EDUCATION AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 • £5
AUTUMN • WINTER 2018
DAN SNOW ‘I LEFT ST PAUL’S THINKING I WAS WONDERFUL’
Take
OFF
Preparing for life after school
Time Out
TOP T I P S FO R OX B RI D G E
Is the Common Entrance dead?
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Z E S T. L O N D O N
THE LEADER
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Does your child need a school which offers specialist learning support? Come along to the Cavendish Education Schools Fair on Saturday 6th October 2018 | 10am to 2pm. Staff from each of the Cavendish Education Schools will be on hand to answer your questions and discuss how to help your child to reach their potential. Also attending: The Child and Adolescent Development Centre, Dulwich Speech & Language Therapy, The Dyslexia Teaching Centre, Chelsea Children’s Therapy, ANT Education and Ruby, Red & Crimson Art Studios. Register your interest today j.narowlansky@cavendisheducation.com Refreshments provided.
W QUE HICH STIO SCHO O NS A NSW L? ERE D
E
ND
A HELP
NC A D I GU
PROFESSIONAL ADVIC E AND SUPPORT CAVENDISH EDUCATION ADMISSIONS PROCESS CHILDREN WELCOME ACTIVITIES PROVIDED
To be held at: Cavendish Education 23-31 Beavor Lane, Ravenscourt Park, Hammersmith W6 9AR
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From the
EDITOR
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’ve had the whole summer to ponder leadership, our theme for this issue. Is it the ability to take charge and go over the top first? Like Lucy Giles, the first female Lieutenant Colonel at Sandhurst. Giles is one of the mentors in a pioneering programme run by the Girls’ School Association to encourage more teachers into headships (see page 79). She is tough in a masculine mould, smashing glass ceilings and trained to lead her troops into battle. Or is leadership something more internal, less visible? The ability to take control of your own life, to be the master of your own decisions? This is how Jo Cruse, leadership guru extraordinaire sees it (see page 32). I have another picture of what leadership might be. I don’t live in the most salubrious area of London; it’s
were then involved in a programme that kept them constantly engaged, including four weeks of training with Saracens rugby club. The next camp, the Syrian Summer Camp, gave succour and educational support to local refugee children. And the last, the Springboard Youth Academy Camp provided holistic education to refugee and asylum-seeking young people. All these camps ran simultaneously. I've no doubt all were transformational. I’m also sure they involved many agencies and different people but my gut feeling is that the head was the engine behind them. Nobody affects the temperature of a school like its leader. I salute you Mr Danny Coyle. And while I’m heaping praise, my own inspirational book of the summer was Educated by Tara Westover. It’s a memoir of
“NOBODY AFFECTS THE TEMPERATURE OF A SCHOOL LIKE ITS LEADER” down-at-heel, diverse and vibrant. Every morning I see a local headmaster patrolling the pavements close to his school – Newman Catholic College. He is always well dressed. He is always alert, straightbacked. I see him chatting to pupils, straightening ties and hurrying them along. Above all, he is present, a figurehead, showing them how to be. During July and August this year, Newman Catholic College (NCC) ran three summer camps. The first was run in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police; NCC identified 50 boys aged 13-15 deemed to be ‘vulnerable’ over the holidays. These boys
a young girl growing up in rural Idaho in a fundamentalist Mormon family. With no formal schooling she makes it to Cambridge to do a PhD. It is a story of the transformational power of education. Even Barack Obama has tweeted his love for this book. So I’m in good company. I hope you enjoy this issue.
A manda Constance EDITOR
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CONTE AUT U MN / WINTE R 2018
upfront
18 NEWS What's going on in the world of education
25 BUYER'S MARKET The school noticeboard goes digital
26 BURSARY BONUS Why schools opening overseas can help those in the UK, by Barnaby Lenon
32 CRUSE CONTROL Absolutely Education meets leadership guru Jo Cruse
N u r s e ry & P R E P
46 OUT OF DATE? Prep heads discuss whether time is up for the Common Entrance
53 GOLD STANDARD
46
senior
74 MAKING OF ME Dan Snow
Why scholarships still matter, by Giles Tollit, Headmaster of Horris Hill
79 THIS GIRL CAN
60 GENERATION GAIN
A pioneering leadership project is encouraging more women to become heads
Libby Norman hails a new model of learning in south London
88 GENDER ISSUES Will single-sex schools survive? By Lisa Freedman
94 A MATTER OF CHOICE Senior heads discuss curriculum options
112 GET PERSONAL Technology and independent learning are the key to teaching, says Microsoft's Director of Education
116 MAKING OF ME
74
98 MOOCS
Aicha McKenzie
s c h o o l l e av e r
122 BE PREPARED Mental health provision for school leavers is essential, says Robert Milne, Headmaster of Emanuel
126 MAKE IT COUNT Our round-up of the best gap year companies
142
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53 EDITOR
Amanda Constance EDITOR IAL ASSISTANT
Georgia McVeigh
A DV ERTISING M A NAGER
Nicola Owens
COMMERCI A L DIR ECTOR
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GROUP SA L ES DIR ECTOR
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A RT DIR ECTOR
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SENIOR DESIGNER
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MID-W EIGHT DESIGNER
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Catherine Perkins M A R K ETING M A NAGER
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FINA NCE DIR ECTOR
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Greg Hughes, Alexandra Hunter, James Fuschillo PUBL ISHING DIR ECTOR
Sherif Shaltout
94 au t u m n b o o k s
148 BEETLE QUEEN
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@AB SOLUTELY_MAGS ‘AB SOLUTELY MAGAZINES’
An interview with bestselling children's author MG Leonard
EDUCATION
151 GAME ON
AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 • £5
AUTU M N • WI NTER 2018
A new version of Minecraft aims to encourage reluctant readers, by Georgia McVeigh
Take
OFF
Preparing for life after school
TO P T I P S FO R OX B R I D G E
Is the Common Entrance dead?
Follow
THE LEADER
Z E ST. LO NDO N
156 DIGITAL DECODE The four types of screen time, by Elizabeth Tweedale of CypherCoders
166 LASTING LEGACY
‘I LEFT ST PAUL’S THINKING I WAS WONDERFUL’
Time Out
school's out
How the death of a Ludgrove pupil helped schools in Uganda, by Georgia McVeigh
DAN SNOW
I N S P I R I N G T H E N E X T G E N E R AT I O N
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F RO NT COV E R Pupils at Kingston Grammar School, a co-ed school for 11-18 yr olds in Kingston upon Thames Kingston Grammar School, London Road, KT2 6PY 020 8546 5875, kgs.org.uk
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• A B S O L U T E LY E D U C AT I O N ’ S •
CON T R IBU TOR S
Brian Schofield
Head of Politics, Hurstpierpoint College
Brian Schofield previously worked as an editor, travel writer and literary critic for the Sunday Times. His first book, Selling Your Father’s Bones, is published by Harper Collins. He writes about preparing school leavers on p.131. Who is your favourite leader from history and why? Gladstone, a Prime Minister guided by conscience rather than career.
Carol Chandler-Thompson Head, Blackheath High School
4+ AND 7+ TASTER MORNINGS 4+ 10.30am – 11.15am Tuesday 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th November 2018 7+ 8.45am – 11.30am Tuesday 16th October 2018 Apply online admissions@bro.gdst.net www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net L E A A A A E LLL E E
A R R R R A A A
R N I N G A N E E X C E P T I E E E E X X C C E E P TTT III E E X C E P P R N I N G N R N I N G A R N I N G A A N N
D O O O O D D D
A C H N A L N N A A LLL N A A C H A A C C H H
I ( ((( III
E V E I S I III S S III S E V E E E V V E E
www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net Apply Apply online online admissions@bro.gdst.net admissions@bro.gdst.net
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Carol Chandler-Thompson is the Head of leading London independent day school Blackheath High School GDST. Her career has been devoted to teaching and leading in highly successful independent girls’ schools in London and abroad. She writes about inspiring girls to lead on p.83 Who is your favourite leader from history and why? Eleanor Roosevelt. Principled, courageous, fought for the rights of others and not afraid to defy convention.
Gary Wilson
Education consultant and campaigner
Gary Wilson is widely regarded as one of the country's leading experts on raising achievement in boys. He writes about 'Brilliant Boys' on p.64 Who is your favourite leader from history and why? I will go for Sir Alec Clegg, educational pioneer who changed the shape of education in his role of Chief Education Officer for the West Riding of Yorkshire.
M E N T S 2 0 1 6 ) 2 2 0 0 111 6 6 ))) 2 0 6 M E N S M E N M E N TTT S S 30/08/2018 09:19
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MADE IN PUTNEY Meet Charlotte, mathematics and coding wonderkid. Fluent in English, HTML and C#. www.putneyhigh.gdst.net
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• A B S O L U T E LY E D U C AT I O N ’ S •
CON T R IBU TOR S
Jessica Narowlansky
Head of Specialist Education and Wellbeing Cavendish Education
Jessica Narowlansky specialises in dyslexia and supporting children with autistic spectrum conditions. She writes about her own journey with dyslexia on p.67 Who is your favourite leader from history and why? Annie Sullivan, Hellen Keller's teacher – the person who first opened our thinking to the idea that disability is not the measure of the individual.
Open Morning for Years 3-6 (ages 7-10) Saturday 13 October 9.30 – 12 noon (entry via Hunts Slip Road) Parents and boys will tour the College with our current pupils, meet staff and hear the Master, Dr Joe Spence, talk about Dulwich College and Dr Toby Griffiths about the Junior School. No appointment is necessary. The offer of a place in the Junior School is the offer of a place at Dulwich College to age 18. Mid-week visits are also available by appointment. Please call Junior Admissions on 0208 299 8432 or visit dulwich.org.uk/junior-school
Lisa Freedman
Education consultant and journalist.
A Canadian by birth, Lisa Freedman remains fascinated by the bizarre intricacy of the English education system, and is currently completing a PhD in the History of Education at UCL. She writes about single sex schools on p.88 Who is your favourite leader from history and why? My favourite leader from history is Frederick William Walker, headmaster of Manchester Grammar School, 18591876, and St Paul’s School, London, 1877-1905.
Louise Weir
Open Morning for entry into Year 7
Founder, Lovereading4kids
Saturday 6 October 9.30 – 12 noon Tour the College with boys, meet staff and hear the Master, Dr Joe Spence, talk about Dulwich College. No appointment is necessary.
Louise Weir had a career in publishing before founding the UK's number one children's book recommendation site. She reviews the best autumn books on p. 142. Who is your favourite leader from history and why? Mahatma Gandhi. Because he was always determined to do the very best in everything he did but crucially, through non-violence. Our experiences of the 21st century so far, should get us looking back at his core thinking.
Other opportunities are available to visit the College during the school day. Dates can be found on the Admissions section of our website, www.dulwich.org.uk, or please telephone the Registrar’s Office on 020 8299 9263.
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Up Front SCHOOL NEWS P . 18 HARD TIMES P . 29 JO CRUSE INTERVIEW P . 32
G R A N D D AY O U T
Cranmore School Rowing Club hosted the Queen's River Barge, Gloriana, at Walton Rowing Club as part of the school's 50th year celebrations. Gloriana headed a procession of boats up the Walton reach to the Thames.
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Get Ga ming An all girl team from Wimbledon High School were thrilled to be winners of the 2018 BAFTA Young Game Designers competition at a prestigious awards ceremony, where they were awarded the Game Concept Award for 1518 year olds. The girls won the prize for their café simulator game idea – Tea and Tartlets.
NEW APPOINTMENT Edward O’Connor has been appointed as the new Head of St Edmund’s School Canterbury from September 2018. Edward has been Deputy Head at St Edmund’s since 2013 and was Acting Head of the Junior School last year. He succeeds Louise Moelwyn-Hughes. He said: “I feel privileged to be taking over as Head of this dynamic and vibrant day and boarding school at this exciting stage in its evolution.”
“I feel privileged to be taking over as Head of this dynamic school”
RESCUE MISSION
Best Success
Gordonstoun School welcomed former pupil Connor Roe back to the school to talk about his role in the cave rescue operation of the Thai football team and their coach. Roe, who left Gordonstoun in 2009, was called to assist with the final phase of the rescue operation by the British Cave Rescue Council.
Eaton House Belgravia Pre-Prep has achieved its best results for 7+ and 8+ examinations in five years. The first set of results under the new Headmaster, Huw May, just under 40% of the boys received offers from Westminster Under or St. Pauls, amongst other well known schools.
OPEN DOORS Kensington Park School, a new day and boarding senior school, opened its doors in August to welcome girls and boys aged 11+. This follows the opening of the school’s sixth form last year. Headmaster Paul Vanni said: “KPS is a fantastic addition to the central London independent school scheme…"
“I can’t wait for Tokio Myers, the pianist who won Britain’s Got Talent last year to perform with the full Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He is state-educated and busts the myth that classical music is only for old, rich, white folk” AY E S H A H A Z A R I K A I N T H E E V E N I N G S TA N D A R D
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UPFRON T / NEWS By Georgia McVeigh
M I L ESTON E In 2019 Dulwich College will celebrate its 400th anniversary with the Dulwich Olympiad 2019, showcasing skills in sport, music, drama and art. The school will host some 800 participants from Dulwich College International schools, as well as boys from the London college.
SCORE IT U P 2018 saw Felsted School achieve its best ever IB Diploma Programme results. Once again,Felsted achieved a 100% pass rate, and this year improved their average point score to 35.5 out of a possible 45, 5.5 points above the world average. Five students achieved scores of over 40 points, putting each of them into the top 6% worldwide.
F LY I N G H I G H GCSE students Niamh Breslin and Martha Tyler represented Babington House School in the London Schools Trampoline Championships held at Harlington Sports Centre, where both performed extremely well. Martha has previously competed in Regional trampoline championships and has her sights set on representing Great Britain for trampolining.
T H E B U T T E R F LY EFFECT A Year 11 pupil from Sydenham High, Frances Newe, qualified for the National Summer Swimming Championships in Sheffield, despite a challenging season. She was one of only 20 swimmers in the country selected in five events, winning silver in the butterfly to make her the second fastest in the country for her age.
SPORTING SUCCESS Cumnor House Sussex Colts ‘A’ team beat strong competition at the East Grinstead Hockey Academy tournament. 13 schools from all over Sussex, Surrey and Kent were brought together to compete for the prestigious winners’ trophy.
“I don’t want my kids coming home speaking like Ali G.” PA U L W E L L E R , O N E -T I M E C L A S S WA R R I O R A N D N O W M I D D L E C L A S S PA R E N T O N W H Y H E E D U C AT E S H I S K I D S P R I V A T E LY
SOMETHING THEY SAID
“We’ve had feedback over the last week that some people are unhappy with our plan to offer up to 14 scholarships to refugees living in the local area. To these people we would like to say: Tough. Jog on.” UNIVERSITY OF READING ON TWITTER
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UPFRON T / NEWS By GEORGIA MCVEIGH
RECORD R E S U LT S Brighton College broke its own record for top grades this year, and was placed number one in The Times A-Level league table. Despite the new exams, the school achieved 40% A*s, the school’s highest ever figure. Headmaster Richard Cairns said: “With 99% of grades at A*/B, these results are better than any school in England achieved last year.
C O U N T RY REPS
Young Entrepreneurs
Oakham School have had a successful sporting year, culminating in a large number of students selected to represent their country. Seven Oakhamians were selected to play rugby for their country, alongside other students selected to represent their country in athletics, cricket and hockey. One student even made international history for being selected as the first athlete outside of the US to play in the 2018 Under Armour All-America High School Football Game.
Year 6 pupils from Rose Hill School won second, third and runners up prizes in the national John Lewis Innovation Prize. The task was to reinvent a school blazer. Pupils presented their winning products to Paula Nikolds, the first female MD in John Lewis history. Pupils were then taught about how John Lewis manages sustainability and ethical employment.
“These results are better than any school in England”
UNIVERSITY LIFE St Helen’s, Northwood, recently launched St Helen’s University, a pioneering three-day, off-timetable initiative at the school, enabling Year 7 - 9 girls to follow their own schedule of talks, classes, adventures and independent work. Girls chose from Creativity, Culture, Performance, Science & Technology, Society and Wellbeing themes, with activities including archery, abseiling, photography, journalism, forensic analysis and theatrical make-up workshops.
Top Story
ART FEST Hanford School has hosted their first Art Festival. The successful program saw 16 different artists and experts hosting talks and workshops for Hanford girls, staff, parents, friends, family, local school children and residents. The weeklong festival celebrated the role of creativity plays by exploring major environmental themes, with the aim of demonstrating how art communicates important ideas and issues.
R E S U LT SUCCES SES The Oratory School celebrated another year of A-Level success with 40% of pupils achieving an A*-A. Their A-Level results also placed The Oratory School in the top 3% of schools for adding value to this year’s Upper Sixth Form cohort. The school is also celebrating GCSE success, with 46% of all grades being the top grades of 9-7 (A*-A).
SOMETHING THEY SAID
“Call me old-fashioned, but the notion of not having personal space when you’re going through puberty is nonsensical, whatever your gender. Where should we draw the line?” KELLI N EALE I N TH E TI M E . H ER DAUG HTER FOUG HT TH E SCHOOL T O R E I N S TAT E S I N G L E S E X L O O S ( S H E W O N ) .
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02668_Babington_Absolutely_Mag_Ad_Layout 1 08/07/2018 23:53 Page 1
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AIM HIGHER The sky’s the limit at Blackheath High School
Visit us at one of our open events and hear about our new £18 million state of the art redevelopment completing in 2018/19: Sixth Form Information Evening – 3 October Open Morning – 6 October
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UPFRON T / NEWS By GEORGIA MCVEIGH
W H Y B OA R D? Cranleigh School has designed an evening for prep schools and parents to discuss boarding queries. Open to anyone interested in sending their child to either Cranleigh or another boarding school, it includes talks from the Director of the Good Schools Guide, Education consultants, the Chair of the Boarding Schools Association and the Headmaster of Cranleigh Prep School.
“It's an evening for parents to discuss boarding queries”
LIFE SKILLS
G O L F I N G G OA L
Oakfield Prep offers a Year 6 Diploma during the summer term: a programme of workshops and projects that involve design, Creative Arts, reading groups with junior pupils, community visits to care homes and charities and leadership skills in sport, music and drama. Entrepreneurs, investment banks and local businesses run seminars in the school and visiting speakers hope to inspire the children. Their practical-design project for the Summer Fair involves strategic thinking, problemsolving and social responsibility.
The Golf Academy at Merchiston has been ranked No. 1 in the UK by the ISGA for the fifth year running. Each of the 19 schools competing had competed in their regional areas, so the competition for the national title was between the best performing schools in the UK. Merchiston Golf Academy were awarded second place, securing the prestigious Order of Merit award as the ISGA’s Number One Junior Golf School in the UK.
S TAT E - O F THE-ART The King’s School Canterbury will open a new, state-of-theart performing arts centre in January 2019. A former Victorian Malthouse close to the school will house a 334 seat theatre with retractable seating and full orchestra pit, two drama and dance studios, and spaces for art exhibitions. The theatre will benefit not only the school but also the local community with the space available for use within a city that has a thriving arts scene.
Top Story
CRICKET GIRLS Broomwood Hall’s girls cricket team were placed second at the London and Surrey finals of Lady Taverner’s Indoor Cricket competition and were unbeaten at the SOCS finals in June. Broomwood Hall prides itself on encouraging a high level of sport in female players, and the mixed rugby teams have also done very well this year, with sport growing in popularity amongst the girls.
S E N S O RY P L AY
C R E AT I V E CAREERS
The Moat School in Fulham has installed a new sensory playground in the Lower School area with investment from the Cavendish Education Group. The Moat School caters for pupils with unique learning profiles, and hopes that the new developments will to continue to provide the best possible care and results, both socially and academically.
Highgate School recently held a Go Creative – Get A Job! conference, focusing on the importance of creative arts in education. The head of Highgate, Adam Pettitt, highlighted the need to encourage the creative arts subjects in schools. Other speakers also took part, including a keynote from actor and writer Meera Syal CBE.
SOMETHING THEY SAID
“We have in this country quite an outdated idea of our education system, which is that private schools are posh and everything else isn’t. Whereas the truth is that, within the private sector, Eton and Harrow and Winchester and St Paul’s are posh. Everything else is middle-class.” C O M E D I A N D AV I D B A D D I E L
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UPFRON T / FOCUS
SCHOOL NOTICES FOUNDERS CLARE REID A N D G O R D O N D AW S O N
Buyer’s
MARKET School Notices is a digital network that benefits parents and schools alike A M A N D A C O N S TA N C E
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ant to buy a llama, a new puppy or maybe a pink Cadillac? Or maybe you’re selling an Eton tailcoat or want to rent your villa in Barbados. You can find all these things, and much more on School Notices, a successful digital marketplace. Like Radio HP and its cooler, metropolitan cousin Emily’s Group, School Notices has built an impressive online following. Taking the principle of the oldfashioned school noticeboard, it is a cuttingedge website that connects up schools, parents and alumni across the country. “It’s a really simple concept to be honest” says Clare Reid, who founded the business in 2014. “Most parents don’t want to advertise their kid’s musical instruments
or puppies, or look for a nanny, on a dusty noticeboard in the school corridor. Nor do they want to rent out their precious holiday home to a stranger on Airbnb, which is where we come in.” “It’s a trusted community,” she says, “you have an idea of who you are dealing with, which really matters.” The website is free to join and parents, staff and alumni can buy, sell and advertise to one another, safe in the knowledge that other users will be PLU – People Like Us as my granny used to say. But School Notices is more than just a great free-to-post digital marketplace, it also raises money for its member schools. A sizeable 25 per cent of all advertising revenue is shared with them, providing an alternative revenue stream with no effort required. So far 130 UK member independent schools have signed up - with access to
“Schools Notices has raised £100,000 so far for member schools” nearly 90,000 parents and the business is launching in Asia and Australia. “It’s a very successful concept,” says Reid, “and there’s a real feel-good factor because we are helping schools and parents.” And these aren’t any old parents – most independent school parents are in the top 1% of earners in the UK and “where an affluent audience goes, the businesses will follow,” says Reid. School Notices already boasts an impressive roster of advertising clients such as Boden, Bupa, Boodles, Powder Byrne, Bailey Robinson, Strutt & Parker and St James’s Place. Some are businesses run by parents – as in the case of Bailey Robinson (“a Cheam parent”, says Reid) or big corporates attracted by the audience demographic. Reid got the idea for School Notices came when she was involved in raising money for a new art block at her childrens’ school, Cheam, near Newbury. “I sidled up to a friend – a dad on the touch line – her now partner Gordon Dawson and within a week we were in the headmaster’s study explaining our idea", she says. "We tested it at Cheam – within the first term most parents had signed up… Last term the school had a cheque for £14k from us.” Just four years ago Reid and Dawson were running their business in a barn. They are now a team of 14 in an office near Basingstoke. And they have raised £100,000 for member schools so far, though Reid says they won’t “break open the bubbly until we get to £500,000”. Schoolnotices.co.uk
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UPFRON T / OPINION
Bursary bonus With more schools opening overseas franchises, the Chairman of the Independent Schools Council explains how they can help schools in the UK BARNABY LENON
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ducation is a hugely important and significant UK export. British independent schools are globally renowned and, for this reason, the UK independent school model is becoming increasingly popular and translated to countries across the world. The ISC annual Census shows there are 47 ISC member schools that have set-up campuses abroad, educating a total of 32,330 pupils. There are, in fact, more pupils being educated in overseas campuses than there are overseas pupils in UK ISC schools. According to a report by the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), published in July 2018: “British international schools make up 45% of the international schools market. The schools are located outside the UK and teach a curriculum that would be recognised in the
ISC member schools are currently educating 32,330 pupils overseas UK, such as the National Curriculum for England. These schools have a distinctly British ethos, which can include highquality pastoral care, a range of extracurricular opportunities, and reference to British values, freedoms and culture.” As a leading UK export, the British international schools sector has significant economic value. The international education sector also has a big impact both socially and culturally, a fact acknowledged by many domestic and international pupils. As COBIS notes, the sector contributes to the UK economy through franchises, use of education goods and services, and
repatriation of salaries. In addition, British winternational schools send students to UK universities, and generate soft power of immense value by educating thousands of global, political, economic and professional leaders across the world. It is down to the strength of the independent sector that other countries have encouraged schools to set up partner schools abroad; recent years have seen such schools established in China and the Middle East and this has strengthened relationships with these important trading partners. The nations that appreciate the UK model are no strangers to impressive academic attainment within their own systems, but it is breadth of curriculum and the direct line into an established school's ethos and philosophy which draws in new parents. ABOVE Pupils at Repton School in Dubai
International franchise schools, run by UK-based ISC schools, help to fund bursaries in the UK, increasing access to UK independent schools. It is important schools can raise funds for bursaries in this way. With many independent schools having charitable status, they do much for the communities around them and a key part of this is in the offer of bursaries for students who would not otherwise be able to access independent education. A third of all independent school pupils now receive help with their fees. ISC schools provide more than £800 million of fee assistance, benefiting over 170,000 children. This figure is increasing year-on-year and is certainly being supported by the increase in overseas campuses. Independent schools believe in the importance of bursaries for a number of reasons. Bursaries widen the pool of applicants at ISC schools, meaning that schools have a greater mix of pupils from a variety of backgrounds and are a better representation of the country as a whole.
B A R N A BY L E N O N Chairman Independent Schools Council
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W
hen my mother became a school governor in the 70s, one of the other governors resigned. He was making a stand at a woman joining the board. In those days, many governors were appointed on the back of a drinks party or being a friend of the Brigadier’s. As long as they had a job, were perhaps an old boy and happy to turn up to the odd meeting, then that was good enough. Since then, the independent educational landscape has dramatically changed resulting in the governing body being far more accountable and professional. A number of factors have caused this.
Matthew Rice, Chairman of Bedales
Hard
TIMES
As it gets more difficult to recruit school governors, Absolutely Education looks at the challenges of a changing role SOPHIE PENDER-CUDLIP
“Being a governor must be fun, to keep up levels of enthusiasm, particularly given it’s voluntary” The Office of Fair Trading put a stop to a cartel of annual fee increases of 8 or 9%, which had allowed schools to build up nice healthy cash surpluses. Today, most schools increase fees at the level of inflation, accepting they must manage the finances better. The Charities Commission also played their part and began scrutinising schools’ charitable status. ‘Educating’ children wasn’t enough and ‘public benefit’ became a factor. This wasn’t just about letting local residents use the facilities but about offering bursaries to educate children from families unable to pay fees. Unless endowments and legacies were in place, schools would have to find the money to fund these bursaries. As a result, today the bottom line of the financial accounts has shrunk and the responsibility lies entirely with the governing body to keep the school developing. Because of
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this responsibility and the fact that governors are legally and financially liable for the school, the line is blurring between governing body and management. Governors still have to remind themselves that governance is about identifying ‘ends’ and not about the ‘means’ of achieving that end. “The board is there to deal with broad issues not granular issues,” says Matthew Rice who has been Chairman of Bedales School for the last six years and a governor for ten. Recruiting governors is becoming tougher. The selection process in most schools is formal and people are recruited to fill certain defined positions whether it’s legal, financial, education, estates, welfare and safeguarding. At Bedales the hoard recruits two years ahead of a vacancy coming up and each governor has a fixed eight-year tenure. Rice believes that being a governor must be, “fun, to keep up levels of enthusiasm,” particularly given it’s voluntary and time consuming. He believes the education committee must be excellent and that safeguarding has become more important in recent years where policies are reviewed regularly. He also emphasises gender balance and believes a board in a co-ed school should ideally be 50:50. Bedales has a varied range of
ages on its governing body, with one being 29, one of the youngest private school governors around. Rupert Robson, a governor at Sherborne Boys, believes that “diversity” is crucial on the Board to ensure a range of thinking and input at meetings. “It isn’t just gender and age diversity, but also background and experience.” Not trespassing on the domain of the Head is hard particularly when under pressure in the toughest environment private schools have
“Why would anyone give up their time and face the risk in being a governor?” ever faced. Lucinda Sunnucks, Chair of governors at Hanford, says, “You must have an excellent relationship with the Head. We chat things over regularly, see where potential problem areas are and deal with them together before they manifest themselves.” Ian Bromilow, Chair of governors at Milton Abbey, adds, “The Head is the ‘critical friend’ and you must spend time building a relationship with them. At times there are frank discussions and we may not always
agree, but it’s important they don’t feel governors are being critical but working together for the good of the school. We’re on the same side.” Rupert Robson believes that like any non-exec board, an experienced governor will keep their distance from the head operationally and understand the parameters of the role. “Inevitably there is tension present in every situation or entity on a board whether it’s a school, mutual, public company or charity, particularly with a board that is fairly anachronistic meeting infrequently three times a year.” Parent governors often sit on the board and give a useful insight into the school from a parent perspective. Lucinda Sunnucks believes a parent governor is a bonus as, “they know the reality of the school.” However, this can be challenging as they’re accessible to other parents on a regular basis and may face an interrogation on the latest fee increase. Robson says appointing a parent governor is, “like a company asking the client or customer to be a director. From a legal perspective, the fact they’re a parent is irrelevant but they may have to declare a conflict of interest.” It can also be complex if a school faces a major strategic change. There can be no personal agendas on the board and governors have to remain totally discreet, despite being easy targets in the school car park. With all the legalities and liabilities, it begs the question why anyone would give up their time and face the risk in being a governor? “You have to feel confident and trust your advisers, the head and the bursar. Above all, you have to love the school,” says Lucinda Sunnucks. However, with the independent sector coming under pressure, a potential change of government, introduction of VAT, and the sheer cost of private education becoming out of reach for most British families, it may well be harder to recruit governors. Governors may well have to take more of an interest in the school and a head might have to accept a closer relationship with the governors. There aren’t many non-exec directors in the commercial world who meet termly and have a financial, legal and personal liability at stake. Perhaps, therefore, we should take our hats off to the governors and hope that more people throw their hat in the ring - just for the love of a school.
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CRUSE CON TROL Jo Cruse had it all and lost it all. She now uses her experience to teach young people how to be the masters of their own lives A M A N D A C O N S TA N C E
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LEFT Jo Cruse in action at Dulwich College
J
o Cruse is blonde, beautiful and very, very articulate. Born in the UK and raised in South Africa, hers was a gilded pathway to certain success. Head girl at Herschel Girls’ School in Cape Town – the St Paul’s Girls’ of South Africa – followed by PPE at Cape Town University, she swiftly rose through the ranks of South African politics to become Chief of Staff to the Parliamentary Leader and then Head of Communications in Parliament. A move to the UK in 2012 didn’t slow her down; she taught Economics at high-flying Merchant Taylor’s in Northwood for a couple of years before becoming a spin doctor in Westminster. And then it all came crashing down. “I woke up on my 29th birthday; I was going through a divorce, I was depressed, unable to work and in big trouble financially. I’d gone from being a high-achieving 18 year-old on the traditional path to success to having failed by every metric of success
College, Cranleigh, Oakham, Westonbirt, Putney High (where Cruse held the role of ‘entrepreneur-in-residence’), Merchant Taylors’, Haberdashers Aske’s, Radley and Downe House. Cruse has had glowing references from many of them with numerous heads lauding her work with their students. Interviewing Cruse in a Mayfair coffee shop, it is hard to imagine she has ever had a moment of crisis or self-doubt. Immaculate in a navy suit, she has the chiselled cheekbones, toned arms and blonde mane of an avowed high flyer. Savvy beyond her years, she talks in a fluent millennial patois of therapy and management speak but has an emotional intelligence that goes way beyond soundbites. And she is winningly open about the fact that she hasn’t always been so together. For Cruse, the collapse in her late 20s has become the defining point in her life. She comes from a family of doers; her father, Peter Cruse, was an activist in an apartheid South Africa – he was exiled after becoming involved in the defence of Steve
doing great things, I’d probably get greater clarity about what I wanted to do.” On her return, Cruse was clear that she wanted to work in education with “the autonomy and dynamism that entrepreneurship offered,” she says. Fate came calling: Duncan Piper had been snapped up by James Dyson to run his university and needed to replace himself so in March 2017, Cruse took over at The Unreasonables. “It was extraordinary. Like entrepreneurship bootcamp for 18th months,” she says. The Unreasonables had identified a “real need”, says Cruse. “There is a huge defecit between what the world is demanding of young people and what schools are currently able to provide.” For the last 18 months, she has visited four to five schools a week delivering a variety of programmes. The first has been working with mainly sixth-form students, primarily delivering face-to-face leadership workshops, ranging from training prefects to Ted-Talk-style lectures.
THERE IS A HUGE DEFICIT BETWEEN WHAT THE WORLD IS DEMANDING OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND WHAT SCHOOLS CAN PROVIDE I’d set for myself, both personally and professionally. It was a real moment of reckoning,” she says now. The reckoning involved time out and lots of “invaluable” therapy. “I basically wanted to figure out how I got there and once I’d figured that out the commitment I made was to help other young people not to get to that place. It was the first step on the journey towards doing what I now do.” Cruse, aged 32, now delivers leadership programmes to young people. For the past 18 months, she has been the managing director of The Unreasonables, an education startup (founded by Duncan Piper who is himself now heading up the new Dyson University), which she has recently left in order to go it alone as a consultant. With The Unreasonables she ran leadership workshops in many of the UK’s leading schools including Dulwich
Biko – and her English mother was involved in the women’s rights movement in the UK in the Seventies. “Growing up, I was certainly encouraged to understand what I believe and then go out and act on it,” says Cruse. “But the real catalyst for me was experiencing a period of crisis and wanting to use it constructively.” Once back on her feet, Cruse set up a consultancy for social enterprises on communication strategy. “I was very interested in the intersection between education and entrepreneurship,” she says And then she fell in love “which was unexpected and lovely”. A night out with her now fiancé, Dom, resulted in a wild plan to travel from Alaska to Argentina, ostensibly to interview 75 social entrepreneurs from Anchorage to Buenos Aires. It sounds terribly high-minded but she now laughs that she had an ulterior motive. “I kind of figured if I spoke to 75 people that were
It quickly became apparent that students were hungry for skills development so Cruse worked with students on networking, public speaking and interview skills. Much of the work “was not rocket science, she says. It involved demystifying business speak and tips on negotiating the working world. Her one-hour ‘networking workshop’ for example, included simple tips on personal branding, such as having a business card and a LinkedIn profile, how to start a chance conversation and how to follow it up with a phone call or email. Things that many of us take for granted but are revelatory to our screen-glued youngsters. “A lot of it is basic old-fashioned manners,” says Cruse. “We do a 10-minute icebreaker around handshakes and eye contact. It’s the kind of stuff that makes you stand out if you are one of 100 people contesting for a big job. It’s an absolute game changer.” AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 33
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RIGHT Jo Cruse talks to students and teachers at Dulwich College
Cruse also led numerous “thoughtsparking sessions” on her philosophy of leadership. “For The Unreasonables, leadership is about being active in your choices and challenging assumptions.” Hence the company name. “It’s about disrupting conventional ways of thinking around leadership and how young people understand themselves and their futures.” She says many 15 or 16 year olds think of leadership as “something out there”. Many have already decided they aren’t leaders and “we want to them to question that”. One of the ways Cruse does that is to “reframe what leadership is”. Teenagers like to think in absolutes, in black and white. The oft-shared assumption, she says, is that to be a leader “you have to be extrovert, uber-confident, an achiever and infallible”. “One of our most popular sessions we ran was when I would go to schools and talk openly and very candidly about my own experience of having OCD. I was diagnosed when I was 16. It was very debilitating. I was very ill in my late teens but it was about saying to them – these two things can coexist: you can be a human being with all the complexity that comes with that and still lead.”
“You can be a human being with all the complexity that comes with that and still lead” That was “revelatory” for a lot of students, says Cruse. “Especially in those top schools that are uber, uber competitive and all about achievement with no room for fallibility. It was wonderful to see the conversation that that provoked.” Cruse says she has had some very emotional emails, from students who have been affected by her honesty in these sessions. She says that exposing herself to them is also an important part of defining what leadership is for them. “The farce is thinking everyone else has it sorted, there's a lack of honesty”, she says, citing her own experience as a good example. “Even though outwardly I was a leader, I showed very little active leadership of my own life in my teens and 20s. I didn’t develop that sense of agency for myself. I do this now because it’s really shit to be 29 and lost.”
Cruse sees “a very clear dovetail” between her work and helping young people manage their mental health. “So many problems such as anxiety are fed by uncertainty and if we can give young people the skills to cope with uncertainty then it will help their health and wellbeing.” Much of the uncertainty comes from the changing world of work. Cruse sees a fundamental “disconnect” between this and the way schools are still approaching education. “Most of my peers don’t work nine to five”, she says, “we all have portfolio careers. Even looking back at my own schooling, just 15 years ago, that was never ever part of the conversation. To survive in this working environment you need a completely different set of skills. We say to the students: ‘You will probably have five or six careers, you might work for 10 or more employers, you have got to learn how to manage that process.’” Cruse is now much in demand as an independent consultant and already has top schools, corporate clients and edtech companies clamouring for her talents. She is something of a paradox – despite her protestations, Jo Cruse is the success her 18-year-old self foresaw. What’s so appealing is her insight and honesty about how she’s got to this point and her preparedness to share that with others. She is clearly excited about her new consultancy role. Her projects all have the same central theme, she says, “How do we equip young people to be the best versions of themselves?’ As she heads out in to the Mayfair afternoon, it’s hard not to think that she is the very embodiment of her own teaching philosophy.
Jo Cruse’s CV PRESENT Education consultant and entrepreneur 2017-2018 Managing Director, The Unreasonables 2016-2017 Co-led the MacroAdventure expedition from Alaska to Argentina to interview social entrepreneurs and investors across the Americas 2014-2016 Political and Communications Advisor, Westminster 2010 -2012 Democratic Alliance - Chief of Staff to the Parliamentary Leader of the Opposition, Head of Research and Communications and, latterly, Parliamentary Operations Director 2007-2010 Business and Communications consultant and freelancer 2004-2006 PPE, University of Cape Town 1995-2003 Herschel Girls' School, Cape Town
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GRAMMAR Kingston Grammar School might not look grand but it has plenty of gravitas A M A N D A C O N S TA N C E P H OTO G R A P H Y M I L L I E P I L K I N GTO N
I
s that it?” My colleague stared across the busy road junction, as we tried to ascertain if the unimposing building opposite us was indeed Kingston Grammar School. A not particularly large brick building sitting on a choked T-junction in the middle of Kingston, it doesn’t look, at first glance, like one of the country’s top independent schools. We get spoilt in this job, visiting some of the country’s grandest schools that more often resemble stately homes than your average place of learning. Grand it isn’t, but KGS has plenty of gravitas. A leading independent school for boys and girls aged 11-18, it was founded in 1561 and is ranked in the top 100 academically. And first impressions can often be very misleading. KGS might have a small shopfront, but the magnificent glass extension next door is the Michael Frayn theatre – named after the school’s theatrical alumnus, part of ‘the QE2 extension’, built by the school in 2004. The QE2 is, broadly speaking, a sixth form centre, and has a
“The kids here are normal, they don’t exist in a bubble and have to think of others” quad complete with primary coloured music practice pods that wouldn’t look out of place on Star Trek and at the front of the building, the Baxter gallery – named after retired head Duncan Baxter – which is street facing and often displays art from local primary schools. It says a lot about an establishment when its most public face is outward facing, open to the street and the passing crowds. KGS is proud to be an urban school and proud to be part of the community. The original school buildings stretch back a long way, tightly packed in with the neighbouring houses. Sarah Humphrey, Deputy Head Pastoral, admits the school uses special ‘quiet’ footballs in attempts to appease the neighbours. At the back of the school is the open space of Fairfield Park
that it shares with nearby Tiffin School and the local council. It’s separated from the school by a quiet road – it is here that most KGS students arrive at school in the morning. Humphrey says, “What I like here is our kids are normal, they come here on local transport or on bikes, not in a 4x4, they don't exist in a bubble and have to think of others.” Words like normal, balanced, grounded are bandied about frequently when people describe KGS, not to mention its legendary pastoral care. And it does feel relaxed; doors to staff offices are always open, staff eat together and pupils appear relaxed and friendly. Of course, this school is not ‘normal’ in the ususal sense of the word. It costs upwards of £19k a year to send your children here, a highly selective, academic school where 80% of the sixth form go to Russell Group universities and 10% go to Oxbridge. And that’s before we even get started on the size of the sports trophy cabinet. Oh, and there’s the 30 acres of immaculate sports ground 10 minutes away that lies on the banks of the Thames
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opposite Hampton Court Palace, more of which later. No, this school is not normal. That may be true, acknowledges says headmaster Stephen Lehec (it’s Hugenot originally, cue many a classroom joke such as ‘What the Heck’ etc). But “our students are well prepared for life”, he says. “They are measured, kind and genuinely happy.” The school’s motto is ‘Work well and be happy’. Lehec says he discusses its meaning with his students. “I think it means that you should go out into the world and make a difference – not just personal success but the effect you have on other people,” he says. “That doesn’t mean you can’t be successful – you can still be a partner at KPMG or Slaughter and May – but you can take other people with you. You can still act in an ethical way.” Lehec says this sort of moral leadership is hugely important to him and his staff. “Moral leadership is a core part of any education and a core part of what we do here. I would be worried if I thought we weren’t ethical role models for our students." The school is very involved in outreach programmes both near and far; students
from the second year upwards help in local soup kitchens and old people’s homes, KGS frequently partners with nearby Kingston Academy and has recently run an science day with Imperial College to which local primary schools were invited. KGS also strong links with a school in Ghana where it is helping to train teachers. Of course, all this do-gooding is partly to appease the charity commission but you do feel that KGS is genuinely focused on and proud of producing thoroughly grounded students. Stephen Lehec has a fairly unique perspective of the school, taking over the headship in 2014 after six years as head at Aylesbury Grammar, which confusingly is an actual grammar, a highly-academic state school in affluent Buckinghamshire. “We are not in oligarch territory here,” says Lehec, aged 47. “The range of privilege at KGS is enormous,” he says. “Some of the pupils at Aylesbury came from incredibly affluent families but they were not paying anything for their education. Some of the families here have far less but parents are sacrificing an incredible amount to send their children here. That’s part of my drive to make sure we offer the best, not only what we do offer but the quality of what we should offer.”
Delivering for Lehec means “ no compromise, no sacrifice – great pastoral care doesn’t come at the cost to something else – your child will do really well academically but also have great sporting opportunities. It’s about delivering a bit of everything at the highest possible level.” “I was excited by the opportunity here; there was a sense here that there was a higher demand on the bang you were going to get for your buck.” Lehec says his career in the state system means he brought “a little bit of sharpness” with him to KGS. “Having operated in a different sector, you know how to make the most of every opportunity and how to get good value.” His initial aim at KGS has been to “tighten it all up – you can increase the number of people playing music as well as the quality of your top performers,” he says. Academically he is pushing for a higher level of aspiration. Ironically Aylesbury Grammar was more academic than KGS – “I want to combine that level of academic expectation with the existing holistic aspiraton at KGS, ” he says. Things are already changing, last year’s GCSEs were “phenomenal”, says Lehec
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but the 2018 cohort raised the bar even further with 58% of all grades at the top A*/9/8 level. In this year’s A-Level results, 30% of all grades were A*, and A*/A grades accounted for more than two-thirds of all results. Lehec has also brought with him a different level of financial nous. “I used to manage a school of 1,300 boys on a budget of £4million,” he says. “Now I am managing a school of 800 students on a budget that is more than three times that.” With that level of financial freedom, Lehec says he has grabbed at the opportunites this can deliver. He has invested heavily in staffing, particularly in training – the school has set up its own teaching school and is training its own teachers in English, Maths and Physics with four to eight trainees coming through KGS every year. He wants to add the scheme to arts subjects as well. “If you have great teachers and great students the magic will happen – if you then add on the bells and whistles – great facilities, opportunities, ABOVE LEFT trips, speakers that all helps KGS is a top rowing to build it up. But if you don’t school ABOVE RIGHT invest in the fundamentals – In the science lab the quality of education you BELOW have nothing,” he says. Pupils in the Baxter Gallery Tim Benson is such a teacher. He joined the school as head of computing such as building STEAM in September last year. robots and LEGO. “ My passon KGS is offering computer science GCSE is that you learn through building for the first time and Benson is behind something rather than being taught the the delivery of an “outstanding computer individual subjects,” says Benson. “Taking science curriculum,” says Humphreys. This something apart and building it – nobody includes tearing up the computer lab over has written a programme ever, without the summer to make a space for physical failure –it’s a constant process of mistakes and failure. “We get kids saying it doesn’t work – they must rebuild it, they must have the freedom to struggle – we must build sufficient time into the curriculum to struggle,” he says. Stephen Lehec says one of his personal strengths is “simplifying things in an intelligent way” and he has already made some fundamental changes to KGS “I changed the timetable as soon as I arrived,” he says. You are not going to get quality teaching in 30 min lessons. I wanted hours, we settled on 50 minute lessons.” He has also introduced a new approach to homework. “I am a great believer in flipped learning,” he says. Traditionally students have been tested at home on the higher order skills, ie the more complicated stuff leaving classtime for the lower order thinking skills – the who, where, what, when. “So we give them the tough stuff for homework and then criticise them and give them low grades if they don’t get it." At KGS, set homework is now simpler with classtime reserved “for the really meaty stuff”, says Lehec. The new head has also refined the 11+
“I used to manage a school of 1,300 boys on a budget of £4million,” he says. “Now I am managing a school of 800 students on a budget that is more than three times that” process. About 800 candidates sit the entrance exam with 350 interviewed and about 200 sent offers. The new approach has included aligning the Maths and English papers to test pupils on what they are learning in school rather than what can be tutored and staff have been retrained in interview techniques so they really listen rather than ask questions. “We really try and dodge the tutors,” says Lehec “again that might be my state grammar school experience” but he says it’s not about “being more academically selective – indeed we may be offering places to fewer people because we know who is going to fit – it’s not all academic. I think we have scope for AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 41
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children where we don’t know what RIGHT they are good at yet.” On the cricket pitch Even the school’s already BELOW exemplary pastoral care system KGS pupils has been given the once over. KGS is one of the few schools in the country to already have a head of wellbeing. But Lehec has put an end to the previous practice of form tutors changing every year. There are now specialist first-year tutors, then the same form tutor from Y8 to Y11 and a specialist sixth form tutor. “They used to mix them up every year, it was a mish mash,” says Lehec. “It was supposed to be character building but parents never got the hang of it and the children didn’t settle... It’s about developing relationships.” One of Stephen Lehec’s biggest challenges has been overhauling the school’s bursary offering. “ I think my state school background told me that this kind of education should be available to more people who have the ability but not the means,” he says. But he doesn’t think bursaries should be funded internally, essentially by parents who are often already sacrificing so much to pay full fees. “We should not be robbing Peter to pay Paul” he says. So he has approached the school alumni and set about raising serious capital – “we should hit £5million in the next six months,” he says. This means bursaries are up to nearly 5% and he’s working towards an equivalent figure of live up to; KGS ranks equal fifth and third 10% students on full bursaries for life. for schools producing Olympians. James Lehec is clearly a man of ambition. It Cracknell is an alumnus, and Maclean is telling that when Natalie Maclean, the herself played hockey for England. When we Director of Sport shows me around the arrive at the 30 acre grounds, a sixth-form school’s sumptuous sports fields in Thames student is casually knocking about a hockey Ditton, she jokes that she gets into trouble ball – she plays for England, too. with the head if KGS don’t do well in KGS is known for its hockey and rowing matches. But then the school has a lot to excellence, but Lehec says he wants to see the schools stay at the very top for elite sport but he also wants to see “more pupils playing more sport of a greater variety”. A new head can really revitalise a school, and this is clearly the case at KGS. But Stephen Lehec doesn’t want to push the school forward at any cost. Asked where he’d like it to be in ten years time, he says he wants to be in the top 50 academically “but quite frankly I have no interest in being a Top 10 school, I don’t want a march to the top that would change our nature and ethos,” he says. “We measure ourselves 99% by our progress – valued added is the only true measure of the quality of the job you have done,” he says. What Lehec really wants is for his students and staff to embody the school motto. “One of the first things I did was promote it, it’s a very simple strapline, that everyone understands… “And I think we do. We live out our motto; we work well and we are happy.”
At a Glance
Kingston Grammar School FOUNDED • 1561 HEAD • Mr Stephen Lehec GENDER • Co-ed NUMBER OF PUPILS • 830 DAY OR BOARDING • Day only AGES • 11-18 POINTS OF ENTRY • Some 10+ deferred entry, mainly 11+, 13+ and 16+ ADMISSIONS • Selective - school’s own entrance exams for 11+ and 13+. 16+ entry based on predicted GCSE results. RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION • Non denominational FEES • £19,230pa ADDRESS • London Road Kingston, Surrey KT2 6PY www.kgs.org.uk
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Shakespeare no fear
Open Morning 5th October 2018
Independent co-educational preparatory day, xi and full-time boarding school, ages 2-13. Contact the school Registrar on 01590 613 303 or email registrar@walhampton.com WALHAMPTON SCHOOL, LYMINGTON, HAMPSHIRE SO41 5ZG.
www.walhampton.com Registered charity Number: 307330
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Nursery & prep IS THE 13-PLUS DEAD? P . 46 GENERATION GAIN P . 60 BRILLIANT BOYS P . 64
KNIGHTON HOUSE
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DAVID PATERSON
DATE I
With more schools introducing the 11-plus and pre-tests, is the Common Entrance dead? Here some prep schools give their thoughts on the pros and cons of the 13-plus
HEADMASTER Woodcote House
still firmly believe in the Common Entrance (CE). To me, it’s absolutely vital pupils have an entrance exam. Because Woodcote is a prep school, we’re preparing them for what’s going to confront them in the future which begins with their GCSEs, which they will sit three years after leaving their prep school. Nor would we have prepared them for the discipline that will be needed to take their A-Levels and beyond. Of course, there are weaknesses with the CE. Lots of subjects aren’t great. For example, the History syllabus is much too narrow, whereas conversely, the Religious Education syllabus is much too wide: there’s too much to learn. With this in mind, I can envisage that Common Entrance may condense into just the core subjects, so Maths, English, Science and a language.
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PR EP / TA LK ING POIN T
working children to celebrate their effort and successes as they move on to their senior schools. Whether children have conditional offers to their senior schools or not, the Common Entrance creates an opportunity for children to experience the pressure of examinations within the nurturing environment of their prep school. This is excellent preparation for the challenges of GCSEs. The Common Entrance also develops academic skills that are necessary for success at GCSEs and beyond. For example, in English and the Humanities, CE papers allow children to develop and hone their skills in LEFT analysis, synthesis, Pupils at Woodcote House reasoning and BELOW essay writing. A field trip at Sandroyd All examination
“I think it is an essential part for preparing prep-school children for later life” I think the benefits outweigh some of the flaws in the system. The entrance exams keep a group of 13 year olds academically focused, which is no mean feat. We could, of course, have internal exams, but they wouldn’t carry the weight or the same gravitas as a public exam. There is, of course, the argument that they’re too young to be undergoing so much stress, but we’ve had no CE failure ever – which is the same as with most schools. It is by and large a formality, as most senior schools have made their decisions by pre-testing. So yes, the boys do get a bit stressed but we’re lucky to be a small school so we can manage that - and I believe we do it very effectively. Parents also tend to get more stressed than the boys, but I think that’s for the school to manage and here we manage it very well.
systems, by their very nature, have flaws. However, I strongly believe that the Independent Schools Examining Board have been working hard to successfully adapt the CE syllabuses, and as such, have put Common Entrance firmly back on the map. Parents concerned about the narrow focus of the Common Entrance, or the pressure it places on children, should talk this through with the prep schools they are considering – asking them how they support pupils and balance CE preparation with a broader curriculum. For example, at Sandroyd, all of our academic lessons take place in the morning, leaving the afternoon to focus on the extracurricular and important character development skills. Showing that there is more than enough time in the day to fit everything in!”
ALASTAIR SPEERS HEADMASTER Sandroyd
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ommon Entrance provides a vital set of ‘high stakes’ examinations that allow children to develop both academic rigour and a growth mindset. Whilst pre-testing is becoming the norm, this is largely based on computer tests that are closely linked to IQ levels. Success in Common Entrance is more closely related to hard work and effort, as opposed to innate intelligence. The CE exams therefore encourage a growth mindset that allows hard
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PR EP / TA LK ING POIN T
“One way forward would be that places offered at Year 6 and Year 7 are unconditional”
MARKS EDWARDS
D E P U T Y H E A D ( AC A D E M I C ) Dragon School
ABOVE Pupils at Knighton House
BELOW In the science lab at Dragon School
ROBIN GAINHER HEADMASTER Knighton House
T
he Common Entrance is still alive but the move by senior schools to pre-testing pupils and confirming places at the start of Year 7 creates an opportunity to reimagine our curriculum across the final two years of prep school. Moving away from the somewhat rigid CE curriculum and testing regime will help us create a better balance between factual knowledge and the development of real, transferable skills. We believe this will lay still stronger foundations for successful future study, examination performance and later life. By consulting widely with the senior schools our girls move to, and listening to them carefully on their requirements at entry, we think moving away from CE is the right thing to do for the girls given they have already secured their place. Support and enthusiasm from senior schools for us to drop CE has been crucial in our planning and in reassuring parents that their
daughters will still be able to transfer to their senior school of choice. When we set out on this project we asked ourselves two key questions: is Common Entrance fit for purpose in 2018; and is it what we want educationally for the girls when they reached the top of the school? In both cases the answers were overwhelmingly no. Instead we are developing an alternative KED Curriculum (Knowledge Enlightenment Discovery) which will be more intellectually sound in content and methodology and include more stretch and challenge for each pupil. Schools which persist with putting their pupils through Common Entrance are doing a disservice to them. It will probably survive but it will soon be extinct here at Knighton House. For our girls this change will ensure that every leaver goes on from Knighton intellectually confident: readier and better able to meet the challenges of senior school and the world beyond.
I
n short, no: CE is not dead. However, we are certainly currently in a transition period. In reality, CE has never been wholly ‘Common’, as every school has different grade boundaries and is free to use the suggested mark schemes as they chose - nor ‘Entrance’, as increasingly places are provisionally allocated as early as Year 6. Indeed this early allocation of pupil places has become more pronounced with an increasing take-up among senior schools of the Common Pre-Test. What we now need is greater transparency and agreement. It is very difficult for 12 and 13-year old children to undergo the anxiety of entrance exams just weeks before they finish at their prep schools. This anxiety has now been magnified by the proliferation of pre-testing. One way forward would be that places offered at Year 6 and 7 are unconditional, something which a number of senior schools are now undertaking. However, this would not necessarily sound the death knell for CE, as there are many advantages to a Year 8 exam to mark the end of a child’s prep school education.
“Schools which persist with putting their pupils through CE are doing a disservice to them” AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 49
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PR EP / OPINION
Talking
HEAD
MAPPING THE WAY Lacy Chapman, Principal of Lower School at ACS Cobham International School, on a new method of testing for primary students
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recent survey revealed that eight out of ten school leaders have seen an increase in mental health issues among primary school children during exam season in the UK. In addition, headteachers reported an increase in fear of academic failure (76%) and depression (55%) among their pupils in the period since 2014. It seems today’s pressurised system of testing is causing children as young as six to suffer stress and worry at a time when they’re supposed to be learning to love school. Instead, young students increasingly fear failure due to an endless stream of testing, or preparation for tests such as the 11+.
A B OV E
ACS Cobham Lower School
“At ACS, teachers teach the way all teachers were taught to teach” It’s apparent that something needs to change, in favour of a new system that abandons rigorous, formal testing and nurtures imagination and a love of learning. Being assessed in such a formal manner at a young age places a huge amount of pressure on students and stifles this natural curiosity to learn with cramming facts, revision and taking tests. With increasing pressure to overhaul primary school testing, schools and parents want to see alternatives to the traditional system, where student progress is monitored but the pressures of exams is off. Removing standardised tests from schools allows students, parents and teachers to escape the exam rat race, league tables and the competitive nature of the classroom.
At ACS Cobham, for example, we use classwork, identifying which task is best MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) suited to them. testing in lower school to monitor student Due to the nature of MAP testing, with progress. The tests are taken electronically, no set time limit and tailored questions, and the questions are adjusted to a student’s students can’t revise for it. So while a ability to ensure the tests are different developmentally challenging and rigorous for each child. While standardised testing program is still provided, it’s a personalised pressures teachers into meeting ‘essential’ and inquiry-based approach developed to targets, at ACS teachers teach the way all suit different types of learners. teachers were taught to teach: with each At ACS International Schools, students child receiving the individual are not only measured on attention they need to thrive their academic progress, and progress at their own but also against our school speed. MAP testing allows learning outcomes. We want them to do this and monitor all students to develop as progress, identifying where confident, caring individuals an individual needs extra and effective learners. support, or differentiating Ultimately, we want to promote tasks for those who positive personal development LACY CHAPMAN particularly excel. Students and instil a love of learning in Lower School Principal are also encouraged to make our students – what primary ACS Cobham their own choices about their education is all about.
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EATON HOUSE SCHOOLS
UNFORGETTABLE
An Eaton House The Manor Girls’ School pupil enjoying a game of cricket on beautiful Clapham Common
Eaton House Schools – where potential is everything EATON HOUSE BELGRAVIA PRE-PREP, PREP AND NURSERY
EATON HOUSE THE MANOR GIRLS’ SCHOOL
EATON HOUSE THE MANOR PRE-PREP, PREP AND NURSERY
• The best Pre-Prep results in 5 years • In 2018, 40% of 7+ and 8+ pupils received offers to Westminster Under and St Paul’s Junior School, amongst many other fine schools
• Outstanding results and pastoral care • 11 Scholarships offered to top London day and boarding schools this year
• Excellent all round results to the best senior schools • A cluster of scholarships and a coveted John Colet scholarship to St Paul’s School
We are non-selective, register from birth and take children from 3-13. If you want to start a conversation about your child’s brilliant future, ring Jennifer McEnhill on 0203 917 5050 to book an Open House Morning.
NURTURING EXCELLENCE EATON HOUSE SCHOOLS www.eatonhouseschools.com
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Thrive
(verb)
1. To grow or develop well; to flourish 2. To be successful; to prosper
W W W.R O S E H I L L S C H O O L.C O.U K
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admissions@rosehillschool.co.uk
02/07/2018 14:02
PR EP / OPINION
Talking
HEAD
GOLD standard Giles Tollit, Headmaster of Horris Hill School, on why scholarships remain relevant
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everal of this country’s most prominent senior schools were founded in order to house scholars. Winchester College, established in 1382, was founded as a charitable institution by the Bishop of Winchester to educate 70 'poor scholars'. These days, only the most able pupils will be awarded scholarships by senior schools. When the preparatory school sector was established 500 years later, the winning of scholarships was central to any schools’ success, and the number of scholarship places won often defined the standing of each prep school. More than simply an honour, though, the senior schools would award large sums of money to successful scholars, with the most brilliant receiving as much as two-thirds of the fees. For the last 20 years, however, funds that were originally assigned for achievementbased scholarships are now worth ‘only’ 10%
“In an era where public exams have become easier, it is important to show how capable 13 year olds can be” of fees, although that is still a substantial sum. This has changed the scholarship landscape somewhat: I was in the scholars’ form when I was at prep school and I recall the pressure that was placed on several of my peers, for whom success in the scholarship would determine whether they went to their target school or not. This is rarely the case these days, and that it no bad thing. Selecting which pupils ought to use the academic scholarship route for entry (as long as they do well enough, candidates
can use scholarship papers in lieu of It is worth noting that in most ABOVE Horris Hill pupils Common Entrance) is a question of subject areas, the papers, designed ascertaining which pupils will enjoy to test the most able brains, will the challenge. As there is no set be at or beyond GCSE level. In an syllabus for scholarship and papers can look era when the public exams appear to have very different for from one year to the next, become easier, the opportunity to show being comfortable with the unknown is not just how capable children can be aged 13 something all Year 8 pupils are ready for. is hugely important. Every year or so, one At the same time, it is interesting to see of the broadsheets will publish part of the that the lists of scholarship winners have Eton General paper, expressing incredulity grown since the turn of the millennium. at what the candidates are being asked to This is partly due to individual prep schools do, whether it be philosophise about ethics feeding a larger number or show an ability to critique of senior schools, but also art. But these skills are well because the senior schools within the grasp of many themselves offer a wide range children in Year 8 and the of different awards. Where children in our schools should once there may have been be challenged. only academic, and possibly The pressure to win musical, scholars, there are scholarships may have now awards available for changed, but that they exist outstanding promise in art, and serve as a gold standard GILES TOLLIT design technology, drama, for prep schools is as vital Headmaster sport and for all-round today as it was when the Horris Hill School achievement. sector was first established. AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 53
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Staying Single Hanford School in Dorset is one of only three girls-only boarding prep schools left in the UK JASMINE ROBERTSON
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hen Enid Canning opened Hanford in 1947 as a ‘home from home’ school for girls all boarding schools were single sex. Much has changed since then. Hanford is now one of only three girls-only boarding prep schools left in the UK. Marlborough was the first to admit girls in the 6th form in 1968. Ten years later,
girl boarders at the top girls' schools still outnumbered those at the top co-ed schools by more than 12 to one. But since then many public schools followed Marlborough’s lead opening their doors to girls and by the turn of the century all but a handful of Britain’s traditional boys public schools were fully co-ed. Most of today’s co-ed prep schools started out life educating only boys. However, Hanford was created specially for girls. Enid Canning, and her husband,
the Rev Clifford Canning, made some very progressive decisions all those years ago, decisions that have proven key to Hanford’s enduring success: no uniform, no head girl, lots of ponies and a homely atmosphere. The front drive is not flanked by neat cricket pitches or towered over by imposing H frame rugby goal posts. Instead you will see ponies grazing, a playground obstacle course and a small pretty chapel. In the grounds there are chickens, a working walled kitchen garden, a Grade II listed
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stable block, a knot garden and our famous climbing tree. The interior feels like a family home, albeit a rather grand one. At its heart is the Hall where the whole school sits down to eat every meal. Upstairs the dorms are all decorated individually and girls bring their own toys, duvets and blankets and pictures so they will feel at home away from home. This family atmosphere encourages all the ages mix together, older girls acting as big sisters to the new arrivals. Reading them stories, leading them out on rides and supervising the catching of ponies in the morning. Every Monday Mrs Johnston, head of Pastoral Care, creates a seating plan for the whole school where she mixes together the year groups. After Grace, the older girls serve the younger ones and conversation is very much encouraged by the member of staff supervising the table. There is no uniform as Enid Canning made the conscious and somewhat radical decision to allow girls certain latitude when it came to choosing what they would wear in her new ABOVE school. Today’s girls enjoy the Hanford students comfort and freedom of being on a hack able to pick what to wear for BELOW the day ahead plus they even Hugging a Hanford pony get to make their own skirts in Handwork lessons. Instead of a Head Girl there are The Committees. These groups team up to make decisions and share the tasks normally undertaken by one individual in the more traditional prep school hierarchy. This encourages shared responsibility and teaches girls to compromise, as they learn not everyone sees things the same way. Animals, horses in particular, are integral to life at Hanford. The school
“Most of today’s co-ed prep schools started out educating only boys” provides ponies of all shapes and sizes for the girls to ride. For the pony mad the ability to ride every day is a massive bonus while the summer term rides before breakfast are the highlight of the year. Even the handful of girls who do not ride will be found in the stables during break. The Cannings believed that learning to feed, groom and look after a pony would teach the girls to care about others. The Cannings' desire to create a school with the supportive happy atmosphere of a family home where girls are free to enjoy their childhood and grow in confidence pays dividends academically. There have been 19 different scholarships awarded in the past two years, an impressive result for a small non-selective school.
H A N FO R D S C H O O L Child Okeford, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 8HN AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 55
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‘ Enjoying childhood and realising our imagination.’ “My time at Dallington has helped me to grow in body, mind and soul – this is something that I am immeasurably grateful for. Dallington has given me a push in the direction of success and I am thankful for all they have done. I will do the best I can to repay them, the best I can, by leading an honest and dignified life.” – Nick (Year 6 pupil) Dallington is a family-run co-educational independent school, with a nursery, in the heart of London. Personal tours each day of the week, except Wednesday. Next Open Evening: Thursday 4th October 2018 from 6 to 8 pm
Headteacher, Proprietor and Founder: Mogg Hercules MBE Email: hercules@dallingtonschool.co.uk Phone: 020 7251 2284 www.dallingtonschool.co.uk
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24/07/2018 10:10
PR EP / OPINION
Talking
HEAD
TIMING IS ALL Amelia Aptaker, Headmistress of Hampstead nursery Puss in Boots, on teaching your child to read
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hen the time comes for your child to learn to read and write, it might be you who becomes anxious first. After all, there are so many ‘best methods’ out there for helping your child that the process can fast become bewildering. And, if you’re looking at selective schools, the pressure and advice may be coming thick and fast. In the early part of my teaching career, I firmly believed in applying gentle pressure to the four and five year olds in my class and I encouraged parents to do the same. But now, as the long-serving headteacher of an Ofsted-outstanding nursery, I’m convinced of a shocking secret. One that my newly-qualified self couldn’t know. Many parents notice that their child’s reading suddenly seems to ‘click’. This is in fact evidence of the maturing of the child’s related ‘neural circuits’. Research from Harvard University shows that children’s ability to interpret what they see changes over time. Trying to get children to decode text before those pathways in the brain have formed is a battle in which there are only losers. The child loses enthusiasm for reading, and worse, may learn to hate it, feeling like a disappointment to their frustrated parents. So, how then can you give your child that head start? Children’s environment is key, as the Harvard researchers found. Begin by reminding yourself of why it’s exciting to be literate. Noted academic Ferre Laevers, at the Leuven Institute of Experiential
“Many parents notice that their child’s reading suddenly seems to click”
A B OV E
Education, confirms that write your name on them.” Make sure you Deepest level learning write so they can watch you. If your child only happens when hangs around to make sure those sweets are children are fascinated, well and truly his, then use what we call ‘the motivated and driven to teachable moment’. “There, we’ve written acquire a new skill. This skill will need to be all the letters…G..a…b..r..i..e..l..”. As children relevant and meaningful in the child’s world. get older, so add content to the label you And the best news yet? It’s easy to make write “These.. are… Gabriel’s.. toys” reading and writing meaningful to your ● Moving beyond their name, inviting them child. Here are some examples: to hang over your shoulder and watch as ● For most two and three year olds the first you write their choice of treat for the weekly hook into literacy is their own name. Don’t shop may really make some of those letter waste a fantastic opportunity by putting sounds stick. those beautiful wooden letters spelling ● Introduce children to the power of out their name on their door at adult eye putting their thoughts on paper. Ask them level - make a ceremony with to tell you a story, and watch your child of putting those as you write it in large letters. letters on their door at their You have modelled the skills eye level. they need for reading, and ● Turn a battle into an they have their own piece of opportunity. “Those are creative writing. definitely your sweets/toy It’s so important to reduce cars/birthday presents, you the anxiety around literacy in can’t eat them/bring them the Early Years. The shocking AMELIA APTAKER all on holiday/ open them all secret? It is inspiration at the Headmistress now, but we will make sure right time that really makes Puss in Boots Nursery no-one else takes them, I’ll children into readers. Learning to write at Puss in Boots
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Talking
PR EP / OPINION
HEAD
GOING STRONG Susan Pepper, Head of The Study Prep in Wimbledon, on its 125-year history of educating girls
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he Study Preparatory School, Wimbledon, has been educating girls since 1893, when a local governess set up a small school from the study of a private home in Wimbledon Village. Demand for places soon grew, and a beautiful purpose-built school, Spencer House in Peek Crescent, opened its doors to local girls in 1901. The school went from strength to strength during the 20th century, and acquired the Wilberforce House site in the early 1990s, to accommodate demand for prep school places in the area. I have been headmistress since January 2011, and I am proud to be at the helm of a successful non-selective girls’ prep school, with many achievements across academics, sport and the creative arts. This year saw a record-breaking 39 scholarships awarded
“I am proud that it is the happiness of the girls, their solid friendships and their love of learning that stays with them”
A B OV E
Spencer House was recently refurbished to the Year 6 group by with a newly landscaped playground, and leading senior schools. this celebration is a chance for the school’s The Study is not only alumnae to meet up with old friends, relive about academic and happy memories, and see the school looking sporting achievements, at its best. There are exciting plans in the however, but also a creative ethos. Arts pipeline to improve the facilities at the Council England has this year recognised Wilberforce House site too, for the benefit of this by awarding the school Artsmark Gold the existing girls and for future generations. for the third time. The girls enjoy a variety The school has many unique of creative experiences, from strengths, but if I had to sum residential choir trips and up what we’re about, it would performing on stage at The be the warmth and sense of New Wimbledon Theatre, to community of a traditional taking part in a huge array of village school with the facilities workshops, trips, and visits. of a preparatory school. I am As this year marks the 125th very proud of the fact that it is anniversary of the school, the happiness of the girls, their we are looking forward to SUSAN PEPPER solid friendships and their welcoming back old girls of Headmistress love of learning that stays with The Study – opening our The Study Prep, them as they move on to their doors to alumnae for a special Wimbledon senior schools. celebration event in June. Children playing at The Study, Wimbledon
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Generat ion
GAIN A south-London nursery co-located with a residential care home is being hailed as a flagbearer for new models of learning and sharing across the generations LIBBY NORMAN
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PR EP / FOCUS
W “Children develop a sense of their own place in the world – the cycle of life and chain of tradition”
hen Apples and Honey Nightingale Nursery opened its doors last September at Nightingale House residential care home in Wandsworth, it attracted a shower of positive publicity as the UK’s first intergenerational nursery setting – young and old located together, sharing facilities and interacting on a daily basis. Stories appeared in specialist early years press, on national radio and TV and were also widely shared on social media. You can understand the flurry, for it’s hard not to conclude that this is one of those lightbulb ideas that could profoundly influence the future design of early years and residential care settings. The nursery is a social enterprise that utilises space within an existing residential campus with beautiful grounds. Like Nightingale House, this is a Jewish faith-based setting but the nursery welcomes all children. It reserves 20 per cent of its place for the children of staff at Nightingale House and hosts a free baby and toddler group every week. This means local residents with very young children can share and socialise within a nurturing, well-equipped and intergenerational environment. This is certainly not the first time care homes and nurseries have been co-located. Japan pioneered schemes in the 1970s; others have been built or are in planning across the Far East. There are co-located nurseries and care homes in Canada and the US, notably the much-lauded Providence Mount St Vincent intergenerational centre (known as The Mount) in Seattle. But Apples and Honey Nightingale remains unique in some respects. It was carefully designed from the outset as a planned meeting point and community hub of young and old and its social enterprise status places it at the heart of an urban village. AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 61
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The best investment you’ll ever make Leading all-round education with pupil wellbeing at its heart. Give your child the space to thrive with our modern boarding options, just one hour from London.
WHOLE SCHOOL OPEN MORNING: 29/9 SIXTH FORM OPEN MORNING: 13/10
Developing character, making a difference. Co-educational, ages 4-18, boarding & day.
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06/09/2018 15:50
PR EP / FOCUS
For Judith Ish-Horowicz MBE, cofounder of the nursery, it is much more than a social winner. It’s been a longterm vision that she describes it as her: “baby”. With a stellar career in teaching and early years, plus an MBE (2010) for Services to Early Years Education, this is her second nursery. The original Apples and Honey in Wimbledon opened in 1991 and is consistently rated outstanding by Ofsted; her track record with an exemplar early years setting helped when it came to convincing the powers that be of the merits of a new-style nursery setting. Co-founder Ali Somers has a Masters in Public and Nonprofit Management from New York University and special expertise in social enterprises, while head teacher Cindy Summer’s CV includes spells as director of Tiger Tots American Preschool in Taipei and head of Alyth Kindergarten in Temple Fortune, London. In RIGHT other words, this is a team of There are weekly baby and toddler meets at Apples very big hitters. and Honey Nightingale You may conclude they Nursery needed to be. Ofsted only BELOW Schools such as issued first guidance on Walhampton champion registering and inspecting intergenerational links co-located intergenerational care centres in mid April. Stephen Honey Nightingale that has set Burke of think tank United for All policy makers, care providers Ages (he prefers the term ‘think and do and campaigners thinking. Activities tank’) campaigns for intergenerational here are part of the rhythm of the day. environments – with a target of 500 There are shared games, sing-songs, intergenerational centres by 2022. He cooking lessons, storytelling sessions and organised the April roundtable meeting celebrations of festivals. “We have planned that brought Ofsted and the CQI together intergenerational activities every day,” with providers. Like everyone who has says Ish-Horowicz. She is careful to point visited Apples and Honey Nightingale, he’s out that this is managed carefully and inspired by the environment, adding that respectfully – never forgetting that this is while other nursery and care home sites are the residents’ home. co-located, they are not sharing activities. The outcome of these activities has been, He would like to see many more initiatives says Ish-Horowicz, beneficial for young like this. He says: “In theory, every nursery and old alike. “They really do interact could link up with its local care home”. beautifully.” Some Nightingale House It is the integration at Apples and residents have told her that being around the children has given them a reason to live, to try harder to exercise and keep up their energy levels. She says: “Many of the residents here haven’t, because of war or personal circumstances, had children. As we also have the baby and toddler group every week, they feel part of a wider community and can watch the children grow and develop week by week. Seeing a man in his 90s who never had children himself bottle feed a baby is something very special.” Children’s families get involved too (IshHorowicz says the home has an amazing pool of volunteers). Birthday cards and presents get swapped and links are formed that benefit all generations. The children – many without grandparents nearby – form bonds with older people, also learning not to fear ageing or frailty or think it’s something weird. “It’s enriching for them and they develop a sense of their own place
“Watching a man in his 90s who never had children himself bottle feed a baby is something very special” in the world – the cycle of life and chain of tradition.” She adds: “The children have become remarkably sensitive to the needs of older residents. They move and interact with them in a sensitive way”. This intergenerational exposure goes beyond an emotional bond and life lessons learned. Practical benefits include communication skills – the residents have the time and patience to teach young minds new tricks and the children engage with and entertain the residents in the way that children do. While many schools and nursery settings have a clear and laudable programme of intergenerational mixing, Apples and Honey Nightingale has taken things several steps further. Stephen Burke of United for All Ages suggests that this could be a model for the future. “Children and residents benefit from the interaction and parents who visit the nursery become closely involved. The other beneficiaries are staff – care homes can feel quite closed and isolated from wider society. This opens them up as shared and social places.” AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 63
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BRILLIANT
BOYS A passionate campaigner for raising boys’ achievement, says we must stop the clichéd put-downs and celebrate boys GARY WILSON
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've been working exclusively on raising boys' achievement for 25 years in total. You'd have thought I'd have got it sorted by now wouldn't you? But sadly there don't seem to be too many people working on it. I can only remember one public pronouncement on the gender issue and that was a few years ago when an Education Minister at the time declared, "We're going to reduce the gender gap by making sure that more three-year-old boys read more books!” That is just so wrong in so many ways. All teachers know that it is only in countries where children don't start with formal education until they are seven that boys are on a par with girls all the way through school. Denmark and Finland are two notable examples. My message to parents is, it doesn't matter if he can't read before he starts in education, what matters is that he has a love of stories. Similarly it doesn't matter if he can't write when he starts school what matters is that he has got well developed fine motor skills. What matters above all else is that parents should not be made to feel this is all their fault. It's nobody's fault but those who dictate what we should know and what
we should be capable of doing by the age of three and four. The development of boys' fine motor skills take significantly longer than girls'. It's not his fault. So why has the issue of the gender gap not been on the agenda? I believe it's relatively straightforward; it's because some may feel, at school level, local authority level and even national level that if we are seen to be focusing on boys then surely the girls are going to suffer! I call that sloppy thinking. Anything we do to help boys will have a positive knock-on effect for girls. Not least because it can be boys that behave in ways sometimes that are detrimental to all. I only concern myself with strategies that hit all the buttons for boys without disadvantaging girls. Also, if in education we are trying to develop a caring masculinity then that surely is for the benefit of all. What are the reasons? How long have you got!? It is more complex than it first appears. A lot of people have suggested that if only there were more male teachers in primary education then our boys would be all right. My response is it's not going to happen, get over it and move on. It is not the gender of the teacher that is most important, it's the quality of the teacher
ABOVE Campaigner Gary Wilson
and how well they recognise and link into what's going on in a boy's head, in a boy's world, in a boys' universe. Others suggest that laddish behaviour is to blame. Laddish behaviour, as teachers know, is very often a cry for help. It's far better for them to be seen not be bothered about winning than entering and not winning and if they are struggling very often they'll throw up a smokescreen. Another common area for debate is teaching and learning styles. The vast majority of adults tend to prefer to learn in
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more visual ways whilst the vast majority of boys tend to prefer to learn in more active ways until at least their early teenage years. Goods schools recognise this and teach appropriately Certainly there are elements in all of these areas that have an impact but then there is also negative peer pressure which can start in the nursery "you can't wear that you're a boy", "that's pink, what are you playing at". Also from the outset boys tend to be less independent. We should have the same expectations of boys being as independent as girls. Boys and writing is a universal concern. Dare I say it... girls in school tend to be massively biddable whilst there are many boys who, if they don't see a sense and purpose in doing something then they won't blooming well do it or at least they won't do it to the best of their
ability and writing is a particular case in point. There are also issues around the lack of positive male role models, the drop off in interest in reading as many boys get older, emotional intelligence issues and more... It is a fact that girls tend to develop language faster, use more language in their play, tend to be more capable of talking about their feelings than boys as they often spend more time at their mother's knee doing just that. Boys are often encouraged to keep their emotions hidden, certainly by their own peers but often by the older males in their family. "Pull yourself together, you're a boy!" "Man up!" I hate it. If we want to turn out decent young men then we must honour their tender feelings. We have to give boys the words so they can unclench their hearts. The latter has to be a huge priority in education.
Why is this article called "Boys will be...... brilliant?" Boys tend very often to get a bad press, look at the number of useless males on TV adverts, the T-shirts adorned with everything from "Here comes trouble" to "Boys are stupid throw rocks at them!" How often have you heard, "Well he's a boy, what do you expect?" "Boys will be boys"! I'm on a mission when I'm working with teachers, boys and parents and I say to you now, promise that you'll never ever say boys will be boys again, you'll say, "Boys will be brilliant". Your boys will be brilliant because they have your belief in them and you are helping develop their belief in themselves. garywilsonraisingboysachievement.com Boys Will Be.... Brilliant! By Gary Wilson and Linda Tallent is out now
IT DOESN’T MATTER IF HE CAN’T READ AT THREE, WHAT MATTERS IS THAT HE LOVES STORIES AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 65
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Teaching children to fly Open day: Friday 5 October 9.30am - 11.00am To book in, please call the school office
Founded in 1947, Bassett House in Notting Hill is a proudly non-selective, co-educational prep school for 3 – 11 year olds. We believe every child can learn to fly. Individual attention combined with our exciting curricular and extra-curricular activities encourage children to think fearlessly and creatively, producing excellent academic results. In the words of Mrs Philippa Cawthorne, the headmistress: ‘The spirit and enthusiasm of our pupils has to be seen to be believed.’ To arrange a visit, please call our registrar, Mrs Thalia Demetriades, on 020 8969 0313 or email registrar@bassetths.org.uk.
Bassett House School, 60 Bassett Road, London W10 6JP 020 8969 0313 | registrar@bassetths.org.uk | bassetths.org.uk
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PR EP / SEN
Crossed Wires The Head of Specialist Education and Wellbeing for Cavendish Education on her own, very personal, journey with dyslexia JESSICA NAROWLANSKY
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he colour coded spines of the Oxford Reading Tree books were the bane of my existence when my son was learning to read. I was not surprised when reading proved difficult for him, being dyslexic myself I expected it, the problem was seeing the pain in my little boy’s face in this very public display of difference. The dyslexic child soon becomes old enough to notice they are different from their peers but too young to understand why. The comments of teachers when they saw my son’s scrawled, illegible writing; suggesting my thoughtful boy was careless or lazy. My blood boiled knowing the herculean effort involved for him to produce just a few lines by hand. … and so it goes for the dyslexic child.
ABOVE Pupils at Moat School
Just setting out as a Specialist Teacher back then, I knew what was next: Despite teaching children like my son every day, there would be no simple way through this 1
2 My son would need a different toolkit than his peers. I would need to find a way to help the school understand and see the bigger picture
Perhaps my greatest challenge was not projecting my own experience of growing up in the unsympathetic education system of the 1970s and 80s onto the situtation. There was no real understanding of dyslexia in schools then and, therefore, no useful rationale for a child who consistently mastered IQ tests yet could not learn to read or write. To the school it was simple:
“We soon found not only could I write, I was actually very good at it”
I was difficult and lazy. I managed to keep my head more or less down and somehow, miraculously arrived at university, though woefully unprepared. On the cusp of being kicked to the curb due to my poor grades in my first year, I agreed to meet Will Ryan in the Learning Centre. During our first meeting he said, 'I don’t think the problem is you can’t write, I think it’s that no one has ever showed you in a way that works for you.’ We soon found not only could I write, I was actually very good at it. It was then that I fell in love with academia; my fervour for it has only grown through the years. In its simplest terms, the dyslexic brain processes language differently, so while dyslexics may excel visuo-spatially or in non-verbal reasoning and be verbally eloquent, the way the brain and the hand sync-up to write does not become fully ‘automatic’ which is what one needs in school where we must listen, look and write simultaneously. Understanding my son’s neurology, I knew he could sit in Writing Club until the cows came home but it would not give him what he needed. Dr Sally Shaywitz from the Yale Centre
for Dyslexia and Creativity says, ‘Dyslexia robs people of time’. It is recovering time through skills like touch typing, creative uses of technology, exam technique and multisensory revision skills where that very able child can reclaim the time lost in the classroom. The most important thing any school can offer a dyslexic child is a flexible approach to discover how that child works best. One of my most cherished memories is of my son ringing me from university to tell me he got a First on his first essay. Emerging with strength and pride from the wilderness, he’s not looked back since.
J E S S I C A N A R OW L A N S K Y Head of Specialist Education and Wellbeing, Cavendish Education AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 67
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Founded 1594
Co-educational for ages 10-18 Scholarships and assistance with fees available
Please visit www.emanuel.org.uk for more information about in-year open events and admissions
“I can honestly say that Emanuel has helped me to become the best version of myself.� Former student
EMANUEL.indd 1 1.indd 1 Absolutely Education
03/09/2018 10:03 03/09/2018 08:26:55
Guide LEADING SCHOOLS OF THE SOUTH WEST P . 70
CANFORD SCHOOL IN DORSET
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CANFORD WI M BO R N E , D O RS ET Head • Ben Vessey
et among 250 acres of landscaped grounds near Wimborne, Dorset, Canford is a top co-educational UK boarding school. With 655 pupils aged 13-18, of whom 70% are boarders, the roll is the highest in its history. Results are consistently excellent: 95%+ leavers move on to university, with more than 80% to Russell Group/Sunday Times Top 12 each year, and 104 places at Oxbridge and over 100 to Medical Schools in the past decade. This success is achieved through an environment which encourages participation, hard work and a strong sense of community, with a diverse co-curricular programme of intellectual, cultural and sporting activities and strong pastoral support.
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GO WEST Absolutely Education explores why some of the best schools in the country are located in the south-west of England
DAUNTSEY’S N E AR D EVIZE S , WI LTS H I R E Head • Mark Lascelles
auntsey's in Wiltshire has seen a marked increase in the number of London-based parents interested in sending their children to the south west to school. This, they believe, is a result of a desire to give children space as they grow through their adolescent years. Dauntsey’s is about being part of a community and all of their boarders develop a strong sense of belonging and self-awareness. While academic achievement is a driving factor, Dauntsey's pupils also enjoy excellent facilities, outstanding drama, music, clubs and academic societies, and beautiful surroundings.
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PERROTT HILL
GODOLPHIN
KINGSWOOD BATH
N O RTH PER ROT T, SO M ERS ET
Head • Emma Hattersley
Head • Simon Morris
Head • Alex McCullough
odolphin School is an independent boarding school for girls aged 3-18. It is located in the heart of Salisbury, Wiltshire and offers day, weekly and full boarding from Year 4. Godolphin educates girls for the 21st Century by equipping them with the skills, aptitude and adaptability they need to cope in a modern, fast-paced, global society. Pastoral care is key. Academic results are outstanding and the school has an excellent reputation for art, music, drama and sport. To experience a school morning at Godolphin and to meet pupils and staff, visit on one of their Snapshot Mornings, which take place throughout the year.
ingswood School is situated on a 200-acre site in Lansdown, Bath, and offers an inclusive boarding and day community that balances academic rigour, strength in the arts and sport, traditional values and outstanding pastoral care with a forward-thinking, can-do approach. Both the Prep School (nine months - 11 years) and the Senior School (11 - 18 years) offer a broad, holistic education, in which pupils are encouraged to develop self-assurance and high levels of personal motivation. In this environment, pupils are consistently successful, and they constantly progress well beyond their natural potentia, as is shown through their excellent academic results.
errott Hill is a small, family school situated on a 28-acre site in Somerset. Its small size enables it to provide a bespoke all-round education for each pupil. Results at Common Entrance are consistently impressive, as is its enviable scholarship record. Perrott Hill aims to develop the whole person, and it provides plenty of opportunities along the way; allowing children to experience success and fulfilment through an array of subjects and activities, with ambitious projects like the Perrott Hill Space Agency. It was rated ‘excellent’ in every category in its latest inspection, providing pupils with a 'proper childhood' combined with a 21st Century education.
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HAZLEGROVE PREPARATORY HA ZLEG ROVE , SO M ERS ET Head • Mark White
azlegrove is a coeducational full boarding and day school for children between 2½-13 years. It has a creative curriculum, excellent pastoral care and a rural Somerset location. Overall, Hazlegrove hopes to prepare its pupils for 21st-century life. To do this, it places a big emphasis on producing children who are empathetic, kind and connected; who are independent but know how to develop relationships and a sense of duty to the community. Its ethos focuses on academic rigour alongside endeavour and ambition. It hopes pupils can enjoy childhood whilst still being well-prepared for the next stage in their education at 13.
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SANDROYD TO LL AR D ROYAL , WI LTS H I R E Head • Alastair Speers
androyd is a coeducational boarding school for children aged 2-13 years. It is a family school, set in an idyllic environment that prepares children in the very broadest sense – offering academic excellence, combined with extensive co-curricular activities. It nurtures a child’s confidence and self-esteem whilst encouraging each individual pupil to fulfil all aspects of their potential: academic, artistic, cultural, sporting and social. Sandroyd offers an all-round education that goes beyond simply teaching its pupils to pass entrance exams. A Sandroyd pupil leaves academically well-rounded and well versed in 'soft skills': confidence, resiliance, and self-motivation.
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There’s been a marked interest in the number of London parents interested in sending their children to a South-West School
MONKTON COMBE
ST MARY’S CALNE
TAUNTON
M O N K TO N CO M B E , BATH
CALN E , WI LTS H I R E
TAU NTO N , SO M ERS ET
Head • Chris Wheeler
Head • Dr Felicia Kirk
Head • Lee Glaser
onkton Combe School is an independent, co-educational boarding and day school for pupils aged 2-18. Monkton achieved outstanding exam results over the last five years, including a record high of 52% of pupils achieving A*- A at A-Level in 2018. It starts with a proactive pastoral environment to develop academically strong and enthusiastic learners within a living Christian ethos. Monkton hopes to give young people the qualities of character they need to become trusted employees, inspiring leaders and valued friends. Boarding is at the heart of Monkton, and its special atmosphere is enjoyed by boarders and day pupils alike.
ocated near the market town of Calne and amidst the Wiltshire Downs, an area of stunning natural beauty and historical significance. St Mary’s Calne is small by design (approx. 365 girls with a thriving Sixth Form of 120+ girls). The school provides an exceptional, all-round education for girls; but what makes St Mary’s a really distinctive school is its special blend of excellence in pastoral care and academic development in a nurturing environment. It encourages ambition in all of its pupils, rooted in a broad understanding of the community and a celebration of others. It also achieves excellent academic results.
aunton School is a non-selective coeducational boarding and day school for pupils from nursery age to 18, based on one spacious 56 acre campus. It is the first school in Somerset to adopt a 'Zero to Landfill' policy, ensuring that all waste produced from the school is recycled. The ambition is to be the greenest school in the region, with many eco-projects in process. Taunton School is also one of the only schools in the region that doesn’t outsource its catering; everything is prepared in-house. All meat, vegetables and dairy are sourced locally, supporting farmers and small family-run businesses.
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DAN SNOW The award-winning historian on his days of self discovery at St Paul’s School in west London
Where did you go to school and when? I went to St Paul’s School in Barnes during the Nineties. Did you enjoy it? I loved it. I found being a teenage boy difficult and I was always terrible at sport, but at SPS I found two sports I was good at, which was rugby and rowing; they didn’t require much co-ordination but it was good if you were tall and strong. What were your favourite subjects? English, History and Politics. My A-Levels. One of the joys of the British education system – or possibly its greatest failing – is you can give up everything. I loved being able to whittle down the subjects I wanted to give up. I ended up rowing and playing rugby and doing English, History and Politics - I was in heaven really. I spent the whole of one term studying The Tempest. At one time I was studying Edmund Burke in Politics, the French Revolution in History and Tale of Two Cities so I was a machine because all three subjects pointed in the same direction so I had a huge advantage. Who was your favourite teacher? Keith Perry –my history teacher. He was fantastic. He treated us like adults. He gave me a great love of the 18th century in particular which has stayed with me for the rest of my life.
What was your favourite activity at school? Taking part in team sport which took me away from home. It taught me about existing within groups; the freedom and excitement of going to places – it was about developing my own sovereignty over myself. It was so exciting. What is your most vivid memory of your school days? I remember travelling in a minibus to rowing races and thinking, 'This is what adult life is like. I’m not with my parents, I’m with my own peer group, we’re driving off to an event with no adult supervision, we could stop and eat what we wanted, talk about what we wanted.' I felt like I was coming of age. Where did hang out at school? Students in the sixth form had lockers with a desk, an area which you could work in and I was lucky enough to be close to my two best friends - Theo and Ben. They were – and still are - two of the most intelligent and brilliant people I know – and we competed in a friendly way and drove each other on. I owe them a huge amount really. They are a big part of the reason I did so well at school. Did you ever get in to trouble? I did once... I got very drunk after a rowing race and failed to turn up at
school the next day where I was supposed to be giving a speech about the Republican Principle of the American Revolution. What was your greatest achievement? I had many sporting achievements – we won at everything. We were the best rugby team in the country, we won the rowing national championships and I got three As at A-Level. But in a way that was not healthy for me; schools are good at giving you a framework and you can achieve within that but that doesn’t really have much to do with the real world. I left school at 18 thinking I was really rather wonderful but then I realised that that doesn’t set you up to be a nice, good and compassionate person or to succeed in the more complex world. It is much harder to navigate your way through the world than it is to win a rowing race. I guess I succeeded at everything at school but that wasn’t necessarily the best start in life. What drives you? Always looking forward. I’m always interested in the next challenge. I always think about the next thing – if you go to my house now, there are no pictures of me rowing for Oxford or winning awards on the telly or whatever. I don’t think those things really matter . What matters is happiness – enduring personal fulfilment – if you win 5 BAFTAS but you are a broken alcoholic 10 years later
“It is much harder to navigate your way through the real world than it is to get straight As at school or win a rowing race” 74 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | AUTUMN • WINTER 2018
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PROFILE
then that is completely irrelevant right. I know that winning the Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race has been a foundation of my life – I lost it also and that was in fact the making of me – but winning it is not going to be an important source of happiness to me in the next 10 years. What is going to make me happy is a successful marriage, career and parenthood. I don’t see the point in dwelling on past triumphs and failures. When you study history you’re constantly surrounded by the greatest and most remarkable human beings who have ever lived. You kind of never think that you are that good or impressive. Napoleon had conquered the whole of Europe by the time he was my age. Where did your love of history come from? It came from a childhood of going to castles, battlefields, museums and galleries and hearing stories about our past. Everything is history in our family; my dad (the newsreader Peter Snow) loves history, both personally and now as an author. My aunt is a professor of history at Oxford (Margaret MacMillan, this year’s Reith lecturer). My grandmother was a ferocious oral historian – a storyteller. We all love history.
What are you doing now? My dream has been to make history accessible using all the modern technology available. So I’ve launched historyhit.tv, a new online only channel for history lovers. It works like Netflix, you pay a subscription and watch as many history programmes as you like. It’s stuffed with lots of the best history programmes in the world. We launched in December last year. We already have thousands of subscribers. It’s for a general audience of history fans but we know it’s already being used in schools. I did a successful History Hit tour in the summer which returns in the New Year and I’m also working on a book project for Christmas. Why does history matter? Because it is everything that has ever happened on this planet. It’s why societies are organised the way they are. It’s why we interact the way we do, why we speak the way we do. It’s why you go on holiday to Sicily and not Somalia. It’s why Brexit is happening. Why Donald Trump happened. It’s why Russia is poisoning people on British soil. It defines and controls us.
Name the five historical figures you’d invite to you dream dinner party: HORATIO NELSON • GENGHIS KHAN • MARY WOLLSTONECROFT • LIVIA – WIFE OF AUGUSTUS OF ROME • ELIZABETH I • AND ME
H I S TO RY H I T.T V from £6.99 a month Dan Snow History Hit UK Tour, nationwide from 22nd Janurary to 29 March 2019, visit historyhit.com for more info and tickets. AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 75
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Registered charity 1101358
The IB school that opens the right doors. Edmund Broadhead joined Sevenoaks when he was eleven. The IB subjects he explored later in the Sixth Form were Mathematics, English, Chemistry, French, Physics, Economics and Theory of Knowledge. “When it came to choosing a university degree course, I was able to make an informed decision.
I’d been so engaged by the curriculum at school and so well prepared for the path ahead that I selected Engineering with absolute confidence.” Which may also explain why the University of Cambridge opened its doors to Ed.
www.sevenoaksschool.org
Ed scored an impressive 43 in the International Baccalaureate (IB) then read Engineering at Cambridge. Our commitment to the IB is unwavering after 40 years, thanks to world-class results like this.
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Senior WILL SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLS SURVIVE? P . 88 SUBJECT CHOICE P . 94 ED TECH P . 112
ST MARY'S SHAFTESBURY
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From the School of the Year, expect a winning formula. Maya Raman Jones came to Sevenoaks when she was eleven. In the Sixth Form she studied Chemistry, English, Maths, History, Biology, Russian and Theory of Knowledge. “At eleven I really loved English. Later on, the sciences turned my head! But as the IB curriculum at Sevenoaks is so broad, I didn’t have to choose between the arts and sciences until I applied to
university – by which time I was sure Chemistry was the one for me.” Which explains why Maya is now reading Chemistry at the University of Oxford and dreaming of a PhD and a career in scientific research.
www.sevenoaksschool.org
Maya scored an impressive 44 in the International Baccalaureate (IB) and is now in her first year at Oxford. Our commitment to the IB is unwavering after 40 years, thanks to world-class, life-shaping results like this.
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SENIOR / FOCUS
Going UP A pioneering scheme is using business mentors to encourage more women teachers to take leadership roles in schools A M A N DA C O N S TA N C E
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he Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst is a place set apart from the normal world. On a sunny May morning it’s a vision of imposing classical architecture, sweeping lawns, vast parade grounds and men – yes mainly men – marching in white gloves and shouting, a lot. So what on earth are a bunch of female teachers doing in such testosterone-fuelledsurroundings. The answer is that they are part of a pioneering mentoring scheme for teachers that offers two years’ coaching from leaders in a range of industries with the aim of encouraging more of them to move into senior leadership roles.
“At the halfway stage, 20%of the cohort have won promotion to head or other roles” The GSA/ASGS Mentoring Programme for Future Women Leaders is free for women teaching at state and independent girls’ schools within the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA) and the Association of State Girls’ Schools (ASGS), who are jointly funding the project with Bright Field Consulting. Mentors include Sandhurst’s first female lieutenant colonel, Lucy Giles; the chairman of Transport for the North, Sir John Cridland; the chief executive of the Soil Association, Helen Browning; and Cathy McCullough, a criminal and civil barrister. The founder of Bright Field Consulting, Ian Wigston, says: “The GSA and ASGS asked us if we could develop a programme using our network of mentors that addresses some women’s reluctance to aspire to the top jobs.
“Good mentoring can make all the difference to performance. Being a leader can feel fraught with pitfalls – how to inspire a team, how to maintain good relationships, how to tackle a difficult issue or conversation.” State school teachers will also be paired up with a participant from an independent school, and vice-versa, to allow them to gain insight into how the scheme works within different educational environments. According to figures from the Future Leaders Trust, 74 per cent of teachers are women, but just 62 per cent are in top jobs. The programme began last September and more than 60 teachers from nearly 50 schools have been engaged in the scheme. Ian Wigston says: “At the half way stage 20% of the cohort have won promotion either to head or other roles. The collaborations between independent and state school colleagues have produced a wide range of thoughtful initiatives and established exciting new partnerships between schools. We have a waiting list for the next cohort and just been commissioned to write a book which will document this unique programme” Charlotte Exon, Director of Music at Downe House, is one of the teachers on the
GSA mentor Helen Browning
GSA mentee Charlotte Exon
programme. Her mentor is Helen Burton, an senior HR manager. Exon, aged 40, says: “I’m so grateful for having a place on the programme. Having a mentor has made such a difference to me, it’s added impetus.” Exon says she has really valued the advice from outside a school. “The whole USP is that the mentors are not from teaching. That works very well... “It is great to have an experienced sounding board… I already run a very large department and I manage a very large budget. For me it’s fantastic to have that external support that ironically has nothing to do with schools.” Exon meets with her mentor once a term. She says she has particularly enjoyed “taking time out and talking issues through. It has made me more reflective, more outward-looking.” A real bonus for Exon has been developing a relationship with her other mentee, Jenny Harriott, a deputy head at at Ursuline High School in Wimbledon. They have met up separately and Exon says, “I have really enjoyed making connections with other people in the same boat.” Harriott’s school is a Catholic state school and Exon says it has been great “connecting with a really different type of school and having the opportunity share issues in a completely neutral environment.” AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 79
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HURSTPIER POINT COLLEGE
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admissions@stgeorges-ascot.org.uk www.stgeorges-ascot.org.uk 01344 629959
ST GEORGE’S ASCOT OPEN MORNING Saturday 6 October 2018, 10.30am Independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11-18. Private transport available for day girls and weekly transport service to and from Central London for London boarders. SGA.indd 1
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Talking
SENIOR / OPINION
HEAD
TAKING the lead Carol Chandler-Thompson, Head of Blackheath High School, on why we need to encourage young women to become leaders
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he CEO of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) of which Blackheath High School is a proud member, recently hit the headlines for suggesting men should stop ‘playing the gladiator’ in the boardroom. Whilst it was this Russell Crowe analogy that drew media attention, the suggestion that women exhibit many of the traits associated with effective leadership was the most valuable and salutary point. She suggested women exhibit effective communication and delegation, a tendency to empower all team members, creative problem-solving, collaboration and consensus building. Of course generalisations about men and women and their leadership styles can be dangerously one-dimensional, but there is an important point here. According to the recent survey of the teaching profession by the General Teaching
“Our girls benefit from the wisdom of a mind-boggling array of female leaders through our alumnae network” Council (GTC), only 4% of teachers are actively thinking about becoming heads in the next five years: it is clearly not an attractive prospect. As a relatively new head teacher, in a role that I have heard described as ‘lonely’ and ‘complex’, I have found the support and guidance offered by the GDST and by my fellow 25 Heads to be forward-thinking and incredibly effective in enabling me to thrive as a leader and enjoy a rewarding and purposeful job. In secondary education in 2015, 62% of the workforce was female. Given that just 36%
an invaluable support, yet also offering challenge when needed. This sense of genuine collaboration is unique, I think, in the sector and makes every GDST school stronger as a result. GDST invest in coaching for their heads, again a forward-thinking and valuable investment in the intellectual engines of their schools. This coaching has provided the space for reflection and digesting honest feedback in a quest to be a headteacher deserving of the trust placed in me by the students and parents of my school. I think this unique model of cultivating an environment that enables A B OV E of secondary school all leaders, particularly women, to thrive Carol Chandlerhead teachers are sets a superb example to the thousands Thompson and students female, there seems of students studying in GDST schools. a strong imperative There is much the rest of the sector could to consider why this learn from this. The girls benefit from imbalance exists and whether students are the wisdom of a mind-boggling array of missing out on some great female leaders female leaders through the resource that and role models. is our alumnae network. In the course of a Effective leadership can come in many year, my students have been lucky enough forms and in some sectors, role models to hear from leaders as diverse as the of leaders are quite limited: charismatic; impressively modest and steely Cressida authoritarian; gladiatorial even. Working Dick, Commissioner of the Metropolitan as part of a forward-thinking organisation Police, the charismatic Afua Hirsch writer, like the GDST has exposed me to a myriad broadcaster, barrister and author and of different female leadership styles: Kate Phillips, the self-effacing and highly innovative; humble; authentic; entertaining Controller of BBC collaborative; inclusive; Entertainment. The mantras: values-driven. There is no ‘You have to see it, to be it’ ‘one way’ to lead a school and ‘if not me, then who?’ are and the freedom to find one’s at the heart of everything we own style and voice is vital are doing to inspire our future for sustaining oneself in a female leaders at Blackheath demanding and complicated High School and the GDST. I role. Meeting regularly with have no doubt these fearless CAROL CHANDLERother GDST Heads, who act as young women will be setting a THOMPSON Head sounding boards, confidantes whole new model of leadership Blackheath High School GDST and critical friends has been when their time comes. AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 83
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ABSOLUTELY EDUCATION A4 AD AW.qxp_Layout 1 11/09/2018 14:13 Page 1
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Talking
SENIOR / OPINION
HEAD
KEEPING IT REAL Antonia Beary, Headmistress of Mayfield School, says we must provide girls with strong, realistic role models
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ho are the role models for our young women today? Anyone relying upon the media could be forgiven for thinking the scantily clad protagonists in reality shows of dubious morality, or individuals who are simply famous for being famous, are the best one can aspire to as young women today. Surely this is not the case? There are, of course, strong women working hard and making a difference. We have many alumnae who come back to talk to our girls, to offer advice, mentoring, guidance and work experience. Why do we not hear more about women like them? What type of leadership should we be promoting in schools? Strong women who never make mistakes, who balance high powered jobs with a growing family and being a perfect wife or partner? There
“There may be a few women appearing to live the dream but I am not sure they are good role models” may be a few women appearing to live that dream but I am not sure that they are necessarily good role models. You cannot focus 100% of your energies on being a mother, a wife, and a boss at the same time: it just doesn’t add up. You might not be able to play all these parts perfectly all the time but you can do some of them well some of the time and there is consolation in that. I applaud and encourage the celebration of women as good mothers, but wish the same focus was placed on men being good fathers
their nurture, young girls automatically begin to defer to boys at an early age. Sadly it seems that there are also still women in powerful positions who see younger women as a threat and are not ready to support them. A recent poll we ran with our alumnae indicated many felt surprise on leaving school that, while they had been educated to believe that success was achieved by working together and building each other up, in A B OV E the real world, in a wide Last year's range of careers, this is head girl at Mayfield seldom the case. Often women were the worst offenders. This means we – not to mention both being good parents. have more work to do. In a generation of ‘post-feminist’ women, Our duty is to give girls at school the who have been brought up to believe that confidence to make mistakes without being opportunities are equal, it turns out that we scarred for life. Furthermore, being able still need to develop leadership skills and to accept that others also make mistakes aspiration in our young women. Something is an important element in the making of is going wrong, because clearly there are not a good leader. It helps the development enough women in positions of responsibility of perspective and the establishing of a and too many of those who are in the public sense of respect for themselves and others. profile are at risk of being undermined. To promote good leadership we need to We want to instil a sense of entitlement encourage and nurture trust, teamwork, and the understanding that they have as a sense of give and take; building people much right as the next man to any job – up rather than breaking them down; providing, of course, that they can show negotiation, discussion and debate. Many they have the skills, talent and of these skills come not commitment or perseverance from straight A* grades, but to do the job well. We need from Duke of Edinburgh, to ensure that girls leaving community service, drama our schools are able to engage productions, musical concerts confidently and effectively and orchestra. with men and women in More than ever we need the work place, as well as in leaders with integrity to personal relationships. This respond to the challenges of ANTONIA BEARY is not always easy to do in a cotoday’s world: and that means Headmistress ed environment when research strong women to complement Mayfield School reminds us that whatever strong men. AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 85
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SENIOR / OPINION
Talking
HEAD
TAKING FLIGHT Samantha Price, Headmistress of Benenden School, on encouraging the female engineers of the future
T
here is a shortage of women in engineering. There is nothing new about this statement (it is one of the most frequentlyrepeated maxims in British education) but the figures are concerning, the more so because there is little evidence to show that they are improving. The UK has the lowest percentage of female engineers in Europe yet the industry is vital to the economy (accounting for 26% of GDP) and is growing, buoyed by constant technological innovations: EngineeringUK has recently said the country needs 1.8 million new engineers and technicians by 2025. Therefore, if the industry in this country is to thrive and complete globally, it requires women to enter the profession. Schools have a responsibility to inspire young women into pursuing engineering roles, and not just because the shortage of candidates in a growing market makes it an attractive career option. But for the good of the country. Tomorrow’s engineers will be developing products that could shape our lives and post-Brexit, the Government will be keen for UK engineering to be at the forefront of this revolution. Yet how do schools inspire girls into engineering? You need to create a culture where a girl being interested in Science or Product Design is the norm, not an exception. Engineering needs to be something pupils are familiar with; something they see around school and feel confident with. Being in an all-girl environment helps us in this regard as
“Every nut and bolt has been tightened by the girls themselves”
A B OV E
A team of 28 Benenden girls began work girls are naturally on the microlight two years ago, devoting encouraged to engage two hours to the project every Thursday with these maleevening. Over more than 50 weekly dominated subjects. sessions, they built it under the stewardship A shift in culture lays the foundations of four staff members. – but you also need to give girls the The girls have put their own stamp on opportunity to gain practical experience. the microlight in places: for example, it is A group of Benenden girls have just decorated in Benenden’s colours and the finished constructing a Microlight aircraft. registration mark is G-GRLS. They have done it all; every nut and bolt has Zara Hussain, 18, worked on the project been tightened by the girls themselves. And and said: “I thoroughly enjoyed working in a in early July they took to the skies of Kent in team towards a common goal and learning the finished product. new skills, especially for such a physically This project has cost absolutely nothing, large, yet intricate project. This developed apart from time. It was funded by the my passion in engineering British Microlight Aircraft further, which I am going to Association (BMAA) which study at Oxford next year.” funds projects in state and For their next project, independent schools. Sadly, Benenden girls have chosen very few schools – state or to build a racing car. This will independent - take them up on enable the next generation to the opportunity but we would experience first-hand what urge schools to do so, and engineering is all about – would be happy to offer advice. SAMANTHA PRICE which can only benefit the The girls learnt so many Headmistress girls, the industry and the practical skills, and had great Benenden School country. fun at the same time. A Beneden student in the Microlight
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“A clear-eyed, energetic, forward-thinking school” - The Good Schools Guide
Call us to book a visit
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You’ll never get bored Benefit from all that Oakham has to offer
With a proud heritage and progressive outlook, Oakham is a high-achieving independent school in the heart of England where opportunities are both inspirational and obtainable. A shared belief in making the most out of any opportunity and to be the best you can be sets us apart from other schools. With a welcoming and friendly support structure, Oakham offers an ideal environment for boys and girls aged between 10 and 18 to learn, thrive and prosper in our modern world. OS.indd 1
What makes Oakham so special?
oakham.rutland.sch.uk/Arrange-a-Visit To organise a visit please get in touch with our admissions team:
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Gender
ISSUES As smaller schools struggle and others go co-ed, will single sex schools survive? LISA FREEDMAN
F
rom #Me Too to Times Up, gender is, of course, a hot topic, and nowhere more it seems than in education. The English independent system has traditionally been largely segregated, with boys in one school, girls in another. Increasingly, however, the gender divide is being smoothed over, and the most pressing question today is: will single-sex education survive? Charterhouse School, which, after 360 years as boys-only enclave, first admitted girls into its sixth form nearly half a century ago, will be the latest major name to become fully integrated, when, in September 2021, it introduces girls into Year 9. It’s a
move, the school feels, whose moment has undoubtedly come. "If you look at the workplace and society in general, gender equality has become the norm," says head Dr. Alex Peterken, who arrived at Charterhouse from co-ed Cheltenham College in January 2018. "Education is an important lens to look at society. Co-education promotes respect between the sexes, and develops empathy and maturity. If this relationship is normalised in the formative years, it can be hugely beneficial." Single-sex education in the independent sector developed largely by chance. Until, the mid 19th century, girls’ schooling was largely restricted to such lady-like accomplishments as fine needlework and watercolour painting, and, even after the curriculum status quo was rebalanced by government intervention in the last quarter of that century, there was no question that girls of secondary-school age should share the same space as their brothers. All-girls’ secondary schools – often accompanied by the name High School – were then established throughout the land, and it is these schools which remain at the core of the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA), a professional body which continues to promote the benefits of girls-only classrooms. "Single-sex education remains a very important part of the educational landscape," says Gwen Byrom, head of all-girls Loughborough High School and this
year’s president of the GSA. "We live in a mixed-gender society, not an equal society. All-girls’ schools allow girls to have a starring role, to step up as they naturally do, and to avoid the genderisation of subjects." The benefits of partition are particularly evident in the study of science, where girls in single-sex schools are four times more likely to take A-Level physics than those attending their co-educational counterparts. It isn’t, however, only women who defend the historic status quo. Singlesex boys’ schools, argue their defenders, also offer significant advantages, and University College School in north London’s Hampstead, a school with a long, liberal tradition, has become more rather than less gender-divided in recent years. Though it introduced a co-ed sixth form in 2008, its pre-prep has recently reverted to boys-only. ‘That decision was largely to make an
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SENIOR / FOCUS
LEFT Charterhouse: introducing girls into Y9 in 2021 BOTTOM LEFT Gwen Byrom RIGHT Westonbirt: admitting Y7 boys from 2019
easier transition to our junior school,’ says head Mark Beard, ‘but parents select UCS because of the distinctive education we offer. We feel, particularly between the ages of 12-15, that single-sex education allows them to be themselves. It reduces self-consciousness and encourages their creative side. As a result, the quality of art, drama, and singing here are all exceptional.’ In London, of course, there is no shortage of demand for an outstanding academic education whatever the format, and the capital’s multitude of single-sex schools which regularly top the league table (St Paul’s - boys and girls - North London Collegiate, City of London School for Girls) are all heavily oversubscribed at every point of entry, often by as many as four or five applicants per place. But, where there is an option to blend a strong exam outcome with a mixed-gender classroom, registrars are barely able to keep on top of the paperwork, and schools like Latymer Upper School and Highgate School, which have relatively recently become fully blended, have undoubtedly seen their popularity soar. Outside of London, many of the major schools that have gone co-ed over the past 20 years or so have made the decision less
on ideological grounds than on practical ones – to keep up the quality and breadth of applicants. Those who have resisted the trend - including a myriad of small, and consequently uneconomic, all-girls’ schools – have often been forced to close. One school adapting eagerly to the new reality is Westonbirt School, a day and boarding school in Gloucestershire. All-girls throughout its 90-year history, it feels now is the right time to align its girls’-only senior school with its co-ed prep school, and will start admitting boys into Year 7 from 2019. "Prep-school parents have regularly asked me when we were going to do this," says head Natasha Dangerfield. ‘I think there’s still definitely something to be said for educating girls on their own - it’s not an outdated or outmoded model – but we live in a less gender stereo-typed society than we did even 10 years ago. It’s a change that’s happened significantly quickly.’ At Westonbirt, the introduction of boys into the senior school will be gradual, initially confined to day pupils, and the school will remain small – no more than 350 pupils in total - allowing it to continue doing it does best: providing a tailor-made education adapted to the needs of every child. "We’re looking carefully at the subjects tainted by gender," says Dangerfield. "We intend to find a route through for both sexes." Charterhouse, too, is carefully adapting its approach for its prospective intake. "We have re-evaluated sport and drama, and examined learning styles and how girls may
“All-girls’ schools allow girls to have a starring role, to step up as they naturally do” GWEN BYROM, PRESIDENT OF THE GSA
respond to feedback differently to boys," says Peterken. The school is also adapting the way it operates socially, moving dining away from a house-based activity to a communal experience - "Eating is so fundamental to socialisation" – and segregating the sexes in the evening, allowing girls to relax together in their communal kitchen, boys to have downtime to kick a ball around. Peterken, who has already overseen a similar transition at Cheltenham, is unfazed by the prospect, but remains unconvinced that Charterhouse’s example will soon be followed by all. He doesn’t, for example, see his alma mater Eton heading in this direction any time soon. ‘They’ll be the last cab in the rank,’ he laughs.
LI S A F R E E D M A N MD of education consultants, At The School Gates, www.attheschoolgates.co.uk AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 89
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YES, IT’S A CRYING SHAME…
…that she left it too late to apply for Hurtwood House, because it’s simply the best for acting, dancing, singing, film-making – “A utopia for creative minds” – as the Good Schools Guide says. And crucially, this exciting school is equally successful academically. In fact, it’s statistically one of the top co-ed boarding schools in the UK. So, if you’re looking for a really exciting and rewarding change of school at 16 – don’t leave it too late. Contact Cosmo Jackson or visit our website for more information.
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SENIOR / V IEW POIN T
Game OVER Two North London heads think the single-sex versus co-ed schooling debate may have limited shelf life JASMINE ROBERTSON
S
ingle-sex schooling versus co-education is a sensitive and recurring debate, particularly in the independent sector where gender separation rises to 35% between the senior Years 7 to 11. But even with the general decline seen in single-sex fee-paying schools, those topping the academic league tables still tend to be segregated girls’ schools and boys’ schools – at least up until Sixth Form. Two headteachers from the North Bridge House independent schools
group in North London however, contests that the co-ed versus single-sex debate may have limited shelf life. Brendan Pavey and Jonathan Taylor are heads of the successful co-ed North Bridge House Senior Schools. They maintain that in every aspect of school life, their students are prepared for a world that is representative of the one they will enter as an adult. Critical in this preparation is a student’s ability to treat everyone as an individual - an education the two heads feel is more effective in a mixed-sex setting, despite claims that single-sex environments can see higher academic results.
“I recommend reading The Paradox of Single-Sex and Co-Educational Schooling by Professors Alan Smithers and Pamela Robinson,” says Taylor, Head of NBH Senior & Sixth Form Canonbury and Collegiate Head of the NBH group. “Despite being over 10 years old, the comprehensive research base and even-handed analysis of the issue unpick many of the flimsy myths that perpetuate on this delicate topic.” This report concludes that, ‘While there are some very good girls’ schools and boys’ schools, it does not look as though they are good because they are single-sex’ something that especially resonates with AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 91
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the two North London headteachers, who find their mixed-ability schools among longestablished, single-sex yet highly selective competitors. At NBH, the focus is not on separating the genders but on educating them. Part of that education is helping students to better interact with and appreciate the opposite sex. As such, the Year 7 boys attend a ‘Better Men’ workshop, which teaches them about the importance of gender equality, whilst the girls benefit from confidence and self-belief workshops. The schools have also commissioned the expert duo, Allison Harvey and Deanna Puccio, known as the RAP project, to help students, staff and parents better navigate the complex world of social media, sexting and body image that confines teenagers today. NBH student leadership roles are awarded to male and female counterparts so that for every male role, there is a female equal and vice versa. Head Boy and Head Girl bridge the gap between students and teachers, RIGHT representing the views of Northbridge House pupils all pupils and exercise their plagued our society over BELOW diplomatic skills in a setting recent decades.” Happily co-ed that is reflective of their future “We have already seen workplace. a large number of all-boys Brendan Pavey, Headteacher of schools firstly create co-ed sixth NBH Senior Hampstead says: forms and later change to be co-ed “It is impossible to imagine our throughout,” says Brendan. “Indeed, the graduates entering into the truly first school I worked at did exactly that. 20 misogynistic working environments that years later it is a thriving, forward-thinking were once rife and that we continue to hear institution, which would balk at the thought about today. I am confident that they will of only educating one gender.” stand up for their rights, both girls and boys, Focused on maximising his students’ blind to some of the prejudices that have academic success through understanding the significantly changing teenage brain, Taylor says: “In my various roles at schools ranging from a super high achieving international to a secondary modern in Buckinghamshire, I have never once reached the conclusion that student outcomes might improve if I were to divide the genders. True, I have known girls who much prefer working with other girls and appear to have little tolerance of boisterous and over confident boys, yet the opposite also holds. I have educated many girls who not only prefer the company of boys but seem to thrive when working with them.” For the NBH Heads each with over 20 years’ experience, the benefits of co-ed schooling come not from specific aspects but the overall experience: the schools’ academic, pastoral and extra-curricular provisions collectively thrive on boys and girls working together. From sharing opinions on many topical issues - learning to appreciate individual views, not simply
“I
have never once reached the conclusion that student outcomes might improve if I were to divide the genders.” stereotypical girls’ or boys’ views - to embarking on adventures and outreach projects as far as Malawi, students break down any potential barriers that might otherwise exist between the sexes and become confidently familiar with the social norm. NBH Senior Head Girl, Francesca says, “From a girl’s point of view, the school has always felt balanced and equal. Girls and boys truly support one another and get along, contrary to what some girls may worry about when applying to a co-ed school. I find that being in a co-ed and multicultural school allows you to learn many social skills for the future.” “Only in a mixed school environment that treats everyone as an individual will children be truly prepared and confident to work with people from all backgrounds, no matter what colour, creed or gender. A coeducation environment, quite simply, is the best place to prepare young people for the world of tomorrow,” concludes Pavey. AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 93
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Matter of
CHOICE We often assume our children can study whatever they want in the private sector. But the truth is curriculums vary widely. Absolutely Education asked some senior schools what subjects they offer and why and how they are preparing pupils for an uncertain and unknown job market
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SENIOR / TA LK ING POIN T
“We offer girls aged 10 upwards, specialist teaching of each science subject”
I
JOHN WILSON
DOROTHY MACGINTY
HEAD (UPPER) Eaton Square Mayfair
HEADMISTRESS Kilgraston
t has almost become a cliché that schools in the 21st century are tasked with preparing their pupils for a work place so rapidly changing, that the jobs they will do and careers they will have in the future don’t currently exist. As technology improves and automation increases, this is more true now than it was a decade or even five years ago. Schools then, face enormous challenges. To ensure the traditional strengths of their institutions continue, whilst also ensuring that pupils leave with a set of qualifications and skills that will set them up for life in an unknown job market far removed from that which existed when the schools were established. It is for this reason that more and more, schools place an emphasis on developing the broader curriculum as well as the academic curriculum. At Eaton Square Mayfair, alongside our wide academic curriculum, our broader curriculum aims to ensure that pupils develop a growth mindset and recognise the importance of resilience, reciprocity, resourcefulness and reflectiveness in their studies and in their daily lives. If they can develop these skills, any future career is open to them. We believe that all of our pupils can be great and we seek to find and nurture at least one area of our broader curriculum in which they can demonstrate their greatness, be that in music, drama, sports, leadership, writing, communication or elsewhere.
F
or time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.” So said President Kennedy. Vital in the 1960s and perhaps even more so in today’s rapidly changing world. The head of an independent school must, like the chief executive of any international company, continually anticipate and react to industry trends. University is not the only tertiary route and it is the responsibility of your child’s independent school to prepare them for their individual journey. An increasing, global demand for scientists, LEFT engineers and
Pupils at Eaton Square Mayfair
technologists needs resourcing. The national average for girls leaving school to pursue a university STEM subject is 24%; this year, 65% of Kilgraston pupils were offered places to study these subjects. Three years ago we took the decision to offer girls from 10 upwards, specialist teaching of each science subject. By the time the two compulsory science choices have to be made at 14, pupils have an indepth understanding of Chemistry, Biology and Physics. Higher level ICT has been introduced this year. Languages, too, are key to preparing girls for an international platform. From 12, our pupils now study four languages: with the aim of the majority taking one to Higher level. Choosing nine National subject choices inevitably means decision time. After a hitherto balanced curriculum though, that choice is made easier. Don’t look at the paintwork of a prospective school, look at their curriculum. Then look ten years ahead. There’s your answer.
RIGHT Girls at Kilgraston
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LEFT Pupils at Heathfield RIGHT Sixth form girls, Mayfield BELOW RIGHT In the classroom at St Mary's Shaftesbury
MARINA GARDINER LEGGE HEADMISTRESS Heathfield
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he curriculum and its management over the seven years of a pupil’s experience is central to Heathfield’s vision of discovering and developing every girl to enable her to excel because it is based around the pupil. This begins in years 7, 8 and 9 where all girls study a very wide range of subjects in order to evaluate where their talents lie. Despite the increased rigour of the new exams, we ensure pupils don’t specialise until they absolutely have to for Year 10 as we believe that being able to
study in a whole range of different subjects from cookery to music, drama to textiles is essential. Even at Year 10, the option choices are not pre blocked but are designed purely around our pupils’ own choices. At A-Level we are lucky enough to be able to ensure that a diverse range of subjects run in order for our pupils to choose what they are best at such as Further Maths, Photography, Sport Science, Drama, Music which are all offered every year. In addition, for our Lower Sixth, we offer a variety of extended academic options to generate independence ranging from the Extended Project Qualification to an internal essay competition, to curriculum MOOCS in order to personalise our pupils’ experience even further. This personalisation is at the heart of our mission which is to imbue each of our pupils with the self-knowledge and confidence to take hold of her life with both hands.
“Our mission is to imbue each pupil with self-knowledge and confidence”
ANTONIA BEARY HEADMISTRESS Mayfield
A
t Mayfield we strongly believe in the benefits of studying a wide range and variety of subjects. Breadth and choice within the curriculum are fundamental to providing a balanced and creative education to expand every girl’s horizons. The humanities enable students to develop informed opinions on their own and other people’s lives and the world we live in. They also develop research and problem solving skills, the capacity to critique texts, and the ability to debate and present information.
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SENIOR / TA LK ING POIN T
Ever-increasing globalisation necessitates studying languages, and proficiency not only opens the door to living and working abroad but facilitates a better understanding of different perspectives. The creative and performing arts are a fundamental element of the education and formation of any individual. Not only do they have a positive impact on physical and mental wellbeing, but they are key to helping girls to make mistakes and learn from them. The benefits of singing, playing music or performing on stage are vast: from boosting selfconfidence, to teaching the discipline required to learn lines. Commitment, attention to detail, critical analysis and patience are required to succeed. These skills are transferrable and cross-curricular links between the arts and subjects considered more traditionally academic are hugely valuable. At Mayfield, we aim to provide an education that inspires creativity and critical thinking; that encourages the commitment and self-confidence to take risks and make mistakes; that helps the girls prepare for the world around them. This instils the resilience, confidence and integrity to navigate the challenges and opportunities they will face in the modern world with enthusiasm and optimism.
DR CHRIS ENOS D E P U T Y H E A D ( AC A D E M I C ) St Mary’s Shaftesbury
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e talk a great deal about preparing pupils for a rapidly changing world but what does this actually mean? At St Mary’s, we believe the best way to achieve this is by offering as varied and broad a curriculum for as long as possible. This encourages our pupils to explore subjects and find out what their real passion is. At Key Stage 3, pupils explore a wide range of subjects beyond the narrow confines of externally-set exam specifications, studying at least one modern foreign language and a humanity. As an independent school we can choose from both iGCSE and GCSE specifications, so we opt for the most appropriate course that
best prepares each of our pupils for A-Levels and beyond. Most pupils study 10 GCSEs which provides that balance and breadth we value. The removal of the AS assessments provides greater amount of curriculum time resulting in greater in-depth understanding of A-Level subjects and the ability to participate more fully in other activities. At St Mary’s, the girls follow a '3+' curriculum where they choose at least one additional activity to their three main A-Level subjects. This can be a fourth academic subject, an EPQ, Duke of Edinburgh, Leiths Cookery or the organisation of activities for younger pupils. This broad, individual and very personal approach to the curriculum enables our sixth formers to leave St Mary’s as independent learners with the confidence and ambition to be fully prepared for a rapidly changing world.
“A broad curriculum encourages our pupils to explore subjects and find out what their passion is”
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SENIOR / INSIDER
GROWING UP The Head of Institute of Teaching and Learning at Sevenoaks on its Middle School Curriculum MARK BEVERLEY
I
n Years 9 to 11 at Sevenoaks School, we firmly favour enrichment over acceleration. We don’t encourage taking exams early: subjects are not to be rushed through, but explored and reflected upon. Between the ages of 13 and 16, a child’s ways of thinking about himself, others, and the world shifts to a much more adult level. As a result, arguing skills improve, students start applying concepts to specific examples, general reasoning skills improve, and they become more able to evaluate the credibility of various sources of information. Equally they may also challenge the assumptions and solutions presented by adults. The Sevenoaks Middle School curriculum therefore aims to inspire and challenge, to satisfy intellectual curiosity and encourage an open-minded approach to learning. A unique academic core connects and informs a balanced range of subjects, assessed through a combination of qualifications (IGCSE, GCSE and our own Sevenoaks School Certificates). All of our courses are tailored to inspiring and ambitious teaching and learning, and some courses are written from scratch to prepare students effectively for study in the Sixth Form. These avoid the artificial limitations of public courses; their flexibility means that we can undertake ambitious curriculum content, while assessing them in a meaningful, rigorous way. A common set of values, as well as the promotion of interdisciplinary approaches, means that our courses ‘speak’ to one another in ways that encourage students
“Between the ages of 13 and 16 a child’s way of thinking... shifts to a much more adult level”
to transfer knowledge and skills from one subject across to another. We also allow students to choose particular areas of their courses in which they have an expertise or interest. We want our students to learn how to study effectively on their own, and to contribute as part of a group; to listen in lessons, but also to speak and present in them. We want them to be as confident in new technologies as they are with book, paper and pen. When they enter Sixth Form, they will know how to collaborate without copying, how to debate while still listening and will have learned that enthusiasm and curiosity are the best tools we have to combat cynicism and self-interest. Our Middle School Curriculum is balanced and wide-ranging with depth and choice, from a broad range of academically ambitious courses which prepare students for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the Sixth Form. A wide range of academic subjects in Year 9 means that pupils can make informed choices of courses in Year 10. In addition they study three core Critical Thinking courses, Systems of Belief (in Year 9),
Critical Perspectives (in Year 10) and Ten Ideas that Changed the World (in Year 11). In Years 10-11, the examined courses students pursue are English Language and Literature, at least one Modern Language, a Humanity, all three Sciences, Mathematics and two optional courses from a range that includes Expressive Arts and other courses from the Humanities. Courses in these years are assessed via GCSEs, IGCSEs or SSCs. There is provision for bilingual students and for those with prior experience of other languages. ABOVE As students progress Sevenoaks through the Middle School, pupils in the classroom they record and reflect on key curricular and co-curricular events, building as they do a portfolio of their achievement which leads to the award of a Middle School Diploma in Year 11, and a sense of engagement and involvement in their own learning. These years are vital: in them we see the most change in the students and in them we must support and guide the student through the curriculum with intellectual curiosity and academic excitement.
MARK BEVERLEY Head of Institute of Teaching and Learning Sevenoaks
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SENIOR / OPINION
Talking
HEAD
BE BRAVE, be you Julian Thomas, the Head of Wellington College, says individual choice is central to a good education
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ellington College is a pioneering school: in our educational practices, we embrace adventure and encourage exploration; in our students, we seek to develop this same spirit of enquiry by introducing choice at every stage of the Wellington journey. The future belongs to the risk-takers, the creative-thinkers, the pathfinders – now, more than ever, choice is central to a good education. Over the last few years, we have reshaped our curriculum to allow students to find and follow their passions. By giving students the option to choose six elective subjects from a range of 15 before they enter the College, we encourage them to adopt a certain mind-set: self-knowledge is important, individuality is important, autonomy is key. It is why we require all students to complete a crosscurricular project on a topic that inspires them during their first year with us – and
“Choice, of course, is important, because it allows us to make mistakes” why our students don’t officially matriculate until this is complete, thus demonstrating their commitment to independent academic study. It is why we have introduced Lab time – breathing space within the curriculum that allows students to explore their individual topics and develop research skills. And it is why all middleschool students now complete a Higher Project Qualification. These opportunities to explore the world beyond the exam specifications allow our students to discover where their passions and motivations lie, but they also help them to understand
A B OV E
themselves as learners. our students is consistent: be courageous Such self-awareness in your choices but know yourself. Where can only be achieved by leavers’ destinations are concerned, we are granting autonomy, and fighting parental and societal expectation, autonomy can only be and this is where the pioneering spirit is achieved by allowing choice. needed most. By the time our students are ready to Choice, of course, is important because enter the Sixth Form, we hope they will it allows us to make mistakes, it affords have gained enough self-knowledge to us the opportunity to fail. In the quest choose between A-Level and the IB. We are for self-knowledge, making the wrong committed to keeping both pathways open choice can be illuminating. For teenagers, to our Sixth Formers because we recognise choices inevitably lead to transgressions, that what is right for one is not necessarily and transgressions lead to dialogue. At right for another. In addition to this, we are Wellington, we practise restorative justice working to ensure that our students are and, where discipline is concerned, we informed about the range of place great emphasis on the options available when they conversation – because the leave school. While Russell conversation is where the Group universities remain learning takes place. the preferred route for many, Seeing the different choices we are seeing more students people make – whether they choose alternative paths. This be right or wrong - allows for year, 60 students were offered something most important places at US universities and to me and to Wellington: the we are raising the profile of celebration of diversity and JULIAN THOMAS entrepreneurship and degree the growth of empathy. This, Head apprenticeships lower down above all, is why choice is Wellington College the school. The message to important in education. A student songwriter's acoustic session
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All children can achieve
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PROMOTION
Best of BOTH WORLDS Forest School is London’s only diamond-structure school, teaching boys and girls separately in certain years to increase academic performance
F
orest School has employed a successful diamond structure for over 40 years; combining both single-sex and coeducational teaching as pupils progress through the school. Boys and girls are taught together until the age of seven, separately from seven to 16, before joining again to be taught co-educationally for sixth form, although both sexes combine outside the classroom for academic trips, visits and in some co-curricular activities. As the only diamond-structure school in London, Forest School combines the best aspects of single-sex and co-educational teaching by creating an environment where teachers address the differences they see between the boys’ and girls’ learning and behaviour in the classroom, and adapt their teaching accordingly. Harriet Dyke, Head of Middle School, says: “The
ABOVE Students at Forest School BELOW The school grounds
“Data suggests separate schooling is beneficial”
diamond structure enables us to cater to the specific needs of boys and girls – both educational and pastoral… But life isn’t a single-sex environment. So we encourage boys and girls to spend time together on co-curricular activities, or in the interests of a common goal.” GCSE data from the Independent Schools Council suggests that the formula for teaching boys and girls separately from the age of seven to 16 is hugely beneficial for their grades. 94.6% of girls achieved five A* -C grades in 2016, compared to 89.7% in a co-ed environment, and 97.8% of boys achieved 5 A*-C grades in comparison to 87.6%. Rather than stereotyping the genders, the structure creates a comfortable learning environment for both boys and girls to feel confident enough to progress as individuals and develop the learning characteristics that will aid them the most, both in a
single-sex and co-educational capacity. Over 70% of parents cite the diamond structure as the reason they choose Forest School for their child. Marcus Cliff Hodges, Warden (Head) of Forest School, says, “The diamond structure gives us all the academic advantages of single sex education and all the social advantages of co-education. The best of both worlds.” From the 40 years of experience gleaned from teaching in a diamond structure school, the teachers have developed an expertise and knowledge about the separate ways in which boys and girls tend to learn, helping them to become resourceful in all subjects, even those which tend to come less naturally to them. For further information about Forest School visit: forest.org.uk email: info@forest.org.uk or telephone 020 8520 1744 AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 103
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SENIOR / OPINION
Talking
HEAD
THE CREATIVE OPTION The Principal of ArtsEd, Adrian Blake, on why an education in the creative arts creates great leaders
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ith the world’s increasing reliance on science and technology, it can often seem like the creative industry is dying. What people often forget is that the creative industries continue to make a significant contribution to the UK’s economy. There are many areas of digital technology whose appeal and consequent rapid growth are based in constantly refreshed creative output like video games. And it would be very difficult to sell anything these days without a creative presence on social media platforms. As such, an education in the creative arts remains as prevalent and essential as ever: there are many skills that an education in the performing arts develops and refines, including collaboration, accountability, flexibility, integrity of thought and action
“Organisations are crying out for people who have the vision and flair to make big ideas fly” and a strong sense of self. But the most important skill honed by a performing arts education is the ability to communicate in an authentic, creative and honest way. The impact of this sincerity of communication is far-reaching and highly influential. Students leave ArtsEd with eminently practical and transferable skills embedded into their everyday interactions. Organisations are crying out for people who have the vision and flair to make big ideas fly, to lead teams and deliver complex
training, with 25% of the Y7-11 curriculum focused on either Dance or Acting. This leaves time for a broad range of academic subjects to be studied up to GCSE, including all of the core subjects. This allows students the opportunity to balance the development of their academic skills with the pursuit of their personal passion and talent. ArtsEd Sixth Form is also pioneering the way for an education in the arts; 2017 saw the best BTEC A B OV E results in the country, An ArtsEd which maintained ArtsEd’s dance show position as the most academically successful vocational performing arts projects whilst communicating their vision sixth form in the UK. Graduates venture on in an authentic and collaborative way. An for further creative training, or many go to education in the arts harnesses these skills, Russell Group universities. creating a diversity of young people who are Others move quickly into the industry. at ease with themselves and others and who Thomas Dennis left the Sixth Form to communicate confidently with the world. perform in Peter Pan and is currently In many schools, the pressure to achieve playing the lead in the UK Tour of War SATS targets and climb league tables is Horse. Elena Skye went on to do a one-year squeezing out ‘non essentials’ such as music course at the Royal Academy of Music, and art, despite strong evidence that the and is currently playing Eponine in Les involvement in the performing arts engages Miserables in the West End. and develops the whole child rather than Every year at ArtsEd, we see how an just the ‘academic engine’ of the brain. education rooted in the performing arts The results at ArtsEd show enables students to transfer that a successful balance the joy and focus they have between creative arts and in their vocational passion to academia can be just as their academic subjects. The successful. Creative talents creative energy gained from need to be honed and ArtsEd’s doing something they love provision is becoming more engenders positive mental and more important as the health and a robustness – opportunity to do this is taken elements of a young person’s ADRIAN BLAKE Principal of Day School away from young people. development that are nd Sixth Form The Day School at ArtsEd essential, but that cannot be ArtsEd provides performing arts measured by league tables.
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Kensington Park School is a new independent school for boys and girls aged 11–18 in the heart of London. Whilst the school is new, its leadership and teachers have long, successful track-records at some of the best independent schools in the country with the Headmaster and core teaching team coming from St Paul’s School, St Paul’s Girls’ School and Winchester College. KPS is committed to academic excellence combined with strong pastoral care. The school has developed an extensive offering of sports and co-curricular activities, making full use of the world-class facilities in and around its West London home. KPS combines the best of British independent education with a genuinely international outlook and has strong academic, cultural and social links with partners around the world at both school and university level. We look forward to welcoming you
OPEN EVENINGS
Sixth Form: Thursday 4th October Lower School: Thursday 11th October Booking essential
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AE.indd 1
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Talking
SENIOR / OPINION
HEAD
A FINE BALANCE Liz Hewer, Headmistress at St. George’s Ascot, on keeping the balance between work and play in a technology-driven world
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t St George’s Ascot we use three words to describe our pupils and our school; confident, capable and connected. Confident and capable will be familiar, yet it is being ‘connected’ that we feel sets us apart from other schools. We aim to provide an education that is an appropriate preparation for tomorrow’s world. Technology has never offered so many exciting opportunities and, in my many years in senior leadership, I have followed the educational debates and discussions concerning technology for teaching and learning, for communication and regarding wellbeing. People are more ‘connected’ than ever and young people are no exception. True connectedness is not living in the often shallow echo chambers of social media or relying on the internet for answers, it is about making meaningful connections with others through work and play and building the confidence to develop a strong sense of self. We are currently working towards the Mental Health Award for Schools from the Carnegie Centre of Excellence at Leeds Beckett University. This provides a framework to evidence policies and initiatives to improve emotional health and wellbeing for both staff and pupils. It largely comes down to balance. Technology is hugely important in today’s world and we need young people to become technology
“True connectedness is not living in the often shallow echo chambers of social media”
confident and capable but we also parents, to balance sufficient ABOVE St George's girls need to ensure that we develop information sharing with overload. healthy relationships with our Our approach to the use of screens. technology is considered, measured From September 2018 all teaching staff and appropriate, and links closely to the and girls in Years 7 to 11 at St George’s well-being of each member of the school will have a school-owned Chromebook. community. Our girls in Years 7 and 8 are not These are configured with appropriate allowed mobile phones in school; at this age apps and tools for teaching and learning the distraction of such devices is too great a and thus function as a ‘work’ device. Many temptation. Girls enjoy a long lunch where girls will have a device at home, or in the they linger and chat. From Year 9, girls can boarding house, for ‘play’ bring phones into school and we (communications, social have a clear policy about their media, etc.) and we feel this use which is, in summary, ‘not distinction between ‘work’ in public, and with discretion’. and ‘play’ is an important life I am also looking forward to lesson that helps the girls working with Tanya Goodin, to develop balance. We are founder of ‘Time to Log Off ’, also launching a new virtual in developing our approach to learning and communication technology and wellbeing as we platform, Dragonfly, with work towards ensuring each girl LIZ HEWER the added advantage of has the tools not just to survive, Headmistress streamlining communications, but thrive in this increasingly St George’s Ascot within school and with connected age. AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 107
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Benenden School A Complete Education for girls aged 11 - 18
For a prospectus and application form or to book a visit to the School contact: The Registry Benenden School Cranbrook Kent TN17 4AA 01580 240592 registry@benenden.kent.sch.uk www.benenden.kent.sch.uk
BENENDEN.indd 1
12/09/2018 09:18
Talking
SENIOR / OPINION
HEAD
LET THEM SPEAK Richard Parker, UK Principal of the International Schools of London group, believes teenagers must be given a voice
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hen I was in my early 20s, I took part in an aid mission to Nicaragua. Whilst I was there, I visited Jalapa in the north of the country, where I met a 16 year old who was running all the educational services in his area. He was the most articulate and confident teenager I had ever met. He took me to some of the tiny schools that had sprung up all over the region and introduced to me to a number of teachers younger than himself, some as young as twelve. It was the moment I realised the true potential of adolescence. Adolescence is often viewed as problematic rather than a time of creative potential. It is our young people who have suffered, with schools traditionally emphasising control rather than opportunity. In the world of international schools this is changing, and there is a
“Slum children had taught themselves to surf the internet, despite not knowing what a computer or internet were” push to give students a far greater voice in their own educational journey. The most famous study to support this approach is Sugata Mitra’s hole in the wall experiment. In 1999 Mitra put a computer connected to the internet in a hole in the wall in a slum in Delhi and left it there. The computer attracted a group of slum children, who, by the end of the first day had taught themselves to surf the internet, despite
ABOVE not knowing what a computer or some of the most innovative and An ISL student the internet were. Mitra developed exciting ideas for taking the school brainstorming his experiments further by asking forward. We are also moving to questions and seeing how children a personalised approach to the responded. One question he asked was classroom - students will identify how they ‘why does hair grow’? After a few days, learn best, and when they need support. non-English speaking Tamil students were I have also instigated the ISL Research able to answer this question with reference Institute to give students in Years 7, 8 and to cell-biology. Mitra realised that children 9 the chance to conduct MA-level research; were able to teach themselves. Since the the pilot project for 2018-19 will focus on hole in the wall experiment, Mitra has bilingualism and multilingualism and our run a number of studies students will present findings that have showed how far at an international conference. we underestimate children’s David Perkins, a Research ability to self-educate. All they Professor at the Harvard need is the context and tools. Graduate School of Education, At one of the ISL Schools, has said: “One of the most we recently held a Town Hall shocking statistics about Meeting for all stakeholders education is that students (parents, teachers and interest in learning at school students) to decide on declines as they go through RICHARD PARKER major initiatives for the the years.” We cannot cultivate UK Principal next academic year. It was curiosity if we do not cultivate International Schools of London organised and run by students: student agency and allow it was students who had students to speak.
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03/09/2018 12/06/2018 14:44 13:28
Talking
SENIOR / OPINION
HEAD
OPENING DOORS David Goodhew, Head of Latymer Upper School, on its new drive to provide bursaries for one in four pupils
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t first glance it might strike the onlooker as an unlikely match. I was born into a working class background in a tower block opposite Grenfell and educated at my local comprehensive. I now head up one of the country’s top co-ed independent schools – Latymer Upper School. But look more closely and the connection becomes clearer. I do indeed have my roots firmly and proudly in a working class family, but I progressed from a secondary school in Hammersmith to read Classics at Oxford University – the first member of my family to take A-Levels or go to university. Education, in my case, has been the key to social mobility and I have pretty firm views on the role independent schools can play in improving the life chances of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“Education has been the key to my own social mobility and I have firm views on the role we should play” Of course Latymer is no ordinary independent school. It prides itself on being one of Britain’s leading bursary schools, with the majority of its means-tested bursary pupils studying at Latymer on a completely free place. My plan is to go further – to offer a life-changing education to more children who show ability and potential, regardless of their financial circumstances. Independent schools should be engines of, rather than obstacles to, social mobility. To that end I’ve recently launched Inspiring Minds, Latymer’s most
ambitious bursary campaign to date. unlikely to become the last. ABOVE Pupils at Latymer The aim of the campaign is to raise The £40m that we hope to Upper enough funds to be able to offer one in raise from the Inspiring Minds four pupils a means-tested bursary to bursary campaign is needed for Latymer by 2024 - our 400th anniversary. the long-term funding of bursaries. Unlike I believe the campaign is the most some public schools which have large effective way in which our institution endowments, or independent schools with can encourage social mobility, offering City guilds to fund their bursaries, Latymer 300 local children from backgrounds as has no such resource and has to raise the modest as mine, access to a transformative money needed from scratch. We aim to education. And all pupils feel the benefits replenish Edward Latymer’s endowment of a socially diverse school, fund with £20m of the money be they fee paying or those on raised, protecting our bursary bursaries. As an educationalist provision for generations of I’m convinced that a school children to come. in which children study There is cause for hope. alongside classmates from This month we welcome diverse backgrounds, who our new Year 7 pupils, 18% have different perspectives on of whom are in receipt of a life, offers the most enriched bursary - with 175 bursary intellectual environment in pupils across the school. To DAVID GOODHEW which to learn. As is often the see these children flourish and Head case with social mobility, there excel in the wider world is one Latymer Upper School is also a ripple effect. The first step towards smashing the person in a family to benefit, is class glass ceiling. AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 111
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Up close &
PERSONAL The Director of Education at Microsoft UK says that combining digital learning with traditional classroom methods and independent study produces best outcomes
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t’s becoming clearer by the minute that a ‘one-size-fits-all' approach to learning will not help teachers deliver the anticipated personalised pathways that the class of 2030 needs to enter the workforce. Our research points to exactly that, as students who receive personalised instruction perform 98 per cent better than traditionally taught students today. Despite the many benefits and the flexibility that independent schools can have in funding and adopting new methods, finding the means of delivering tailored learning can be difficult for
CHRIS ROTHWELL
educators who already spend hours on lesson preparation for the class. So how can these schools make use of technology to tackle this challenge?
BLENDED LEARNING FOR EVERY LEARNING STYLE
Blended methods of learning, that combine digital learning with traditional classroom methods and independent study, have huge potential for the improvement of both the teaching and learning experiences. It’s compelling to see that 73 per cent of teachers advocate the introduction of technology into the classroom as a means
to ensure their teaching reaches a variety of learning styles. Embracing blended learning, and its flexibility, is particularly pertinent given that students never outgrow their learning styles from school through to the workforce, regardless of industry. But still, many schools, across the private and public systems, are turning to technology for technology’s sake, rather than taking a strategic approach guided by the potential learning outcomes that they can help achieve. Often, schools can be guilty of deploying the latest and greatest technology tools without the appropriate training or student needs front of mind,
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and therefore fail to harness the technology to its full potential for improved learning outcomes. By contrast, well-planned implementations, where technology is closely tailored to an individual or group’s learning style, can have dramatic benefits. Indeed, we’ve seen this from working with our customers as well such as Rugby School where teachers have driven excellent results by using technology tools that engage students, ABOVE Rugby Schools pupils provide autonomy and empower using Microsoft Studio them to learn at their own pace. for design lessons Moreover, a recent IDC study BELOW AND of over 76 million job postings LEFT found that being able to use Finished pieces by Microsoft Office was one of the students five in-demand skills employers At Microsoft, we launched most want from a prospective ‘Learning Tools’ to do just that: applicant. Integrating the right level the playing field for struggling technology into classroom environments students. These tools include features will prepare students with the skills they such as Immersive Reader, Dictation and need to prosper as our future digital Read Aloud, which enable students to workforce. improve their text comprehension, giving them the confidence they need to take on independent reading. For teachers, making PERSONALISATION TO DRIVE use of these tools enables them to work STUDENT SUCCESS more efficiently and free up time to focus However, success here isn’t just about on students and delivering personalised the top students continuing to get the learning. top grades, it’s about seeing students Using collaboration tools to alleviate outperform their usual attainment, teacher pressures becoming more confident and being able Another powerful way to deliver to work efficiently on independent tasks. personalisation is through collaboration tools. These enable better cooperation, not only between teacher and student, but also between peers – so that students can learn from one another. Last year we brought Microsoft Teams to education to create collaborative classrooms where school communication could be centralised in a digital hub. Teams has been able to drastically alleviate the pressures on teachers’ time by empowering them to host all documents in one place enabling them to create and deliver interactive tailored lessons suited to students’ abilities. Such tools are encouraging teachers to assign specific tasks to individuals, share independent feedback in real time and get a comprehensive view of a student’s comprehension of a topic (as well as where they may need further support).
“At rugby, teachers have driven excellent results by using technology tools that engage students”
MIXING THE OLD WITH THE NEW TO FOSTER ENGAGEMENT
Yet it’s important to remember that embracing blended learning methods does not mean saying goodbye to the traditional classroom. Traditional methods such as writing still play a key role in a student’s classroom experience and digital inking has huge potential, particularly in STEM subjects such as maths and science. Using a digital pen or stylus to write equations, draw diagrams, make notes and annotate data can spark up to 36 per cent increases in favourable STEM outcomes alone. Digital inking also unlocks students’ creativity and can be used in creative subjects such as music and art, with students being able to experiment and perhaps create the next masterpiece all without being limited to pen and paper. Rugby School and its use of Microsoft Studio in its design department is a case in point: classes are now meeting deadlines more frequently and students are further enabled to create work of more depth and complexity with more enrichment in their output and as a result the school is seeing a narrowing achievement gap
THE PERFECT PARTNER IN DELIVERING PERSONALISED LEARNING
It’s simply not enough to just introduce technology into the classroom and hope for the best. Now more than ever, implementing classroom technology must be strategic, and driven by the outcomes schools want to empower students to achieve. After all, it will be the most effective independent schools that will listen to the needs of their students and give them what they require. The future challenges are there for us all to see and it will be those schools that embrace deliberate technology practices for personalised learning that will get ahead and empower our future generations to achieve more.
C H R I S R OT H W E L L Director of Education Microsoft UK AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 113
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SCHOOL’S OUT / INSIDER
DON’T B E LI E VE THE H Y PE The Director of ICT at St Benedict’s School, on five ways to challenge fake news CHRISTIAN SMITH
W
e’ve all heard the phrase ‘Fake News’, often decrying news stories that are unflattering or unfavourable to politicians and public figures. But have you really considered how difficult it must be to be a student these days, researching and learning when you cannot be 100 percent sure that the source you’re reading is legitimate or trustworthy? Fake News is not a new phenomenon. Many of us will have been shown the 1957 Panaorama ‘Spaghetti Harvest’ programme as part of our education, or perhaps used the ‘DiHidrogenOxide dangers’ website as part of our teaching activities. But in recent years, the number of satirical, biased or outright false news sites and sources has exponentially increased, many with names, layout and URLs all designed to fool us into thinking they are sites linked or aligned with other trustworthy sources. We’ve all been there, scrolling through our social media feed, when a post pops up, shared by multiple friends, with a headline just outlandish enough to get you interested, or so outlandish your only response is to re-share. Most of the time it’s an outraged response or a wry laugh, but always with some form of visceral emotional reaction, because that is what these posts are designed to do, to get us to react, to share and increase traffic to a site and increase ad revenue, sharing the story wider…. When talking with many of our students, we discussed this change in how we receive news, and for many of our young adults, news isn’t something you search out, it’s something that’s fed to you. Sometimes by
“For many young adults, news is something that's fed to you”
push notifications from sources such as the BBC, but more often, it’s given to us through social feeds, via friends or sources we have chosen to hear from. And when the sources are people we know, rather than mainstream media, we do less fact checking and we are more likely to engage with or share a false story with a sensational headline, than a fact-based one. In the three months leading to the Nov 2016 Presidential election, Buzzfeed found that 8.7 million fake news stories were shared or interacted with on Facebook regarding the election. So… what can we do about this? Actually, we can do what we’ve always done in ‘analogue’ research, and encourage everyone to challenge and research the information being presented to us: 1 SOURCES - Have you checked the initial source? Is it legitimate or satire? What else have they published? 2 PATTERNS - How are similar stories presented? Is there a bias or other posts? 3 FACT CHECK - Is it even being reported elsewhere? Sites like Snopes and Politifact are your friend. Use these sites to check and debunk clickbait headlines. ABOVE Pupils in the ICT suite at St Benedict's
4 TRIANGULATE - How are other sources reporting this? Can you find two other sources that verify what’s being said? 5 CHALLENGE - Tell people when they share false stories, educate them by telling them how you know and where you found conflicting information. Fake news is not going away. It’s always been here, but in an ever interconnected social-app world, it is far easier to share false narratives that can become part of an ‘understood’ truth. It is the responsibility of all of us to pause, read and challenge false online news before sharing to ensure that we don’t add more fake news to our feeds and the feeds of everyone who follows us.
CHRISTIAN SMITH Director of ICT St Benedict's School AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 115
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The
M A K ING of Me
Aicha McKenzie The former British gymnast, model, dancer and choreographer on finding her groove at Putney High School
Where did you go to school and when? Putney High School, an all-girls’ day school. I finished in 1995.
Would you send your own children there? I would have sent my daughter there but now she will go to the same school as my son, who is 11 years older.
Did you love it or hate it? Loved it
What effect do you think your schooling had on your character? Did it change you? It didn't change me but it most definitely enhanced my intuition as I was allowed to be the individual that I always was.
What was your favourite subject or activity there? English and netball. Who was your most influential teacher? My English teacher, Ms Sharp
How did it influence the rest of your life and career? I became very entrepreneurial at an early age at school. My mother and I ran a gymnastics after-school club which was also a really good opportunity to be responsible for something that was bigger that just me and my teenage problems.
Where was your favourite place at school – what did you do there? The sixth-form common room. We sat on bean bags and contemplated life, boys and made pot noodles. What beliefs do you think that particular school instilled in you? That anything is possible with hard work.
wrong uniform. I never did anything really reckless that's just not me.
What was your proudest achievement? Managing to complete my A-Levels to a good standard while at the same time competing and training for Great Britain in gymnastics.
What is your most vivid memory of your time there? Being with my girlfriends and the unwavering support and sisterhood that I found within the walls of Putney High from both peers and staff alike.
What was the most trouble you got into? I was in trouble all the time. Almost every registration I was outside the classroom for chit chat or wearing the
Were you too cool for school? Yes!! I tried to bring a bit of my south London estate to school with me each day it probably looked a bit like a chip on my shoulder!
What is your relationship with your old school now? It’s great. Actually probably even better than when I was there. I think that when I was at school, although some people were very supportive, not every person there could see the potential in me. Now I feel that the school recognises my success and that they helped me achieve that by letting me develop in my own way. What other influences did you have in your younger life? My mother was my biggest influence. She was the force behind everything and all of me.
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PROFILE
Where did you develop your love of gymnastics and dance? I tried many things as a child from swimming to piano but gymnastics found its place in my heart as I loved to perform. The dance side developed later as I began to try and explore different ways to influence my gymnastic performances. I started to take jazz classes at Pineapple Studios in central London after school and soon dance became the direction that I wanted for my life even after I had retired as a gymnast. Do you think going to a single-sex school altered your view of the world? Not really. It meant that I had a safe space to do my growing up without the complications of boys and whether they liked me or not. Do you think it developed you as a leader? Indeed. I was given the chance to lead in many scenarios. Some that I chose and other scenarios chose me. Much like in life. I lead now because I think I have the ability to help people see the path for themselves. I think of myself as more of a guide than a leader. What are you doing now? I’m focusing most of my time on my latest business which is a company that delivers wellness - be that yoga, breathing,
personal training, nutrition or mental health awareness, directly to people who primarily work within the music, fashion and creative industries. We are working with artists backstage at awards shows and models on photo shoots, as well as designers or magazine editors in their offices (amckfit.com). I also run a male model agency (amckmodels.com) and a dancer, choreographer, and creative director agency (amck.tv). What are your plans for the future? Actually I’m very much trying to be mindfully present in the moment and enjoy the journey with less emphasis on the end game. How would you sum up your school days in five words? Well actually its 7!! TANK FLY BOSS WALK JAM NITTY GRITTY AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 117
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Finding the perfect school for your child
Established in 1873, Gabbitas is a consultancy advising on all aspects of British Independent Education. We can help with every aspect of your child’s educational journey. This includes advising on the best school, university or summer school, advising on higher education and career choices, providing tutors, guardianship and entry testing to ascertain your child’s potential.
www.gabbitas.com +44 (0) 20 7734 0161 | info@gabbitas.com Gabbitas Educational Consultants is registered in England No. 2920466. Part of The Prospects & Shaw Trust Groups.
Gabbitas Educational Consultants is registered in England No. 2920466. Part of The Prospects and Shaw Trust Groups. Image supplied by Eastbourne College.
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PROMOTION
A PERFECT GEM An education at one of Ireland’s leading schools for boys
G
lenstal Abbey School stands out as one of the leading boarding schools in Ireland for boys aged 12-18. Situated in County Limerick, in the heart of Munster, Glenstal Abbey is only 40 minutes' drive from Shannon Airport and just over two hours' drive from Dublin Airport. Glenstal is a small school with small classes; there are approximately 250 students divided into groups mostly of 12 to 16 pupils, in line with the clear policy and academic vision of the school. A Catholic school, Glenstal welcomes students from all traditions and sees itself as a partner with parents in the formation and nurturing of its students in a climate of learning. Staff at the school operate under the guiding principle of being the best at everything they do. Each student at Glenstal is encouraged to fulfill his potential. Finding the precise programme of learning and development that suits each student is a key feature of an education at Glenstal. The school’s ethos is grounded in the values of reverence, respect and responsibility drawn from a long monastic tradition. The Irish Department of Education and Skills recently completed a Whole School Evaluation on the management, leadership and learning at Glenstal Abbey School.
2018 Expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro!
ABOVE Students at Glenstal Abbey School RIGHT 2018 Munster Schools Senior Cup Champions and Munster Rugby School of the Year 2018
The report warmly endorsed the school’s academic, pastoral, sporting, art and music programmes: “All these aspects of the students’ experience appear to be woven into a fabric of care, support and pedagogy to nurture the academic, social and personal development of the students while in the care of the school.” Glenstal has regularly topped The Sunday Times ‘Parent Power’ survey over the last 10 years. These tables are based on the percentage of students progressing to universities in Ireland and the UK. Our recent results in the Irish Department of Education and Skills Leaving Certificate results were excellent with most students receiving their first choice in their chosen third level course. There is no better way for parents to discover what life is like for a student here than to explore the school and its grounds for themselves.
THE ANNUAL BOARDING FEE IS IN THE ORDER OF €23,500 For further information about Glenstal Abbey School see www.glenstal.com email admissions@glenstal.com or telephone +35361621044 AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 119
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Schools and Colleges
Specialist GCSE and A level provider Strong teaching and outstanding pastoral care.
The ISI awarded MPW
—The Good Schools Guide
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Phone us today or visit our website:
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London the highest grade in every category in their
classes of 9 or less students and our exceptional university preparation: over 70% of our leavers each year progress to top tier universities. Our mission is to turn academic aspirations into reality. MPW is a friendly, flexible college that offers an outstanding learning environment.
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School Leaver WELLBEING P . 122 TOP GAP YEAR COMPANIES P . 126 AGONY AUNT P . 137
KING'S COLLEGE, WIMBLEDON
AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 121
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Be PREPARED The Headmaster of Emanuel School highlights the importance of mental health provision in schools, particularly for pupils transferring into higher education ROBERT MILNE
E
very August sees another cohort of talented Emanuel pupils gain their A-Level offers for Russell Group universities or to much-coveted places at prestigious drama schools, art schools and music colleges. They are always excited by what the future holds. I suspect however, that some are also slightly anxious about leaving home, having to make new friends and missing the routines, happiness and confidence that school life has given them. A number of our leavers will stay in touch with colleagues and keep them up to date on their experience of higher education. Undoubtedly they will enjoy themselves
50% of mental health issues will start by the age of 14 and 75% by the age of 24.
and their courses, but there may also be a sense that on-going study, away from home, as well as edging ever closer to the world of work, presents some new-found worries from time to time. Occasionally we have found that a young person has really struggled to settle into their new institution, despite our best efforts to help them prepare for life after school. The nationwide challenge for young people transferring to university has seen a flurry of cross party and university publications in response to some stark and unsettling realities about mental health and well-being for undergraduates. Whilst there remains so much to enjoy about pursuing academic ambitions, living independently, making new friends and laying foundations for a chosen career, the daunting facts surrounding mental health in young people are urging universities and professional health networks to review their shared approaches to looking after those in their care.
The government’s green paper ‘Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision’ last December was an optimistic sign of intent, but much of the actions within this paper fall short in timescale and breadth of intervention to make a truly meaningful change for school leavers heading to university in the next few years. The statistics for mental health in our school-age generation show that 50% of mental health issues will start by the age of 14 and 75% by the age of 24. The significance of this age range is further compounded by the fact that for many this coincides with
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SCHOOL LE AV ER / OPINION
Tips MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH AT SCHOOL The following 11 steps are approaches that our school and many others have adopted to help those in their care. 1 Put on-going mental health lessons for pupils and their peers in the weekly timetable and make it part of assemblies. 2 Ensure that every child has a form tutor or a trusted adult to take care of their holistic development. This ought to be a teacher that establishes a long-term relationship with the pupil and their parents. 3 Find time for physical exercise through games, clubs and activities. 4 Ensure there are private spaces in schools- having a moment of calm away from the bustling theatre of school life is vital to a young person’s sense of wellbeing. 5 Make sure that we look after the mental health of teachers, just as much as those in their charge. Being able to teach in a calm and enjoyable manner is vital for pupil wellbeing. 6 Ensure that the school has an in-house counsellor and that the pupils can access them easily. It is also beneficial to have a leading pastoral colleague with access to an external network of mental health professionals. 7 Don’t be scared of technology. For many pupils an app on their phone or iPad, like one on mindfulness or anxiety can be a superb way to independently overcome a difficult moment.
ABOVE Emanuel School pupils LEFT Headmaster Robert Milne
8 Establish regular parent and pupil workshops on topics of pastoral concern. 9 Teachers should be encouraged to think about how language can be used for better mental health, e.g using a child's name when marking. 10 Set up a peer-to=peer mentoring or buddy scheme.
taking a series of public exams and studying away from home; all within the context of adolescence. Sadly, universities and local health networks have not always been well prepared for these cumulative challenges. Statistics across recent years bear this out. The number of young people dropping out of university courses has trebled and 94% of universities have experienced a rise in students accessing ‘support services’. Currently there is an average of 10 years between a young person’s initial symptoms of a mental health concern and them receiving formal help.
UK universities have thankfully sought to systematically address the situation but they do not operate in isolation. All good schools, therefore should continue to ensure their pupils leave them with the capacity to cope with this post-sixth form transfer point - providing them with the self-knowledge, empathy, attitude and skills to thrive in the important years ahead. ROBERT MILNE
11 Have fun! Humour in schools and moments of amusement in conversation, in assemblies, in lessons and daily dialogue helps everyone run along and enjoy their day all the more.
12 Young people's mental health is a growing concern, but we should be optimistic as we become more knowledgeable about it. Schools and universities can harness this knowledge, work in partnership with each other, growing a network of expert support and sustaining closer links with families.
Headmaster Emanuel School emanuel.org.uk
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helped over 100,000 children access the best of the independent schools sector. But don’t just take our word for it, our end of year survey revealed that 97% of parent respondents would recommend School Fee Plan to a friend.
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As parents, we all want to give our children the best possible start in life and a private education is one of the key ways we can equip them to take full advantage of the opportunities that life will bring. *Credit is subject to status, terms and conditions apply. School Fee Plan is a trading name of Premium Credit Limited. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
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12/09/2018 16:58
SCHOOL LE AV ER/ INSIDER
REACH FOR THE STARS The founder of The Profs tutoring agency, debunks some Oxbridge myths R I C H A R D E VA N S
E
veryone has their own idea of what an Oxbridge student looks like, and it’s usually wrong. This is because of certain misconceptions surrounding Oxbridge requirements and the admissions process. I’m here to debunk the common myths. As an admissions specialist and the head of The Profs, a company that works with students going through the admissions process, I see students who have been given poor advice and inaccurate information more often than you'd expect. University admission stress is a serious problem for the whole family, with parents often feeling the greatest strain, so let me give you an insight into the truth behind the most common application myths. MYTH 1 YOU HAVE TO BE A GENIUS TO GET INTO OXBRIDGE • I often see students who are more than capable of applying to Oxbridge, either not aiming high enough, or discouraged from applying by teachers or friends. The criteria for a successful applicant to Oxbridge is actually quite simple. Firstly, hit the entry requirements. Secondly, show how passionate and knowledgeable you are about your chosen subject. Beyond that, there’s no such thing as the ‘right person’ for Oxbridge. Your child has five spaces on their UCAS application form, so why not use one of them to reach for the stars? MYTH 2 UNIVERSITIES CARE ABOUT EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES • An application filled with extra-curricular achievements irrelevant to a student’s desired courses will sadly not impress the university admissions team. While it’s no mean feat being the captain of the football team - there are enough in the UK to fill up every Russell Group university, tenfold. Ultimately, all that universities look
the opportunity to ‘level up’ university choices if their grades are better, so don’t be afraid to slow down if it leads to a better quality application the deadline this year isn’t until January 15th! MYTH 4 THE COSTS OF MISINFORMATION ARE SMALL • I believe that the decision of which universities and courses to apply to through UCAS is one of the key turning points in a person’s life. Those who made prudent, informed course choices are far more likely to have enjoyed their degree and converted their studies into a relevant job..
UNIVERSITY CHOICES Which way to go?
for in a personal statement is that your experience enables you to excel in academic study at degree level. As I always say to my students: ‘If it’s not relevant keep it out!’ MYTH 3 EARLY APPLICANTS ARE ALWAYS BETTER • Schools historically set very early UCAS deadlines (as early as September) for their students. This isn’t necessary for students who aren’t applying for Oxbridge or early-entry subjects like medicine, and can often force students to rush these important decisions. For many high-achieving students, waiting and applying later is the right option. UCAS adjustment also allows
“Don’t fill your application with irrelevant extra-curricular achievements”
MYTH 5 ADDED SUPPORT IS ONLY FOR STRUGGLING STUDENTS • As an admissions specialist and tutor, this myth hits particularly close to home. There is, unfortunately, still a stigma around receiving additional support to further one's education. There seems to be an assumption that if you are looking for help you must not be bright enough, when in reality, many high-performing students use application support to give themselves a further edge on their peers when competing for places at the world’s most competitive universities. When one in six students seeks additional support when applying to Oxbridge, can you afford for your child to miss out?
R I C H A R D E VA N S Founder of The Profs theprofs.co.uk/admissions-tutors AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 125
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REAL GAP
MAKE IT COUNT Absolutely Education’s pick of the best Gap Year companies GEORGIA MCVEIGH
i-to-i WHO
i-to-i provides TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) courses and internships.
WHAT
For those that would rather not spend thousands on a glorified beach holiday, i-to-i's top quality TEFL packages combine online and classroom learning, followed by an internship abroad. An internship package includes between 120 and 270 hours of combined teaching (online learning and physical teaching experience). Following this, students put their new skills into practice at a local school of their preferred destination. Internships last between two and nine months.
WHERE
Those who have successfully completed the TEFL course will have the option of travelling to China, Spain, Thailand or Cambodia. i-to-i.com 126 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | AUTUMN • WINTER 2018
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SCHOOL LE AV ER / GA P Y E A R S
NONSTOP SNOW IS PERFECT FOR SKI BUMS WHO TAKE THEIR SKIING SERIOUSLY
Perfect for any ski bums who take their skiing seriously, head further afield than the generic Meribel, Courcheval or Morzine for some proper skiing. Nonstop Snow offers the option of ski and snowboard instructor courses in both New Zealand and Canada, as well as a competitive six-month internship in Canada where you will have the opportunity to put your instructing skills to the test.
The original and one of the best; Raleigh International was started by Prince Charles and Colonel John Blashford-Snell in 1978. It is a sustainable development charity that aims to help communities abroad by recruiting young volunteers. They also create partnerships with other local organisations and community members in the countries that they operate in.
Open to everyone, all Raleigh asks for is an open mind, commitment and a desire to help the community and environment. Younger volunteers (17-24) help on the sustainable development programmes with the main focus being on providing access to safe water and sanitation and protecting vulnerable environments. Expeditions will be broken
WHO
WHAT
WHO
WHAT
Nonstop Snow Established in 2002, Nonstop Snow’s founder, Rupert Taylor came up with the idea when skiing on a typically deep powder day in Canada’s British Columbian backcountry. He wanted to share this experience with others, so he set up the first 11-week ski instructor course in Fernie, BC.
Raleigh International
down into three parts: community, environment and adventure. The community project is the opportunity to be completely immersed and live and work alongside local people, and will focus on water sanitation and safety, health and education facilities or raising awareness of issues such as health and hygiene, gender equality or access to education. The environment phase is the chance to protect vulnerable environments around the world. Students may be expected to raise awareness about deforestation, and ways to manage natural resources. For the adventure phase, students will trek across landscapes and rough terrain, meeting local communities camping, learning about wildlife and working as a team. This is often the most popular phase.
WHERE
Raleigh International offers expeditions to Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Tanzania, Nepal and Malaysia and Borneo. raleighinternational.org
LEFT Real Gappers on conservation work in South Africa BELOW Volunteering with The Leap in Namibia
WHERE
Courses take place in both Canada and New Zealand. Canada’s Banff is the most popular destination with Gap Year students as the drinking age is 18 in comparison with the resorts further south with an age of 19. The other Canada destinations are Red Mountain and Fernie. The New Zealand courses take place in Treble Cone. nonstopsnow.com AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 127
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“Opportunities include teaching English to young Buddhist monks in Nepal”
Interning. Whatever the chosen course, it’s guaranteed to be a mix of conservation and adventure, and not simply whiling time away on a beach. The Leap also offers two internship opportunities – one for medical interns, and one for those hoping to teach abroad. BELOW Trekking in Tanzania with Raleigh International BELOW RIGHT Local children in the Congo
Real Gap WHO
Established in 2003, Real Gap does exactly what it says on the tin – it provides quality gap year experiences to students travelling abroad for the first time.
WHAT
Real Gap has travel destinations all over the world and offers both paid and volunteering opportunities. The trips are well organised and fully supportive, whatever students hope to do. Volunteering programmes include working in a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa or teaching English to young monks in Nepal and paid roles include working on a ranch in Australia or au pairing in the USA. Where – Worldwide. realgap.co.uk
WHERE
Like Real Gap, The Leap offers internships in every continent. Countries on offer include: Cambodia, Borneo, Madagascar, Tanzania and Costa Rica. theleap.co.uk
The Leap WHO
Run by the dynamic Milly and Guy Whitehead, The Leap is a Gap Year volunteer and internship company that has expanded from its humble roots offering volunteer opportunities in Africa to offering destinations in every continent.
WHAT
More fine tuned than Real Gap, but similar in the wide variety of choice of destinations, The Leap and Raleigh International maintain the most contact with those on their programmes, providing expedition leaders who frequently touch base with their charges. Courses are typically six to ten weeks long, depending on your destination and are divided into Interest, Volunteering or AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 129
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PREPARE to launch How can we best ready young people to take the right steps after school? BRIAN SCHOFIELD
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he final bars of Jerusalem fade away, the eyes are dabbed with hankies, the childish (but forgivable) final day pranks have all been performed – and school’s out, forever. But while the Upper Sixth Formers stride out on their final day of compulsory education, confidently expecting to conquer the world, one question rattles edgily through the mind of every parent and teacher proudly watching on. Are they ready? Have these school-leavers developed sufficient self-awareness and resilience to cope with a less structured, more independent young adult lifestyle? Have they made the right choices about their future, to ensure their next few years are packed with purpose, meaning and joy? Do they know how to use a tin-opener? The right education can answer all those questions. If parents and teachers
collaborate on an effective and enjoyable ‘launch sequence’, there’s plenty of time in the last few years of school to give young people the skills they need to complete a smooth transition into university or its alternatives. Not everyone gets the help they need – last year, a faintly depressing 26,000 young people dropped out of uni without finishing the first year, a sure sign of insufficient preparation. But with a little thought, those next steps after school should be on the sunny side. Here’s a thorough pre-flight checklist.
START THE COUNTDOWN EARLY
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henever I talk with university admissions officers, their consistent complaint is that young people engage with their post-18 choices too late. Their open days are crammed with Year 12 students, but they wish they were packed with Year 10s. That
may seem very young, but remember, most students settle on their A-Level choices by the February of Year 11. And it is heart-breaking to have to tell a Sixth Former who’s fallen in love with the idea of Economics at Warwick that their decision to drop Maths at 16 has left them without a hope. The Russell Group’s ‘Informed Choices’ website is a very helpful resource to start perusing early, and university events for Year 10 and 11 students are a great investment of time. It’s not ‘tiger parenting’ to start researching early, it’s prudent.
LEARN TO COACH, NOT PREACH
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he key to preparing young people to leave school is ensuring they are heading in the right direction for them. That direction might bemuse or even disappoint the adults in their life, but if the decision-making process has been thorough, thoughtful and sincere, so be it. Wouldn’t you rather build a happy computer-game designer than a miserable dentist? At Hurst we have employed executive life coaches to train our Sixth Form teachers to guide students towards decisions based on selfawareness and self-honesty, through the use of questioning and listening techniques which prevent staff from diving in and delivering solutions that may not match the individual. The process – which we call ‘Finding Your Why’ – takes time and patience, but it’s the right approach. Never forget (in the nicest possible way) how long it’s been since you left school.
T-SHAPED OR I SHAPED?
I
n the final two years at school, it's all about finding the balance between two ‘shapes’ of people. Employers consistently say they are looking for ‘T-shapes’, people with a breadth of experiences and skills, but also the capacity to focus and specialise in one area. A good sixth-form, with a full spectrum of extra-curricular activities and
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RIGHT In the sience lab BELOW A Hurst pupil in the classroom
a strong academic core, should produce just that shape. But university admissions officers are different, they are focused on ‘I-shapes’ – committed academic specialists who love to study beyond the classroom. That means schools must offer a strong ‘super-curricular’ programme of academic enrichment and extension, and students and parents must make careful choices between immediate applications and longterm development.
HOW WE DO IT
EXPLORE THE ALTERNATIVES, BUT CAUTIOUSLY
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lternatives to university are certainly improving, with 36,000 Higher level apprenticeships starting last year, and it’s a great idea to make young people really stress-test the idea of a conventional degree – is it worth, it, or can I do better elsewhere? But there must also be a strong note of caution here. Of those 36,000 Higher spaces, only 2,000 were actually offering degree-level training, the remainder only offered training to the level of a foundation year or higher education diploma. As a comparison of scale, there were over 450,000 degree places available from UK universities last year. Suffice to say, there’s much to be said for apprenticeships, but there’s also a lot of (government-led) hype surrounding them, too.
“Last year a faintly depressing 26,000 young people dropped out of university ”
HURST COLLEGE HAS A NUMBER OF STRATEGIES FOR BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN SCHOOL AND THE BIG WIDE WORLD he most significant is the St John’s, a co-educational house which incorporates the whole Upper Sixth year. St Johns operates as a hybrid school house and hall of residence, giving the Upper Sixth a valuable preparation for the years ahead. Hurst also tailors its tutoring system towards school-leavers, by using academic Heads of Department as Upper Sixth tutors, with students allocated tutors according to their favoured degree choice. Tutors are then charged with developing specialist knowledge and contacts within Higher Education, and are trained as life coaches to facilitate students’ decision making. A programme of ‘Bluffer’s Guide to Adulthood’ training also helps Sixth Form students prepare for the financial, legal and health choices they’ll face after school.
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NOW’S THE TIME TO ENCOURAGE AMBITION
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he final years at school are not a time for crushing dreams. The arguments in favour of letting students shoot for aspirational post-18 goals are more than just psychological, they’re also pragmatic. One impact of recent higher education reform is that universities now offer many more unconventional routes to long-term success, meaning students who aim high and fall short have more choices than they once did. Want to be an engineer, but made a mess of your Maths A-level? University Maths Foundation Years for engineers are now commonplace. Missed that steep uni offer for Law by a grade? Your excellent Extended Project Qualification might mean you still get the place. Got no offers from any medical schools this year? Gap year applications to medicine are now absolutely the norm, as is the pathway of taking a Biomedical Sciences degree first. If a school is using a lot energy persuading your child of what they can’t achieve, it may mean their knowledge is outdated or their agenda is self-serving. Either way, it’s worth reminding them that one characteristic every new arrival into adulthood will need is persistence. That, more than anything, will fuel a successful launch from school.
BRIAN SCHOFIELD Head of Politics and Sixth Form Registrar Hurstpierpoint College, West Sussex
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SCHOOL LE AV ER / OPINION
HEAD
LIFE lessons Martin Walker, Headteacher at Berkhamsted Sixth, on preparing students for the future
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t Berkhamsted School, we work not only to ensure that the students thrive whilst they are at school, but also to prepare them to flourish at university and in the professional world. We therefore concentrate on helping the students to develop the skills, courage, creativity and confidence that are needed to compete and to enjoy challenges after leaving school. The Student Consultancy in Schools Programme and the Mini-MBA are innovative schemes, which offer the students practical opportunities to develop those qualities.
THE STUDENT CONSULTANCY AT BERKHAMSTED
The Student Consultancy in Schools is a unique programme run at Berkhamsted Sixth in association with The University of Oxford's Career Service. Teams of students are selected through a competitive assessment centre and are given training in essential management consulting skills. The successful students are introduced to a client from a local social enterprise or charity, which sets them a real life strategic business problem to investigate. The students then work together to research the problem and to suggest solutions. Alternatively, the charities may ask the teams to advise them on their business or marketing strategy.
“We prepare students to flourish at university and in the professional world”
prepared for life after school in a business environment.” Keely Charlick, CEO Sunnyside Rural Trust said: “I can honestly say that I found the professionalism of the students at such a high level they could have been a new start-up company. The standard of presentations and reporting was exceptional and beyond my expectations.” A B OV E
A student practises new skills
THE MINI-MBA
Berkhamsted Sixth also offers a Mini-MBA in collaboration with Ashridge Executive A key objective of the project is to Education, Hult. In the first term, all Year 12 encourage students to see volunteering students participate in the Personal Impact and engagement with the local community & Presence module through a combination as the norm, whilst gaining valuable of online delivery, group work, practical business experience and developing key tasks and presentations from industry employability skills. TSCS is now in its experts. The module helps with developing sixth year at Berkhamsted, and we take self-understanding and managing great pride in producing reports for our relationships in a professional setting, key clients which are of a professional quality, skills in the world of work. For example, and which will make a real difference to the students learn how to approach difficult local community. Student outcomes include conversations and how to give feedback learning to communicate professionally, effectively. They learn more about individuals’ strategy skills, research skills and varying motivational value systems which understanding how to break helps them to understand how down, approach and manage conflict can occur in teams a project. and how it is best to manage it Josh, a Berkhamsted and work together to achieve a student, said: “I feel I have common goal. gained valuable business After all students have experience you just can't gain experienced the Mini-MBA, through any other activity run they are given the opportunity through schools. It improved to continue the Mini-MBA MARTIN WALKER my confidence with presenting course or to undertake Headteacher Berkhamsted Sixth and putting together detailed an Extended Project business reports. I feel more Qualification. AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 135
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SCHOOL LE AV ER / AGON Y AUN T
Question
TIME
The experts at Gabbitas have the answers about sixth form and university choices
Natallia RaysonPatsaluyonak
Luke Gunning Consultants on Higher Education Gabbitas Education
Budding artists may find the emphasis on on discipline to be a hindrance to their development
A B OV E Pupils at Berkhamsted
Q: Is sixth form college a better option than staying in school? A: The question is really a level of compatibility with the school environment, and whether your child’s ambitions can be successfully realised at their current school. Budding artists may find the emphasis on discipline to be a hindrance to their development, while other, more academic students relish the small classes and focused atmosphere they receive in a school environment. However, we have worked with students whose poor performance at GCSE
is reflective of a rebellion against their current environment - these students often thrive and receive top grades with the greater freedom offered in a sixth form college. Q: On the whole, it is worth having a frank and open conversation with your child when they approach the end of Year 10 - are they currently happy and couldn’t bear to be torn away from their beloved school, or are they itching to be set free? A: There is a school of thought that suggests children in single-sex schools thrive in moving to a mixed
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“Personal statements for university applications should avoid pompous cliches and fraught analysis of books you’ve never read” fraught analysis of books you’ve never read, or worse, those from the curriculum. What all universities want to see in principal are three things: does the student have the academic ability to study this subject, do they have the motivation to do so, and do they understand what the subject is? Thus, any statement must contain evidence of a strong interest in the subject, but also a fairly brief, but comprehensive, analysis of a key issue(s). Evidence and examples bring the statement to life, and always use the Point Evidence Explanation (PEE) structure. Only reserve a small paragraph for personal achievements. Your personal statement should focus on positives, so avoid irrelevant information. Do watch out for typos and spelling errors!
sixth form, however, I would not accept this wisdom at face value. For girls looking to get ahead in maths and sciences, there is clear evidence that better results are achieved in single-sex schools, but the waters are muddied when it comes to other subjects. Again, we would centre on the child in question, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Q: Do I take a gap year? A: Gap years have become more popular recently - are they valuable life experience or a year-long party? It really depends on the nature of the young person- when to take a gap year is different for each child. There are clear benefits of the gap year: students become more selfassured, independent and confident, they gain valuable work experience and develop their transferable skills. The gap year provides time for the student to decide if their chosen course or university is the right course of action for them. Q: How to choose the right university or college course? A: A starting point for what to study should always be what are you good at? Most students will have a favourite subject and it is worth exploring new alternatives that open-up at university. History buffs might go for international relations, chemistry whizzes for toxicology. Our principle concern would always be can they study the subject for three/four years and come out with success having learnt something and be on the path to a successful and fulfilling career. Create a shortlist of courses/universities/colleges. Go to the open days. Think about course modules, facilities, location and career opportunities.
BELOW Sevenoaks School
Q: Empty nest syndrome... How to cope with your first child going off to university? A: Parents of school graduates are on a massive roller coaster of emotion at the end of the summer. On the one hand, they really can’t wait for their child to go (teenagers are hard work). On the other hand, parents are feeling a loss... Pieces of advice:
talk to your child about practical aspects of living independently; help your child to calculate roughly how much they can spend daily/weekly/ monthly; there are loads of books to read... talk to other parents whose children have already left home. It will not be long before the end of term when they are back with a load of washing to be done! Q: What are the implications for changing course or university? A: Changing course or university can be a more complex process if the decision is made part way through the academic year. Sometimes, changing the course or university does make sense although students need to be aware of academic, practical, financial and visa implications before making a final decision. First, the student must talk to their tutor about whether the current course is definitely not right for them. Then the student needs to think about alternative options. Entry requirements and availability of places must be taken into account. In most cases, the student should be expected to start the new course at level one. For international students changing course/ university will have significant visa implications.
Q: How best to approach the application form A: The other key question apart from the choice of course is how to approach the application, in particular the personal statement. Most schools offer support for this, but parents should be aware of what will be required. Things to avoid are: pompous cliches, made up scenarios, 138 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | AUTUMN • WINTER 2018
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Autumn Books BOOK REVIEWS P . 142 MG LEONARD P . 148 LITCRAFT P . 151
B O O K WO R M
If there's one book you buy this autumn, make it this glorious piece of publishing – a collaboration between publishers Nosy Crow and The National Trust. With nature poems and illustrations to delight, it really is the perfect gift for children (and grown-ups).
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TOP AUTUMN
Books
The quality of books being published this autumn is breathtaking. But how do you choose from the huge selection out there? I hope to steer you to books for children and teens which can’t fail to inspire both avid readers and the more reluctant ones too. So whether it’s fabulous fiction or fantastically awesome non-fiction, read on. LOUISE WEIR
here is some truly special fiction for 9 to 12 year olds. The first, The Skylarks’ War by Hilary McKay (Macmillan) is published to commemorate the end of World War One this autumn, so for that reason alone it should be read but, quite separately it is a beautiful story following the loves and losses of a family growing up against the harsh backdrop of the period. Heart-rending at times but also full of hope and expectation, it’s already being called 'a future classic.'
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laugh-out-loud comedy with wonderfully wacky characters for 7+ year olds by Tom McLoughlin. The Day I Became the Most Wanted Boy in the World (Walker Books) is an action-packed adventure featuring Pete who is about to have his worst day ever. Not only does he accidentally rob his local corner shop, he irritates a gangster mob and steals a phone. He's wanted by the police and it’s down to him to prove his innocence...
one Talk by Candy Gourlay (David Fickling Books) is a tale full of spirit and soul that will transport you to the heart of a remote Filipino tribe. Samkad, is burning to become a man so he can become a warrior and his best friend, a girl called Luki wants the same but no girl has ever become a warrior. With news of a people called the ‘Americans’ bringing war to their home everything changes, and for the children it’s a question of life or death. Bone Talk is an eye-opening story for 9+ year-olds that will change how you view the world.
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lmost half a million copies of A Robin Stevens’ ‘Murder Most Unladylike’ series have now been sold for 8+ year olds. No problem if you’re new to the series, just jump with the seventh, Death in the Spotlight (Puffin) and enter the glittering world of the theatre setting, where secrets and murder stalk the stage!
f your 7 to 10 year old is looking for fiction in which the words and pictures fit together in telling a story, then look no further than The Afterwards (Bloomsbury), a darkly comic and deeply moving story about friendship at its most extraordinary, acceptance and moving on, by the combined talents of A F Harrold and the inimitable Emily Gravett.
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iers Torday’s favourite book as a child was The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe so, as part homage to that all-time classic of children’s literature and partly as an interrogation of that classic from a modern perspective he has written The Lost Magician (Quercus), a magical tale set in 1945. It is the story of four children who step through a mysterious library door into the world of Folio, where an enchanted kingdom of fairy knights, bears and tree gods is under threat from a sinister robot army. The many stories of the library are locked in eternal war, and the children’s only hope is to find their creator – a magician who has been lost for centuries. It is a thrilling adventure, the first in a planned series, with unforgettable characters and plenty of humour thrown in, too.
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“The Restless Girls is a dazzling feminist reinterpretation of a classic fairy tale” upremely talented middle grade author Emma Carroll, the queen of historical fiction, tells the story of Egyptian pharaohs and ancient curses in her latest novel Secrets of the Sun King (Faber). Set in 1922, a long dead pharaoh is discovered, a famous Egyptologist is found dead and a cursed package, holding the key to a story archaeologists are desperately hunting for, is received by 13-year old Lil. It is up to her and her friends to embark on an incredible journey to return the package to its resting place and break the deadly pharaoh’s curse.
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or 11+ year olds there’s a debut children’s novel by Jessie Burton, author of the adult bestseller, The Miniaturist. In The Restless Girls (Bloomsbury) the author creates a dazzling, feminist reinterpretation of the classic fairy tale ‘The Twelve Dancing Princesses’. Burton said the story “completely captured” her imagination as a child, but “when I revisited it as an adult, I could see that there were bits of it that just wouldn’t do”. The Restless Girls is an irresistible tale of sisterhood, survival, fun and importantly freedom.
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usin Nielsen, the author of We are All Made of Molecules is back with No Fixed Address (Andersen Press), a heart-warming tale of a 13-year-old boy who lives in a van with his mum. He’s too embarrassed to tell his friends so keeps it a secret until he hatches a plan to turn him and his mum’s life around. Susin Nielsen deftly combines humour, heartbreak, and hope in this moving story about people who slip through the cracks in society, and about the power of friendship and community to make all the difference.
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“Melvin Burgess’s novels don’t come along very often but when they do, they are not to be missed” or teens and young adults I have picked just two but both are by supremely talented authors. The first is by Carnegie Medal winner Melvin Burgess. His novels don’t come along very often but when they do they are not to be missed. The Lost Witch (Andersen Press) is the story of Bea who has started to hear and see things that no one else can. She is being hunted, and she doesn’t know who to trust, or where to run for her life is in danger. This is an incredibly powerful, thrilling fantasy about magic, myth and following your instincts.
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he second, Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes? by Holly Bourne (Usborne), the Queen of YA fiction, is a raw and compelling exploration of mental health, friendship and the power of compassion. With her trademark honesty, accessibility and humour, this is a novel for the modern day.
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here's also some great new books for fact fans. ‘First Names’ is a brand new fun and fact-packed series for 8 to 12 year-olds. The launch titles in the series are Emmeline and Elon, (David Fickling Books) with Harry and Amelia to follow (Pankhurst, Musk, Houdini and Earhart, of course). These are brilliantly entertaining, factually accurate and designed to educate and inspire. With black and white comic-style illustrations throughout and uniquely, lots of speech bubble style comments from the famous people themselves. So why not get to know some amazing people on first name terms?
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e curious, be imaginative, be determined and develop your talents by drawing inspiration from the greatest of geniuses in How to Think Like an Absolute Genius (QED Publishing). A pot pourri of inspiration for 8+ year-olds from 27 geniuses from different eras and disciplines. Packed with facts, games and activity ideas to boost your intelligence, creative, inventive, and critical thinking skills, this book is sure to show you how to become absolutely awesome at whatever you put your mind to.
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nd for curious 7+ year olds, Curious Questions & Answers About… (MilesKelly) is a brilliant new series with four books covering Animals, Science, Our Planet and The Solar System. With bold, quirky illustrations, these books take a sideways looks at all that is wild, wonderful and downright weird about the world through surprising questions and answers. Perfect for inquisitive learners.
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or sport mad kids look no further than Sportopedia (Wide-Eyed Editions), the ultimate guide to the exhilarating world of sport. Learn amazing facts about all your favourite sports, and discover new ones you may not have come across before. This book also showcases a diverse array of athletes – able-bodied and Paralympians – and celebrates the unique talents of sportspeople everywhere, making it a treasure trove for all the family to share.
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“The Silk Roads is possibly the most stunning children's book published this year”
o round off this foray into this autumn’s best books is possibly the most stunning and interesting children’s book published this year. The Silk Roads (Bloomsbury) is a must-have world history by the phenomenal bestselling author Peter Frankopan. It’s a spectacular retelling for older kids and teens of his bestselling title of the same name. Coupled with some stunning illustrations by Neil Packer this feast for the eyes will take you on a journey that marries east and west connecting events, empires and continents from ancient world history to the present day with a remarkable voyage at its heart – the journey along the Silk Roads through time and history.
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The Greatest Gift Dame Jacqueline Wilson talks about how parents can help share the joy of reading K AT Y G I L L E T T
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hen prolific children’s writer Dame Jacqueline Wilson was a child she loved to read. But she remembers her mother always telling her to 'get your head out of that book and go and do something useful'. She laughs, at the memory as we talk, adding: “Times have changed so much". Jacqueline’s voice is calm and soothing. Her love of literature clearly comes across in her turns of phrase, and she uses words like “beguiling”. When speaking about children she evokes a sense of mischief, which has often been a staple personality trait of her most famous characters, including Hetty Feather and Tracy Beaker. Through her work with educational institutions around the world, Jacqueline has already made big strides in helping to foster a love of literature among children, which is why, in 2008, she was named a Dame. But she still has plenty of great ideas on how we – as parents – can help our children to enjoy reading… Why do you believe reading is so important for children today? I’m not anti social media and looking at YouTube or the television at all, but I think reading is the greatest joy for anybody. Certainly, for me, it’s the thing I like to do most. When [I travel], I shall have several outfits, but I’ll also have at least five books with me. I’m not a Kindle person, I prefer actual, real books, and I think with children
What tips do you have for parents looking to encourage their kids to read for pleasure? I think parents should treat books like a treat, as if they were giving out bags of sweets. I think if you thrust a book onto a child and say 'here, read this, it’s good for you' [laughs] they’re going to feel a bit resistant. Also, sometimes parents nag their children about reading and actually don’t often read themselves. If a parent is just forever on their favourite social media site, or hooked on television, and never reads, it doesn’t actually send a message to a child that reading is a lovely thing to do. Children learn by example.
– even a child who thinks reading is boring – you can only find the right book for them. And if you bring up a child so that you read aloud to them at bedtime and they associate reading with cuddling up and having fun, you can make really keen readers for life. I think it’s one of the greatest gifts you can give children. Reading is entertainment, it stimulates the imagination, it helps create empathy for other people. If reading isn’t something you can do fluently you are really hindered in life. There are just so many reasons why reading is the best thing ever to learn.
Did your daughter like reading? Luckily for me my daughter loved being read to from when she was a baby. She would sit on my lap and we we'd look at pictures, and read picture books. She learned to read quite young, but even though she could read very well for herself I still read to her – bigger books she might have found too challenging at the time. When I look back, I think these are the loveliest moments from her childhood. What advice would you offer parents of kids who are interested in writing a novel or short story? I think that’s exciting and it’s great to encourage children. I want to issue a word of caution, though: I have lots of children and quite a few parents writing to me, asking: 'How can I get my child’s work published?' You can go down the route of
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The overwhelming message in most of my books is to show that if somebody seems a bit different don’t automatically assume that they’re weird. I specialise in characters that are the odd ones out. It’s comforting for children. Then they read on and this child who doesn’t have much going for them actually wins out at the end. I don’t have fairytale endings, but I try to make them as happy and satisfying as I can.
self-publishing, and that’s fine, and I’m sure grannies and aunties are thrilled to bits to get a book at Christmas written by a beloved child. But I think so many parents seem to think that just because a family loves the story it’s totally publishable. We hate disappointing children, but it’s so desperately rare that any child can get a story published. I try and impress upon children that if you get fed up with a story, it doesn’t matter if you stop writing it. If all the fun has gone out of it I think there’s no point. If you suddenly run out of ideas for one story, close down your computer or put your notebook away, and maybe in a couple of days start another story. The whole point is it’s meant to be enjoyable, and I’m so pleased that so many children do like writing their own stories now. What message are you ultimately trying to put across in your own stories?
How was it, being named a Dame? I was absolutely delighted! Also particularly when it was for services to literature, and I felt that it wasn’t really just an honour for me, but it was for all the children’s writers that go around schools and libraries and festivals and give lots of talks to try and pass on the joys of reading. I’m very proud to be a Dame, but I certainly don’t insist on it as a title. I’m just plain Jacqueline Wilson – that’ll do me! What are you working on now? I finished another Victorian book in May - Rose Rivers – and I have a new book about Tracy Beaker who has always been a very popular character of mine. My Mum Tracy Beaker is all about Tracy grown up and she now has a daughter called Jess.
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BEETLE QUEEN As M.G. Leonard, the bestselling children’s book author prepares to release a brand-new novel about beetles (which used to terrify her), she tells Absolutely Education what it takes to make sure your kids grow up imaginative and fearless, too… B Y K AT Y G I L L E T T
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What tips would you give to parents looking to encourage their children to read for pleasure? My oldest son was what they call a 'reluctant reader' and we did a number of things together that helped with his reading. Firstly, the books I encouraged him to read on his own were highly illustrated – either graphic novels, like Asterix and Tintin, or the Tom Gates books. The pictures helped him with the words. Secondly, we would read a chapter book together every night before bed, taking it in turns to read a chapter aloud, me first and then him. I had a shelf in his bedroom where we’d put all the books he had completed so he could see the shelf fill up and his confidence in reading grew.
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ust a few years ago, Brightonbased children’s author Maya Gabrielle (pen name M. G. Leonard) was terrified of insects. But now she loves them. In fact, she loves them so much she even looks after two of her own Rainbow Stag Beetles called Motty and Hector. And she wrote a series of bestselling books about them; the first Beetle Boy, won numerous awards and nominations; Beetle Queen, the second part of the trilogy, came out last year, while the final book in the series was published in February 2018. Before all that, however, she also worked in the music industry and theatre.
What are you up to right now? I have a non-fiction book called The Beetle Collector’s Handbook coming out this month and I’d like to produce a small book of poems for children about beetles too. I’m currently writing a contemporary fairy story about climate change called December’s Children. Where do you find your inspiration for your new projects? It’s a collision of thoughts, observations and something that is troubling me. I want to bring into the world books that have the capacity to create the desire for societal change in the young. I felt that the way we portray invertebrates in our cultures belies the environmental importance and good that the creatures do, so I wrote the Beetle Boy books. I also believe that climate change is an important topic that’s difficult for us to talk about with our children, so I want to write a story that enables that. Why did you decide to write about insects when you were afraid of them? When I was afraid of insects, I never took the time to look at them in detail or learn about them. I was too busy running away. When I began studying them, I was astonished by their beauty and infinite variety. You could never be bored spending time with beetles, and I haven’t been. I’ve found beetles to be one of the most inspiring subjects.
Do you think it is important to face your fears? It is liberating to overcome a fear, and I’m immensely proud of myself now when I go into schools and help children to handle my beetles. It’s something I never dreamed I could do. It has made me feel that, perhaps, I’m capable of doing other things. It has made me bold. As someone who has worked in numerous creative industries, why do you think fostering creativity in children is so important today? Creativity is the way humans work through problems and express complex emotions. Cultural product is an exploration of what it is to be human. For humanity to progress and survive, creativity is essential. Combine creativity with any one of the STEM subjects and you get real innovation. It would be ludicrous not to foster creativity in our children. It is of vital importance that we do so, but, most of all, children love to create. It brings them great joy, builds their confidence and develops their ability to express themselves and therefore empathise with others.
How do you encourage your sons to be creative? I don’t think you need to do much to encourage creativity in children. You just need to give them the space, time, tools and attention. In our dining room we have a cupboard of paints and paper. My youngest will often go to it and pull out his pens and start drawing. There is a constant flow of reading material through our house and if the boys don’t enjoy a book, I don’t make them finish it. Our favourite family toy is LEGO and we do challenges, such as attempting to build a giant castle that our cat can fit in. When I’m writing, my boys will often come and work beside me on homework (the oldest) or making their own books (the youngest), which can make it hard to write, but it is delightful. And my husband is musical, too, so we try and make noise together when possible. None of it is scheduled or enforced. Creativity just happens, because children naturally want to do it.
THE BEETLE CO L L E C TO R ’ S H A N D B O O K by M.G. Leonard, published September 2018
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GAME on Minecraft is being used to create an immersive experience to engage children with literary classics
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verybody knows Minecraft. Its blocky, pixelated features have graced the screens of the younger generation for nearly a decade now, transporting young players to a world in which they can build, fly and fight for survival. A worldwide phenomenon (74 million monthly active users and counting), if you haven’t heard of it, you've obviously been living under a rock. It’s perhaps the only game that most parents won’t immediately rip from their unsuspecting children’s hands (ahem, Fortnite). It encourages creativity, quick thinking and it’s a good basis for those starting to code. Now Microsoft has agreed a partnership with the University of Lancaster in a pioneering project called Litcraft (see what they did there?) which brings gaming and textual worlds together to re-engage children with literary classics. Imagine exploring Robert Louis Stephenson’s
“This is a different view of literature that allows children to visualise the novel in their heads” Treasure Island, or the island in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, or that of Michael Morpurgo’s Kensuke’s Kingdom. Litcraft uses the Minecraft platform to accurately create models of fictional islands in a way that has never been done before. Professor Sally Bushell, lead researcher and Head of Lancaster University’s English and Creative Writing Department explains the premise: “We have created an educational model that connects the imaginative spatial experience of reading the text to an immersive experience in the game world. It then returns to the text with
GEORGIA MCVEIGH
ABOVE An image of Litcraft’s Treasure Island
a new understanding through experience.” Litcraft encourages children to take part in interactive activities in which the children reshape or recreate the landscape and, more importantly, consider the consequences of adapting the storyline. In July this year, 70 Year 6 and Year 7 pupils from 15 local schools were invited to the University of Lancaster to try out the new platform. The day aimed to combine computing, literature and science – and students took part in the creation of a model volcano in the morning, before creating an exploding volcano on the Minecraft platform, before moving on to playing the game with a literary theme. Currently, the University of Lancaster is pitching the platform to schools to try and encourage widespread use of Litcraft, and thus instil further interaction with literature. The project has also highlighted an interesting dynamic when being used by a younger audience – the children often have a more advanced knowledge when it comes
to the actual playing of the game than their teachers, so it serves as a platform for increased interaction between teachers and their pupils. Aiming to encourage a critical angle that is often not explored in literature, Litcraft helps students to engage on a critical level with textual settings, providing a different view of literary works to allow children to actually visualise the novel in their head. This is particularly useful to those students that do not readily engage in literature, helping them to build up a mental image of the area and thus contextualise the novel they are working on for a more competent understanding of the text. So, parents who often despair of their children’s obvious lack of engagement in academia and over engagement in technology – here is a way to find a happy balance and get the best of both worlds. For more info visit education.minecraft.net/user/litcraft AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 151
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W 18 NE R 20
CHRISTMAS AT
FO
The magical, fantastical, illuminated trail
LONDON ZOO
A festive after-dark experience for all the family
Penguin Pool Panorama The Tunnel of Light • The Sledge Tree Magic Mountain • Light Vortex Father Christmas and his elves Seasonal food and gifts
22 NOV – 1 JAN 0844 995 1372
christmasatlondonzoo.co.uk Calls cost 7p per minute plus your network access charge. Running selected evenings only. Please note this is an after-dark experience exploring the magic of ZSL London Zoo’s historic site and therefore our animals will be in bed and will not be available to view.
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PROMOTION
LASTING FORMULA Katharine Woodcock, the Headmistress of Sydenham High School, on why single-sex education has survived
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ntil the late 1800’s, girls were educated in the drawing room, providing a social education rather than an occasion to develop intellectually, and at the start of the twentieth century less than 25% of girls aged between 12 and 18 attended any type of school. Pioneering women such as Mary Buss, Emily Shirreff and Maria Grey were instrumental in paving the way for girls to be educated. Today the girls-only sector still has a strong presence, both in the independent as well as the maintained sector, and the fact that there are still a number of highly successful single-sex schools is testament to the fact that this model really does work. As a leader of a girls’ school, one of 25 schools in the Girls’ Day School Trust, the UK’s leading network of girls’ schools, I am clear as to why this route works and why it is still as strong as ever.
“Girls in a single-sex environment have a greater opportunity to flourish and succeed” The debate around co-ed or single-sex is certainly not new and, given that men and women co-exist throughout daily life, it is understandable that many might question how single-sex education can offer the best preparation for adult life. Yet, there is plenty of research to demonstrate that girls do better academically, as well as socially and emotionally, in a single-sex environment and that it is possible that the benefits of a co-educational school might be greater for boys than girls. One head of a boys’ school turning fully co-educational recently stated that “boys need exposure to girls in order to receive a rounded education”. Whilst the tide might be retreating for boys’ schools, it certainly is not the case for girls’ schools.
ABOVE Katharine Woodcock with Sydenham High girls
I am a firm advocate of singlesex education based on my experiences as a teacher, as well as a parent. I believe and recognise that girls and boys learn and develop differently, and in a single-sex environment have a greater opportunity to flourish and succeed. In a girls-only environment, stereotypes fly out of the window. They are free to take greater risks in their learning, not be afraid of making mistakes, to speak out, and to put themselves forward. There are fewer distractions and inhibitions with no boys in the classroom complicating the social strata. In a world where inequalities still exist in so many quarters, it is imperative that girls and young women are encouraged to step up from the youngest possible age and to own and celebrate their successes every step of the way. By focusing on, and understanding exactly how girls learn and develop, and by promoting all careers paths
and subject choices, girls are empowered and able to excel with no limits to their learning or aspirations. They can be themselves, without the constraints of ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ traits, and there is the opportunity to stamp out all conscious and unconscious biases. Empowering every girl to be aspirational in all walks of life, developing her growth mindset, as well as her resilience, empathy and self-belief, will help to ensure that her future ambitions are limitless. The learning environment is significantly different because it is designed to educate girls, populated by staff who are experienced in bringing out the best in every girl. There are no barriers to her success, so every girl is enabled to thrive, succeed and be happy, true to herself and her potential. In a girls-only school nothing should ever hold a girl back. For further information about Sydenham High visit: sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net email: admissions@syd.gdst.net or telephone 020 8557 7000 AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 153
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THE SWISS ALPS IN SUMMER
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DECODE Elizabeth Tweedale, the CEO of CypherCoders, describes the four types of screen time and their pros and cons
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s parents, we are bombarded with ‘good advice’: Don’t let your kids eat this, eat more of that, spend quality time with them, make sure they run a mile a day.... One recurrent piece of advice is about screen time - and generally we’re told it shouldn’t be very long each day - but what exactly do we mean by ‘it’ - screen time? It’s useful to identify the four different types of screen time - and whether they have a generally positive or potentially negative effect on our children.
1. CREATIVE SCREEN TIME
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he most positive of screen times. This is about making music, creating digital art, making videos. It can be a collaborative or single creator, but it is genuinely developing skills and crafting something that has the potential to be shared or performed. The substance of what is made is important, the quality of the software and learning the skills to use it help the enjoyment. This is an almost limitless area for learning - and will become significantly more relevant to the future generation.
2. COMMUNICATIVE SCREEN TIME
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really important one. The use of email has almost wiped out letter writing, but it is often poorly used and under-estimated. The rules of manners, grammar and structure are no less relevant in emails - and could save many misunderstandings. FaceTime and Skype have been great for keeping in touch with grandmas and family members. The visual link gives a stronger sense of being in the presence of someone. Other apps such as WhatsApp and Snapchat allow kids to keep in touch and compare notes (sometimes, ‘So what are you wearing?’ but sometimes more usefully ‘What is the history homework?’)
3. ACTIVE SCREEN TIME
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est summed up as gaming and searching. Games cover a wide range of subjects, styles, age appropriateness and effects. Violent games are always negative for kids. Some games however have benefits such as increasing hand/eye coordination or some develop logic and actually get physical, like Wii Tennis. Searching can be done
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for homework, a useful task based activity, or ‘social grazing’ on Instagram for instance. Viewing a constant stream of Instagram posts with the associated FOMO (fear of missing out) can absorb teenagers for a surprising amount of time.
4. PASSIVE SCREEN TIME
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his is watching TV. Something we have come to accept as a background activity and relaxation for adults. But good television can be highly influential, beneficial and worth seeking out and watching together eg Blue Planet, Shakespeare, Horrible Histories, Bake Off or Springwatch. Some programmes have little benefit to kids and they’d be better off kicking a ball around. Some educational programmes have positive stimulation - but the TV should never be a babysitter/pacifier.
THERE ARE POSITIVES Building modern skills. Digital skills are essential for pretty much all future careers - learning the skills of communication and coding now, will equip kids to succeed in an as yet unpredictable future. Digital citizenship. Being fluent in media and communication skills enables our children to be engaged members of the community. Education. Learning and creativity are benefits of the right sort of digital activity - and can be found in different measures in all four types of screen time. Finding a like-minded group. Finding friends who have the same outlook on life/ interests can make young people feel less alone
MAKING MUSIC OR DIGITAL ART IS THE MOST POSITIVE OF SCREEN TIMES
AND NEGATIVES Behavioural issues. Too much screen time - or the wrong kind - can lead to problems with attention and concentration. Childhood obesity. It’s a time bomb and well reported - being on screen can deter kids from getting out and getting active. Anti-social behaviour. There are incidents of bullying online - this can occur both in active screen time - for instance online games, and in communicative screen time where kids can suffer from negative, harmful and upsetting comments. Loneliness. It has been reported that children can feel a sense of isolation or low self- confidence when they see ‘everyone else having fun’ as mature adults we may be able to be cycnical about Instagram posts - but it’s very hard for young minds to process this in a balanced way.
WHAT CAN PARENTS DO? Be a parent in the digital world - just the way you are in the real world. Help your kids to navigate the digital media, talk, listen and share experiences, let them be part of your screen time and vice versa - for example ask them about their games, ask to learn how to play, create something together, use your screen time to find a recipe or instructions for a craft project and make it together, FaceTime granny together, have a family movie night so that you share and discuss even in ‘passive’ mode, talk about technology and screens you see when you’re out and about together Lead by example. Set up boundaries that apply to you and the children, have digital-free times, or digital-free areas, set curfews for phone and screen usage, put all your phones in a basket for ‘off grid hour’. The best way for children to learn about screen time is from your own example. Don’t over-limit - OK this may sound crazy but we do need to get
THE BEST WAY FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN ABOUT SCREEN TIME IS FROM YOUR OWN EXAMPLE real about screen time and what it means - at school kids may be on their iPads doing really constructive, creative work. There may be useful research they need to do for homework or to pursue a hobby, and there is no real limit to the amount of screen time for our types 1 and 2 Creative and Communicative - within the capacity to avoid eye-strain and with the caveat that time is used responsibly and monitored. If we over-limit screen time kids may be unprepared for education where exams are likely to be on computers, touch typing is a valuable asset and navigating the digital world is a positive benefit To conclude - be aware of what your child is doing on a screen, and be hyper-sensitive to the moods and behaviour post-screen time. Ensure you are being realistic in the context of the modern world, and discount productive useful screen time from their daily limit. Your mantra for screen time may become: Measured, Monitored, Meaningful. AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 157
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Going for
GOLD
A dashed dream spurred on Alex Paske to build a sport mentoring charity that is benefiting young athletes GEORGIA MCVEIGH
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ike so many young people, Alex Paske had a dream to play sport for England. And for a while it looked as though that dream might come true when she qualified for the Under-16s England hockey trials. But she got injured, and following a long recovery, she no longer found pleasure in the game. “I ended up putting a lot of pressure on myself,” she says, “I felt
like I hadn’t achieved my goal and I wasn’t good enough anymore. I had an incredibly supportive family, but they didn’t really know what to do when I didn’t get in.” Paske stopped playing hockey for good. It was, she says, “an incredibly negative experience” but she was determined that other young people would not be put off achieving their goals by similar setbacks. She says: “If I’d had a mentor who had been
there, done that, got the scars, someone who told me that what I was going through was normal, I would still be playing hockey today – and enjoying it.” So in March 2015, she set up The Mintridge Foundation which places professional athletes in schools, colleges and sports clubs to inspire and mentor budding athletes. A registered charity since April this year, the Mintridge Foundation now has a team of 28 ambassadors, including Olympians, paralympians, England netballers, professional basketball players and more. By July this year, the charity was running 142 programmes, and has helped 37,818 young people. The Mintridge Foundation has three programmes: Bronze, Silver and Gold; each one aiming to enhance the life skills of young people through sport. The Bronze programme sends an athlete into a school, club or college for a day, where they will talk to students about anything from diet and nutrition to their own journey and sporting career. With an aim of promoting the physical education and development of young people, as well as helping to build essential life AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 159
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ABOVE A mentor at work
BELOW In the pool
skills, the school and The Mintridge Foundation will agree on an activity before the athlete arrives: this might be teaching a coaching session, or leading an assembly for the school. But it is Mintridge’s Silver and Gold programmes that sets them apart from other charities with a similar objective. If the school decides that they would like offer a student a greater level of mentoring, they can opt for the Silver programme. For this, The Mintridge Foundation will allocate an athlete to work with a chosen student who has shown particular flair in their sport, and the athlete then mentors this student remotely over a period of six months by supporting them in their development. Using either FaceTime, Skype or email, the selected student can expect to have a minimum of one hour a fortnight of contact, and focusing on a specific programme target decided upon by staff. In short, they are receiving the support that Paske felt she did not have when she needed it the most. For the Gold programme, The Mintridge Foundation will offer the opportunity for mentees and their families to go and watch their mentor in a sports event, with travel paid for by the Foundation to further spur mentees on to achieve their goals. It’s obviously a formula that works. Clemmie Cooper from Ampleforth College was selected to
“I wish I’d had a mentor who’d been there, done that, got the scars” represent Great Britain in the Laser Run World Championships following a six-month programme working with Heather Fell at Mintridge. Heather won the silver medal in the women’s individual event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the pentathlon event, and Clemmie has put her selection down to the confidence and set of skills that she learned through Heather. Paske is also dedicated to the empowerment of female athletes: something that she feels has been lacking in previous years. She notes, “I look back and think that my role model was Johnnie Wilkinson, the
England rugby player, which is great but I wasn’t a rugby player and I didn’t know who the England hockey team were because a foundation like Mintridge wasn’t there for me.” One of her biggest drives has been to make sure that young female athletes are mentored by similar female athletes. The Mintridge Foundation is expanding fast, with an equal number of state and independent schools taking part. Paske says Mintridge ambassadors adapt to the facilities on offer, so staff from inner city schools are not taught sport techniques that they cannot carry out in a limited space. With Paske the driving force behind Mintridge, it seems that the sky really is the limit for its young athletes. For more info visit: mintridgefoundation.org.uk
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on new Maserati MY19 range ordered by exceed 30/09/18 registered by 30/12/18 oncharged PCP sales only. PCP you may return the in vehicle instead ofModel making the final payment. It must Levante be in good condition and if you theand annual mileage, you will be 12p perWith mileMaserati for exceeding 10,000 miles p.a. this example. shown is a payment. Itfuel mustconsumption be in good MY19 condition iffor youpaint, exceed thepainted annual mileage, you will be charged 12p per(l/100km): mile forsunroof, exceeding 10,000 miles p.a. in–this example. shown is a OfficialLevante figures the Maserati Levante range inrails, mpg Urban 17.8 (15.8) 29.1 (9.7), Extra Urban Maserati GranLusso (incl.and Tri-coat Silver callipers, MY19 Metallic finish roof Panoramic Bowers & Wilkins sound system, Rear Model laminated privacy Maserati Levante MY19 (incl. Tri-coat paint, Silver painted callipers, Metallic roof rails,deposit Panoramic sunroof, Bowers &consumption Wilkins sound system, laminated privacy glass, Assistance and 20” Efesto alloy23.1 wheels) which increase the minimum customer 32%. Subject to status. Guarantees may beRear required. apply. 27.6Driver (10.2) –GranLusso 39.2Pack (7.2), Combined (12.2) –will34.8 (8.1). CO2finish emissions 282 –to213 g/km. Fuel figures are Ts&Cs based on glass, Driver Assistance Pack 20” Efesto alloy wheels)SL1 which willWe increase the minimum deposit to 32%. Subject to status. Guarantees may be free required. Ts&Cs apply. At participating only.and Maserati Financial Services, 0RW. work with a numbercustomer of creditors including Maserati Financial Services. **Three years servicing available standard EUDealers tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. *Minimum 20% customer deposit. 24 month term. Offer available At Dealers only.models Maserati Services,bySL1 0RW. We with a by number of creditors including Maserati on participating Maserati Levante MY19 on Financial vehicles ordered 30/09/18 andwork registered 31/12/18. Terms and conditions apply.Financial Services. **Three years free servicing available on new Maserati Levante MY19 range ordered by 30/09/18 and registered by 30/12/18 on PCP sales only. With Maserati PCP you may return the vehicle instead of making the final on Maserati Levante MY19 models on vehicles ordered by 30/09/18 and registered by 31/12/18. Terms and conditions apply. payment. It must be in good condition and if you exceed the annual mileage, you will be charged 12p per mile for exceeding 10,000 miles p.a. in this example. Model shown is a Maserati Levante GranLusso MY19 (incl. Tri-coat paint, Silver painted callipers, Metallic finish roof rails, Panoramic sunroof, Bowers & Wilkins sound system, Rear laminated privacy glass, Driver Assistance Pack and 20” Efesto alloy wheels) which will increase the minimum customer deposit to 32%. Subject to status. Guarantees may be required. Ts&Cs apply. At participating Dealers only. Maserati Financial Services, SL1 0RW. We work with a number of creditors including Maserati Financial Services. **Three years free servicing available on Maserati Levante MY19 models on vehicles ordered by 30/09/18 and registered by 31/12/18. Terms and conditions apply.
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SCHOOL’S OUT / INSIDER
SPORT for all The Director of Sport at Dauntsey’s says sport matters for everyone
I
MARCUS OLSEN
t is sobering to read in newspaper reports that childhood obesity has become a global phenomenon affecting all socio-economic groups, irrespective of age, sex or ethnicity. Certainly, it would appear that time spent on screens in one form or another seems only set to grow, contributing further to a sedentary, indoors lifestyle. Added to that is the growing concern about the pressures of social media and its impact on young adults’ mental health. Meanwhile, we have witnessed the demise of competitive sport in many government schools thanks to the sale of facilities and a lack of dedicated resource. It is a depressing picture, and perplexing too, given young people’s passion for their national football or basketball team and their country’s medal count at the Olympics. Sport really matters. Not just for high
“I have yet to find a pupil who can’t find something that gives them a buzz.” performing athletes pursuing medals. Sport matters for everyone. As well as developing physical skills and fitness, participation in sport – be it individually or in a team - builds confidence, resilience and mental toughness. Sport in school gives pupils an opportunity to learn leadership, self-discipline and teamwork and develop a real sense of achievement. All of these are vital skills that are easily transferable into many other aspects of life beyond the classroom. But in order to engage people at all levels, sport needs to be fun, challenging and available to everyone - from elite athletes to enthusiastic all-rounders. At Dauntsey’s our pupils are extremely fortunate to have access to a wide range of facilities. As well as our major sports of rugby, hockey, football, basketball, athletics and tennis for the boys, cricket (for both girls and boys), and hockey, netball, athletics and tennis for the girls, we
ABOVE Rugby at Dauntsey's
run a thriving extra-curricular programme. This allows pupils to represent the school in sports such as swimming, rifle shooting, fencing and equestrian. We played almost 750 team matches last year, at all levels, across a range of sports. I have yet to find a pupil who can’t find something that gives them a buzz. One of our sixth formers said to me recently; “You learn a lot about yourself through team sports. It’s about working together towards a common goal, taking responsibility for the team as a whole instead of trying to be the star or blaming someone else when things go wrong. “Playing sport is such a physical boost, too. It makes you more energetic, stronger, clearer-headed. I really noticed when I was on study leave last year and not playing so much sport – I felt I couldn’t move as freely, didn’t have as much energy. Sport definitely gives you back more than you put in.” Another pupil in the Lower School said: “When I play in a team, I’m really in the moment and my mind is totally onto it. When I’m running, I’m on my own and I take my thoughts elsewhere. I’m in my own little bubble.
This is wonderful feedback to receive and it gives me hope that our young people can buck the trend and make exercise an everyday part of their lives beyond school. Sport can be demanding but exercise trains your brain as well as your body and the two things feed off each other. We are all living in an increasingly pressurised and connected world. It can be hard to switch off both physically and mentally. Sport and doing exercise can help us all manage the stress of daily life, it can burn off nerves and frustration and restore a sense of perspective and calm. Where better to start the habit of sport than at school?
MARCUS OLSEN Director of Sport Dauntsey's AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 163
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Lost Cause Leaving children in the countryside with no maps or phones might not sound wise but it was all part of cunning plan by Malvern College JASMINE ROBERTSON P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y N O R M A N M AY S
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ight was falling as two blindfolded teenagers were dropped off in a deserted country lane miles from home. Gone were their usual smartphones and watches, they had no maps, no compass, none of the usual guiding devices that we rely upon to find our way around. Disorientated, the girls slowly took off their blindfolds and peered around. Where on
“Banning the use of their smartphones forced the pupils to engage with people”
earth were they? This was the beginning of the ‘Lost’ project, a unique experiment designed by Malvern College to encourage their boys and girls to develop resilience and self-reliance. Eleven pairs of pupils, each representing a different boarding house at Malvern College, had volunteered to be blindfolded and dropped in unfamiliar surroundings 40 km from school, camping overnight and using their ingenuity to find their way back by the quickest route possible. The drop-off
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locations included a wood near Stroud, Symonds Yat and a Cotswold lane near Stow-on-the-Wold. They could use public transport, with a maximum of six miles per trip, they could ask people they met for information and they did have a small fund to spend but spending from it incurred time penalties so the money would have to be spent carefully. £2,000 had been raised by this group of young participants and the first pair home would win the money for their House’s chosen charity. Abandoning children in the middle of nowhere sounds like every parent’s worst nightmare but several safeguards were built into the challenge. A teacher followed each pair at a distance, not to help but to ensure they followed the rules and to intervene in an emergency. Hitch-hiking was banned as was travelling more than a single stop on a train but each pair was given the phone numbers and addresses of local schoolmates’ parents and teachers who had volunteered their help, if asked, to give lifts of up to 6km by car. Each pair started with £50 but incurred a five minute time penalty for every £1 spent. This meant the pupils had to balance their need to spend and use their ingenuity and ABOVE , BELOW AND LEFT problem solving skills to give them Pupils from Malvern the best result. College get ready to “It’s a big ask for children of get lost 14 or 15 years old,” explained Jay police or got hold of maps. Watts, Malvern’s Outdoor Pursuits Banning the use of their Coordinator, who devised the challenge. smartphones forced them to “Many of our pupils fly academically but engage with people. They were they’ve never been ‘lost’ in their lives, extremely heartened by just how helpful always having a mapping app to hand, and and kind strangers were, giving up time to having grown up surrounded by technology. help them, knowing it was in a good cause.” ‘Lost’ made them take the initiative, plan With five pairs of girls and six pairs of strategically and cope with setbacks. boys, all from Year 10, taking the challenge, Some went into hotels and shops to ask each carrying heavy rucksacks of camping for directions; others flagged down the gear, many assumed the boys’ extra strength would prove decisive. In fact, three of the first four pairs home were girls including the 15-year-old winners Jayda Khimji and Chioma Anazoda. The pair, representing Ellerslie House, arrived back at Malvern College in 14 hours and three minutes, over an hour ahead of their nearest rivals. They had been dropped off near Leominster in Herefordshire, the neighbouring county. “It was a real adventure and we were first sent the wrong way but soon realised we needed to ask people where we were and head for the nearest public transport,” explained Khimji. “We’re used to camping and cooking for ourselves through Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. Once we’d borrowed a map we made a detailed plan and only took one train, from Leominster to Hereford, paying £13 for us and the teacher, so we served our one hour, five minute penalty in Hereford station. We then located the listed parents closest to our route and organised three lifts from them, arranging
“Abandoning children in the middle of nowhere sounds like every parent’s worst nightmare ” to be picked up near the previous drop-off point.” “I loved having to think on my feet,” added Anazoda. “It was an amazing, confidence-boosting experience, working out a strategy and getting home so quickly. We were surprised at how people helped us whenever we asked: they were very kind to us. Best of all, the money raised will go to our House charity, sponsoring a young Vietnamese girl through school, which is a great feeling.” “The main purpose of this exercise was to strengthen aspects of what we call the Malvern Qualities, particularly appropriate risk-taking, resilience and independence,” says Headmaster, Antony Clark. “Those pupils taking part were certainly up for a challenge and the exercise was both in support of a charity and fun. Taking young people out of their comfort zone is a critically important part of their broader education.” AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 165
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L ASTING
legacy When Henry van Straubenzee’s life was tragically cut short, his parents turned his African dream into a force for good GEORGIA MCVEIGH
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LEFT Pupils at Kiira Primary School RIGHT Dancing at Butansi Primary School
E
BELOW Buphadhengo Primary School
very year, Princes William and Harry are pictured walking out of an annual carol service in memory of their prep school friend, Henry van Straubenzee. Fresh out of school, Henry was working as a Gap Year student at his alma mater, Ludgrove Prep School, to raise money for a trip to Uganda in 2003, when, just before Christmas, he was killed in a car crash on the school’s drive. It’s a call that no parents should have to receive, but it is often said that out of something tragic comes something good. Following Henry’s death, his parents, Claire and Alexander began an endeavour that has so far benefited more than 30,000 children annually in Uganda. Starting with a single donation to Buphadengo Primary School in 2004, where Henry was due to teach, the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund (HvSMF) has grown far larger, after Claire and Alexander
HENRY WAS WORKING AT LUDGROVE TO RAISE MONEY FOR A TRIP TO UGANDA WHEN HE WAS KILLED realised that the crisis in Uganda’s education was far wider than a single school. Now a small UK-registered NGO, HvSMF aims to lift children out of poverty through education, making donations across numerous projects in the southeast region of Uganda; Prince William and Prince Harry have been its joint patrons since 2009. Following the free Universal Primary Education (UPE) drive in 1997, the numbers of pupils in primary education in Uganda rocketed from 3.1 million to 7.6 million. But whilst this was a step forward in Uganda’s bid towards democratisation, the huge influx of pupils meant there were challenges such as a lack of resources, teaching facilities and buildings and qualified staff. Lessons are often taught outside, with little or no protection from the elements. In the case of rain, classes are called off due to a lack of shelter. But the elements are not
the only problem facing children in search of an education. A lack of suitable footwear, particularly when pupils often travel for miles to attend their lessons in bare feet, means they are susceptible to infections of ‘Jiggers’ – a type of flea that buries itself under the toe nails and/or buttocks of children who sit on the dirty, dusty unscreeded concrete classroom floors. HvSMF hopes to change this. It has invested in school buildings and educational resources, targeting the very poorest areas, where schools struggle to attract pupils and quality teaching staff. It starts by establishing a relationship with the school in question and pinpointing its immediate needs. Once the big issues, such as shelter, concrete flooring and building quality have been addressed it remains up to HvSMF to decide whether they will extend the funding further to include features such as new toilets, teacher housing and other necessary AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 167
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The charity has also stated their interest in vocational training for students that hope to take their education further. Throughout 2018 they will be sponsoring one student from each of their six secondary schools to attend the St Eliza School of Nursing and Midwifery. The five-term course, over two and a half years, costs just over £5k per pupil, and is something that the charity hopes to expand if further funds/donations become available. Out of small beginnings, the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund (Fighting Poverty through Education in Uganda) has already made a substantial difference to the lives of many children in Uganda. It was what Henry hoped to do, in some way, during his trip in 2003. It’s a fitting epitaph and no better way to remember him. ABOVE Children at Kifuyo School BELOW Bugulumbya Nursery and Primary School
resources. This is normally dependant on improved academic performance and increased enrolment into the school. But what sets the charity apart is their understanding of the school’s need rather than what it believes is most important factor to address. This requires commitment from both the school and the charity, and by establishing a solid partnership, both can conclude where the money is best spent. The charity also makes a point to be very open with government officials, parent teacher conference associations and boards of governors, so
each can have an input as to where the need is greatest. The newest and most successful drive in the HvSMF is the installation of bore holes into each school complex, removing the need for children to traipse for miles to the nearest community hole, and so ensuring more classroom time. HvSMF is run by unpaid UK volunteers and a few paid directors in Uganda, allowing Claire and Alexander to filter the majority of funds raised back into the projects they support. HvSMF is currently helping more than 30,000 children annually across 44 nursery, primary and secondary schools to receive a proper education. But it isn’t stopping there, and Claire and Alexander have project plans firmly in place for many of the schools that they support. During 2018 alone the charity has requested funds from three different Grant Making Trusts to support a secondary school that only had six pupils in 2003 and has now expanded to 1,200 pupils. Of these, 260 students sat O-Levels (the equivalent to the UK GCSE) and 18 sat A-Levels for the first time in November 2017.
KEY STATS
S
ince 2005, HvSMF has constructed 157 classrooms and renovated 206. They have constructed 202 teachers’ houses and renovated 75. They have constructed 50 dormitories and renovated 10. They have installed 69 water tanks, 17 boreholes (including the 6 drilled during 2018), constructed 691 and renovated 220 pupil latrines, as well as providing text books, solar panels, musical instrument and sports packages, storage cupboards and 4453 three-seater desks. In 2017, they completed 175 projects in 25 schools with an investment of approximately £360,000. In total they have donated over £2.5 million to the schools in southeast Uganda since 2004.
If you’d like to donate to the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund, please visit henryvanstraubenzeemf.org.uk
THE NEWEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL DRIVE OF HVSMF IS THE INSTALLATION OF BORE HOLES INTO SCHOOLS AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 169
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High
FLYERS Why families in search of activity holidays should head to the mountains, whatever the season PENDLE HARTE
P
icture the scene. A mountain path, the sun shining, the sky felt-tip blue, the mountains impossibly green, the fir trees identically tall and the wild flowers blooming. It’s as if we have fallen through a portal and into a Disney animation that shows an idealised version of Switzerland living its best life, only this is the actual world and it really is like this. It’s kind of sad that the clarity of the air, the luminosity, the perfect colours and the sheer natural beauty around us is so overwhelming to our group of jaded Londoners that our only point of reference is a digital simulation. We struggle to believe that it’s real. These are the Swiss alps, a destination widely perceived to belong to winter, due to the British travel industry's insistence that mountains are only for skiing. This means that travelling to the Swiss Alps in summer has all the advantages of low season – no crowds, cheaper flights, availability – while retaining everything that you need from a family summer holiday: hot weather,
beautiful scenery, outdoor activities and delicious food. Less obvious than the allconsuming ski industry, there is a strong tradition of summering in the mountains but as long as people continue to focus on beaches as the summer imperative, the alps will retain their slightly off-piste feel when there’s sunshine instead of snow. Villars Sur Ollon has a long-standing history as a ski resort but in summer it takes on a new identity. While winter offers one main activity, summer offers countless different ones. So, what to do? When there’s a mountain around, it’s natural to want to ascend it and in Villars the train takes you straight up to the ski station at 1300 metres, which is an excellent starting point for a hike. Small groups of cows with gently tinkling cowbells have been perfectly positioned, the wild flowers artfully styled by nature and the path designed to lead to an insanely beautiful lake, with a dreamy restaurant alongside it. You could spend the day here but we’re after a little more adventure, so we hire mountain scooters. Picture a mountain bike without a seat and pedals, and you can imagine the scooter. The idea is
ABOVE Chalet Royalp, Villars
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THE SWISS ALPS IN SUMMER HAS ALL THE ADVANTAGES OF LOW SEASON PLUS EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR A SUNNY FAMILY HOLIDAY AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 171
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LEFT Alpine lake RIGHT Cheese farm at Alpage du Col de la Croix
that you stand up, bend your knees a bit and hurl yourself down the mountain. It looks innocent enough: my nine-year old daughter and I are confident cyclists and are fully expecting to master this quickly. But off-road mountain scooting is more of an extreme sport than we’re quite ready for. The terrain is – by definition – steep and the track is by turns rocky, gravelly and grassy. The scooter lurches downhill and my instinct is to brake heavily, but brakes are a further challenge. Brake too much and you’ll skid, potentially throwing yourself at the rocky ground, but without braking you’ll build up terrifying speed and still potentially hurl yourself off balance. There’s no easy option, but neither is there time to think because you have to keep your entire brain on the scooter as the world whizzes past you. Of course it’s partly an age thing: these fears are not shared by my daughter, who is careering down the mountain without a backwards glance, entirely unburdened by thoughts of whether she’ll fall, how much to brake or whether she’s likely to skid. Her fearlessness is exhilarating. This is a
lesson in confidence as much as in balance and co-ordination. We are overtaken by a professional-looking group of teenagers, unrecognizable beneath their extreme protective gear, whose sheer speed is either impressive or horrifying, depending on your outlook (or your age). Back in Villars, there is a beautiful public pool, indoor and outdoor, which has slides and beautiful views as well as an onside spa and an inflatables course. Also on site is a year-round outdoor ice rink. We are staying at the Chalet Royalp, which provides us with Free Access passes that get us in everywhere, including the train. Our next day is spent visiting a cheese farm and sampling the mountain dairy offerings before heading to Parc des Diables for a high ropes course in the forest. And so it goes on. Lakes, mountains, forests. Our activity-filled days are laced with fondues and showstopping scenery. Who needs snow?
“While winter offers one main activity, summer offers countless different ones”
Absolutely was a guest of the Lake Geneva Region (lake-geneva-region.ch) Rooms at Chalet Royalp & Spa available from CHF290 (£230) per night, b&b, based on two sharing (chaletroyalp.com.) For more information on Switzerland visit MySwitzerland.com
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SWISS offers more than 170 weekly flights from London City, Heathrow, Gatwick (seasonal), Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Dublin to Zurich, Geneva or Sion (seasonal).
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One way fares start from £67 including all taxes, fees and surcharges. For more information visit swiss.com The Swiss Travel System provides a dedicated range of travel passes and tickets exclusively for visitors from abroad. swisstravelsystem.co.uk AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | 173
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Securing the best start for your child.
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BOARDING OPEN MORNING Saturday 11 May 2018 A leading CofE co-educational state boarding and day school for ages 11-18 Register at www.sexeys.somerset.sch.uk Full boarding only £3,565 per term Excellent personalised care, support and guidance Strong A level results and progression to top universities Wide ranging and varied extra-curricular offer Set in Bruton, Somerset: voted UK’s most fashionable place to live New to State Boarding? Visit www.stateboarding.org.uk
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“THERE’S A RICH VEIN OF KINDNESS”
BRIGHTON COLLEGE
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WISH YOU WERE HERE OPEN MORNINGS | COLLEGE 29 SEPT | SIXTH FORM 13 OCT
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For further details and to book a school visit, contact Jane Davis on 020 8947 6969 www.thestudyprep.co.uk Registered Charity No. 271012
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Junior School Saturday 17 November Please book online: www.elthamcollege.london/book
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...where your education could take you
Sixth Form Tours: 6 October 2018 Registered charity no. 306983
www.wimbledonhigh.gdst.net
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Sixth Form Open Evening Wednesday 26th September 2018 5.30pm to 7.30pm at Wycliffe College Over 25 different A Level and BTEC options for post-16. Scholarships and means-tested bursaries available. To register your interest please call 01453 820412 or email fiona.lawson-best@wycliffe.co.uk
Co-educational from 2-18 Day and boarding Nursery Prep School Senior School Sixth Form In the heart of Gloucestershire
www.wycliffe.co.uk WYCLIFFE.indd 1
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OPENEVENINGS Where outstanding performing arts meets academic excellence Register at: www.artsed.co.uk
Co-educational Day School, Chiswick W4 1LY Sixth Form Entry: Tuesday 25 September, 6pm 11-13+ Entry: Wednesday 26 September, 6pm
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Redcliffe School Celebrating 70 years
Discover why Redcliffe always makes us smile… Visit redcliffeschool.com
Redcliffe School - educating boys and girls from rising 3 to 11 To arrange your tour contact Henrietta Corbett on 020 7352 9247 or email registrar@redcliffeschool.com
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We are looking forward to seeing you at the Independent Schools Show 2018
FRANC
HA LEAL
ETO GE
www.godolphin.org admissions@godolphin.wilts.sch.uk
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Absolutely education1Ad_half page horizontal_190x134_3mm bleed.indd 1 HIGHGATE.indd
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Hawkesdown House School
For Boys & Girls aged 3 to 11 years
27 Edge Street, Kensington, London W8 7PN Telephone: 0207 727 9090 Email: admin@hawkesdown.co.uk www.hawkesdown.co.uk HAWKESDOWN.indd 1
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Oakfield Preparatory School 125 -128 Thurlow Park Road, London SE21 8HP T: 0208 670 4206 www.oakfield.dulwich.sch.uk
Where every child is valued and nurtured, leading to exceptional outcomes
To book a visit or register your child please email admissions@oakfield.dulwich.sch.uk
eD
ob
Aim
Hig
iff e r e n t
130 years of education for boys and girls aged 2 to 11 re h, B e Kind, Da
t
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C M Y K
48 37 33 14
#888a90
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C M Y K
13 91 86 3
#cd332a
12/09/2018 17:26
FRIENDLY : INSPIRATIONAL : CHALLENGING CARING : EXCITING : SUPPORTIVE This is how our students describe KC Come and visit and see for yourself
Senior School Open Morning
Saturday 29th September 9.00am - 12.30pm
Sixth Form Open Evening
Tuesday 2nd October 6.00pm - 9.00pm To find out more contact registrarseniorschool@kentcollege.co.uk or call
01227 763231
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LEARN • CREATE • EXPLORE WHERE WILL YOUR FUTURE TAKE YOU? Top quality boarding provision from age 7, with superb pastoral care Rated ‘excellent’ in all areas of the latest Inspection Report Over 100 co-curricular activities available Reputation for sport and links with professional clubs Inspirational music, drama and creative arts Outstanding academic results with the vast majority of applicants securing places at their preferred university
JOIN US FOR OUR SENIOR SCHOOL OPEN MORNING
Saturday 6 October 2018, 9am to 12 noon Book a place at www.kingswood.bath.sch.uk An Independent Co-educational Boarding & Day School for pupils aged 9 months - 18 years
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04/09/2018 12:55
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Whitgift. One of Britain’s finest independent day and boarding schools for boys aged 10-18
‘Superb cosmopolitan boys school, with outstanding facilities and a strong academic reputation – an example of what education is really about’ Good Schools Guide
OPEN MORNING | SATURDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2018 OPEN EVENING | TUESDAY 9 OCTOBER 2018 BOARDING | BY APPOINTMENT admissions@whitgift.co.uk +44 (0)20 8633 9935 www.whitgift.co.uk/opendays
Facebook “f ” Logo
CMYK / .ai
Facebook “f ” Logo
CMYK / .ai
Haling Park, South Croydon, CR2 6YT, United Kingdom
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Alleyn’s School
Open Events
We - lleyn's
V
29 September and 7 November
Co-educational excellence in a caring community for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. Our next 11+ and 13+ open events will take place on 29 September at 9.30 am and 7 November at 2.00 pm. Our next 16+ open event will take place on 29 September at 9.30 am. Scholarships and means-tested bursaries are available. A registration fee waiver is available for those who qualify for pupil premium. www.alleyns.org.uk @Alleyns_School I 020 8557 1500 I Townley Road, Dulwich SE22 8SU
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Headmistress: Mrs Dina Mallett T: 020 7352 4040 W: www.cameronhouseschool.org
C A M E RO N H O U S E S C H O O L 4 T H E VA L E , L O N D O N S W 3 6 A H
C A M E RO N H O U S E S C H O O L 4 T H E VA L E , L O N D O N S W 3 6 A H
T: 020 73 W: www.camero
A SPRINGBOARD FOR LIFE A leading independent day and boarding school in Somerset, offering excellence in education to rising 3-13 year olds
A SPRINGBOARD FOR LIFE
C••ASOARING M E RO NSTART HOUSE SCHOOL CHALLENGING CURRICULUM
4 T H E VA L E , L O N D O N S W 3 6 A H • ESTABLISHED EXCELLENCE ISI REPORT “EXCELLENT” IN ALL CATEGORIES
OPEN
A SPRINGBOARD FOR LIFE
Mornings
• A SOARING START
• ESTABLISHED EXCELLENCE
www.perrotthill.com
• ISI REPORT “EXCELLENT” IN ALL CATEGORIES
@perrotthill /perrotthillschool
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• SOARING START • CHALLENGING CURRICULUM • ESTABLISHED EXCELLENCE ISI REPORT “EXCELLENT” IN ALL CATE
• CHALLENGING CURRICULUM
Friday 5th and Saturday 6th October 2018
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T: 020 7352 4 W: www.cameronhou
A SPRINGBOARD FOR LIFE • SOARING START • CHALLENGING CURRICULUM • ESTABLISHED EXCELLENCE ISI REPORT “EXCELLENT” IN ALL CATEG
02/05/2018 15:27
12/09/2018 14:25
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HIGHLY EXPERIENCED FRENCH, SPANISH AND ENGLISH TUTOR I provide a bespoke one to one service in teaching children of all ages French, Spanish and English to all levels. With prepared, tailored lesson plans, I adhere to the syllabus that each tutee is studying and deliver a personalised programme to my students.
“
I specialise in GCSE, iGCSE, A-level, IB and university tuition.
Dolphin School
Lucinda is a very talented and gifted tutor who has a deep understanding of languages as well as how to teach them well to students of all ages and abilities.
unlocking each child’s full and unique potential 4–11 years Co-ed 106 Northcote Road, SW11 6QW 020 7924 3472 ext 2
”
We couldn’t recommend her more highly.
admissions@dolphinschool.org.uk
www.dolphinschool.org.uk OPEN MORNINGS Open Days on Thursday mornings Thursdays 09.15-10.30 by appointment with the Registrar 09.15 - 10.40 by appointment with the Registrar Bursaries also available
07949 245 335 www.privatelanguagetutor.com lucinda@privatelanguagetutor.com
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Our inspiration is you Every girl is unique, with their own character, passions and idiosyncrasies. That’s what makes life at Malvern St James so enjoyable and rewarding. We are constantly inspired by our pupils and we support them to have the confidence to excel, to love life, stand up for all that they believe in and shape a wonderful future.
Be anything, achieve everything
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Book your place at one of our Open Mornings at: malvernstjames.co.uk
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Life is more at
spacious OPEN MORNINGS THURS SAT
11 Oct 17 Nov
10.00AM 10.00AM
With 100 acres of parkland and facilities in the Surrey Hills, our own mainline train station and minibus service, King Edward’s Witley is perfect for working families. We offer a stunning environment in which to grow up, study and lead a healthy, active lifestyle.
An independent
OPEN MORNINGS 29 SEPTEMBER 2018 17 NOVEMBER 2018
boarding and day school for girls and boys aged 11-18
GODALMING
SURREY GU8 5SG
GODALMING
SURREY GU8 5SG
KINGED.indd 1 for girls and boys aged 11-18 boarding and day school An independent
Come to an Open Morning: call our admissions team on 01428 686735 or book online at www.kesw.org or book online at www.kesw.org admissions team on 01428 68673506/09/2018 Come to an Open Morning: call our
10:09 SANDROYD.indd 1
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healthy, active lifestyle. which to grow up, study and lead a We offer a stunning environment in families. Edward’s Witley is perfect for working train station and minibus service, King in the Surrey Hills, our own mainline With 100 acres of parkland and facilities
Ludgrove SAT THURS
17 Nov 11 Oct
10.00AM 10.00AM
OPEN MORNINGS
at Life is more
spacious
• 100% full boarding boys’ prep school • Glorious rural setting, with easy access to London • Excellent academic record • Fortnightly exeat weekends • Bursaries available Ludgrove, Wokingham, Berks RG40 3AB · 0118 978 9881 registrar@ludgroveschool.co.uk · www.ludgrove.net
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Farringtons...
Creating a culture of high expectations
OPEN MORNING Saturday 22nd September 2018, 9.00 – 12.00
A leading independent co-educational day and boarding school offering high academic standards, excellent pastoral care and a wide extra-curricular programme within a supportive Christian environment. OPEN DAYS: 13th October & 10th November 2018. Please contact us to pre-book.
Co-education Juniors 3 – 11, Seniors 11 – 16, Sixth Form 16 - 18 Perry Street, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6LR T: 020 8467 0256
www.farringtons.org.uk
ST MARY’S CALNE
FARRINGTONS SCHOOL
A Leading Independent Boarding & Day School For Girls Aged 11-18
Contact
admissions@stmaryscalne.org
01249 857200
stmaryscalne.org
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choice INSPIRIN G INDIVIDU AL EXCELLE NCE
I chose Bethany because it is a small school with a family feel, with lots of choices of activities and subjects.
“
“
Madeleine Parrot, Year 9
LO V E W H AT YO U L E A R N Take a fresh look at Bethany School and discover a world of freedom. No limiting your options, just the independence and support you need. Dedicated teachers, fantastic facilities and an expansive activities programme bring out the best possible results. Join us at our next Open Morning
Saturday 22nd September 10am -1pm
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60
L A ST WOR D
seconds with
Mike Buchanan The new Executive Director of the HMC and recently departed head of Ashford School in Kent
Tell us about your leadership style I’ve just started writing a book called Positively Leading which is a reflection on what I have observed successful leaders doing and how they do it. It’s based on the cycle of seeking; first, to understand what makes people tick, what they’re motivated by and second, seeking to improve their performance by adjusting their behaviours so that; third, they flourish as professionals and people.
skills and great teachers should be doing. The first is to maximise the achievements of their pupils by colliding them with as many opportunities to learn as possible. The second is to develop the personal characteristics that underpin and enable a fulfilling life: such as, empathy, resilience, love, delayed gratification, dedication etc. I often quote Maya Angelou who said: “People will forget what you say and what you do but they will never forget how you made them feel.” Whilst I have often failed, I have always tried to remember this in my dealings with colleagues, parents and with students.
Why do you think leadership matters? Leadership doesn’t matter but people do and the ultimate purpose of a leader is to enable those around him or her to live purposeful, fulfilled and meaningful lives. How did you lead during your 13 years as head at Ashford? I set out to find people to join us as teachers and support staff who understood and could mirror the values, behaviours and attitudes that we wanted the children and young people in the school to learn and to adopt. Those values, behaviours and attitudes are encapsulated in our strapline of Adventurous Learning which means providing the right balance of stretch and support for each individual person and an environment where taking risks without the fear of blame is second nature and intuitive. Finally, I set out to get out of the way so that, with the general direction of the school set, others had the freedom and flexibility they needed in order to work at their best.. What changes did you make in your time at Ashford? When I was appointed to lead the school it was a charming, introverted and largely complacent organisation which was
“Leadership doesn’t matter but people do”
losing pupil numbers and money rapidly: it probably only had 12 months to live. With the help of many, the number of children in the school has more than doubled, the school is co-educational throughout and it has a thriving, largely international, boarding contingent of nearly 180 pupils. We’ve invested tens of millions of pounds in new facilities but most importantly we look outwards to what the best education around the world can be and have tried to emulate it. A B OV E
Mike Buchanan
What makes a good learner? A good learner is forever curious and works incessantly hard to satisfy his or her curiosity. A good learner knows how to ask great questions and has the courage to ask them. A good learner is not necessarily the same as someone who is good at succeeding in exams so that is the challenge of many schools; to balance enabling young people to be good learners and good at exams. What has mattered to you most in your years as teacher? There are only two things that good
Tell us about your new role as Executive Director of the HMC? I will be providing leadership in a different way to the members who themselves lead some of the most prominent and outstanding schools in the UK and around the world. As a headteacher, I could command people to do things if I so chose. As Executive Director of HMC I have no power to command so I will need to hone my influencing skills and I very much look forward to it. What are the main challenges facing the independent sector currently? The first is ensuring that within the UK the contribution and enormous work that many do for young people in their schools and in partner state schools is recognised and valued. The second is ensuring that, over time, independent education becomes affordable to more people. What are your professional aims for the next 5-10 years? To enable the HMC and its members to be the most positively influential professional association in education in the UK and around the world to benefit young people whatever their backgrounds.
194 | A B S O LU T E LY E D U C AT I O N | AUTUMN • WINTER 2018
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Mayfield BOAR DI NG & DAY S C H O O L FO R G IR L S AG E D 11 TO 18
OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC RESULTS • SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE EXTENSIVE CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMME EXEMPLARY PASTORAL CARE & NURTURING ENVIRONMENT SET IN THE BEAUTIFUL SUSSEX COUNTRYSIDE FLEXI, WEEKLY AND FULL BOARDING OPTIONS WEEKEND RETURN BUS TO LONDON MINIBUS SERVICE ACROSS SUSSEX AND KENT
Open Mornings
THURSDAY 20 TH SEPTEMBER 2018 TUESDAY 30 TH OCTOBER 2018
TO ARRANGE A VISIT PLEASE CONTACT OUR REGISTRAR, MRS SHIRLEY COPPARD, REGISTRAR@MAYFIELDGIRLS.ORG
WWW.MAYFIELDGIRLS.ORG
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DISCOVERMORE
Embracing an innovative, modern approach whilst keeping traditional values at its core, Kew House School takes an exciting stance on 21st century education. With state-of-the-art facilities, a broad curriculum and excellent pastoral care, Kew House is a place where you would want to be – a place of learning and discovery, laughter and friendship.
Open Days st Tuesday 16th1October – 9.45am November /7th (9.30am/ 9.30am) Wednesday 31st October – 9.45am November 15th/21st (7.00pm/ 9.30am) Thursday 8th November – 9.45am Friday 16th November – 9.45am November 29th (9.30am) Thursday 22nd November – 6.30pm Monday 26th November – 9.45am
Sixth Form Open Event: Thursday 17th January 2019 at 7pm
T: 0208 742 2038 E: info@kewhouseschool.com W: www.kewhouseschool.com An independent co-educational senior school for students aged 11-18 in West London
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@kewhouseschool
20/08/2018 12:05