Education Plus 16 September 2014

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2 EDUCATION TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16 2014 WESTERN DAILY PRESS WDP-E01-S4

Schools index

Bristol Grammar School juniors ................. 17Bristol Grammar School seniors ................. 19Haberdashers’ MonmouthSchool for Girls ........................................ 19Haberdashers’ MonmouthSchool for Boys ........................................ 17King’s College, Taunton ......................... 19King’s Hall ............................................. 19QEH Seniors ........................................... 18QEH Juniors ............................................ 18Red Maids juniors ................................... 17Red Maids seniors .................................. 18Redland High School .............................. 19Warminster School .................................. 19

Features

Focus on STEM ........................................... 2Teaching online safety ................................ 3State schools transform city ...................... 4Smaller elite at top of GCSEs .................... 5A Learning City .......................................... 6Guarding region’s schools .......................... 7Music makes gains ..................................... 8Fee-paying quality for all .......................... 10Teaching financial essentials ..................... 11Independents increasing access .......... 12&13Extra-curricular activities .......................... 14Parent power ........................................... 19Heritage education .................................. 19

Contents

BY JEFF [email protected]

When GCSE and A-level res-ults were released last month,there was an eye-catchingchange in tack from Bristolschools as they announcedtheir achievements.

Among independent schoolsin particular, the familiarboasts about record numbersof A* students awarded placesat Oxford or Cambridge playedsecond fiddle this year. Topbilling instead went to thenews that female students hadperformed well in STEM (Sci-ence, Technology, Engineer-ing and Maths) subjects andearned places on courses inthose disciplines at university.The shift of emphasis ap-peared to signal that the malestranglehold on STEM sub-jects and careers was begin-ning to loosen.

This is backed up by newfigures which have revealedthat the number of female stu-dents considering universitycourses in STEM subjects hadgrown by more than it has forthe opposite sex.

The survey, compiled byCambridge Occupational Ana-lysts (COA), is based on de-tailed analysis of answers to150 questions by around 20,000sixth formers each year for thepast seven years.

To a backdrop of repeatedwarnings about the import-ance of STEM subjects to the

British economy, the findingswill have been welcomed byemployers and politiciansa l i ke.

Earlier this year, a report bythe Commons Science andTechnology Committeewarned that the UK risked aserious shortfall of workers tofill vital jobs in science andindustry if it did not increasethe number of women in theseareas. A leading website forschool and college leavers re-

vealed earlier this month thattwo of the three mostsearched-for terms andcourses it witnessed in thefortnight following A-Levelresults week were ‘engineer-ing’ and ‘science’.

Over the last few years, theeducational landscape in Bris-tol has repositioned itself tocater for the forecast rise indemand to study STEM sub-jects. One college with an en-gineering focus has opened,Bristol Technology & Engin-eering Academy in Stoke Gif-ford, and another is in thepipeline (a studio school atWellsway School in Keyn-sham). Another centre aimedat fostering the engineers ofthe future, North SomersetEnterprise and TechnologyCollege, has just opened inWe s t o n - s u p e r- M a re.

Catherine Hobbs, the headof the engineering and math-ematics department at theUniversity of the West of Eng-land, says the shortage ofwomen in STEM jobs has beena entrenched cultural problemworsened by misconceptionsof what being an engineer ac-tually involves.

She believes getting the mes-sage across children about thepotential scope of an career inengineering is important.

Ms Hobbs said: “We need toget students to change theirmind in Year 11 about engin-eering.

“They think an engineer is a

guy in a boiler suit and a span-ner fixing a washing machine.But engineers are designingwashing machines and super-sonic cars – they are not on theshop floor fiddling with a nut.

“This country doesn’t seethem as a professional. If youask a child at the age of five orsix, ‘What does an engineerdo?’ they would say it issomeone who fixes their dad’scar. But children of that ageknows exactly what a doctord o e s. ”

She said the engineeringwas male dominated in mostWestern countries with the ex-ception of Italy.

Ms Hobbs said: “There isperception of science andmaths as being a ‘boy thing’but in some countries thati s n’t the case. In Italy, maths isseen as being a female subjectand there is a high proportionof women in STEM careers. Asa female in this country, youknow if you select a engin-eering or maths degree, youwill be in a minority and it’sjust slightly uncomfortable.And that’s speaking assomeone who has gonethrough it – being on a coursewhere others don’t look likeyo u . ”

Of the 1,500 students onmaths and engineeringcourses at UWE, only 20 percent are female. When the fig-ures are examined in moredetail, engineering emerges asthe more problematic subject.

Pushing for a real new drivein all the ‘STEM’ subjects

The exciting Bloodhound supersonic car project, based in Bristol, is one of the many schemes working to increase interest in the STEM subjects

Ofsted inspectors have beensent to dozens of schoolsacross England to conductsnap inspections amid seriousconcerns about standards.

Around 40 schools are to re-ceive no-notice visits over atwo-week period, the inspect-orate said.

The wave of unannouncedvisits are being carried outunder Ofsted’s existingpowers. Schools usually gethalf a day’s notice of an in-spection.

In the wake of reports intothe alleged “Trojan horse”takeover plot by hardlineMuslims at a number of Birm-ingham schools, Ofsted chiefSir Michael Wilshaw said thathe would look again at routineunannounced inspections, amove that was first mootedaround two years ago but laterdropped amid strong oppos-ition from school leaders.

While these plans are underconsideration, Sir Michaelsaid he would be askingOfsted’s regional directors tomake use of the watchdog’sexisting powers to conduct no-notice inspections wherethere are concerns about rap-idly declining standards, keep-ing pupils safe – including a

decline in students’ b e h av i o u r– leadership and governanceand the breadth and balance ofthe curriculum.

Many of the schools chosenfor a no-notice inspection weredue to receive a visit this term,but others have been selectedbecause there are concernsabout their performance.

Sir Michael said: “Pa re n t srightly expect Ofsted inspec-tions to get to the heart of anyproblems that may exist in aschool – whether they are to dowith discipline, safeguardingor poor leadership.”

Ofsted officials start tolaunch snap inspections

The number of sixth formers whowere questioned in the survey

20,000Under 10 per cent of stu-

dents on engineering coursesare female, compared with 40per cent in mathematics.

Subjects allied to medicine,such as biology, chemistry andmaths, are more popular withwomen, standing at 40 percent. But physics and engin-eering subjects attract lessthan 20 per cent.

Ms Hobbs said that amongthe causes is a shortage of girlsstudying science and maths atA-level, and taking triple sci-ence at GCSE.

To solve the problem, therehave been campaigns both loc-ally and nationally.Cover design: David Lewins

WESTERN DAILY PRESS TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16 2014 EDUCATION 3WDP-E01-S4

State education

BY MARC [email protected]

In the rapidly-evolving digitallandscape, you would pityanyone – teachers or parents –responsible for keeping chil-dren safe from harm online.

With sophisticated new appsappearing on an almost dailybasis, the latest smartphonesand tablets becoming evermore powerful and the num-bers using of social media con-tinuing to soar, keeping upwith technology has becomean near impossible task.

But one Bristol-based organ-isation is taking an innovativeapproach to helping pupilsdodge the perils of the web.

Unique Voice is training sec-ondary-school children to be E-safety Champions, who usetheir experience and coachingto warn primary-school chil-dren against internetdang ers.

One of its directors, KrystalKeeley, says the champions areoften better placed to giveadvice than teachers or otheradults because they have up-to-the-minute knowledge on thelatest apps and sites.

“Secondary school childrenare moving away from themainstream social media sitesbut it’s now mums and dadsusing Facebook. They areusing new picture-related appslike Snapchat. But rather thantrying to put people off usingthem, we are learning themechanics of them and howthey can be used safely.”

Unique Voice’s project,called Connected, is aimed atgiving young people the “vo i c eand lead” on E Safety as “mainconsumers of technology”.

Four secondaries, FairfieldHigh, Bedminster Down, CityAcademy, and Orchard, haveall taken part in the initiative,with children at more than 30feeder primaries also involved.Altogether, 6,000 young peoplein the city have benefited.

Unique Voice trains thechampions in public speakingand online safety knowledge.They then accompany UniqueVoice actors to put on engagingperformances and workshops.

The primary school thenhosts a parent presentation,where the children demon-strate what they have learned,spreading their knowledge ofto parents and friends.

Unique Voice says the modelhas been hugely successful atempowering schools, youngpeople and families, as well asstrengthening relationshipsbetween secondary andprimaries and providing cur-rent material to which youngpeople can relate.

Krystal, who studied per-forming arts at Bath Spa Uni-versity along with other mem-bers of her organisation, saidthe biggest threats the webposed varied with age.

For primary school childrenit can be the temptation toclick on a pop-up which prom-ises to give them the chance to

win a new computer. Childrenhave been advised about click-ing on pop-ups leading to vir-uses, opening up the possib-ility of hackers accessing theirpersonal information, andleading to them unknowinglyrunning up a bill.

For secondary school chil-dren, cyber bullying is more ofa problem, where there is alack of ‘thinking before post-ing’.Pupils tagging unflatter-ing pictures on social mediacan lead to “fall out”.

She said: “It can lead topeople being victimised insome way – but thinking aboutwhat they share can have a bigimpact on the situation.”

Krystal recommends report-ing cyber bullying in a safemanner, like on the BeatBul-lying website or to school sup-port staff or police officer.

She sympathises witht o d ay ’s generation of schoolchildren who suffer bullyingwhich goes under the radar.

She said: “Some things canexplode over the internet butyou could walk past a personconcerned and they wouldn’tsay anything to you – it’s moretortuous and more intensethan when I was at school.

“If something explodes onsocial media or someone isbeing trolled online, it is sowidespread and it can go deepin the way it can harm aperson.”

The project is primarilyfunded by Bristol City Coun-cil’s Early Help Team, withsome from secondary schools.

In a testimonial, KellyHarmer, the business develop-ment manager at FairfieldHigh, said: “We have just fin-ished working on the Connec-ted project with Unique Voiceand our students have beentotally inspired.

“Not only are our championswell informed about onlinesafety and ready to continuetheir work in ensuring Fair-field and its students stay safeonline, but they have passed onvaluation information to ourlocal primary schools as wellas to their parents and peers.

“Their confidence hasgrown massively too. TheUnique Voice team is dynamic,inspiring, well organised andcompletely dedicated to theirwork and ensuring studentshave the best possible exper-i e n c e. ”

FIVE TIPS FOR SAFETY

� Talk with your child abouttheir use of technology.� Come up with an agreed setof rules for using technology.� Use the features of theirdevices to help safeguard yourch i l d .� Use technology in an openand honest communicationline as a family.� Ask your child to show youthe latest shortcuts, tips andsites so that not only are youshowing an interest in them,you can learn too whilst en-suring their safety.

Safety online brings youngsters together

Open Mornings:

Wednesday 1stOctober & Tuesday7th OctoberTours at 8.45am, 9.45amand 11.05amBookable by appointment only

Open Evening:

Wednesday 1stOctober6.00pm - 8.00pmCreche facilities are available

Headteacher talks at 6.00pm and 6.45pmAbbeywood Community SchoolNew RoadStoke GiffordSouth GlouchestershireBS34 9SF

[email protected]: 0117 307 5660

Open Day:

Wednesday 24thSeptemberTours at 8.45am, 9.45am,11.05am and 1.35pmBookable by appointment only

Open Evening:

Wednesday 24thSeptember6.00pm - 8.00pmCreche facilities are available

Headteacher talks at 6.00pm and 6.45pm

Bradley Stoke Community SchoolFiddlersWood LaneBradley StokeSouth GlouchestershireBS32 9BS

[email protected]: 01454 868840

Our Mission: To support and enable allstudents to believe in themselves, achievetheir full potential and develop the skillsneeded to succeed and enjoy life.

Our Mission: To support and enableall students to believe in themselves,achieve their full potential anddevelop the skills needed to succeed andenjoy life.

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State education State education

on engaging performances andworkshops. The primary schoolthen hosts a parent presentation,where the children demonstratewhat they have learned, spreadingtheir knowledge of E-Safety totheir parents and friends.

Unique Voice says the model hasbeen hugely successful at em-powering schools, young peopleand families. The organisationsays it strengthens relationshipsbetween secondary and primariesas well as providing schools withcurrent material that youngpeople can relate to.

Krystal, who along with othermembers of her organisation allstudied performing arts at BathSpa University, said the biggestthreats the web posed varied de-pending on age.

For primary school children itcan be the temptation to click onpop-up which promises to givethem the chance to win a new Macor iPad. Children have been ad-vised about clicking on pop-upsleading to viruses, opening up thepossibility of hackers accessingtheir personal information, andleading to them unknowingly run-ning up a bill.

For secondary school children,cyber bullying is more of a prob-lem, where there is a lack of ‘think-ing before posting’. Krystal saidpupils tagging unflattering pic-tures on social media can lead to

“fall out”. She said: “ T hinkingabout what they share can have abig impact on the situation.”

Krystal recommends reportingcyber bullying in a safe manner,like on the BeatBullying websiteor to school support staff or policeofficer. She sympathises witht o d ay ’s generation of school chil-dren who suffer bullying whichgoes under the radar, with victimsstaying silent. She said: “Somethings can explode over the in-ternet but you could walk past aperson concerned and theywo u l d n’t say anything to you – it’smore tortuous than when I was atschool. If something explodes onsocial media or someone is beingtrolled online, it is so widespreadand it can go deep in the way it canharm a person.”

The project is primarily fundedby Bristol City Council’s EarlyHelp Team, with some comingfrom secondary schools.

In a testimonial, Kelly Harmer,the business development man-ager at Fairfield High, said: “Wehave just finished working on theConnected project with UniqueVoice and our students have beeninspired. Not only are our ‘ESafety Champions’ well informedabout E Safety but they havepassed on information to anothergeneration in our primary schoolsas well as to their parents andp e e r s. ”

IN the rapidly-evolving digitallandscape we now occupy, youwould pity anyone – wh e t h e rteachers or parents – re s p o n s i bl efor keeping children safe from

harm online.With sophisticated new apps appear-

ing on an almost daily basis, the latestsmart phones and tablets becomingever more powerful and the numbersusing of social media continuing tosoaring, keeping up with technologyhas become an near impossible task.

But one Bristol-based organisationis taking an innovative and novel ap-proach to helping pupils dodge theperils of the web, whether it be socialmedia, cyber bullying, hacking or pri-vacy. Unique Voice is training sec-ondary school children to be E-safetyChampions, who use their experienceand coaching to warn primary schoolchildren against the dangers lurkingon the internet.

One of the organisation’s directors,Krystal Keeley, says the champions areoften better placed to give advice thanteachers or other adults because theyhave up-to-the-minute knowledge onthe latest apps and social media sites.

She said: “Secondary school chil-dren are moving away from the main-stream social media sites but it’s nowmums and dads using Facebook. Theyare using new picture-related appscoming forward like Snapchat. Butrather than trying to put people offusing them, we are learning the mech-anics of them and how they can beused safely.”

Unique Voice’s project, called Con-nected, is aimed at giving youngpeople the “voice and lead” on E Safetyas “main consumers of technology”.

Four secondaries, Fairfield High,Bedminster Down, City Academy, andOrchard, have all taken part in theinitiative, with children at more than30 feeder primaries also involved. Al-

together, 6,000 young people in the cityhave benefited. Unique Voice trainsthe champions in public speaking andonline safety knowledge. They thenaccompany Unique Voice actors to put

Bristol-based Unique Voice is taking an innovative andnovel approach to helping pupils dodge the perils ofthe web – by training secondary school children to beE-safety Champions. Marc Rath reports.

RISKS FOR TEACHERS AS WELL AS YOUNGSTERS

� Lisa Middle, secretary of theBristol division of the National Unionof Teachers, says the web can bedangerous for teachers too.

She said: “Advice from the NUT isto exercise extreme caution whenusing the internet. The union advisesteachers not to use social mediawithout the using the highest

security settings.“The danger is that comments can

be taken out of context and usedmaliciously. Teachers have had their‘posts’ or ‘likes’ used maliciouslyagainst them when they wrote thecomments with entirely differentmeanings in mind.

“We suggest teachers to not

‘friend’ pupils, ex-pupils or theirfamilies on Facebook or make anycomments about pupils, staff oraspects of school.

“However, this is a very sad stateof affairs. Teachers should have thesame right to use social media asother people whilst having the samere s p o n s i b i l i t i e s . ”

ONLINE SAFETY TIPS

� Mark Anderson, director ofe-learning at The Sir BernardLovell School, said: “Theknowledge that yourchild’s mobile devicemost likely hasunrestricted Interneton it is somethingthat many parentsare unaware of.Devices that run theApple iOS system andthe alternatives in Androidand Windows phones do haveparental controls on them. Youcan age restrict and prevent

purchases of apps. There arelots of features that parents canuse to help safeguard against

inappropriate access anduse. Advice from leadingexperts reinforces theidea that communicationwith your children is key.Being open and frank

with your child about howthey use technology and

where they use it is vital.Talking with your child is thesimplest and best way to keepup with what they are doingonline.

TIPS FOR PARENTS

� Talk with your child abouttheir use of technology� Come up with an agreedset of rules for the use oftechnology� Use the features of theirdevices to help safeguardyour child� Use technology in an openand honest communicationline as a family� Ask your child to show youthe latest shortcuts, tips andsites so that not only are youshowing an interest in them,you can learn too whilstensuring their safety – youcan become a digi-parent!

NET GAINS:HELPING TOKEEP PUPILSSAFE ONLINE

SCHOOL NEWS Keep up-to-date with news from your school at BRISTOLPOST.CO.UK

ONLINEState education State education

��

��

��

��

Open Mornings:


Open Evening:


Headteacher talks at 6.00pm and 6.45pmAbbeywood Community SchoolNew RoadStoke GiffordSouth GlouchestershireBS34 [email protected]: 0117 307 5660

Open Day:


Open Evening:



Bradley Stoke Community SchoolFiddlersWood LaneBradley StokeSouth GlouchestershireBS32 [email protected]: 01454 868840



EPB-E01-S5

EPB-

E01-

S5

4 Tu e s d a y, September 16, 2014 5Tu e s d a y, September 16, 2014 w w w. bristolpost.co.ukw w w. bristolpost.co.uk


on engaging performances andworkshops. The primary schoolthen hosts a parent presentation,where the children demonstratewhat they have learned, spreadingtheir knowledge of E-Safety totheir parents and friends.

Unique Voice says the model hasbeen hugely successful at em-powering schools, young peopleand families. The organisationsays it strengthens relationshipsbetween secondary and primariesas well as providing schools withcurrent material that youngpeople can relate to.

Krystal, who along with othermembers of her organisation allstudied performing arts at BathSpa University, said the biggestthreats the web posed varied de-pending on age.

For primary school children itcan be the temptation to click onpop-up which promises to givethem the chance to win a new Macor iPad. Children have been ad-vised about clicking on pop-upsleading to viruses, opening up thepossibility of hackers accessingtheir personal information, andleading to them unknowingly run-ning up a bill.

For secondary school children,cyber bullying is more of a prob-lem, where there is a lack of ‘think-ing before posting’. Krystal saidpupils tagging unflattering pic-tures on social media can lead to

“fall out”. She said: “ T hinkingabout what they share can have abig impact on the situation.”

Krystal recommends reportingcyber bullying in a safe manner,like on the BeatBullying websiteor to school support staff or policeofficer. She sympathises witht o d ay ’s generation of school chil-dren who suffer bullying whichgoes under the radar, with victimsstaying silent. She said: “Somethings can explode over the in-ternet but you could walk past aperson concerned and theywo u l d n’t say anything to you – it’smore tortuous than when I was atschool. If something explodes onsocial media or someone is beingtrolled online, it is so widespreadand it can go deep in the way it canharm a person.”

The project is primarily fundedby Bristol City Council’s EarlyHelp Team, with some comingfrom secondary schools.

In a testimonial, Kelly Harmer,the business development man-ager at Fairfield High, said: “Wehave just finished working on theConnected project with UniqueVoice and our students have beeninspired. Not only are our ‘ESafety Champions’ well informedabout E Safety but they havepassed on information to anothergeneration in our primary schoolsas well as to their parents andp e e r s. ”

IN the rapidly-evolving digitallandscape we now occupy, youwould pity anyone – wh e t h e rteachers or parents – re s p o n s i bl efor keeping children safe from

harm online.With sophisticated new apps appear-

ing on an almost daily basis, the latestsmart phones and tablets becomingever more powerful and the numbersusing of social media continuing tosoaring, keeping up with technologyhas become an near impossible task.

But one Bristol-based organisationis taking an innovative and novel ap-proach to helping pupils dodge theperils of the web, whether it be socialmedia, cyber bullying, hacking or pri-vacy. Unique Voice is training sec-ondary school children to be E-safetyChampions, who use their experienceand coaching to warn primary schoolchildren against the dangers lurkingon the internet.

One of the organisation’s directors,Krystal Keeley, says the champions areoften better placed to give advice thanteachers or other adults because theyhave up-to-the-minute knowledge onthe latest apps and social media sites.

She said: “Secondary school chil-dren are moving away from the main-stream social media sites but it’s nowmums and dads using Facebook. Theyare using new picture-related appscoming forward like Snapchat. Butrather than trying to put people offusing them, we are learning the mech-anics of them and how they can beused safely.”

Unique Voice’s project, called Con-nected, is aimed at giving youngpeople the “voice and lead” on E Safetyas “main consumers of technology”.

Four secondaries, Fairfield High,Bedminster Down, City Academy, andOrchard, have all taken part in theinitiative, with children at more than30 feeder primaries also involved. Al-

together, 6,000 young people in the cityhave benefited. Unique Voice trainsthe champions in public speaking andonline safety knowledge. They thenaccompany Unique Voice actors to put

Bristol-based Unique Voice is taking an innovative andnovel approach to helping pupils dodge the perils ofthe web – by training secondary school children to beE-safety Champions. Marc Rath reports.

RISKS FOR TEACHERS AS WELL AS YOUNGSTERS

� Lisa Middle, secretary of theBristol division of the National Unionof Teachers, says the web can bedangerous for teachers too.

She said: “Advice from the NUT isto exercise extreme caution whenusing the internet. The union advisesteachers not to use social mediawithout the using the highest

security settings.“The danger is that comments can

be taken out of context and usedmaliciously. Teachers have had their‘posts’ or ‘likes’ used maliciouslyagainst them when they wrote thecomments with entirely differentmeanings in mind.

“We suggest teachers to not

‘friend’ pupils, ex-pupils or theirfamilies on Facebook or make anycomments about pupils, staff oraspects of school.

“However, this is a very sad stateof affairs. Teachers should have thesame right to use social media asother people whilst having the samere s p o n s i b i l i t i e s . ”

ONLINE SAFETY TIPS

� Mark Anderson, director ofe-learning at The Sir BernardLovell School, said: “Theknowledge that yourchild’s mobile devicemost likely hasunrestricted Interneton it is somethingthat many parentsare unaware of.Devices that run theApple iOS system andthe alternatives in Androidand Windows phones do haveparental controls on them. Youcan age restrict and prevent

purchases of apps. There arelots of features that parents canuse to help safeguard against

inappropriate access anduse. Advice from leadingexperts reinforces theidea that communicationwith your children is key.Being open and frank

with your child about howthey use technology and

where they use it is vital.Talking with your child is thesimplest and best way to keepup with what they are doingonline.

TIPS FOR PARENTS

� Talk with your child abouttheir use of technology� Come up with an agreedset of rules for the use oftechnology� Use the features of theirdevices to help safeguardyour child� Use technology in an openand honest communicationline as a family� Ask your child to show youthe latest shortcuts, tips andsites so that not only are youshowing an interest in them,you can learn too whilstensuring their safety – youcan become a digi-parent!

NET GAINS:HELPING TOKEEP PUPILSSAFE ONLINE

SCHOOL NEWS Keep up-to-date with news from your school at BRISTOLPOST.CO.UK

ONLINEState education State education

��

��

��

��

Open Mornings:


Open Evening:


Headteacher talks at 6.00pm and 6.45pmAbbeywood Community SchoolNew RoadStoke GiffordSouth GlouchestershireBS34 [email protected]: 0117 307 5660

Open Day:


Open Evening:



Bradley Stoke Community SchoolFiddlersWood LaneBradley StokeSouth GlouchestershireBS32 [email protected]: 01454 868840



WESTERN DAILY PRESS TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16 2014 EDUCATION 5WDP-E01-S44 EDUCATION TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16 2014 WESTERN DAILY PRESS WDP-E01-S4


BY ALISON [email protected]

Just 3 per cent of teenagerscould score the highest gradesin new, more rigorous, GCSEEnglish and maths exams, ithas been revealed.

Under major reforms, only afifth of pupils who would cur-rently achieve at least an Agrade will be awarded a “g rade9” – the top result available inthe new system.

This could mean that fewerpupils achieve the highestmark in the future.

Revamped GCSEs in Englishlanguage, English literatureand maths are due to be in-troduced into schools in Eng-land next autumn, with thefirst exams taken in thesummer of 2017.

England’s exams regulatorhas confirmed the new grad-ing system for the qualifica-tions, which will see A*-Ggrades replaced with 1-9 – with9 the highest result.

Broadly the same proportionof students will achieve agrade 4 and above as currentlyachieve a grade C and above,Ofqual said, while broadly the

same proportion of teenagerswho currently score at least anA will gain a grade 7.

The top 20 per cent of thosewho score at least a 7 will beawarded a grade 9, the reg-ulator announced.

For example, according tolast year’s national results,3.3 per cent of English GCSEcandidates were awarded anA* – this equates to around24,127 students.

Under the new system, 2.8per cent of candidates wouldhave been awarded a grade 9 in2013 – around 20,472 candidatesin total.

In English literature, 5.5 percent of exams gained an A* lastsummer, while 4.6 per centwould have scored a grade 9under the overhaul.

And in maths, 4.9 per cent oflast year’s entries – about 37,248in total got an A*, while 2.9 percent – about 22,045 – would haveachieved a grade 9.

These figures indicate thatfewer pupils could achieve thevery best results in these sub-jects following the introduc-tion of the new gradingsystem.

Chief regulator Glenys

Stacey said that there will be“anchor points” between bothsystems, to ensure it is pos-sible to compare “the old withthe new”.

“We believe grade C/4 is theright anchor point,” she said.

“It also means that for thosethat rely on these qualifica-tions and use them, they willknow, if they were looking forsomeone to achieve at least a Cboundary mark in the past,whether they’re deciding, forexample if that child should beaccepted for another course ofstudy, or a job, that they canequate the 4 to the C,” MsStacey said.

She added that there are alsomore results in the new struc-ture, with three grades – 7,8,9instead of A* and A, and 4,5,6instead of B and C.

“There have been strongcalls from users of GCSEs thatthere needs to be greater dif-ferentiation at the top end,” MsStacey said.

The new grade 5 will equateto the top third of marks for acurrent C and the bottom thirdof marks for a B, Ofqual said.

It added that this means thata new 5 is higher in the new

scale than a C result and isbroadly in line with what evid-ence suggests is the averageperformance level of 16-year-olds in other top nations.

At the moment, schools arejudged on the proportion ofpupils scoring at least five Csat GCSE including English andmaths, and this is changing totake into account pupils’ re s -ults across eight subjects.

It is not yet known whichnew grade will be used as abenchmark instead of C. If thenew grade 5 is used, this islikely to be seen as an attemptto raise the bar.

New GCSEs are being ac-credited by Ofqual and MsStacey said there was “noreason not to be confident”that the syllabuses for Englishand maths will be with schoolsthis term.

Brian Lightman, generalsecretary of the Association ofSchool and College Leaders(ASCL) said: “Students mustnot be disadvantaged by thechange in grading. What is im-portant is that Ofqual sets outvery clearly to teachers andstudents what is needed toachieve a specific grade.”

New GCSE grading to create smaller elite

The new GCSE numerical grades, which replace A* to G with 1-9, will bemake a considerably increased differential

As the secondary school openevening season gets under way,Linda Tanner looks at howsecondary education haschanged over the past decade

We ’ve got a great story to tell –but so many people in our com-munity are just not hearing it.That was the lament from aBristol secondary school prin-cipal last week.

Half an hour later, in a coffeeshop a mile or so away, thestory was corroborated. I over-heard one mum say to anotherabout the school in question,“oh, X – avoid X like thepla gue.”

She did not appear to haveany evidence for her opinion ofthis or any other school, butthought she would probablysend her daughter to Y “be-

Building arevolution incity’s schools

cause there’s a bus that goesfrom the end of our road”.

I guessed that the child wasas yet some years off the moveto “big school” as the motherdid not seem to have the note ofpanic in her voice that getslouder the closer that “trans-ition” – as it is now called –b e c o m e s.

Secondary schooling is a bigtopic of conversation amongparents in all corners of Bris-tol, starting when their chil-dren are in nursery and con-tinuing at parks, playdates,barbecues and dinner parties.These days, it is also conduc-ted online and often anonym-ously, making hearsay evenmore damaging to the second-aries’ efforts to get their pos-itive messages out. It is truethat when the 11-year-olds don-ning their blazers and ties thismonth were born, state edu-cation in Bristol was in a badplace. Exam results wereamong the worst in the coun-try and the city council camevery close to having all itspowers as a local educationauthority removed.

A fifth of children who leftprimary school were bussedout to secondary schools inNorth Somerset, SouthGloucestershire and B&NESand another 20 per cent joinedone of the city’s high numberof independent, fee-chargings ch o o l s.

The rapid transformationthat followed, involving n ewbuildings, academy conver-sions, new uniforms, and –most importantly – rising res-ults, was beginning to bearfruit by 2009, with a reductionin “pupil drift” from allcorners of the city to neigh-bouring areas.

More children were alsocoming in to Bristol’s stateschools, following the conver-sion of former independentsBristol Cathedral School andC o l s t o n’s Girls’ School toacademies. Increasing num-bers of parents put their faithin city schools as results con-tinued to go up – with Bristol’sprovisional headline figureovertaking South Gloucester-s h i re ’s for the first time thisyear. The city council says thatof the 2012 intake, a total of1,605 children went “c ro s sb o rd e r ” to schools outsideBristol. In 2013, the figure was1,592 and the authority reck-ons that this year the numberis 597. This is as yet uncon-firmed because there is a lot ofchange between when placesare offered in March and thestart of the school year, but itdoes show a remarkably im-proving trend.

Nevertheless, the parentalconcerns remain – not leastbecause families look at theGCSE and A-level perform-ance of their local schoolsrather than the citywide fig-u re s.

So while this year all Bristolsecondaries were above the 40per cent “floor target” – for theproportion of students gainingat least five GCSE A*-C grades,a number were below the na-tional average, meaning thatmore than half of 16-year-oldsin those schools were notachieving this minimumstandard. Schools, though, sayit is important to look widerthan this narrow measureand, especially, to look at theadvances made by youngpeople over five years. It isimportant, too, to recognisethat some Bristol schools donot have a truly comprehens-ive intake, due in part to as-pirational families opting forindependent sector, neigh-bouring area or faith-basede d u c at i o n .

Parents also worry aboutOfsted ratings, especially iftheir closest secondary isjudged to “require improve-ment”. But it is self-evidentthat even an outstandingschool will have some weak-nesses alongside its consider-able strengths, while a low-rated school will probablyhave some areas of outstand-ing practice.

Alongside results and in-spection reports, parentsmake decisions based on localknowledge and perceptions –which brings us back to thecoffee-shop mum. But reputa-tions often lag behind realchanges, so a “ro u g h ” s ch o o lmight now be a beacon of goodbehaviour, while a school thatis thought to be good mighthave seen standards slip.

And it would be wrong torule out a school where pupilnumbers have dropped – s ev -eral Bristol secondaries have

been able to take advantage ofa smaller roll to give studentsmore individual attention,which has led to dramatic im-provements in results. So, asthe open evenings for Septem-ber 2015 entrants get into fullswing, what should parentsdo?

The most important thing isto keep an open mind and optfor the school that is right foryour child. Don’t rule any-where out. Go to the open even-ing, listen to the head teacher’stalk, but also take the chance toquestion students, teachersand current parents. Mostschools also arrange visitsduring the school day, whichcan give you a true picture. Berealistic and work with yourchild and the staff so your childcan get the maximum benefit.

Number of Bristol children leavingthe city to attend school in 2012

1,605

Two years later, that figure has –provisionally – fallen dramatically

597

The traditional entrance toColston’s Girls’ School, which hasswitched from the private sector tobecome an academy

Oasis Academy Brightstowe, the former Portway School in Shirehampton,was named the most improved school in the country in 2012, reflecting amassive improvement in Bristol’s education that has seen the number ofchildren bussed across the city’s boundaries




Just 3 per cent of teenagerscould score the highest gradesin new, more rigorous, GCSEEnglish and maths exams, ithas been revealed.

Under major reforms, only afifth of pupils who would cur-rently achieve at least an Agrade will be awarded a “g rade9” – the top result available inthe new system.

This could mean that fewerpupils achieve the highestmark in the future.

Revamped GCSEs in Englishlanguage, English literatureand maths are due to be in-troduced into schools in Eng-land next autumn, with thefirst exams taken in thesummer of 2017.

England’s exams regulatorhas confirmed the new grad-ing system for the qualifica-tions, which will see A*-Ggrades replaced with 1-9 – with9 the highest result.

Broadly the same proportionof students will achieve agrade 4 and above as currentlyachieve a grade C and above,Ofqual said, while broadly the

same proportion of teenagerswho currently score at least anA will gain a grade 7.

The top 20 per cent of thosewho score at least a 7 will beawarded a grade 9, the reg-ulator announced.

For example, according tolast year’s national results,3.3 per cent of English GCSEcandidates were awarded anA* – this equates to around24,127 students.

Under the new system, 2.8per cent of candidates wouldhave been awarded a grade 9 in2013 – around 20,472 candidatesin total.

In English literature, 5.5 percent of exams gained an A* lastsummer, while 4.6 per centwould have scored a grade 9under the overhaul.

And in maths, 4.9 per cent oflast year’s entries – about 37,248in total got an A*, while 2.9 percent – about 22,045 – would haveachieved a grade 9.

These figures indicate thatfewer pupils could achieve thevery best results in these sub-jects following the introduc-tion of the new gradingsystem.

Chief regulator Glenys

Stacey said that there will be“anchor points” between bothsystems, to ensure it is pos-sible to compare “the old withthe new”.

“We believe grade C/4 is theright anchor point,” she said.

“It also means that for thosethat rely on these qualifica-tions and use them, they willknow, if they were looking forsomeone to achieve at least a Cboundary mark in the past,whether they’re deciding, forexample if that child should beaccepted for another course ofstudy, or a job, that they canequate the 4 to the C,” MsStacey said.

She added that there are alsomore results in the new struc-ture, with three grades – 7,8,9instead of A* and A, and 4,5,6instead of B and C.

“There have been strongcalls from users of GCSEs thatthere needs to be greater dif-ferentiation at the top end,” MsStacey said.

The new grade 5 will equateto the top third of marks for acurrent C and the bottom thirdof marks for a B, Ofqual said.

It added that this means thata new 5 is higher in the new

scale than a C result and isbroadly in line with what evid-ence suggests is the averageperformance level of 16-year-olds in other top nations.

At the moment, schools arejudged on the proportion ofpupils scoring at least five Csat GCSE including English andmaths, and this is changing totake into account pupils’ re s -ults across eight subjects.

It is not yet known whichnew grade will be used as abenchmark instead of C. If thenew grade 5 is used, this islikely to be seen as an attemptto raise the bar.

New GCSEs are being ac-credited by Ofqual and MsStacey said there was “noreason not to be confident”that the syllabuses for Englishand maths will be with schoolsthis term.

Brian Lightman, generalsecretary of the Association ofSchool and College Leaders(ASCL) said: “Students mustnot be disadvantaged by thechange in grading. What is im-portant is that Ofqual sets outvery clearly to teachers andstudents what is needed toachieve a specific grade.”

New GCSE grading to create smaller elite

The new GCSE numerical grades, which replace A* to G with 1-9, will bemake a considerably increased differential

As the secondary school openevening season gets under way,Linda Tanner looks at howsecondary education haschanged over the past decade

We ’ve got a great story to tell –but so many people in our com-munity are just not hearing it.That was the lament from aBristol secondary school prin-cipal last week.

Half an hour later, in a coffeeshop a mile or so away, thestory was corroborated. I over-heard one mum say to anotherabout the school in question,“oh, X – avoid X like thepla gue.”

She did not appear to haveany evidence for her opinion ofthis or any other school, butthought she would probablysend her daughter to Y “be-

Building arevolution incity’s schools

cause there’s a bus that goesfrom the end of our road”.

I guessed that the child wasas yet some years off the moveto “big school” as the motherdid not seem to have the note ofpanic in her voice that getslouder the closer that “trans-ition” – as it is now called –b e c o m e s.

Secondary schooling is a bigtopic of conversation amongparents in all corners of Bris-tol, starting when their chil-dren are in nursery and con-tinuing at parks, playdates,barbecues and dinner parties.These days, it is also conduc-ted online and often anonym-ously, making hearsay evenmore damaging to the second-aries’ efforts to get their pos-itive messages out. It is truethat when the 11-year-olds don-ning their blazers and ties thismonth were born, state edu-cation in Bristol was in a badplace. Exam results wereamong the worst in the coun-try and the city council camevery close to having all itspowers as a local educationauthority removed.

A fifth of children who leftprimary school were bussedout to secondary schools inNorth Somerset, SouthGloucestershire and B&NESand another 20 per cent joinedone of the city’s high numberof independent, fee-chargings ch o o l s.

The rapid transformationthat followed, involving n ewbuildings, academy conver-sions, new uniforms, and –most importantly – rising res-ults, was beginning to bearfruit by 2009, with a reductionin “pupil drift” from allcorners of the city to neigh-bouring areas.

More children were alsocoming in to Bristol’s stateschools, following the conver-sion of former independentsBristol Cathedral School andC o l s t o n’s Girls’ School toacademies. Increasing num-bers of parents put their faithin city schools as results con-tinued to go up – with Bristol’sprovisional headline figureovertaking South Gloucester-s h i re ’s for the first time thisyear. The city council says thatof the 2012 intake, a total of1,605 children went “c ro s sb o rd e r ” to schools outsideBristol. In 2013, the figure was1,592 and the authority reck-ons that this year the numberis 597. This is as yet uncon-firmed because there is a lot ofchange between when placesare offered in March and thestart of the school year, but itdoes show a remarkably im-proving trend.

Nevertheless, the parentalconcerns remain – not leastbecause families look at theGCSE and A-level perform-ance of their local schoolsrather than the citywide fig-u re s.

So while this year all Bristolsecondaries were above the 40per cent “floor target” – for theproportion of students gainingat least five GCSE A*-C grades,a number were below the na-tional average, meaning thatmore than half of 16-year-oldsin those schools were notachieving this minimumstandard. Schools, though, sayit is important to look widerthan this narrow measureand, especially, to look at theadvances made by youngpeople over five years. It isimportant, too, to recognisethat some Bristol schools donot have a truly comprehens-ive intake, due in part to as-pirational families opting forindependent sector, neigh-bouring area or faith-basede d u c at i o n .

Parents also worry aboutOfsted ratings, especially iftheir closest secondary isjudged to “require improve-ment”. But it is self-evidentthat even an outstandingschool will have some weak-nesses alongside its consider-able strengths, while a low-rated school will probablyhave some areas of outstand-ing practice.

Alongside results and in-spection reports, parentsmake decisions based on localknowledge and perceptions –which brings us back to thecoffee-shop mum. But reputa-tions often lag behind realchanges, so a “ro u g h ” s ch o o lmight now be a beacon of goodbehaviour, while a school thatis thought to be good mighthave seen standards slip.

And it would be wrong torule out a school where pupilnumbers have dropped – s ev -eral Bristol secondaries have

been able to take advantage ofa smaller roll to give studentsmore individual attention,which has led to dramatic im-provements in results. So, asthe open evenings for Septem-ber 2015 entrants get into fullswing, what should parentsdo?

The most important thing isto keep an open mind and optfor the school that is right foryour child. Don’t rule any-where out. Go to the open even-ing, listen to the head teacher’stalk, but also take the chance toquestion students, teachersand current parents. Mostschools also arrange visitsduring the school day, whichcan give you a true picture. Berealistic and work with yourchild and the staff so your childcan get the maximum benefit.

Number of Bristol children leavingthe city to attend school in 2012

1,605

Two years later, that figure has –provisionally – fallen dramatically

597

The traditional entrance toColston’s Girls’ School, which hasswitched from the private sector tobecome an academy

Oasis Academy Brightstowe, the former Portway School in Shirehampton,was named the most improved school in the country in 2012, reflecting amassive improvement in Bristol’s education that has seen the number ofchildren bussed across the city’s boundaries

WESTERN DAILY PRESS TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16 2014 7WDP-E01-S46 EDUCATION TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16 2014 WESTERN DAILY PRESS WDP-E01-S4


He was credited with improvingthe life chances of 6,000 Bristolchildren as chief of the CabotLearning Federation academychain. But now Sir David Carteris moving on to bigger things.Marc Rath reports

If there is one criticism whichcould never be levelled at SirDavid Carter, it’s that he lacksambition. After 11 years at theCabot Learning Federation, inwhich he rose from head teach-er to chief executive and playeda major role in transformingthe fortunes of several failingBristol schools, he’s now sethis sights on an even moresizeable challenge.

Since September 1, he hasbeen working as the SouthWe s t ’s first regional schoolsc o m m i s s i o n e r.

Instead of having respons-ibility for 11 schools in andaround Bristol, he will now beheld to account for the per-formance of dozens in a patchextending from Gloucester-s h i re to Cornwall.

When he spoke to the BristolPost earlier this month, he hadjust settled in to his new sur-roundings – an office inTemple Quay where he is beingsupported by a small team ofadministrative staff.

Within his remit is monit-oring the performance ofacademies and free schools inthe South West, approving newacademies and free schoolsand encouraging organisa-tions to come forward as po-tential sponsors for schools.

And the role is far from onewhich is “all talk and not ro u s e r s ”, with major de-cisions being reserved for of-ficials Whitehall.

Sir David explains that hewas attracted to the job be-cause it “has teeth”.

He has the power to removean academy sponsor from aschool if it is judged to havebeen failing over a prolongedperiod.

On a sliding scale, he canchoose to make a “g entle”check on a underperformingschool, issue a pre-warningnotice or even dole out a finalwarning notice in the mostextreme cases.

Sir David said: “U l t i m at e ly,if the school is still failing, itcan be taken away from itssponsor. I suppose you couldtake it even further – if a schoold o e s n’t have a sponsor or onec a n’t be found we might say ‘Isthis school viable and can itrun in its current state?’ Al-though I would talk to the sec-retary of state if that were thec a s e. ”

And he says his new job isn’tabout persuasion – r at h e rholding individuals and spon-sors to account and ‘tellingthem what to do to improve’.

He said: “These kids haveonly got one chance of an edu-cation. I do have the power andauthority to make changes if

needed. I can also ask Ofsted toinspect a school if I was wor-ried about it.”

Explaining the role of thecountry’s eight new regionalschools commissioners cover-ing different regions of Eng-land, he said: “At the heart of itis the recognition is that to run5,000 schools from Whitehall isvery difficult. If a school isgetting into difficulties, wewo u l d n’t allow chaos to occur –we would want to get in thereand arrest the decline imme-d i at e ly. ”

Sir David has vast experi-ence in academies having fron-ted the largest group of schoolsin the Bristol area, the CabotLearning Federation.

Although a big advocate ofthe academy system he hasreservations about large na-tional academy chains takingon too many schools, raisingconcerns about large nationalchains which have grown tooquickly to properly supportthe schools under their con-t ro l .

And he has promised to keepa close eye on overseas spon-s o r s. He has already scheduleda trip to Ireland to take a look

at the work of Educate Togeth-er Trust, which has justopened a primary school inRe d f i e l d .

Of foreign sponsors, he said:“The plan will be to look atsome of their schools in Ire-land to get a better insight intohow they work.

“Academies are funded bythe taxpayer and we want toknow they understand educa-tion and understand Bristol.We need to see they’ve got the

capacity and track record tomake the difference.”

Sir David said it would be a“good thing” if all schools wereacademies but said it was notwithin his remit to drive upnumbers of them.

He said: “My role is aboutmaking sure academies per-form better than they do andensure new ones do reallywe l l .

“I believe in the academymodel – the reason I have beenable to turn around differentschools in the city is by havingthe freedom to take decisionsfor Bristol Brunel Academyand Bristol Met. I believe in thesystem but it’s got to besomething the head teacherw a n t s.

“Nicky Morgan (secretary ofstate for education) haschanged the approach – she’stalked more about local au-thority schools than the pre-vious secretary of state. Shejust wants all schools to per-form really, really well.”

A 100-day plan has been for-mulated for Sir David’s firstfew months, during which hewill travel to visit schools inDevon, Dorset and Cornwall .

One of the most importantstages in a child’s life is whenthey start school for the veryfirst time. Another is the moveto secondary school.

Here in Bristol, we have awide variety of schools offer-ing high-quality education.That is what Ofsted say in theirlatest figures. Over 80 per centof our primary and secondaryschools are now judged to begood or better – above the na-tional average.

2014 has seen results im-prove even further with thebest ever A-level results formany and GCSE performancehaving gone up for the tenthyear in a row.

Bristol is taking steps to im-prove the quality of educationeven further. We are continu-ing to invest in strong, pur-poseful partnerships between

schools, the local authority,academy sponsors and a rangeof education stakeholders toensure that all our schools aregood or outstanding centres oflear ning.

And despite the rapidlyrising demand in ReceptionYear places – one of the highestin the country – Bristol hasconsistently managed to offerevery four-year-old a place, im-proving the life chances ofthousands of children in thecity by providing modern,good quality school placeswithin walking distance oftheir homes.

We have also launched theLearning City.

It means the city’s leaders, ineducation and business, worktogether to raise educationalachievement even further, sothat every citizen has access to

a good education and is able toacquire the skills they need tojoin Bristol’s world-class work-force. Learning City lies at theheart of making this a reality,by engaging every citizen andbuilding on the foundations ofs u c c e s s.

We have high expectations ofwhat all young people canachieve. So we invite you totake a closer look and attendthe open events planned forparents across the city.

Bristol City Council’s admis-sions manager Mike Wheelersaid: “Each school produces itsown prospectus and has itsown website, which are usefulsources of information. We re-commend you take a look atthese, but also visit the schoolsyou are interested in to have alook round and meet teachersand pupils in person.”

The most important thing toconsider is how well parentsthink a particular school willsuit their child. “With the mixof different types of school inBristol, the admissions policycould be different for each ofthe three schools listed as apreference, so it’s really im-portant people check. Theymay have to complete an extraform to give additional inform-ation required by the school.”

For details on admissions,email s ch o o l . a d m i s s i o n s @b r i s t o l . go v. u k or call 0117 9037694.

Watchful eye on South West’s schools

‘Academies arefunded by thetaxpayer and wewant to knowthat sponsorsunderstandeducation

Working wellto become aLearning City

GCSE and A-level results in Bristol have risen for the tenth year in a row

Sir David Carter, who led the Cabot Learning Federation to huge successand has now taken on the job as the South West’s first regional schoolscommissioner. He said: ‘I went to John Cabot Academy when it was CabotTechnology College in 2003. It has been an amazing journey and I haveloved every minute of it’

See the school in action

OPEN MORNINGS

Monday 29th September11.15am -12.45pm

Tuesday 30th September11.15am -12.45pm

A warm invitation to to join us for

Open EveningThursday 25th September 2014 6pm-8.30pm

Tours 6pm -7.45pm ~ Headteacher’s Speech 8pm

Proud of our Record Results this Year!

ASHTON PARK SCHOOL

Tel: 0117 3772742Email: [email protected]: www.ashtonpark.net/sixth-form

Don’t miss out…come and see us!

ASHTON PARK SIXTH FORM

Impressive Results | Amazing FacilitiesBroad Range of Courses | High Level Care

Exciting Activities and Opportunities

With you everystep of the way

Wednesday 8th October 20146.30 - 8.30pm

Headteacher’s Speech 6.30 - 7.00pmTours of Sixth Form Centre 7.00pm

OpenEvening

excellenceasstandard




excellence as standard

▪ ▪

▪

▪ ▪

Brislington Enterprise College, Hungerford Road,Brislington, Bristol BS4 5EY

www.because.org.uk ▪ 0117 377 2055 ▪ [email protected]


OPEN EVENINGTuesday 7th October: 5.30-8.30pm

OPEN MORNINGSSaturday 11th October: 10.30am-12.30pmTuesday 14th & Wednesday 15th October:9.30-11.30am



He was credited with improvingthe life chances of 6,000 Bristolchildren as chief of the CabotLearning Federation academychain. But now Sir David Carteris moving on to bigger things.Marc Rath reports

If there is one criticism whichcould never be levelled at SirDavid Carter, it’s that he lacksambition. After 11 years at theCabot Learning Federation, inwhich he rose from head teach-er to chief executive and playeda major role in transformingthe fortunes of several failingBristol schools, he’s now sethis sights on an even moresizeable challenge.

Since September 1, he hasbeen working as the SouthWe s t ’s first regional schoolsc o m m i s s i o n e r.

Instead of having respons-ibility for 11 schools in andaround Bristol, he will now beheld to account for the per-formance of dozens in a patchextending from Gloucester-s h i re to Cornwall.

When he spoke to the BristolPost earlier this month, he hadjust settled in to his new sur-roundings – an office inTemple Quay where he is beingsupported by a small team ofadministrative staff.

Within his remit is monit-oring the performance ofacademies and free schools inthe South West, approving newacademies and free schoolsand encouraging organisa-tions to come forward as po-tential sponsors for schools.

And the role is far from onewhich is “all talk and not ro u s e r s ”, with major de-cisions being reserved for of-ficials Whitehall.

Sir David explains that hewas attracted to the job be-cause it “has teeth”.

He has the power to removean academy sponsor from aschool if it is judged to havebeen failing over a prolongedperiod.

On a sliding scale, he canchoose to make a “g entle”check on a underperformingschool, issue a pre-warningnotice or even dole out a finalwarning notice in the mostextreme cases.

Sir David said: “U l t i m at e ly,if the school is still failing, itcan be taken away from itssponsor. I suppose you couldtake it even further – if a schoold o e s n’t have a sponsor or onec a n’t be found we might say ‘Isthis school viable and can itrun in its current state?’ Al-though I would talk to the sec-retary of state if that were thec a s e. ”

And he says his new job isn’tabout persuasion – r at h e rholding individuals and spon-sors to account and ‘tellingthem what to do to improve’.

He said: “These kids haveonly got one chance of an edu-cation. I do have the power andauthority to make changes if

needed. I can also ask Ofsted toinspect a school if I was wor-ried about it.”

Explaining the role of thecountry’s eight new regionalschools commissioners cover-ing different regions of Eng-land, he said: “At the heart of itis the recognition is that to run5,000 schools from Whitehall isvery difficult. If a school isgetting into difficulties, wewo u l d n’t allow chaos to occur –we would want to get in thereand arrest the decline imme-d i at e ly. ”

Sir David has vast experi-ence in academies having fron-ted the largest group of schoolsin the Bristol area, the CabotLearning Federation.

Although a big advocate ofthe academy system he hasreservations about large na-tional academy chains takingon too many schools, raisingconcerns about large nationalchains which have grown tooquickly to properly supportthe schools under their con-t ro l .

And he has promised to keepa close eye on overseas spon-s o r s. He has already scheduleda trip to Ireland to take a look

at the work of Educate Togeth-er Trust, which has justopened a primary school inRe d f i e l d .

Of foreign sponsors, he said:“The plan will be to look atsome of their schools in Ire-land to get a better insight intohow they work.

“Academies are funded bythe taxpayer and we want toknow they understand educa-tion and understand Bristol.We need to see they’ve got the

capacity and track record tomake the difference.”

Sir David said it would be a“good thing” if all schools wereacademies but said it was notwithin his remit to drive upnumbers of them.

He said: “My role is aboutmaking sure academies per-form better than they do andensure new ones do reallywe l l .

“I believe in the academymodel – the reason I have beenable to turn around differentschools in the city is by havingthe freedom to take decisionsfor Bristol Brunel Academyand Bristol Met. I believe in thesystem but it’s got to besomething the head teacherw a n t s.

“Nicky Morgan (secretary ofstate for education) haschanged the approach – she’stalked more about local au-thority schools than the pre-vious secretary of state. Shejust wants all schools to per-form really, really well.”

A 100-day plan has been for-mulated for Sir David’s firstfew months, during which hewill travel to visit schools inDevon, Dorset and Cornwall .

One of the most importantstages in a child’s life is whenthey start school for the veryfirst time. Another is the moveto secondary school.

Here in Bristol, we have awide variety of schools offer-ing high-quality education.That is what Ofsted say in theirlatest figures. Over 80 per centof our primary and secondaryschools are now judged to begood or better – above the na-tional average.

2014 has seen results im-prove even further with thebest ever A-level results formany and GCSE performancehaving gone up for the tenthyear in a row.

Bristol is taking steps to im-prove the quality of educationeven further. We are continu-ing to invest in strong, pur-poseful partnerships between

schools, the local authority,academy sponsors and a rangeof education stakeholders toensure that all our schools aregood or outstanding centres oflear ning.

And despite the rapidlyrising demand in ReceptionYear places – one of the highestin the country – Bristol hasconsistently managed to offerevery four-year-old a place, im-proving the life chances ofthousands of children in thecity by providing modern,good quality school placeswithin walking distance oftheir homes.

We have also launched theLearning City.

It means the city’s leaders, ineducation and business, worktogether to raise educationalachievement even further, sothat every citizen has access to

a good education and is able toacquire the skills they need tojoin Bristol’s world-class work-force. Learning City lies at theheart of making this a reality,by engaging every citizen andbuilding on the foundations ofs u c c e s s.

We have high expectations ofwhat all young people canachieve. So we invite you totake a closer look and attendthe open events planned forparents across the city.

Bristol City Council’s admis-sions manager Mike Wheelersaid: “Each school produces itsown prospectus and has itsown website, which are usefulsources of information. We re-commend you take a look atthese, but also visit the schoolsyou are interested in to have alook round and meet teachersand pupils in person.”

The most important thing toconsider is how well parentsthink a particular school willsuit their child. “With the mixof different types of school inBristol, the admissions policycould be different for each ofthe three schools listed as apreference, so it’s really im-portant people check. Theymay have to complete an extraform to give additional inform-ation required by the school.”

For details on admissions,email s ch o o l . a d m i s s i o n s @b r i s t o l . go v. u k or call 0117 9037694.

Watchful eye on South West’s schools

‘Academies arefunded by thetaxpayer and wewant to knowthat sponsorsunderstandeducation

Working wellto become aLearning City

GCSE and A-level results in Bristol have risen for the tenth year in a row

Sir David Carter, who led the Cabot Learning Federation to huge successand has now taken on the job as the South West’s first regional schoolscommissioner. He said: ‘I went to John Cabot Academy when it was CabotTechnology College in 2003. It has been an amazing journey and I haveloved every minute of it’

See the school in action

OPEN MORNINGS

Monday 29th September11.15am -12.45pm

Tuesday 30th September11.15am -12.45pm

A warm invitation to to join us for

Open EveningThursday 25th September 2014 6pm-8.30pm

Tours 6pm -7.45pm ~ Headteacher’s Speech 8pm

Proud of our Record Results this Year!

ASHTON PARK SCHOOL

Tel: 0117 3772742Email: [email protected]: www.ashtonpark.net/sixth-form

Don’t miss out…come and see us!

ASHTON PARK SIXTH FORM

Impressive Results | Amazing FacilitiesBroad Range of Courses | High Level Care

Exciting Activities and Opportunities

With you everystep of the way

Wednesday 8th October 20146.30 - 8.30pm

Headteacher’s Speech 6.30 - 7.00pmTours of Sixth Form Centre 7.00pm

OpenEvening






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▪

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Brislington Enterprise College, Hungerford Road,Brislington, Bristol BS4 5EY

www.because.org.uk ▪ 0117 377 2055 ▪ [email protected]


OPEN EVENINGTuesday 7th October: 5.30-8.30pm

OPEN MORNINGSSaturday 11th October: 10.30am-12.30pmTuesday 14th & Wednesday 15th October:9.30-11.30am


State education


The proportion of childrenwho know how to play a mu-sical instrument has almostdoubled in the last 15 years, butpoorer youngsters are stillmore likely to miss out, ac-cording to a report.

Long-term music educationis often still the preserve of therich, the study warns, with thecost of learning to play a“major barrier”.

It also shows that technologyand music trends are havingan impact, with the electricguitar overtaking the violin inp o p u l a r i t y.

The study, by ABRSM, theexam board of the RoyalSchools of Music, comparesthe results of a new survey ofyoungsters with research con-ducted by the organisation pre-viously. It reveals that overallaround 5.5 million five to 14-year-olds (76 per cent) say theyknow how to play an instru-ment, up from 3.2 million (41per cent) in 1999.

This is a cause for celeb-ration, the exam board says,

especially in England, wheregovernment initiatives havehad a positive impact on musice d u c at i o n .

But the study also suggeststhat there are still significantgaps between the proportionsof rich and poorer youngsterswho play an instrument.

Around nine in 10 (90 percent) of those from the wealth-iest backgrounds will haveplayed an instrument, accord-ing to the survey conducted byABRSM this year, compared to80 per cent of those from othersocial backgrounds.

Those from richer homes arealso more likely to have hadmusic lessons, it adds.

“Children from lower socio-economic groups continue tobe significantly disadvantagedcompared with their peersfrom more affluent back-g rounds,” the study says.

“Sustained, progressivemusic education tends to bethe preserve of children bornto wealthier parents. Thisreport shows that adults whohad private lessons as childrenand sat a music exam weremuch more likely to still play

an instrument – and the higherthe grade achieved, the morelikely they were to continuelear ning.

“The cost of learning to playand of taking lessons is a majorbarrier and children withoutaccess to tuition are signific-antly less likely to carry onp l ay i n g . ”

The study also found that thepiano, recorder and classicalguitar are the most commonlyplayed instruments by chil-dren and young people, butadds that the drum kit, electricand bass guitar are becomingincreasingly popular, with theviolin falling in popularity.

Lincoln Abbotts, director ofstrategic development atABRSM, said: “It is hoped thereport will be used to influ-ence, change and further im-prove the circumstances inwhich children and adultsengage with music.

The political environmenthas shifted considerably withsignificant government invest-ment, sector-led initiatives andincreased enthusiasm for allthe extraordinary joys and be-nefits of making music.”

Electric guitar overtakesviolin as music catches up

Bristol University has beenranked as the 29th best in theworld, with seven other UKuniversities in the top 50. TheMassachusetts Institute ofTechnology (MIT) in theUnited States was first, withImperial College Londontying with Cambridge insecond and Oxford tying withUniversity College London(UCL) in fifth.

Bristol University inworld’s top 50

The Wills Buildingat Bristol University

The cost of lessons is stillseen as the biggestbarrier to young peoplelearning music

A report from ABRSM, the exam board of the Royal Schools of Music, welcomes and increase in the number of children playing an instrument but warns the musical gapbetween rich and poor pupils is still far too large

SGSCOLLEGEOPEN TO ALL!

For further detailsvisit www.sgscol.ac.ukor call 0117 931 2121

wide range of full and part time study programmes,including those starting September 2015.

Open Events 2014

• Saturday 4th October: 10am-1pm• Saturday 8th November: 10am-1pm• Wednesday 26th November: 5.30pm-8pm

• Speak with course specialists

• Meet with current learnersstudying at SGS Filton, WISEand Queens Road

• Try out activities relatingto your subject of interest

• Partake in a campus tour,plus much more

OPEN TO ALL!Join us at one of our upcoming Open Events and findout about South Gloucestershire & Stroud College’swide range of full and part time study programmes,including those starting September 2015.



For further detailsvisit www.sgscol.ac.uk

plus much more


State education


The proportion of childrenwho know how to play a mu-sical instrument has almostdoubled in the last 15 years, butpoorer youngsters are stillmore likely to miss out, ac-cording to a report.

Long-term music educationis often still the preserve of therich, the study warns, with thecost of learning to play a“major barrier”.

It also shows that technologyand music trends are havingan impact, with the electricguitar overtaking the violin inp o p u l a r i t y.

The study, by ABRSM, theexam board of the RoyalSchools of Music, comparesthe results of a new survey ofyoungsters with research con-ducted by the organisation pre-viously. It reveals that overallaround 5.5 million five to 14-year-olds (76 per cent) say theyknow how to play an instru-ment, up from 3.2 million (41per cent) in 1999.

This is a cause for celeb-ration, the exam board says,

especially in England, wheregovernment initiatives havehad a positive impact on musice d u c at i o n .

But the study also suggeststhat there are still significantgaps between the proportionsof rich and poorer youngsterswho play an instrument.

Around nine in 10 (90 percent) of those from the wealth-iest backgrounds will haveplayed an instrument, accord-ing to the survey conducted byABRSM this year, compared to80 per cent of those from othersocial backgrounds.

Those from richer homes arealso more likely to have hadmusic lessons, it adds.

“Children from lower socio-economic groups continue tobe significantly disadvantagedcompared with their peersfrom more affluent back-g rounds,” the study says.

“Sustained, progressivemusic education tends to bethe preserve of children bornto wealthier parents. Thisreport shows that adults whohad private lessons as childrenand sat a music exam weremuch more likely to still play

an instrument – and the higherthe grade achieved, the morelikely they were to continuelear ning.

“The cost of learning to playand of taking lessons is a majorbarrier and children withoutaccess to tuition are signific-antly less likely to carry onp l ay i n g . ”

The study also found that thepiano, recorder and classicalguitar are the most commonlyplayed instruments by chil-dren and young people, butadds that the drum kit, electricand bass guitar are becomingincreasingly popular, with theviolin falling in popularity.

Lincoln Abbotts, director ofstrategic development atABRSM, said: “It is hoped thereport will be used to influ-ence, change and further im-prove the circumstances inwhich children and adultsengage with music.

The political environmenthas shifted considerably withsignificant government invest-ment, sector-led initiatives andincreased enthusiasm for allthe extraordinary joys and be-nefits of making music.”

Electric guitar overtakesviolin as music catches up

Bristol University has beenranked as the 29th best in theworld, with seven other UKuniversities in the top 50. TheMassachusetts Institute ofTechnology (MIT) in theUnited States was first, withImperial College Londontying with Cambridge insecond and Oxford tying withUniversity College London(UCL) in fifth.

Bristol University inworld’s top 50

The Wills Buildingat Bristol University

The cost of lessons is stillseen as the biggestbarrier to young peoplelearning music

A report from ABRSM, the exam board of the Royal Schools of Music, welcomes and increase in the number of children playing an instrument but warns the musical gapbetween rich and poor pupils is still far too large

SGSCOLLEGEOPEN TO ALL!

For further detailsvisit www.sgscol.ac.ukor call 0117 931 2121

wide range of full and part time study programmes,including those starting September 2015.

Open Events 2014



• Meet with current learnersstudying at SGS Filton, WISEand Queens Road

• Try out activities relatingto your subject of interest

• Partake in a campus tour,plus much more

OPEN TO ALL!Join us at one of our upcoming Open Events and findout about South Gloucestershire & Stroud College’swide range of full and part time study programmes,including those starting September 2015.



For further detailsvisit www.sgscol.ac.uk

plus much more


Independent education


Two in five parents think everychild should have the chance togo to private school, regardlessof their family’s income, it hasbeen suggested.

Many other mums and dadsare in favour of at least somestate school places being al-located randomly, or by ballot.

The findings are part of asurvey commissioned by theSutton Trust, for its new “mo-bility manifesto”, which setsout a series of recommenda-tions ahead of next year’s gen-eral election on how to makesure all children have the sameopportunities, regardless ofbackg round.

It says there needs to befairer admissions to compre-hensive, grammar and fee-paying schools when pupilsare age 11, including throughmore use of ballots and band-ing, especially in urban areas

that are over-subscribed.Research has shown that

England’s top performing com-prehensives and academiesare “significantly more so-cially selective”, with fewerpupils than average on freeschool meals – a key measureof poverty, the manifesto says.

This indicates that pooreryoungsters are missing out.

A new survey conducted forthe charity found that morethan a quarter of the morethan 1,100 mums and dadsquestioned supported allschool places being allocatedby ballot, or randomly, with afurther 19 per cent agreeingthat half of places should beallocated in this way and theremaining places handed outbased on distance.

Under the current system,parents apply for the stateschools they want their childto attend, but may not get theirfirst choice if the school isover-subscribed. State primar-ies and secondaries have toclearly set out the measuresthey will use to allocatep l a c e s.

The poll also found that twoin five (41 per cent) of parentsthink that all children shouldhave the opportunity to go toprivate school, regardless offamily income and at the gov-ernment or taxpayer’s ex-pense. Nearly three in 10 (29per cent) were against this pro-posal.

The trust’s manifesto sug-gests that there needs to bebetter information aboutschools, and means-testedvouchers should be madeavailable to poorer families tospend on extra tuition, booksand cultural activities foryo u n g s t e r s.

All schools should use thepowers recently handed tothem under the new admis-sions code to give priorityplaces to students who are en-titled to the pupil premium –extra cash handed to schools tohelp disadvantaged children.

It goes on to call for thebarriers between state andprivate schools to be brokend ow n .

The trust calls for support,including state funding, for ascheme to open up leading fee-paying day schools with pupilsadmitted based on their aca-demic abilities rather thantheir family’s ability to pay.

Participating schools wouldget the same funding per pupilas local state schools, the Trustsaid, but charges fees on ameans-tested basis, with thepoorest paying nothing andmiddle-income families givenreduced rates.

Dr Lee Elliot Major, SuttonTrust director of policy anddevelopment, said: “There is aclear recognition in all themain political parties that we

need to do a lot more to im-prove social mobility in Bri-tain. Our ten point manifestogives them the ideas that willturn the rhetoric into radicalchange for the better.

“Fairer admissions andfairer access must be at theheart of any programme to im-prove social mobility. Our pollshows a public appetite forchange in oversubscribed com-prehensives and academies.We need changes too to ensurefair access to grammarschools, independent schoolsand elite universities.”

Nansi Ellis, assistant gen-eral secretary at the Associ-ation of Teachers and Lectur-ers (ATL), said: “ATL believesthat fairness in school admis-sions is absolutely vital, and isbecoming increasingly diffi-cult as the range of school

types increases. While alloc-ating places by ballot mayseem fairer, it will make ad-missions to oversubscribedschools even more complexand is likely to lead to parentswho are unsuccessful feelingtheir child is attending a’second best’ s ch o o l .

“ATL believes that ballotsand banding would be moresuccessful in closing the at-tainment gap if they are car-ried out across a local author-ity area rather than forindividual schools. We wouldurge closer investigation ofboth forms of allocation on alocal area basis, and consid-eration of how best to ensurethat all schools admit a broadrange of children across arange of educational and fin-ancial situations.”

A Department for Educationspokesman said: “We stronglyagree that all children shouldhave the same chance to get onin life. This is the principle atthe heart of our plan for edu-cation, and we have alreadydone a huge amount to closethe attainment gap.

“Policies such as the pupilpremium and changes we havemade to the Schools Admis-sions Code are helping disad-vantaged children get the sup-port, education and skills theyneed to succeed.

“We want all children to beable to go to a good local schooland, as a result of our plan andthe hard work and dedicationof thousands of teachers whohave put it into action, morechildren have the chance to goto a good or outstanding schooltoday than ever before”.� The YouGov survey ques-tioned 1,169 British parents offive-to-18-year-olds betweenAugust 26-29.


Parents call for fee-payingquality to be available to all Money has been a mystery for

generations and it seems weare not getting any better atexplaining it. A third of par-ents still believe it is inappro-priate to discuss family fin-ances with children, finds asurvey for charity Home-Star t.

From this month, financialeducation is on the curriculumfor secondary schools in Eng-land, to be taught throughmaths and citizenship lessons.It is not compulsory foracademies and free schools, al-though most are likely to teachit in some form, as there iswidespread recognition thatbeing money savvy is an im-portant skill for young peopleto acquire.

Yet it is clear that teenagersdo need help to understand theterminology and processesand grasp the realities. In arecent session with Jackie,school students estimated thatby their mid-30s they wouldexpect to be earning £56,500 ayear – twice the Office of Na-tional Statistics average of£28,600.

The trouble is a lot of teach-ers don’t feel confident in man-

aging their own finances, letalone in giving sound and rel-evant advice to teenagers.

Jackie Matthews, whoworked for NatWest for 25years and has two teenagedaughters, says: “I’ve lostcount of the number of teach-ers who have said to me: ‘Yo ushould see the state of my bankaccount...’ They know thereare plenty of resources aroundfinancial education, but theystruggle to find the time toteach it.”

It is for this reason that MrsMatthews, from Hanham, hasset up Libra Learning, a busi-ness working with schools toprovide finance lessons.

Her experience has enabledher to develop teaching ma-terials that bring subjects suchas tax and compound interestto life. She has created tem-plate bank statements and payslips as well as interactivegames and activities.

“One teacher told me shehad shown her class her ownpay slip as it was the only wayshe could explain net and grossincome to them. She shouldnot have had to do that,” Ja ck i es ay s.

Sometimes, education isabout the bottom line

Pupils in the independent sector often have access to a far wider range ofextra-curricular activities than are available at state schools

Proportion of parents who wantschool places allocated by ballot

25%

Proportion who think the stateshould pay some private fees

41%

Approximate number ofindependent schools in the UK

2,600

A large number of parents think the state should fund places at private schools, which often enjoy facilities that would be the envy of most state schools

Sidcot School is an independent day and boarding school set in gloriousSomerset countryside, for boys and girls aged 3 to 18.Charity number 296491

At Sidcot School we develop students’ natural curiosityand creativity. We educate them, rather than simply trainthem to pass tests, so that they can go out into the worldand live rewarding and adventurous lives.

Curious to know more? Come to our Open Morning andfind out what makes Sidcot different.

Friday 26 September 9am – noon

RSVP to Sidcot atsidcot.org.uk/contactor 01934 845236.

Scholarships andflexi-boarding available.

0117 933 9087www.cliftonhigh.bristol.sch.uk

realising individual brilliance...

Come to Clifton High School’s open events

Senior School Open Evening Thursday September 18thWhole School Open Morning Saturday October 11th

Co-educational day & boarding: ages 13–18 > telephone: 01823 [email protected] > www.kings-taunton.co.uk

A Woodard School

O P E N D A YO P E N D A Y

Saturday 4th October—10 am arrivalPlease contact us to reserve your place

B E PA RT O F T H E D I S C O V E R Y




Two in five parents think everychild should have the chance togo to private school, regardlessof their family’s income, it hasbeen suggested.

Many other mums and dadsare in favour of at least somestate school places being al-located randomly, or by ballot.

The findings are part of asurvey commissioned by theSutton Trust, for its new “mo-bility manifesto”, which setsout a series of recommenda-tions ahead of next year’s gen-eral election on how to makesure all children have the sameopportunities, regardless ofbackg round.

It says there needs to befairer admissions to compre-hensive, grammar and fee-paying schools when pupilsare age 11, including throughmore use of ballots and band-ing, especially in urban areas

that are over-subscribed.Research has shown that

England’s top performing com-prehensives and academiesare “significantly more so-cially selective”, with fewerpupils than average on freeschool meals – a key measureof poverty, the manifesto says.

This indicates that pooreryoungsters are missing out.

A new survey conducted forthe charity found that morethan a quarter of the morethan 1,100 mums and dadsquestioned supported allschool places being allocatedby ballot, or randomly, with afurther 19 per cent agreeingthat half of places should beallocated in this way and theremaining places handed outbased on distance.

Under the current system,parents apply for the stateschools they want their childto attend, but may not get theirfirst choice if the school isover-subscribed. State primar-ies and secondaries have toclearly set out the measuresthey will use to allocatep l a c e s.

The poll also found that twoin five (41 per cent) of parentsthink that all children shouldhave the opportunity to go toprivate school, regardless offamily income and at the gov-ernment or taxpayer’s ex-pense. Nearly three in 10 (29per cent) were against this pro-posal.

The trust’s manifesto sug-gests that there needs to bebetter information aboutschools, and means-testedvouchers should be madeavailable to poorer families tospend on extra tuition, booksand cultural activities foryo u n g s t e r s.

All schools should use thepowers recently handed tothem under the new admis-sions code to give priorityplaces to students who are en-titled to the pupil premium –extra cash handed to schools tohelp disadvantaged children.

It goes on to call for thebarriers between state andprivate schools to be brokend ow n .

The trust calls for support,including state funding, for ascheme to open up leading fee-paying day schools with pupilsadmitted based on their aca-demic abilities rather thantheir family’s ability to pay.

Participating schools wouldget the same funding per pupilas local state schools, the Trustsaid, but charges fees on ameans-tested basis, with thepoorest paying nothing andmiddle-income families givenreduced rates.

Dr Lee Elliot Major, SuttonTrust director of policy anddevelopment, said: “There is aclear recognition in all themain political parties that we

need to do a lot more to im-prove social mobility in Bri-tain. Our ten point manifestogives them the ideas that willturn the rhetoric into radicalchange for the better.

“Fairer admissions andfairer access must be at theheart of any programme to im-prove social mobility. Our pollshows a public appetite forchange in oversubscribed com-prehensives and academies.We need changes too to ensurefair access to grammarschools, independent schoolsand elite universities.”

Nansi Ellis, assistant gen-eral secretary at the Associ-ation of Teachers and Lectur-ers (ATL), said: “ATL believesthat fairness in school admis-sions is absolutely vital, and isbecoming increasingly diffi-cult as the range of school

types increases. While alloc-ating places by ballot mayseem fairer, it will make ad-missions to oversubscribedschools even more complexand is likely to lead to parentswho are unsuccessful feelingtheir child is attending a’second best’ s ch o o l .

“ATL believes that ballotsand banding would be moresuccessful in closing the at-tainment gap if they are car-ried out across a local author-ity area rather than forindividual schools. We wouldurge closer investigation ofboth forms of allocation on alocal area basis, and consid-eration of how best to ensurethat all schools admit a broadrange of children across arange of educational and fin-ancial situations.”

A Department for Educationspokesman said: “We stronglyagree that all children shouldhave the same chance to get onin life. This is the principle atthe heart of our plan for edu-cation, and we have alreadydone a huge amount to closethe attainment gap.

“Policies such as the pupilpremium and changes we havemade to the Schools Admis-sions Code are helping disad-vantaged children get the sup-port, education and skills theyneed to succeed.

“We want all children to beable to go to a good local schooland, as a result of our plan andthe hard work and dedicationof thousands of teachers whohave put it into action, morechildren have the chance to goto a good or outstanding schooltoday than ever before”.� The YouGov survey ques-tioned 1,169 British parents offive-to-18-year-olds betweenAugust 26-29.


Parents call for fee-payingquality to be available to all Money has been a mystery for

generations and it seems weare not getting any better atexplaining it. A third of par-ents still believe it is inappro-priate to discuss family fin-ances with children, finds asurvey for charity Home-Star t.

From this month, financialeducation is on the curriculumfor secondary schools in Eng-land, to be taught throughmaths and citizenship lessons.It is not compulsory foracademies and free schools, al-though most are likely to teachit in some form, as there iswidespread recognition thatbeing money savvy is an im-portant skill for young peopleto acquire.

Yet it is clear that teenagersdo need help to understand theterminology and processesand grasp the realities. In arecent session with Jackie,school students estimated thatby their mid-30s they wouldexpect to be earning £56,500 ayear – twice the Office of Na-tional Statistics average of£28,600.

The trouble is a lot of teach-ers don’t feel confident in man-

aging their own finances, letalone in giving sound and rel-evant advice to teenagers.

Jackie Matthews, whoworked for NatWest for 25years and has two teenagedaughters, says: “I’ve lostcount of the number of teach-ers who have said to me: ‘Yo ushould see the state of my bankaccount...’ They know thereare plenty of resources aroundfinancial education, but theystruggle to find the time toteach it.”

It is for this reason that MrsMatthews, from Hanham, hasset up Libra Learning, a busi-ness working with schools toprovide finance lessons.

Her experience has enabledher to develop teaching ma-terials that bring subjects suchas tax and compound interestto life. She has created tem-plate bank statements and payslips as well as interactivegames and activities.

“One teacher told me shehad shown her class her ownpay slip as it was the only wayshe could explain net and grossincome to them. She shouldnot have had to do that,” Ja ck i es ay s.

Sometimes, education isabout the bottom line

Pupils in the independent sector often have access to a far wider range ofextra-curricular activities than are available at state schools

Proportion of parents who wantschool places allocated by ballot

25%

Proportion who think the stateshould pay some private fees

41%

Approximate number ofindependent schools in the UK

2,600

A large number of parents think the state should fund places at private schools, which often enjoy facilities that would be the envy of most state schools

Sidcot School is an independent day and boarding school set in gloriousSomerset countryside, for boys and girls aged 3 to 18.Charity number 296491

At Sidcot School we develop students’ natural curiosityand creativity. We educate them, rather than simply trainthem to pass tests, so that they can go out into the worldand live rewarding and adventurous lives.

Curious to know more? Come to our Open Morning andfind out what makes Sidcot different.

Friday 26 September 9am – noon

RSVP to Sidcot atsidcot.org.uk/contactor 01934 845236.

Scholarships andflexi-boarding available.

0117 933 9087www.cliftonhigh.bristol.sch.uk

realising individual brilliance...

Come to Clifton High School’s open events

Senior School Open Evening Thursday September 18thWhole School Open Morning Saturday October 11th

Co-educational day & boarding: ages 13–18 > telephone: 01823 [email protected] > www.kings-taunton.co.uk

A Woodard School


Saturday 4th October—10 am arrivalPlease contact us to reserve your place

B E PA RT O F T H E D I S C O V E R Y


Independent education Independent education

All independent schools inBristol have a common goal –to widen access, extend thesocial diversity of their pupilsand help change lives for gen-erations to come.

Independent schooling, theysay, should not be seen as theexclusive preserve of thewealthy, and they all offermeans-tested bursary schemesas well as academic, music, artand sports scholarships.

To achieve this, they all havefundraising schemes along-side individual foundationsoften set up as the result of thegenerosity of former pupils.

There are 2,600 independentschools in the UK, educatingsome 615,000 children. In Eng-land this represents aboutseven per cent of the school agep o p u l at i o n .

Families who choose inde-

pendent education are diversein their outlook and interests,their religious and culturalbackgrounds, their politicsand their beliefs.

This diversity also stretchesto financial circumstances andthe way in which families fundtheir child’s education.

Many do not have a highdisposable income, yet have afirm belief that an independ-ent education is the best pos-sible start they can provide fortheir son or daughter.

Over the last five years, 75girls have been able to study atRedland High School as aresult of the school’s bursarys ch e m e.

The bursary fund at RedlandHigh also forms part of thes ch o o l ’s annual giving pro-gramme and is an extremelypopular fund for donations,

particularly from formerpupils. Last year about 40 percent of all donations throughthe programme were specific-ally donated to the bursaryfund.

As with the other independ-ents, grant-making trusts suchas the John James Foundationalso provide funds for RedlandHigh’s bursary scheme.

Independent schools in andaround Bristol all have a dis-tinctive personality and set ofvalues. For example, SidcotSchool has a Quaker ethos ofliving simply and adventur-ously, caring for the environ-ment and each other.

Every year Sidcot Schoolprovides bursaries to over 70children, the level of supportdepending on need, circum-stance and ability to pay.

Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital,which was founded in 1590with John Carr’s legacy, ad-heres to its charitable vision,providing financial help toabout 125 of the boys whoattend, either through bursar-ies or scholarships, or a com-bination of both.

Emerson Sharp was able totake up a place in the sixthform at QEH from 2011 to 2013because the school raised themoney to match-fund a 50 percent scholarship provided bythe Ogden Trust.

He said: “The teaching andsupport I received gave me the

Schools work hard toattract pupils of allsorts of backgrounds

confidence to apply for andgain a place to read geographyat Fitzwilliam College, Cam-bridge. Without the skills andencouragement of my teachersat QEH I could not haveachieved this ambition.”

At QEH there is an onwardphilanthropic programme,and the school aims to raise£1 million in the next sevenyears for bursaries. Everypenny donated to the Colston’sFoundation supports bursar-ies at Colston’s School.

This growing fund worksalongside individual founda-

tions set up as a result of thegenerosity of former pupilslike the late Roger Newportand the late Kenneth Hilbornewho were to become major be-nef actors.

In May, as they approachedthe end of their time at Col-s t o n’s, three Year 13 studentswrote to the trustees of theNewport Foundation express-ing their thanks for the bursar-ies they had received.

One said: “The generosity ofthe bursary has meant that notonly did I complete my studiesat the school I joined in Year 7;

it also enabled me to becomethe school’s head boy.

“I feel truly honoured tohave been given these oppor-tunities and none of it wouldhave been possible withoutyour generosity and supportthroughout the years.”

A second said: “I have beenextremely fortunate in beingable to have the benefit fromthe Newport Bursary. It hasbeen of particular help to me tohave been able to have the con-tinuity of staying at Colston’sSchool for the whole of mysenior schooling.

“Above all, the sound struc-ture, supported learning anddiscipline have given me agood base for my future life.”

A third, with an offer tostudy marine geography atCardiff University, commen-ted: “Being able to attend theC o l s t o n’s Sixth Form has al-lowed me to explore my talentsand develop them further aswell as participating fully inschool life. Studying biology,drama and geography hasbroadened my horizon andgiven me the opportunity tomove on to higher education.”

At Red Maids’ School –which dates back to 1634 – thespirit of its founding father’sgenerosity is well in evidence.

Isabel Tobias, Red Maids’headmistress, explained: “T hes ch o o l ’s foundation 380 yearsago was based on creating op-portunities for 40 poor womenand children.

“We have of course grownconsiderably since then but weprovide a wide range of op-tions for those in need of fin-ancial assistance and ap p rox -imately a quarter of ourstudents benefit from thes ch o o l ’s endowment fund.

“During the recent toughtimes, this fund has also madeit possible for us to enhancethe amount of assistance tosome families who have foundthe recession particularlyh a rd . ”

Redland High School, one of many independent schools in Bristol which work hard to build up bursary funds andthe like for pupils from less well-off backgrounds

Emerson Sharp took up a place inthe sixth form at QEH, Bristol,because the school raised themoney to match a half scholarship

Choosing your next schoolA school for the whole family

Whole School Open MorningSaturday September 27 (10am -1pm)

Sixth Form Information EveningThursday October 9 (7pm)

Taster Days during Autumn Term (8.15am-4pm)

Colston’s School, Stapleton, Bristol BS16 1BJwww.colstons.bristol.sch.uk

Registered Charity No 1079552

Further information from Denise SollisTel 0117 965 [email protected]

Scholarships and bursaries available

Choosing your next school

Whole School Open Morning

IndependentCo-educationalAll age

Frien

dships

Adventure

Learning

Life changing

www.bristolgrammarschool.co.uk

Open EveningFriday 3 October 20144.00pm–8.00pm

Whole School

For further details or torequest a prospectus, pleasecall Hollie Skerritt on0117 933 9885.

Sixth Form

Open EveningWednesday 5 November 20145.00pm–8.00pm

OPENMORNINGSaturday October 11th

9.30am-12 noon

Aco-educationalDayandBoardingSchoolwithNurserieswelcomingchildrenfrom3months to13+years.

St John’son theHill School,Tutshill, ChepstowNP167LEt: 01291622045 e: [email protected] w:www.stjohnsonthehill.co.uk

Please come along and find outwhy wewererated ‘Excellent’ across all areas of school life

in a recent ISI Inspection

RegisteredCharity

No.312953

Giving your child every chance to succeed

Co-educational day & boarding: ages 2–13 > telephone: 01823 [email protected] > www.kingshalltaunton.co.uk

Friday 3rd October—10 am arrivalPlease contact us to reserve your place

Little visitors are welcome to join the fun of a Forest School session (for over 3s) starting 9.30 am


B E PA RT O F T H E F A M I L Y



All independent schools inBristol have a common goal –to widen access, extend thesocial diversity of their pupilsand help change lives for gen-erations to come.

Independent schooling, theysay, should not be seen as theexclusive preserve of thewealthy, and they all offermeans-tested bursary schemesas well as academic, music, artand sports scholarships.

To achieve this, they all havefundraising schemes along-side individual foundationsoften set up as the result of thegenerosity of former pupils.

There are 2,600 independentschools in the UK, educatingsome 615,000 children. In Eng-land this represents aboutseven per cent of the school agep o p u l at i o n .

Families who choose inde-

pendent education are diversein their outlook and interests,their religious and culturalbackgrounds, their politicsand their beliefs.

This diversity also stretchesto financial circumstances andthe way in which families fundtheir child’s education.

Many do not have a highdisposable income, yet have afirm belief that an independ-ent education is the best pos-sible start they can provide fortheir son or daughter.

Over the last five years, 75girls have been able to study atRedland High School as aresult of the school’s bursarys ch e m e.

The bursary fund at RedlandHigh also forms part of thes ch o o l ’s annual giving pro-gramme and is an extremelypopular fund for donations,

particularly from formerpupils. Last year about 40 percent of all donations throughthe programme were specific-ally donated to the bursaryfund.

As with the other independ-ents, grant-making trusts suchas the John James Foundationalso provide funds for RedlandHigh’s bursary scheme.

Independent schools in andaround Bristol all have a dis-tinctive personality and set ofvalues. For example, SidcotSchool has a Quaker ethos ofliving simply and adventur-ously, caring for the environ-ment and each other.

Every year Sidcot Schoolprovides bursaries to over 70children, the level of supportdepending on need, circum-stance and ability to pay.

Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital,which was founded in 1590with John Carr’s legacy, ad-heres to its charitable vision,providing financial help toabout 125 of the boys whoattend, either through bursar-ies or scholarships, or a com-bination of both.

Emerson Sharp was able totake up a place in the sixthform at QEH from 2011 to 2013because the school raised themoney to match-fund a 50 percent scholarship provided bythe Ogden Trust.

He said: “The teaching andsupport I received gave me the

Schools work hard toattract pupils of allsorts of backgrounds

confidence to apply for andgain a place to read geographyat Fitzwilliam College, Cam-bridge. Without the skills andencouragement of my teachersat QEH I could not haveachieved this ambition.”

At QEH there is an onwardphilanthropic programme,and the school aims to raise£1 million in the next sevenyears for bursaries. Everypenny donated to the Colston’sFoundation supports bursar-ies at Colston’s School.

This growing fund worksalongside individual founda-

tions set up as a result of thegenerosity of former pupilslike the late Roger Newportand the late Kenneth Hilbornewho were to become major be-nef actors.

In May, as they approachedthe end of their time at Col-s t o n’s, three Year 13 studentswrote to the trustees of theNewport Foundation express-ing their thanks for the bursar-ies they had received.

One said: “The generosity ofthe bursary has meant that notonly did I complete my studiesat the school I joined in Year 7;

it also enabled me to becomethe school’s head boy.

“I feel truly honoured tohave been given these oppor-tunities and none of it wouldhave been possible withoutyour generosity and supportthroughout the years.”

A second said: “I have beenextremely fortunate in beingable to have the benefit fromthe Newport Bursary. It hasbeen of particular help to me tohave been able to have the con-tinuity of staying at Colston’sSchool for the whole of mysenior schooling.

“Above all, the sound struc-ture, supported learning anddiscipline have given me agood base for my future life.”

A third, with an offer tostudy marine geography atCardiff University, commen-ted: “Being able to attend theC o l s t o n’s Sixth Form has al-lowed me to explore my talentsand develop them further aswell as participating fully inschool life. Studying biology,drama and geography hasbroadened my horizon andgiven me the opportunity tomove on to higher education.”

At Red Maids’ School –which dates back to 1634 – thespirit of its founding father’sgenerosity is well in evidence.

Isabel Tobias, Red Maids’headmistress, explained: “T hes ch o o l ’s foundation 380 yearsago was based on creating op-portunities for 40 poor womenand children.

“We have of course grownconsiderably since then but weprovide a wide range of op-tions for those in need of fin-ancial assistance and ap p rox -imately a quarter of ourstudents benefit from thes ch o o l ’s endowment fund.

“During the recent toughtimes, this fund has also madeit possible for us to enhancethe amount of assistance tosome families who have foundthe recession particularlyh a rd . ”

Redland High School, one of many independent schools in Bristol which work hard to build up bursary funds andthe like for pupils from less well-off backgrounds

Emerson Sharp took up a place inthe sixth form at QEH, Bristol,because the school raised themoney to match a half scholarship

Choosing your next schoolA school for the whole family

Whole School Open MorningSaturday September 27 (10am -1pm)

Sixth Form Information EveningThursday October 9 (7pm)

Taster Days during Autumn Term (8.15am-4pm)

Colston’s School, Stapleton, Bristol BS16 1BJwww.colstons.bristol.sch.uk

Registered Charity No 1079552

Further information from Denise SollisTel 0117 965 [email protected]

Scholarships and bursaries available

Choosing your next school

Whole School Open Morning

IndependentCo-educationalAll age

Frien

dships

Adventure

Learning

Life changing

www.bristolgrammarschool.co.uk

Open EveningFriday 3 October 20144.00pm–8.00pm

Whole School

For further details or torequest a prospectus, pleasecall Hollie Skerritt on0117 933 9885.

Sixth Form

Open EveningWednesday 5 November 20145.00pm–8.00pm

OPENMORNINGSaturday October 11th

9.30am-12 noon

Aco-educationalDayandBoardingSchoolwithNurserieswelcomingchildrenfrom3months to13+years.

St John’son theHill School,Tutshill, ChepstowNP167LEt: 01291622045 e: [email protected] w:www.stjohnsonthehill.co.uk

Please come along and find outwhy wewererated ‘Excellent’ across all areas of school life

in a recent ISI Inspection

RegisteredCharity

No.312953

Giving your child every chance to succeed

Co-educational day & boarding: ages 2–13 > telephone: 01823 [email protected] > www.kingshalltaunton.co.uk

Friday 3rd October—10 am arrivalPlease contact us to reserve your place

Little visitors are welcome to join the fun of a Forest School session (for over 3s) starting 9.30 am


B E PA RT O F T H E F A M I L Y




They allow both schools andstudents to set themselvesapart from the rest.

Extracurricular activitiesenable schools to entice pupilsseeking that something extraand give students a chance todifferentiate themselves frompeers to help seal a college oruniversity place or a job.

They are being acknow-ledged as a vital component toa well-rounded education andmore and more schools are be-coming more outspoken aboutwhat they can offer above andbeyond the norm. And offeringa wealth of physical and edu-cational opportunities is nolonger the preserve of inde-pendent schools; traditionallythe only institutions with fin-ances stretching to cover trips,unrivalled sporting facilitiesand expert tuition.

M e rch a n t s ’ Academy, inWithywood, offers a range ofwhat it describes as “co-cur-ricular activities”, and boaststhe only Army Cadet Force inthe state education system.

Students at Colston’s Girls’School are involved in a wealthof extra-curricular activities,including young enterprise,green team, envision volun-teering, robotics, public speak-ing, Duke of Edinburgh Award,music, drama, charity events,and sports such as karate,dance and fitness classes.

At Fairfield High School inHorfield there is an array ofextra-curricular activitiesava i l abl e.

The co-curricular day doesnot finish until 5pm on somedays and more than half ofstudents choose to stay behindto take part in dance, drama,music and sport. In the in-dependent sector, BristolGrammar School prides itselfon what it offers outside theclassroom to allow students totap into their passions and in-t e re s t s.

It co-curricular devotes twoafternoons each week to activ-ities and games. In the sixthform, one afternoon each weekis devoted to an activities pro-

gramme when students canchoose to tackle a Duke of Ed-inburgh Award or communityvolunteering. The schooloffers an extensive sportingprogramme, with another af-ternoon dedicated to individu-al and team competition or re-creational health and fitness.

Earlier this year in hiscolumn in the Bristol Post, thes ch o o l ’s headmaster RodMacKinnon said: “Co-cur-ricular provision is the essen-tial complement to a rigorousacademic programme. Stu-dents forge a powerful rela-tionship with their teacherswhen they realise that theperson teaching them physicsalso joins them on the netballcourt or on a field trip toCERN; or that their geographyteacher is also in the audiencefor the school play or support-ing their charity fundraisingefforts. Teachers and studentsalike benefit from seeing oneanother as whole people with avariety of interests.”

But Lisa Middle, secretaryfor the Bristol division of theNational Union of Teachers,said many state schools werediscovering they were strug-gling to find time within thenormal school day to deliver abroad and balanced cur-riculum. She said: “The gov-ernment has narrowed thecurriculum and the demandsof Ofsted make for a relent-lessly target-driven culture.”

Merchants Academy Execut-ive principal Anne Burrellsaid that although academicattainment was vital, it wasequally important to “openstudents’ eyes to the amazingpossibilities offered by lifebeyond the academy gates.”

“We want our students toleave the academy as bright,optimistic people who havehad some incredible experi-ences and challenges in theirtime with us,” she said.

“We are serious about givingchildren the chance to tryactivities they never thoughtthey could do; to learn newskills, to meet new people andto have experiences few otherschools in the country canof fer.”

Nine Bristol schools were fullin Year 7 at the start of thisyear, according to city councilf i g u re s.

They include two secondar-ies that a few years ago saw avery low number of applica-tions – Bristol BrunelAcademy in Speedwell andOasis Academy John Williamsin Hengrove.

City Academy Bristol andBrislington Enterprise Col-lege are two of the schools thathave seen a fall in numbersre c e n t ly.

But it is an ever-changing

picture. The council is still col-lating the number of startersin each school and has issued“seven-day letters” for chil-dren who have not arrived asexpected.

At Fairfield High School, forexample, 180 places were ori-ginally offered but many ofthose were to families who hadnever considered the school inthe first place.

School leaders were told theactual total might be nearer 80.By the end of the summerterm, following sustained ef-forts to encourage people to

take up places, 116 had accep-ted the offer.

On the first day of the newterm, 140 arrived, and thatnumber had swelled by five bythe end of the first week.

Many secondaries in the cityand elsewhere across theSouth West have scores of sur-plus places at the moment, butin a couple of years’ time thatwill change in quite a dramaticway, because of the rising num-bers of children comingthrough Bristol’s primaryschools that are currently put-ting such pressure on places.

School places vacant ahead of surge

Development is about more than just maths

The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is popular with many youngsters,combining skills in sport, voluntary activities and expeditions

Activities such as the Army Cadet Force provide pupils at schools in the public and private sector with skills thatoften come in useful later in life, such as leadership and independence

Aware that our children aremost likely to thrive at schoolwith good support from home,most of us do our best.

But there are some parentswhose involvement in the edu-cation of not only their own butother people’s children goesmuch further.

In Bristol, this is sometimesprompted by concerns overschooling in the city. KarenFoster, from Westbury-on-Trym, was a founder memberof Bristol Parents’ Voice, the

group that led to the found-ation of Bristol Free School inBrentry in 2011. She is nowchairman of governors.

Mrs Foster said: “We wanteda school within walking dis-tance that our children couldmove on to with their friendsfrom primary school. It islovely to walk across the parkand see young teenagers there.That didn’t happen before. Itmakes all the hard work worth-wh i l e. ”

Jeremy Routledge also

wanted his children to be ableto walk to school so he optedfor the Brislington EnterpriseCollege, where his eldest innow in Year 11.

“I am a real believer in sup-porting your local school. Id o n’t think a school choiceshould be just be about theexam results,” he said.

Mr Routledge joined the gov-erning body in the hope ofhelping to improve linksbetween the school and thec o m m u n i t y.

Parent power makes big changes

Grittleton House SchoolAN INDEPENDENT DAY SCHOOL FOR BOYS & GIRLS AGED 2-16

NurSery, INfaNT &JuNIOr SchOOL

* Excellent SATs results, offeredto level 6.

* Extensive extra-curricularactivities including; forestschool, swimming, ballet,judo, fencing, cooking & crafts,golf, tennis and much more.

* Free Entitlement Funding

SeNIOr SchOOL* Academic excellence* Scholarships available foracademic achievement, sport,art, drama &music

* Traditional schooling* Strong family values* School transport

Every day is...a new adventure

T: 01249 782 434 • www.grittletonhouseschool.org• Location: Near Chippenham: 5 mins J17 M4

GHS

IS

TOACCOMPLISHTO STRIVE

WHOLE SCHOOL OPEN MORNINGSaturday 11th October 2014

9.30am – 11.30amCome & see our school in action or call for an appointment.

OPEN DAYS - 3 & 4 OCTOBER 2014Your chance to meet the Heads, staff and pupils, in an informal way, to see how we could transform your child’s education.

www.habs-monmouth.org/opendaysRegistered CharityNumber 525616

HABERDASHERS’MONMOUTH SCHOOLS

Boys 3 - 18Girls 3 - 18Day and Boarding




They allow both schools andstudents to set themselvesapart from the rest.

Extracurricular activitiesenable schools to entice pupilsseeking that something extraand give students a chance todifferentiate themselves frompeers to help seal a college oruniversity place or a job.

They are being acknow-ledged as a vital component toa well-rounded education andmore and more schools are be-coming more outspoken aboutwhat they can offer above andbeyond the norm. And offeringa wealth of physical and edu-cational opportunities is nolonger the preserve of inde-pendent schools; traditionallythe only institutions with fin-ances stretching to cover trips,unrivalled sporting facilitiesand expert tuition.

M e rch a n t s ’ Academy, inWithywood, offers a range ofwhat it describes as “co-cur-ricular activities”, and boaststhe only Army Cadet Force inthe state education system.

Students at Colston’s Girls’School are involved in a wealthof extra-curricular activities,including young enterprise,green team, envision volun-teering, robotics, public speak-ing, Duke of Edinburgh Award,music, drama, charity events,and sports such as karate,dance and fitness classes.

At Fairfield High School inHorfield there is an array ofextra-curricular activitiesava i l abl e.

The co-curricular day doesnot finish until 5pm on somedays and more than half ofstudents choose to stay behindto take part in dance, drama,music and sport. In the in-dependent sector, BristolGrammar School prides itselfon what it offers outside theclassroom to allow students totap into their passions and in-t e re s t s.

It co-curricular devotes twoafternoons each week to activ-ities and games. In the sixthform, one afternoon each weekis devoted to an activities pro-

gramme when students canchoose to tackle a Duke of Ed-inburgh Award or communityvolunteering. The schooloffers an extensive sportingprogramme, with another af-ternoon dedicated to individu-al and team competition or re-creational health and fitness.

Earlier this year in hiscolumn in the Bristol Post, thes ch o o l ’s headmaster RodMacKinnon said: “Co-cur-ricular provision is the essen-tial complement to a rigorousacademic programme. Stu-dents forge a powerful rela-tionship with their teacherswhen they realise that theperson teaching them physicsalso joins them on the netballcourt or on a field trip toCERN; or that their geographyteacher is also in the audiencefor the school play or support-ing their charity fundraisingefforts. Teachers and studentsalike benefit from seeing oneanother as whole people with avariety of interests.”

But Lisa Middle, secretaryfor the Bristol division of theNational Union of Teachers,said many state schools werediscovering they were strug-gling to find time within thenormal school day to deliver abroad and balanced cur-riculum. She said: “The gov-ernment has narrowed thecurriculum and the demandsof Ofsted make for a relent-lessly target-driven culture.”

Merchants Academy Execut-ive principal Anne Burrellsaid that although academicattainment was vital, it wasequally important to “openstudents’ eyes to the amazingpossibilities offered by lifebeyond the academy gates.”

“We want our students toleave the academy as bright,optimistic people who havehad some incredible experi-ences and challenges in theirtime with us,” she said.

“We are serious about givingchildren the chance to tryactivities they never thoughtthey could do; to learn newskills, to meet new people andto have experiences few otherschools in the country canof fer.”

Nine Bristol schools were fullin Year 7 at the start of thisyear, according to city councilf i g u re s.

They include two secondar-ies that a few years ago saw avery low number of applica-tions – Bristol BrunelAcademy in Speedwell andOasis Academy John Williamsin Hengrove.

City Academy Bristol andBrislington Enterprise Col-lege are two of the schools thathave seen a fall in numbersre c e n t ly.

But it is an ever-changing

picture. The council is still col-lating the number of startersin each school and has issued“seven-day letters” for chil-dren who have not arrived asexpected.

At Fairfield High School, forexample, 180 places were ori-ginally offered but many ofthose were to families who hadnever considered the school inthe first place.

School leaders were told theactual total might be nearer 80.By the end of the summerterm, following sustained ef-forts to encourage people to

take up places, 116 had accep-ted the offer.

On the first day of the newterm, 140 arrived, and thatnumber had swelled by five bythe end of the first week.

Many secondaries in the cityand elsewhere across theSouth West have scores of sur-plus places at the moment, butin a couple of years’ time thatwill change in quite a dramaticway, because of the rising num-bers of children comingthrough Bristol’s primaryschools that are currently put-ting such pressure on places.

School places vacant ahead of surge

Development is about more than just maths

The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is popular with many youngsters,combining skills in sport, voluntary activities and expeditions

Activities such as the Army Cadet Force provide pupils at schools in the public and private sector with skills thatoften come in useful later in life, such as leadership and independence

Aware that our children aremost likely to thrive at schoolwith good support from home,most of us do our best.

But there are some parentswhose involvement in the edu-cation of not only their own butother people’s children goesmuch further.

In Bristol, this is sometimesprompted by concerns overschooling in the city. KarenFoster, from Westbury-on-Trym, was a founder memberof Bristol Parents’ Voice, the

group that led to the found-ation of Bristol Free School inBrentry in 2011. She is nowchairman of governors.

Mrs Foster said: “We wanteda school within walking dis-tance that our children couldmove on to with their friendsfrom primary school. It islovely to walk across the parkand see young teenagers there.That didn’t happen before. Itmakes all the hard work worth-wh i l e. ”

Jeremy Routledge also

wanted his children to be ableto walk to school so he optedfor the Brislington EnterpriseCollege, where his eldest innow in Year 11.

“I am a real believer in sup-porting your local school. Id o n’t think a school choiceshould be just be about theexam results,” he said.

Mr Routledge joined the gov-erning body in the hope ofhelping to improve linksbetween the school and thec o m m u n i t y.

Parent power makes big changes

Grittleton House SchoolAN INDEPENDENT DAY SCHOOL FOR BOYS & GIRLS AGED 2-16

NurSery, INfaNT &JuNIOr SchOOL

* Excellent SATs results, offeredto level 6.

* Extensive extra-curricularactivities including; forestschool, swimming, ballet,judo, fencing, cooking & crafts,golf, tennis and much more.

* Free Entitlement Funding

SeNIOr SchOOL* Academic excellence* Scholarships available foracademic achievement, sport,art, drama &music

* Traditional schooling* Strong family values* School transport

Every day is...a new adventure

T: 01249 782 434 • www.grittletonhouseschool.org• Location: Near Chippenham: 5 mins J17 M4

GHS

IS

TOACCOMPLISHTO STRIVE

WHOLE SCHOOL OPEN MORNINGSaturday 11th October 2014

9.30am – 11.30amCome & see our school in action or call for an appointment.

OPEN DAYS - 3 & 4 OCTOBER 2014Your chance to meet the Heads, staff and pupils, in an informal way, to see how we could transform your child’s education.

www.habs-monmouth.org/opendaysRegistered CharityNumber 525616

HABERDASHERS’MONMOUTH SCHOOLS

Boys 3 - 18Girls 3 - 18Day and Boarding


Independent education Meet the head


Just around the corner fromVictoria Park Primary Schoolin Bristol lies a neglectedgraveyard. Pupils had seen itmany times before withouttaking much of an interest.

But through a new EnglishHeritage project they havelearned to see it in a new light.With the help of local heritageeducation manager MichaelGorely, the children examinedgravestones in the forgotten StJo h n’s burial yard and dis-covered a young couple wholived in Bristol in the 19th cen-tury had been buried there.

This led the pupils to re-search the pair, Sarah Jane Sey-mour and Henry Larcombe.

“They drowned in Watchetand we found newspaper ac-counts of what had happened,”said former Bristol primaryschool teacher Mr Gorely.

“We managed to find outwhere they lived and wherethey worked. We had that as astarting point and asked thechildren to come up with ques-tions. We found they had dif-

ferent surnames but were en-gaged to be married. It was astory which had been sittingthere undiscovered.

“The project is about lookingfor stories from the streetsaround the school and gettingchildren out of the classroomand looking at places they’veseen before but in a newlight.”

In 2012, Bristol was selectedas one of first three areas in theUK to be involved in the Her-itage Schools project, whichwill run in the city until Marchnext year. Funded by the De-partment for Education, theprogramme was developed inresponse to Darren Henley’sreport to government on cul-tural education in England. Ithas been expanded to include150 schools in eight regions.

The project is aimed at help-ing children learn about andunderstand their local herit-age and provide teachers withnew and effective ways to uselocal heritage resources aspart of the curriculum. Theschools participating areusing heritage to connect chil-dren to where they live, de-

velop a sense of place and anunderstanding of how thestory of where they live relatesto the national context. Ac-cording to English Heritage,learning about local heritageinspires creativity, developsliteracy, an awareness and ap-preciation of architecture anddesign, and encourages youngpeople to value and protect theheritage around them.

So far, nine primaries andthree secondary schools inBristol have been involved. An-other six will take part thisacademic year, bringing thetotal to 18 before funding forthe project is due to dry up.Altogether, 3,000 Bristol chil-dren have been involved.

The project has dovetailedwith the 100th anniversary ofthe start of the First WorldWar, allowing schools to findout how the conflict affectedtheir district of the city.

Three schools have createdfilms based on Bristolians whowere involved in the war.

Mr Gorely said: “Summer-hill Academy in St George hasa plaque commemoratingformer pupils killed in the war– we traced two of them whohad been buried side by side inBelgium. This suggested therewas a story about best friendswho had enlisted together anddied together.

“The children turned it intoa film which included a storyof the boys – we found a pub-lication which had a photo ofone of them and traced a greatnephew of his.

From what teachers and par-ents are saying, it has beentheir most memorable projectof the year.”

Another project has seenchildren learning about theSouthmead housing estate,with experts from Bristol’s Ar-chitecture Centre explainingwhy it was built, how it wasplanned and what housing con-ditions were like elsewhere inBristol at the time.

Mr Gorely said: “The houseshad inside toilets and largegardens, unlike the housingelsewhere in the city. It hasbeen about giving pupils pridein their own area.”

The project has also reachedyounger pupils, with seven-year-olds reading the originalhandwriting on census re-turns from the 19th century.

The project’s next big ini-tiative will be a First WorldWar day for 10 and 11-year-oldpupils in partnership withBristol’s sightseeing open topbuses and the council’s mu-seums and education service.

On the bus tour, childrenwill visit key sites during theconflict including Kingswest-on House, where they werelearn about it being used as awar hospital, and Arnos Vale,where they will be told aboutsoldiers from across the Com-monwealth, and White CityExhibition, which was used asbar racks.

History project unlocks local secrets

One memorable tale uncovered the tale of two friends who enlisted, diedand were buried side by side during the First World War - all starting froma memorial plaque at Summerhill Academy in St George

The history of Southmead and ofpeople buried in Bristol haveprovided pupils with pride in theircity and started some veryinteresting pieces of historicalresearch

Dr Steven ConnorsMonmouth School

Here at Monmouth School andThe Grange, we have markedour 400th anniversary with anoutstanding Estyn inspectionreport. Wales’ equivalent toOfsted rated every aspect ofour work excellent.

We are the country’s firstindependent school to achievethis under the new inspectionframework. The boys are thriv-ing in every area: academic-ally, in the arts, on the sportsfields and on the river. We areregularly placed in the top 10b oy s ’ boarding schools andabove our local competitors.

We operate closely with ourpartner girls’ school, Haber-dashers’ Monmouth School forGirls, giving all the benefits ofthat academic, artistic andsocial collaboration, whilst fo-cusing on the needs of boys inan environment developedaround their particular learn-ing styles. Music and dramathrive here.

This year, The Earl ofWessex officially opened ournew multi-million poundteaching block, named after

the School’s founding father,William Jones. It houses 20classrooms, a lecture theatreand administrative offices.

Day pupils benefit from ourboarding community’s cl u b s,and in Tatler’s School Guide,2013, our fees were rated as“among the best value in thecountry”.

Monmouth School has an en-viable national reputation onthe sporting circuits, but wealso run B, C and D teams,giving all boys a chance todevelop. Our 1st XV was ratedeighth in the Daily Mail merittable and our Coxed Four wonChampionship Gold at Nation-al Schools ahead of all the toprowing schools in the UK in-cluding Eton, Shrewsbury,Abingdon and St Paul’s.

Significant investment hascreated state-of-the-art facilit-ies, but the School’s ethosgrows out of its history and isshaped by the people whoteach and study here. Whenpupils leave, we hope we havebroadened their horizons,boosted their confidence, andinspired them to commit to afuture which will benefit them-selves and o t h e r s.

Helping thepupils to helpother people

Peter HuckleBristol Grammar SchoolInfants and Juniors

BGS Infants and Juniors is aplace where we are rightlyproud of our history but, at thesame time, always looking tothe future; where a strongsense of continuity and sta-bility combines with an ex-citing desire for new ap-p ro a ch e s.

That feeling of history-in-the-making was particularlystriking this autumn as thefirst pupils to join our InfantSchool in January 2010 tooktheir places in the SeniorSchool. These young pioneersare now part of the story of ourschool and we’re proud to sendthem on their way to the brightfuture we know lies ahead.

One of the many benefits ofan all-through school such asBGS, of course, is we will notlose touch. Connections witholder students are an import-ant way for our younger stu-dents to develop and we love,for example, to welcome SixthFormers to help with readingin the Infants School or to en-courage our Year 5 singers toteam up with those in Year 7 toform a choir.

Similarly, although most ofour teaching and learning hap-pens in the purpose-designedsurroundings of our own

buildings, we are always look-ing for opportunities to makeuse of the facilities availableacross the School campus –such as the sports hall andscience labs – and to inviteteachers from the SeniorSchool staff to share their ex-pertise with us in specialistareas such as dance, art, gamesor food technology.

Thanks to the energy andinitiative of our excellent staffteam there are always new op-portunities emerging. Wheth-er it be performing on stage atthe Tobacco Factory as part ofthe Shakespeare Schools Fest-ival, competing in the EnglishPrimary Schools’ Chess Asso-ciation semi finals hosted hereat BGS, or joining a studentliterary committee to organisereadings from visiting au-thors, life at BGS Infants andJuniors provides every chanceto build a firm foundation for alifetime of learning.

When our students finallyleave the BGS Sixth Form tomake their way in the world,and we sit alongside one an-other at the Leavers’ Dinner inthe Great Hall, I know it will beexperiences like this in the In-fants and Junior School thatwe recall together as being sovery formative for the continu-ing story of their learning ad-venture, wherever it may leadthem.

Continuity is so important

Dr Steven Connors of Monmouth School

Exciting times lie aheadGillian RowcliffeRed Maids Junior School

This is a momentous time forme – I have been headteacherat The Red Maids’ Ju n i o rSchool for the past 29 years butI will be retiring in Decemberand leaving a school I openedwith so much pride in 1986.

I have so many wonderfulmemories – of pupils, staff andparents who together makethis such a special school.

Our aim is no different nowto what it has always been – toprovide girls with the best pos-sible start, to allow personal-ities and friendships to blos-som and to nurture theiri n t e re s t s and talents.

We currently have space forup to 120 Junior Red Maidsstarting from Year 3. We are aclose community, where thegirls are deliberately organ-ised in mixed age groups forpastoral sessions to enhancethat quality, and we aim foreveryone to be involved ineve r y t h i n g .

Academic coursework isguided by the National Cur-riculum and our Key Stage 2English and mathematics SATresults are consistently highbut the timetable includesplenty of art, sport, music, sci-

ence, current affairs, Mandar-in, history, geography, French,Latin and RE.

The importance of kindness,good manners, respectingproperty and the environmentare important themes embed-

ded in weekly discussions andgirls are rewarded.

The extra-curricular pro-gramme encourages all sortsof interests: climbing, caving,and kayaking are particularlyp o p u l a r.

Music and drama produc-tions are built into the JuniorRed Maids’ experience withthe aim of turning out well-rounded, poised and above allhappy girls who make animpact wherever they go.

Peter Huckle of Bristol Grammar School Infants and Juniors

Gillian Rowcliffe of Red Maids Junior School

@RedMaidsSchool

/redmaidsschool

For more information please call:Senior School, Mrs Liz Bamber 0117 989 8252Junior School, Mrs Lynn McCabe 0117 962 9451Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS9

Visit usWhole School visiting eventsThursday 9 OctoberSaturday 8 November

redmaids.co.uk


Independent education Meet the head


Just around the corner fromVictoria Park Primary Schoolin Bristol lies a neglectedgraveyard. Pupils had seen itmany times before withouttaking much of an interest.

But through a new EnglishHeritage project they havelearned to see it in a new light.With the help of local heritageeducation manager MichaelGorely, the children examinedgravestones in the forgotten StJo h n’s burial yard and dis-covered a young couple wholived in Bristol in the 19th cen-tury had been buried there.

This led the pupils to re-search the pair, Sarah Jane Sey-mour and Henry Larcombe.

“They drowned in Watchetand we found newspaper ac-counts of what had happened,”said former Bristol primaryschool teacher Mr Gorely.

“We managed to find outwhere they lived and wherethey worked. We had that as astarting point and asked thechildren to come up with ques-tions. We found they had dif-

ferent surnames but were en-gaged to be married. It was astory which had been sittingthere undiscovered.

“The project is about lookingfor stories from the streetsaround the school and gettingchildren out of the classroomand looking at places they’veseen before but in a newlight.”

In 2012, Bristol was selectedas one of first three areas in theUK to be involved in the Her-itage Schools project, whichwill run in the city until Marchnext year. Funded by the De-partment for Education, theprogramme was developed inresponse to Darren Henley’sreport to government on cul-tural education in England. Ithas been expanded to include150 schools in eight regions.

The project is aimed at help-ing children learn about andunderstand their local herit-age and provide teachers withnew and effective ways to uselocal heritage resources aspart of the curriculum. Theschools participating areusing heritage to connect chil-dren to where they live, de-

velop a sense of place and anunderstanding of how thestory of where they live relatesto the national context. Ac-cording to English Heritage,learning about local heritageinspires creativity, developsliteracy, an awareness and ap-preciation of architecture anddesign, and encourages youngpeople to value and protect theheritage around them.

So far, nine primaries andthree secondary schools inBristol have been involved. An-other six will take part thisacademic year, bringing thetotal to 18 before funding forthe project is due to dry up.Altogether, 3,000 Bristol chil-dren have been involved.

The project has dovetailedwith the 100th anniversary ofthe start of the First WorldWar, allowing schools to findout how the conflict affectedtheir district of the city.

Three schools have createdfilms based on Bristolians whowere involved in the war.

Mr Gorely said: “Summer-hill Academy in St George hasa plaque commemoratingformer pupils killed in the war– we traced two of them whohad been buried side by side inBelgium. This suggested therewas a story about best friendswho had enlisted together anddied together.

“The children turned it intoa film which included a storyof the boys – we found a pub-lication which had a photo ofone of them and traced a greatnephew of his.

From what teachers and par-ents are saying, it has beentheir most memorable projectof the year.”

Another project has seenchildren learning about theSouthmead housing estate,with experts from Bristol’s Ar-chitecture Centre explainingwhy it was built, how it wasplanned and what housing con-ditions were like elsewhere inBristol at the time.

Mr Gorely said: “The houseshad inside toilets and largegardens, unlike the housingelsewhere in the city. It hasbeen about giving pupils pridein their own area.”

The project has also reachedyounger pupils, with seven-year-olds reading the originalhandwriting on census re-turns from the 19th century.

The project’s next big ini-tiative will be a First WorldWar day for 10 and 11-year-oldpupils in partnership withBristol’s sightseeing open topbuses and the council’s mu-seums and education service.

On the bus tour, childrenwill visit key sites during theconflict including Kingswest-on House, where they werelearn about it being used as awar hospital, and Arnos Vale,where they will be told aboutsoldiers from across the Com-monwealth, and White CityExhibition, which was used asbar racks.

History project unlocks local secrets

One memorable tale uncovered the tale of two friends who enlisted, diedand were buried side by side during the First World War - all starting froma memorial plaque at Summerhill Academy in St George

The history of Southmead and ofpeople buried in Bristol haveprovided pupils with pride in theircity and started some veryinteresting pieces of historicalresearch

Dr Steven ConnorsMonmouth School

Here at Monmouth School andThe Grange, we have markedour 400th anniversary with anoutstanding Estyn inspectionreport. Wales’ equivalent toOfsted rated every aspect ofour work excellent.

We are the country’s firstindependent school to achievethis under the new inspectionframework. The boys are thriv-ing in every area: academic-ally, in the arts, on the sportsfields and on the river. We areregularly placed in the top 10b oy s ’ boarding schools andabove our local competitors.

We operate closely with ourpartner girls’ school, Haber-dashers’ Monmouth School forGirls, giving all the benefits ofthat academic, artistic andsocial collaboration, whilst fo-cusing on the needs of boys inan environment developedaround their particular learn-ing styles. Music and dramathrive here.

This year, The Earl ofWessex officially opened ournew multi-million poundteaching block, named after

the School’s founding father,William Jones. It houses 20classrooms, a lecture theatreand administrative offices.

Day pupils benefit from ourboarding community’s cl u b s,and in Tatler’s School Guide,2013, our fees were rated as“among the best value in thecountry”.

Monmouth School has an en-viable national reputation onthe sporting circuits, but wealso run B, C and D teams,giving all boys a chance todevelop. Our 1st XV was ratedeighth in the Daily Mail merittable and our Coxed Four wonChampionship Gold at Nation-al Schools ahead of all the toprowing schools in the UK in-cluding Eton, Shrewsbury,Abingdon and St Paul’s.

Significant investment hascreated state-of-the-art facilit-ies, but the School’s ethosgrows out of its history and isshaped by the people whoteach and study here. Whenpupils leave, we hope we havebroadened their horizons,boosted their confidence, andinspired them to commit to afuture which will benefit them-selves and o t h e r s.

Helping thepupils to helpother people

Peter HuckleBristol Grammar SchoolInfants and Juniors

BGS Infants and Juniors is aplace where we are rightlyproud of our history but, at thesame time, always looking tothe future; where a strongsense of continuity and sta-bility combines with an ex-citing desire for new ap-p ro a ch e s.

That feeling of history-in-the-making was particularlystriking this autumn as thefirst pupils to join our InfantSchool in January 2010 tooktheir places in the SeniorSchool. These young pioneersare now part of the story of ourschool and we’re proud to sendthem on their way to the brightfuture we know lies ahead.

One of the many benefits ofan all-through school such asBGS, of course, is we will notlose touch. Connections witholder students are an import-ant way for our younger stu-dents to develop and we love,for example, to welcome SixthFormers to help with readingin the Infants School or to en-courage our Year 5 singers toteam up with those in Year 7 toform a choir.

Similarly, although most ofour teaching and learning hap-pens in the purpose-designedsurroundings of our own

buildings, we are always look-ing for opportunities to makeuse of the facilities availableacross the School campus –such as the sports hall andscience labs – and to inviteteachers from the SeniorSchool staff to share their ex-pertise with us in specialistareas such as dance, art, gamesor food technology.

Thanks to the energy andinitiative of our excellent staffteam there are always new op-portunities emerging. Wheth-er it be performing on stage atthe Tobacco Factory as part ofthe Shakespeare Schools Fest-ival, competing in the EnglishPrimary Schools’ Chess Asso-ciation semi finals hosted hereat BGS, or joining a studentliterary committee to organisereadings from visiting au-thors, life at BGS Infants andJuniors provides every chanceto build a firm foundation for alifetime of learning.

When our students finallyleave the BGS Sixth Form tomake their way in the world,and we sit alongside one an-other at the Leavers’ Dinner inthe Great Hall, I know it will beexperiences like this in the In-fants and Junior School thatwe recall together as being sovery formative for the continu-ing story of their learning ad-venture, wherever it may leadthem.

Continuity is so important

Dr Steven Connors of Monmouth School

Exciting times lie aheadGillian RowcliffeRed Maids Junior School

This is a momentous time forme – I have been headteacherat The Red Maids’ Ju n i o rSchool for the past 29 years butI will be retiring in Decemberand leaving a school I openedwith so much pride in 1986.

I have so many wonderfulmemories – of pupils, staff andparents who together makethis such a special school.

Our aim is no different nowto what it has always been – toprovide girls with the best pos-sible start, to allow personal-ities and friendships to blos-som and to nurture theiri n t e re s t s and talents.

We currently have space forup to 120 Junior Red Maidsstarting from Year 3. We are aclose community, where thegirls are deliberately organ-ised in mixed age groups forpastoral sessions to enhancethat quality, and we aim foreveryone to be involved ineve r y t h i n g .

Academic coursework isguided by the National Cur-riculum and our Key Stage 2English and mathematics SATresults are consistently highbut the timetable includesplenty of art, sport, music, sci-

ence, current affairs, Mandar-in, history, geography, French,Latin and RE.

The importance of kindness,good manners, respectingproperty and the environmentare important themes embed-

ded in weekly discussions andgirls are rewarded.

The extra-curricular pro-gramme encourages all sortsof interests: climbing, caving,and kayaking are particularlyp o p u l a r.

Music and drama produc-tions are built into the JuniorRed Maids’ experience withthe aim of turning out well-rounded, poised and above allhappy girls who make animpact wherever they go.

Peter Huckle of Bristol Grammar School Infants and Juniors

Gillian Rowcliffe of Red Maids Junior School

@RedMaidsSchool

/redmaidsschool

For more information please call:Senior School, Mrs Liz Bamber 0117 989 8252Junior School, Mrs Lynn McCabe 0117 962 9451Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS9

Visit usWhole School visiting eventsThursday 9 OctoberSaturday 8 November

redmaids.co.uk


Meet the head Meet the head

Isabel TobiasRed Maids’ Senior School

If you are a parent looking forschools information, there isone key point I want you toremember about Red Maids’:our students are very happyand fulfilled and they achievethe highest levels of academicsuccess year after year.

They leave us to move on tothe best universities – com-monly Oxford, Cambridge,UCL, Imperial College,Durham and Edinburgh,among others – to pursue theirambitions in medicine, veter-inary science, engineering,law and languages to name buta few.

Red Maids’ consistently ap-pears in the Top 100 independ-ent schools based on our SixthForm and GCSE results.

Whichever way you look atit, Red Maids’ is a successfuland special educational estab-lishment and I would urge youto visit us.

Our students excel in thesciences, at languages and inthe humanities. Music, dramaand sport also play a big part intheir lives.

Their curricular learning is

supported by exciting andchallenging trips and extra-curricular opportunities athome and overseas, such asour projects in Nepal and Cam-bodia, and through particip-ation in special events includ-ing the Edinburgh FringeFestival, the Rotary compet-ition for Young Musicians andusing our own observatory.

We make use of mobile tech-nology through iPads to createdynamic, stimulating and in-dependent learning and ourlinks with many industriesand professions bring practic-al and up-to-date learning dir-ectly into the classroom.

As a girls-only schools, wemaximise the benefits of oursingle-sex environment by en-suring students are able towork in ways that best suitthem, enabling them to buildstrong self-esteem, to take on awide range of leadership rolesand to aspire to any profes-sion.

Make a date to come andmeet us at one of our autumnvisiting events. For more in-formation, please contact ourAdmissions Registrar on 0117989 8252 or e _ b a m b e r @ re d -m a i d s. b r i s t o l . s ch . u k

Mark MortimerWarminster School

My educational philosophy issimple and has five compon-ents: 1. That pastoral care isthe most important thing in aschool: a child needs to besecure, happy and supportedin order to thrive.

2. That every child is good atsomething and a school’s job isto help them find it and nur-ture it.

3. That every pupil, regard-less of ability, should have alove of learning, intellectualcuriosity and high academica s p i r at i o n .

4. That a school has a re-sponsibility, particularly inthis day and age, to preparepupils for life beyond uni-ve r s i t y.

5. That education is morethan simply exam results andthat an all-round, values-basedapproach is vital.

Young people today face anunpredictable world but thereare certain timeless aspects ofa genuine education. Warmin-ster is an academic school;exam results are important be-cause they open doors, but atthe same time we place strongemphasis on character andvalues and we want our pupilsto leave this School well-roun-ded, well-mannered, self-con-fident, articulate and funda-mentally decent people with a

sense of duty and integrity. Ifthey can get on with peoplefrom all walks of life then theywill thrive, both professionallyand personally. Flexibility andthe ability to think fast onone’s feet and to improvise arebecoming ever-more import-ant. The 21st century is not aplace for tidy minds, as SirMartin Sorrell recently said.Parents often ask me how theSchool prepares pupils for jobsthat are either evolving or maynot yet exist, and my answer isby helping them develop a tool-box of situational skills andcharacteristics that will allowthem to cope and thrive in anysituation. Emotional Intelli-gence, robustness, leadership,perseverance, resilience andadaptability are some of thesekey components. I also wantthe pupils who leave thisschool to be risk-takers (albeitcalculated) rather than riskaverse. Neither should theyfear failure. Some failure inlife is inevitable, and we learnfar more about ourselves inadversity than wheneverything goes according toplan. The pupils are probablyfed up hearing me quote EricSchmidt, the Executive Chair-man of Google: “Remember, wecelebrate our failures. This is acompany where it’s absolutelyok to try something that’s veryhard, have it not be successful,and learn from it.”

Exam successleads to topuniversities

Martin MorrisQEH Juniors, Bristol

Although QEH only opened itsJunior School in 2007 we havebuilt an enviable reputation,remaining small enough toguarantee a happy, enrichededucational experience forb oy s.

We incorporate the strongethos and values of the 425-year-old Senior School whileretaining our own individuali d e n t i t y.

A key aim is to develop eachboy's personal qualities,provide a sound foundation forhis future, and ensure thatevery boy leaves recognisinghimself as a lifelong learner.We are particularly keen tobreak out from the traditionalidea of the four-walledclassroom, and make our‘cl a s s ro o m ’ the wider world.

I believe that QEH JuniorSchool is unique, withBrandon Hill and the outstand-ing facilities of Bristol cultureand education right on itsdoorstep: fostering a deep loveof learning whilst nurturingthe interests and talents ofboys is readily achievable.

In Years 4, 5 and 6 our teach-ing is subject-based which pre-pares our forty Year 6 boys tomove on to QEH Seniors,secure in knowledge and un-derstanding of the complexit-

ies of the world around them.Pastoral care and standards ofacademic excellence arestrong, and equally high stand-ards in drama, sport and musicmean a top-quality, well-roun-ded education for the boys.

In recent years the swim-ming, rugby and football teamshave reached the nationalfinals in the respective sports,and this winter the school willbe performing at TheArnolfini as part of theShakespeare Festival.

The school has developed theunique ‘QE Award’ – a juniorversion of the Duke of Edin-bu r g h ’s Award. Boys engage inextra-curricular activities in-cluding public performance,community work and physicalrecreation, as well as takingpart in expeditions and camps.A new feature of QEH Juniorsis that, in conjunction withRedland High School, boys canjoin RHS Infants in readinessto join us later at Year 3.

This has already proved pop-ular with twice the anticipatednumber of boys signing up atRedland High School.

The Headmaster, Mr Martin Morris, invitesprospective parents to visit, or come to theJunior School OPEN MORNINGS on Friday 10and Saturday 11 October in the QEH Theatre.For more information or a prospectus visitwww.qehbristol.co.uk, e-mail [email protected]

Enriched education for boys

Isabel Tobias Red Maids’ Senior School

Confidence is key to futureStephen HollidayQEH Bristol

Stephen Holliday, headmasterof QEH for 15 years, is jus-tifiably proud of his school andits history.

“QEH celebrates its 425th an-niversary as the ‘City School’this year,” he says, “and ismore thriving than ever, with670 boys aged 7 to 18.” Alongwith being the top performingday school in Bristol, QEHtoday is firmly amongst lead-ing academic schools nation-ally. Most boys go to their first-choice of top universities ormedical schools, including 10per cent to Oxford and Cam-bridge. Mr Holliday added:“Our record results, year onyear, are part of the muchgreater package that we offerto boys in preparing them forhigher education and success-ful future careers. We promotethe importance of good values,we produce the young menwith opinions, who knowthemselves, who respect andhelp others. Boys leave QEHwith not only the qualifica-tions but the confidence tomeet the challenges of theworld ahead. Exam success:that is a by-product of a schoolwhere building confidencecomes first.”

In addition to Academicscholarships, QEH offersscholarships in Sport andMusic. Come and meet theHeadmaster on OPEN MORN-ING which, for Seniors, is onSaturday 4 October starting

from 9:30am. No appointmentrequired. There is also a SixthForm Open Evening onMonday 13 October. Strictly byappointment. Entry is by as-sessment, usually at 7, 11, 13 or16 although occasionally va-

cancies occur in other Yeargroups. For more informationor a prospectus visit w w w. q e -h b r i s t o l . c o. u k , e-mail admis-s i o n s @ q e h b r i s t o l . c o. u k or callMrs Carolyn Matthews to ar-range a visit on 0117 930 3068.

Caroline BatesonRedland High School For Girls

Caroline Bateson has a com-mitment to academic excel-lence as well as involvement inevery aspect of school life in-cluding pastoral care, extra-curricular activities, liaisingwith parents and strategicplanning. She is an independ-ent schools inspector.

Redland High School catersfor girls aged 3 to 18 and ac-cepts a wide range of academicability, from the gifted to thoseneeding extra support toachieve their potential. TheEarly Years and Key Stage 1provision, Redland High In-fants with QEH, is coeduca-tional and the School worksclosely with QEH boys’ s ch o o lto provide a seamless trans-ition at age seven.

The school’s undoubted pro-ficiency in supporting all itspupils comes from excellentteaching and having a schoolof optimum size. Pupils in thejunior school have the advant-age of being in a sheltered andprotected environment wherethere is a strong sense of com-munity. The senior school islarge enough to make a con-siderable subject choice viablebut small enough for each in-dividual pupil to be nurtured.

There are myriad extra-cur-ricular activity on offer in boththe junior and senior schools

and Redland High encouragespupils to take part so that theycan find their strengths anddevelop the self-esteem so es-sential for effective learning.The school enjoys a good re-lationship with local boys’school QEH, with many jointactivities allowing girls of allages to work positively andconstructively with boys.

Academic achievement ishigh: once again, this year’sA-level and GCSE results wereoutstanding. Recent Depart-ment for Education statisticsrevealed that Redland Highgets more of its pupils to Rus-sell Group universities thanany other girls’ school in Bris-tol.

Mrs Bateson believes thateducation involves goingbeyond the classroom and sheencourages the girls to be busyand active at all levels, throughthe house system, through sup-port for charity work and byparticipating in the manyschool trips. “It makes themmore interesting people and bytaking pupils outside theircomfort zone in a supportedway, we help them to grow intomature and responsible adults,ready to go to university withthe confidence that they willt h r ive. ”

For more information about Redland HighSchool, visit www.redlandhigh.com or telephone0117 924 5796.

Excellent teaching optimum

Caroline Bateson of Redland High School For Girls

Trying andlearning by itis the way

Richard R Biggs ,King’s College, Taunton

With so many excellentschools to choose from in theSouth West, and in particularin Taunton, it is importantthat we offer something dis-t i n c t ive.

I am convinced that part ofthat distinctiveness for King’sCollege is our boarding ethos.We are a majority boardingschool and boarding struc-tures and timings pervade ourweek, to the great advantage,we believe, of boarders and daypupils alike.

Boarding brings tremend-ous benefits: a sense of per-manent community, and thatmost precious of all commod-ities, time. We have long daysand we have lessons on Sat-urdays. This allows our pupilsthe time to do a great manythings extremely well, and alsoto enjoy the odd moment ofrelaxation during the week.

The pace is humane, the at-mosphere one of enjoyable,creative, focused busyness.

We are not rushing throughthe day to get everybody on thebuses by 4pm.

There are a great manyevents in the evenings (music,

drama, debating, lectures, aca-demic societies), and our daypupils take full advantage oftheir ability to stay overnightfrom time to time.

All our pupils, including theday pupils, are assigned toboarding houses, which makesfor a cohesive and inclusivec o m m u n i t y.

Our pupils and staff are priv-ileged to live and work in astunningly beautiful environ-ment. We have made tremend-ous improvements to thegrounds, the buildings and thegardens in recent years andhave consciously created newspaces for our pupils to enjoy,to socialise and to relax.

We recently built a 300-seater amphitheatre whichhas already established itselfas a wonderful space fordrama, music, assemblies, ser-vices and, just as importantly,as a place for pupils to meetand to chat.

I believe King’s offers agentler, more enriching,equally successful alternativeto the pressure cookers nearerLondon. Our pupils have thetime and the space to grow ashuman beings and leave usconfident, well-rounded youngmen and women.

Sense of school community

Richard R Biggs of King’s College, Taunton

Mark Mortimer of Warminster School

Martin Morris of QEH Juniors, Bristol

Stephen Holliday of QEH Bristol


Meet the head Meet the head

Isabel TobiasRed Maids’ Senior School

If you are a parent looking forschools information, there isone key point I want you toremember about Red Maids’:our students are very happyand fulfilled and they achievethe highest levels of academicsuccess year after year.

They leave us to move on tothe best universities – com-monly Oxford, Cambridge,UCL, Imperial College,Durham and Edinburgh,among others – to pursue theirambitions in medicine, veter-inary science, engineering,law and languages to name buta few.

Red Maids’ consistently ap-pears in the Top 100 independ-ent schools based on our SixthForm and GCSE results.

Whichever way you look atit, Red Maids’ is a successfuland special educational estab-lishment and I would urge youto visit us.

Our students excel in thesciences, at languages and inthe humanities. Music, dramaand sport also play a big part intheir lives.

Their curricular learning is

supported by exciting andchallenging trips and extra-curricular opportunities athome and overseas, such asour projects in Nepal and Cam-bodia, and through particip-ation in special events includ-ing the Edinburgh FringeFestival, the Rotary compet-ition for Young Musicians andusing our own observatory.

We make use of mobile tech-nology through iPads to createdynamic, stimulating and in-dependent learning and ourlinks with many industriesand professions bring practic-al and up-to-date learning dir-ectly into the classroom.

As a girls-only schools, wemaximise the benefits of oursingle-sex environment by en-suring students are able towork in ways that best suitthem, enabling them to buildstrong self-esteem, to take on awide range of leadership rolesand to aspire to any profes-sion.

Make a date to come andmeet us at one of our autumnvisiting events. For more in-formation, please contact ourAdmissions Registrar on 0117989 8252 or e _ b a m b e r @ re d -m a i d s. b r i s t o l . s ch . u k

Mark MortimerWarminster School

My educational philosophy issimple and has five compon-ents: 1. That pastoral care isthe most important thing in aschool: a child needs to besecure, happy and supportedin order to thrive.

2. That every child is good atsomething and a school’s job isto help them find it and nur-ture it.

3. That every pupil, regard-less of ability, should have alove of learning, intellectualcuriosity and high academica s p i r at i o n .

4. That a school has a re-sponsibility, particularly inthis day and age, to preparepupils for life beyond uni-ve r s i t y.

5. That education is morethan simply exam results andthat an all-round, values-basedapproach is vital.

Young people today face anunpredictable world but thereare certain timeless aspects ofa genuine education. Warmin-ster is an academic school;exam results are important be-cause they open doors, but atthe same time we place strongemphasis on character andvalues and we want our pupilsto leave this School well-roun-ded, well-mannered, self-con-fident, articulate and funda-mentally decent people with a

sense of duty and integrity. Ifthey can get on with peoplefrom all walks of life then theywill thrive, both professionallyand personally. Flexibility andthe ability to think fast onone’s feet and to improvise arebecoming ever-more import-ant. The 21st century is not aplace for tidy minds, as SirMartin Sorrell recently said.Parents often ask me how theSchool prepares pupils for jobsthat are either evolving or maynot yet exist, and my answer isby helping them develop a tool-box of situational skills andcharacteristics that will allowthem to cope and thrive in anysituation. Emotional Intelli-gence, robustness, leadership,perseverance, resilience andadaptability are some of thesekey components. I also wantthe pupils who leave thisschool to be risk-takers (albeitcalculated) rather than riskaverse. Neither should theyfear failure. Some failure inlife is inevitable, and we learnfar more about ourselves inadversity than wheneverything goes according toplan. The pupils are probablyfed up hearing me quote EricSchmidt, the Executive Chair-man of Google: “Remember, wecelebrate our failures. This is acompany where it’s absolutelyok to try something that’s veryhard, have it not be successful,and learn from it.”

Exam successleads to topuniversities

Martin MorrisQEH Juniors, Bristol

Although QEH only opened itsJunior School in 2007 we havebuilt an enviable reputation,remaining small enough toguarantee a happy, enrichededucational experience forb oy s.

We incorporate the strongethos and values of the 425-year-old Senior School whileretaining our own individuali d e n t i t y.

A key aim is to develop eachboy's personal qualities,provide a sound foundation forhis future, and ensure thatevery boy leaves recognisinghimself as a lifelong learner.We are particularly keen tobreak out from the traditionalidea of the four-walledclassroom, and make our‘cl a s s ro o m ’ the wider world.

I believe that QEH JuniorSchool is unique, withBrandon Hill and the outstand-ing facilities of Bristol cultureand education right on itsdoorstep: fostering a deep loveof learning whilst nurturingthe interests and talents ofboys is readily achievable.

In Years 4, 5 and 6 our teach-ing is subject-based which pre-pares our forty Year 6 boys tomove on to QEH Seniors,secure in knowledge and un-derstanding of the complexit-

ies of the world around them.Pastoral care and standards ofacademic excellence arestrong, and equally high stand-ards in drama, sport and musicmean a top-quality, well-roun-ded education for the boys.

In recent years the swim-ming, rugby and football teamshave reached the nationalfinals in the respective sports,and this winter the school willbe performing at TheArnolfini as part of theShakespeare Festival.

The school has developed theunique ‘QE Award’ – a juniorversion of the Duke of Edin-bu r g h ’s Award. Boys engage inextra-curricular activities in-cluding public performance,community work and physicalrecreation, as well as takingpart in expeditions and camps.A new feature of QEH Juniorsis that, in conjunction withRedland High School, boys canjoin RHS Infants in readinessto join us later at Year 3.

This has already proved pop-ular with twice the anticipatednumber of boys signing up atRedland High School.

The Headmaster, Mr Martin Morris, invitesprospective parents to visit, or come to theJunior School OPEN MORNINGS on Friday 10and Saturday 11 October in the QEH Theatre.For more information or a prospectus visitwww.qehbristol.co.uk, e-mail [email protected]

Enriched education for boys

Isabel Tobias Red Maids’ Senior School

Confidence is key to futureStephen HollidayQEH Bristol

Stephen Holliday, headmasterof QEH for 15 years, is jus-tifiably proud of his school andits history.

“QEH celebrates its 425th an-niversary as the ‘City School’this year,” he says, “and ismore thriving than ever, with670 boys aged 7 to 18.” Alongwith being the top performingday school in Bristol, QEHtoday is firmly amongst lead-ing academic schools nation-ally. Most boys go to their first-choice of top universities ormedical schools, including 10per cent to Oxford and Cam-bridge. Mr Holliday added:“Our record results, year onyear, are part of the muchgreater package that we offerto boys in preparing them forhigher education and success-ful future careers. We promotethe importance of good values,we produce the young menwith opinions, who knowthemselves, who respect andhelp others. Boys leave QEHwith not only the qualifica-tions but the confidence tomeet the challenges of theworld ahead. Exam success:that is a by-product of a schoolwhere building confidencecomes first.”

In addition to Academicscholarships, QEH offersscholarships in Sport andMusic. Come and meet theHeadmaster on OPEN MORN-ING which, for Seniors, is onSaturday 4 October starting

from 9:30am. No appointmentrequired. There is also a SixthForm Open Evening onMonday 13 October. Strictly byappointment. Entry is by as-sessment, usually at 7, 11, 13 or16 although occasionally va-

cancies occur in other Yeargroups. For more informationor a prospectus visit w w w. q e -h b r i s t o l . c o. u k , e-mail admis-s i o n s @ q e h b r i s t o l . c o. u k or callMrs Carolyn Matthews to ar-range a visit on 0117 930 3068.

Caroline BatesonRedland High School For Girls

Caroline Bateson has a com-mitment to academic excel-lence as well as involvement inevery aspect of school life in-cluding pastoral care, extra-curricular activities, liaisingwith parents and strategicplanning. She is an independ-ent schools inspector.

Redland High School catersfor girls aged 3 to 18 and ac-cepts a wide range of academicability, from the gifted to thoseneeding extra support toachieve their potential. TheEarly Years and Key Stage 1provision, Redland High In-fants with QEH, is coeduca-tional and the School worksclosely with QEH boys’ s ch o o lto provide a seamless trans-ition at age seven.

The school’s undoubted pro-ficiency in supporting all itspupils comes from excellentteaching and having a schoolof optimum size. Pupils in thejunior school have the advant-age of being in a sheltered andprotected environment wherethere is a strong sense of com-munity. The senior school islarge enough to make a con-siderable subject choice viablebut small enough for each in-dividual pupil to be nurtured.

There are myriad extra-cur-ricular activity on offer in boththe junior and senior schools

and Redland High encouragespupils to take part so that theycan find their strengths anddevelop the self-esteem so es-sential for effective learning.The school enjoys a good re-lationship with local boys’school QEH, with many jointactivities allowing girls of allages to work positively andconstructively with boys.

Academic achievement ishigh: once again, this year’sA-level and GCSE results wereoutstanding. Recent Depart-ment for Education statisticsrevealed that Redland Highgets more of its pupils to Rus-sell Group universities thanany other girls’ school in Bris-tol.

Mrs Bateson believes thateducation involves goingbeyond the classroom and sheencourages the girls to be busyand active at all levels, throughthe house system, through sup-port for charity work and byparticipating in the manyschool trips. “It makes themmore interesting people and bytaking pupils outside theircomfort zone in a supportedway, we help them to grow intomature and responsible adults,ready to go to university withthe confidence that they willt h r ive. ”

For more information about Redland HighSchool, visit www.redlandhigh.com or telephone0117 924 5796.

Excellent teaching optimum

Caroline Bateson of Redland High School For Girls

Trying andlearning by itis the way

Richard R Biggs ,King’s College, Taunton

With so many excellentschools to choose from in theSouth West, and in particularin Taunton, it is importantthat we offer something dis-t i n c t ive.

I am convinced that part ofthat distinctiveness for King’sCollege is our boarding ethos.We are a majority boardingschool and boarding struc-tures and timings pervade ourweek, to the great advantage,we believe, of boarders and daypupils alike.

Boarding brings tremend-ous benefits: a sense of per-manent community, and thatmost precious of all commod-ities, time. We have long daysand we have lessons on Sat-urdays. This allows our pupilsthe time to do a great manythings extremely well, and alsoto enjoy the odd moment ofrelaxation during the week.

The pace is humane, the at-mosphere one of enjoyable,creative, focused busyness.

We are not rushing throughthe day to get everybody on thebuses by 4pm.

There are a great manyevents in the evenings (music,

drama, debating, lectures, aca-demic societies), and our daypupils take full advantage oftheir ability to stay overnightfrom time to time.

All our pupils, including theday pupils, are assigned toboarding houses, which makesfor a cohesive and inclusivec o m m u n i t y.

Our pupils and staff are priv-ileged to live and work in astunningly beautiful environ-ment. We have made tremend-ous improvements to thegrounds, the buildings and thegardens in recent years andhave consciously created newspaces for our pupils to enjoy,to socialise and to relax.

We recently built a 300-seater amphitheatre whichhas already established itselfas a wonderful space fordrama, music, assemblies, ser-vices and, just as importantly,as a place for pupils to meetand to chat.

I believe King’s offers agentler, more enriching,equally successful alternativeto the pressure cookers nearerLondon. Our pupils have thetime and the space to grow ashuman beings and leave usconfident, well-rounded youngmen and women.

Sense of school community

Richard R Biggs of King’s College, Taunton

Mark Mortimer of Warminster School

Martin Morris of QEH Juniors, Bristol

Stephen Holliday of QEH Bristol

20 EDUCATION TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16 2014 WESTERN DAILY PRESS WDP-E01-S4

Meet the head

subject or the grade bound-aries for this or that exam, Ic a n’t help thinking that theyare missing a rather funda-mental point about how onegoes about achieving improve-ments in educational attain-ment.

Tinkering with technical de-tails simply will not do it be-cause, at its core, education isabout something much broad-er than that: it is about build-ing confidence in the ability ofyoung people to learn andequipping them to navigatetheir way in the world.

At BGS, we want to see ourstudents leaving the schoolfeeling excited about what theworld has to offer and am-bitious for the role they willplay in it. That’s what em-ployers and universities tell usthey want to see too.

Of course we take greatpride and delight in how theyperform academically inexams and coursework but werecognise that that perform-ance is founded in no smallpart on the confidence theygain through, for example, arich programme of co-cur-ricular activity, horizon-broadening travel, involve-ment in charitable work andthe strong pastoral supportoffered by our House system.

My staff undoubtedly workhard on the detailed planningof imaginative courses ofstudy and spend time mon-itoring individual perform-ance and adjusting provisionaccordingly. However, thiswork is always in the serviceof a much broader, excitingvision which underpinseverything we do at BGS –namely to see our youngpeople embark on an adven-ture of learning which, wehope, will continuethroughout their lives.

I hope you will take the op-portunity to come and see thatadventure underway foryo u r s e l ve s.

‘Education is aboutbuilding confidence’

Caroline PascoeHaberdashers’ MonmouthSchool for Girls

Energy, happiness and a sensegirls can achieve extraordin-ary things are at the heart ofH ab e rd a s h e r s ’ MonmouthSchool for Girls and its prepschool, Inglefield House. Witha mixture of day and boardingpupils, aged 7 to 18, HMSGcreates a sense of community.

Set in the beautiful WyeValley, the school aims toprovide the finest educationpossible and we are pleased toannounce the introduction ofa Year 7 Sports Scholarshipwhich girls joining in Septem-ber 2015 will be eligible toapply for.

Inglefield House offers pre-paratory education for girlsaged between 7 and 11, withboarding now from 7. Situatedon the same campus, Ingle-

field House benefits fromHMSG’s extensive facilities,including Science laborator-ies, Theatre, Music School andsuperb Sports provision. Astrong House system integ-rates girls from age 7 throughto 18.

Academic results are im-pressive, ranked top in Walesfor GCSE results in 2013.HMSG achieved record A*/Agrades with A*s at 47 per centand 76 per cent receiving A*/A. 27 girls achieved an A*/A inevery subject.

With 100 per cent pass rate atA Level now a regular achieve-ment, most girls win places attheir first choice universitiesto read subjects as diverse asMedicine, Law, Languages,Engineering and Economics.

A close link with our sib-ling, Monmouth School,provides a dynamic SixthForm experience with semin-ar-style classes in preparationfor university. Our new SixthForm boarding house, Au-gusta House, further easesthis transition between schooland university.

HMSG offers far more thanjust good grades. Whether apupil’s passion is for Sport,Music, Drama, Photography,Dance or CCF, the School willencourage her to reach thehighest standard. At all ages,your daughter will be encour-aged to take personal respons-ibility, to think for herself andto understand service to thec o m m u n i t y.

Rod MacKinnonBristol Grammar School

As a teacher and headmaster, Iam naturally interested inwhat the government of theday has to say about educa-tion.

Primarily, I want to heartheir vision for what youngpeople in our country couldand should achieve; and thenI’m interested in the ways inwhich they will support those

working in education to de-liver on that vision.

What I don’t want politi-cians to be doing is layingdown in minute detail whatshould be going on in theclassroom. It seems to met h at ’s my job and the job of themany talented colleagues whoteach alongside me.

When politicians startmaking announcements aboutthe changes they would maketo the syllabus for this or that

Girls are ableto achieve theextraordinary

Caroline Pascoe head ofHaberdashers’ Monmouth Schoolfor Girls

Rod MacKinnon of Bristol Grammar School

Justin ChippendaleKing’s Hall School

One of the first questions I getasked during a prospectiveparent visit is “How long haveyou been here?” – five years.

We go on to talk about theirhopes and aspirations fortheir child and how we havesystems and structures inplace which have been care-fully refined over many yearsto allow each child to fulfiltheir potential whilst ensur-ing that they are having fun,discovering at every turn, ex-ploring with freedom andeagerness and making themost of every day here. Thereis a cultural, unpressurisedexpectation of ‘Why wouldn’tyou want to do your best?’Childhood is very precious: weare a long time ‘old’, cynicaland carrying the weight of theworld on our shoulders. In aworld where it seems childrengrow up ever more rapidly it iswonderful to have them atKing’s Hall until they are 13.

They will hear that we have

just introduced a new weeklyboarding initiative, that wehave (yet again) had an ex-ceptional year for a widerange of achievements, thatchildren take Scholarships orCommon Entrance to leadingUK senior schools, that withinour spectacular 50 acres wehave a sumptuous new settingfor 2 year olds and that withinthe next 12 months there willbe a significant new buildingin construction.

They will see for themselvesjust what a happy place King’sHall is and our May 2014 ISIinspection report is litteredwith comments which endorsethe fabulous childhood exper-

Childhood issuch a veryprecious time

Justin Chippendale, headmaster atKing’s Hall School

‘We are a long time‘old’, with theweight of the worldon our shoulders.’

Justin Chippendale

ience there is to be had here.It is all about the quality of

the relationships at King’sHall: children, parents and thestaff enjoy very strong rela-tionships in all directions thatare naturally positive and col-laborative. Indeed, the visit isthe beginning of that processfor the future benefit of theirchild. Children come here fullof enthusiasm and to enjoythemselves: it is our job toeducate them.

They will also ask “H owlong will you be staying here?”– I feel as if I have only juststarted, is the answer.

Educa ion

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