Independent School Parent Senior Summer 2015

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Summer 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

Win!

A LUXURY HOLIDAY

SENIOR EDITION

FREE FOR PARENTS AND PUPILS

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION

49

Pupils get a taste of politics

THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER

TRAVEL

TUSCANY WITH TEENS DON’T MISS • STAR ALUMNI • BEHIND THE SCENES AT STONYHURST • LATEST BOOKS AND APPS

UNIVERSITY.

CHOOSING A COURSE

Hooked on

CLASSICS

HOW THE ANCIENT WORLD HOLDS THE KEY TO MODERN TIMES

Any questions?

We all know that Higher Education is evolving rapidly.

New College of the Humanities is part of the evolution.

This is why we can be a small, new college, which nevertheless wins the top award for best Course and Lecturers.

If you have a love of learning, perhaps you should learn a bit more about us. www.NCHum.org

Where quick minds

EDITOR’S LETTER

CLAUDIA DUDMAN Editor

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

HELPING YOU MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES FOR YOUR CHILDREN

CNP Ltd, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ Tel (020) 7349 3700 Fax (020) 7349 3701 Email editor@independentschoolparent.com For website and subscriptions, please visit: independentschoolparent.com/register EDITORIAL Editor Claudia Dudman Senior Sub Editor Natalie Milner Editorial Assistant Eleanor Doughty Editorial Assistant Flora Hughes-Onslow Senior Art Editor Chloë Collyer Senior Designer Emily Weller Designer Maria Sagun PUBLISHING Publisher & Managing Director Paul Dobson Deputy Managing Director Steve Ross Commercial Director Vicki Gavin Media Manager James Dobson Subscriptions Manager Will Delmont 020 7349 3710 will.delmont@chelseamagazines.com Production www.allpointsmedia.co.uk Printed in England by William Gibbons ADVERTISING Client Development Manager Lesley McDiarmid Group Advertisement Manager Freddy Halliday Sales Executive William Bernard DISTRIBUTION Independent School Parent magazine is for parents of children educated in Prep and Senior independent schools across the UK. The prep and senior issues are published termly. Parents can subscribe for a free issue at: independentschoolparent.com/register Independent School Parent also publishes The Guide to Independent Schools biannually to help you choose the right school.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

© CNP Ltd 2015. All rights reserved. Text and pictures are copyright restricted and must not be reproduced without permission from the publisher. The information contained in Independent School Parent magazine has been published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. All liability for loss, negligence or damage caused by reliance on the information contained within this publication is hereby excluded.

WELC ME… This issue, our curriculum feature, Hooked on Classics, looks at the value of studying the ancient subject (page 12). Writer Harry Mount, fresh from tracing the steps of Odysseus for his new book, New Odyssey, discusses how classics trains the mind and offers invaluable lessons on the structure of English and modern foreign languages like French and Spanish.

How do you teach someone to be interesting? Oundle School’s Trivium course aims to do just that. In What is Trivium? (page 27) we find out that “Triv” has no syllabus and no prescribed content. Instead, it is a chance for Year Nine pupils to learn without assessment. The teachers’ brief is: to educate, to introduce pupils to ideas and culture, to sow seeds and to broaden the educational experience.

Following the general election, Eleanor Doughty looks at how schools offered a taste of politics, with mock elections aplenty (page 35).

Plus we have a fantastic new competition for you to enter (page 74), where you can win a luxury family break to the value of £3,000!

Enter at: independentschoolparent.com/win.

Claudia Dudman, Editor

Independent School Parent, independentschoolparent.com COVER: Godolphin School, Wiltshire

LIFE IS EITHER A DARING ADVENTURE OR NOTHING AT ALL

OUTWARD BOUND GAVE ME THE BEST SUMMER OF MY LIFE. THERE’S NOT A DAY GOES BY THAT I DON’T USE THE SKILLS I LEARNED. Sarah, Participant

Whether your child is looking to achieve the prestigious title of head boy or girl, captain of the sports team or excel beyond school at university, an Outward Bound® summer experience gives your child the chance to do something different with their summer. They’ll not only leave with friends from all over the world, they’ll head home with new skills providing a valuable addition to their education to set them apart from their peers.

Each summer The Outward Bound Trust delivers its most ambitious adventures around the mountains, rivers and lakes of the UK. From coastal Wales, to the Lake District and the wild Highlands of Scotland, individuals travel from 30 different countries to embark on the most powerful of journeys across land and water.

COURSE BENEFITS INCLUDE: A fresh perspective

A unique opportunity to meet and work with young people from different backgrounds.

A life-shaping adventure

An unforgettable summer experience in the outdoors to reveal their true potential.

Standing out from the crowd

Participants leave with a sense of confidence, independence and breadth of experience that will set them aside from their peers.

Our 8 day courses provide the perfect opportunity to try out an amazing range of wilderness activities. For those wanting to test themselves against our most challenging programme, look no further than the 19 day Outward Bound Skills for Life Award.

TO BOOK A PLACE CALL 01931 740000 (OPTION 2) OR VISIT OUTWARDBOUND.ORG.UK/INDIVIDUALS Quote SENIOR15 to receive £100 off a 2015 Skills for Life Award Place.

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7 12

WHAT’S INSIDE? Issue 18 Summer 2015 • independentschoolparent.com

45

News Our round-up of hot topics

Hooked on Classics

your child plan for the next step

46

Harry Mount explains how classics holds the key to translating our modern world

21

Heads-Up Friends’ School speaks switch to

23

a smartphone-free zone

28

Holiday Hideaways Thinking of buying a second home?

27

why university is worth every penny

49

32

What is Trivium?

Dramatic History

Year Nine pupils making GCSE choices

Take Care John Attwater explains how to look

did to prepare for the general election

40

School Hero

60

A Taste of Italy Claudia Dudman escapes to a 12thcentury castle in the Tuscan countryside

64 69

45

72 74 77

Home Alone

On the cover...

Download our free app to read the magazine on your phone or tablet...

Competition Win a luxury holiday worth £3,000!

keeps brains ticking over the summer

to give your child some independence?

Heads on the Move Which headmaster is going where?

Talking Heads

Glynis Kozma asks: when’s the right time

Book Club Latest reads and top apps

Headteachers offer words of wisdom to

43

Best for Family... Islands Smith & Family give their favourite spots

out for good pastoral care in schools Eleanor Doughty finds out what schools

59

Felsted’s director of cricket Jason Gallian

35

The Right Fit

Democracy in Action

Ones to Watch Alumni success stories

Giulia Rhodes offers advice for

35

What to Pack?

The ultimate first-year packing list

56

Behind the scenes at Stonyhurst College

32

Spot the Difference Charlotte Phillips chats to students and compares courses across universities

54

no exams – it’s learning for its own sake

31

Why Uni? Sam Haysom gives you the low-down on

Oundle’s new course has no syllabus and

28

Higher Education Our brand new section to help you and

59

64 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD David Moncrieff, Chairman Tor Down, Parent James Durant, UCAS Andrew Fleck, Sedbergh School Tory Gillingham, AMDIS Rachel Kerr, Girls’ Schools Association Glynis Kozma, Education journalist Zoe MacDougall, Teacher Heidi Salmons, The Headmasters’ & Headmistresses’ Conference Elaine Stallard, Elaine Stallard Consulting The Rt Hon Graham Stuart MP, Chairman of the Education Select Committee Sheila Thompson, Boarding Schools’ Association Ben Vessey, Canford School David Wellesley-Wesley, Independent Schools Show Peter Young, Marketing/Brand Consultant Sir Anthony Seldon, Wellington College

Author Harry Mount on why classics is still relevant today (p.12)

Calendar Our top dates for your diary

82

School Memories Television presenter Ben Fogle

x + y2 = 4 Let us know what you think Tweet us @ISParent

Like us on Facebook

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SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

5

Supporting Supporting

NEWS

Our round-up of events nationwide this summer

BALLOONING TO THE EDGE OF SPACE [Abingdon School, Oxfordshire] To inspire pupils about space science and technology, Abingdon School has launched its own space balloon, designed to climb to the edge of space and return to earth again. Built by 12 lower sixth physicists, with expert guidance from European Astrotech, the balloon landed around 12km from the school, reaching a maximum height of 29,410m. “It has been an enormous learning curve,” said sixth former Hugh Franklin.

The balloon has a GPS module to track its position

MATHS OLYMPIAD

[Pocklington School, East Yorkshire]

Two mathletes from Pocklington School, Peter Wu and Louisa Cullen, won silver medals in the UKMT Intermediate Olympiad. In the two-hour Hamilton paper, taken by only the top 500 Year 10s nationally, Peter scored 51/60 and Louisa got full marks!

SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS [Bryanston School, Dorset] Pupils from Bryanston have measured the UK’s tallest broadleaf tree to reach 49.67m.

The London Plane Trees at the school are the tallest accurately measured trees in Europe, and were scaled by 18-year-olds Hannah Post and Robert Oatts, under the guidance of the Great Big Tree Climbing Company.

LLANDOVERY PUPIL TO JOIN WELSH RUGBY SEVENS SQUAD [Llandovery College, Carmarthenshire] Another rugby success for Llandovery College hit our inboxes as current pupil Josh Hodson has been selected for the Welsh Rugby Sevens Development squad. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for Josh, as a school boy to step into the real world of men’s rugby,” said Iestyn Thomas, head of rugby.

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

7

COMIC SUCCESS

PERIODIC DRAMA

[Cheltenham College, Gloucestershire]

A new interactive periodic table has been opened at Cheltenham College as part of a shiny new science centre, complete with refurbished laboratories. A spokesperson for Cheltenham College has said that the new building aims to transform the pupils’ experience of practical science, to ensure that they put these skills at the top of the agenda.

[Bootham School, North Yorkshire] GCSE student Edward Pulleyn, from Bootham School, found himself at the centre of a viral online storm when his Comic Book Storage Unit reached the front page of website reddit. “Comic book collectors were amazed to come across such a unique storage solution,” said head of DT at Bootham, Eamonn Molloy. Edward has been interviewed

by MAKE: magazine, since.

x + y2 = 4

Sch ol tweets

Massive thanks to @ISParent magazine for sending me the latest copy of their magazine – some really great and useful articles in there (Carolyn BB, @evie2206)

THE VOTES ARE IN [Godolphin School, Wiltshire] The mock general election, organised by the Student Union at Godolphin School, was won by the Conservative party, but in a strange turn of events, having not won a clear majority, they formed a coalition with the Green Party. The school organised an informative election campaign including a live television debate on Godolphin’s YouTube channel.

8

independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2015

@ISParent @MalvernStJames @kingschester @HMC_Org So nice to see our “Girls in Science” pic being put to good use!

(Bruton School, @BrutonSchool)

BOATERS MAKE A COMEBACK [Brighton College, East Sussex] Boater hats have been re-introduced at Brighton College in commemoration of the centenary of the First World War. In homage to the 147 old boys from the school who died during the Great War, the school’s 30 prefects will wear the blue and red ribboned boaters.

Tom Ardron gains his England cap in U18 football v Scotland. England won 7:1 & Tom scored 5th goal #proud (Elaine Purves, @RossallHead)

Share your school news and tweet us @ISParent

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HEADS on the move Stephen Yeo will become headmaster of the Purcell School, Herts, this autumn.

Sally-Anne Huang will be head at James Allen's Girls' School, London, from September.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK, GETTY IMAGES

Charles Ellison joins Scarborough College, Yorks, as head, this coming term.

Adrienne Richmond will take over the headship at The Mount School, Yorks, in January.

Dr Andrew Daniel joins Monmouth School, Monmouthshire in September.

TOP OF THE TABLE FOR REPTON am amaos,, a ma t

[Repton School, Derbyshire]

Once again, Repton School has secured its place as the country’s top hockey school this term. All six squads – boys’ and girls’ U14, U16 and U18 have gone through to the English Hockey National Schools Championship finals, with a triple win for the boys. Hockey mums, look this way…

THE HIGHEST JUMP [Dixie Grammar School, Leicestershire] Team England youth athletics coach, Ian Roberts, worked with pupils on sprint starts, relays, long jump and high jump this term.

HORSING AROUND...

[Sedbergh School, Cumbria] The first equestrian team at Sedbergh took home a collection of medals from the National Schools Equestrian Championships in April. Lower sixth former, Storm Straker came second in the individual 90cm show jumping, missing out on first place by 0.03 seconds.

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

11

HARRY MOUNT

studied ancient and modern history and classics at Magdalen College, Oxford

Harry Mount explains how studying classics holds the key to translating our modern world

ooking back 25 years, when studying classics at Westminster School, London, a good time-wasting ruse was to ask the teacher what the point of taking this ancient subject was.

The answers varied, but they were usually a combination of: classics trains the mind; it teaches you the structure of English; it helps you with modern languages such as French and Spanish.

At the time – as the dutiful little swot that I was – I swallowed all this without thinking. It’s only now that I realise those reasons were a bit true; but they were also fairly misleading.

WHY IS CLASSICS USEFUL TODAY?

What does “training the mind” actually mean? Do Latin conjugations reach parts of the brain that, say, studying nuclear physics doesn’t? And, yes, classics does help with English, but that’s because the structure of Latin and Greek are so different, not because they’re similar. All

TOP 10 UK Universities for Classics and Ancient History*

1 CAMBRIDGE 2 OXFORD 3 EXETER 4 DURHAM 5 ST ANDREWS 6 WARWICK 7 UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON 8 SOUTHAMPTON 9 BRISTOL 10 BIRMINGHAM

“TAKE ‘CANDIDATE’. IT COMES “TAKE FROM THE LATIN, ‘CANDIDUS, – A, – UM’, MEANING ‘WHITE OR PURE’.

IT’S A LONG TIME SINCE I HEARD THE WORDS ‘POLITICAL CANDIDATE’ IN THE SAME SENTENCE AS WHITE OR PURE” PURE”

those things that really crunch the cogs of the mind – the ablative absolute and the gerundive in Latin; the optative in Greek – have no real equivalent in English. But they’re useful entirely because they’re different: those differences make you think about the structure of all languages; not just the structure of Latin, Greek or English.

Yes, it’s true that two thirds of our modern English words have classical roots.

But those words have changed their meaning so much over the last couple of millennia that their original sense isn’t, in fact, that useful to an understanding of the modern descendant.

Take our word “candidate”. It comes from the Latin, “candidus, -a, -um”, meaning “white, pure or unvarnished”.

Now I don’t know about you, but it’s a long time since I heard the words “political candidate” in the same sentence as “white”, “pure” or “unvarnished”.

However, it all starts to make sense when you know that politicians standing for office in ancient Rome used to sprinkle themselves with chalk dust to stand out in the crowd. And so they became known as “candidus”, or “the white one” – and, in time, the candidate.

All very interesting – but, still, quite a leap from the original Latin meaning to the English one. And, as for French and Spanish, well, yes, as Romance languages

they have even more Latinate words than English. But, if you really wanted to learn French or Spanish, it is better to, um, actually learn French or Spanish, as opposed to Latin.

So, over the last quarter of a century, I have grown a little sceptical about those reasons for studying classics. But, at the same time, I have come to agree with my old teachers more and more about the essential gist of their argument – that classics is utterly crucial to the complete mind.

EMBEDDED IN HISTORY

I love Greece and Rome because they are the earliest civilisations that have left a really substantial architectural, literary and verbal legacy to our own era. That’s not to do down earlier civilisations of staggering sophistication: like Egypt or early Jewish culture. But, perhaps because Egypt and early Judaism were so far back in the past, their surviving tentacles are not so huge or so apparent in modern life.

In his Booker Prize-winning novel, The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst described those people who know all the big turning points in history as being able to look back at the world as an enfilade of rooms: Greece gives way to Rome... Rome to the Byzantine Empire… the Renaissance… the British Empire…

America… and so on.

* THE COMPLETE UNIVERSITY GUIDE 2016

L

Tweet us your tales of the ancient world at @ISParent

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“KNOWING LATIN AND GREEK “KNOWING IS AN INVITATION TO THE BIGGEST TWO ROOMS IN THE BUILDING, WITH A VIEW DOWN THE CORRIDOR TO ALL THE SUCCEEDING AGES” AGES”

Knowing Latin and Greek is an invitation to the biggest two rooms in the building, with a view down the corridor to all the succeeding ages. And you can get your hands on that invitation at any age.

Alfred the Great, who knew how crucial it was to learn Latin to become a civilised man, took it up in his thirties.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK, FREEPIK, CHARLIE HOPKINSON

FILL IN THE GAPS

If you only learn the Second World War, your mind naturally thinks about the 70-year gap between 1945 and now.

And very interesting that gap is, too: the Cold War, the birth of the EU and the collapse of the British Empire all grew out of the war.

But what a stunted view of history, politics, language and culture you will end up with if you only look at those 70 years. Learn about Greece and Rome, and your mind

immediately starts to wonder about what happened between 410 AD, when the Romans left Britain and the Roman Empire collapsed, and now.

How vast your canvas is – how wide the views – as you begin to learn, and think, about the creation of the countries of Europe, the journey of Latin into Italian, the gradual development of English, the disappearance and return of classical architecture, and the crucial role of classics as the foundation of Western European literature.

CONNECTIONS WITH THE PRESENT

There is an innate joy in understanding classical literature, architecture and thought for its own sake. But the highest joy for me is the moment you can link modern literature, architecture and thought

Harry Mount’s Odyssey: Ancient Greece in the Footsteps of Odysseus is out on 16th July (£18.99, Bloomsbury)

BUY IT

back to its ancient incarnation – and chart the journey in between. I must admit I got real pleasure the moment I first read about that connection between the words “candidus” and candidate.

And it is the gift that goes on giving.

I’ve just spent a fortnight in Italy, finishing off a book. Again and again, I felt that little click as the distant past connected magically with the present.

I felt it on a graffiti-covered street, buzzing with motorinos, in Naples. There I saw the huge, moss-covered stones of the walls of the ancient Greek city of Neapolis – Greek for “new city”. The walls dated back to the days when southern Italy was Magna Graecia – “Big Greece”, a Greek colony – and Neapolis was exactly that, a new city. Neapolis, in time, mutated into Naples.

I felt it in Rome as I bicycled to my flat in the Trastevere district across the Tiber river – “trans Tiberim”, the Latin for “across the Tiber”. This phrase eventually mutated into “Trastevere”.

But those are more obvious clicking moments that I consciously register. Day after day, hour after hour, my mind makes natural, unnoticed judgements of words, sentences, buildings, plots and bits of history that it could never have done without my classical education.

I must revise my earlier opinion in this article: classics has trained my mind.

And it still takes my mind for vigorous runs every day. ISP

“YES, BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH CLASSICS?” Anything is the answer. Among my classics contemporaries from Westminster and Oxford, I know QCs, academics, political journalists, bankers, teachers, fashion designers, internet entrepreneurs and even a pop star. As a highly-regarded degree, it’ll open practically any job interviewer’s door. What it is beautifully suited to, though, is anything that involves writing. For five years, while working on the Daily Telegraph, one of my jobs

was to look after interns on the Comment desk.

I must say that lots of them – from good and bad schools (state and independent) and from good and bad universities – couldn’t write, or even spell, very well.

But every accomplished classicist wrote flawless sentences.

Because they had stripped language back to its bare bones, they knew how to reassemble it.

WESTMINSTER SCHOOL

www.westminster.org.uk

Abbotsholme School every moment matters

Abbotsholme is a day and boarding school for girls and boys ages 2-18, providing a progressive education for the modern world.

We develop enquiring minds and independent thinkers through respect, honesty, humility, integrity and courage.

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To request a prospectus or find out about Open Days, please call 020 7963 1003 or email registrar@westminster.org.uk For information about entry to Westminster Under School at 7+, 8+ or 11+ please call 020 7821 5788.

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Westminster School is a charity (No. 312728) established to provide education.

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Warm, friendly, family school delivering a true all round education Small class sizes allowing individual support to ensure we add value to every pupil in the school whether through classroom or non-classroom based learning Outstanding and varied extra-curricular opportunities including renowned outdoor education activities with Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme taken to Gold level Indoor climbing wall, 70-acre working farm and BHS approved Equestrian Centre Flexi, weekly and full boarding options available in small boarding homes with caring house parents A Levels and BTECS offered to Sixth Form pupils who have their own Sixth Form Centre for independent learning, and a unique Sixth Form Log Cabin Boarding complex One of only 11 Round Square Schools in the UK All inclusive school fees with no hidden extras Scholarships, bursaries and forces bursaries available

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Contact the Admissions team on 01889 594 265 or email admissions@abbotsholme.co.uk, or visit www.abbotsholme.co.uk Abbotsholme School, Rocester, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 5BS

ANCIENT TREASURES From Ovid’s tips on relationships and love, to exhibitions bursting with Roman and Greek artefacts, these books and museums are just the ticket…

TOP

CLASSICAL BOOKS The Iliad Homer (Penguin, hardback £16.99) This Greek epic poem, set in the Trojan War, features Greece’s most complex warrior, Achilles.

TOP

MUSEUMS TO VISIT British Museum London One of the world’s oldest museums, boasting vast collections of rare artefacts. (britishmuseum.org)

Brand New Ancients Kate Tempest (Pan Macmillan, £9.99) Winner of the Ted Hughes Award, a genius comparison between our lives and those of mythology.

Great North Museum Newcastle A museum filled with wonders of natural history and ancient civilisation. (twmuseums.org.uk)

The Satires Juvenal (Oxford World’s Classics, £8.99) A fascinating collection of satirical poems that attack corruption in Rome.

Museum of Classical Archaeology Cambridge Explore one of the largest plaster cast collections in the world. (classics.cam.ac.uk/museum)

The Erotic Poems Ovid (Penguin, paperback, £10.99) Including The Art of Love, these poems reveal remarkable insight into Roman way of life.

Roman Vindolanda & Roman Army Museum Hadrian’s Wall A gripping museum sat on a World Heritage Site. (vindolanda.com)

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2015

HOME TIME

ANNA CHAUDHRI headteacher of Friends’ School, Saffron Walden

T

here has never been an era in human history when people of any age could have instant contact with anyone, at any time. As every mobile phone is a mini computer, camera and recording device all in one, any moment of our lives can be shared at the touch of a button. The proliferation of social media and avenues of electronic communication has gathered momentum, and is moving at a pace which scarcely allows us time to adapt or work out a moral perspective.

But there are aspects of our lives which we prefer to keep to ourselves. Children also need to learn the concept of privacy and to develop reflective space in the course of their daily lives.

Reflection and Silence

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

Friends’ School, Saffron Walden, is a Quaker school and so places strong emphasis on reflection and silence. Every week we meet as a whole school for a period of silent worship and this space for thought is respected and valued by staff and pupils.

Silence and listening is integral to our educational practice and a year ago we decided that we wanted to impact on the developing culture of internet gossip; as a school we felt that our world was becoming a place in which everyone was talking but no one was listening.

After a brief initial trial, we now ask our pupils not to use their electronic devices during break times and lunchtimes and we

[

GREAT ESCAPE

Anna Chaudhri shares what happened when her school switched to a smartphone-free zone encourage parents to get their children to leave their phones at home wherever possible. Tablets and small laptop computers are welcome in the classroom, but they are to be used as working tools.

This means that free time can be used to socialise, chat, exercise and get outdoors, or else seek some peace and quiet. Parents have been supportive of the move, and staff set the example by not using their own mobiles around school.

What do you think?

Tweet us @ISParent

Space for Listening This may seem a relatively modest thing to have done, but it has two practical outcomes. Firstly, we reduce intrusion and distraction during a substantial part of the day. And secondly, we are encouraging healthy social interaction and creating more space for listening. This is firmly underpinned by our Quaker principles.

The importance of reflection as part of the learning process is well established.

]

There has never been an era in human history when people of any age could have instant contact with absolutely anyone at any time

Some schools have introduced programmes of mindfulness or meditation into their curriculum. Spaces are set aside – thinking corners – where pupils can seek solitude and time to read or sit and think.

It’s a State of Mind The creation of true reflective space is, however, more than a physical reality or a set time within the school day. It is a state of mind. We need to develop pupils’ desire to be alone but not lonely. If this can be achieved, they can develop greater self-reliance and reflect maturely on their interaction with others. In periods of calm, questions will occur to them and they have the time and space to work out their own answers. Creativity will flourish if the imagination has time and space to grow.

We embrace the use of technology, but we also try to focus a strong light on personal and social development, since it is only a confident and well-rounded individual who will be able to contribute to, and take a full part in, adult society. We should be doing all we can to guarantee some privacy and reflective space and time, so that young people can develop a sense of inner peace and strength. ISP

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

21

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DONALD WATT

property and operations director, The Hideaways Club

HOLIDAY HIDEAWAYS

Considering a holiday home? Donald Watt suggests an alternative that’s perfect for families

Villa Ombak on the island of Nusa Lembongan, off Bali

PROPERTY

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s I have four sons ranging in age from 16 to 25, I understand the importance of family holidays after the stresses and strains of the school term.

Family time is really precious and it’s not surprising that many parents feel it’s a lottery searching for the perfect holiday, with certain locations inevitably providing better experiences than others. This can ultimately lead you to the conclusion that it’s time to buy your very own home abroad in your favourite family-holiday location, so you remain in control and know what to expect.

However, there’s then the difficult decision on what sort of property to buy and the ongoing hassle of property maintenance. Most importantly, you need to be sure that your chosen location will appeal to all family members and that there is enough to entertain the children as they grow up. Also, what if you love skiing as well as beach holidays and can’t decide on a chalet or a beachfront home?

Try Something Different Fortunately there is an alternative. The Hideaways Club is an exclusive shared ownership club allowing members to invest in, and holiday in, exquisite luxury homes in fantastic locations across the globe. The club is perfect for those looking to invest in a second home, but who want the flexibility of travelling to different locations. In my role at The Hideaways Club, I am responsible for purchasing properties and maintaining them to the highest standards all around the world.

We have a huge variety of homes to choose from, ranging from 12th-century

24

| SUMMER 2015

Tuscan farmhouses deep in the olive groves and beachfront villas on paradise islands, to beautiful ski chalets in the Alps.

Membership is supported by a first-class concierge service, which is really useful for families as it can help organise transfers, stock the fridge in advance, arrange holiday itineraries, dinner reservations, babysitting and sightseeing.

The Hideaways Club offers two funds, which members can buy into at a level to suit their lifestyle and holiday needs.

The Classic Collection The first fund is The Classic Collection.

There’s the choice of 42 stunning villas and chalets owned by The Hideaways Club in beautiful locations across the world, such as France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Mauritius, South Africa and Southeast Asia. Members also have access to a further portfolio of over 200 luxury villas through reciprocal agreements with other destination clubs.

The properties are typically for eight to 10 guests. Entry-level price for The Classic Collection starts with a Lifestyle Associate membership at £88,000.

The City Collection There are 13 beautiful city centre apartments in The City Collection in some of the most iconic spots of the world, including New York, Prague, Barcelona, Berlin, Istanbul, Bangkok and Dubai, with a further choice of 12 homes available through reciprocal agreements, giving a total of 25 luxury city homes to choose from. The apartments typically accommodate four to six guests. Entrylevel price for an Associate membership starts at £69,500.

All The Hideaways Club properties are worth more than £1.2 million, and are handpicked to ensure they are exceptional places to stay and are furnished and equipped to the highest standards. We also

Above, La Retraite, La Rouret, Provence, France below, Villa Hibiscus, Bel Ombre, Mauritius

consult members on where they would like us to purchase new properties.

Our members are making a clear lifestyle choice when they join The Hideaways Club. They love the wide choice of luxury homes to stay in, all with very different characters, as well as the attention to detail and convenience of our concierge service. This is underpinned with the knowledge that they are investing in properties across different countries and are therefore less exposed to the vagaries of any particular country’s property market, plus they will benefit from lifelong memories and great experiences along the way. With the property market improving, now is the perfect time to invest in The Hideaways Club. ISP

For more information visit: thehideawaysclub.com

PROPERTY

SNAPSHOT LA RETRAITE, LE ROURET, FRANCE Near to St Tropez, Nice, Monte Carlo, Grasse and Cannes, this beautifully restored Provençal-style stone villa (above) sleeps eight in four bedrooms. It is situated in a secluded location next to extensive woodland, so it is a fantastic bolthole for relaxing holidays. Families love the large pool and deck area and there’s a flat screen TV, iPod music system and Nintendo Wii game console. La Retraite is 40 minutes from Nice airport.

HIBISCUS, BEL OMBRE, MAURITIUS This stunning house (below), part of the Domaine de Bel Ombre, a former 18thcentury sugar plantation, is on the south coast of Mauritius on the Villas Valriche Estate development, and sleeps eight in four bedrooms. The villa wraps around an infinity pool on three sides and has ocean views. The estate has a tennis club, beach club and a championship golf course, while the private beach offers water sports, including kayaking, snorkelling, windsurfing and sailing. The Valriche Nature Reserve, home to deer and monkeys, is within easy walking distance. Hibiscus is 40 minutes from Mauritius International Airport.

Snapshot Mornings

Come and visit on a typical school morning and see all we have to offer 2015 11 September, 18 September, 2 October, 16 October, 6 November, 27 November Come and visit on a typical school2016 morning and see all we have to offer 15 January, 29 January, 5 February, 11 March, 22 April, 13 May, 17 June

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2015 Mrs Carole18 Heritage, Registrar 2 01722 430509 or16 email heritagec@godolphin.wilts.sch.uk 11RSVP September, September, October, October, 6 November, 27 November FRANC

HA LEAL

ETO GE

Developing outstanding individuals Using your School Branding System©

A Co-educational Catholic Boarding and Day School for 3–18 year olds The logo

This is the new logo for alladmissions@stonyhurst.ac.uk members of the Jesuit Institute group of schools and should be used across Tel 01254 827073 all communications materials within the school to help promote the links with the Jesuit Institute.

It is designed as a unit with the ‘sunburst’ crest and the lettering. They must be kept as one unit. These Stonyhurst, Clitheroe, BB7 www.stonyhurst.ac.uk 2 elementsLancashire should never be used in different9PZ proportions to those shown below. They can appear discretely and we would recommend they feature no smaller than 35mm wide.

There are 3 versions of the logo supplied on your CD, including a black version. They are shown below. The logo should not be used in any other colourway or distorted. However it can be scaled in proportion.

We have also created an extra logo artwork for use when applied to uniform and is being stitched or embroidered.

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CURRICULUM

WILLIAM GUNSON

is head of Trivium at Oundle School, Northamptonshire

T

his spring, as part of their Trivium course, Year Nine pupils from Oundle School went out and about on “Trippia”. Designed to place learning for its own sake at the heart of the curriculum, Trivium is a new course, based purely on “interestingness”. It complements the school’s already extensive Voluntaries programme and Extended Project Qualifications (EPQs), encouraging pupils to extend their learning beyond subjects for academic assessment.

Seeds for the Future Oundle’s director of studies, Ben Evans, commented, “Our new Trivium course is studied by all Year Nine pupils in groups of 10 for four lessons per fortnight.

Oundelians are intellectually ambitious but it is vital that they do not equate all learning with assessment. ‘Triv’ has no syllabus and no prescribed content”. He continues, “We wish to sow seeds for the future by providing intellectual stimulation from the off. Our aim should be to create something akin to a ‘colloquium for all’.”

On the recent “Trippia”, each Trivium set enjoyed a different day trip around the UK, linked to their course: some to Oxford or Cambridge, others to London, some to Suffolk, while others ventured as far as Devon. There are 20 teachers involved in the new Trivium course, and their brief is to educate, to introduce pupils to ideas and culture, to sow seeds and to broaden

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WHAT’S TRIVIUM?

How do you teach someone to be interesting? Oundle’s Trivium course aims to do just that, says William Gunson the educational experience. The topics explored vary from group to group, while one class is studying the works of the author Koestler, another is immersed in the art of Berlin; one set of pupils is discussing ethical aspects of technological advance, while another is being introduced to the poetry of Yeats.

Off the Tourist Track Some sets visited renowned museums or quirky, off-the-beaten track institutions where tourists do not venture. Some undertook a special workshop using the ancient printing presses of the Bodleian library in Oxford while others competed in a philosophers’ treasure hunt through the city, or hunted down specific pieces of architecture in Cambridge. What links all the sets in this course is the method of teaching – Trivium’s “traditional three ways” of Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric.

]

Some undertook a special workshop using the ancient printing presses of the Bodleian library in Oxford while others competed in a philosophers’ treasure hunt through Oxford

Above, Year Nine pupils embark on the Trivium course

Pupils uncovered the history of London between St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey as well as enjoying excursions to Greenwich and the Science Museum in search of lost time. One group undertook the T. S. Eliot walk from Oundle to Little Gidding; another a pilgrimage to Snape Maltings and Aldeburgh on the trail of Benjamin Britten. One group of pupils enjoyed an overnight residential looking at the democratic Sands School, where all decisions are put to a full school vote.

It’s Time to Dig Deep Trips were chosen to stimulate that “idle intellectual curiosity” which the historian Trevelyan identified as the lifeblood of civilised society, and the indulgence of which crosses specific subject boundaries: hence the Trivium approach. Pupils were encouraged to dig more deeply into the spirit of places visited than a sightseeing or tourist excursion might have required.

The events were summed up well by one boy in an email afterwards: “Dear Sir – a very big thank you for today – it was so good just to go and do something for its own sake. I spent the whole night dreaming about new things.” ISP

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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ANDREW JOHNSON

headmaster of Stonyhurst College, Lancashire

(Behind the Scenes)

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Stonyhurst College, Lancashire

hat has one of Shakespeare’s First Folios, found in northern France, got to do with Stonyhurst College in Lancashire’s Ribble Valley?

Stonyhurst originated in the French town of Saint-Omer in 1593, which is where one of Shakespeare’s First Folios was discovered last November. The school was founded by the Jesuits to provide a Catholic education for English boys, at a time when such an education was forbidden in their own country.

Stonyhurst began as the Jesuit College of St Omer, changing its name when the French Revolution and political repercussions forced the school to relocate

[

and crossings out (the Jesuits removed passages thought to be unedifying for their young students) are very similar to those found in another First Folio belonging to Stonyhurst, held in our drama library of over 300 manuscripts.

Because the Jesuits understood drama’s unique value in education, each yeargroup in their schools would perform one or two plays each year. This is why, to this day, year-groups at Stonyhurst are known as “playrooms”, and are named after different elements of language: Rudiments, Grammar, Syntax, with the sixth-form years named after the more elevated skills of Poetry and Rhetoric.

The Jesuits were the first to realise that drama fosters a rich experience of music and language, that it develops imagination and confidence, and trains the memory

to the Stonyhurst estate in Lancashire in 1794. The Saint-Omer First Folio was almost certainly left behind in the school’s hurried departure, along with many other books and possessions.

Shakespeare’s plays were a vital part of Jesuit education in the 17th century – they were the first to realise that drama fosters a rich experience of language, music and dance, that it develops imagination and confidence, and trains the memory. The First Folio found in France is wellthumbed and copiously annotated with stage directions. It was evidently a working copy, used in the Jesuits’ frequent play rehearsals. What’s more, the annotations

The First Folio found in Saint-Omer last year was almost certainly Stonyhurst’s

]

This tradition of excellent drama continues at Stonyhurst; many pupils get involved and it is a key part of our rich extra-curricular life. Major productions have included Romeo and Juliet, The Three Musketeers, Sweeney Todd and Les Misérables. We staged Oh! What a Lovely War in the centenary year of World War One, and our most recent production was Abigail’s Party – Mike Leigh’s satirical comedy. Our production of The Tempest will go on tour to Hong Kong in the autumn, as part of a cultural exchange with two sister Jesuit schools there.

Our historic collections are another feature of our Jesuit heritage. Jesuit

Above, Stonyhurst, Lancashire, top right, pupils perform The Three Musketeers

colleges across Europe gathered artefacts, both sacred and secular, to support their teaching. Jesuit missionaries, travelling to every part of the globe, brought back thousands of fascinating and diverse objects, including an Egyptian mummy, an astrolabe [ancient astronomical computer], Chinese art, Guyanese and Zulu ornaments, and a cornucopia of beautiful things from the natural world.

Sacred artefacts have also been entrusted to Stonyhurst for safekeeping since the time of the Reformation, including Mary Queen of Scots’ prayer

SENIOR SCHOOL

DRAMATIC HISTORY

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

Andrew Johnson explains how drama and heritage is at the heart of the Jesuit tradition that binds schools across the world

book, illuminated manuscripts, and embroidered vestments; these include a cope [a ceremonial cloak], commissioned

by King Henry VII, which was later taken by his son, King Henry VIII to the Field of the Cloth of Gold. The Stonyhurst collections continue to be a valuable source of inspiration and are often brought out of their cases and into the classrooms.

Jesuit education deserves to be celebrated, not only for its 400-year-old emphasis on the value of the arts, but also for its history of excellent pastoral care, and educational depth, breadth and

Right, Stonyhurst has a varied collection of historical and sacred artefacts

inspiration. Jesuits were ahead of their time as educators in the 16th and 17th century, and their systematic, holistic approach shaped much of western education for the next three centuries. Today there are 3,780 Jesuit schools, colleges and universities worldwide, educating 3.5 million young people in 70 countries.

Stonyhurst, the oldest in the world, firmly belongs to this global network.

Stonyhurst provides the intellectual challenge long associated with a Jesuit

education. We are interested in an individual pupil’s all-round development as a preparation for life, through drama, sport, music and a host of other activities encouraging personal growth and leadership. We have a strong sense of history, and this intriguing connection with a Shakespeare First Folio found in France is a powerful illustration of the College’s fascinating heritage. ISP

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CURRICULUM

GIULIA RHODES

journalist writing on parenting in national newspapers and magazines

O

nce upon a time a child would have been deemed “scientific” or “artistic” by his or her teachers with subject choices dictated accordingly.

Some young people know what career path they want to follow early on. They are interested only in medicine, education, a career on the stage, or whatever else it might be. For many though the early years of Senior school are the time to begin exploring where their deeper interests and abilities lie.

ILLUSTRATION: CLARE MACKIE

Ditch the Stereotype So how and when should children begin to think about where their skills lie and how far should that understanding govern their subject choices?

According to Dr Sarah Welch, principal of co-ed Gosfield School, Essex, and chair of the Independent Schools Association Education Committee, we should be careful not to pigeon-hole children early.

“There are those who are obviously sporty or artistic, but many are all-rounders and others need time to discover their interests. We must help them keep a balance and not shut doors. Just because they are doing very well in the sciences doesn’t mean they can’t sustain an interest in the arts or the humanities.”

THE RIGHT FIT

Combining subject choices with abilities and interests helps pupils identify their real strengths, says Giulia Rhodes Learning Potential The key, she says, is to think in a nuanced way about aptitudes and interests. “We try to look at skills, many of which are transferable, rather than just specific subjects,” she explains.

Like many schools, Gosfield uses the University of Durham’s CEM testing method to investigate learning potential in areas such as non-verbal reasoning, numerical skill and spatial awareness.

Looking at children in this way gives more chance of a perfect fit between individual and curriculum, and allows teachers to develop students’ aptitudes across a range of subjects. “Decisions can be based less on traditional stereotypes. Instead of sending a child who is doing very well in science straight down a physics, chemistry, maths and

further maths route, we might identify strong analytical skills and encourage them to try something like economics.”

A Different Work Place Generally, says Dr Welch, schools are becoming very sophisticated in their ability to help children identify their strengths. Thinking in this less rigid way is, she suggests, vital if we are to fit our children for a work place likely to be very different to our own.

“We are preparing children for careers we can’t imagine, and the routes are not always those we recognise,” she says.

A Balanced Individual Education of course, is not only about preparing for a career. “At the end of the day we are not turning out university students, we

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want to turn out whole people,” says Dr Welch.

Charlotte, whose 15-yearold daughter is at a day school in the Home Counties says identifying her niche has been a slow process for her daughter. “She was an all rounder and confused about the future. Talking about careers as well as GCSE results helped her see that she liked science best and found essay writing most stressful. I think focusing on the things which come most easily will really open opportunities for her.”

While students need to consider potential results as they decide where to specialise, it is important to look beyond this. “Education isn’t just about a letter at the end of it,” says Dr Welch. “The old stereotypes are less important. We want students to have it all.” ISP

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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JOHN ATTWATER

headmaster of King Edward’s Witley, Surrey

A

lmost every school I know of boasts somewhere on its website about its emphasis on pastoral care and how good that pastoral care is.

My own is no exception: King Edward’s Witley has been “into” pastoral care for over 460 years, from its foundation in Tudor times as an orphanage for the City of London and throughout its transformation over the centuries into a school.

TAKE CARE

John Attwater explains how to look out for evidence of good pastoral care in a school

What Makes Good Care?

Excellent pastoral care, like motherhood and apple pie, is one of those desirable things you can’t disagree with, but it’s surprising how often it is taken at face value and not really interrogated. So what does great pastoral care actually mean?

How do good schools achieve it, and what should parents be looking for in a school that makes that claim?

It may be obvious when pastoral care is lacking, of course, but excellent pastoral care is much more than just being nice to people: it’s putting a child’s needs at the centre of a school’s operation.

Tea and Sympathy For King Edward’s, this means looking both at the short and long term. Short term, we are there to protect the wellbeing of children and to be a safety net to pick them up from the vicissitudes of life. So our 24-hour medical centre also does a good

[

line in tea and sympathy; all staff, especially our house staff and matrons, have a brief to get to know their charges as well as possible and to be available to them at (literally in a boarding school) any time. We are specifically trained in many of the issues faced by teenagers today, from anorexia to cyberbullying, attachment disorders to depression.

Communication is Key Our systems for communicating pastoral concerns instantly through sophisticated software are robust; and our anti-bullying measures ensure that everyone knows what is acceptable and what is not, and who they can turn to if needed.

Creating Opportunities But real pastoral care is long term and, as I say, feeds into the educational agenda too. From the basics of making sure that

Pastoral care, like motherhood and apple pie, is one of those desirable things you can’t disagree with, but it’s amazing how often it is taken at face value and not interrogated

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2015

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]

the subjects we teach are those which a student will actually need – in our case ensuring a breadth of GCSEs, IGCSEs and the IB alongside A levels at sixth form – pastoral care also involves a clear intent to provide activities, opportunities and situations which develop resilience and resourcefulness, a training in good habits and, above all, the values and moral dimension which will sustain an individual’s wellbeing throughout their life.

Teach by Example We as teachers and pastoral staff need to have the expertise to teach and to demonstrate by example what is healthy (and, sometimes, what is not).

Eventually, the true mark of our pastoral care is that our pupils have inculcated in them the instinct to care for themselves and for others in later life, and know the fulfilment which results. A very high proportion of our alumni go into caring professions: medicine, social work, teaching; and I am exceptionally proud of that. Plenty bombard us daily with Justgiving requests for their latest sponsored activity. If any of that is down to us, then our website claim is justified. ISP

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PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK, STEVE COOLING. TOP ROW: SEDBERGH. RIGHT COLUMN: SEDBERGH, OUNDLE. CENTRE: LANCING COLLEGE. LEFT COLUMN: SEDBERGH, OUNDLE

POLITICS

DEMOCRACY IN ACTIO N We know the result of the general election but how did schools give pupils a taste of politics? Eleanor Doughty finds out

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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OPEN MORNINGS Welcoming you to our beautiful 74-acre Bushey campus on the following dates: Saturday 26th September 2015 9.30am to 12.30pm Wednesday 7th November 2015 9.30am to 12pm

Whitgift.

One of Britain’s finest independent day and boarding schools for boys aged 10-18

‘Some might say it’s just bricks and mortar. Others may say it’s just a school. But Whitgift is so much more than that’ Old Whitgiftian (2006–2014)

OPEN MORNING | SATURDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2015 OPEN EVENING | TUESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2015 SIXTH FORM AND BOARDING | BY APPOINTMENT admissions@whitgift.co.uk +44 (0)20 8633 9935 www.whitgift.co.uk/opendays

Haling Park, South Croydon, CR2 6YT, United Kingdom

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2015

POLITICS

ELEANOR DOUGHTY

editorial assistant and newspaper journalist

S

Turnout at school mock elections was higher than the national turnout

o long, general election – see you in 2020.

While the country was phone-polled, leafleted and canvassed to death over the five weeks of the election campaign, uniformed pupils were able to play their own part. Not to be left out, schools got in on the act too, having spent much of the Lent term organising hustings for local candidates – those new, retained and now deposed members of parliament – and running their very own shiny, ballot-box wielding elections, complete with rosettes.

Blundell’s, Devon

A Chance to Vote

Malvern St James, Worcestershire

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK

At Monkton Combe School in Bath, student-lead politics also took centre stage, with hustings organised by 17-yearold Dan Mangles. Just 23 days short of his 18th birthday, he was inspired to bring the general election to school, and invited the local candidates along – including Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg.

“Youth have a role in politics beyond casting those crucial deciding votes so sought after [in] this campaign – that of voicing party policy through our own experience,” Mangles explained, pre-election.

“If [the] youth do not provide their own voice, few will rise to speak for them.”

No Vote, No Voice

An Electoral Push At some schools, pupils lead the political initiative. Sedbergh’s head of school, sixth former Tom Robinson, was behind its electoral push, organising a hustings for local candidates, including one of the now few still-standing Liberal Democrat MPs – an elite cadre, one might say – Tim Farron, a friend of the school. “He pops in and out of school pretty frequently,” head Andrew Fleck says from his study. The hustings was a great success, as Robinson explains, “Some of the pupils came up to me afterwards saying, ‘If I’m honest Tom, I didn’t think this would be my sort of thing, but I loved it and I was gripped.’”

councils. The whole principle of responsible debate on the part of an elected representative is established at a very young age. By the time pupils arrive in senior school, then I think they have a strong grasp of that.”

Of course, it doesn’t always flow quite so smoothly. Senior schools, Fleck says, must respond to that by “taking a local appreciation and connecting it to a political class that seem quite far removed.”

Oundle School, Northamptonshire

Pupils at St Peter’s School in York also enjoyed a lively mock election, partly organised by head of politics Ben Fuller, and head boy Benedict Turvill, who took over the role of returning officer. Like Dan Mangles, Turvill was just a few weeks short of being able to vote in the general election. “It’s madness not to vote if you are legally entitled!” he said, speaking before the election. St Peter’s’ Labour candidate 18-year-old Duncan Smith was delighted at being able to vote: “This is the most exciting election in years – I’m lucky to be of voting age.”

“The young tend to see the world with brilliant and idealistic clarity,” St Peter’s

In the Beginning Learning about politics must start from the beginning of each child’s education, if it is to be successful. In many schools, this is already going on, Fleck says. “Most primary or prep schools have school

Malvern St James.

Worcestershire

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

37

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POLITICS

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]

Youth have a role in politics beyond casting those crucial deciding votes that are so sought after in this campaign – that of voicing party policy through their own experience

headmaster Leo Winkley says. “Politics is murky; we need the directness of the young to cleanse the discussion and give us clarity.”

A Mock Election Campaign

Sedbergh, Cumbria

Lancing College, West Sussex

The indefatigable Ian Thomson has been for many years organising pre-election activities at Lincoln Minster School. The city’s constituency Lincoln Central is itself a swing seat – this year won back by the Tories – surrounded by solidly blue farming countryside. In 2010, the school’s mock election swung around to a large Conservative majority, with a full spread of candidates; this year, just three parties ran in the race – the Conservatives, Labour and the Monster Raving Loony Party. “The school’s UKIP candidate defected to the Tories early in the campaign,” Thomson explained before the general election. “It’s a pity that we have no Lib Dem candidate but maybe that will be reflected nationally,” he added.

Tweet us your election campaign results @ISParent

Malvern St James, Worcestershire

A High Turnout

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK

Blundell’s School, Devon

Oundle School, Northamptonshire

Turnout across the school elections has been a significant improvement on the national turnout. At Sedbergh, pupils achieved a 71% turnout – five per cent higher than the national average. At Godolphin School in Wiltshire, 73% turned out to vote. At Oundle School in Northamptonshire, 17-year-old Ali Mason, who ran for the Tories, described the election as having the “same feeling as when a World Cup comes around and you can feel the buzz around it.”

There is something special about a mock election. It is, as Ben Fuller says, “citizenship education in action”. That ought to be top of the list of to-dos. This year, pupils have been lucky enough to make it come true. ISP

Lancing College, West Sussex

Malvern St James, Worcestershire

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

39

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

1 Scott Carnochan

5 Richard Merriman

Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School, Cumbria I feel children’s time is so structured. Even during the school holidays, parents tend to plan every minute of their child’s time and I fear this structure is damaging children’s ability to self-entertain, design their own games and simply “play”.

How often do children climb trees, build dens, play in a stream and just lose themselves in the wonder of childhood imagination, without the interference of adults? I fear much less often than I would like. I hope I am wrong!

Foremarke Hall, Derbyshire I would like to see young people have a go at communicating with their friends and family without using email, video calls or any form of social media for a week or so. I hope they discover the joy of sending and receiving letters, notelets and cards.

6 Fiona Thomas

Broomwood Hall, South London If it rains, games like Frustration are a wonderful way to pass the time (an up-to-date version of Ludo) and my 20- and 22-year-old children still love playing it with me!

If you are going outdoors then taking bikes to the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park can be great fun and good exercise. The Hollycombe Steam Collection near Liphook is an old-fashioned fairground that parents love as much as children. If you want to do a gallery then download the 30 best pictures from the National Gallery and try to find them.

St Mary’s Preparatory School, Lincolnshire The school holidays should be a time for fun, exploration and investigation beyond the classroom. Through playing, day trips, travel, local cultural events and family time children can experience that learning does not stop at the classroom door. However, over the long summer break some skills do need to be kept sharp for the academic year ahead and the next stage of learning. Recording summer memories in the form of a diary, both written and pictorial, is another way of ensuring writing skills are consolidated and maths can be explored in a practical way at home.

Most importantly it must be remembered that the purpose of the holidays must not be defeated.

3 Mark Semmence

7 Philip Meadows

Mount Kelly, Devon After the busy activity-packed lives that our children lead during term time, parents should resist the temptation to fill every waking moment of the school holiday with worthy activities. We need to give our children the time and space to allow them to grow up to become creative, innovative, resourceful and independent. It is during these times that they learn about themselves and begin to form the habits that will shape the adults that they will become.

Loretto Junior School, East Lothian Children should use the summer holiday to do anything that might improve their resilience, independence and ability to cope with boredom! As parents we should not hand them everything on a plate. Use open spaces to play games, build dens, run around, climb trees, but always with energy and imagination. On holiday make new friends but stay in touch with old mates too. Try something new!

When you fall over, dust yourself off and try again, and be prepared to lend a helping hand to someone else too.

4 Jonathan Whybrow

8 Jane Grubb

Cheltenham College Preparatory School, Gloucestershire Summer is a time for children to relax – but they can still learn valuable lessons. The trick is to camouflage learning in the guise of entertainment and adjust activities to suit the age of the child. Activities could include adding up car number plates, insisting that children pay for their own ice-creams and ensure they have received the correct change and studying maps to see where they are going. At the other end of the age range, my eldest daughter learned valuable lessons such as confidence, working under pressure and customer relations by undertaking a month’s stint in our local pub, something I would have encouraged even if I had given the landlord her wages! Revision is appropriate but only if there is a balance between work and play; all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy and Jill a dull girl!

Dunhurst, Bedales Preparatory School, Hampshire Children have an innate ability to create, problem solve, invent and play. I would advise parents to invest in tools, wood, screws, wire and nails. Visit the dump and acquire old bikes, motor mowers and prams. Encourage your children to reuse the materials provided to build new modes of transport, dens, gadgets and leave them to it. Live outside as much as possible. Wild camp, cook outdoors, forage for food, light fires, identify plants, flowers and study nature.

Often parents feel they need to take control and spend vast sums of money on activities, but holidays should be for children to think for themselves and remove the structures of term time. Remove mobile phones and tablets during the day (or even completely) and let them enjoy being the inventors of their own holiday activity and creations.

2 Sarah Graham

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2015

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TALKING HEADS: SUMMER HOLIDAYS

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Eight headteachers give their views on how pupils can make the most of their summer break

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STAR PUPILS

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come and mess around on the river at the runnymede-on-thames You can hire one of our brilliant little boats… feed the ducks… tuck into a picnic… go swimming in our spa… feast on fab food at our family friendly ‘ducklings dinners’… swan around our glam outdoor pool and play tennis too. It’s an idyllic spot for a luxury family break, just 10 minutes away from LEGOLAND Windsor, Thorpe Park, Windsor Castle and loads more things to do and see.

To book or for more information call: 01784 220980 or visit us at www.therunnymede.co.uk

Windsor Road Egham Surrey TW20 0AG telephone: 01784 220600 email: info@therunnymede.co.uk www.therunnymede.co.uk

GLYNIS KOZMA

is a journalist writing on parenting for newspapers and magazines

Giving your child independence is a gradual process

HOME ALONE

K

When did you first leave your child on their own?

Glynis Kozma canvasses opinion

nowing how much independence to allow your child, and at what age, can be tricky. There’s no law, the NSPCC just provides guidance. At 12 years old they are too old for a full-time nanny or babysitter, but probably too young be home alone for a whole day. It’s important to acknowledge that all children are different and mature at different rates, even siblings. You know your child best.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK

Take Baby Steps Holly, who has a 12-year-old son, explained how she gradually allowed her him to stay at home alone. “I started leaving Tom when he was eight. It would only be for a few minutes when I walked to the post box along the road. I have increased this gradually so that now I’d be happy to leave him for a couple of hours.

Since starting senior school last September, he has had a key so he occasionally comes home into an empty house, but I am always home quite soon afterwards. Right from the start we were safety conscious: our home phone was programmed

Tell us what has worked for you @ISParent

with both mine and his father’s mobile numbers: he was told to answer only if it flashed “Mummy” or “Daddy”.

Likewise, he knows not to answer the door to anyone. He took this so literally that when his grandparents arrived early, he wouldn’t answer or let them in, much to their annoyance! Other rules include that he mustn’t cook and, in the event of a fire to leave the house immediately and go to a neighbour’s or the village shop.”

[

microwave. It’s also a good idea to talk through the worst case “what ifs” which might include someone persistently knocking at the door, phone calls – do they answer or not? – when they may be pressurised into revealing an adult is not in the house, fires and unwanted friends arriving. Although you trust your child, a houseful of their friends could be a recipe for disaster. Is your child mature enough to withstand peer pressure if a friend

]

Tom does not answer the door to anyone.

He took this so literally that when his grandparents arrived early, he wouldn’t let them in, much to their annoyance!

Matter of Opinion Rachel has two daughters, now aged 13 and 16. “I have seen a range of parental attitudes: some won’t leave them in the house alone because they either fight with each other or aren’t trustworthy. Others have left their children at much younger ages. Initially I’d leave them for short periods of time locally, and be aware if my neighbours were in. They get on well and did first aid at Guides.”

If you decide your child can be left for a whole day it’s important to plan meals that either don’t need cooking or can be safely cooked, perhaps in a

suggests your house is the perfect venue for an impromptu party?

By the time your child is 14 or older, you may feel comfortable leaving them alone for most of the day, but it’s a gradual process. Think about potential safety risks, loneliness, as well as your child leaving the house without you knowing where they have gone. Has it been made clear they are expected to stay in the house? Phone them during the day to check how they are and ensure they have contact numbers for you and other adults. Above all, go with your own feelings and don’t necessarily follow other families’ behaviour. ISP

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHY: UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS - RUTH RUTHERFORD

OFF TO UNI

Once your AS-level exams are done and dusted, it’s time to start thinking about higher education. Here’s a taster of why university is worth all the hard work and how to narrow down your degree choices out of a mound of prospectuses SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

editor of whatuni.com

WHY UNI?

D

Tuition fees may be at an all-time high but the investment is worth every penny, says Sam Haysom

eciding whether or not to go to uni isn’t an easy decision. In the last few years we’ve been bombarded by so many shouty headlines about debt and rising tuition fees and graduate employment that it’s sometimes hard to forget what the benefits of getting a degree actually are. There are so many stereotypes and scary stories floating around that the positives often get pushed to the bottom and trampled on, and you might be left wondering what the point in it all is. So – what is the point?

[

showed a similar pattern, with 86% of students in 2014 claiming satisfaction with their course, up from 85% in 2013.

Improving Job Prospects The well-repeated phrase “graduate job prospects” might sound scary. For years, it conjured up images of grim-faced students struggling under a weight of debt, desperately scouring the UK’s flimsy job market for something more than an unpaid internship. Well, forget all that.

Securing a job at a top firm is always going to be a challenge, but there’s plenty of recent evidence to suggest that things are on the up. The UK Graduate Careers

]

University isn’t just about getting a job – it’s about the experience, meeting a new set of people and learning indispensable life skills and, most importantly, having fun

It’s Not All That Bad This is really important to remember. The media tends to report on the more miserable aspect, but there are still bags of positives about going to uni. The results of the recent Whatuni Student Choice Awards show that student satisfaction is actually on the rise. 20,000 past and current students rated their university experience in reviews published on whatuni.com, and the average rating they gave in the Overall Experience category was four per cent higher this year than it was last year. Last year’s National Student Survey

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Survey published at the start of 2015 described graduate job prospects as being at a “10-year high”, with a reported 8.1% more entry-level jobs available in 2015 than in 2014. Students are feeling more confident about their job prospects this year, too – the annual rise in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards Job Prospects category may be small (just over a 0.01% increase), but it’s there nonetheless. Former NUS President Aaron Porter says that the evidence is overwhelming in higher education’s favour. “Those that do have degrees are significantly more likely to find work,

What do you think about tuition fees? @ISParent

remain in employment and get promoted more quickly compared to those that don’t,” Aaron explains. “In a very competitive jobs market, having a degree is a real advantage.”

Tuition Fee Myths No university-related topic has been argued over more than tuition fees, and the coalition government’s decision to bump up the cap from £3,000 to £9,000 a few years ago. There’s a lot of confusion around the topic – yes, it’s a lot of money that isn’t to be taken lightly, but it’s important to remember that this won’t be the same as other loans.

You won’t have to start paying the money back until you’re earning over £21,000 a year, and when you do start, it will only be nine per cent of any money you earn that’s over the £21k threshold. If it’s debt that’s putting you off the thought of going to university, just make sure you do your homework – read up on the repayment terms and get all the facts before you decide. You might find that things aren’t as bad as they seem.

The Forgotten Benefits University isn’t just about jobs and money.

It’s also about the experience, and meeting a brand new set of people from a wide range of backgrounds. It’s about finding out what living away from home is really like, learning indispensable life skills and – perhaps most importantly – having fun.

Uni has the potential to be lifechanging, both in and out of the lecture hall. “It exposes you to new experiences and a wealth of opportunities,” Porter says.

“University is truly a place to broaden your horizons.” Too right. ISP whatuni.com

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

UNIVERSITY

SAM HAYSOM

Top 20 in the world The School of Arts & Humanities at King’s is one of the most prestigious in the UK, and this year celebrates its 25th anniversary. Specialising in all aspects of human culture and history from languages and literature to film studies, and from classics to digital humanities, our faculty is renowned the world over.

Perfectly located in the heart of London, with campuses next to the River Thames, the city becomes your extended campus. Connections with cultural institutions, museums, theatres and galleries make King’s an inspiring place to study. *King’s is in the top 20 in the world in the QS World University Rankings.

Find out about what’s on offer at www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums

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UNIVERSITY

S POT THE D I F F E R E NC E Your chosen degree course can vary widely depending on where you study it, so make sure you do your research and find one that suits you, writes Charlotte Phillips

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UNIVERSITY

CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS

writer with a daughter at the University of Bristol

S

o here you are in the last year of school, grown from squeakyvoiced newbie to gravitas-enriched sixth former – and didn’t the time just fly past?

Now to confront the delicious and terrifying dilemma of working out where to go to university.

NO UNIVERSAL FIT

Do you stick close to home or beat it to the farthest ends of the country? Head for the bright lights of an urban campus or opt for something with more countrified appeal?

You’d think those with a clear idea of which subject they want to study could scale back at least one aspect of the decision making.

In reality, however, it’s all rather more complicated than it seems. Take English and medicine. Unambiguous subjects, you might have thought, where the clue is very much in the titles.

Yet far from a one-size degree course fitting all, it’s more a case of there being a set of mind-boggling variations.

Take medicine. While the end result is qualifiying as a doctor (exam success permitting) you’ll definitely end up as a doctor at the end of it (exam success permitting), the way you acquire the substantial body of knowledge required to meet, greet and treat patients successfully varies substantially from course to course.

With a profound shake up in medical training, things have moved on since seventies TV series Doctor in the House where hapless students worshipped at the pin-striped knees of god-like consultants, explains Alex Kelly, a director of Unifrog, an online search programme that sifts the nitty gritty of thousands of degree courses, making comparison far easier.

PRACTICAL VERSUS ACADEMIC

“Some medical courses are much more academic, some are much more practical [and] let you cut up dead bodies from the second week.”

Chris Smith, a second year medical student at Barts in gritty east London relishes its problem-based learning approach (PBL). It translates into early contact with patients, helping students understand the reality of living with a

Cycling to lectures across bridges and under willow trees

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CASE STUDY...

ENGLISH AT YORK

NATALIE MILNER 25, senior sub-editor, The Chelsea Magazine Company Being a comparatively young university (founded in 1963), York offers an eclectic English and Related Literature degree.

“Related Literature” stands out from the crowd of prospectuses – it means that the subject is viewed through an international lens, with a compulsory foreign literature module. I chose Italian, allowing me to combine my love of the culture and translation – harking back to my GCSE Latin days. After a rigorous introduction to the language in first year, I devoured Dante’s Inferno in second and third year. I wangled a place on the “Dante in English” module too, where I was indulged with the time to explore the poet’s influence on art, film and literature.

English at York offers the breadth to push you out of your comfort zone, which is sometimes the challenge you need – who knew I would be so drawn into the world of Homer (not in the original Greek!) and Mycenaean culture?

“Adaptations” is a key word at York. I spent a term mapping the mutation of Shakespeare’s plays through time in my “Text, Stage and Screen” module. So current was York’s focus, we all marched to the local Picturehouse to see Helen Mirren take on the traditionally male role of Prospero in The Tempest.

I could easily paint my experience of York with idyllic scenes of reading poetry in the park and cycling across bridges and under willow trees to lectures. But I could equally speak at length about the woes of reading Ulysses in a week and concluding that Joyce didn’t have to rub salt into the wound by writing the last 50 pages without punctuation.

University is what you make it – and York gives you the ingredients to make it something unique.

UNIVERSITY disease. Chris has also worked with the Royal London Hospital ambulance service.

“You get assigned a paramedic mentor and get to go out with shifts when you can. It’s interesting and exciting and really brings home the clinical side, your role and contribution to the team,” he says.

While there are plenty of the inevitable exams, students receive exceptional support, with tutors on hand to provide extra guidance if they find themselves struggling and in danger of falling behind.

“It’s an amazing medical school,” he says.

The University of Nottingham boasts one of the most striking campuses in the country

Roughly 130 miles up the M1, Theodora Goodwin, a fourth-year medical student at The University of Nottingham, is finding her studies equally fascinating – even though they are structured in a very different way.

AN A-TO-Z APPROACH

Rather than starting with the patient, students spend the first and second years looking at the physiology and anatomy of each system of the body in detail before moving on to the clinical aspects. “Instead

Some medical courses are much more academic, some are much more practical and let you cut up dead bodies from week two

CASE STUDY...

MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM THEODORA GOODWIN 24, fourth-year medical student My original thought was to be an author. Then I discovered I was quite good at science, did well in my GCSEs and thought I’d look at medicine.

Once I’d done some work experience, I couldn’t think about studying anything else.

I knew people who’d done medicine at Nottingham and had heard very positive things about the course – one of the big things here is dissection. Another thing that drew me is that the hospital is really close to the university so you don’t feel segregated – you’re part of university life like everyone else.

There’s also the way the course is structured. Rather than problem-based learning, it’s systems-based, more of a buildingblock approach and less abstract which really appealed to me.

The first and second years are lecture-based. In your third year, when you get to the hospital and are confronted with patients, everything ties together. You realise that you have the learning and are now able to put it into practice.

Another really good feature of the course is that in the third year we complete a unique intercalated BMedSci – a supervised research project – and it’s a really good extra degree to have.

This year, we went into our clinical placements and in our fifth year we have a GP placement, visiting a surgery about five times a year. I’m doing Obs and Gynae (obstetrics and gynaecology) which I love – but everything I do, I’ve ended up liking.

It’s a great course and I’d encourage anyone to do it. We have good tutors and lots of support.

Though it’s hard work, it’s also really fun and always stimulating.

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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CASE STUDY...

ENGLISH AT CAMBRIDGE MARIE-CLAIRE CHAPPET 25, editorial assistant, The Sunday Times Style magazine English at Cambridge takes the Julie Andrews approach: believing the beginning is a very good place to start.

Content flows from here, all the way through to the modern day with barely a detour.

There’s no way you can leave without covering the basic eras – medieval, Renaissance, Enlightenment and Victorian. Though there is the option of a Modern paper in your final year, Cambridge is delightfully antiquated enough to believe when it comes to anything post Queen Victoria, you can be left to your own devices.

You might argue that the appeal of university is to have the freedom to choose what you study, and most universities cater for this. However, there is much to be said for Cambridge’s rigid course. Though I would rather have teeth pulled out than have to read the medieval tale Sir Gawain and the Green Knight again, I am grateful I was exposed to it.

The pay-off comes in your final year, when you get a term of studying what you want. I chose American Literature but you can choose from modernist, post-colonial, classical and more.

Besides the historical narrative weaving its way through your degree, you also have other modules, reading and essays to complete every week. One course focuses on practical criticism – the discipline created in Cambridge in the 1920s as a means of analysing literature without knowing the author or the date – and another on literary theory: examining the psychological, social, political and structural readings of texts.

In third year you take a fascinating course focused on tragedy, covering the concept from Ancient Greece to Arthur Miller.

At times it felt like quantity over quality, rushing through an entire historical period in a term, but afterwards you feel the speed with which you are required to soak up this knowledge has actually forced you to up your game. As our head tutor said to us on our very first day: “You’re already behind”.

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2015

of focusing on what can go wrong with it, initially you learn how the body is meant to work,” she says. Systematic and thorough, it’s a more traditionally constructed A-to-Z approach. “It builds confidence,” she says. “When you actually get to the hospital, it ties everything together and you realise you have all the building blocks of learning.”

Even more traditional courses have moved with the times. While medical students at Oxford used to spend their first three years immersed in pure academia, editor, writer and long-serving GP Dr Richard Stevens has recently been involved in introducing and teaching the first early clinical component at the university.

“When I taught it, it was mainly about communication and the ethics of being a doctor,” he says. “I saw it as light relief, designed to instil a sense of purpose and demonstrate that you have to tailor the medical science to the patient in front of you.”

MIND-BOGGLING VARIATION

Comparing medicine degrees is a doddle, however, in contrast with other subjects.

The variation in English is mind-boggling.

Shakespeare may have felt “that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”, but English comes in so many forms that you could concoct a best-selling fragrance out of the blooms.

Fancy a spot of creative writing? Pick carefully as some English courses (at the University of East Anglia and York, for example) embrace it whole-heartedly while others avoid it like the plague.

A TRADITIONAL APPROACH

At Oxford, compulsory Anglo Saxon, long a bone of contention, was finally scrapped a few years back. Kingsley Amis, who likened Beowulf to “gangrened elephant’s sputum” was, it’s fair to say, not a fan. But those hooked by its still very traditional approach can’t get enough of it.

Alex Chase, a final-year English student, is lyrical about the insight into the history of the literary form it provides. “Few courses are so broad in scope and…even fewer allow you to actually consider literary periods in conversation with one another,” he enthuses.

The English course at Cambridge, in contrast, is renowned for its practical criticism. Controversial when originally introduced, it compels students to look at literature in a completely different way by taking away all the familiar signposts, removing the author’s name, date and title, and compelling you to “look at the work in itself and give it artistic value,” explains Mona Ebert, a recent graduate and former pupil at Heathfield School, Berkshire, who has gone on to complete a prize-winning dissertation at The Courtauld.

Shakespeare may have felt, “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” But English comes in so many forms that you could concoct a best-selling fragrance out of the blooms

OFF-PISTE THINKING

For some students, it’s the optional modules that have been truly inspirational in taking their thinking off-piste and into new areas. Lindsay Rose, now in her third year at Bristol, found studying “Dangerous Books”, a module that looked at banned books and their political or historic

impact, a revelation. “It was about the power of literature and original independent thought. I felt this was what I was at university for.”

So while it’s easy to get carried away with the cachet of the university, Josie Campbell, head of careers at Ampleforth College, in North Yorkshire, stresses that it’s essential to dig and find out what lies behind the title of your desired course.

It’s a big ask, she agrees. “You’re choosing your three-year course of study at the end of Year 12 when you may have no idea what you want to do or be, and

While it’s easy to get carried away with the cachet of the university, it’s essential to dig and find out what lies behind the title of your desired course. It’s undoubtedly worth the effort

Share your thoughts and experiences on Twitter @ISParent

It pays to research your favoured courses thoroughly

UNIVERSITY

“It goes against what you’ve been taught to do at school which is always to put it in context,” she says. “There was a famous case where one of the exams was an Amy Winehouse song; you can get anything.”

there’s no doubt that researching [it] properly isn’t a short-term thing. It can take hours – even for people like me who enjoy it.”

Get it right, however, and as happy students will tell you, it’s undoubtedly worth the effort.

“It was 100% as good as I’d hoped it would be,” says Mona Ebert. “You’ve got to accept that sometimes there’s no right or wrong, the tutor might not agree with your reading. But they’re not teaching you just to be airy-fairy. They’re teaching you things that they hope you can apply to whatever you do in life.” ISP

CASE STUDY...

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK, ISTOCK * SOME NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED

MEDICINE AT BARTS AND THE LONDON SMD CHRIS SMITH 24, second-year medical student I decided I wanted to do medicine when I was 16. I’d originally wanted to be a forensic scientist – I was a fan of CSI – and had assumed it was really glamorous.

However, when I did some work experience I discovered that it was largely laboratory-based and quickly realised that it wasn’t for me. I wanted to be dealing with real people, not repeating the same test five times over, and so opted for medicine instead.

What’s really helped with the course is the way that it has changed over the past 20 years – and medicine courses have changed dramatically. It used to be very traditional, where you’d do two or three years of preclinical work which was solid lectures. Only then would you go on to the wards and have your first exposure to

patients. Now Barts uses something they call problem-based learning. It’s done very well and our tutors are leaders in medical education, very supportive and hot on feedback. It means that while you still have high-pressure exams, you are given a real sense of where you are. You have an in-course assessment every two to three months and have to pass these before being allowed to sit end-of-year exams. If you fail any of these, you’re assigned a personal academic tutor who goes through revision techniques, checks that there are no other issues and follows you for the rest of the year. You really feel supported and it’s nice to know that your results are not all resting on one make-or-break test.

I’m probably very biased but I think that east London is a brilliant location for diversity of illness and patients, and you’ve got one of the biggest trauma centres in the country. It’s a great course – and I’m loving it!

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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WHAT TO PACK SMALL WOK

There won’t be enough, so bring your own – unless you favour the crumpled look (£2 for three, tigerstores.com).

DOOR STOP

BEDDING AND CUSHIONS

Don’t be anti-social on move-in day: keep your door open, as people will arrive sporadically (£5, johnlewis.com).

reed DIFFUSER

It’s likely you won’t be allowed candles due to fears about “fire safety”. Try a diffuser instead (£25, thewhitecompany.com).

COLANDER AND CHEESE GRATER

The universal step one and two towards comforting cheesey pasta (from £9.50, josephjoseph.com).

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HANGERS

The best way to fool people into thinking you can cook: everything looks fancy in a wok (£33, Dexam at selfridges.com).

Naturally you need something to sleep on. Get some spares too for when pals come to stay (£12, habitat.co.uk).

GLASSES

You can’t serve all drinks in a mug, so pick up a set of glasses for as little as 10 Freddos (£2 for 6, ikea.com).

KITCHEN KNIVES

You’ll miss your parents’ sharp knives – so grab one of these colourful blades (from £5.99 Kuhn Rikon at lakeland.co.uk).

independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2015

DESK FAN

Splash out on this handy fan, the air con could be dodgey (from £199.99, Dyson at johnlewis.com).

ALARM CLOCK

Your iPhone won’t charge itself after a night out, and no one else will get you up for 6am rowing (£8, hemashop.com).

CROCKERY AND CUTLERY

Pick up a full set and keep a few of each hidden under your bed for when friends and family visit (from £2, hemashop.com).

TUPPERWARE CONTAINERS

Useful for everything and acceptable to hoard. One of the marks of being a grown-up (£25, Monbento at bearandbear.com).

We’ve tracked down the university living essentials, so you can streamline your moving list…

NETFLIX

Never miss House of Cards ever again – and it’ll make you pretty popular, too (from £5.99 per month, netflix.com).

TOASTIE MAKER

A cheese and ham toastie is the universal cure for a hangover, so invest (£17.57, Russell Hobbs at johnlewis.com).

TEA TOWELS

A halls’ kitchen is rarely a thing of beauty, so make yours nicer with a few coloured tea towels (£5 for four, hemashop.com).

TEDDY

Don’t believe anyone that tells you they didn’t take theirs to uni. He’s hiding somewhere (£39, Steiff, johnlewis.com).

RECIPE BOOKS

Cooking doesn’t have to be tricky, expensive or unhealthy (Deliciously Ella, £20, waterstones.com).

MUGS

Everyone has a favourite mug so take yours (or your Dad’s) and it’ll remind you of home (£10, Scion at johnlewis.com).

WORDS: ELEANOR DOUGHTY PHOTOGRAPHY: NETFLIX.COM, SHUTTERSTOCK, ISTOCK

LIVING

UNIVERSITY

Dont ’ TAKE...

STUDYING

DIARY

Pick up a nice one to scribble down your deadlines, reading and social commitments (£10, paperchase.co.uk).

NOTEBOOKS

You might not think you’ll take notes, but you will. Even if it’s your food shopping wishlist (from £10.50, moleskine.com).

DAY BAG

You’ll need a bag for carrying all your junk around – a rucksack will do your back a favour (£65, Herschel at asos.com).

POST-ITS

Handy for writing notes on the fridge and playing drinking games with. Ultra versatile (£3, paperchase.co.uk).

LAPTOP

It’s a pre-requisite for uni life, and obviously, you’ll need your own for Netflix nights in (from £999, apple.com).

USB STICK

Don’t be that person messing about with emails when you’ve got to do a PowerPoint (£9.99, Sandisk at pcworld.co.uk).

STATIONERY

You’ll get through a mountain of pens and notepads – if you’re doing it right, so stock up (from £1, muji.eu).

EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE

If you doubt you need this, just imagine your dissertation going up in smoke (from £119.95, LaCie at apple.com).

SCHOOL HOODIE

You’ll get a new one from uni quick as a flash – keep your school one for reminiscing with your mates.

A TV

Having your own television is anti-social and you’ve got a laptop for that. Plus, it’s a bit too heavy to lug around.

SOCIAL

BEER PONG SET

This American drinking game is bags of fun and makes a change from Ring of Fire (£9.49, Headrush at amazon.co.uk).

BOTTLE OPENER

FACE PAINT

Yes, you can open a bottle with your teeth but it doesn’t mean you should. Essential. (£12, anthropologie.eu).

Always useful. Like a first-aid kit, you’re everyone’s bestie if you’ve got the face paint (£8.63, amazon.co.uk).

BLACK TIE

SLIPPERS AND DRESSING GOWN

LIGHTER

A good conversation starter, and being useful will endear you to people, which is key (£10.88, amazon.com).

A KETTLE

Your halls’ kitchen will have one. So save your pennies for more important things – like tea and biscuits.

STYLE

TRAINERS

These double up as a good temporary snow shoe. Oh, and running is free (£90, Nike Free 5.0, nike.com).

Crucial for formal freshers’ events, the summer term and sports’ balls – and girls can steal it for fancy dress (£14, topman.com).

Don’t get caught outside in your not-so-hot PJs when Flat 27 burns the toast (£12.99, newlook.com).

FLIP FLOPS

Life-saver in communal showers, for wet floors and popping next door in (£20, Havianas at asos.com).

A CAR

Barely anywhere will let you park it in your first year – leave it at home and wait to start driving again at Christmas.

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

55

1 Phoebe Haines, 25 Mezzo soprano, Brighton College, East Sussex “It feels like yesterday that I was hanging out at Brighton College – it’s hard to believe it has all happened so fast!” says Phoebe, who just eight years since leaving school has forged a formidable singing career. At just 25, she opened the 2014 International Opera Awards – the Oscars of the opera world – and has sung at the Salzburger Festspiele in numerous performances. Following the completion of her degree from Cambridge, Phoebe now attends the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and is also an Opera Works trainee at the English National Opera.

2 Charlie Hayter, 26 Rugby player, Warwick School, Warks Bath-born Charlie went up to Warwick in 2000, age 11, and was set for good things.

One of his proudest achievements, he says, was captaining the winning first XV in the Daily Mail Trophy cup in 2007. After Warwick, Charlie read geography at Nottingham and then joined Worcester Warriors, making his Premiership debut in 2012. Charlie signed for Wasps before taking up an England Sevens contract. “I was able to experience some great life and rugby moments while at school and look back on my time with fond memories,” he says.

3 Abi Elphinstone, 29 Children’s novelist, St Leonards School, St Andrews, Fife Scottish-born Abi spent an idyllic childhood building dens and hiding in tree houses. After St Leonards she read English at Bristol, before spending two years working in PR, teaching – in locations as far removed as Berkshire and Africa – before publishing her first children’s book in February. The Dreamsnatcher has been billed by the Daily Mail as “Harry Potter dark magic territory – atmospheric, packed with drama, with a genuinely menacing undertone”. We’ve got our money on Abi becoming the next JK Rowling. Watch out Waterstones...

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1 5

Independent school has instilled drive, determination and excellence, making these alumni the...

ONES TO WATCH

STAR PUPILS

2

4 Bex Crofton-Atkins, 28

3

4 6

Costume designer and stylist, St Mary’s Calne, Wiltshire Bex went up to London after St Mary’s to study for a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Design at Central Saint Martins, and soon found success working as a freelancer, designing costumes for music videos and short films. In just a few short years, her clients have included Vodafone, Carlsberg, Nike and artists including One Direction and Dizzee Rascal. Bex is looking towards a career in feature films, and has recently started work on critically acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s upcoming movie.

5 Ed Hancock, 30 Actor, Cranleigh School, Surrey Ed is currently top billing as Alan Dangle in The National’s touring production of One Man, Two Guvnors. His previous performances are too many to name, but include: Jeeves and Wooster at the Duke of York’s, Posh at the Royal Court and Great Expectations at The Watermill. On camera, he’s turned up in The Boat That Rocked (2009) and Super Goths (2009). Ed attributes his passion to Cranleigh teacher Mandy McIlwaine. “She taught me so many vital lessons that, having still not had any other formal training, I still rely on today.”

6 Anastasia Chitty, 21 Boat Race rower, Canford School, Dorset Anastasia rowed to victory in this year’s Oxford and Cambridge boat race, having started her rowing career at The Dragon School in Oxford before moving to Canford, and then Pembroke College, Oxford to study medicine. As a first year undergraduate, she rowed in the 2013 Boat Race and was victorious in this year’s race as president of the Oxford University Boat Club. “Canford gave me the opportunity to develop my passion for rowing,” she says.

“Representing my country meant I achieved more than I had ever dreamed possible, but I was always encouraged by my teachers, coaches and fellow pupils.” ISP

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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ICKET ACA

D Y

MC

CR

EM

C

COLTS

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @MCC_Academy

Ampleforth a compass for life

A compass for life: a personal direction finder, no matter where life takes you.

Ampleforth College : ‘Come and See’ www.college.ampleforth.org.uk admissions@ampleforth.org.uk 01439 766863 58

independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2015

STAR STAFF

O

ne of my earliest memories is playing cricket in the back yard with my dad, who was a huge fan of the sport. The former England cricketer Mike Gatting is an old family friend and he inspired me to play. I joined my first team aged nine, but it wasn’t until I was selected to play for Australia’s Under 19s team that I realised I had a talent for the sport.

From then, my life revolved around cricket.

A History of Excellence

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK

I’ve been working at Felsted School for five years as director of cricket and school coach, following my retirement from international cricket. I feel privileged to teach and advise young people and to put them on the path to success.

Felsted has a formidable reputation for cricket both locally, regionally and nationally and pupils have been playing on the picturesque Felsted Front since the 1800s. I’m passionate about sport in schools and believe

SCHOO

HEROL

JASON GALLIAN

This director of cricket at Felsted School, Essex, and former England player, shares how he’s passing on the baton

Are your girls enjoying cricket?

Tweet us @ISParent

At Felsted, girls’ cricket is very much the name of the game

that children who play sports reap both physical and mental benefits, which carry into adulthood and cross to other areas of life. Sport really encourages children to come out of their comfort zones and teaches them the importance of good teamwork.

Famous Alumni Pupils begin to play cricket from Year Three at Felsted and several Old Felstedians have gone on to become professionals for the county

and England teams, including John Stephenson, Derek Pringle, and Nick Knight.

Cricket is a team sport, but there’s also an emphasis on self-reliance and practice.

Although 11 cricketers make a team, when the time comes to bowl your first delivery, walk out to bat or take a catch, your team mates can’t do it for you and it’s up to you as an individual to perform. This situation is very similar to writing an exam or going for a job interview and is a real test of character. It also teaches children to have a respect for authority.

Long-term Goal I try to make my coaching sessions fun, active and high-paced with the overall aim

of the children having fun and developing a lifelong love of sport. Any spare time I have is spent planning sessions designed to motivate and help pupils improve their game. For me, the best aspect of my job is the “light bulb” moment when a student has been working hard and finally achieves their goal.

Cricket Versus Rounders My biggest achievement so far has been helping Felsted to become recognised as an Inspirational School for Girls’ Cricket by Essex County Cricket Club. We decided that rounders was a sport that you couldn’t do at university, so we reduced it. Now girls can choose between cricket or tennis in the summer.

This recognition by Essex CCC follows an exciting year for our girls, including an international call-up for Felsted’s U13 rising star, Nancy Hebron. We have forged strong links in women’s cricket, with county teams training at Felsted throughout the year and two senior matches taking place on the Felsted Front this summer.

I’m delighted that we now have a cricket pathway for all girls to take advantage of. There’s still work to do to remove the stigma of cricket being just a sport for boys, and it will be interesting to see how this develops. ISP

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

59

A taste of

ITALY

I

t’s not every day that you get to stay in a former medieval castle with 12th-century frescoes and vaulted ceilings, sweeping vistas of ancient vineyards and of olive groves stitched into the countryside. Situated in the heart of the Chianti region, the five-star, 50-room hotel, set within a 740-acre estate, is a perfect blend of contemporary elegance and historical charm.

The impressive cypress tree-lined drive heralds back to the days when the castle was home to a noble Florentine, Del Nero,

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2015

A 12th-century castle lovingly restored into a family hotel captures the essence of the Tuscan experience, writes Claudia Dudman

and his family. Generously-sized suites tastefully decorated in complimentary tones with terracotta floors, also play host to kingsize four poster beds. The understated opulence continues in the bathrooms with unique features such as marble floors, mosaic walls and huge claw-footed baths.

A LOVE LETTER TO TUSCANY

There is sometimes no better way to learn about a country’s history and its people

Take a refreshing dip in the outdoor pool overlooking the castle’s olive groves

TRAVEL

Ttalian food lives up to its reputation in Tuscany

than through its food. Castello Del Nero’s aimiable executive chef, Giovanni Luca di Pirro, treated us to what can only be described as a culinary love letter to his native Tuscany. If you’re looking for traditional, lighter Italian cuisine, then head to the hotel’s other eaterie, La Taverna. But for fine dining, di Pirro’s Michelin star restaurant, La Torre, will blow you away.

Set in the castle’s former stables, in an elegant room with french windows that look on to the garden terrace, it was a

and black truffle, followed by spaghetti with smoked tuna fish and baby squid.

Our main course was a toasted fillet of turbot, exquisitely cooked with a pesto of fresh basil, stewed artichokes, potatoes and pine nuts. Dessert was a parfaitflavoured Moscadello of Montalcino and passion fruit marmalade. The freshly baked bread that was served deserves a mention of its own: specialities such as sorrel, olive and black squid ink were just a few that were displayed before us.

The hotel’s location, equidistant between Florence and Siena, means guests can take full advantage of all that Italy’s Renaissance has to offer.

Architecture and a myriad of art by Italian greats such as Leonardo, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi and Donatello are an unmissable experience.

Above, Castello Del Nero, left, the hotel pool, right, ice-cream flavours at Gelateria Dondoli

gastronomic dining experience, Tuscan-style, with produce that is homegrown thanks to the region’s excellent climate. We began with slow poached organic hen’s egg served with parmesan cheese mousse, herb sauce

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Ballooning and horseriding are just two of the activities that families can enjoy on the estate of Castello Del Nero

With its 14 majestic towers, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Gimignano is a hilltop medieval town, which is a handy 20-minute drive from the hotel. As you explore the winding streets, your children will never forgive you if you don’t stop at Gelateria Dondoli, in Piazza della Cisterna, winner of the Best Ice Cream in the World Championship in 2006. We delved into flavours such as raspberry and rosemary, crèma di Santa Fina, (cream with saffron and pine nuts), blackberries and lavender; and banana and chocolate.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, SHIUTTERSTOCK

CHIANTI, PASTA AND TIRAMISU

You can’t stay in the heart of Tuscany’s wine region without learning about some of its produce. The best way to do this is to attend one of the hotel’s informal yet informative wine-tastings.

Set down in the welcoming cool of the hotel’s cellars, sommelier, Mirò, took us on a veritable tour of the estate’s vineyards and the wines that it makes (albeit at a

winery off-site). Ones that we sampled included: Brunello di Montalcino 2009, La Gerla; Tignanello 2011, Antinori; Chianti Classico Badia di Passignano 2009, Antinori; the latter bursting with the flavours of dark cherries, plums, flowers and cloves. It was a perfect introduction for a novice like me but had enough to impress two die-hard wine buffs in our party.

I would put good money on the fact that your child eats more than their fair share of pasta. A diet staple among us Brits, the Italians, however, would never contemplate eating it as a main course, as we do. It’s only ever served as a primo, or first course, and I always feel that this makes it seem like an entirely different food altogether. I cannot recommend highly enough the cookery classes at the hotel. You (and your child) will be thrown into a masterclass on learning how to make authentic Italian pastas, such as tortellini with ricotta cheese, spaghetti and the delicious coffee dessert, tiramisu.

Florentine tradition and contemporary design are a continuous theme running throughout the castle and its grounds and they merge seamlessly too at the hotel’s spa. You can refresh yourself in the outdoor vitality pool while gazing out over the views of the countryside. The treatments by ESPA are tailored towards your individual needs and you can also enjoy the luxurious range of heat and cooling experiences which stimulate, relax and soothe aching muscles, preparing your senses for the experience to follow. It’s Tuscany’s first exclusive

destination spa and you’d be mad to miss it.

Plus, there are four hiking routes of varying ability and different lengths, the shortest at just under two kilometres with the longest being seven. They all take in the surrounding views as you trek through the lush vineyards and verdant olive groves. You might even spot pheasant, deer and wild boar as you walk your way through the grounds.

If hiking is not your thing and you simply feel like absorbing the scenery at a more refined pace, you can always take one of the hotel’s topolinos (see above) for a drive – keeping your experience quintessentially Italian, of course. ISP

Above, on the terrace where you can enjoy the view, below one of the hotel suites

Price per night, per person

BOOK (based on two adults sharing) is IT

€213. No minimum stay required.

Flights are to either Florence or Pisa and airport transfers can be arranged.

Tel: +39 055 0864, castellodelnero.com, email: info@castellodelnero.com

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

63

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

Best for family...

ISLANDS

Make the most of both worlds and combine luxury and family fun on an island escape. We asked the experts at Smith & Family for their favourite destinations Left, Karma Kandara, Bali, Bottom right, Domes of Elouda, Crete

BALI: KARMA KANDARA

Far from the clamour of Kuta lies Bali’s blissful Bukit Peninsula, a secluded patch that’s home to surf breaks, verdant palms and family-friendly boutique hotel Karma Kandara. While you soak up the buzzy beach club and serene spa, teens are kept occupied with aquatic adventures and cool cultural sessions.

The hotel can arrange outings and activities, from catamaran-cruise diving excursions to browsing the fish market before cooking your own Balinese feast.

You’ll love:

Sipping icy-cool sundowners on the roof terrace overlooking the ocean.

They’ll love:

The property is home to a band of cheeky monkeys who hang out near the restaurant and pool. Kids will love watching their antics, but must never feed them or get too close.

How to get there:

Fly to Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport, south of capital Denpasar. Then hire a car if you’re adventurous and enjoy traffic and questionable roads… or take on a driver (they’re decidedly affordable in Bali).

CRETE: DOMES OF ELOUNDA

Luxury meets family-friendly at Crete’s Domes of Elounda, a high-flying hideaway of intimate suites, smooth-edged architecture with Moorish touches, first-class dining from the country’s only Michelin-starred chef, and the sun-soaked sand of the hotel’s private beach. It’s beautifully decadent for the grown-ups – couples massages at the serious spa, caviar in your suite – but it’s a rich playground for teens too, with tennis, a pool and monuments loaded with mythical Minotaurs. Take them swimming off the private beach in Mediterranean waves then savour tasting menus by moonlight. The rooms are large, with plenty of scope for extra beds; and there are Family Suites, too.

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

You’ll love:

Get stuck into the top-tier dining and an adults-only spa and bar. If you’re a fan of Victoria Hislop’s book, The Island, you can visit the haunting setting: the uninhabited island of Spinalonga.

Boats depart daily from Plaka (five minutes away by car).

They’ll love:

Teens with energy to burn can dive straight into the cool pool. Plus, there’s watersports to try out, from snorkelling to surfing. And, as a family, you can organise sailing trips on a private boat around the Gulf of Mirabello.

How to get there:

The main airport, Heraklion, is an hour away by car; if you fancy a more dramatic arrival, book a boat or chopper.

Bottom left, Domes of Elouda, Crete, right One&Only Reethi Rah

MALDIVES: ONE&ONLY REETHI RAH

If you hear: “Maldives” and think “honeymoons” then it’s time to think again. The silk-sanded coral atolls in the heart of the Indian Ocean might look like a textbook lovers-only paradise, but globetrotting parents know how to find the top familyfriendly spots. Ultimate beach resort One&Only Reethi Rah – with its 12 beaches, three pools, watersports, kids’ club and tennis courts – knows how to keep everyone entertained. At the dive centre, you can plant your own coral; labelled with your name, you’ll be emailed photos showing its progress after you head back home. Our pick for parents with children in tow is always a Beach Villa: each has its own little patch of sand with loungers and a dreamy hammock.

You’ll love:

Relax in the capable hands of the spa’s expert therapists, sip first-class cocktails at the hotel’s three bars or check out The Lawn Club for afternoon tea.

They’ll love:

The hotel is home to the Maldives’ only PADI National Geographic dive centre. Then there’s Splash, the beach club’s watersports centre, offering hours of fun with banana boats, canoes, water-skiing, paddle boarding and windsurfing.

How to get there:

Smith & Family gives you the

BOOK best price, guaranteed, as well IT

as a little something extra on arrival. Book online at: smithandfamily.co.uk or by calling the expert Travel Team on 033 0100 3180.

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independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2015

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

Touch down at Male International Airport; from there, it’s a 75-minute transfer in one of the hotel’s five super-sized yachts. ISP

YACHT CHARTER

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GREECE & THE CARIBBEAN • Bareboat Charter • Skippered Charter • Assisted Sailing • RYA training courses • Yacht ownership schemes

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St. Vincent & The

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• Go sailing on the day of arrival • Wifi available on board • Why not Indulge yourselves on a luxury Skippered charter

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KIRKER HOLIDAYS F O R D I S C E R N I N G T R AV E L L E R S Kirker Holidays provides carefully crafted tailor-made holidays for individuals, groups and families of all ages. Whether you seek an opportunity to further the education of the next generation, or pure relaxation in a rural retreat, speak to one of our experts for a tailor-made quotation.

Rome

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Gran Melia Villa Agrippina ***** Deluxe

Crillon le Brave ***** Deluxe

Las Casas De La Juderia **** Superior

This stylish property is located just five minutes’ walk from the Vatican and close to the atmospheric streets of Trastevere.

There is a wonderful heated outdoor swimming pool, a spa with outdoor jacuzzi and landscaped gardens which make this the perfect retreat during the summer months.

4 nights for the price of 3 in August - price from £895, saving £180

In the heart of the Côtes du Ventoux vineyards, Crillon le Brave is perched at the top of the village, offering wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. It has just 32 bedrooms, a heated outdoor swimming pool, a small spa and an exceptional kitchen.

Dinner is served in the elegant restaurant or outside on the terrace which overlooks the serene, picturesque valley.

Includes entrance tickets to the Vatican museum & Sistine Chapel

4 nights for the price of 3 until 12 October - price from £959, saving £170

Built in the typical Andalucian/Moorish style, the hotel is located in the old quarter of the Barrio Santa Cruz, about five minutes’ walk from the cathedral and Alcazar Palace.

There are 118 well furnished bedrooms, a delightful lounge and a summer swimming pool.

4 nights for the price of 3 from 14 June 3 September - price from £476, saving £60

Speak to an expert or request a brochure:

020 7593 2283 quote code XIS www.kirkerholidays.com

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

67

Fast-forward your future Accounting, Art History, Business, Communication, Computing, Economics, English, History, International Relations, Journalism, Law, Marketing, Medicine, Politics, Psychology

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Come to our Open Day on 3 October 2015 to see how we do things differently Applications can be made through UCAS (B90) or online through our website

For further information, go to: www.buckingham.ac.uk/fastforward

T: +44 (0)1280 820313 E: info@buckingham.ac.uk

BOOKS & APPS

BOOK CLUB

APP happy

1

Our round-up of top reads and fun apps

Animal Face, free Indulge your wild side and let your inner animal out. Stick real animal stickers over your own face for bags of car journey fun.

2

Bleach London, free The most colourful way to selfie from London’s coolest hair girls. Choose from a range of dip-dye filters and fun stickers for the best Instagram fodder there is going.

3

PicFrame, £0.79 Sometimes one picture just isn’t enough – PicFrame will combine multiple photos and videos into frames in all sorts of shapes. All the fun of the fair.

EDITOR’S PICK The Churchill Factor

by Boris Johnson The most terrific biography of the year – a must-read, says The Evening Standard, and so do we. The paperback is out in July (hardback came out back in October) so it’s time you had a read.

Winston Churchill written by the man that would emulate him, Boris Johnson, makes super summer reading.

TOP SHELF:

BOTTOM SHELF:

Hot Feminist by Polly Vernon (out now, Hodder, £14.99) Polly Vernon’s debut is refreshingly punchy, no-nonsense and sensible.

Which is what we like. A lot.

The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History by Boris Johnson (paperback out 2nd July, Hodder, £9.99) Terrific for history nuts, Boris Johnson’s biography of Winston Churchill has been long anticipated.

All Together Now by Gill Hornby (out 4th June, Little, Brown, £14.99) Hornby’s trip to the town of Bridgeford is a loving look at life in a small town.

It’s funny, moving and sharp to boot.

The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop (out now, Headline, £7.99) Hurrah for Victoria Hislop – she’s back with another delicious novel, this time set in the 70s, and the Mediterranean sun. A fascinating novel: we love.

Paradise City by Elizabeth Day (out now, Bloomsbury, £16.99) Observer writer, Elizabeth Day is now on her third book. It’s unmissable, and utterly captivating.

Election Notebook by Nick Robinson (out 11th June, Bantam, £20) Robinson’s juicy election diary makes for top reading: you don’t need to love politics for an essential peek into SW1.

4

BeFunky, free Make every tweak you like to your summer holiday snaps with BeFunky – there’s every photo effect on the market all from this dinky little app. Ergo, from the palm of your hand.

5

Afterlight, £0.79 How to impress your followers – the snappiest, simplest image-editing app has a filter for every occasion, and looks pretty damn snazzy.

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

69

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ON THE

THE BIOLOGIST DR HUW WILLIAMS (housemaster) WESTMINSTER > (second master) TONBRIDGE

Our indispensable guide to who’s going where next term…

FOOTBALL CRAZY CERI JONES (second master) TONBRIDGE > (head) CATERHAM

KEEN HIKER DR MIKE WALKER (head) FELSTED > (RETIRING)

Capture this moment forever THE EXPLORER JULIAN THOMAS (head) CATERHAM > (head) WELLINGTON

CV: SIR ANTHONY SELDON WELLINGTON COLLEGE > UNIVERSITY OF BUCKINGHAM The ever-present Sir Anthony, author of over 25 books, and friend of the newspapers, is retiring to spend more time with his family.

Oh, and to become vice-chancellor of The University of Buckingham, the UK’s first private university.

Commission a portrait from the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.

Dedicated to the art of portraiture, you can be confident in your choice of artist and supported throughout 1983: Whitgift Schoolthe commissions 1989: Tonbridge School process with our expert help.

1993: St Dunstan’s School Educated at Tonbridge School before Worcester College, Oxford, Sir Anthony has given a few schools the “Seldon effect”...

1997: Brighton College 2006: Wellington College

Contact us: www.therp.co.uk enquiries@therp.co.uk 020 7930 6844

Image: Richard Foster RP, The Barlow Family (detail)

THE CLASSICS BUFF CHRIS TOWNSEND (deputy head) FELSTED > (head) FELSTED

ON THE

THE BIOLOGIST DR HUW WILLIAMS (housemaster) WESTMINSTER > (second master) TONBRIDGE

Our indispensable guide to who’s going where next term…

THE CLASSICS BUFF CHRIS TOWNSEND (deputy head) FELSTED > (head) FELSTED

FOOTBALL CRAZY CERI JONES (second master) TONBRIDGE > (head) CATERHAM

KEEN HIKER DR MIKE WALKER (head) FELSTED > (RETIRING)

THE EXPLORER JULIAN THOMAS (head) CATERHAM > (head) WELLINGTON

CV: SIR ANTHONY SELDON WELLINGTON COLLEGE > UNIVERSITY OF BUCKINGHAM The ever-present Sir Anthony, author of over 25 books, and friend of the newspapers, is retiring to spend more time with his family.

Oh, and to become vice-chancellor of The University of Buckingham, the UK’s first private university.

Educated at Tonbridge School before Worcester College, Oxford, Sir Anthony has given a few schools the “Seldon effect”...

1983: Whitgift School 1989: Tonbridge School 1993: St Dunstan’s School 1997: Brighton College 2006: Wellington College

XXXXXXX XXXXXX

ITALIAN-SPEAKING DR CHRIS STEVENS (second master) MARLBOROUGH > (head) BRADFIELD HISTORY NUT SIMON HENDERSON (head) BRADFIELD > (head) ETON TRY-SCORING BILL NICHOLAS (house master) MARLBOROUGH > (second master) MARLBOROUGH

CV: TONY LITTLE ETON > GEMS

HAPPY TWEETER MARK STEED (head) BERKHAMSTED > (DUBAI EDUCATION)

After years of inspiring boys at the world’s most famous school, OE headmaster Tony Little is off to Dubai . The new gig? Chief education officer of school trust Gems.

Educated at Eton College, before Corpus Christi, and Homerton College, Cambridge, he’s certainly seen schools inside and out...

1977: Tonbridge 1983: Brentwood School 1990: Chigwell School 1997: Oakham School 2001: Eton College

(OTHER) HEADS

PHOTOGRAPHY: FREEPIC, SHUTTERSTOCK

THE LITERATURE LOVER STUART MCPHERSON (house master) ETON > (head) WORTH

ON THE MOVE • SARAH KERR-DINEEN is to become OUNDLE’S first female head in September • ALASTAIR LAND moves from HARROW to be headmaster of REPTON • MARK SEMMENCE moves from RUGBY to MOUNT KELLY ASPIRING ARTIST GINO CARMINATI (head) WORTH SCHOOL > (RETIRING)

• At ARDVRECK SCHOOL DAN DAVEY will become headmaster in September

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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WIN!

A LUXURY HOLIDAY WORTH £3,000

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

(PROPERTY 1359062)

Independent School Parent has teamed up with HomeAway to offer a stylish week’s stay in a holiday home of your choice Win £3,000 to spend on a holiday for the whole family with HomeAway. You can choose from over one million homes, so why settle for a standard hotel room when you could stay in a castle, a treehouse, or even a spaceship? You could take the whole family to this stunning villa in Sitges town, near Barcelona. Villa Catalina is an exquisitely renovated 18th-century mansion, offering views over breathtaking landscapes and vineyards of the Penedès wine region. It has 14 beautifully furnished en-suite bedrooms, and is pet friendly. Set in 400 acres of tropical gardens it has something for everyone: private swimming pool, BBQ, and a courtyard for al fresco dining. A chef is also available to provide lavish meals and fine wines. ISP Terms and conditions: All entries must be received by 10th July 2015. The prize must be booked by 31st July 2015 and taken by 31st December 2015. The winner may choose any holiday home on HomeAway up to the value of £3,000 or pay the difference on a more expensive property.

Subject to availability: homeaway.co.uk/p1359062

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Above, private pool at the Villa Catalina, right and below, one of 14 double en-suite bedrooms, salon and lounge

HOW TO ENTER. For your chance to win, simply answer the following question on our website at independentschoolparent.com/win Q. What type of food will you traditionally find in Barcelona?

A – Pizza B – Burger C – Paella

COMPETITION

HOMEAWAY’S UNIQUE HOMES AS VOTED FOR BY THE KIDS… Heard the term “kidfluencer” before? If you haven’t, you will soon. Gone are the days when mum and dad packed the kids into the family car and headed to the beach or camping for the yearly holiday. Kids today crave adventure, new experiences, and interesting places to stay. According to TREEHOUSE (PROPERTY 676643VB) It’s a childhood dream to have a secret hideout in the trees, so of course this property set high in the Melina trees of Montezuma, Costa Rica, was a favourite with kids, according to the survey. The open-air kitchen and bedroom are each housed in uniquely shaped structures and connected by a sky bridge. Perfect for having all sorts of outdoor adventures. Plus, there is an Awarenest: a viewing platform 30 feet in the air with awesome views of the mountains.

a recent survey of 2,000 parents and kids ages six to 18, many kids get to make decisions on the holiday activities (75%), the itinerary (59%), and even the destination itself (42%). Here are some of the most kid-requested holiday accommodations. It’s not hard to see why!

CASTLE (PROPERTY 85353) The fact that a castle topped the list won’t be a surprise to anyone who has ever picked up a stick and pretended it was a sword to fight the evil knight or slay the dragon. This 16thcentury château just south of Cherbourg, France, will certainly spark those childhood fantasies. With its spiral staircases, elegant period furniture and actual suits of armour, it feels like a living fairy tale. There’s a huge garden, heated pool and tennis court, too.

AIRPLANE (PROPERTY 577384VB) Who hasn’t fantasised about flying a plane?

This incredibly unique property makes that dream come true…well, almost. Stay in this re-purposed 727, sitting in a tree 50 feet above the jungle canopy in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. From the plane, it’s just a short walk to a white sand beach and a national park. But to a child, the best part may be sitting in the actual cockpit of the plane and playing pilot, looking out over the forest below.

40% INTRODUCTORY OFFER FOR HOLIDAY HOME OWNERS

List your property today on HomeAway for just £149.40 (excl. VAT) and you can earn up to £54,000 per year in rental income Contact us today on 020 3514 0104 to find out more. Quote PARENT. Offer ends 31st July 2015. *T&Cs apply (new adverts only), visit homeaway.co.uk

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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University not for you? How about a course that can lead to an immensely rewarding career in the culinary world? Tante Marie Culinary Academy and Restaurant can offer just that!

Our internationally acclaimed 1 year full time Cordon Bleu Diploma has been the springboard for countless successful careers in the food industry and from summer 2015 our graduates will have the opportunity to study for an additional qualification: the pioneering CTH Level 5 Diploma in Culinary and Hospitality Management, all whilst applying their skills in the commercial environment of The Restaurant at Tante Marie, based in Woking, just 20 minutes from central London by train.

A host of career possibilities await: private catering, events management, food journalism, home economist, chef at a top restaurant, or running your own successful food business.

Learn skills that will give you a job for life... at Tante Marie Culinary Academy and Restaurant.

Grade 6 Accredited

The UK’s Leading Music Theatre Company for Young People

YMT’S SUMMER SKILLS

ACT SING DANCE

Work with the UK’s top musical theatre directors, choreographers and composers on week-long residential courses 27 July – 1 Aug: Edinburgh / 27 July – 1 Aug: Hemel Hempstead, Herts. / 27 July – 1 Aug: Yorkshire / 3 – 8 Aug: Belfast 3 – 8 Aug: Kent / 3 – 8 Aug: West Midlands / 10 – 15 Aug: Roehampton, London / 17 – 22 Aug: Godalming, Surrey Book your Summer Skills course here: www.youthmusictheatreuk.org/skills-courses call: 020 8563 7725 or email: mail@ymtuk.org facebook.com/ymtuk twitter.com/ymtuk

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youtube.com/ymtadmin instagram.com/ymtuk

CALENDAR Our round-up of events nationwide this summer

5, Aug 1

Jul

OUTDOOR THEATRE AT WOBURN ABBEY [Bedfordshire] Experience some of your favourite stories, in the picturesque setting of Woburn Abbey, on the Pantaloons open-air stage.

Enjoy a classic novel with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (July) or play tricks in Much Ado About Nothing (Aug). woburnabbey.co.uk

TOP 5 SUMMER DAYS OUT

1. A TASTE OF HISTORY Audley End House (Essex) 2. WALKING AND CYCLING Kielder Water and Forest Park (Northumberland) 3. SOAKING UP THE RAYS West Wittering beach (West Sussex) 4. A GOOD GALLOP Cantref Riding Centre, Brecon Beacons (Wales) 5. MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME Eltham Palace (London) POLO ON THE BEACH

PHOTOGRAPHY: TREVOR MEEKS, JAMES RAM

[Watergate Bay, Cornwall] Back for its ninth year, this free event has three matches, polo demonstrations and beach activities. watergatebay.co.uk/polo

CAMP BESTIVAL

30-2 Jul - Aug

[Lulworth Castle, Dorset] The junior version of the Isle of Wight’s favourite music festival is back, having relocated to the south coast, and it’s better than ever! Get your face painted, enjoy a spot of camping together and bop along to the music on offer. The ultimate day out for everyone! campbestival.net

3-24 Aug

26-28 Jun

NEW SUMMER CAMPS FOR FUNTECH [Nationwide] Does your child have a passion for computers and coding? Keep them busy this summer with something proactive! FunTech is the first in the UK to offer Oculus Rift and Drone Coder technology-based, one-week long computer camps. funtechsummercamps.com

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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Did you know?

Longleat was the first safari park of its kind outside Africa, and opened its doors in 1966. Next year it turns the big 5-0.

Happy birthday Longleat!

Weekly, Saturday

All year round

FARMER’S MARKET

THE WILD, WILD WEST COUNTRY

[Horniman Museum, London] Trot on down to the Horniman Museum’s perfect farmer’s market where there’s all sorts on display for scoffing and wrapping up to take home later. From Little Jack Horner’s sausage rolls to fair trade chocolate, fresh pasta and locally upcycled children’s clothes, there’s a bit of everything. And afterwards you can wander around the glorious museum, too. horniman.ac.uk

Venture to Longleat Safari and Adventure Park and you can coo over the lions and tigers from the safety of your car! Drive through the different habitats and pop along to Penguin Island to see the cold-water critters splashing about with their pals. longleat.co.uk

2-1

3-6 Sep

30-2 Jul-Aug PORT ELIOT FESTIVAL [Cornwall] Head down to the Port Eliot Festival where all sorts of talks, creative activities and food is being cooked up. porteliotfestival.com

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May - Nov

BURGHLEY HORSE TRIALS [Burghley House, Lincolnshire] We love a good round of horse trials, but this one is a biggie. In the grounds of the stunning Burghley House, Lincolnshire, horses dance like ballerinas in the dressage ring, race around the formidable cross-country course, and then hop over the spectacular jumps in the showjumping ring. burghley-horse.co.uk

THE ALICE LOOK [V&A Museum of Childhood, London] It’s the 150th birthday of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland this year, and the V&A are hosting a party for her. Only, it’s an exhibition, and a very good one at that. vam.ac.uk/moc

PHOTOGRAPHY: V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD

[Wiltshire]

Independant_Layout 1 23/02/2015 09:28 Page 1

SUMMER TENNIS CAMPS 28th June to 30 August 2015

Exclusive reader offer

10% off

all UK resi tennis camp dential s in 2015

Residential and day camps • Singles and doubles tournaments • The UK’s finest grass court camps, established in 1981 • 5 hours of intensive tennis coaching per day • NEW Performance training programme for advanced players LONDON OXFORD YORK SHIRE

020 7603 2422 info@marksontennis.com www.marksontennis.com

What makes us different is the difference we make...

Our strong academic record is just the starting point: from scientific exploration to personal discovery, our outstanding education goes way beyond exams Find out more at our open events Senior: Wed 24 June

6.30 - 8pm

(including our D’Art Exhibition)

Sat 19 September 10am - 1pm Junior: Sat 26 September 10am - 1pm 020 8557 7004 admissions@syd.gdst.net www.sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net 15 & 19 Westwood Hill, London, SE26 6BL

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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Did you know?

Each year at Wimbledon, visitors consume 28,000kg (112,000 punnets) of English strawberries and 7,000 litres of dairy cream*

WIMBLEDON IN 3D WITH TEA...

13-14 Jun

[London]

Watching Wimbledon from Murray Mound with a helping of fresh strawberries and cream might seem ideal, until you’ve seen the queues.

Luckily, this year London’s elegant Eccleston Square Hotel will be screening the Wimbledon tennis matches live in the highest of definition, on its 3D cinema screen. Visitors can avoid the crowds and enjoy matches over a cream tea or afternoon tea, cocktails or an a la carte meal. Booking recommended. ecclestonsquarehotel.com

Don't miss PHOENIX FROM THE FLAMES [London] After the terrible fire that devastated the Battersea Arts Centre earlier this year, the local community and the BAC’s Phoenix Fund have been working together to save this beloved institution. On Sunday 14th June, Thomas’s Choral Society, affiliated to Thomas’s Prep Schools, will perform Handel at the end of a weekend of workshops. All are invited to join this specially-created Battersea Phoenix Choir. thomasschoralsociety.com

29-12 Jun - Jul

20

Until Sep

OFF TO THE CIRCUS

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VIPE TRAVELER APP

20% OFF SUNUVA SWIMWEAR

[Global] Just in time for the summer holidays, new VIPE Traveler app allows you to feel like a local, even when abroad, by covering all bases so you can relax, with access to an extensive directory of tourist essentials. vipelderly.com

[Global] Your children can splash around this summer in Sunuva’s brilliant UPF 50+ swimwear. We can’t pick a favourite – there are too many to choose from. Sunuva is offering readers 20% off on their next purchase.

Please see enclosed flyer for the discount code. sunuva.com

independentschoolparent.com | SUMMER 2015

[South East, South West, London] Giffords village green circus is back for the summer and is an unmissable holiday treat. Imaginative, colourful and eccentric, the troupe consists of gypsy violinists, tap dancers, tight-rope walkers, trapeze artists, illusionists and more. giffordscircus.com

Picture perfect...

Discover rarely-seen prints of the great Breakfast at Tiffany’s icon, Audrey Hepburn, from some of the world's most iconic photographers, including Cecil Beaton

* STAT FROM WIMBLEDON.COM. PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK, JASON HAWKES, JMICHAEL BOWLES, NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, ADAM GASSON, WESTONBIRT ARBORETUM FORESTRY COMMISSION

IT’S LONDON BABY

We scoured the capital for the best events and exhibitions around town

4-7 Aug

World War 1 Week

[Royal Artillery Museum]

Go back to the trenches, tackle the Challenger Troup assault course, and discover the origins of feeling “fed up” or “washed out”. firepower.org.uk

6

Small Stories: At Home in a Dolls’ House

Until Sep

[V&A Museum of Childhood] This exhibition reveals the fascinating stories behind some of the UK’s best-loved dolls’ houses. vam.ac.uk/moc

Portraits of an Icon

2-18 Jul - Oct

[National Portrait Gallery]

A selection of 60 prints of Audrey Hepburn take you through a brilliant tour of her life. npg.org.uk

TREE READING [Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire] Learn to read trees and discover how their life and character can come alive through the amazing structures on show, all in the picturesque surrounding of lovely Westonbirt Arboretum. Kids go free. forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt

11-20 Aug

BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA

6-9 Aug

[Bristol] Experience the biggest and best display of balloons in Bristol – take in all the colourful sights, and dare yourself to take a spin in one! There are, inevitably, snacks on hand to keep you sustained all day long. bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk

BE BRILLIANT WITH BOLLÉ [Global] Prepare your children for the summer holidays ahead with Bollé sunglasses.

They're ideal for embracing any sporting scenario, and perfect for protecting their precious eyes from the accidental dangers of having fun in the sun! bollesportprotective.co.uk

SUMMER 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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MEMORY LANE

verything changed when I went away to boarding school. I have never been academically gifted and I’d struggled through my Common Entrance exams only to find that I’d failed to get into any London day schools.

Eventually, we decided to go for Bryanston in Dorset. I say we, because it was a family decision. No one in my family had ever gone away to boarding school, before, but my parents liked the laid back and liberal atmosphere that they saw when they visited on the school’s open day.

In marked contrast to my outgoing “explorer” television career today, I was a very shy child. I used to hide behind my parents’ legs at social functions, and at my prep school, The Hall in Hampstead, north London, I lacked confidence and was a bit of a goody two-shoes.

L SCHOORO IES

BEN FOGLE MEM

The broadcaster and explorer overcame his homesickness to enjoy blissful summer terms at Bryanston School, Dorset

morning. I still feel guilty for putting my parents through my homesickness – as they were paying so much money When I left home for the first for my education. time and went to boarding But as the year went by, I school, I became homesick. slowly began to settle into my My shyness and insecurity new life away from home. I were overwhelming. I can still started to make friends and, It was a yawing, aching pain remember the car journey as more importantly, began to that gnawed away at me. I’d my mother drove me to school discover the real me. My sob into my pillow each night and the feeling of impending shyness and insecurity began and down the payphone in the doom. We weren’t allowed to to fade, as did my homesickness. Until then, I had lacked any real d an s nd confidence in myself, but “ I started to make frie Bryanston began to . me began to discover the real heal all that. I still My shyness and insecurity began struggled .” ess ckn esi hom academically, but I to fade as did my was able to find

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call home for the first few weeks and when I finally did, I remember standing in a little phone booth, having queued up for what felt like hours, and when I eventually spoke to Mum, I burst into tears.

Tweet us your school memories at @ISParent

other outlets for my creativity.

Bryanston was a liberal school and they worked quite hard to find out what I was good at, which was art and drama. We were allowed to create our own timetables – amazingly, we actually did quite a lot of work and I set up a “riding for the disabled” group.

I loved drama and spent a great deal of time rehearsing and then performing in the school theatre – so much so that I left the school wanting to be an actor. I also spent many hours in the craft, design and technology building, making stuff. I made friends from all over the world who remain friends of mine to this day. The school was also fully coeducational and I also loved being in the company of girls – I would have hated all that macho nonsense if I’d been sent to an all-boys’ boarding school.

I loved the remoteness of the school. We were in the middle of Dorset surrounded by fields and rivers. If I close my eyes and think of a perfect summer’s day, I think of my summer terms at Bryanston, of walking along the banks of the river Stour and jumping in the clear waters to cool off, and of the long drive up to the school.

There were plenty of fun moments at Bryanston, too.

I remember when new signs were put up along the drive with peel-off letters and some pranksters changed them to make very rude words before a new parents’ day. ISP

PHOTOGRAPHY: BENFOGLE.COM

E

ASHBOURNE COLLEGE A Level Scholarships Music and Performing Arts

• One of London’s best private colleges • Outstanding facilities for music, drama and art including state-of-the-art composing and recording software • Emphasis on study skills, independent thinking and individual attention has produced excellent exam results and university destinations • Informal, university-style approach and wide range of cultural activities • Opportunities for full and partial scholarships for students with exceptional talent and academic ability.

Contact admissions on: 020 7937 3858 admissions@ashbournecollege.co.uk

college.co.uk Ashbourne Independent Sixth Form Kensington, London W8 4PL