ISA Journal Issue 15 by Barley House

ISSUE 15

| OCT 2017

THE JOURNAL FOR INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

ISA JOURNAL

HOLME GRANGE: A Partnership with Nature

‘Love your Neighbour as Yourself?’: Practical Engagement with Local Community Needs

THE

Global Partnerships: for an International Classroom

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artnerships often get a mixed press. I’m not talking about the Angelina Jolie / Brad Pitt kind of thing that seems to pass for news in our celebrity-obsessed culture these days, but those tenuous agreements where schools agree to work together. They are often based on personality or rely on champions, and aren’t always sustainable once individuals move on. Few are backed by an MoU and even fewer are followed by an impact assessment to see if they are making a difference beyond the enthusiasm of the individuals involved. Reference to partnerships litter the Government’s green paper – at least nine mentions in the context of grammar schools, independent schools and universities. But the main gripe is that “Schools that work for everyone” often assumes that not all partners are equal, and the private sector should be sweeping more crumbs from the table, particularly if it wants to keep food on the plate. The threat of the stick isn’t a strong basis for lasting partnerships between schools. Argumentum ad baculum indeed. That’s why this edition of the ISA Journal focusses on partnerships, not just those between schools but between schools and their wider communities and charity partners. You’ll hear from ISA’s Deborah Leek-Bailey on the opportunities for partnerships in the light of ministers’ expectations, as well as Holme Grange’s forest school partnership with nature and the benefits of a wider world view from Jeremy Lewis at ACS Egham. Outgoing ISI Chief Inspector Christine Ryan outlines the benefits of partnerships within the context of inspection, and Lewes Old Grammar School inspires us with their Moroccan

affiliation that is making such a difference to the lives of people in the High Atlas Mountains. Closer to home, Steve Beegoo describes the benefits of the local community work at King’s School Witney and Barnaby Lenon, ISC Chair, provides a stimulating extract from Much Promise, his latest book available from John Catt. In exploring social mobility, Barnaby reminds us that “poor children not only start school at a lower base, but also make less progress while they are there. The attainment of wealthier children accelerates during their school years, while it stalls for the poorest”. We all want the very best for the children in our schools, but not at the expense of others. This is why so many educationalists with a strong moral purpose reach out beyond the boundaries of their day-to-day existence and forge the partnerships that can truly change the lives of so many for the better. 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, CEO Barnaby Lenon ISC Chair Deborah Leek-Bailey OBE Advisor to Lord Nash Jane Fifield Holme Grange School Jeremy Lewis Egham International School Christine Ryan Former Chief Inspector of ISI Steve Beegoo The King’s School Carl Lightbrown Moorlands School Design & print by BAINES – Barley House, Sopers Road, Cuffley, Herts EN6 4RY. T: 01707 872882 www.bainesdesign.co.uk

In this issue 6 - 11

ISA School News

12 - 17

The Social Mobility Conundrum

18 - 19 Partnership Activity and Opportunities 20 - 21

Holme Grange: A Partnership with Nature

22 - 24 Global Learning in an International Classroom 26 - 27 ISSP - Independent-State Schools Partnership 29

Bar Mock Trial Competition

30 - 31 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Love Your Neighbour as Yourself?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;: Practical Engagement with Local Community Needs 33

ewes Old Grammar School L Supports Moroccan Student Through Education For All

34 - 35

Schools Together

36 - 37

Marketing for Schools

40 - 41

ISA National Art Competition

42 - 43 Sports: Devizes to Westminster

44 Sports: Moorland School Triumph in Investec ISFA Cup Final 46 - 47

Pre-inspection Compliance Visits

48 - 49

Safeguarding in Schools

40 4

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ISA SCHOOL NEWS

SCHOOL NEWS LEEHURST SWAN (ISA SOUTH WEST) Pupils from Reception up to Year 6 made an extraordinary effort to produce colourful and original project work for the Primary Maths Challenge. Projects included parabolic curves, famous mathematicians, ‘maths is everywhere’, ‘tantalising tangrams’ and ‘times tables in real life’. Prize winners of the national competition received their gold, silver and bronze certificates.

ALTON CONVENT SCHOOL HOLDS BI-LINGUAL CONFERENCE ON STEM INITIATIVES WITH SPANISH SCHOOLS (ISA LONDON WEST) Alton Convent School has been assisting schools internationally, engaging their students to become more involved in STEM (Science Technology Maths Science) subjects. ACS student Lauren Shea held a bi-lingual Skype conference with two Spanish schools, as she has also done previously with the Colegio Buen Consejo in Colombia. Following Lauren’s success in winning the TeenTech Awards in 2015, her work was selected as an example of best practice for the ERASMUS funded EU KIKS project. This challenges 14-16 year-olds in Spain, Hungary, Finland and the UK to develop lesson plans to inspire their peers or younger children to consider a career in engineering or technology. Spanish Secondary schools IES Sanchez Canton in Pontevedra and IES Sierra Sur in Osuna heard about Lauren via the TeenTech and STEM European initiatives. They both wanted to “meet” her and learn from her experiences. More Skype sessions between Alton Convent School and schools in Finland and Hungary are in the pipeline.

SCHOOL NEWS

SLINDON COLLEGE (ISA SOUTH WEST) An exhibition recently held at Arundel Museum featured work from the pupils at Slindon College. The exhibition focussed on creativity and expression, and showcased a selection of high quality work produced from the lower school, GCSE, and A level pupils. The school specialises in supporting boys with additional educational needs, such as dyslexia, AD(H)D, and mild ASD with the whole school ethos being to allow freedom of expression. This allows the boys to explore possibilities, and most importantly encourage them to develop their self-esteem and promote this exploration in a safe and nurturing manner. The pupils were delighted to see their individual work as a collection on display in a professional environment. Suzanne Evans, Education Officer at the Museum said, “I am amazed by the very high standard of work produced by the students – it is truly inspirational”.

THE MOAT SCHOOL (ISA LONDON SOUTH) During a sunny weekend in May a group of year 10s from the Moat School took part in a Duke of Edinburgh practice hike. Hiking around 25km over the 2 days around The Chiltern hills, Buckinghamshire, the trip was a great success and a great help in directional awareness and map reading for their dyslexic pupils.

See your school featured in the ISA Journal. Send your news and high-res images to: journal@isaschools.org.uk

SCHOOL NEWS LEWES STUDENT JUMPS FOR JOY AFTER WINNING GOLD (ISA LONDON SOUTH) A student from Lewes Old Grammar School (LOGS) is jumping for joy after winning trampolining gold at the English Championships. Despite setbacks due to growing bones, 13 year-old Lily Robson, from Balcombe, bounced back to secure first place in the 13-14 Silver Category. This victory is the latest in a growing line of successes for the young gymnast, who began trampolining at age seven before qualifying to national level in 2015. Competing in the British Championships last year, Lily took home Bronze in the 11-12 Girls age group and secured a place on the GB squad to compete at the World Age Group Competition in Denmark. Up against 79 competitors from 25 countries, Lily finished an incredible 23rd in the world for her age group.

CUNDELL MANOR (ISA NORTH) A CHARITY WALK WITH A DIFFERENCE FOR CUNDALL PUPILS Over 300 pupils and parents from Cundall Manor School in North Yorkshire went the extra mile to benefit fellow pupils over 7000 miles away in Cambodia. Children as young as 6 completed the annual 5km walk, with donations being requested in support of a wider initiative being run by the ISA and United World Schools to establish a new school for a remote part of Cambodia - Pong Tek. Another 423 ISA Member Schools have been asked to pledge to raise funds that will not only help build a new school for the local people, but also provide teacher-training and equipment for the community in this remote part of Cambodia. Joint Head at Cundall Manor School, Amanda Kirby, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are proud that we can contribute to such a great initiative. The annual walk is a superb opportunity to help raise funds for a worthy charity.â&#x20AC;?

SCHOOL NEWS

GAD’S HILL TEAMS UP WITH LOCAL COLLEGE TO HELP STRENGTHEN CADET UNITS IN STATE SCHOOLS (ISA LONDON SOUTH) Cadets from Gad’s Hill work alongside new recruits from Medway University Technical College (Medway UTC), as part of a government initiative to provide more Combined Cadet Forces (CCF) in schools and colleges. The Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP) has delivered 100 new cadet units in state-funded schools, and is committed to growing the total number of school divisions across the UK to 500 by 2020. Gad’s continues to support Brompton Academy, Gillingham, after helping to set up its CCF two years ago. The CEP is part of the government’s aim of promoting military ethos in schools: to instill values in young people that will help them get the most out of their lives, and to contribute to their communities and country. This means pupils developing qualities such as self-discipline, loyalty, respect, strong leadership, teamwork and resilience that will help them to achieve excellence and shape their own future.

SCHOOL NEWS REDDIFORD SCHOOL (ISA LONDON NORTH)

CLAIRES COURT (ISA LONDON WEST)

A YEAR 6 PUPIL FROM REDDIFORD SCHOOL HAS WON FIRST PRIZE IN A RECENT ISA ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION FOR AGE RANGE 10-11.

AT THE CLAIRES COURT JUNIOR GIRLS PRIZE GIVING CEREMONY ON THURSDAY 13 JULY, THE PUPILS WERE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME DAME KATHERINE GRAINGER AS THEIR GUEST OF HONOUR.

Leo Weir was presented with his prize of an Apple IPAD by Mrs Batt, Head Teacher, in the closing assembly on the last day of term. The adjudicator’s comments on his essay, were very complimentary as follows “A developed and successful narrative that sets the scene, develops and then concludes appropriately – the tale’s moral at the end shows the writer’s awareness of good narrative structure. Many other candidates missed this opportunity!” We congratulate Leo and wish him every success in his future endeavours.

After performances by each of the year groups, the most decorated GB female Olympian gave an inspirational speech to the girls. She spoke of the importance of challenging themselves and setting goals, and believing that they can achieve. Dame Katherine encouraged the girls to take every opportunity and told them that school is all about opportunities, she said, “You must try everything so you can find out for yourself something you are good at.” Dame Katherine then showed the audience her huge London Olympic Gold Medal and told of how it wasn’t until she was 17 and at university that she had the chance to try rowing. At the end of an unforgettable day, Dame Katherine spent time signing books and programmes and said, ‘This was a fabulous occasion, I loved every minute. The girls are far more talented and able than me. I felt very inspired myself.”

ABBEY GATE COLLEGE (ISA NORTH) ABBEY GATE COLLEGE PUPILS BECOME PUBLISHED AUTHORS THROUGH THE AMAZON YOUNG STORYTELLER PROJECT. The project is a collaboration between Amazon and the National Literacy Trust, offering primary and secondary students in the UK the opportunity to have their work published. The Abbey Gate College book, which has pieces from pupils from both the Infant and Junior School and the Senior School, is an anthology of short stories and poetry and is available in paperback and Kindle versions. There is a range of imaginative stories in the book, from those about dragons and princesses, to space travel and life in the future, as well as dinosaurs. Teacher Zoe Leonard, who led the project at the Chester based independent school, said: “This project has been extremely successful amongst our pupils; it has motivated more of them to write, and improved their confidence. We look forward to publishing more creative writing in the future in our ‘second edition’!” You can purchase a copy of the book from amazon.co.uk by searching for the book’s author: ‘Abbey Gate College Pupils’. A hard copy costs £9.99 and the Kindle edition is £4.99.

SCHOOL NEWS

DISCOVERY EDUCATION NEW DIGITAL PARTNERSHIP TO BOOST SCIENCE AND NUTRITION TEACHING IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS Thousands of primary school pupils are set to benefit from a new partnership between Switzerland’s Alimentarium Museum and Discovery Education Espresso, which will deliver exciting digital resources to classrooms and transform the teaching of science and nutrition in UK schools. The 3-year initiative will see Alimentarium, the world’s first ever food museum, collaborate with Discovery Education Espresso to create fresh and engaging multi-media content which will unlock food science secrets and switch pupils on to nutrition. The Alimentarium Foundation – a foundation of Nestlé since 1980 – is recognised as an international public learning centre for all issues relating to food and nutrition, and the new resources will allow schools to tap into this expertise. Developed in partnership with the Museum’s experts, the content will include dynamic

interactive videos, activities and games, supporting the teaching of Science and PSHE at primary level. The bold new resources will take pupils on a fascinating exploration of the human body, teaching them about the science of eating and nutrition in a fun and accessible way. Taking a journey through the digestive system, children will explore the amazing processes that keep us alive, and understand what makes our bodies tick. They’ll also investigate the important role of food in positive body image, and learn how ‘mindful eating’ and being alert to the senses can help us to eat well. Discovery Education Espresso is one of the UK’s leading digital learning services, delivering dynamic curriculum matched content to 1.8 million pupils in over 6500 schools. The new Food and the Body Module was made available to schools with a Discovery Education Espresso subscription from September 2017.

SOCIAL MOBILITY

THE SOCIAL MOBILITY CONUNDRUM BARNABY LENON, ISC CHAIR, ASKS WHETHER THERE REALLY IS SOCIAL IMMOBILITY, WHAT MIGHT CAUSE IT, HOW IT COULD BE TACKLED, AND WHETHER THERE ARE OBJECTIONS TO TRYING TO TACKLE SOCIAL IMMOBILITY This is an extract from Much Promise, his latest book available from John Catt in Mid-April.

hen I helped set up a free school in a low-income part of London I was told I was trying to improve social mobility. When I worked for independent schools I was accused of educating my pupils well and so limiting social mobility. What did that mean? ‘Social mobility’, it transpired, means people moving up or down the social classes – being better off or worse off than their parents. Social mobility matters because if able children from poor backgrounds cannot do well

Proportion of pupils gaining five GCSEs grade A* to C including English and maths, state-funded schools in England, 2015 Source: 2015 GCSE results

SOCIAL MOBILITY

we waste human potential. It is bad for the individuals concerned and it is bad for the country. It also matters because if people feel that there is social immobility there will be understandable envy of those who have done well. It results in social tension and potential unrest. It matters politically because meritocracy is today a central creed of all Britain’s main political parties. When the Labour peer Michael Young wrote The Rise of the Meritocracy in 1958 he was using the term pejoratively, but today meritocracy is certainly not regarded as anathema. In its more frequently heard formulation, ‘equality of opportunity’, it is something to which no one dare admit opposition. On the day that Theresa May became the British Prime Minister in 2016 she addressed the country: ‘When it comes to opportunity, we won’t entrench the advantages of the fortunate few, we will do everything we can to help anybody, whatever your background, to go as far as your talents will take you.’ That was a call for greater social mobility.

SO IS THERE SOCIAL IMMOBILITY IN THE UK? EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT GAPS REMAIN WIDE Over the last 25 years there has been a modest reduction in the differences in educational achievement between children from richer and poorer backgrounds. For example, children eligible for free school meals were 55 per cent as likely as their peers to get five good GCSEs including English and maths in 2013-14 compared to only 39 per cent as likely in 2004–5 (Department for Education, 2014). However the gap is still wide. By age five, 48 per cent of children eligible for free school meals achieve a ‘good level of development’ (according to the government’s school readiness measure), compared with 67 per cent of other children. By age 11, 60 per cent of children on free school meals achieve the expected level of attainment, compared with 79 per cent of those not on free school meals. In 2015, 33 per cent of children on free school meals gained five A*–C grades at GCSE (including maths and English), compared with 61 per cent of other children.

Poor children not only start school at a lower base, but also make less progress while they are there. The attainment of wealthier children accelerates during their school years, while it stalls for the poorest. This means that wealthier children exceed their educational potential but the poorest do not get near to fulfilling theirs. Having said all that, the link between poverty and academic outcomes is not as great as is often claimed. Of the bottom 20 per cent of pupils academically at age 16 only a quarter are on free school meals. Of those on free school meals only a third are in the bottom 20 per cent. So the pupil premium, which is designed to raise the academic achievement of poorer pupils, misses two-thirds of those in the bottom 20 per cent academically.

WHAT CAUSES SOCIAL IMMOBILITY? 1. WHERE YOU GO TO SCHOOL The quality of schools in England is variable. Schools that are apparently similar in terms of relative deprivation of area or disadvantage of intake can perform very differently.

SOCIAL MOBILITY

The large urban centres that were gaps tend to have higher average once the weakest performing are now attainment and also the highest among the strongest. Poorer children percentage of very skilled students. are more likely to attend worse The OECD Education at a Glance 2012 schools, especially at secondary level, report looked at where the children which doubles their disadvantage. In of ‘low-educated’ 2016 over half the mothers are going “WE FIND THAT THE pupils in Blackpool OVERALL RATE OF FSM to school – mothers were being taught who did not achieve at schools regarded UPTAKE AT THE TOP five good GCSEs – as failing by Ofsted. 500 COMPREHENSIVES and found that in Weak schools find MEASURED ON THE the UK they were it harder to attract much more likely to TRADITIONAL FIVE good teachers be taught in schools GOOD GCSE SCALE IS and this makes JUST BELOW HALF THE with high numbers improvement much of disadvantaged more difficult. NATIONAL AVERAGE, 7.6% children. COMPARED TO 16.5%, IN At the international Among the children ALMOST 3000 STATE level, PISA results of immigrant families suggest that SECONDARY SCHOOLS.” in the UK, 80 per segregation of cent were taught in schools by poverty schools with high concentrations of tends to depress the scores of the other immigrant or disadvantaged already disadvantaged. In contrast, pupils – the highest proportion in the comprehensive, centralised and developed world. equitably funded school systems tend The existence of an independent or to produce both better outcomes private sector in schooling increases overall and smaller attainment gaps segregation. But the Sutton Trust between rich and poor children. investigation of this issue concluded Countries with lower segregation that ‘most of the segregation of between schools, more egalitarian pupils by social class occurs within systems and low achievement the state sector’. A Sutton Trust 2013

report stated: ‘We find that the overall rate of FSM uptake at the top 500 comprehensives measured on the traditional five good GCSE scale is just below half the national average, 7.6% compared to 16.5%, in almost 3000 state secondary schools.’ In 2016 research by Schooldash showed that Ofsted-graded ‘outstanding’ schools, primary free schools and converter academies take in a lower proportion of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds than is represented in their communities. Schooldash founder Timo Hannay said: ‘The data presented here suggest that the postcode lottery is far from the only effect keeping poorer children out of good schools; even those poorer children who do live close to a highperforming school are less likely to end up going there’. We know that most of the schools with the best exam results are in middle class areas and tend to push up house prices, making access to such schools impossible for all but the most prosperous. In 2016 Lloyds Bank research looked at 30 state schools with good GCSE results and found that local houses had a price premium of

SOCIAL MOBILITY up to £630,000 above the rest of the county. Similarly, research by Stirling Ackroyd found that house prices close to the excellent Queen Elizabeth’s School in Barnet were 34 per cent above the average for the area.

2. THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM Cristina Iannelli of Edinburgh University studied a cohort of people born in one week in 1958 over the course of their lives (Iannelli, 2013). She found that pupils who studied certain subjects at school were more likely to be successful in their careers than other pupils – even pupils of the same ability and school type. These most valuable subjects were English, maths, sciences and languages. Pupils were more likely to study these subjects at grammar schools but those who studied them at non-grammar schools also did well. Subject choice mattered more than school type.

3. INTELLIGENCE Peter Saunders suggests that the main thing that determines a person’s socio-economic group is a combination of intelligence and hard work. People in low-income jobs tend to be less intelligent than people in higher income jobs. He is scornful of the reluctance of his fellow sociologists to even consider the role of intelligence in determining social mobility, which he describes as politically motivated myopia (he claims that only 3 per cent of sociology professors vote Conservative). Their research grants depend on their ability to prove that there is a problem.

Saunders states that the main way in which Britain falls short of the meritocratic ideal is that less able but wealthier children are prevented from failing, but able and hardworking children born into the lowest socioeconomic group usually rise out of it. Several authors have looked at the impact on brain development of weak parenting. A failure to stimulate babies means that they fail to develop synapses and this establishes an inferior brain by the age of three. Professor Robert Plomin runs the Twins Early Development Study (Teds) of all twins born in England and Wales from 1994 to 1996. He compares the results of identical twins with nonidentical twins in order to pull out the impact of genetics on the variability of results. What his research shows is that nature is often more important than we like to think, particularly in the contentious area of intelligence. There is a complicated interplay of genes and environment, but even so it’s striking how heritable intelligence is. Clever parents are more likely to have clever children. In a twin sample of 11,116 16-year-olds, heritability was a high proportion of the explanation for GCSE performance for subjects such as English (52 per cent), mathematics (55 per cent) and science (58 per cent) (Shakeshaft et al 2013). In contrast, the overall effects of environment, which includes all family and school influences, accounts for about 36%

of the variance of mean GCSE scores. So individual differences in educational achievement at the end of compulsory education are not primarily an index of the quality of teachers or schools. In 2015 Plomin extended his results to A-levels and found a similar pattern: the results are 60 per cent explained by genes and 20 per cent by school.

4. INCOME Children from better off families tend to go to better schools because house prices are higher near better schools. Children from richer backgrounds are also more likely to have private tuition, even if they go to state schools. In the early years, children from poorer backgrounds are less likely to attend good quality childcare or early education, partly because there is less good quality childcare available in poorer areas. Children and parents who live in poor quality or overcrowded housing have worse physical and mental health. They are more likely to move house frequently, which has a very negative impact on children’s attainment. Educational resources such as a computer and a room of one’s own are expensive. Poverty also affects families through stress and a higher risk of depression, making it much more difficult for parents to support their children’s education. In addition to financial and economic disadvantages, children from poorer backgrounds are also disadvantaged by a lack of cultural and social capital – they are less likely to visit museums, go abroad or read books. Families where both parents are educated spend an average of 110 minutes a day on educational activities with young children compared to 71 minutes where parents have a low level of education. By the time that students receive their GCSE results, around 32 per cent of the variation in performance can be predicted on the basis of indicators observed at or before age five (Washbrook, 2010). Low-income families are also less likely to have the benefit of two parents. In 2001 those at the top of the socio-economic tree (so-called

SOCIAL MOBILITY Class 1) were 25 per cent more likely to be married than those at the bottom (Class 7). That has now grown to 50 per cent. Children in richer neighbourhoods are far more likely to have a father at home.

a disadvantaged socio-economic background to achieve a top quartile score on the PISA science test, compared to an OECD average of around 29 per cent (Jerrim and Shure, 2016).

Serafino and Tonkin (2014) established that growing up in a workless household has an impact on your future poverty in the UK. Holding all else equal, those who lived in a workless household at age 14 are around 1.5 times as likely to be in poverty compared with those where one adult was working.

5. THE HOUSING MARKET

The father’s level of education had the largest impact on the likelihood of low educational attainment in the UK out of the factors they examined. Holding all else equal, people are 7.5 times more likely to have a low educational outcome themselves if their father had a low level of education, compared with having a highly educated father (Serafino and Tonkin). However, there is nothing deterministic about the relationship between poverty and exam results. The PISA 2015 tests found that around one-inthree pupils in England overcomes

How you define someone’s social position depends in good measure on their housing status. Because house prices have risen faster than salaries, it was easier to be a homeowner in the past – since 1990 we have seem a rise of tenants, a decline in home-ownership. Too few homes are being built and nearly a million more households with children rent privately than ten years ago. Families are spending a higher proportion of their disposable income on accommodation: those born in the 1980s spend more than 20% of their income on housing compared to the 10% that was being spent at the same point in their lives by those born in the 1940s (Social Mobility Commission, 2016). The rise in the value of housing since 1990, especially in the south of England, means that those middle-

aged and older people who managed to get onto the housing ladder in the 1970s and 1980s are now living in homes worth vastly more than they paid for them. In great swathes of London the average house price is now over £750,000. As younger people cannot afford to buy houses the inter-generational wealth gap has grown. And the growing gap in property values between different parts of the country reduces the ability of people to move from one area to another.

6. ASPIRATIONS There is some evidence that there is a general ‘culture of low aspirations’ among low-income families. The Millennium Cohort Study shows that the mothers of seven-year-olds have almost universally high aspirations for them – 97 per cent of both poorer and richer mothers say they want their child to go to university. However, children and parents from poorer backgrounds develop lower expectations as children grow older. They may still aspire to higher education and professional jobs, but their faith in their ability to achieve those ambitions is eroded.

SOCIAL MOBILITY This can arise from a combination skills. This has been analysed by of factors: lower achievement Ashley et al (2015) and the soft skills at school so far, a lack of social they identified included confidence, networks to provide knowledge and risk taking, the ability to speak encouragement about how to achieve well, accent, team-working, being such goals, and a labour market organised and punctual. with high numbers of low skilled 8. NETWORKS AND FITTING IN jobs and limited opportunities to use qualifications to progress from those Mike Savage’s analysis of the Great to better work. In addition, where British Class Survey (Savage, 2015) parents themselves found that “THE SUTTON TRUST have not had those whose good experiences REPORT BELIEVING parents work in education, IN BETTER, JUNE 2016, in professional and have few occupations were SHOWED THAT ONE qualifications, much more likely REASON SO MANY MORE they may have to know other GIRLS GO TO UNIVERSITY limited knowledge, people in such THAN BOYS IS THAT confidence and occupations and skills in helping THEY ARE MUCH MORE this gave them their children in LIKELY TO BELIEVE IN access to networks education such as of influence, THE IMPORTANCE OF A reading to them networks which UNIVERSITY DEGREE.“ and helping with made it more likely homework. they would be The Sutton Trust report Believing in Better, June 2016, showed that one reason so many more girls go to university than boys is that they are much more likely to believe in the importance of a university degree. Even in Year 9 65 per cent of girls said it was important to go to university compared to 58 per cent of boys. 15and 16-year-olds with similar GCSE results were twice as likely to go on to do three A-levels if they saw university as a likely goal for them. Disadvantaged students were less likely to think they would go on to university than their more advantaged peers, with only 27 per cent having high aspirations compared with 39 per cent of their better-off peers. 40 per cent of all British children now go to university, but only 13 per cent of white working class do. This is not primarily due to poverty – other ethnic groups with the same low incomes are much more likely to go to university. It is poverty of aspiration.

7. SOFT SKILLS ONCE IN THE WORKPLACE The Social Mobility Commission has shown that bright children from poor homes do well but never reach the highest income levels of their peers from wealthier homes. This may be due to a relative lack of useful soft

managers often selected candidates who fitted the traditional image of an investment banker and displayed polish in areas such as speech, accent and dress. They noted that this can disadvantage candidates whose upbringing and background means they are not aware of such things as City dress codes. In 2016 Theresa May talked about the need to create a meritocracy. She said that the only thing that should ‘count’ in terms of success in life was innate ability and capacity for hard work.

Michael Young, when he wrote The Rise of the Meritocracy, was fearful of the concept. The reason to be fearful is the fact that intelligence is to a large degree genetically determined, and that means that the middle classes are always likely to dominate the meritocracy at the expense of the able to access such jobs. working classes. If society is organised In 2016 the SMC published research as a meritocracy then there is a evidence that explained why young danger that those at the top will feel people from they deserve their disadvantaged “THEY FOUND THAT status and by the homes may MANAGERS OFTEN same token those struggle to become SELECTED CANDIDATES at the bottom investment WHO FITTED THE deserve theirs. bankers. They find TRADITIONAL IMAGE OF Sympathy for the it harder to acquire AN INVESTMENT BANKER work experience poor evaporates: because they lack AND DISPLAYED POLISH IN they are poor the necessary AREAS SUCH AS SPEECH, because their lowly informal networks. intelligence made ACCENT AND DRESS.” They found that them that way. So there are those who think that a more meritocratic society will not result in social mobility, far from it, because meritocracy entrenches the privileges of the cognitive elite. To find out what can be done to improve social mobility, and for more information about Barnaby Lenon’s book visit: www.johncattbookshop.com/muchpromise-successful-schools-inengland

Barnaby Lenon, ISC Chair

PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITY

PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITY AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ISA MEMBERS

ISA’S DEBORAH LEEK-BAILEY OBE REFLECTS ON THE EXPECTATIONS FROM MINISTERS THAT THE INDEPENDENT SECTOR NEEDS TO ENGAGE MORE WITH STATE SCHOOL COLLEAGUES.

he 2016 Green Paper from the Secretary of State underlined that ministers have always thought that the independent sector has the capacity to engage in further activities to support the state sector. We know that previous governments have emphasised the necessity for independent schools to sponsor academies and for many schools that was an impossible request, due to economies of scale. Nevertheless, this minister recognises the diversity of schools in the private sector and the wealth of experience that in turn they can bring. What the Secretary of State is clear about is that she wants greater transparency and evidence of impact. To me that makes perfect sense, because as a Head teacher I would always seek to find indications that the deployment of resources was providing the desired return. There is also little point working in collaboration with local state schools on things that we enjoy delivering if it does not address what they need in regards to school improvement. Two years ago, the ISSP Forum hosted a conference for over 300 schools in Westminster and it was oversubscribed, predominantly by state school leaders who expressed an interest in creating new - or further - collaborations. The desire to engage is evident and while some philosophical resistance and prejudice undoubtedly exists, it is surely our job as educators to overcome such barriers.

Theresa May and Justine Greening have both provided endorsements for ISSPs and acknowledged that schools work best when harnessing their shared strengths. For example, we know more work needs to be done in STEM subjects, and that the number of pupils studying science and engineering at university - especially girls - needs to increase. That is why ISA’s new science initiative - working alongside professor Bruce Hood, from Bristol University - is so relevant. Here is a unique opportunity for ISA schools to host a motivational science speaker, involve their own pupils and invite local state schools to attend. Initiatives such as these will undoubtedly create further opportunities for schools to work together - developing a concordat of future activities - and be critical in cultivating relationships with key stakeholders. ISA is exploring setting up free schools in governmentidentified ‘Cold Spots’, motivated by a strong sense of moral purpose and a desire to share expertise for the benefit of young people who cannot afford - or choose not to attend private schools. For many years, I have sat on the Independent State School Partnership Forum and I have chaired the group for the last three. My deputy Chair, Stephen Munday CBE recently commented that, “the key is clearly identifying the meaningful positive contribution a partnership possesses, so that it definitely adds value and enhances the education provision and quality for the students in both schools.” Recently the DFE provided funding for the ISSP ‘Schools Together’ website, which now provides a

powerful platform to highlight best practice, as well as to advise schools considering new collaborations. If you log on to the website you will see that the 1300 activities schools are already engaged in are diverse and reflect their ethos, rather than them having to commit to a partnership that does not accord with their core values. ISA prides itself on educating the whole child, so why would ISA schools not be generating new collaborations which extend the learning of their own pupils and staff, as well as benefitting others within their local community? I can hear some exclamations from those already involved in excellent ISSPs, such as ISA’s ‘Claire’s Court’, who previously led an ISSP for the development of elite athletes in their area. They are currently working with youth organisations and local agencies to promote excellence within education, most notably the Rotary Club, Lions International and “Art on the Street”. As a pioneer school using Google Apps and Chromebooks, Claire’s Court’s training courses have been developed into an international model led by edtechteam.com, so their work now is much more an exemplar for others to model best practice solutions. Many local schools have found this helpful. They has hosted local visits to from nearby academies and leading a day of supported learning for school leaders at ‘BETT’. Two years ago, the ISSP group raised seed corn funding for a longitudinal study of 18 primary partnerships. The funding was not vast but the commitment from the schools involved was palpable and over 4,000 pupils have benefitted in

PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITY the past year alone. I have had the privilege of visiting many of these projects and interviewing the staff and pupils there, along with a DFE researcher and sometimes colleagues from the ISSP Forum. If you are in any doubt regarding working alongside state school colleagues, then it is worth visiting another school which has embarked on this journey and speaking to the pupils, because they can explain very clearly how and why the partnership is important. They speak with passion about meeting pupils from a different educational background and how together they have all learned from one another, raised their aspirations and challenged pre-conceived notions about people within society. Teachers comment on invaluable professional development and explain how their own expectations and classroom practice have altered as they have been exposed to different approaches to teaching and learning. The relationships are always respectful and the partnership mutually beneficial. In a society which can be fragmented, cross-sector partnerships undoubtedly erode barriers and generate tolerance and understanding. There are considerable misconceptions about engaging with state schools and the most frequently expressed is that one must work in a large school to have the capacity, but that is simply not true. Yes of course it helps to have an extensive number of staff, but truly some of the most inspiring partnership work has been observed in smaller settings, where staff have been innovative in their desire to make a difference. Schools like ISAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Taverham Hall have linked with a special school, Harford Manor, to work on ergonomic equipment to facilitate learning for children on the autistic spectrum. When visited by forum members, staff spoke of how their pupils benefitted from greater exposure to the challenges that other children faced. The experience of teaching different school pupils reinforced the learning for their own students too, and using the 3D Laser printer gave them greater opportunity to be independent in their designs and prepared them for the next key

stage. By having a partnership with another school their vision of the wider world was heightened; they were empowered to create innovative products and possibly change the world. Indeed, not long after the ISSP visit the Great Britain Paralympic squad were introduced to very similarly created prosthetics.

grouping and 33% are related to cognitive ability and technical skills combined. Emotional intelligence therefore drives two thirds of outstanding performance and that is why school leaders should have confidence in generating new ISSPs because we operate every day in a world where relationships matter.

The ISA has for many years benefitted from an excellent relationship with several universities, including Winchester, which has been involved in the ISA Masters programme. As the recruitment crisis for school leaders continues, with an estimated 1900 roles needing to be filled, imagine how the highly competent staff within your own school can work alongside Teaching Schools and become part of the Teaching School Alliance network. Over 160 Independent schools with varying numbers on roll are already involved and reaping the benefits for their own staff and pupils. There are many ISA heads who already act as mentors to other school leaders, sharing effective practice. If that outreach was extended to state schools, with a view to identifying how they can use their skills, expertise and knowledge for the benefit of even more pupils, then ISA would be further endorsing its charitable objectives.

Once the areas of focus have been highlighted, expectations from both sides have been agreed and costings for such things as transport considered, it is advisable for a memorandum of understanding to be created. This could include who has responsibility for drawing down and spending any funding, timelines for deadlines and events and regular opportunities to plan and review impact. Remember that partnership works best when there is mutual gain but it need not be in the same areas. You may provide a senior leader to join a Multi Academy Trust, offer curriculum advice to an academy entering a new key stage, or become a governor at a local state school. But never doubt the benefits to your own school, because the knowledge that you gain from operating in different environments will be the best form of CPD that you can access. Partnerships can initially be labour-intensive but are significantly outweighed by the rewards, including being hugely empowering for staff.

From a practical perspective, effective ISSPs, like all other relationships, start with conversations. Emotional intelligence differentiates the outstanding performers in every walk of life. Of the competencies of outstanding performance, 66% are from the Emotional Intelligence

Deborah Leek-Bailey OBE, Advisor to Lord Nash, Permanent Under Secretary of State for Schools, Vice President of ISA and Director of DLB Leadership Associates.

A PARTNERSHIP WITH NATURE

HOLME GRANGE

A PARTNERSHIP WITH NATURE JANE FIFIELD AT ISAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOLME GRANGE SCHOOL DESCRIBES THE IMPACT OF THEIR FOREST SCHOOL ON PUPILSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ACHIEVEMENTS.

n September 2010 Holme Grange School in Berkshire (ISA London West) took a monumental decision to establish a forest school site and embed it into the curriculum for children aged 4-5 years. From this initial step we witnessed the immense difference that our forest school made to the pupils, so we expanded the provision to incorporate two further sites all within our 22 acres. The three sites are individually unique. One has a stream running along a boundary as well as some dense shrubs and trees. The second has a very dense area of evergreen and

deciduous trees, with shrubs and a fire circle to one side, and a more open forest floor with some good climbing trees. The third site offers an outdoor learning tent and has dense shrubbery with evergreen and deciduous trees. It also has a minibeast habitat created from piles of logs and a mounded area, which in the wet weather has been turned into a ski slope. Our forest school is now a firmly established part of the curriculum and we have 5 qualified leaders, committed to the delivery of forest school sessions for children aged 3 to 7. We are very fortunate to be surrounded by beautiful grounds,

which have the natural habitats for us to support our outdoor learning. Forest School has re-shaped my view on the importance of outdoor learning in education from Early Years to Year 6, and consequently has taken me along a very different path. The children from Nursery to Year 2 attend our forest school as part of their timetabled activities as well as an after school club, whilst Years 3 and 4 attend outdoor learning sessions weekly. Next year I would like to also extend outdoor learning to Years 5 and 6. Forest School is a learning opportunity that inspires and excites children to achieve and supports

A PARTNERSHIP WITH NATURE

the development of confidence through hands-on learning. It is based upon the early childhood principles of freedom in play, creativity, socialisation skills and emotional stability. At the heart of our forest school is the principle to facilitate ‘safe’ risk-taking. In today’s society children’s experiences of the outdoors rarely extend beyond countryside walks or visits to local parks. Forest schools offer a unique learning opportunity where children’s self-esteem and confidence is promoted through child-led play and learning via independent exploration of the outdoor environment. The children have very different learning experiences in forest schools and many will be unique to each child in each session. Learning outcomes are never directed by staff but by the interests of individuals and the group as a whole. Experiences should be, as far as possible, child-led. The role of the adult is to stimulate, scaffold and evolve children’s learning within the forest setting. All activities ‘planned’ for a Forest School session are based on understanding of the skills, needs and interests of their pupils. Pupils feed back at the close of each session, by reflecting on their learning and planning for their next session. All experiences are designed to enhance and support a pupil’s holistic development.

Through our forest school we at Holme Grange aim to:

• • • • •

Boost children’s self-esteem and self-confidence evelop children’s cooperative D skills and awareness of the needs of others ncourage positive attitudes to E learning and promote risk-taking and resilience. ncourage children to take E ownership and pride in the school and their local environment. ncourage children to actively E learn new skills and apply these along with previously held knowledge in the context of forest schools in other areas of their lives.

Children attending our forest school direct their own learning and extend their experiences. Being in the natural environment in general begins to harness innate naturalistic skills. Unique experiences may include fire lighting, tool work, rope work and den building. The practice of Forest School is based upon principles of freedom and learning through process not product. However, teacher assessments and reflective practice enable forest school practitioners to measure pupil progress. Evidence strongly supports that our children show

greater ability to solve problems, work collaboratively, develop muscle groups in their shoulders that improve writing skills, promote good communication skills and a wide and varied vocabulary. Children are seen to show care and concern for the natural environment and be very conscience of conservation and encouraging ecofriendly projects to be undertaken. The children develop physical skills through the use of knives, saws, secateurs, drills, mallets and learn how to use and care for these tools safely and with confidence. Building and lighting a fire is always very popular as there is nothing as rewarding and engaging as sitting round the fire circle whilst watching the flames dance, experiencing the warmth and sharing hot chocolate on a cold winter day! I whole-heartedly believe that all children should be able to experience a classroom where the sky is the ceiling and the boundaries of the site form the walls, where there is no right or wrong answer to worry about, and every child is able to flourish and thrive whist they gain skills that will last them a lifetime. Mrs Jane Fifield, Nursery Manager, Forest School Leader, Holme Grange School, ISA London West

GLOBAL LEARNING

GLOBAL LEARNING IN AN INTERNATIONAL CLASSROOM

JEREMY LEWIS, HEAD OF SCHOOL AT ACS EGHAM INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (LONDON WEST), DISCUSSES THE BENEFITS OF LEARNING IN AN INTERNATIONAL CLASSROOM AND HOW EMBEDDING INTERNATIONAL MINDEDNESS, THROUGH THE CURRICULUM AND BEYOND, IS KEY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO THRIVE IN TODAY’S WORLD.

firmly believe that an international education is among the most effective, strong and beneficial foundations for modern life that you can give a child.

students learn to see the world through others’ eyes, and this grounding in their formative years can set them up for successful futures anywhere in the world.

The ability to accept and integrate with numerous different cultures and nationalities from a young age, and possess a broad mind-set and thirst for new experiences cannot be underestimated and is, in my view, an unbeatable combination.

ACS International Schools’ students represent over a hundred different nationalities. This hugely diverse international community creates a rich intercultural environment, bringing together multiple views and experiences which help forge that all important international mindedness and understanding.

International schools by definition have a unique advantage in helping

INTERNATIONAL MINDEDNESS CAN BE TAUGHT International mindedness is becoming increasingly embedded within education through the curriculum and extra-curricular activities. The International Baccalureate mission statement, encapsulates what it means to be internationally minded: ‘The IB aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.”

GLOBAL LEARNING Through an international education, students accept and integrate with many different cultures, equipping them with the life skills to be ‘global citizens’ and instilling them with a broad outlook. In a classroom with peers and teachers representing numerous different cultural backgrounds and roots, all comparing and sharing different perspectives and ideas, students cannot help but develop a deeper and broader understanding across complex subjects, as illustrated by this comment from a former ACS student: “When you watch the news you see stories from all over the world, one country is suffering an earthquake, another a political change. At ACS, you meet so many people from different nationalities, you hear a completely alternative viewpoint on these topics, which really broadens the mind. “My closest friend is from Egypt and during the Arab Spring, she was able to give me an almost local perspective on what was happening there. Because we are all able to share our different life and education experiences, you find that you develop a really international perspective of events.”

THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE – THE GLOBAL EDUCATION PASSPORT Qualifications and learning programmes that extend beyond national boundaries have to be central to an international education. Such programmes have international recognition not for their name alone, but for their academic rigour and as a positive indicator of the personal development of an individual. The lead education programme in this respect is without doubt in my mind the International Baccalaureate (IB), a programme often referred to as the global educational passport. The IB programme is taught at all ACS schools and is commended for its academic integrity, development of key skills, and the global awareness that it instils in its students.

The programme spans ages three to 18 and is split into the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students aged three to 11; the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for pupils aged 12 to 16; the IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) and the most wellknown Diploma programme (IBDP) at post-16 level. As well as developing a global outlook, the IB develops essential learning aptitudes, and all IB students are encouraged to consider different cultural perspectives and ideas from their very formative years to an extent that few other qualifications can match. Here’s what a recent ACS alumnus had to say about the IB: “I gained a broad interest in different cultures and felt able to engage with different kind of people. I’m now more able to adapt easily to new situations.” According to research commissioned by ACS International Schools, the IB is consistently cited by university admissions officers as the best preparation for higher education over other traditional UK and US curriculums, not least in recognition of the key skills students develop through their learning. Admissions officers believe that IB students cultivate vital aptitudes needed to thrive at university, including an ability for independent enquiry, self-management skills and open mindedness. Seven in ten university officers also cite the IB as the qualification most likely to develop students’ intercultural abilities. Due to the diversity of locations that the IB is taught in, the modules and subjects covered are tailored to the demographics of children in the class. Interestingly, at ACS, this can often reflect over twenty different cultures represented in one classroom – a mini United Nations. This diversity enables common themes, such as war and conflict, to be analysed from different viewpoints and cultural experiences. Anyone looking for truly different perspectives on an issue could not do better than to step into an international school classroom!

CULTIVATING LIFE-LONG CURIOSITY Connecting a challenging academic approach to an education with a global viewpoint, the IB aims to embed a life-long curiosity in students and encourages them to utilise the IB Learner profile: to be inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and reflective – all attributes needed to thrive in the world today. An equally important aspect is personal development, which is nurtured through the creativity, action and service (CAS), a core element of the IBDP. The CAS Programme seeks to develop students who are intellectually, creatively and physically balanced and have an understanding of how the world works and their ability to affect it. In non-education speak, it’s called ‘making a difference’. students have used their CAS hours to perform at open days and other local community events, fundraise, and engage in charitable international projects including expeditions to Nepal, Namibia and Bulgaria, where they have assisted in renovating school buildings and teaching in the classroom. Students actively engage with the local community on these long standing projects to ensure their sustainability and through their participation, students have a broader understanding of different cultures and global issues such as poverty and malnutrition.

DEVELOPING VITAL LANGUAGE SKILLS Language learning is, of course, at the heart of any international education programme and we encourage cultural and linguistic skillsets within the classroom and through every aspect of school life, viewing our community as a valuable resource for learning. Spanish and Chinese have long overtaken English as the most-widely spoken languages worldwide, and with the emergence of new markets in South America and Asia, more and more companies need

GLOBAL LEARNING multilingual employees who can demonstrate good language skills as well as an understanding of global issues. In our mainstream classes we acknowledge the languages and cultures of all of our students and encourage them to relate to the curriculum content using their own languages as well as English. We encourage language learning and sharing by supporting a number of extra-curricular language programmes across our schools. For example, in addition to the formal second language offering at ACS for students aged six upwards, including Spanish, French, German and Mandarin, we foster existing bi/ multilingualism by offering schoolfunded Native Language Enrichment (NLE) classes after school to groups of native speakers. Across our four schools this ranges between 8 and 23 different languages. The aim of NLE is to support the maintenance and development of students’ native languages. At ACS Egham we run weekly school-funded classes in such languages as Arabic, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Japanese, Italian, Mandarin, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish dependent on demand. Unlike language lessons, the NLE programme encourages all students to use their home languages to access learning while exposing them to a cross pollination of perspectives from different cultures and diverse ways of thinking and knowing. With students coming from around the world, we also offer language support for those learning English as an additional language (EAL). Our EAL department provides instruction and support during regular classes enabling them to access the curriculum from the time they arrive at our school.

MAKING THE MOST OF A DIVERSE LANGUAGE POOL Our approach to languages recognises that by supporting bilingual and plurilingual learners, we foster a valuable resource unique to our international student body. For example, here at ACS Egham, we train some bilingual High School

students as language assistants for Early Childhood and Lower School. As a volunteering project, students use their free periods to help younger students who speak the same native language with reading and studying. This is mutually beneficial as younger students have a personal language tutor who they often can relate to culturally and for older students it helps to prevent language loss. With such diversity in the student body, teaching and learning languages in an international school is an enriching experience, both culturally and linguistically, which supports the curriculum, allowing students to reap the benefits socially and academically. Interestingly, language is a compulsory element of the International Baccalaureate, with students learning an additional language from age six in the IB PYP, continuing right through to IB Diploma level.

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES DEVELOP OUTWARD LOOKING STUDENTS Learning to be a global citizen and to appreciate and absorb cultural

differences is just part of everyday life in an international school. Students establish lasting friendships and affinities with peers from around the world and for them, nationalities are not a label or a defining characteristic. They readily share their experiences from their home culture or places they have lived and celebrate their diversity. Like all international schools, ACS is accustomed to looking beyond national boundaries to global horizons and this unique, multi-cultural learning environment beginning from a young age benefits children later on in adult life. It provides students with the global perspective and social skills necessary to interact with a range of people in a variety of academic, social and – in later life – professional environments. So my closing thought for parents considering their child’s future education is this: the future is global – what better than to give them an international education to prepare them for it.

Jeremy Lewis, Head of School, Egham International School, ISA London West

GLOBAL LEARNING

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ISSP

INDEPENDENT/STATE SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP CHRISTINE RYAN SAYS THAT ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING ROLES THAT CAME HER WAY AS ISIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHIEF INSPECTOR WAS AS A MEMBER OF THE INDEPENDENT STATE SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS FORUM.

he Forum has worked hard to bring together those from both the independent and state sectors who are already working successfully in partnership, and to promote that work so that others are encouraged to create their own ways of beneficial collaboration. The Forum has also attracted Ministerial support, most notably with Lord Nashâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agreement to provide seed-funding for initiatives in 2015 and since continued under Nick Gibb. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to play a small part in supporting such initiatives, and exciting to see them develop, benefiting not only the children involved but often the staff too.

The range of projects reflects varying needs in different areas, and also the interests and expertise of the highlymotivated individuals in the state and independent schools involved. Some are high profile examples of long-term commitment of human and financial resources, like the sponsorship of academies. For several years there have been myriad examples of co-operation and sharing of human resources in terms of teachers in shortage subjects, as well as physical resources like sports and creative arts facilities. Some are broadening into projects involving shared professional development, teacher training and initiatives around pupil (and staff)

ISSP

well-being. Many have blossomed into learning partnerships between schools that extend well beyond the initial cooperative project that brought them together in the first place. The wide variety of partnerships is showcased on the ISSP Schools Together website which highlights achievements and provides case studies for those thinking of creating partnerships, whether with others in their own area or more widely between schools of a similar nature. When the website began there were only twelve schools featured and now the number of projects is over 1300. The Forum’s response to the recent Green Paper gives insight into the impact of the partnerships, not least in terms of social mobility. It is supported by research data into projects which took place in 2015 involving 230 staff from 12 schools who spoke of the increased aspiration, improved examination results, mutually beneficial professional development and greater fluidity in terms of movement of teachers between the sectors. It highlights some of the conditions that underpin their success, such as partnerships featuring in school development planning, senior management support and targeted funding. The impact of providing dedicated staffing to partnerships is seen in some of the most successful projects. It argues eloquently against the imposition of a requirement for schools to undertake partnerships, which risks the unintended consequences that so often emerge when compulsion takes the place

of enthusiasm and self-motivation for success. Personally though, I do see a role for partnerships to feature positively in inspection reporting, to recognise the effort and achievement whilst showing others not only what is possible but also the benefits that such initiatives can bring. At ISI - and without government directive - such reporting has occurred for some time. This can be seen in the inspection reports on some of the flagship projects highlighted by ISC, and under the new framework reporting will be even more prominent. However, in previous inspection frameworks the reporting emphasis was on ‘what schools did’ rather than on what pupils achieve, and although there were occasional references to benefits for pupils these instances were rare.

From the point of view of schools that pride themselves on their work with their state school colleagues, thought should be given to how these can be signalled in advance to inspectors. Heads will want to include this area in their self-evaluation, with indications of where inspectors might find the evidence to demonstrate its impact. By inspecting in this way, we hope that the hundreds of valuable initiatives across the country will feature meaningfully in inspection reports, showing how partnerships benefit pupils and thereby explaining their benefits to parents as well as informing the Department for Education of how much is being done in this area. I look forward to reading of the inspiring work being undertaken in many schools and hope to continue my own involvement through future activities beyond the inspection arena. http://www.schoolstogether.org/ about-us/about-issp/

Christine Ryan, Former Chief Inspector of ISI

In contrast, the new Framework for Educational Quality is focussed entirely on pupil outcomes and as such there is scope for partnership working to feature strongly and meaningfully. Schools are encouraged to show where a partnership has a tangible impact on pupil outcomes, and to explain what they have done to bring this about. The flexibility of the framework is such that there is no set way in which this is reported, but instead reporting will refer to partnerships as appropriate in telling the story of a school and what makes it distinctive. Where there are no partnerships or similar collaborations, this will not be noted as a negative feature, after all there are many other ways in which a school may be supporting its local and wider community.

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LEARN THE LAW BY TRIAL

GUILTY, M’LUD.

ISA SCHOOLS INVITED TO LEARN THE LAW BY TRIAL (AND ERROR?) SEEING YOUR STUDENTS APPEAR IN COURT MIGHT SOUND LIKE THE WORST NIGHTMARE FOR ANY TEACHER, BUT WHEN THEY ARE THE ONES IN THE DISTINCTIVE WIGS AND GOWNS, STRIDENTLY ARGUING THEIR CASE IN A CROWN COURT IN FRONT OF A SENIOR JUDGE, IT BECOMES AN OPPORTUNITY TOO GOOD TO PASS UP.

n 2017, the Citizenship Foundation is proud to be offering students from the independent sector a unique chance to participate in the Bar Mock Trial Competition programme. For 26 years, and with the support of the Bar Council, the competition has been run for the state sector with huge success. It has helped develop legal and employability skills in students across the country, as well as launching the careers of barristers, solicitors, and other legal professionals. Past participants, many of whom are now at top chambers and law firms, often return to volunteer as mentors in the competition. Sophie Quinton-Carter, now at the prestigious 9 King’s Bench Walk, is a frequent volunteer: “I would recommend Bar Mock Trial to anyone. Its value, whether interested in the legal profession or not, is immense. The self-confidence, teamwork and analytical skills it provides to students cannot be underestimated; and if it encourages the next generation of criminal advocates, all the better.

Without it, and I mean this sincerely, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

performances made the event more realistic and memorable.”

The students take on nearly all the roles in a trial, including barristers, witnesses, clerks, ushers, and members of the jury. The Citizenship Foundation and our partners in the legal profession provide extensive guidance and support before the competition, which offers students a chance to develop and demonstrate their public speaking, teamwork, and critical thinking skills. Our first independent school competition was successfully held in January. Senkai Hsia, one of the pupils involved said, “I found the competition to be a great insight into the mechanisms within the British Justice system. The scenarios were very interesting, especially when I discovered what appeared to be a very simple case of violent disorder and attempted theft actually was very complex. The competition was well run and organised, and I felt that having professional judges giving feedback and examining our

Our closely nurtured relationship with the judiciary has meant that over the years our volunteers have included many senior High Court judges. Indeed, our January competition was presided over by four eminent High Court Justices. The Right Honourable Sir Brian Leveson, who judged the competition in 2015, is a long-standing supporter of the programme: “The Citizenship Foundation’s Mock Trial Competitions not only show young people how the courts work but also help them develop extremely valuable powers of analysis and presentation. This type of public legal education is vital in developing our young and encouraging them to be effective citizens in the society that they will shape”. Places in the competition are limited and filling up fast, to register please email: mocktrials@ citizenshipfoundation.org.uk

‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF?’

PRACTICAL ENGAGEMENT WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY NEEDS EVERY SCHOOL’S VALUE STATEMENT INCLUDES SOMETHING RELATED TO BUILDING CHARACTER AND OFTEN GOES BEYOND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS ALONE, ARGUES STEVE BEEGOO

find myself saying to prospective parents, ‘You wouldn’t want your child to have an A star in Maths and go swindle people with their skill, would you?!’. At The King’s School, Witney, we have always given teams of older students the opportunity to travel to impoverished parts of Africa, China, or India to serve and bless people and experience the joy of selfsacrifice. But the daily challenges of local people from the more imminent community of which they are part are so close, and yet can feel so far away. We wondered what we could genuinely do to build into our students a love for their fellow man locally, a love that can grow and demonstrate itself through practical and community changing ways. We believe that we have found an answer. Six years ago we started to work together with a national charity called ‘The Besom’ which aims to be a bridge between those who wish to give their time, money, skills or possessions to those in need. We started to plan activities over three days towards the end of each summer term. What has evolved over these years has been what I can only describe as the love-child of ‘DIY SOS’ and ‘Groundforce’! In working with a charity that has close links to really needy situations, students from Y7 to Y10 give hours of service in wellsupervised and resourced teams, to develop the homes and gardens of vulnerable families or other community facilities. Staff, students, and even some parents, combine

together to work over one or two days at carefully chosen local sites as part of their end-of-year activities. Over these six years we have completed over 50 projects and given over 4,500 hours of practical service in ways which have made a huge impact on some of the most needy in our community. Some examples will help explain: G had not been able to look after her garden since her husband’s death. She had experienced a lot of abuse and name calling from local teenagers when in her front garden, and so had become fearful of young people and

anxious to even be outside. Because of her vulnerability and her difficulties in managing the home her tenancy had become at risk, as was her health. From our relationship through ‘The Besom’, she tentatively agreed that a group of pupils supported by a teacher could spend half a day simply tidying up her front garden. She was overwhelmed by how kind and polite the children were and the quality of the work they had done. She enjoyed it so much that she immediately invited two other groups back to clear her back garden for her! This was completely overgrown and had severely and dangerously

‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF?’ encroached on the back of the house. person to occupy from hospital. It was As a result of the gardens being amazing to see the thoughtfulness eventually reclaimed she was able to that had gone into selecting and apply for relocation to a more suitable organising the items, the quality of the bungalow, and groups from the school colour coordination with practical and went back in following years to work useful choices, as well as beautiful on her new garden and make it as finishing touches such as a patterned low maintenance as possible for vase and fruit bowl. They greatly her. The students gained so much enjoyed ‘playing house’ to arrange from building on the relationships of everything, hanging curtains and previous project making the bed. groups, enjoying “IF YOU ARE INTERESTED One student was interacting with the so moved by the IN GROUNDING THE lady who has now project, that she CITIZENSHIP VALUES THAT grown to delight in subsequently went YOU TEACH IN YOUR their company. to Oxfordshire Mind LOCAL COMMUNITY, for work experience You cannot imagine THEN I BELIEVE SUCH AN and is how valued she has APPROACH CAN BUILD A now at university felt in receiving the DEEPER FOUNDATION INTO studying to be a garden makeovers social worker. and her fear of CHARACTER EDUCATION.” teenagers has And what do we subsided. Moreover, the students were get from this? If you have seen easily able to make the connection any of these ‘make a difference’ between what they were doing as programmes based on volunteering, an act of practical service and the you will know the hard work and difference that it would make to a problem-solving involved in clearing real, local person’s life. undergrowth, developing play spaces or decorating rooms. You will also You can imagine that the stories are know the team spirit that develops, numerous. Another that stands out and the joy of the experience in relates to a mental health housing blessing someone who could never project. ‘The Besom’ regularly works have accomplished such tasks by with Oxfordshire Mind in preparing themselves. There is nothing like homes for occupancy for someone knowing through real experience needing supported living. The charity that you have made a difference to provided furniture and household the elderly woman on her own, the items, and a team of students mentally ill person who feels forgotten, collected and unpacked everything to or the struggling single mother of a literally ‘create a home’ ready for the

physically disabled child. The pupils understand at a local level, the impact of the school virtue of sacrificial love that we are seeking to develop. We have a serious desire to build inner character that causes our students to want to be part of the solution for society, whichever sphere of life they ultimately live and work in. We believe in breaking the cycles of selfishness, and the mantras of materialism that our teenagers can absorb, and instead we believe we can build in a desire to work for the common good, so that pupils learn to ‘love their neighbour as themselves’. Is it difficult to organise? Absolutely. Is it hard to pull this together with so many potential projects? Very much so. Do you have to regularly explain why are we doing this to the students and staff? Oh yes! Is it worth it? Utterly!!! If you are interested in grounding the citizenship values that you teach in your local community, then I believe such an approach can build a deeper foundation into character education, which little else can match. The Besom have centres up and down the country and can be contacted through www.besom.com

Steve Beegoo, Principal, The King’s School Witney, ISA London North

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04/10/2016 09:56

LEWES OLD GRAMMAR SCHOOL

SUPPORTS MOROCCAN STUDENT THROUGH EDUCATION FOR ALL FUNDRAISING EFFORTS BY LEWES OLD GRAMMAR SCHOOL (LOGS) LONDON SOUTH HAVE HELPED A YOUNG GIRL FROM RURAL MOROCCO PURSUE HER DREAM OF ATTENDING UNIVERSITY.

arlier this month, Year 12 and 13 students travelled to Imsker, in the High Atlas Mountains, to visit 22-year-old Khadija Hmed, whom they’ve sponsored to become one of the first women in her area to gain a higher education. Education For All (EFA) was established to help provide the opportunity of a college education for girls from rural Moroccan communities. Its first project, opened in 2007, facilitates access to secondary education for up to 36 girls from the remote villages of the High Atlas Mountains by building a boarding house for them in the town of Asni. They now have 5 houses with 149 girls receiving higher education. Since 2013, pupils from LOGS have annually donated £500 to enable Khadija to stay in a boarding house run by EFA. While Khadija’s home

in Imsker was too far from school to travel each day, staying at the boarding house meant she could walk just five minutes to be in her classroom. Now, Khadija is set to graduate with a biology degree from Marrakech University, and is looking to specialise in either human or animal biology. She told visiting LOGS students that while she has to juggle a part time job in a coffee shop to afford living in the city, she is thankful to have access to new learning opportunities. “I’m so grateful for the support from Lewes Old Grammar School,” said Khadija. “My life is totally changed. My mother wasn’t educated, or my grandmother. I am the first. It is so amazing to come this far, to learn to be more independent and see

another life. Without EFA, I would have stayed in my village, married young and probably have had a few children by now! Instead, I am pursuing my dreams and am able to give something of value back to my community. EFA has given me wings.” Khadija is just one of several girls helped by EFA in Morocco, where new opportunities for women are only now becoming available across the country. While on their ten-day trip to Africa, pupils had a glimpse of Khadija’s life without the home comforts that they take for granted, such as electricity and a reliable water supply. “Even so, Khadija and her family were incredibly generous and hospitable,” said Mr Will Ellis, Head of Geography at LOGS. “What really struck us was her incredible determination, her dedication and her generosity – she already is planning to return to her village after graduating to help them with better organic permaculture techniques.” To find out more about Education for All, visit: www.efamorocco.org

SCHOOLS TOGETHER

SCHOOLS TOGETHER IN JANUARY 2016 SCHOOLSTOGETHER.ORG WAS LAUNCHED, TO BRING TOGETHER EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS AND PARTNERSHIPS IN INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS, STATE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, DEMONSTRATING THE VARIETY OF OPPORTUNITY THAT IS POSSIBLE BY WORKING TOGETHER.

here are than 1500 partnership projects displayed on the site, showing that schools of all sizes across the UK are engaged in joint working. Cross-sector and community partnerships are providing valuable life experiences for pupils, supporting teacher development and allowing schools to work together in mutually supportive local relationships.

WHERE DOES SCHOOLS TOGETHER COME FROM? The website was part-funded by the DfE at the start and ISC has since developed it and now maintains it. The site is connected with DfE partnerships group Independent/ State Schools Partnership forum (ISSP), chaired by Deborah Leek-Bailey OBE, former chair of the ISA and currently a member of its Executive Council. Deborah has been a great champion of cross-sector working and helped to ensure that there was funding for a raft of new cross-sector projects to support 100 schools with maths or modern foreign languages in 2015. Schools Minister Nick Gibb says: “We want schools from both independent and state sectors to be able to use the site to increase their collaborative activity, especially to improve their curriculum and teaching, but also engage in other forms of partnership.”

A SHOWCASE Answering Tristram Hunt’s 2014 query about the ‘meaningfulness’ of school-to-school partnerships, the many fine examples of projects on Schools Together speak for themselves. They demonstrate the great work that is already undertaken voluntarily by schools to support broad educational aims.

AN INSPIRATION

there is plenty of evidence that our schools are already achieving an enormous amount of outreach.

The aim of this site is to encourage and inspire more such projects. For example, the 2016 census found At the moment, it is not very well that well over 1,100 ISC known, particularly to “MANY ISA schools are involved state schools, but we SCHOOLS CONSIDER in partnerships and hope that over time WORK WITH THE projects. 138 schools more host joint drama events LOCAL COMMUNITY and more schools of all A NATURAL PART OF and 571 do the same kinds will come to see in sports. In addition, the site as a source of WHAT THEY DO.” 333 schools work on inspiration to help pupils projects to improve the quality of experience and achieve more. teaching and learning, and 169 schools STRATEGIC POLITICAL support local students with university SIGNIFICANCE applications. This has been invaluable information for inclusion in both the ISA members will be very aware of ISC sector response and the ISA the government’s new stance towards response to the Government’s autumn our sector and the Prime Minister’s 2016 consultation, ‘Schools that work announcement at the end of 2016 for everyone’. that independent schools will be under renewed scrutiny from 2017. We know that on the whole, The government’s aim is to force our independent schools share much schools to help increase the capacity of what is good about their schools. of the state sector, and thanks to your There is a limit to the impact our ISC census data and schools together, relatively small sector can achieve

SCHOOLS TOGETHER (1300 schools against over 25,000 schools). We ask that the government recognises the limits in capacity of our sector and appreciates that our schools can help only according to their own strengths and when there is a strong relationship between participating schools. Forcing partnerships will not help: we argue that all successful and sustainable partnership work is between willing partners.

ISA schools need to post projects on Schools Together that show their community work and support for maintained sector schools.

reinforce the trustees’ work in this area, demonstrating a commitment to community and educational work outside school.

SHARING OUR RESOURCES AND RAISING STANDARDS

IMPACT

Many ISA schools consider work with the local community a natural part of what they do. There are links with local schools, sharing teaching, training, facilities and ideas that are to mutual benefit. The public at large WHY SHOULD SCHOOLS GET rarely sees this work because it goes INVOLVED? on quietly and naturally. Schools Together provides a vehicle through OUR SECTOR CAN BE which those who might be interested MISREPRESENTED IN THE can appreciate what is going on. MEDIA If you post your school’s work on ISA schools tend the site you can “PROJECTS DISPLAYED not to be portrayed help the wider ON SCHOOLS TOGETHER world understand fairly in the press. HELP REINFORCE THE Reporters seem that independent to assume that all TRUSTEES’ WORK IN THIS schools are not just private schools “for the privileged AREA, DEMONSTRATING have enormously few”. A COMMITMENT TO rich foundations COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC BENEFIT and strange EDUCATIONAL WORK uniforms, attracting A number of OUTSIDE SCHOOL.” only a social elite ISA schools are who can afford charitable trusts astronomical fees. In order to build and need to demonstrate public a more realistic public image that benefit activities in annual reports shows the variety and friendly realities to the Charity Commission. Projects of our surprisingly accessible sector, displayed on Schools Together help

It is fair to say that at the moment the area of partnerships lacks clear impact data. How can we know what are the most effective partnership projects without evidence of impact? SHINE and SpringBoard have commissioned impact reports on their work ,and ISSPs and schools have started finding ways to measure and report on the impact of their own collaborative projects. It is important that such data is collected so that we can speak of the effectiveness of collaborative work from a positive evidence base. If your school has impact data, please let us know so that we can include it on Schools Together.

THE FUTURE ISC hopes to develop a brokerage function for Schools Together so that all schools, - state and independent can request, offer and find partners to support cross-sector working. To include your school’s projects on schools together, please visit schoolstogeter.org

MARKETING FOR SCHOOLS

MARKETING FOR SCHOOLS IN-HOUSE OR OUTSOURCE?

IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES EVERY SCHOOL WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN THEIR MARKETING IN ORDER TO ATTRACT QUALITY PUPILS. WE ASKED TIM CLARK, MARKETING MANAGER AT BALLARD SCHOOL TO GIVE HIS VIEWS ON IN-HOUSE MARKETING FOR SCHOOLS. ALTERNATIVELY, GIVING HIS VIEWS ON THE BENEFITS OF OUTSOURCED MARKETING IS ANDREW BENNETT, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF KANGA MARKETING. 36

MARKETING FOR SCHOOLS also to develop your own relationships with publications and key journalists who appreciate the direct contact.

im Clark, Marketing Manager at Ballard School presents the case for an in-house marketing function. “Having experienced a number of marketing roles, there is none more diverse and varied than the in-house marketer at a school. There is never enough time to do everything so being very clear about objectives and priorities are vital – time is precious. Schools are vibrant, fast moving environments where each day is very different and planning needs to be flexible. Children have a fantastic energy, and that is infectious. The biggest challenge for a marketer is to find out what makes the school tick (they are all different) and to develop successful relationships with key staff (and parents), which will lead to news, stories, ideas, initiatives and ultimately the satisfaction of parents and a full order book. Marketing should also be providing strategic input on the direction of the school from time to time, with much of this input being from the views of parents and prospectives. For smaller schools, there is an additional challenge of working in a department of one and going from a Governors’ strategy meeting to stuffing report envelopes, which sums up the variety! A recommendation for the ‘loner’ is to develop and use your own network of other marketers in both education and other industries to share ideas, get some advice, and provide an alternative viewpoint. There is also the potential to use specific professionals for key areas such as PR, social media, and website development, which also brings a challenge and a support. By working in tandem you can get the best of both worlds. For example, you can use a PR firm to write releases and syndicate news (using their much more comprehensive network), but

Because planning and prioritisation are paramount, the danger is to be too thinly spread when you are a scarce resource. That is when to know to ask for help, either from within the school or through outsourcing. The key is an effective relationship with school management, a realistic budget and the ability to be flexible. Close cooperation with the Registrar, Bursar and other administration staff are also sources of valuable support.” Andrew Bennett, Kanga Marketing presents the case for outsourcing. “Marketing channels have never before been so diverse – we don’t believe that one person can be an expert in every aspect of marketing: copywriting, social media, PR, SEO, strategy, brand, events, exhibitions, direct mail, email and more. We believe that with a team of marketers - with each individual responsible for one of these areas – then you can boast an expert team truly specialised in every aspect of marketing. That may be fine if you are a large company but smaller organisations simply can’t afford a large and knowledge-diverse marketing staff. This is the main reason why outsourcing works so well – you can select exactly the resources and expertise that you need, complementing your own resources, when you need it, throughout the year. Marketing people are inspired and driven by each other – our team work across a range of clients, giving them variety, ever-increasing knowledge of multiple industries and the opportunity to share ideas across sectors. Many of our team started out in in-house roles and understand the pressures your staff face, and relish the challenge of working with a range of businesses on a variety of brands.

invaluable, whether it be undertaking long overdue research for evidencebased marketing, handling PR, planning and implementing a profile raising strategy, or writing content and copy for the website or new prospectus. Employees will take holidays, sick leave, maternity etc. but by outsourcing, all of these issues are taken away. You know exactly what your costs are, and can be confident that you will always have the resources you need.” Sometimes an in-house marketing team (or sole member) just don’t have the time and capacity to keep up with all the day-to-day tasks and develop a strategy as well. Alternatively, sometimes an organisation has a crystal clear image of its big-picture marketing goals, but the strategy still hasn’t been fully flushed out. In both of these scenarios outsourced marketing can serve as a valuable enrichment to an organisation’s existing marketing team. It seems advisable for schools to take on external marketing specialists, if only for that outside perspective and security. Schools should have faith in their in-house teams, but by combining the best of both worlds they can have the school-based knowledge of the in-house team along with the experience and industry know-how of the outsourced team. Marketing companies can assist in developing specific, measurable marketing goals, strategies, and tactics, and will also often offer consultative or training packages, allowing for the in-house team to gain modern marketing skills that they can apply to the benefit of their school.

Schools are incredibly busy places and the daily demands on a school marketer are many and diverse, from organising Open events to managing social media, updating the website to liaising with the press. Often there are specific areas where additional and expert pairs of hands will be

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07/10/2016 11:09

ISA NATIONAL ART EXHIBITION 2016

ISA NATIONAL ART EXHIBITION THANK YOU TO ALL WHO TOOK PART IN OUR ISA NATIONAL ART EXHIBITION 2016, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!

rom our Adjudicator, Emily Sargeant, Education Director at Grantham Museum: “The work that was displayed during the competition final was wonderful to see. The diversity of subject and style within the categories made my job of judging difficult but exciting. I was very impressed with the level of skill that was displayed across all age groups and every student should be exceptionally proud of all they have accomplished. I have tried to pick out a couple of pieces that I might have wanted to make a special mention of, however, I couldn’t narrow the list down. Each piece resonated with me in its own individual way and for me this is what art is about – individual expression.”

ISA NATIONAL ART EXHIBITION 2016

DEVIZES TO WESTMINSTER

DEVIZES TO WESTMINSTER BREDON SCHOOL STUDENT GEORGE BOTFORD & ALFIE BARNICOAT TACKLE ONE OF THE UK’S TOUGHEST CANOE CHALLENGES. SIR, WHAT IS THE TOUGHEST CANOE RACE WE COULD DO? This was the question that I was asked 27 years ago as a new teacher delivering Outdoor education lessons. So I looked it up and consulted the British Canoe Union. The reply was that the Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race was the ‘Everest of canoeing events’. 125 miles down the Kennet and Avon canal with 76 portages, joining the Thames at Reading and finishing under Westminster Bridge. Senior crews paddle 24 hours non-stop through the night, and junior doubles, singles and endeavour classes race over four days during the Easter bank holiday. For many years the SAS, Army and military has even used the event as part of their adventurous training programme.

Having started Devizes to Westminster (DW) at two previous schools, this was the first year that we entered a crew from Bredon School. Why? DW - like Duke of Edinburgh, Ten tours, CCF, and Outdoor education - enables young people the opportunity to learn about themselves in a challenging environment.

HOW SHOULD OTHER SCHOOLS PREPARE FOR DEVIZES TO WESTMINSTER?

• •

Preparation for this event is key; from January onwards some schools are only able to paddle with new crews. I would recommend starting early as possible whilst the weather is favourable in September. Some schools enter many crews, I would

DEVIZES TO WESTMINSTER recommend no more than four but start with one in your first year.

•

Look for your nearest school that currently enters the event and your nearest Canoe Club and link with one that has the experience of the event.

• •

Encourage two members of school staff to be involved. There are two main equipment suppliers of boats, Kirton Kayaks in Crediton and South West and Marsports in Reading. Both are really helpful and supportive of schools and they can offer their experience and encouragement.

•

Paddling with a club gives you access to the correct boats, coaching and support. Remember this is the toughest race requiring the support of many.

Completing the event as a junior is an outstanding achievement consisting of months of training and preparation. Taking part in the Waterside Series and Thames side events gives those taking part the experience of paddling on canals and rivers. Nothing however, prepares you for paddling down the Thames on Easter Monday in such a vast space of water. The race is addictive, many students return and come back multiple times to better their time or compete in the team or individual competitions. Having left school, many paddlers return during University to tackle the 24hr race, paddling throughout the night, others continue to paddle up to national level or become strong Canoe club paddlers.

encourage all proprietors of ISA schools, chair of governors, Principals, Heads and Directors of Sport & Outdoor Education departments to take up the challenge of DW. Many link the event with a charity of their choice, or support the DW’s chosen charity, this year it was the RNLI raising funds for others. Explore the opportunity this event can do for your students, their parents and provide a real focus for a school with the ultimate Challenge to work toward Easter 2018.

Having completed both the senior race and the 4 day event, I would

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MOORLAND SCHOOL TRIUMPH

IN INVESTEC ISFA CUP FINAL

MOORLAND SCHOOL FROM CLITHEROE, LANCASHIRE, HAVE BEATEN THE ODDS YET AGAIN TO COMPLETE A TRULY REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT AND LIFT THE INVESTEC ISFA U13 CUP.

he final was contested between Moorland School and the mighty Whitgift School of Croydon, who had triumphed in this particular competition for the previous 6 years running. Whitgift boasts a large school population of 1,500 boys, whereas Moorland School have a student population of less than 200 students. The vast majority of the first-half exchanges were dominated by Moorland, driven forward by their impressive midfield maestro Jay Haddow. However, with both schools having opportunities to take the lead throughout, it was the second half when Moorland really pressed for a

winner, finding the back of Whitgift’s net on a few occasions, only to be beaten by the referee’s whistle or linesman’s flag. Whitgift were stubborn opponents throughout, displaying some fantastic link-up play through the middle, but whenever they penetrated the Moorland defence they found the Moorland custodian Jack Howard in inspired form between the posts. With penalties looming large and extra-time coming to a close, it was left for Moorland School’s Jay Haddow to produce a final flourish and composed finish to score a fine last-minute winner for Moorland.

Moorland has long had a reputation for upsetting the odds in national football tournaments. Indeed, Moorland won the ISFA U16 Shield in 2014, along with the Lancashire Cup in the same year and last season (20152016) Moorland managed to reach the final of the ESFA U12 Trophy, held at Reading FC’s Madejski Stadium. Coach Jackson’s philosophy is centred on quick passing, technical ability and possession-based football, which has been evident throughout Moorland’s remarkable journey to the final and this great triumph. Carl Lightbrown

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07/10/2016 10:22

ISA PRE-INSPECTION COMPLIANCE VISITS

IN THE 2017 ISA MEMBERS’ SURVEY, “INSPECTION FEARS” WERE GIVEN AS THE NUMBER ONE SOURCE OF STRESS FOR HEADS.

esponding to this, and also to the rising demands of compliance inspections, ISA began offering schools the opportunity to have a visit from a trained inspector for a day, to check through the policies, SCR and other compliance details. Since September 2016, almost 150 visits have been carried out, and so far no one who has enjoyed a visit has been subsequently found to be non-compliant by ISI. Two ISA members share their recent experiences of inspection and pre-inspection visits:

TIM LELLO, HEADMASTER OF BABINGTON HOUSE SCHOOL The headmaster of a very prestigious prep school once quietly said to me, “You know, inspections - they don’t really matter. You know that don’t you?” But as you get closer and closer to a full inspection with compliance swishing in at left field particularly when you are one of the pilot schools in the new regime - it is hard to keep the importance (or lack of it!) in perspective. Mind boggling fear doesn’t come close. Neil Roskilly and Peter Woodroffe at ISA were able to provide Babington House School in general - and me in particular - with a critical perspective; they gave carefully measured, expert advice and they did their best to help me not get too overwrought with it all. I have an amazing SLT and they would echo my unreserved praise for Neil and Peter. When I called them often - and sometimes embarrassingly late in the evenings - they always answered or returned my call within 10 minutes tops. That’s impressive. They also didn’t make anything up. If they didn’t know there and then (very rare), they found out and got back to me quickly with the right answer. That’s also impressive. They arranged for an expert to visit Babington free of charge, before we were ‘done’. Triple impressed! Peter also guessed to within a week when we were going to be inspected - Gypsy Lee eat your heart out! Impressive with dangly earrings.

Neil, Peter and the whole ISA team provided the highest level of preinspection support possible, which enabled us to get the highest grade in every category. For a school that encompasses the whole 3-18 age range this, I think, is quite rare. Also

important, when the real thing occurred, I wasn’t a complete gibbering wreck, thanks to their calm advice and sage words. We could not have achieved our ‘Excellent’ grade without them. I am very grateful indeed.

ISA PRE-INSPECTION COMPLIANCE VISITS

ROSIE GILL, HEAD OF RADNOR SCHOOL TWICKENHAM

He also perused our website policies prior to his visit.

significant insight into the mind of an inspector.

Amongst the plethora of useful guidance and support I received as part of my recent induction to ISA, the most pertinent was the opportunity to have a trained ISI inspector visit my school and provide a comprehensive ‘check-up’ of compliance preinspection. This service is provided free of charge to the school (happy Bursar) and could be organised at fairly short notice at a mutually convenient time (happy Head). Having been on inspection tenterhooks since April 2015, as with a number of other schools, I was obviously keen to make use of the service.

Steve arrived early and spent a full day at the school meeting with various different members of the team. A significant amount of his time was naturally given over to the SCR; he also toured the building with our premises manager and examined a range of risk assessments before spending a short time with the pastoral team, and then the academic team. The distribution of his time correlated with the focus I had requested in our initial conversation. At the end of the day he spent a good hour with myself and the Senior Deputy, giving us a clear list by regulatory section of what we still needed to do.

What was noticeable, and for us incredibly useful, was that he came at everything from a compliance angle rather than a best practice angle. One of the issues we have found with having used multiple consultants is that everyone comes with their own way of doing things. The advice given, and which you are paying for, is often based on what other successful schools are doing, rather than what the regulations actually state in black and white. Steve was very clear on what specific things we still needed to action in order to ensure compliance, rather than focussing on ways we might adjust our spreadsheet columns or reorganise our personnel files.

The no-nonsense approach of our visiting ISA ‘agent’ was insightful, by the book and without agenda. Steve was spot on with his knowledge of compliance and the regulations, but also brought with him plenty of recent inspection experience, so he was able to highlight possible loopholes we might fall foul of as well as giving

When we passed our compliance inspection just three weeks later, Steve was one of the first people I called. I’m sure this speaks volumes about the positive impact his visit had. Like many of my experiences thus far dealing with ISA, the process has been supportive, upfront and pupil focused. I would thoroughly recommend it to all colleagues.

Agreeing the date was fairly quick and easy. ISA were very quick to arrange an initial phone call with Steve Boyes, with whom I was able to agree a suitable date for our checkup to take place within a few working days. During our conversation he also asked me to outline the main areas of concern I still had in terms of inspection preparation and we agreed a draft timetable for the day.

SAFEGUARDING IN SCHOOLS

SAFEGUARDING IN SCHOOLS SAFEGUARDING IS AT THE HEART OF THE SCHOOLING SYSTEM. PARENTS PLACE AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TRUST IN SCHOOLS TO ENSURE THEIR CHILDREN ARE PROTECTED, AND SCHOOLS TAKE THESE RESPONSIBILITIES VERY SERIOUSLY.

here are various avenues where safeguarding is necessary and schools are guided by policies published by government. Following is a summary of some of the pertinent areas of safeguarding. The Department for Education has published several guidance documents to assist schools in properly fulfilling their safeguarding duties. The primary document is statutory and one which all schools will be familiar with: Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE). KCSiE sets out the legal duties that schools must comply with to ensure optimal child protection. It guides schools through proper recruitment of staff, details where responsibilities lie and advises schools about how to deal with allegations of abuse. Schools should consider KCSiE alongside another statutory guidance document called Working Together to Safeguard Children. This details how schools can work effectively with other bodies e.g. local authorities in ensuring children are protected. It provides guidance about how to assess if a child might need help, how to compile a child protection plan and outlines organisational responsibilities for safeguarding. Schools also have to be mindful of the Prevent duty, which is a duty to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. There is guidance to equip people who work with children with the skills to identify children who might be vulnerable to radicalisation and inform schools about what to do if they think a child may be susceptible to radicalisation.

There is a duty on schools to ensure the Goddard Inquiry). The purpose of this public inquiry is to investigate that they report when they are told institutional failures in protecting by a girl under 18 that Female Genital children from Mutilation has “IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT sexual abuse. been carried IICSA has had a ALL SCHOOLS CONDUCT AN out on her or if any staff INTERNAL REVIEW OF ALL THEIR tumultuous start but appears to member DOCUMENTS TO ENSURE THAT have settled observes THEY HAVE EASY ACCESS TO into a steady physical ANY INFORMATION THAT MAY BE progression. It is signs. When RELEVANT FOR THE INQUIRY. “ recommended complying that all schools with this duty conduct an internal review of all individuals should be mindful of their their documents to ensure that they wider safeguarding duties in relation have easy access to any information to the child. In October 2016 there was that may be relevant for the inquiry. a consultation about a mandatory Such documents may include details duty to report and act in relation to of past pupil and staff populations, child abuse and neglect. At time of current and past policies/charters writing this article, the Government on safeguarding, details of any has yet to advise on the next steps. individuals who had been suspected In March 2015, the Independent of child abuse and any papers/ Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (‘IICSA’) correspondence from any internal was launched (previously known as investigations.

SAFEGUARDING IN SCHOOLS The internet can provide a great landscape for a young person’s development and learning and can be a place of risk also. Schools should be mindful of ensuring a child’s safety when online by maintaining a robust online safety policy and having appropriate filters on school computers. Young people should be educated about the risks associated with sharing (sensitive) “THE INTERNET CAN pictures online PROVIDE A GREAT and the potential LANDSCAPE FOR A repercussions YOUNG PERSON’S of chatting to DEVELOPMENT AND strangers online. Schools should LEARNING AND CAN be vigilant over BE A PLACE OF instances of RISK ALSO.” cyber bullying and sexting. of safety in a virtual reality world but A burgeoning area of child safety schools should be minded to ensure that we may need to be mindful that if children and young people are of is virtual reality platforms. On accessing virtual reality worlds, they these, young people can access are informed of the potential dangers. an unregulated space where they could be abused or could abuse others, without fully appreciating any consequences. There is little governmental policy development

There is a wealth of information about safeguarding in schools and many organisations exist to assist schools, children and young people through

difficult issues. These can only be effective when each individual with contact with children is vigilant and proactive in ensuring they are safe: vulnerable children and young people depend on this.

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continue to move with the times, be competitive and thrive. Head of Marketing & Admissions, 3-18 day and boarding school

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