ISA Journal Issue 16 by Barley House

ISSUE 16

| FEB 2018

THE JOURNAL FOR INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

ISA JOURNAL

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION ISA and the RAF ISA Awards 2017: Who won and why?

ISA National Art: the winners

Introducing SpaceStation

A revolution in science classroom design

Teaching and learning philosophy

S+B has been at the forefront in researching and developing new, innovative and compelling specialist science furniture systems for several decades. The introduction of SpaceStation is the latest affirmation of our ongoing commitment to providing exciting and inspirational science learning spaces.

Space to interact, study, discover, learn and enjoy.

Proud winners of

At the core of all S+B designs is flexibility so that learning spaces are not restrictive and so that they can be used in different ways and for different applications.

For more information please visit our website or to receive a free brochure join our mailing list. 0161 793 9333 | www.splusb.co.uk | sales@splusb.co.uk British made. Designed and Manufactured at our factory in Manchester.

WELCOME

Welcome from the CEO

AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE MEANS THAT SCHOOLS NEED TO QUESTION HOW THEY ARE PREPARING CHILDREN FOR THE CHALLENGES TO COME.

eing tied up with what Charles Hummel famously called “the tyranny of the urgent”, school leaders rarely get the opportunity to think and act strategically. Even then, it’s often limited by the boundaries of their own immediate experience: what buildings need refurbishing or can we afford that new IT system? That’s why this edition of The ISA Journal is focussing on the bigger picture by asking what education needs to look like if our children are to thrive in an uncertain world. Futurist Mark Stephenson calls for schools to teach “future literacy”, while author and columnist Deborah Kidd draws on cognitive science to remind us that “what if” exercises can prepare children for deep uncertainty. Former schools minister Jim Knight looks at the role of technology as competition and how children need to maximise their uniqueness. And in the face of a national narrowing of the curriculum, STEAM CO founder Nick Corston shows how schools can harness creativity through festivals, pop-ups and performances. All of this is vital and nourishing food for thought if our schools are to remain fit for purpose in preparing our children for the challenges ahead. Heads may like to read more of these reappraisals to our current thinking in the recent book, “Education Forward”, to which ISA also contributed. But back to the present. If you’ve not yet experienced our National Awards event, then it’s time to contemplate a possible entry for 2018: we feature last November’s

winners as stimulus. We also showcase ISA Vice-President Deborah Leek-Bailey’s fascinating experiences of RAF officer training, as well as some of the winning entries in the ISA National Arts Competition from the end of last year (look out for Kamile Balnionis’ (Normanhurst) “kitten” among the wonderful winning entries). This edition of the Journal also highlights our Junior Triathlon and Girls’ National Football Finals as examples of “minority” sports that are on the rise. As always, please do get your children involved in as much ISA sport as possible – research regularly reminds us that sport plays a vital role in raising self-esteem which spills over into academic attainment. Neil Roskilly, ISA CEO

WRITE FOR THE ISA JOURNAL ISA’s Members want to hear about best practice in any area. Send a brief outline or topic to journal@isaschools.org.uk

CONTRIBUTORS Editor in Chief Neil Roskilly, ISA CEO Mark Stephenson Author and Futurist Debra Kidd Columnist, Author and Co-founder of Northern Rocks Jim Knight Chief Education Advisor at TES Global and former Schools Minister Nick Corston Co-founder of STEAM Deborah Leek-Bailey ISA Vice-President Alistair Bond Head at Park Hill Prep School and Nursery, Kingston Charles Pierce Director, The Darwin Group Design & print by BAINES – Barley House, Sopers Road, Cuffley, Herts EN6 4RY. T: 01707 872882 www.bainesdesign.co.uk

Extra-curricular activities

management software for schools CHQ Parent Evenings NEW

CHQ Community Membership

CHQ Bus Manager

CHQ Activities CHQ Extended School Care

CHQ ePayment CHQ Sports & Fixtures

CHQ’s software modules will transform the management of school extra-curricular programmes. At the heart of our system is CHQ Activities, an online solution to organise sports activities, clubs and societies, as well as school events and trips, interfacing with the school management information system. Schools have the option to choose from a range of enhanced functionality modules: NEW CHQ Bus Manager - organise bus schedules and place allocations accounting for after school activities and student absence - ‘live’ online/mobile registers for bus monitors

CHQ Parents Evenings CHQ Extended School Care - manage breakfast clubs & after school care, an online booking system, time based charging function CHQ Sport and Fixtures - set up fixtures lists, create teams, manage selections, produce match and player assessment reports CHQ ePayment - a payment interface which links to the CHQ Activities and Extended School Care module, easy access link from parental home page to payment processor e.g. PayPal, auto update on outstanding payments and full reporting on payment history CHQ Community Membership – organise sports clubs and holiday camps which are open to the external community, manage member registrations, payments and communications

Tel: +44 (0)1494 957050 Email: hello@chqgroup.co.uk | www.chqgroup.co.uk 4

In this issue 6 - 11

ISA School News

12 - 15

The Scrap Heap Challenge

16 - 17 Pedagogies of Peace and Power 18 - 19

The Future: Individualised Learning

20 - 21 Creativity? It takes a whole village 22 - 29 ISA Awards Winners 2017 30 - 31

ISA and the RAF

33 - 35 The Day of Rage and The Silver Coffee Pot 36 - 37 Offsite Construction Does it offer more than just time and cost benefits? 38 - 39

ISA National Art Competition

40 ISA Junior Triathlon 42 #ThisGirlCan... and will! Girls Impress at National Festival

40 5

ISA SCHOOL NEWS

School News

SHOREHAM COLLEGE TAKES PART IN COMMUNITY GOSPELS PROJECT (ISA LONDON SOUTH)

Shoreham College was thrilled to be involved in the Shoreham Gospels, a community project that has taken six months to produce. Ten of Shoreham’s Junior and Senior pupils worked in small groups during their break times to write out and illustrate pages from the Gospels to help celebrate the Year of the Bible. The project was initiated by Father James Grant and involved 128 people from the Shoreham community. 728 pages in total were produced and bound into a beautiful book that will hopefully become part of Shoreham’s heritage and be enjoyed for many generations to come. A service of dedication at St Mary’s de Haura Church was attended by Shoreham College Headmaster, Richard Taylor-West, teacher Julian Batstone, and Head of Juniors, Kathryn Stokes who spoke at the service. She told the congregation how pupils had enthusiastically embraced the challenge of taking part in local history and how they had reflected on the meaning of the gospels and their importance. “I was humbled by the focus and dedication of our pupils”, she said. We feel so grateful to have been a part of the project. Involving pupils and staff from both the Junior and Senior Schools made this a wonderful opportunity to share skills and talents and to develop friendships and reflect on both the religious and literary beauty of the Gospels. Richard Taylor-West said, “It’s wonderful that our pupils were given the opportunity to take part in history in the making and that their beautiful work will be preserved in such a unique way.”

SCHOOL NEWS

THE HAMMOND CELEBRATES ITS FIRST 100 YEARS (ISA NORTH) The Hammond was delighted to celebrate its centenary in 2017. Since its beginnings as a dance class in 1917 under the direction of Miss Irene Hammond in the Ballroom at The Grosvenor Hotel in Chester, The Hammond has provided a supportive and nurturing environment for talented young performers. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester visited the school in honour of its Centenary, and officially opened the new Centenary Studios (a new building including dance studios, a Jazz Café for Senior students, plus a Learning Resource Centre). Her Royal Highness enjoyed a tour of the school, observed an advanced Ballet demonstration and

was entertained by Hammond Dance, Drama and Music students in The Hammond Theatre. The Duchess took the time to speak to the students after the performances, and congratulated them on their hard work and talent.

THE APPRENTICE FINALIST INSPIRES STUDENTS TO CONSIDER FUTURE OPTIONS AT LVS ASCOT (ISA LONDON WEST) A leading candidate and finalist from The Apprentice in 2015, Richard Woods, was one of several high-profile speakers at LVS Ascot on Tuesday 3 October inspiring students to consider the benefits of apprenticeships. Successful entrepreneur Richard was joined by Coca-Cola’s Head of Apprenticeships Sharon Blyfield and Craig Cobb from Computacenter to discuss the different ways to gain employment at the ‘Routes To The World Of Work’ evening. The stimulating and entertaining evening helped open the minds of students to looking at the skills they will need for the world of work and the many opportunities that will be available to them in the future. Parent Carol Milligan, whose son James is in Year 9 at the all-ability co-educational school, said: “It has been really good for parents to understand how our children have other options available to them other than the traditional university route. I didn’t realise until tonight that there were company sponsored degree apprenticeships available”. The day before the latest series of the hit BBC show The Apprentice began, 2015 finalist Richard Woods took to the stage to talk about his meteoric rise and obsession for marketing and entrepreneurship which has led to him running a large portfolio of businesses including digital marketing agency Yomp and oil distribution company Top Up

Fuels. He said: “It is really refreshing that LVS Ascot is actively involving businesses to dispel the myth that university is the only choice for young people. It is inspiring students to think differently and make the right choice for them”. One of the largest multinational companies, Coca-Cola, was also represented on stage by Sharon Blyfield and two of their current apprentices, to give LVS Ascot students a flavour of how they can expect to benefit from an apprenticeship. Sharon said: “Tonight is a great opportunity for students and parents to hear real life apprentice experiences and why they chose to earn and learn with Coca-Cola”. LVS Ascot Principal Christine Cunniffe said: “The workplace is rapidly changing, with 80% of the jobs that our Year 7 pupils will go on to when they leave education not even existing yet. Our job is to provide a broad and balanced curriculum and vibrant co-curricular programme to build resilience and develop key skills, and ensure that our students are aware of all the opportunities available to them when they leave. Tonight has helped equip them with that knowledge in an inspirational way”.

SCHOOL NEWS URSULINE PREPARATORY SCHOOL ANTI BULLYING WEEK (ISA EAST) As part of Anti Bullying Week on Monday 13 November, The Ursuline Preparatory School in Brentwood, Essex held an Odd Socks Day in their new school hall, where the children and staff wore odd socks to celebrate diversity. In an assembly a small group of children showed the whole school that being different and unique should be embraced and that we should always welcome these differences, so that everyone within our school community feels valued and included without the fear of being bullied.

Later in the week the children participated in an antibullying workshop run by Perform for Schools and younger pupils took part in activities led by their class teachers linked to the anti-bullying theme.

LOCAL AUTHOR RACHEL GREAVES STEAMS IN WITH RUFFLE THE RAIL DOG: OUR LADY’S CONVENT SCHOOL (ISA MIDLANDS)

ACS EGHAM CHAMPIONS OF INTERNATIONAL VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT (ISA LONDON WEST)

In November 2017 local author Rachel Greaves spent the day with the Preparatory Department of Our Lady’s Convent School. To the delight of the children, she was accompanied by Ruffle the Rail Dog and a model steam locomotive. Rachel is both the author and illustrator of a series of stories detailing the adventures of Ruffle, an Airedale Terrier. Rachel began her visit by taking school assembly and then each year group enjoyed a hands-on session with Rachel and Ruffle. The children were fascinated to hear about Ruffle’s adventures and to meet the other puppets and props, which included Eric the station master and The Flying Terrier model steam train. Miss Laura Bradshaw, School Librarian, said, “As a school we work hard to engender a genuine love of reading and as part of that we often invite local authors in to talk to our pupils. Rachel’s assembly and author sessions were wonderful and really captured the imagination of the younger children.”

Class teacher, Mrs Mongelard was very impressed with the way the children engaged in all the activities in a mature and sensible way, ensuring that they all had a greater understanding of inclusivity and acceptance of others.

The boys’ senior volleyball team at ACS Egham were crowned champions at the International Schools Sports Association (ISSA) boys’ volleyball tournament last month, for the second year running. The tournament, hosted by ACS Cobham, involved eight international schools from across Europe, including from Spain and Portugal. ACS Egham retained their champion status after beating the Lycée Français school from London in the final. Bill Roach, Athletic Director at ACS Egham, said: “It’s wonderful to see our sports teams at Egham performing so well. Congratulations to the boys’ volleyball team who managed to retain their title as champions for the second year running.” ACS Egham also achieved bronze position at the International School Sports Tournament (ISST) boys’ senior football event, hosted at Egham’s Woodlee Sports Centre. The team competed in a round-robin format, against schools from France, Austria and Israel, to make it to the semi-finals and the third-place match.

SCHOOL NEWS ESSENDENE LODGE SCHOOL NEWS (ISA LONDON SOUTH) Essendene Lodge School in Caterham has enjoyed a partnership with Msalura Primary School in Salima, Malawi for six years. Teachers from both schools have made reciprocal visits during this time. This year the Headteacher, Mrs Ali, and a former Essendene Lodge teacher made the visit to further cement the partnership. The Essendene community held fundraisers prior to the visit and Mrs Ali managed to take some much needed resources to the school such as sports equipment, story books, laptops and many items of stationery. Additionally, the School Council held fundraisers to raise money for the Gifted Girls Fund which allows gifted and talented girls in Malawi to finish their secondary school education. The school is currently contributing to the cost of nineteen girls’ education. Mrs Ali managed to meet some of the girls who have already graduated and were very grateful that Essendene Lodge School had supported their studies. The children were taught to play hockey and tennis as well as gaining some computing skills and carrying out a range of classroom activities based on well-known stories. One project that the parents at Essendene Lodge School embraced was the Days for Girls project. Parents and staff made 50 kits that are sustainable for two years which will allow girls to manage their monthly cycle and continue to attend school. Essendene Lodge will continue to raise money for Msalura Primary School in order to improve the school site and facilities as well as equipment in the school.

PODIUM FINISH FOR SLINDON COLLEGE IN THE INTERNATIONAL GREENPOWER CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS (ISA LONDON SOUTH) Slindon’s Greenpower team achieved 2nd place in the Greenpower F24+ Championship at Rockingham speedway circuit in Corby at the weekend. They were up against a field of 30 vehicles including the Jaguar/Landrover team. Their vehicle “Lightening 1” was driven by sixth former, Charlie Barton with the help of his chief mechanic and “pit man” Dominic Wilshere. Paul Burbidge, Head of Greenpower at Slindon said; “This is an outstanding result and truly reflects all the hard work, dedication and commitment of all our team members, pupils, staff and parents alike. We have been participating in Greenpower events since its formation and have gone from strength to strength. To achieve a podium finish in the international final is a great achievement for us”.

SCHOOL NEWS BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL TITLES FOR CUNDALL GIRLS (ISA NORTH) For the second year in a row, girls from Cundall Manor School secured back-to-back national titles after coming out on top in the U13 ISA National Championship, held at the Olympic Park in London in November. The North Yorkshire school girls claimed the prestigious trophy at the Lee Valley Hockey Centre, used in the 2012 Olympics. The school triumphed against tough opposition from across the country before clinching the title in a tense final against Holme Grange School from Workingham, Berkshire. A goal after seven seconds in the final was enough for the North Yorkshire girls to claim victory and retain the trophy that was won last year by their school friends.

back wins at such a level is a great accolade for the school and great credit goes to our pupils for their commitment and enthusiasm towards the game you can see they love playing.” The Cundall side included several county players and the team is looking to build on their continued success next year. Mrs Bessey added: “The girls worked very well as a team throughout the tournament. It was great to see them play such fluid hockey on the big stage.” The girls picked up their medals in front of a crowd of proud parents and staff who came down from North Yorkshire to support the team.

The side, who maintained a clean sheet throughout the tournament, came under sustained pressure from a strong Holme Grange School side in an open and fluent final. Head of Girls Games at Cundall Manor School, Louise Bessey, said: “I am absolutely thrilled by the performance the girls put in throughout the tournament. To keep a clean sheet across all six games is a great achievement and a special mention deserves to go to Colette, our goalkeeper, who put in such a strong display in the final.” She added: “You can see that the team truly enjoy competing against some of the best teams nationally. To claim back-to-

THE MIZENS SPEAK OF PEACE AND HOPE AT BISHOP CHALLONER SCHOOL, SHORTLANDS (ISA LONDON SOUTH) Jimmy was a schoolboy from Lewisham, in South-East London, who, on the day after his sixteenth birthday in May 2008, was killed in a senseless act of violence in a bakery. In November 2017, Margaret and Barry Mizen visited Bishop Challoner School in Shortlands to speak to senior pupils about Jimmy and the charity in his name, the Jimmy Mizen Foundation. The Mizens are very ordinary parents, who love their family dearly. What makes them so extraordinary is their compassionate response to a terrible act of violence. Since Jimmy’s untimely death, Barry and Margaret have worked tirelessly visiting schools and parishes nationally to bring a message of peace and hope to young people, encouraging them to work together to make their communities safer. The Mizens spoke about needing to forgive in order to move on with their lives and come to terms with what had happened. They explained to Challoner pupils that if they had held on to anger and hatred it would have eaten away at them and they would never have been able to take up this work which has inspired and helped so many. What became clear during their talk was their unshakable faith and trust in God. Indeed, Margaret explained that it was her faith that gave her the strength to deal with what had happened. Paula Anderson, Headteacher, commented: “We were delighted to welcome Barry and Margaret to Bishop Challoner to share their story and to deliver a clear message of forgiveness and the importance of having faith in God. An inspirational family!” Margaret Mizen found the event very positive: “We were pleased to speak to senior pupils at Bishop Challoner

about Jimmy and the charity in his name. They listened thoughtfully and engaged well with questions afterwards.” The School is proud to be supporting the Charity through various fundraising activities, including a Christmas Carol Concert, to remember Jimmy Mizen.

SCHOOL NEWS ABBEY GATE COLLEGE INFANT AND JUNIOR SCHOOL WELCOMES DUKE OF WESTMINSTER FOR GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY MARKING START OF NEW DEVELOPMENT (ISA NORTH) Abbey Gate College Infant and Junior School recently welcomed the Duke of Westminster to mark the start of construction of their new Foundation and Infant class building. The Duke of Westminster was accompanied by Trustees of the Grosvenor Estate and members of the Eaton Estate staff who will be working with the College to bring this exciting project to fruition in the coming months. Headteacher Mrs Marie Hickey was presented with an engraved spade by the Duke of Westminster to mark the special occasion.

Marie Hickey, Headteacher, said: “We are committed to making sure our children have every opportunity to reach their potential, have new experiences and most importantly become responsible adults who take their place in society. This building will provide us with the platform to take learning from the classroom into the outdoors to contribute to the children’s learning and enhance the experiences we already provide in our existing building.”

The new building will provide three spacious classrooms, two with covered outdoor areas as well as a larger library and space for learning enrichment and pastoral care. The development will also mean space in the main building is created to expand on current facilities such as a dedicated art and design studio, music area, science lab and a more expansive library space. The Duke of Westminster said: “This has been a project close to my heart and we have spent a lot of time developing a plan which is suitable for the children and the teachers but which will also stand the test of time. “The school is at the centre of the community in Aldford and it’s important we continue to build on what we have and invest in the current and future generations. It’s an exciting time in the village with the development of the school and the village shop and I look forward to seeing the project complete.” The development will be made with Welsh blue slate, oak from the Eaton Estate and artisan brick from a local manufacturer, to help ensure it is in keeping with the character and heritage of the village. The new building will exceed minimum building regulations and has been designed to minimise heat loss and be energy efficient.

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION

The Scrap Heap Challenge FUTURIST MARK STEVENSON OUTLINES WHAT THE FUTURE WORLD MAY LOOK LIKE FOR THE CHILDREN IN ISA SCHOOLS. AND HOW THE ABILITY TO ASK QUESTIONS WILL BE ESSENTIAL TO THRIVE. I imagine a future where a grandchild might come to me and say, “So let me get this right Grandad, when you were young, people used to dig up coal and oil from millions of years ago? And it was dangerous and expensive, and destroyed the landscape, and upset the people where it happened. Then you’d burn it in big buildings to create electricity, or set fire to it to run your engines, but those buildings and engines would lose most of the energy as waste heat? And people used to go to war for the stuff in the ground because everyone wanted it so much, but when you burnt it, it helped kill more people than all those wars put together through pollution and climate change? Did I get that right?” And I’d have to say, “Yes, that’s about it.” “But Grandad,” they might say. “That sounds stupid when energy is coming out of the sky for free!” And I might try to give some context. “Well, we didn’t always have the know-how or the technology to get the energy in the way we do now. And when we did work it out, the people who’d built the old system weren’t happy about the new one because that’s how they paid themselves and fed their families. We’d become very accustomed to that way of doing things. It seemed, er, normal.” To my grandchildren (should I be blessed with any) our energy system will seem ridiculous, short-sighted, barbaric even. Those who resist the shift to renewables may, in retrospect, seem cartoonish in their defense of the old, the easy villains of history – for my grandchildren will have grown up in a different energy culture, one where, in many parts of the world,

generating power locally and cleanly will seem obvious and unsurprising, the normal way of doing things. I know this because I’ve already seen it. For my last book I researched and visited towns of all sizes who already had, or were in the process of moving over to, renewables. One moment sticks in my mind. In the town of Güssing, South Austria, I was sat in one of the area’s many solar facilities. My guide, the ever jolly Joachim took me into the control room where he showed me how much local households were consuming and their current bills. “They pay about half the price they would with a utility,” he said

(and those cheap bills, I found out, included a levy for maintenance costs, explaining why the facility was still in fine working order after nearly two decades of operation). “Well, everyone must be very happy with that,” I said. Joachim shrugged. “Not really.” I was surprised. What’s not to like?, I thought. But I had misunderstood him. It’s not that the locals were unhappy, it’s just that they’d been making energy this way for twenty years. In Güssing, cheap, reliable, community-owned, renewable energy is nothing remarkable any more. It was an attitude I came into contact with time

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION

and time again. From café owners to public officials, from taxi drivers to shop owners, there was (and is) a belief that there is absolutely nothing strange or unique about the way the town generates and distributes its own power. ‘Why would you do it any other way?’ is a common refrain. “For us, it’s normal,” said Joachim. “That’s it.” Towns as different as Georgetown, slap-bang in the middle of oil-rich Central Texas (population: 60,000) to Wildpoldsried in Germany (population 2,600) – which generates 5 times the energy it needs thanks to a 20year transition to renewables – have realised that the world of energy is shifting from one of economies of scale to one of economies of distribution, and, slowly, the smarter national governments of the world are realising it too. Indeed they must if they want to remain competitive. Keeping your old monolithic energy system while trying to compete with a nation that has radically reduced its energy bills (while making the system less vulnerable to attack) is economic suicide.

Juan Enriquez is variously an investor, futurologist, former peace negotiator, author, Harvard academic and businessman. And because of these reasons is a man I like to buy lunch for when I’m in his hometown of Boston. Juan told me, “There will be whole nations who end up on the scrap heap because they don’t understand this stuff.” But when he talks about “stuff” he’s not just referring to the energy transition. He’s talking also about the questions the future raises for us about transitioning away from our unsustainable food system (and the related water stress it creates), the impact of artificial intelligence, the power of synthetic (programmable) biology, climate change, the promise and threat of blockchain powered administrations, the ageing of our populations… the list goes on. Juan is highlighting the importance of what I call ‘future literacy’ – which I define as: understanding the questions the future is asking us, and then working out how we can answer those questions to make the

world more sustainable, equitable, humane and just – for everyone. If nations are, as Juan puts it, to “understand this stuff”, they will need future-literate education systems that can comprehend those questions and create a citizenry willing and capable of answering them. In the UK (and in many developed economies) that is not the education system we have. Nowhere near. There is a staggering lack of future literacy in many of our educational institutions. There is little understanding of the real questions the future is asking us – those our children will be called upon to answer. We teach our students, on the whole, to know things, but not how to ask the right questions. I can vouch for this because I deal with the results of the poor-questioning mind in the workplace. Too often organisations leap to create products, services or policies that answer the wrong question, a superficial one or one that no-one really cares about, including their employees. The Right Question Institute sums the problem up:

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION The ability to produce questions, improve questions and prioritise questions may be one of the most important— yet too often overlooked— skills that a student can acquire in their formal education. However, this skill is rarely, if ever, deliberately taught to students from kindergarten through high school. Most people acquire the skill through exposure to an elite education, or years of higher education, advanced training and much professional experience. Why is it not taught? Perhaps because it’s hard to assess in the traditional way. And perhaps because the questions we need to ask are considered too dangerous for young minds? Maybe questioning why we have a governance system built for the 19th Century still in place in the 21st isn’t something those in charge are keen to discuss. Or why is democracy in decline? Or why public trust has evaporated? Or why inequality is soaring? Or why so much of our press is prejudicial? I’m a fan of Voltaire’s maxim: ‘Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.’ If we were to judge the UK’s education system by the questions it’s asking I fear many of us would find the exercise dispiriting.

This lack of future literacy and systems thinking has led us to the ridiculous situation in education of championing ‘hard’ subjects above all others, putting on a pedestal the very skills that the machines outperform us on a thousand times over, all without raising a mechanical eyebrow. Yet the jobs of the future will increasingly demand skills of empathy, collaboration, systems thinking, caring, philosophy, creativity, craft – the very things we call ‘soft’ subjects. Don’t get me wrong, I am a nut for the so-called ‘hard’ stuff (I willingly took Maths, Physics and Economics at A level and graduated top of my year with a Business Technology degree before becoming a cryptography nerd). Judge me on the fact I used to sooth my baby boy to sleep by reading him passages on number theory from The Principia Mathematica. And you won’t find me arguing against a need for literacy (despite starting that sentence with ‘and’). After all, part of my living is writing research-heavy books for a general audience. But to suggest in a world increasingly full of artificial intelligence, big data and robotics, that these skills are where the work (and the fulfilment) will be for most people, is madness.

A second, and related, problem is that there is precious little systems thinking in education. We split the world into subjects and then complain that our organisations are not agile enough to deal with change. Yet should we be surprised when we build those organisations in the image of the education we had, replacing school subjects with departments that rarely talk to each other? The devil, we are told, is in the detail, but the devil is really in the cracks separating fields of expertise that siloise themselves into (non)intellectual bubbles, unable it seems to comprehend the systemic problems we face. Just to be clear, I’m not in any way against specialism and mastery. I’m against it being isolated from meaning, context and future literacy (an isolation that some senior academics seem to pride themselves on).

A clear result of these and other problems with our education system is that we have made a good deal of learning very dull – which is a hell of an achievement when you think about it. Our children look at the silos, the traditions, the protectionism of an old set of values, and a curriculum that seems wholly unsuited for the world they see around them and become bored or actively antagonistic. If the education system worked, they figure, perhaps the planet wouldn’t be heading to environmental collapse and riven with mass inequality, while the powerful continue to defend political systems poorly equipped to deal with the problems we face. The results of a 2012 Canadian study of 63,000 schoolchildren are typical, that only 39% of them found lessons engaging. That said, they don’t necessarily dislike school. 69% were engaged with its

social aspects and, importantly, the idea of school – understanding that it’s there to help them improve their life chances. 1In short, kids understand that school is a good idea in principle but find lessons boring or irrelevant. It’s hard to blame them – and it’s a lost opportunity of gargantuan proportions. But what do we do to schools that dare to experiment, to break through the silos, to embrace systems thinking, to encourage future literacy and, as a result, encourage personal responsibility for making the future better? (In short schools children actually like and value). It seems that our educational overseers soon bully them back to compliance with the old ways. It is a great irony in education that those in positions of power are the ones the old system served well (often thanks far more to socio-economic factors than raw talent) making them precisely the wrong people to build a better one. They will soon recreate the system that served them. By the way, I’m one of those that did well, but I’m under no illusion that much of that is down to the accident of my birth (white, male and middle class to loving parents – or ‘my big break’ as I like to call it). Children from disadvantaged and poor backgrounds don’t get the second chances that kids from more affluent households might enjoy (allowing them to, for instance, more easily get a job at the Department for Education, or become futurist authors). Their disengagement, as the US National Research Council puts it, “increases dramatically their risk of unemployment, poverty, poor health, and involvement in the criminal justice system.” 2The cost to our economies is enormous. The human cost unimaginable. And so to perhaps the biggest problem with education. In the UK (and elsewhere) it has become politicised. ‘Traditional’ and ‘progressive’ have become codewords for Right and Left. In the same way renewable energy in the US is seen by some as a ‘liberal’ idea, so attempts to change the curriculum

1 What did you do in School Today?: The Relationship Between Student Engagement and Academic Outcomes, by Jodene Dunleavy, J. Douglas Willms, Penny Milton, and Sharon riesen, Canadian Education Association, September 2012 – http://www.cea-ace.ca/sites/cea-ace.ca/files/cea-2012-wdydist-report-1.pdf 2 Summary of Findings and Recommendations (page 211): Engaging Schools: Fostering High School Students’ Motivation to Learn, by Committee on Increasing High School Students’ Engagement and Motivation to Learn; Board on Children, Youth and Families; Division of Behavioural and Social Sciences and Education; National Research Council, The National Academies Press, 2004 – http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10421/engaging-schools-fostering-high-school-students-motivation-to-learn

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION accustomed to that way of doing things. It seemed, er, normal.” Nelson Mandela famously said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” When I hear this quoted, as it often is in educational circles, I’m surprised that it is always taken in the positive. But education is as much a weapon to change the world for ill as it is for good. Educate a populace into isolationism, deference to the status quo, self-interest over the greater good, compliance over creativity, exam results over social and economic ones and you can indeed change the world – just not in a very nice way.

to embrace a changed world rather than propping up the old one is often cast as the indoctrination of children into a leftist ideology. By the same token, advocacy of discipline or rigour, or suggestion there is a great deal of value in training the memorising muscle is decried by some as the crushing (and politically motivated) hand of conservatism. Around the word Enough: Depending on what question you need to answer, nearly every approach to pedagogy has its place. But if you’re asking the wrong questions, as our education systems are, everyone can point to the failings of everyone else, because no approach is sufficient. Society continues to stagger from one crisis to the next, and it’s always the other side’s fault. So, do we all keep on failing and blaming the other ‘side’, or can we wake up and jointly create an education system fit for the century we’re going to be living in? Because if we don’t we’ll end up vapourising our economy. As Juan said, “There will be whole nations who end up on the scrap heap because they don’t

understand this stuff.” I imagine a future where a grandchild might come to me and say, “So let me get this right, Grandad ... when you were young you used to send kids to school to learn about the world by dividing it up into ‘subjects’ – just as the world became more connected? And you valued the things you could easily examine even though the machines could do most of them better? And education was about answers not questions, and about individual performance rather than collaboration in the service of the common good? And kids from rich families had more help and opportunity than kids from poor ones? Did I get that right?” And I’d have to say, “Yes, that’s about it.” “But Grandad,” they might say, “That sounds stupid, and really boring – and not good for the country!” And I might try to give some context. “Well, the education system was born in a different time and the people who’d built the old system weren’t so happy about a new one because that’s how they paid themselves and fed their families. We’d become very

Finally, shouldn’t building a futureliterate education system be fun, goddammit? Shouldn’t we all be throwing our hearts and minds into it with the greatest of enthusiasm, pooling all our different perspectives and experience in a spirit of collaboration, and making new and unexpected friendships along the way? Shouldn’t we be modeling something our children can be proud of, rather than sustaining the tribal squabbling that seems to characterise so much of the debate in education? All that achieves is handing the reigns of power to those with the biggest sticks, instead of the best collaborators. The scrapheap awaits, as does a rebirth. There are consequences to our decisions. Let’s not make ourselves the easy villains of history. Let’s move education forwards. And let’s really enjoy doing it. Self-described ‘reluctant futurist’ Mark Stevenson is the author of two bestselling books, An Optimist’s Tour of the Future and the award-winning We Do Things Differently. He is one of the world’s most respected thinkers on the interplay of technology and society, helping a diverse mix of clients that include government agencies, NGOs, corporates and arts organisations to become future literate and adapt their cultures and strategy to squarely face the questions the future is asking them. His many advisory roles include Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Earth Challenge, Civilised Bank and the Atlas of the Future.

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION

Pedagogies of Peace and Power AUTHOR DEBRA KIDD ASKS HOW TEACHING WISDOM AND COMPASSION MAY LEAD TO A MORE PEACEFUL WORLD. AND HOW PERSEUS CAN HELP. How do we create an education system in order to produce a more peaceful world? It is impossible to engage with the possibility of such a peaceful future without considering the role of empathy and compassion in education, or indeed, to create a thriving, innovative future without considering the need for wisdom. In Against Empathy1 – a book with far more nuance than its title suggests – Paul Bloom argues that our belief that empathy makes for a better world is flawed. It is not empathy, he argues, but rational compassion that makes the difference. It is perfectly possible to understand another’s feelings and yet fail to do anything to improve their situation. We might take issue with the idea that compassion can be rational in the light of what we know about how feelings impact on decision-making from Antonio Damasio2 and others, but the fact remains that feeling alone will not improve the lot of others. In another book, The Empathy Instinct, Peter Bazalgette3 acknowledges this important distinction between empathy and compassion, but makes the case that one is built upon the other, and so it is not a matter of being against empathy, but rather a matter of setting a direction and understanding how the critical ingredient of empathy can be put to altruistic ends. These wranglings about the definitions of empathy are problematic enough without education systems across the world assuming that empathy is not the domain of the teacher or school – that it is either something you have or don’t

have, or that it can’t or even shouldn’t be taught. You’ll not find politicians arguing that they don’t want children to care. But they often seem to conflate care with obedience and compliance. As education systems across the world argue about whether skills or knowledge should take precedence; as social media bubbles debate progressive versus traditional pedagogies – as binary positions become more entrenched into ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’ and as governments obsess about international comparisons – children and teachers continue to work together in classrooms, distracted from bigger goals by the immediacy of tests. If religion was once deemed to be the opium of the masses, high-stakes test results have become the crack cocaine of the education system. Best intentions have become reduced to performative outcomes linked to ever narrowing criteria. Ideologies, arguments, competition, global issues, the needs of humanity and of our planet become reduced to tests that allow us to don the comforting cloak of certainty without actually effecting change. Yet deep down, we all know that once the basics of literacy and numeracy are secured, it is the immeasurables that make the biggest difference to children’s lives. Their capacity to connect, to build positive relationships, to listen, to reason, to act wisely and with compassion are traits that lead not only to more successful lives but to more joyful ones too. We can smile and nod at the Harvard study conclusion that ‘happiness is love’, and agree with Aristotle and Seligman4 that happiness is inextricably linked with a sense of value and purpose that is rooted in community and relationships, but where is the pedagogy for such a life? How can it be purposefully built into the fabric of education? Research into empathy at the Max Planck Institute by Tania Singer5 shows that our ability to empathise is

1 Bloom, P (2017) Against Empathy: The case for Rational Compassion, Bodley Head, Penguin, London. 2 Damasio, A (2005) Descartes Error (2nd Ed paperback), Penguin, London. 3 Bazalgette, P (2017) The Empathy Instinct, John Murray, London

deeply connected to our own sense of wellbeing. Self-regulation, positive emotions, taking time to make decisions in a considered way – all these improve our abilities to override our tribal instincts and to empathise with others. We can practise and improve our capacity to empathise, but our own state of mind is critical. To this end, the researchers at the Institute have found that practices such as mindfulness and meditation improve empathy and our willingness to act with compassion. We often read of the challenges facing our children in the future and the need for them to be adaptive, innovative and wise. Compassion is a key element of this, as is the capacity to view a problem from multiple perspectives. But what we don’t want children to feel is that the future is full of danger, and that they will be pitched against others in a battle for survival. There’s a real danger, at this present time, that this is what is happening. Whether it is in the stories of other countries doing better in tests, to growing anti-immigration narratives, our children are at a crossroads. Exclude or include. Compete or collaborate. Reject or rejoice. Mope or Hope. Pedagogies of peace take children through a process in which the latter option is the best. Pitching together not against. We know from cognitive science and beyond that stories are particularly privileged in the human mind. Willingham6 drawing on E.M. Forster, speaks of the powerful combination of character, conflict, causality and complications in imbuing stories with powerful memories. Taking these stories to place children in the shoes of others, to our minds, creates a learning experience like no other, particularly when those stories take them on a journey where they wade knee deep through dilemma. Where what they thought was true is questioned; where sometimes the people they sided with

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION

turned out to be flawed, and vice versa. Where, in the words of the International Baccalaureate, they learn “that other people, with their differences, can also be right.” For if they can learn this, yes, they can pass tests but they can also impact on the world in more positive and humane ways. What if as we celebrate the death of Medusa, praising our hero, Perseus, we take time to consider why she was hiding in a cave in the first place? How had she become a monster? Who is the hero and what is a monster? What if, as we write an ‘optimistically truthful’ report on a dilapidated mansion house, hidden deep in a forest for our anonymous client, we find out that his name is Count Dracula? What if, as another one of our heroes, carrying home the head of our foe – the Jabberwock – we receive a message from a neighbouring tribe that the creature was sacred to their way of life and our actions a sacrilege – even an act of war? What if… the two most powerful words in the world. When we’re teaching children about the acceptance of ‘otherness’ it’s not enough to see the unfamiliar and to pull that unfamiliar into the known – to make the other ‘one of us’ in order to feel compassion. Doing this tends to create a set of conditions: You are one of us as long as you conform to our rules and norms. We’ll accept you as long as you are deserving. Such models of empathy lead to notions such as ‘the deserving poor’ and they allow us to exclude while looking like we’re inclusive. Just look at the explosion of zero tolerance schools where behaviour policies are so draconian that only the most compliant survive. Or academy chains with expensive uniforms and strict policies of enforcement that drive poorer families away. Or those with parental contracts so detailed that only the most committed and capable families

dare apply. These rules of compliance ride in on a horse of compassion and they are anything but. So in the classroom, children need to learn how power works, how coercion works, how propaganda works, how guilt and shame are utilised to control. And they need to do this with joyfulness and excitement. Hmmm. Let’s take a quick look at the start of our unit on Perseus… We’re sitting in class, tables back and chairs facing the front. I am in role as King Acrisius of Argos and I am cross. My class have been told that they are his advisers; that he has been absent for months consulting the oracle, and that on his return he has dragged them out of their beds to share a problem. They have been warned that he is a difficult man and they should take care when speaking to him. From the outset the children are set in a challenging power dynamic. The king tells his advisers that the oracle has informed him that the son of his daughter, Danae, will grow to kill him. He is outraged and demands that his advisers come up with a solution to ensure this does not happen. And thus we enter the story of Perseus. The immediacy of the problem distracts the children from the ethics of the request. Power and convention are playing their roles in forcing compliance and obedience. We need to step out of the story for a moment or two to gather some facts. What was the oracle? Where was Argos? What was a city state? Where are we in time? What do the children already know about Ancient Greece? They share their knowledge and we gather it into categories: knowledge about beliefs, myths, ways of life, geography and power. Then we return to our story. Pedagogically speaking, knowledge is important here, but only insofar as it drives the desire and need to understand. The task forms the purpose in which the knowledge is acquired, but it is also universal AND particular – particular to the historical context, universal to the human condition, exploring themes of power, agency and control. The advisers are given some time to present to Acrisius their solutions. The children must present their ideas in a way that is respectful to the king. They

must think carefully about language and gesture. They must also remember that the king loves his daughter and that she is only about 12 years old. These constraints ensure that the children don’t immediately suggest killing the child. They also ensure that they heighten their language and use a formal register. The King (the teacher) is forcing control. Pleasing the oppressor becomes more important than protecting the child. The extent to which we blindly follow orders is something we can discuss as a class later on. And so on. The story allows us to confront uncomfortable issues from a distance. The children are enjoying the story and are engaged, but they are exploring the nature of power. We can come back to these issues with philosophical inquiry, drama, writing…but the process is playful. They are safe, protected but provoked and challenged. Finding this balance is not easy. But then neither is changing the world. Behind most of our stories are deep philosophical questions. There are those in plain sight. There are those hidden ones, shrouded by assumption and habit – the ones that need to be gently exposed. Teacher and child working like archeologists to painstakingly brush the dust off the assumption. These kinds of questions take empathy well beyond feeling. They take it into the realm of wisdom and into what Hywel Roberts calls ‘botherdness’ – where education really begins to matter. And when education matters, it becomes material. It changes the state of things. It carries with it the potential for a more positive and peaceful future, even if the peace is not quiet. Debra Kidd has worked in education for 25 years. An Associate for the RSA and for Independent Thinking Ltd, she is the author of two books: Teaching: Notes from the Frontline and Becoming Mobius. A third with Hywel Roberts, Uncharted Territories: Great Adventures in Learning is due out at the end of the year. She is a columnist for Teach Primary and a regular writer for Teach Secondary and co-founder and organiser of Northern Rocks – one of the largest teaching and learning conferences in the UK. She has a doctorate in education, blogs regularly and believes more than anything else that the secret to great teaching is “Make it Matter”.

4 Seligman, M (2009 reprint) Authentic Happiness – Using the New Positive Psychology to Realise Your Potential for Deep Fulfilment, Nicholas Brierley, Boston. 5 Singer, T., & Tusche, A. (2013). Understanding others: Brain mechanisms of Theory of Mind and empathy. In P. W. Glimcher (Ed.), Neuroeconomics. Decision making and the brain. London, UK: Academic Press. 6 Willingham, D (2004) The Priviledged Status of Story, Americal Federation of Teachers, available from http://www.aft.org/periodical/american-educator/summer-2004/ask-cognitive-scientist

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION

The Future: Individualised Learning MACHINES SERVING TEACHING, NOT TEACHERS AS MACHINES

Jim is a co-owner of XRapid Ltd, the first company to be commercially selling disease diagnosis using an iPhone app. He is a trustee of the Centre for Accelerating Social Technology and the Jim Cronin Memorial Fund. He is a member of the Government’s Digital Engagement Council, the Future of Work Commission established by the Labour Party, and the Brookings Institution’s Millions Learning 2.0 Advisory Group. We are in an era where even highly-skilled work is under significant threat from the rapid development of intelligent machines. According to the Oxford Study Group, 35 percent of jobs in the UK and 47 percent of the jobs in the US will not exist by 2033. How does a teacher, school leader, or policy-maker know, with confidence, what to prioritise if they are to prepare a child for such an uncertain future? We all must find a new schooling paradigm that prepares every child for a very dynamic workplace, and do it at scale. Recently, I overheard a five-year-old child in the queue at Costco. She asked her Mum, “What’s an algorithm?” Not a question many of us can answer off the cuff, even though they play such a big part in our lives. Google defines it as: “A process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations.” Analog algorithms already exist in traditional school classrooms. Teaching to strict lesson plans, to textbooks, to scripts – these are analog teaching algorithms and are now highly replicable in a digital age, largely by machines. They were forged in an industrial era in order to teach content at scale, and were dependent on expensive and highly educated teachers. The opportunity now is for teachers to deliver a more universal individualised

education by being empowered by digital algorithms, not enslaved by them.

replace them with machines that will more reliably follow the algorithm?

The current Western model of schooling is neither working well, nor is it scaleable, so it is only natural that we should turn to technology for solutions. Wherever on the spectrum you are – between the algorithmic automation of teaching, and letting children loose with computers as self-directed learners – it seems remarkable that all roads lead to teacherless schooling. There must be a way that retains the profoundly human endeavour of teaching.

At the other extreme, Professor Sugata Mitra is trying to tackle the challenge of learning in places where there are few competent teachers. He is investigating the potential of self-organised learning environments and a question-based curriculum. He has shown that children can teach themselves how to use computers and the internet through shared digital resources. As a result, they can effectively acquire knowledge, with adult encouragement and supervision, but without trained teachers. This has not been delivered at anything like the scale of Bridge but it avoids standardisation. It embraces self-directed learning, but does it deliver education? Does it “school” children to behave as their parents and communities would want?

The established model of schooling is not only becoming unsustainable in cost and in supply of talented teachers, it will also have to improve rapidly its ability to educate children to higher levels of technical and creative skills. Our schooling systems need to prepare people to compete effectively with machines – or to work effectively alongside them. Can schools use machines to help tackle that challenge? As an example, Bridge International Academies is delivering low-cost private education in some of the poorest countries of the world, at scale and with positive outcomes in literacy and numeracy test scores. Due to their low costs, their popularity with parents is reflected in their growth. They are ruthless in driving down costs through economies of scale, and standardised practice. This extends into the classroom where teachers use lesson scripts from tablet computers and managers use data to monitor the progress of each lesson. For Bridge, the challenge of quickly scaling primary education is being addressed by commissioning experts to design the detailed process of teaching and delivering it through digital algorithms to low-skilled teachers. The reach of a few experts is significantly scaled by a blend of technology and de-skilled teaching. Currently, there’s little clarity on how teachers will develop autonomy and thereby professionalism. They are being programmed like machines with algorithms, so why not

This goes to the broader core question of what we now want from schooling. Do we want every child to complete schooling and enter adulthood equipped with a canon of knowledge about a broad and balanced curriculum? Should they also have social skills of empathy, communication and resilience? Do they also need to be creative and skilled in making things as designers, engineers, and performers? What general behaviours do we need children to comply with so that they succeed in living fulfilling lives? Our whole education system is designed to teach and test individuals in comparison with an average ability to recall a standardised curriculum. Those with the best scores go to the best colleges and then get the best jobs. It is a talent-sifting machine created during a time when mass employment was low-skilled and choking human potential was sustainable. But it is inadequate in an era when people are competing against machines and need to maximise their uniqueness. In The End of Average, Todd Rose argues that today we have the ability to understand individuals and their talents on a level that was not possible before. His attack on the dominant education

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION system is devastating, concluding that traditional public education systems violate the principles of individuality. He advocates genuinely individualised learning, which is beyond personalised learning experiences designed to get learners to pass standardised tests. He wants us to move to a tailored learning experience. His answer is to break up qualifications into credentials, to replace grades with competency-based judgments, and to allow learners more self-direction in their learning. This would create a flexible infrastructure for the sort of system being explored by Sugata Mitra while retaining a place for teachers. Learners would be free to explore their passions. They could obtain credit for what they know, what they make, and what they can do. Their credentials become their individual learning playlist that needs no qualification wrapper. This in turn allows potential employers to search beyond the blunt summation of a single grade and find the more precise mix of competencies they need. This flexible, individualised system may also be scalable. A range of online and face-to-face learning resources could be used, including more peer learning. There would be better continuity between the experience of social learning in early years and self-directed research in higher education. Employers may also find an improvement in the soft skills they crave such as communication, and collaboration, the same human skills that give people a competitive advantage over robots. What is the role of the teacher in this model? And how can there be confidence that self-directed learners are pushed to be the best they can be in order to realise the potential of their individual talents? Teachers would remain, chiefly to integrate informal and formal learning. Learners are familiar with digital devices that have no instructions, that are intuitive. They should expect the same from formal learning, and to have the exploration and discovery we enjoy when we uncover the mysteries for ourselves. This shifts the teacher from being an instructor to being more of a collaborator and coach. Michael Fullan and Maria Langworthy argue in A Rich Seam that we need to move teaching from delivery of instructional content to more of a pedagogy of coaching. They identify a new model learning partnership between and among students and teachers,

aiming towards deep learning goals and enabled by pervasive digital access. Whilst this owes much to the likes of Dewey and Montessori, they suggest that these partnerships are now emerging as a result of the interplay between alienated students, disenfranchised educators, and the perpetual advances of digital technology and tools. The coaching method is fully explored by Daniel Coyle in The Talent Code. Instrumental music teachers, sports coaches, and other similar roles train by observing performance, analyzing data, and asking the right questions of each individual so that the work is focused on where improvement is needed. For example, a great tennis player still needs a coach. Andy Murray is a better tennis player today than Ivan Lendl, but Lendl the coach has played a vital part in Murray’s rise to the top through his understanding of the individual. By working on the right parts of Murray’s physical and mental game, and by nurturing the growth mindset popularised by Carol Dweck, his tennis performance has been elite. This pedagogy could be applied to a range of learning and requires human skills not easily converted to algorithms. Facebook is having to hire people to tackle the fake news problem, rather than using their world leading algorithmwriting capability. This should give us confidence that interpreting the subtleties and nuances of human communications is hard for machines. Therefore, interpreting the range of visual, cognitive and behavioural signals from a learner is still something we need humans to do. Every school already employs teachers who are familiar with this approach to teaching sports, the arts, design and technology. They are familiar with subjective forms of assessment that are vested in the expertise of the assessor to judge the competence of performance and exhibition. At schools like the Apollo School in Pennsylvania, they are developing this to create a very different learner experience across the curriculum. The opportunity is for teachers to evolve these methods at scale. In order to best coach their students and keep their workload manageable, they need the assistance of technology to inform professional judgement. Rose Luckin and Wayne Holmes argue that artificial intelligence is the new teaching assistant in the classroom. Enhanced data analytics, together with machine learning, offer the promise of significantly enhancing teachers’ ability to

coach each individual’s learning. They also have the potential to capture performance data in real-time, thereby offering a record of ability that can release time and money currently spent on assessment. AI has implications for teachers wherever they are in the world. Using the digital algorithms behind AI can make previously inconceivable practices possible, transforming our chances of rapidly scaling effective universal education. Ultimately, we have a choice: Either we digitise the algorithms of standardisation thus de-professionalizing teachers, or we can develop a new generation of professionals with new approaches, in order to wrap teaching around individual learners. In modern economies, the current established schooling system is failing too many learners. It is not financially sustainable, teachers are leaving the profession, and child mental health problems are rising. We should not persist with a model that is making our children sick. A system that believes in, and empowers every child, is possible. It can use latent resources: personal devices, community infrastructure, peer assessment. It can make the teaching profession more sustainable by relieving much of the workload pressure with digital tools and algorithms that can also give teachers insight on their learners, and allow pedagogy to be redefined. A system that connects learners to their passions can, in turn, connect teachers to the passion of their vocation. Using the algorithm in the service of the teacher, rather than using the teacher to serve the algorithm. We can revive a teaching profession that rediscovers its love in its practice, in unlocking learning, and in helping all individual children grow. The original version of this essay was part of the Brookings Series: Meaningful Education in Times of Uncertainty. Jim Knight, the Rt Hon Lord Knight of Weymouth, is the Chief Education Adviser at TES Global, having successfully developed their teacher training business. He is also a visiting professor at the UCL Knowledge Lab and a member of the House of Lords. Jim’s main policy interests are education, employment, skills and digital technology. He served as an MP from 2001-2009, during which time he was a minister for rural affairs, schools and then employment, with his final year as a Cabinet minister.

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION

Creativity? It Takes a Whole Village WHAT’S THE ROLE FOR CREATIVITY IN THE EDUCATION OF THE FUTURE? As we hurtle into the Fourth Industrial Revolution and an unprecedented rate of change and uncertainty, two things are clear: creativity will become a key skill and the most successful schools, in both maintained and independent sectors, will be those that reach out to and engage with their communities. Those independent schools that complete the circle and connect with the maintained sector too may ultimately reap the greatest reward, whilst those who fail to do so come under increased scrutiny. A literacy challenger? The number one TED talk with over 61 million direct downloads and, it is estimated over 300 million viewers, is Sir Ken Robinson’s ‘Do schools kill creativity?’. Indeed, a conversation about this TED talk on a campsite in Portugal last summer, resulted in me being invited to visit, work with and leave my mark on Hurtwood House sixth form school recently.

In his talk Sir Ken makes a bold contention: “Creativity is now as important as literacy”. Some educators reel back feeling this devalues literacy. Others leap forward with cheers of satisfaction that finally 21st-century critical skills are being taken seriously, as seriously as the effort that goes into teaching our children to read. These educators recognise that creativity allows children to acquire knowledge with great pleasure, fuelling imagination and fostering empathy. Indeed, creativity fuels our economy with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport reporting a contribution of £84.1 billion to UK PLC GDP from the creative industries. STEAM is a relatively recent, and increasingly popular, educational pedagogy that promotes a broad and balanced curriculum, fostering creativity and engagement through the integration of STEAM subjects: of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths. It was brought to prominence by the work of John Maeda at the Rhode Island School of Design who has also delivered many inspiring TED talks.

I gave a talk last year on STEAM creativity to the whole school, over 1,200 young women from early years to sixth form, at the Royal Masonic School for Girls to help launch their STEAM theme for the academic year. The then Headteacher, Mrs Diana Rose, said: “This school has always had a strong tradition of creativity so it’s important for us to combine that with our emphasis on STEM subjects. Girls from all over the world – from Russia, China and Germany – buy British education because they do not have a creative element in their systems at home.” It takes a whole village One of the biggest drivers in academic achievement is parental engagement and one of the biggest sources of inspiration and new ideas for teaching staff can often lie in the school community. Inspired by a visit to the family friendly and highly creative festival Camp Bestival in Dorset seven years ago, I returned with an idea to recreate this experience in my son’s primary school in Paddington. Together with a group of other parents we fundraised and recruited other parents and outside creatives, technologists and engineers to run activities on our first STEAM Co Day. On this ‘School Day Like No Other’ the children got to choose from around 20 creative thinking and doing activities that promoted both creativity as well as 21st-century critical skills such as collaboration, curiosity and co-creation. After five years I gave up my career to package it all up to roll it out across the UK to enable other school communities to run their own STEAM Co Days. We are developing activity packs for use on STEAM Co Days with famous creatives such as inventor designer Dominic Wilcox and electronic music pioneer Martyn Ware who co-founded the Human League and Heaven 17. We are packing everything up into Pop-Up STEAM Co Day Drop-Trucks that contain everything a community needs to run a STEAM Co Day.

Schools can complement these activities with ideas of their own, which staff members may have squirrelled away and are keen to contribute or which members of the parental community are uniquely placed to help deliver through their own experiences, skills and connections. At their first STEAM Co Day, St Helen’s College prep school in Hillingdon staged a wide range of activities: sculpture with the site manager, ukulele lessons and electronic music production which involved the music teacher working with one of the school’s gardeners. A highlight was a display and demonstration of C5 electric cars staged by the company C5Alive. It’s not Rocket Science (or is it?) One of the highlights of the St Helen’s STEAM Co Day was the launching of a real black powder fuelled rocket to ignite the imaginations of today’s pupils, recalling the wonder it must have sparked in the minds of generations past. Ms Shirley Drummond, Headteacher, said: “One of our ex-students, Josh Valman (a hugely successful young innovation entrepreneur) spoke to the children about his most memorable day at St Helen’s College, which was launching a rocket when he was in Reception.” Josh has since made a film for STEAM Co and gave a keynote speech at the STEAM Co regional launch event in Ironbridge recently alongside executives from Barclays and BT. At the start of their STEAM Co Day, I led an opening assembly based on a book, Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam, which

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION my elderly father had come across in the Oxfam bookshop he volunteers in. First published in 1998, this story was a New York Times bestseller and a highly grossing Universal Studios film. It tells the story of four boys growing up in a dead-end coal mining town in West Virginia, who see the Sputnik and go on to make their own rockets and end up working for NASA. We have been given permission to take the story into schools across the country as a half-day session, with a whole school assembly, a real rocket launch and a workshop where children get the chance to make their own paper rocket and fire it about 200 feet in the air. Engaging mindsets During Norwich Science Week we took this Rocket Kids session into a number of independent and maintained schools across the county. “We’re passionate about developing the right mindsets”, said Mark Wilkinson, Head of Science at Langley Prep School at Taverham Hall, Norwich. “Today the children have really engaged in the subjects and engaged in science. It’s been wonderful.” A colleague of his, Andrew Forsey, Head of Design and Technology said: “It got children excited, and when they’re excited they can then learn from how things work.” A highlight for me that week was when a young boy in Year 3 at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Norwich came up to me and said it was the “best day of my life.” Maybe it will inspire his creativity to be the next James Dyson or Elon Musk?

Connecting communities I am now on a mission to roll STEAM Co out to every school in the UK and am particularly excited with conversations I am having with secondary schools who are keen to use it as a way of connecting with their feeder primary schools and wider community. After a session at Hurtwood House, a private, residential, co-educational sixth form school near Dorking, the business teacher, Ian Barter, whom I had met on that Portuguese campsite, wrote to tell me how our work together had inspired both his practice, and that of his students. He had seen new entrepreneurial projects run by their students in the local town centre. He said how it had enthused the students to help run STEAM Co Days at local primary schools. These schools built on existing relationships by developing the skills of their students whilst at the same time helping to generate more creativity with the younger generation. “As a school which is heavily focused on the creative subjects and that sees the benefits that this brings to our students everyday”, he said, “we look forward to helping to promote the importance of creativity in education.” #ArtConnects Cast-off books in Oxfam shops, chats with teachers on Portuguese campsites and keynote speeches for young business people, who themselves were connected with their learning and life by rockets in their school. It all reinforces STEAM Co’s mantra that “Art is what we call it when

what we do might connect us” as said by global social change guru Seth Godin. To celebrate the power of Creativity, Tech and People to Inspire Children, Innovate Business and Engage Communities STEAM Co and other @People4Art are holding #ARTCONNECTS, a three-day festival in London’s freshest creative hub and Knowledge Quarter in Kings Cross 23-25 February 2018. It will feature performances, workshops and talks with local and national speakers for children and carers/artists like teachers, parents and employers. Download flyer and get more information and films at: www.steamco.org.uk/scokxc Links to Steam Co films: Former headteacher of Royal Masonic School for Girls talks about their year of STEAM: http://bit.ly/SCORMSfilm St Helen’s College Pop-Up STEAM Co Day: bit.ly/SCOSHCfilm The Rocket Kids week in Norwich: bit.ly/ SCONSWfilm #ARTCONNECTS festival launch film: bit. ly/SCOKXCtrailer Nick Corston is a dad who co-founded a social enterprise called STEAM Co, initially in his sons’ maintained school but STEAM Co is now getting a lot of interest from independent schools. In this article he explains how they are engaging communities across primary and secondary schools in both the maintained and independent sectors to inspire their children with creativity.

ISA AWARDS WINNERS 2017

ISA Awards Winners 2017 – THE ISA AWARDS IS AN ANNUAL OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE BREADTH AND QUALITY OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL EDUCATION IN ENGLAND – COVERING EVERYTHING FROM EARLY YEARS PROVISION TO INNOVATION IN STEM. THE WINNERS WERE REVEALED AT OUR AWARDS CEREMONY AT THE AUTUMN STUDY CONFERENCE IN NOVEMBER.

ISA EARLY YEARS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION IN PROVISION Thorpe Hall’s enriched Early Years curriculum, including French, Music and Drama is underpinned by Personal Social and Emotional Development (PSED). 98.2% of children achieve the level expected or beyond in all areas of PSED, which is significantly higher than the national average. A strong outdoor learning programme is central too. Forest School is complemented by Beach School at nearby Thorpe Bay. Trips and events outside the classroom take place throughout the year, many connecting with the local community. A combined Year 8/EYFS literacy programme has been extremely successful. The Year 8 students record story ideas generated by the younger pupils and develop the stories with them, ultimately creating a book. As well as the literacy benefits, the children have formed good friendships, increasing their confidence with improved social and communication skills. Headteacher Andrew Hampton said: “I’m thrilled to see the great work of our Nursery and Lower School

staff acknowledged by the ISA. They’re a brilliant team, committed to providing the very best start for our youngest pupils and teaching the invaluable skills they need to become lifelong learners.”

ISA JUNIOR / PREP SCHOOL AWARD FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION: HIGHFIELD PRIORY SCHOOL Mr Duke, Headmaster, believes that inclusion is the key to Highfield’s success, instilling in each child a belief that anything is possible if you try. From Year 2 children perform spoken roles on the stage each year in front of a large audience. All Junior children play sport competitively, take public speaking exams and learn how to paint like Van Gogh or another recognisable artist. They learn programming and web design, have weekly general knowledge lessons and regular debates; all this on top of a strong and traditional academic curriculum. Children leave Highfield with a strong sense of who they are and a determination to aim high in all areas of their lives. In 2009 the school was 105th in The Sunday Times League Tables and was known for its excellent examination results. On taking up his position as Head, Mr Duke set about extending extra-curricular activities and incorporated a wider variety of confidence-building activities within the curriculum. This has included before school boot camps, team-building afternoons, competitive sporting fixtures, a wider range of individual music lessons and musical assemblies. The school’s own public speaking exams are compulsory for all children, and incorporate: speaking to perform, to instruct, to inform, to persuade and to inspire. This has had a dramatic effect on the children’s eloquence and confidence. Provision for sport and the performing arts has been extended by building a

performing arts studio and an all-weather pitch. Last year’s Year 6 Class entered Reception as Mr Duke began to introduce these changes and they have benefited from the increased opportunities, improved facilities and broader curriculum. Their final year at Highfield, the academic year 2016-2017, has been Highfield’s most successful year on record. Mr Duke said: “Eight years ago, my staff and I set out to expand Highfield’s field of excellence from academic to all-round. It soon became evident that building up the children’s confidence and self-belief outside the curriculum had a very positive effect on their academic performance too.” The children’s examination results have continued to improve, taking Highfield’s League Table position to 13th in the country in 2016, its highest position on record.

ISA AWARDS WINNERS 2017 ISA SENIOR SCHOOL AWARD FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION: BREDON SCHOOL Bredon School is a boarding and day school in Gloucestershire which specialises in teaching students with dyslexia, dyspraxia and other specific learning difficulties (SpLD). Many of Bredon’s students excel in the practical aspects of the school’s curricular and extra-curricular provision. For example, there is a focus on students taking vocational qualifications which, in many cases, better suits their learning style. And the school offers BTEC qualifications in career-focused subjects such as catering and hospitality, engineering, farming and IT. In 2016 Bredon introduced a year-long work experience programme for students in Year 12; offering them the opportunity to spend one day a week in industry.

Will Checkley has been working at the Pershore Activity Centre. Will has benefitted hugely from the experience, gaining the confidence to apply for a Head Boy position at Bredon for his final year. The school is now extending placements to students in Years 12 and 13. The school is in contact with West Mercia Police who are keen to support students’ work experience programme.

Stefan, who has a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome, has just completed his placement at Stratford Butterfly Farm. His mother praised the scheme whilst he was there: “He has to make sure he’s organised and prepared for the day ahead. He gets himself to his placement enabling him to practise independent travel and develop key life skills. He really does put all his effort into work and really enjoys it.” Stefan has decided that when he completes his academic studies this year he will enrol on an Animal Care course at nearby Pershore College. He has also been offered a permanent role at the Butterfly Farm. Year 12 student Rebecca May has completed her year-long placement at Tewkesbury Town Council where she worked on a range of projects including the Youth Service Scheme. Following the success of the placement, the Council is offering two dedicated placements for Bredon students in 2017-2018. Catering and hospitality student Connor O’Neil has been working at The Marina Court Care Home for the elderly, where he has been helping to prepare meals for residents as well as taking part in social events! The residents have really enjoyed his company and are always pleased to see him.

ISA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SPORT (SMALL SCHOOL) BOWBROOK HOUSE SCHOOL. Headmaster, Chris Allen reported that he and staff were delighted to win the ISA Award for Outstanding Sport (Small School) in recognition of the school’s inclusivity, which is combined with the national and international successes of its pupils and teams across the school.

on their part over and above the day job!” The staff feel that the pupils make it worth the extra endeavour.

Mr Mills, Assistant Head and Head of Sport leads the delivery of sport. All pupils are encouraged and given the opportunities to participate in PE and Games lessons; in House sport competitions and in representing the school. He also highlighted how Bowbrook nurtures some very talented individuals who compete at the very highest level in their chosen sport and who need supporting with their schooling owing to their training and competition commitments. This model, which aspires to excellence, whilst encouraging inclusivity inspired the judges to award the National Award for School Sport to Bowbrook House School. Mr Allen added: “Staff are justifiably proud of the school and the work that we do here and it is a testament to this that they were prepared to go the extra mile in entering these prestigious awards which requires thought, time and effort

ISA AWARDS WINNERS 2017 ISA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SPORT (LARGE SCHOOL): ST JAMES SENIOR BOYS SCHOOL Pupils’ physical potential at St James is nurtured with the school’s belief that every pupil is a sportsman, they just need the support, guidance and opportunity to find their sport. There are three strands of Sport and PE activity which put this into practice: Physical Education, Physical Opportunity and Physical Inspiration. The fundamentals of fitness and movement are developed through Physical Education, taught through the traditional independent school sports. Every pupil is encouraged to reach a sufficient level to allow them to compete, whether it be for the school, for their house or in one of the social tournaments organised by the Sixth Formers.

more adventurous sports like climbing, mountain biking and sailing also on offer. The Physical Inspiration programme sets out to make pupils believe that almost any physical goal is possible. The Climbing Club takes pupils mountaineering in Switzerland, summiting peaks of almost 4,000 metres and experiencing levels of exertion and responsibility rarely experienced by young people still at school. The Physical Inspiration programme is constantly evolving and there are plans to cycle the 500km Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route in Northern Spain as well as to swim in relay across the English Channel.

St James is a small school, however its sporting achievements are significant. For Rugby the school is currently both the U15 South West England Bowl winner and the U15 Middlesex Plate winner. The school is also the U16 Middlesex Hockey champion. The Rugby 7s programme is very successful and the Tennis and Athletics teams are regularly found on the podium at regional and national events. The Physical Opportunity programme gives every pupil the chance to try almost 30 different sports so that they can find something that they truly love. Amongst the options are basketball and fencing, kayaking and rowing, with ISA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE FINE ARTS: ST PIRAN’S SCHOOL The news that our small school in the far west of Cornwall had been awarded the ISA Award for Excellence in the Fine Arts at the Autumn Study Conference was the cause of much pride and excitement. Art permeates everything we do at St. Piran’s and we are fortunate to be based on St. Ives Bay in Cornwall which gives us easy access to the wonderful resources of Tate St. Ives and the Barbara Hepworth Museum. Much of the art to be seen around the school is based on the locality and we celebrate the unique heritage of Cornwall, as in our yarn-wrapped interpretation of the year in Cornwall month by month. St. Piran’s sees Art as a cross-curricular teaching medium as well as a discrete subject. The link between art and literature is frequently explored, and develops pupils’ imaginative response to the imagery in poetry, prose and drama. It also provides access to spiritual, moral, cultural and social education through its international language. Art also provides us with a link to our local community. In 2016 the school was asked to improve the wonderfully named ‘Pickle-Jar Corner’ by Hayle in Bloom. The school cleared the derelict site and pupils in the senior school painted a breaking wave mural, which was echoed in their planting of surf-like flowers extending the wave beyond the painting. In Summer 2017 we were asked to paint another mural, so Key Stage 3 pupils created a seaside scene which incorporated planting to represent the wildflowers of Cornwall. In the Autumn term we learnt that we were the recipients of a joint award given by Britain in Bloom and the Royal Horticultural Society for outstanding community service as a result of our work on the murals.

The school believes that, as well as the intellectual and recreational aspects of art, there is a therapeutic dimension and our Head of Art has undertaken a Foundation Course in Drawing and Talking, gaining the initial qualification which will enable us to use art to improve communication with children who may have difficulties communicating in more direct ways. We understand that Art, as a subject, is often seen as an unnecessary adjunct to the curriculum, or only for the talented few. However, our earliest experiences of the world are as visual learners and we see art as a continuing way to interpret the world, to explore and celebrate it and in some cases as a means of communication where language fails.

ISA AWARDS WINNERS 2017 ISA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION IN PUPILS’ MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING: THE DHARMA PRIMARY SCHOOL Clare Eddison, Headteacher at the Dharma Primary School, said: “As a small, independent school we are thrilled to have won the prestigious ISA Award for Excellence and Innovation in Pupils’ Mental Health and Wellbeing. Mindfulness is currently a buzzword in education, but we have decades of experience with this approach and, crucially, as an integrated and embedded part of our ethos and curriculum. Through daily meditation and mindfulness practices, we encourage children to cultivate focus, selfreflection and kindness which in turn helps develop their resilience and self-esteem. They are able to draw upon mindfulness practices to help with overcoming obstacles in their learning, resolving peer disputes, and boosting their wellbeing. Our core aim is that our pupils leave school happy, that they love learning and excel academically. This enables them to make a successful transition into secondary education.”

have built their ethos around the practice of meditation and mindfulness, long before it became a buzzword in education. The children are clearly engaged in mindfulness and it runs seamlessly through the school, with staff, pupils and parents fully involved. The impact it is having is clear.”

The ISA Awards judges commented: “The Dharma Primary School is a trailblazer in forward-thinking methods of ensuring pupil wellbeing. For the last 23 years they

ISA AWARD FOR INNOVATION IN STEM: TRINITY SCHOOL, TEIGNMOUTH The launch of The Science Buskers has brought new excitement to the Science Faculty at Trinity School, Teignmouth, Devon. The Buskers are students who have been attending a club on Fridays after school where they trial a range of fun experiments in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Psychology. These experiments offer the local community opportunities to experience science as wonderful, awe-inspiring, surprising and inspiring. Pupils select ideas gleaned from Year 6 and 7 visits to Plymouth University’s STEM fair, as well as their own independent research. Working alongside sixth form Buskers, teachers have been designing experiments based on these ideas for the Buskers to try out in their school club. We now have a repertoire of activities to amaze and challenge people which the Buskers are proficient at performing or facilitating and explaining.

were children from the primary schools that we had visited, bringing their families with them. The contributions these events made to National Science and Engineering Week was recognised by the British Science Association who entered us in a National competition. As prize winners we received a dry ice kit which has been used to enrich the Busking experience both at school events and beyond. Building on these successes the Buskers took their roadshow to the Devon County Show where they entertained the many visitors. The word spread and we soon had Radio Devon visiting the stand to interview the Buskers on live radio.

As a result of the club the Buskers themselves are given opportunities to develop a range of skills including leadership, responsibility and resilience, as well as to share their passion for Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Psychology. It has been rewarding to see our pupils work together regardless of age or ability to engage others and confidently explain the science behind the activities and experiments they have demonstrated. Science and Engineering Week 2017 saw the Buskers in action in our local community at various locations where passers-by of all ages stopped to engage in the activities and learn about science. We also went to two local maintained primary schools to engage Year 6 pupils where our Buskers demonstrated and explained science activities to over one hundred children at the two schools. Our grand finale was held at the Teignmouth Pavilions, a theatre and art performance space. Posters were distributed in the local area and more than one hundred local people came and enjoyed science, many of whom

ISA AWARDS WINNERS 2017 ISA AWARD FOR SCHOOL WEBSITE OF THE YEAR: ST CHRISTOPHER’S SCHOOL EPSOM St Christopher’s School in Epsom specialises in the education and support of 2 ½ to 7-year-olds. Its happy, creative and stimulating Nursery and Pre-Prep was judged to be excellent in all areas by the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate, who described it as giving pupils “the best possible start to their education.” This quote was used as a foundation for our homepage film. St Christopher’s School is passionate about ensuring parents are engaged and informed and passionate about celebrating pupils’ achievements. The school needed a website to reflect this passion and make it more visible to prospective parents.

“I looked at the website with Mummy to see what the Year 2s have been doing so that I can tell her about the photos that she sees. Mummy wanted to see the Nursery News too. I liked seeing all the art.” Pupil “The new website‘s visual appeal engages visitors from the onset. With the increase in images and film, the school has come to life” Teacher “I have been told by prospective parents that the essence of the school has been captured really well and one parent commented that she had sent the link to her parents overseas so that they could see what a wonderful school their grandchild was attending” Receptionist

A working party comprising staff and governors was set up and the views of parents and pupils were sought to ensure we ended up with a successful website that would be used by all. Annie Thackray, Headteacher is particularly pleased with the new homepage film: “Pupils loved being involved in this process and it gave them a real sense of pride and ownership. The contribution by the adults, me included, was kept to a minimum and our young superstars revealed a surprising flair for the camera as they confidently told their audience about what St Christopher’s means to them. Do check it out, it is absolutely charming” www.st-christophers.surrey.sch.uk Testimonials from across the school community show St Christopher’s won the ISA Award for Website of the Year: “I would like to commend the school on their fantastic new website. It looks absolutely great, with the professional video and images perfectly capturing the whole atmosphere and values of the school.” Year 1 Parent ISA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: SPRINGMEAD SCHOOL At Springmead School, there are over 30 lunchtime and after school activities on offer, ranging from chess to fashion, from healthy eating to Lego, sport, cross country, the arts, geography and science. Springmead believes it is a school’s duty to develop each child’s talents.

Principal of Springmead, Madeleine Taylor, said: “We are delighted to have won the ISA Award for Excellence in Extra-Curricular Activities. We believe strongly in developing the whole child and we find this approach supports each and every child to excel academically and personally.”

Throughout the year pupils can work towards the Springmead Award which includes a hobby, a physical activity, community service, a first aid course, a residential trip and a hike. There is also Go Explore!, an outdoor programme teaching survival skills, science, plantlore, bushcraft, geography and mapping. Alongside a thriving School Council there is an Ambassador programme for the most senior students. Springmead also offers an events programme including an annual Science Fair, Sports Day and Arts Showcase as well as Academic and Sport Enrichment Days.

Photo caption: Children from Year 3, at Springmead School, proudly holding the ISA Award for Excellence in Extra Curricular.

In tracking participation in extra-curricular activities, Springmead has found a strong correlation between engagement in extra-curricular activities and academic success - the more children try out, participate and engage in new ideas and concepts, the more they engage in class, in subjects across the curriculum. This is backed up by research which shows that pupils who participate in extracurricular activities are three times more likely to have better grades compared to their peers who do not participate.

ISA AWARDS WINNERS 2017 ISA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION IN LANGUAGE PROVISION: CLAIRES COURT Against a national backdrop of diminishing numbers and range of opportunities, Claires Court has established a fully coordinated programme of study for French from Key Stage 1 to 5. The introduction of other European languages, ancient and modern starts during Key Stage 2. In Year 7 both existing and new pupils are given the chance to study three languages (French, German and Spanish) for a term each, before committing to one language for the remainder of their secondary career. Latin remains as an optional choice for boys and girls from Year 7 to study, with all four languages available in the Sixth Form. We expose our Reception and Key stage 1 to as many languages as possible, with Junior Boys being particularly fortunate to have a native Welsh speaker as one of their teachers. Other native speakers of French and Spanish support both girls and boys, who introduce specialist subject teaching in Year 5 and 6 (together with Latin). Since changing the programme in Year 7 to a carousel approach, all pupils have become willing to engage, and the vast majority then select their first modern foreign language for study in Year 8, with many continuing with two languages into Year 9. Given a cohort size of 100, drawn from a broad ability range, it’s quite remarkable that over 90% of the new entry into Year 8 are taking two languages, and that by the start of GCSE, we have so many (80+%) still committed to the study of an MFL at this stage, even though the choice of an MFL is entirely optional. This change in approach over the past three years has rejuvenated the children’s more general interest, and with numbers taking German, particularly in Y8 over 50% of cohort MUST be one of the top nationally. The slower start to languages in Year 7 has not led to a decline in standards; far from this, we now see a higher standard achieved at the close of Year 9 than when we had linguists choosing their first MFL in Year 7. The curriculum provision is supported by a raft of cocurricular and off-site activity, including the development of pupils as Language Leaders, the production of a Euro Toolkit

to see them around their countries of choice. Celebrations include the International Day of Languages event held annually, and country specific celebrations as appropriate. Social Media accounts for Senior pupils’ MFL include Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for trips and such like, which in addition to more traditional MFL assemblies and food days promotes the message that learning Languages is cool. Inevitably the residential trips to France, Germany and Spain, timed to support learning in Y9, 10 and 11 are the highlight for many in their school calendar. The trips are scheduled for late October Half-term and planned to be different each year, such that pupils will continue to choose to immerse themselves in their target language and have no fear of repeating the same activity or experience. The final proof of this application sits with our leavers. Former Head of School Molly Ross is studying French at Oxford. In the same cohort, Natalia Brownleader is studying Spanish with Management Studies at Reading, Thomas Wilde de Groote, Communication studies with French at Oxford Brookes, Gabriella Lindley Spanish and International Relations at Exeter, and Michael Pisano Hispanic Studies with French at Nottingham. THE DEPARTMENTAL STAFF ARE: James Wilding, Overarching Head of Department Heather Stratton, Head of Senior Boys MFL (French and Spanish) Eva Urzaiz, Head of Senior Girls MFL (Spanish) Annette Bentz Denton, Head of German (French) Elizabeth Harwood (German) Sue Lattimer, Head of French (Spanish) Tito Peraita (Spanish and French) Virginia Rubio (Spanish) Alan Sibley (Latin) Veronique Shannon, Laura Flores (French nationals, Junior languages)

ISA AWARDS WINNERS 2017 ISA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ENGAGEMENT WITH PARENTS: GREENBANK PREPARATORY SCHOOL Greenbank has always had an open door policy which has enabled strong home/school relationships to grow into invaluable links. With any school focus, we always critically analyse our approach in order to continually develop and improve our procedures. During the past academic year we have focused on communication links and partnership with parents and so we are delighted that ISA has recognised our many new initiatives with the Award for Outstanding Engagement with Parents. Parents have an open invitation to join us for lunch, which is particularly helpful and informative for the parents of younger children. Throughout the year we hold special events – these have included a Breakfast at Tiffany’s themed Mother’s Day coffee morning, a dads’ Rock n’ Bacon Roll breakfast, and Through the Decades, a grandparents’ concert. Parents are welcomed into school to give talks – recent topics have included Hanukkah, Diwali and World War II. During International Week, parents give presentations and organise activities such as cookery, dressing up and dancing. Parents were invited in as Mystery Readers to read their favourite story to Reception children during World Book Week. No one knew who would be walking through the door each day and it was so popular with parents and children that it continued once a week until the end of term. Digital channels are used to best effect. Fortnightly newsletters are emailed sharing photos and videos of school activities. Many of the videos are made by pupils themselves and include news from the School and Eco Council. In the EYFS electronic learning books allow parents to add comments and photographs. Photo ‘sways’ are sent to parents at the end of their child’s first week in school and also as children leave Greenbank – a compilation of their time with us. A Welcome Evening informs parents of the objectives of the year ahead, timetables and curriculum plans. For

parents of Year 5 and 6 pupils, a Senior Schools Evening gives them the opportunity to meet staff from all the local senior schools. Celebration of Work mornings are held prior to parents’ evenings and are an opportunity for pupils to share their work with parents. In the EYFS these are Stay and Play sessions. As these are very well attended, this year we extended the sessions to include workshops on phonics, mathematics and physical development in the EYFS, and MFL provision, mathematics, computing and e-safety for parents of pupils in year 1 and above. “Greenbank parents are immensely grateful for this warm, co-operative and professional approach which keeps us informed and allows us to participate more fully in our children’s education. The parental lessons mean we can use the precious time we have working with our children much more effectively.” Hugh Burden, Parent. “The Celebration of Work mornings help our parents to understand what we are doing in school and how they can help us improve.” Year 6 Pupil “Greenbank brings everyone together with parents cooperating with teachers and other parents.” Year 5 Pupil

ND LA

Exceptional Sports Facilities for Independent Schools We understand the Independent School Sector, we appreciate the desire for excellence in all areas of the curriculum, and we deliver the right facilities with exceptional service and attention to detail. Our delivery process provides an end-to-end solution which ensures you receive the service, support and care needed to guarantee a successful outcome with your sports surfacing project.

Bespoke Design - Performance Engineering - Intelligent Delivery

S&C Slatter Stephen’s Yard, Enborne, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 OHA Tel: 01635 345210

Email: info@sandcslatter.com

www.sandcslatter.com

THELBUR

ND EN

NE EE

QU ND

A’S

THELBUR

A’S

NE EE

THELBUR

A’S

NE EE

A’S

THELBUR

A’S

NE EE

ISA AND THE RAF

ISA and the RAF

DEBORAH LEEK BAILEY OBE, FORMER HEADTEACHER AND ISA MEMBER, NOW ISA VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF DLB LEADERSHIP ASSOCIATES LTD VISITED RAF CRANWELL, THE RAF’S RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION CENTRE NEAR GRANTHAM WHERE SHE FOUND OUT MORE ABOUT THEIR WORK DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF DIVERSE RAF LEADERS.

I was asked to observe the officer recruitment programme at RAF Cranwell in my capacity as Director of DLB Leadership Associates. I was invited to provide feedback on everything that I observed over several days, including my views on selection, consistency, equality, assessment of interview candidates and teambuilding techniques. Whilst advising schools in my current role at ISA I am constantly reminded of the anxiety that I felt as a Headteacher when my staff and I encountered senior pupils with obvious ability but for whom, for a range of reasons, university was not likely to be the correct route post-18. So I was keen to learn whether the RAF’s leadership programme could offer an alternative to academic provision. In recognition of the diverse pupils educated within ISA Members’ schools, I especially wanted to find out how the RAF was addressing the gender divide and providing access to Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic groups, (BAME). Group Captain Rothery welcomed me to Cranwell saying that she believed the RAF to be a modern outward facing military service, which has the protection of peace at its core. She informed me that the “RAF likes innovative and lateral thinkers… we think differently, which is why we give credit to people who are innovative and think to win”. What first struck me when I discussed leadership opportunities on my arrival, was just how many roles were potentially available to ISA Members’ pupils, including becoming a pilot, linguist, communications expert, medic, intelligence officer, engineer, interpreter or police officer. My first piece of advice to anyone

applying would be to ensure that they specify a range of positions to match their interests and skills, rather than just one. This enables officers to reflect on each candidate’s suitability for a range of potential roles during the recruitment process. Selection to become an officer involves several stages. Applicants sit an aptitude test, go through selection interviews, a health assessment, a fitness test, and a pre-recruitment training course, prior to acceptance and full training. Advice can be sought from regional branches. ISA Members’ school pupils can also visit airbases for open days and participate in extra-curricular groups such as the Combined Cadet Force (CCF). The CCF is an educational partnership that operates in schools across the UK. Through themed and adventurous activities which provide a unique glimpse into the military world, cadets develop skills such as leadership, self-reliance, resourcefulness and endurance. Whether it be CCF, volunteering or other involvement, a wide range of experiences is recommended prior to interview, allowing candidates to demonstrate flexibility, maturity, a broad perspective and general knowledge. The entry points that ISA Members and their teams should be aware of are at 16, 18 and 21. According to Wing Commander Bob Bamford, “continuity of training is critical in personal development. Frankly many joining after 18 without a degree are disappointed that independent careers advice was vague about college outcomes, and the cry ‘I wish I’d joined at 18’ is a common one. The average length of service for someone joining under 18 is a whopping five years longer than someone joining over 16 – 21 years compared to 18 years.” Employees of the future will require more flexible skills such as those outlined by the 2016 World Economic Forum report, ‘The future of jobs’. Co-ordinating with others, judgement and decision making, service orientation and negotiation are all within its top ten skills for current school pupils to contribute effectively to the workforce over the next 50 years. I witnessed evidence of testing for these skills during the recruitment process

at RAF Cranwell. I observed practical sessions, group discussion, planning and a ‘leaderless’ exercise which challenged the group to establish a leader, whom they supported, whilst still demonstrating their own leadership skills. I then watched each applicant assigned as ‘command’, which required them to remember tactical instructions and assign roles for the completion of a task. This was followed by individual planning, which Squadron Leader Vanessa Plumley outlined: “The aim and objective of the individual plan is to confirm the candidate’s ability to problem solve and communicate effectively in addition to determining their confidence and resilience levels under pressure, as an individual, rather than in a collaborative environment.” Participants who were more experienced at oral communications initially shone but over time the tasks highlighted people with the ability to influence, solve problems and work as a team. The tasks also highlighted those who could encourage, support and inspire others to realise their full potential. Initial officer training is intended to prepare you for life as a leader and is delivered by experienced and highly trained RAF personnel. The course is designed to “train you through, rather than recruit you out”. At the end of each term a performance review board will decide whether the applicant has reached the standard expected to progress to term two. Once graduated, applicants will also have earned a Level 5 Diploma from the Institute of Leadership and Management and valuable credits toward a further education qualification. Many young officers that I met spoke with immense pride regarding their families supporting them through this process and joining

ISA AND THE RAF them for their graduation ceremony at RAF Cranwell, along with senior officers and members of the Royal Family. Wing Commander Andy Ross escorted me throughout my stay. Having completed two tours, as well as front line flying, Andy shared with me the strong sense of purpose and camaraderie that the team share, whereby “they are utterly focused on what they need to achieve. I have done joint tours with the Army, who respected me as a professional, but the esprit de corps here is different.” He was extremely confident regarding what RAF Cranwell was achieving and attributed it to the dedication of all engaged in actively encouraging, supporting and developing applicants at each stage in the process. I was also privileged to sit in on some interviews, including the constructive feedback provided to those who were unsuccessful, and I was immensely impressed with the way in which questions elicited the best from applicants. The RAF staff were sensitive to the needs and experiences of those involved, insightful at talent spotting and transparent regarding their expectations. Interviews were in two stages, with the first part focused on skills and the second linked to knowledge of the RAF and current affairs. So much significant preparation had been carried out by the applicants, whether they were already in the CCF, TA, or had taken it upon themselves to research the RAF by visiting national open days and learning about aircraft such as the Chinooks, Tornados and Pumas – as well as being able to comment objectively on operations to eliminate ISL from Iraq and Syria. Several alluded to the tragic events surrounding the fire at the Grenfell Tower and the support that the RAF had provided. It was a real privilege to witness the enthusiasm that applicants had for World Peace, as opposed to demonstrating arrogance, or a desire to assert power, and in most instances, it was clear how eager they were to be selected at the end of a rigorous process. I witnessed first-hand the equity of treatment given to all applicants from diverse backgrounds and saw many young women represented in the final selection. The RAF has supported over 320 young women through a range of engineering taster activities as part of its support for STEM and over 50% of the women who participated have moved on to STEM courses or careers. Since Autumn 2016 they have specifically targeted BAME educational establishments and communities, to

ensure improved engagement and 25% of all RAF engagement activity is directed at BAME communities. As a result, 76% more females and 100% more BAME joined the RAF in 2016–17 than in 2014–15. I shared these figures with the schools’ commissioner, Sir David Carter, and we were both impressed. For some ISA Members’ schools without sixthform provision it is worth remembering the A level pathway to STEM Careers in Defence at Welbeck College, which is a co-educational full boarding college, where students are funded by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on a means tested basis. For the RAF, it offers an A level education to 45 preselected students aspiring to become either an Engineering or Logistics Officer. There are also alternative sponsorship routes. There are two University Sponsorship schemes. The first is the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS), for prospective Engineering and Logistics Officers. It provides £4,000 per year for years one to three and an extra year payable for a Master’s degree, if requested and approved. ISA sixth formers can apply for this scheme, which provides a maximum of £6,000 per year. There is also the University Air Squadron Bursary Scheme (UAS BS), but only those at University can apply. The closing date for applications for both is the end of January each year.

Mr Sukbir Singh stated that the RAF “has definitely opened my eyes to how big the opportunity in the RAF is... and how willing they are to engage and get people from a variety of countries. I now feel more supportive of my granddaughter entering the RAF.” Mr Billy Campbell enthused that, “the opportunities that the RAF provide are second to none”. It was then fascinating to hear the participants themselves. Miss Shah was very excited by what she heard: “The RAF is even better than I expected but not enough people know, and I am assuming that if they did they would feel the same way I do and want to engage.” Miss Shevvy Campbell agreed, saying “I think its brilliant that they are opening a bigger door for other people with different backgrounds to have an opportunity that they wouldn’t have thought they could have.” The RAF is proud of its heritage but it is also modern and flexible. I wish to thank all those who welcomed me during my visit. The RAF works to train and equip its personnel to make a vital contribution to the security of the UK and to act as a force for good in the world. Its members are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice so that our families remain safe and able to live in a democracy where it is permissible to comment on the armed forces. Deborah Leek-Bailey is ISA Vice President.

When Ofsted last inspected they found the RAF apprenticeship scheme to be Outstanding in its delivery of outcomes for learners, quality of teaching, learning and assessment and in its effectiveness of leadership and management. Ofsted inspectors reported that: “Success rates are significantly above national rates for all apprenticeship subjects.” Adding that, “instructors make very effective use of initial assessment to identify apprentices’ starting points and progress is monitored very carefully to ensure that they get the individualised support they need to be successful.” They also commented: “These teams know the young people in their care exceptionally well… Retention rates on all apprenticeship courses are outstanding [and] the few needing extra help with their studies and those with learning difficulties and or disabilities also achieve particularly well compared to their counterparts nationally.” The RAF has developed links with the BBC and with Asian networks and recently filmed a group of participants and their families with whom I spoke.

Sources Ofsted Ministry of Defence (RAF) Education and Skills Inspection Report, World Economic Forum 2016, ‘The future of jobs’, www.dlbleadership.com Leadership development, RAF News, The Cranwell Courier issue 1 2017, The Royal Airforce Club Magazine issue 88 Autumn 2017, Show and Tell filmed Interviews. RAF.

THE JOURNAL

GET A WINNING MESSAGE TO YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE WITH THE APPROPRIATE MEDIA OR EVENT...

Events

Publications

Social Media Corporate Strategies Videos

E-books & Guides

Virtual Tours

We enable our clients to deliver effective communications to their chosen market. So call Buzzing Media on 0844 358 5800 and letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s have a chat.

www.buzzing-media.co.uk

STORIES OF LEADERSHIP

The Day of Rage and the Silver Coffee Pot

ONE ISA HEAD’S ACCOUNT OF HIS TIME IN LIBYA IS BOTH HARROWING AND UPLIFTING.

There are moments in one’s life where you experience an absolute clarity. Your thoughts are precise. You are acutely aware of your movements, slowed and deceptively articulated. You become an observer. This can occur in a variety of contexts; medical, when awaiting a diagnosis; at interview for a much wanted job or, in my case, evacuating a country, a place we had called home for over five years, that was suddenly at war. As I swung my legs out of the car I became such an observer, appreciating that leaving the relative security of a vehicle into the assembled armed militia that had now surrounded the car, weapons raised and not in the mood for my attempts to explain that I was English was madness, bordering on lunacy. Having been motioned to the rear of the vehicle and told in Arabic to open the boot, I took in the situation. Twelve men, all armed with AK47 rifles and pistols were pointing their weapons either at me or at the car. To this day I can picture the weapons in my mind, the unique sweep of the magazine and feel of the barrel as it was nudged in my back. They didn’t like my school diary, illegible as it was. It was thrown to the side of the road as was anything electronic. As had been

quite correctly suggested by an earlier call to a good friend and former member of the British special forces, there would be road blocks around the airport and that they would be manned by Gaddafi’s loyal and trained militia. I found it curious that not one of them had any form of insignia or rank on their uniform, they were also better equipped than any of the soldiers I had experienced during my time in Libya. I was taking this fact in when one of them spoke quite gently to the man standing directly behind me ‘bambino.’ Due to the Italian occupation of Libya in the 1920’s and 1930’s some Italian words had remained. In this case the Libyan love and respect for family and in particular for children had diffused our respective concerns. My soon to be two year old daughter was in the rear seat, gently, innocently playing with her favourite cuddly toy of the time. The school was one of those places where everyone appreciated it for what it was. An open and friendly school largely made up of oil families and diplomatic children. Founded in 1968 it had endured and prospered despite the sanctions and 1986 bombing by the Reagan led American administration. The school, on the back of the thawing of relationships with the west and rehabilitation of Gaddafi by Blair et al had seen numbers pick up with the wave of oil companies seeking a place at the table. We had watched events gather momentum in Tunisia during December 2010 and then Egypt towards the end of January 2011. It seems naïve now, but not one of us thought it would happen in Libya. Nobody dared cross Gaddafi.

Every Libyan family had been affected by his rule. It was a topic of conversation never raised, with anyone. As expats we were only ever treated with respect and some curiosity. Our trips to the southern Sahara; the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ghadames, the Ubari Lakes or standing on the desert border between Libya, Tunisia and Algeria drinking sweet tea and dipping hot bread into Libya stew were extraordinary adventures, we were only ever met with smiles and hospitality. Boasting the largest coastline in the Mediterranean and with Roman treasures such as Sabratha and Leptis Magna to explore as well as the Marcus Aurelius arch in central Tripoli meant the children were spoilt for choice when it was their turn to study the Romans. It was such a lovely school. Benghazi was the first city to stir. It was over 600miles away from Tripoli and had, in the past, been known for its restlessness. Still, no one expected any unrest in Tripoli. We had closed the school on Thursday 17th February as a ‘Day of Rage’ had been planned through Face Book and with the proximity of the school to Green Square we felt it prudent to close. During the weekend, and through snatched carefully worded conversations with colleagues and our Libyan teaching assistants, there had been some unrest during the weekend. Communications had been disrupted, no mobile network and no internet. On the Saturday I was called to the British Embassy for a wardens meeting. Again stories were shared about unrest but it was felt that it would be isolated. School would open as normal the following day. I was contacted that evening by a teaching assistant who had witnessed an attack by a group of men on a house belonging to a leading member of the regime and neighbour of the school. She indicated that it was suppressed with force. I pressed her on what she meant by force, she felt unable to give more details for fear of the phone call being monitored. I arrived at work far earlier than normal in order to ensure that there were no

STORIES OF LEADERSHIP memories from countries visited. I felt concerned that we could be facing an unspecified amount of time at the airport and that the security situation there could be dangerous. I felt it prudent to carry a large folding knife in my jacket for protection, just in case we needed to spend the night at the airport.

likely threats to the children and staff. The roads were quiet and I saw no indication that any demonstrations had taken place near to the school. Many of the Libyan drivers employed to transport children spoke of various incidents which did concern me, given their description of how the security forces had responded. I asked for the registers to be collected quickly so I could establish the numbers of children attending and to establish which oil companies had withdrawn their children. Out of 200 children we had 90 present. By 9.30am we were contacting parents having made the decision to close the school. This was prompted by the British Embassy who informed me that they were evacuating their families that day. I managed to obtain tickets on British Airways for the teaching staff, either for the next day, Monday or for the Tuesday flight for the majority of the teaching staff and their families, During the Sunday evening and overnight, we followed the news coverage on satellite television. News came through that two Libya Air Force jets had landed in Malta defying orders to fire upon demonstrators. It became clear that the situation was dangerous. I spoke with two members of staff who lived near school. They explained that they could hear shooting and aircraft overhead. It is quite the most peculiar situation to find yourself in; watching and hearing Sky News reporters describe the sound of gun fire and showing aircraft flying overhead both on television and seeing the same scenario playing outside your window and front door. Throughout this time, the mobile network

was unreliable, whereas the internet remained slow but working. On the Monday evening I received an email from my father-in-law at 11pm stating that the BA flight the next day was cancelled. The reassurance that we had a way out of an increasingly perilous and frankly frightening situation (if you dared to stop and think about it) vanished. Time for a plan ‘B’. With mobile networks temporarily back up and running, I decided to speak with a security advisor working for an oil company and a former British Special Forces member. He had accompanied me on several school ski trips and I felt he would give me sound, practical advice. He was currently in Benghazi and suggested that our best chance to get out was the airport and to get there early. As it was likely to be well protected by well trained security forces the danger of getting caught up in something unpleasant would be reduced. He said that I should prepare for a night at the airport, but added that if the situation in the airport was not secure and if I had not got on a flight by 4pm that I should gather all teaching staff at my villa and secure the perimeter until the FCO arranges evacuation. It would be too dangerous to travel at night. Whilst the phone network was working in the early hours I contacted all staff members and told them to leave for the airport at first light, bring food and water and minimal belongings. Peculiarly what had long been judged as a guaranteed back up to the local network, the satellite phone at no point gained a signal. Only years later did I understand why. Having realised that we would struggle to carry two bags, we decided to take just one. We took it in turns to walk around our villa placing items into our North Face duffle bag that we wouldn’t want to lose. In went the silver spoon that a good friend had bought us to celebrate the birth of our daughter. In went pictures of joyous family occasions, memories captured on film that can lead to stories. In went items that told a story, the first pair of shoes and items to ignite

At 6am we left our villa and headed through the back streets to the airport, mindful of the advice to look out for road blocks. As I made my way through the final town on the airport road an armed man in unmarked military fatigues stepped out from behind a tree and pointed his machine gun at the car. Due to the road surface being wet and the speed at which I was driving, it took a little time to come to a halt. During this time I reached for the hazard lights to warn the car behind. In doing so I alarmed the gunman who released the safety switch on his weapon and prepared to fire. I raised my hands in surrender above the steering wheel to show I was unarmed. The movement of his finger all these years on, appears magnified; I can picture his fingerless gloves, the dirt under his finger nails and then the sweep of his finger to release the switch. A gesture with the barrel indicated he wanted me out of the car. ----------------------------Outside the airport it was very quiet and we passed through very cursory checks by security staff in order to gain access to the airport. All the staff had congregated in one corner of the airport by 8am. Whereas outside the airport it had been quiet, inside the airport it was extremely busy, with all available floor space occupied. The accompanying heat and odour of people having spent some time in a relatively confined space made the conditions particularly challenging. With the British Airways flight having been cancelled, we were stuck in the airport with no tickets and hordes of distressed people also trying to get on flights to leave Libya. My deputy and I attempted to get tickets on any carrier to any destination. By 11.30am the situation in the airport was causing me concern. People were increasingly desperate to leave and the security staff were becoming extremely aggressive. Around midday we noticed a gathering group of expatriates at the Alitalia counter. Easing my way to the front I established that there were to be two Alitalia jets flying out of Tripoli, one scheduled with tickets already issued and one special flight organised by the

Italian foreign office. A member of the Italian embassy then arrived who was an acquaintance. I explained the situation and asked if we could get the teachers on the flight. He explained that priority would be given to Italians first but that we should list all persons and their passport numbers on a piece of paper and if he could do anything then he would. A second member of the Italian embassy gave me a few more details; the plane arriving was a Boeing 777 and that there should be available seats - at least for the women and children. I asked if I could pass this on to my staff and he felt I could. The plane was due to arrive at 4pm so, although still over a couple of hours away, we packed our belongings in readiness. With the Italians as my way out I then caught hold of a rumour that Air Malta was sending a jet the next day. Fighting my way through the mass of people I managed to get to the Air Malta office. I now had two options which gave me some comfort as I could not, with prudence, rely solely on the chance of the Alitalia flight and that an additional flight the next day would give us some form of security. With very little food or water remaining from what we had brought with us, nothing available in the airport and with several children in our group, the thought of waiting through the night for an Air Malta flight did not bear thinking about. Airport sanitary arrangements had by this time failed. At 4pm I spoke again with my acquaintance at the Italian Embassy and he said that there were spare seats. At 4.15pm, we were told to gather our belongings as the flight had landed. We made our way into the check in area and told to wait until all Italians had checked in. I was then informed that we couldn’t all get on as there were 24 of us. I explained that the four children could sit on laps as three of them were aged two and under. The poor man was obviously under great stress but I asked him if he could accept the women and children first and with that he thankfully relented and allowed us all to obtain tickets.

onto the floor and into a dark recess of the airport. A moment of comedy in the strangest of days. Passports were checked carefully as we made our way to the plane. It was 7.30pm before the doors were closed. I grew anxious that the airspace may be closed again overnight. I saw numerous planes arriving and departing. A large Lufthansa A340 arrived and several other European military aircraft arrived. At 8.15pm, the plane took off and headed towards the Tunisian border before turning right to Rome. ----------------------------Having made it into Rome and safely into a hotel room, our daughter enjoyed her normal bedtime routine of bath and bedtime story before drifting off to a peaceful sleep. Rarely have we enjoyed room service as much especially as it was now midnight. We were still glued to Sky News, frequently pointing at the scenes down the familiar main Gargaresh Road and the sight of the shops that we had visited just a few days previously, now burnt out and scorched. We also managed a toast to Mr Berlusconi and his foreign office. Sitting on the Spanish Steps with tourists and life carrying on around us the next morning was quite bewildering. Just the day before we feared that we would be unable to escape, and yet here we were in some type of time-lapse movie, crowds jostling around us, confused as to how life can return to relative normality from such great fear in so short a space of time. ----------------------------Shortly before embarking out to the airport the previous day, I took some

time, on my own, to shave and prepare myself for what lay ahead that day. I decided that in all likelihood we would be separated and that my wife and daughter would be able to get on a flight and that I should prepare myself to wave them off before waiting for a subsequent flight; women and children first. I also prepared myself for a far worse outcome. The rumour was that Gaddafi had opened his ammunition stores and that people were helping themselves. It was not out of the question that there would be stray bullets flying around. Amongst the many things I have learnt as a result of those few days is that I try and remember to take a moment during busy times at school even now. Gather yourself, your thoughts; settle your mood before stepping out and leading the assembly or meeting or other such situation. I also try to make the most out of each day; schools are wonderful places for sharing and celebrating success. It’s not that hard to do even if that report deadline is looming or budget to be finalised. The process of selecting what is important to you and packing it into one bag is not something I hope anyone has to do. However, I would suggest during an idle moment just mentally sort out your own bag. It is the stories, the encounters, the people you hold close, the slings and arrows of life that make you; it is not the designer handbag or smart suit. it is the silver coffee pot you picked up from the market in Nizwa or the picture of your family at the beach during that perfect summer holiday. These are the treasures; your family and people you hold close. Try not to let life get in the way of them. Alistair Bond is Head of Park Hill Prep School and Nursery, Kingston (ISA London West)

With bags checked in, I faced an interesting challenge on how to remove the large knife from my possession. I can only describe the next few minutes as being reminiscent of the scene in the ‘Great Escape’ and the removal of dirt by inmates digging a tunnel down the trouser legs. Utterly ridiculous to think that I was attempting to act as nonchalantly as possible whilst kicking the large knife down my trouser leg

OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION

Offsite Construction: Does it offer more than just time and cost benefits? Whilst it’s widely accepted that Offsite Construction delivers both time and cost benefits; how does it achieve this and are there actually any disadvantages? Q: Will an Offsite Building last as long as a traditionally constructed building? • Offsite uses the same materials as those commonly used by traditional builders, but they are used in a more efficient and effective manner. • The design life of Offsite building and traditional buildings are the same. The minimum design life of Offsite is 60 years, the same as traditional.

Q: If the same materials are used, what makes ‘Offsite’ different from a ‘Traditional’ build process? • Offsite is substantially constructed under controlled factory conditions, where all materials are received in prime condition and then kept in that state throughout. • Every operation is supervised and passes through rigorous factory quality control procedures, very similar to that of the automotive industry.

to rigorous inspection and 3rd party accreditation, the performance is guaranteed well before anything arrives on site. • With concrete floors at all levels, and high impact / sound resisting internal walls, good quality fixtures and fittings; Offsite is more than capable of resisting the rigours of busy School life without high levels of supportive maintenance.

• If you ordered a new car, you wouldn’t expect this to be assembled from a kit of parts on your driveway and expect it to be of superior quality!

• To put it plainly, Offsite can achieve any shape, size, layout or external appearance to suit your preferences, and importantly, the views of the Planning Department. Q: Will it feel and perform like a Traditional building? • No, it will generally feel and perform better than a Traditional building. • As the more progressive Offsite systems have exposed themselves

• Generally, any re-configuration of an Offsite building is far easier than ‘Traditional Build’, as the more superior Offsite systems do not rely on internal walls for structural integrity. Simply put, this means that internal walls can be removed without structurally effecting the building. • These more superior systems also allows for external doors and windows to be easily removed or re-positioned to suit the new use.

Q: With it being of Offsite Construction, will this limit what appearance we could have and mean that we lose our option to have a ‘Signature’ building? • There are modular systems which can restrict your design options. However, the more progressive Offsite providers are able to incorporate stunningly visual designs to provide you with exactly the building that you want.

Q: What happens if in the future the School want to change the use of the building?

• Future extensions, whether it be outwards or upwards, are equally as easily accommodated. Q: Is it going to cost more to run? The modular buildings that I remember going to School in were hot in the summer and cold in the winter. • Offsite buildings are generally significantly more ‘air tight’ than Traditional buildings. • Due to the factory controlled assembly, the thermal insulation is installed exactly as its intended, thus ensuring that maximum energy efficiencies are met. • The more progressive Offsite companies use thermal modelling and simulation software to ensure that the building performs to provide a comfortable learning environment at all times, whilst using minimal energy to do so.

Q: Given all of the above benefits, how is it cheaper? And really, how much quicker can it be? • Building Cost is driven by 3 things: Labour efficiency, Material usage and Speed of construction.

OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION • Offsite Construction has evolved to maximize the efficiency of all 3 criteria. • Factory controlled production delivers the most efficient use of labour, as tasks take place in a warm, dry and organized environment. This is evidenced by the latest Government Statistics which show that factory labour is 3 times more efficient than equivalent site based labour (1). • Material usage is minimized by refined Offsite design, no loss of materials due to optimal material storage facilities, or the need for additional materials due to poor workmanship and the requirement for ‘re-work’. This is again evidenced by recent Government Statistics which show that Traditional methods of Construction result in at least 10% material wastage. Today’s modern Offsite production often achieves 1% or less (2). • In stark terms, this can mean 3 times less labour and 10 times less waste! • The speed of Offsite Construction is often talked about but little understood. It is achieved by programming key activities to take place concurrently. For example, the on-site foundations, drainage and ground works take place at the same time that the superstructure is being constructed inside the modern factory environment.

• Offsite Construction delivers predictability of programme and cost, due to its significant front end planning and organization. With the superstructure being erected extremely quickly, taking the unpredictable British weather out of the equation for the on site activities. • This delivers programme savings in excess of 50% meaning that less term

time is potentially disrupted by the building activities. It also leads to far less construction activity and therefore construction personnel and vehicles on your School site. This article was contributed by Charles Pierce Main Board Director of the Darwin Group Ltd

ISA NATIONAL ART EXHIBITION; ISA FILM AND DIGITAL ART

ISA National Art Exhibition

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO TOOK PART IN OUR ISA NATIONAL ART EXHIBITION 2017, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!.

233 pieces of amazing artwork reached the ISA National Art Final in Coventry at the Autumn Study Conference this year. There was a 3D BFG and a clockwork spider, ceramic mushrooms sprouted next to an alien invasion, energised drawings of castles and faces hung alongside a quietly lovely still life of a bottle of HP sauce. Mannequins were adorned with fabulous fabrics as well as a light-up umbrella! The judges of the 2017 ISA National Art Competition Final were extremely impressed by the high standard of the work produced by children and young people across all of the ISA Art competition classes – from photography, painting and drawing, to ceramics, textiles and more. It is such a fantastic celebration of the inspired creative work that goes on in ISA school Art departments throughout the year – congratulations to all schools whose pupils’ work got through to Finals this year.

Helena Lintott, ‘Self Portrait’, Princethorpe College

Aiym Kassenbekova, ‘The Design Museum’, CATS College Cambridge

Sid Grove-White, ‘Just Sid’, Rosemead Prep

Year 6 Group, ‘Aliens’, Hurst Lodge School

William Dawson, ‘Flight’, Highclare School

Laura Foreman, ‘Days Like These’, MPW London

Winners of the 2017 ISA Film and Digital Art Competition, now in its second year, were also announced and displayed in Coventry. This year’s digital judges were very impressed by the originality and creativity across the digital, film and animation classes.

Kamile Balnionis, ‘Kitten’, Normanhurst

ISA NATIONAL ART EXHIBITION; ISA FILM AND DIGITAL ART

Cameron Day, ‘HP Sauce’, Highclare School

Laila Beint, ‘Pop Still Life’, Normanhurst School

Henry Lloyd-Horton, ‘Stem Cell’, MPW London

Vanessa Valkov, ‘Smartie the Penguin’, Lyonsdown School

Cameron Day, ‘HP Sauce’, Highclare School

Vissaali Suthantirakumar, ‘Lowry Scene’, Westbury House

Jasper, Louis and Millie, ‘Tigers Who Came to Tea’, Park School, Yeovil

Aeyesha Cundy, ‘Sunset on the Sea’, Sacred Heart School

ISA SPORT

ISA Junior Triathlon The ISA Junior Triathlon took place at Woodlands School Hutton Manor on Friday 6 October with 216 children participating from 23 ISA Membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; schools from around the country. Some had travelled considerable distances to take part in this event celebrating a sport that is greatly increasing in popularity in the UK. Special mention must go to Poppy who travelled from Adcote School in Shropshire, a seven-hour round trip. With a short distance course (90m swim, 800m cycle and 800m run), this event is perfect for all abilities. There are never more than eight children on the course at any one time, which allows each child plenty of space in each of the disciplines. Swimmers are set off at different intervals so this part of the event is a real test of selfmotivation as the race is effectively a time trial. All competitors crossing the line are given a medal and the results, team and individual, are worked out after the event. In this way the emphasis is very much placed on participation and personal success rather than competition against other participants. Boys Team results 1. Hawley Place School (LW) 2. Alleyn Court Preparatory School (E) 3. Finborough School (E) Girls Team results 1. Westward School (LS) 2. Hawley Place School (LW) 3. Gateway School (LN) Girls Individual results including times 1. Emily S - Westward School (LS) 00:07:07 2. Poppy L - Adcote School (M) 00:07:49 3. Hannah Q - Hawley Place School (LW) 00:07:54 Boys Individual results including times 1. Oliver S - Hawley Place School (LW) 00:06:57 2. William W - Hawley Place School (LW) 00:07:11 3. Josh F - Alleyn Court Preparatory School (E) 00:07:33

ISA SPORT

#ThisGirlCan….

and will! Girls Impress at National Festival On Tuesday 10 October at LVS Ascot School, ISA Sport held the second National Girls Football Festival. Inspired by The FA’s National Girls Football Week, contributing to the National Governing Body’s aim to double girls’ participation in football. Almost 400 girls took part across three different age groups, in 46 teams from 29 different schools. The event also attracted schools from all seven ISA regions which proves the popularity of the sport and the great work that ISA Members’ schools are currently doing to ensure that their girls are inspired to continue playing the great game of football. Organised by LVS Ascot, the day was designed to encourage participation and whilst there was competition, there were many other opportunities for the girls. Arsenal Women provided a fun coaching masterclass in between matches. Arsenal also invited World Cup winner and Olympic gold medallist, Heather O’Reilly to meet all the girls. England Lionesses Jade Moore and Jo Potter joined Heather, all three of whom are outstanding role models for young women in schools. To add further excitement, each school was given tickets to an Arsenal home fixture! Thanks must go to Squad in Touch, who provided each girl with event goodie bags and Bootchamp who were generous in awarding bespoke boot cleaning kits to all winning teams. The women’s FA Cup trophy also provided fantastic photo opportunities – and some added inspiration for future success! The girls exemplified the joyful attitude that is abundant throughout ISA Members’ schools and the level of skill that was on display was worthy of great praise. In the Under 11 tournaments, each match was tightly contested but it was St Mary’s, Bucks and Southbank Kensington that edged through the groups to compete in the final. Both teams were deserved finalists but after a high-quality match, it was the London based team, Southbank who emerged as victors. Malvern St James were also excellent, securing third place, narrowly beating Alton School who finished fourth overall.

showed their steel to clinch victory and become the Under 15 champions. Red House completed a successful day by clinching third place and travelled back to Stockton-on-Tees a happy bunch. ISA Sport thanks everyone for their continued support of this event. We endeavour to inspire young women to remain active and continue playing football. Results: Under 11s The Under 13 and Under 15 tournaments, played on grass, attracted many talented individual footballers and well coached teams. The matches were close and the groups were undecided until the final few matches. Eventually three teams in the Under 13s proved the strongest and were awarded with medals for the top three placings. Ballard School were victorious, closely followed by Red House and St James Senior Girls in third place. In the oldest age group of the day, the Under 15s match was a delight to watch and there were many players who will undoubtedly play at a high level very soon. Simply watching their warmups was impressive – countless kick ups, extraordinary tricks and endless showboating. Once the tournament reached the knockout phases, the final was played between hosts LVS Ascot and Meoncross. In a tightly fought affair, neither team could be separated so the title was decided by a cruel penalty shootout. It was Meoncross who

Trophy/Bowl 2nd - Holme Grange 1st - Parsons Green Plate 2nd - Gateway 1st - LVS Ascot Cup 2nd - St Mary’s 1st - Southbank Kensington Under 13s Bowl 2nd - LVS Ascot 1st - Luckley House Trophy 2nd - The Park School 1st - King Alfred Plate 2nd - Lingfield 1st - Akeley Wood Cup 3rd - St James 2nd - Red House 1st - Ballard

The UK’s Leading Supplier of School and Specialist Minibuses

•

Fully Type Approved 9 - 17 Seat School Minibuses

•

All The Leading Manufacturers

•

D1 and B Licence Driver Options

• •

New Euro Six Engines, Low Emission Zone (LEZ) Compliant Finance Option To Suit all Budgets

•

Nationwide Service and Support

Choose with confidence, our knowledge and support make the difference

01202 827678 redkite-minibuses.com sales@redkite-minibuses.com

FORD PEUGEOT VAUXHALL APPROVED SUPPLIERS 43

five

specialities,

one agency

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve brought together five specialist divisions to give your business the right marketing mix. Our tailor-made service ensures a perfect fit for your goals, your schedule and your budget: marketing, creative, digital, print and display.

Get in touch: 01707 876 555 barleyhousegrp

barleyhousegroup.co.uk @barleyhousegrp

outstanding

DIGITAL

GATES LEASING LIMITED Whatever your Car or Van requirements please call our team on 01279 216326 or email leasing@gates.co.uk and we will be delighted to supply a no obligation quotation. Gates Leasing Limited provides: Contract Hire solutions from 12 to 48 months. Quotations for all makes and models of vehicles. Gates Leasing Limited Registered OďŹ&#x192;ce: 33 High Street, Epping, Essex CM16 4BA Company Registration Number 05259226

Optional Maintenance packages including relief vehicle. Service booking facility with mobile servicing available. mile Contract mileages ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 miles per annum. A dedicated ďŹ&#x201A;eet team working with you. BVRLA accredited

WWW.GATESLEASING.CO.UK

Quality garments with a market leading service

You’ll know that Schoolblazer stands for quality and style. What you may not know is that we offer the most convenient service for parents, with free name taping, intelligent sizing technology, easy online ordering and super fast delivery. It’s no wonder we’re now the UK’s leading supplier of uniforms and sportswear to independent schools.

Over

Customer satisfaction*

Over

Orders shipped within 2 days.* Name taped

Call 01832 280011 info@schoolblazer.com www.schoolblazer.com (*Back to school data in 2016)

Over

99% Product availability*