AB SO LUT E LY B R I T I S H E D U C AT I ON | H O N G KO N G E D I T I O N
BRITISH
EDUCATION
AU T U M N • W I N T E R 2 01 8
AUTUMN • WINTER 2018
TIME OUT
Is the Common Entrance dead?
Future PROOF
Berkhamsted’s lessons for life
HONG KONG EDITION
WORLD CLASS BRITAIN’S BOARDING SCHOOLS LEAD THE WAY
TOP TIPS FOR OX B R I D G E
WWW.ZE ST.LONDON
FOLLOW THE LEADER
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INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION
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Marymount LOND ON
www.marymountlondon.com
• Independent Catholic day and boarding school for girls ages 11-18 • Students representing over 40 nationalities and multiple faiths • A strong academic tradition based on inquiry, interdisciplinary knowledge and reflective study • Average score 36, 100% pass rate
Proudly IB
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Marynount girls love to learn, and learn to love!
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CONTENTS AUTUMN / WINTER 2018
EDITOR
Amanda Constance EDITOR IAL ASSISTANT
UP FR O NT
12 NEWS
What’s going on in the world of education
Georgia McVeigh
56
A DV ERTISING M A NAGER
Nicola Owens
COMMERCI A L DIR ECTOR
19 BURSARY BONUS
Leah Day
International franchises can benefit UK schools, says Barnaby Lenon, former head of Harrow School
GROUP SA L ES DIR ECTOR
Craig Davies
68
22 CRUSE CONTROL
British Education meets leadership guru Jo Cruse P R EP
26 TIME'S UP?
Prep heads discuss whether the Common Entrance is out of date
30 GOLD STANDARD
Why scholarships still matter, by Giles Tollit, Headmaster of Horris Hill
A RT DIR ECTOR
Phil Couzens
SENIOR DESIGNER
Pawel Kuba
MID-W EIGHT DESIGNER
Rebecca Noonan DESIGNER
Catherine Perkins M A R K ETING M A NAGER
40 BOYS ARE... BRILLIANT
Lucie Pearce
Campaigner Gary Wilson on celebrating boys
FINA NCE DIR ECTOR
SEN IO R
Jerrie Koleci
48 WORLD CLASS
DIR ECTOR S
UK boarding schools are leading the way, says Tom Lawson, Headmaster of Eastbourne College
Greg Hughes, Alexandra Hunter PUBL ISHING DIR ECTOR
50 GENDER ISSUES
Sherif Shaltout
Will single-sex schools survive? By Lisa Freedman
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56 MAKING OF ME
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60 A MATTER OF CHOICE
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@AB SOLUTELY_MAGS ‘AB SOLUTELY MAGAZINES’
Senior heads discuss curriculum options
Technology and independent learning are the key, says Microsoft's Director of Education
AUT UMN • WINT ER 2018
S CHOOL LE AVER
AB SO LUT ELY B R I T I S H E D U C AT I ON | H O N G KO N G E D I T I O N
68 GET PERSONAL
74 TALL STORIES
L AST WORD
98 MIKE BUCHANAN
The new executive director of the HMC
Is the Common Entrance dead?
PROOF
Berkhamsted’s lessons for life
WWW.ZE ST.LONDON
26
How best to ready young people for the real world, by Brian Schofield
TIME OUT
Future
Richard Evans debunks some Oxbridge myths
77 PREPARE TO LAUNCH
BRITISH
EDUCATION
AU T U M N • W I N T E R 2 01 8
HONG KONG EDITION
WORLD CLASS BRITAIN’S BOARDING SCHOOLS LEAD THE WAY
TOP TIPS FOR OX B R I D G E
FOLLOW THE LEADER INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION
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F RO NT COV E R Pupils at Berkhamsted School, a family of leading independent schools from nursery to 18 in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire berkhamstedschool.org
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47 Berkhamsted Students have gained a place at Oxford & Cambridge since 2012
45% of Berkhamsted Boarders secured an A*- A in 2018
Discover Berkhamsted
Only 30 mins from London and 40 mins from Heathrow, a boarding school offering outstanding academic teaching and pastoral care 01442 358001 BERKHAMSTED.indd 1
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We l c o m e
From the
EDITOR
I
’ve had the whole summer to ponder leadership, our theme for this issue. Is it the ability to take campaign for something and blaze a trail? Like Gary Wilson, who has worked tirelessly to raise achievement in boys for decades? (see page 40). Or is leadership something more internal, less visible? The ability to take control of your own life, to be the master of your own decisions? This is how Jo Cruse, leadership guru extraordinaire sees it (see page 22). I have another picture of what leadership might be. I don’t live in the most salubrious area of London; it’s down-at-heel, diverse and vibrant. Every morning I see a local headmaster patrolling the pavements close to his school – Newman Catholic College. He is always well
the Syrian Summer Camp, gave succour and educational support to local refugee children. And the last, the Springboard Youth Academy Camp provided holistic education to refugee and asylum-seeking young people. All these camps ran simultaneously. I've no doubt all were transformational. I’m also sure they involved many agencies and different people but my gut feeling is that the head was the engine behind them. Nobody affects the temperature of a school like its leader. I salute you Mr Danny Coyle. And while I’m heaping praise, my own inspirational book of the summer was Educated by Tara Westover. It’s a memoir of a young girl growing up in rural Idaho in a fundamentalist Mormon family. With no formal schooling she
“NOBODY AFFECTS THE TEMPERATURE OF A SCHOOL LIKE ITS LEADER” dressed. He is always alert, straight-backed. I see him chatting to pupils, straightening ties and hurrying them along. Above all, he is present, a figurehead, showing them how to be. During July and August this year, Newman Catholic College (NCC) ran three summer camps. The first was run in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police; NCC identified 50 boys aged 13-15 deemed to be ‘vulnerable’ over the holidays. These boys were then involved in a programme that kept them constantly engaged, including four weeks of training with Saracens rugby club. The next camp,
makes it to Cambridge to do a PhD. It is a story of the transformational power of education. Even Barack Obama has tweeted his love for this book. So I’m in good company. I hope you enjoy this issue.
A manda Constance EDITOR
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• A B S O L U T E LY E D U C AT I O N ’ S •
CON T R IBU TOR S
Brian Schofield
Head of Politics, Hurstpierpoint College
Brian Schofield previously worked as an editor, travel writer and literary critic for the Sunday Times. His first book, Selling Your Father’s Bones, is published by Harper Collins. He writes about preparing school leavers on p.77. Who is your favourite leader from history and why? Gladstone, a Prime Minister guided by conscience rather than career.
Lisa Freedman
Education consultant and journalist
The best school? The one offering the most choice.
A Canadian by birth, Lisa Freedman remains fascinated by the bizarre intricacy of the English education system, and is currently completing a PhD in the History of Education at UCL. She writes about single sex schools on p.50. Who is your favourite leader from history and why? Frederick William Walker, headmaster of Manchester Grammar School, 1859-1876, and St Paul’s School, London, 1877-1905.
We are a highly successful co-educational school for 10 -18 year olds. Choose from the IB Diploma Programme or A-levels.
Gary Wilson
We offer boarding and day places.
Education consultant and campaigner
Gary Wilson is widely regarded as one of the country's leading experts on raising achievement in boys. He writes about Brilliant Boys on p.40. Who is your favourite leader from history and why? Sir Alec Clegg, educational pioneer who changed the shape of education in his role of Chief Education Officer for the West Riding of Yorkshire.
Call our Admissions team to join one of our open mornings or arrange a personalised visit
01572 758758 admissions@oakham.rutland.sch.uk
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We l c o m e
From
ACADEMIC ASIA
I
t is now 20 years since the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the UK to the People’s Republic of China. Although not initially too noticeable, the handover has had a significant impact on education in Hong Kong. The first major change was the introduction of the new HKDSE (Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education) which replaced Hong Kong’s own HKCEE (Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination) and AL (A-Level). The HKCEE and AL were well-established public examinations in Hong Kong and were recognised both locally and internationally. These examinations would take place in April and May each year with the results published in August. It was, therefore, a system that matched the British education system very well. Following a phasing-out of the HKCEE, the new system was in place in 2012. There is now only one public examination at the end of the six years of secondary education compared
servants joining the Government after the 1997 handover are no longer entitled to the allowance. Hong Kong is an international business, financial and trading centre and English is the language of business worldwide. It is crucial that Hong Kong maintains a good standard of English if it is to remain competitive. Prior to the handover, there were a significant number of schools who taught using English; today there are a higher proportion of schools who teach in Chinese. This has created a need in recent years for high quality international schools and the number of satellite schools continues to grow. One of the most prestigious to open was Harrow International in 2012, it now has 1300 pupils. The increasing number of satellite schools that offer British education at all age levels will inevitably have an effect on the number of families that may decide to keep their children in Hong Kong. Another factor may be the growing number of sixth form colleges that are opening
“PRIOR TO HANDOVER THE MAJORITY OF SCHOOLS TAUGHT IN ENGLISH, TODAY A HIGHER PROPORTION TEACH IN CHINESE” to the two examinations taken with the HKCEE. Under the previous system, there was seven years of secondary education whereas now there are six years with an extra year added at university level. Another significant change is the gradual phasing out of the OEA (Overseas Education Allowance). A number of Hong Kong families benefited for many years from the OEA which was an allowance that was granted to children of serving civil servants. Although the allowance did not cover the whole cost of sending a child to a British boarding school, it did make such an opportunity more affordable. Civil 10
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in the UK. Hong Kong families may choose to keep their children at home and then send them to these academic hothouses for their last two years of school. The education landscape continues to change in Hong Kong. These changes may well have an effect on the number of students that the traditional British boarding schools will be able to recruit – the next 20 years will be just as interesting!
Battie Fung
MANAGING DIRECTOR ACADEMIC ASIA
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Transformation through education An independent boarding and day school focused on social diversity and mobility, for boys and girls aged 11-18.
T: 01403 246 555 E: hello@christs-hospital.org.uk Christ’s Hospital, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 0LJ www.christs-hospital.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1120090
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Get Ga ming An all girl team from Wimbledon High School were thrilled to be winners of the 2018 BAFTA Young Game Designers competition at a prestigious awards ceremony, where they were awarded the Game Concept Award for 1518 year olds. The girls won the prize for their café simulator game idea – Tea and Tartlets.
NEW APPOINTMENT Edward O’Connor has been appointed as the new Head of St Edmund’s School Canterbury from September 2018. Edward has been Deputy Head at St Edmund’s since 2013 and was Acting Head of the Junior School last year. He succeeds Louise Moelwyn-Hughes. He said: “I feel privileged to be taking over as Head of this dynamic and vibrant day and boarding school at this exciting stage in its evolution.”
“I feel privileged to be taking over as Head of this dynamic school”
RESCUE MISSION
Best Success
Gordonstoun School welcomed former pupil Connor Roe back to the school to talk about his role in the cave rescue operation of the Thai football team and their coach. Roe, who left Gordonstoun in 2009, was called to assist with the final phase of the rescue operation by the British Cave Rescue Council.
Eaton House Belgravia Pre-Prep has achieved its best results for 7+ and 8+ examinations in five years. The first set of results under the new Headmaster, Huw May, just under 40% of the boys received offers from Westminster Under or St. Pauls, amongst other well known schools.
OPEN DOORS Kensington Park School, a new day and boarding senior school, opened its doors in August to welcome girls and boys aged 11+. This follows the opening of the school’s sixth form last year. Headmaster Paul Vanni said: “KPS is a fantastic addition to the central London independent school scheme…"
“I can’t wait for Tokio Myers, the pianist who won Britain’s Got Talent last year to perform with the full Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He is state-educated and busts the myth that classical music is only for old, rich, white folk” AY E S H A H A Z A R I K A I N T H E E V E N I N G S TA N D A R D
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UPFRON T / NEWS By Georgia McVeigh
M I L ESTON E In 2019 Dulwich College will celebrate its 400th anniversary with the Dulwich Olympiad 2019, showcasing skills in sport, music, drama and art. The school will host some 800 participants from Dulwich College International schools, as well as boys from the London college.
SCORE IT U P 2018 saw Felsted School achieve its best ever IB Diploma Programme results. Once again,Felsted achieved a 100% pass rate, and this year improved their average point score to 35.5 out of a possible 45, 5.5 points above the world average. Five students achieved scores of over 40 points, putting each of them into the top 6% worldwide.
F LY I N G H I G H GCSE students Niamh Breslin and Martha Tyler represented Babington House School in the London Schools Trampoline Championships held at Harlington Sports Centre, where both performed extremely well. Martha has previously competed in Regional trampoline championships and has her sights set on representing Great Britain for trampolining.
T H E B U T T E R F LY EFFECT A Year 11 pupil from Sydenham High, Frances Newe, qualified for the National Summer Swimming Championships in Sheffield, despite a challenging season. She was one of only 20 swimmers in the country selected in five events, winning silver in the butterfly to make her the second fastest in the country for her age.
SPORTING SUCCESS Cumnor House Sussex Colts ‘A’ team beat strong competition at the East Grinstead Hockey Academy tournament. 13 schools from all over Sussex, Surrey and Kent were brought together to compete for the prestigious winners’ trophy.
“I don’t want my kids coming home speaking like Ali G.” PA U L W E L L E R , O N E -T I M E C L A S S WA R R I O R A N D N O W M I D D L E C L A S S PA R E N T O N W H Y H E E D U C AT E S H I S K I D S P R I V A T E LY
SOMETHING THEY SAID
“We’ve had feedback over the last week that some people are unhappy with our plan to offer up to 14 scholarships to refugees living in the local area. To these people we would like to say: Tough. Jog on.” UNIVERSITY OF READING ON TWITTER
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UPFRON T / NEWS By GEORGIA MCVEIGH
RECORD R E S U LT S Brighton College broke its own record for top grades this year, and was placed number one in The Times A-Level league table. Despite the new exams, the school achieved 40% A*s, the school’s highest ever figure. Headmaster Richard Cairns said: “With 99% of grades at A*/B, these results are better than any school in England achieved last year.
C O U N T RY REPS
Young Entrepreneurs
Oakham School have had a successful sporting year, culminating in a large number of students selected to represent their country. Seven Oakhamians were selected to play rugby for their country, alongside other students selected to represent their country in athletics, cricket and hockey. One student even made international history for being selected as the first athlete outside of the US to play in the 2018 Under Armour All-America High School Football Game.
Year 6 pupils from Rose Hill School won second, third and runners up prizes in the national John Lewis Innovation Prize. The task was to reinvent a school blazer. Pupils presented their winning products to Paula Nikolds, the first female MD in John Lewis history. Pupils were then taught about how John Lewis manages sustainability and ethical employment.
“These results are better than any school in England”
UNIVERSITY LIFE St Helen’s, Northwood, recently launched St Helen’s University, a pioneering three-day, off-timetable initiative at the school, enabling Year 7 - 9 girls to follow their own schedule of talks, classes, adventures and independent work. Girls chose from Creativity, Culture, Performance, Science & Technology, Society and Wellbeing themes, with activities including archery, abseiling, photography, journalism, forensic analysis and theatrical make-up workshops.
Top Story
ART FEST Hanford School has hosted their first Art Festival. The successful program saw 16 different artists and experts hosting talks and workshops for Hanford girls, staff, parents, friends, family, local school children and residents. The weeklong festival celebrated the role of creativity plays by exploring major environmental themes, with the aim of demonstrating how art communicates important ideas and issues.
R E S U LT SUCCES SES The Oratory School celebrated another year of A-Level success with 40% of pupils achieving an A*-A. Their A-Level results also placed The Oratory School in the top 3% of schools for adding value to this year’s Upper Sixth Form cohort. The school is also celebrating GCSE success, with 46% of all grades being the top grades of 9-7 (A*-A).
SOMETHING THEY SAID
“Call me old-fashioned, but the notion of not having personal space when you’re going through puberty is nonsensical, whatever your gender. Where should we draw the line?” KELLI N EALE I N TH E TI M E . H ER DAUG HTER FOUG HT TH E SCHOOL T O R E I N S TAT E S I N G L E S E X L O O S ( S H E W O N ) .
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UPFRON T / NEWS By GEORGIA MCVEIGH
W H Y B OA R D? Cranleigh School has designed an evening for prep schools and parents to discuss boarding queries. Open to anyone interested in sending their child to either Cranleigh or another boarding school, it includes talks from the Director of the Good Schools Guide, Education consultants, the Chair of the Boarding Schools Association and the Headmaster of Cranleigh Prep School.
LIFE SKILLS
G O L F I N G G OA L
Oakfield Prep offers a Year 6 Diploma during the summer term: a programme of workshops and projects that involve design, Creative Arts, reading groups with junior pupils, community visits to care homes and charities and leadership skills in sport, music and drama. Entrepreneurs, investment banks and local businesses run seminars in the school and visiting speakers hope to inspire the children. Their practical-design project for the Summer Fair involves strategic thinking, problemsolving and social responsibility.
The Golf Academy at Merchiston has been ranked No. 1 in the UK by the ISGA for the fifth year running. Each of the 19 schools competing had competed in their regional areas, so the competition for the national title was between the best performing schools in the UK. Merchiston Golf Academy were awarded second place, securing the prestigious Order of Merit award as the ISGA’s Number One Junior Golf School in the UK.
“It's an evening for parents to discuss boarding queries”
S TAT E - O F THE-ART The King’s School Canterbury will open a new, state-of-theart performing arts centre in January 2019. A former Victorian Malthouse close to the school will house a 334 seat theatre with retractable seating and full orchestra pit, two drama and dance studios, and spaces for art exhibitions. The theatre will benefit not only the school but also the local community with the space available for use within a city that has a thriving arts scene.
Top Story
CRICKET GIRLS Broomwood Hall’s girls cricket team were placed second at the London and Surrey finals of Lady Taverner’s Indoor Cricket competition and were unbeaten at the SOCS finals in June. Broomwood Hall prides itself on encouraging a high level of sport in female players, and the mixed rugby teams have also done very well this year, with sport growing in popularity amongst the girls.
S E N S O RY P L AY
C R E AT I V E CAREERS
The Moat School in Fulham has installed a new sensory playground in the Lower School area with investment from the Cavendish Education Group. The Moat School caters for pupils with unique learning profiles, and hopes that the new developments will to continue to provide the best possible care and results, both socially and academically.
Highgate School recently held a Go Creative – Get A Job! conference, focusing on the importance of creative arts in education. The head of Highgate, Adam Pettitt, highlighted the need to encourage the creative arts subjects in schools. Other speakers also took part, including a keynote from actor and writer Meera Syal CBE.
SOMETHING THEY SAID
“We have in this country quite an outdated idea of our education system, which is that private schools are posh and everything else isn’t. Whereas the truth is that, within the private sector, Eton and Harrow and Winchester and St Paul’s are posh. Everything else is middle-class.” C O M E D I A N D AV I D B A D D I E L
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UPFRON T / OPINION
Bursary bonus With more schools opening overseas franchises, the Chairman of the Independent Schools Council explains how they can help schools in the UK BARNABY LENON
E
ducation is a hugely important and significant UK export. British independent schools are globally renowned and, for this reason, the UK independent school model is becoming increasingly popular and translated to countries across the world. The ISC annual Census shows there are 47 ISC member schools that have set-up campuses abroad, educating a total of 32,330 pupils. There are, in fact, more pupils being educated in overseas campuses than there are overseas pupils in UK ISC schools. According to a report by the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), published in July 2018: “British international schools make up 45% of the international schools market. The schools are located outside the UK and teach a curriculum that would be recognised in the
ISC member schools are currently educating 32,330 pupils overseas UK, such as the National Curriculum for England. These schools have a distinctly British ethos, which can include highquality pastoral care, a range of extracurricular opportunities, and reference to British values, freedoms and culture.” As a leading UK export, the British international schools sector has significant economic value. The international education sector also has a big impact both socially and culturally, a fact acknowledged by many domestic and international pupils. As COBIS notes, the sector contributes to the UK economy through franchises, use of education goods and services, and
repatriation of salaries. In addition, British winternational schools send students to UK universities, and generate soft power of immense value by educating thousands of global, political, economic and professional leaders across the world. It is down to the strength of the independent sector that other countries have encouraged schools to set up partner schools abroad; recent years have seen such schools established in China and the Middle East and this has strengthened relationships with these important trading partners. The nations that appreciate the UK model are no strangers to impressive academic attainment within their own systems, but it is breadth of curriculum and the direct line into an established school's ethos and philosophy which draws in new parents. ABOVE Pupils at Repton School in Dubai
International franchise schools, run by UK-based ISC schools, help to fund bursaries in the UK, increasing access to UK independent schools. It is important schools can raise funds for bursaries in this way. With many independent schools having charitable status, they do much for the communities around them and a key part of this is in the offer of bursaries for students who would not otherwise be able to access independent education. A third of all independent school pupils now receive help with their fees. ISC schools provide more than £800 million of fee assistance, benefiting over 170,000 children. This figure is increasing year-on-year and is certainly being supported by the increase in overseas campuses. Independent schools believe in the importance of bursaries for a number of reasons. Bursaries widen the pool of applicants at ISC schools, meaning that schools have a greater mix of pupils from a variety of backgrounds and are a better representation of the country as a whole.
B A R N A BY L E N O N Chairman Independent Schools Council AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | B R I T I S H E D U C AT I O N | 19
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UPFRON T / OPINION
Time out The CEO of Leadership Matters on the importance of teachers taking stock AN DY B UCK
M
ost school leaders I work with put other people first. Every day. But taking time to step back from the day-to-day and reflect on our strengths and potential areas for growth is an essential part of leading well. Leaders at all levels owe it to themselves, their colleagues and the pupils they serve to take time out to recharge the leadership batteries. Seeing how more and more schools are starting to make leadership development a collaborative and school-based endeavour is really exciting. No longer is this just about someone going on a one-day leadership course. That’s not to say that the brilliant programmes run by trusted organisations are redundant. But alongside this, there is nothing more effective than high quality incremental leadership development that is rooted in developing strong leadership habits in the workplace. Quite apart from building leadership capacity from within, this approach also helps to develop a common language around leadership with a school or group of schools. And for schools working in an international context, being able to create one’s own leadership development opportunities is more of an essential than an option. The expert group in the UK looking at teacher professional development published its findings in the form of the highly respected standards for CPD (2016). This got me thinking about what a similar summary might look like for effective leadership development. Here is what I came up with: • The approach distinguishes between learning and development, with both included as part of a clear pedagogical framework. It’s all very well learning something, but it’s only useful if that enables you to develop your practice in a sustainable way. • It offers evidence-based leadership
ABOVE A teacher at Berkhamsted
knowledge within a carefully constructed curriculum that leaders can then apply within their context. • This leadership knowledge sits within a coherent leadership framework. • Learning with and from peers is a key feature of the approach. • There is an implicit understanding that leadership habits and skills take time to develop, and programme length reflects this. • There is an appropriate blend of teaching, mentoring, coaching, personal reflection and goal-setting are an integral part of the approach. • Tools that support self-awareness such as personality predisposition and 360 feedback are available towards the start of the process. • There is an opportunity through carefully curated publications and online resources for participants to personalise their learning. • There is a focus on the evaluation of impact throughout the process. • The overall approach should stretch, support and challenge leaders, leaving them feeling empowered and positive about the future.
Above all, great facilitation is about building a relationship with participants, asking brilliant questions that get them to work things through based on quality experiences and input. It’s about being curious and interested, rather than judging. Above all, it’s about helping individuals identify one or two areas for focus and creating a commitment to deliberately practise and then reflect on those areas. Leaders at all levels in all schools, in whatever setting, are forever going the extra mile for the pupils they serve. But taking time out to reflect and grow as an individual is both nourishing and makes you a better leader. What’s not to like?!
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CRUSE CON TROL Jo Cruse had it all and lost it all. She now uses her experience to teach young people how to be the masters of their own lives A M A N D A C O N S TA N C E
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UPFRON T / PROFILE
LEFT Jo Cruse in action at Dulwich College
J
o Cruse is blonde, beautiful and very, very articulate. Born in the UK and raised in South Africa, hers was a gilded pathway to certain success. Head girl at Herschel Girls’ School in Cape Town – the St Paul’s Girls’ of South Africa – followed by PPE at Cape Town University, she swiftly rose through the ranks of South African politics to become Chief of Staff to the Parliamentary Leader and then Head of Communications in Parliament. A move to the UK in 2012 didn’t slow her down; she taught Economics at high-flying Merchant Taylor’s in Northwood for a couple of years before becoming a spin doctor in Westminster. And then it all came crashing down. “I woke up on my 29th birthday; I was going through a divorce, I was depressed, unable to work and in big trouble financially. I’d gone from being a high-achieving 18 year-old on the traditional path to success to having failed by every metric of success
College, Cranleigh, Oakham, Westonbirt, Putney High (where Cruse held the role of ‘entrepreneur-in-residence’), Merchant Taylors’, Haberdashers Aske’s, Radley and Downe House. Cruse has had glowing references from many of them with numerous heads lauding her work with their students. Interviewing Cruse in a Mayfair coffee shop, it is hard to imagine she has ever had a moment of crisis or self-doubt. Immaculate in a navy suit, she has the chiselled cheekbones, toned arms and blonde mane of an avowed high flyer. Savvy beyond her years, she talks in a fluent millennial patois of therapy and management speak but has an emotional intelligence that goes way beyond soundbites. And she is winningly open about the fact that she hasn’t always been so together. For Cruse, the collapse in her late 20s has become the defining point in her life. She comes from a family of doers; her father, Peter Cruse, was an activist in an apartheid South Africa – he was exiled after becoming involved in the defence of Steve
doing great things, I’d probably get greater clarity about what I wanted to do.” On her return, Cruse was clear that she wanted to work in education with “the autonomy and dynamism that entrepreneurship offered,” she says. Fate came calling: Duncan Piper had been snapped up by James Dyson to run his university and needed to replace himself so in March 2017, Cruse took over at The Unreasonables. “It was extraordinary. Like entrepreneurship bootcamp for 18th months,” she says. The Unreasonables had identified a “real need”, says Cruse. “There is a huge defecit between what the world is demanding of young people and what schools are currently able to provide.” For the last 18 months, she has visited four to five schools a week delivering a variety of programmes. The first has been working with mainly sixth-form students, primarily delivering face-to-face leadership workshops, ranging from training prefects to Ted-Talk-style lectures.
THERE IS A HUGE DEFICIT BETWEEN WHAT THE WORLD IS DEMANDING OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND WHAT SCHOOLS CAN PROVIDE I’d set for myself, both personally and professionally. It was a real moment of reckoning,” she says now. The reckoning involved time out and lots of “invaluable” therapy. “I basically wanted to figure out how I got there and once I’d figured that out the commitment I made was to help other young people not to get to that place. It was the first step on the journey towards doing what I now do.” Cruse, aged 32, now delivers leadership programmes to young people. For the past 18 months, she has been the managing director of The Unreasonables, an education startup (founded by Duncan Piper who is himself now heading up the new Dyson University), which she has recently left in order to go it alone as a consultant. With The Unreasonables she ran leadership workshops in many of the UK’s leading schools including Dulwich
Biko – and her English mother was involved in the women’s rights movement in the UK in the Seventies. “Growing up, I was certainly encouraged to understand what I believe and then go out and act on it,” says Cruse. “But the real catalyst for me was experiencing a period of crisis and wanting to use it constructively.” Once back on her feet, Cruse set up a consultancy for social enterprises on communication strategy. “I was very interested in the intersection between education and entrepreneurship,” she says And then she fell in love “which was unexpected and lovely”. A night out with her now fiancé, Dom, resulted in a wild plan to travel from Alaska to Argentina, ostensibly to interview 75 social entrepreneurs from Anchorage to Buenos Aires. It sounds terribly high-minded but she now laughs that she had an ulterior motive. “I kind of figured if I spoke to 75 people that were
It quickly became apparent that students were hungry for skills development so Cruse worked with students on networking, public speaking and interview skills. Much of the work “was not rocket science, she says. It involved demystifying business speak and tips on negotiating the working world. Her one-hour ‘networking workshop’ for example, included simple tips on personal branding, such as having a business card and a LinkedIn profile, how to start a chance conversation and how to follow it up with a phone call or email. Things that many of us take for granted but are revelatory to our screen-glued youngsters. “A lot of it is basic old-fashioned manners,” says Cruse. “We do a 10-minute icebreaker around handshakes and eye contact. It’s the kind of stuff that makes you stand out if you are one of 100 people contesting for a big job. It’s an absolute game changer.” AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | B R I T I S H E D U C AT I O N | 23
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RIGHT Jo Cruse talks to students and teachers at Dulwich College
Cruse also led numerous “thoughtsparking sessions” on her philosophy of leadership. “For The Unreasonables, leadership is about being active in your choices and challenging assumptions.” Hence the company name. “It’s about disrupting conventional ways of thinking around leadership and how young people understand themselves and their futures.” She says many 15 or 16 year olds think of leadership as “something out there”. Many have already decided they aren’t leaders and “we want to them to question that”. One of the ways Cruse does that is to “reframe what leadership is”. Teenagers like to think in absolutes, in black and white. The oft-shared assumption, she says, is that to be a leader “you have to be extrovert, uber-confident, an achiever and infallible”. “One of our most popular sessions we ran was when I would go to schools and talk openly and very candidly about my own experience of having OCD. I was diagnosed when I was 16. It was very debilitating. I was very ill in my late teens but it was about saying to them – these two things can coexist: you can be a human being with all the complexity that comes with that and still lead.”
“You can be a human being with all the complexity that comes with that and still lead” That was “revelatory” for a lot of students, says Cruse. “Especially in those top schools that are uber, uber competitive and all about achievement with no room for fallibility. It was wonderful to see the conversation that that provoked.” Cruse says she has had some very emotional emails, from students who have been affected by her honesty in these sessions. She says that exposing herself to them is also an important part of defining what leadership is for them. “The farce is thinking everyone else has it sorted, there's a lack of honesty”, she says, citing her own experience as a good example. “Even though outwardly I was a leader, I showed very little active leadership of my own life in my teens and 20s. I didn’t develop that sense of agency for myself. I do this now because it’s really shit to be 29 and lost.”
Cruse sees “a very clear dovetail” between her work and helping young people manage their mental health. “So many problems such as anxiety are fed by uncertainty and if we can give young people the skills to cope with uncertainty then it will help their health and wellbeing.” Much of the uncertainty comes from the changing world of work. Cruse sees a fundamental “disconnect” between this and the way schools are still approaching education. “Most of my peers don’t work nine to five”, she says, “we all have portfolio careers. Even looking back at my own schooling, just 15 years ago, that was never ever part of the conversation. To survive in this working environment you need a completely different set of skills. We say to the students: ‘You will probably have five or six careers, you might work for 10 or more employers, you have got to learn how to manage that process.’” Cruse is now much in demand as an independent consultant and already has top schools, corporate clients and edtech companies clamouring for her talents. She is something of a paradox – despite her protestations, Jo Cruse is the success her 18-year-old self foresaw. What’s so appealing is her insight and honesty about how she’s got to this point and her preparedness to share that with others. She is clearly excited about her new consultancy role. Her projects all have the same central theme, she says, “How do we equip young people to be the best versions of themselves?’ As she heads out in to the Mayfair afternoon, it’s hard not to think that she is the very embodiment of her own teaching philosophy.
Jo Cruse’s CV PRESENT Education consultant and entrepreneur 2017-2018 Managing Director, The Unreasonables 2016-2017 Co-led the MacroAdventure expedition from Alaska to Argentina to interview social entrepreneurs and investors across the Americas 2014-2016 Political and Communications Advisor, Westminster 2010 -2012 Democratic Alliance - Chief of Staff to the Parliamentary Leader of the Opposition, Head of Research and Communications and, latterly, Parliamentary Operations Director 2007-2010 Business and Communications consultant and freelancer 2004-2006 PPE, University of Cape Town 1995-2003 Herschel Girls' School, Cape Town
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working children to celebrate their effort and successes as they move on to their senior schools. Whether children have conditional offers to their senior schools or not, the Common Entrance creates an opportunity for children to experience the pressure of examinations within the nurturing environment of their prep school. This is excellent preparation for the challenges of GCSEs. The Common Entrance also develops academic skills that are necessary for success at GCSEs and beyond. For example, in English and the Humanities, CE papers allow children to develop and hone their skills in LEFT analysis, synthesis, Pupils at Woodcote House reasoning and BELOW essay writing. A field trip at Sandroyd All examination
“I think it is an essential part for preparing prep-school children for later life” I think the benefits outweigh some of the flaws in the system. The entrance exams keep a group of 13 year olds academically focused, which is no mean feat. We could, of course, have internal exams, but they wouldn’t carry the weight or the same gravitas as a public exam. There is, of course, the argument that they’re too young to be undergoing so much stress, but we’ve had no CE failure ever – which is the same as with most schools. It is by and large a formality, as most senior schools have made their decisions by pre-testing. So yes, the boys do get a bit stressed but we’re lucky to be a small school so we can manage that - and I believe we do it very effectively. Parents also tend to get more stressed than the boys, but I think that’s for the school to manage and here we manage it very well.
systems, by their very nature, have flaws. However, I strongly believe that the Independent Schools Examining Board have been working hard to successfully adapt the CE syllabuses, and as such, have put Common Entrance firmly back on the map. Parents concerned about the narrow focus of the Common Entrance, or the pressure it places on children, should talk this through with the prep schools they are considering – asking them how they support pupils and balance CE preparation with a broader curriculum. For example, at Sandroyd, all of our academic lessons take place in the morning, leaving the afternoon to focus on the extracurricular and important character development skills. Showing that there is more than enough time in the day to fit everything in!”
ALASTAIR SPEERS HEADMASTER Sandroyd
C
ommon Entrance provides a vital set of ‘high stakes’ examinations that allow children to develop both academic rigour and a growth mindset. Whilst pre-testing is becoming the norm, this is largely based on computer tests that are closely linked to IQ levels. Success in Common Entrance is more closely related to hard work and effort, as opposed to innate intelligence. The CE exams therefore encourage a growth mindset that allows hard
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DAVID PATERSON
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With more schools introducing the 11-plus and pre-tests, is the Common Entrance dead? Here some prep schools give their thoughts on the pros and cons of the 13-plus
HEADMASTER Woodcote House
still firmly believe in the Common Entrance (CE). To me, it’s absolutely vital pupils have an entrance exam. Because Woodcote is a prep school, we’re preparing them for what’s going to confront them in the future which begins with their GCSEs, which they will sit three years after leaving their prep school. Nor would we have prepared them for the discipline that will be needed to take their A-Levels and beyond. Of course, there are weaknesses with the CE. Lots of subjects aren’t great. For example, the History syllabus is much too narrow, whereas conversely, the Religious Education syllabus is much too wide: there’s too much to learn. With this in mind, I can envisage that Common Entrance may condense into just the core subjects, so Maths, English, Science and a language.
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‘ Enjoying childhood and realising our imagination.’ “My time at Dallington has helped me to grow in body, mind and soul – this is something that I am immeasurably grateful for. Dallington has given me a push in the direction of success and I am thankful for all they have done. I will do the best I can to repay them, the best I can, by leading an honest and dignified life.” – Nick (Year 6 pupil) Dallington is a family-run co-educational independent school, with a nursery, in the heart of London. Personal tours each day of the week, except Wednesday. Next Open Evening: Thursday 4th October 2018 from 6 to 8 pm
Headteacher, Proprietor and Founder: Mogg Hercules MBE Email: hercules@dallingtonschool.co.uk Phone: 020 7251 2284 www.dallingtonschool.co.uk
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“One way forward would be that places offered at Year 6 and Year 7 are unconditional”
MARKS EDWARDS
D E P U T Y H E A D ( AC A D E M I C ) Dragon School
ABOVE Pupils at Knighton House
BELOW In the science lab at Dragon School
ROBIN GAINHER HEADMASTER Knighton House
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he Common Entrance is still alive but the move by senior schools to pre-testing pupils and confirming places at the start of Year 7 creates an opportunity to reimagine our curriculum across the final two years of prep school. Moving away from the somewhat rigid CE curriculum and testing regime will help us create a better balance between factual knowledge and the development of real, transferable skills. We believe this will lay still stronger foundations for successful future study, examination performance and later life. By consulting widely with the senior schools our girls move to, and listening to them carefully on their requirements at entry, we think moving away from CE is the right thing to do for the girls given they have already secured their place. Support and enthusiasm from senior schools for us to drop CE has been crucial in our planning and in reassuring parents that their
daughters will still be able to transfer to their senior school of choice. When we set out on this project we asked ourselves two key questions: is Common Entrance fit for purpose in 2018; and is it what we want educationally for the girls when they reached the top of the school? In both cases the answers were overwhelmingly no. Instead we are developing an alternative KED Curriculum (Knowledge Enlightenment Discovery) which will be more intellectually sound in content and methodology and include more stretch and challenge for each pupil. Schools which persist with putting their pupils through Common Entrance are doing a disservice to them. It will probably survive but it will soon be extinct here at Knighton House. For our girls this change will ensure that every leaver goes on from Knighton intellectually confident: readier and better able to meet the challenges of senior school and the world beyond.
I
n short, no: CE is not dead. However, we are certainly currently in a transition period. In reality, CE has never been wholly ‘Common’, as every school has different grade boundaries and is free to use the suggested mark schemes as they chose - nor ‘Entrance’, as increasingly places are provisionally allocated as early as Year 6. Indeed this early allocation of pupil places has become more pronounced with an increasing take-up among senior schools of the Common Pre-Test. What we now need is greater transparency and agreement. It is very difficult for 12 and 13-year old children to undergo the anxiety of entrance exams just weeks before they finish at their prep schools. This anxiety has now been magnified by the proliferation of pre-testing. One way forward would be that places offered at Year 6 and 7 are unconditional, something which a number of senior schools are now undertaking. However, this would not necessarily sound the death knell for CE, as there are many advantages to a Year 8 exam to mark the end of a child’s prep school education.
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Talking
HEAD
GOLD standard Giles Tollit, Headmaster of Horris Hill School, on why scholarships remain relevant
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everal of this country’s most prominent senior schools were founded in order to house scholars. Winchester College, established in 1382, was founded as a charitable institution by the Bishop of Winchester to educate 70 'poor scholars'. These days, only the most able pupils will be awarded scholarships by senior schools. When the preparatory school sector was established 500 years later, the winning of scholarships was central to any schools’ success, and the number of scholarship places won often defined the standing of each prep school. More than simply an honour, though, the senior schools would award large sums of money to successful scholars, with the most brilliant receiving as much as two-thirds of the fees. For the last 20 years, however, funds that were originally assigned for achievementbased scholarships are now worth ‘only’ 10%
“In an era where public exams have become easier, it is important to show how capable 13 year olds can be” of fees, although that is still a substantial sum. This has changed the scholarship landscape somewhat: I was in the scholars’ form when I was at prep school and I recall the pressure that was placed on several of my peers, for whom success in the scholarship would determine whether they went to their target school or not. This is rarely the case these days, and that it no bad thing. Selecting which pupils ought to use the academic scholarship route for entry (as long as they do well enough, candidates
can use scholarship papers in lieu of It is worth noting that in most ABOVE Horris Hill pupils Common Entrance) is a question of subject areas, the papers, designed ascertaining which pupils will enjoy to test the most able brains, will the challenge. As there is no set be at or beyond GCSE level. In an syllabus for scholarship and papers can look era when the public exams appear to have very different for from one year to the next, become easier, the opportunity to show being comfortable with the unknown is not just how capable children can be aged 13 something all Year 8 pupils are ready for. is hugely important. Every year or so, one At the same time, it is interesting to see of the broadsheets will publish part of the that the lists of scholarship winners have Eton General paper, expressing incredulity grown since the turn of the millennium. at what the candidates are being asked to This is partly due to individual prep schools do, whether it be philosophise about ethics feeding a larger number or show an ability to critique of senior schools, but also art. But these skills are well because the senior schools within the grasp of many themselves offer a wide range children in Year 8 and the of different awards. Where children in our schools should once there may have been be challenged. only academic, and possibly The pressure to win musical, scholars, there are scholarships may have now awards available for changed, but that they exist outstanding promise in art, and serve as a gold standard GILES TOLLIT design technology, drama, for prep schools is as vital Headmaster sport and for all-round today as it was when the Horris Hill School achievement. sector was first established. AUTUMN • WINTER 2018 | B R I T I S H E D U C AT I O N | 30
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