I recently read an article on the following:

“A-levels leave students unprepared for university.

The report, from the awarding body Cambridge Assessment, which runs the OCR exam board, found that many academics thought undergraduates arrived unprepared for the demands of a degree course.  Three in five lecturers said their universities ran catch-up classes.

It found that lecturers were concerned there was insufficient “independent thinking” in A-levels.  They wanted “less predictable” A-level exams, fewer resits and questions that are more open-ended and which would make pupils think for themselves.

The study showed that more than half of lecturers believed that newly arrived students had weaknesses in academic writing, self-directed study and independent thinking, and support classes often focused on writing and independent learning skills.  Pupils had been guided too much by schools to get the highest grades but were unable to think more deeply about the subject, the study found.”

Having taught both A levels and IB (International Baccalaureate) I would have to agree with this from my subject specific point of view. My A level historians were very well taught (or drilled?) to answer very specific questions, whereas my IB historians had much wider questions to answer that involved a lot more thought. For example: Using examples from three different continents assert whether you feel that civil wars are caused mainly by economic difficulties.

This sort of question is much more like a university model and is one reason why universities actually positively favour the IB and IB students. The breadth of subjects studied at IB also goes in its favour when it comes to a full education.

We are fortunate to be in an area where we have several IB schools offering a great education. Many of these schools also offer A levels – so you don’t have to choose now. For a full list of UK schools offering the IB visit their website:  http://www.ibo.org/school/search/index.cfm?programmes=DIPLOMA&country=GB&region=&find_schools=Find

Of the schools we regularly feed: Malvern College, Oakham School, & St Edwards Oxford all do the IB.

Kindles/iPads, etc…

There has been a lot of debate about the merits and drawbacks of these sorts of devices.  The whole issue was one of the main topics of debate at one of my recent Headmaster’s get togethers.

 

One of the lovely things about S. Anselm’s is that we try and keep the pupils young for a little longer.  We therefore do have a strict policy of no mobile phones, etc… Ideally we would really want our pupils to be outside having good old fashioned fun and playing together, and not be inside behind a screen.

 

Recently, some pupils have brought in kindles and I would like to clarify my position on these, and iPads.

 

Kindles   We are not encouraging the use of kindles at all (there is a lot to be said about the tactile benefits of a book) but we can see that in some cases they are beneficial, and have encouraged some to read when other tactics have failed. If you really want to bring one in we are happy to allow kindles at schools so long as they meet the following criteria:

• They are the basic read only version and not the 3G WiFi versions – we do not want pupils surfing the internet in an unpoliced way. There is a lot of material out there that we would not want the pupils to have access to.
• The content of the kindle is policed by parents (as it will have to be loaded at home anyway) and the kindles are insured by parents on their home contents insurance.
• If unsuitable material is found on them – they will be confiscated and asked to be taken home.

 

iPads   I do not see the argument for iPads.  They are very expensive bits of kit, which will become damaged without doubt.  They will primarily be used for playing games on, or watching films, and again we do not want pupils accessing the internet in an unpoliced way.  We want our pupils to be outside having good old fashioned fun – not inside in front of a screen!  So no iPads (or similar tablets) at all please.

 

We do have a talk for Parents about the internet and the safety surrounding it, and the power of the internet, which may well be of use to those parents with pupils heading off towards senior school in the next few years.  This will be held on Friday 22^nd June at 4.50pm in the Hargreaves Hall (just prior to exeat) and is open to all.  I would recommend it to anyone who feels a little out of touch with technology and asks teenagers to sort out their computer problems for them (like me!).

 

On the eve of a spectacular music tour to Florence and Venice I thought it appropriate to emphasize why music is so important. Learning to play a musical instrument offers a lot of benefits. I personally believe that if there’s one thing you should learn in your lifetime, it’s how to play an instrument. Here are 6 reasons why:

1. Playing a Musical Instrument Makes You Smarter
Many studies have been conducted on the effects of music to the brain. Scientists say that children who are exposed to music, or those who play an instrument, do better in school than those who don’t. Recent research suggests exposure to music may benefit a child’s reading age, IQ and the development of certain parts of the brain. Adults can benefit from learning to play an instrument too because it helps the mind to be alert and remain active eventually helping to sharpen the memory.

2. It Teaches Discipline
Learning to play an instrument is like learning to speak another language and it can be challenging at times. One of the qualities musicians possess is discipline. You have to be disciplined in order to master playing your instrument. You have to set time each day to practice, practice and practice some more.

3. Playing a Musical Instrument Relieves Stress
We all have days when we are so stressed out and we just want to take a break from it all. Have you ever noticed that when you hear soft, soothing music you feel more relaxed? Playing an instrument can do that and more, especially if you’re the one playing. Music is one of life’s simple joys; it helps calm the mind.

4. Sense of Achievement
If you’re a beginner learning to play your first piece, it can be frustrating. But once you’ve mastered it, the satisfaction you’ll feel is priceless. Never mind if it’s just a simple piece, believe me you’ll never forget the first piece you’ve mastered. You are one more step closer to achieving your goal and that is certainly something to be proud of.

5. Playing a Musical Instrument is Fun
Sure it can be a lot of hard work but there is no denying playing an instrument is fun. Once you get better at it, opportunities will arise for you to share your newly learned skill with your family and friends. Who knows, you may also consider playing professionally in the future. Playing a musical instrument opens up a lot of good possibilities that will surely enrich your life. The way Mr Weller has structured it with small groups and ensembles means that music is fun and a team activity, and the sense of pride when it all comes together is fantastic.

6. It is a Great Social Activity.

Music allows pupils from different age groups to mix and perform together on equal terms irrespective of age. This equality is priceless and it gets the nervous smaller children rubbing shoulders with those at the top of the school. Their confidence rubs off on all and the feel good factor is enormous. It promoted greater cohesion in the school and a sense of worth with many who might otherwise struggle to feel really good about themselves.

 

Children ‘are being denied sheer joy of the outdoors’

Children are out of touch with nature and need more freedom from health and safety for the sake of their wellbeing, the head of the National Trust has told The Times. Dame Fiona Reynolds is calling for schools to “take the initiative” and change the way they teach children, with a block of time spent in the outdoors every week.
Children ‘are being denied sheer joy of the outdoors’ – The Times

This is something that is close to my heart and simply not an option here at S. Anselm’s. We encourage children to be outside whenever possible. Down in nursery they are off for their walks virtually every day (irrespective of the weather) to see the cows or sheep. I see the Pre Prep outside playing in the sunshine and running around. In the Prep School, we of course make the most of our beautiful Peak National Park setting with the extras programme. Middle School Exploring is normally the most oversubscribed extra, where boys and girls go out and enjoy the beautiful countryside. Mr Watt is of course prone to extensive trips – this year the boys and girls of Yr8 are all off to Cape Wrath – on the far north west tip of Scotland. He is also leading an expedition to the highlands to climb Ben Nevis and sail boats around the sea lochs of Scotland. We also have extensive weekend programmes with sailing at Carsington water, rock scrambling, and other outdoor pursuits. Be it the zip slide in the playground or just the normal games session on top field – the great outdoors in a central part of our lives here, and rightly so.

 

 

Dear Parents
I thought you might like to see some interesting and recent research on the Independent sector. Simon

 A survey of attitudes towards independent schools has revealed that the proportion of parents who would send their children to an independent school far outstrips the proportion who would not.

54% of those parents polled said they would send their child to an independent school, while only 26% said they would not. This gap of 28 percentage points has never been greater in the past fifteen years of the survey; in 1997 the gap was 10 percentage points. When those parents who said they would send their child to an independent school were asked why, the most popular answer was “Better standards of education”. Other popular answers were “Better start to life/more chances in life/better chance for future careers”, “better discipline”, “smaller classes/smaller pupil-teacher ratio” and “better results/would get on better”.

The survey, commissioned by the Independent Schools Council (ISC) and carried out by Populus, also revealed that 57% of adults believe that educational standards are higher in independent schools than state schools, a higher proportion than for all previous years of the survey; only 7% think the opposite is true, while 27% think standards in both are similar.

Other findings included:

• 76% of people think that independent schools provide good university and employment prospects for pupils (up from 71% last year), only 3% do not (down from 4% last year);

• 75% of people think that independent schools provide opportunities for pupils to fulfil their potential (up from 71% last year), only 4% do not (up from 3% last year);

• 68% of people think that independent schools provide excellence in the teaching of maths, science and languages (up from 61% last year), only 4% do not (up from 3% last year);

 • 52% of people think that independent schools offer bursaries and scholarships which help to broaden access and increase social mobility, only 10% do not;

• 12% of adults attended an independent school. Around half of adults have had some kind of experience or contact with the independent sector, either directly through their family (22%) or through friends/other family members (35%). 8% of parents have a child currently attending an independent school and the same proportion of adults have a child who previously attended an independent school.

Commenting on the findings, ISC’s Head of Research Rudolf Eliott Lockhart said: “These findings show that the public recognises the high quality of independent schools, associating them not only with high academic quality but also with a broader education including arts, drama, music and sport. As a result, a clear majority of parents would like to send their children to an independent school. It’s also encouraging to see public recognition of the significant bursaries that independent schools offer that help to broaden access and increase social mobility.”

 

A nanny?  No, prep school is cheaper by Sarah Harris

Working parents are increasingly sending their young children to boarding schools – as they are cheaper than employing a full-time nanny. The number of boys and girls aged 7 to 13 who board at prep schools has risen to 13,945 – up to 5.8 per cent on last year – despite the economic climate. The figure for girls alone has increased by 18 per cent, according to the Independent Association of Prep Schools. The number of the association’s schools with boarding facilities rose by 7 per cent in the past year, with 218 now taking boarders compared with 204 in 2010.

IAPS chief executive David Hanson said many families were choosing boarding schools because they are more cost-effective than hiring a nanny.  Prep boarding schools charge an average of £18,492 a year, while full-time nannies can cost up to £40,000.

Mr Hanson said:  ‘It’s actually more economic and better value for money to put your child in a really good IAPS boarding prep school. Paying a nanny is terrifyingly expensive – you don’t tend to think about it at the time, as you pay it in monthly or weekly chunks. But when you calculate it over the year you’re staggered by how much you’ve spent. In all our schools you have this wonderful rich variety of activities going on – you’ll find drama, music, games, dance and sport.  They’re not just sitting watching television or playing on their Wii at home with the nanny being in the room. It’s not just that they do more learning; they have more fun with friends.’

HM comment:
When you also factor in travelling costs then the boarding option can actually save you money. But it is not just about saving money it is about making each child’s growing up experience the best possible experience. With many parents working seriously hard to afford fees it is a real juggling act. Working parents are often up early and on trains or out of the house prior to your children waking up, and then they are back late. The boarding experience allows to the parents to prioritise their children at weekends or exeats. They know when they will be seeing them, and they can keep that weekend totally free, thus making the parenting experience a positive and happy one, not one where you are nagging your children to do prep, and getting into bed. The boarding school take all that stress away and make the parent the “good guy” and therefore it makes the exeat weekends so much more positive and happy, on top of a great experience during the week with their friends.

This weekend saw the publication of the Sunday Times Schools Guide. In the Schools of the Year category, Brighton College was named independent secondary of the year, The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School in Elstree independent prep of the year and Hutchesons’ Grammar School, Glasgow, Scottish independent secondary of the year. St Paul’s Girls School, London, came top of the leading 100 independents based on 2011 exam results, and The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School topped the leading 100 preps.

HM Comment:
While I am sure that The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School in Elstree is a very worthy prep school (it certainly gets the prize for use of apostrophes!) the use of league tables such as these is a very dangerous measure of a schools worth. The reason we are not in this league table is that, like many other top independent prep school we do not do SAT tests at 11. Our school is not geared to 11+, ours is based upon the 13+ entry to senior schools via Common Entrance and Scholarship exams. So to compare us to these schools is a little unfair as the means of measuring is not common. As we are structured for a different system it is not surprising that we have a different approach to the all-important Years 7 & 8. As these boys and girls leave their schools at 11 they then enter the adolescent world of their senior schools. The all important “keeping them young for a bit longer” approach goes out the window, as the rub shoulders with 18 year old boys and girls, and all their hormones. They also move to become a minnow in a massive pond, rather than a big fish in a smaller pond if there were to stay in a school such as ours. I feel self-confidence is crucial to any child feeling happy and therefore being able to learn. We feel we can nurture and build this self-confidence here, and reward pupils with positions of responsibility. In short their Years 7 & 8 are normally their best. This is rarely the case when they move at 11 into the senior school world. We also pride ourselves on a slightly different approach to some of these urban day schools. We are very much a holistic school, we have no entrance exam, we look to develop the whole child and not overly focus on academics. Clearly academics are important to us, but there are other ways of getting the best out of some children, and for me, a school like S. Anselm’s (with a more modest single apostrophe) is more about lighting fires, and generating enthusiasm for learning, and then building the confidence to then communicate that enthusiasm. These aspects of a child are much more difficult to quantify and measure but are no less important. So well done to The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School in Elstree, but there are lots of good alternatives out there whose names will not appear on that League Table – and that I’d argue are firmly amongst the top schools in the country.

August babies are less likely to go on to top universities, says study

Children born in August, the youngest in each school year, are less likely to go on to study at top universities than their older classmates, a thinktank study has found. Researchers at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) examined whether there was a link between the month in which a child is born and what they tend to do when they leave school. They studied three data sets, which represent the records of 48,500 children and teenagers in England. They found children born in August were 20% less likely than their classmates born 11 months earlier, in September, to go to Russell Group universities – the top flight that includes Oxford and Cambridge. They were more likely to study vocational courses instead. Claire Crawford, one of the authors of the study, said August-born children may “end up doing worse than September-born children throughout their working lives, simply because of the month in which they were born”.
August babies are less likely to go on to top universities, says study (Guardian)

Summer-born children ‘less likely to attend top universities’ (Telegraph)

HM comment:

It is true that August/ July birthdays have an impact upon schooling. This is possibly more so the younger you are. For instance in our Reception class, someone born in August can be in the same year as someone born 11+ months earlier on in September the previous year – that equates to 25% more of their life! So the differences are often very noticeable at a younger age. That said I do feel that some parents need to be a bit more flexible to this artificial age cut of point. In later life it does not matter one jot if someone is a few months older or younger than you. This is the case in professional sport and professional life. It is all about what that person is like and how well developed they are socially and mentally. I would argue that it is often far better for a child to be a bit older and socially more in control, than to always be young for a year group and to be constantly clawing at survival. A child in their right social setting is going to learn and develop at the right rate. This was in fact the case with our own son, who falls into this August birthday issue, and we have decided to keep him back a year. He is now much happier, in the right setting, and learning (and more than keeping up), and I would have feared for him if he had been put in the year above. Socially and mentally he would have struggled and not enjoyed life.

These findings may have some relevance and truth, but of course they are only one part of a complex jigsaw that makes up each and every child. However at our age range there is merit in looking at every child as an individual (as we always do), and assessing their abilities. If it is felt that it is right to keep a child back for a year – then parents should not be as fearful of the consequences as many are. It can often be the making of a child, rather than their downfall.

A great day!

Today has been a hectic day in many ways. It kicked off with the news, via a conference call that the Charity Commission has been branded “wrong and obscure” in its interpretation of the Charities Act of 2006. In other words the inspection by them of our school, and the implication that because we failed we might have our charitable status removed, has now been declared incorrect by the high courts. In future it will be upto individual schools and their trustees or governors to assess and define their contributions to the public benefit, although it is hoped the good work that so many schools do in this area will continue.

This was added to by some sterling hockey this afternoon by our girls at the IAPS Regional Hockey Finals. Our U12’s played well but narrowly missed out on a place at the finals. They came third (with the top two sides going through). Our U13 girls in a larger competition battled hard and all the supporters had to endure not only a penalty flick shoot out, but then (after the scores were level) the sudden death shoot out! By getting through to the finals they qualified for the National Finals and the top 10 or so U13 sides in the country! Well done.

The drive back from Repton amid glorious sunshine and beautiful rolling hills was one to savour after such a good day. Once back at school I helped Richard Mace deliver a “What goes on upstairs” presentation to parents about the boarding at S. Anselm’s. Richard did a marvellous job outlining what happens, which allowed me to talk briefly about the overall merits of boarding, and what it can add to an individual. It is no surprise that the best schools in the world are boarding schools!

Simon

Michael Gove proposes teaching foreign languages from age five
The education secretary, Michael Gove, has proposed that every child aged five or over should be learning a foreign language, and promised to “pull every lever”, including encouraging longer school days, to make it happen. In a pre-Conservative conference interview, he says: “There is a slam-dunk case for extending foreign language teaching to children aged five. Just as some people have taken a perverse pride in not understanding mathematics, so we have taken a perverse pride in the fact that we do not speak foreign languages, and we just need to speak louder in English. It is literally the case that learning languages makes you smarter. The neural networks in the brain strengthen as a result of language learning.” – full article in the Guardian today.

Absolutely right Mr Gove!
That is precisely why we have specialist French teaching that starts in our nursery (aged 3), and continues through our Pre Prep. Once the pupils enter the Prep School the pace quickens. Furthermore we also introduce Spanish to our pupils in their final term, and have catered for optional German lessons as well.

Let us not forget the ancient languages too – Latin is taught to the majority of pupils here with an introduction in Year 4 and the full syllabus kicking off in Year 5. On top of this there is also Ancient Greek for those who want to distinguish themselves from the pack with their prowess.

Finally we have recently added the teachin of Mandarin to pupils on an optional basis.

In a rapidly changing world where communication is king -we wholeheartedly support the strong position languages holds at S. Anselm’s.