SUFFOLK
DIRECTOR suffolkdirector.com
AUTUMN 2016 Protecting The Director Doing Good Somerleyton Paddy & Scott’s Aspall
CARING Challenging the Status Quo
FC1 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
WELCOME
Looking back over the past few months, I’m struggling to think of a more momentous period within my lifetime. UK politics and democracy as a whole facing unprecedented peacetime challenges, Team GB athletes routing the medal board at the Olympics and the hottest September for over a century… Within the business community, Benjamin Franklin’s famous quotation, ‘By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail’, has never been more prescient. Yet how to prepare? Nobody can predict the future, however many algorithms are applied, and the more centralised decision making becomes, keeping fleet of foot and making smart manoeuvres becomes the preserve of the gods.
Contents 2 CARING Challenging the Status Quo
7 Setting the Tone 9 Young Director 10 Protecting The Director Directors Disqualification Proceedings
12 Pound Gates Doing Good
In this issue we look at a number of businesses that are using wisdom and guile to position themselves for the challenges ahead, there’s much to consider and learn from their insight and it’s only by sharing knowledge that we can make the best of the opportunities that lie ahead.
16 Somerleyton
Jonathan Tilston Publisher
22 Sport & Business
19 Read Online 20 Tax Avoidance
23 Paddy & Scott’s Love Affair with Coffee
Putting this issue together has been another great journey visiting some amazing Suffolk leaders and their businesses.
28 Aspall 30 Coffee with Ben Gummer 32 The Last Word Raedwald
Poppy Nursing are doing great things to challenge the status quo in the nursing agency and medical supplies markets. Paddy & Scott’s taking their brand and the taste of great coffee to new levels and markets and some of Suffolk’s greatest family businesses working hard to preserve the past but carrying it through to modern day living. Common amongst all these inspirational people is a deep sense of passion. Passion in everything they do. Carrie Bendall Editor
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suffolkdirector.com 1 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
Kelly-Anne Byres and Claire Woodman
CARING 2 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
CARING
From £1000 to £2 million in two years Nurse, Claire Woodman and accountant, KellyAnne Byres set up Poppy Nursing in June 2014. At the time, these army wives were already breaking the mould just by having careers. Now, husbands Stuart Woodman and Andrew Byres have left the army to work with their wives. As have KellyAnne’s mum and dad, Mo and Steve. Poppy Nursing is a recruitment agency providing nurses and care assistants to hospital trusts and care homes across Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and the rest of the UK. Claire and Kelly-Anne knew there was a gap in the care market but no one could have predicted Poppy’s speed of success. Nor that they would have been making a tough business decision to either consolidate or conquer the nation. But why stop. There is a staggering forecast of a shortage of 10,000 nurses in East Anglia in the next ten years and 80,000 nationwide. When you know how special Poppy nurses need to be, you will definitely be calling for a Poppy nurse when you need one.
Born to care The Poppy difference is surprisingly simple. It is to put patient care first by providing good quality staff at affordable prices. Claire was a NHS nurse and then agency nurse for over ten years. She knew well a sinking feeling of being a nurse on an understaffed ward when safety levels were at risk. Years of underfunding and budget cuts have taken its toll and now the NHS depends on agency staff to meet its needs. Easy to see how the less scrupulous charge high fees for a second rate service. Agency nurses are vital to the health system. To attract excellent staff, Poppy provides excellent rates of pay, bonus and training schemes to its nurses and carers, all of whom sacrifice the benefits of being an employee for more flexible working hours around their own family lives. Some staffing agencies take the excellent rates for themselves and pay the actual carers as little as possible. Poppy scrupulously interviews and screens for well-qualified staff, born to care. Born to save lives, support the sick and interact with family members as if they were their own; people who want to put
patients first not money. It’s a lengthy recruitment process that ultimately pays off with repeat bookings and a reputation spread by word of mouth. Poppy also rewards loyal staff with fringe benefits such as spa days.
Claire Managing Director, Claire has seen agency nursing from both sides as an NHS ward sister and then as an agency nurse herself. Agonising journeys and early and late shifts took their toll particularly while Claire was pregnant. Long days, emotionally and physically draining arriving home really thirsty because there wasn’t any time to drink during the day. Claire was so disillusioned about nursing agencies being paid more in commission than she was getting paid and their perceived lack of care and inattention to quality, she decided to speak to her personal accountant, Kelly-Anne, who she’d found on an army facebook blog. Together they decided that it was possible to make a profit without charging exorbitant fees and decided to give their own staffing agency a go using Claire as their first and only nurse for a while. Now there are 200 Poppy nurses each one carefully selected and trained particularly for Dementia care.
Claire says: “We are very strict on who we recruit, all team members must demonstrate a genuine passion for care and must have recent care experience. We pride ourselves on professionalism and reliability and have a strict uniform policy. All of our members must speak good clear English. We are challenging the status quo in the provision of agency nurses and care assistants! We’ve put a cap on agencies charges not nurses wages. “We know there is a direct correlation between patient/resident satisfaction and staff satisfaction, which is why we take good care of the people who care for others which ultimately reflects well on us and leads to our nurses being requested again. Our genuine care for our nurses means that they in turn spread the word to their friends about us.” 3 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
CARING
Andrew and Stuart “Compare the market for medical supplies” Andrew and Stuart have been strong supporters of their wives’ business acumen throughout. While the husbands worked in the army, they would come home and work on the Poppy business, Stuart on recruitment and Andrew on accounts and book keeping. As all their responsibilities grew and grew, Stuart was the first to leave the army in 2015 followed by Andrew this year. Not unhappy with their wives as their bosses, Andrew and Stuart still decided to branch out and find a piece of the business they could call their own. Sourcing medical supplies, for hospital trusts and care homes often charged well over the odds for such mainstream products. Poppy Healthcare compares the prices of medical products and equipment from around thirty wellresearched suppliers, provides the best three quotes and organises payment and shipment direct from source to end customer.
Kelly-Anne Finance Director, Kelly-Anne still runs her own accountancy business with 250 clients of all sizes including self employed nurses. KBL Accounts also runs the pay roll for Poppy Nursing Services.
Kelly-Anne says: “We stand strongly by an ethos of value, making nurses and care workers feel valued and ensuring clients feel that filling their shifts with experienced and caring workers is our priority. “We are working hard to raise the reputation and standard of agency workers, recruiting only top class, qualified and experienced members into our team and ensuring they are rewarded for their hard work. This is fulfilled through our commitment to providing ongoing training to all staff and a supportive approach to continuing professional development. We also provide a single person point of contact for all Trusts and Care Homes we work with, so they know exactly who to call when they need us.” 4 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
Stuart Woodman and Andrew Byres
CARING
As with Poppy Nursing, they are challenging the status quo in the medical supplies market currently cornered by a few large suppliers greedily charging as much as they can. Poppy Healthcare’s goal is putting customers first ensuring they get the best value for money and reducing their current, unreasonably high costs. Customers include hospitals, care homes, NHS and private facilities, pharmaceutical companies, dental surgeries and veterinary practices as well as a number of healthcare professionals. Through high volume buying power, Poppy Healthcare can guarantee the best price in the marketplace and pass on cash savings by supplying everything that the industry requires all in one place and offering discount prices on bulk orders. The convenience of one delivery, one invoice and free technical advice and support will completely transform the medical supplies supply chain.
Poppy “The lucky flower that blooms in its own good time” Serendipity brought about the naming of the Poppy group of companies. Random spotting of poppies, the military connection, the contents of a fortune cookie as Claire and Stuart and Kelly-Anne and Andrew shared a Chinese working supper to plot what to do next. They put their own branding together without any money, loans or grants. An amazing success story funded in the early days, just in 2014, by Claire’s first few shifts funding the next six carers. At its heart true passion and dedication to serve and care for those that truly matter, the patients. Happy nurses make happy patients. Lower cost supplies free up more budget for people. How many other businesses have made it from £1,000 to £2 million in two years?
To find out more about Poppy Nursing Care visit poppynursing.co.uk or call 01394 460999 In just two years Poppy Nursing and Poppy Healthcare... • has made the short list or won 12 award schemes • is one of the Future50 businesses in East Anglia demonstrating exceptional growth • has 11 staff in its office, employs more than 200 nurses and is filled in excess of 7000 shifts in the last year • works with more than 30 health care suppliers and can compare the market on more than 20,000 medical products • has a dedicated charitable arm and has channelled over £70,000 to a number of good causes in Suffolk and nationwide.
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SETTING THE TONE
Setting the tone from the top By Fiona Hotston Moore – partner, Ensors Chartered Accountants
A recent report from the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors has highlighted that only 23% of FTSE100 companies provide their shareholders with any evidence that they are taking the issue of ethical standards seriously. This is despite nearly all of them stating in their annual reports a clear commitment to high ethical standards. I would suggest that many business leaders appear to confuse ethics and compliance. Ticking boxes doesn’t make for better corporate citizens. Formal regulation can only go so far and if we were to include everything we would have a list of unimaginable length to tick.
reflection of human motivation or just a massive oversight on the part of business leaders who consider the subject of such little interest that it doesn’t need to be communicated? Ethics cannot be an afterthought as businesses do not operate in a bubble. They operate within a wider society and need to do more than simply leave their marketing teams to speak out for good causes. Sadly, there still appears to be a mismatch between how businesses present themselves to the public and how they behave. And, I believe, this is down to business leaders to put right. At a very basic level ethics is quite simply about ‘doing the right thing’ and this is about individuals and their values.
Surely, a business’s behaviour should be governed by something greater than just rule books and regulations? Good behaviour needs to go beyond compliance. There needs to be a moral driver for good behaviour that represents the soul of the company and, of course, it’s leaders. Frank Bucaro (an Amercian business ethicist) asked business leaders to rank deterrents to corrupt business behaviour. Worryingly, out of eight reasons the highest rated deterrents involved elements of punishment or risk with ethical behaviour coming in at a pitiful six. Is this a sad
Good business leaders will bring good values to a company and diffuse those throughout the organisation – setting the tone from the top. Fiona Hotston Moore is a partner at Ensors Chartered Accountants ensors.co.uk Fiona.hotstonmoore@ensors.co.uk
7 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
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YOUNG DIRECTOR
Making a Success of Brexit Despite Brexit meaning Brexit, in reality British businesses large and small have no idea what to expect. To learn more about ways in which to safeguard your business, whatever the outcomes, Jordan Holder spoke to local business leader, Jim Fanshawe of Your Export Department to gain his insight. Can you provide us some practical tips that exporters should consider to ride out whatever happens with Brexit after article 50 is triggered?
What set backs are exporters currently experiencing and how can they create opportunities outside EU membership?
Start off by fully understanding all your connections to the EU. Your commercial links to the EU may go well beyond exporting. Your supply chain, your employees, your future recruitment strategy, your relationships with parent or sister companies or subsidiaries could all be connecting you to the EU.
The main setback is uncertainty. Customers potentially will simply buy from other EU suppliers. For those not exporting yet, the principles are the same but with fewer complications as there is no existing business. Many new exporters would turn to the EU first as it is so easy to do business there.
Get to know your supply chain to determine where there are potential vulnerabilities – sterling’s current volatility means that changes to import costs in particular are likely to be passed along to firms which are domestic-facing only. Understand where you are in the total supply chain. Although you may be able to gain a few export sales wins thanks to the currency, you may also be facing higher prices from your suppliers for raw materials etc. Review this and reassess your costs and your pricing. Review your HR position. How many EU citizens do you employ? Communicate regularly with them. Where will you be recruiting from in the future? If it becomes harder to recruit from the EU will this cause you skills shortage problems or higher employment costs? Review your agreements with distributors, agents and suppliers. Look at how pricing has impacted on previously agreed arrangements with suppliers and customers. Also consider the increased administrative burden for businesses whose products travel through the EU. Finally, take the time to reassure your business contacts. For example, tell them that you will be monitoring the development of the UK’s renegotiation with the EU so that you can promptly address any issues that it may cause in relation to trade between you and your overseas partners.
There are however fantastic opportunities for UK firms in many places. The key is to understand what makes an attractive market for your company and then set about proactively finding the best match. Exporting is not only about improving your turnover and bottom line. It is also about protecting yourself from seasonal sales fluctuations, being more efficient, being exposed to new technologies and partnerships. The UK must turn the situation we are in to our advantage and to do this we need British companies to take their products and services to the world. Your Export Department has many years’ experience in international business development and export management. Contact them for a post EU referendum audit. Jim Fanshawe yourexportdepartment.co.uk +44 (0)7853 107499 jim@yourexportdepartment.co.uk Jordan Holder Portcullis Market Access & IoD Committee Member jordan@portcullismarketaccess.com 9 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
PROTECTING THE DIRECTOR
Directors disqualification proceedings – An overview and the latest statistics The law is strict on misconduct relating to directors. Kevin Sullivan explains recent changes to legislation and how directors need to be clear on the circumstances that might lead to an allegation of misconduct should their company fail. What is ‘misconduct’?
The penalties
When a company goes into liquidation, administration or administrative receivership, the insolvency practitioner appointed to deal with the failed business has a statutory duty to investigate the company’s affairs and conduct of its directors, including any shadow directors.
From 6 April 2016 onwards, IPs are obliged, within three months of the company’s demise, to submit their findings about conduct of the directors and any shadow directors (including any holding such a position in the previous three years) to the Secretary of State. This is irrespective of whether misconduct has taken place.
The sort of misconduct that usually attracts attention includes: • Non-payment of Crown debts (i.e. taxes) and/ or treating the Crown differently – typically, but not exclusively, for a period of more than twelve months and where the sums involved represent more than 50% of all sums due to creditors • Concealing assets • Unexplained deficiency in the accounts • Transactions personally benefitting directors • Overvaluing assets • Dishonoured cheques • Preferential payments to creditors or guarantors • Taking deposits whilst failing to supply goods or services • Transactions at an undervalue • Wrongful or fraudulent trading • Any breach of a legislative obligation or another obligation which applies to the directors 10 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
Should misconduct be identified, further investigations are triggered, which, in turn, could lead to proceedings under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. The Secretary of State now has three years from when the company entered formal insolvency to commence proceedings. Findings of misconduct can lead to lengthy disqualification. A person can be disqualified from acting as a director of a company or in any way, directly or indirectly, being concerned or taking part in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the court’s permission, for a period of between two and fifteen years.
PROTECTING THE DIRECTOR
To avoid lengthy and costly court proceedings, it may be possible for the director to offer an undertaking not to be a director of a company for an agreed period and this has the same legal effect as a disqualification order made by the court. However, this is accompanied by a schedule detailing the unfit conduct that is published on the Insolvency Service website, which can sometimes attract media attention.
in question, its employees may be at risk of losing their jobs.
In addition, the Secretary of State – but not a creditor or IP – now has the power to apply to the court to seek a compensation order where:
Unsurprisingly, the economic downturn in 2008 caused a spike that was not seen until 2010/11, when there were 1,453 disqualifications, but since then numbers have slowly dropped, levelling out at 1,210 in both 2014/15 and 2015/16. The latest statistics also reveal that there may be an increase in disqualifications in more serious cases – those that merit bans of between 5-10 years and 10-15 years.
• a disqualification order has been made or a disqualification undertaking given; • the person was disqualified on or after 1 October 2015; and • that person’s conduct has caused loss to one or more creditors of the insolvent company. The court may order compensation to be paid to the Secretary of State for one or more creditors, or classes of creditor, or to be paid as a general contribution to the assets of the estate. The disqualified person may give an equivalent undertaking instead.
Consequences and ripple effect The consequences of breaching a disqualification order or undertaking are the same – a fine, imprisonment for up to two years, or both. There may also be personal liability for a company’s debts where the director has continued to act whilst disqualified. Further, anyone involved in the management of the company may be similarly liable for those debts if they act or are willing to act on instructions given without the court’s permission by a person whom they know at that time to be a disqualified individual or undischarged bankrupt.
Disqualifications on the rise Following a couple of years where numbers have remained static, the latest figures from the Insolvency Service (published mid-August 2016) suggest a small rise in the total number of disqualifications.
At Birkett Long LLP we have considerable expertise in acting for directors facing disqualification proceedings. We have experience of several cases that collapsed before they came to trial, with the director receiving a substantial contribution towards their costs. We have also successfully negotiated disqualification undertakings in appropriate cases. Should you find yourself facing disqualification proceedings, we may be able to help – and, as is always the case, the sooner you seek advice the better. Kevin Sullivan Partner, Birkett Long LLP 01206 217376 kevin.sullivan@birkettlong.co.uk
Aside from the potentially detrimental effect on an individual’s health, a costs order could be made if proceedings are unsuccessfully defended – and this, ultimately, could lead to personal bankruptcy. So, the potential consequences of disqualification proceedings are massive – not just for the director but also for their family. And effects can ripple further; for example, if that individual has set up a new venture since the insolvency of the company 11 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
POUND GATES | DOING GOOD
CSR has its own brand at the Pound Gates Group Publisher, Jonathan Tilston meets business owner Kevin Collins to explore how 130 staff in multiple locations are Doing Good in their communities achieving goals far greater than just revenue and profit Why create your own CSR brand and website, Doing Good?
What do your people think about the initiative?
There is a great deal of cynicism around CSR. Mention the words ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ and people lose interest straight away thinking it’s just a label with no genuine intent. When I was formulating our plan I wanted far more than a CSR programme, I really wanted to open it up to everyone in Pound Gates and our surrounding community of families, friends, clients and suppliers and use it to help us live the values that underpin our group of companies. Balancing the desire for business success with the needs of the wider communities in which we are active.
We recently completed a staff survey. It’s anonymous. We very much encourage honesty. 100% of staff believe in our Doing Good agenda and that the company is committed to doing their best in the community.
I was very conscious of a brand that most people would associate with positive qualities, Adnams. When I delved into their definition of their community, their positioning of themselves in their community and the multiple strands to their approach, I could see they owned their activity. They were not sitting behind a corporate umbrella label. I found that very attractive. Our Doing Good brand, and the importance we give it, helps everyone understand why it’s a core motivation, why we value it and how we can stamp it on every aspect of our business.
Sports Aid Presentation 12 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
It’s not just our existing staff we challenge about it. We introduce Doing Good in our recruitment strategy too. Recently, we had number of vacancies to fill, so, rather than taking the standard approach of sifting through applications, we ran an open evening. I headed up the agenda by presenting our values, our Doing Good agenda and that this is what the business is about and invited people to leave on the basis that if this isn’t attractive to you, then you are not going to fit. If you are the right type of person you are going to believe in the values, add fuel to the values, you are going to help develop and refine those interpretations of those values and the implementation of those values. Because, ultimately those values are geared not just towards our CSR aspect but to giving good customer service, honestly, transparently and professionally.
Suffolk Community Foundation
POUND GATES | DOING GOOD
The Orwell Walk
We want to take that approach to everyone we touch so that the brand perception is one of positivity. Because all the people we touch are in our community.
Instilling the value system begins when people walk through the door? We would like to achieve it much earlier than that. We’d like to be an employer of choice. We’d like people to recognise that we have a great and aspirational place to work. And, that the values run seamlessly through the entire process from how the job is advertised through to ultimate selection, recruitment and induction.
Attitude rather than skill set is more important when recruiting? Yes. Sometimes we have very particular technical skill set requirements because of the industries we are in, the languages that we require, but within those limitations values should be at the core of every choice made both by the employee in an informed fashion to know what they are becoming part of, and by our people who recruit into our business. We don’t always get it right but by having a clearly set agenda and having the right kind of tools in place we have a better chance.
Does your philosophy help you win business? I think when you find business and businesses find you, where the values align your relationships become multi-layered and far more engaged and it is working extremely well for us in that respect but there are not many businesses out there that share values on those sort of terms. Where they are in place it is working very well. We have a client, a global removals company, helping us ship a container to Kenya for our Soma Leo charity and we will work collaboratively with them on things that reinforce our relationship as customer and supplier.
What’s the key to success? None of it’s possible without the alignment and support of other leaders in our business and in a business of 130 people we need a lot of leaders, who believe in what we are doing. Initially all of the steps would have been small, all of the gains would have been small but with the right kind of team in place to really give it momentum, we have really started to push on. It’s like a rolling stone, once we got it moving, we gathered momentum. 13 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
POUND GATES | DOING GOOD
If you were to advise someone, just starting out how to make this a reality? I really don’t know, I’m not the font of all knowledge. I have context and that context is in my own business and I know the people who I have around me. I’m not sure I could say to someone how it could work in their business. The starting point is that your heart is either in it or not. It’s all about the alignment of a group of like-minded people. Part of it might be where you are on Maslow’s triangle. We have a great deal of financial security within the business, I have personal financial security, that makes it a lot easier to focus on things that benefit others and I think if you are not in that situation then you will always be compromising. If you keep compromising then eventually it will fall off the agenda whereas with security in place with other issues it’s easier to find the will to stay committed. And, it is a massive commitment. You can’t ring up one of your beneficiaries and say the money has run out. Also, the amount of time spent, isn’t something you can trifle with. But to answer your question: people can learn from the errors we’ve made. Most of which relate to “you
don’t know what you don’t know”. Our container is nearly on its way to Kenya. No one ever told us you can’t ship second hand clothes without them being fumigated and you can’t fumigate a container that also contains laptops. Now the clothes are in storage (with one of our clients) and we need to find a solution to move them to the right place. We also didn’t know about import duties. We do now. A partner charity in Kenya told us we wouldn’t have to pay them, but we do and it is a huge additional cost. Our approach is certainly not for the faint hearted. One of the key things they wanted was to have a common cause. One cause is supporting the Suffolk Community Foundation and grant making to local charities. This works for the 100 staff in Suffolk but not staff in other parts of the world. Keen not to fund raise for large global charities where it’s hard to track where money is going Pound Gates Group set up The Soma Leo Foundation to build a school in Kenya. Not only does Kevin Collins know where the money is going, key fund raisers, such as Ipswich Prep School, can understand which children are benefiting directly from specific things. Ultimately creating Skype Pals, the modern day pen pals.
About Kevin Collins
Soma Leo Trustees Visit
Doing Good You can find out more about Pound Gates Group’s Doing Good on their website: poundgates.com/about-us/doing-good 14 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
Kevin is owner manager of Pound Gates Group, which includes Pound Gates Insurance Brokers (local), Sevatas (global) and a management services company. Kevin joined Pound Gates in 2000 and led a planned management buy-out in 2002. His previous 10 years climbing the greasy pole in a national insurance firm helped him understand the values he wanted to ensure permeated every aspect of his own business.
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SOMERLEYTON
Hugh Crossley | Somerleyton Established in 1863 Turning a gentile lifestyle into a profitable business
Third generation, Lord Somerleyton, Hugh Crossley is the 4th Baron Somerleyton, a role inherited rather than chosen. Entrepreneur Hugh was in London creating his own restaurants and food businesses when he got the call to return to his ancestral home, Somerleyton in 2004. Hugh’s father, Savile Crossley, the 3rd Baron Somerleyton GCVO and British hereditary peer was unwell and Hugh was being asked to take over. It was a complete shock and something Hugh describes as “an earthquake rather than a tremor”. There was no succession plan in place and no gradual hand over. It was now up to Hugh to follow in the family tradition living in the family home and managing the surrounding estate. It was an old-fashioned lifestyle business, barely profitable and giving what it could to those all around it. Time was leaving Somerleyton behind, 16 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
cheap air fares and jobs in the city were taking away from its popularity as a favoured destination and sapping the life out of what was once a rich rural lifestyle. Hugh’s fresh entrepreneurial eyes saw something that was “mediocre” and that it was now his job to make Somerleyton as good as it once was. He had a lot of people depending on it.
SOMERLEYTON
The Master at work Overriding all of Hugh’s thinking is “will this make it great again? If the answer is no, let’s not bother”. There was a lot to think about and the upkeep of all of it huge: Somerleyton Hall and formal gardens, 5,000 acres of farmland, woodland and water encompassing Fritton Lake. Three sectors: tourism, farming and property. Hugh started to develop a master plan with five core ideas.
The first big idea Hugh’s first wish was to make the Hall and home profitable. Opening it to the public. Hugh, and now his wife Lara and three young children, moved into the servants’ accommodation and planned what to do with the rest. Just opening the Hall to visitors wasn’t enough and he learned from a fellow local businessman that having beds is where the profit is. Now ‘Private Somerleyton’ provides a sumptuous location for for private parties, weddings, banquets and company getaways. Many activities are available such as water skiing, sailing, open water swimming, game shooting, cookery and butchery lessons, gardening, trail
running, horse riding, and north sea fishing. The formal gardens have been lovingly restored making them perfect for family and wedding pictures and, making it truly great, two butlers are now on hand to guide, entertain and make the guests feel very special.
Idea two In bygone times before cheap flights, Fritton Lake was a popular venue for day trippers and always busy. Then it was just swimming and boating, now Fritton Lake is an Outdoor Centre and Woodland Retreat. The Outdoor Centre has all the modern activities to enhance the opportunity for open water swimming and boating. There are paddle boards and electric outboard and instructor led activities include tree climbing, archery, bushcraft, low ropes, canoeing and katakanuing. For those interested in making Fritton Lake a more formal second home or holiday retreat there are 70 comfortable lodges built to high and eco friendly standards. These are either for sale as a longer term investment or for rent as holiday homes.
17 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
SOMERLEYTON
Idea three The Fritton Arms, once outsourced and run as a boutique hotel, is now back and refurbished as a pub and restaurant with rooms. A place to relax with good and locally sourced food.
Idea four The Duke’s Head has been transformed from a ‘raggedy’ pub to a gastro-pub restaurant with a menu that also concentrates on locally sourced food.
Idea five This last idea feeds all the other ideas, sustainable farming of local produce that supplies the private parties, the two pubs and the woodland lodge holiday makers and eventually creating premium estate products. Currently 2000 acres is under commercial production of cereals and oilseeds, potatoes, sugar beet, peas and beans works alongside an environmental stewardship scheme. A further 1400 acres is managed as grassland and woodland 18 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
to feed a gradual increase of specialist livestock including 95 Norfolk Horn and 40 Black Welsh Mountain sheep as well as 45 Welsh Black Cows. A further 900 acres is let to tenant farmers who have lived at Somerleyton for several generations and play and invaluable role in the estate’s management. Turning around the fortunes of the Somerleyton Estate has been slow moving and at times frustrating process. As with many great entrepreneurs, Hugh Crossley has a huge passion for what he does not just for running a profitable business but creating a legacy that will live on for the benefit of many. Somerleyton Hall Lovingland Suffolk NR32 5QQ 0871 222 4244 somerleyton.co.uk
READ ONLINE
Read Online
PENTAHOTEL Ipswich
Ipswich Film Theatre
Ipswich Central
Celebrates £2M Refurb
Behind the Scenes
Business Improvement District
Interview with Alastair Thomann Managing Director, PENTAHOTELS This £2 million investment demonstrates huge confidence in Ipswich and its up and coming status as a key business hub in the East of England. PENTAHOTEL Ipswich is one of six hotels to receive this treatment in the UK. A total of £10 million has been invested in the UK over the last two years.
Interview with Jane Riley Chair of Board of Trustees
Article by Paul Clements Chief Executive
This Film Theatre has been run by volunteers for six years attracting nearly 27,000 admissions last year. It started with a small amount of crowd funding to cover the cost of its insurance premium, now it generates enough from ticket sales to cover its running costs.
Through a range of multi-million pound projects Ipswich has a dedicated plan to transform itself into an even more vital economic hub. Projects include Cornhill Square improvements, the Upper Orwell Crossing, high quality office space in Princes Street and the building of 2,500 new homes.
suffolkdirector.com/pentahotel-ipswich
suffolkdirector.com/ipswich-film-theatre
suffolkdirector.com/ipswich-central
19 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
TAX AVOIDANCE
The Tax Avoidance Root-Out Richard Proctor
The debate around the definition of tax avoidance has exercised eminent legal minds for decades. Many cite the 1936 Duke of Westminster decision, where Lord Tomlin stated: “Every man is entitled if he can to order his affairs so that the tax attaching under the appropriate Acts is less than it otherwise would be. If he succeeds… he cannot be compelled to pay an increased tax.” Over the last five years, what is regarded as acceptable tax avoidance has changed, reflected in recent decisions of the Courts and Governments, providing HMRC with ever stronger sanctions. In Budget 2016, HM Treasury indicated that it would explore options to sanction those who ‘enable’ tax avoidance. The intention behind these proposals is to discourage promoters of tax arrangements which, arguably, comply with the letter of the law but not the spirit. What effect will the latest proposals have on tax advisors? The vast majority of tax agents, intermediaries and others who provide services in relation to the taxation consequences of commercial arrangements, or who facilitate their implementation, (including Larking Gowen) operate within the spirit of tax law and do not enable tax avoidance. However, a minority of firms do enable or promote tax avoidance. The proposed definition of ‘enabler’ in the consultation document is extremely wide. It could include those involved in the following: • Acting as a “middleman” • Providing planning and bespoke advice • Delivery of infrastructure • Maintenance of infrastructure • Financial assistance • Non-reporting However, there is a danger that “innocent” advisors could find themselves at risk of financial sanctions, as the proposed definition of tax 20 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
avoidance arrangements does not appear to be confined to mass promoted schemes or those that have large amounts of tax at stake. The meaning of reasonable care As with a number of HMRC’s recent proposals, it appears that the only defence for the taxpayer (and enablers) is to show that one has taken “reasonable care”. If a taxpayer, with no tax training, has taken advice from a reputable professional, with no obvious reason to doubt its credibility, HMRC should recognise that this constitutes “reasonable care.” Tax simplification It is said that the tax code in the UK now comprises more than 10 million words. This increasing complexity does not sit well with the introduction of ever more severe financial penalties and the increased prospect of criminal action. A number of Chancellors have acknowledged this issue and promised to address it. The Office of Tax Simplification has been constituted but invariably the amount of new legislation passed each year is greater than the amount which is removed. Perhaps Philip Hammond will be more successful. Being able to navigate the inherent complexity of our tax rules, whilst adhering to the principle established in the Duke of Westminster case, means that seeking tax advice on any meaningful transaction is essential. Richard Proctor Partner 01603 624181 larking-gowen.co.uk taxpractice@larking-gowen.co.uk This article is designed for the information of readers. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, information contained in this article may not be comprehensive and recipients should not act upon it without seeking professional advice. Larking Gowen is registered to carry out audit work in the UK and Ireland by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
©Larking Gowen.
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PLANNING
them get to that position. Is this something you have within your work environment? Could you consult with other industry leaders to formulate a plan?
Dr Golf Stuart Robertson
Lessons from the Olympics The Rio Olympics have produced Team GB’s best medal-haul to date - a culmination of lessons learnt from previous experiences and systematic work practices that have been developed over a sustained period. What can we learn from their achievements? Rather than just training hard, some athletes worked out what it would take to achieve the gold medal and then created a plan to give themselves every opportunity to achieve it. Is your business following the same example? Are you working along a plan, or just hoping it will get better? Do you plan goals for our business? Do you want your business to peak within a certain time frame? How will you get there? The individual athletes may be alone on the track, in the water or on the field when competing, but they have a whole team working with them to help
Watching the Paralympics is an even better example of what it is to overcome tremendous difficulties. These athletes show us all that having the will to succeed can produce results that many observers would not have thought possible. These athletes do not use their disability as an excuse, but have used it as a reason to achieve. Will you take some of these lessons into your business over the next four years? How will you give yourself the chance to be a gold medalist in the future? Whatever your plan, enjoy the journey you are on. Stuart Robertson Head PGA Professional and Director The Doctorgolf Academy Ufford Park Woodbridge Suffolk, IP12 1QW mail@doctorgolf.co.uk 01394 383480 / @doctorgolf247
WHEREVER YOU BOUGHT IT WE’LL TAKE CARE OF THE AFTERSALES
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PADDY & SCOTT’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH COFFEE
Passion for a quality product timed to perfection Carrie Bendall talks to Paddy Bishopp, co-founder and director of one of the fastest growing independent retail brands in the UK It’s quite an adventure from humble beginnings in Scott Russell’s Suffolk garage in 2007 when 750kg of coffee beans were roasted and supplied from the boot of a car in the first year. Now it’s well over 320,000kg a year, the equivalent of 90,000 cups of coffee a day. Although the beans are not roasted in Suffolk (at the moment), Suffolk is HQ. “The heartland” as Paddy describes it. Educated at Framlingham School, Paddy dabbled in teacher training at Reading University just long enough to decide it wasn’t for him. Interestingly, he is now one of the entrepreneurs in residence at the Centre for Enterprise Development & Research at Anglia Ruskin University. Paddy left Reading for London where he found a career in sales and marketing. He journeyed through a concession in Harrods for Geo F Trumper fragrances and male grooming products, then the successful launch of a financial service online auction site, before returning to Framlingham in Suffolk following the birth of his first child in 2001. Now it was time to focus on food and drink and to discover with his friend Scott that there was a huge gap in the market for great coffee. That was at the dawning of the coffee revolution that was just about to hit UK shores. Paddy lists five key things that make up the Paddy & Scott’s brand Paddy & Scott’s supplies Waitrose, Tesco, over 700 deli’s, hotels and restaurants and the offices of major companies such as Virgin, Google, Heinz, O2 and Fat Face. There are branded Coffee Deli Bars operated by partners such as B&Q; Cafés have opened in prime spots in Framlingham, Bury St Edmunds and Hadleigh and in Culford and Finborough schools and it’s a sole supplier to Newmarket Racecourse. Paddy & Scott’s coffee is also now shipped to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Russia and Paddy and Scott are now looking at their own plantations in Kenya and Brazil.
• A complete passion for coffee • British-ness and ethics • Traceability • Personality • Having fun. I’m not sure in which order they come, but it’s clear that passion and coffee are inextricably linked. It’s the tale of two friends in love with creating great coffee. And it is all about the coffee. Paddy’s 23 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
PADDY & SCOTT’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH COFFEE
enthusiasm for making great coffee seems to know no bounds. Who knew coffee making was a science. From the time it takes to grow a coffee bush (5 years) a bean or beans, there are normally two in a pod (6 months) to the time it takes to infuse a cup of coffee in a cleverly designed filter (3 minutes). Any longer and the coffee tastes quite different. It doesn’t take long to ruin a coffee. Paddy & Scott’s coffee is timed to perfection. When using one of their cleverly designed filters, 3 minutes leads to a refreshing and smooth drink, 3 minutes plus a few seconds, it starts to take on a completely different taste.
Britishness, ethics and traceability
Roasting and blending is obviously an art. It was fun when Paddy and Scott roasted their own coffee beans using a two kilo roaster, “Old Smokey”, and experimented with their own blends in Scott’s garage but consistency and perfection soon required and still requires an expert roaster and blender who they found to guarantee every kilo of coffee is as good and as consistent as the last.
Being British and designing for the British palate is essential, it’s unlikely roasting will take place anywhere else and it’s a long term wish to bring it back to the heartland. Ethical sourcing and doing the right thing is fundamental. As it says on Paddy & Scott’s website “It’s a way of life for us but life changing for our growers” which is why it was important for them to have strict ethical buying
24 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
PADDY & SCOTT’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH COFFEE
criteria working with Fairtrade & the Rainforest Alliance. This has lead to Paddy and Scott wanting to have Paddy & Scott’s own plantations. Soon it might be possible for the consumers to pinpoint the exact coffee bush that supplies your Paddy & Scott’s coffee.
Personality Paddy and Scott are two real people with an absolute passion for what they do and this filters through every aspect of the Paddy & Scott’s brand: from the science of coffee making to coffee plantations in Kenya from the experience in a Paddy & Scott’s café to instant coffee sticks in upmarket hotel rooms. It seems every aspect has been covered by this dynamic duo Runner Bean (Paddy) and Broad Bean (Scott); even the bringing in of Old Bean and managing director, Chris Thompson at an early stage. His attention to detail and day to day management allows Paddy and Scott the freedom to get on with building the brand, selling and developing great new ideas, all the time.
Having fun If you love something so much, fun is a given. Paddy and Scott want to be quirky. One benchmark is “Would Costa do it? If yes, don’t do it.” Good branding should entertain, should make you smile and certainly want you to have some of it.
Paddy & Scott’s Markets First there is the direct Paddy & Scott’s experience in cafés on the high street or in retail outlets. Premium company owned cafés were opened in Framlingham, Bury St Edmunds and Hadleigh in 2015 keeping the concentration local at first. There are branded coffee deli-bars in retail outlets operated by partners such as B&Q and there is an increasing number of in-house cafés within businesses and educational and health care establishments. Next, wholesale, direct to the food service supplying hotels, restaurants, pubs and cafés and contract caterers serving head offices. Finally, at home through Tesco, Waitrose and M&S with a premium product, coffee in attractive packaging roasted in Britain. Also, independent deli’s, farm shops and food emporiums via 26 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
distributors and from their own website; and, growing the export market. Paddy & Scott make a big deal of their first and loyal customers, the local farm shops and delis and immediately dropped their prices to these customers so that they could still price competitively with the major supermarkets.
Training and machines The spread of Paddy & Scott’s coffee across these various markets means spreading coffee making expertise too. There are training centres in Dundee, The London School of Coffee and at The Bean Barn in Suffolk and a Barista ‘Bible’ is given to those who have attended our Barista Academy. Drawing Inspiration from the Italian love of espresso and the renowned gourmet palates of the French, Paddy and Scott have been active in the development of a stunning espresso machine range now hand built in the heart of Monte Carlo, where their manufacturer has been perfecting
PADDY & SCOTT’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH COFFEE
the fine art of building espresso machines since 1956. Again there is a commitment to premium quality and only the best raw materials are used in the production of these machines. Over 80% of components are fabricated on site.
Control checking Not hard to guess that there is an App. The App allows regular 55-point quality control checks in outlets selling Paddy & Scott’s coffee or using any of the bespoke Paddy & Scott’s machines. It uses photo integration and auto-scoring software to check on a range of things such as dirty steam wands and grinder settings can be recorded, scored and reported back to The Bean Barn.
Working with plantations For Paddy and Scott, visits to plantations are described as one of the perks of the job. Working with the growers and distributers to truly make a difference. Brainstorming ideas that just keep adding specialness to this unique brand and helping maintain quality control. It’s clearly important that Paddy & Scott’s make a material investment in the lands that their coffee comes from. This needs to be done with extreme care. You can’t just throw money at it. Pay a picker twice what they are used to earning in one day and they might not return the next because they have earned enough money not to. This is where time and resources need to be deployed in different ways.
What can we learn from Paddy and Scott You have to have passion for what you do, clearly for it to permeate through every aspect of your business. A passion to create the very best cup of coffee lies at the heart of this great business. That starts with the bean, journeys through the science of coffee making to the taste buds of the consumer. Never again will I let my coffee sit in my cafétiere. I will decant it to another warm jug after three minutes. Then I will stop what I’m doing while I drink my great coffee and, if Paddy and Scott’s next idea comes to fruition as I think it will, I’ll think about that beautifully formed coffee bush in Kenya that may well have my name on it. The final thing? Surround yourself with experts so that you can excel at what you truly, truly do best. 27 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR SUMMER AUTUMN 2016
ASPALL
ASPALL | 1728 – 2028 Des Smith is the first non-family Managing Director of Aspall. Aspall celebrates its 300 year anniversary in 2028. Brothers Barry and Henry Chevallier Guild, the eighth generation, focus on sales and product development The lure of one of the 10th oldest family businesses in Britain was incredibly appealing. Particularly one with evident passion for creating such premium products: cyders, apple juice and vinegar.
1728 Clement Chevallier of Jersey inherited Aspall Hall from a cousin in 1722. He came to live full time at Aspall. on 9th April 1728, a day still claimed as Aspall’s birthday. Within days of his arrival Clement planted apple trees brought over from Jersey. He began cyder making in the autumn of 1728 buying fruit from local growers until his own trees were mature enough to produce a crop.
Des joined as finance director in 2008 and became managing director in 2011. He has helped the Chevallier Guild family achieve a growth in turnover from £11 million to £37 million in just under a decade. This has included an investment programme of £10 million, all helping the 300th anniversary of this great Suffolk family business, when it comes in 2028, to be a very proud and poignant time. Most businesses have 1, 5 even 10 year plans, but with family heritage at stake it seems the outlook is century to century. It’s also when preserving the past is as important as carving out a future. A careful balance of old and new. Des Smith is Suffolk born and bred and selfeducated. Des decided upon a career in accountancy before leaving it for a more exciting job in the food industry where one of the things he was involved in was pioneering the first bagged salad. He achieved such success in buying and selling food companies that he was ready to take a sabbatical. But, then the opportunity at Aspall arose. 28 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
Clement’s original accounts and books of letters can still be found at Aspall Hall. The writings make it clear the locals thought he was mad planting trees on quality arable land. He soon proved them wrong, demonstrating that a comfortable living could be achieved making cyder in Suffolk. Clement set a very high standard for how he made his cyder refusing to adulterate it as many other producers did. This philosophy lives on and the range of cyder now refelcts the family members that have been involved in its production over the last 278 years. The range includes Clement’s Four, Isabel’s Berry and Perronelle’s Blush.
ASPALL
1910 to 1956 A non family member, Harry Sparrow also has a cyder named after him. George Henry (Harry) Sparrow, started working at Aspall in 1906 at the age of fifteen. He had many roles before working in the cyder house. Harry served with the 7th Suffolks in the First World War and ‘went over the top’ on the first day of the Somme. Of the 1000 in his battalion only 98 were left after the battle. He returned to Aspall as head cyder maker in 1918. As a cyder maker at Aspall from 1910 to 1956, he holds the record for the longest serving employee to have worked at Aspall.
2008 – 2016 With such provenance it’s clear that one of Des Smith’s roles had to be to combine a respect for heritage with commercial realism: to protect the existing premium brands whilst developing new markets both at home and abroad. The investments that have been made at Aspall have been focused on improving production and bringing core processes back to Aspall from where they had been outsourced. This would lead to efficiencies and ultimate protection of capital resources.
There is no desire to compete with Innocent and Copella on the fresh juice shelves. There is a family aim to make sure supermarkets can stock English apple juice. The profit from such enterprise then available to expand and improve Aspall’s premium brands such as a new and exclusive edition of 1728 sparkling cyder of which only 1728 bottles will be produced. Other initiatives include Harry Ramsden vinegar, supplying vinegar to the food service market and a Kosha line that will need to be blessed by the Chief Rabbi, all possible with the investment in such good production facilities. And Waddlegoose, by Aspall This is a new sparkling cyder for the contemporary market using new varieties of apple such as Gloster 69, Zari and Gala to deliver a sweeter drink, using modern varieties to appeal to a younger palate. Waddlegoose is named after a small lane just outside the Aspall Estate. It’s hoped that this new range of cyders will appeal to beer, cyder and music festivals never reached before. There are four varieties quirkily named after old Suffolk birds: Spadger, King Harry, Hayjack and Woodsprite.
2016 – 2028 What next? Des Smith thinks there is no end to the opportunities that are available. He would like Aspall to be the first port of call for anyone thinking about what to do with apples and he thinks there is a niche to be explored with the smaller pub chains of about 10 – 15 pubs.
Improvements have been made to the warehouse, filling lines and labelling lines doubling the capacity for packing. In September 2015 a new apple press was installed replacing two much loved 30 year old presses. Now three times as much juice can be produced each year. This gives Aspall the ability to press many more apples from local producers so that it can capture the market for English apple juice currently dominated by European apples being shipped to the UK. Now supermarkets can ‘own brand’ English apple juice supplied by the press at Aspall.
But he thinks there is a combined opportunity for other Suffolk food and drink producers. Des is interested in smaller companies that may need the expertise that Aspall now has and he would love to help promote other Suffolk brands either with own brand or co branded products. Aspall The Cyder House Aspall Hall Debenham Suffolk IP14 6PD 01728 860510 aspall.co.uk 29 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
COFFEE WITH BEN GUMMER
Ben Gummer Suffolk Director catches up with the Right Honourable Ben Gummer, appointed Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General on 14 July 2016; elected Conservative MP for Ipswich in 2010 SD: Tell us what your new role in Government entails? BG: It’s quite simple really. I’m responsible for making sure Government delivers on its promises and serves the public to the best of its ability. By 2020 we need to make sure we’ve done what we said we would do. I co-ordinate policy and government work between departments. SD: How do you juggle this central role with being MP for Ipswich? BG: I have a good team to help me and you can do both if you are properly organised. It’s good for Ipswich, it’s symbiotic, it’s good to refer to the work in Ipswich and precise tensions and needs and it’s good to have and it’s good to have the experience of policy in Whitehall which increases my knowledge of what’s going on. SD: What about Brexit? BG: The people of Ipswich voted for it, we have to make it a success. It is forcing us to think afresh about our relationship with our European allies and the rest of the world. Many things are possible and we have to make sure we use every opportunity to get the best possible outcome. I’m certain that with this Prime Minister and the team assembled we have a really good chance of making it a success. We have to amplify the opportunities and mitigate the risks.
There is an improved retail offering with Tower Ramparts shopping centre being transformed into Sailmakers, the Buttermarket is transforming with the cinema and new restaurants and we are confident that new retail entrants will come. On the Waterfront the University has been expanded, the Wine Rack and other new buildings are going to be finished. None of it is easy, we have to fight for it but this is serious and it’s not a flash in the pan. Ipswich is a serious contender with a great future. I believe Ipswich is really getting its mojo back; improvements to its infrastructure, the rail, the wet dock crossing, the hospital, general practices and schools. The investment in the town centre, businesses are coming here and we have significant housing developments. This is an exciting time and I feel privileged to be part of it. Ben Gummer is keen to hear from any businesses who have problems with skills or planning and who need any help with investing in the Ipswich area.
SD: What about Ipswich? How are your plans panning out? BG: None of us campaigning for the rail improvements expected such a staggeringly good result: an investment of £1.4 billion from the operator of the rail franchise. Three trains per hour, two sub 60 minutes from the City of London. There are going to be brand new trains, the station forecourt is being completely refreshed, more trees, better shops, a much better entrance to the town. 30 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
Ben can be contacted direct at ben@bengummer.com You can telephone Ben’s office on 01473 232 883 Ben’s office address is: 9 Fore Street Ipswich IP4 1JW
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THE LAST WORD: RAEDWALD
Raedwald I love the Olympics. To coin that hackneyed phase, they “celebrate diversity”. But not in the fatuous BBC way that mandates at least 50% of its output is bilge in order to patronise 0.01% of the population. No, at the Olympics diversity is celebrated the Raedwald way. Difference is what it’s all about and the diversity measure is unarguably objective: highest, fastest, strongest, longest. Not really any good if you’re a short-arsed basketball player, is it? Tough luck try squat weightlifting instead. Big deal, Team GB had a few hundred million quid to get kids in to cherry-picked sports 20 years ago?? You’ll recall this was down to John Major and his pseudo-tax on the working classes that is the National Lottery. Whatever your views are on that, it’s clear that the particular focus (and cash) has been on endeavours we Brits seem to have a natural propensity for, namely those where you can sit down: cycling, rowing, horses and the like. It’s worked. And it’s also particularly satisfying to see how such a business-like approach to bringing home the gold-medal-bacon has upset the French (who consider themselves the world’s cycling purists – whatever that means). The same opportunity now presents with Brexit. If Government’s smart about selecting and backing the businesses and industries where the propensity, the natural advantage, lies, then we will pick up the gold medals on the international trading stage. We’ll have to spend some time on focussed and hard training. We may have to spend some money nurturing the right businesses. But don’t we want the “doers”, those business leaders representing the best of British enterprise – forward-looking and global in mind-set – to be leading the charge? Those that want to get stuck in and embrace the world and not the flabby and crony establishment? Let’s hope Mrs May and team drops the current “making-the-best-of-a-bad-job” rhetoric and instead embraces this idea. On the topic of diversity and difference, and just as you thought the EU referendum conclusion had dealt with those awkward dinner party conversations for a while, the even more electric 32 | SUFFOLK DIRECTOR AUTUMN 2016
topic of grammar schools has now reared its perennial head. A commentator on Radio 4 this morning asked, “if we take the most academically gifted 20% out of the comprehensives, then what about the 80%?”. Sorry but let’s be brutal: what about the 20% if we don’t? Yes, we need to ensure all kids get measured on sophisticated IQ tests and not the sort of staid and routine entrance exams that middle-class parents can easily tutor their thick kids for. Yes, we need to ensure that kids aren’t binned in a binary “yes-no” way at the age of 11. Yes, we need to turn our comprehensives in to proper technical academies, like the Germans. But just like the Olympics for physical ability, if a child’s gift is a genuine seed of academic greatness (and it won’t be for all children) then surely it’s the role of Government make the most of that gift? That’s diversity, folks. Suffolk has some of the worst performing schools in the country, and has had for years. Years of failure. When they last reported, Ofsted said that the Council’s so-called “Raising the Bar” initiative was “regarded with varying degrees for credibility” by head teachers. Never mind the pompous council workers shuffling bits of paper, obsessing about their own internal structures, jealously protecting their gilt-edged pensions arrangements and, as an afterthought, coming up with fancy PowerPoint guff about raising the bar. Let’s get some grammar schools set up and actually get some of our kids over the bar.
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