Independent School Parent Senior Autumn 2015

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Autumn 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

SENIOR EDITION

FREE FOR PARENTS AND PUPILS

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GEOGRAPHY

The must-have A level

A LUXURY FAMILY BREAK

DON’T MISS COOKERY LESSONS AT TANTE MARIE

CORPS VALUES

How CCF develops leadership skills

SCIENCE

Why girls thrive at physics

HOW TO LEARN SHAKESPEARE IN AN HOUR TRAVEL.

FAMILY SKIING IN THE ALPS

REVISION TIPS The secret to exam success

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.nchlondon.ac.uk

Where quick minds

CLAUDIA DUDMAN

EDITOR’S LETTER

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 Deputy Editor Natalie Milner Group Art Editor Chloë Collyer Senior Designer Pio Blanco Designer Maria Sagun PUBLISHING Publisher & Managing Director Paul Dobson Deputy Managing Director Steve Ross Commercial Director Vicki Gavin Media Manager James Dobson Brand Manager Chatty Dobson Subscriptions Manager Will Delmont 020 7349 3710 will.delmont@chelseamagazines.com Production www.allpointsmedia.co.uk Printed in England by William Gibbons ADVERTISING Group Advertisement Manager Freddy Halliday Sales Executives Hannah Inwood, Harry Warburton, 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. © 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… Geography, once derided as the “colouring subject” is growing in popularity at A level. But at degree level, it is in a league of its own and equips graduates with a skillset perfect for the working world, (page 12).

The recent release of the film, Suffragette, got us thinking here in the office about women’s rights, women’s education and its impact on women in science. In Girls in Science (page 35) we look at why there is still such a woeful take up of physics at A level by girls in co-ed schools and why it thrives among girls at single-sex schools.

We’ve also created a handy timeline which takes you through key dates, like 1910, when the London County Council set up a system of Central Schools with some science teaching. Boys were taught simple lab work in chemistry and physics while girls studied... hygiene. Well, it was a start, I suppose.

In Head’s Up, (page 21) Jo Heywood, headmistress of Heathfield School, Ascot, who incidentally worked as a chemist in industry before transferring to the education sector, says that the demise of AS exams will lead to more universities setting their own admissions tests.

Plus, we have a fantastic new competition for you to enter (page 58), where you can win a luxury family spa break to the Cambridgeshire Fens.

Simply visit our website: independentschoolparent.com/win Claudia Dudman, Editor

Independent School Parent, independentschoolparent.com

COVER: LVS Ascot, Berkshire

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WHAT’S INSIDE? Issue 20 Autumn 2015 • independentschoolparent.com

50

News Our round-up of hot topics

What do you do if you don’t receive an

How Geography Became Cool

offer from your chosen university?

54

The subject once dismissed as the “colouring subject” is a must-have A level

19

Want to Help Save the Planet?

Professor Iain Stewart says a career in

21

geosciences can be highly rewarding

12

Can’t Afford School Fees?

takes you step by step through the process

56 58

Hour-long Shakespeare

35

In the Name of Sport The success of the Rugby World Cup cements the importance of sport in schools

Motivation for Mocks

benefits of a bespoke ski family holiday

66

at a Tante Marie cookery course

71

Why are girls more likely to take up A-level physics in a single-sex school?

41

at runnymede-on-thames, Surrey

72

71

importance of mindfulness

75

Arts for All

49

77

Leaders in the Making

Uni and You Our university advice section

On the cover...

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

School Hero Alan McNeill, Gordonstoun, Moray

29

How the Combined Cadet Force gives pupils a foundation for life

Talking Heads Leading teachers give their advice on the

Bradfield College’s new project

42

Teen Spa A mother and daughter try out the spa

Follow our hints and tips...

Girls in Science

Let’s Get Cooking Auriol Drummond-Hay trys her hand

What is the secret to exam sucess?

35

Alpine Magic Tim Davis of Amazon Creek espouses the

The Bard’s work condensed...

33

Competition Win a luxury break to Cambridgeshire

60

pay for your child’s education

29

Ones to Watch We catch up with school alumni

How grandparents can help

27

Finance Explained It’s time to apply for your tuition fees and student finance loan. Nichola Malton

42

Head’s Up Jo Heywood, Heathfield School, Ascot

23

The Waiting Game

27

Calender Inspiring things to do this winter and dates for your diary

82

School Memories Sir Ranulph Fiennes on his schooldays at Eton College, Berkshire

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 Sheila Thompson, Boarding Schools’ Association Ben Vessey, Canford School David Wellesley-Wesley, Independent Schools Show Peter Young, Marketing/Brand Consultant Sir Anthony Seldon

John Whitson founded The Red Maids’ School in 1634, page35

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

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AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

5

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NEWS

Our pick of the top school news this autumn

SCIENCE KNOWS NO GENDER [St Mary’s School, Cambridgeshire] Over 250 students from 13 state and independent schools across the eastern counties attended The GSA Girl Power: Women in Bio-Technology and Engineering Conference this October. Hosted for the fourth year by St Mary’s School, Cambridge, in partnership with the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA) East Region and University Technical College Cambridge, the event aimed to encourage female students aged 15 to 18 to consider a range or scientific careers.

Speakers were all women of extraordinary talent and dedication working at the top of their fields. Among them was Dame Mary Archer DBE who spoke on “the science of good health”, highlighting the founding “fathers” of modern medicine. Students were delighted to hear that Dame Mary carried out her first experiment at the age of 10, when she tied an earthworm into a knot to see if it could untie itself!

CRANLEIGH IS IN THE ARMY

IT’S THE BUSINESS AT BENENDEN [Benenden School, Kent] A new qualification, teaching students some of the professional skills they will need in the modern workplace, will be launched at Benenden School.

In what is thought to be the first of its kind in the country, the Professional Skills Qualification will teach pupils vital business skills such as pitching an idea; creating a business plan; debating; teamwork; and reading financial accounts. It will also offer advice on how to behave during an interview or conduct a business meeting.

The school is seeking for the course to be accredited by an external body at diploma level and preparations have begun for it to launch in time for the next academic year, in September 2016.

[Cranleigh School, Surrey] Ben Strickland, of Cranleigh School’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF), was awarded a prestigious army scholarship at the school’s Biennial Inspection Parade. This achievement guarantees a place at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst to attend the Officer Training Course.

Read more about CCF in schools on page 42.

SLEEPOUT

Oundle’s recent SleepOut event in Birmingham, saw 112 pupils and staff sleeping under cardboard to raise awareness of homelessness and to collect funds for St Basils, a “centre of excellence” in Birmingham working with 16 to 25-year-old homeless young adults. So far the school has raised £8,200 and counting...

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

7

SIMPLE SCOFF

[University of Warwick]

As part of the 50th anniversary of the University of Warwick, students and academics have put together a cookery book for cheap, simple recipes and top tips from around the campus. Simple Scoff: The Anniversary Edition features illustrations and poems by alumni and staff, such as BBC media correspondent Torin Douglas. The cookbook will be handed out for free to students joining this year, and promotes healthy eating while living away from home for the first time. To order your copy for just £4.99 visit: warwickbooks.com HOORAY FOR HAY! The Hay Festival and Hereford Sixth Form College, sponsored by the Tata group, has unveiled the second wave in the second series of Hay Levels – an inspiring, free series of educational videos starring leaders from a range of disciplines. The aim: to stimulate students preparing for A Levels.

Covering a breadth of topics, the first release of videos includes: Simon Armitage on poetry (English literature); professor AC Grayling on Descartes’ ontological argument (philosophy); and Antony Beevor on the Nazis (history).

Videos are released every two weeks throughout the school year on the Hay Levels YouTube channel. #HayLevels

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independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

THE STIG VISITS OLD SCHOOL [Blundell’s, Devon] Ben Collins, aka The Stig from his role on BBC TV’s Top Gear, returned to his old school, Blundell’s, to give current sixth formers a talk on Safer Driving using his own experiences as a champion racing driver and stunt driving expert. The mysterious driver who, for eight years, kept 500 million viewers guessing as to his identify, told tales of stunt driving on films including the latest James Bond movies and racing against Formula One World Champions.

x + y2 = 4 WETHERBY SENIOR SCHOOL OPENS [Marylebone, London] The launch of the new Wetherby Senior School, this September, completes the prestigious Wetherby Group, which now provides Gold Standard education from nursery to sixth form, at Little Wetherby (nursery), Wetherby School (pre-prep), Wetherby Preparatory School and now Wetherby Senior School.

The all-boys’ senior school has a four-form entry, with each form comprising an average of 15 boys, which will, in time, create a total roll of 400. The school is based in beautiful period buildings in a newly semi-pedestrianised area in the heart of Marylebone Village.

Wetherby Senior School underwent a £3 million refurbishment to provide outstanding facilities for art, music and drama on site, with new science laboratories, refurbished classrooms and a multipurpose theatre in an area of over 22,000 square feet. The school has the exclusive use, along with the prep school, of sports facilities at The Park Club, Acton, during term time.

Sch ol tweets

@MillfieldSenior Take a look at the amazing Mad Hatter's cake Emma in our catering department made for our @macmillancoffee morning! Raising £1,500

Share your school news and tweet us @ISParent

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AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

9

PROMOTION

THE SWISS FACTOR HOME TO THE WORLD’S TOP-RANKED HOTEL SCHOOLS, SWITZERLAND HAS EDUCATED GLOBAL LEADERS IN HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY. HERE, I OUTLINE SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT SET THE SWISS STUDY EXPERIENCE APART. SONIA TATAR

land. It is located in the heart of Europe and in close

Apart from the economic framework, the political sta-

CEO

proximity to some the world’s most exciting cities,

bility and public safety contribute to make Switzerland

LES ROCHES

such as Paris, Milan and Munich, each with its own

a preferred destination for international students.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT

unique history, art, architecture and cultural scene.

Les Roches organizes many trips for students to visit destinations and attractions both in Switzerland and in

The Swiss model of education follows a unique struc-

neighboring countries to maximize their study experi-

ture, offering students a choice of two pathways to

ence.

reach an academic distinction. They can follow the

Stable environment for thriving businesses

A history of hospitality excellence Considered by many as the birthplace of hospitality, Switzerland boasts a long-standing history of tourism.

It was here that hotel management schools first began to emerge, and over time developed a unique, holistic approach to educating skilled hotel management staff.

Students not only learned about keeping the books of a hotel property, but also mastered the practical operations, from service and kitchen to rooms division, which led them to understand the necessary steps to build a successful hospitality business.

schooling or they can start an apprenticeship. In the latter case, students attend a professional school part

comprised of large multinational corporations, leading

time while learning their trade and can later embark

institutions in finance, luxury and pharmaceuticals,

on an academic career through a university of applied

and specialized small and medium sized enterprises

sciences.

(SME), which account for some most impressive key performance indicators (KPI). According to the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Competitiveness Report, Switzerland is the world’s most competitive country, has the lowest percentage of public debt and capita in the world (EU Statistical Office–Eurostat).

tality management schools in the world (TNS Global

These factors, together with aspects of social secu-

Survey, 2013). Among them is Les Roches International

rity, make Switzerland the best country to be born in,

School of Hotel Management located in the Swiss Alps

according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

dergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programs in the fields of hospitality, tourism and event management.

Switzerland is also very competitive in the field of innovation and is among the countries with the highest spending on research and development relative to GDP. It is in these ideal conditions that many business ideas come to life and start-up companies take off. At

Nature and culture in the heart of Europe It is not only the reputed hospitality schools that bring students from across the globe to study in Switzer-

tually university after completing their mandatory

nomic, political and civil stability. The economy is

Today, Swiss institutions rank as the top three hospi-

Here, students from nearly 100 countries enroll in un-

classic path and enroll in secondary school and even-

Switzerland is fortunate to rely on a system of eco-

unemployment, and the highest disposable income per

in vicinity to the ski and golf resort, Crans-Montana.

A coveted educational model

Les Roches, we aim to instill this entrepreneurial spirit in our students and encourage them to pursue their

Les Roches combines both these pathways to offer a fully accredited Bachelor in Business Administration degree program in International Hotel Management with craft-based courses during the early semesters to immerse students in the practical aspects of hotel operations, in accordance with the Swiss hospitality education tradition. Students also immerse in a challenging business-focused academic curricula, including finance, marketing, human resources and business operations tailored to the hospitality industry.

On campus, students follow a transformative education model which consists of developing their full personal and professional potential through complete educational programs and progressive learning principles that promote a global mindset, interpersonal skills, and professionalism.

own business projects, both inside and outside of the classroom.

For more information on Les Roches or our programs, please contact: Les Roches Admissions UK / ukadmissions@lesroches.edu / T: +41 (0)21 989 26 44 WWW.LESROCHES.EDU

QUEEN’S AWARD [The Royal School, Surrey] Year 13 pupil, Verity Foster has been selected to receive the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, an honour that is equivalent to an MBE. Verity’s work as honorary beekeeper at Haslemere Museum is being recognised, as is her tireless fundraising on behalf of the museum.

HEADS on the move Charles Fillingham will be head of Francis Holland School, Regent's Park this January.

Christopher Wheeler will be head at Monkton Combe School, Bath, from this January.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK, GETTY IMAGES

Charles Ellison took up the headship at Scarborough College, Yorks, this autumn.

Sarah KerrDineen, took over the reins of Oundle School, Northants, this summer.

Philip Stapleton takes over the reins at West Buckland School, Devon, next September.

WELLINGTONIAN NAMED FOYLE YOUNG POET OF THE YEAR [Wellington College, Berkshire]

Year 12 student, and member of The Wellington Creative Writing Society, Apollo Petrova has been announced as one of the 15 Foyle Young Poets of the Year. The competition receives 12,288 poems from 5,846 poets from 69 countries.

Apollo went to London for the ceremony and her poem has been featured in all the leading broadsheet newspapers.

PIG CLUB COMES TO MAYFIELD [Mayfield School, East Sussex] The newest recruits at Mayfield School are a pair of Gloucester Old Spot cross Boston Red weaners! The two piglets arrived much to the excitement of the 20 girls from Years Seven and Eight who have signed up to Pig Club.

Amid the squeals of delight at the piglets’ curly tails is a more serious message – the aim of the Pig Club is to introduce pupils to ethical food production, from piglets to pork.

TIME TO TEE UP [Loretto School, East Lothian] Scottish professional golfer and Ryder Cup legend Sam Torrance OBE opened Loretto’s state-of-the-art indoor golf centre in October.

The academy will include an indoor driving range, short-game facility, putting analysis and Trackman technology. To find out more about Loretto’s Golf Academy, visit our website: independentschoolparent.com/extra-curricular

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

11

ELEANOR DOUGHTY

writer, The Daily Telegraph

12

independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

CURRICULUM

HOW

GEOGRAPHY BECAME C OL Geography is growing in popularity at A level. It appeals to a range of students and at degree level it equips you with a highly employable skillset, writes Eleanor Doughty

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

13

Sherborne Girls pupils explore Iceland on a school trip

P

oor Geography. Famously maligned, the subject that brought us knowledge of the world and its treasures, how rivers meander, has for years been derided as the “colouring subject”– and hardly a serious academic field of study.

GEOGRAPHY ON TOP

Fast forward a generation and geography is the hero subject. It has become essential and equips its students with a skillset perfect for the working world.

Self-confessed bookworm, Natasha Ngan, studied geography at Jesus College Cambridge. Everyone, herself included, thought she would read English, but she picked geography instead. “I thought it would be more of an all-rounder, better for career prospects,” she muses.

THE HARD FACTS

A Labour Force Survey from 2010 showed that geography graduates earn above the average wage. While 70% of across-study graduates earn more than £20,000 as a starting salary, for geographers that figure is 74%.

It isn’t just the earning potential, but the initial “job-getting” potential too. Data from the Higher Education Career Services Unit shows that only 5.8% of geography graduates were still job-hunting six months after graduation, below the average of 7.3%.

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independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

With these figures in mind, it’s no wonder that geography is soaring high in the A-level options game. In a leading article this August, The Guardian named geography the “must-have A level”, and according to the Royal Geographical Society, 13% more pupils took the subject at A level this year than last.

SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE

Reflecting on her time at university, Natasha, now a published author of two young adult books, explains how her degree in geography has stood her in good stead. “I’m self-employed and it has definitely given me the skills and confidence I’ve needed to build my career,” she says. “The wonderful variety of subjects to study opened up my mind to all sorts of ideas. In my last year, I specialised in a wide area of study such as the indigenous cultures of the Arctic region and volcanology.”

But even in a climate where geography skills are needed, the stereotype is yet to shed its skin. To fix this, it’s about education. Lou Banerjee, head of geography at Oundle School in Northamptonshire, says. “It’s about educating parents and the older generation who have an outdated view of the subject.

Geography has moved on from the days of spending time colouring in to differentiate sea from land or show a difference in height.”

GROWING POPULARITY

At Oundle, geography is a popular A-level subject, with between 30 to 40 pupils

Share your thoughts on Twitter @ISParent

choosing it as a subject, and about 25% to 30% of those going on to study it at degree level. The pupils, Lou says, are keen because the subject “helps us explain both the physical and human environment around us, and helps us answer many of the endless ‘why’ questions we all asked when we were younger.”

But what does a detailed knowledge of volcanic islands have to do with the workplace? “Having studied a broad subject that touches areas of biology, chemistry, physics and history, geographers are capable of assimilating and synthesising diverse material and seeing the bigger picture”, Martyn Gower, head of geography at Leicester Grammar School says.

“They also have a wide range of skills in creating and testing theories by collecting, presenting and analysing data, which they

Climate change, sea-level rise, migration, population dynamics and geohazards mean that geography is one of the most relevant courses to study Dr Neil Glasser, Aberystwyth University

BEING BROADMINDED, WIDENS HORIZONS

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Geography and Earth Science

Another world . . .Your home

Geography and Earth Science are proud that:

97%

student satisfaction with quality of teaching (Geography).

(NSS 2015)

96%

of our graduates were in employment/further study within 6 months.

100%

of research impact worldleading and internationally

excellent. (REF 2014)

DEPARTMENT OF THE YEAR

(2014 Student-led Teaching Awards)

TEACHING: A nice spot for a lecture. Students on the 2nd year fieldtrip to Crete.

RESEARCH: Human Geography students in New York City on a 2nd year fieldtrip.

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TOP 10

IN THE UK

for research power. (REF 2014)

Inspirational Teaching | Research with Excellence | Trusted Support

Pupils from Oundle School, Northamptonshire

do regularly in fieldwork and other research projects.”

FROM ARTS TO SCIENCE

The subject’s selling point largely revolves around its appeal across a broad skillset; from the arts student to the scientist, there is a reason for everyone to choose geography. “There is rarely a student who claims to enjoy the physical and human sides equally, but they find enjoyment in both at different times” Chris King, geographer and headmaster of Leicester Grammar School says. “Human geography is sometimes seen as more stimulating by arts students because they enjoy the discussion of issues that generate controversy, while physical geography appeals not only to those with a scientific bent, but also to those who like the logic of explaining landscapes.”

Clockwise from top right, Oundle pupils in Nepal, Sherborne Girls pupils explore the physical world

The knowledge imparted stays with you, too. “The topic that nearly every older person seems to remember is the formation of ox-bow lakes,” Chris says.

Truly, a topic to last a lifetime.

21ST-CENTURY CHALLENGES

Geography isn’t just a subject aimed at those that possess a large collection of Ordnance Survey maps – it’s about the wider world. “Geography brings together the study of people and their environments,” says professor Ray Hudson, professor of geography at Durham University. “As a result it is excellent preparation for employment in many occupations and in helping respond to many of the major challenges facing the world in the 21st century.”

Professor Paul Bates of the University of Bristol, agrees, “The most compelling reason to study geography is that it is the best subject to prepare students for the complex and interconnected world in which they live. It tackles current science and societal problems, and fosters both numeracy and literacy simultaneously.”

As for the people skills, professor Bates adds that “geographers tend to be well-rounded and outgoing with an ability to work well as individuals and as a team in a way that employers value highly.”

TOP 10

UNIVERSITIES FOR GEOGRAPHY*

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

CAMBRIDGE DURHAM OXFORD BRISTOL LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS ST ANDREWS CARDIFF GLASGOW EXETER NEWCASTLE

* INFORMATION FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

The subjectʼs selling point revolves around its appeal across a broad skillset – from the arts student to the scientist, there is a reason for everyone to choose geography

Natasha Ngan knows which part she’s holding on to. “Studying geography made me a better person. I’m now open to different points of view, and critical of my opinions. I look at the world differently.”

And if that isn’t perfect material for a geography department prospectus, it’s hard to know what is.

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

17

Academic Scholarship Examinations

Using your School Branding System© 11+ and 13+: Saturday 16th January 2016 at Stonyhurst, and rd logo Saturday 23 January 2016 at The Heythrop College, Kensington This is the new logo for all members of the Jesuit Institute group of schools and should be used across 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 2 elements should never be used in different 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.

Leading Catholic, Co-educational Boarding and Day School

Tel 01254 827073 admissions@stonyhurst.ac.uk Stonyhurst, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 9PZ

www.stonyhurst.ac.uk

“You learn to speak your mind about what you believe in.”

Hebe, Bedales student

13 –18 | Weekly boarding | 1 hour from London To book a place on an open morning or to arrange an individual visit, please contact Janie Jarman, Registrar.

T 01730 711 733 E jjarman@bedales.org.uk

www.bedales.org.uk

18

independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

PMS 1945 U red and 425U grey

White out of 425U and 1945U

Blac

IAIN STEWART

professor of geoscience communication, Plymouth University

CAN YOU SAVE THE PLANET?

Iain Stewart explains why a career in geosciences is so rewarding

N

ot everyone will want to be a geoscientist – a geographer, geologist or environmental scientist. Some will be drawn instead to study the “hard sciences” of physics, chemistry or biology, or pursue lucrative careers in medicine, law or the media. And yet, if you choose not to be an “Earth scientist”, then you’d better hope that other people do!

And the reason for that is because the majority of the most difficult and pressing social challenges that face us in the 21st century are essentially to do with our planet’s survival. One of those grand challenges is about how we provide water for the swelling urban and increasingly coastal populations who currently rely on dwindling or deteriorating drinking sources. Another is how we feed the rising energy and resource appetites of developing countries whose aspirations are set by comparison with an affluent western world. It is the wealth of those affluent

[

nations – built by an industrial growth fuelled by fossil carbon – that we now know adversely affects the chemistry of the atmosphere and the oceans, so much so that the long-term sustainability of our modern way of life is threatened.

Studying geoscience at university won’t solve those complex and messy societal problems at a stroke, but understanding both how the planet works and how society works lies at the heart of finding solutions to ever more difficult issues.

DEALING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change will set the pace and direction of epidemics and health, of economic development and financial stability, of social unrest and international conflict. Added to that is another challenge: how do we manage the impact of extreme natural forces on our crowded cities, inter-connected economies and fragile financial markets?

Studying geoscience at university won’t solve those complex and messy societal problems at a stroke, but understanding both how the planet works and how

]

A dash of physics and chemistry, mixed with psychology and sociology, delivered with a serving of media and savviness. All ingredients in the recipe of today’s modern geoscientist

Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @ISParent

society works lies at the heart of finding solutions to ever more difficult issues. It is an approach that demands diverse skillsets and very different mindsets.

A MIXED SKILLSET

A candidate for geoscience requires a decent numerical grasp of natural processes at work and a forensic analysis of how the chemistry of our environments is monitored and their impacts on biological systems assessed.

They also need a realisation of the importance of the social, economic, political and cultural context in which those changes occur. This requires an input from the humanities and even a raw creativity that comes from the arts.

Combining physical and social science perspectives is a big ask – most individuals tend to be drawn to one or the other – but that fusion is crucial if we are to sustain the future wellbeing of people and places under the increasing pressures of our fast changing world. It requires the endeavour of a new kind of scientist, a generalist that can draw comfortably from a wide range of academic disciplines and scientific toolkits to solve difficult questions.

A dash of physics and chemistry, mixed with some psychology and sociology, and delivered with a serving of media and political savviness – the ingredients in the complex recipe of a modern geoscientist.

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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HEAD’S UP

JO HEYWOOD

headmistress of Heathfield School, Berkshire

F

ollowing changes in the exam system, we are now entering the first academic cycle for some years with a two-year A-level course. Having previously relied upon AS grades and predicted A-level grades as part of the university entrance system, rumours have abounded that Oxbridge will bring back their own entrance examination system to select candidates post A level.

TESTING TIMES

The demise of AS exams will lead to universities setting their own admissions tests, writes Jo Heywood

PHOTOGRAPHY: TIMES NEWSPAPERS LTD

Entrance Examinations Last year, data from UCAS showed that around 70 universities and colleges, including several leading Russell Group institutions, already ran their own admissions tests in at least one subject.

Oxford used 10 entrance exams to dictate entry to subjects such as medicine, classics, maths, law, physics and philosophy, politics and economics (PPE).

Cambridge employed them for courses including computer science, economics, engineering and natural sciences.

This August, in response to university access research, the director general of the Russell Group, Dr Wendy Piatt, was at pains to defend the admissions record of Russell Group universities.

“Ensuring our doors are wide open to able students from all backgrounds really matters to Russell Group universities,” she said. “Our institutions are fair and treat each application on its own merits.”

[

Dr Piatt continues, “Admissions teams look at a range of information to judge an applicant’s suitability for the course. These include grades, personal statements, teacher references and sometimes interviews and extra tests. This ensures applicants with real potential can be identified from among a field of highly qualified candidates, who may all look outstanding on paper.”

The chaos in our exam system, grade inflation and the proliferation of the top grades has made it impossible for unis to differentiate between the best candidates.

Backwards Trend The irony is that as Oxbridge heads towards their own post-A-Level selection through exams, they are reverting to the “seventh term” system which was abandoned several decades ago. At the

]

Last year, data from UCAS showed that around 70 universities and colleges, including several Russell Group institutions, ran their own admissions tests in at least one subject

What do you think?

Share your thoughts on Twitter @ISParent

time, the positive discrimination which demanded wider access made that inevitable as thousands of state school pupils were encouraged to apply to Oxbridge and receive offers based on interview and predicted grades alone.

This backs up my concern that the UCAS procedure needs reforming and ideally made anonymous to prevent the growing prejudice against the privately educated. Admissions staff and UCAS are carefully harvesting information about applicants’ education, background and subject choices and then seeking to use the statistics they create for their own political advantage and to make headlines. This is a downright sinister development.

A few years ago, a pupil from my school was told to not even bother applying to one leading Russell Group university to study because she was at a private school.

Imagine her upset and our anger!

Let’s hope that when leading universities start to recruit students via their own exams, with less emphasis on predicted and actual A-level grades, it does not herald an era of further discrimination against privately educated pupils. ISP

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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CHRIS AITKEN

head of financial planning Investec Wealth & Investment

HOW TO AFFORD SCHOOL FEES

Saving through a tax-free ISA and calling on grandparents for financial help are just two ways that parents can fund their child’s education, writes Chris Aitken

PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRIST’S HOSPITAL, WEST SUSSEX

W

ith the official quarterly Bank of England inflation figure now at zero or thereabouts, parents or prospective parents might be forgiven for thinking that the exponential growth in the costs of private school education must have

[

also slowed down. However, unlike food and commodity prices, the figures from the Independent Schools Council (ISC) show that the deflationary pressure in the economy as a whole is yet to filter down in to the rate of rises of private school fees.

START SAVING EARLY

This year, fees at independent schools have again increased above the rate of inflation, with average charges up by 3.6%, putting average annual school fee costs at £15,675.

Research from Consumer Intelligence found that one fifth of parents rely, or plan to rely on grandparents’ assistance in paying for their children’s independent school fees

]

Fees have increased above the rate of inflation

While recent rises have been more modest, they still comfortably outstrip average annual wage inflation, making it ever more important that parents looking to put their children through the private school system start saving early and seek financial planning advice.

SOURCE OF CAPITAL

One relatively new emerging phenomenon surrounding school fees is a trend for many parents looking to their own parents for financial help. Research from Consumer Intelligence commissioned by Investec Wealth & Investment (IW&I) found that a fifth (19%) of parents rely, or plan to rely on grandparents to help pay for private school fees for their children.

According to the study, on average grandparents pay a third (33%) towards

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

23

MONEY TALK

FLEXIBLE AND ACCESSIBLE

the cost of their grandchildren’s education but 19% of parents are fortunate enough to have the older generation pay over half the fees. Grandparents account for the third largest source of capital for parents looking to finance school fees behind their salary (63%) and savings or investments (47%).

Grandparents’ largesse doesn’t stop with school fees, however; the research shows that 13% of parents whose children have gone to university, or plan to, have done so with financial help from the grandparents towards fees and living costs. As with school fees, grandparents rank third in sources of finance for uni, after parents’ salaries (53%) and their savings or investments (50%).

As the squeezed middle becomes an ever-growing part of the UK’s economic landscape, this percentage looks set to continue to grow.

A TAX-FREE GIFT

One advantage of grandparents providing funds for education is that such gifts are free from inheritance tax (IHT) providing the payment is made seven years or more before

24

independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

Share your funding tips with us on Twitter @ISParent

ISAs are also a good way of saving, in this tax year alone, you can save £15,240 into stocks and shares and cash ISAs meaning that the maximum you can invest each month is £1,240. It does annually come close to funding one year’s worth of education in the private sector. The advantage of ISAs is their flexibility and accessibility. Proposed legislation will permit you to use funds and pay them back within the same year without losing your allowance (cash ISA only).

Other possible investments include offshore bonds where investment growth rolls up in a tax-favoured environment.

Saving £500 a month over 10 years with an investment growth of 7% you will accumulate a little over £87,000 – around a third of the total cost of paying for private school funding for a single child alone. There are various tax-efficient ways that these funds can be accessed.

Trusts have traditionally played a useful role in funding for education. This is a specialised area where advice is required.

Irrespective of the tax efficiency of the route you take to accumulate funds, the structure of the investments held within is paramount. Again proper advice is essential.

For those who really have left it to the last minute and cannot meet all the fees, you might have to turn to your property for help by remortgaging. But this really should be the last resort. ISP investecwin.co.uk

TOP TIPS FOR...

SCHO L FEES

1 Turn to the bank of grandpa and grandma, who can use their annual gift exemption of £3,000 (which can be carried forward for one year). Gifts above this level can be potentially exempt transfers (PETS) and outside the donor estate after seven years.

2 Avoid complicated investments.

Many have become discredited in recent years because of high costs and their somewhat opaque nature. Venture capital trusts can offer attractive tax breaks but they are seen by many as illiquid and higher risk.

3 You could use the tax-free lump sum from a pension once you reach 55.

4 School fees are not the only cost: add on 5% to 10% for extras such as trips and games equipment.

5 Schools may charge you more if you pay fees monthly rather than termly.

6 Trusts can be useful but specialised advice is required.

7 The vast majority of private school

pupils will expect to go on to university.

Expect a long financial commitment.

8 Flexibility is the key. Where short

term access is required, cash, despite the current low interest rate, is king.

Long-term tax efficiency is important but liquidating investments at an inopportune time is never desirable.

PHOTOGRAPHY: BROOMWOOD HALL SCHOOL, LONDON

the grandparent dies. If IHT is a concern, then grandparents can consider gifts out of surplus income, which are exempt from IHT, subject to certain criteria. Other tax efficient ways of providing funds for private education include pensions. Grandparents, and indeed parents, given the trend towards late parenthood, are considering unlocking more of their pensions in the wake of new legislation allowing greater freedom over pensions. This can be using the tax-free cash sum, or, depending on their tax status, the main part of the fund. The minimum age for accessing pensions is 55 years old. The IW&I survey found that around 7% were using or planning to use pensions savings to help fund school fees.

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COMMENT

MATTHEW JENKINSON

director of studies, New College, Oxford

As You Like It is showing at the National Theatre in London

A “

ll’s Well That Ends Well is funny… if you’re fluent in Shakespearean English”, protested one GCSE English pupil to me recently. It is not an uncommon complaint, along with assertions that Shakespeare’s plays are too complicated or difficult for many school children.

DON’T PANIC

The most empowering thing you can say, at first, is: “Do not worry about understanding all (or any) of the words”. It is amazing how quickly a pupil’s brain can shut down because they are panicking about getting everything the first time around.

PHOTOGRAPHY: THE NATIONAL THEATRE

BRING IT TO LIFE

It is also enhanced by watching Shakespeare on the stage. But parents and teachers need to be judicious about this. Watching a poor stage production will have pupils running a mile in the opposite direction, and they certainly won’t feel inclined to explore the text in any greater depth. Watching a great stage production can have the opposite effect.

The Globe Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company, respectively, have released some excellent DVDs of their recent productions.

So you can now break up three-hour-long productions in the classroom or at home.

Attending a live production can be exhilarating, but I would wait until the children have gained some traction. Making them stand in the rain at The Globe for three hours, as a first experience of Shakespeare, probably won’t have them begging for more.

OFF THE PAGE

Watching a live performance enables pupils to work out plots by seeing the interaction between characters and hearing the tone

H UR-L NG SHAKESPEARE Matthew Jenkinson’s new book condenses the Bard’s plays making them easier for pupils to perform employed by expert actors. In my book, Hour-Long-Shakespare: Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, I have used Roger Allam’s Falstaff scenes, performed at The Globe in 2010, to convey to pupils what happens. I have been amazed at how much laughter has come from individuals who just would not have understood the text if we had merely read it on the page.

Removing the pressures of learning vast amounts of lines, or spending too long on the stage, enables reticient pupils to engage with Shakespeare, in performance, while maintaining juicy title roles with headline speeches attracts those keen actors who are ready for something more challenging. ISP

TOP TIPS FOR PERFORMING SHAKESPEARE

ACT IT OUT

Get them on their feet, acting out parts.

Again, a sensitive and judicious approach is necessary here. First of all, the choice of play is vital. Parents and teachers also need to be understanding of the fact that many pupils, especially as they stumble through adolescence, will be reticent about standing up and delivering elaborate metaphors.

There are two powerful ways to counter this. The first is to create a culture in school and at home where drama is an everyday feature. The second is to “differentiate” the casting, ensuring that the allocation of parts reflects the confidence and ability of the pupils. Giving a reluctant child the part of Macbeth will put them off Shakespeare for life, as will giving a confident actor the part of First Servingman.

BUY IT

Matthew Jenkinson’s Hour-Long Shakespeare books, (£10, John Catt Educational)

Do not expect to understand all the words right at the beginning.

Watch live performances to see who is saying what to whom and in what tone.

Take advantage of DVD releases to watch productions in the comfort of your living or common room.

See a live performance.

Choose decent productions with good reviews. Life is too short to watch someone acting badly for three hours.

Do not feel you are “cheating” by looking up plot synopses or by starting with an abridged version.

Enjoy Shakespeare’s language.

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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SCHOOL SPORT

PETER GREEN head master of Rugby School, Warwickshire

The sport of Rugby was founded at Rugby School

IN THE NAME

OF SPORT

The huge success of the Rugby World Cup and other tournaments like the Olympics, underlines the importance of sport in schools, says Peter Green

R

ugby School was the birthplace of rugby football and, with the recent World Cup tournament, we have had an enormous number of visitors from all over the world. They have come to the school to gaze at “the Close”, our main playing field, some of them even kneeling down to kiss the turf! In 1820, 253 years after the school was founded, the game of

[

rugby was played rather like soccer, but players were allowed to catch the ball and kick it out of their hands. William Webb Ellis, a schoolboy at Rugby in 1823, broke the rule one day by taking the ball in his arms and running forward with it, thus initiating the distinctive feature of what we now know as rugby. Back then, there were no limits to the number of players on each side, and no limit to the length of a match.

And the Close was three rough fields which the boys shared with grazing sheep!

Rugby is still played at the school, is now enjoyed in more than 100 countries

]

The whole person is the whole point and we feel strongly that the school years should not only be aimed at academic subjects but a range of activities and that includes sport too

Share rugby photos and successes with us on Twitter @ISParent

and commands a global television audience of more than four billion.

Sport is a big deal for television, with broadcasters fighting, and paying vast sums, for the rights to show not only the major tournaments in rugby and football, but also cricket, tennis, snooker, darts, golf, diving, show jumping and many more. Why? What is the fascination?

First of all, we are impressed by the sheer physicality of most sport: the players’ strength, speed and grace. The competitiveness, either of a single player or a team, the determination that makes them keep going when you think they can’t possibly have anything left to give.

There’s the pride we feel when our favourite player or team, and of course our country, wins; the despair when a mistake is made, a goal is saved or scored, when the result is not the one we prayed for.

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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Being part of a team builds camaraderie and loyalty

Sport encourages pupils to learn to govern themselves and to take responsibility for their actions

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independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

We are proud that Pierre de Coubertin’s visits to Rugby School in the 1880s inspired his vision for the modern version of the Olympic Games that we enjoy today the world over. De Coubertin praised Thomas Arnold, Rugby’s headmaster, for “giving the precise formula for the role of athletics in education. The cause was swiftly won. Playing fields sprang up all over England.”

He had concluded that organised sport could be used to raise the aspirations and improve the behaviour of young people.

He was right. As well as the obvious advantages of improving physical health, playing sport develops team-working and

leadership skills, perseverance, a positive attitude and general wellbeing. It’s also an important way of learning how to deal with success and failure – how to win humbly and lose gracefully. It can, of course, also be fun. And it usually is, even if getting out of bed early to compete in a cross-country run doesn’t feel like fun at the time.

At Rugby, we are committed to “the whole person”, The whole person is the whole point, we say. That’s because we feel strongly that the school years should be spent not just working at academic subjects but enjoying a wide range of activities and contributing to the school and local community. Sport is an important part of our school life. We are lucky in our facilities and our staff.

We believe that we can always find a sport that suits even the most reluctant pupil, one that will make him or her proud to take part in, and maybe even excel at.

The same goes for the arts. Not everyone can draw, or dance, or play the violin, but there are many other less artistic components that go towards the success of a school play or concert. The experience of performing, at whatever level, is transformational for children, even the shy ones. And the same goes for sport.

Sport also encourages friendship and loyalty. One boy said to me recently that travelling in the school coach to an away match was one of the things he liked most about being in the football team. The sense of camaraderie, the excitement of playing against another school, the knowledge that everyone had their own role to play, and was supportive and respectful of each other.

At Rugby, every boy and girl is involved in a programme of more than 30 sporting activities, including golf, sailing, fencing, polo, netball, hockey and rackets. One of the joys of coaching the boys and girls at their chosen sport is how quickly they learn to govern themselves, to take responsibility for their actions.

Being called “a good sport” is a compliment. It encompasses the best of team spirit, courage, determination and generosity. You learn these on a school playing field and they serve you for the rest of your life.

PHOTOGRAPHY: RUGBY SCHOOL, WARWICKSHIRE, STUART HILL

SCHOOL SPORT

A S I Y WH

TRYTRY? CALLED A

The original rules, written at Rugby School, stated that grounding the ball only gave the opportunity to ‘try’ to score with a kick at goal. No points were given for grounding the ball behind the opponent’s goal line.

A NAUGHTY

BOY

In 1823 William Webb Ellis, who, with a fine disregard for the rules of football as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the rugby game.

BROKE THE

RULES…

A S I Y WH

In 1839, to mark the visit of Queen Adelaide, boys wore special caps in her honour. Those boys considered good enough to play for Rugby School’s main teams were given ‘following up’ caps, which later developed into the international cap awarded to the country’s top players.

BOY CAP CALLED A

CAP?

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EXAMS

KATIE HUGHES education writer for national newspapers and magazines

MOTIVATION FOR MOCKS

N

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

“

How seriously should pupils take their mock examinations? Katie Hughes finds out

o one likes them: staff who have to mark them, pupils who have to revise for them and parents who have to try and encourage their children to do that revision,” says Matthew Christmas, assistant head of The Royal Hospital School in Suffolk.

But, he continues, “Mock exams are a necessary evil and a key point in the journey to exam success.”

While some exam-hall challenges may be hard to predict (being knocked unconscious by a violent sneeze and batting off pigeons are some real-life examples), many exam obstacles can be overcome thanks to the practice run of mock examinations.

Do you think mock exams are a good idea?

Share on Twitter @ISParent

“Mocks give pupils the experience of the unnatural protocols of taking exams – revising; finding exam halls; writing independently for long periods; managing time effectively; working silently; and coping with stress,” says Tim Jones, deputy head of Sevenoaks School, Kent. “Without them, students would have to contend with all of this as well as performing at their absolute best in the real thing.”

Mocks also “force students to start revision notes; indicate where pupils are towards their target grades and allow students to make mistakes under exam conditions,” says Matthew Christmas.

The old saying that “failing to prepare is preparing to fail” is a favourite of Karen

[

taught, and as early as we can so that pupils have time to turn around a disappointing result.”

Matthew Christmas concurs, “Pupils can improve their results by one or two grades between mock and summer exams.”

Some parents wonder if the length of time between mocks and real exams can create reluctant revisers. But Karen Gracie-Langrick thinks not, “Students may gain motivation for mocks if they see them as a crucial part of the revision process.”

Sevenoaks, like many schools, advocates a holistic approach to exams. “We advise a sensible revision programme,” says Tim Jones, who also encourages exam-takers to “maintain a healthy diet, exercise regime

Mock examinations force students to start revision notes; indicate if pupils are meeting their target grades; and allow students to make mistakes under exam conditions

Gracie-Langrick’s, deputy head at Leighton Park School in Reading. She sees mocks not just as a chance for pupils to practise but also for teachers “to offer students valuable written feedback on their performance, advising them on how to use time in the exams more effectively.”

But while “mocks are important,” advises Tim Jones, “mock results are not.”

“Sevenoaks Schools puts mocks in as late as we can for the courses to be all but

]

and sleep pattern.” Leighton Park too sees the relevance of preparation beyond the classroom. “For some students it is important to go through more than just the theory of exam pressure and technique,” says Karen Gracie-Langrick.

She claims that the school’s regular “stillness sessions” (when pupils sit together in thoughtful silence) “help to empower students to apply a calm approach to exam papers.”

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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Heathfield School

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SCIENCE

CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS parent, writer and former teacher

GIRLS IN

SCIENCE

Why are girls more likely to take up A-level physics in single-sex schools?

Charlotte Phillips gets to the root of the debate

T

WHY PHYSICS?

ake your pick of good co-eds – and there are plenty of excellent examples to choose from – and you’ll find girls excelling. Humanities, English and languages subjects positively teem with them. It’s popular knowledge that their results are frequently brilliant.

It’s a different story when you get to the sciences, where the take up by girls in the sixth form remains woefully low.

Not all sciences are equal. Biology attracts a healthy number of girls; chemistry is also relatively popular. But it’s physics that is proving a particularly hard nut for mixed schools to crack, even with all that exciting lab equipment at their disposal. Boys tend to carry on with physics post-16; however girls, on the whole, don’t.

In 2012, the Institute of Physics published a report called It’s Different for Girls (and that’s an understatement and a half) which found that girls at single-sex schools, in the state sector, are almost two-and-a-half times more likely to study

In girls’ schools, we engender a confidence to learn challenging subjects like physics and embrace it. We encourage making mistakes, learning from them and building resilience Jo Heywood, headmistress of Heathfield School, Berkshire

Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @ISParent

A-level physics than their peers in co-educational state schools.

Helen Wollaston, director of WISE, an organisation that exists solely to inspire girls to take STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) cites figures, again from the Institute of Physics, which show that nearly half of all state mixed schools don’t have a single girl studying physics at A level. “And when they do,” she says, “the girls tend to be one or two in a mixed class, so to thrive in that class needs a particular type of teaching, or particular type of girl, or a bit of both.”

IN THE WORKPLACE

It’s a situation she describes as “shocking and wrong,” not least because dropping out of science A-levels debars girls from some of the highest-paying and most secure jobs around. Firms are falling over

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

35

IT’S IN THE RESULTS

Meanwhile, results at Girls’ Schools Association schools are high above the national average, from the proportion opting for A-level science (over four in 10 take at least one) to their share of the top marks (a fifth of all A and A* grades awarded for physics). And while it’s harder to make direct comparisons between girls’ and co-ed schools in the independent sector, there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that the same problems exist as in state schools.

“We are over the road from an excellent co-ed school but they don’t have girls

doing A-level physics,’ says Hilary French.

Her school, in contrast, currently has two sixth-form groups.

It’s not as if co-ed schools are being anything other than hugely supportive in their efforts to entice girls into the sciences. “I think there clearly is a national issue about girls choosing to do physics and chemistry at A level, but once they have chosen to do so it’s all about the quality of teaching in the sixth form,’ says Mark Bishop, headmaster at Trinity School in Croydon.

“I’d be very surprised if bright girls who are doing A-level physics or chemistry at leading independent schools don’t do as well as those in single-sex schools.”

Trinity is a case in point. Around 20% of the girls who join the co-ed sixth form have taken at least two sciences, he says.

Several who have studied physics have gone on to read engineering or physics at top flight universities, including Oxbridge.

Previous page, Moreton School, top left, Adcote School, Shropshire, Prior’s Field School, Surrey

EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS

There is, however, an underlying problem, thinks Hilary French, linked to expectations and perceptions that hark back to the dim and distant past when girls’ education was just starting to get off the ground, and that are still current today.

“When the first high schools for girls opened, people didn’t think girls were capable of coping with any kind of subjects beyond the home and cooking,” she says.

“We’re still dealing with the vestiges of that kind of attitude.”

She points to the way girls continue to be judged not on their abilities or personalities but on their appearance – something that doesn’t stop in adult life.

“I question myself if I’m speaking at a

PHOTOGRAPHY: STUART BINGHAM PHOTOGRAPHY, SEAN ELLIS, STEPHEN HALL

themselves to hire them. “Here in the north east, industries like Nissan are desperate to get women into the workforce,” says Hilary French, a former president of the Girls’ School Association (GSA) and headmistress of Newcastle High School for Girls.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS & SCIENCE

1634

The Red Maids’ School was founded by John Whitson, Lord Mayor and MP for Bristol. As the oldest surviving girls’ school it is dedicated to creating opportunities for girls.

36

1848

Queen’s College in Harley Street, London, was founded for girls. The traditional boys’ curriculum was adopted, including Natural Philosophy (the precursor of modern science).

independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

1850

Frances Buss, pioneer in girls’ education, founded North London Collegiate School. It is recognised as the first girls’ school in the UK to offer girls the same educational opportunities as boys.

1858

Dorothea Beale became principal of Cheltenham Ladies’ College, and made the construction of science laboratories one of her main priorities. Students could complete an external BSc (London) degree.

1867 The London

1869 Girton College,

Society for Women’s Suffrage was formed – the first group in the UK to campaign for women’s right to vote.

Cambridge, opened as the College for Women at the university– it was the first residential college for women at degree level.

1878

The University of London was the first university in the UK to accept women students on equal terms with men and award degrees to female students. In 1881 two women obtained a BSc.

TIMELINE: HISTORY OF SCIENCE TEACHING IN ENGLAND, BY TURNER,D.M. PUBLISHED 1927; CHEMISTRY WAS THEIR LIFE: PIONEER BRITISH WOMEN CHEMISTS 1880-1949, BY MARELENE RAYNER-CANHAM AND GEOFF RAYNER-CANHAM, MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAN D, CANADA, IMPERIAL COLLEGE PRESS, 2008.

SCIENCE

conference or doing a speech or prize giving. You think about the way you look.”

And somewhere along the line, the need to be girly starts to translate itself into subject choices. Biology is perceived as fluffier; the lighter, more socially acceptable science you can study between other subjects, even with long, glossy hair and make-up. Chemistry is saved by being a must-do subject for anyone intending to study medicine (where girls now comprise half the numbers of trainee doctors). But physics has no such redeeming features – it’s the kryptonite of the sciences. One experiment too many and girls’ femininity will somehow be sucked out of them. An

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exaggeration? Maybe, though it’s hard to come up with a convincing alternative narrative when you look at just how successful all-girls schools are at selling the sciences.

ALL TOO DISTRACTING?

At Roedean this summer, 16 girls took A-level physics – ahead of both chemistry and biology. Dr Ross Barrand, director of external relations, says that one of the reasons girls fare so much better there is that without the distractions of a co-ed environment, they’re able to focus on their studies and leave their preconceptions at the laboratory door.

]

When the first high schools for girls opened, people didn’t think girls were capable of studying subjects beyond the home and cooking. We’re still dealing with traces of this

1883

King Edward VI High School for Girls, West Midlands, was opened. The first headmistress, Edith Creak, was a pioneer in the teaching of science to girls.

She hired three science staff; it became the UK’s outstanding girls’ school for science.

1885

Roedean (originally Wimbledon House) was founded by three sisters: Penelope, Millicent, and Dorothy Lawrence. It aimed to prepare girls for Girton and Newnham Colleges, Cambridge.

1910

1916

Above left to right, Hall School Wimbledon, London, Trent College, Notts, Shrewsbury High School, Shropshire

“In an all-girls environment, pupils don’t have the stereotypes in their heads that maybe girls in a co-ed school who want to do physics might have,” he says.

And it’s the freedom of choice this ensures that is so crucial believes Isabel Tobias, headmistress of The Red Maids’ School in Bristol, where almost a third of the 2015 Year 13 leavers studied physics and/or chemistry and almost half are taking STEM degrees including physics and astrophysics, civil engineering, neuroscience, pharmacy and psychology.

Suggesting that physics heads a hierarchy of subjects, some valued more than others, isn’t helpful, she says.

At St Mary’s Cambridge, which has just brought in Dame Mary Archer (who

1917

New London regulations London County Council The Science Masters’ said: “For girls over 15, organised a system of Association proposed a domestic subjects, such Central Schools with course of General some science teaching. Science. They desired that as needlework, may be substituted partially or Boys were taught simple science should be part of wholly for science and lab work in chemistry and the general education for mathematics other physics while girls studied of boys and girls up to than arithmetic”. hygiene. It was a start... age of 16.

1928

All women in UK gained the right to vote. Since 1918, only women over 30, who were occupiers of property or married to occupiers, were entitled to vote.

1979

Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain’s first female prime minister.

She graduated in chemistry from Somerville College, Oxford and worked as a research chemist.

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

37

SCIENCE

studied chemistry and physical chemistry) to open a new five-lab science hub, it’s so obvious to budding physicists that the single-sex environment was a help in opting for science, that you feel a bit embarrassed for asking.

BARRIER-FREE ZONE

[

]

Science results at GSA schools are high above the national average, four in 10 take at least one science A level and girls comprise one fifth of all A/A* grades awarded for physics

doing it,” she says. “I was allowed to try things out and do it my way.”

SINGLE-SEX SCIENCE?

Helen Wollaston at WISE thinks that teaching girls and boys separately for A-level sciences could work wonders for recruitment. Others suspect that not much will happen without a seismic shift in society’s attitudes towards girls.

A co-ed school is undoubtedly a reflection of society. But is it the reflection you want your daughters to see? If they are

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independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

to choose A-level subjects that truly match who they are and the careers they want to aim for, rather than who they are expected to be, this reflection may be distorted.

Helping girls succeed in the sciences is down to a combination of inspirational teaching and an absence of preconceptions, says Isabel Tobias. So why study physics..?

Why on earth not?

“We’d never say do physics because it’s hard,” she says. “Every subject has a value.

We’re just trying to find the right subjects for individual girls.”

Clockwise from top left, New Hall School, Essex, Bablake School, West Midlands, Sherborne Girls, Dorset

SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT

This is a selection of schools attended by girls who went on to become Associates or Fellows of the Royal Institute of Chemistry and/or Fellows of The Chemistry Society from 1880 to 1949.

SCHOOL NUMBER OF PUPILS King Edward VI High School for Girls 20 North London Collegiate School 11 Cheltenham Ladies’ College 10 Manchester High School for Girls 10 Clapham High School* 7 Croydon High School 5 South Hampstead High School 4

*IN 1938 CLAPHAM HIGH SCHOOL MERGED WITH STREATHAM HILL TO FORM STREATHAM & CLAPHAM HIGH SCHOOL, AS IT REMAINS TODAY

Catherine Barker, a former St Mary’s pupil, is in her first year at the University of Toronto studying physics and planning to specialise in astrophysics.

Physics for her was a barrier-free zone.

There was no sense that she “shouldn’t be

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ARTS

ARTS FOR ALL

Bradfield’s unique Greek theatre

A partnership between Bradfield College and a local secondary state school, aims to halt the number of state schools ditching creative subjects, says Dr Tim Coker

I

n February, the Warwick Commission, spearheaded by the University of Warwick, published its damning assessment of the future of cultural value in a report entitled Enriching Britain: Culture, Creativity and Growth. It highlighted the state of culture, creativity and the arts in education, uncovering a fall in the number of state schools offering creative subjects.

Between 2003 and13, there was a 50% drop in the GCSE numbers for design and technology, and 23% for drama.

In schools where a subject has been withdrawn, performing arts dropped by 23%, art by 17%, design technology by 14% and textiles by 11%. This has impacted most on schools serving the most disadvantaged children and could get worse.

When Eddie Redmayne won the 2015 oscar for best actor, Britain had cause for celebration. The triumph showed we continue to be a global leader in creativity

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and the arts. The media, however, highlighted the chasm between the opportunities afforded to those from socially advantaged and lower socio-economic backgrounds, touting the fact that he is part of the 7% of the population who are privately educated.

The media should have questioned why it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the next Eddie Redmayne will come through the state education system.

The arts transcend the social divide.

If you listen to an orchestra, or see a play, you can’t pick out which of the musicians, actors, or even spectators, went to independent schools. Yet the Warwick report shows the vast majority of those participating in or enjoying the arts are from socially advantaged backgrounds.

The report calls for a review of the arts in education, stating it is essential to the flourishing of the UK’s cultural and creative identity. But with state secondary schools ditching the creative subjects in the post-14 curriculum, what is the solution? What can be done about it?

I believe that independent schools should open up and share facilities and resources

]

When Eddie Redmayne won his oscar this year, the media should have questioned why it is increasingly unlikely that the next Eddie Redmayne will come through the state system

Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @ISParent

in partnership with state schools. If the arts are not safe-guarded in the national curriculum, then I believe the independent sector has a responsibility to provide opportunities for the wider community to engage with the arts.

Bradfield College has formed a partnership with local state secondary school Theale Green, which has seen them get involved with the London Chamber Orchestra’s Music Junction project and perform a re-telling of Homer’s The Odyssey in Bradfield’s unique Greek Theatre. Theale pupils also shared a stage with the cast of Stomp during this year’s Bradfield Festival.

Chris Lambert, advanced skills teacher of drama at Theale Green, feels that more schools can benefit from similar partnerships. “Teachers from both schools are liaising more freely. Our pupils are clearly benefitting, both in terms of getting some fantastic teaching from Bradfield and from being able to use their facilities.”

I was keen to take this further and formed a group, along with Peter Green, head of Rugby School, Warks, which is trying to create more partnerships between independent schools and the wider schools’ community.

We want more schools to be open to the community and to engage in a constructive discussion on the subject in the media – without fear of prejudice.

We want to focus on the good we can do and celebrate it.

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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SCIENCE

What is CCF? A unique partnership that operates in British schools.

Through military-themed and adventures activities pupils develop skills such as leadership, self-reliance and resourcefulness

Felsted set up its first Cadet Corps in 1860

LEADERS IN THE MAKING Clifford Palmer, Felsted School’s CCF contingent commander, explains how the organisation offers pupils a foundation for life

A

s one of the sixth oldest contingents in the country, alongside Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Rossall and Hurstpierpoint, Felsted’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF) has maintained its popularity among today’s student body since the school first raised its Cadet Corps in 1860. Military training started at

42

independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

the school on an unofficial basis, under the head master’s direction, before the War Office letter of 12th May 1859 inviting schools to raise Volunteer Corps.

CCF FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

So what does the CCF offer a 21st-century student? It is not, as is often misconstrued, a recruitment vehicle for the armed forces.

At Felsted, it is part of a fully integrated leadership progamme that begins in the preparatory school at the age of four and follows a clear pathway through the school

Does your child enjoy CCF at school?

Tweet us @ISParent

until the age of 18. By the time pupils reach senior-school age they will have experienced a continual process of self-study, education, training and experience, whether as a playground helper, a sports team captain, chapel prefect or as a participant in the Year Eight Leavers’ Camp.

JUNIOR LEADERS

On joining the senior school at age 13, pupils take part in “Felsted Junior Leaders”, a leadership education programme run by the CCF and the

IN FOCUS

How old is CCF? Cadet units in schools date back to 1860, but CCF was officially formed in 1948

school’s Duke of Edinburgh group. Both boys and girls undertake a wide range of activities aimed at building their selfreliance and teamwork, which includes two overnight expeditions.

In 2015, a group of 15 Junior Leaders took this further and spent four days canoeing up the Great Glen in Scotland, camping on the banks of the lochs.

Having been given a taste of what the CCF has to offer, pupils then have the option of joining the Army or RAF sections at the beginning of Year 10. A weekly training programme, largely delivered by senior Felsted cadets, promotes the qualities of responsibility, self-reliance, resourcefulness, resilience and perseverance. It gives each cadet the

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chance to try new skills, work under pressure and experience new activities, with ample opportunities to lead other cadets and work in adverse conditions.

VISITS AND CAMPS

Field days enable pupils to visit local Army and RAF bases, firing ranges and training areas to practise their skills. The contingent also sends cadets on week-long camps, where they can live out in field conditions, conduct adventure training activities, fire different weapon systems and test themselves. A biennial inspection of kit, drills and leadership by a senior member of the Armed Forces keeps pupils on their toes and gives them an opportunity to show off their skills.

Above, a cadet on a camp trip, Felsted School, Essex, many girls enjoy what the CCF offers, below, pupils can start CCF aged 13

So from learning to shoot, to flying and gliding opportunities, both boys and girls at Felsted have the opportunity to build new skills and to be taken out of their comfort zone. The practical experiences that they gain, particularly the opportunity to lead their peers, stand them in good stead in all areas of life, both at school and in the workplace. It is no surprise then that many of the pupils in the school’s senior appointments, such as head of school and senior prefect, have spent time in the CCF.

WHY SO POPULAR?

As CCF’s contingent commander at Felsted, I believe that its popularity today is down to the fact that pupils love the opportunity to learn about themselves and to learn life skills outside the classroom, through adventurous pursuits. This fits well with the school’s global membership of the Round Square organisation, whose

]

The practical experiences that pupils gain, particularly the opportunity to lead their peers, stand them in good stead in all areas of life, both at school and in the workplace

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

43

SHREWSBURY SCHOOL

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independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

For more information or to arrange a school visit please contact Mrs Margaret Stephens (Admissions Registrar) on 01874 615440 or email admissions@christcollegebrecon.com

IN FOCUS CCF promotes both physical and mental resilience and strength

What does CCF stand for?

Combined Cadet Force

holistic approach to learning is based around the six ideals of International, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership and Service.

The beauty of running the CCF at Felsted is that it fits with so much of what we do here educationally. It gives pupils memorable experiences that they can reflect on. It not only contributes to the Felsted Diploma and the CAS element of the International Baccalaureate Diploma, but it also supports pupils way beyond life at school.

CCF gives pupils an awareness of both their strengths and their limitations and it demonstrates to them how working together as a team can help them overcome significant challenges.

FAMOUS FELSTEDIANS

While Felstedians go on to success in all walks of life, the CCF can provide the starting platform for those thinking about military service, the most notable of which has been General Richard Dannatt, former chief of general staff, the professional head of the British Army. Awarded the Military Cross for his service in Northern Ireland

Above, and as a former defence adviser to David pupils can join the Cameron, Baron Dannatt is an inspiring Army leader of our day. As the guest of honour or RAF sections at Felsted’s Speech Day in 2011, he of CCF at the start encouraged pupils to aim high, be the best of Year 10 that they could be and to develop moral courage. Other former Felsted military leaders include Walter Hamilton, who was awarded a Victoria Cross posthumously by Queen Victoria.

More recently, Felsted was proud to hear that former schoolboy Hugo Chaplin, who left in 2013, has been commissioned as an officer at Sandhurst. Hugo rose to the top rank of cadet RSM at Felsted and was awarded the Bartlett Blade for his outstanding leadership and service to the school’s Combined Cadet Force.

Felsted is equally proud of another of its young leaders, Over 260 currently progressing up the

schools offer CCF in the UK for pupils aged 13-18

career ladder at Google, who reports that her experience in Felsted’s CCF has helped her create, work and inspire teams in her workplace. Providing platforms such as the CCF for young people to develop their practical leadership skills during their school years is certainly something Felsted, and schools across the UK, will continue to do for some time to come.

TOP SCHOOLS FOR CCF

1 BLUNDELL’S SCHOOL blundells.org 2 CHRIST COLLEGE BRECON christcollegebrecon.com 3 DUKE OF YORK’S ROYAL MILITARY SCHOOL doyrms.com 4 ETON COLLEGE etoncollege.com 5 FELSTED SCHOOL felsted.org 6 HARROW SCHOOL harrowschool.org.uk 7 READING BLUE COAT SCHOOL rbcs.org.uk 8 ROSSALL SCHOOL rossall.org.uk 9 SHREWSBURY SCHOOL shrewsbury.org.uk 10 THE ROYAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL HIGH WYCOMBE rgshw.com

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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LEADERSHIP

• CHARACTER • PRIDE • SELF-DISCIPLINE • SPIRITUALITY • SPORTSMANSHIP • RESPECT

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independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

IN FOCUS

Your school & you ...

CHARLES ADAMS EXPLAINS HOW CCF BUILT HIS CONFIDENCE AND OFFERED A HOST OF EXCITING EXPERIENCES

Name: Cadet RSM Charles Adams Age: 19 School: Barnard Castle School, County Durham

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can honestly say the CCF is the best teacher I have ever had. Before I joined I was a very shy and nervous young boy, lacking in self confidence and afraid of confronting risk. In the five years since then, I have been part of remembrance parades, attended five summer camps (leading cadets in three of them) and completed one of the most arduous courses available to school-age men and women in the UK. I would never have come that far without the commitment and dedication of my CCF staff.

The CCF, or Combined Cadet Force, is a cadet movement present in many schools that incorporates Army and Royal Air Force sections, and often a Royal Navy section. The CCF offers military style training to students wishing to take part, and is funded by the MOD. To me, the benefits of such an organisation are immediately obvious.

Cadets get to take part in many exciting and challenging activities such as fieldcraft, adventurous training, first aid, music, sports and shooting, to name but a few.

Many cadets get the opportunity to go on expeditions to amazing places in the UK and sometimes even abroad.

But the activities listed above are just the start. Those who wish to take full advantage of the opportunities available to them will quickly progress through the ranks, taking on more responsibility and with it more opportunities. Senior cadets will have the

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Above left, Charles, top right and below, cadets on the lawns of Barnard Castle School, County Durham

CCF helps instil discipline - but is also a lot of fun!

]

The CCF transforms those boys and girls nervously trying on their combat uniforms into proud and confident young people, with a skillset that will be the envy of their peers

responsibility of caring for and training the younger cadets, demonstrating to future employers their ability to command tasks; make decisions under pressure; plan and organise tasks; and work as an effective team player, as well as independently.

The syllabus of the CCF transforms those boys and girls nervously trying on their combat uniforms into proud and confident young men and women, with a skillset that will be the envy of their peers. Cadets will learn about the importance of leadership and teamwork and in the process form closer friendships with each other. They are encouraged to have an open mind, and the

self-motivation and responsibility to carry the task they are given through to its completion. And in an age when many young people are criticised for being slovenly and unruly, the CCF instils a sense of discipline and direction, skills that will equip you for life and add an extra string to your bow at a time of fierce competition for employment and university places.

However, more important than all of these reasons, the activities laid on by the Combined Cadet Force will likely be the most fun you will have during your time at school. So go on, take the challenge, improve yourself today.

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

47

An ambitious University in Wales’ beautiful capital city, our students benefit from learning in a research-led environment, interacting with academics working at the frontiers of knowledge in their field.

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AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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GLYNIS KOZMA

journalist writing on parenting for national newspapers and magazines

Sixth formers should keep their eye on the goal and not panic

T

he application process for university starts early in Year 13 and can be a stressful time for students. Although they won’t be starting university for another 12 months, they will be choosing courses and universities, writing their personal statement and sending their application to UCAS within a few weeks of term starting.

Michael Doherty, head of careers at Canford School in Dorset, says, “We encourage early application as most universities make offers to eligible candidates from late October onwards. It’s when the first few offers are received by the most proactive students that we see other students galvanised into completing their applications.”

NO SET RULES

THE WAITING GAME Once your child has applied to university, the offers should start rolling in. But what if there’s silence?

Glynis Kozma explains what to expect 50

independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

But submitting an application is only the start of the process. Universities don’t always make offers at the same time. Michael explains, “There are a number of high tariff universities which tend to be slower.

Students may have received four or five offers by Christmas but are still waiting to hear from these competitive universities in February or March.”

What are these students expected to do?

“We recommend they wait”, says Michael, “Unless they have an offer already from their preferred choice.” As well as universities that traditionally make late offers, students applying to study medicine or veterinary science may not receive offers until February.

Doherty adds, “Very few students who apply to all four medical schools, for example, will receive an invitation for an interview at all of them. But look on this as a positive – as rejections tend to be sent out early.”

WHAT TO EXPECT

There are three outcomes to applications: a conditional offer, unconditional offer and rejection. Depending on the university and course, a conditional offer may ask for particular grades or a points tariff.

Unconditional offers tend only to be made

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

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

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 State of the art Digital Learning/IT programme with Virtual Learning Environment, and iPads for every Senior School pupil 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 First class facilities for Sport (including brand new Synthetic Pitch), music, art and drama 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

UNIVERSITY

PHOTOGRAPHY: MARK WEBSTER, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, BRIGHTON COLLEGE

DO TUTORS HELP?

by universities who are the student’s first choice. What are the advantages and disadvantages of an unconditional offer?

The first advantage is that it’s reassuring for the pupils to know their eventual destination. They are able to relax a little throughout Year 13, safe in the knowledge that whatever their grades are, they have a place and will avoid the frenetic pace of the going through clearing, if their grades fall short of their offers.

However, sometimes the unconditional offer comes from a university which was not a student’s first choice and this can present a dilemma: do they make it their first choice, or hope for the grades they need for another university? And there is anecdotal evidence that unconditional offers result in students taking their foot off the accelerator.

Sixth former, Paul describes his experience, “My A levels were English literature, maths and classics at A2, and I was aiming to study English literature. My offer from the University of Sussex was AAA

[

grades. I was expecting a conditional offer, and received one, since I met their criteria with my predicted grades. It was at this stage that my A2 exams began to feel very ‘real’.

If I slipped up in these, just a little, then I wouldn’t get into my chosen university, and my back-up options didn’t really compare to my first choice.”

EXAM TIME

Paul continues, “Even though ‘conditional’ is the most common and expected offer, being faced with rejection from where you want to go based on a handful of exams is sobering – your grades now have a much wider consequence outside of school. Getting a few maths questions wrong could quite literally affect your whole future. Needless to say, I did not slack on revision when my A2s came around. I achieved three A grades with an A* in English literature. At the time I was able to find support, especially for revision techniques and exam questions, from the forums on The Student Room.”

Being faced with rejection from where you want to go based on a handful of exams is sobering – your grades now have a much wider consequence outside of school

]

For more uni tips follow us on Twitter @ISParent

Some pupils may respond well to tutoring.

Emily Jack, director of Kings Tutors says.

“It’s possible for many pupils to improve their grades by up to two levels if they have supportive teachers and a tutor who helps them to have self-belief.”

Sixth former, Georgie explains how she reacted to her offers, “Durham wanted AAA but I was predicted AAB. I had my heart set on studying theology at Durham. I decided to have some tutoring provided by Kings Tutors mainly around exam technique. This really boosted my confidence and helped stop me freezing in the exams.”

CONFIDENCE BOOST

Tom also benefited from Kings Tutors.

“I was predicted an E for one subject and needed a C. My tutors boosted my selfesteem because I’d never believed I was a ‘bright spark’ and needed a lot of encouragement. I did achieve a C and was able to apply to the Army.”

Alastair Creamer, director and career coach at Eyes Wide Opened, which offers courses for sixth formers encourages students to always “look at the glass as half full, even if your plans are skewed when offers arrive.” If the offers seem out of reach he suggests, “It’s a time to re-visit why you want to go to university. Ask yourself the questions: ‘What do I want? What are my options?’ And remember that even if the news is disappointing you can turn the situation around.”

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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NICHOLA MALTON

assessment services manager at Student Finance England

FINANCE EXPLAINED We quiz Nichola Malton on applying for student loans and the all-important deadline dates

How do you qualify for student finance?

To qualify in England or Wales, you must be a UK national or have settled status (that is, no restrictions on how long you can stay in the UK); normally live in England or Wales; and have lived there for at least three years before the first day of your course.

Is it all online? And from what month can you start the application?

The quickest way to apply is online.

You’ll be able to apply from early 2016.

If you are in England you can apply by completing an online application at gov.uk/studentfinance. In Wales, apply online at studentfinancewales.co.uk. The deadline for applying in England and Wales will be around May/June 2016.

Do you need an unconditional offer to apply for student finance?

No, you don’t need a confirmed place to apply. Just use your first choice course and uni – you can easily change or update this later online if it changes.

What’s the difference between tuition fee loans and maintenance loans?

Both the tuition fee loan and the maintenance loan have to be paid back. Your tuition fee loan covers the cost of your course fees. Your

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maintenance loan is designed to help with living costs while you study, such as paying your accommodation, travel and the all-important food bill! But of course you can supplement this with part-time work.

This will be paid in three instalments, so you don’t end up spending it all at once (turn to page 44 to read top tips on budgeting at university).

Who qualifies for maintenance loans?

You must be a full-time UK student, studying on a course eligible to receive student finance. You can easily find out with a quick eligibility check online at gov.uk/student-finance/who-qualifies and

[

What information will I need at hand?

When completing the online application form you’ll need to have: 1 Bank details 2 National Insurance Number 3 Valid UK passport number 4 Details of your course or university.

Is any extra financial evidence needed?

Sometimes you or your parent will be asked to send in further evidence to support your loan application. You must send this as soon as possible otherwise your application will be delayed.

You can find out more about applying for student finance and access a helpful range

]

The quickest way to apply for student finance is online. You’ll be able to start the process from early 2016. The deadline for applying in England and Wales will be around May/June 2016

if you live in Wales you can check at studentfinancewales.co.uk.

Are bursary applications carried out through student finance?

Bursaries are provided by each university and college individually and you can apply for one directly through them.

of tools and guidance by visiting our dedicated student finance zone at thestudentroom.co.uk/studentfinance.

How long does the whole process take and how do you hear back?

Applications typically take around six weeks to process. This may take longer if additional evidence or information is

UNIVERSITY

DID YOU KNOW?

You repay your loans through the UK tax system. Each month 9% of your earnings over the relevant threshold is taken as a repayment

required to support the application. If your application is successful, you will receive a student finance entitlement letter, which will outline the funding you are entitled to for that academic year.

How are tuition fees paid?

Your tuition fee loan will be paid in three instalments, directly to your university or college once your attendance on your course has been confirmed. The money will not pass through your hands. It really is that simple.

How do you receive a maintenance loan – direct to your bank account?

A maintenance loan will also be paid in three instalments directly into your bank account on the payment dates outlined in your entitlement letter.

If you have also applied for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) and have applied for extra support, any additional payment will be made at the same time.

What if I change bank accounts during my time at university?

If your bank account details change it is very important to let your funding provider know right away! And you’ll always find the fastest way to do this is to log onto your online account.

How will the tuition fee and maintenance loans be repaid?

The repayment of your loans is administered through the UK tax system and each month 9% of your earnings over the relevant threshold is taken as a repayment. Your loan repayment is taken through the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) liaising with employers or the account holder (if you are self-employed).

The Student Loans Company (SLC) sends you updates in the post.

And when will repayments begin?

You start paying back tuition fee and maintenance loans when you’ve finished, or left, your course and are earning over the relevant threshold for your plan.

The amount you repay is based on your income, not what you borrowed. The amount of interest charged on your loan is based on the rate of inflation and will vary depending on your income.

You’ll pay interest on your loan from the day you receive your first instalment until the loan is paid off or is written off after 30 years, whichever comes first! ISP studentloanrepayment.co.uk

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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1 Charlotte Ritchie, 26 Actress, James Allen’s Girls’ School, London Charlotte has starred in Fresh Meat (C4), Siblings (BBC) and Call the Midwife (BBC). In addition to drama, Charlotte immersed herself in a plethora of extra-curricular activities including being a member of a gospel choir. Her English teacher, Catherine Sabben-Clare was a particularly positive force. “I think she thought I was an air-head because I talked too much, but she had so much enthusiasm for her subject, which made me love English.” Charlotte credits JAGS with instilling the sense that you ought to be do what you want to do, rather than “settling”.

2 Courtney Maggs-Jones, 28 Media director, Christ College Brecon, Wales After graduating, Courtney worked for a publisher for five years before launching his own business, Good Things, a luxury magazine and media brand. As a member of a family with a 100-year-old printing business, Courtney tried hard to avoid going into it straight from uni. “I felt that I should experience another area of business. I am so grateful to my teachers who gave me a no-nonsense approach.”

3 Anna Nicholson, 31 Head of marketing, Kent College, Kent Former deputy head girl, Anna Nicholson is the head of UK marketing for Bain & Company, an international management consultancy. Having joined the firm five years ago, she is responsible for devising and implementing Bain’s marketing strategy, as well as managing everything from PR and client events, to website design and competitor analysis. She leads and works directly with a team of five, as well as colleagues across Bain’s 47 offices. In addition, she sits on and advises the boards of two charities, Street Kids UK as well as the Rosa UK fund for women and girls.

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1

5

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

ONES TO WATCH

STAR PUPILS

4 Christopher Rothera, 23

3 2

4 6

Design engineer, Oundle School, Northamptonshire After school, Christopher took a masters in product design and manufacture at the University of Nottingham. Recently he was announced as the joint winner of the Unilever Award by the Royal Society of Arts Student Design for his presentation of a sustainable filtration kit for women in third world countries. Seawater Greenhouse offered Chris a position working on a three-year UK government project to design a greenhouse for Somaliland, which will enable year-round crop production in one of the world’s hottest regions.

5 Olivia Metcalfe, 20 Fashion student, Barnard Castle School, County Durham Currently studying fashion at Leeds College of Art, at the age of 20, Olivia Metcalfe is already a regular at Paris Fashion Week. Having spent two years interning with New Yorker Zac Posen’s fashion house, she was approached by ready-to-wear design label Kaufmanfranco, with whom she attended Milan Fashion Week and looked after the label’s roster of international clientele.

In January, Olivia worked alongside the designer Isaac Franco.

6 Edward Reeve, 20 Music student, Reading Blue Coat School, Reading Edward played a huge and varied part in the school’s musical life. From there, he spent his gap year as organ scholar at Salisbury Cathedral before taking up an organ scholarship to read music at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he has conducted Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijah and Mozart’s comic opera Così fan Tutte. He has also played cello in university orchestras, is part of a piano quintet and played harpsichord with the Collegium Musicum – an ensemble that promotes historically informed playing, and uses authentic instruments for Baroque repertoire. ISP

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

57

WIN!

A LUXURY WEEKEND AWAY

Independent School Parent has teamed up with Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club, in Cambridgeshire, to offer you and your family a luxury weekend break

You can make great use of the state-of-the-art gym, steam room and sauna

N

ot many people know, but over the past few years Cambridgeshire has become home to a wonderfully Caribbean way of life.

The family behind Barbados’ Royal Westmoreland – a luxurious, glorious sporting estate situated on the west side of the island, and dotted with sprawling villas owned by the rich and famous – has been developing a community of luxury holiday homes in the heart of the Cambridge Fens.

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A GREAT ESCAPE

Just 15 minutes from Kings Lynn and the gateway to northern Norfolk, Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club has been built around an award-winning 18-hole golf course – much like its Caribbean cousin – and offers the same peaceful escape for families and couples wanting to invest more in their leisure time.

Spanning around 150 acres of landscaped grounds, close to Spalding and Peterborough, the club is home to a large fishing lake and has all sorts of amenities on the doorstep, from horse riding and bird watching, to river trips and nature trails populated by wild deer, woodpeckers and unusual flora and fauna.

COMPETITION

The two and three-bed lodges are situated around the estate’s lake which is brimming with wildlife

Horse riding, hiking and exploring the 150-acre estate are just three of the activities you can enjoy at Tydd St Giles

A £2 million clubhouse, which opened in 2013, includes a gym, swimming pool, sauna, steam room and fitness suite.

There’s also a bar and restaurant and an on-site beauty therapist if you feel like removing yourself from the comfort of the range of two and three-bedroom lodges available to purchase or rent.

Ian and Nicola Cross bought their holiday home, overlooking the third green, a fortnight after happening upon Tydd St Giles by chance. Now the Norfolk couple, who have two sons, visit “every possible weekend”, taking their two spaniels with them for walks on the nature trails that wind around the five-star estate.

AFFORDABLE LUXURY

“We knew very little about the area before we bought our lodge,” says Ian, a paramedic. “I always thought the Fens were a bit flat and boring but it’s absolutely lovely here. The area seems to have its own micro-climate so the weather is almost always beautiful and we’ve no longer any need to holiday abroad.”

Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club is owned by Pure Leisure Group, which is behind a portfolio of award-winning holiday parks in the UK as well as the Royal Westmoreland in Barbados. While

the latter proved the inspiration for Tydd St Giles, the former is an affordable alternative to holidaying in the Caribbean, without compromising on luxury.

While holiday homes start from £69,995, holidays cost from £205 for a three-night break in a Superior Lodge in low season, up to £525 in high season.

THE PRIZE

We’ve got a three-night break at Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club to give away for a family of four. The lucky winner will

enjoy a long weekend in a Superior holiday home, and will have full access to the pool, gym, steam room and sauna.

HOW TO ENTER. To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, answer the following question by 15th December, 2015, on our website at: independentschoolparent.com/win What opened at Tydd St Giles Golf and Country Club in 2013?

Terms and Conditions: The prize must be taken by 30th November 2016 and is subject to availability at the time of booking. Excludes Christmas and bank holidays.

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

59

ALPINE

Magic

Tim Davis, founder of Amazon Creek, shares how he created a bespoke luxury ski company

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

There are thrilling. opportunities for off-piste. skiing and tobogganing,. and for beginners there’s a. friendly ski school nearbyi

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, HEIKKI RAUHALA@FLICKR.JPG

Above, luxurious living at Chalet Baloo in Chamonix

A

s a father of four girls, I know that family holidays are all about achieving a balance of relaxation, quality time, and enjoying the great outdoors. I first fell in love with the mountains when I learnt to ski on a school trip. Years later, I noticed a niche in the market for a dedicated family-run operator that offered bespoke itineraries for different abilities – and for children of a range of ages, without compromising on

Amazon Creek is situated in Chamonix, in the French Alps the luxury and fine travel elements that parents enjoy. After working in finance for close to 20 years, I finally had the resources at my fingertips to make my dream a reality.

WHAT’S THE STORY?

Amazon Creek was born in Chamonix out of a love of travel, nature and adventure.

The name originates from a sailing trip with friends in my university days, we came across a spectacular creek in Turkey called Amazon Creek. It stuck with me because of its raw beauty, tranquillity and sense of adventure. Our logo is the stencil of our namesake creek on a map. As well as its breath-taking beauty, we chose

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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Year-round sailing holidays Year-roundfamily beach beach family sailing holidays Year-round family beach sailing holidays family beach sailing holidays from £620 per person per week NowYear-round with All Inclusive meal plan from £865 per person* Year-round family beach sailing holidays from £620 per person per week

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SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

Left, Chalet Amazon Creek, below, the swimming pool in Chalet Baloo, Chamonix

AMAZON CREEK…

Our stay at Chalet Amazon Creek last Easter was truly memorable for us. We had stayed with them before and knew the team would make every effort to ensure all aspects of our stay were perfect. From our beautiful chalet, to our chef, Lisa, the staff were wonderful. Our two girls are aged eight and six and Amazon Creek suggested a friendly instructor to take their skiing to the next level. Their skills came on in leaps and bounds and we were able to ski together in the afternoons, achieving our main goal: to enjoy the mountains as a family. The girls were so excited to be able to navigate more advanced slopes and in turn we were able to watch them grow and spend time together. We all enjoyed countless hours in the Jacuzzi and hot chocolates on the terrace. The helpful and enthusiastic staff arranged everything from the delivery of our ski passes to the booking of spa treatments. By putting ourselves in Amazon Creek’s most capable hands meant that we were able to totally relax.

Paul-Ant Viollet

Our families are not confined to a package holiday that prescribes a similar programme for every family Chamonix as it’s great in all seasons. In winter, the ski slopes have thrilling opportunities for off-piste skiing and ski-touring, as well as snow-shoeing, tobogganing and cross-country skiing. For beginners, there’s a friendly ski school nearby (and we hand-pick our ski instructors from a trusted portfolio).

In summer, activities include: rock climbing; white water rafting; kids’ camps; high ropes, husky walking; tennis; and golf. The variety means that itineraries can

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offer the perfect balance, which is so often difficult to find, allowing families to have a great time together while offering some all-important alone time, too.

BESPOKE SKI HOLIDAY

We now have a total of three beautiful properties in Les Bossons, a quiet woodland area of the Chamonix Valley, with a fourth soon to join. My vision was to create a holiday company with a difference, allowing travellers to explore the mountains and experience the magic, but with a tailored personal approach that caters to the interests, timings and capabilities for each and every guest.

Every family is different, and these differences are key in designing unique holidays that define them. Our clients are not confined to a generic package holiday that prescribes the same or similar programme for every family, and this is one of the key foundations on which

FLEXI SKI A family with three school-age children wanted to travel during half term for a ski holiday in a family-friendly resort with grandparents. The father could only join them for four days during their week-long stay. The family wanted to drive with their own car, however, the father wanted to fly out and then drive back with the family. We recommended one of our chalets, The Retreat, in Morzine, France, and booked the Eurotunnel for the mother, children and grandparents as well as the father’s and transfer to the accommodation.

Total cost based on six people was £6,770 for the travel, flights, transfers, seven nights as well as catered accommodation.

020 8939 0864, flexiski.com SCOTT DUNN A family of four requested a resort with easy access to the ski lift, ski school for the children and fabulous food mid-season.

We suggested Chalet Napenthe in Val d’Isere. Our private chef created a tailor-made menu for them and drivers were on hand to whiz the family to and from the slopes. The children also enjoyed fun-fuelled days in our Explorers Club all from £1,850 per person, including flights and shared transfers.

020 8682 5050, scottdunn.com

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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FIVE-STAR LUXURY CHALETS

We cater for families of all sizes, with the three Alpine chalets comprising: the

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five-bedroomed Amazon Creek and Baloo, and the two-bedroom Chalet Baby Bear.

When it came to designing the chalets, I wanted to provide guests with the luxury of a five-star hotel but with the privacy and flexibility of private properties. The chalets feature hot tubs, spa facilities, swimming pools and cinema rooms and the design reflects the rustic setting, with modern fittings and furnishings to ensure utmost comfort. A private chef will work with families before arrival, in order to devise a menu that will suit all tastes.

It was important to me that the mountain lifestyle that I loved could be shared with my family, and Amazon Creek means that we are never far away from our next adventure! Since Chamonix, we have also built bespoke properties in the

Share your ski holiday photos on Twitter @ISParent

Languedoc and Corsica, again designed to provide luxurious, private facilities, with the five-star touches and activity programmes that our clients have come to expect. I am lucky to be able to live and breathe what I love, and to be able to help other families to experience the same. ISP Amazon Creek is offering readers

BOOK 10% off peak winter and summer IT weeks* and 15% off all other weeks**. Amazon Creek is also offering readers a complimentary Nanny for peak winter weeks during the 2015/16 season, when booking Chalet Baloo or Amazon Creek. Simply quote Independent School Parent and book before 1st March 2016. To book call 01865 865456 or visit amazoncreek.co.uk

*INCLUDING CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR, HALF TERM, EASTER AND PEAK SUMMER HOLIDAYS. ** SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY.

Amazon Creek was conceived. Anything is possible when staying with us, from husky rides and Easter-egg hunts to cookery lessons and yoga classes.

We also arrange for babysitting and nannies when parents need some valuable time off. Following an action-packed day of skiing on the mountains, families can gather back at the luxury chalet for a freshly baked cake and a family dinner served in relaxing surroundings.

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AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

65

LET’S GET COOKING!

Auriol embarked on the course before starting university

Auriol Drummond-Hay, 19, enrolled on a four-week Essential Skills Course at Tante Marie Culinary Academy in Woking

H

ands washed, pinny on and a table laden with ingredients before me, I muster up the courage to tackle the seemingly impossible task ahead. It’s day one of the Essential Skills Course at Tante Marie and we’re dropped in at the deep end – preparing

[

an entire roast dinner from scratch!

I’ve helped my mum with the trimmings on Sundays but never cooked all of it, individually, before so I was quite apprehensive as I begun peeling potatoes.

However, our teacher guides us through the correct process and soon the delicious homely scent of roast beef is wafting through the kitchen.

THE BASICS

I’ve always enjoyed cooking with my mum at home, who actually graduated with

]

We are taught basics such as knife skills. Before I would have chopped an onion haphazardly, but now I know how to dice, finely chop, julienne, brunoise and cleave meat cleanly off the bone!

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Share your culinary tales with us on Twitter @ISParent

Tante Marie’s prestigious Cordon Bleu Diploma, when she was my age. However, I’m keen to brush up on my culinary skills before starting university. The four-week summer course seemed a perfect opportunity to cover core techniques.

Brimming with new-found confidence following the successful preparation of a roast, I spent the afternoon making a carrot cake and prepping ingredients for the next day.

SIDES AND SAUCES

My other classmates are very friendly and luckily around the same ability level as me, so we’re all learning together. During the rest of the first week, we are taught essential basics such as knife skills.

Before, I would have chopped an onion or carrot haphazardly, but now I know how

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Penn Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV3 OEG Penn Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV3 OEG mo@royal.wolverhampton.sch.uk www.theroyalschool.co.uk mo@royal.wolverhampton.sch.uk www.theroyalschool.co.uk

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

Find Tante Marie The Restaurant in Woking

to slice, dice, finely chop, julienne, brunoise and cleave meat cleanly off the bone. We also learn how to make sides and sauces, such as fruit jam and crème anglaise.

I had a minor disaster when overcooking the crème anglaise into a lumpy mess, but my second attempt is perfectly delicate and creamy.

I quickly learn that it’s simply a matter of assessing when the sauce is ready to be taken off the heat. I’m grateful that the course teaches us what is happening to the food as we cook it, so we have the knowledge to make adjustments as we go along rather than relying on recipe timings. In fact, I soon find that crème anglaise is simple and quick to prepare – I can’t wait to impress my friends by whipping up this treat from scratch!

PHOTOGRAPHY: ADRIAN FRANKLIN

IT’S A FINE ART

In the second week, we move on to more advanced skills and dishes. We learn how to work with pastry which can often be tricky. Shortcrust is straightforward, and I make a tasty apple tart from scratch.

However, choux pastry proves to be more

[

challenging, as you have to pipe it while it’s still hot from the pan and I initially have trouble pushing the pastry from the piping bag evenly. Nevertheless, under the patient guidance of our teacher, I soon master the technique, and produce a bunch of delicious chocolate eclairs. I bet even my mum will be impressed!

WORLD CUISINE

In our third week, we move on to world cuisine, and I finally feel like I’m getting to grips with the core skills of cookery. I simmer a spicy chicken and potato curry with ease, and effortlessly bake rice in the oven – I’d always steamed it on the hob but this has a delicious crispy top!

We prepare more ambitious roasts, making the stuffing from scratch and trying interesting gravies such as lemon and thyme for chicken and balsamic for pork. The Essential Skills course also dedicates a full day to food and kitchen hygiene with an exam – luckily I passed with flying colours and now have an official Level Two Food Safety qualification from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

I had a minor disaster when overcooking the crème anglaise turning it into a lumpy mess, but my second attempt is perfectly delicate and creamy – a triumph even!

]

KEY RECIPES

During our final week, we tackle the fine art of filo pastry, which has to be stretched into a thin dough between three pairs of hands. There’s a noticeable step up from previous weeks as we learn to prepare delicate little canapés where presentation is just as important as taste. At this point, the teachers are encouraging us to assess the taste of dishes as we go along and season accordingly – which is certainly an essential skill for seasoned chefs and amateur cooks alike. I finish the course armed with key recipes every chef should know and a new-found appreciation for my taste buds. What’s more, I now have the ability to design my own menus, create my dishes and adapt my cookery skills to any kitchen environment!

I’m starting a degree in mechanical engineering soon and have found the course invaluable, not only in boosting my kitchen confidence for my university days but providing a solid foundation in culinary skills for my future career in the army.

Throughout the course, I was grateful that our teachers advised on the best way to store every dish which will be very handy when cooking for one! Then again, with my new found culinary prowess it’s likely I’ll be cooking for quite a few.

The next Tante Marie Essential Skills BOOK course will run from 6th January to IT 3rd February 2016. For more information go to tantemarie.co.uk

Above, the students are encouraged to taste and assess their dishes in progress

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

69

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

A spa day is a great way to spend time with friends or family

TEEN SPA Molly Chapman, 14, loved her treat day at the runnymede-on-thames in Surrey

PHOTOGRAPHY: RICHARD WAITE, CHRISTIAN TRAMPENAU, SHUTTERSTOCK

B

ack in the summer holidays, I went for a Mum and Teen Spa Day at the runnymede-on-thames in Egham, Surrey. After a rather gruelling car journey we arrived needing the relaxation!

We were greeted in the spa reception by the spa manager and shown around. Set close to the River Thames, the spa has all the modern-day facilities that you would expect. We were shown the indoor pool which had a jacuzzi, plunge pool and sauna – all very clean and working. The

[

changing rooms were well-equipped and we enjoyed having the ESPA jasmine scented body lotions and shampoos.

Although the fluffy robes and slippers may have just stolen the show! But what I really liked was the calm atmosphere.

After seeing the spa we settled down in the garden room, drinking tea and hot chocolate, which were rather delicious!

There was also a coffee machine and jugs of juice and water available.

We liked the outdoor seating where you could watch life go by on the river, especially as the weather was so lovely.

We also found the duck theme of the hotel very amusing and loved the many humorous displays of them – as well as spotting a few real ducks on the Thames.

My mum and I enjoyed our treatments and the teen “fab fingers” one was really fun! It was nice having my nails shaped and painted, but hard to choose from the huge range of colours

Then we were back to the spa, put on our swim suits and went for a dip! After an hour of splashing around and using the jacuzzi we left and returned to the garden room where the very friendly waitress ran to collect our millionaire shortbread so that we wouldn’t be late for our treatments.

Then, with our millionaire shortbread in hand, we went back to the reception area to wait for our treatments.

Both my mum and I really enjoyed our Share your treatments and the teen “fab fingers” one spa day fun with us on was really fun! It was very nice having my Twitter! @ISParent nails shaped and painted, although there was such a huge range of colours it was hard to choose from them all. I had my nails done in one of the treatment rooms which had some lovely aromas and relaxing music.

I then had a skin assessment and the beautician, who was very knowledgable, was able to give me top tips on how to look after my skin. She also used some creams on me which smelt delicious!

The staff were delightful, ready to help you if you had any worries. My mum and I really enjoyed our day out. The spa had all the facilities needed to relax, have a fun break and spend some time together.

BOOK The Mum and Teen spa experience costs IT £105. Available from 3pm to 7pm, Sunday to Friday. To book, call 01784 220964 or go to runnymedehotel.com

]

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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2

1

3

TALKING HEADS: MINDFULNESS

As the concept grows in popularity, six heads give their views

72

1 Ben Evans

2 Sarah Wicks

Edge Grove School, Hertfordshire

Knighton House School, Dorset

Children’s school lives are getting busier.

The preparation for the 11+, 13+ and other tests can be intense. Mindfulness can mean increased attainment, improved behaviour, concentration and self-esteem.

It is of benefit to all pupils, even the most highly achieving; in fact, it is these children who often are doing the most and put the greatest amount of pressure on themselves. Mindfulness is of great use to those who struggle to concentrate, as well as allowing children to be empathetic, resilient and to work collaboratively.

However, it’s not a miracle cure; the curriculum needs to have inbuilt creativity and innovative, stimulating teaching methods with lots of practical activities.

Mindfulness is only one part of what we see as the “wellbeing curriculum” but it is an opportunity for our pupils to look inwards and to reconnect with their “self ”, taking positive steps towards moral and spiritual growth.

We have restructured and, more importantly, renamed the PSHE programme to reflect our girls’ changing needs and the changing demands of society. Into the new programme we have incorporated what we consider to be key aspects of a mindful education. We are indebted to the book Learning to Ride Elephants: Teaching Happiness and Well-Being in Schools by Ian Morris; and the Headspace app, headspace.com.

independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

Above, heads see mindfulness as an essential part of the curriculum

3 Sylvia Brett Harrogate Ladies’ College, North Yorkshire

I think that it is vitally important that our young people learn how to be still, to be at one with themselves and to be able to face who they are. In a world full of “input” from external sources, children have too little opportunity to just “be”.

Mindfulness can be powerful for young people who struggle with work or behavioural problems, who benefit from learning to respond and not simply to react. Taking a breath before responding enables children to feel that they are controlling what happens next rather than feeling powerless in the face of their emotions. The opportunity to celebrate our minds, without relying on stimuli, inspires creativity which grows from reflection.

WELLBEING

5

6 4 4 Kathryn Flood

5 Antony Faccinello

Vinehall School, East Sussex

Forest School, London

I think it is an excellent way to help children become more aware of the positives in life, and helps to filter out any chattering going on inside their heads by immersing themselves in the simple act of observation.

Pupils have found this helps to reduce anxiety levels, boosts their confidence and their concentration, and creates a general lift to their feelings of wellbeing. The teacher who leads the sessions has found it is empowering, and once the children know how to do it, they can draw on it whenever they need to.

We have integrated mindfulness into the religious studies curriculum and we operate mindfulness clubs for pupils and staff each week, both of which are equally well attended.

Mindfulness as developed through the “Mindfulness in Schools Project” has the evidential backing to show how conscious, controlled thought can be strengthened through practice in order to focus better; to deal with frustration; to make better choices; and delay gratification – doing your homework before surfing the web!

Effectively teaching the content of a fact-laden curriculum is important but we now recognise that teaching thinking skills matters just as much. Creativity also requires conscious effort and deliberate application, so mindfulness helps here by limiting distraction.

Teaching mindfulness to Forest pupils is very much part of the curriculum.

6 Simon Reid Gordonstoun, Moray Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @ISParent

From Year Seven, students experience mindfulness in several settings, including daily chapel and in weekly international spiritual citizenship classes. Students are encouraged to focus deliberately without judging, to concentrate on things as they actually are, rather than as they would like them to be and they learn to observe, acknowledge and govern their own thoughts, sensations and emotions. These are vital skills to nurture in an age when school and university leavers are joining a working environment which is fast-paced, unpredictable and constantly changing.

Pressure grows uncontrolled in many lives and it is important to find a balance between work and the time to slow down and reflect.

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

73

STAR STAFF

I

must confess to feeling a bit of a fraud as I sit down to write this. I am no hero; I am a very ordinary bloke. I do, however, have an extraordinary job as housemaster at Gordonstoun.

Before joining the school, I spent 20 years in the Royal Air Force and re-trained as a maths teacher in 2009. I hoped that a career in teaching would be rewarding, challenging and varied. The school’s emphasis on experiential learning really appealed to me.

SCHOO

HEROL

ALAN MCNEILL

This housemaster at Gordonstoun, Moray, fosters in his boys qualities such as kindness, humility and integrity

Mountains and Maths As a housemaster, my day starts by waking the boys for breakfast at 7am and normally ends sometime after midnight, with a final check around the house. I also teach maths.

There is lots of variety in my work, with weekly activities in outdoor education training, cross-country running and golf, and I am also a member of the school’s Mountain Rescue Service, with whom I train every Wednesday afternoon. As a mountain

Tweet us your boarding school tales @ISParent

leader, I am a member of the school’s Outdoor Education team and I have travelled on numerous expeditions with the students. Most teachers at Gordonstoun have a wide variety of responsibilities outside the classroom and this is why I love my job.

One Big Family There are 60 boys, aged between 13 and 19 years old, in my boarding house, and they keep me busy as I do my best to help them navigate

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

Alan and pupils helping with a water project in Thailand

their way through their formative years. The job essentially amounts to parenting on a grand scale. My wife, Lucy, and I do our best to provide a safe, secure and happy environment for the boys. In turn, the boys fill our lives with endless amusement and fun. As with any teenagers, there are frustrations and times when they are challenging; however, these are more than offset by the positive experiences.

I work alongside some incredible people in the school’s pastoral team and I especially have admiration for my fellow housemasters and housemistresses. My own house runs smoothly with the help of my matron, assistant housemaster, cleaners and academic tutors, all of whom work with the boys. What

strikes me is that many of the boys see school, and especially the adults and students in the boarding house, as their extended family. Although there are mostly happy times, there can be occasional downs, but what is special is how the house of boys rallies in support of each other and there is such a strong bond of friendship and camaraderie between them, which often continues into their adult lives.

Outside the Classroom Gordonstoun offers challenge, in abundance, to students and teachers alike. The variety of opportunity at school is incredible. I have also been lucky enough to travel twice to Thailand in the summer holidays, along with 20 sixth form students, on the school’s annual three-week service project to provide clean, safe drinking water to the Karen tribespeople in Thailand.

My aim in the boarding house is to foster in the boys qualities such as kindness and humility, honesty and integrity, commitment and application to their work, a determination to overcome adversity, and tolerance and respect for each other. Some pupils arrive with these qualities already instilled in them; but it is my privilege to help the students for whom these qualities do not come naturally and this is the main reason why being a housemaster is so rewarding.

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

75

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CALENDAR Our round-up of inspiring things to do this winter Until 28 Feb

WORLD WAR ONE AT HOME The BBC has launched an interactive e-book that builds on the success of the World War One at Home campaign, which ran in partnership with Imperial War Museums (IWM) across all 39 of the BBC’s local radio stations last year.

The WW1 At Home e-book compiles features made by local BBC journalists, archival film, sound, images and documents from IWM to reflect the lives of people caught up in the conflict. To download the free e-book, go to bbc.co.uk/ww1

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Admire a selection of stunning shots from the winners and runners-up of the ZSL Animal Photography Prize 2015, free with entry to ZSL London. For ticket information visit zsl.org

PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL GALLAGHER, SAM MORGAN MOORE

DR SEUSS’S THE LORAX

28-4 Nov Jan EDEN PROJECT WINTER FESTIVAL

GORDONSTOUN: A DIFFERENT CLASS

[Cornwall] Teaming up with the renowned Cornish theatre company, WildWorks, the Eden Project is transforming the humid tropics of the Rainforest Biome into an enchanted winter wonderland, with live performances and music. Plus, meet Father Christmas, his reindeer and elves and skate on their magical ice rink. edenproject.com

[Nationwide] A new six-part documentary is offering you an insight into Gordonstoun school, in Moray, through the eyes of the pupils.

Footage features Year Nine students settling in, university applications and pupils sailing with dolphins on board the school’s boat. Follow on Sky 1, (ITN Productions).

[London] Inspired by Dr Seuss’s classic tale, The Old Vic’s The Lorax tells of a moustachioed and cantankerous critter who’s on a mission to protect the earth from the greedy, tree-chopping businessman, The Once-ler.

Adapted by David Grieg and brought to the stage by director Mark Webster (To Kill a Mockingbird, Twelfth Night), it blends humour and songs to create a vibrant show. oldvictheatre.com

3-16 Dec Jan

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

77

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Get your skates on

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WIN TICKETS TO FOODIES FESTIVAL CHRISTMAS

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Top chefs and retro recipes in the Chefs Theatre, an Artisan Christmas Market with vegan and gluten-free options, Champagne Ski Bar and a London Gin Theatre are just some of the festive features food-lovers can look forward to as Foodies Festival Christmas transforms The Old Truman Brewery into a culinary wonderland. For your chance to win one of three pairs of tickets go to independentschoolparent.com/win

independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

204 Nov Jan

PRINCES STREET GARDENS

[Lothian] Beneath Edinburgh’s big wheel you’ll find a glittering ice rink with an unrivalled backdrop of the capital’s skyline. edinburghschristmas.com

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[South Wales] This open-air ice rink sits alongside a family funfair and the Alpine Village for some “après skate” and authentic chalets with treats such as German sausage. cardiff winterwonderland.com

[Cambridgeshire] Nestled among trees, in Parkers Piece Park in the centre of Cambridge, enjoy the Icebox, and afterwards explore the fairground, Christmas Markets, Santas Grotto and festive food. thenorthpolecambridge.co.uk

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[West Midlands] Located in the iconic Centenary Square, near the Christmas Market. iceskatebirmingham.co.uk

In the first quarter of 2016, L’Amandier, a 12-acre estate in Morocco, will open a luxury hotel complete with 6 suites and balconies overlooking the Atlas Mountains. Just one hour from Marrakech, the estate sits in the Ouirgane Valley and also features 14 villas of which the final phase are now available for sale, with roof terraces, plunge pool, and 360-degree views over the Altas Mountains and surrounding National Park. Prices range from £329,000 for a two-bedroom villa to £495,000 for a three-bedroom villa. 020 7754 5563, lamandierhotel.com

78

THE ICE FACTOR

[North Yorkshire] The region’s largest outdoor rink with a giant tree, forest, log cabins and PapaKitchen for warming Glühwein. yorkshireswinterwonderland.com

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ALPINE ADVENTURE You can now buy off-plan properties in the second phase of the d’Adelaide ski chalet development in the Swiss village of Grimentz. All properties are serviced by a new boutique hotel and offer concierge and spa facilities plus stunning views across Val d’Annivers and easy access to the new Grimetz-Zinal cable car. Prices range from CHF 819,000 for a two-bed apartment to CHF 1,595,000 for a duplex penthouse. markwarnerproperty.com

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Durham’s award-winning Christmas Festival is back, with a Craft and Gift Marquee on Palace Green, Local Food Producers Market in Cathedral Cloisters and Festive Markets in Market Place and Millenium Place. Join the Children’s Lantern Procession leaving the Market Place at 3.45pm on Saturday 5th December and arrive at Durham Cathedral for carols. durhamchristmasfestival.com

PHOTOGRAPHY: GREG SHINGLER

3-6 Dec

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SOUTHBANK CENTRE CHRISTMAS MARKET [London] Part of the Southbank Centre’s Winter Festival, you’ll find wooden chalets clustered along the riverbank, offering festive food, drink, gifts and treats. southbankcentre.co.uk

26-13 Nov Dec

LINCOLN CHRISTMAS MARKET [Lincolnshire]

Over 250 stalls are nestled in the medieval square between the Norman castle and magnificent gothic cathedral. lincoln-christmasmarket.co.uk

OXFORD CHRISTMAS MARKET

BATH CHRISTMAS MARKET

[Oxfordshire] Christmas festivities return to Oxford’s historic Broad Street, with market traders selling decorations, food and handmade gifts, plus choirs singing carols. oxfordchristmasmarket.co.uk

[Somerset] Bath is transformed as over 170 chalets line the streets surrounding the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey. bathchristmasmarket.co.uk

AUTUMN 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

81

MEMORY LANE

A

How would you describe your school days at Eton?

School was very different from home life: I had three elder sisters, a mother and an aunt, but no male figure. I was spoilt rotten. I didn’t like my first two years at Eton because I was “pretty”, and small, so I stood out. However, my life changed when I learnt how to box, thanks to my teacher Reg Hoblyn. I loved it and never looked back. I was very happy during my last three years at Eton – I adored it.

SIR

RANULPH FIENNES

Was it easy to make friends?

No. But the art of stegophily (how to climb tall buildings at

The explorer, author and record-breaking fundraiser despised his first two years at Eton College, until he learnt how to box

night) meant that I bonded with a group of five boys – one of them was the late actor, Christopher Cazenove, and another Jeremy Deedes, the son of legendary politician and journalist Bill Deedes. I had no head for heights and suffered from vertigo, but the beauty of climbing at night is that the thrill of danger is present without the full visual impact of the drop below!

Who was your best “climbing” friend?

Michael Denny. During one of our night-time climbing sessions on School Hall, he hurt his ankle and was threatened with expulsion unless he revealed who his fellow climber was. But he never let on.

What piece of advice would you give your school-age self?

To work much harder to get my A levels, so I could have gone to Sandhurst. l tal b I wanted to fulfil my The art of stegophily (how to clim dream of becoming the h wit buildings at night) meant I bonded commanding officer the of my late father’s a group of five boys. The beauty was t pac im l ua regiment, the Royal thrill involved, with no vis Scots Greys.

82

independentschoolparent.com | AUTUMN 2015

Tweet us your school memories @ISParent

Which teacher still means a lot to you to this day?

Dave Callender – a famous oarsman and master of boats at Eton. He instilled in me a love of languages, namely French and German. I was “up to” (taught by) him from the age of 15 to 17. He taught me how to précis and love writing. I’ve penned over 20 books and it is mainly down to Dave that I have been able to master it.

Any pranks?

The school holds its annual speech day and celebrations on 4th June. The year after I left Eton, my friends and I decided to watch the procession of boats, when the best rowers stand up, one by one, and lift their oars to salute the parents who have gathered to watch. We had borrowed aqualungs and managed to overturn five boats during the night-time procession! But I had to surface because of a malfunction in my equipment.

Dave Callender gave chase but luckily my identity was never revealed because I was still wearing my mask.

What qualities did you learn at school that have stood you in good stead?

I learnt not to be aggressive if I was angry. And to listen more than I speak – after all, God gave me two ears and one mouth. ISP

INTERVIEW BY CLAUDIA DUDMAN. PHOTOGRAPHY: RANULPH FIENNES, ETON COLLEGE, BERKSHIRE

rriving at Sandroyd in Wiltshire, from South Africa where my family had been living, I must have seemed exotic with my accent.

As a result, I was the centre of attention and gained quite a lot of street cred. I learnt how to fit in by telling tales of the jungle: I used to tell my stories on a Saturday evening after our weekly chocolate bars were given out. I’d charge a square of chocolate from each listener.

What was your favourite lesson at school?

French. I was taught it by David Cornwall, otherwise known as writer John le Carré.

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