ISP Senior Spring 2015

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Spring 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

SENIOR EDITION

FREE FOR PARENTS AND PUPILS

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

ARE YOU THE NEXT STEPHEN HAWKING?

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A £5,000 HOLIDAY

WHICH TYPE OF UNIVERSITY SUITS YOU? TAKE OUR TEST…

HARROW UNCOVERED WHY THEY’RE HOUSE PROUD

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POWER BREAKING BOUNDARIES ON AND OFF THE PITCH

PLUS REVISION SKILLS BOOKS AND APPS THE NEW “A LEVELS” CARIBBEAN HOLIDAY DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

University Taster Days for Year 12/Lower Sixth students

University Taster Days are the very best way for students to experience what it will be like to study their chosen course at degree level.

At an NCH Taster Day students can expect to enjoy challenging and engaging lectures and workshops with world-class academics, hand picked for their enthusiasm for teaching as well as expertise in their field.

Students will also have the opportunity to meet and chat with current NCH students over lunch, which is provided by the College.

Book your complementary place today at www.NCHum.org/taster

Where quick minds

EDITOR’S LETTER

CLAUDIA DUDMAN Editor

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

HELPING YOU MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES FOR YOUR CHILDREN

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

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

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

COVER: Millie, a Year Nine pupil at Blundell’s School, Devon, is not only a cricketer but also plays rugby and belongs to a local U15 girls’ team who recently won the South of England championship. Millie captained the Blundell’s U14 hockey team to the national finals, where they came third.

WELC ME… This issue our Curriculum feature tackles physics, (page 12) and how pupils should be encouraged to persevere with this demanding yet rewarding subject. It is a highly coveted qualification when it comes to the workplace and graduate salaries for those who have taken it at a higher education level are among the highest on offer.

We go Behind the Scenes at Harrow School (page 30) where deputy master Alastair Land writes on the house system and how it builds a unique educational experience for pupils.

Are you craving to get away from it all? Travel writer for the London Evening Standard Cathy Hawker, shares her top City Breaks, including beautiful Barcelona, with kids in tow (page 70).

Plus, enter our competition where you can win a luxury family break (page 62) worth £5,000! Enter at: independentschoolparent.com/win.

A bit closer to home, we have a round-up of fun events to keep you busy at half term. And don’t miss Times’ columnist and restaurant critic Giles Coren (page 82) share his School Memories.

Claudia Dudman, Editor Independent School Parent, independentschoolparent.com

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

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7 12

WHAT’S INSIDE? Issue 16 Spring 2015 • independentschoolparent.com

45

News Our round-up of hot topics

Inside the laundry at King Edward’s

The Theory of Everything

Witley with Karine Butcher

46

Physics unwrapped: could you be the next Stephen Hawking?

21

21

Heads-Up Rodean’s Oliver Blond explains how being a male head of a girls’ school works

22

The Education Equation How to buy the near-school property of

48

28

50

The best way to use IT at school

55

Keep Calm and Carry On

60

46

Stressed Out? for navigating the exam season

House Proud Behind the scenes at Harrow School

impact of the latest exam reforms

34

62

64

A getaway worth £5,000 could be yours

64 66 70

Girls Will Be Boys Eleanor Doughty meets the girls playing

75

41 82 81

30

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

City Break Calendar Our top dates for your diary

Book Club New finds for your shelf

School Memories The Times’ restaurant critic Giles Coren

boys’ sports, really, really well…

On the cover...

Paradise Found

Cathy Hawker explores Barcelona

Should I Stay or Should I Go? schools, writes Charlotte Phillips

My Subject, My University

Editor Claudia Dudman visits Barbados

Lost and Found

Sixth form offers a good time to switch

Win a Luxury Holiday!

their way from school to real life

Cohen’s book on young people and drugs

41

to help you choose where to go next

How the country’s headteachers found

Student Lydia Yarlott reviews Julian

36

Choosing a University Eleanor Doughty’s indispensible quiz

Testing Times James Wardrobe explains the

The Graduate Jobs Formula graduates he wants to share

Glynis Kozma offers words of advice

33

Internet Safety

Dr Paul Redmond has a theory on

cool with her top revision tips

30

Why Study Philosophy?

AC Grayling explains all

Sophie Green helps you keep your

28

Ones to Watch Independent school success stories

your dreams, by Andrews Brooks

27

School Hero

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

Alastair Land, deputy head master of Harrow shares all on p.30

looks back at his time at Westminster

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Family holiday inspiration… time together is precious; allow Carrier to create your ultimate family getaway in 2015 Introducing the new collection from Carrier – Luxury Family Escapes – bursting with inspirational ideas for your family travel in 2015. Our curated selection is your perfect starting point to explore some of the finest experiences designed with families in mind.

Carrier specialises in luxury tailor-made holidays around the world. Our award-winning team have the skill, knowledge and expertise to craft transformative, bespoke travel that is entirely suited to the requirements of you and your family. Whatever shape or size, be that single parent families, multi-generational families, families accompanied by nannies or extended groups of family and friends, we can recommend the best options.

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Our new book is available now – with savings over various school holiday dates. To order your copy or for a personalised quotation please call our dedicated specialists on 0161 660 8847.

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NEWS

Our pick of the top parenting and education news

IT’S NO HARD KNOCK LIFE AT ST MARY’S [St Mary’s, Cambridge] Girls at St Mary’s School, Cambridge took part in the spring musical production of Annie this term, with 71 pupils in the cast, 56 students backstage and 10 students in the band. It went down a storm with parents. One told us: “The standard of acting and production was excellent and superior to many adult productions that I have seen.”

Hot on the heels of the new Annie film, St Mary's take to the stage

International Behaviour [Marlborough College, Wiltshire]

Marlborough College has sent 129 individual applications to US and Canadian universities by 25 pupils (at time of publication) including the University of Chicago, University of Virginia and the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

WHITBREAD MEMORIAL PRIZE AWARD FOR RED HOUSE SCHOOL [Red House School, Stockton-on-Tees] Congratulations is in order for Aditi Rangan from Red House School who was announced as the winner of the prestigious Independent School Association (ISA) Whitbread Memorial Prize. The prize, that recognises achievement at GCSE, was awarded to Aditi for A* grades in 11 subjects.

AMPLEFORTH PUPIL DOES IT NATIONALLY [Ampleforth College, North Yorkshire] Congratulations go to Ampleforth pupil Nick Foxley, 1st XV and 1st VII rugby captain, who has been selected to captain the National Independent Schools Barbarians Team (The Lambs) to play against RFU London and SE U18s Division.

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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SCIENCE AND ART COLLIDE [Abingdon School, Oxfordshire]

A stunning new artwork standing 10 metres tall has been commissioned from sculptor Matthew Lane Sanderson to stand in Abingdon School’s new Science Centre.

Designed to merge the lines between art and science, the sculpture will rise through the building, spanning the three floors.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MALVERN [Malvern College, Worcestershire] This year, Malvern College celebrates its 150th anniversary and in January it launched a history of the school in book format. The author, Roy Allen, was head of history at Malvern and at the heart of the school for three decades He reminisces through a collection of anecdotes that bring the school history to life. Happy Birthday, Malvern!

x + y2 = 4

Sch ol tweets

@ISParent @sleepfoundation latest research confirms that teenagers aged 14-17 should have 8-10 hours sleep.

Gadgets off before bed!

(Sedbergh School, @SedberghSchool)

8

HAILEYBURY’S HENRY WRITING HIS WAY TO SUCCESS

THE SPADES COME OUT FOR NEW ART BUILDING

[Haileybury School, Hertfordshire] Henry Davies, upper sixth former at Haileybury, has won a national creative writing competition for the second year in a row. This year, writing in character for Mini Monologues as his hero Walt Disney, he wowed the judges.

“I didn’t expect to win,” Henry said, “but I couldn’t be happier”.

[Bedales, Hampshire] A shiny new art and design building is set to open at Bedales in the autumn of 2016. Students from the senior school joined those from Bedales’ prep and pre-prep departments to help cut the first turf in a ceremony at the end of February. The new building will be home to all art and design disciplines taught at Bedales, ranging from painting, fashion and ceramics to sculpture and printmaking.

independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

Fantastic article about Ross hockey in spring edition of @ISParent. Great to be a school with a beach! @coastmag (Elaine Purves, @RossallHead) I interviewed one of my favourite writers @gilescoren for the new issue of @ISParent, and he was brilliant (Eleanor Doughty, @brushingboots )

Share your school news and tweet us @ISParent

240 YEARS IN THE CITY AND WE’RE STILL THINKING LIKE BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS We are perhaps one of the industry’s best kept secrets and to this end we’d like to share some of our secrets with you.

Contact us on 020 7150 4005 or visit www.quiltercheviot.com or alternatively speak to your financial adviser.

Investors should remember that the value of investments, and the income from them, can go down as well as up. Quilter Cheviot Limited is registered in England with number 01923571. Quilter Cheviot Limited is a member of the London Stock Exchange and authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority.

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ALL KICKING OFF AT OUNDLE

HEADS on the move

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK, KERIGH PALMER, GEMMA KLEIN PHOTOGRAPHY, HERTFORDSHIRE MERCURY

Julian Thomas will become master of Wellington College from September 2015.

Dr Chris Stevens moves over to be head at Bradfield College, Berkshire in September.

Ceri Jones, from Tonbridge, will be the new head at Caterham School, Surrey from September.

Leweston School, Dorset, will see Kate Reynolds as head from September 2015.

Sue WallaceWoodroffe will become head at Princess Helena College, Herts, this April.

Oundle rugby players at the NatWest Cup quarter finals

am amaos,, a ma t

[Oundle School, Cambridgeshire]

Oundle became the third side to reach the U18 NatWest Cup semi-finals. The School’s CCF Marching band turned out in support to provide pre-match entertainment, while hundreds of supporters including pupils, staff, pupils and Old Oundelians lined the sides of the pitches.

LACROSSE LOVING

DEBATING SUCCESS

[St Swithun’s School, Hampshire] England U19 coach Mike Molster treated girls at St Swithun’s School to a lacrosse goalkeeping session on a flying visit. Practising their keeping and enjoying the game, girls and staff alike had a great time.

[Farnborough Hill School, Hampshire] A team of girls from Farnborough Hill School won the regional final of the ESU Churchill National Public Speaking Competition, held at the Guildhall. Other schools competing included Charterhouse, Bedales, Salesian College and Guildford High School.

The topics ranged from fracking to fashion, and Sophia Taylor took on the topic: “Fashion Sells us the Emperor’s New Clothes”, raising issues such as slave labour and eating disorders, leading to some challenging questions.

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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CURRICULUM

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independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

CURRICULUM

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

THE THEORY OF

Physics is a notoriously challenging subject to study. However, the hard work pays off as many pupils go on to enjoy intellectually and financially rewarding careers, writes Thalia Thompson SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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THALIA THOMPSON education and parenting writer

P

TOP 10 UK Universities for Physics & Astronomy (2015)*

working lifetime an average physics graduate will earn £100,000 more than graduates of non-science subjects.

A GENDER GAP?

Girls do just as well as boys at GCSE but far fewer take the subject to A level.

Figures are better at independent schools, but even here while 20% of boys choose

T

It’s amazing to see how science impacts on virtually every aspect of our lives. Science SE ER OM S touches everything , LS R GIR J U L IA RO ST R

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independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

U P, H E AD O F PHYS ICS AT B R U TO N

SC H O O

L FO

From left, Trent College, Derbyshire, and Bruton School, Somerset

3 9 64 1 7 5 102 8

1 CAMBRIDGE 2 IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 3 DURHAM 4 ST ANDREWS 5 OXFORD 6 BIRMINGHAM 7 WARWICK 8 BATH 9 LANCASTER 10 UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK * THE COMPLETE UNIVERSITY GUIDE 2014

hysics matters. The growing importance of science and technology to the UK economy has led to government campaigns to encourage the uptake of so-called STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) in schools, and there’s been a steady growth in the number of students taking A level physics over the last eight years.

Physics is also one of the A levels recommended by the Russell Group as a “facilitating” subject which will increase a student’s options at university. It’s a key requirement for an engineering degree and can lead to a career that’s both financially and intellectually rewarding. Starting salaries for physics and engineering graduates are well above average and the Institute of Physics estimates that over a

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independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK * THE COMPLETE UNIVERSITY GUIDE 2014

CURRICULUM

A level physics, only eight per cent of girls at single sex, and five per cent at co-ed independent schools, opt for it.

There are no easy answers to this disparity. Dr Neil Heritage, head of physics at the King’s School, Chester, won an award from the Institute of Physics for outstanding achievement in promoting the progression of girls to A level and is clear that it’s nothing to do with ability.

“There’s nothing in physics that makes it particularly boy-centred,” he says. “Really there’s no reason we shouldn’t have a 50:50 split – and we should be encouraging that, because every indication is that girls are exceptionally successful at physics.”

It’s possible that the popularity of medicine (which usually requires biology

and chemistry A levels) is part of the reason; young women now outnumber men at medical school while engineering (which requires maths and physics) remains male dominated. Schools like Malvern St James, a member of the Girls’ School Association, are encouraging pupils to consider a wide range of possible career options. Their approach to the STEM subjects emphasises collaboration.

“We try to work collaboratively across the subjects,” explains Natasha Phipps, head of science and technology. “It isn’t just about taking a subject in isolation, it’s also about creativity, about stretch and breadth. That’s how we build enthusiasm for subjects like

VETERINARY MEDICINE £26,045

Starting salaries for graduates of STEM degrees are well above average

AERONAUTICAL & MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING £25,061

DENTISTRY £30,681

CHEMISTRY £28,992

TOP 10

MEDICINE £28,871

Average graduate salaries by degree (2015)*

GENERAL ENGINEERING £27,280 MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY £24,870

Right, Malvern St James, Worcs below, Swanbourne House School, Bucks

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING £26,197

ECONOMICS £26,146

A physics degree is often a stepping stone towards a highly-paid career

PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY £24,505

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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Engage. Excite. Educate.

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“In the several years we’ve been watching the form, we heard roars of approval from clients and tutors alike.”

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CURRICULUM

physics…We’re inspiring our girls to think outside the box and see how many different pathways are out there in physics and engineering as well as other careers.”

Until the gender gap narrows significantly we will struggle to produce more women engineers and computer D OR XF O , experts in the future EG E OLL

Physics is a challenging subject which opens up learning and career prospects

“IT’S TOO HARD…”

M AT T H E W U

What is more, physics is academically demanding. “It’s one of those A levels that demonstrates ability, logic and reason,” says Oliver Peck, head of science and techology at Oundle School. “It brings a certain creativity, especially for the top-end pupils

F F I N D E L L , S E N I O R T U TO R , G R E E N

who pick up ideas quickly.” King’s Chester’s Dr Heritage agrees. “What you get from physics is intellectual development. Students do find it challenging – but they like the challenge.”

However, while the intellectual rigour can stretch able pupils, physics is also a subject where even the best students make mistakes and where experiments don’t always work perfectly first time. This might be another factor discouraging high-achieving teenage girls who are used to getting things right first time. “Girls can be risk averse at that stage of their life,” says Clare Thomson, curriculum and diversity manager at the Institute of Physics. “I do think girls have to be actively encouraged to take risks and be shown it doesn’t matter if things go We need to do more to wrong. Making encourage girls to take STEM subjects and mistakes is a crucial go into engineering. The opportunities part of learning.”

R E

here are huge and varied

D I N GTO CARO LI N E J O R DA N , H E AD M I ST R E SS , H E A

N SC H

O

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FOR

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HI

WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?

Of course, the quality of the teaching is a huge influence on a pupil’s understanding and enjoyment of a subject. But as

E’S TUT

O R IAL

C

parents, our attitudes to science and knowledge of the potential career opportunities will also contribute to our children’s decisions.

Teachers often hear parents saying things like “I’m surprised he’s good at it – I was always hopeless at physics”. But as Clare Thomson, explains, “that’s an incredibly negative thing to say. You’re saying to your child ‘you’re not like me’. I think it’s important for parents to signal that they approve of their child’s choices.”

If your child is apt to get discouraged easily, reassure them. Oliver Peck advises that “we need to be telling our young people that just because something is difficult, it doesn’t mean they’re not good at it or they shouldn’t try hard at it.

It doesn’t mean they can’t do well at it”.

You can try and show your support by also taking an interest in science.

Many universities run annual science festivals with activities aimed at teenagers.

Or even just taking the time to watch a science programme on TV with your child or finding a book they might be interested in can help.

Encourage your child to have a wide range of career aspirations and help him or her recognise and challenge stereotyping – including the clichéd portrayal of the eccentric scientist with poor social skills. ISP

USEFUL WEBSITES

physics.org Information on careers, the latest physics news, games and a comprehensive database of other resources.

futuremorph.org A guide for secondary school children (and parents) to science, technology, engineering and maths.

wisecampaign.org.uk WISE – Women In Science and Engineering – has a specific section on its website for girls, with plenty of information about careers.

thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk For information on university courses and starting salaries for graduates.

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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HEADS-UP

OLIVER BLOND

headmaster of Roedean School, East Sussex

PHOTOGRAPHY: ROEDEAN SCHOOL, LARRY BRAY

S

ome might say that being the headmaster of an all-girls’ school like Roedean must be a challenge, but I have enjoyed the experience necessary for this not to be the case. For eight years I was head at a leading girls’ state school, Henrietta Barnet in London, and before that, deputy head at North London Collegiate School.

For many, being at an all-girls’ school is liberating, and the fact that the headteacher is a man makes no difference to that. My expectations of the girls are gender-neutral – I simply want them all to be happy in their environment and to be surrounded by teachers who kindle their various passions.

One pupil said, “They make you feel that you can do anything,” and that is most important. Roedean girls leave us armed with the honed skills and nurtured aspirations to be role models and make a difference in the world.

Academically, our girls achieve as well as they would elsewhere, but they have the space and support to do it in the way that suits them best.

[

GIRLS ROCK

What’s it like being a male headmaster of an all-girls’ school?

Roedean’s Oliver Blond knows all about it Space for All The teaching spaces are being refurbished so that they match the boarding accommodation, of which I am very proud.

However, they are not just for boarders, and the day girls are completely integrated into each of the houses. The girls come to Roedean from all backgrounds and their perspectives are broadened by this cultural mix, which is vital in the globalised world we inhabit. In Key Stage Three, 82% of the pupils are from the UK, many from the immediate area. Increasingly, London families are choosing the

option of weekly boarding, with a chaperoned train journey to London Victoria and back at the weekends.

Our girls are allowed to express themselves, and flourish by doing so. They have strong opinions, and their collective voice is important to me. This gives them a sense of ownership of their own learning and developing, important when creating the best environment for education.

Above, Roedean girls learn a host of skills to prepare them for life after school

All Change I learnt early as the head of a girls’ school that girls and boys respond very differently, and

I want Roedean to be the best educational environment, a place where girls can be girls, without external pressures to change or conform

]

Share your thoughts on Twitter... @ISParent

that makes me consider what I do and say carefully. I am not the first headmaster of Roedean, but I am overseeing a period of palpable change at the school. If in doing so, that creates an environment in which everyone strives for the best, it is very powerful. The Old Roedenians are very pleased about the school’s direction, although, with a wry smile, some of them may still disapprove a little of the idea of having a headmaster at the helm of their alma mater.

I want Roedean to be the best educational environment it can be – a place where girls can be girls without external pressures to change or conform. We tailor our approach to the individual, allowing her to grow at her own pace, in a warm, supportive, happy school. ISP

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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ANDREW BROOKS managing director, Bewley Homes

Above and top right, Byways property in Ascot, Berkshire

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| SPRING 2015

PROPERTY

“Families are reluctant to abandon the cosmopolitan lifestyle they have become accustomed to, but by moving to places like Berkshire they have seen they don’t have to compromise”

Berkshire has a total of 52 independent schools

BERKSHIRE

THE EDUCATION EQUATION Looking for a dream home near a good school?

Andrew Brooks has some sage advice…

LONDON

T

he value of providing a good quality education for our children has, and always will be, a key factor in property purchase decision-making. As a parent myself, I understand too well the importance of finding the perfect home near a range of great schools.

As a developer in the south east of England, Bewley Homes are lucky to provide fantastic properties in some of the best schooling areas in the UK. Even with the May election looming, we are still confident that the UK property market will continue to bounce back in 2015, especially in locations offering the

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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PROPERTY

lifestyle we have all come to expect. This in turn puts a great emphasis on the quality of local schools and the availability of properties surrounding them.

KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY

Savills’ most recent property report reinforces the importance of the “family focused” consumer and with London’s highly competitive property market and schooling system, young families have no choice but to move further and further out of the capital. This is no surprise when the average property in London, in close proximity to an independent school, reaches a reported £760K. At Bewley Homes, we pride ourselves on providing great quality family homes in unrivalled locations, from townhouses and apartments, to six-bedroom mansions, we have something for every family looking to live in the South East. Counties like Berkshire offer young families the lifestyle and schooling they desire. In fact there are 52 independent schools in total and some of them are the most renowned in the country. These include Ludgrove School, Eton and Wellington College.

The Byways mansion is situated in Ascot, Berkshire

The Bewley Park Townhouse’s master bedroom, Reading

The extensive garden at Byways, Ascot

The kitchen and dining space at Byways, Ascot

A HIGH SPECIFICATION

Situated in the prestigious Berkshire village of Ascot, we created two excellent mansions: Glenmead and Byways. Each property provides buyers not only with a luxurious home, including well-sized interiors to a high specification, but also an open-plan design, ideal for families, with over 7,700 square foot of living space.

Ascot, an area renowned for its affluent lifestyle, has seen the average property price rise nine per cent in the last year alone, and the demand from buyers for a unique location with excellent connections into London has never been stronger.

Families are understandably reluctant to abandon the cosmopolitan lifestyle they have become accustomed to, but by moving to places such as Berkshire, they have seen they don’t have to compromise.

An ideal location for families wanting a country lifestyle, while still wishing to remain close to shops and restaurants, Berkshire has great transport links into London supporting commuters,

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independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

international connections or even just days out in the capital.

A GREAT INVESTMENT

In nearby Reading, our Bewley Park development provides buyers with a fantastic range of properties. Our four-bedroom townhouses bring a taste of European living to Reading, with family homes spanning three floors. A short walk takes you straight into the centre of the town with its fantastic connections to London and beyond, the development also boarder’s idyllic Prospect Park and is walking distance to a number of schools.

Just recently, we helped a local family find their perfect home at Bewley Park.

After renting in the area for eight years, not wanting to relocate from Reading for both schooling and work reasons, they chose a three-bedroom townhouse and are moving in this spring. Mrs Brinch comments on the development, “The location was just perfect, close to our son’s school, and within walking distance of the station and town centre. We had a look around the development and were able to choose a three-bedroom townhouse with a spacious kitchen and its own private garden, something we haven’t had in our rented home. We were really impressed with the specification of the home and the flexibility of the space in the townhouse”.

THINKING AHEAD

The Bewley Park Townhouses, Reading

Byways offers space for a family with a luxury finish

Another fantastic location for families in Berkshire is the market town of Wokingham. Just launched this Easter, we created a number of three-, four- and five-bedroom homes at our Cavendish Park site. Wokingham itself has just benefitted from extensive redevelopment, including the remodelling of its railway station and £100 million regeneration of the town centre. With this in mind, and the availability of fantastic schools in the area, buyers have a great opportunity to invest in their family and their future.

Furthermore, we’re reaching an estimated six per cent rental yields in some of our Berkshire developments. This allows our buyers to think further ahead too, when they may want to move to an even more rural setting in years to come. ISP

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REVISION SKILLS

SOPHIE GREEN tutor and director of SGA Education

F

rom IB to A Level, to GCSE, the patterns are always the same: children want to relax because they’re on holiday, and parents often panic. A clash can occur, as parents see their children heading off track. So what’s the solution to this emotional battle at home?

PHOTOGRAPHY: SGA EDUCATION

Take the Pressure Off A parent knows their child best in every single aspect of their life, apart from, perhaps, education. During nursery, prep and senior school, teachers alone are responsible for each child’s academic development. On holidays however, this responsibility shifts back to parents, who, more often than not, can become exasperated with their children when it comes to revision.

Create a Timetable Producing a good revision timetable works wonders.

Timetables vary depending on how the individual student learns. Don’t worry if your child doesn’t get up and study in the mornings – maybe they’re a better learner at 3pm.

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KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON How do you balance your teen’s revision and much-needed holiday time? Sophie Green has the answer

To make a good revision timetable choose categories, such as “learned”, “almostlearned” and “need to learn” and allocate time accordingly.

Try to organise revision around valuable time off. Once the routine is set, it provides invaluable piece of mind.

Benefits of a Tutor Many parents choose to hire a tutor to provide a cushion of objective support at this crucial time. They can ensure that your child really revises and enjoys their revision, rather than hiding away with distractions in their room or obsessively over-working to the point of exhaustion.

The Tutor-Tutee Relationship Make sure your child really likes the tutor and look out for little things that help build rapport, like supporting the same football team and having the same sense of humour.

After all, tutoring is one-onone learning, so if your child doesn’t like their tutor it’s not going to work.

An excellent tutor can tell when your child is bluffing about learning, getting frustrated because they don’t understand something, or being too proud to admit they need help. Understanding these behavioural details is most important of all. ISP sga-education.com

A tutor ensures your child really revises, and even enjoys it, instead of hiding with distractions in their room or obsessively over-working

]

TOP 10

REVISION TIPS • Mark out a distraction-free STUDY SPACE. • Create a REVISION TIMETABLE. • KEEP TO A ROUTINE – it will help when they are back at school.

• THE FOUR Ps: Practise of Past Papers = Perfect Exam Technique!

• Build in time in the exam to plan and CHECK THROUGH ANSWERS. • MIX IT UP – flashcards, mind maps and podcasts engage more than taking notes.

• Try SHORT QUIZZES to check key facts.

• FACEBOOK IS FOR BREAKS! Look at: selfcontrolapp.com • Paraphrase EXAM NOTES to embed learning.

• Always eat a good breakfast before an exam to KEEP THE BRAIN TICKING. • TRY TO ENJOY IT! Make the best of it, after all it’s all towards a greater goal.

GOOD LUCK! Enjoy Education is an award-winning education and tutoring consultancy based in Knightsbridge.

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

27

GLYNIS KOZMA is a journalist writing on parenting for newspapers and magazines

With exam season about to get under way, Glynis Kozma has some coping skills for pupils and parents

n a recent survey, ChildLine found that 96% of children feel anxious about exams and revision. These worries, whatever they are prompted by – Common Entrance, GCSEs or A levels, are on the increase. But how can you help?

High Expectations Gary Leboff is the confidence and performance coach for Holland Park Tuition and Education Consultants and regularly works one-to-one with children and their families. “Almost all stress is external,” he says. “Children feel stressed due to other people’s expectations.” But as a parent, it may be hard to know

if your child is anxious or simply exhibiting normal teenage behaviour, as the line is often dangerously blurred.

Take the Pressure Off So what can you do to alleviate your child’s anxiety? “I ask children what they can and can’t control,” Leboff explains.

“A bit like in a game of football or tennis: you can’t control the weather, the referee or the crowd, but you can manage yourself. Once children understand that they cannot control the exam questions but they can control themselves, it makes them feel more at ease.”

Parents should step back too, Leboff says. “Don’t check up on your child all the time

when they are revising.

Children should develop their own intrinsic motivation. You can help everyone by showing you believe in your child and trust them.”

Coping with a Wobble If your child feels that exam nerves are overwhelming and could jeopardise their performance, hypnotherapy is a possible solution.

Laurie Harvey, a clinical hypnotherapist based near Guildford, treats stressed-out teenager. “We look at how the

[

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mind and body interact and how people can master strategies to help them overcome their stress,” she explains. “I discuss the ‘fight and flight’ response and how we can control our rapid breathing by using appropriate coping techniques.”

One mother explained how Laurie’s techniques worked for her daughter. “In the days leading up to an exam she would be in floods of tears, and doubted her ability to perform well in her GCSEs. After her first session she was

As a parent it may be hard to know if your child is anxious or simply displaying usual teenage behaviour

]

much more relaxed and able to practise techniques. If she does have a wobble, she uses the techniques learned from Laurie rather than panicking and going blank.”

Keep it Real With all this in mind, it’s important to set realistic expectations. “If you set your child a goal of 12 A*s; how will they feel if they don’t achieve this? Better to have a target of three A*s,” Leboff says. “Never set the bar so high that your child fears failure.” ISP laurieharvey.co.uk hollandparkeducation.com

ILLUSTRATION: ANDY WARD

I

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ALASTAIR LAND

deputy head master, Harrow School, Middlesex

B

(Behind the Scenes) Harrow School, Middlesex

oarding houses are the beating hearts of boarding schools. At Harrow, we have 12 such “hearts” on the Hill, each of which has a unique character, as well as gardens and facilities that set them apart. Approximately 70 boys live in each of the school’s Houses, along with a residential house master, assistant house master and matron.

There are no old-fashioned dormitories: a boy shares his room with another boy of the same age for the first year or two, and thereafter has a room to himself. It is very much his own place where he keeps his belongings, puts up his pictures and gets some hard-earned sleep.

Ostensibly, a boarding house’s primary function is to provide a place for pupils to rest, to relax, to do their prep, to wash and

[

so that he is prepared to enjoy life and be of good influence after school.

The sense in which a boy identifies with his House at Harrow is at least as strong as his identification with the school. Over five years, he will think of himself more as a member of Bradbys, say, or of Druries, than in the context of his school year group, his classes, his teams or extracurricular activities. Alongside others in his House, he will compete in every realm, whatever his level of ability. With his House, he will celebrate and commiserate, and do hum-drum things as well, like eating meals, doing laundry and homework. At the end of terms and on Speech Day, grand house occasions will punctuate his school career and become lingering milestones in his memory.

The House is where a boy comes to terms with what it means to be an independent adult. He will learn about contributing to society and experience responsibility

to socialise. Ask any Harrovian, however, and he will tell you (perhaps in more words) that his House fundamentally enriches his educational experience, while a Harrow parent will say that the House system enables the highest level of pastoral care. Under the house master’s leadership, and with the support of numerous other pastoral specialists, the House underpins a boy’s personal and academic development,

30 | INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS | SPRING 2015

Right, the school campus inhabits much of Harrow on the Hill, below left and right, pupils in their Houses

Shells, or first year pupils, in their straw hats and“bluers”

]

The House is also where the adolescent boy comes to terms with what it means to be an independent adult. Through an incremental system of duties, he will learn about contributing to society on an equal basis and experience genuine responsibility through shepherding new Shells (first year pupils), being head of a corridor, captain of a House team and ultimately a House monitor (prefect). He will address the age-old themes of relationships, group dynamics, regulation and disappointment, as well as contemporary issues such as social media and global living. These are not merely survived by muddling through but tackled

head-on in the House through structured and well-resourced health education and tutorship. All of this extends far beyond those aspects that we might anticipate.

In such an environment, the community becomes very tightly bonded and lifelong associations are wrought. It is simplistic to assume constant harmony but, given the profound relationships that exist, all work together when they are strained, and become stronger. The durability of these friendships is warmly evidenced when former members of a House gather 20, 30 and 40 years on to relive their experiences.

SENIOR

HOUSE PROUD

The House system at Harrow enriches the boys’ educational experience and builds life-long friendships, writes Alastair Land The Grove

Rendalls

Druries

The Head Master’s

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

Moretons

It is clear that a boarding house is the lynch pin of a young person’s development at boarding school and especially so if you are considering full (rather than weekly or flexi) boarding. So, how to go about choosing a house, if each heart seems to have a slightly different beat? After many years in the business, our advice at Harrow is: “leave it to us”. While we appreciate the diversity of our Houses, we ensure that each has a good mix of boys, so that none is, say, particularly sporty or musical.

House masters also adopt a consistent standard in the way they run their House.

Those parents that do express a preference tend to have old Harrovian connections that link to a particular House. In circumstances where you are encouraged to choose, parents may wish to adopt an analytic approach: is the house academic, cultural or sporting? Are its routines efficient? What are its facilities like? Such considerations are valid but perhaps more akin to selecting a hotel than a place for your child to develop into an adult. So while retaining these benchmarks, also tune into how a House makes you feel: do we as a family get on with the house

parent? Do we want our child to spend time in the company of the people we encountered on the tour?

If you do miss out on your first choice, then trust the school and accept the House offered. If you believe in the school’s purpose, its Houses will reflect that; so you should get to know the House team right away and support them thoroughly. A happy experience is sure to follow. ISP

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independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

EXAMS

C

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

hanges to the examination system were agreed during Michael Gove’s tenure as education secretary, with the stated intention of making our exam system more “fit for purpose”. But what exactly are these changes and what do they mean for the next generation of sixth formers?

New style GCSEs have already arrived for some subjects, but the major reforms to the exam system will hit from September, when the new style A level and AS levels will make their mark in classrooms.

Tougher Exams In practice, the changes are designed to make exams tougher. From a student’s perspective, the most challenging reform is the abolition of “modular” learning, meaning that all exams will be done at the end of the course.

This linear system was how A levels were implemented until the mid-90s, when the modular structure was introduced.

The good news is that there appears to be little significant difference between the content

TESTING TIMES James Wardrobe, of the Council for Independent Education, explains the impact of the new exam reforms

What do you think?

Tweet us and tell us! @ISParent

of the old and new exams – luckily, it’s just the structure that is having a face lift.

Not all of the new specifications will be taught from this September. The revised syllabuses and new content are being phased in over a five-year period with a mixture of “old” and “new” A levels being sat between now and 2019. Subjects changing in the first phase include physics, history and English literature, but not geography, which will be brought in from September 2016. As for maths and further maths, their introduction as linear subjects have been delayed until September 2017, owing to the complex restructuring required.

AS Levels Will Remain The most significant change of all involves the decoupling of AS levels from A levels. AS levels will continue to be taught, but they won’t count towards the

[

final mark at the end of the two years. Despite the formal separation of AS and A levels, for now sixth formers should expect to sit AS papers, as it will aid their university applications.

According to Mary CurnockCook, chief executive of UCAS, most secondary schools will continue to offer AS levels because universities consider them to be a better academic gauge than GCSEs. As for GCSEs, further changes lie ahead, with harder content, and a new nine to one (nine being highest) grading system replacing A* to G. While there is still confusion remaining about what the new grade equivalent to an old “C” will be, it looks to be either four or five. The grade nine will be a new super-grade, equating to an A** or higher!

Change in Revision Style But how much will these reforms actually affect pupils sitting the exams? Stuart

Nicholson, chairman for the Council of Independent Education (CIFE) and principal of Cambridge Centre for Sixth Form Studies, senses that the traditional structure will advantage boys, who are characteristically more likely to cram at the last minute. Chris Kraft, principal of Kensington’s Duff Miller College, emphasises that “it will no longer be possible to fill your brain for a short period of time with unit 1 material, take the module, then empty your mind for the next unit. This will require a huge mind-shift for those students who are obliged to combine modular and linear exams while the system is in transition”.

But what’s next for education?

Stuart Nicholson has the last word on the matter, “It’s of more importance to the nation to leave the curriculum alone for a decade, and let schools concentrate on maximising the effectiveness of learning.” ISP

Despite the reforms, AS levels will continue to be offered, as universities consider them a better gauge of higher education success than GCSEs

]

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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LYDIA YARLOTT is a fourth year medical student at the University of Oxford

M

ention “young people” and “drugs” in the same breath, and many of us conjure images of hooded youths on street corners, roomfuls of teenagers at wild underground parties and hollow-cheeked addicts destined to permanent misery and unemployment.

A LIFE OF CRIME?

I have friends with parents for whom the mention of any drug in the context of their children would provoke paroxysms of hysteria, and others who spent their hippie weekends cultivating window sills of cannabis. The spectrum is in fact reflected in the populations of young people I have been part of at school and university. I know people who think anyone who’s ever taken ecstasy at a party is on an unstoppable trajectory towards a life of crime and dependence, and others who see drugs as a natural and creative adjuvant to life. I lived with someone who used to come back from nights out on drugs and attempt to microwave bits of raw, frozen chicken, before inevitably falling asleep in the saucepan cupboard.

IT’S NOT THE END OF LIFE AS YOU KNOW IT

While I am by no means condoning these actions, some might find it reassuring to know that they now lead a successful personal and professional life. In other words, there is evidence for the “all is not lost” approach. Discovering that your child is using drugs warrants concern, but isn’t the end of life as you know it.

Julian Cohen’s excellent book, All About Drugs and Young People, introduces a measuring stick for parents and professionals. Cohen has specialised in

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independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

LOST AND FOUND

A new book aims to dispel the myths surrounding young people and drug use.

Lydia Yarlott investigates

BOOK REVIEW

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]

There is poor evidence for “zero tolerance” policies, there is much greater success achieved from reaching out to young people and supporting them

work concerning young people and drug use for nearly 30 years. He is the author of many widely-used teaching and training packs and books about drugs. Clearly, smoking the occasional weekend joint is a ball park away from supplying cocaine to other teenagers, but it is all too easy to lump everything drug-related under the same scary heading when you are, like most, a little short on information.

ZERO TOLERANCE?

Cohen advocates a moderated approach.

He argues that there is poor evidence for “zero tolerance” policies or what it terms as “drug propaganda”, and that much greater success is achieved from supporting young people to help them make the right choices. It is clearly no coincidence that teenagers who develop problems with drugs are often troubled in other ways, struggling with relationships, school, friends and motivation. Drug use is frequently symptomatic of an inability to cope with life, especially if it develops into a dependency. Context is key.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

FIND OUT THE FACTS

So what should we do if we suspect a All About Drugs & Young young person is involved with drugs?

People by Cohen suggests our first priority should be Julian Cohen, Jessica Kingsley to get the facts right, keeping the floor Publishers, open for discussion and making an effort £16.99 to listen and understand before we BUY jump in with our own opinion – to IT achieve this reaction in the heat of the moment requires careful forethought.

This isn’t to say that there should be no sanctions for young people using drugs or the behaviours that might result from a drug problem; indeed this book suggests a series of appropriate consequences and

outlines the law in comprehensible detail.

With a dialogue in place, we have a way of offering advice for what is termed “harm minimisation” (attempting to limit collateral damage). For example, a confession by a young person that they have taken ecstasy at a party might provoke reproof, but the ultimate aim should be to keep the person safe. This might involve discussion about safe sex while on drugs, avoidance of mixing drugs with other substances including alcohol, and knowledge of risks of specific drugs for example water imbalances and salt depletion in the case of MDMA. This book also gives perspective about the wider context of drug use, and invites us to consider our own “drug career”, beginning with the wide variety of caffeine containing consumables, to our first experiences with alcohol and mindaltering prescription drugs, such as painkillers and antidepressants. Drugs have a place in our culture and always will, and examining our own attitudes in more detail can help us react in a way that is based on logic rather than emotion.

RATIONAL DISCUSSION

With its clear sections on dealing with specific situations and specific drugs, this book is an essential defence against the knee jerk reaction both parents and professionals often find it hard to suppress, opening the way for rational, reasonable discussion and road mapping. After all, how can we really expect a young person to listen to us if we simply don’t know what we’re talking about. And if they’re not listening, how on earth can we expect to help? ISP

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

35

CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS parent, writer and former teacher

SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO? Charlotte Phillips looks at the pros and cons of moving schools for the all-important, sixth-form years

N

ot for nothing is the song Sixteen Going on Seventeen a defining moment in that nostalgia-fest that is The Sound of Music. Caught in an improbably lit thunderstorm (but with a convenient, dance-friendly conservatory to hand) Liesl, the eldest of the von Trapps, poised on the

36

independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

cusp of adulthood knows that her life as she knows it is about to change forever.

While today’s teens don’t have to wrestle with the film’s other issues – there’s nothing like seeing your sweet-natured boyfriend transform into a baby Nazi – many will share the sense of excitement, mingled with angst.

SIXTH FORM

Yet while there’s seemingly endless chat about which subjects to study at 16-plus, the educational venue itself may not merit the same high-profile discussion. Very often, it will simply be assumed that pupils are stuck on the default settings of their current establishment.

DON’T FORGET TO SPEAK TO YOUR CHILD

.“For some children, moving somewhere new . gives them the valuable opportunity to push .themselves in a way that turbo charges their .acceleration towards maturity as they. .encounter new ways of thinking”

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, ST SWITHUN'S WINCHESTER, WORTH SCHOOL, WEST SUSSEX

TIME FOR A BIG MOVE?

Growing up translates into one of the most deliciously terrifying legal highs around. God may be unchanging but every other aspect of life is a moveable feast. “This is a time when teenagers are becoming adults, fending for themselves, discarding stuff they don’t need anymore and picking up new stuff, and so the brain is very plastic at this point,” says Jane Wilson, a psychotherapist at Re...root, a private counselling practice in London.

With hair colour, clothes, bedroom décor and body furniture (tattoo anyone?) all up for negotiation, many children also contemplate an equally drastic educational makeover once they’ve put GCSEs behind them. According to the Independent Schools Council, up to a fifth of pupils end up switching establishments for their sixth-form studies.

But before making a final decision on schools, it’s worthwhile making sure that your sweet 16 has bought into the idea.

Are they really happy to stick where they are for sixth form – or would they prefer to twist and move elsewhere?

You can’t blame teenagers for coming down with a severe case of itchy feet.

While today’s workers expect to spend as little as three years in a job before moving on, some pupils will have spent the best part of a decade in one establishment.

“They’ve been at their school perhaps since the age of three and love it there but feel it’s time for a change – as simple as that,” says Mark Bishop, headmaster of Trinity School in Croydon, about the girls who apply for a place in the school’s hugely popular co-ed sixth form.

MIXING IT UP

As at Trinity, those who do move rarely opt for a like-for-like exchange, whether it’s swapping boarding for a day school, single sex for co-ed – or vice versa. Others even move countries into the bargain.

For some, there’s a solidly prosaic reason behind the move. While the co-ed environment is undoubtedly a factor at Trinity School, for example, ambitious girls are also drawn by the quality of teaching, particularly in the sciences.

For others, the move can be down to a current school that is proving a little blinkered when it comes to its willingness to indulge in a bit of left-field thinking.

Take games-mad Ella, for example. She decided to swap her small all-girls’ school for a co-ed which was also able to provide far more in the way of the sports activities and facilities. It also offered the qualifications that were essential to enable Ella to take up specialist sports training at her chosen college.

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

37

Godolphin&Latymer

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A Level and IB Diploma A prospectus can be obtained by telephoning the Reception Office on 020 8741 1936 www.godolphinandlatymer.com For further information contact: e-mail: registrar@godolphinandlatymer.com The Godolphin and Latymer School, Iffley Road, Hammersmith, London W6 0PG Tel: 020 8741 1936 Fax: 020 8735 9520 Registered Charity No. 312699

SIXTH FORM

Left, Bradfield College, Berkshire

DON’T WORRY

It can be a far harder decision to make when there’s no obvious reason to change, where pupils succeed and the schools can happily, and successfully, accommodate their chosen A-level subjects.

Parents, unsurprisingly, may not react with open arms – or minds – if their child opts for something completely different in the sixth form. Given that they’ve spent some of the best years of their lives poring over the small print in prospectuses and hearing head after head wax lyrical over their pending performing arts centres, complete with retractable floors, chairs and probably teaching staff as well, all in the quest for the perfect school for their little darlings, it’s perfectly understandable.

With just two years in the sixth form, a few months to the first exams and UCAS applications looming, abandoning the school that’s walked the walk for your child thus far can feel like encouraging them to commit “educational suicide”.

But for everyone, most crucial of all is not underestimating the importance of knowing the place by heart and decoding the way your peers – as well as the teachers – tick. Put simply, you’re your own

educational expert, an effortlessly successful Mastermind candidate with the school as your specialist subject.

“Carrying on meant I didn’t have to waste time establishing friendships or the politics of the year group,” says Alexandra, now 21, who agonised about whether or not to move on from her south-west London day school before deciding to stay put.

And as Jayne Triffitt, headmistress of Woldingham School, Surrey, points out, there can be very compelling reasons to stay on. Good schools these days invest in their pupils. Once they’ve been through the school through to Year 11, their teachers know them inside out and “want to finish the job”.

So how can you tell if you (or your child) are the sort of person to be galvanised by such a 360-degree educational revolution? The bad news is that you can’t.

NEED-TO-KNOW LIST

What you can do, however, is clue up on just what you’re going to be getting for your money if you do switch – and if you decide not to. Top of the need-to-know list, says Mark Bishop at Trinity, is the

ool “Perhaps they’ve been at their sch since three and love it but feel it’s t” time for a change – as simple as tha MARK BISHO P, HEADM ASTER OF TRINIT

Y SCHOO L, CROYDON

quality of the teaching and rapport between teachers and pupils. “[You’re] getting that sense of this person [who] is not just going to teach me and inspire me but ignite my passion for the subject so I might go and read it at university. That’s the interaction you want, not just: “Am I going to get decent A-level results?”’

But there can be more subtle reasons that motivate a move into unfamiliar territory. We fear for our children and, naturally, wish to spare them stress. But we can underestimate their bravery and courage. For some children, moving somewhere new gives them the valuable opportunity to push themselves in a way that turbo charges their acceleration towards maturity as they encounter new ways of thinking. “The people…are the most worldly and interesting group I’ve ever joined,” testified a newbie sixth former at Bedales in Hampshire.

TIME TO GROW UP

It can be challenging but lonely – but that can be the point, says Alison, whose daughter Megan moved from a small day school to become a weekly boarder just outside London. A year in, Megan was still finding her way. It wasn’t till her final year that she forged her first strong friendship – something that helped her grow up.

“It was part romanticism – she’d read all the Malory Towers books – as well as a desire to make a fresh start. It all came from her,” says her mother.

But you don’t have to move schools in order to expand your horizons. Staying put can result in a mind-enhancing sixth form experience that can prove satisfyingly different even if the environment is the same. “Don’t make a choice of a school simply because your friends are going there,” says Jayne Triffitt. “You will make new friends in the sixth form anyway.”

And stay or go, the point of life in the sixth form is be somewhere pupils can feel supported, challenged – and have their eyes opened. “For me, it was realising that there was more out there, more people doing different things and applying for different university courses,” says Ella.

“The world just widened out.” ISP

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

39

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To find out more, call our

To book a campus tour visit lancaster.ac.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY: BRIGHTON COLLEGE, EAST SUSSEX

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GIRLS WILL BE BOYS

Girls are taking on sports traditionally played by boys, leaving the gender stereotype behind.

It’s about time, says Eleanor Doughty SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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H

“

owzat!” That’s what you’ll hear on Felsted School’s cricket pitches. Like any other school worth its salt, it has a formidable first and second eleven… of boys. But it also has another first eleven team that is quietly establishing itself. For Felsted, from its charming Essex village, is among a collection of schools that offer girls' cricket. And it is thriving.

In place for only a couple of years, it has generated more than enough support to field a team for a full season this year.

LEADING LIGHTS

Jason Gallian, ex-England cricketer, has been head of cricket at Felsted for five years. When the school was looking to reorganise the rounders provision, he suggested the girls got their whites on.

“We’ve always had girls that played with boys, to a certain extent, but there’s been a real push to get girls’ cricket up and running,” he explains. “Cricket has a [male] stigma attached to it, so we’re trying to break down those barriers. In the England team, there are some fantastic role models for the girls to look up to.”

Girls’ cricket at Felsted has been very well received. “Parents can see that it’s a sport that seems to be taking off,” Gallian says. “We’re now an ‘Inspirational School for Girls’ Cricket’ [a name given by Essex County Cricket Club], meaning the Essex girls will train on our turf, and county games are played on our main pitch.”

A GROWING TREND

Felsted aren’t the only ones getting in on the girls’ cricket game. Down in East Sussex, at Brighton College, girls can apply for the Clare Connor cricket scholarship.

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The school has been playing girls’ cricket for over a decade, fielding teams for all age groups, and winning national competitions.

In London, at the all-girls’ Sydenham High School, pupils play rugby, football and cricket alongside the traditional hockey, netball and rounders. Those sports, which for years have been allocated to boys only, are being offered for girls – and they’re popular. At Sydenham High, the girls’ rugby team has their own kit. It’s not just regulation school kit, but their very own strip – for rugby, for girls. “We have offered football, basketball and cricket in

Giving girls the chance to play sports that have a male gender bias opens their eyes to the vast range of sports that can be enjoyed

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independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

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Above, cricket at Felsted School, Essex

PE lessons at both Key Stage Three and Four for quite a few years,” Georgina Calvert, acting head of PE at Sydenham High explains. “The girls here have always enjoyed these activities.

We have an Oxford Blue in rugby among our alumnae, and several other girls are playing at their universities.” Sydenham High parents are impressed with the provision too. “[They like] that it’s more than just football, as a nod to broadening the scope of what they can play.”

“Giving girls the opportunity to play football, rugby and other sports that have a traditionally male gender bias opens their eyes to the vast range of sports that are there to be enjoyed,” Jo MacKenzie, chair of the Girls’ Schools Association

SPORT

Golf at Gordonstoun School in Moray

.“Girls playing boys’ sports is .about more than just prowess .on the pitch. It says ‘you can .do whatever you want’, which .is a powerful message”

Main picture, the football team at Malvern College, Worcs, below, weightlifter Emma Peters of Oakham School, Rutland

Cricket isn’t the only sport that is taking off for girls. Ladies’ football is hardly a new addition to national school sport provision but nowadays, those that don’t offer girls’ football seem to be the exception. Schools as diverse as Wycombe Abbey in Buckinghamshire, St Swithun’s in Hampshire and Malvern College in Worcestershire have long had football teams in their sporting roster.

Further pockets of sport free from gender stereotype are scattered

Cricketers at Felsted School, Essex

sports committee and head of Bedford Girls’ School says. “Introducing football, for example, which is such a big part of our national consciousness, can often engage a girl who previously wasn’t interested in sport.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

FREE FROM GENDER CONSTRAINTS

Helen Fraser, chief executive of the Girls’ Day School Trust agrees. “Really great inclusive sport focuses girls’ attention on the team and the goals. It’s another example of how single-sex schools give girls the opportunity to learn and grow in an environment free from gender stereotyping.” Parents should not – in this day and age – be concerned that their daughters might only be able to participate in traditionally “female” sports.

countrywide, too. At Oakham School in Rutland, sixth former Emma Peters weightlifts, while at the Royal Masonic School in Hertfordshire, Ruth PilboroughSkinner became the U18 Full Contact World Kickboxing Champion last November. Further north at Sedbergh, Cumbria, girls can fish, and at Gordonstoun in Moray, golf is on offer.

The growing number of girls getting involved in all kinds of sport is promising.

At co-ed schools, it’s especially important.

While many girls’ schools foster a gung-ho approach to gender equality that is unrivalled by their co-ed neighbours, “gender blending” in sport is thriving.

But for girls, it’s about more than just prowess on the pitch. “It says ‘you can do whatever you want’, which is a powerful message,” Jo MacKenzie says. And that, really, is well overdue, isn’t it? ISP

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, KING EDWARD’S WITLEY

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very week (apart from school holidays) me and my team of three are tasked with completing the washing and dry cleaning associated with keeping the 400 pupils looking well turned out – whether they are in school uniform, or in their mufti or “out of school” clothes.

Of course, since the school provides a home-from-home experience to its boarding pupils, it is not only clothing that needs to be laundered.

Sheets, duvets, towels, curtains and soft furnishings from the nine boarding houses are all added to the weekly wash. As if that wasn’t enough, during the Easter and summer holidays, King Edward’s opens its doors to international students from China, Mexico, Russia and Spain. These students visit the school to learn and the laundry service is extended to them and their tutors during their stay, while the dry cleaning service is also used by local members of the general public!

Efficiency is Key Since taking over the laundry at King Edward’s four years ago, I have implemented a number of changes to increase efficiency. The washing machines at the school are

SCHOO

HEROL

On the spotting table, anything from food, blood, ink and glue stains magically vanishes once under the attack of a hot steam gun and a range of spotting agents. Once the stain has been “lifted” the item will either go in for washing or dry cleaning as required.

KARINE BUTCHER

Spare a thought for the laundry manager at King Edward’s Witley, whose job it is to keep 400 pupils looking immaculate

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quite unlike any you would find in a regular home, ranging in size from 7kg to 32 kg (a typical domestic machine is 6kg to 8kg). Rather than adding the cleaning agent manually, the machines are connected up to pipe work, which ensures each has the relevant detergent pumped in via a specific programme selection. This makes for a more energy efficient and economical method of operation for the hugely various washing loads generated by the school.

A Pressing Issue Ironing each school shirt for sixth form boarders on an individual basis would be incredibly time intensive – this equates to 300 shirts per week

minimum – so the new shirt machine is an absolute godsend. Similar to a trouser press, it makes light work of the job, taking a damp shirt and transforming it into a beautifully pressed garment in under a minute. The machine can also tackle the many crumpled jackets which make their way into the laundry!

An in-house dry cleaning facility within a boarding school is extremely rare – it is more commonplace to outsource this service, which is not only very costly, it also involves a substantial risk of items of clothing going astray.

One of my earliest ideas was to invest in a new spotting table – a vital piece of equipment for any professional laundry – to replace the existing version.

Appearances Matter King Edward’s Witley, is renowned for its exceptional hospitality and part of that relates to the very highest standards of presentation.

Another new addition to the laundry is the state of the art flatwork ironer, which ensures all the table linen (and sheets) are crisp and totally crease free for the numerous prestigious events hosted by the school.

These include open mornings, award ceremonies, leavers’ day and the formal admissions day that the Lord Mayor of the City of London attends in full livery and procession.

As a member of the Guild of Cleaners and Launderers, I make it my business to keep on top of all the latest innovations in the laundry world, so that parents can be safe in the knowledge that their children will always be impeccably turned out! ISP

LAUNDRY 101 Every week we wash a minimum of: 70 skirts 110 pairs of trousers 248 sheets and duvets 400 towels per week 496 pillow cases 864 net bags (underwear) 2,055 items of personal clothing

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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1 Elle Kaye, 22 Taxidermist, St Helen’s Girls School, Middlesex Elle Kaye is part of a contemporary art movement to reinvigorate the Victorian craft of Taxidermy. She runs her own business as a fine artist and taxidermist, and has featured in The Telegraph, The Times, CNN and on the BBC, to name just a few. She recalls that when growing up she actually wanted to study veterinary science, “but as I developed through school, so did my passion for creativity and craftsmanship. I ended up pursuing the artistic pathway, but my interest in the study of animals stayed with me, which is when I decided to try taxidermy.”

2 James Taylor, 25 Cricketer, Shrewsbury School, Shropshire Described as “something close to a masterpiece” by The Daily Telegraph and as deserving of “abundant accolades” by The Independent, Taylor’s cricketing fame has soared in recent months while playing for England during the Sri Lanka ODI tour in December. Taylor attended Shrewsbury School, one of the best cricketing schools in the country, and was greatly supported by it in his endevours to juggle studying for his A levels with playing for Leicestershire County Cricket Club.

3 Iszi Lawrence, 30 Stand-up comedian and podcaster, Wychwood School, Oxfordshire Having gained a first in geography from Bristol University and a diploma in creative writing from the University of Oxford, Iszi pursued her passion for live performance, graphics and audio recording; and she is increasingly making a name for herself in the entertainment industry. She has headlined nights in Oslo, Prague, Dublin and Brussels and has performed alongside the likes of Alan Davis and Sarah Millican. Her Z List Dead List podcast about obscure people from history, has been featured on iTunes.

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independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

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

ONES TO WATCH

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STAR PUPILS

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4 Lewis Steer, 20 Entrepreneur, Blundell’s School, Devon Though he may only be in his second year at university, Lewis has managed to find time to found and run Lily Warne Wool, a company that specialises in unique woolen products made from the fleece of his family’s Greyface Dartmoor sheep. The company has gone from strength to strength with the likes of John Lewis snapping up their woolen products. The business was showcased at the Big Feastival to great acclaim and was spotted by BBC’s Countryfile team, resulting in a film shoot on Lewis’ family farm in November 2014.

5 Alex Groves, 31 Founder of Studio Swine, Battle Abbey School, East Sussex After school, Alex studied fine art at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. He then had the honour of working for Anish Kapoor, but it was Alex’s love of design that led him to the RCA where he studied for an MA in design products and met Japanese architect, Azusa Murakami.

Together they founded the multidisciplinary design studio, Studio Swine.

Alex has worked with famous clients including Veuve Clicquot and Unilever, has spoken at TED Talks, exhibited at the Barbican and V&A and was awarded Global Winner of Public Interest Design.

6 Ben Mansfield, 31

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Actor, Gresham’s School, Norfolk Best known for playing Captain Becker in the ITV sci-fi drama Primeval, Ben’s love of acting was inspired whilst at Gresham’s School where The Auden Theatre had just opened. Ben went on to study at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School achieving a BA degree in professional acting, and has since worked in plays, television and film.

Most recently, Ben performed in the acclaimed Relative Values at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End, and will be appearing in the Channel 4 comedy drama Cut showing in March. ISP

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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PROFESSOR AC GRAYLING

master of the New College of Humanities

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WHY STUDY PHILOSOPHY?

The answer is in the history of ideas – it is employable and makes learners adaptable, says AC Grayling one’s own ideas, and evaluating the ideas of others is both a rigorous and a vigorous intellectual training, equipping the mind for any task it might be asked to undertake in subsequent life.

This is why employers like philosophy graduates. They value the sharpness and flexibility of mind that makes philosophers quick learners – adaptable and perceptive, with a sense of perspective and an appreciation of consequences.

Law, publishing, the civil service, education, and publishing are natural destinations for those who study philosophy. For the rest of their lives they have the

value and interest of knowing about the great tradition of thought that has shaped our great civilisation.

It is easy to forget that life is more than one’s career: we are neighbours, voters, parents and friends. Philosophy prepares one’s mind to tackle any career, giving a personal enrichment of insight and understanding that is of value far beyond the single perspective of an occupation.

Philosophy forms a powerful support to the study of all other subjects, because in addition to enhancing thinking, it puts other subjects into context. Those who study the International Baccalaureate

Philosophy prepares one’s mind to tackle any career, giving one a personal enrichment of insight and understanding that is of value

independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

]

Above, New College of the Humanities, in London’s Bedford Square

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(IB) have the advantage of the Theory of Knowledge module, which underpins the rest of the curriculum so well that at undergraduate level, it is often obvious which students have studied for the IB. For this reason, Dr John Taylor of Rugby School and I are proposing a GCSE in philosophy. The work done by the Philosophy Foundation in schools with children as young as six, proves the effectiveness of philosophical styles of thought in education. We know its popularity would match its compelling usefulness without fault.

Socrates said that the best kind of life is the “considered life”, one that is thought about and reflected upon. Philosophy at all stages of education greatly helps to make lives the best they can be. ISP nchum.org

PHOTOGRAPHY: NEW COLLEGE OF THE HUMANITIES

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lthough the word “philosophy” has a wonderful literal meaning as “the love of wisdom”, it is better defined as: “the study of the most important questions that influence our thinking about human beings and society”. These questions include the nature of knowledge and how best to get it, and the great ethical debates about what is good and how to judge right and wrong.

These studies explore the rich history of ideas from ancient times to the present.

Apart from the intrinsic fascination and importance of these enquiries, the study of philosophy has powerful side benefits. It was once said that “to run with the swift is to learn to run faster”, and studying the thought of history’s greatest minds is most certainly beneficial.

The enhancement of one’s critical and logical powers of thinking is a practical inevitability when engaged with years of study of the philosophical tradition from Socrates onwards. It happens by osmosis: discussing, reading, writing, trying out

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MARTIN TAYLOR

director of IT at Heathfield School, Ascot

INTERNET SAFETY

T

How we use IT in schools and exercise our control over teenage use is a hot topic in education, writes Martin Taylor

he findings of a recent BBC Learning poll taken earlier this year, in February, made uneasy reading for those of us who are responsible for IT in schools.

Among the results, where 2,000 11 to 16 year olds were interviewed, almost three quarters of 14 to 16 year olds reported that they had

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experienced or witnessed bullying online. How we police pupils’ phones and protect them from the apparent plague of sexting images; stories about software tools schools are using for decoding; potential misuse of the internet; and the debate on protecting children from damaging sites is always headline news.

Whether to censor and block sites is always on the news agenda – if you ignore the column inches currently given over to the General Election. But it will be back!

THE CURRICULUM

At Heathfield, I run the IT department and also work on the Senior Leadership Team.

I firmly believe that educating pupils and parents about internet safety is more effective than any amount of blocking and censorship

independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

]

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This is relevant because it is a mark of how important IT is to the school, as far as using it innovatively to enhance the curriculum and therefore the education we offer, and to monitor usage of the internet to identify any disturbing trends. It is important for the senior management to be up to speed with all these issues every day, and I am the link between them and any harmful emerging trends.

I like to think that we are very much in the vanguard of those schools identifying

PASTORAL CARE

and blocking inappropriate websites. We’ve been doing so for several years with an advanced firewall and content filter, identifying and blocking sites such as Snapchat, Bebo, Omegle and Formspring after they appeared because they allowed malicious or antiteacher content.

But you can never stand still.

Monitoring and filtering damaging social sites is a constant exercise – it’s never “set and forget”, which is a well-worn and worthwhile motto of experienced IT professionals. New sites and apps that target teenagers and can be a threat to them are constantly appearing.

We have a responsibility to block malicious social sites on the school network but blocking can never be the only story – neither can censorship because the power of the internet is in its adaptability and innovation and this can work for the good and, sometimes, for the bad. We

Below, Heathfield School, Ascot

[

Monitoring and filtering of damaging social sites is a constant exercise – it’s never “set and forget”, which is a well-worn motto in IT

will therefore only really win the struggle against such sites and apps by educating users plus those who oversee them.

This is crucial because, of course, any 3G and 4G mobile devices allowed at school, such as smartphones, bypass all our efforts at blocking.

This is one of the reasons why I don’t believe we should use keyword-based software to monitors students’ internet and email use which suggest inappropriate use. I think there is a fine line to tread between over-zealous monitoring and spying on our students. All that will happen is that they will increasingly acquire 3G and 4G devices and bypass us entirely, putting them into potential danger from grooming and similar activities.

Education is definitely the solution, not desperate

attempts at censorship in the face of the ever-changing landscape of the internet.

AT HOME

At Heathfield, only senior (over 14) girls are allowed monitored access to social networking. Younger girls are not, nor are they allowed to have smartphones at school, but it may be a different story at home so we need to educate the girls and their parents.

Students are educated during PHSE lessons about all aspects of internet safety and the potential dangers of giving away personal information; how to spot signs of grooming; and the dangers of taking conversations one-to-one.

Parents must participate and we speak to the Parents’ Association and parental year groups on a regular basis. We

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brief them on the warning signs – changes in behaviour and high data usage, and encourage them to maintain communication. They are advised to use teenage filters in mobile contracts and consider using filter software on their computers, such as Net Nanny.

But I do not believe in the suggestions given by senior politician Norman Baker from the Home Office that teachers should be responsible for looking through pupils’ phones for sexting images and deleting them. It is not a teacher’s responsibility to do this routinely. We would only consider it acceptable to do so if such use was suspected.

I firmly believe that educating pupils and parents about internet safety is more effective than any amount of blocking will ever be. ISP

TOP TIPS

FOR PARENTS 1. Have the “online” conversation EARLY AND OFTEN. 2. Try to explore ONLINE TOGETHER. 3. KNOW WHO YOUR CHILD is talking to online.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK, ISTOCK

4. SET RULES and boundaries.

5. Use parental controls to filter, restrict, monitor OR REPORT CONTENT. 6. CHECK THAT CHLDREN know how to use privacy settings and reporting tools.

7. MAKE SURE that content is age-appropriate.

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

HIGHER EDUCATION

THE GRADUATE JOBS FORMULA

I

Dr Paul Redmond, director of student life at the University of Manchester, shares his secret for getting your all-important first job

t’s not every day you get to experience an epiphany – one of those moments when you suddenly realise that things will never be the same again. The date is stencilled in my memory: 15th September 2008, the day that the investment bank Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy.

In case you’re hazy on the details, here’s a quick update. Along with other wellknown banking giants, JP Morgan, Citibank and Merrill Lynch, by the turn of the new millennia, Lehman Brothers was the real deal, a genuine banking aristocrat.

Not only had the firm been around since

the late-19th century, its name alone was a byword for confidence, trust and longevity.

All of which meant that when news arrived that Lehman’s had crashed, financial centres around the world went into a tail spin. Soon, other famous banks and high street names were following Lehman.

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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A blip in the global credit markets soon escalated into a full-blown economic recession that was to last for several years.

But what no one realised on that infamous September day was that financial markets weren’t the only ones that were about to be transformed. Jobs markets too were about to be turned upside down, and none more so than the UK’s graduate job market.

FROM BC TO AD

Try thinking of it like this. “BC” – before the crunch – the graduate job market was relatively stable and dependable. I imagine it was a bit like watching a series upon

[

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EMPLOYABLE

are concerned, all bets are off. Now a new set of career rules apply; a set of rules that no student can afford to ignore.

It’s all about being employable. And there’s one big thing you need to know about employability. It’s not the same as being employed. Being employed is to be at risk: companies can fold, jobs can vanish and employers can hire and fire on a whim.

Genuine long-term career security, on the other hand resides in being employable – being able to find a job, keep a job and, if the need arises, get another job.

ENTER THE FORMULA

Mid-morning on 15th September 2008, as news of Lehman’s crash broke, pictures of suddenly ex-investment bankers, clutching their cardboard boxes and blinking in the Canary Wharf sunshine, filled every news channel. Most were in their early twenties: they were recent graduates with all their working lives in front of them. Each of these young people would have had superb academic qualifications; most of them

THE GRADUATE JOBS FORMULA

]

Through my work I began to develop a theory about what it would actually take in today’s post-crunched job market to become “employable”. What characteristics and behaviours do employable graduates exhibit? I summarised my findings in a formula (E= Q + WE + S x C). Eventually this led to my bestselling book, The Graduate Jobs Formula.

Within days of Lehman’s closing many of its graduates were already working again.

Some were back in the workplace working for banks, others for firms in different sectors

series of Gardeners’ World. The seasons might change over time, the personnel might come and go, but essentially, the storyline remained exactly the same.

For students, this was excellent news. In return for gaining a university degree, most graduates could expect to gain access to a swathe of relatively well-paid, reasonably secure jobs. So what if many of them ended up working in the public sector?

In comparison with non-graduates, graduates were happier, healthier, more engaged in their local communities and generally, better off.

But after the downturn, or “AD”, the job market for university leavers has become far more complicated and competitive.

While it’s true that graduates still generally outperform non-graduates in the work place across a range of economic indicators, and that the value of a degree has more or less held up, the competition for premium jobs is at an all-time high.

Getting a valuable degree might still be the best long-term career strategy in town, but as far as guarantees in the work place

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independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

would have come from top-class universities. To all intents, these were star students. And now they were out of work.

As far as the critics were concerned, this wasn’t just the end of the company, but a metaphor for the demise of the entire graduate job market.

E = Q + WE + S X C

THEY WERE WRONG

A year later, I decided to follow up on the post-Lehman careers of many of these young people. What I discovered amazed me. Within days of the bank’s closure many were already working again. Some were working for banks; others were working for firms in different sectors.

Some of them appeared to have been poached almost immediately by head hunters and recruitment agencies; others had used their own networks and contacts to find them a new opening. Whatever they were doing, practically all of them, within a very short space of time, were back in the workplace. Some had even been promoted. The question was: how had they done it?

(Trotman, £15.99)

That’s the formula for employability. Very briefly, it goes like this. To be employable (E), you need qualifications (Q), work experience (WE), skills (S) and, most of all, contacts (C). That’s the formula for employability – tried and tested with thousands of students and graduates around the world.

Crucially, the formula implies that employability depends on a range of important factors – qualifications, work experience, skills, and access to contacts and networks. This is what those Lehman graduates who were made redundant in 2008 possessed, and it’s what helped them to bounce back. It’s also what today’s graduates, regardless of their career interests, will need to be able to demonstrate.

So if you want to know the secret of employability, always start with the formula. After all, it worked for Einstein. ISP

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“The job market for university leavers has become far more complicated and competitive”

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HIGHER EDUCATION

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK

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Being employed is to be at risk: companies can fold, jobs can vanish and employers can hire and fire on a whim

=

“The formula implies that employability depends on a range of different factors”

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OPEN MORNING Open Mornings are the best way to understand what Badminton School has to offer.

Contact our Admissions Team to book your place.

Monday 4th May

e: admissions@badmintonschool.co.uk

t: 0117 905 5271 www.badmintonschool.co.uk

“BEST PUBLIC SCHOOL” Tatler Schools Guide 2014

OUTSTANDING ISI REPORT 2014 admissions@wellingtoncollege.org.uk | +44 (0)1344 444 013 wellingtoncollege.org.uk

“THE MOST FORWARD-THINKING SCHOOL IN BRITAIN” 2014

“ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING AND SUCCESSFUL INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY” THE GOOD SCHOOLS GUIDE

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LOOKING TO GET AHEAD WITH HIGHER EDUCATION? Then look no further than The Good Universities Guide…

Available in print and online versions, The Good Universities Guide is a multi-media directory of all the universities and higher education colleges across the UK – an invaluable resource for students planning the next step in their educational career.

THE GOOD UNIVERSITIES GUIDE

FOR 2015/16 APPLICANTS

AU T U M N 2 0 1 4 | W W W.G O O D U N I G U I D E .CO.U K

Deciding on the perfect course, city and campus is no mean feat. Our Good Universities Guide offers top tips and expert advice to help you make the right choices.

Download your FREE digital copy of The Good Universities Guide for your phone or tablet.

9 772054 427003

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£3.99

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THE GOOD UNIVERSITIES GUIDE

FOR 2015/16 APPLICANTS

AU T U M N 2 0 1 4 | WWW.G O O D U N I G U I D E .CO.U K

The Good Universities Guide is also available in selected supermarkets and all good newsagents for just £3.99 or visit www.chelseamagazines.com/Independent-School-Parent

9 772054 427003

24

£3.99

Over 600 Universities and Higher Education Colleges 002_GUG_cover_V6B.indd 1

You can read more on choosing the right university and course, plus find tips on funding and living expenses online at: www.independentschoolparent.com

05/11/2014 12:50

CHOOSING A UNIVERSITY

City or country, collegiate or London? Tick the boxes below to find out which type of university suits you, challenges Eleanor Doughty

Tradition

Evelyn Waugh

Cobbled streets

Domino’s

Nine-person houses

Eddie Redmayne

Castles and cathedrals

Varsity sport

Fancy dress College shields

Gown Formal dinner

Rowan Atkinson

Big student unions

Rowing

House parties

Drinking games

Fixie bike

16-25 railcard

Internships

Battered old Volvo Big nightclubs Polo ponies Parka jacket

Tracey Emin

Sat nav The Duchess of Cambridge

Deck shoes Bus

Jack Wills

Oxfam Books

Fresh air and fields

Dr Martens Portobello Market

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Barbour jacket

No buses after 6pm

Green wellies

HIGHER EDUCATION

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So you’re off to the big city! Did you know that Rowan Atkinson attended Newcastle University? If you think that city living is the one for you, then you’ve got loads of choice. And by city, we mean anywhere with a proper train station and truck loads of fun. But not, crucially, the collegiate campuses of Oxford, Cambridge, Durham or York. Or London. Just the big cities – Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle, Liverpool, the “back bone” cities, one might say. They’re the ones with the big clubs and all the fun, the ones your London mates will dream of because the rent is cheaper and you can live in a great big nine-bedroom house with all your friends. A bit like a commune, but not.

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You’re joining the likes of Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne. The collegiate life is, for many, the only type of university life. Experiences differ between universities and their individual colleges, and we haven’t the space to list every single one – use Google for that. But whether you go up north to Durham and York, nearer London to Oxford, or to the Cambridge fens, you’ll have a blast. Work hard, play harder, and don’t forget to talk about rowing on a nearconstant basis. That’s compulsory. As is tourist-baiting, black tie and flouncing about in an old-fashioned robe. The “collegiates” are some of the best in the world, but just remember, they’re not exactly like Hogwarts, (much).

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Choosing a university is no mean feat, so we put together this grid to help you start your search. Collegiate universities, like Oxford and Cambridge, offer close-knit communities. Others are classed as “country”, like St Andrews: part of a town but in the middle of nowhere. The city universities are the “big boys”: the institutes that line the country from north to south. And as for London, it’s in a league of its own with national museums, art galleries and internships at your fingertips. The choice is yours…

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If you’re escaping to the country, pack some car keys. Head to the University of East Anglia for a spot of creative writing, or St Andrews – former stomping ground of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, for high jinks on the golf course. Don’t count on the buses though – they’ll probably stop at 6pm. You’ll need your raincoat wherever you go, but if you’re off to Cornwall then take your surfboard too, and some jelly shoes for beach parties and barbecues. Sure, it’s not all fun and games, but most of it is. Make sure you’re always up for a laugh, because in the middle of nowhere you’re likely to be surrounded by farming types that require you to be bags of fun and nothing else. No bores allowed.

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If it is the bright lights of London that takes your fancy, then perhaps you’re looking for a collegiate environment on a big scale.

The University of London is made up of a collection of brilliant universities including LSE, UCL and King’s College. For thespians and creatives, there’s RADA and the Royal College of Art where the likes of artist Tracey Emin studied, plus the Royal Veterinary College for all things animal-based (and top notch team sport!). And don’t forget Imperial College for scientists.

London students are some of the coolest people around and are more than happy to escape “The Big Smoke” for tiny towns at the weekend to see their mates. If only to avoid the District line being down on Sundays.

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WIN!

A LUXURY HOLIDAY WORTH £5,000

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

(PROPERTY 1000014)

Independent School Parent has teamed up with HomeAway to offer a stylish week’s stay in a holiday home of your choice Here is your chance to win a luxury getaway in the holiday home of your choice with HomeAway.

You could spend one week in this stunning holiday home in Rock, Cornwall. Ideal for families and friends, the house sleeps up to 12 people and has five bedrooms all with en-suite facilities. The large open-plan living space leads out onto a decked sun terrace with a view of the Camel Estuary, and is just a short walk to the beach. There’s plenty to do come rain or shine, with its huge games room equipped with table tennis, table football and pool table, plus a 60-inch Sky TV, while the self-contained garden is perfect for pets – and for the whole family! ISP Terms and conditions: All entries must be received by 22nd May 2015. The prize must be booked by 30th June 2015 and taken by 31st December 2015. The winner may choose any holiday home on HomeAway up to the value of £5,000. Availability of the featured home, above, in Rock, Cornwall is not guaranteed.

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Above, the home in Rock sleeps up to 12 people and is just a short walk to the beach

HOW TO ENTER. For your chance to win, simply answer the following question on our website at independentschoolparent.com/win Q. Which celebrity chef has a restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall?

A – Jamie Oliver B – Rick Stein C – Gordon Ramsay

COMPETITION

TAKE A LOOK AT THESE UNIQUE HOMES ACROSS THE POND… Staying in your own place is the perfect way to spend time with your family and friends. HomeAway has more bedrooms than the four largest hotel companies in the world have combined, with nearly 2.8 million across 190 countries. You can choose from tens of thousands of villas,

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

WORLD FAMOUS AIRPLANE JUNGLE HOME (PROPERTY 577384) Overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Manuel Antonio National Park, this two-bedroom home, is re-purposed from a 727, and has been named by TV programme, Animal Planet, as one of the most unique and fantastic experiences in the jungles of Costa Rica. Wake to the roar of the howler monkeys and have coffee with the playful spider and white-faced monkeys to start your day!

cottages and apartments. Have you ever fancied staying somewhere a little more unique? Spark your children’s imagination and take them to stay in a castle, a tipi or even a spaceship-inspired pad. We have taken a look inside some of HomeAway’s one-of-a-kind properties below.

GENUINE HOBBIT HOUSE (PROPERTY 969762) In a remote valley in North West Montana, visitors will find the Shire of Montana. More than a bed to sleep in and a stove to cook on, the Shire offers visitors a luxury lodging experience full of imagination and a retreat from everyday life. Surrounding the hobbit home is a village that comes to life at night with the magical display of lights from the cavalcade of mushrooms that line Hobbit Lane.

UNBELIEVABLE TIPIS (PROPERTY 3025553) Why not get adventurous and sleep in a Geronimo tipi in Texas? We love these tipis, there are five in total surrounding a stock tank pond located on four-and-a-half acres that border the beautiful spring-fed Geronimo Creek. Fully furnished, they have all the conveniences for modern living, you can even rent all five tipis, making them perfect for a big group of friends or family holiday.

40% INTRODUCTORY OFFER FOR HOLIDAY HOME OWNERS

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

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1 JAYNE TRIFFITT head of Woldingham School, Surrey

University of Oxford, 1976-1980 I spent four years at St Hilda’s College, Oxford studying chemistry. Unsure of what career to follow, my widowed mother urged me to get a qualification that would result in a job, so I did my PGCE. I worked in the maintained sector for 17 years before transferring to the independent sector. I caught the bug for teaching over 30 years ago and there I have remained.

2 JO HEYWOOD head of Heathfield School, Berkshire

Kingston University, 1989-1993 I picked a four-year chemistry course and spent my third year working on an arthritis drug as a synthetic chemist. I spent most of the year in a fume cupboard working with chemicals and I started to think this wasn’t the career I was after! My passion to teach grew, and after studying for my PGCE, I got my first job as a science teacher at a comprehensive.

MY SUBJECT, MY UNIVERSITY Six headteachers from top independent schools across the country share how they got where they are today

1

3 CHARLES BUSH

head of Oundle School, Northamptonshire

Melbourne, University of Oxford, 1972-1975 In Australia, aged 16, I decided I wanted to teach. I read engineering at the University of Melbourne for a year. After a gap year at the Dragon School, Oxford, I read maths at Trinity College enjoying the subject matter and stimulation. It confirmed that I wanted to challenge the next generation to learn.

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2

HIGHER EDUCATION

3

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4 CAROLINE PASCOE

head of Haberdashers’ Monmouth School, Monmouth

University of Bristol, 1984-1986 My dream was to go to university to experience life to the full and mould who I was to become. My interview for microbiology was in the bowels of the Bristol University Medical school, conducted by two daunting lecturers.

University life offered opportunities that I had not realised existed. After I graduated, I moved to London to do a PGCE.

5 ANDREW FLECK head of Sedbergh School, Cumbria

5 PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

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Nottingham, Sussex, Bangor University 1984-1985 A passion for kayaking and teaching in the outdoor education industry meant that it was an obvious job for me. A PGCE at Bangor followed by kayaking across the Irish Sea led to my first job. Since then, I’ve run a geography department, a boarding house and been a deputy head and headteacher.

6 CHARLOTTE AVERY

head of St Mary’s School, Cambridge

University of Cambridge, 1991-1992 I read English at St Anne’s, Oxford and wanted to edit poetry or art history. I awoke to the reality that I was was more likely to be pushing a tea trolley than editing verse and a wise friend advised me to do a PGCE. I learnt my trade at Cambridge and endured teaching practice in the worst performing school in Suffolk. It was terrifying and glorious in equal measure!

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ARADISE

found

In search of crystal clear waters and Caribbean calm, editor Claudia Dudman embarks on a luxury, family-friendly retreat

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SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

A

s you negotiate your way, eyes blinking, down the aircraft stairs, the warmth of the Caribbean sun kissing your face, embracing your lungs, nothing could welcome you more than the signs that greet you in the arrivals hall at Grantley Adams Airport: “Relax, you’re in Barbados”. With its sunny disposition and friendly and witty people, Barbados cajoles you to slow down and leave life as you know it way behind.

The Royal Westmoreland Estate is situated on the west coast of the island

Above, Mullins Beach Bar, right, the legendary sunset from Mullins, below Ocean Drive 7, at the Royal Westmoreland Estate

“Barbados’ year-round temperate climate has ensured it is a permanent playground for the rich and famous”

RICH AND FAMOUS

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

The island, which gained independence from the British in 1966, is just 14 miles across and 21 miles long. However, its year-round temperate climate has ensured its place as a permanent playground for the rich and famous – going back to the days when Concorde used to fly here. Back then Dame Joan Collins and the late film director Michael Winner would take up residence. Nowadays, it’s Simon Cowell, the Rooneys, and members of the cast of Made in Chelsea.

FIVE-STAR RETREAT

It’s a handy 25-minute drive from the airport to the exclusive Royal Westmoreland Estate in the parish of St James on the west coast of the island. As

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Paradis Hotel and Golf Club

The best choice of luxury hotels on the island

As the first hotel company in Mauritius, Beachcomber Hotels had the first pick of the most stunning locations and the best of the beaches when choosing to place its hotels.

We are now fortunate to have a choice of eight individual and exceptional hotels dotted around the island.

We’ve got everything from indulgent luxury to superb all inclusive options.

For families all of our resorts are family friendly offering a great range of free land and water sports, free children’s clubs for 3 to 12 year olds, a choice of spacious family accommodation and family friendly dining options.

For the ultimate luxury stay at the best address in Mauritius, the Royal Palm Hotel. For golfers challenge yourself on the Paradis Golf Course. And for the perfect family holiday choose one of our luxury villas at Dinarobin Hotel Golf & Spa, Paradis Hotel & Golf Club or Trou Aux Biches Resort & Spa.

For the very best Mauritius holidays call 01483 445 634

www.beachcombertours.co.uk

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

best for...

CATAMARAN CRUISING If you’re after a great day out for all the family, then look no further than the catamaran cruises run by Cool Runnings.

You can all snorkel with turtles and tropical fish over ancient shipwrecks, followed by a gentle meander up the coastline. The five crew were professional yet had a real sense of fun.

W: coolrunningsbarbados.com E: info@coolrunningsbarbados.com

“As the only gated estate on .the island, it gives residents, .particularly those with .children, real peace of mind”

best for... TOUR OF THE ISLAND

Above left, Westmoreland is a familyfriendly resort, left, a roadside bar near Bathsheba, on the east coast of the island, below, Sugar Cane Ridge

you approach, pretty whitewashed villas are dotted indiscriminately on lawns that roll down to the coastline before you. The 750-acre Estate is a five-star golf, beach and spa resort featuring 200 completed homes, which includes villas and apartments built within secluded and tasteful proximity of each other. It cleverly combines having your own private villa or apartment with all the stylish attractions of a luxury resort. Plus, many of the owners have young families – and being the only gated estate on the island, it gives its residents, particularly those with children, real peace of mind.

Our villa, Ocean Drive 7, situated in the north of the resort, had commanding views of the Estate and coastline. Equipped with five king size en-suite bedrooms, a

Editor's PICK

It’s well worth taking a tour of the island because then you’ll see how much the scenery changes from coast to coast. The east side of the island is wild and rugged in stark contrast to the millpond-like Caribbean sea side of the island. Our guide for the morning was Yvette, part of the husband and wife team that make up Tervette tours.

E: terrvettetours@caribsurf.com T: +(1) 246 261 9554

best for... FINE DINING

[THE CLIFF RESTAURANT] Head here if you are after a magical setting.

It is also only open in the evenings so this might rule out taking very young children.

Set into the side of a cliff overlooking the sea, you can watch manta ray enjoying their evening feed while sipping on your pre-dinner cocktails.

W: thecliffbarbados.com T: +(1) 246 432 1922

best for... CARIBBEAN COOL

[MULLINS BEACH CLUB] A shuttle bus operates throughout the day from RWM to the club, which is a fiveminute drive away. The crystal clear still-blue sea is perfect for watersports.

The beach is also sizeable enough so that children can have their own independence while you can keep an eye on them – from the bar or the sun lounger – without them realising! I could have spent hours here.

W: diningwithus.net/mullins T: +(1) 246 422 2044

separate cottage with a double bedroom and kitchenette, it was simply yet tastefully decorated in plantation-style. Its living areas were expansive – large enough to cater for a full house party yet also giving each of us ample space to retreat to, whether it was lying by the villa’s infinity pool or under the terrace awnings.

best for... PROPERTY INVESTMENT

[REAL ESTATE AT ROYAL WESTMORELAND] New phases at Royal Westmoreland include four-bedroom townhouses at Sugar Cane Ridge from £972,000 and custom-built villas on Lancaster Estate with plots from £670,000 with panoramic views over the golf course to the sea. There are also colonial style apartments for sale from £265,000 providing a surprisingly affordable entry-level investment.

W: royalwestmoreland.com T: 01524 889341

FRESH CARIBBEAN CUISINE

Before jet lag took hold, we gladly welcomed the opportunity to indulge in our first meal at the villa, courtesy of a private chef. The villa is perfectly set up for fine dining with a large kitchen, which leads on to a covered terrace with seating for up to 14. We were treated to a first course of carrot and ginger soup, fish cakes with a sweet dip, followed by grilled catch of the day and vegetables in season.

VIPE Traveler app, £0.99

Download the new VIPE Traveler app for its extensive directory of tourist essentials, medical facilities and one-touch emergency services.

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SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

Share your holiday photos on Twitter! @ISParent

AWARD-WINNING GOLF COURSE

You’ll find the action at the Estate’s Clubhouse where its open-sided restaurant lets a gentle breeze roll in as you look out over the ninth green of its award-winning championship golf course. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, the course has an abundance of bunkers carved

out of the green fairways and every hole gives players a view of the Caribbean Sea. Teens can get in on the action, too. Having never picked up a golf club in my life, I took up the offer of a lesson with the club’s professional, Roger Beale. But, as the others hit ball after ball like old-timers, I woefully lagged behind, so saved by our itinerary, and armed with my snorkel, I went in search of turtles instead… ISP One- to seven-bedroom villas and

BOOK apartments to rent, from £245 IT

per night with complimentary golf. For special offers go online. For more information on purchasing real estate call 01524 889341 or visit the website at royalwestmoreland.com.

CITY

BREAK

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aught between the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona is at its finest in spring as the mercury begins to rise. Big enough to provide plenty of thrills yet small enough to preserve its charm, Barcelona is a perfect family city with sensory delights from eye-popping architecture to atmospheric food markets. It’s a city of art too. Past residents Picasso, Miró and

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Above right, kids will love the magic of the old town, above left, explore Park Güell and take in views of the city

Gaudí all left their legacy in parks, museums and buildings across the city.

Founded by the Romans before becoming a medieval powerhouse and with the largest collection of Art Nouveau architecture of any European city, Barcelona provides a fantastic stroll through the centuries. The 1992 Olympics transformed the seafront and today that

development has continued with a super yacht marina at Port Vell opposite the narrow terraced homes of Barceloneta, a former fishing village.

Public transport by tram, metro and bus is easy and affordable but overall Barcelona is wonderfully walkable with distinct historical districts. Along the way there are plenty of opportunities to revive tired legs: paella, tapas, ice cream or

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK

There’s lots for children to explore on a spring getaway to Barcelona, writes Cathy Hawker

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

CHILD-FRIENDLY BARCELONA

WALKABLE BARCELONA

Tree-lined La Rambla is the heartbeat of the city, a famous and perpetually thronged mile-long avenue of stalls and street performers. It begins at Plaça de Catalunya and slices straight through the city down to the sea. Don’t miss La Boqueria, one of Europe’s great food markets where El Pinotxo (pinotxobar. com) is the place to stop for midday tapas.

To the east is the oldest part of the city, Barri Gòtic, with Roman ruins and medieval alleyways and then El Born, home to the Picasso Museum.

Carry on to Barceloneta where old, wood-lined restaurants meet steel and glass skyscrapers including the sail-shaped W Hotel. The beach has several charming beach bars, chiringuitos, which make an ideal base on a sunny afternoon. If you have little ones with energy to burn why not hire bikes (bikinginbarcelona.net) and pedal under the palm trees along the beachfront promenade.

Away from the sea, north of Plaça de Catalunya, Eixample, is where you see Barcelona’s dazzling Modernist (Art Nouveau) heritage.

The area was built at the end of the 19th century on a rigid grid system with wide,

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straight avenues and the corners of each intersection cut back to create light-filled octagonal squares. Eixample also houses an open-air museum of Gaudí’s treasures.

On Passeig de Gràcia, arguably the city’s smartest street, take a rooftop tour of Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera. With its 30 chimneys and wavy stone façade it’s the perfect introduction to the genius and madness of Antoni Gaudí.

Further east is the magnificent Sagrada Família, the church that consumed Gaudí’s life and where he was buried after being knocked down by a tram in 1926. His creation remains unfinished but book ahead to climb one of the towers and skip the queues (sagradafamilia.cat).

WHERE TO STAY AND EAT

Stay: Splurge on a stay at The Mandarin Oriental on Passeig de Gràcia where a rooftop pool allows you to swim as you view Gaudí’s work (mandarinoriental. com/barcelona). Or i-escape provide good value apartments in buzzy El Born close to the beach and excellent restaurants (i-escape.com/into-barcelona).

Eat: Children will love the array of tapas on offer (squid ink risotto, jamón ibérico, pan con tomate) at Ciutat Comtal on Gran Via de les Carts Catalanes (Rambla de Catalunya 18). Pla in the Gothic area is good, as is its sister restaurant Bar del Pla in El Born (elpla.cat).

Clockwise from top left, fruit at La Boqueria, rent an apartment in El Born district, Gaudí's Sagrada Família

TOP FAMILY FRIENDLY CITY BREAKS ROME No city captures the imagination like the Italian capital. Gladiators, Julius Caesar, Michelangelo are all there but so is modern art at Maxxi and lazy Sunday mornings hiring Segways alongside smart Roman families in Villa Borghese. All accompanied by excellent pasta, pizza and gelatos.

COPENHAGEN Spring brings new life to Copenhagen, capital of the home of LEGO™.

Nine out of 10 locals own a bicycle and the city is criss-crossed with cycle lanes. Edgy artists will impress young would-be graphic designers while the Tivoli Gardens, the second oldest amusement park in the world, will thrill everyone.

AMSTERDAM Bikes rule in Amsterdam too, so grab a cycle and wheel around the historic centre. Parks, canals, the largest Van Gogh collection in the world and Rembrandt are all in this beautiful compact city.

LISBON Arguably Europe’s most underrated capital city. Run on the ramparts of historic castles, cross the Tagus River by boat, visit the Oceanário or sightsee from a canary-yellow tram.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK, I-ESCAPE, BRIGITTA HOLMAR

churros – sugary warm doughnuts dipped in chocolate.

Carrie Frais of mumabroad.com, Spain’s leading website for international families in Spain and herself a local resident with two young children shares her top five tips: 1 The Aquarium: With a shark tunnel that children love. aquariumbcn.com 2 Cosmo Caixa: The Science Museum.

A wonderfully interactive museum with its own Amazon rainforest and planetarium. obrasocial.lacaixa.es 3 The Chocolate Museum: In El Born.

Chocolate statues and Barcelona’s best hot chocolate. pastisseria.com 4 The Beach: At the W Hotel. Manmade, clean and a good place to surf or paddleboard while cool kids skateboard and rollerskate nearby.

While there visit the Desigual Head Office and shop, ideal for tweens.

5 Isla Fantasia Waterpark: In Maresme.

The largest waterpark in Europe and worth a day trip out of town. illafantasia.com ISP

“

A MODERN GIRLS’ SCHOOL TO WHICH OTHERS SHOULD ASPIRE

”

Good Schools Guide 2014

A leading boarding and day school for girls aged 11–18, in a beautiful 120-acre estate close to London Open morning: Saturday 3 October 2015 | Individual tours available during term time by appointment

www.queenswood.org | 01707 602500

|

admissions@queenswood.org

YACHT CHARTER

S

GREECE & THE CARIBBEAN

www.sailionian.com A Perfect Family Sailing Holiday

• Bareboat Charter • Skippered Charter • Assisted Sailing • RYA training courses • Yacht ownership schemes

• We are family run • All yachts are in excellent condition • Yachts from 30 to 56 ft • Dinghy & Outboard included • Go sailing on the day of arrival • Wifi available on board • Why not Indulge yourselves on a luxury Skippered charter

S ail

St. Vincent & The

Grenadines

www.sailgrenadines.com

WWW.SAILIONIAN.COM I INFO@SAILIONIAN.COM I 0800 321 3800 74

independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

CALENDAR Our round-up of events nationwide this spring

Don't miss

15-17 May

4-19 Apr ANNUAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL [Edinburgh] The Edinburgh annual science festival is back! One of Europe’s largest science events, over the fortnight a series of workshops, talks and demonstrations are taking place. Get your tickets booked now – it’s the perfect mix of activities and educational fun for all the family!

CHATSWORTH HORSE TRIALS

[Derbyshire]

The annual horse trials are kicking off again at Chatsworth House.

Watch the delicate dressage, gallop around the cross-country course and watch the showjumping. The House and gardens are still open, plus an extensive shopping village is, as ever, on location for all your horsey (and non-horsey!) retail therapy. chatsworth.org

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, ANTHEA SIMS

SAVAGE BEAUTY

POP-UP PIGNIC

[London] Celebrating the extraordinary talent of the late Alexander McQueen, the V&A’s huge exhibition is the first and largest retrospective of his work to be presented in Europe. Dramatic staging and sense of spectacle make this one to see. vam.ac.uk

21-25 May

[London] Yelp, Petpiggies and The Proud Archivist are putting on a “multi-room, piggy educational evening”, with both animal charities and animal welfare groups, to raise awareness for micro pig ownership education. Have drinks and snacks and meet some of the cutest pigs going, but remember that a pig is for life and not just for Christmas. theproudarchivist.co.uk

14-2

Mar - Aug

THE GORING [London] The famous London hotel has just celebrated its 105th birthday and has never looked better following its major refurbishment. Check out the new-look Front Hall and the hand-painted Fromental wallpaper, and have a spot of afternoon tea while you’re there. thegoring.com

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Did you know?

From what started as a small food and drink event in an Edinburgh hotel 10 years ago, Foodies Festival now hosts the UK’s biggest food festival.

GETTING FOODIE WITH IT

2-31

May - Aug

THE FABULOUS FOODIES FESTIVAL IS BACK, AND THIS YEAR CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY WITH 10 SPECIAL FESTIVALS NATIONWIDE. ENJOY MICHELIN-STARRED AND CELEBRITY CHEFS, STREET FOOD FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE, A CAKE AND BAKE THEATRE PLUS LOTS OF TASTERS. YOU’LL BE INVITED TO TRY OUT NEW SKILLS TOO, INCLUDING OYSTER SHUCKING, CHEESE SELECTING AND BEE KEEPING. DON’T MISS OUT! WHICH ONE WILL YOU HEAD TO?

1-1

Mar - Nov

ROYALS THEN AND NOW [Beningbrough Hall, North Yorkshire] Check out the royal family on canvas, where the first official showing of the christening portrait of Prince George is on display. Among prints of Queen Elizabeth II by Andy Warhol and the modern photographs by Mario Testino, this is the royal family as you have never seen them before. npg.org.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY: RICHARD HEATHCOTE, DAVID JENSON, BETINA SKOVBRO, BRYAN ORGAN, PAGETURNER PHOTOGRAPHY

foodiesfestival.com

15-14 May - June

16-17 May ROMAN WEEKEND AT CARDIFF CASTLE [Cardiff] Travel back 2,000 years to when Cardiff Castle was a Roman fort and soldiers lived on site. See demonstrations, displays and drills as a detachment of soldiers illustrate the might of the Roman army in full authentic costume. cardiffcastle.com

SALT AND SILVER

25-7 Feb - June

[London] Tate Britain is offering you a glimpse of one of the earliest forms of photography, salted paper prints.

Gaze upon the spooky black and white images and imagine what it must have been like in the days before iPhone cameras. tate.org.uk

PETER PAN AT REGENT’S PARK [London] Even if your teens are in a rush to grow up, they can still enjoy the story of Peter Pan. Directors Timothy Sheader and Liam Steel rediscover J. M Barrie’s original stage play in Regent’s Park open-air theatre. openairtheatre.com

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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May Day

Time for some fresh country air and a dance around the maypole. May Day is famous for its traditional folk dancing, so get involved, and pack a picnic!

MAY DAY Jack-in-the-Green

1-4 May

[Hastings, Kent]

Enjoy a brilliant parade of greenery and May Day fun at Jack-in-the-Green in Hastings. It’s a glorious way to spend the weekend – happy May Day!

May Day Festival

2

[Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire]

May

There’s fun for all the family with Morris Dancers, a picnic and a look back in time to traditional bank holiday activities.

Cotswold Olympicks

[Cotswolds, Gloucestershire]

29 May

Enjoy some traditional rural sporting events at Robert Dover’s Cotswold Olympicks! Cheer on the tug of war-ers, scale the climbing wall and chow down on some yummy snacks in the sunshine.

3-7 June

MERCHANT OF VENICE AT SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE [London] Did you know that it was only when Shakespeare used the phrase “Love is blind” in The Merchant of Venice that it became a popular proverb? Enjoy the Bard’s great work on Shakespeare Day (23rd April) when The Merchant of Venice opens at Shakespeare’s Globe. Take in the smells and atmosphere of the outdoor theatre and let the Tudor play come to life in front of you. shakespearesglobe.com

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9-19

Apr - July

UDDERBELLY COMEDY [London] Roll up, roll up, it’s Udderbelly time! The Southbank’s brilliant comedy festival and its purple tenting has come around for another year. Book tickets for some of the funniest comedians on the circuit, and take in the London landmarks while you’re at it. Unmissable! udderbelly.co.uk

[Brighton] Take in a little wartime history on the East Sussex seafront and enjoy the display of brilliant First World War posters. Walk around the exhibition and see the War through the eyes of those that were around to experience it. Would you have signed up? Let us know which is your favourite poster on Twitter @ISParent.

SUMMER 2014 | independentschoolparent.com

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK, FOX PHOTOS, ELLIE KURTTZ

23-7

Apr - June

WAR POSTERS AT BRIGHTON MUSEUM

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Open Morning Wednesday 20th May - 9.30am Nursery • Junior • Senior • Sixth Form

Friends’ School SaffronWalden

“Calm, caring place for individuals who benefit from bespoke push, stretch and support” - The Good Schools Guide 2014

www.friends.org.uk admissions@friends.org.uk

Open afternoon Friday 1 May 2015 4pm to 6.30pm Meet the Headmistress, staff and girls View our excellent facilities, including our boarding houses Find out about our outstanding examination results and exceptional co-curricular programme Please confirm your attendance online at

www.sherborne.com/enquiries

11-18 Boarding and Day School in Dorset

or contact the Registrar on 01935 818224 registrar@sherborne.com

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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The career resource for school and college leavers

goodbye school Hello career!

School's out! Not sure what to do next? Don't panic. Milkround school leavers will provide you with the jobs and career advice you need to make your next move.

p u n sig AY TO D

schoolleavers.milkround.com

BOOKS & APPS

BOOK CLUB

1

Our round-up of top reads and fun apps

Evernote Taking organisation to a whole new level, this brings everything together: notes, web links and to-do lists.

(Evernote, free)

2

TED Watch brilliant talks from the world’s most interesting people on-the-go. TED’s official app brings remarkable minds together.

(TED Conference, free)

3

Words with Friends The social word game to test yourself! Expand your vocabulary and play Words with Friends.

You’ll be surprised how much you pick up!

(Zynga, free)

EDITOR’S PICK

xxxxx

Deliciously Ella

by Ella Woodward Ella set up her food blog two years ago as a way of dealing with a relatively rare illness, postural tachycardia syndrome. Overnight she took up a whole foods, plant-based diet and her new cookbook stems from looking at food more creatively and embracing natural food that your body will love.

TOP SHELF:

BOTTOM SHELF:

Mrs Guinness by Lyndsy Spence (The History Press, £17.99) Enter the curious life of Diana Mitford, 1930s society beauty, who would later find herself at the heart of British history.

Deliciously Ella by Ella Woodward (Hodder, £20) From sumptuous desserts to food on the go, delicious dips, raw treats and rainbow bowls of awesome veggies.

Villa America by Liza Klaussmann (Picador, £12.99, out 23 April) The fictional imagining of the real lives of the couple that inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night, Sara and Gerald Murphy.

The Catalyst by Helena Coggan (Hodder, £14.99) Step into a dystopian world with 15-year-old Helena Coggan’s debut novel on society’s divides.

Home for Dinner by Anne K. Fishel (Amacom, £10.99) Havard psychologist Fishel combines recipes and tips for a happier, healthier family life around the dinner table.

Vanessa and her Sister by Priya Parmar (Bloomsbury, £12.99) The story behind Virgina Woolf and her sister, the painter Vanessa Bell, offers a peek into the Bloomsbury Group and the bohemian youth movement.

4

iBooks For when you need to pack light, download books straight to your iPhone with iBooks.

There’s enough to keep you going forever.

(Apple, free)

5

Doodle Jump Prepare to become addicted to Doodle Jump. Travel up a sheet of graph paper, avoiding baddies and black holes.

(Lima Sky, £0.75)

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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MEMORY LANE

H

Where did you go for lunch?

School food was worse than anything I have eaten anywhere since. The school caterer’s name was Brian, and he used to wear morning dress.

We always went to a place called Pickles, which was a café up by St James’s Park tube station and I used to have a tuna bap for about £1.50.

What sports did you play?

I was a cricketer. I was also captain of Fives, and I got a half blue in it, as well. I played on the 1st XI for three years, which would have made one a great hero at some schools.

Who was your best friend?

I didn’t have many friends at school, but I was quite friendly with Bob Goodwin. I am a summer baby and I was bright, but because I was the youngest I was never in the same class from one year to the next.

thought, “Oh my God, what’s wrong with my Latin?”. We also had these things called order cards. They displayed your position in the year group.

L SCHOORO IES

GILES COREN MEM

The broadcaster and Times’ restaurant critic recalls his time at Westminster School, London, where fagging, cricket and terrible food were the order of the day What did you want to be when you grew up?

I never wanted to be a journalist, but I aimed to be a writer – a great writer, or possibly a poet.

I wanted to be more influential than Dickens but accepted that I wouldn’t be as influential as Shakespeare! It is taken for granted on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs that you can take

“ I wanted to be more influential than Dickens but accepted that I wouldn’t be as influential as Shakespeare!”

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independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2015

the Bible and Shakespeare with you, and I wanted to reach a position, while I was still alive, that it would be taken for granted that you took the Bible, Shakespeare… and Coren.

What was your most embarrassing moment from school?

It was all embarrassing. Not knowing any girls was what was really embarrassing.

Did you win any prizes at school?

I won the English prize and the chemistry prize and

How to Eat Out by Giles Coren, Hodder, £8.99

BUY IT

Did you play any pranks?

I was naughty; I broke a window in seven out of the eight houses that were there at the time.

Did you enjoy your time at Westminster?

I would have quite liked to have gone to a co-ed school.

My parents were ambitious for me and in the eighties, Westminster and St Paul’s were unquestionably the only London schools that you could conceive sending your child to.

I was a nerdy Jewish swot and also a sportsman, but at Westminster back then you just had to be rich, very cool, tall and thin.

Were you ever a fag? [Fagging was a practice in most British senior schools where younger boys acted as personal servants to the older boys].

Yes. It wasn’t personal fagging when I was at Westminster: there was toast fag, fruit fag and wake up fag. You had to get up early and go into the stinking rooms of 17-year-old boys. Fagging was demeaning, but the people who were made monitors and put in charge of the fags, they were the ones whose souls are rotted most. I was never given any authority of any kind, apart from captain of a house cricket team. ISP

PHOTOGRAPHY: COLIN THOMAS WORDS: ELEANOR DOUGHTY

ow would your teachers describe you?

My teachers would remember me as cocky and arrogant and intolerant of the other pupil’s needs. From very early on I remember them saying things like: “Coren is forever playing to the gallery”, and “he could do well if he stopped talking”.

COLLÈGE DU LÉMAN Geneva — Switzerland

LEARN A LANGUAGE AND ENJOY THIS SUMMER IN SWITZERLAND THREE SESSIONS AVAILABLE 3RD & 24TH OF JULY AND 14TH OF AUGUST

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