from the detail of the sets and costumes to props and technical animatromics.

Stroll through Dumbledore’s office, the Gryffindor Common Room and the Great Hall. Booking essential. Adult £28.00, child £21.00, family £83.00, wbstudiotour.co.uk

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

3rd-27th Aug The largest arts festival in the world with a multitude of stages catering for every taste, including theatre, music, comedy, operas, physical theatre, dance and musicals.

Tickets at edfringe. com

The North Cragside

Rothbury, Northumberland, NE65 7PX Former home of the Victorian inventor Lord Armstrong, the house is a wonder of its age. The first house to be lit by hydro-electricity is full of gadgets. Stunning gardens. Adult £13.20, child £6.60, family £33.00, nationaltrust.org.uk/cragside

All Out Adventures

Slaley, Northumberland, NE47 0BX Family quad trek around Slaley Hall Estate, alloutadventures.co.uk

York Food & Drink Festival Festival, York city centre, 21st-30th Sept, 9am-11pm

The Great Yorkshire Show

Harrogate, HG2 8PW, 10th-12th July greatyorkshireshow.co.uk

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Parent’s notebook The page where we talk to you and you talk to us...

East Anglia

Herbs

Si5 Spy Missions

Viking Way, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CE23 8EL Zip-wire your way into this unique spy-themed experience. Small or large teams. Tue-Sun. Adult missions: 13+ 01954 789134, www.spymissions.co.uk

BBC Norwich Tour

Norfolk, NR2 1BH An insider’s view of the Look East studio and BBC Radio Norfolk; plus explore the Open Studio for an interactive studio experience. Adult £7.50, child 7+ £6.15. Pre-book at bbc.co.uk/showsandtours

Hilltop Outdoor Centre

Sheringham, Norfolk, NR26 8TS Zip-wires, trapeze jumps, climbing and more! £5 per activity per person. Or join an adventure day. hilltopoutdoorcentre.co.uk/adventure

The South West Pedalabikeaway

Nr Coleford, Gloucestershire, GL16 7EH Cross-country mountain biking with challenging downhill routes; or choose an easy-going family bike trail around the Forest of Dean. Cycle hire, pedalabikeaway.co.uk

Nothe Fort

Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8UF Explore a labyrinth of underground passageways and outdoor areas with displays, guns and cinema areas charting the history of the intriguing Victorian structure, nothefort.org.uk

Kents Cavern

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Torquay, Devon, TQ1 2JF Take a tour around pre-historic caves over 500,000 years old: the oldest example of a human dwelling in the UK. Adult £8.95, child £7.95, family £31.00, kents-cavern.co.uk

Summer 2012

Bespoke family luxury

Quinta do Lago, the world-class golf and leisure development in the Algarve has launched 26 plots on to the market in the San Lorenzo North enclave of the resort. Perfect for families with children of all ages, residents can benefit from tennis lessons, biking and hiking trails and fantastic cuisine in nearby restaurants. Ranging from 2,200-3,000 sq metres, the plots start at €2.3m and are offered at three purchase options: plot only, plot and project, turnkey. quintadolago.com

More than just a garnish, 13th July, The Organic Garden, Somerset, BS40 7SQ. Britain’s leading authority on herbs, Jekka McVicar, will teach you how to use herbs in the kitchen, their medicinal properties and how to grow them. She has won over 60 RHS Gold Medals and created Jamie Oliver’s own herb garden, ssit.org.uk

The Luna Cinema

Various venues across London, Sussex, Kent, Dorset and Surrey. July-Sept Classic films screened in open-air cinemas in stunning locations. Bring a picnic, thelunacinema.com

The Midlands The Sun Valley Canoeing Co

Kingswinford, Shropshire, DY6 9SP Canadian style canoe trips for families along the River Severn. Call 07774 907326, canoeuk.com

National Forest Llama Trek

Barton under Needwood, Staffordshire, DE13 8ED. Trek with llamas in the grounds of Catton Hall; plus luxury picnic in a Mongolian Yurt, nationalforestllamatreks.co.uk

Thinktank Science Garden

Birmingham Science Museum, Millennium Point, B4 7AP. Explore the themes of energy, mechanics and transportation through three fun zones.

Including a human-sized hamster wheel! 0121 202 2222, thinktank.ac

Temple Mine

Peak District Mining Museum, Derbyshire, DE4 3NR Discover a network of mining tunnels and the underground world of a lead miner, peakmines.co.uk

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Summer Reads My Story by Tom Daley The first official memoir of the challenges, pressures and experiences faced by the young Olympic diver going for gold.

Hardback, Michael Joseph, £16.99, 8-adult This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel A prequel to Mary Shelley’s gothic classic Frankenstein.

The first in a pair of literary thrillers that mix alchemy and science, faith and doubt.

Paperback, David Fickling Books, £6.99, 13+ Go Dinghy Sailing

by Barry Pickthall Beginners guide to dinghy sailing for families and friends.

Paperback, Bloomsbury, £14.99, all ages

Wales

Plas y Brenin

The National Mountain Centre, Conwy, LL24 0ET Learn mountaineering, first aid, kayaking, orienteering and more, pyb.co.uk

Go Outdoors!

The Outward Bound Trust offers action-packed adventure experiences for young people aged 11-24 years. Choose from 1 to 3 week expeditions with kayaking, biking, rock climbing in the Scottish Highlands, The Lake District or Snowdonia National Park. Participants from 30 different countries. 01931 740000, outwardbound.org.uk

Cardiff Summer Festival

Cardiff, 30th June-3rd Sept International festival of street theatre, live music and comedy. Inc. Celtic Festival of food and drink, cardiff-festival.com

Black Heart Blue by Louisa Reid Debut novel from English teacher at St Mary’s School, Cambridge. Powerful and tragic story of twin sisters – one beautiful, one disfigured – divided by a terrible secret. Paperback, Razorbill, £6.99, 15+ The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter First of a mind-bending series.

Bestselling author Pratchett collaborates with acclaimed science fiction writer Baxter.

Hardback, Doubleday, £18.99, 16+

Pop-Up Hotel

nationwide, Aug-Sept Blending luxury accommodation with camping in the great outdoors, the Pop-Up Hotel comprises of canvas rooms and suites at boutique hotel standard, thepopuphotel.com. Locations this summer: River Cottage HQ, Devon, 10th Aug-7th Sept; CarFest South at Laverstoke Park, Hampshire, 25th-26th Aug; the Big Feastival at Alex James’ farm, Oxfordshire, 1st-2nd Sept; CarFest North at Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire, 8th-9th Sept. www.firstelevenmagazine.co.uk

Surfing hotspots

Croissant Neuf Summer Party

USK Iron Age Fort, Monmouthshire, 10th-12th August.

Award winning, green and totally solar powered, family festival featuring live bands including Will Mason; market, crafts, fair trade goods, on-site pub and campfire surrounded by handcarved benches. Adult £95, child £38, under 5s FREE, family £145, croissantneuf.co.uk

Watergate Bay, Cornwall, boasts 2 miles of beach at low-tide, with The Extreme Academy at hand for lessons.. watergatebay.co.uk/extremeacademy.htm Bantham Beach, Devon, offers panoramic views over Bigbury Bay, and home to Bantham Surfing Academy, banthamsurfingacademy.co.uk Not only famous for it’s fayre, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, has a host of surfing fans.

Head to Cayton Bay for the best waves. scarboroughsurfschool.co.uk

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Promotion First Eleven

The call of the wild Make the most of family time and let Powder Byrne create a bespoke holiday adventure to last a lifetime

A

ir and Space Rockies Adventure is an exciting and inspiring family holiday designed to expand your horizons. Work with Powder Byrne to create a 10 day bespoke holiday of a lifetime to the magnificent Rocky Mountains. Powder Byrne’s hand-picked local specialists use their knowledge and research to build an individually prepared itinerary.

They provide a seamless pre-travel service, taking on board any specific family needs, and booking appropriate guides and excursions on your behalf to ensure you and your family have the best possible holiday experience.

Your itinerary starts in Vancouver, with time to explore the city. After a day to catch your breath, the excitement could start with a sea-plane excursion to Vancouver Island where the highlight is often a magical whale watching adventure by boat. www.firstelevenmagazine.co.uk

From Vancouver you take a luxury train journey into the heart of the Albertan Rockies. Marvel at the spectacular scenery of Hell’s Gate, the Suicide Rapids and the Cisco Tunnels, all from the comfort of your private couchette. The dramatic landscape of Jasper National Park will greet you the next morning.

From here a plethora of action packed pursuits are at your disposal as you travel through Alberta, from Jasper to Emerald Lake and onwards to Banff. Canoeing on Lac Beauvert and a guided hike around the stunning terrain of Mount Edith Cavell, are highlights.

You can try fly fishing on some of the most beautiful rivers and lakes in the Rockies, or mountain biking in alpine terrain. You can even don your cowboy boots for a horseback adventure in the Banff National Park.

Exhausted parents can then relax in the spa at one of the luxurious Lodges. Don’t miss the

chance to take a private helicopter flight over the ancient icefields of Wilson Glacier, touching down for a gourmet picnic in a remote mountain meadow.

Finally, you arrive in Calgary, Alberta’s second biggest city. This buzzing metropolis is a perfect place to wind down from your action packed family journey – one you will never be able to forget.

Create your own family adventure with the specialists at Powder Byrne and enjoy a range of exciting bespoke activities and experiences designed around your interests.

Prices from £4,185 per adult for a 10 day itinerary. Call 020 8246 5300 or for more information visit www.powderbyrne.com

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

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Life Property

The letting game F

Renting out your home for the Olympic fortnight could mark the start of an extra revenue stream, writes Anna Tyzack

amilies with a property near an Olympic venue are in with a chance of profiting from London 2012 – so long as they make themselves scarce during the Games. According to Kerry Knox of estate agency Fine and Country, increasing numbers of parents are choosing to rent out their primary residence or London pied a terre and use the proceeds to pay for a summer holiday. “You don’t necessarily have to live in London; we’ve had requests for houses in Surrey and Dorset,” Knox explains.

If your home is located in central London, short lettings specialists such as Ivy Lettings or Onefinestay.com can offer advice on renting out your home during the Games’ fortnight. Meanwhile, for those with homes within reach of Olympic sites outside the Capital – the rowing venue at Dorney Lake at Eton College near Windsor, for example, or Weymouth where the sailing events will take place – there are ways of securing a short let during the Games. If you’re interested you can refer to the lettings departments at national estate agencies such as Knight Frank, Fine & Country and Hamptons, all of whom are still receiving enquiries for short lets over the Olympic period.

“Given that hotels are spiking their rates by 400%, booking a home makes more sense to families travelling from far afield,” says Knox.

At first glance, the returns for Olympic short lets appear impressive: a houseboat moored in St Katharine Docks, a short distance from Greenwich Park, is on offer for £7,000 per week during the Olympic period with Fine & Country, while on Cheyne Walk in central London, a seven-bedroom house costs £75,000 to rent for the whole of July and August with Knight Frank. Research by the website HomeAway.co.uk suggests that homeowners typically raise rental rates from between 50 to 200% during a major sporting event such as the Olympics.

But is it realistic to expect to secure a booking at this level? There have been reports over the past few weeks that the short-let market for the Olympic period is saturated with a glut of properties still available to rent around the Olympic sites. Guy van Der Westhuizen of Ivy Lettings, who has helped a large number of his landlords secure short tenancies agrees that the market is more difficult than many anticipated.

“Olympic landlords are not in a position to be greedy,” he warns. “If you overprice your home, you simply won’t attract any interest.”

But he maintains that if you have the right kind of property, price keenly, and use a reputable lettings agency, there is still a good chance of securing a let. “The property needs to be genuinely within reach of Olympic sites, and well maintained with fool-proof appliances,” he

The types of homes that are popular with tenants during the Olympics will be popular at other times too 80 FirstEleven

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Do’s and Do Do’s and Don’ts n’ts Do DBoear in min ● d

that ho es ●en Bea in C tralr in d ,that hom Lom ndinon mes in near an C en tr al pic venuLo ndin ona, near an Olyme or historic Oly pica c ve tym , or lo tionu a ehistoric ci n, emor akin e th ci tyt, le be lo ort st ca sh tio or proposn, mak e th ition e best short le s. prM opak t os ● on eiti su res.your prop ● M erty is ak e scrupulosu yo ur usre pr ly ean be op scna foer runt rety isur puslously cl te arrive.clean before yo your te na nt s ● Leave ar e.ct inriv stru ions for the ●on Le, av e te visi in st ru sound syst ctem ions fodr the tele , an sion leviap pl,iaso ncun esd. system, and apCpliances. ● reate a list of your favourite ●ca Cre atst eau lo a lis l re t of ur favourite rant s, yo cine loca as and pa rkls.restaurants, cinem mas and pa rk s. ● Leave an em gency ● Le contact avre an emer nu mbe erte gena for your ncnt y s. contact nu m be r fore ● Make su r yo ur te na nt yo s. u ha ve ● the necesMak su sary res yo liceen ce anu d ha ne ceve rtifithete sary en s ce pe anscefr rmlic d som and certifica issi on your mca sag pe an rm orte tg sion le ed nd fr eris(y om yo ou ur r le m tt or in g ag cytgw ag lend er fu (yrt ad ou ille vise r r) le.tting agen he ency will adO viffse ● rt he r) erfu your ho. me fu lly furnished

explains. “Anyone paying a lot of money is going to have expectations to match it.”

During the Olympic period, Ivy Lettings’ landlords are netting up from £1,000 – £3,500 per week and over. Van der Westhuizen’s team secure the booking, provide the linen and cleaning, check in the tenants and arrange insurance. The majority of his Olympic landlords are families who make their second home in London available for a short let whenever they’re not using it. “They’re not just looking to make a fast buck during the Olympics, they expect it to ‘wash its face’ all year round,” he says. “Since the recession families have become more creative about how they harness income.”

You don’t have to own a second home to be a successful Olympic landlord. Onefinestay.com, which specialises in renting out upmarket primary and secondary residences in central London on a short-term basis is offering all their hosts a special Olympics package with weekly rentals of between £700-£11,000 per week.

They’ve been taking Olympic bookings for nine months now and according to Madeleine Ito, demand is still strong.

“We’ve only been able to cope with the interest because we’re signing up new hosts every week,” she says.

Sara Russ and her husband are renting out their family home in Highgate during the Olympics through Onefinestay.com while they go on holiday to Scotland. “We don’t have a second home but we were interested in renting for the Games to give us some extra income,” Sara explains. A concierge team from Onefinestay.com Find out more will organise the cleaning, linen, towels Short let experts: and toiletries; greet the guests on arrival Conran Estates and check their photo ID to make sure 020 8312 8312; www.conranestates.co.uk they are who they say they are.

One Fine Stay Within a few days of signing up, Sara’s 0207 097 8948; www.onefinestay.com home was booked out over the Olympic Ivy Lettings period and she’d also received a book020 7349 7016; www.ivylettings.com ing for the Easter holidays, which gave Knight Frank her a chance to test drive the procedure.

020 7881 7722; www.knightfrank.co.uk The concept of strangers using her home Fine & Country seemed a little odd at first, she admits, but 020 7079 1515 www.fineandcountry.com she returned home after Easter to find their Hamptons home in impeccable order. “It was cleaner 020 7963 0614; www.hamptons.co.uk and tidier than when we left,” she says.

“Initially I’d only wanted to secure an

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Olympic rental but now we’ll use Onefinestay.com when we’re away.”

Hosts using Onefinestay.com can make between £60-£1,000 per night when a guest stays in their home (depending on the value, location and condition) and are covered by an insurance policy for loss, theft or damage. “We encourage guests to lock away their most treasured items, and tape shut the drawers they don’t want people looking in,” Ito says.

That said, the most successful landlords, are those who don’t feel the need to stow away everything they own. Sara, for example, is happy to leave out her children’s toys for the guest’s children to play with. “This is what makes a short let better for families than staying in a hotel,” she says.

Van der Westhuizen agrees that landlords need to be relaxed. “This is why it’s best to leave your short let in the hands of an agency who will deal with it for you,” he says.

Securing an Olympic let requires a certain amount of skill, but if you happen to be successful, there is a good chance that you will be able to make a revenue from your property whenever it is empty.

“The types of home that are popular with tenants during the Olympics, will be popular at other times too,” he says. “For many families the Olympics will mark the start of a permanent extra revenue stream.”

Summer 2012 FirstEleven

81

School’s Out University Memories

Birmingham to Basra Studying psychology at Birmingham gave Christopher MacGregor the tools to master the challenges of the battlefield

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t Birmingham I chose to read for a BSc in Psychology because the department was, and still is, highly regarded for its excellence.

I was not disappointed by the extraordinary breadth and depth of the discipline, the brilliant academics who taught me and the rich variety of other students on my course.

The first of the “red-brick” universities, the campus at Birmingham is architecturally elegant and I was overwhelmed with the impressive quality of the library both in terms of the riches within and as a cornerstone of the grand quadrangle.

It was the professional and personal relationships I formed that stand out most. I found many good friends; lived with some, fell in love with some and was, at times, a lousy one myself.

Like most, I made a great many mistakes at university: I worked too little, I played too hard, I thought too much of myself and not nearly enough of others, but I did learn a great deal.

The practical discoveries that I made about the character and nature of human behaviour were as rich to me as the academic discovery of psychological theory itself.

I graduated from Birmingham in 1995 and entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an officer cadet.

Life as an undergraduate develops a degree of academic thinking in school leavers. Being a student can be an unrestricted, self-centred and hedonistic life; being a cadet at Sandhurst cannot. The Academy develops leadership potential by exposing personality and previous perceptions. Sandhurst turns young adults into men and women capable of successfully leading others across a spectrum of conditions from the most banal to the most extreme.

I commissioned into The King’s Royal Hussars (KRH) and following my Armoured Corps training, deployed to Bosnia. A number of operational tours followed to Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. I attribute my selection as an instructor at the US Armor Center, in Fort Knox, Kentucky – at

Summer 2012

least in part – to my understanding of the theory of learning and organisational behaviour, both of which I studied at Birmingham.

My command of a Warrior Company in Basra in 2007 was a great challenge. I led over 120 men and several million pounds worth of equipment. Every operation in town involved a fire-fight and we would be on the receiving end of small arms fire daily and by night we were attacked with mortars and rockets. I could not have wished for more from my officers and soldiers. It was my first experience of counter-insurgency operations and all the strands of my learning came together.

It was in Basra, however that I realised that, above hard, military, kinetic action, it is an understanding of people and their motivations that is ultimately decisive.

On the flight home to the UK, I wrote the poem, My Daddy’s Going Away, to help forces families cope with the challenges of paternal separation. It is now published as a children’s book for families across the world and the foreword to it was kindly written by HRH The Prince of Wales.

From its initial conception to its most violent form, conflict is an unfortunate but natural condition. With a better understanding of the psychology that underlies its root causes, drivers and manifestations we might better prevent or mitigate its effects. An over-arching ability to communicate to all stakeholders is vital. All of these require emotional intelligence and understanding.

For me, studying psychology at Birmingham was the first fascinating insight into understanding human thought and behaviour as they relate to the spectrum of peace, stability and conflict.

My Daddy’s Going Away by Lieutenant Colonel Christopher MacGregor is available online and from all good book shops.

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leaving the mobile phone behind wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an issue; here Rosie was engrossed in reality.