Embracing Change — the Spartans Way

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DOUGLAS SAMUEL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF SPARTANS COMMUNITY FOOTBALL ACADEMY (THE ACADEMY) IN EDINBURGH, VISITED

STRATHALLAN IN THE NEW YEAR TO SHARE THE “SPARTANS” STORY and journey with staff and to talk about leading change and creating a new way of working.

Since 2008, The Academy, a sports-based social enterprise has been working with the local community and its partners to deliver youth work, educational and physical activity, and health & well-being based programmes and initiatives that have a lasting positive social impact and strengthen community cohesion in North Edinburgh.

The Academy is recognised as an ‘exemplar project’ in the UK, hosting visits from all over the world and employs over 20 staff. As a social enterprise all its profits are reinvested back into the delivery of its social impact plan.

The focus of Spartans youth work is to support young people in whatever shape or form they might need at that stage in their own journey. The Academy delivery model – ‘Building a Bridge of Trust' – sits at the heart of all of the interactions with young people. Working from the young person’s MAP of the World is key. One site, The Academy provides a safe We are focused on linking elements of place to play, socialise and take part in a the Spartans family together to make our range of fun activities. ‘Street Football in a Safe Place’ is a programme which enables ‘family’ stronger, building a team of ‘blue children and young people to play for free every day at The Academy all year round. coats’ — positive role models & leaders

Another signature programme is the in our community. Our aim is to build Alternative School – which has welcomed >50 students to date. The school welcomes meaningful relationships and partnerships S3/S4 aged young people who are at risk of exclusion from mainstream education around thematic areas, to be responsive and providing them with academic, practical, address current needs of local people today.and personal development support.

Setting the scene for his presentation Douglas asked Strathallan staff to think about and consider some key questions: • What drives your commitment to providing a great education for your students? • What does success look like for you? A student? The School? • How do you measure success? vs. what indicators & vs. who? • What do you value here at Strathallan? • What kind of school do you want to be?

Douglas went on to explain that the Spartans brand set out to create a new model and a new way of working, an inspiring vision built around a world of possibility. He talked passionately about how Spartans wanted to be outward looking and learn from others, with inspiration coming from Scandinavia & Germany.

“We laid down a culture and a set of core values to guide how the organisation lives & breathes”, he said, “Honour, Uniqueness, Non-Judgemental, Inclusion. How we (our people) work together, to enable us to achieve our dreams and aspirations is key and our culture helps to ensure the sum of the parts (the whole) is greater than the sum of the individual parts. There is clarity around what we do and our WHY. We wanted to build a ‘social home’ – a place at the heart of the community (the ‘Spartans Village’).”

Douglas went on to talk about how the Spartans brand has the power to help grow and lift the community to new heights with growth built around innovation such as initiatives like Spartans AM Breakfast Club, Friday FooTEA, Girls Only Club and Making Magic Memory trips which take young people aged from 7-18 on day trips around Scotland.

“We are focused on linking elements of the Spartans family together to make our ‘family’ stronger, building a team of ‘blue coats’ – positive role models & leaders in our community. Our aim is to build meaningful relationships and partnerships around thematic areas, to be responsive and address current needs of local people today.” Judging by the headlines Spartans has certainly made a huge impact with over 300,000 using the facilities each year, 30,000 free meals provided for children & young people, 500 young people attending residential trips and experiences and more than 100 Academy ambassadors invested in, developed and nurtured. Mel Young, a leading Social Entrepreneur, President of the Homeless World Cup and Chairman of Sports Scotland describes Spartans as a “world leading social enterprise”

Finishing off by relaying the Starfish story below, Douglas explained how we have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference and if we can become aware of that gift, we gain through the strength of our vision, the power to shape the future.

If you would like to know more about the work that Spartans Community Football Academy does or become a Friend of the Academy and donate regularly please visit

https://www.spartanscfa.com/donate

THE STARFISH STORY: ONE STEP TOWARDS CHANGING THE WORLD

Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.

Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”

The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”

The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”

(Adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley (1907 – 1977)

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Headmaster appointed as Chair of the Boarding School Association for 2020.

MR LAUDER TAKES OVER THE REINS FROM NICK WERGAN, EXECUTIVE

HEADTEACHER AT STEYNING GRAMMAR SCHOOL. He brings with him excellent experience in a boarding environment, having begun his teaching career at Shiplake College in Henley-on-Thames, where he was Head of the History Department and Master I/c Rowing. Over a career that has taken him to St Edward’s, Oxford, Felsted School in Essex, and, before Strathallan, as Headmaster at Ashville College in Harrogate, Mr Lauder has been embedded in boarding as a Housemaster, Head of Boarding and Deputy Headmaster, and Headmaster, as well as a passionate rugby and rowing coach and CCF officer.

Mr Lauder said of his appointment “I’m honoured and excited to take on the role as Chair at the BSA for 2020. The BSA’s mission ‘for better boarding today’ is one close to my heart, having spent so much of my career in boarding schools endeavouring to provide just that. It’s a mission that mirrors that of Strathallan’s founder Harry Riley when he set out to reimagine what a boarding education could be in 1913, as relevant today as it was a century ago. I look forward to playing my part over my term as Chair in 2020, and putting Strathallan at the heart of the UK’s boarding sector as we seek to continually improve what we do and how we look after our pupils.”

Strathallan leading the change with unique Sixth Form programme

STRATHALLAN BECOMES THE FIRST IN SCOTLAND TO OFFER A TRIPLE OPTION PATHWAY TO

FURTHER EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT designed to provide choice and flexibility in the face of a diverse range of tertiary education and employment options after school. From September 2020 One-year Highers have been added to Sixth Form curriculum options. These will run alongside the current A-Level and Two-Year Higher options.

With 24 subjects to choose from, this means Strathallan will offer one of the broadest curriculums available in Scotland, as well as the opportunity for pupils to tailor their programme to their strengths, interests, and future study or career goals. In response to pupil demand, a selected number of subjects will also be made available for Advanced Higher from 2021, offering Strathallan pupils breadth, choice and flexibility, as well as a clear route to selective Scottish university courses.

Strathallan’s Headmaster Mark Lauder said:

“With this addition, Strathallan will be able to offer a genuine and unique triple-pathway system and will be the only Scottish boarding school offering both A-Levels and One-Year Highers. For those pupils on course to gain excellent GCSE results and not wishing to limit themselves to one specialism through A-Levels, the Scottish Higher model and its curriculum fit neatly with our philosophy and that of our founder Harry Riley of an academic, holistic, forwardthinking school offering opportunities for all to excel.”