EDUCATION NEWS

NEW CHAPLAIN

Kingswood has announced the appointment of Katy Thomas as Chaplain to the Kingswood Foundation. Following in the footsteps of John Wesley himself, Katy will be promoting the school’s ethos of ‘do all the good you can, in all the ways you can’. From September, Katy will lead the school’s worship and play an important role in its pastoral life and in the wider community.

Headmaster and principal of the Kingswood Foundation, Andrew GordonBrown says, “I am both excited and confident that Katy will draw on her vast pastoral and educational experience to lead the work of the chaplaincy and to support and enrich the life of our community. Katy is a deeply spiritual person whose role is central in our efforts to nudge our boys and girls to take up John Wesley’s challenge to “Do all the good you can…” Katy will take up residence at Kingswood over the summer holidays. kingswood.bath.sch.uk

MATHS COMP FINAL

Four Year 12 pupils at KES have reached the finals of an international maths competition. Jack Garrard, Filip Oczko, Max Smith and Carl Willis are one of the six teams to reach the finals of the M3 Challenge. The boys competed against 535 teams from the UK and America.

“The students have powered the whole project – I was thrilled with the quality of the paper they produced,” said team coach and KES Maths teacher Mr Davies. The boys researched the competition, organised meetings and produced their mathematical model completely independently.

This year, the M3 Challenge gave teams 14 hours to mathematically model a solution to the inequality of internet access around the globe. Among other things, teams were asked to consider the needs of different people, the changing cost of connectivity and the distribution of cellular nodes. In reaching the finals, the boys are awarded US $1,000 in scholarship money to help fund University tuition. First-place in the M3 Challenge wins $20,000 for each team member. kesbath.com

NATURE CHALLENGE

Residents across Bath and North East Somerset are being urged to take part in this year’s City Nature Challenge by recording all the nature and wildlife they can find over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend. The annual global event is a chance for people to contribute to a worldwide study of trees, plants and wildlife to help shape conservation efforts and support scientific research.

This year’s challenge takes place between Friday 30 April and Monday 3 May. Councillor Paul Crossley said: “Accurate information of what wildlife is on the increase and what is in decline is an important tool in helping to tackle the ecological emergency. Records suggest some worrying trends with the numbers of some species falling sharply over the last 20 years. Other species like the Marsh Fritillary butterfly, have recently been rediscovered so this type of citizen science research is an effective way for people to have a big impact. Anyone can get involved and you don’t need to be a wildlife expert; you can search your garden, street, local park, school grounds or carry out your observations as you stroll along footpaths in our wonderful countryside.

Join in the City Nature Challenge by downloading the iNaturalist app, taking a photo and recording what you see. The app will help you identify a species, so you don’t have to be an expert to take part. See it, snap it, share it – it’s that simple. newsroom.bathnes.gov.uk

ASPIRING LEADERS

Graduation Cohort 2017

Across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, today’s leaders are facing the most challenging operating circumstances for generations. In this landscape of global uncertainty, leaner workforces, budget cuts, and reliance upon digital communications and the competencies needed to lead organisations successfully have shifted. Leaders now need to be skilled at crisis management, dealing with uncertainty and high-level strategic leadership.

Due to the continued success of the School of Management’s part-time Executive Masters in Strategy Change and Leadership, the University of Bristol is now taking applications for its ninth cohort in September 2021. This challenging and rewarding programme is designed for those aspiring to, or holding senior manager and leadership positions and will fit around the demands of a busy, professional leadership role.

This bespoke master's degree in Strategy, Change and Leadership is aimed at providing senior managers with the tools and techniques they need to navigate their organisations through demanding times. By attending the programme, you will learn how to improve your ability to manage change and uncertainty; increase your leadership impact; understand organisational complexity and issues affecting success; make better choices about growth and strategic direction.

Programme Director Helen Ballard says: “I am delighted to be recruiting our ninth cohort of executive students to this successful and practical master’s programme. Excellent leadership is critical in this challenging climate, and organisations recognise the importance of developing their management talent in such uncertain times. This practical master's degree will offer a return on investment from day one.”

If you would like to have a chat about the programme or to attend the next webinar on 8 June 6pm–7pm, please contact Cheralyn Dark, Programme Manager by phone or email: 01179 546694; mgmt-scl@bristol.ac.uk. To find out more or to apply for September 2021 entry, visit: bristol.ac.uk/strategy-change-leadership Helen Ballard