From the EDITOR

Spring is coming, and brings the welcome return of longer days and outdoor activities. There are also fresh beginnings to look forward to. One such beginning is Maida Vale School’s new Sixth Form, opening this September and the subject of this issue’s cover and focus feature (from page 25). Speaking to the school, it is clear just how exciting this development is. MVS opened in 2020, and it has built from the roots up, so many in this first Sixth Form cohort have grown up with the school. They, and the pupils who join in September, will benefit from an inspired vision when it comes to spaces and also an exciting 21st-century curriculum.

value within school settings by widening young people’s perspective. Seeing another side is also part of the point of our article on debating (page 92). This house firmly believes more young people should have the opportunity to learn these skills, which add considerably to our ability to use reason and listen to the other side of an argument. It was a privilege to talk to so many great writers for this issue. Allie Esiri talks about her new anthology of nursery rhymes (page 60), and we caught up with Jerry Craft in New York to hear about his latest graphic novel (page 128). We also spoke to two authors about the young people who inspired their history adventures (page 138). Hearing about Great Aunt Audrey’s journey to Bletchley Park and John Nicol’s miraculous escape from

It is also inspiring to hear from so many school leaders about the skills developed via the arts. These subjects are – as commentators point out – sometimes seen as lesser, a viewpoint disproved time and again by the simple fact that the future jobs market needs more, not less, creativity. Our Arts for Life feature on page 48 sets the scene and with lively input from a wide range of schools, including two firm but fair rebuttals (pages 31 and 97) of the PM’s plan to make all students study maths to 18. We also look at the value of school partnerships (page 76), increasingly seen as a way to share resources, but also add the Forth left me pondering the hardships of children of earlier times. Children growing up today (certainly in the developed world) face different challenges, but the world can feel every bit as harsh and demanding. On that note, do read about the partnership between Place2Be and Knightsbridge School (page 32) which has demonstrated how opening up conversations about mental health is an essential step in helping young people to cope, and to know that we’ve got their back.

Libby Norman EDITOR