ANNUALREVIEW 2013 Academic Success
Once again the efforts of our Year 8 boys and staff can be applauded as they have upheld the School’s long-standing reputation for academic excellence.
Of the 298 Common Entrance and Scholarship exams taken in English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French, Latin, Ancient Greek, History, Geography and Religious Studies, 43% were graded A or A* and 74% graded A or B by the boys’ destination senior schools. The year group’s performance is all the more pleasing when one considers that a fifth of the boys faced the extra challenge of reaching scholarship standard. The results themselves confirm that Arnold House boys not only win their places to the leading independent schools but do so in some style gaining inclusion in higher sets when they arrive.
Particular congratulations must go to the seven boys who had the honour of being entered for academic scholarships; Ben Gunn and Freddie Poser (Westminster), Ayomide Soleye (Eton) and Qumarss Bagheri, Umer Hasan and Max Hatter (St Paul’s) all acquitted themselves extremely well. Matteo Perper won an Academic scholarship to St Paul’s and he was joined by Daniyal Sachee who St Paul’s singled out for a Music scholarship. Jean-Charles Agbo (Classics) and Charles Flax (Geography) also received recognition from Rugby for their excellent showing at Common Entrance.
Entry to Arnold House in Year 1
The demand for places in the School is strong. Offers have been made to 38 boys to join the School as five year olds in September 2014. The entry process for September 2015 is already underway with prospective parents having attended one of three Open Evenings held in May, to be followed by a meeting with the Headmaster between September 2013 and March 2014. It is usual for around 170 sets of parents to see the process through to its conclusion
Management
Two new committees have been established. The Academic Committee, consisting of the Management Team, Heads of Maths, English and Science, Senior Tutor (Years 5 & 6) and Head of Learning Support, has focussed attention on four key areas:
• To ensure that each boy’s academic progress is monitored closely
• To oversee curriculum progression from Years 1 to 8
• To identify individual boy’s underperformance and suggest measures for intervention which are likely to bring about greater academic success
with an individual assessment made of their son’s attitude to learning, teachability and potential. Decisions are made in May, 16 months before a boy’s intended arrival into Year 1 the following September.
• To disseminate information/policies discussed by the Academic Committee to colleagues in department and Junior/ Senior school meetings
The Inspection Committee, composed of the Strategy Team, Headmaster’s PA, Registrar and ‘Policies Reviewer’ in the form of Mr. Paul Swinden, were tasked with keeping up to speed with the new Integrated Inspections Framework as formulated by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. The committee has met six times during the course of the year and established a programme to review policies at regular intervals.
Staff attended an ‘Awareness in Child Safeguarding’ course in April. Seb Stones (2nd Deputy Headmaster) and Susie Dart (Head of Years 1 & 2), the School’s Designated Child Protection Coordinators (DCPCs) have renewed their higher level training certificates. All staff - teachers, teaching assistants, administrative, catering, cleaning and support staff – were provided with up-to-date training in Child Protection to comply with our statutory obligations.
3 Group Teaching in English and Maths in Years 3 to 8
Following the comprehensive Curriculum Review undertaken in 2011-12, the introduction of 3 group teaching in English and Maths has enabled the boys to progress at a rate that best suits their needs, abilities and confidence at any given time during the school year. The benefits of the new system, and how it can be arranged differently to suit the composition of each year group, is well-illustrated by the set-up in Year 8 this year:
The Academic Committee spent a good deal of time considering the implications of conducting more regular timed assessments and with it a system for analysing the performance data such tests would produce. As of September 2013, all boys in Years 3 to 6 will sit timed assessments in English and Maths in each half term; the results of which will be scrutinised by the Committee and then circulated to relevant departments and subject teachers.
New Educational Opportunities and Innovations
• For the first time this year Year 7 boys were entered alongside Year 8 boys for the UK Maths Challenge organised by Leeds University. Approximately 40% of entrants nationally are awarded certificates each year. It was very pleasing therefore to find that all AH entrants were rewarded in this way and half of those were deemed worthy of a gold certificate.
• Study Skills days were organised for Year 5 boys embarking on life in the Senior school and Year 7 boys beginning Common Entrance in earnest.
• Several Classics trips were made to the British Museum.
• The Art and Science departments collaborated this year on a micrographia project where the boys created slides of their skin and cheek cells in Science lessons, explored the structure of crystals under the microscope and then used these images as stimulus for textile work and printing. They worked with artists from three different disciplines to explore connections between the worlds of Art and Science and created a large body of work that was then curated into an exhibition.
• Boys in the Senior school entered a national prep schools poetry competition.
Development
Fundraising
Our fundraising efforts continue to meet with success due to the wholehearted support of parents, old boys and friends of the School. This year, the total raised was just over £103,315.
Total Raised (including gift aid)
• Along with the perennial favourites of the Activities Programme, such as Early Running Club, Bug Club, Chess Club and Global Location League, there were plenty of new activities for the boys to try their hand to, most notably; Ancient Art, Cookery, Stamp Collecting, Cinéma Français, Knitting and Electronics.
• Food innovation – in the summer term, Accent Catering introduced a new ‘Flavour Zone’ to enhance our salad bar and teach the boys about different chutneys, condiments and flavoured oils together with a “herb of the week” which could be hand-picked and sprinkled on their food.
• During the long summer break eight classroom sets of laptops (Google Chrome Books) will be installed and strategically placed in Form Rooms around the School. In conjunction with the interactive whiteboards we already have in every teaching room they will provide teachers and boys with the very best in new technology to enhance their teaching and learning across the curriculum.
The Annual Fund 2012 target was achieved with every project being funded and now in place. This included a new drum kit, studio recording equipment, Kindles for the Library and Learning Support department, new microscopes for science, and tennis tables for Canons Park. The launch of the 2013 Annual Fund has also met with enthusiasm especially for the new piano in the gymnasium for which donors are able to purchase individual keys.
Bursary Fund
£92,460 Annual Fund
Hanson’s Heroes Bricks
£6,481
£4,374
Three bursary places were provided this year in Years 7 and 8 and a further place will be taken up in September 2013. Over the past four years, the School has raised over £350,000 for the Bursary Fund following the success of a number of events including the Bursary Gala, the Wine Man’ s Bluff and this year’s Quiz Night which raised a hugely impressive £60,000. The Bursary Endowment Fund is growing steadily and has now surpassed £100,000.
Charity
Arnold House continues to support a number of national and international charities and has held three charity days this year, the highlight being the Superheroes themed day. The total raised for our charities was £8,864.
Charity Total Raised
Landirani Trust
St Johns Hospice
National charities
£4,695
£2,991
£1,178 Fund
New Social Events and Communication
The three termly calendars give details of the busy schedule of trips, visits, sports fixtures, concerts, meetings and gatherings that go to make up the school year at Arnold House. Keeping things fresh should not be underestimated and although it creates more work behind the scenes the end results always seem worth it.
• The Quiz Evening: Graham Jacobs (Arnold House old boy and current parent) devised a highly entertaining and wide ranging quiz for 250 participants at the American School in London in March. With simple food and an endless supply of liquid refreshment it was not surprising that the evening raised such a tremendous amount for the Bursary Fund - £60,000.
• Grandparents’ Afternoon: on a three year rolling programme it was time to invite the boys’ grandparents into Arnold House for the afternoon. Year 6 boys conducted tours of the School for those who were interested and tea, sandwiches and cakes were dutifully passed around (and consumed) by the grandsons in the afternoon sunshine.
• The Governors’ Drinks Party was held offsite for the first time. The Wallace Collection in Marylebone provided the ideal location to celebrate another busy and successful year and Alan Warner’s contribution to Arnold House in his role as Chairman of Governors.
• Although not strictly new events, the Parents’ Association’s organisation of Christmas in the Courtyard and the Summer Festival, both in their second year, was immaculate and added greatly to the sense of fun that should be evident in a thriving prep school.
• Information evenings have generally been held for parents from Year 4 onwards. An extra evening was arranged in October for Year 5 parents to meet the array of subject specialist teachers now having a hand in their son’s education. Evenings were also organised for Year 2 and Year 3 parents to give them the opportunity of spending time with the Headmaster to find out more about life at Arnold House and how we hope to see the boys progress through the School.
Arnold House School 1 Loudoun Road St.John’s Wood, London NW8