Absolutely Education Prep & Pre-Prep Autumn 2023 by ABSOLUTELY Magazines

AUTUMN 2023 ABSOLUTELY EDUCATION PREP & PRE-PREP • AUTUMN 2023

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STEAM POWER Life and learning at The Downs Malvern

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SCHOOLS T E AC H I N G S K I L L S TO E N S U R E C H I L D R E N S U C C E E D I N TO M O R R OW ’ S WO R L D

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PLUS BEST AUTUMN BOOKS Magic, mystery and more to inspire young readers COOL MUSEUMS Fun and adventure at cultural hotspots around the country

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Herne Hill School

Latest review just published Since 2013, Herne Hill School has been selected to feature continuously in the Good Schools Guide. The latest review has just been published and is once again highly favourable, concluding with the following ‘last word’ summary: “It’s a treat to see a pre-prep school doing what they have always done best for early years’ pupils, something of a treasured rarity nowadays as many have been swallowed up by larger organisations. Herne Hill School is a place where childhood is celebrated, with chatty, cheerful, children learning and enjoying life.” We are proud of this review, especially of the many complimentary comments provided to the Good Schools Guide by our parents.

Herne Hill School, the perfect setting for early schooling Embedding key values and developing ‘the whole child’ through a unique, continuous five-year curriculum Focusing exclusively on cutting edge Early Childhood Education (age 2+ to 7+), the most crucial period in a child’s life Transitioning seamlessly from play-based to more structured learning, preparing the children to move on at 7+ with that special Herne Hill School spark Expert staff operating under the ethos of Love · Care · Excellence in which children excel and learn with fun and enthusiasm

What our parents commented to the Good Schools Guide... “So knowledgeable and experienced about child development.” “We feel it’s a very special school,’ said a mother, ‘founded with real love, and it genuinely nurtures very happy children.” “You can see and feel your child will be happy and well looked after.” “There is a real emphasis on nurturing each individual child and promoting kindness and respect for each other.” “My five year old lives for forest school whether he is pootling about on his own making mud pies or in a small group learning how to build a wigwam.” “The team create a wonderful atmosphere for young children, whose childhood is extended somehow by experiencing school in such a supportive and friendly environment.”

Apply now for autumn 2024 admission

Extensive wrap-around care from 7.45am to 4.45/6pm depending on the year group

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The Old Vicarage 127 Herne Hill London, SE24 9LY

hernehillschool.co.uk enquiries@hernehillschool.co.uk 020 7274 6336

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A Passion for Life and Learning since 1741

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CON T R IBU TOR S

Dr Gina Gómez de la Cuesta Clinical Psychologist and Founder of Play Included

Gina Gómez studied Lego-based play therapy at Cambridge University’s Autism Research Centre and has a PhD from UEA. She is also a trained teacher and continues to be involved with academic research and NHS clinical practice, specialising in autism and child and adolescent mental health. In this issue, we speak to her about Brick Club, a place for neurodiverse children to come and play.

Jonathon Anderson

ISI rated ‘Excellent’, 2021 Set in 50 acres of Oxfordshire countryside, Sibford focuses on a values driven education.

Headmaster, Aysgarth School

Jonathon Anderson became Headmaster of Aysgarth in North Yorkshire in summer 2023, a move up from Dorset, where he had been Head of Clayesmore Prep for the previous three years. A maths teacher and keen sportsman, he talks in this issue about the value of providing the right preparation, support and environment to build life skills and confidence for the onward journey.

Full, weekly and ﬂexi boarding options available for pupils aged 3 - 18 years.

Book your place at an upcoming open event:

sibfordschool.co.uk/events.

BE YOU. BE SIBFORD.

Siobhan McGrath Executive Principal, Southbank International School

Siobhan McGrath grew up in New Zealand and holds degrees from University of Canterbury, Christchurch College of Education and University of Buckingham. She took on the leadership role at Southbank International School in 2013 and still regularly lectures at universities on teacher training and educational leadership. In this issue, she talks about the importance of providing an education fit for the future in our fast-evolving world.

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Option 2

Academic Excellence Academic Excellence Falcons School is an independent co-educational Falcons School is an independent co-educational school childrenaged aged2-11 2-11years years old. school for for children old.

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We l c o m e

From the

EDITOR

ith autumn in full swing, we celebrate some of the great learning adventures going on in our independent schools. Our focus feature on The Downs Malvern reveals all that a rounded prep education brings. With an idyllic setting in the Malvern Hills, life here is rich in

brilliant idea. Tomorrow’s Life Skills (from page 44) finds out about the knowhow schools pass on to help children thrive not just in class but also in their futures. From understanding investments and savings to learning how to assess risks and be assertive, it’s important stuff that adds to children’s essential toolbox for life. Don’t miss our wonderful round up of out-of-school fun. We go behind the scenes at the reinvented Young V&A in Bethnal Green (from page 72) and

" F R O M U N D E R STANDI NG I NVE ST MENTS AND SAVI NG S TO L E A R N I N G H OW TO BE AS S ERT I VE , T H I S I S I MP ORTANT STUF F T H AT A DDS TO C H I LDREN’S TOOLBOX FOR LI FE"

science, arts and hands-on opportunities within and beyond the curriculum. Children can even become part of the team on the school’s historic steam railway – truly, a place to see STEAM principles in action (from page 17). Building learning skills is a key aim for early years, but bricks themselves can be a saviour in helping neurodiverse children to enjoy play and social situations. In What a Brick! (page 32), we find out why brick clubs are such a

at six museums around the country where children rule (from page 76). Finally, don’t miss our bumper selection of books (from page 80). From robot saviours and the missing memoir of Robert Louis Stevenson’s stepson to a whole new continent filled with fantastical beasts, there’s a great reading adventure for every child.

Libby Norman ACTING EDITOR

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CONTE AUT U MN 2023

upfront

10 SCHOOL NEWS Out and about in the world of education

15 POETRY BLAST

Poetry By Heart's finale was a showcase of spoken word talent

focus

18 BUILDING BRIGHT FUTURES The Downs Malvern offers academic rigour and fabulous co-curricular opportunities

23 LIFE SKILLS Aysgarth School on preparing for the onward journey

25 LEARNING EVOLUTION Southbank International on educating for a fast-evolving world

pre-Prep

28 GROWING EVIDENCE Two major studies on growing up in the here and now

31 READY FOR SCHOOL Wetherby Pembridge Minors, Holland Park on what a strong early years education looks like

32 WHAT A BRICK! Brick building clubs support neurodiverse children

Prep

44 TOMORROW'S SKILLS Building the knowhow that helps children thrive in life as well as school

51 THINKING GLOBAL TASIS England on why an international primary school brings added benefits

53 GROWING COURAGE Why try, try again count at Ravenscourt Park Prep School

58 CURIOSITY & CHRISTMAS YouTube star Maddie Moate on why Yule is a cool theme for science exploration

65 MAKING MUSIC

Warwick Schools Foundation's new Music Lead on making music across the community

68 ASK THE EXPERTS Managing fussy eating and 11+ support

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NTS

93 EDITOR

Libby Norman  GROUP A DV ERTISING M A NAGER

Nicola Owens 

MEDI A CONSULTA N TS

Anna Clarke Steve Playfoot 

A RT DIR ECTOR

Pawel Kuba 

SENIOR DESIGNER S

Mike Roberts Suzette Scoble 

MIDW EIGHT DESIGNER

Carmen Graham 

JUNIOR DESIGNER

Joe Munsey 

PRODUCTION M A NAGER

Danica Brodie 

FINA NCE DIR ECTOR

Jerrie Koleci 

CR EDIT CON TROL M A NAGER

Alexandra Hvid  DIR ECTOR S

18 Young V&A's creative reinvention

76 CHILDREN FIRST Six museums where kids rule OK

NON-E X ECU TI V E DIR ECTOR

Alexandra Hunter 

M A NAGING DIR ECTOR

Sherif Shaltout

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72 YOUNG AT HEART

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

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80 ROBOT STORIES A timely tale about bullying and school avoidance

82 TREASURE TRAIL The missing memoir of Robert Louis Stevenson's stepson Sam

86 AUTUMN BOOKS Our pick of great reads for the season

98 CHAOS THEORY Why did no parenting manual tell you how messy children are?

F RO NT COVE R

THE DOWNS MALVERN Brockhill Road, Malvern Worcestershire WR13 6EY thedownsmalvern.org.uk

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SCHOO L N EWS Stamford merger

DA D B O O S T A report by Manchester and Leeds universities has found that children do better at school if their father regularly gets involved with reading, playing, telling stories, drawing and singing. The PIECE research report, published in September, sampled test scores in children aged 5-7 in 5,000 mother-father households drawn from the Millennium Cohort Study.

Stamford Schools Principal Will Phelan, Head Vicky Buckman and Chair of Governors Tom Cartledge had reason to celebrate at the start of the school year as Stamford Schools officially opened its doors as a co-educational school. The result of a merger between Stamford High and Stamford School, it means from September 2024 the school will be co-ed across every year group.

Co - ed move

YO U N G R E P O R T E R

The Kingsley School in Royal Leamington Spa will start becoming a fully co-educational setting from September 2025, initially admitting boys into Years 7 and 12. The day through school, which celebrates its 140th anniversary next year, is part of the Warwick Schools Foundation and is led by James Mercer-Kelly.

The Leys School pupil Tife Y has won The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF) and the Financial Times (FT) Young Financial Journalist competition in the 14-15 age category with her article on the theme of the cashless society. Judges commended her piece for its “strong arguments, punchy prose, excellent data and notes”.

GIVING SUCCESS

New Head Alexandra Haydon becomes Head of Francis Holland School, Sloane Square from January 2024, succeeding Lucy Elphinstone. Currently Deputy Head, Academic at Millfield, Haydon was Head of Science and latterly Senior Teacher at St Mary’s Calne prior to that. She won the i25 award for innovation and influence in the independent sector in 2019.

Tonbridge School’s annual Giving Day raised more than half a million pounds. Many hundreds of people across the school community worked together to help support Tonbridge’s mission of increasing its number of Foundation Award recipients to at least 100 by 2028, when it will celebrate its 475th anniversary. In addition, 700 children, from 14 local schools, spent a day at Tonbridge taking part a range of fun activities.

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UP FRON T / NEWS

SCHOOL A R R I VA L Pangbourne College has appointed Oliver Knight as Head from September 2024, succeeding Thomas Garnier. Pangbourne will be Oliver Knight’s fourth headship and he is current Principal of Ark Acton Academy. He is also an author on education, sits on the Board of a multi-academy Trust and is an independentschool governor.

BIG SING MusicShare marks its 20th birthday by staging Britten’s ‘Noye’s Fludde’ in Lichfield Cathedral on 10th-11th November. It involves 200 local school children, plus Lichfield Cathedral School musicians and teachers. MusicShare is a school and cathedral, partnership with Arts’ Council England funding. It has worked with some 25,000 children over two decades.

Arts award Wellington is celebrating a Platinum Artsmark Award from Arts Council England. Director of Arts Simon Williamson says: “We are hugely proud of the Artsmark Platinum Award which acknowledges Wellington’s deep commitment to cultural education and our determination to give every pupil access to the arts, as well as providing support and opportunities for the wider community”. AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 11

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EDUCATION FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW

LONDON’S MOST PROGRESSIVE SCHOOL

- Private Education Awards 2023

11+ SCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES AVAILABLE Find out more about life at St Dunstan’s at one of our upcoming open events this November To book your place, please visit www.stdunstans.org.uk Stanstead Road, London, SE6 4TY

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UP FRON T / NEWS

SUSSEX ADDITION Annabel Rolls has become the new Head of Year 3 at Cumnor House Sussex. Previously with Wetherby Pre-Prep in London and with some 17 years’ teaching experience, she joins the day and flexible boarding school to guide and support young learners as they move into their prep years.

BIG ISSUE St Dunstan’s College hosted a conference in June on children’s exposure to porn, bringing together delegates from 100 state and independent schools. Head Nick Hewlett was joined by international speakers, including Nicole Daley and Jess Alder, creators of the US Truth about Pornography Curriculum, and Australian founder of Teach Us Consent Chanel Contos (pictured).

Orchestra partnership

High note Warwick Schools Foundation is continuing its varied range of musical partnerships after a busy year. The Foundation’s new Executive Music Lead Stuart Thompson, who joined the Foundation recently from Leicestershire, is working to develop the musical community and enhance music opportunities in the town and local area still further.

The Royal Philarmonic Orchestra and ACS International Schools have signed a partnership. Students across UK campuses – Cobham, Egham, Hillingdon – plus ACS in Doha, Qatar will have the opportunity to participate in virtual and in-person performances, lectures and workshops hosted by the RPO’s musicians and artists. This is an element in ACS’ planned Arts Pathway.

O LY M P I C CHALLENGE Get Set, the Team GB and ParalympicsGB youth engagement arm, is on a mission to get children aged 5-11 fit with its virtual challenge – Path to Paris. Families, schools and groups can participate for free by logging their formal and fun activities, and with prizes on offer as well as fascinating facts about the Games. getset.co.uk/pathtoparis

Junior master Stephen Perse Foundation student Ruben tied in first place at the U16 British National Chess Championships. Ruben, who first competed in the nationals in 2018, played over five days and seven rounds for the win. He says: “It feels great to achieve first place, something that I have been working towards for the last six years”. AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 13

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UP FRON T / NEWS

PHOTOS: SAM STRICKLAND

POETRY BLAST

Poetry By Heart, the school poetry speaking competition co-founded by Sir Andrew Motion, held its grand ﬁnale at The Globe in June

he Grand Finale of Poetry By Heart, the national poetry speaking competition for schools founded by former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion and Dr Julie Blake, was an event where, as Blake put it: “poetry wasn’t just lifted off the page, it was blasted off”. Held towards the end of June, this year’s competition saw the biggest ever response from children around the country.

There were 2,000 video entries of poetry readings involving 90,000 young people – and a total of 39,000 poems were learnt by heart. Sir Andrew Motion was also there at Shakespeare’s Globe and congratulated all the young people taking part, saying: “Learning poetry by heart is both serious and fun: an excitement and a dare...It is about understanding and remembering the deep recurring truths about our experience as humans”. Mohammed Ali Khanafer, 10, of Pimlico Primary School performed Wilfred Owen’s Dulce et Decorum Est. This prompted the judges to say: “Hearing this well-known poem in the voice of such a young speaker refreshed it and made it new”. Taygen Van Der Klashorst of Durham Johnston Comprehensive School performed Edwin Morgan’s Hyena, capturing, in the judges’ words: “the menace as well as the humour”. Edgar Reader of Framlingham College, 16, won for a TOP performance of WH Davies’ Mohammed Ali Khanafer of The Inquest, with the judges’

Pimlico Primary

LEFT & RIGHT Ethan Speed of Shaftesbury School. Co-founder Sir Andrew Motion

commenting that: “Edgar’s reading made excellent choices on character, pace and meaning, and left us with an enthralling sense of madness and mystery”. Ethan Speed, 17, of Shaftesbury School gave a performance of The Beast in the Space by W.S. Graham – described by the judges as: “a complete delight”. Lichfield Cathedral School, Staffordshire received commendation for its initiative by pupils to make a Ukrainian student there feel at home by learning Lesia Ukrayink’s poem Mamo, yde vzhe zyma (Mother it’s Already Winter). The students, who had also learned how to sign the poem in BSL, gave a live performance in Ukrainian at the finale. There was a final treat for poetry lovers as more young people took to the stage for the Freestyle category. Standout performances included a Shakespeare medley that brought the audience to its feet and a musical setting of John Agard’s Checking Out Me History. This year’s judges were Poet Advisor Daljit Nagra and poets Patience Agbabi, Liz Berry, Valerie Bloom, Jean Sprackland and Glyn Maxwell. The event is supported by the Poetry By Heart Consortium, which includes Homerton College University of Cambridge, the Poetry Society, the English Association, Oxford English Dictionary and Shakespeare’s Globe. The 2024 Poetry By Heart competition was launched on 5 October (National Poetry Day). poetrybyheart.org.uk AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 15

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Academic Excellence Ivy House School thrives as a distinguished, co-educational, and non-denominational school for children aged 2 to 11. www.ivyhouseschool.co.uk

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Focus

LI FE SKI LL S AT AYSGARTH p . 2 3 • STRONG START AT SOUTH BAN K I NTERNATIONAL p . 2 5

FLYING HIGH! Focus on The Downs Malvern Page 18

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Building bright

FUTURES Andy Nuttall, Headmaster of The Downs Malvern, on the school’s long track record of providing a rounded education, with plenty of stretch and challenge – and fun – to prepare children for future academic and life success

Can you explain more about the history of The Downs Malvern and its development over the years? The Downs Malvern was founded in 1900 as a Quaker school for boys. Evolving over time, the school quickly expanded in size, then became co-educational. With a nursery and pre-prep being added by the turn of the century, it developed, and retains a strong, family-orientated ethos while also embracing a forward-thinking approach. From its initial inception, the school had a strong ethos of co-curricular activities enhancing the formal curriculum. This is something which RIGHT eventually became Andy and Polly Nuttall and family

BELOW Full, flexi and weekly boarding are popular

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ubiquitous in prep schools countrywide, so we were ahead of our time! One unique example of this is The Downs Light Railway, which is actually the oldest miniature railway in the world, and our children gain valuable first-hand STEM experience learning to maintain and drive the steam locomotives. The school has, over time, merged with two other preps – Hillstone and Malvern College Prep – and we still remain on our original site in Colwall. To bring us up to date, The Downs Malvern is now part of the Malvern College Family of schools, so we enjoy links with counterparts worldwide. We have a global outlook from our beautiful location rooted in the Herefordshire countryside.

How would you describe your curriculum and teaching approach? Our curriculum is focused on constructing foundations for the children’s learning and understanding, culminating in success at 13+ Common Entrance and Scholarship level syllabi. One of the central tenets of our style of education is the engagement and progress of the individual. Our children are involved and informed learners who share the responsibility of their learning with the staff from an early age, developing a balance of both knowledge

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“C REAT I VE AND P ERFORMI NG ARTS , S P ORTS , AND OU R W I D ERANG I NG ACT I VI T I E S P ROG RAMME ARE C ENT RAL TO EAC H C H I LD’S S U CC E S S”

ABOVE The Downs Malvern enjoys a glorious setting – and also has strong eco credentials

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resources around us. We have an active and skills as they progress through the pupil-led eco-team that researches and school. We aim to give the children as promotes new initiatives for the school broad an experience as possible through to adopt. The whole community comes a wide range of educational experiences, together for ‘Eco-week’. This highlights the both within the formal timetabled work the children have been undertaking lesson and the many co-curricular throughout the year and, in linking activities that enrich their learning. with local and regional partners, we We have introduced The Downs Malvern continue to improve biodiversity, natural Baccalaureate in Years 7 and 8 to challenge resources and opportunities to interact the children to achieve their highest with the natural environment. academic goals, but also to recognise and reward their high levels of ABOVE commitment and involvement in Nursery pupils activities that fall outside the enjoy outdoor learning traditionally examined subjects. BELOW In this way, the Creative and Sport and adventure take place on campus and in Performing Arts, Sports, and the Malvern Hills our wide-ranging activities programme are also central to each child’s success and sense of achievement.

Co-curricular, sport and clubs are all really strong – how do they enrich school life and support children’s development? Children at The Downs Malvern exhibit boundless enthusiasm for a wide range of activities and there is a rich culture of participation alongside the pursuit of excellence. The ‘Skills to Thrive’ we extol are reflected in co-curricular endeavours as much as they are within the classroom. It’s important for children to be able to

You have a demonstrable focus on eco and green thinking. Can you explain more? We are situated in an enviable location, within the heart of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the Malvern Hills, so the school community has enjoyed a long history of embracing the outdoors. It is a natural next step for pupils and staff to move from enjoying the outdoors to preserving and protecting the natural 20 | AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P

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“CHI L DR E N GA I N VA LUA BL E F I R ST- H A N D STE M E XPE R I E N C E L EA R N I N G TO M A I N TA I N A N D D RI V E T H E ST E A M LO CO M OT I V E S” reflect on their successes and failures, developing an informed approach to all of their endeavours. This pays dividends in terms of their all-round enjoyment and involvement. It is gratifying that, for a small school, we have recorded national success in a range of sports. We see this as the result of a self-sustaining culture of inspiration, participation and success which encourages the youngest pupils to get involved and maintain the strong ethos. How do boarding and pastoral care work? We are very fortunate to have a team of highly experienced and dedicated staff who are attuned to our boarders’ individual characters and needs. Each child has a personal Form Tutor who works within a team in each section of the school. If a child boards, either on a full, weekly, or flexi basis they are also under the care of the boarding Houseparents and resident staff, each of whom oversees the pastoral care of a small section of the boarding community. It’s a

ABOVE Drama is a vibrant element of school life

holistic approach, so the boarding team work alongside both the form tutor and parents to ensure that boarders are fully supported in their personal and social development.

TOP LEFT & BELOW STEM in action in the lab and on the railway

What about onward destinations? The majority of our pupils naturally continue their educational journey at Malvern College due to the links forged here and the ethos and experiences shared between the schools. However, we also have strong links with other senior schools in the local and regional area. We see our children thrive at their choice of school – and that’s thanks to the outlook they develop during their time here. It is really important to us that our children develop the skills and character that will serve them well, not only in the next stage of education but also in their lives beyond. That is what a strong Preparatory education is all about. The Downs Malvern thedownsmalvern.org.uk AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 21

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king’s magna middle school, york

welcoming day & boarding students from years 6-9

as part of queen ethelburga’s collegiate

220-acre rural estate

excellent facilities & clubs

open mornings:

27th january & 9th march 2024 book your place at www.qe.org admissions@qe.org - 01423 333333 AD QUEEN ETHELBURGA.indd 22

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Talking

FOCUS / TALKING HEAD

HEAD

LIFE SKILLS Jonathon Anderson, Headmaster of Aysgarth School, on the true value of embedding life skills that help children connect, trust and become independent

am struck over and over again by how much thought and investment goes into the lives of our schools, both in the classroom and beyond. We continue to grapple with how we split our time across a range of subjects while still allowing space for sport, music, the arts and, of course, some time to be independent and to make choices. On visits to senior schools, I have marvelled at science departments that look like universities and engineering departments using technology that makes my head spin. Sporting endeavours now come with a level of analysis and data collection that my own experiences at school simply could not match. Our pupils have a grasp of communication across the world that makes my childhood look very localised. With all these impressive advancements and innovations, I am always left wondering about ‘life skills’ – what they really are, how we develop them and what value they have to young people of tomorrow. For me, life skills are about one individual’s ability to deal with others, one-to-one and as part of a community. They are, perhaps, part of a Venn diagram that doesn’t overlap too much with technology and is more rooted in intangibles: trust, feelings, independence, confidence, and so on. The recent focus on mental health might leave some feeling we have all gone soft, but the significant benefit I see is a willingness to talk, to enlist help and to trust. The point

ABOVE Aysgarth School pupils

schools such as Aysgarth. In many cases, we are quite small, incredibly caring communities where pupils are known inside out. However, we prepare children for bigger stages to come, where life skills will be tested. Having to consciously build a group of friends and adapt to a community, house, class and team is a new experience for many and, I would suggest, requires skills learned through PSHE lessons, boarding, positions of responsibility, collaborative work, school council experiences and time left to make at which we follow this path will vary, but choices. Some life skills can be planned and knowing it’s time to talk, that help is there taught but many only become second nature and that stigma in this regard is all but gone when lived through school culture, minute better equips our pupils for to minute, with a set of values the inevitable bumps in the and expectations. Happily, I find road. We might take steps myself in a place where trust forward in confidence after has been actively developed public speaking, a moment on through targeted interventions stage, a sporting victory or and forums and then reinforced an improving set of grades, through daily activities. While but talking, getting help and our grades are something to trusting are core confidences be proud of, it is the life skills – the true foundation for these that our pupils take into the JONATHON other experiences to add to. testing times ahead that fill me ANDERSON I feel very conscious with confidence that exciting, Headteacher of the importance of the fulfilling, compassionate Aysgarth School ‘preparatory’ element of futures await them.

“Some life skills can be planned and taught but many only become second nature when lived through school culture”

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Royal Leamington Spa

LE ARN. TO FLY The Kingsley Way

Whole School Open Morning

Saturday 11 November 2023

Book your place: thekingsleyschool.co.uk The Kingsley School is proud to be part of the Warwick Schools Foundation An independent day school for boys and girls aged 3-18 in Royal Leamington Spa

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Talking

FOCUS / TA LK ING HE A D

HEAD

Learning EVOLUTION Siobhan McGrath, Executive Principal of Southbank International School, on delivering an education ﬁt for life in an evolving world

s the world continues to evolve, the way in which we prepare our children must do the same. Southbank International School is an IB World school for children aged 2-18 years old, with campuses located across central London. The IB at Southbank is a comprehensive and international curriculum that takes a holistic approach to education, fostering intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills, from early years to post-16 education. With new technologies revolutionising the way we live – and increased global uncertainty impacting the world’s economy and future outlook – it’s more crucial than ever that we equip young people with the tools to navigate the complexities of our century. The onus is on schools and colleges to support students as they take their first steps in the outside world, ensuring they are ready to thrive in whatever path they choose after school. A focus on cultural diversity, independent thinking and nurturing morals and values is what many believe needs to come to the forefront. I hold the view that the International

“We ensure our students enjoy and learn from all the rich resources available to them in and around London”

ABOVE Young learners at Southbank International School

Baccalaureate (IB) programme gives and nature centres to study wildlife. children the best possible start in life, At the heart of Southbank’s ethos is a focus both academically and personally. It is a on community service and giving back. This curriculum that encourages its students to is embedded across every campus and every do more than blindly accept what is put in age group. Examples of community projects front of them. It is also a curriculum that across our three central-London campuses develops young people’s natural capacity are wide-ranging – everything from busking to question, to be inquisitive and to think to raise money for refugees to cooking independently, critically and creatively. meals for vulnerable people. We also work The school’s aim is to support individuality to provide practical support for homeless and encourage our young people to be curious communities and to help combat loneliness about the outside world. We work to instil among elderly people in our neighbourhoods. in them the desire to explore, to challenge Our teaching accelerates individual growth the status quo and to make a while encouraging openness difference to the world around to the outside world and an them. We ensure our students appreciation of different enjoy and learn from all the rich cultures and perspectives. It resources available to them in nurtures a readiness to see and around London, using this other points of view and builds great city as their classroom. an acceptance of people who This includes organising visits are different from us. Here to the many museums, art at Southbank, we emphasise galleries, historic buildings, inquiry, creativity, risk taking SIOBHAN MCGRATH theatres and concert halls. and accountability. We teach Executive Principal Our young people also get valuable skills for life, whatever Southbank involved in student conferences the future holds for your child International School and visit parks, woodlands in our evolving world. AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 25

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Academic Excellence Wetherby Pembridge Minors Holland Park is an independent, co-educational nursery and pre-prep school for children aged 2 to 4. www.wetherbypembridgeminors.co.uk

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EVIDENCE Two major long-term studies will provide important data on both UK education and growing up during and after the pandemic

e are surrounded by ‘pop’ surveys – headline-grabbing findings that make lively news but often don’t give us much in the way of reliable information. Good then to have two major longitudinal studies into education, beginning this year and designed to provide a solid base of evidence about what it’s like to be at school in the here and now. ‘Five to Twelve’ and ‘Growing Up in the 2020s’ are being undertaken by the National Centre for Social Research and have been commissioned and funded by the Department for Education (DfE). There will also be collaboration with the National Children’s Bureau and National Foundation for Educational Research. The studies run concurrently and span primary and secondary education over a five-year period. Importantly, data will be gathered from independent schools as well as the state sector. Longitudinal studies are, of course, a very different beast from their snapshot cousins as Jules Allen, Senior Researcher on ‘Five to Twelve’, explains. “The main benefit of a longitudinal study as opposed to a single wave (which we call a cross-sectional study)

is that, because we collect data at repeated intervals over time, researchers who use the dataset can identify developments and changes in the population that we’re studying,” she says. “You can look at causation rather than just correlation.”

GATH E R I N G DATA Longitudinal studies require careful design. “We definitely do not start these studies with what we want to say, we start with what we want to find,” says Jules Allen. What is under the spotlight here is understanding more about education outcomes and inequalities – why some children do better than others and the multiple factors shaping these outcomes. The groundwork for ‘Five to Twelve’ began in summer 2022 and a ‘dress rehearsal’ took place in spring 2023. While many longitudinal studies begin by randomly sampling postcode files, the target here is specific – children in schools – so both studies began with the DfE central database of all children in school. That

database was then used to randomly select children via their schools. As study parameters include insights into the independent sector (where there’s no such central database), the research team asked independent schools to opt in. From there, they were able to gather a random sample of pupils for the study. For ‘Five to Twelve’ participating children have annual cognitive exercises until Year 6, when they respond to questions. For their parents, there’s a mix of face-to-face and online or phone surveys annually. For ‘Growing Up in the 2020s’ it’s an initial face-to-face survey and then phone or online surveys in succeeding years. Teachers are asked for input too, with an additional element where headteachers respond to describe school ethos, culture, and so on. This body of evidence gathered over time requires buy-in and commitment from all those involved. Jules Allen says they are delighted so many have responded so positively. “People are quite enthusiastic. In

“I MP ORTANT LY, T H E LONG I T U DI NAL ST U DI E S W I LL S PAN NOT JU ST T H E STATE S ECTOR , BU T I NDEP ENDENT SC H OOLS”

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ABOVE ‘Five to Twelve’ will monitor progress and areas such as wellbeing

particular, we’ve found that children really enjoy the cognitive exercises. And teachers too – despite how busy they are – we have found that they respond to the survey.” We should be grateful to these thousands of participants for their time because their input will provide a seam of really useful data in the public domain. It might be used to draw comparison with earlier or later surveys to see differences over time, or to gain closer

insights into different educational experiences – and educational inequalities. It will also give us insights into areas such as wellbeing. Then there is the impact of Covid – never far from the surface in any current debate. “All of the children who will participate will have lived through Covid – particularly children in the ‘Growing up in the 2020s’ study, who lived through it during a critical time in their education,” says Jules Allen. “Although

we can’t compare Covid with past studies, we can look at outcomes and differences.” These twin surveys are surely worth the effort involved for this element alone. In a little over five years’ time, findings will shine a light on the longer-term impact of pandemic restrictions on our children. This will inform future thinking on how to manage both ingrained inequality and events that impact young people’s access to school.

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An independent day school for girls aged 4-18 years. Come and visit us this autumn to discover more. sydenhamhighschool.syd.gdst.net @SydenhamHigh AD - SYDENHAM.indd 30

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READY FOR SCHOOL

Wetherby Pembridge Minors, Holland Park Head Jemima Jones, and Early Years Education Director Marianne Valentine, on a strong early years education

recurring question, and indeed fear, among many parents of young children is: ‘will my child be ready for school?’ A clear answer is quickly available because global research demonstrates that continuous participation in high quality early childhood education impacts directly on academic outcomes. Ofsted’s recent publication demonstrates this and research from Oxford University, OECD and Harvard, among others, shows the correlation between high quality early childhood programmes and later academic success. What is important here is the phrase ‘high quality’– all early learning contexts are not the same, so choosing the right setting is of key importance when it comes to ‘school readiness’. At Wetherby Pembridge Minors, Holland Park Early Learning School, we go deeper into that original question, and ask ourselves, is our school ready for the child? We work in partnership with families to understand each child and their needs long before they take their first steps through our doors. We are privileged to be able to rely on the outstanding teaching experience and expertise gathered over 60 years in our family of schools. We also draw on the innovation and professional development opportunities that being part of the Inspired global family of schools bring us. We focus on offering a rich, early years educational experience. It is tailored carefully to the needs of your child at this stage in their life, while preparing them rigorously for the

“We work in partnership with families to understand each child and their needs long before they take their ﬁrst steps through our doors”

ABOVE Wetherby Pembridge Minors, Holland Park learners

future stages of their academic career. As most of our students continue their education within our family of prep schools, building strong academic foundations is central to our curriculum – evidence of consistent progress is regularly shared with our families. As well as the foundational literacy skills, we place central importance on numeracy skills and building mathematical language, problem solving and creative thinking. Every child has a fundamental right to a stimulating learning environment and this can be seen tangibly in our school. When designed and curated carefully, learning settings stimulate and extend children’s curiosity, cognition, skills and understanding – becoming the ‘Third Teacher’, to paraphrase Loris Malaguzzi. The aesthetics of our school are elegant, not only because we believe that children have a right to a beautiful space but also because we understand the direct impact this has on learning. Our spaces are organised to promote independence and collaboration between children. Opportunities to observe and reflect on their world, explore, and respond to it carefully are offered in the light tables and imaginative play areas.

Young children also have a right to a childhood rich in relationships. They thrive in a community where they can build positive social, emotional and communication skills. We also recognise the crucial importance of children working collaboratively, and learning, through each other, to build the skills needed to thrive. That rich learning experience can be seen most tangibly in the children in our school each day. Should you choose to visit Wetherby Pembridge Minors, Holland Park, you will catch a glimpse not only of happy children, but also of the potential entrepreneurs, scientists and leaders of tomorrow.

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BRICK! Lego brick building clubs can be a game changer for neurodiverse children – helping them develop social skills, make friends and have a whole lot of fun

any parents can testify to Lego’s incredible power to engage children in creative play for hours, even days, at a time. But now the tiny brick’s superpower is being put to educational use in a brilliantly constructive way for neurodiverse young people at Brick Club – a place to build, play and learn among likeminded friends. Brick Club is the brainchild of Play Included, a Cambridgeshire-based community interest company and a LEGO Foundation partner. The idea began almost two decades back, when Play Included founder and director Dr Gina Gómez de la Cuesta was starting out her Clinical Psychology PhD at the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge. She heard about a pioneering Lego therapy methodology

being devised in the US by Dr Dan LeGoff to support neurodiverse children and young adults – he’d been in touch with the Autism Research Centre to tell them what he was up to. This tied in with Gina Gómez’ own interests and research specialism and the use of Lego to support play and learning for neurodiverse children became the theme of her doctorate at UEA. Later, she went on to ABOVE co-author the professional Dr Gina Gómez de manual LEGO-Based Therapy la Cuesta, founder of Play Included with, among others, Dr Dan Based Therapy. “Since LeGoff. Fast forward to 2018 the company began, we’ve and she founded Bricks for trained 3,886 professionals Autism, now called Play Included. – teachers, health professionals, Gómez and her colleagues at Play play therapists, psychologists, Included run an innovative programme for occupational therapists and other health and education professionals. Called similar professions – and in 58 countries Brick-by-Brick, it teaches them how to around the world,” says Gómez. facilitate Brick Clubs. Everything they Brick Club has proved to be versatile, learn is evidence based, grounded in the scalable and transferable, working thinking and approaches found in Lego-

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“ YO U ’ V E G OT A JO I N T FOCU S ON A TAS K , SO YO U DO N ’ T H AV E TO H AVE FORC ED CO N V E R SAT I O N OR S MALL TALK” across different age groups, needs and settings (it’s typically recommended for age five up to adulthood). Recently, the team even undertook small-scale pilots in deprived areas of Mexico and Kenya and were pleasantly surprised by the outcomes. “There are some cultural adaptations and differences you’ve got to think about in different settings, but we’ve had really positive outcomes from those small pilots in Mexico and Kenya.” What this programme teaches is a method of play facilitation that removes many of the key issues for neurodiverse children in group settings. Sessions at Brick Club are designed so they are flexible, meeting the needs and interests of the members. Sometimes children can

play different roles (known as Engineer, Builder and Supplier). Or they can opt for ‘freestyle’ building in pairs or small groups. More advanced builders can have a go at stop-motion animation, coding and programming. Whatever the activity (and there are lots), they have the opportunity to take charge and start making decisions together. What underpins Brick Club is, of course, the simple idea of play. This comes easily and naturally to most children, and it’s important for social and emotional development, but we know play is not easy for everyone. One of the many clever things about Brick Club is that neurodiverse children often come into their own with Lego

bricks. “A lot of the kids already know Lego and they feel like it’s something they are good at,” says Gómez. “Often these kids are used to being told that they’re not very good at this or that and have to have extra help – but here is something that they are good at.” So children who turn up for Brick Club are not faced with what Gómez describes as that same old round of “negative stories”. AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 33

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“ FO R FAC I L I TATO R S TO B E A BL E TO SAY ‘ WOW, YO U ’ R E RE A L LY A M A ZI N G AT THI S’ I S SO POSI T I V E ”

ABOVE & BELOW Sessions are low stress and flexible, removing many of the barriers neurodiverse and anxious children can face in social and play situations

Rather than being that child in need of extra help, Brick Club is highlighting what they can do. “This comes at it from a positive – it’s building on their strengths and what they like.” While building things together is the fun bit, there’s a broader goal behind it. Brick Club helps children socialise without those challenging moments inherent in so many other organised and spontaneous activities – the things that

raise their anxiety levels. “You don’t have to have that face-to-face communication. You’ve got a joint focus on a task – a physical thing – and you’re all looking at the instructions, so you don’t have to have forced conversation or small talk.” For many children, this is a game changer – and so Brick Club is described as a low social anxiety situation for very good reason. It’s turn up, agree a task and get going. Gina Gomez remains impressed by the sheer skill demonstrated when they do get going. “The visual strengths of these kids are brilliant,” she says. “And for facilitators to be able to say ‘wow, you’re really amazing at this’ is so positive.” Of course, along the way, children are building all sorts of useful life skills – teamwork, sharing, meeting new people, accepting different opinions, not getting upset when things go wrong. Building with bricks also builds strong friendships. “They feel like they belong to the Club, that they’ve got friends who share similar interests. It’s just a natural way to play and work through developing these skills, using a skill they already have,” says Gómez. “Sometimes, Brick Club is the only positive thing that has happened in their week.”

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Creative PROGRESS Donal Brennan, Head of Ivy House School, on the vital role of the arts in developing both children’s self-belief and their academic strength

s you walk past Ivy House School, do not be surprised if you hear a Hamlet soliloquy, Bollywood dancing or a violin ensemble echoing out over Hampstead. This is a school steeped in performance and achievement, kindling that creative spark in every child. It is therefore no surprise to us that the World Economic Forum identifies creativity as one of the key skills needed to thrive in the future. We see the children here thrive academically because of the self-confidence they develop through creative and performing arts’ learning. As a co-educational Nursery and Prep school for students aged 2 to 11, we embrace our Inspired Group’s three pillars of education – academic excellence, sports, and the performing and creative arts. The self-belief children get from seeing their own creative ideas valued translates directly into deeper academic success. Creative excellence is embedded in our DNA at Ivy House. Our historical significance as the former home of Prima Ballerina Anna

“The self-belief children get from seeing their own creative ideas valued translates directly into deeper academic success”

ABOVE Ivy House School pupils

Pavlova inspires both our children and point of 11+ examinations, where our children our curriculum. Alongside the academic gain entrance to leading senior schools. subjects that we are renowned for, visitors Our commitment to showcasing students’ will observe lessons in a range of physical talents is evident through a continual disciplines. Dance styles, from traditional Irish programme of concerts, plays, and musicals. and Scottish folk dances to Bollywood steps As a Headmaster, I firmly believe that the arts and formal ballet, ensure pupils experience play a key role in developing young minds for a rich variety of movement expression. academic success. The discipline that comes Beginning as young as 21⁄2, children from learning lines in a play, the interpretation of notes in a musical score, and the ability to are introduced to drama. Role-play and stand up and perform in front of an audience, performance take centre stage, led by specialist serve children well beyond the stage. teachers. Music and singing opportunities By recognising the importance of drama, enable children to flourish and grow both as music, and dance alongside the academically individuals and as members of ensembles, with rigorous curriculum, Ivy regular concerts taking place for House pupils not only hone soloists, choirs and orchestras. their individual talents but Giving pupils this freedom also emerge as well-rounded, to perform fosters confidence, expressive individuals who are empathy, and a sense of poised to confidently face the accomplishment. This assures world. Our school champions the children that they can this cause, nurturing creative achieve remarkable feats when confidence, empathy, and an guided by belief in hard work, enduring awareness of self determination and creativity. DONAL BRENNAN and others. This ensures the The benefits are seen in many Head academic successes expected of aspects of school life. This is Ivy House School most significant during the prep schools such as ours. AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 37

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BEYOND DATA The Head of Kew Green Prep on why schools need to look beyond data-driven approaches in education to fully develop children's talents, skills and self-esteem

ur pupils are growing up in a complex and nuanced world, steered by rapid change. For schools, it’s good to be nimble; good to be adaptable. Every school is a microcosm of the society in which it sits, and we therefore need to accept the changing landscape, and move forward – unafraid to take a new and innovative approach. It’s a time to avoid complacency and allow our aims and culture to evolve, taking risks where necessary to remain purposeful, responsive, and proactive. Keeping the interests of the child, and who they are becoming, must be at the heart of all our decisions. While pupil data must still hold an important place in all schools, it’s now fundamental to look beyond the measurable outcomes within academic subjects, recognising the importance of the skills

“It’s fundamental to look beyond the measurable outcomes, recognising the importance of the skills and aptitudes our pupils will need to thrive” and aptitudes that we know our pupils will need to thrive in the wider world – with self-esteem at the core. As the poet Maya Angelou said: "my mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour and some style". Our ethos at Kew Green Preparatory School reflects this view. We aim to provide our pupils with the knowledge, skills and values to shape a brighter future for

ABOVE Kew Green Prep pupils

themselves and society at large. We also aim The leadership culture in any school to equip them with a strong moral compass, plays a vital role in this, as it is through educated so they embrace opportunities the leadership culture that the talents and make a positive contribution. of other people can come to the fore. It is in non-academic experiences – the The role of the teacher is to draw out co-curricular subjects, such as Art & the talent that exists in our pupils. Design Technology, Music and Sports, With this approach, our pupils and the learning and experiences that develop independence, an inner ‘grit’ happen outside of the classroom through and determination to achieve through extracurricular and a rich school calendar hard work and perseverance. – where we see the most personal growth. As Headteacher of a London prep, I This might be on the sports pitch, recognise that pupil data continues to overcoming the nerves of drive the 11+ options for many a school swimming gala, pupils, but it does not (and performing on the stage in must not) define a child as front of an audience, debating a success or a failure. They an opinion or achieving in are so much more than their new experiences as part of a data. I urge us to look beyond residential trip. It is in these the data and recognise our non-academic situations where nuanced and rapidly changing our pupils become leaders world. We should be educating of and responsible for their our children to embrace SASHA DAVIES own character development, opportunity, achieve through Headteacher growing and achieving endeavour, and develop their Kew Green Prep School beyond academic data. self-esteem along the way. AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 39

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Critical skills

Sara Williams-Ryan, Head of Falcons School in Putney, on why inspiring curiosity and critical thinking are the best ways to develop truly ambitious learners

s the Head of Falcons School, Putney, I am determined that our students should be academically ambitious and take responsibility for their learning from the moment they join us. We know that this is the greatest accelerator of pupil progress, both academically and developmentally. We have, therefore, embedded the Thinking School approach – focused on critical thinking and curiosity – across our Nursery and Prep, so the boys and girls in our school can truly thrive and succeed academically. The introduction of critical thinking skills into school programmes is backed by evidence of its impact. As far back as the 1980s, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported the need for schools to produce independent thinkers and problem solvers, also questioning the long-term effectiveness

“I hear this language of critical thinking echoing in the conversations between children and parents at the school gates”

ABOVE Pupils at Falcons School

of school initiatives. An inquiry by Exeter and to take responsibility for their learning, University’s Cognitive Education centre as well as their behaviour, both inside and concluded that the issue lay not in the outside of the classroom. Difficult at first, programmes themselves, but with the way but we know that this practice has helped in which they were being introduced into our pupils become ambitious, independent school curriculums. This finding has deeply learners with a growth mindset. influenced our thinking at Falcons School. We crucially extend our support to parents, Here, our methods reach far beyond sharing with them strategies such as the Habits the National Curriculum, by systemically of Mind, Zones of Regulation and Thinking embedding the Thinking School approach Routines. This helps them to reinforce their across all areas of learning and at all age children’s learning habits at home. I am levels. This is so it has the long-term impact delighted that our parents embrace this new set out by the OECD. From Early Years up to way of teaching and learning – and I hear this Year 6, we have implemented a deep range of language of critical thinking echoing in the age-appropriate metacognitive conversations between children strategies and thinking tools and parents at the school gates. into the learning programme. Falcons School is a testament Set these alongside the to the fact that education academic rigour you would can be a powerful tool for expect from a prep school, and positive change. When we our pupils can achieve truly start by sowing the seeds of exciting learning outcomes. curiosity and critical thinking Guided by our school in the youngest of minds, values of ambition, resilience working step by step, we can SARA WILLIAMS-RYAN and respect, pupils are then nurture a generation of Head encouraged to be reflective confident, independent, and Falcons School in their thoughts and actions ambitious future leaders. AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 41

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Our place to thrive. At The Downs Malvern, we provide an environment that inspires pupils to achieve their maximum potential, whether in the classroom, on the sports field, or on the stage. Private tours are available throughout the academic year.

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For more information, please scan the QR code or visit

Co-educ ationa l day and boa rdi ng s c hool age 3-18

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Pa rt of the Ma lvern College Fa mi ly of Schools

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Prep

M U LTICU LTU R AL TH I N KI NG p . 4 9 • CU RIOSIT Y & CH RI STMAS p . 5 8 • ASK TH E EXPERTS p . 6 8

LEARNING FOR LIFE

PHOTO: TOM SOPER PHOTOGRAPHY

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ABOVE Outdoor learningat The Kingsley School

TO M O R R OW ’ S

SK I L L S Teaching skills for life is an essential element of the prep years, helping to develop conﬁdence, knowhow and responsibility. We speak to schools building empowered and engaged young citizens from the earliest years

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James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS)

At JAGS in Dulwich, pupils get an early start in developing skills for navigating modern life. “We are committed to creating a holistic education which ensures our pupils thrive in every situation,” says Kerri-Anne Bannon, Deputy Head, Pastoral at JAGS Junior School. “In tandem with our Maths curriculum, a carefully ABOVE Building digital skills at curated PSHCE curriculum James Allen’s Girls School has been developed which includes a dedicated unit on the BELOW Classroom learning world of money and work.” at JAGS This element expands as pupils progress through the school, incorporating understanding job opportunities, financial influences and balancing needs and wants. “On top of this, guest speakers from the financial sector provide firsthand insight into investment and savings,” says Kerri-Anne Bannon. The thinking here is clear – promoting healthy discussions about money from a young age. There is focus, too, on developing pupils’ social skills. “We are currently working the school also unveiled its ‘Bee Brilliant!’ towards UNICEF’s Rights Respecting Junior School values. “They crystallise Schools Award, with the aim of achieving all the attributes we hope to see in our Silver accreditation by July 2024.” This year, pupils, as they are inspired to be Kind, Brave, Respectful, Resilient, Inclusive and Authentic.” Pupil Voice plays a pivotal role in co-curricular activities to ensure what’s on offer taps into children’s interests. “Following feedback, we introduced skateboarding, fencing and bouldering clubs last year.” Communication is critical and Kerri-Anne Bannon says there are lots of practical routes to building skills. For instance, JAGS Junior School has close links to local care homes and this offers the opportunity for pupils to exchange letters with residents. “Children recognise how the form of such letters differs from those, for example, to our local MP when they are lobbying over an issue close to their hearts.” They are also taught about getting the tone right with other communications – especially emails – within computing lessons. JAGS is introducing 1:1 digital devices for all pupils in Years 3 to 6, so digital safety (and savvy) is critical. “As well as engaging with Childnet and celebrating Safer Internet Day, we explicitly teach children the tools to stay safe online as part of our day-to-day

“AT JAG S JU NI OR SC H OOL , G UE ST S P EAKERS FROM T H E FI NANCIAL S ECTOR P ROVI DE FI RST H AND I NSIGHT I NTO I NVE ST MENT AND SAVI NGS” classroom practice.” Thinking critically is specifically addressed. For example, pupils are taught the difference between online and real-world friendships, as well as how to get help if they ever feel in danger. Pupil teaching is supported by JAGS Parent Talks – ensuring everyone is on the same page when it comes to appropriate use of digital devices. Children are also taught about selfregulation and when to switch off devices. Knowledge and skills for life are enabled in many other ways. Pupils participate in the Junior Duke Award, which has a focus on practical life skills and independence. There’s a mentorship scheme to help the older pupils at JAGS Junior – pairing Year 6 pupils with Year 12 students in JAGS Senior. This is mutually beneficial, developing leadership skills for older students and helping mentees benefit from interactions with positive role models. JAGS Junior pupils are also taught about the value of contributing to both local and global community. For instance, they write Christmas cards to residents of nearby care homes, support drives for the local food bank and fundraise for charities such as the Red Cross in response to real-world global situations. AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 45

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The Kingsley School At The Kingsley School in Royal Leamington Spa, a fresh initiative has just been unveiled to prepare pupils for the world to come. “We have rolled out our new 4D Curriculum in the Prep School this year, following an extensive audit, research and design process,” says Head of Prep Jennie Phillips. “The curriculum is designed to prepare pupils for future success and is built around key skills that will not only stand them in good stead during their school years but are also highly valued by employers.” The new curriculum embraces a wide range of social and environmental themes. Pupils work on challenges and projects set in real-world scenarios, encouraging them to make links between subjects and themes while building an understanding of their place in our fast-changing world. The Kingsley School recently established a partnership with 8billionideas. Its award-winning ABOVE team deliver workshops and & BELOW Learning for future challenge packages designed to build life at Embley School entrepreneurship, digital fluency and collaboration. “The result is a school environment where pupils understand Sports teams are also a big that taking risks and making mistakes opportunity to shine, with the school is a crucial part of the learning process,” participating across many disciplines. says Jennie Phillips. She adds that this “Children are encouraged to experiment approach is also important in teaching them with a wide variety of disciplines, which has to value the ideas and opinions of others led to success in tennis, skiing, martial arts, – and to celebrate their own and others’ gymnastics, cricket and rugby,” says Jennie success. “Pupils perform extremely well Phillips. “We also have a long and successful academically against national benchmarks, history in equestrian events, with pupils as but gains in confidence, independence and young as eight competing at senior level.” resilience are equally highly valued.” With development and expansion of Enrichment is another key way in which Foundation sporting facilities, there is the the school helps children grow and learn to opportunity to increase the school’s offering, make choices. With activities as diverse as and develop further sports that are seeing first aid, horse riding, yoga, debating and a surge in popularity for both boys and STEAM Challenge, there’s something to girls, including cricket and golf. “Both at appeal to everyone. Co-curricular activities Kingsley Prep, and throughout the wider also build strengths and confidence, and with Foundation, there is an understanding that plenty of opportunities for participation in the pupil experience is top of the agenda music and sport. Musicians at The Kingsley in order to provide the best preparation School have multiple ways to perform, in for future success. There must be a string ensembles, orchestra and choirs, commitment to innovation and the flexibility while gifted players have the opportunity to provide the best outcome for each to play alongside counterparts within individual pupil,” adds Jennie Phillips. Warwick Schools Foundation Orchestra.

Embley School At Embley School in Hampshire, practical skills acquisition starts in the Early Years in a fun way. “In Reception to Year 2 the children take part in money management activities, including setting up and running a shop,” says Head of Prep Sheina Wright. Learning all about money continues via the maths curriculum throughout Prep years, and with specific events to help children understand the complexities of earning,

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BELOW Key skills at The Kingsley School

saving and spending. “During Enrichment Week Year 5 & 6 took part in ‘Money Matters Workshops’ with our Head of Economics. There was an introduction to managing money and investment beliefs, and a focus on financial budgeting and saving. Year 3 to 6 took part in ‘The Big (Little) Boat Build’ where children had to work to a budget and buy the resources they needed to build a boat which was fit for purpose.” Linking practical and theoretical knowledge is key and is enabled by P4C (Philosophy 4 Children) sessions. “We have a ‘Curious Classroom approach’ and P4C helps to create that community of enquiry. The aim is for each child not to ‘win’ an argument but to become clearer, more accurate, less self-contradictory and more aware of other arguments and values before reaching a conclusion,” adds Sheina Wright. PSHE lessons discuss active and passive listening, helping children to learn how to listen carefully and respond appropriately. These lessons are also used to give children the opportunity to discuss rights and responsibilities. This starts in Year 2, where children learn about rights and how to uphold these for themselves and others. By Year 4, children learn to draw on their own sense of right and wrong to help with making decisions. “Using some simple assertiveness techniques can help children feel more empowered in their

“U S I NG S I MP LE AS S ERT I VENE SS T EC H NI QU E S CAN H ELP C H I LDREN F EEL MORE EMP OW ERED I N T H EI R LI VE S – AND H ELP T H EM MAKE SAFE C H OI CE S” lives – and help them make safe choices.” Embley has its own Student Council, plus prefect roles and a buddy system. “It is important for children to understand that their voice can create an impact and make a change,” says Sheina Wright. This has been demonstrated notably this term with a new catering company at the school. Its ‘You said – We did’ whiteboard lets children add their own menu ideas. The co-curricular programme is a cornerstone. “Giving things a go is not just about trying something once, it is important that even if it is out of their comfort zone that they give new things a ‘proper go’.” With everything from conservation and enquiry clubs to meets for film buffs, marine biologists and journalists there’s plenty to keep children engaged. Literature and libraries are celebrated at the school, but traditional and modern

co-exist happily. “Children have an individual school iPad from Reception to Year 6, but it is always used to enhance rather than replace,” says Sheina Wright. She says literature-based and book-inspired English lessons give a grounding in quality drafting, writing and editing – whatever the medium. Both PSHE and Computer Science lessons focus directly on digital knowhow and staying safe online,. There’s a lot of scenario-based learning to help children consider problems they may encounter. “This allows our pupils to consider what may happen online and how they might respond appropriately and safely.” Embley has strong community links – including with local care homes – to build a wider sense of responsibility. Residents are regularly hosted by Year 5 and 6 at school productions and always served tea and cake.“It’s a great relationship and we all love it,” says Sheina Wright. AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 47

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Inspiring and equipping children aged 3-13 to

#BeYourBEST A happy childhood Outstanding results Broomwood provides a unique approach to education. Our children start together at the pre-prep, before moving on either to Broomwood Girls or Broomwood Boys. Beyond the classroom, they come together for a host of enrichment activities and are well prepared for moving on to some of the top senior schools in the country.

Come and find out more E: admissions@broomwood.com or T: 020 8682 8830 www.broomwood.com Little Broomwood & Broomwood Pre-Prep 192 Ramsden Road, SW12 8RQ

Broomwood Prep - Boys 26 Bolingbroke Grove London SW11 6EL

Broomwood Prep - Girls 68-74 Nightingale Lane London SW12 8NR

Broomwood is the new name for Northwood Schools (Broomwood Hall Lower, Broomwood Hall Upper and Northcote Lodge)

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MULTICULTURAL THINKING

The Primary English Coordinator at Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle de Londres on how multicultural schools broaden linguistic skills and life opportunities

ulticultural teaching institutions undoubtedly give pupils an edge in a globalised world. At international schools, many nationalities and languages converge in classes, playgrounds and other shared spaces. This creates an interesting and open environment in which to grow up. But how do pupils benefit from this wealth to nurture both their native linguistic skills and build new ones?

W E LCO M I N G A LL LE V E L S International schools generally follow a national educational system and prepare pupils for corresponding exams with the relevant curricula. At the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle de Londres for example, the main curriculum is French, but most pupils follow a mixture of the French and English curricula, and all can choose which final exams to take between the French Baccalauréat and A levels. To achieve complete bilingual proficiency by the time pupils graduate, they either develop their English or French skills. Regardless of their starting point, international pupils receive full support to acquire the language needed to follow lessons. Linguistic and literary aspects are thoroughly taught but, above all, language learning is focused on communication. This means acquiring knowledge in all school topics, understanding instructions, producing written work and participating in oral discussions in class.

ALEXA ROCHE PHOTOGRAPHY/LFCG

E X TR A S U P P O R T FO R F R E N C H Non-native speakers are welcome to join and are encouraged to do so as early as possible – ideally from nursery – for quick integration. This is sometimes subject to testing. However, for them to succeed, the new language must be part of a family project. It should not be viewed as one of many ‘good-to-have’ skills, but as a ‘whole culture’ endeavour. This would include travel to that country, learning about its history and traditions and effectively making it part of the pupil’s life. At the Lycée’s primary and early secondary levels, pupils who are less confident in French

ABOVE Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle de Londres pupils

“Newcomers feel at ease – sessions highlight what pupils know already” can benefit from small-group support classes led by tutors qualified to teach French as a school language, rather than as a native tongue. Focus is on making newcomers feel at ease using the language as a communications tool. Most importantly, sessions highlight what pupils know already and emphasise the progress they regularly make. Such small groups mean these classes are highly interactive and resources can be more playful – usually incorporating audio, video and digital resources rather than traditional learning media. The purpose is to build pupils’ self-confidence and independence.

R E I N FO RC I N G E N G LI S H S K I LL S At the other end of the spectrum, pupils who are already completely fluent in English should cultivate this asset and find

the opportunity to further their skills or perhaps progress in a new language. This progression can be achieved through various learning pathways, such as the International Baccalaureate, at certain schools. At the Lycée here in London, for example, there is an International Section focusing on literature and history. There’s also a Plurilingual Section offering the French Baccalauréat with up to four languages. You will even find a British Section which pupils are able to join from Year 10 to prepare for their GCSEs and A levels. In a world where our borders are becoming increasingly permeable, multilingualism should be a priority in our children’s educational choices – international schools provide exactly that opportunity.

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THINKING GLOBAL The Head of Lower School at TASIS England on why an international primary school can provide a ﬁrm foundation for the future

are engaged and involved in making the world better for those around them. Alongside a rich and rigorous academic experience, it is essential that we encourage creativity, reflection, and resilience in young learners so that they grow in all areas of school life. Our aim is not simply for the children in our care to gain knowledge, but also to acquire the skills needed to become passionate lifelong learners who are actively engaged with the world around them.

ABOVE A TASIS England student

any parents wonder what they might do to give their child a competitive advantage in the future. While the UK might enjoy a well-defined and consistent education system, many families look to the independent sector for more dynamic alternatives. To help your child to stand out from the rest, it is worth considering the benefits of an international primary school education. We know that young children need strong connections with encouraging teachers to feel engaged and happy at school. TASIS The American School in England’s small classes give each student an individualised experience and more quality time with teachers. We recognise that, with daily feedback and just the right level of challenge and support for each child, there are no limits to their learning. In the diverse environment of their classrooms, TASIS England’s young

“Friendships develop in our multinational environment, with strong bonds that remain long after families move on – spanning years and continents” TASIS England’s purpose-built international learners acquire a rich and more global curriculum provides an exciting alternative perspective as they explore, share, and pathway to traditional systems while still celebrate different cultures and views. guiding students towards acceptance into As our students learn to approach new highly respected universities, both here in the ideas and situations with confidence, UK and around the world. As is typical for they are also able to develop strong international school communities, many of communication and interpersonal skills – our families have experienced the challenges including adaptability and flexibility. These and benefits of transition. Because of this, our attributes are the keys to future success in school is a uniquely warm and welcoming place our increasingly interconnected world. that provides a strong network of collaboration This international environment also sets and support for both children and parents. the stage for young children to understand Lifelong friendships develop in and practice compassion our multinational environment, towards others and to with strong bonds that remain build positive relationships. long after families move on – By valuing connections spanning years and continents. and focusing on empathy, Choosing the right school for TASIS England develops your child’s primary education principled individuals who is so important. When looking at take responsibility for options for your family, you may themselves and understand find that an international school that their actions have an MELODI JORDAN provides the perfect diverse, impact on others. Students Head of Lower School challenging, and future-focused who care can quickly TASIS England education for your child. become young people who AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 51

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GROWING COURAGE

The Head of Ravenscourt Park Prep Carl Howes on helping children to acquire the courage to fail, learn from mistakes and try, try again

he start of the new academic year provided a wonderful opportunity for us to reflect on our core values and how these underpin the educational provision that we offer to our students. For my start of term assembly, I selected the value of ‘Courage’ from our school behaviour culture, which comprises High Expectations, Kindness, Respect, Courage, Integrity and Consideration. I chose the story of the abolitionist and suffragist Harriet Tubman to exemplify someone who had demonstrated incredible courage throughout her life, and I outlined the importance of this value in the context of our learning in school. At RPPS, our children are very familiar with the importance of viewing mistakes as a positive part of the learning process. Our classrooms are ‘mistake friendly’ environments and children are proud when they have identified and learned from their ‘marvellous mistake’. This way of thinking requires courage: most children don’t like getting things wrong,

“Our classrooms are mistake friendly environments – children are proud when they have identiﬁed and learned from their marvellous mistake” and their early perception of being successful often entails being the first person to finish a task. Our aim is for children to reconsider what successful learning means, thinking more about the process as opposed to the outcome. This means embracing the struggle associated with being temporarily stuck in the learning pit (as described by James Nottingham). Our teachers strive to recognise and celebrate students’ effort and the determination shown during the learning process.

ABOVE Ravenscourt Park Prep pupils

our young people as they get older to Being courageous helps children build their resist the influence of peer preference – self-confidence and self-esteem. It should be the tendency to emulate risky behaviour an integral part of their learning toolbox. The shown by their peers – and avoid putting courage to ‘have a go’, or to answer a question themselves in harm’s way simply to fit in. in front of their peers if they aren’t sure The renowned poet Maya Angelou once they have the right answer, is so important said: “I am convinced that courage is the most during these formative years. How many important of all the virtues. Because without academically high-achieving teenagers have courage you cannot practise any other virtue we encountered terrified by the prospect consistently. You can be kind for a while; you of failure? The more we can encourage our can be generous for a while; you can be just for primary-aged students to work at the edge a while, or merciful for a while, of their comfort zone and even loving for a while. But it is beyond, the better prepared only with courage that you can they will be for later life. be persistently and insistently As with many schools, we kind and generous and fair”. emphasise the importance of Through building up our moral courage, so that children children to be courageous, we are empowered to develop are providing them with a firm the strength of character to foundation, and equipping stand up for what is right, them with the resilience calling out unkind behaviour CARL HOWES and determination needed when they encounter it. Headmaster to navigate the challenges This positively impacts our Ravenscourt Park and setbacks that they will school culture and helps to Prep School encounter in the future. prevent bullying. It also aids AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 53

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S T R O N

SK IL L S Daniel Machin, Principal of Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate, discusses the importance of preparing a community to be ‘future ready’ in a world of opportunity

t QE, our primary goal is to engaging in debates is a common trait among some of our international students. prepare our students, both At QE, we understand the importance of British and international, honing communication skills and encourage for their educational participation in debates and discussions. journey and ultimately the Our Personal Development programme, challenges of university for example, covers personal, social, study, equipping them health and careers education, providing with the skills and mindset they need a platform for students to develop and to thrive in an ever-changing world. articulate their thoughts and opinions. One of the most common concerns voiced Moreover, our focus on critical thinking by our international students is whether extends to presenting extended research their English competency is good enough from multiple sources. We train our to excel in university studies. Within the students in research methods and equip Collegiate, we recognise the significance of them with the tools to organise and present strong English language skills in achieving academic success. To address this, we information effectively. Through provide comprehensive English collaborative learning and individual Language lessons that are guidance, we ensure that they tailored to meet the individual RIGHT needs of each student and & BELOW Pupils at Queen the requirements of IELTS Ethelburga’s examinations, a critical Collegiate component of university admissions. Our students are immersed in a culturally diverse environment with classmates from 60 different nationalities, promoting language proficiency and cultural understanding. We also emphasise critical thinking throughout our academic programmes. Our students are taught not merely to learn information for examinations but to approach problems with curiosity and a keen analytical eye. We encourage independent learning and the exploration of creative solutions, preparing them to face the challenges of higher education with confidence. Reserving opinions and concerns about

can confidently evidence advanced critical thinking in their assignments and projects. Choosing the right university and course can be daunting, and our international students often seek more help in making this crucial decision. Our dedicated Careers Department provides personalised support to each student, with experienced careers advisors helping students explore various universities and courses that align with their academic interests and career aspirations. Individual appointments with careers advisors offer guidance in making informed decisions and navigating the complexities of university applications. All our students are allocated a senior member of academic staff to act as a UCAS supervisor, overseeing their entire application process.

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Although we have an enviable academic track record across both of our secondary schools, success is not solely defined by examination grades. We believe in nurturing a sense of belonging and community, where students contribute actively to the Collegiate’s development through service and student leadership roles. Our extensive enrichment programme of stretch and challenge activities encourages students to take on opportunities that foster personal growth and character development. We also offer Performance Sport Pathways to those students who are talented and committed to their sport, which allows students to access the highest levels of coaching, bespoke strength and conditioning packages and nutritional advice. Our Queen’s Academy and Academy of Performing Arts also both allow talented students to indulge their creativity; these programs are run seven days a week and give students the chance to build up their experiences in music, dance, drama, fashion, photography and art to name but a few. Our ambition with all that we offer is to inspire lifelong learners

“OU R AMBITION W I T H ALL T HAT WE OFFER I S TO INSPIR E LI FELONG LEAR NER S W H O MAKE MEANINGFUL CONT RI BU TIONS TO SOC I ET Y ”

who make meaningful contributions to society. We are also aware that students who are studying away from their homes need the highest level of care and support. Within the Collegiate this support comes in two forms; the first through our Pastoral and Boarding teams who can offer 24/7 care for our students. These teams are highly trained professionals who are experts in their fields. They have full time roles focused on the welfare and wellbeing of the students on campus. We have a comprehensive support program that is led by both staff and students so that students can confidently access any support that they may need. Alongside this, we also have our team of International Liaison Officers, who speak a variety of different languages to provide families and students with the opportunity to discuss any issues in their native language where possible. They ensure that our staff are trained in issues such as culture shock and homesickness, so that we can all try and give wrap-around

care to our international community. We do all of this as we believe that happy students will feel more confident in their studies. We take a holistic approach to preparing our international students for university study. From fostering English language proficiency and critical thinking skills to providing guidance in university selection, we strive to equip our students with the necessary tools for success. Through a diverse and supportive community, we instil a passion for learning, curiosity, and confidence, enabling our students to thrive in their academic pursuits and beyond. AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 55

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Join us at an Open Event in October 2023 or May 2024

Experience. An Oakham Education. Arrange a visit to discover more about our high-achieving, co-educational boarding and day school, where pupils aged 10-18 learn, grow and thrive in the heart of rural Rutland.

For more information visit:

oakham.rutland.sch.uk

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@OakhamSch @oakhamschool @OakhamSchool @Oakham School

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PREP / PARTNERSHIP

This approach develops exceptionally wellrounded students

Educating for the

FUTURE

As St George’s School Windsor Castle becomes the first standalone prep school in the UK to be certified as an IB World School, we find out more

n January 2020 the World Economic Forum published its ‘Schools of the Future’ report. The result of a global consultation seeking to identify a model of education which “more closely mirror[s] the future of work [and provides] children with the skills to thrive in the new economy”. Global citizenship, innovation and creativity, technology and interpersonal skills such as empathy, leadership and social awareness were all deemed critical, as were learning which was personalised and self-paced, accessible and inclusive, problem-based and collaborative. Markedly, the emphasis was not on gaining specific subject knowledge, but on the development of key skills. Likewise, in June 2022, following a year-long project evaluating ‘how to unleash the potential of every child’, the Times Education Commission called for the implementation of a baccalaureate curriculum as the first

recommendation in their 12-point plan. “We knew that the rapid pace of change and uncertainty around the future job market required a bold change of strategy,” says Emma Adriano, Deputy Head and Head of Pre-Prep at St George’s School Windsor Castle, who spearheaded the roll out of the International Baccalaureate at the school. “Rather than learning subjects by rote with the sole goal of passing exams, IB students have the opportunity to reflect upon what they already understand, identify their own knowledge gaps and areas of interest, and explore how to research and develop a deeper understanding of each topic across a range of subject areas and practical applications. “This approach develops exceptionally well-rounded students who understand the relevance of what they are learning to the real world and will be able to adapt to a rapidly evolving and increasingly interconnected future. Fundamentally, alongside imparting knowledge, the curriculum teaches not

what to think, but how to learn,” she adds. The International Baccalaureate develops fundamental study skills in addition to broad subject knowledge. Skills such as communication, having an inquiring mind and the ability to think critically are actively nurtured – competencies which the Future Skills Report, published in November 2022 by the IB Schools and Colleges Association of the UK and Ireland (IBSCA) and ACS International Schools, found were the most desired by small and medium sized enterprise leaders. Driven by a vision to ensure students become ‘Real World Ready’, St George’s School Windsor Castle’s new IB World School status was achieved following a two-year candidacy period that saw the school fully embed the curriculum framework from Kindergarten up to the end of Year 6. This is a move parents have already seen the benefits from, with 100% of families surveyed by the Independent Schools Inspectorate as part of the school’s ‘excellent’ recent inspection agreeing or strongly agreeing that ‘the school equips my child with the team working, collaborative and research skills they need in later life’. The school was also recently named as a finalist in the Independent Schools of the Year 2023 awards. Something the school suggests is yet more proof that, whilst proudly one of the oldest schools in the UK, it is now also officially one of the most forward looking. stgwindsor.org

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Curiosity &

CHRISTMAS TV presenter, 'edu-tuber' and author, Maddie Moate is a dab hand at feeding curious minds. Absolutely Education ﬁnds out more about her work and her new book giving a factual and scientiﬁc take on Christmas

uriosity is Maddie Moate's speciality. With awards and plaudits under her belt for – among others – CBeebies' Maddie's Do You Know and CBBC's Show Me The Honey, she is also known to children via her own YouTube channel. This has racked up more than 50 million views and has a very large subscriber base. Kids love her programmes and, for parents, they hit that sweetspot of being entertaining, but also brilliantly educational. Being an 'edu-tuber' was not something Maddie Moate set out to be. She fell into it thanks to a harmonious alignment of her skills and interests with a shift in the way we digest media. "At school I absolutely enjoyed science, but I also

enjoyed drama clubs and theatre and dance. So, at university I ended up doing the media and theatre side of things. It was only after university that I realised how much I missed science," she says. Knowing that an acting career wasn't for her, she thought about all the areas of her degree that had grabbed her. She'd loved web design and suddenly there was this emerging thing called YouTube. It started small when she was picked up by a company to front short technology videos for a female audience. "Other companies were marketing tech at women atrociously, and they were trying to change that – as in, it's not all about having a small pink phone," she says. Her tone was light, comic but informative, and suddenly it clicked. "I felt like I was back in my natural habitat because I was talking about tech."

She was picked up by other media companies (including the BBC), so things snowballed. Ten years on, working across multiple channels including her own, she's a familiar and trusted face, delivering fun and factual content on wildlife, science, technology and the rest. And now Christmas, for A Very Curious Christmas, is Maddie Moate's take on something that just about every child is keen on. The good news is there's more than a stocking filler's worth of edutainment here. From what Brussels sprouts do to digestive tracts to how snowflakes are formed to why, indeed, we have Christmas at all – it's all here. It's an approach that her YouTube audience will recognise. Snappy delivery, fascinating information and even carefully curated cracker jokes to add fun asides to more weighty stuff.

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YOU'LL FIND EVERYTHING IN THE BOOK FROM THE SCIENCE BEHIND WHAT BRUSSELS SPROUTS DO TO DIGESTIVE TRACTS TO HOW SNOWFLAKES ARE FORMED ABOVE Maddie Moate

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ABOVE Maddie Moate's forte is delving into the how and why of science, tech and more

Maddie Moate came at Christmas from an open-minded perspective. She didn't want this to feel limited – so there's plenty of seasonal science and nature content and a far broader set of traditions are explained. "I was really fortunate to be able to find kids who celebrate Chinese New Year, Hanukkah and Diwali and I asked them to explain to me what their traditions were and what their festival was. It felt great to have the voices of some young people in

the book – a golden opportunity to show me learning through the voice of others." For children, this is surely part of the appeal of Maddie Moate's work – learning together. She comes at subjects not as if she's imparting knowledge but finding out with you. "I come at topics with genuine curiosity and an eagerness to learn," she says. "Because my background really is in storytelling, it's about entertaining people and finding the hook – especially finding that hook that is going to resonate with younger people and children." Christmas is obviously a winner for this age group – but great also to have a defined theme. "I love teaching and educating around a theme. What I've discovered through my YouTube work is that you can teach a whole spectrum of different subjects if you find a theme that's going to engage children." She's done this with many other topics before (from Egypt to spies), but with this season of the year there's so much going on – the science of crackers, the crafts of Yuletide, the reason we eat turkey. There are quizzes to challenge and 12 fun and seasonal activities to enliven the winter holiday – all are linked to short YouTube videos that

WHAT I'VE DISCOVERED THROUGH MY YOUTUBE WORK IS THAT YOU CAN TEACH A WHOLE SPECTRUM OF DIFFERENT SUBJECTS IF YOU FIND A THEME THAT'S GOING TO ENGAGE CHILDREN

will be posted just before Christmas. Shortlisting was, says Maddie Moate, a fine balance, but it was also fun to delve into a subject that already feels like familiar territory. "Kids like to know about themselves and they like to know about things they know about," she says. With this book, children have the opportunity to enjoy Christmas not just for the presents, but for their new-found wisdom about the whole holiday season.

A Very Curious Christmas is published by Puffin (£12.99). Maddie Moate is appearing as Tinkerbell in The All New Adventures of Peter Pan at The St Albans Arena from 8-31 December.

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Book your place dulwich.org.uk/admissions Bursaries of up to 100% and Academic Scholarships of up to one third of full fees are available AD - DULWICH COLLEGE_12-Oct-2023_EDUCATION PREP & PRE-PREP.indd 62

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HEAD

MAKING AI WORK Neil Brooks, Headmaster of Cranleigh Prep School, considers potential future uses of artiﬁcial intelligence in our schools

in school settings. Many have long believed that education needs to move away from the rote learning of facts and figures of old – it has been a strain – towards greater critical thinking and the development of solutiondetermining skillsets.AI is an obvious catalyst for that move and could even make educational experiences more bespoke to individuals. The challenge will be in getting students to learn how to use AI such that it produces truths which can be ratified. They also have to learn how to feed it with quality information such that it produces worthwhile, applicable and relevant results. Schools can embrace AI as a tool to enhance their offering to pupils and improve educational standards, but there is much more to it than that. If the future sees ABOVE Cranleigh Prep pupils with Headmaster Neil Brooks

ducating is an incredibly positive occupation. Schools, colleges and universities are preparing future generations, and it is human instinct to aim to better what has gone before. Society demands progression: better health provision; more efficient transport networks; secure energy supplies; increasing leisure access; clean, reliable drinking water; the list goes on. Progress plays an enormous part in teaching. All stakeholders expect schools to facilitate progress at individual, group, community and societal levels when steering future generations. Naturally, that progress ends up being defined and quantified within the parameters of our current knowledge and will inevitably change as understanding moves on. Look, for example, at how fossil fuels expedited progress in the 19th century and how the Industrial Revolution was heralded as a new dawn for humankind. Now, we have tempered our enthusiasm for the internal combustion engine. Artificial Intelligence presents a new revolution. Without doubt, and in a similar vein

to coal (no pun intended), oil and natural gas, its use will be hugely beneficial to improving the prospects and lives of many millions of people. In its relative infancy, the world is seeing huge advantages of AI applications – for instance, in healthcare to speed diagnosis. But history’s lessons should not be ignored and AI in schools should be managed with the mantra ‘everything in moderation’ at least until we all have a deeper understanding of its power and the possibilities of its influence. Nevertheless, the sector will be doing children a disservice if it does not embrace the current technology and thoroughly explore its applications and possible benefits

“Many have long believed that education needs to move towards greater critical thinking –AI is an obvious catalyst for that move” Artificial Intelligence heavily threaded through our lives, then we must teach children to understand how AI works, steering them to explore possibilities for its application – just as successful engineers have adapted and applied the principles of past inventions. AI will be innovating for the core aims of schools: teaching and learning. Surely, there is an additional expectation that it will change the way in which the school as a business is run, too, offering potential efficiencies in administrative functions, documentation and communication. That said, we must never lose sight of the fact that schools are about community, and it is people who must be prioritised.

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North Bridge House Prep School

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Pupils’ independence and eagerness to take initiative are enhanced by the breadth of the curricular and extra-curricular experiences with the result that the school enables all to find their ‘True North’. Independent Schools Inspectorate, 2023 Excellent co-ed schooling for ages 4-13 in North London

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MAKING MUSIC The newly arrived Executive Music Lead at Warwick Schools Foundation on the excitement of a role in a place where music and culture are celebrated

eginning a new job is always an exciting adventure and my transition from being a Senior Deputy Head in Leicestershire to taking on the newly created role of Executive Music Lead at Warwick Schools Foundation has been no exception. Warwick is a town steeped in history and culture. Its vibrant arts scene and its real sense of community has meant that, from the moment I arrived, I knew I was stepping into a world where the power of music was not only acknowledged but truly celebrated. This was evident in the job description, which resonated strongly with me: ‘Access to high-quality music-making opportunities is an essential ingredient in the formation of young people’s lives’. What makes this role special is its truly philanthropic nature. There is a genuine ambition to build a connected local, national

“Music goes beyond notes; it instils discipline, teamwork and creativity and brings with it opportunities to explore wider culture” and global community, to share our wonderful facilities widely and to open up the fantastic opportunities provided for our students across the local community. There is a true emphasis on partnerships. We all know that music education thrives when it is woven into the fabric of a community. As much of my time so far has been spent building relationships with stakeholders outside of the Foundation as with the five Directors of Music and their respective music departments inside. A recent initiative here has been the highly successful formation of ‘Warwick – A Singing Town’. In partnership with local

ABOVE Music at Warwick Schools Foundation

schools in the CV34 postcode area, this provides a team of choral entrepreneurs who enthuse pupils in these schools and build a love of singing. Secondly, there’s a partnership with colleagues from the Priory Medical Centre and local social prescribing team, connecting people to existing choirs and setting up new ones where required. Finally, there’s a partnership with other local choral groups, raising awareness and joining together. We are also very fortunate to have The Orchestra of the Swan in residence with us – my office is beside theirs on our campus. It has been fascinating to hear first-hand the highs and lows of running a professional chamber orchestra and this partnership provides wonderful opportunities for pupils and residents. For the Swan’s first concert here this autumn, we will be joined by pupils from local primary schools for an open rehearsal of the orchestra. We also have the first cohort of students from our three senior schools learning the art of conducting with Rebecca Miller – including directing a group of musicians from the Swan. There’s also the launch of Swan Youth Orchestra for

school-age musicians in the Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull music hubs. Music goes beyond notes and scales; it instils discipline, teamwork and creativity and brings with it opportunities to explore wider culture. It fosters a deep sense of belonging and has a significant, positive impact on psychological wellbeing. My time in my new role has already been a harmonious adventure, where every note played, every partnership forged, and every student inspired reminds me of the incredible potential that music holds. The future for Warwick’s musical community shines brightly, and I’m so excited to be playing my part in shaping this.

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Talking

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MEASURING VALUE The Head of Royal Masonic School for Girls on why newspaper league tables are not the wisest measure of school performance

ach year, newspapers publish annual ‘League Tables’ of how UK schools performed in the summer’s GCSE and A-level examinations. Most headteachers are not fans – and this includes headteachers of schools at the top of these lists. It’s not that we are concerned about where our school is positioned (and I write having worked at a couple of schools that were always placed highly in such lists). It is that, as Heads, we know that league tables based on a school’s raw grades (counting how many A*s were achieved at A level or 9s and 8s at GCSE) only really tell us how academically selective a school is. Schools that are more academically selective at age 11 and 16 will invariably be the schools that sit at the top of league tables of raw results each year. No s..t, Sherlock! Many Heads see their publication in newspapers as unhealthy and unhelpful, an insidious part of a culture that encourages parents to equate the ‘best’ schools with those that have the most A*s or 9s. It is a culture that has even, on occasion, led to less able but hardworking pupils not being entered for examinations by their school because this is the crudest lever to pull in order to climb such league tables. A more accurate, and healthier, way of assessing the academic progress of students in a school is the ‘value added’. The Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring

“Value-added data enables schools to receive just as much credit for a less able pupil who achieves higher than expected grades”

ABOVE Kevin Carson with RMS for Girls pupils

(CEM) was established at Durham department reviews written every September University in 1983 and is the largest in schools. From our CEM data this year, I educational research unit in a UK university. can see that RMS sits on the 92nd percentile CEM works with UK schools, colleges, of all schools and the 87th percentile of education authorities and government all independent schools for value-added agencies to provide scientifically performance. In other words, we add more grounded research that monitors every value academically than 9 out of 10 schools. school’s academic performance. CEM’s value-added data enables schools Students sit baseline tests for CEM and departments to receive just as much at ages 11, 14 and 16. Having amassed 40 credit for a less able pupil who might have years of this assessment data, CEM is been expected to attain a Grade 4 but able to give each child a scarily accurate achieves a grade 5 or 6 at GCSE as a more predicted grade for every subject and can able pupil expected to attain a Grade 7 who then standardise each school’s achieves a grade 8 or 9. This is actual results in order to tell just how it should be, of course. us how far above or below the Value added is the most predicted grade a student is. important metric because it From this, CEM can provide reflects the extent to which evidence of how much value all pupils are achieving their each school adds academically. potential. Unfortunately, it Every independent school is not what is published in that I have worked at over your Sunday newspaper each two decades uses CEM data year, so perhaps we should KEVIN CARSON internally to assess its own all be questioning what Headteacher academic progress at both value is actually added by Royal Masonic School school and department level. looking at newspaper league for Girls It is a standard aspect of the tables of raw results. AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 67

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Ask the EXPERTS Our experts answer your questions on the best way to support 11+ preparation and fussy eating in a pre-schooler

SUNNY GARCHA Lead Practitioner for Mathematics, Wolfthorn Knight Tuition

I'm worried about my son's confidence, especially in maths. He tends to panic during tests and we have the 11+ coming up. I'm keen to give him extra support without adding unduly to his stress, so what can you suggest?

Ask any parent who is going through 11+ preparation with their child, and they will undoubtedly speak of the considerable stress and pressure associated with it.

“If children have a fuller understanding, it enables them to confront questions with conﬁdence”

The content, in the most part, is challenging children on mathematics and English and is largely beyond age-expected learning within their schools. I am often asked, 'when should my child begin preparation for the 11+?' The answer is dependent on each child, their development and application to learning. With the mathematical content of the exam, there is a risk of coaching children to successfully answer typical questions associated with, say, percentages, area of compound shapes, and so on. As such, they may blindly engage, but do not have strong foundations. However, if children have a fuller understanding of the subject, it enables them to confront widely varied questions with confidence. Importantly, the learning has a lasting effect that can continue to

accelerate in secondary school. For this, children need to have a strong base before entering the final year ahead of the examinations. Another advantage to starting early is that it lifts some of the pressure and allows children to develop and master concepts at their pace. With English, there is a need to develop reading and writing skills and have a strong vocabulary, again beyond age-expected learning. The design of the 11+ is heavily weighted towards children who are enthusiastic readers. My answer to any parent is to encourage a passion for independent reading at the earliest possible stage. As a teacher of Mathematics, I have seen children thrive under guidance and prosper without the pressure often attached to exam preparation. Working with

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ALISON PEACHAM Nutritional Therapist and Health Coach

My young son has become a fussy eater and I'm concerned about what will happen when he starts school. Do you have any advice for improving his relationship with food and making family mealtimes less stressful? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Most parents of young children can relate to having fussy eaters at home. Children frequently have an issue with the appearance, taste, smell, and texture of food and the way it is presented. Refusing foods and picky eating is all part of a child’s development. It’s a way of exploring their environment and asserting their independence. It will get better. Food preferences evolve as they grow.

children in Years 4 and 5 comes with considerable responsibility but will promote learning far beyond primary school. If the discipline of learning is established early, we – along with the parents – have helped to develop motivated and independent learners. Another common question is, 'would one-to-one be more beneficial than group tuition?' Again, this depends on the individual child, and the closer we are to the exam, the more beneficial this can be. But if tuition has started in a timely manner, say early in Year 4, small group learning mirrors the environment they will face later on in school. Also, children are often inspired by group working – especially when they are with others who are motivated to do well.

Make mealtimes enjoyable, regular, relaxed, and social occasions. Serve your child the same meal the family is eating, but in a portion size your child will eat. Don’t worry about mess made on tables or drinks spilled. Encourage your child to try tiny tastes of new foods (all the family should join in too) and you could do this away from main meals to avoid pressure of expectation (e.g., as a starter, or a tasting game). Praise your child for every small effort to touch, taste or take a small bite. If your child is fussing, ignore it as much as you can. Giving attention to fussy eating can encourage your child to keep behaving this way. Don’t pressure them to eat food. Set a time limit for meals as anything that goes on too long isn’t fun. If your child hasn’t eaten the food, take it away – but don’t offer more food until the next planned meal or snack time. Make healthy foods fun whenever you have the time. Cut sandwiches into interesting shapes, arrange the food to form a face, or let your child help prepare some of the meal. Be patient and persistent and keep offering foods that have been refused before. It may take ten to 15 goes before they even try a taste of a food they previously refused. Keep experimenting with different strategies and, most importantly, stay positive. Over time, you can help your child develop a healthier relationship with food and make mealtimes less of a battle. alisonpeachamnutrition.co.uk

“Picky eating is all part of a child’s development. It’s a way of exploring their environment and asserting their independence”

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INTRODUCING SCHOOL SURF & WELL-BEING TRIPS Welcome to Schools Go Surfing, a personable school travel company that delivers bespoke and fully inclusive school surf trips throughout Europe and beyond. Our rewarding school surf trips enable young people to improve their health, well-being and social skills within a fun, safe and inclusive environment. A Schools Go Surfing booking guarantees financial protection and a friendly team of school travel specialists to take the weight off your shoulders. Contact us at info@schoolsgosurfing.com or visit our website to find out more!

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School’s Out CH I LDREN FI RST p .76 • ROBOT STORI ES p . 8 0 • TREASU RE TR AI L p . 82 • CHAOS TH EORY p . 9 8

PLAY AWAY

PHOTO: DAVID PARRY – VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDON

Young V&A's creative reinvention Page 72

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“ T H E S H OW STOP P ER I S THE FEAT U RE STAI RCAS E I NS PIR ED BY T H E V&A’S COLLECT I ON OF OPT I CAL I LLU S I ON TOYS AND CO - C REAT ED W I T H LOCAL SC H OOLC H I LDREN”

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LEFT Young V&A’s transformation has ramped up the fun

YOUNG at HEART

PHOTOS: DAVID PARRY, LUKE HAYES – VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDON

Young V&A’s Bethnal Green home has been redesigned with and for children – the result is a fun and friendly museum space where kids come ﬁrst

B y LIBBY NORMAN

magine a museum designed with and for children – it’s here, in the shape of Young V&A. Of course, teams of architects and curators were involved, but the guiding concept behind the reimagining of the former Museum of Childhood was to create a space where toddlers to teens can play, imagine and explore. The museum has been through multiple reinventions during its history. It started life in 1872 as Bethnal Green Museum and housed disparate collections (including pieces now found in the Wallace Collection) before coming under the V&A umbrella. It was designated for objects related to childhood in 1974 by then V&A Director Sir Roy Strong. This time around, reinvention started long before its 2019 closure, with AOC Architecture taking up a ten-month residency to get soundings from local children, parents and teachers. Young V&A has reunited the childhood elements that are so dear to generations of visitors and the museum’s Bethnal Green and East London identity. Children were involved in everything from the colour scheme to exhibits. For instance, local students dreamt up storytelling displays and a self-portrait making station, also contributing a patchwork quilt exhibit.

Now, when you walk in, you are greeted by a space that feels inviting rather than imposing – a hyper colourful museum shop to your left and a neat welcome desk. To your right, breakout space plus staircase down to cloakrooms (child and adult sized loos). The lower level also houses the workshops and a library – the latter designed with neurodivergent visitors front of mind and offering quiet space for anyone who needs a break. Some of this area uses spaces previously consigned for storage. The lofty Town Square beyond the foyer remains at the heart of the museum – with tactile and colourful elements in

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ABOVE & BELOW Classic toys remain and the doll’s house collection has been brilliantly reimagined

the London Plane perimeter bench and cafe furniture. Families are welcome to bring their own picnics or use the (very good) museum cafe. Here, clearly, is a meeting spot for locals in all weathers. The space has been re-engineered for light, warmth and energy efficiency and the design team spent lots of time futureproofing this bit of the grand old building. That’s behind-the-scenes stuff – the showstopper is the feature staircase to upper galleries. It was inspired by the V&A’s collection of optical illusion toys and was co-created in over 40 workshops with local schoolchildren. The rocket to get to upper floors had to be abandoned early on, as did live tigers and lions, although you will spot cuddlier feline predators in abundance around the galleries. These galleries are signposted from the Town Square – including the new temporary exhibition space

– and here the child-centric approach is writ large, literally, in colourful lettering. The Play Gallery is all sensory textures, bold shapes and eye-level fun, and with an alphabet display space running along it. The Imagination Playground covers architecture and construction, while board and video games are front of mind in Arcade – this includes a new Minecraft interactive. Imagine Gallery is all about storytelling and self-expression. There’s a lush, red-carpeted performance space for readings and shows. Design Gallery offers hands-on activities and collaborations. Children can see design processes unfold in The Factory or head to The Shed to meet the museum’s Studio Resident. There’s also an Open Studio next door for live design challenges. In fact, Young V&A is set up for a big programme of activities to ensure repeat visits and lots of interactive fun. The most striking thing about the new-look museum is the sense of space. While there are some 1,700 objects still in place, a lot of thought has been given to displaying them in a child-centric way. You’ll find a Syrian rattle from c2300 BC and the 18th-century Italian marionette theatre, but also a Micro Scooter, Peppa Pig, Superman and Harry Potter’s broomstick. Display cases and stands feature fun (often upcycled) materials

and object labels are kept short – a high proportion of visitors are pre-readers. Inevitably, not all of the 30,000 plus objects previously displayed or stored here have made the cut. All have been carefully assessed and some will be destined for the V&A East Museum or nearby Storehouse archive in Stratford’s Olympic Park (both scheduled for a 2025 opening). Adults nostalgic for their own childhood visits will love the fact that the doll’s house collection remains – but brilliantly reimagined. A curved and softly lit gallery area reveals the most eclectic townscape ever. Georgian townhouses, Edwardian villas, Mock Tudor mansions, rose-clad cottages and cool Scandi homes nestle together comfortably (no planning regs around here). With lights twinkling and domestic spaces to spy on through tiny windows, this feels – like the rest of Young V&A – child-centric, quirky and very welcoming. Young V&A vam.ac.uk/young

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11/10/2023 06.10.2022 17:30 11:04

Children FIRST Six gems around the country where young visitors are immersed in history, culture and fun

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SCHOOL'S OUT / MUSEUMS LEFT Eureka! The National Children's Museum is a place for interactive fun BELOW The Story Museum fosters imagination

ome adults may still be haunted by the memory of getting dragged round a dusty old museum on a rainy Saturday to 'learn something'. Fortunately, museums and galleries have raised their game over recent decades, with dedicated resources to engage the next generation through entertainment as well as learning. Even so, young minds don't always enjoy the biggest spaces or the most ancient treasures. One solution is to find smaller, quirkier or more focused places. Here are six museum and gallery spaces around the country where tots to teens are considered top priority.

The Story Museum, Oxford

This treasure in the city of dreaming spires celebrates the world of stories – collecting, sharing and performing. Of course, Oxford has produced more than its fair share of authors, with C.S. Lewis, Philip Pullman and Tolkien among the children's greats. The museum even celebrates one local hero, Lewis Carroll, with Alice's Day each July. Performances, workshops and skills building events are a mainstay, and with unusual initiatives such as its '1001 Stories' initiative to collect tales from different times and places and objects related to them. Children love The Whispering Wood, where every tree has a story to tell, and the Small Worlds area immerses AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 77

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ABOVE Scapa Flow Museum explores Hoy's vital wartime role

the youngest visitors in picture books and nursery rhymes. City of Stories explores the history of Oxford through myths, legends and children's classics, while stories are brought to life in The Woodshed performance area. storymuseum.org.uk

Museum of Making, Derby

Located in the old Silk Mill close to the cathedral, this brilliantly reimagined museum is all about the region's makers, inventors and creators. With manufacturing heritage ranging from railways and RollsRoyce to textiles, STEAM approaches are celebrated. There's a big programme of child-friendly activities, including in The Workshop and Makers' Courtyard. The Throwing Room tells the story of how silk thread was transformed into a luxury textile, while The Gateway introduces the cotton industry that followed in Derwent Valley. Highlights include the engines – including a tiny miniature engine exhibited at the 1936

“ N AT I O N A L M A R I T I M E MUS EUM , CO R N WA L L HA S I TS V E RY OW N B OAT I N G L A K E A N D A FUN SKU L L I SL A N D P L AY ZO N E , W H I L E T HE LO O KO U T – W I T H V I E W S OV E R FA L M O U T H – I S UN M I SSA BL E ”

LEFT Making noise at Eureka!

Chicago World's Fair powered by a human hair and a RollsRoyce Trent 1000, best viewed from the Flight Deck. Children will also love Assemblage – set out like a museum store but with many objects to handle – and the model railway rides in Railways Revealed. derbymuseums.org/museum-of-making

The Lightbox, Woking

This local museum offers exceptional collections of modern British art (including works by Lynn Chadwick, Elisabeth Frink, Barbara Hepworth and Eduardo Paolozzi) alongside more local exhibits telling the story of the Surrey town in a permanent exhibition. There's a full schedule of 'maker doer' activities for young visitors, with Young Creative workshops for 11+ children and drop-in creative events during school holidays. Young people are encouraged to get involved and influence the direction of The Lightbox via its Young Volunteers,

Youth Collective and Kids in Museums initiatives. Children love the cool building (same architects as the London Eye and treetop walkway at Kew), the Smartify audio guide available on an app and the art-focused Make and Play area. thelightbox.org.uk

Eureka! The National Children's Museum, Halifax

Billed as 'not like other museums', Eureka! is bright, colourful and with a dash of themepark thinking – so great fun for its 0 to 11 target age group. It's divided into six zones, and with 'Enablers' throughout to bring exhibits to life. In All About Me, children can step inside the human body, including looking up a giant nose, finding out about the workings of our eyes and brains and role play in a health centre. Living & Working together lets them explore, shop and bank in a child-sized town. Under 5s have their own zones – including Creativity Space,

National Maritime Museum, Cornwall offers lots of seafaring adventures

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SCHOOL'S OUT / MUSEUMS

ABOVE Museum of Making is hands-on creative BELOW The Lightbox in Woking is a local treasure. Photo: Peter Cook

Sound Garden and Desert Zone – while older children will enjoy the temporary exhibitions in Spark Gallery. Activities such as theatre performances take place in school holidays. A sister museum Eureka! Science + Discovery opened recently in Wallasey, Wirral aimed at the 7-14 age group. play.eureka.org.uk

National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Falmouth

This smaller branch of the much-loved institution in Greenwich is housed in a landmark building at Discovery Quay and offers 15 galleries exploring the influence of the sea. It has lots of sailing vessels – from the flotilla hanging over your head in the Main Hall from the National Small Boat Collection to the craft out on the water at The Pontoon. There's also a great boating lake inside the museum and an RNLI Rescue Zone. There's local and Cornish maritime and fishing history to explore, including a reconstruction of a pilchard cellar, plus a brilliant Tidal Zone that takes children below the harbour to view marine life and learn all about waves and ocean. Temporary exhibitions are definitely child friendly – Pirates and Tattoo (tattoo art) are currently showing – and there's a fun Skull Island Play Zone. The Lookout, with panoramic views over Falmouth, is worth the climb. nmmc.co.uk

Scapa Flow Museum, Hoy

This is one of the most unusual museums in the UK, and definitely one for the young set. Local primary school children even helped design the layout of spaces through the National Galleries Scotland Junior Curators programme. The museum, which made the shortlist for the 2023 Art Fund Museum of the Year, has been imaginatively redesigned over several years to serve the local community (some 400) and the many thousands of visitors who want to find out more about the distinguished wartime role of this small island. Sited at the former

Royal Lyness Royal Naval Base, it houses a major collection of First and Second World War artefacts and the refurbishment tells a story of local, national and international significance. The amazing 1937 pumphouse that used steam to deliver fuel to the fleet is refurbished – a unique survivor – while the new extension tells immersive battle and wartime stories through disparate artefacts, but also VR and AV displays. Children will also love the digital 3D exhibit that lets them explore Scapa Flow's wreck sites. orkneymuseums.co.uk/our-museums/ scapa-flow-museum AUTUMN 2023 | E D U C AT I O N P R E P & P R E P R E P | 79

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STORIES Bullying, EBSA and school anxiety are tackled head on in Simon Packham’s new novel for middle-grade readers B y LIBBY NORMAN

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imon Packham didn’t have to stray too far from personal experience for Worrybot, his new novel for the 9+ age group. At around age 12, he pulled off the considerable feat of avoiding school for a whole term by feigning illness. This was impressive acting, considering his mother was a trained nurse. “The thing that brought me back – well I admitted what had happened – was I ended up in hospital having these tests. I suddenly felt guilty taking up a hospital bed,” he says. “I had to come clean and say what was happening at school.” With the wisdom of adulthood, Packham can marvel at how he clung to that time-honoured childhood code of silence about his big problem – bullying had made his school life a misery. “I’m certain my parents would have been sympathetic if I’d said anything, but it was a horrible secret I kept to myself.” The young Simon Packham who played invalid so convincingly went on to become a successful actor, working for some 25 years on stage, film and TV (alongside the likes of Ben Elton and Judi Dench) before turning to writing in 2008. His books for young adults and children have earned him a reputation for tackling important themes with sensitivity and depth. In Worrybot he explores topical areas of concern for all parents and educators – anxiety, school avoidance, bullying. As a parent, he watched one of his daughters grow up managing anxiety and panic attacks and this – with her blessing – is the central theme. Josh, our protagonist, has a happy and loving home life. He has managed to control his anxiety with family and outside support, and a homemade cardboard robot with a slot where worries get posted. But when the family relocate for his mother’s job the anxieties flood back, and in his new school he is picked on by class bully Noah. Unexpected support and friendship come in the shape of a real AI device – a ‘learning robot’ that enables

“ T H ERE ’S ALSO A S U P ER- C LEVER TWIST I N T H I S TALE T H AT ENCOU RAG E S YOUNG READERS TO RECOG NI S E B OTH BU LLI ED AND BU LLY AS VI CTIM S” a girl called Charlie to be in the classroom appears in flesh and blood form. Meanwhile, virtually. Josh and Charlie form a close bond Josh’s tattered cardboard bot stands as an because she empathises with his fears. Josh enduring reminder of bad times behind. grows in strength and has the courage to There is one especially poignant moment return to the stage (stage fright was one of when Josh retrieves his worrybot from under the triggers of his earlier troubles). That the bed, dusts it off and rereads those worries star performance in the school play with he’d posted through its cardboard mouth – a the real – not virtual – Charlie is a triumph great takeaway for any reader going through and a turning point for both children. bad times. This is a point well understood There’s a super-clever and unexpected by an author who still vividly recalls his own twist in this tale that encourages young dark moments of childhood and empathises readers to recognise both bullied and bully with children living through them now. “All as different kinds of victim. Packham felt those things you worried about,” he says. this was important. “For a long time, all I “None of the things you worried about had was feelings of hate towards the bullies were actually worth worrying about.” in my school but gradually, being a parent and getting older, I’ve realised that bullies Worrybot, by Simon Packham, aren’t very happy generally,” he says. “I with illustrations by Lucy Mulligan think that was one reason one of the boys (UCLan Publishing, £7.99). picked on me – I obviously had a happier home life than he did.” While this is a complex RIGHT and nuanced plotline, there Simon Packham is a satisfyingly old-school comeuppance for Noah. Packham’s editor was especially keen to see justice served. The character was fun to draw and specialises in a type of banter nearly all children and adults will recognise. “He reminds me of many of the bullies at school – not particularly the ones who bullied me, but some of the others. There’s certainly humour, if unpleasant, in his bullying,” says Packham. The robots (cardboard and AI) were what inspired the storyline and play a vital role – both in the title and through the narrative. Charlie has no physical characteristics other than robot animation and her disembodied voice for most of the book – it’s a great moment when she finally

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T r e a s u r e

TRAIL Robin Scott-Elliot’s Finding Treasure Island weaves a gripping narrative around the boy and the handdrawn map that inspired the epic 19th-century tale

obert Louis Stevenson’s yarn about sea travels and pots of gold is so embedded in culture that it pretty much defines how we visualise pirates and buccaneers. Robin Scott-Elliot has long been a huge Stevenson fan, but this one’s not his favourite. “I love Kidnapped, which I read several times as a child,” he says. “Treasure Island suffers because it has become – a bit like Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – so well-known it is like a cliché. You know, the pirate with one leg, ‘Arrgh’...” What piqued Scott-Elliot’s interest though was reading about the origins of Treasure Island. It all began on a holiday in Braemar, in the Scottish Highlands,

B y LIBBY NORMAN

when Stevenson’s American-born stepson Sam (aka Lloyd) was sitting staring out of the window at the rain. “Boredom, that’s how Stevenson began to write the story,” he says. “He drew this map. I just loved that idea – it really caught with me straight away and I thought, ‘that’s a really good starting point for a story’.” The familiarity of the situation was not lost on him. “This is great for anyone who has grown up in Britain – or who has been on holiday in Britain – when it pours with rain and you’re there, staring out of the window.” Finding Treasure Island – written for the 8-12 age group – is constructed as if it were Sam’s missing memoir. In true adventure style, there’s a mysterious meeting in Paris uncovering the long-buried text. The story itself centres on a map, plus there’s treasure

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treaties – if you look for them, they are there and they are great stories to tell.” Weaving real history into a novel presents its own issues though – where does the real person stop and the fictional hero begin? In researching the novel, Scott-Elliot learned a lot about Sam Osbourne. “The real Sam is a very interesting and quite sad character,” he says. Sam’s father was a larger-than-life figure who would disappear on goldrushes and other wild adventures. “There’s one story about him – they were told he had been crushed to death by a bear, which was a great way to go but turned out not to be true and he popped up again.” His mother Fanny was also a strong personality, with her own successful magazine writing career, and she eventually tired of her husband’s wild ways. She left US shores for Europe, meeting Robert Louis Stevenson in Paris. “She was also a really divisive character – a lot of Stevenson’s friends couldn’t stand her. I don’t think she was particularly maternal, and his dad wasn’t particularly paternal, so I think Sam latched on to Stevenson.” Later, Sam would travel with his stepfather and write books with him – also one about him. Scott-Elliot found the book in an American university library. “He clearly worships him.” All of this larger-thanBELOW LEFT life history couldn’t The real Sam, aka be fitted into Finding Lloyd Osbourne BELOW Robert Louis Stevenson with King Kalakaua of Hawaii

“ I S EE SA M A S A CHA RACT E R W H O’S D E S P E RAT E TO F I T I N . HE ’S D E SPE RAT E TO F I N D A FA M I LY A N D A PL AC E ” to hunt down in the Highlands hills and a charismatic girl called Jen who ignites Sam’s spirit of adventure, and ultimately gives him courage and resolve. Scott-Elliot, a sports journalist for some two decades, was inspired to switch to writing children’s books by his two daughters. He’d started out with a book

for adults and they begged him to write something for them when he’d finished. He always used to invent stories for them anyway – often on long car journeys from London up to visit relations in Mull. Now Scott-Elliot and his family live in Helensburgh and his daughters are teenagers. He still runs plots by them. “You have to be able to get a story into a sentence or a short paragraph and if you can’t get it into that then the story has probably not worked. I say to them, ‘I’ve got an idea’, and they usually roll their eyes, but then they listen. You can tell, even as you’re halfway through, if it works.” His passion for telling stories is matched by his interest in the less welltrammelled bits of history. “The stories that are beyond kings and queens and

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ABOVE The book is set in the location where Treasure Island began BELOW Robin Scott-Elliot

“ B O R E D O M , T H AT ’S H OW ST EVENSON BEGAN TO W RI T E T HE STO RY H E DR E W T HI S MAP – I JU ST LOVED T H AT I DEA” Treasure Island, but it’s there as a context and certainly shaped the novel’s young hero. “When you’re a teenager, whatever your life as a teenager, you still have an optimism,” he says. “I see Sam as a character who’s desperate to fit in. He’s desperate to find a family and a place.” Sam’s love of the Scottish Highlands – and his yearning for adventure – makes a convincing fictional prelude to the adventurous real life to come. This story encourages readers to find out more. Scott-Elliot has included archive pictures of the real Sam Osbourne and the stepfather he so adored. “The dream for all my stories is that when children finish, they think, ‘I’d like to find out a little bit more about this’.” Certainly, there’s a whole lot more to discover. Readers might also go on and read Treasure Island or Kidnapped – even Jekyll and Hyde. “One of the extraordinary things about Stevenson, and why perhaps he wasn’t

put on the pedestal he deserves, is that he wrote for children as equals. And he was one of the first writers to do that.” Scott-Elliot began imagining his story about the boy staring out of the window shortly before lockdown. He had planned to visit the real cottage where Stevenson began Treasure Island (you can stay there, it’s now a holiday cottage), but fate intervened. There was, however, a curious coincidence as he and

everyone else sat at home staring out of windows. “When lockdown started one of the first things the BBC put on their education website was an audiobook of Treasure Island,” says Scott-Elliot. “There were two adult versions already up on BBC Sounds.” This, he believes, sums up Stevenson’s gift as a storyteller. “Stevenson has got more people into reading in the last century than certainly any other Scottish writer – and he’d be up there with most British writers.” As for that hand-drawn map that led on to Treasure Island, it is who knows where. Actually, Robin Scott-Elliot has a theory on that. He believes it might be languishing somewhere in an American university library, just waiting to be uncovered by a modern-day treasure hunter. Finding Treasure Island, by Robin Scott-Elliot is published in November (Pokey Hat, £7.99)

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ST GEORGE’S SCHOOL WINDSOR CASTLE

Join us for an Open Morning To see upcoming dates and book your place, visit stgwindsor.org A place where children ‘may find their happy ever after’

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TOP AUTUMN

M U ST READ From an imagined continent and an adventure in search of a bear to rampant school robots and the marvellous migration of Arctic terns, our pick of inspiring autumn books

Tuchus & Topps Investigate: The Attack of the Robot Librarians by Sam Copeland and Jenny Pearson illustrated by Robin Boyden and Katie Kear

P UFFI N , £7.9 9

ollowing The Underpants of Chaos, Agatha and Lenny (aka Tuchus & Topps) team up again to solve a school mystery. With lasereyed robot librarians in charge of school discipline, plus pedal powered desks and strange goings on in the cellar, something is up. And just what has sinister tech company Minerva Industries, led by one Pamela Stranglebum, got to do with all this? Aided by their gargoyle chum Gregor, our junior detectives are on the case.

TERRA ULTIMA The discovery of a hidden continent by Raoul Deleo, Compiled and introduced by Noah J. Stern BIG PIC TURE P RE SS , £25

Winner of the Dutch Golden Paintbrush Prize in 2022, this extraordinary book charts a new continent – Terra Ultima – where species such as the Large Eyed Mouse Carp, Six Legged Ladybear and Fleeing Elephoenix roam free. Not only do we have magnificent illustrations, but also detailed text charting the expeditions to this virgin territory. It's a wonderfully executed flight of fantasy and everyone will have their favourite amalgamated animal. Definitely a book to be treasured through childhood and beyond.

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