Editorial Editor Tom Wheare Managing Editor Jonathan Barnes Production Editor Scott James Advertising Manager Gerry Cookson Email: gcookson@johncatt.com Conference & Common Room is published three times a year, in January, May and September. ISSN 0265 4458 Subscriptions: £25 for a two-year subscription, post paid; discounts for bulk orders available. Advertising and Subscription enquiries to the publishers: John Catt Educational Ltd, 12 Deben Mill Business Centre, Old Maltings Approach, Melton, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1BL. Tel: (01394) 389850. Fax: (01394) 386893. Email: enquiries@johncatt.com Managing Director Alex Sharratt Editorial Director Jonathan Barnes Editorial address: Tom Wheare, 63 Chapel Lane, Zeals, Warminster, Wilts BA12 6NP Email: tom.wheare@gmail.com Opinions expressed in Conference & Common Room are not necessarily those of the publishers; likewise advertisements and editorial are printed in good faith, and their inclusion does not imply endorsement by the publishers. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recorded or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Editor and/or the publishers. Printed in England by Micropress Printers, Suffolk, IP18 6DH
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Spring 2017
The last issue of Conference & Common Room appeared soon after the result of the referendum on whether the United Kingdom should or should not remain in the European Union. This one coincides with the scheduled inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Both countries claim a unity in their title that is far from evident in reality. In our case, the Union established by Parliamentary legislation in 1707 and confirmed in 1800 is under severe challenge, both internally and externally. It is quite impossible to predict how ‘Brexit’ will affect every part of this country and how Scotland, particularly, and Wales and Northern Ireland will respond in political terms. In the United States, where Union was only confirmed after a civil war and where the relationship between federal and state government is still subject to massive centrifugal forces, devolution and unity are in a state of unfruitful tension. If these internal problems are both confusing and worrying, the external ones are even more so. The children in our schools face what may be a turbulent future and Jason Morrow’s Letter from America is of particular interest, coming as it does from Manhattan, where some see themselves as living in a disaster area following the ‘Trumpocalypse’. Perhaps most concerning is the degree to which misleading messages have become commonplace in debates that are increasingly conducted in a media free for all. Instant and constant news is as difficult to process as it is to manage. ‘News’ seems to appear and disappear at random. It’s not just that this morning’s truth is reclassified as this afternoon’s lies, but also the fact that nobody can tell at what point information will take on some degree of permanence, at what point the message becomes embedded. Blink and you miss the apology: look away and you miss the retraction. Fake news is just another reality game, but playground politics in Westminster and Washington have a toxic fall-out. Perhaps the most valuable gift that any teacher can impart is discernment. It is vital to persuade children that the way they communicate with each other on social media is quite different from what should happen in the classroom or in their academic work. Nevertheless, despite the continued intervention of politicians in educational matters, there is still plenty of good news in our schools. The London and Rio Olympics gave hope to those who still value a united kingdom. The Association of National Olympic Committees named Team GB as the best team at Rio and rated the GB women’s hockey players as the best female team. In Rio as in London, women led the way, adding a whole new level of inspiration in sport for girls, particularly welcome at a time when resurgent misogyny has featured so prominently in media coverage of politics. It has been observed that independent schools play a significant part in nurturing this country’s sporting talent and we focus on that contribution in the current issue, examining the benefits that it has for pupils and schools alike. In the present political climate, the temptation to look fondly at the past may be more than usually forgivable. Although a return to the classical teaching methods reviewed by Hugh Wright is most unlikely, (despite the government’s apparent desire to return to grammar schools and therefore, presumably, secondary moderns), school archives are enjoying a resurgence of interest, not least in the widespread marking of the centenaries of World War I. However, the threat to drop History of Art A level, now happily withdrawn, came at a time of worrying unfamiliarity with the historical, religious and mythical contexts of art. The New College of the Humanities is unafraid to turn back the clock with its provision of one to one tutorials, once the USP of Oxbridge and now a rare provision for undergraduate courses. The Oxford University Press, whose book list establishes it as supremely authoritative, goes some way towards filling the cultural gaps with its Very Short Introductions series. As Stanford professor Tina Seelig, quoted in Duncan Piper’s article, says, ‘culture is like the background music of any community’. Central to the purpose of all schools is the nurture and development of everybody in their community. At Truro School, three pairs of eyes triangulate the well-being of every pupil, and schools are increasingly sympathetic to the view that transition can be very challenging. But the pupils are not alone in needing care and attention as Graeme May and Cathy Barnett write. Good school leadership can be transformative and, in an age when teachers are bearing increasingly heavy loads of work and responsibility, and when they might be forgiven for thinking that some of their ‘stakeholders’ see themselves as extras in a Dracula film, their protection is a very high priority.
Spring 2017
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