Absolutely Education Prep & Pre Prep by ABSOLUTELY Magazines

ABSOLUTELY EDUCATION PREP & PRE-PREP • AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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P &EP E PR -PR E PR

SPORTING

Life

Finding games they love

On the buses Cool school transport

Free

WILD wo r l d !

Discover London’s nature reserves

WWW.ZEST.LONDON

SPIRITS BEST AND BRIGHTEST CHOICES FOR EARLY YEARS AND PREP SCHOOLS

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The world can be a noisy place. That’s why children at St James practise ‘stillness’ and pause before and after every lesson. We see them calm down, refocus and head off to their next class buzzing with renewed energy.

For parents, peace of mind comes from knowing your child will thrive academically and creatively in a warm, happy environment. Our pupils get great results. They just don’t get stressed about it. Please get in touch today to find out more about us or to arrange a visit.

Peace of mind.

stjamesprep.org.uk Earsby Street London W14 8SH 020 7348 1793

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St James Nursery School Opening 2019 Our new nursery school opens next year. For details call 020 7348 1793

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An all-through education for your whole family Boys and Girls 2-18 years old To book a tour of any of our Nursery, Preparatory or Upper Schools visit:

www.eatonsquareschool.com

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CONTENTS upfront

14 WHAT'S ON

Fun family events for the season

16 SCHOOL NEWS

Out and about in the world of education

22 ON THE BUSES

Green and social, the school bus also widens parents' choice of capital schools

28 LASTING LEGACY

A charity in memory of Henry van Straubenzee that is making a huge difference in Uganda

pre-Prep

36 POSITIVE VIBES

A recovering academic is on a mission to spread happiness throughout schools

41 YOUNG GOURMETS

Why small children can get into great food – with a little support from school

42 BRILLIANT BOYS

One passionate campaigner says it's time to focus on how we raise boys' achievement

46 DIGITAL DECODE Good and bad screen use for children

Prep

52 OUT OF DATE

Is Common Entrance fit for purpose? Our experts discuss the state of play

60 SPORTING LIFE

From roller-disco to fencing, there's a sport to appeal to every child and enthuse them for life

65 CROSSED WIRES

A specialist talks about her own family's personal journey with dyslexia

67 MAKING MELODIES

A groundbreaking London music school

E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P

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EDITOR

Libby Norman EDUC ATION GROUP EDITOR

Amanda Constance

A DV ERTISING M A NAGER

Nicola Owens

COMMERCI A L DIR ECTOR

Leah Day

GROUP SA L ES DIR ECTOR

Craig Davies

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

Lucie Pearce

FINA NCE DIR ECTOR

Jerrie Koleci

PA TO THE DIR ECTOR S

Eva Lehoczky DIR ECTOR S

James Fuschillo Rochelle Streater M A NAGING DIR ECTOR

Sherif Shaltout

For advertising enquiries please call 020 7704 0588 or email: andy.mabbitt@zest-media.com

ZEST MEDIA PUBLICATIONS LTD

S c h o o l’ s O u t

70 ANIMAL MAGIC

The wonderful world of The Wildlife Trusts – and what it does for young people

74 TOP AUTUMN BOOKS Inspired choices for every style of reader

Q&A with the broadcaster and historian

82 BEETLE QUEEN

Zest Media Publications Ltd. cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs. While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and Zest Media Publications Ltd. take no responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters. All rights reserved.

ABSOLUTELY-EDUCATION.CO.UK ABSOLUTELY EDUCATION PREP & PRE-PREP • AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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197-199 City Road, London EC1V 1JN 020 7704 0588 ZEST-MEDIA.COM

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98 GREEN WARS

& EP P PR -PRE E PR

SPORTING

Life

On the buses Cool school

Finding games they love

Free

94 HIGH FLYERS

Winning children over to vegetables survive the dreaded sleepover

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transport

A beetle phobic who turned fear into brilliant and bestselling children's books

The Swiss mountains in summer are a paradise landscape – and with lots to do

ABSOLUTELY

WILD wo r l d !

Discover London’s nature reserves

SPIRITS BEST AND BRIGHTEST CHOICES FOR EARLY YEARS AND PREP SCHOOLS

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F R O N T C OV E R Redcliffe School is a prep and pre-prep for girls and boys aged 2 to 11 redcliffeschool.com

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IS YOUR CHILD FUTURE READY?

CON T R IBU TOR S

M.G Leonard

> CREATIVITY & CODING CAMPS

Bestselling author and beetle aficionado

FOR CHILDREN AGES 5-12+

M.G. Leonard turned her fear of beetles into something positive with a bestselling series of books. She talks about creativity, reading and facing your fears.

> THE FUTURE OF PERFORMANCE WITH CODE - MUSIC, DANCE, SPORTS, CIRCUS, FILM & PRODUCTION

Dan Snow Historian and TV presenter

The St Paul's alumnus and broadcaster tells us about his love of history, his belief in looking for the next challenge and a new scheme for bringing the past to life.

Gary Wilson Education consultant and campaigner

Gary Wilson is widely regarded as one of the country's leading experts on raising achievement in boys. In 'Brilliant Boys' he talks about raising their self-esteem.

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EATON HOUSE SCHOOLS EATON HOUSE THE MANOR AND EATON HOUSE BELGRAVIA

UNFORGETTABLE

8+ EXAM AND SCHOLARSHIP ENTRANCE ON JANUARY 17TH, 2019 EATON HOUSE THE MANOR BOYS’ SCHOOL

EATON HOUSE BELGRAVIA PREP, PRE-PREP AND NURSERY

• Excellent all round results to the best senior schools • A cluster of scholarships and a coveted John Colet Scholarship to St Paul’s School

• The best Pre-Prep results in 5 years • In 2018, 40% of 7+ and 8+ pupils received offers to Westminster Under and St Paul’s Junior School, amongst many other fine schools

If you want to start a conversation about your child’s brilliant future and an 8+ entry into Eaton House the Manor in Clapham or Eaton House Belgravia, ring our Head of Admissions, Jennifer McEnhill, on 0203 917 5050 to book for the 17th January 2019 Prep Entry Test. You can also discuss scholarship entry with her and she will be happy to answer any questions that you may have about the schools and book you in for an Open House morning.

NURTURING EXCELLENCE EATON HOUSE SCHOOLS www.eatonhouseschools.com

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Book isit v r u yo ay! tod

Nursery and Pre-Prep Schools, NW3 30 October 6 November

North Bridge House

Prep School, NW1 2 November

Senior Hampstead, NW3 30 October 1 December

Senior & Sixth Form Canonbury, N1 29 November

Book an open event today northbridgehouse.com/open admissionsenquiries@northbridgehouse.com

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FROM THE

EDITOR

utumn is a time of change, but also a season of new beginnings, as it marks the start of the school year and – for many children – the transition between class or school. With that in mind, in this issue we explore some of the key themes exercising parents and educators. One of them is definitely the journey to school, and On the Buses (page 22) looks at the ‘old school’ approach to transport – the school bus. For many parents this is a godsend, reducing time on the roads but also widening their choice of school. Perhaps equally important, it provides an opportunity for children to develop independence and friendships beyond the school gates – so a journey that doesn’t feel like a waste of time. While the weather may have closed in, with shorter nights and fallen leaves, there is every reason to get active and explore the rich landscapes that autumn brings. Our profile of The Wildlife Trusts’ year-round work to reconnect us to the great outdoors (page 70) will, I hope, inspire you to set out on your own family adventure. I can think of no better way to celebrate the season.

L I B BY N O R M A N Editor

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www.greatwalstead.co.uk startdreaming@greatwalstead.co.uk

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Up Front W H AT ' S O N p . 14 • O N T H E B U S E S p . 2 2

CRANMORE CELEBRATES, SEE PAGE 16

PHOTO: ADRIAN WHITE

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W H AT ’ S ON Fill your Christmas calendar before the best stuff gets booked, and say hello to Disney on Ice’s newest star

3 FA M I LY P E R FO R M A N C E S On the menu this month: kids classics and family-friendly jazz

The Snowman 22 November - 6 January 2019 The Peacock Theatre

The classic tale returns in a performance that matches Raymond Briggs’ sublime storytelling with spellbinding music and dance. Kids as young as three will love the festive cheer. peacocktheatre.com

Shrek Until 6 January Various venues

There are a couple of months left before this national tour closes. Join Shrek, Donkey and all the oddballs from the classic film in a rip-roaring musical tale. shrekthemusical.co.uk

Book Ahead

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF

Disney on Ice 13 March - 23 April 2019

Nationwide

Worth getting in early for this one as tickets are likely to sell fast. The next Disney on Ice tour will see over 50 beloved characters take to the ice in a musical spectacular. And for the first time, Dory – the forgetful fish from the Finding Nemo series – will take audiences on a spellbinding dive into the deep... disneyonice.com

Family Jazz 25 November Blackheath Conservatoire

Listen to some of the best jazz musicians in the world in the beautiful surroundings of Blackheath’s Conservatoire studios. Inspiring fun for the entire family. conservatoire.org.uk

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Up Front

EVENTS

Christmas at Beaulieu 23 November - 30 December Beaulieu Abbey

Christmas at Beaulieu promises to be little short of enchanting, with a scented fi re garden, icicle walk, singing trees and show-stopping light displays turning the estate into a veritable winter wonderland. And that’s before you’ve even enjoyed the seasonal refreshments and met Father Christmas himself… beaulieu.co.uk

ROOM ON THE

BROOM

23 November - 13 January Lyric Theatre

Fireworks

witch on a broomstick goes for a ride with her hat on her head and her cat at her side. She picks up a bird and a hitchhiking frog, then offers a lift to a wayfaring dog. But the broom is slender – not strong and stout – and to make matters worse there’s a dragon about... What happens next? Will our heroes survive? This award-winning show brings the story alive. nimaxtheatres.com

20 -21 & 26-27 October & 2 November Legoland

egoland is throwing quite a party to mark Bonfi re Night this year, with a spectacular Lego-themed display that will tie in with their Halloween celebrations. Expect giant spooky minifigures, lots of Lego pumpkins and fi reworks that, viewed through 3D glasses, transform from showers of sparks into colourful bursts of fl ying blocks. legoland.co.uk

3 Christmas Warm-ups

C H R I STM A S CA R N I VA L 21-25 November Waddesdon Manor, Bucks

Kickstart your Christmas with a family road-trip to Waddesdon Manor, where for five days this November, there’ll be a Christmas carnival complete with hot chocolate, letters to Santa, lots of fairy lights and special events. waddesdon.org.uk

FATH E R C H R I STM A S AT TH E H A LL 22 November - 22 December Royal Albert Hall

The Santa experience to end them all, taking little ones on an hour-long journey to Saint Nick’s secret London HQ, complete with snow, fairies and a gift from the man himself. royalalberthall.com

F I N D I N G SA NTA

14 November - 24 December Little Angel Theatre

This interactive show sees the audience shaping the course of the story. Discover how each letter to Santa finds its way across thousands of miles to his North Pole home – and enjoy some fine festive puppetry. littleangeltheatre.com

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SCHOO L N EWS Top Story

ELECTRIC IDEA

LIFE ON MARS Barrow Hills School pupil Jedd Fiander, 9, won this year’s Generation Beyond Challenge organised by Lockheed Martin and Discovery Education. He designed a habitation module for Orion, the NASA spacecraft that will go to Mars in the 2030s. The judges said Jedd’s winning design, which included a zero gravity rocket and radiation room, was “very close to the real thing”.

N EW LO N D O N SENIOR Kensington Park School (KPS) has opened its doors to pupils aged 11-16. The new co-ed senior school on the north side of Kensington Gardens, follows the opening of the school’s sixth form on Queen’s Gate last year. “We firmly believe we offer something different and exciting to discerning young learners and their parents,” says Headmaster Paul Vanni."

Felsted Prep pupil Toby Stringer, 11, saw his invention come to life when he visited Kingston University after winning the Primary Engineer Young Leaders Award. Kingston staff developed Toby's invention – ‘The Electricity Trampoline’, a functioning energy converter – and Toby and his classmates, had the chance to jump on it.

Historic milestone

SUCCESS STO R I E S

Dulwich College celebrates its 400th anniversary next year with a Dulwich Olympiad 2019. Next March it will play host to some 800 participants from Dulwich College International schools. There will be a special Founder’s Week, with concerts and commemorative celebrations – including a service at St Paul’s Cathedral.

Eaton House Belgravia Pre-Prep has achieved its best results for 7+ and 8+ exams in five years. These are the first set of results for new headmaster Huw May; just under 40 per cent of boys received offers from top schools such as Westminster Under and St. Paul’s. Eaton House Schools have also announced the development of a new Outdoor Learning Space.

R OYA L F L O T I L L A Cranmore School Rowing Club hosted Gloriana, the Queen’s Royal Barge, at Walton Rowing Club as part of the school’s 50th celebrations. QRB Gloriana headed a procession of boats up the Thames and its crew was made up of former Cranmore rowers and parents – including Atlantic record-breaking rower Calum Gathercole.

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Up Front

NEWS

Trunk call Cumnor House Sussex pupils went on a trunk call to raise funds for the charity Happy Days The pre-prep children aged from 2 to 7 donned elephant masks and trumpeted and sang their way around the school’s grounds raising over £1,000.

N E W FAC E S

C E L E B R AT I N G 70 Bassett House School was joined by heads, parents and staff to rcelebrate its 70th birthday at Soho House in the old BBC Television Centre building – which is where the husband of school founder Sylvia Rentoul worked.

L ife classes

Among the new faces starting at Hazlegrove this autumn was Hannah Strugnell, who takes over the reins as Head of Pre-Prep at the Somerset school. With a background in state and independent sectors, and experience leading on whole-school literacy, Hannah said: “It is such a vibrant area of the school and I am thrilled to be joining the team here at Hazelgrove”.

Oakfield Prep in West Dulwich now 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.

Heads up Beaudesert Park School in the Cotswolds, which recently celebrated its centenary, has a new headmaster Chris Searson. Searson, who joins Beaudesert with his wife Harriet and two young children, said: “I am thrilled to be here. The school has a rich history behind it and a bright future ahead. I look forward to playing my part in it.”

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Up Front

NEWS

BLAZER TRAIL

ART FEST Hanford School hosted its first art festival, with a programme that brought together 16 artists and experts to give talks and workshops to the girls, staff, parents, friends and other local schools. The week-long festival at the Dorset prep, which offers day and boarding places, explored major environmental themes – including endangered species and habitats, recycling and up-cycling – with the aim of demonstrating how effectively art can communicate important ideas and issues.

Year 6 pupils from Rose Hill School in Tunbridge Wells have scooped a hat trick of prizes, winning second, third and runner-up in the national John Lewis Innovation Challenge. Their task was to reinvent a school blazer and give it a new life. Pupils won second prize with a stationery folder, third prize with a dog-coat and the runner-up prize for a remote-control pouch. They were invited to meet John Lewis MD Paula Nikolds and present their ideas. One pupil said: “When it was our turn to talk about the product I felt like I was on The Apprentice, it was very exciting!”

N E W AT S T NICHOLAS P L AY T I M E Sir Lenny Henry joined pupils and staff of Hill Mead Primary School in Brixton for the launch of Let’s Play, a new National Theatre drama and theatre initiative for primary schools across the country. The programme commissions new plays with songs and music for children aged from 4 to 11. The National Theatre is aiming to recruit at least 700 schools across the UK to take part over the next three years.

St Nicholas Preparatory School in South Kensington welcomes new Head of Pre-Prep Katie Paynter this autumn. A member of the IAPS Pre-Prep Advisory Group, Katie has been in teaching for 22 years and is passionate about igniting a sense of curiosity in children. She says: “I am very much looking forward to being a part of the vibrant school community".

Top Story

SENSORY CENTRE The Moat School in Fulham has installed a sensory playground in the Lower School area. The school has had investment from the Cavendish Education group, with recent projects including a new science lab and refurbished playground area. The school is dedicated to providing the best possible care and results – both socially and academically – for pupils with unique learning profiles.

BLITZ SPIRIT Pupils at St Benedict’s Junior School, Ealing began the autumn term with a trip back to the time of The Blitz. It was a vivid introduction to their WW2 topic ‘We’ll Meet Again’, as children explored an Anderson Shelter, experienced an air-raid siren, tried using a hand pump and had a go with a washboard and mangle.

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“A wonderful place to grow a rooted sense of self, and joy in life and learning.” Good Schools Guide 2016

3–18 | Boarding & Day | 1 hour from London To book a place on an open morning or to arrange an individual visit, please contact Janie Jarman, Registrar.

T 01730 711733 E jjarman@bedales.org.uk Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 2DG

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PARTNERSHIP

Outdoor

LEARNING LEARNING AT BEDALES

hen the chance came for her to lead Dunannie, with its track record of pioneering and innovative education, it was one Victoria Homewood simply had to take. She says: “The school’s values and approach align very closely with my own philosophy, which focuses on the needs of the individual and the development of children’s inquisitiveness and love of learning”. The school’s ethos, as established by founder John Badley, is ‘Head, Hand and Heart’ – prescribing an education for the whole child that combines the academic, the practical and the social. However, says

Victoria Homewood, the new Head of Bedales Pre-Prep School Dunannie, arrives with a wealth of experience, enthusiasm for early years’ education and a fresh approach to education and immersion in nature

M OST OF U S S PE N D TH E VAST M AJOR IT Y OF TIM E IN DOORS , AN D OUR CON N ECTION WITH N ATU R E IS L IM ITE D – IT IS TIM E TO R E IM AGIN E E DU CATION AN D R ECTIFY TH IS BAL AN C E Victoria (left), “Bedales’ original educational approach requires interpretation to make it relevant for its time”. For example, of her enthusiasm for outdoor education, she says: “These days, most of us spend the vast majority of our time indoors, and our connection with nature is consequently limited. It is time to reimagine education and rectify this balance”. Alongside the benefits of bringing subjects to life in a new way, Victoria believes that exposure to nature can help children

connect with themselves and others in an unpressurised way. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she is not in favour of testing for young children. She says: “There is an assumption that children should achieve a certain level at a certain age, which is misguided – they should not have to deal with that kind of stress, and the fear of ‘failure’”. Instead, Victoria is an advocate of ‘growth mind-set’ – a concept developed by psychologist Carol Dweck which supports the idea that those young people who believe that their intelligence is not fixed but can be grown are better able to cope with life. With this in mind, she favours children learning to understand their mistakes as evidence of something that they are simply not able to do at present, but will achieve in the future. So, what might the future for Dunannie look like under Victoria’s stewardship? She will obviously devote time to ensuring that the essentials – reading, writing and numeracy – are learned alongside the values of being kind and decent to one another and having good interpersonal skills. Victoria adds: “The ethos and family culture are invaluable here at Bedales; the facilities are wonderful, and we have great teaching talent”. However, her passion for outdoor learning might see more happening outside the classroom. “This focus on outdoor learning has always been an outstanding feature of life at Dunannie, but I plan to make it even more so.” AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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On the

BUSES It’s green, it’s social and with a pleasingly ‘old-school’ ﬂavour, so no wonder many young Londoners take the official school bus. Absolutely Education investigates what this offers to children and their parents B y LIBBY NORMAN

ou may have seen the cluster of school-uniformed children in Sloane Square, or standing together by Wandsworth Common or by Islington Town Hall. They are quite likely to be waiting for the school bus. Many independent schools in and around London have embraced a green and efficient way to deliver and return their pupils – and it ticks an awful lot of boxes for the school and its local community, as well as being an A-star winner for parents and pupils. Taking the official bus (and often it’s a mini bus or coach) is a pleasingly ‘old-school’ approach. But for busy London children and parents, it’s also a godsend that works for all sorts of thorough-

ly modern reasons. For parents it’s a huge timesaver and stress-reducer – that battle through the traffic to deposit and retrieve can take up a fair chunk of the day. Then there is the green and eco-friendly angle; unless you are a meticulously organised car sharer or lucky enough to live close enough to walk to school, it can be discomforting to consider the pollution you are contributing to the London atmosphere when you do the school run ten times each week by car. And no one wants to add fresh material to that oldchestnut about parents and their ‘Chelsea tractors’. The third brilliant thing about school buses is that they can considerably extend choice – both where you choose to live and where you send your child to school. For instance, the Dulwich schools (Dulwich College, Alleyn’s and James Allen’s Girls’ School) run a regular bus service that lets west-siders from as far afield a s B a y s w a t e r,

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Up Front

SCHOOL BUSES

IT BROADENS THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP OF A SCHOOL WHEN IT BECOMES ACCESSIBLE TO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS OF LONDON

SYDENHAM HIGH SCHOOL

Kensington and Chelsea to travel safely and securely to the east using the Foundation Schools’ Coach Services. But if there’s one clincher on the deal, it’s what travelling by school bus can offer for children. And this is where many parents may get a twinge of nostalgic pleasure remembering their own friendships forged and games played during that social bus journey before and after school. Katharine Woodcock, headmistress of Sydenham High School, has no doubts of the all-round value of the minibus services they offer, with routes that run from areas such as Clapham, Dulwich, Camberwell, Bromley and Streatham. She says: “Our minibus service stemmed from a recognition that our pupils join us from an increasing range of locations across south London and that parents are not always able to transport their child to school.

“With the public transport links we enjoy, our bus service is a welcome additional option for all our parents to consider, regardless of their daughter’s age, when planning that route to school. Apart from the positive environmental impact of girls from further afield travelling in to school together, parents enjoy having this choice and the flexibility it offers. The girls love making friends in different year groups and, with a maximum of 14 girls on a minibus, there is a strong sense of camaraderie.” It’s a similar story for North London Collegiate School, which runs what it believes to be among the capital’s most comprehensive school bus service up to its leafy campus in Edgware. With 22 coach routes, picking up and dropping off in destinations including Belsize Park, Islington and Kensington, it is an impressive logistical feat. “Around 600 girls travel here by bus, says North London Collegiate’s Sarah Chapper. “That’s almost half the girls who attend the school.” The school has an official buddy scheme, known as ‘coach pals’, which ensures that the youngest travellers (from reception up) have someone to sit with them until they are confident enough to make their own friends and mix with classmates. The girls have even written an article about the games they play on the buses (Flip Monster being a favourite), the snack-box fruit shared and the music videos sung-along-to on the journey. This entertainment value is something no parent can compete with, obviously, and has real benefits for the children’s social life.

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Thrive

(verb)

1. To grow or develop well; to flourish 2. To be successful; to prosper

W W W.R O S E H I L L S C H O O L.C O.U K

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Up Front

SCHOOL BUSES

IF THERE’S ONE CLINCHER ON THE DEAL IT’S WHAT TRAVELLING BY SCHOOL BUS OFFERS FOR CHILDREN – FRIENDSHIPS FORGED AND GAMES PLAYED BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL

ST NICHOLAS PUPILS

“The younger children idolise their coach pals, who look after them and make sure their seatbelts are done up,” says Sarah Chapper. She adds that this ‘non formal’ opportunity to socialise at the beginning and end of the day is a great way to build up friendships and camaraderie. There is a further benefit for the school though. “It broadens the demographic make-up because we are making our school accessible to so many different areas of London.” The same is true of Forest School London in Snaresbrook, E17, which carries over 200 children – from Year 3 up – out to the leafy fringes of east London each and every day using a trusted local carrier. Routes take in Docklands, Islington, Crouch End and Highbury Corner, as well as the more

local areas of Epping and Buckhurst Hill. Forest, like other independent schools, was very responsive to parental demand in designing its service. This would suggest it is definitely worth enquiring about bus routes if you are considering schools outside your immediate locale. Schools in the lush green corners of London – and some excellent Home Counties schools also offer daily coach services – bring the draw of space and a more rural environment. But you can also opt for a school closer to the heart of the capital that gives children the opportunity to ride in mini-bus style with their friends. St Nicholas Prep in South Kensington’s museum quarter offers a bespoke service, carefully mapped out to minimise travel time for the children (no longer than 40 minutes). Routes are allocated with input from parents and St Nicholas really has designed a worry-free service. Chaperones accompany every bus to ensure children are safely strapped in, happy and entertained, and let the driver concentrate without worrying about mischief at the back of the bus.

As one parent puts it: “I enjoy the flexibility of being able to have my daughter picked up in the morning and I can collect her in the afternoon”. Like other London schools, St Nicholas believes this is a great help in widening school options for parents. The bus service also brings a sense of independence to children, building confidence about social situations outside home and school. While London can seem a big and sometimes un-navigable place, the familiarity – with route, with bus-buddies – makes this journey a safe and soft introduction to the ‘grown up’ world of public transport. Perhaps the last word on this should go to a St Nicholas Prep bus-user: “I like to sit in the front and read my book,” says one happy Year 4 pupil. AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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Real-life learning

Dallington School's Maria Blake says that experiential learning delivers huge benefits, but our great challenge is to maintain it throughout children’s schooldays

et me listen and I will soon forget. Let me see and I will remember. But let me do it – and then I will understand. Confucius’ wisdom is much appropriated by school websites, as they seek to distil their educational philosophy into an attractive tagline. It speaks of gravitas, of a progressive approach, and it is often accompanied by a commitment to ‘educating the whole child’. But are we ensuring that learning is really embedded in the

A DALLINGTON SCHOOL PUPIL

curriculum beyond the early years? Observe any excellent Early Years setting and you will see children going about the lively and thrilling business of experiential learning. Whether tackling their laces and buttons or an animated dramatisation of The Gruffalo, young children have boundless opportunities to immerse themselves in their learning – and as teachers or parents we delight in their myriad accomplishments as we guide them through their everexpanding world. This is learning through doing – in glorious action.

“A creative, cross-curricular approach is fundamental: learning comes to life in real life”

Up Front

MARIA BLAKE Director of Teaching & Learning Dallinghton

OPINION

We also marvel at how the simplest of activities can nurture complex but critical life skills – communication, reflection, problem solving and critical thinking, empathy, resilience – the very skills that are increasingly at the forefront of education discourse. But does the importance of experiential learning change? As our children are now expected to demonstrate engagement and achievements using tests, tablets or textbooks within highly prescribed success criteria, we need to consider how we can stay true to our intent to ‘educate the whole child’. We also need to consider how we ensure that immersive experiences – which embrace the range of learning styles found in any classroom – make regular and effective appearances in our school curriculum. My answer would be that it demands a creative and dynamic approach – and hard work. For example, our Year 5 and 6 classes have been extending their understanding of the heart and the circulatory system by dissecting ox hearts. They have shared their learning with the Year 1 children, who are only just being introduced to the human body and its organs. Has the understanding of the Year 6 children been consolidated by pushing their fingers through the ventricle? Of course it has. Will our Year 1 children forever associate learning about their own hearts with the handling of the ox heart and excited presentation by their schoolmates? Naturally! Learning comes to life in real life, and a creative, cross-curricular approach is fundamental. Every curriculum area becomes relevant and understanding is embedded. We can develop a programme of residential, curriculum-based learning that begins in Year 1 – the possibilities are endless and the rewards legion. Effective experiential learning is not only possible, but essential if we are to stay true to our ‘whole child’ beliefs and celebrate the legacy of Confucius. Yes, it's hard work and we have to win the hearts and minds of those who would cleave to an eyes-down curriculum. But enthusing the children is easy. AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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Becoming the best we can be…

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PUPILS AT KIIRA PRIMARY SCHOOL

L ASTING

legacy When Henry van Straubenzeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life was tragically cut short, his parents turned his African dream into a force for good B y GEORGIA MCVEIGH

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Up Front

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very year, Princes William and Harry are pictured walking out of an annual carol service in memory of their prep school friend Henry van Straubenzee. Fresh out of school in 2003, Henry was working as a gap year student at his alma mater Ludgrove Prep School to raise money for a trip to Uganda, when, just before Christmas, he was killed in a car crash on the school’s drive. It’s a call that no parents should have to receive, but it is often said that out of something tragic comes something good. Following Henry’s death, his parents Claire and Alexander began an endeavour that has so far benefited more than 30,000 children annually in Uganda. Starting with a single donation to Buphadengo Primary School, where Henry was due to teach, the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund (HvSMF) mushroomed after Claire and Alexander realised that the crisis in Uganda’s education was far wider than a single school. Now a small UK-registered NGO, HvSMF aims to lift children out of poverty through education, making donations across numerous projects in the south east region of Uganda; Prince William and Prince Harry have been its joint patrons since 2009. Following Uganda's free Universal Primary Education (UPE) drive in 1997, the BUPHADHENGO PRIMARY SCHOOL

DANCING AT BUTANSI PRIMARY SCHOOL

number of pupils in primary education rocketed from 3.1 million to 7.6 million. And while this was a step forward in Uganda’s bid towards democratisation, the huge influx of pupils meant there were challenges – a lack of resources, teaching facilities, buildings and qualified staff. School lessons are often taught outside, with little or no protection from the elements. So if it rains classes are called off due to a lack of shelter. But the elements are not the only problem facing children in search of an education. A lack of suitable footwear is an issue, particularly when pupils often walk for miles to attend their lessons in bare feet. This means they are more susceptible to infections of ‘Jiggers’ – a type of flea that buries itself under the toe nails and/or buttocks of children who walk without shoes and sit on dirty, dusty unscreeded concrete classroom floors. HvSMF hopes to change this. It has invested in school buildings and key education resources, targeting the very poorest areas where schools struggle to attract pupils and quality teaching staff. It starts by establishing a relationship with

HENRY WAS WORKING AT LUDGROVE TO RAISE MONEY FOR A TRIP TO UGANDA WHEN HE WAS KILLED

the school in question and pinpointing its immediate needs. Once the big issues, such as shelter, flooring and building quality, have been addressed it remains up to HvSMF to decide whether to extend the funding further to include features such as new toilets, teacher housing and other necessary resources. This is normally dependent on improved academic performance and increased enrolment into the school. But what sets the charity apart is the team's understanding of each school’s needs and the most important factors to address. This requires commitment from both the school and the charity and, by establishing a solid partnership, both can determine where money is best spent. The charity also makes a point to be very open AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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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.

Headteacher, Proprietor and Founder: Mogg Hercules MBE Email: hercules@dallingtonschool.co.uk Phone: 020 7251 2284 www.dallingtonschool.co.uk

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Up Front

FO C U S

sponsoring one student from each of their six secondary schools to attend the St Eliza School of Nursing and Midwifery. The fiveterm course over two-and-a-half years costs just over £5k per student, and is something that the charity hopes to expand if further funds/donations become available. Out of small beginnings, the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund (Fighting Poverty through Education in Uganda) has already made a huge difference to the lives of many young people. Improving children's lives was what Henry had hoped to do, in some way, during his trip in 2003, so it’s a fitting epitaph and no better way to remember him.

THE NEWEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL DRIVE OF HVSMF IS THE INSTALLATION OF BORE HOLES INTO SCHOOLS

BUGULUMBYA NURSERY AND PRIMARY SCHOOL

KEY STATS

CHILDREN AT KIFUYO SCHOOL

with government officials, parent teacher conference associations and boards of governors, so that each can have an input as to where the need is greatest. The newest and most successful drive in the HvSMF is the installation of bore holes into each school complex, removing the need for children to traipse for miles to the nearest community hole, and so ensuring more classroom time. HvSMF is run by unpaid UK volunteers and a few paid directors in Uganda, enabling Claire and Alexander to filter the majority of funds raised back into the projects they support. HvSMF is currently helping more than 30,000 children annually across 44 nursery, primary and secondary schools. But it isn’t stopping there, and Claire and Alexander have project plans firmly in place for many of the schools that they support. During 2018 alone the charity has requested funds from three different Grant Making Trusts to support a secondary school that only had six pupils in 2003 and has now expanded to 1,200 pupils. Of these, 260 students sat O-Levels (equivalent to the UK GCSE) and 18 sat A-Levels for the first time in November 2017. The charity is also exploring vocational training for students who want to take their education further. This year they are

ince 2005, HvSMF has constructed 157 classrooms and renovated 206. The team have constructed 202 teachers’ houses and renovated 75. They have constructed 50 dormitories and renovated 10. They have installed 69 water tanks, 17 boreholes (including the 6 drilled during 2018), constructed 691 pupil latrines and renovated 220, as well as providing text books, solar panels, musical instrument and sports packages, storage cupboards and 4,453 three-seater desks. In 2017, they completed 175 projects in 25 schools with an investment of approximately £360,000. In total, they have donated over £2.5 million to the schools of south east Uganda since 2004. H E N RY VA N S T R AU B E N Z E E MEMORIAL FUND If you would like to find out more or donate to the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund, please visit henryvanstraubenzeemf.org.uk

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Up Front

FOCUS

SCHOOL NOTICES FOUNDERS CLARE REID AND GORDON DAWSON

Buyer’s

MARKET School Notices is a digital network that beneﬁts parents and schools alike B y A M A N DA C O N S TA N C E

ant to get a llama, offer a home to a puppy or maybe buy a pink Cadillac? Or maybe you’re selling an Eton tailcoat or want to rent your villa in Barbados. You can find all these things and much more on School Notices, a successful digital marketplace. Like Radio HP and its cooler metropolitan cousin Emily’s Group, School Notices has built an impressive online following. Taking the principle of the old-fashioned school noticeboard, it is a cutting-edge website that connects up schools, parents and alumni across the country. “It’s a really simple concept to be honest,” says Clare Reid, who founded the business in 2014. “Most parents don’t want to advertise their kid’s musical instruments or look for a nanny, on a dusty noticeboard in the school

corridor. Nor do they want to rent out their precious holiday home to a stranger on Airbnb, which is where we come in.” “It’s a trusted community,” she says. “You have an idea of who you are dealing with, which really matters.” The website is free to join and parents, staff and alumni can buy, sell and advertise to one another, safe in the knowledge that other users will be PLU – People Like Us, as my granny used to say. But School Notices is much more than a great free-to-post digital marketplace, it raises money for its member schools. A sizeable 25 per cent of all advertising revenue is shared with them, providing an alternative revenue stream with no effort required. So far 130 UK member independent schools have signed up – with access to nearly 90,000 parents – and the business is also launching in Asia and Australia. “It’s a very successful concept,” says Reid,

SCHOOL NOTICES HAS RAISED £100,000 SO FAR FOR MEMBER SCHOOLS “and there’s a real feel-good factor because we are helping schools and parents”. And these aren’t any old parents – most independent school parents are in the top one per cent of earners in the UK. “Where an affluent audience goes, the businesses will follow,” says Reid. School Notices already boasts an impressive roster of advertising clients, such as Boden, Bupa, Boodles, Powder Byrne, Bailey Robinson, Strutt & Parker and St James’s Place. Some are businesses run by parents – as in the case of Bailey Robinson (“a Cheam parent”, says Reid) or big corporates attracted by the audience demographic. Reid got the idea for School Notices when she was involved in raising money for a new art block at her childrens’ school, Cheam, near Newbury. “I sidled up to a friend – a dad on the touch line – her now partner Gordon Dawson and within a week we were in the headmaster’s study explaining our idea", she says. "We tested it at Cheam – within the first term most parents had signed up… Last term the school had a cheque for £14k from us.” Just four years ago Reid and Dawson were running their business in a barn. They are now a team of 14 in an office near Basingstoke. And they have raised £100,000 for member schools so far, although Reid says: "We won't break open the bubbly until we get to £500,000”. Schoolnotices.co.uk AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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POSITIVE

V I B E S One recovering psychology academic is on a mission to help schools tune into positive thinking that, he says, drives academic results as well as changing mindsets and improving mental health B y LIBBY NORMAN

r Andy Cope spent 12 years at Loughborough University researching his PhD into positive psychology and the thorny issue of happiness. It was, he says, an experience that made him unhappy. “When we talk about mental health, we tend to mean mental ill health and much of the literature surrounding this whole topic of happiness focuses on people who are unhappy.” What Cope realised some way into his PhD was that there was precious little study into people who are happy and positive about their lot – the kind of people who spring out of bed every morning and tackle life’s obstacles cheerfully – and so that’s one thing he looked into. He says: “It turns out that

naturally happy people have exactly the same problems to deal with as everyone else. The difference is how they deal with the problems”. PhD concluded, he moved out of the world of academia (although he still describes himself as a "recovering academic") and into coaching and disseminating his knowledge. With several books under his belt, including The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager and recently published Shine, he also delivers workshops on positive psychology – working with the likes of Microsoft, Sky and Waitrose – as well as offering tailored programmes within schools. Now the same positive-thinking research distilled from his academic years and his presentations has been translated into a non-profit aimed at helping schools to help themselves. Working with the National Learning Trust, Cope and his team have

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devised Brilliant Schools as a means to help imbue positive messages within the fabric of schools. Cope is careful to distinguish his work from mindfulness. He says: “Mindfulness is a fraction of what we do. Positive thinking needs to be built into the curriculum. Humans generally have a natural negativity bias, so if we have one bad experience in a day our brains tend to delete all the good bits and just focus on the bad”. Turning negativity on its head is what the Brilliant Schools programme aims to do. It is designed as a subscription service – Cope describes it as a Netflix for wellbeing. Currently designed for primary years onwards – although the message is universal – it delivers videos and discussion-point material that can be used in classes and assemblies. It has material designed specifically for teachers and parents too, because Cope believes that if you want a happy school then all stakeholders need to buy into it. While the positivity message may be clear and simple, material is underpinned by the latest academic

NATURALLY HAPPY PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS TO DEAL WITH AS EVERYONE ELSE. THE DIFFERENCE IS HOW THEY DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS

thinking in psychology and cognitive behavioural therapy – focusing on building resilience and giving children, their parents and educators strategies for understanding and coping with life’s stresses. Cope says: “We live in a fast and full-on world that is affecting children and adults, and in many schools you see the impact in emotionally extended teachers and mental health issues in even very young children. We can’t just sit it out and hope for things

W E LLB E I N G

to calm down. We have to adapt to today’s reality and develop coping strategies”. Material is designed to be fun and engaging, with lively graphics by Amy Bradley and simple takeaways, but that doesn’t dim the value of what is being taught. This is big picture stuff – inviting children to set really big goals for the future (climbing Everest, playing for England), which are what Andy describes as “reasons to get out of bed in the morning”. Then there are bite-sized targets: setting a plan for what you want to achieve every single day; doing an act of kindness every single day that will make you feel good about yourself. Then there are the markers for sustained life satisfaction – such as always doing things better than you have to. Cope says these messages carried through the curriculum are a game changer. “Brilliant Schools is designed for schools to manage for themselves in workshops and assemblies, but is essentially a distillation of what our team present in workshops and keynotes. My experience is that this approach is transformational – happier children, better results and a more positive outlook for everyone.” With the support from the National Learning Trust, Brilliant Schools has a price point designed to make it as widely accessible as possible, and will use subscription funds to expand the library of material. While some schools are buying their own subscription, others are being supported through parent groups. It’s early days, but Cope hopes that Brilliant Schools will hook up schools with corporate and business partners willing to invest some of their CSR budget to forge closer local community ties. Cope says: “As a nation, we don’t want to fix young people after they are broken, but help them stay whole. That’s what Brilliant Schools is about”. BRILLIANT SCHOOLS For more information about Brilliant Schools, visit brilliant.school

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Pre-Prep

OPINION

Push the

BOUNDARIES Letting children make their own decisions helps their development

B y P H I L I P PA C AW T H O R N E

asic skills such as learning to hold and eat from a spoon are acquired through repeated effort (and a good deal of mess). If we came to the rescue every time food failed to make it into our baby’s mouth, we’d be spoonfeeding them forever. Indeed, a study of 400 children aged over eight years revealed that toddlers with the most controlling mothers had poorer social skills and academic performance at the age of ten. It also revealed that excessive adult intervention may result in passive, unmotivated and anxious young people, deprived of the longterm ability to make their own decisions. There is a growing body of evidence that children need to be able to make their own choices, even if they aren’t always the ‘right’ ones. For example, nagging children to do homework may be doing them more harm than good. If you allow them to choose not to do their homework, they have to go to school and face the consequences: a lesson in itself. When Bassett House was founded in 1947, Sylvia Rentoul was a pioneer in using Montessori methods in the classroom, teaching children to think and behave independently from an early age. We still use these methods in our nursery classes, where you’ll find our three- and four-year-

CHILDREN NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICES, EVEN IF T HEY AREN'T ALWAYS THE RIGHT ONES olds expected to hang up their coats, wash up after activities and choose which learning opportunities they engage with. We believe that children learn more effectively when they are encouraged to do things for themselves, to think creatively and form their own ideas. A ‘can do’ attitude and growth mindset are in Bassett’s DNA. If you were to say ‘I can’t do that’ to one of our pupils they would inevitably bellow back ‘I can’t do that YET'. This mantra, often repeated at assemblies, has become a shorthand for understanding that resilience and perseverance pay off. It is embedded in every aspect of school life, from our curriculum, classroom, staffroom and sports fields to the playground and outsideschool activities. Our children are encouraged to do their own research, argue their own points of

view and problem solve rather than learning by rote. They discover that their opinion matters and feel free to step out of their comfort zone when faced with challenges. Outside the classroom, our wide range of clubs, enrichment activities and residential trips allow children to push their boundaries and let their imaginations soar beyond the confines of the familiar. Leadership and team-building skills are encouraged with a host of club activities, such as sports, orienteering, martial arts and drama, while experiences such as rigging a boat, cooking on a campfire and building shelters in the wild are the character-building stuff our residential trips are made of. Overall, if you consider how many things your child has control over, you may be surprised how few real decisions they get to make. We encourage you to ask your child if there are things they’d like to be in charge of. Young children could be allowed to choose which clothes to wear and older ones might have more of a say in their after-school activities or have input into their senior school choices. We adults can help children to make the right decision by discussing each choice. We can point out that it’s a good idea to have a Plan B if their decision turns out to be the wrong one. And, yes, sometimes it’s good to let them go out without a coat or turn up at school without the correct kit. Good decisions take practice. Children need to experience the consequences of their decisions. P H I L I P PA C AW T H O R N E HEADMISTRE S S Bassett House School, North Kensington AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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Prep-Prep

OPINION

Young gourmets Head of St James Prep Catherine Thomlinson discusses how to ensure that children become more adventurous about food and also establish good eating habits for life

love chatting with the children and sometimes I ask what they like best about school. They often declare with absolute certainty that it is lunch. This can raise eyebrows among prospective parents, and then looks of amusement and relief. You see, unlike most other prep schools, St James is a vegetarian school and, as we all know, children do not tend to like vegetables… But is that actually the case? Occasionally parents seem worried that their four year olds will come to us and never eat a thing – this could not be further from the truth! In a recent interview with the BBC, restaurateur, chef and Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith said: “Learning to eat [well] is quite as important as learning to read or learning to write”. Like Prue Leith, we think that good nutrition is essential. This is especially true in early AT OUR ‘TASTING years, when you lay the TUESDAY’ CHILDREN foundations for good dietary habits for life. GET TO TRY A NEW ‘But how?’, our DISH – FROM ORZO TO parents ask us, DRAGON FRUIT TO A amazed that their child is now eating lunch parties and BUTTERNUT SQUASH lentils and a variety Roman banquets. RENDANG CURRY of vegetables. In her Alternatively there is interview, Prue Leith gives always the possibility of her top tips for children’s vegetarian sausages, beans healthy eating, which we also & chips for a The Tiger Who agree with at St James Prep. We believe Came to Tea-themed lunch. they form a great foundation for a Teach them to grow vegetables. balanced and healthy attitude to food Although our school is in west London, and eating. we have a small edible garden where the Teach them to cook. We have regular children can grow vegetables and herbs. cooking classes and it’s clear that the This part of the process is so exciting and children love baking and preparing there are so many resources available meals and then serving them to their now to have the most beautiful gardens, friends. They even have their own mini even in the smallest of spaces.

Run workshops with their friends. We find that if one child tastes something the others will want to try it too, so every Tuesday at St James Prep is ‘Tasting Tuesday’. The children get to try a new dish – from orzo to dragon fruit to a butternut squash rendang curry. All of the above are great ways to enthuse children about growing and eating healthy food. However, I think what really makes a difference is the humour and fun with which we associate food and mealtimes at our school. Lunch at St James is, as it should be, a chance to sit and chat with friends and family – and enjoy a delicious meal.

C AT H E R I N E T H O M L I N S O N HEADMISTRE S S St James Junior School

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BRILLIANT

BOYS A passionate campaigner for raising boys’ achievement says it's time to stop the put-downs and celebrate boys as they are GARY WIL SON

've been working exclusively on raising boys' achievement for 25 years in total. You'd have thought I'd have got it sorted by now wouldn't you? But sadly there don't seem to be too many people working on it. In fact, I can only remember one public pronouncement on the gender issue and that was a few years ago when an education minister declared, "We're going to reduce the gender gap by making sure that more three-year-old boys read more books.” That is just so wrong in so many ways. All teachers know that it is only in countries where children don't start with formal education until they are seven that boys are on a par with girls all the way through school. Denmark and Finland are two notable examples. My message to parents is, it doesn't matter if he can't read before he starts in education, what matters is that he has a love of stories. Similarly, it doesn't matter if he can't write when he starts school, what matters is that he has got well developed fine motor skills. What matters above all else is that parents should not be made to feel this is all their fault. It's

nobody's fault but those who dictate what we should know and what we should be capable of doing by the age of three and four. The development of boys' fine motor skills takes significantly longer than girls'. It's not your child's fault. So why is the issue of the gender gap not higher on the agenda? I believe it's relatively straightforward; it's because some may feel – at school level, local authority level and even national level – that if we are seen to be focusing on boys then it follows that the girls are going to suffer. I call that sloppy thinking. Anything we do to help boys will have a positive knock-on effect for girls, not least because it can be boys who sometimes behave in ways that are detrimental to all. I only concern myself with strategies that hit all the buttons for boys without disadvantaging girls. Also, if in education we are trying to develop a caring masculinity then that surely is for the benefit of all. What are the reasons for the gender gap? How long have you got! A lot of people have suggested that if only there were more male teachers in primary education then our boys would be all right. My response is it's not going to happen, get over it and move on. It

CAMPAIGNER GARY WILSON

is not the gender of the teacher that is most important, it is the quality of the teacher and how well they recognise and link into what's going on in a boy's head, in a boy's world, in a boys' universe. Others suggest that laddish behaviour is to blame. Laddish behaviour, as teachers know, is very often a cry for help. It's far better in the child's view to be seen not to be bothered about winning than to try and then fail. If they are struggling, very often they'll throw

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up a smokescreen. Another common area for debate is teaching and learning styles. The vast majority of adults tend to prefer to learn in more visual ways, while the vast majority of boys tend to prefer to learn in more active ways until at least their early teenage years. Goods schools recognise this and teach appropriately Certainly, there are elements in all of these areas that have an impact but then there is also negative peer pressure, which can start in the nursery: 'you can't wear that you're a boy'; 'that's pink, what are you playing at'. Also, from the outset, boys tend to be less independent – we should have expectations of boys being as independent as girls and find ways to encourage it. Boys and writing is a universal concern. Dare I say it... girls tend to be much more biddable during their early and junior years, while there are many boys who, if they don't see a sense and purpose in doing something, then they won't do it – or at least they won't do it to the best of their ability. Writing is a particular case in point. There are also issues around the lack of

FO C U S

IT DOESN’T MATTER IF HE CAN’T READ AT THREE, WHAT MATTERS IS THAT HE LOVES STORIES

positive male role models, the drop off in interest in reading in many boys as they get older, emotional intelligence issues and more... It is a fact that girls tend to develop language faster, use more language in their play and tend to be more capable of talking about their feelings than boys as they often spend more time at their mother's knee doing just that. Boys are often encouraged to keep their emotions hidden – certainly by their own peers but often by the older males in their family too: 'pull yourself together, you're a boy'; 'man up'. If we want to turn out decent young men then we must honour their tender feelings. We have to give boys the words so they can unclench their hearts. The latter has to be a huge priority in education. So why is this article called 'Brilliant Boys?' Because boys tend to get a bad press – look at the number of useless males in TV adverts, the children's T-shirts adorned with "Here comes trouble".

How often have you heard (or said), 'well he is a boy, what do you expect?' or 'boys will be boys'. I'm on a mission when I'm working with teachers, boys and parents, and I say to you now: promise that you will never again say 'boys will be boys'. Instead, say 'boys will be brilliant'. Your boys will be brilliant because they have your belief in them, and you are helping develop their belief in themselves. B OY S W I L L B E . . . . B R I L L I A N T ! By Gary Wilson and Linda Tallent is out now garywilsonraisingboysachievement.com

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03/08/2018 11:53

HEAD

TIMING IS ALL Amelia Aptaker, head teacher of Hampstead nursery Puss in Boots, on teaching your child to read

hen the time comes for your child to learn to read and write, it might be you who becomes anxious first. After all, there are so many ‘best methods’ out there for helping your child that the process can fast become bewildering. And, if you’re looking at selective schools, the pressure and advice may be coming thick and fast. In the early part of my teaching career, I firmly believed in applying gentle pressure to the four and five year olds in my class and I encouraged parents to do the same. But now, as the long-serving headteacher of an Ofsted-outstanding nursery, I’m convinced of a shocking secret. One that my newly-qualified self couldn’t know. Many parents notice that their child’s reading suddenly seems to ‘click’. This is, in fact, evidence of the maturing of the child’s related ‘neural circuits’. Research from Harvard University shows that children’s ability to interpret what they see changes over time. Trying to get children to decode text before those pathways in the brain have formed is a battle in which there are only losers. The child loses enthusiasm for reading, and worse, may learn to hate it, feeling like

a disappointment to their frustrated parents. So, how then can you give your child that head start? Children’s environment is key, as the Harvard researchers found. Begin by reminding yourself of why it’s exciting to be literate. Noted academic Ferre Laevers, at the Leuven Institute of Experiential Education, confirms that Deepest level learning only happens when children are fascinated, motivated and driven to acquire a new skill. This skill will need to be relevant and meaningful in the child’s world.

Prep-Prep

“Many parents notice that their child’s reading suddenly seems to click”

TA L K I N G

AMELIA APTAKER Headmistress Puss in Boots Nursery

OPINION

AND THE BEST NEWS YET? IT’S EASY TO MAKE READING AND WRITING MEANINGFUL TO YOUR CHILD. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES:

For most two and three year olds, the first hook into literacy is their own name. Don’t waste a fantastic opportunity by putting those beautiful wooden letters spelling out their name on their door at adult eye level – make a ceremony with your child of putting those letters on their door at their eye level.

02 Turn a battle into an opportunity. “Those are definitely your sweets/ toy cars/birthday presents, you can’t eat them/bring them all on holiday/ open them all now, but we will make sure no-one else takes them, I’ll write your name on them.” Make sure you write so they can watch you. If your child hangs around to make sure those sweets are well and truly his/hers, then use what we call ‘the teachable moment’. “There, we’ve written all the letters…G..a…b..r..i..e..l..”. As children get older, add content to the label you write “These.. are… Gabriel’s.. toys”

03 Moving beyond their name, try inviting them to hang over your shoulder and watch as you write their choice of treat for the weekly shop. It may really make some of those letter sounds stick.

LEARNING TO WRITE AT PUSS IN BOOTS

Introduce children to the power of putting their thoughts on paper. Ask them to tell you a story, and watch as you write it in large letters. You have modelled the skills they need for reading, and they have their own piece of creative writing. It’s so important to reduce the anxiety around literacy in Early Years. The shocking secret? It is inspiration at the right time that really makes children into readers. AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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D I G I TA L

DECODE Elizabeth Tweedale, CEO of CypherCoders, describes the four types of screen time and their pros and cons

s parents, we are bombarded with ‘good advice’: Don’t let your kids eat this, eat more of that, spend quality time with them, make sure they run a mile a day.... One recurrent piece of advice is about screen time - and generally we’re told it shouldn’t be very long each day but what exactly do we mean by ‘it’ – by screen time? In fact, it’s useful to identify the four different types of screen time and whether they have a generally positive or potentially negative effect on our children.

1. CREATIVE SCREEN TIME

he most positive of screen times. This is about making music, creating digital art, making videos. It can be a collaborative or single creator, but it is genuinely developing skills and crafting something that has the potential to be shared or performed. The substance of what is made is important; the quality of the software and learning the skills to use it help the enjoyment. This is an almost limitless area for learning – and will become significantly more relevant to the future generation.

2. COMMUNICATIVE SCREEN TIME

really important one. The use of email has almost wiped out letter writing, but it is often poorly used and underestimated. The rules of manners, grammar and structure are no less relevant in emails – and could save many misunderstandings. FaceTime and Skype have been great for keeping in touch with grandmas and family members. The visual link gives a stronger sense of being in the presence of someone. Other apps such as WhatsApp and Snapchat allow kids to keep in touch and compare notes (sometimes, ‘So what are you wearing?’ but also more usefully, ‘What is the history homework?’)

3. ACTIVE SCREEN TIME

est summed up as gaming and searching. Games cover a wide range of subjects, styles, age appropriateness and effects. Violent games are always negative for kids. Some games, however, have benefits such as increasing hand/ eye co-ordination and some develop logic and actually get physical, like Wii Tennis. Searching can be done

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D I G ITA L

for homework, a useful task- based activity, or for ‘social grazing’ (on Instagram, for instance). Viewing a constant stream of Instagram posts with the associated FOMO (fear of missing out) can absorb teenagers for a surprising amount of time.

4. PASSIVE SCREEN TIME

his is watching TV. Something we have come to accept as a background activity and relaxation for adults. But good television can be highly influential, beneficial and worth seeking out and watching together – for example, Blue Planet, Horrible Histories, Bake Off or Springwatch. Some programmes have little benefit to children and they’d be better off kicking a ball around. Some educational programmes have positive stimulation – but the TV or screen should never be used as a babysitter/pacifier.

THERE ARE POSITIVES

Building modern skills. Digital skills are essential for pretty much all future careers – learning the skills of communication and coding now will equip kids to succeed in our, as yet, unknowable future. Digital citizenship. Being fluent in media and communication skills enables our children to be engaged members of the community. Education. Learning and creativity are benefits of the right sort of digital activity – and can be found in different measures in all four types of screen time. Finding a like-minded group. Finding friends who have the same outlook on life/ interests can make young people feel less alone

Behavioural issues. Too much screen time – or the wrong kind – can lead to problems with attention and concentration. Childhood obesity. It’s a time bomb and well reported. Being in front of a screen can deter kids from getting out and getting active. Anti-social behaviour. There are incidents of bullying online. This can occur both in active screen time – for instance online games – and in communicative screen time, where kids can suffer from negative, harmful and upsetting comments. Loneliness. It has been reported that children can feel a sense of isolation or low self-confidence when they see ‘everyone else having fun’ as mature adults we may be able to be cycnical about Instagram posts, but it’s very hard for young minds to process this in a balanced way.

WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?

Be a parent in the digital world just the way you are in the real world. Help your kids to navigate digital media. To do this, talk, listen and share experiences – let them be part of your screen time and vice versa. For example, ask them about their games and even get them to teach you how to play. Create something together by using your screen time to find a recipe or instructions for a craft project that you can both tackle. You can also FaceTime granny together or have a family movie night so that you share and discuss something. Talk about technology and screens you see when you’re out and about together Lead by example. Set boundaries that apply to you and the children – have digital-free times or digital-free areas. Also set curfews for phone

MAKING MUSIC OR DIGITAL ART IS THE MOST POSITIVE OF SCREEN TIMES

AND NEGATIVES

and screen usage – put all your phones in a basket for ‘off grid hour’. The best way for children to learn about screen time is from your own positive example. Don’t over-limit – OK, this may sound crazy but we do need to get real about screen time and what it means. At school kids may be on their iPads doing really constructive, creative work. There may be useful research they need to do for homework or to pursue a hobby, and there is no real limit to the amount of screen time for our types 1 and 2 – Creative and Communicative – other than the need to avoid eye-strain and with the caveat that time is used responsibly and monitored. If we over-limit screen time kids may be unprepared for education, where exams are likely to be on computers, touch typing is a valuable asset and navigating the digital world is a positive benefit To conclude, be aware of what your child is doing on a screen, and be sensitive to their moods and behaviour post-screen time. Ensure you are being realistic in the context of the modern world and discount productive/useful screen time from their daily limit. Your mantra for screen time could be: Measured, Monitored, Meaningful.

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05/06/2018 14:32

HEAD

Mapping the way

Lacy Chapman, Principal of Lower School at ACS Cobham International School, on a new method of testing for primary students

recent survey revealed that eight out of ten school leaders have seen an increase in mental health issues among primary school children during exam season in the UK. In addition, headteachers reported an increase in fear of academic failure (76%) and depression (55%) among their pupils in the period since 2014. It seems today’s pressurised system of testing is causing children as young as six to suffer stress and worry at a time when they’re supposed to be learning to love school. Instead, young students increasingly fear failure due to an endless stream of testing, or preparation for tests such as the 11+. It’s apparent that something needs to change, in favour of a new system that abandons rigorous, formal testing and nurtures imagination and a love of learning. Being assessed in such a formal manner at a young age – cramming facts, revision and taking tests – places a huge amount of pressure on students and stifles their natural curiosity to learn. With increasing pressure to overhaul primary school testing, schools and parents want to see alternatives to the traditional system, where student progress is monitored but the pressures of exams is off. Removing standardised

tests from schools allows students, parents and teachers to escape the exam rat race, league tables and the competitive nature of the classroom. At ACS Cobham, for example, we use MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing in lower school to monitor student progress. The tests are taken electronically, and the questions are adjusted to a student’s ability to ensure the tests are different for each child. While standardised testing pressures teachers into meeting ‘essential’

“At ACS, teachers teach the way all teachers were taught to teach”

TA L K I N G

LACY CHAPMAN Lower School Principal ACS Cobham

Prep-Prep

OPINION

targets, at ACS teachers teach the way all teachers were taught to teach: with each child receiving the individual attention they need to thrive and progress at their own speed. MAP testing allows them to do this and monitor progress, identifying where an individual needs extra support, or differentiating tasks for those who particularly excel. Students are also encouraged to make their own choices about their classwork, identifying which task is best suited to them. Due to the nature of MAP testing, with no set time limit and tailored questions, students can’t revise for it. So while a developmentally challenging and rigorous programme is still provided, it’s a personalised and inquiry-based approach to suit different types of learners. At ACS International Schools, students are not only measured on their academic progress, but also against our school learning outcomes. We want all students to develop as confident, caring individuals and effective learners. Ultimately, we want to promote positive personal development and instil a love of learning in our students – what primary education is all about.

ACS COBHAM LOWER SCHOOL

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PUPILS AT WOODCOTE HOUSE

Out of

DATE

With more schools introducing the 11-plus and pre-tests, is the Common Entrance dead? Here some leading prep schools give their thoughts on the pros and cons of the 13-plus

DAVI D PATERSON

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. This begins with their GCSEs, which they will sit three years after leaving their prep school. Without CE, 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

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therefore encourage a syllabus is much too wide: IT IS AN growth mindset that there’s too much to learn. ESSENTIAL PART allows hard-working With this in mind, I can children to celebrate envisage that Common OF PREPARING PREPtheir effort and successes Entrance may condense SCHOOL CHILDREN as they move on to their into just the core subjects, FOR LATER LIFE senior schools. so Maths, English, Science Whether children and a language. have conditional offers I think the benefits to their senior schools or outweigh some of the flaws not, the Common Entrance in the system. The entrance creates an opportunity for children exams keep a group of 13 year olds to experience the pressure of academically focused, which is no examinations within the nurturing mean feat. We could, of course, have environment of their prep school. internal exams, but they wouldn’t This is excellent preparation for the carry the weight or the same gravitas challenges of GCSEs. The Common as a public exam. Entrance also develops academic There is, of course, the argument skills that are necessary for success that they’re too young to be at GCSEs and beyond. For example, undergoing so much stress, but we’ve in English and the Humanities, CE had no CE failure ever – which is the papers allow children to develop and same as with most schools. It is by hone their skills in analysis, synthesis, and large a formality, as most senior reasoning and essay writing. 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.

TA LKI N G P O I NT

All examination 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 characterdevelopment skills. Showing that there is more than enough time in the day to fit everything in!

AL ASTAI R S PEERS HEADMASTER Sandroyd

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

A FIELD TRIP AT SANDROYD

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MAR KS EDWAR DS D E P U T Y H E A D ( AC A D E M I C ) Dragon School

PUPILS AT KNIGHTON HOUSE

ROB I N GAI N H ER HEADMASTER Knighton House

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.

SCHOOLS WHICH PERSIST WITH PUT TING THEIR PUPILS THROUG H CE ARE DOING A DIS SERVICE TO THEM 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 reach 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.

n short, no: CE is not dead. However, we are certainly 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 choose. Nor has it been strictly ‘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 that 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.

DRAGON SCHOOL

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Staying single Hanford School in Dorset is one of only three girlsonly boarding prep schools left in the UK B y JASMINE ROBERTSON

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F E ATU R E

hen Enid Canning opened Hanford in 1947 as a ‘home from home’ school for girls all boarding schools were single sex. Much has changed since then. Hanford is now one of only three girls-only boarding prep schools left in the UK. Marlborough was the first to admit girls in the 6th form in 1968. Ten years later, girl boarders at the top girls' schools still outnumbered those at the top co-ed schools by more than 12 to one. But since then many public schools followed Marlborough’s lead opening their doors to girls and by the turn of the century all but a handful of Britain’s traditional boys public schools were fully co-ed. Most of today’s co-ed prep schools started out life educating only boys. However, Hanford was created specially for girls. Enid Canning, and her husband, the Rev Clifford Canning, made some very progressive decisions all those years ago, decisions that have proven key to Hanford’s enduring success: no uniform, no head girl, lots of ponies and a homely atmosphere. The front drive is not flanked by neat cricket pitches or towered over by imposing H frame rugby goal posts. Instead you will see ponies grazing, a playground obstacle course and a small pretty chapel. In the grounds there are chickens, a working walled kitchen garden, a Grade II listed stable block, a knot garden and the famous climbing tree. The interior feels like a family home, albeit a rather grand one. At its heart is the Hall where the whole school sits down to eat every meal. Upstairs the dorms are all decorated individually and girls bring their own toys, duvets and blankets and pictures so they will feel at home away from home. This family atmosphere encourages all the ages to mix together, older girls acting as big sisters to the new arrivals. Reading them stories, leading them out on rides and supervising the catching of ponies in the morning. Every Monday Mrs Johnston, head of Pastoral Care, creates a seating plan for

MOST OF TODAY’S CO-ED PREP SCHOOLS STARTED OUT EDUCATING ONLY BOYS

the whole school where she mixes together the year groups. After Grace, the older girls serve the younger ones and conversation is very much encouraged by the member of staff supervising the table. There is no uniform as Enid Canning made the conscious and somewhat radical decision to allow girls certain latitude when it came to choosing what they would wear in her new school. Today’s girls enjoy the comfort and freedom of being able to pick what to wear for the day ahead, plus they even get to make their own skirts in Handwork lessons. Instead of a Head Girl there are The Committees. These groups team up to make decisions and share the tasks normally

HANFORD STUDENTS ON A HACK

undertaken by one individual in the more traditional prep school hierarchy. This encourages shared responsibility and teaches girls to compromise, as they learn not everyone sees things the same way. Animals, horses in particular, are integral to life at Hanford. The school provides ponies of all shapes and sizes for the girls to ride. For the pony mad, the ability to ride every day is a massive bonus while the summer term rides before breakfast are the highlight of the year. Even the handful of girls who do not ride will be found in the stables during break. The Cannings believed that learning to feed, groom and look after a pony would teach the girls to care about others. The Cannings' desire to create a school with the supportive happy atmosphere of a family home, where girls are free to enjoy their childhood and grow in confidence, pays dividends academically. There have been 19 different scholarships awarded in the past two years, an impressive result for a small non-selective school. HANFORD SCHOOL Child Okeford, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 8HN

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HEAD

125 years of

GIRL POWER Susan Pepper, head of The Study Prep in Wimbledon, talks about her school’s ethos and 125-year history of educating girls for careers and life

he Study Preparatory School, Wimbledon, has been educating girls since 1893, when a local governess set up a small school from the study of a private home in Wimbledon Village. Demand for places soon grew, and a beautiful purpose-built school, Spencer House in Peek Crescent, opened its doors to local girls in 1901. The school went from strength to strength during the 20th century, and acquired the Wilberforce House site in the early 1990s, to accommodate demand for prep school places in the area.

A Wimbledon resident myself, I have been Headmistress since January 2011, and I am proud to be at the helm of a successful non-selective girls’ prep school, with many achievements across academics, sport and the creative arts. This year saw a record-breaking 39 scholarships awarded to the Year 6 group by leading senior schools. However, The Study is not only about academic and sporting achievements, but also a creative ethos. Arts Council England has this year recognised this by awarding the school Artsmark Gold for the third time. The girls enjoy a variety of creative experiences, from residential choir trips and performing

Prep

OPINION

“I am proud that it is the happiness of the girls, their solid friendships and their love of learning that stays with them”

TA L K I N G

CHILDREN PLAYING AT THE STUDY PREP, WIMBLEDON

SUSAN PEPPER Head of The Study Prep Wimbledon

on stage at The New Wimbledon Theatre, to taking part in a huge array of workshops, trips, and visits. As this year marks the 125th anniversary of the school, we have been welcoming back old girls of The Study – opening our doors to alumnae for a special celebration event in June. Spencer House was recently refurbished, with a newly landscaped playground, and this celebration has been a chance for the school’s alumnae to meet up with old friends, relive happy memories, and see the school looking at its best. There are exciting plans in the pipeline to improve the facilities at the Wilberforce House site too, for the benefit of the existing girls and for future generations. The school has many unique strengths, but if I had to sum up what we’re about, it would be the warmth and sense of community of a traditional village school with the facilities of a preparatory school. I am very proud of the fact that it is the happiness of the girls, their solid friendships and their love of learning that stays with them as they move on to their senior schools.

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FENCING AT ST BENEDICT'S

SPORTING

life

Offering children the widest choice of sporting activities is the way to help them ﬁnd the ones they really love and, whether it’s rollerdisco, rounders, riding or fencing, all activity counts when it comes to building skills and the conﬁdence to try your best B y LIBBY NORMAN

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S P O RTS

CHILDREN NEED TO BE ENCOURAGED TO TRY NEW SPORTS WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT MAKING MISTAKES OR LETTING PEOPLE DOWN

n a climate of early specialisation and hothousing academies, it can be all too easy to forget the value of just letting children try as many new sports as possible before finding their passions. Not every child is a natural team player, but they may thrive individually in golf, riding or fencing. And in their school years, the critical thing is to make having a go at sport fun. This is certainly something that professional rugby coach Jack Heald believes. He says: “Children really need variety, from nursery age up, as this is essential for developing core motor skills. They should be enthused to try as many sports as possible and, if they are going to specialise and take something to a higher level, this doesn’t really need to happen until 14 plus”. Heald has worked with a variety of clubs, including London Irish, and his company J.Heald Coaching now trains children at Harrow and Westminster Cathedral School, among others. While he knows all about the elite side of sport, he encourages his three children to try as many games as possible.

GAMES AT ROSE HILL

“My son Rory, now eight, is only just getting to the stage where he says to me ‘I want to play rugby’. It’s important to let children choose for themselves. The more variety they are exposed to, the better – be it sailing, trampolining, gymnastics, football or ice hockey. Enjoyment is critical. Every activity builds motor skills and confidence, so it all counts.” This is a philosophy shared by Craig Brennan, founder and CEO of Little Sports Coaching, which delivers school clubs, holiday courses and teaching in football, multi-sports, dance and gymnastics for children aged from 18 months to late teens. He says: “It’s critical to offer broad opportunities that engage children of all abilities. An important thing when they are very young is to let children choose the sports they want to play”. Choice is definitely the philosophy at Hazelgrove, a co-ed prep and pre-prep in Somerset. Alongside opportunities in core sports (and it has a terrific track record in hockey), it offers a wide range of informal extra-curricular opportunities for day pupils and boarders. With everything from kayaking on the River Dart to specialist

BEAUDESERT SAILING

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Gabbitas Educational Consultants is registered in England No. 2920466. Part of The Prospects & Shaw Trust Groups.

Gabbitas Educational Consultants is registered in England No. 2920466. Part of The Prospects and Shaw Trust Groups. Gabbitas Educational Consultants is registered in England No. 2920466. Part of The Prospects and Shaw Trust Groups. Image supplied by Eastbourne College. Image supplied by Eastbourne College.

+44 +44 (0) (0) 20 20 7734 7734 0161 0161 | | info@gabbitas.com info@gabbitas.com Gabbitas Educational Consultants is registered in England No. 2920466. Part of The Prospects & Shaw Trust Groups. Gabbitas Educational Consultants is registered in England No. 2920466. Part of The Prospects & Shaw Trust Groups.

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Gabbitas Educational Consultants is registered in England No. 2920466. Part of The Prospects and Shaw Trust Groups.

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ROLLER-DISCO IS HUGELY POPULAR, AND WHO WOULDN’T FANCY A SPIN AROUND THE TOP GEAR TEST TRACK AS PART OF FORMULA 24’S TEAM RHS?

tuition in martial arts, squash, golf and dance, the focus is on developing a broad enjoyment of physical activities. Rose Hill School in Tunbridge Wells also offers an array of extra-curricular games. Head of PE Simon Hinchcliffe says: “We use PE to deliver activities that we don’t often play competitively – developing pupils’ wider skills, understanding and tactics of sport in general”. So alongside core sports, Rose Hill teaches basketball, dodgeball, golf and foot golf, table tennis and dance for younger children. There are also fun and offbeat activities that bridge the gap between sport and, well, speed. Roller-disco is hugely popular, and who wouldn’t fancy a spin around the Top Gear test track as part of the school’s Formula 24 ‘Team RHS’? Hinchcliffe says: “We speak to them

ROSE HILL

about their likes and dislikes. It’s important that children have the opportunity to have some ownership”. What Rose Hill wants most of all is to generate a ‘do your best’ approach, so children have the confidence to try new sports and activities, even though they may not excel. “We have a philosophy of ‘we don’t expect you to be good at everything, but we expect you to give everything in each activity you try'.” And, of course, children who don’t show an aptitude for mainstream team sports, do sometimes find a real skill at individual endeavours. St Benedict’s School in Ealing includes fencing as a core sport from Year 1. The school has a strong track record in competitions (including nationals) and firmly believes in fencing’s value to all pupils. Head of fencing Hussain Sadiq says: “It is a mixed gender sport and girls and boys can compete on an equal footing at school level. Those who find it difficult to engage in team sports may flourish in fencing because it is an individual sport”. Hussain Sadiq puts the sport’s popularity with the children down to its twin draws of a) being responsible for devising your own tactics and b) swords! At Beaudesert Park School in Gloucestershire the aim is to let children have a go at as many sports as possible. Head of Geography Euan Craig is maestro in charge of co-ordinating extracurricular

S P O RTS

activities. He says: “Sometimes the pupils themselves suggest new activities, as was the case with girls’ rugby, which proved very popular. We offer a solid mix on-site as well as off – for example sailing, riding, and skate-boarding all take place nearby. I’d have thought I’d died and gone to heaven if I’d had this as a child!” Pupils have carried off an impressive haul of trophies at National Schools’ Equestrian Association (NSEA) competitions. The school also has its own Summer Horse Show, perfect training ground for horse-mad girls and boys who dream of representing the nation in the Olympics. And the school offers polo as an option, thanks to a link-up with nearby Beaufort Polo Club. Even within London, there are opportunities to get a feel for equestrianism. At The Study Prep in Wimbledon, girls have over 40 clubs to choose from, but the Horse and Pony Club is definitely a winner. Headmistress Susan Pepper leads it and says: “The idea for a Horse and Pony Club stemmed from my own love of horses and memories of a childhood where I had few opportunities to ride or even have much contact with horses. It provides an opportunity for the girls, whether they ride or not, to gain more knowledge.” The school has close links with Wimbledon Village Stables, and the club teaches them how to care for horses, with hands-on grooming and TLC sessions with a Shetland pony called Fudge borrowed from the Stables. It’s a perfect entry to the world of riding for ponymad girls and can, of course, inspire them to take things a lot further if they choose. HAZELGROVE

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WIRES The Head of Specialist Education and Wellbeing for Cavendish Education on her own very personal journey with dyslexia B y J E S S I CA N A R OW L A N S K Y

PUPILS AT MOAT SCHOOL

he colour-coded spines of the Oxford Reading Tree books were the bane of my existence when my son was learning to read. I was not surprised when reading proved difficult for him, being dyslexic myself I expected it. The problem was seeing the pain in my little boy’s face in this very public display of difference. The dyslexic child soon becomes old enough to notice they are different from their peers but too young to understand why. The comments of teachers when they saw my son’s scrawled, illegible writing – suggesting my thoughtful boy was careless or lazy – made my blood boil knowing the Herculean effort involved for him to produce just a few lines by hand… and so it goes for the dyslexic child. JUST SETTING OUT AS A SPECIALIST TEACHER BACK THEN, I KNEW WHAT WAS COMING NEXT: 1 Despite teaching children like my son every day, there would be no simple way through this 2 My son would need a different toolkit than his peers. I would need to find a way to help the school understand and see the bigger picture

WE SO O N FO U N D N OT O N LY CO U LD I WRITE , I WA S ACTUA LLY V ERY G O O D AT IT

Perhaps my greatest challenge was to avoid projecting my own experience of growing up in the unsympathetic education system of the 1970s and '80s onto my son's situtation. There was no real understanding of dyslexia in schools then and, therefore no useful rationale for a child who consistently mastered IQ tests yet could not learn to read or write. To the school it was simple: I was difficult and lazy. I managed to keep my head more or less down and somehow, miraculously, arrived at university – though woefully unprepared. On the cusp of being kicked to the curb due to my poor grades in my first year, I agreed to meet Will Ryan in the Learning Centre. During our first meeting he said, 'I don’t think the problem is you can’t write, I think it’s that no one has ever showed you in a way that works for you'. We soon found not only could I write, I was actually very good at it. It was then that I fell in love with academia; my fervour for it has only grown through the years. In its simplest terms, the dyslexic brain processes language differently, so while dyslexics may excel visuo-spatially or in non-

verbal reasoning and be verbally eloquent, the way the brain and the hand 'sync-up' to write does not become fully automatic – which is what children need in school to listen, look and write simultaneously. Understanding my son’s neurology, I knew he could sit in Writing Club until the cows came home but it would not give him what he needed. Dr Sally Shaywitz from Yale Centre for Dyslexia and Creativity says: "Dyslexia robs people of time". By recovering time using tools such as touch typing, specialist technology, exam techniques and multisensory revision skills, a child can reclaim the time lost in the classroom. The most important thing any school can offer a dyslexic child is a flexible approach to discover how that child works best. One of my most cherished memories is of my son ringing me from university to tell me he got a First on his first essay. Emerging with strength and pride from the wilderness, he’s not looked back since.

J E S S I C A N A R OW L A N S K Y HEAD OF SPECIALIST EDUCATION AND WELLBEING Cavendish Education AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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Oakfield Preparatory School 125 -128 Thurlow Park Road, London SE21 8HP T: 0208 670 4206 www.oakfield.dulwich.sch.uk

Where every child is valued and nurtured, leading to exceptional outcomes

To book a visit or register your child please email admissions@oakfield.dulwich.sch.uk

130 years of education for boys and girls aged 2 to 11

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Making

MELODIES London’s Chelsea Quavers Music School is popular with budding musicians. Founding Principal Claire Meyer tells us why…

he benefits of learning a musical instrument at a young age are well documented – so it comes as no surprise to discover that the London-based Chelsea Quavers Music School, which runs holiday workshops and international tuition online, has an outstanding reputation among the families of its pupils. “There is no other school like it anywhere in the UK,” says Claire Meyer, the school’s founder and Principal. “All our tutors are hand-picked from the top conservatoires around the UK. The qualities we look for in each of our tutors are empathy, energy,

B y K AT Y G I L L E T T

patience, creativity, enthusiasm and a passion to engage with and inspire each individual pupil.” Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre agrees with Meyer, saying: “Claire Meyer is simply one of the most extraordinary educators I have ever met. She has carefully crafted a bespoke curriculum and the Chelsea Quavers teaching style I believe to be the future of music education and teaching in general.” Whitacre is not the only wellknown supporter of the school, either. The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation provides full funding for a gifted and talented pupil to study at Chelsea Quavers Music School. And, since 2014, Marsh & Parsons has been

MUSIC

an invaluable sponsor of the facility. It’s all because of the distinctive approach to music education Meyer and her team take. Meyer has spent the last few years developing the Chelsea Quavers curriculum, which has been highly praised by directors of music and heads of top prep schools in the UK. “I have carefully crafted a fun and educational music curriculum to teach children from age four upwards to read, write, perform, transcribe and compose music in a fun, easy-to-follow and engaging format.” The curriculum is designed to enable young pupils to work without constant supervision, using reinforcement and stepby-step progression. Yet Chelsea Quavers also offers an excellent tutor-to-pupil ratio of no more than five pupils to one teacher. “No other club in London offers this,” Meyer adds. “Everyone works at his or her own individual level, and children are grouped according to ability and age.” Chelsea Quavers also offers international online tuition. “As well as the face-to-face camera, we use a close-up camera so the student can see in detail what the tutor is writing, as if they were sitting across a desk from each other.” In this way, students anywhere in the world are taught ABRSM Theory of Music Grades 1-5, Aural Grades 1-8, Sight Reading (piano) and Sight Singing Grades 1-8. So for children aged four to 12, whether beginners or experienced musicians, Chelsea Quavers offers a comprehensive musical education they can take further. “Our tutors are a tight-knit team who provide the highest possible standard of education and engage with every child,” Meyers says. “That’s how we unlock potential, and self-belief.” Now that’s music to our ears. chelseaquavers.com AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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A place with a palpable buzz and vibrancy that gets the balance between giving children the freedom to be themselves, whilst maintaining a focus on traditional values The Good Schools Guide Review 2018

TO ARRANGE A VISIT PLEASE CONTACT US

South Oxfordshire • 01189 844 511 • registrar@oratoryprep.co.uk • oratoryprep.co.uk ORATORY.indd 1

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SUMMER IN THE SWISS ALPS, P94

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M A G I C

The Wildlife Trusts is not only custodian of our wild creatures great and small, but a tireless campaigner to get people reconnected with the landscape. And the next generation of nature lovers are its top priority B y LIBBY NORMAN

W hen Chris Packham recently suggested that all primary schools should be twinned with a farm to help children understand where food comes from, it was hard to argue with his logic, even if the logistics of getting young children and agribusiness together might be more of a challenge. But there are smaller and more everyday animal encounters made possible to all children, through the work of The Wildlife Trusts. In fact, The Wildlife Trusts does have a stake in farms – currently managing 26 that showcase wildlife-friendly land-management

techniques, also offering advice to 5,000 farmers and landowners each year. But on the other end of the scale are the small wild spaces – intersections between railway tracks, important pond habitats and precious areas of meadow, marsh and woodland. Now well into its second century, The Wildlife Trusts started life thanks to the work of banker and naturalist Charles Rothschild, who spotted the need to identify and protect wild landscapes – so nature and business can be bedfellows. The Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves, as it began in 1912, first brought together specialists. The original areas of landscape it sought to protect – known today as

Rothschild’s List – included Box Hill, Ashdown Forest, Chichester Harbour, Dungeness and the New Forest – so we have much to thank Rothschild for. By the end of the 1950s, local conservation organisations had sprung up across the UK with a similar mission to protect wildlife and landscapes considered at risk. Today, 46 independent trusts – from Scotland to Alderney – make up The Wildlife Trusts. This grassroots spirit continues to find and husband wild places, fuelled by volunteers who are stewards and conservers of their own local patches. It has become ever more relevant down the years, but especially now that so many children are – as Chris Packham suggested – disconnected from the land and land management. Reconnecting children with the wild is something that is core to The Wildlife Trusts’ mission today. In 2017-18 for example, the Trusts will have engaged with 270,000 schools, community and youth groups. The value of this work is enormous across all sectors of society. “Very often,

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children who are most deprived also have the least contact with nature,” says Leanne Manchester, who develops programmes for children as part of her work as the charity’s senior communications officer. The Wildlife Trusts’ work with schools is both inspiring and practical, not only taking children out to encounter wild nature, but also going into schools. There, it delivers everything from assemblies and material to support nature teaching within the National Curriculum to helping green up school grounds and create raised beds for an outdoor classroom. It also works to inspire children to look a bit closer at the wildlife that surrounds them – even on city streets. The ‘30 Days Wild’ challenge in June was a month-long campaign to bring nature closer to adults and children. With school packs and resources to help children see and get up close to nature, the campaign is backed with solid evidence about the positive impact reconnecting to nature has on health, happiness and wellbeing. The ‘do one

N ATU R E WATC H

LONDON IS WELL SERVED WITH WILDLIFE HABITATS, AND IT’S ALSO VERY EASY FOR SCHOOL GROUPS AND FAMILIES TO ACCESS A LOCAL NATURE RESERVE

wild thing a day’ message was the perfect antidote to screen-addicted modern life. Children didn’t have to trek far – not even off their normal route to school – because even stopping to look at a tree or examine a patch of moss is a brush with the natural world that can inspire thought and further exploration. But it doesn’t end at moss and London planes. While we might assume London is not the best place for children to experience nature, in fact, it is a rich and accessible living classroom, says Leanne Manchester. “What is wonderful is that London is really well served with nature reserves, and because transport is free for children it’s very easy for school groups and families to access our reserves.” The 41 reserves in London vary massively in size and scope – and in the range of wildlife-spotting opportunities they offer – supporting over 13,000 species between them. For instance, the half-acre Centre for Wildlife Gardening in Peckham was created out of an old council depot

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THERE ARE PRECIOUS WILD SPACES – INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN RAILWAY TRACKS, POND HABITATS AND SMALL AREAS OF MEADOW, MARSH AND WOODLAND

in the 1980s. Now its mini habitats are a good place to spot toads and frogs – but also the common newt and stag beetle. Six-acre Gunnersbury Triangle in Chiswick was saved from development by a local campaign in the 1980s and its woodland, acid grassland and ponds now support noctule and pipistrelle bats, woodpeckers, hedgehogs and damselflies. At the largest end of the scale, Walthamstow Wetlands is an internationally important reserve where you can spot migrating waterfowl on the 10 reservoirs that span the site and deliver potable water to the city. Its watery peer in the capital is Woodberry Wetlands in Stoke Newington, opened by Sir David Attenborough in 2016 after a project to open up the space to nature watchers. It’s a good place to go hunting for the elusive ‘booming’ bittern and water rail, as well as being a habitat for kingfisher and reed bunting. Head south, but still within Greater London, and you’ll find two precious

PHOTO: PENNY DIXIE

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Riddlesdown nature reserve in Croydon is important chalk grassland and the site shows the history of human habitation down the centuries, with old earthworks and a Roman road. While you’re unlikely to spot either shy inhabitant, it has populations of both badger and dormouse. Saltbox Hill SSSI near Biggin Hill is a rare downland habitat that supports at least 32 species of butterfly; the grassland, scrub and ancient woodland in this location are said to have inspired Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theories. All these sites offer children a means to experience something different, what Leanne Manchester describes as getting them out of their usual environment. “Many children are very separate from nature in their day-to-day lives, but nearly all of them want to be outdoors.” She says that children can be very squeamish at first when they are observing wildlife – especially the crawling and creeping varieties – but usually the sheer excitement of the mini beasts and habitats they are learning about takes over. And most children also love to get their hands dirty. Out of the school day there are lots of opportunities for children – and whole families – to experience The Wildlife Trusts’ settings. Reserves are free to explore and, while some have extra facilities or special access arrangements, most remain as wild spots where you can walk, play and explore – sometimes in splendid isolation. A comprehensive activities programme is designed for all age

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PUPILS AT ROSE HILL SCHOOL CREATE AN INSECT HABITAT

PHOTO: MATTHEW ROBERTS

groups, from toddler forest school and family fungi-spotting walks to practical conservation projects for teens and adults under guidance from trained team leaders. And the activities programme runs pretty much throughout the year, with a lot of activities being free to attend. Leanne Manchester says The Wildlife Trusts’ youngest supporters are very committed – there is currently a junior membership of over 150,000 and she works with an editorial panel of young people to find out what most interests and exercises them. She says they are both clued up and committed to the issues where they feel they can make a difference. “They are extremely keen to do their bit on plastics – it’s a manageable issue and not too scary for them”. Water use is another issue she says concerns them. “They are

very eco-conscious – and they absorb knowledge so quickly, especially when we are supporting or adding to things they are also learning about at school.” Giving children a connection – and a stake – in our natural environment is, as far as The Wildlife Trusts are concerned, the start of a lifelong journey. “We know the benefits are enormous when we enable young people to forge a connection with wildlife,” says Leanne Manchester. “People demonstrably need this connection with nature. And nature needs people.” THE WILDLIFE TRUSTS To find out more about the work of The Wildlife Trusts and for more details about wildlife projects and events in London’s nature reserves, visit wildlondon.org.uk.

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TOP AUTUMN

BOOKS The quality of books this autumn is breathtaking. But how do you choose from the huge selection out there? I hope to steer you towards books for children and young teens which can’t fail to inspire both avid bookworms and the more reluctant readers too. So whether it’s fabulous fiction or fantastically awesome non-fiction, read on

here is some truly special fiction for 9 to 12 year olds. The first, The Skylarks’ War by Hilary McKay (Macmillan) is published to commemorate the end of World War One this autumn, so for that reason alone it should be read. But beyond that, it is a beautiful story following the loves and losses of a family growing up against the harsh backdrop of the period. Heart-rending at times but also full of hope and expectation, it’s already being called 'a future classic.'

B y LOUISE WEIR

laugh-out-loud comedy with wonderfully wacky characters for 7+ year olds by Tom McLoughlin, The Day I Became the Most Wanted Boy in the World (Walker Books) is an action-packed adventure. Our hero is Pete, who is about to have his worst day ever. Not only does he accidentally rob his local corner shop, he irritates a gangster mob and steals a phone. He's wanted by the police and it’s down to him to prove his innocence...

one Talk by Candy Gourlay (David Fickling Books) is a tale full of spirit and soul that will transport you to the heart of a remote Filipino tribe. Samkad, is burning to become a man so he can be a warrior. His best friend, a girl called Luki, wants the same but no girl has ever become a warrior. With news of a people called ‘Americans’ bringing war to their home everything changes, and for the children it’s a question of life or death. Bone Talk is an eye-opening story for 9+ year-olds that will change how you view the world.

lmost half a million copies of Robin Stevens’ ‘Murder Most Unladylike’ series have now been sold for 8+ year olds. No problem if you’re new to the series, just jump in with the seventh, Death in the Spotlight (Puffin) and enter the glittering world of the theatre where secrets and murder stalk the stage.

f your 7 to 10 year old is looking for fiction in which the words and pictures fit together in telling a great story, then look no further than The Afterwards (Bloomsbury), a darkly comic and deeply moving story about friendship at its most extraordinary, acceptance and moving on. It features the combined talents of A F Harrold and the inimitable Emily Gravett.

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iers Torday’s favourite book as a child was The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe so, as part homage to that all-time classic of children’s literature, and also as an interrogation of that classic from a modern perspective, he has written The Lost Magician (Quercus), a magical tale set in 1945. It is the story of four children who step through a mysterious library door into the world of Folio, where an enchanted kingdom of fairy knights, bears and tree gods is under threat from a sinister robot army. The many stories of the library are locked in eternal war, and the children’s only hope is to find their creator – a magician who has been lost for centuries. It is a thrilling adventure, the first in a planned series, with unforgettable characters and plenty of humour thrown in, too.

“The Restless Girls is a dazzling feminist reinterpretation of a classic fairy tale” upremely talented middlegrade author Emma Carroll, the queen of historical fiction, tells the story of Egyptian pharaohs and ancient curses in her latest novel Secrets of the Sun King (Faber). Set in 1922, a long dead pharaoh is discovered and a famous Egyptologist is found dead. Then there's a cursed package, holding the key to a story archaeologists are desperately hunting for, which is received by 13-year-old Lil. It is up to her and her friends to embark on an incredible journey to return the package to its resting place and break the deadly pharaoh’s curse.

or 11+ year olds there’s a debut children’s novel by Jessie Burton, author of the adult bestseller The Miniaturist. In The Restless Girls (Bloomsbury) the author creates a dazzling, feminist reinterpretation of the fairy tale ‘The Twelve Dancing Princesses’. Burton has said the story captured her imagination as a child, adding: “when I revisited it as an adult, I could see that there were bits of it that just wouldn’t do”. Updated for our times, The Restless Girls is an irresistible tale of sisterhood, survival, fun and, importantly, freedom.

usin Nielsen, the author of We are All Made of Molecules, is back with No Fixed Address (Andersen Press), a heart-warming tale of a 13-year-old boy who lives in a van with his mum. He’s too embarrassed to tell his friends so keeps it a secret until he hatches a plan to turn his own and his mum’s life around. Susin Nielsen deftly combines humour, heartbreak and hope in this moving story about people who slip through the cracks in society. It also celebrates the power of friendship and community to make all the difference.

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he second, Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes? by Holly Bourne (Usborne), the Queen of YA fiction, is a raw and compelling exploration of mental health, friendship and the power of compassion. With her trademark honesty, accessibility and humour, this is a novel for the modern day.

here are some great new books for fact fans. ‘First Names’ is a brand new funand fact-packed series for 8 to 12 year-olds. The launch titles in the series are Emmeline and Elon, (David Fickling Books) with Harry and Amelia to follow (Pankhurst, Musk, Houdini and Earhart, of course). These are brilliantly entertaining, factually accurate and designed to educate and inspire. There are black and white comic-style illustrations throughout and, uniquely, lots of speech bubble-style comments from the famous people themselves. So why not get to know some amazing people on first name terms?

e curious, be imaginative, be determined and develop your talents by drawing inspiration from the greatest of geniuses in How to Think Like an Absolute Genius (QED Publishing). It's a pot pourri of inspiration for 8+ year-olds from 27 geniuses of different eras and disciplines. Packed with facts, games and activities to boost your knowledge, creative, inventive, and critical thinking skills, this book is sure to show you how to become absolutely awesome at whatever you put your mind to.

nd for curious 7+ year olds, Curious Questions & Answers About… (MilesKelly) is a brilliant new series with four books covering Animals, Science, Our Planet and The Solar System. With bold, quirky illustrations, these books take a sideways looks at all that is wild, wonderful and downright weird about the world through surprising questions and answers. Perfect for inquisitive learners.

or book-loving teens and also young adults, I have picked just two books, but both are by supremely talented authors. The first is by Carnegie Medal winner Melvin Burgess. His novels don’t come along very often but when they do they are not to be missed. The Lost Witch (Andersen Press) is the story of Bea who has started to hear and see things that no one else can. She is being hunted, and she doesn’t know who to trust, or where to run, for her life is in danger. This is an incredibly powerful, thrilling fantasy about magic, myth and following your instincts.

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Alleyn’s Junior School

We - lleyn's

Open Event

13 November

Co-educational excellence in a caring community for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. Our next event will take place on Tuesday 13 November from 1.30 pm to 3.00 pm. Small group tours are available throughout October and November for families making an application for a September 2019 start. www.alleyns.org.uk @AlleynsJunior I 020 8557 1519 I Townley Road, Dulwich SE22 8SU

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or sports mad kids, look no further than Sportopedia (Wide-Eyed Editions), the ultimate guide to the exhilarating world of sport. Learn amazing facts about all your favourite sports, and discover new ones you may not have come across before. This book also showcases a diverse array of athletes – able-bodied and Paralympians – and celebrates the unique talents of sportspeople everywhere, making it a treasure trove for all the family to share.

N E W B O O KS

“The Silk Roads is possibly the most stunning children’s book published this year”

o round off this foray into autumn’s best books, here is possibly the most stunning and interesting children’s book published this year. The Silk Roads (Bloomsbury) is a must-have world history by the phenomenal bestselling author Peter Frankopan. It’s a retelling for older kids and teens of his bestselling title of the same name. Coupled with some stunning illustrations by Neil Packer, this feast for the eyes will take you on a journey that marries east and west. It connects events, empires and continents from ancient world history to the present day, and with a remarkable voyage at its heart – the journey along the Silk Roads through time and history.

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GAM ING

TH I S IS A D I F F ER EN T V IEW OF L I TERAT U R E TH AT A L LOWS C H I L DR E N TO V I S UA L I S E T H E NOV EL I N T H E IR H EA DS

GAME on Minecraft is being used to create an immersive experience to engage children with literary classics B y GEORGIA MCVEIGH

verybody knows Minecraft. Its blocky, pixelated features have graced the screens of the younger generation for nearly a decade now, transporting young players to a world in which they can build, fly and fight for survival. A worldwide phenomenon (74 million monthly active users and counting), so if you haven’t heard of it, you've obviously been living under a rock. It’s perhaps the only game that most parents won’t immediately rip from their unsuspecting children’s hands (ahem, Fortnite). It encourages creativity, quick thinking and it’s a good basis for those starting to code. Now Microsoft has agreed a partnership with the University of Lancaster in a pioneering project called Litcraft (see what they did there?) which brings gaming and textual worlds together to re-engage children with literary classics. Imagine

exploring Robert Louis Stephenson’s Treasure Island, or the island in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, or that of Michael Morpurgo’s Kensuke’s Kingdom. Litcraft uses the Minecraft platform to accurately create models of fictional islands in a way that has never been done before. Professor Sally Bushell, lead researcher and head of Lancaster University’s English and Creative Writing Department explains the premise: “We have created an educational model that connects the imaginative spatial experience of reading the text to an immersive experience in the game world. It then returns to the text with a new understanding through experience”. Litcraft encourages children to take part in interactive activities in which the children themselves reshape or recreate the landscape and, more importantly, consider the consequences of adapting the storyline. In July this year, 70 Year 6 and Year 7 pupils from 15 local schools were invited to the University of Lancaster to try out the

new platform. The day aimed to combine computing, literature and science – and students took part in the creation of a model volcano in the morning, before creating an exploding volcano on the Minecraft platform, before moving on to playing the game with a literary theme. Currently, the University of Lancaster is pitching the platform to schools to try and encourage widespread use of Litcraft, and thus instil further interaction with literature. The project has also highlighted an interesting dynamic when being used by a younger audience – the children often have a more advanced knowledge when it comes to the actual playing of the game than their teachers, so it serves as a platform for increased interaction between teachers and their pupils. Aiming to encourage a critical angle that is often not explored in literature, Litcraft helps students to engage on a critical level with textual settings, providing a different view of literary works to help children to actually visualise the novel in their head. This is particularly useful to those students who do not readily engage in literature in book form, helping them to build up a mental image of the area and thus contextualise the novel they are working on for better understanding of the text. So, for parents who often despair of their children’s obvious lack of engagement in academia and over engagement in technology – here is a way to find a happy balance and get the best of both worlds. MINECRAFT For more info visit education.minecraft.net/user/litcraft

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DAN SNOW

The award-winning historian discusses his schooldays in London and his passion for the past

Q Where did you go to school and when? A I went to St Paul’s School in Barnes during the Nineties. Q Did you enjoy it? A I loved it. I found being a teenage boy difficult and I was always terrible at sport, but at SPS I found two sports I was good at, which were rugby and rowing; they didn’t require much co-ordination but it was good if you were tall and strong. Q What were your favourite subjects? A English, History and Politics. My A-Levels. One of the joys of the British education system – or possibly its greatest failing – is you can give up everything. I loved being able to whittle down the subjects I wanted to give up. I ended up rowing and playing rugby and doing English, History and Politics - I was in heaven really. I spent the whole of one term studying The Tempest. At one time I was studying Edmund Burke in Politics, the French Revolution in History and Tale of Two Cities. I was a machine because all three subjects pointed in the same direction, so I had a huge advantage. 80

Q Who was your favourite teacher? A Keith Perry – my history teacher. He was fantastic. He treated us like adults. He gave me a great love of the 18th century in particular, which has stayed with me ever since. Q What was your favourite activity at school? A Taking part in team sport which took me away from home. It taught me about existing within groups; the freedom and excitement of going to places – it was about developing my own sovereignty over myself. It was so exciting. Q What is your most vivid memory of your school days? A I remember travelling in a minibus to rowing races and thinking, 'This is what adult life is like. I’m not with my parents, I’m with my own peer group, we’re driving off to an event with no adult supervision'. We could stop and eat what we wanted, talk about what we wanted. I felt like I was coming of age.

Q Where did hang out at school? A Students in the sixth form had lockers with a desk, an area which you could work in and I was lucky enough to be close to my two best friends - Theo and Ben. They were – and still are - two of the most intelligent and brilliant people I know and we competed in a friendly way and drove each other on. I owe them a huge amount really. They are a big part of the reason I did so well at school. Q Did you ever get into any trouble? A I did once... I got very drunk after a rowing race and failed to turn up at school the next day where I was supposed to be giving a speech about the Republican Principle of the American Revolution. Q What was your greatest achievement? A I had many sporting achievements – we won at everything. We were the best rugby team in the country; we won the rowing national championships. And I got three As at A-Level. But in a way that was not healthy for me; schools are good at giving you a framework and you can achieve within that but that doesn’t really have much to do with the real world. I left school at 18 thinking I was really rather wonderful, but then I realised that that doesn’t set you up to be a nice, good and compassionate person or to succeed in the more complex world. It is much harder to navigate your way through the world than it is to win a rowing race. I guess I succeeded at everything at school but that wasn’t necessarily the best start in life. Q What drives you now? A Always looking forward. I’m always interested in the next challenge. I always think about the next thing – if you go to my house now, there are no pictures of me rowing for Oxford or winning awards on the telly or whatever. I don’t think those things really matter. What matters is happiness – enduring personal fulfilment. If you win five BAFTAS but you are a broken alcoholic ten years later then that is completely irrelevant, right? I know that winning the Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race has been a foundation of my life – I lost it also and that was in fact the making of me – but winning it is not going to be an important source of happiness to me in the next decade. What is going to make me happy is a successful marriage, career and parenthood. I don’t see the point in dwelling on past triumphs

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School’s Out

P RO F I LE

IT IS MUCH HARDER TO NAVIGATE YOUR WAY THROUGH THE REAL WORLD THAN IT IS TO GET STRAIGHT AS AT SCHOOL OR WIN A ROWING RACE

and failures. When you study history you’re constantly surrounded by the greatest and most remarkable human beings who have ever lived. You kind of never think that you are that good or impressive. Napoleon had conquered the whole of Europe by the time he was my age! Q Where did your love of history come from? A It came from a childhood of going to castles, battlefields, museums and galleries and hearing stories about our past. Everything is history in our family; my dad (the newsreader Peter Snow) loves history, both personally and now as an author. My aunt is a professor of history at Oxford (Margaret MacMillan, this year’s Reith lecturer). My grandmother was a ferocious oral historian – a storyteller. We all love history. Q What projects are you working on now? A My dream has been to make history accessible using all the modern technology

available, so I’ve launched historyhit.tv, a new online-only channel for history lovers. It works like Netflix; you pay a subscription and then can watch as many history programmes as you like. It’s stuffed with lots of the best history programmes in the world. We launched in December last year. We already have thousands of subscribers. It’s for a general audience of history fans, but we know it’s already being used in some schools. I also did a successful History Hit tour in the summer which returns in the New Year and I’m working on a book project for Christmas. Q Why does history matter? A History matters because it is everything that has ever happened on this planet. It’s why societies are organised the way they are. It’s why we interact the way we do, why we speak the way we do. It’s why you go on holiday to Sicily and not Somalia. It’s also why Brexit is happening; why Donald Trump happened. And it’s why Russia is poisoning people on British soil. It defines and controls us.

Name the ﬁve historical ﬁgures you’d invite to your dream dinner party? HORATIO NELSON • GENGHIS KHAN • MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT • LIVIA – WIFE OF AUGUSTUS OF ROME • ELIZABETH I • (AND ME)

H I S TO RY H I T.T V from £6.99 a month DAN SNOW HISTORY HIT UK TOUR nationwide from 22 JANURARY TO 29 MARCH 2019 historyhit.com for more info and tickets.

AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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B e e t l e Q u e e n M.G. Leonaardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own fear of beetles was converted into something very special â&#x20AC;&#x201C; bestselling books that inspire children B y K AT Y G I L L E T T

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I’M IMMENSELY PROUD OF MYSELF NOW WHEN I GO INTO SCHOOLS AND HELP CHILDREN TO HANDLE MY BEETLES

ust a few years ago, Brightonbased children’s author Maya Gabrielle (pen name M. G. Leonard) was terrified of insects. But now she loves them. In fact, she loves them so much she even looks after two of her own Rainbow Stag Beetles called Motty and Hector. And she wrote a series of bestselling books about the insects. Her first one, Beetle Boy, came out in 2016 and quickly won numerous awards and nominations. Then two more novels – as part of a trilogy – came soon after, to much acclaim. Before all that, however, she also worked in the music industry and theatre. Basically, Maya is a pretty creative lady. Here, we chat with her about her work, her family, and how we can make sure our kids grow up creative, too…

Q What are you working on at the moment? A I have a non-fiction book called The Beetle Collector’s Handbook just out and I’m also planning to produce a small book of poems for children about beetles. And I’m currently writing a contemporary fairy story about climate change. It’s called December’s Children. Q Where do you find your inspiration for your new projects? A It’s a collision of thoughts, observations and something that is troubling me. I want to bring into the world books that have the capacity to create the desire for societal change in the young. I felt the way we portray invertebrates in our cultures belies the environmental importance and good the creatures do, so I wrote the Beetle Boy books. I also believe that climate change is an important topic that’s difficult for us to talk about with our children, so I want to write stories that enable that discussion. Q Why did you decide to write about insects when you were afraid of them? A When I was afraid of insects, I never took the time to look at them in detail or learn about them. I was too busy running away. When I began studying them, I was astonished by their beauty and infinite variety. You could never be bored spending time with beetles, and I haven’t been. I’ve found beetles to be one of the most inspiring subjects, which is how I’ve managed to produce four books about them.

PROFILE

Q Is it important to face your fears? A It is liberating to overcome a fear, and I’m immensely proud of myself now when I go into schools and help children to handle my beetles. It’s something I never dreamed I could do. It has made me feel that perhaps I’m capable of doing other things. It has made me bold. Q Why do you think fostering creativity in children is so important today? A Creativity is the way humans work through problems and express complex emotions. Cultural product is an exploration of what it is to be human. For humanity to progress and survive, creativity is essential. Combine creativity with any one of the STEM subjects and you get real innovation. It would be ludicrous not to foster creativity in our children. It is of vital importance that we do so, but, most of all, children love to create. It brings them great joy, builds their confidence and develops their ability to express themselves and therefore empathise with others. Q What tips do you have for parents looking to encourage their kids to read for pleasure? A My oldest son was what they call a ‘reluctant reader’ and we did a number of things that helped with his reading. Firstly, the books I encouraged him to read on his own were highly illustrated – either graphic novels or the Tom

Gates books. The pictures helped him with the words. Secondly, we would read a chapter book together every night before bed, taking it in turns to read aloud. I had a shelf in his bedroom where we’d put all the books he’d completed so he could see the shelf fill up and his confidence in reading grew. Q How do you encourage your own sons to be creative? A I don’t think you need to do much to encourage creativity in children. You just need to give them the space, time, tools and attention. In our dining room we have a cupboard of paints and paper. My youngest will often go to it and pull out his pens and start drawing. We visit a bookshop or the library every weekend. There is a constant flow of reading material through our house and if the boys don’t enjoy a book, I don’t make them finish it. When I’m writing, my boys will often come and work beside me on homework (the oldest) or making their own books (the youngest), which can make it hard to write, but it is delightful. And my husband is musical, too, so we try and make noise together when possible. None of it is scheduled or enforced. Creativity just happens, because children naturally want to do it. T H E B E E T L E C O L L E C TO R ’ S HANDBOOK by M.G. Leonard, published September 2018; mgleonard.com AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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Redcliffe School Celebrating 70 years

Discover why Redcliffe always makes us smile… Visit redcliffeschool.com

Redcliffe School - educating boys and girls from rising 3 to 11 To arrange your tour contact Henrietta Corbett on 020 7352 9247 or email registrar@redcliffeschool.com REDCLIFF.indd 1

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PARTNERSHIP

GROWING

strong

Claire Boyd, Head of Prep School at Sydenham High, discusses how parents and teachers can work together to help children develop emotional strength and resilience

ver the past decade there has been a wonderful embrace of character education in schools. Educators have recognised the responsibility schools have to nurture the emotional and social development of children, alongside the academic and co-curricular profile. Scroll through a school website or flip through the pages of a prospectus and it is all but impossible to escape communications on how the school encourages pupils to develop confidence, resilience and determination. Without exception, parents I meet seeking a new school for their child are as preoccupied with finding an environment that cultivates emotional strength and self-knowledge as they are with academic performance. It is clear that the virtues of ‘bounce-back-ability’ and capacity to recalibrate after setbacks weigh heavily on the minds of modern-day parents. The volatile and ever-evolving world of work means they also recognise the need for citizens of the future to be adaptable and able to show grit. Union between school and parental vision means parents often feel quickly at home with the school they have selected for their child. This creates an environment in which the values promoted at school garner tacit support at home, lending valuable support. Delivering character education is not, however, without its challenges. Developing

their friendships or does not enjoy an aspect of school life. Enhanced modes of homeschool communication, and the increased expectation for a ‘customer services’ style interaction with schools, make it easier than ever for parents to request or even demand that a child’s school experience is filtered of negative experiences and challenges. This significantly limits the scope for character education and development in our young people. Without exposure to reasonable levels of failure, disappointment, rejection and challenge, it is impossible for the virtues we hold in such high regard – grit, resilience and self-confidence – to be cultivated. I encourage all of us, as parents and educators, to look for ways to ensure a joined-up approach to helping our young people over the bumps in the road. No one who truly believes in child well-being advocates them being left to fend for themselves, but parents who work closely with the school through challenging times invariably see the biggest strides in their child’s character development.

PARE N TS ARE ALSO S E E K IN G AN E N VIRON M E N T THAT CU LTIVATE S E M OTION AL STRE N GTH

an environment that weaves the nuances of social and emotional development into the fabric of the wider curriculum requires dogged and consistent determination from all members of the school community. It takes time and thoughtfulness and requires us to get to know pupils inside out. Helping a child or young person overcome a period of adversity requires patience and the understanding that this is an investment in their capacity to face future challenges with greater ease. Supporting character development is often not the easiest pathway – the theory is far easier to get behind than the reality of making it happen. The natural instinct for parents, especially of the youngest pupils, is to protect them from unhappiness and disappointment. It can be overwhelming to be faced with a child who underperforms, encounters challenges in

SY D E N H A M H I G H S C H O O L To find out about 4+ and 7+ taster days at Sydenham High School GDST, visit sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net

AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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TEACHING Wellbeing

Teaching wellbeing need not be boring, as these ten great healthy ideas for weekends, half-terms and holidays show B y DA N I B I N N I N GT O N

he holidays, half-terms and weekends are a great time to refresh and recharge. With a careful bit of planning they can also be a great time to develop key habits that will help your children thrive. Activities can include cycling, walking or learning a new board game – depending on the age of your child(ren) – but they can also include some powerful and simple ones that will stimulate your and their brain, and help you all get in touch with your inner self. So here are my top 10 strategies to boost your own and your child’s physical and mental wellbeing this season…

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Get into geocaching. Everyone loves a scavenger hunt. Families and groups of people can search for hidden “caches” using the GPS on mobile phones. You can choose from easy to tricky and you can even choose how long you want to be on the hunt for. It’s like your very own treasure hunt and such a great way to get little ones walking much further than you would have imagined they could.

ACTIVIT Y

CREATIVE FOOD FUN

Practise self-care. Teaching our children the importance of self-care is vital for their development and a great building block for their adult lives, too. Allow your child to tell you when they need to rest or when they want to read (if they can), or even offer them a bath in the middle of the day if they feel they would like to relax. It’s vital that we’re connected to our gut feelings, which are usually overridden by our schedule and to-do list. So learn to give your body and mind what it needs as often as possible.

Get talking. A weekly family meeting brings many benefits. Set a time and arrange a place for your family to gather. No phones or other gadgets allowed. No TV either. You can either set a topic that you would like to discuss (like the next family holiday or which rewards chart you want to get started) or allow anything to come up. You could start by asking everyone to tell each other how their week has been so far. Listen carefully and teach your child not to interrupt you either. It is a very powerful experience when you actually feel listened to.

DANI AND DAUGHTER DOING OUTDOOR YOGA

Make “cool stuff”. The website dadcando.com is great and full of crafty ideas that bring adults and kids together, spending quality time with each other. From paper planes to dream catchers and other quirky things, it offers ideas for how to make stuff out of mostly inexpensive or recycled materials.

Bake. Whipping up treats in the kitchen can mean more than just creating yummy comfort food. In fact, by setting some time aside to spend together, baking can have a positive effect on your relationship with each other. Smaller children can learn to measure out ingredients while older children can take charge of almost everything. By enjoying the end result (which is hopefully tasty!) it will leave you feeling super-satisfied, emotionally and physically. But watch the sugar; try to make healthy versions of your favourite treats and build within your children a health-conscious relationship to food.

Discuss goals. It can be lovely to talk with your child about their goals and dreams no matter what their age. Allow your child to dream big. Then set a realistic goal that your child can achieve over the timeframe. It can be as little or big as appropriate, from drawing a picture for each family member, to learning a new skill like roller blading. Setting a goal, working towards it and achieving it are empowering and positive experiences.

Borrow or purchase yoga cards. Yoga cards are a fun way for you and your child to embark on a journey that will be as exciting and varied as your child’s imagination. Each card shows a yoga pose and the colourful illustrations inspire hours of exploration, movement and creative play. It allows your child to become your teacher, which is something they will love doing. You can never be too young or old to practise yoga.

TEACHING OUR CHILDREN THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CARE IS VITAL FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT

Try forest bathing. Most of us are aware that spending time in nature helps us to de-stress. A walk on the beach or a stroll in the countryside can make us feel so much better. But do we know why? The Japanese art of ‘forest bathing’ – basically just being in the presence of trees – is scientifically proven to improve your health. It became part of a national public health programme in Japan back in the early ’80s. So go outside, surround yourself by trees and improve your immune functions!

Have a go at something new. Discuss with your child what it is that you could try out that is new to you both. Pick something age- and budget-appropriate. This does not need to be a bungee-jump! You could order some clay and try your hand at making a vase. Try out a new healthy recipe, which you could let your child pick out of a magazine. Or head to your nearest car boot sale and have a go at selling some old toys.

Go on an adventure. Turn a normal day into an exciting journey and see if you can take a train, bus and/or boat to get to your destination. We often go somewhere for a day out, may it be a zoo, a museum or a restaurant. But why not turn the “getting there” into an adventure in itself?

DA N I B I N N I N G TO N is a yoga teacher and wellness expert dedicated to providing practical steps for physical and mental wellbeing for the whole family. For recipes, classes, events and more inspiration visit. healthywholeme.com AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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Hawkesdown House School

For Boys & Girls aged 3 to 11 years

27 Edge Street, Kensington, London W8 7PN Telephone: 0207 727 9090 Email: admin@hawkesdown.co.uk www.hawkesdown.co.uk

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Happening history Open Morning 1st February 2019 Independent co-educational preparatory day, flexi and full-time boarding school, ages 2-13. Contact the school Registrar on 01590 613 303 or email registrar@walhampton.com WALHAMPTON SCHOOL, LYMINGTON, HAMPSHIRE SO41 5ZG.

www.walhampton.com

Registered charity Number: 307330

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School’s Out

S P O RT

I WISH I’D HAD A MENTOR WHO’D BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, GOT THE SCARS

ike so many young people, Alex Paske had a dream to play sport for England. And for a while it looked as though that dream might come true when she qualified for the Under-16s England hockey trials. But she got injured, and following a long recovery, she no longer found pleasure in the game. “I ended up putting a lot of pressure on myself,” she says. “I felt like I hadn’t achieved my goal and I wasn’t good enough anymore. I had an incredibly supportive family, but they didn’t really know what to do when I didn’t get in.” Paske stopped playing hockey for good. It was, she says, “an incredibly negative experience”, but she was determined that other young people

Going for

GOLD A dashed dream spurred on Alex Paske to build a sport mentoring charity that is beneﬁting young athletes B y GEORGIA MCVEIGH

would not be put off achieving their goals by similar setbacks. She says: “If I’d had a mentor who had been there, done that, got the scars, someone who told me that what I was going through was normal, I would still be playing hockey today – and enjoying it”. So, in March 2015, she set up The Mintridge Foundation, which places professional athletes in schools, colleges and sports clubs to inspire and mentor budding athletes. A registered charity since April this year, The Mintridge Foundation now has a team of 28 ambassadors, including Olympians, Paralympians, England netballers, professional basketball players and more. By July this year, the charity was running 142 programmes that had helped almost 38,000 young people. The Mintridge Foundation has three programmes: Bronze, Silver AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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C A M E RO N H O U S E S C H O O L 4 T H E VA L E , L O N D O N S W 3 6 A H

Headmistress: Mrs Dina Mallett T: 020 7352 4040 W: www.cameronhouseschool.org

C A M E RO N H O U S E S C H O O L 4 T H E VA L E , L O N D O N S W 3 6 A H

‘One school, two buildings, great teaching, and tip top facilities.’ The Good Schools Guide W: www.cameronhouseschool.org T: 020 7352 4040

The Study is a leading prep school situated in the heart of Wimbledon Village. We identify and nurture each girl’s unique academic, creative and sporting skills in a caring and supportive community.

A SPRINGBOARD FOR LIFE

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For further details and to book a school visit, contact Jane Davis on 020 8947 6969 www.thestudyprep.co.uk

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A SPRINGBOARD FOR LIFE

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S P O RT

A MENTOR AT WORK

and Gold, each one aiming to enhance the life skills of young people through sport. The Bronze programme sends an athlete into a school, club or college for a day, where they will talk to students about anything from diet and nutrition to their own journey and sporting career. With an aim of promoting the physical education and development of young people, as well as helping to build essential life skills, the school and The Mintridge Foundation will agree on an activity before the athlete arrives: this might be teaching a coaching session, or leading an assembly for the school. But it is the foundation's Silver and Gold programmes that set it apart from other charities with a similar objective.

If a school decides that they would like to offer a student a greater level of mentoring, they can opt for the Silver programme. For this, The Mintridge Foundation will allocate an athlete to work with a chosen student who has shown particular flair in their sport, and the athlete then mentors this student remotely over a period of six months by supporting them in their development. Via FaceTime, Skype or email, the student can expect to have a minimum of one hour a fortnight of contact with their mentor, focusing on a specific programme target decided upon by staff. In short, they are receiving the support that Paske felt she did not have when she needed it the most. For the Gold programme, The Mintridge Foundation will offer the opportunity for mentees and their families to go and watch their mentor in a sports event, with travel paid for by the Foundation to further spur mentees on to achieve their goals. It’s obviously a formula that works. Clemmie Cooper from Ampleforth College was selected to represent Great Britain in the Laser Run World Championships following a six-month programme working with Heather Fell at Mintridge. Heather won the silver medal in the women’s individual event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the pentathlon event, and Clemmie

has put her selection down to the confidence and set of skills that she learned through Heather. Paske is also dedicated to the empowerment of female athletes, something that she feels has been lacking in previous years. She says: “I look back and think that my role model was Johnnie Wilkinson, the England rugby player, which is great but I wasn’t a rugby player and I didn’t know who the England hockey team were because a foundation like Mintridge wasn’t there for me”. One of her biggest drives has been to make sure that young female athletes are mentored by similar female athletes. The Mintridge Foundation is expanding fast, with an equal number of state and independent schools taking part. Paske says Mintridge ambassadors adapt to the facilities on offer, so staff from inner-city schools are not taught sport techniques that they cannot carry out in a limited space. With Paske as the driving force behind Mintridge, it seems that the sky really is the limit for young athletes it supports.

THE MINTRIDGE F O U N DAT I O N For more info visit: mintridgefoundation.org.uk

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HEAD S PA C E Is creating a beautiful setting enough to guarantee a harmonious and happy home life with a family? Probably not. We seek some assistance from the School of Life B y PENDLE HARTE I l l u s t r a t i o n PHIL COUZENS

mages of beautiful family homes can be seen everywhere. Small children are artfully stumbling down stairs, their hair cutely dishevelled. Breakfast tables feature stylishly mismatched crockery, the crumby remains of a meal scattered elegantly. Sofas have cushions intact. A single pair of shoes is neatly arranged in a hallway. Throws are casually tossed across flawlessly made beds. Swathes of wellordered space is shot from all angles. If a visitor from another planet were to flick through the pages of a magazine, they’d think humans lived in flawless spaces with decorative objects tastefully displayed on shelves in groups of three. But here are some of the things you never see on Instagram. The total kitchen devastation caused by children baking cakes. Abandoned towels on the floor. Messy piles of dog-eared leaflets. Shelves of tatty books arranged with no regard for size or colour. Yesterday’s coffee cups. Discarded shoes, especially muddy ones, or lone ones. Unfinished craft projects too big for the cupboard. The detritus of family life requires endless clearing up, throwing away, sorting out, and that is, ultimately, what home means. The key to a happy home life, according to the School of Life, can’t be found in a new rug or in matching towels or even in a loft conversion. Happiness comes through emotional intelligence, nurtured through ideas and discussion, and it’s entirely immune to the colour of your walls. The reality of

family life comprises arguments, sulking, irrational behaviour, door slamming and general emotional volatility – is this what we’re trying to tame with our storage solutions and our careful lighting? If home is a state of mind, how can we achieve the serene yet characterful home life implied by all the heavily styled images? The School of Life, Alain de Botton’s centre for the pursuit of emotional intelligence, has a few tools to offer. Many of them are simply conversation starters – but they’re very well thought out (not to mention elegantly packaged, so they also work as decorative objects for shelves). We start with 100 Questions: Family Edition, which is a simple box of cards, each featuring a leading question that can apply to all ages. It’s designed to be an improvement on this familiar exchange: “How was school today darling?” “Fine.” “Did anything interesting happen?” “No.” “What did you have for lunch?” “I can’t remember. Stop asking me things.” Instead, here are ‘100 carefully composed questions designed to get you into imaginative, thoughtprovoking conversations between children and adults’, neatly packaged ‘for families who enjoy lively discussions and meaningful conversations,’ it says. It’s pitched to be revealing, rather than exposing, and to appeal to all ages. In my household, everyone is keen to play. First question: If you had to join someone else’s family, whose would you choose? Ouch. This could easily lead to one of our oft-revisited rows, which begin with the recrimination:

WH AT AR E WE T RY I NG TO TAME WI T H O U R ST Y L I SH STO RAG E SO LU T I O NS?

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“Stella’s mother would never put spinach in macaroni cheese. I wish I lived with her”. But happily the ensuing conversation is remarkably civilised, leading seamlessly into the following cards: What’s the best thing about your family? And the worst? Again, getting quite close to the bone but without actually bruising anything or slamming any doors. Answers to: ‘The best way to get me to do something I don’t want to do is…’ are predictable, involving money and chocolate, while more wide-reaching questions reveal heartfelt convictions about plastic in the oceans and global consumption and waste. Soon we’re in an intense and wide-reaching discussion spanning capital punishment, the value of learning maths, artificial intelligence, the existence of God and whether parenting should be strict. Each of us learns something new about each family member, whether it’s the smell they most associate with school or their bestever dream. Further questions include: What makes you feel lonely? How strict will you be as a parent? What

would be the best job in the world? Describe your ideal school day, and the devastating: Do you think your parents and siblings spend too much time on phones/computers? While we’re shopping at the School of Life – and on the subject of time spent on phones – we’re distracted by a stylish glass sand timer with enough yellow sand to mark out 15 minutes. This is another row-abater. When our youngest refuses to address her homework, we instate a 15-minute rule. Screen time can come in 15-minute increments. So can question time. And quiet time. And tidying up time. Soon we’re almost living to a timetable. This doesn’t work for everything: 15 minutes is long for toothbrushing, showering and the naughty step. Needless to say, the curvy timer looks nice on a shelf, too. Ultimately, creating a lovely space for your family to inhabit is important, but it needs to be filled with what the Germans might call “lebensinhalt” – literally, life content. (The School of Life also has a whole set of cards on the subject of untranslatable German words, but that’s another conversation). AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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CHALET ROYALP, VILLARS

HIGH

FLYERS Why families in search of activity holidays should head to the mountains, whatever the season B y PENDLE HARTE

icture the scene. A mountain path, the sun shining, the sky felt-tip blue, the mountains impossibly green, the fir trees identically tall and the wild flowers blooming. It’s as if we have fallen through a portal and into a Disney animation that shows an idealised version of Switzerland living its best life, only this is the actual world and it really is like this. It’s kind of sad that the clarity of the air, the luminosity, the perfect colours and the sheer natural beauty around us is so overwhelming to a group of jaded Londoners that our only point of reference is a digital simulation. We struggle to believe that it’s real. These are the Swiss alps, a destination widely perceived to belong to winter, due to the British travel industry's insistence that mountains are only for skiing. This means that travelling to the Swiss Alps in summer

has all the advantages of low season – no crowds, cheaper flights, availability – while retaining everything that you need from a family summer holiday: hot weather, beautiful scenery, outdoor activities and delicious food. Less obvious than the allconsuming ski industry, there is a strong tradition of summering in the mountains but as long as people continue to focus on beaches as the summer imperative, the alps will retain their slightly off-piste feel when there’s sunshine instead of snow. Villars Sur Ollon has a long-standing history as a ski resort but in summer it takes on a whole new identity. While winter offers one main activity, summer offers countless different ones. So, what to do? When there’s a mountain around, it’s natural to want to ascend it and in Villars the train takes you straight up to the ski station at 1300 metres, which is an excellent starting point for a hike. Small groups of cows with gently tinkling cowbells have been perfectly positioned, the wild flowers artfully styled by nature and the path

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TR AV E L

THE SWISS ALPS IN SUMMER HAS ALL THE ADVANTAGES OF LOW SEASON PLUS EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR A SUNNY FAMILY HOLIDAY

AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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A thriving independent day, weekly and flexi-boarding co-ed prep school for children aged 3 - 13

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H A Ntraditionally FOR D modern An all girls boarding & day prep school in Dorset Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire t: 01453 832072 e: office@bps.school w: www.beaudesert.gloucs.sch.uk

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School’s Out

TR AV E L

WHILE WINTER OFFERS ONE MAIN ACTIVITY, SUMMER OFFERS COUNTLESS DIFFERENT ONES ALPINE LAKE

designed to lead to an insanely beautiful lake, with a dreamy restaurant alongside it. You could spend the day here but we’re after a little more adventure, so we hire mountain scooters. Picture a mountain bike without a seat and pedals, and you can imagine the scooter. The idea is that you stand up, bend your knees a bit and hurl yourself down the mountain. It looks innocent enough: my nine-year old daughter and I are confident cyclists and are fully expecting to master this quickly. But off-road mountain scooting is more of an extreme sport than we’re quite ready for. The terrain is – by definition – steep and the track is by turns rocky, gravelly and grassy.

CHEESE FARM AT ALPAGE DU COL DE LA CROIX

The scooter lurches downhill and my instinct is to brake heavily, but brakes are a further challenge. Brake too much and you’ll skid, potentially throwing yourself at the rocky ground, but without braking you’ll build up terrifying speed and still potentially hurl yourself off balance. There’s no easy option, but neither is there time to think because you have to keep your entire brain on the scooter as the world whizzes past you. Of course it’s partly an age thing: these fears are not shared by my daughter, who is careering down the mountain without a backwards glance, entirely unburdened by thoughts of whether she’ll fall, how much to brake or whether she’s likely to skid. Her fearlessness is exhilarating. This is a lesson in confidence as much as in balance and co-ordination. We are overtaken by a professional-looking group of teenagers, unrecognisable beneath their extreme protective gear, whose sheer speed is either impressive or horrifying, depending on your outlook (or your age). Back in Villars, there is a beautiful public pool, indoor and outdoor, which has slides and amazing views as well as an onside spa and an inflatables course. Also on site is a year-round outdoor ice rink. We are staying at the Chalet Royalp, which provides us with Free Access passes that get us in everywhere, including on the train. Our next day is spent visiting a cheese farm and sampling the mountain dairy offerings before heading to Parc des Diables for a high ropes course in the forest. And so it goes on. Lakes, mountains, forests. Our activity-filled days are laced with fondues and showstopping scenery. So who needs snow?

ABSOLUTELY WAS A GUEST OF THE LAKE GENEVA REGION lake-geneva-region.ch Rooms at Chalet Royalp & Spa available from CHF290 (£230) per night, b&b, based on two sharing chaletroyalp.com. For more information on Switzerland visit MySwitzerland.com SWISS offers more than 170 weekly flights from London City, Heathrow, Gatwick (seasonal), Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Dublin to Zurich, Geneva or Sion (seasonal). One way fares start from £67 including all taxes, fees and surcharges. For more information visit swiss.com The Swiss Travel System provides a dedicated range of travel passes and tickets exclusively for visitors from abroad. swisstravelsystem.co.uk AUTUMN • WINTER 2018

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School’s Out

PARENT P OWER

Green Wars If your child won’t eat their greens (or oranges, purples and reds), then you need patience, not bribery or subterfuge, to win the war. Here’s what you need to know

B y L I B BY N O R M A N

ike the best garden perennials, childhood tantrums over vegetables sprout year on year. But while your mother may have cajoled or even threatened a life of pasty skin and failure to make the first team unless you polished off that pile of Brussels sprouts, she was on the wrong track. Force-feeding children five a day is not the way to rear an upstanding member of the salad-eating community. In fact, you risk leading your child off the green and leafy path for life.

1. ZERO BRIBERY That familiar refrain of: “Eat your greens and then you can have some pudding,” may have 98

been part of your childhood but it’s a mixed message you should not pass on to your children, say the experts. Not only is this a big fat bribe, but it’s also using food as a reward – setting up a whole set of dubious associations. Nicola Johnstone, paediatric dietician and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association (BDA) says that when children are very young rewards (star charts, a trip to the park) work well, but never use sweets, puddings or any other edible treat as this may shape their attitude to food. “You want to make eating a good experience,” she says. “So use positive reinforcement even if they only eat a small amount of the food you want them to eat”. By the same token, never threaten to withdraw food as punishment.

2. NO CHEATING While that cunningly concealed courgette in Bolognese sauce may tick your own nurturingparent box, many experts now agree that disguising food is not the best approach to help a child move from picky to balanced diet. It’s hard work for you, as you dream up ever more elaborate schemes to hide the veg, and also risks upsetting your child’s trust in you as honest parent if they discover you have secretly included something they hate. And adding vegetables to cakes may

be in vogue (and produce fine results) but it’s an add-on not a substitute for eating greens as nature made them.

3. GREEN IDEAS Cooking vegetables in different ways – or serving them raw – may help if texture is the problem. Nicola Johnstone suggests you involve children in the preparation as much as you can – for instance, get them tossing a salad. Familiarity is a big part of acceptance, which is why letting children grow their own often inspires them to have a go at eating their greens. Sitting around a table together and sharing the same meal is

USI NG SWEETS AS A REWARD M AY NEGATIVELY SH AP E YOU R C H I LD’S WHOLE ATTI TUD E TO FO OD positive reinforcement in itself. It’s important not to draw attention to what your child is not eating, and that also means ignoring bad behaviour. This approach can pay off once children get to school: “Toddlers sometimes do better when they get to school because it’s a structured environment and they want to fit in with their peer group,” Johnstone says. |

4. THE LONG GAME Some children go for years avoiding certain vegetables, so play the long game. They are also capable of being as specific in their tastes as adults. But who knows, that vegetable-phobic child may one day declare – like Barack Obama – that broccoli is their all-time favourite food.

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