ANNUAL REPORT
LEADERSHIP
WELLBEING
ACADEMICS
GLOBAL AWARENESS
“Throughout the last 7 years, the school has been through an intense process of transformation. It started with a change of leadership and a transfer of trust in this regard from my parents - the founders of the school, to me, as the Executive Director. I am grateful for the strong foundation we continue to build on, and for the efforts to change education in Romania, which my parents had the courage to initiate almost 30 years ago.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
The recent change my team and I decided to embark on came from a realisation of how the local context of post-communist Romania has been impacting who we are as adults - as individuals, coworkers, teachers, parents, partners and in all our many other roles. This report serves to acknowledge the work done so far by me and my colleagues, and also to create a clearer picture of where we are going. Together with the members of the Senior Leadership Team, we have reflected on where we want Transylvania College to be in 10 years. We have found that we want to offer a more clear understanding of what we mean by: - a good school; - a school focused on each student's progress versus (primarily) results; - the purpose of the school, represented by Transylvania College’s vision and mission; - our commitment to giving each community members (staff, parents, students and alumni) the tools to live a good life, to thrive and to be healthy adults. Even though marked by a difficult global context, the 2019-2020 school year gave us many reasons to celebrate. Many of the projects previously started in our school were taken to a whole different level. Our High School students launched their projects outside of our school, for the benefit of other teenagers, both nationally and internationally. A group of students founded the first student association started in school, Think-Up Academy, offering to mentor other young people, in Romania and abroad, to support them to fulfil their dreams and complete their own projects. Another group of students, the Money Fest Committee team, held financial education courses in state schools in Cluj and, when they had to adapt, they quickly moved them online, extending the programme to students and teachers accross Romania. I am confident that these initiatives are just a start and in the coming years we will see more and more teenagers who will create personal missions and who will take charge of their own lives, contributing to the communities where they live, being fulfilled in their personal and professional lives. This is the type of adults that our school raises, regardless of how much time a student spends at Transylvania College. Some students are with us since kindergarten and they go through the whole journey, all the way to their high school graduations, others join us along the way, or even only for the final years in high school.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Each step of the process matters and has lasting effects. Our shared effort is well worth it, each one of our students is worth it. Over this academic year and next, we will share more about our students’ results and about the kind of adults our graduates are becoming. There are seven generations of alumni so far and their life stories are already incredible. Together we will grow the Transylvania College community, a community we should all be proud of. It is everyone's contribution, and, with your input and with constant mutual support, we will succeed. Yes, we’ve had a few trying months along with the rest of the world, but we need to remember that, in a few years, when children look back to this historic moment, they will not necessarily remember what they learned in class, the actual lesson. They will, however, definitely remember how they felt, the support they received and how they managed to cope with everything, with the help of everyone in their community. All of these challenging experiences lead to lessons that will bring even more confidence in our strengths and will clarify what is truly important, what our priorities should be. We strongly believe that education needs to be prioritised at the national level. We look at our contribution in this regard and, more than ever, we feel that we have the necessary resources to take the school further, creating new projects that will take our philosophy to as many state schools and as many teenagers as possible, in the country and abroad. We are excited and grateful to share this journey with you.”
With kindness and with confidence in the future, Ruxandra Mercea (mother of 3 happy children, soon to be 4).
Later Edit: Baby Ana arrived on 20.11.2020
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
WHAT IS A GOOD SCHOOL? 1. Relationships
√ Pay attention first to good
√ Trust-based relationships;
behaviour;
√ No labels, including positive;
√ Students own their learning;
√ Good communication between students,
√ Growth mindset.
parents and teachers; √ Engaging in difficult conversations and
3. Whole child/person
embracing discomfort;
√ Focus on emotional needs;
√ No judgement.
√ Developing the whole child;
2. Progress and innovation
√ A path to self-discovery for
√ Feedback in regard to what to improve,
√ Practising self-compassion;
not what is wrong;
√ Being reflective;
√ Continuous personal and professional
√ Believe that everyone has genius.
√ Wellbeing for all;
√ Focus on progress for each and everyone, students and teachers; √ Building autonomy; as opposed to focusing solely on results;
development (meet people where they are and grow from there); √ Wide-range school curriculum;
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4. Community
√ Happy adults - happy children;
√ Flexibility, adaptability and
√ A sense of community;
innovation;
√ Modelling good behaviour,
√ Real-life learning opportunities for
leadership;
students;
√ Teamwork;
√ Mistakes are not ignored or feared,
√ Lots of contributions;
we learn from them and treat them as
√ Having the belief and feeling that
opportunities for growth;
everyone is a valuable member.
ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
10 BENEFITS T O
A T T E N D I N G
T R A N S Y L V A N I A
1. Student empowerment - we teach and
support students to be independent, to be ready to respond to opportunities, to have confidence, to develop healthy self-esteem, to be motivated and proactive and to take responsibility for their life, so they become globally aware, empathic leaders. 2. Flexibility - we live in a fast-paced world, so we build resilience in everyone; we adapt to the child’s needs, as opposed to changing the needs of the child to fit the adults’; we are open to change. 3. Innovative programs - Global Awareness activities; Leadership and Wellbeing culture; financial education programs; innovative training for teachers; recognition as one of 30 top innovative schools in the world, within the G30 group (membership by invitation only, received by Ruxandra Mercea, our Director). 4. Established and accredited school - ensures the path to the best universities around the world; easy transfer to state schools at any time; part of 10.000 Cambridge schools and 1 of only 156 BSO Schools globally; guarantee of high quality & constantly updated (every 3-5 years) curriculum and internationally recognised assessment; trained and qualified teachers; membership in top international organisations, which provide exquisite opportunities for our students and staff. As for the Romanian Accreditation - the curriculum is the same as in other schools in Romania, while the whole educational process is different, the learning experience and approach are aligned to our school philosophy, detailed in the Educational Manifesto (see cover 3). 5. Self- discovery and growth - having teachers as mentors and coaches; developing resilience
C O L L E G E
and forming the relevant competencies for the life we live now and for the future; challenging students to try, volunteer, do and develop in partnership with the teacher, tutor, parents. We believe that the aim of education is to develop happy adults who know who they are and where they are going. 6. All children make progress - without progress, they don’t have results; students develop an intrinsic motivation which they maintain in their personal and professional lives; students become aware of their strengths and are able to make a conscious choice when it comes to their career. Constant and formative feedback is provided. Our students know where they are. They do not need tutoring! They get support in school, constantly and consistently.
7. Community networking and parental programs - a healthy relationship with the
parents in our community. 8. Wellbeing for all - we guide and support the child’s development and we support the wellbeing of every member of our community.
9. Path to the desired university or career.
Students have options in choosing their subjects and are provided with a wide range of experiences and opportunities (e.g. work experience). They get more English, more IT, more science lessons than in any other local school.
10. We guide parents through all the stages of child development - community meetings, 1:1
family meetings, knowing and understanding your child tool, website with parental practices dedicated to parents, accessible from the weekly newsletter and, more recently, www.sinergie.ro, an online learning platform for teenagers, teachers, parents, professionals.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
THE 4 STRANDS: ACADEMICS • GLOBAL AWARENESS • LEADERSHIP • WELLBEING PLUSES (STRENGHTS) & DELTAS (WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED)
ACADEMICS 8
ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Our aim is to help students achieve high standards and make excellent progress, offering them an education that is exciting and worthwhile, preparing them for life beyond school, strengthening the skills necessary for the challenges of the 21st century post-modern world, and setting the grounds for lifelong learning. Transylvania College curriculum principles are underpinned by the assurance of equality of access and opportunity to learn and to progress. They simultaneously promote academic achievement and personal growth. The curriculum of Transylvania College is intended to be accessible, broad, coherent, inclusive, balanced and relevant. The BSO Inspection Report acknowledges the fact that students at Transylvania College “consistently achieve above UK averages in IGCSE examinations and above in a range of other international school comparisons. [...] All students are successful in gaining places in their first choice university with the majority attending universities in the UK." P L U S E S
D E L T A S
F O R
2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 0
2 0 2 0 - 2 0 2 1
• Significant academic progress for all of our
• Focus on the blended learning experience
students, as illustrated by examination
and improvement of online teaching;
results;
• Further development of project based
• Real time adjustment to online teaching
learning;
from the very first days of the lockdown;
• Closer focus on the development of learn-
• Flawless submission of students’ assess-
ing Romanian for the students on the Inter-
ments for Cambridge International Exam-
national Line.
inations Board, in the context of the adapted June 2020 exam session; • Consistent feedback given by all teachers following a growth mindset approach (WWW - “What Went Well” & EBI - “Even Better If”); • Students’ increased awareness in regard to their academic progress, as illustrated by the Student-led conferences.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
GLOBAL AWARENESS
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Global Awareness is one of the four strands of the Transylvania College educational model. It includes a whole school progression of learning experiences for all the students, from Kindergarten to Year 13, which are designed and structured under the name of the Global Awareness Programme. The Global Awareness Programme provides the knowledge, understanding and real-life opportunities, in and beyond the classroom, and across international borders, to prepare students for life in an increasingly global society.
P L U S E S 2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 0
• Despite the context generated by the
Crown; recognition of being the Top Award
pandemic, 90% of the Global Awareness
Center in Romania; completing the DoFE
activities planned in the school calendar
Romanian First Gold Expedition"Bikes across
were successfully organised, providing a
Borders" (read more about this on our school
wide range of international opportunities
blog, accessible from www.transylvania-col-
and real-life learning experiences for our
lege.ro).
students (international collaborations with
• Students in the International Youth Summit
other schools, conferences, exchanges, trips
of Transylvania (IYST) and the Money-FEST
and visits, environmental and service
teams took the programmes at national and
projects, debate competitions, adventure
international level, involving students from
activities across school, house events, lead-
across Romania (Money-FEST) and around
ership roles in different action teams);
the world (IYST).
• Successful implementation of the Badges system: 245 Applications for badges, 64 badges awarded, 11 Transylvania College Diplomas awarded in the High School graduation ceremony (meaning that the students earned all the available badges);
D E L T A S
F O R
2 0 2 0 - 2 0 2 1
• Forest Education program for kindergarten;
• Increase the number of applications for
• Successful Duke of Edinburgh Interna-
badges in middle school;
tional Award for Young People in our school:
• Involve families in the badges system;
8 students being awarded for their accom-
• Find creative solutions for events and cere-
plishments on Gold level, by Her Majesty
monies if they are affected by the pandemic
Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian
context.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
LEADERSHIP
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
At Transylvania College we promote a leadership culture, where students are actively engaged and take ownership of their own learning. The students, with the support of their tutors, set their own learning objectives and track their own progress. All the students become active participants in the development of the school. The leadership culture creates a setting where every student can find his or her spark. It encourages exploration, critical thinking, project-based learning and experimentation within a safe, secure environment. Transylvania College’s mission is to help our students find their own voice, their spark. From our experience, once this happens, the students are inspired and motivated to learn and to make the right choices for their personal and professional success.
P L U S E S 2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 0
• More student voice and involvement: 3
roles from the begining of the school year;
lighthouse teams (primary, middle school
• Smooth transitions among Deputy Head
and high school), the Money - FEST Commit-
Boy and Head Girl and the actual Head Boy
tee and The International Youth Summit of
and Head Girl;
Transylvania (IYST) team Team and IYST
• Some of the Leader in Me (LIM) strategies
Team;
still in place: leadership roles, win-win agree-
• Leadership roles with job description;
ments, WIGS, mission statements.
• Reflection on the leadership roles; • Whole school Wildly Important Goal (WIG) established in relation to leadership roles (100 % of students to have a Leader-
D E L T A S
F O R
ship role);
2 0 2 0 - 2 0 2 1
• The creation of Action Teams, at the students' initiative, which provide multiple
• More teacher involvement to support
opportunities for involvement in school life
students' initiatives;
and in extracurricular activities;
• Giving students the end in mind for the
• Application forms for different action
activities we propose in school;
teams;
• Leadership roles and job descriptions to be
• Elections happening at the end of the
coming from the students.
school year, so elected leaders can start acting and making a difference in their new
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
WELLBEING
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Since 2017, Wellbeing has become a core strand in the education we provide at Transylvania College. All policies and procedures in our school are considered from the point of view of Wellbeing. The wellbeing of all members in our community is considered every day, in everything we do at the school. Our long-term goal is to give community members the tools to live a good life, to thrive and to be healthy adults. The development of the ten core competencies (kindness, collaboration, innovation, compassion, resilience, emotional agility, inquisitiveness, courage, integrity, critical thinking) supports this goal. We see Wellbeing in four areas: body, mind, heart, and spirit. As a fundamental part of our practice at the school, wellbeing is more than just a series of activities completed by staff, students, or the wider school community. It is part of everything we do, implementing research-based practices into our school life. The behaviour policy was completely rewritten and all the other policies were assessed through the lens of wellbeing and mental health. A series of research-backed innovations were put in place for the adults in the school community, with the underpinning belief that when the adults (teachers and parents) are well, the students are well. Strategies for students have also been developed over the last three years, to include dedicated time for Personal Development and Leadership Time in the whole school, student-led activities and community meetings with the parents in each class. The school has developed a Wellbeing team of advisors. We have seen our culture transforming because we invest time and energy in developing healthy relationships based on trust. The Wellbeing team of psychologists, together with teachers in the school and with psychologists from Mind Education Health, the organisation founded and coordinated by Domnica Petrovai, have developed an important resource in the last school year, the "Knowing and understanding your child" assessment tool. The assessment is used by tutors, in collaboration with wellbeing advisors and with parents, to guide the developmental process of each child. Using relevant studies, good practices and our own experience in the school, the instrument has ďŹ ve areas: attachment, temperament, identity, autonomy and relationships.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
W E L L B E I N G C O V I D - 1 9
D U R I N G
T H E
P A N D E M I C
Ever since the start of the global pandemic, in March 2020 we have found ourselves living in extraordinary times, which require extraordinary measures. We have, however, always been prepared to innovate and, at the same time, we understand the need to remain flexible and positive. Innovation, courage, resilience, emotional agility, critical thinking, kindness and collaboration are all part of who we are at Transylvania College, as students, teachers and parents. What has made a difference in our community is given by how we've come to trust each other and how honest we are about our vulnerabilities. We know that we are able to count on each other’s support. This has led to a very successful transition to learning online, Transylvania College being able to move to online lessons for the first day of the lockdown, being the first school in Romania to do so. While finding resources for our own wellbeing and for successfully teaching online during the pandemic, we realised that we are also ready to support parents, teachers and head of schools around the country. We developed and hosted 10 webinars for parents, teachers and heads of schools from Romania, free. Over 10000 people accessed the webinars and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We will continue to bring our contribution to creating and sharing innovative teaching practices and also to wellbeing - in our school, in the local community and even at national and international level. P L U S E S
D E L T A S
2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 0
2 0 2 0 - 2 0 2 1
• “Securly” software added to devices, with
• Achieve clarity in regard to the activities
alerts for inappropriate use sent to the
completed by the students and the way the
Director of Wellbeing;
activities match the badges system;
• 1:1 meetings with families, across the
• Link Lesson observations with the four
school;
strands (Academic, Leadership, Wellbeing,
•
Structured
Personal
Development
Global Awareness);
programme for middle school and high
• Further develop the Learning Support
school students;
programme in Primary.
• Emotional support consistently provided by tutors and teachers during lockdown period; • “Welcome Back to School Day” dedicated to parents; • Restorative approach to behaviour making a difference in the learning environment throughout the school.
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F O R
ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
All School Pluses (Strenghts), All School Deltas (What Could Be Improved), Trends in Education
PLUSES
DELTAS
TRENDS
1. Student
1. Consistency - we strive
1. Incresed interest in the
empowerment
for 100 % consistency
virtual environment in education, globally
2. Innovative and flexible
2. Quality assurance and
2. Unstable economic
when it comes to strategic
problem solving
environment
3. Established and
3. Clarity in communicating
3. Students are being prepared
accredited school
what we do
for the future, for jobs that don't
decisions
even exist yet 4. Commitment to vision,
4. Achieve solid financial
4. Parents are more openly
mission and purpose (scope)
security to ensure long-term
communicating their need for
sustainability
support, when it comes to their child's education
5. Mindset of progress
5. More focus on progress
over results
vs. results in the the field of education 6. There is a need to rethink education, at a national and global level
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
RESULTS ANALYSIS 2 0 2 0 18
ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 0
C A M B R I D G E
E X A M S
R E S U L T S
A level Exam Results (end of Year 13 - 32 students) Percentage of students achieving at
54.6% (compared to 27.6% reported in England)
least 1 A*-A Grade (top grade) Percentage of students achieving
100%
2 grades A*-D (required to go to a Romanian University) Percentage of students achieving
67.9%
3 grades A*-E (required to go to an International University) Percentage of students achieving
14%
A*-A grades in all of their Alevel subjects (students achieved the highest mark in all their final exams, or, in Romanian terms, "10 pe linie")
Primary and Middle School Progress Tests Analysis Progress Tests are used for both formative and summative purposes to identify strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ skills and knowledge. Using Progress Testing year-on-year provides accurate and reliable information on pupils’ attainment and individual progress in key competencies. The Standard Age Score (SAS) is a reliable measure for ensuring that monitoring is accurate and that pupils are making progress.The SAS is standardised on 100,000 children, in 3 subjects, English, Maths and Science, against the national average for the National Curriculum of England and Walls.
What percentage of our students scored within the 90 -110 points range, which is expected for native English speakers in the same age category
PROGRESS: Out of 100% of students how many have made expected or higher than expected progress, compared to previous year’s results
Maths
95% (10% increase in 2019)
91% (25% increase on 2019)
English
92% (10% increase in 2019)
93% (15% increase on 2019)
Science
90% (10% increase in 2019)
Science GL does not give a progress analysis
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Progress is measured in High school through half term assessments ( every 6 weeks ) issued by teachers. Students who have achieved their target grade in each subject at IGCSE, AS & A Level have made expected progress.Students who achieve higher grades than their target grades have made higher than expected progress. The expectation is that 100% of students make expected progress.
IGCSE level Exam Results (end of Year 11 ) - 42 students Percentage of students achieving
Percentage of students achieving
at least 1 A*- A Grade (top grade) 82%
A*- A Grade in Maths (top grade) 49.5%
Percentage of students achieving
Percentage of students achieving
A*-A grade in Maths & English
A*-E grade in 5 or more subjects
(top grade) 40.2%
(including Maths & English) 94%
Percentage of students achieving
Percentage of students achieving
A*-A grade in English (top grade) 42%
A*-A grades in all of their IGCSE subjects 10%
IGCSE Results IGCSE pass grades range from A*- G. A*- C are considered higher pass grades. D - G are considered to be lower pass grades. A Level Results A level pass grades range from A*- E. A*- C are considered higher pass grades. D - E are considered to be lower pass grades. D & E pass grades are still important as they carry points that can be used in University applications For most UK universities, three A - Level pass grades are needed (grades can be A* - E, depending on university requirements). To apply for Romanian universities, 2 A - Level pass grades are needed ( A* - D ).
HR - retention
89% retention of staff in the 2019-2020 school year (75% previous year). 60% reduction in staff turnover over the last 2 school years. Majority (70%) of Extended Senior Leadership Team together for over 5 years. 327 hours of training in a school year. National and International partnerships for new teachers and internships, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), iTeps (The Netherlands), UBB (Romania). 68% Open job applications (candidates apply even when no available position is listed, in order to be considered for a future possible opening).
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
CLASS OF
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
DESTINATION COUNTRIES FOR CLASS OF 2019 & 2020 GRADUATES • The United Kingdom • The Netherlands • Scotland • Romania • The United States of America • Italy • Hungary
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
CHOSEN FIELDS 2 0 1 9
2 0 2 0
Psychology
Hospitality
Politics and International Relations
Business Administration
Design
Fine Art
Human, Social and Political Sciences
International Business Management
(UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE)
Biology
Art
Criminology
Computer Gaming Technology
International Relations
Hospitality
Fashion Design Technology
Law
(UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS LONDON)
Computer Science
Statistics
Film Production
Business with Human Resource Management
Economics and Business Economics
Economics
Management with Economics
Global Law
Marketing
Psychology International Sport Management Sociology Sociology and Criminology Business and Economics Acting and Performance Law Digital Media Computer Science Physics (IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON)
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
C L A S S O F 2 0 2 0 B Y N U M B E R S :
32 graduates,
150 - number of universities where our students
representing
submitted applications, in the UK, Netherlands,
8 countries
Italy, Spain, France, Romania. 100% - University ďŹ rm choice acceptance rate
U N I V E R S I T Y
134.600 USD: the overall value of 4 merit-based award scholarships received by one student 5000 pounds scholarship received from University College Roosevelt (Netherlands)
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
R A N K I N G S :
8th in the world, 3rd in the UK, 1st in London - Imperial College London 2nd in the world for fashion and design - University of the Arts London (UAL) - 4 Transylvania College graduates are currently attending, 1 already graduated
FLORIN STANCU H E A D
B O Y “I owe my first interaction with computers to my older brother. He used to play DotA and World of Warcraft constantly, and my curious little three-year-old self would stick around to watch, asking him all kinds of questions. To get me off his lap, he taught me how to play browser games.I got so into them that he would complain to mom about how I was hogging the computer all to myself. Years later, now nine and with my own laptop, I stumbled upon "Spiral Knights". The unique setting, colorful designs and peculiar music hooked me instantly. But what made me stay was
something no browser game offered...a challenge. The struggle to survive, the satisfaction of a hard-fought victory, the state of flow, they were exhilarating! However, after a few hours in, my desktop icons disappeared. Fearing a virus from the game, my brother advised I uninstall the game. But I was set on playing it. Thus I searched the internet on my own and discovered a bug in the installer turned off the "view desktop icons" option. With a click, my first bug was fixed, and, with it, my venture into the world of video gaming began. Three years. That's how long it took to master Spiral Knights. During them, I learned the basics of computers and met dozens of friends.After them,I discovered Steam. It all snowballed from there. Rocket League,Into the Breach,Furi,Sanctum 2,my collection is ever-growing. And with each new game and desire, I learn something new. I have Hamachi simulate a LAN for Minecraft private servers, use Parsec to play local multiplayer games online,keep my drivers up-to-date with Driver Booster, install emulators like PPSSPP on both my PC and a self jail-broken iPhone 4, and even learned to safely overclock my GPU with MSI Afterburner,GPU-Z and benchmarks for extra FPS on Final Fantasy 15. As hardware limitations became obvious, I learned to search for bottlenecks to best optimize my computer. With slow data transfer rate restraining my resource-heavy games, I looked into NVMe SSDs and how to install one without an M2 slot. I later found out my motherboard could boot from PCIe, thus I invested into a PCIe to M2 converter. Minutes of waiting became seconds, and I couldn't be more glad.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
When Computer Science became an option in High-School, I jumped at it. Imagine my surprise when I found the same challenge, the same satisfaction, the same state of flow that got me into gaming...in programming. My fascination still grows as I create increasingly elaborate programs from fundamentally basic commands. No task proves too grueling. With my first useful program being a number converter from denary to binary, I now surprise my teacher with quick understanding of new ideas. Recent examples include learning how to store data in .dat files in ways directly accessible in less than two hours and tackling programming challenges. With my background, it's no surprise I went to Quantic Labs, a video game testing company, for two consecutive years. There, I took part in testing and was taught about their methodology, particularly functionality testing, which is about finding and fixing bugs which degrade the player's experience, and compliance testing, in charge of checking whether the game in question respects all the target platform's requirements, such as Sony's TRC (Technical Requirements List). I have also gone over soak, regression and load testing, as well as the format used by testers to report bugs of various severities to developers on dedicated platforms. In the end, my entire life has tethered itself to the realm of IT and Computer Science, not out of need or chance but pure will. At first driven by my games, my incentives have now become curiosity and a desire for challenge. With the simple tools and commands at our disposal, just what kind of elaborate programs can we make? Create and use? And with each new tool, just how high does the ceiling rise? With such questions in my mind, there's but one thing to do...learn.”
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
DOROTHY VĂCAR H E A D
G I R L “Mathematics is something I grew up loving but everything could have been different if my primary teacher hadn't changed. For the first two years, my grades did not reflect my true potential. Even though I was studying hard, one colleague would get the same evaluation for less effort. This situation motivated me to keep learning. In my third year, everything was better with my new teacher as she assessed everyone's work justly. This helped me believe in my abilities even more and participate at "The little Mathematician" in fourth grade. I remember feeling more anxious than ever,
my heart was almost popping out of my chest. When the question paper was laid out in front of me I could not concentrate at first. Then, I managed to calm down and focus on the problems. With all the practice papers done beforehand, I still finished in the last second. I believe that not the first prize but the experience itself made me conscious that these activities develop skills such as time management, stress control and improve concentration. For two years in a row, I won the first place at the county stage of the National Mathematics Olympiad and many other regional competitions. This is how I was part of the city's "Mathematics Excellence" class where I had to adapt to a different style of teaching. During this time I started studying Physics as well. Being the only one responsible for my progress, I managed to come first at the county stage of the National Physics Olympiad. My life took a sudden turn when I moved with my parents to Ireland. The first months were quite difficult. Still, my passion for Mathematics brought me the "Student of the Year" award and qualified me for the Irish contest, "MATHletes", wining the sixth place in the country. This allowed me to become part of the team preparing for National Olympiads, where I had to work at the same level as the high school students did. In the summer, I found out I would be moving back to Romania. During the little time I had left, I had to study on my own what my classmates did in seventh grade. At first I was feeling over-
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whelmed but I successfully reached in two months the level of preparation of my colleagues. In spite of missing one year, I won the second place at the county stage of the National Mathematics Olympiad. Even though the National Examination grade allowed me to study at the best high school, my father decided to continue my education on the British system. Thus, I applied and successfully received a scholarship at Transylvania College. In no time I truly felt a sense of belonging. To my surprise, I started enjoying Physics and Chemistry. I even participated in a Physics essay competition, "Cassini Scientist for a Day", where I won the second place in the country. On the other hand, Mathematics was taught in a somewhat different way which included more practical problems. Therefore, I worked hard in the summer so that I could take my exam earlier and be able to study Further Mathematics. I also participated in UKMT Intermediate and Senior Challenges, Pink and Grey Kangaroo, which were quite different to the olympiads as they required much more creativity and thinking outside of the box. All these competitions instilled in me a great variety of skills, helping me to balance curricular and extra curricular activities. Being an active member of my school community I was assigned various student leadership positions. They all taught me responsibility, critical thinking, collaboration and why being well organised is essential for reaching proposed objectives. The contests that I have exposed myself to and the challenges I have overcame so far, no matter the country or school setting, were the ones that shaped me personally and academically. This is why I consider that a demanding university environment, with obstacles waiting for me at every corner, will allow me to continuously expand my knowledge, improve myself and contribute, later on, to my professional success.�
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Empowering teachers to become emotionally healthy has led to more self-aware staff who are more empathetic and connected to the children’s needs. They now acknowledge that “every child has genius” and they encourage students to take initiative and lead their own learning. It’s no longer about controlling the outcome, the results, it’s about supporting students to work towards their true potential and become autonomous, proactive, responsible adults. We recognise the students' voice and we appreciate the students' involvement and initiatives, which have started to have an impact at a national and international level.
MONEY FEST
POWERED BY
The Money-FEST Committee has the aim of spreading financial education amongst young people and therefore has taken the full responsibility of organizing the financial and entrepreneurial week, a project with a long-lasting tradition in our community. All the activities were organised by the committee and were specially designed for: kindergarten students (Kidzania – learning more about different professions, Financial Puppet Theater), primary students (organizing Shops and selling products and services, Enterprise day, Financial Kahoot), middle school students (Enterprise Day, School Bank – Project Base combining Economics, Maths, Media Studies and Arts, TED Talks) and high school students (CEO Back to school). The committee has also created a financial education curriculum based on which they delivered workshops in state schools in Cluj Napoca. In order to continue its initiative, during the quarantine the committee reshaped its activity and started to host webinars inviting students from all around Romania. The 4 webinars tackled the economic problem, the difference between wants and needs, the opportunity cost, behavioural economics, the causes and consequences of an economic crisis), how to make a budget, the minimum wage, taxes, healthy spending and saving. The positive feedback received from the participants (students between 15 and 22 years old from Cluj, Mureș, Buzău, Ilfov, Suceava, Vâlcea Alba, Bacău, Constanța, Neamț) encouraged the committee to further develop its curriculum, to create a website with resources and to host more webinars in the future.
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THINK UP
Many students in the world acknowledge that change starts with them, and they are ready to improve their societies as early as High School. This is the mindset that motivated us to create the ThinkUp Academy. ThinkUp Academy is a school without borders, whose foundation was put in place by us, High School students from Transylvania College, an international school in Romania. Our main goal is to encourage and stimulate the students’ interests regarding their education through social-economic projects, meaning that ThinkUp Academy offers young entrepreneurs an opportunity to create projects with an educational impact, with the support of the mentors of the academy. We are aware that ‘entrepreneurship’ may seem a weighty word, however, we consider a young entrepreneur someone who has an idea and wants to put it into practice. Our vision is to “Change the world of tomorrow by empowering the youth of today”, and our missions carry out a substantial role in the steps you will take, as a ThinkUp student: “Express”, “Create”, “Implement”. The projects are supported and implemented free of charge, via an online platform. Our team consists of motivated students, which will be your Mentors, and trained field experts, who are the ThinkUp Academy Ambassadors and Advisors. Besides these mentoring sessions, the academy also offers customised courses in the form of workshops and conferences. Among the most large-scale projects of ThinkUp Academy is the International Youth Summit of Transylvania, an international debate conference. Our wish is to share for free what we have discovered in the process of bringing student delegations from all over the world together, and to inspire others to take initiative. We know that every student has something special and worthy to share with the world, and a passionate student can create a valuable project. We are doing all of this to reassure young people that they can receive relevant support from our remarkable team with anything they need: be it organising an event, reaching a goal, or seeking something novel.
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TRANSYLVANIA COLLEGE S
T
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E A
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We provide an educational experience that gives our students the tools to thrive in life. Our goal for the next 10 years is for all our students to design and own their lives.
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I
C H
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CORE VALUES/BELIEFS
Our vision is to provide A Global Journey for Mindful Leaders
What does that mean? We hold informed opinions that reflect local, international and global perspectives and lead through healthy, effective relationships. With our mission, we enable members of our community to:
Have a Voice
What does that mean? We have autonomy and make our own choices.
Make a Difference
What does that mean? We contribute in meaningful ways to our communities.
Discover Your Spark
What does that mean? We have a sense of identity and know who we are, and where we are going. Our vision and mission apply to all members of our community. Adults both at home and school are hugely influential on the development of students. The value of our community is maximised through the synergy of empowering everybody through the vision and mission for the benefit of all. We aim to remain flexible, reflective and innovative. Since we keep our core values in mind, we are not subject to the latest educational fads.
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PURPOSE
To give community members the tools to live a good life, to thrive and to be healthy adults. Actions to live by: Translate the competencies into children/student language and behaviours; Adults in the school to model healthy relationships, autonomy, identity and meaningful contributions - we provide support through wellbeing coaching; Implement system to monitor the competencies; Clarify what progress looks like at every age and how we measure it; Embed the competencies in all we do, with consistency.
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1
YEAR GOALS
• Define and clearly communicate the unique Transylvania College experience. • Curriculum mapping for Kindergarten and Primary School, to be published by July 2021. • Define what progress looks like, with criteria for all 4 strands. Use the data to create the system of progress and reporting. • Set up the “blended learning” High School experience (how learning happens, online and in school). • Feasibility study with Alumni: 60% alumni engaged by June 2021. • All graduates to be accepted in their 1st choice university.
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3
YEAR GOALS
• Implement the system designed in the 1st strategic year. • Evaluate and create sustainability, being mindful of the BSO inspection year. • Evaluate and adapt the blended learning system, in case of a prolonged pandemic. Choose what stays as part of the core Transylvania College experience and transfer the knowledge to the SPARK online school. • Develop the Alumni Society, based on the results from the feasibility study. • Consolidate the Transylvania College Model, collect evidence throughout, in order to share best practices. • Align the communication channels to present the model consistently.
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1. STUDENTS
5
All students make significant progress over the time spent in school. Each child is developed as an individual.
YEAR GOALS
2. ALUMNI
80% response rate to annual qualitative
research
from
Alumni who have graduated university, in regard to life beyond university.
3. REPUTATION
• Build the school reputation by clarifying and communicating: - the experience; - the achievements of our students as reflected, for example, by Y13 students’ success in the University Admissions process; - the teacher profile that is “the best match” with our values and educational philosophy; - what a good school looks like. • Inform and enable parents, so they can lead conversations with staff, family members, or friends about the Transylvania College experience and their child’s progress. • Clarify how achievements are tied to the 10 competencies. • The Educational Manifesto to be clearly integrated into the Transylvania College experience. • Create additional learning space, adapted to the type of experience we want students and staff to have.
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KEY CAPABILITIES NEEDED • Clear and consistently applied system for measuring progress • Policy for teachers to monitor progress • Reporting system of student progress on all competencies • Strong alumni programme
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2019 was Inspection Year for Transylvania College! All the possible inspections, from our three main accrediting authorities, happened in the Spring of 2019. See highlights from the inspection reports in the following pages.
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3RD BSO INSPECTION F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 9
Transylvania College earned British School Overseas status in 2013, following a rigorous inspection from the UK’s Department for Education. The school has been reinspected in April 2016 and in February 2019, receiving an excellent inspection report. All the reports are published on our website: https://www.transylvania-college.ro/about-us/accreditations. The third inspection, completed in 2019, certifies our British School Overseas (BSO) accreditation and states that Transylvania College meets all the standards with several areas being seen as well above the benchmark required by the UK Department for Education (DfE). The strengths of the school mentioned in the BSO Report include, but are not limited to: • Articulate and confident pupils; • The school’s high focus on the wellbeing of the whole school community; • The ‘Leader in Me’ process which empowers pupils to take on responsibilities and make a difference; • Student outcomes in Key Stage 5 (high school); • The quality of support for pupils making applications to universities. This confirms our valued status as a fully accredited British School Overseas (BSO) and a fully Accredited Member of the Council of British International Schools (COBIS).
Transylvania College has been described by the inspectors as “a good school with outstanding features” in pupils’ welfare and personal development. The following areas were mentioned as well above the required benchmark: • The provision for welfare, health and safety of the pupils; • The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils; • The suitability of the founder and staff; • The provision of information for parents. The inspectors also noticed and mentioned how the influence of the work of the school extends well beyond the school boundaries. 1 of 8 BSO schools in Romania - Transylvania College + 7 in Bucharest.
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ARACIP INSPECTION A P R I L
2 0 1 9
ARACIP (The Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Pre-University Education) The ARACIP inspectors assessed our school on 43 standards that refer to curriculum, how we evaluate students, how we evaluate staff, academic progress and results, organisational management and financial management, quality control and assurance, professional development for teachers and administrative staff, resources and learning environment, communication (including how transparent we are in our communication), innovation. The school received “Very Well” (Foarte Bine) and “Excellent” on all the standards. The following standards were evaluated as Excellent: • the way the curriculum is developed and implemented; • the staff’s professional development; • the technological resources of the school and the communication tools; • medical services provided to students; • the way the database is organised; • the Personal Development and Counseling programmes offered to students.
CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS INSPECTION A P R I L
2 0 1 9
As an accredited Cambridge Examination Centre since 2010, we need to continuously meet a series of strict requirements. The Cambridge inspectors may come at any point during an exam session, unannounced. The maximum rating we can get on this inspection is Satisfactory, which we achieved. The inspector made a reference to the Exam Officer being “very well organised and knowledgeable. The records at this centre are very comprehensive.”
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ACCREDITATIONS W H Y A R E T H E Y I M P O R T A N T ?
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Transylvania College | The Cambridge International School in Cluj is the only fully accredited school in Transylvania by ALL of the following boards: • UK’s Department for Education, granting British School Overseas (BSO) status; • COBIS (Council of British International Schools); • Cambridge International Examinations; • Romanian Ministry of Education; • ARACIP.
Inspections and accreditations are among the most important tools a parent has for verifying basic standards in a school, let alone excellence, with scrutiny that is objective, arms-length and unavoidable for good schools. Top notch British schools abroad have been securing inspections and accreditations from excellent private organisations for years. But there has never been an across-the-board inspection process available for all British schools, with full reports published with the full authority and oversight of the British government. To our great delight and at long last, the UK Department for Education launched the British Schools Overseas (BSO) programme in 2011. They originally approved seven agencies, all authorised to perform "accreditation against standards similar to independent schools operating in Britain", complete with published inspection reports that are available to parents and show how well individual British schools abroad measure up against British standards. These inspections ensure "schools advertising a ‘British character’ are upholding the rigour and excellence of [the British] system". According to the UK Department for Education website, to be recognised by the Department for Education, a British school overseas must have an inspection report which shows that their performance against all the standards is at least satisfactory. This reflects the standards required for continuing registration as a school in England. Schools meeting the standards will have their inspection reports published on the Department's website and will be allocated a unique reference number on the national school reference system, Edubase. Source: https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/international/accreditation/inspected-by-ofsted-true-or-false
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MEMBERSHIPS We continue to value our member status in the following organisations, while also celebrating new recognition as innovators in education and leaders in positive education. • Leader in Me • Round Square • G30 • Global Connections • Global Education Benchmark
Special commendation: Ruxandra Mercea, Transylvania College's Director has been invited this year to join 25 of the world leaders in positive psychology and education, as part of the International Positive Education Network (IPEN). IPEN is reuniting experts from all over the world, who either have expertise in positive psychology, or have a proven record of successfully implementing its principles. Despite geographic differences, IPEN has found a common theme in the approach to positive education, as seen through the promotion of academics alongside character development & well-being. IPEN's goals closely align with Transylvania College's mission and vision, showing the strong connection between academic achievement and wellbeing:
"Academic achievement contributes to wellbeing by increasing engagement, meaning and accomplishment. Conversely, programmes and practices designed to enhance wellbeing through the development of character strengths and virtues have been shown to positively contribute to academic achievement. By pursuing both strands, positive education aims to enable young people to become the authors of their own life stories, endowing them with the practical wisdom they need to make good choices, overcome adversity, lead happy and successful lives, and contribute positively to society." - www.ipen-network.com/about-us
More details about IPEN can be found at: www.ipen-network.com.
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The school is under the Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Margareta, the Custodian of the Romanian Crown
Leader in Me - www.leaderinme.org
Leader in Me helps schools create well-rounded learners by the whole-person and preparing students to become life-ready leaders. It's a whole school transformational process which unites students, staff, and families around a common goal to prepare students with college, career, and life-readiness skills that are necessary to thrive in today’s ever-changing, fast-paced environment.
Round Square - www.roundsquare.org
Round Square is an internationally diverse network of 200 like-minded schools in 50 countries on six continents that connect and collaborate to offer world-class programmes and experiences, developing global competence, character and confidence in our students. We are like-minded in our shared understanding of the hardwired link between character education and academic success. We also believe that in order to equip our students for positive, active and engaged global citizenship we must offer them more than academic knowledge and qualifications.
G30 Schools - www.g30schools.org
The G30 was founded in 2006 by Dr Anthony Seldon, the Head of Wellington College, UK and David Wylde, the Head of St Andrews College, South Africa. It includes only up to 30 G30, the head of schools becoming members by invitation only: "The G30 brings Heads from leading schools together on an annual basis. All participants are encouraged to share their best practice, thoughts, ideas and challenges within a strictly confidential environment.
Global Connections - www.globalconnections.org
Global Connections encourages school leaders worldwide to develop global consciousness within their school communities. Member schools cooperate actively with each other to promote global engagement and impact.
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EDUCATIONAL MANIFESTO We are a learning community which uses its expertise to innovate in education. 1. We believe that every student has greatness inside that needs to be discovered, valued, respected and encouraged. 2. We believe in a learning process which develops students’ competences, and ability to apply their learning to real life situations. 3. We believe that every student must be challenged to think in every lesson, and that learning must be differentiated discreetly according to the strengths of each student. 4. We aim for each lesson to be a memorable experience for every student. 5. We believe that every student should be empowered to lead their own learning. 6. We believe in constructive feedback on the task and the process that will help the students learn from their mistakes, make progress and develop a growth mindset. 7. We believe engaging and relevant homework helps students develop lifelong learning skills. 8. We ensure that relevant, up to date and appropriate educational resources are used to enhance the learning process. 9. We ensure that students are exposed to a broad variety of activities that support and develop the whole person. 10. We develop the students’ understanding of the world through the Global Awareness experiences. 11. We believe that change starts with each one of us and all members of our community: students, teachers, parents are involved in a continuous process of learning. 12. We create an environment in which the wellbeing of all can thrive.
Transylvania College The Cambridge International School in Cluj
Aleea BăiČ™oara 2A Cluj-Napoca Postal Code 400445 +40 264 418 990 contact@transylvania-college.ro
www.transylvania-college.ro