independent school parent senior spring 2013

SENIOR EDITION SPRING 2013 www.independentschoolparent.com

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P82 Charley BoormanMy school days

P56 The next step Your essential university guide

Anthony Seldon:How to raise a winner

Applying for a

bursary

COMPETITION

Win a luxury holiday with Virgin Experience Days

The Duke of Edinburgh’sAward Programme

ACHIEVEMENT

FINANCECOMMENT

Thoroughlymodern manners

Revision skills: all you need to know

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Araucanía’s beautiful landscape is punctuated with volcanoes, mountains, rivers, crystalline lakes, hot springs and virgin forests. This landscape turns into a playground for all ages to enjoy - from kayaking, rafting, fly fishing and horse-back riding or trekking across stunning national parks.

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ARAUCANIA: NATURE, CULTURE &ADVENTURE

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EDITORIALEditor Claudia DudmanArt Editor Puishun LiEditorial & Publishing Assistant Natalie MilnerPublishing Executive Josephine Price

PUBLISHINGPublisher & Managing Director Paul DobsonDeputy Managing Director Steve RossCommercial Director Vicki GavinPublisher Simon TemlettConsultant Publisher David Moncrie� Subscriptions Manager Will Delmont020 7349 3710, [email protected] manager Chatty DobsonProduction www.allpointsmedia.co.ukPrinted in England by Wyndeham Heron, Essex

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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDAndrew Fleck, Sedbergh School Dr Anthony Seldon, Wellington CollegeElaine Stallard, Elaine Stallard ConsultingHeidi Salmons, The Headmasters’ & Headmistresses’ ConferenceGlynis Kozma, Educational JournalistJames Durant, UCASJulie Pitcher, Independent Schools CouncilPeter Young, Marketing/Brand ConsultantRachel Kerr, Girls’ Schools AssociationSheila Thompson, Boarding Schools’ AssociationTor Down, ParentTory Gillingham, AMDISZoe MacDougall, Teacher

DISTRIBUTION Independent School Parent magazine is for parents of children educated in prep and senior independent schools across the UK. The prep and senior issues are published termly. Parents can subscribe for a free issue at:independentschoolparent.com/register

Independent School Parent also publishes A First Eleven Guide to Independent Schools biannually. © CNP Ltd 2013. All rights reserved. Text and pictures are copyright restricted and must not be reproduced without permission from the publisher. The information contained in Independent School Parent magazine has been published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. All liability for loss, negligence or damage caused by reliance on the information contained within this publication is hereby excluded. All pictures by Thinkstock unless otherwise credited.

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CONTENTS

SPRING 2013 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL PARENT 3

Education5 News Our round-up of hot topics37 School tripsSally Jones writes on the new exciting options for senior school trips44 Duke of EdinburghAll you need to know about the prestigious award programme33 Head boys and girlsHow competitive parents strive for their children to be heads of schools

In Focus15 Revision skills Charlotte Phillips gives top tips for revision28 Bursaries and scholarshipsTracy Cook on how to get help with fees57 Universities - the next stepHow to choose the right course, city and campus, by Anna Tyzack

Comment21 Head viewpointAnthony Seldon writes on how to raise a successful child

41 Modern fi nishing schoolsEtiquette dilemmas by Belinda Alexander 55 Lucy Elphinstone Francis Holland Sloane Square’s headmistress looks at the path to glory65 James DurantOur UCAS blogger writes on the merits of university open days

Health24 Empty nest syndromeGlynis Kozma asks: how do you cope when your children start boarding? 69 Brain foodDr Nina Bailey, writes on the importance of good food

Finance50 Pick and mixNicola Woolcock looks at how parents are striving to make school fees a ordable

School’s out22 Bright young thingsNatalie Milner checks out the stars from the independent school sector

Life10 The power of quiet Why not to worry if your child is an introvert, says Giulia Rhodes26 Quiz Test your knowledge67 Book clubHot new titles for teens73 School heroesMeet Keith Smith, history master of Whitgift School, Croydon75 CompetitionWin a luxury treehouse break with Virgin Experience Days76 PropertyOur pick of the best family homes near senior independent schools79 Ask the expertOur panel of experts have the answers79 What’s onThings to do in the Easter holidays82 School MemoriesCharley Boorman, TV presenter and adventurer, on his time at Sibford School

Cover: St Benedict’s School, Ealing, London

Contents

Claudia Dudman, Editor

Issue 4 Spring 2013independentschoolparent.com

Is your child an introvert or extrovert? In The Power of Quiet, (p.10) Giulia Rhodes looks at the potential of introvert children in a world that is geared towards their more shouty and outgoing counterparts.

The school trip (p.31) is certainly more than just a jolly these days, and our schools are going above and beyond the call of duty, with a range of educational activities and excursions on offer. Television presenter and adventurer, Charley Boorman takes us on a wistful journey through his time at Sibford School, in Oxfordshire in our school memories feature, (p.82).

We all need a hero, and there are lots of them in our independent schools, which is why we are launching our School Heroes campaign (p.73). Nominate your very own school hero, telling us what makes them special and they could be featured shining brightly in our next issue! Email your nominations to: [email protected]

WIN!A luxury weekend

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www.independentschoolparent.com SPRING 2013 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ParENT 5

NewsOur pick of the top parenting and education news

Simon Scarrow brought tales of Ancient Rome to Trent College, Notts, with extracts from his book GLADIATOR: Son of Spartacus. The author set a quiz with three teams, the two highest team scores from his school tour are invited to battle it out later this year.

rEaCH fOr THE STarSQueen’s College, Taunton, worked with observers at Remanzacco Observatory, Italy, to look into the possible fragmentation of Comet 168/Hergenrother late last year. Queen’s College and Dollar Academy in Scotland, took observations via the Faulkes Telescope Education Project, which provides schools with access to a global network of robotic telescopes. Queen’s used the Faulkes Telescope North remotely, as it is in Hawaii, to take images. The school’s contribution will be referenced in the Remanzacco Observatory’s submissions to the minor planet centre.

Eton College sponsors free school Eton College, Berkshire, is backing a new state-funded free school, Holyport College near Maidenhead, set to open in 2014. It will be a boarding and day school for pupils aged 11-19 years and will be non-selective. Education Secretary Michael Gove has named the scheme “inspiring”. Eton Head Master Tony Little says, “This is using a practical route to create something that I believe in and which is of great value to young people.” Day pupils will consist of children from the local area, while boarders will come from local families or further afield. Parents will not pay fees for lessons, only boarding, which is set to cost £9,000-£12,000 per year. Eton will contribute through staff time, expertise and sharing facilities.

Guinness World Record attempt!Thousands of pupils from over 100 schools united to celebrate National Libraries Day, organised by CIILP, on 6th February to attempt to break the record for the most people writing a story in collaboration with award-winning author Matt Haig. “Parallel Universes” was a story-writing workshop that saw children from Year 9-13 taking it in turns to write two sentences to form one story. The existing record is 953 participants and the 2013 numbers are up to 1,700 pupils and counting. Matt started the story with: “Danny Shovel had little idea that the people he called his mum and dad were in fact deadly extra-terrestrials originally from a planet several galaxies away” and concluded: “If anything, I was Danny Shovel no more...”

Hole in oneFormer Bedford Modern Student Sam Towler has been enrolled on Georgia Southern University’s golf programme, ranked Top Five for college golf. As well as his golf scholarship Sam has been awarded one of just ten places granted annually to their Honours Programme that combines with an Academic Scholarship. Having played for county teams throughout his teens Sam’s first big win was U15 South of England Boys’ Championship and this year he will be attempting to qualify for the British Open.

THE WRITE WAY Year 9 girls at Streatham & Clapham High School, London, began 2013 by celebrating the inclusion of their work in the Young Writers’ anthology, Winter Wonders – Festive Frolics. The anthology will include up to 300 pieces of pupils’ creative writing, aged 7-16, from across the UK and is sent to the British Library among others. Out April 2013.

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Hungry for ChangeIn February, Holly Newing and Jodie Legrand, sixth formers at Our Lady’s Convent School, Leicestershire, spent a day in Westminster with 28 other students from schools and colleges across the country, to discuss the issue of world hunger. The visit, organised by Catholic aid agency CAFOD as part of its Hungry for Change campaign, included a tour of the Houses of Parliament.

HOTELS ON SCrEENTo celebrate 85 years since The Leading Hotels of the World was created and the 85th anniversary of the Oscars, LHW is launching a new directory focusing upon the bonds between the movies and travel. LHW has picked 85 of the best award-winning movies shot in member hotels. To order a free copy visit, LHW.com

Isabelle Allen with co-star Hugh Jackman

Exam PaL Graphic design teacher Andrew Buck has collaborated with smartphone app experts, who are also parents, at 4fx Design & Multimedia in Milton Keynes to launch an innovative new app to help pupils organise their GCSE and A-level exams and revision. The app gives access to past papers and includes a daily countdown to exams. Download at the App Store for £1.99, exampal.co.uk

The secreT oF a greaT leaderscientists have found that leaders are born and not created, after finding a gene which influences whether someone is likely to rule or be ruled. dNa samples of 4,000 people were analysed by the University college london and the gene rs4950 appears to be associated with passing leadership down the generations. lead scientist dr Jan-emmanuel de Neve comments that with half the population possessing the gene, experience and environment still played a greater role in gaining a high-flying job.

GrADuATE PrOSPECTSA recent study by High Fliers suggests that top employers plan to hire 18,306 graduates in 2013, some 2.7% more than last year, and offer paid work experience for 11,387 students and new graduates. The research, based on 100 leading employers, shows that the biggest growth areas are the public sector, retail, engineering and industry. The top employer of new graduates in 2013 is Teach First with 1,260 vacancies, followed by Deloitte and PwC.

NEWS

University applications on the riseuCAS reports a 3.5% increase in university applications, but figures have not yet reached levels seen before the tuition fee hike. uCAS Chief, Mary Curnock Cook, called the report “encouraging”.

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“ A school which is going from strength to strength under the strong leadership of its dynamic headmaster. It is now the first choice for many parents who would traditionally have sent their children further afield. ”

“ ... each child is tracked and challenged to reach their full potential in all areas of their lives, and ... they are encouraged to push themselves beyond their comfort zone. ”

Extracts from The Good Schools Guide's report on Hurstpierpoint College, June 2012

Hurstpierpoint College Hurstpierpoint West Sussex BN6 9JS www.hppc.co.uk 01273 836936

A stunning campus

A strongcommunity

A thoughtful, caring ethos

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Pre-Prep | Prep | Senior School | Sixth Form Achieving your child’s personal bests

Please visit our website www.hppc.co.uk to find out what Hurst can offer your child

� Excellent teaching, outstanding facilities and a strong record of academic achievement; all Oxbridge candidates gained their places in 2012

� Choice of the International Baccalaureate or A levels in the Sixth Form � Superb extra-curricular facilities and challenging programmes with the highest quality

mentoring for all pupils � Choice of day, flexi or weekly boarding in the Senior School � A unique co-educational Upper Sixth Form pre-university House � A school with integrity, warmth and a ‘can do’ attitude � Fiercely ambitious for each and every child to achieve their personal bests � Outstanding 2011 Inspection Report - excellent in every category

Only 35 minutes from the M25/M23 junction and 55 minutes from London Victoria to Hassocks station


NEWS

Heads on the move

TOP 10 favOurITE CHILDrEN’S bOOkSA study reveals that popular children’s books are closely related to on-screen heroes. A total of 300,144 children from school years 1-11, across over 1,605 UK schools, read and voted on over 4 million books throughout 2011/12. The results, announced by Renaissance Learning, show that J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series continues to delight: the fantasy and adventure genres and books that have had film success are highly rated. Half of the top 10 books have been adapted for the screen, including Harry Potter and Twilight, and all are part of a series. “Series provide children with a far greater level of engagement with reading,” comments Dirk Foch, Managing Director of Renaissance Learning. “Boys in particular tend to focus on finishing the entire series, partly because of the competitive element.”

the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling 8 Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan 9 Mates, Dates and Sole Survivors by Cathy Hopkins 10 Survival by Chris Ryan

6 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney7 Harry Potter and

4 Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz 5 The Dead Girls’ Dance by Rachel Caine

1 Glass Houses: The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine 2 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling 3 Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Keep history aliveHistory should be made a compulsory subject up to age of 16, a government advisor has warned. Pupils are currently allowed to drop history at the age of 14 when they choose their GCSE options. Only 30% of 16-year-olds choose to take the subject as a GCSE: one fifth lower than the uptake in the late 90s. Mr Steven Mastin, Head of history in a Cambridgeshire school, and advisor for the Department of Education on a new history curriculum, comments that Britain is one of the few countries in Europe that does not enforce history as a subject until the end of school. In Mastin’s opinion, history is still perceived by many pupils as a difficult qualification because of the emphasis on essay writing and interpretation of sources.

A Tuscan room with a view On 18th March Toscana Resort Castelfalfi will open its hotel La Tabaccaia, part of a beautiful renovation project of an 800-year-old estate in the heart of Tuscany. The boutique 3-star hotel has 31 rooms boasting period features dating back to its time as a tobacco factory. Look out for a travel package coinciding with the Mille Miglia classic car race in May. Prices from €325 per person, castelfalfi.co.uk

Ebacc plans scrappedThe Education Secretary Michael Gove has been forced to abandon his plans to replace GCSEs with the EBacc (English Baccalaureate). This sudden move follows pressure from the Liberal Democrats, teachers, regulators and criticism from all political parties. Had it gone through, the EBacc would have been awarded in five core academic areas: English, maths, the sciences, languages and a humanities subject (history or geography). Gove was warned by civil servants that handing each of the subjects over to one core board could breach EU rules on public service contracts and face judicial review. Going forward GCSEs will include longer essay-style questions, end of course exams and a reduction in coursework.

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SPRING 2013 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ParENT 11

If you have ever cajoled your child to try out for a school team, or implored them to speak up in class occasionally,

you may feel anxious – frustrated even – that they are simply too quiet to get the best out of life.

While parents of extroverts probably fret about how to get their children to occasionally slow down, keep quiet and listen, those of introverts fear them being left out socially, emotionally or academically.

However, according to a new book, parents should worry a lot less and focus instead on nurturing their children’s considerable strengths. Susan Cain, the American author of Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, believes passionately that introversion or extroversion is merely one element of who we are – and that the world needs both.

They are not aloneCain’s views have struck a chord with many parents and teachers. A graduate of Princeton and Harvard, and a former Wall Street lawyer, Cain is an out and proud introvert. Her crusade for the rights of the quiet (a third to a half of the population according to researchers) in schools and offices that, she claims, are so heavily geared towards extroverts has turned her into a bestselling author and, ironically, a feted public speaker. She, along with the other role models she cites (Gandhi for example), is proof that a

The power of quiet

A new book celebrates the unique potential of introvert children in a world geared

towards extroverts, writes Giulia Rhodes

LIFE

quiet, introverted child can excel.One of the main barriers to success

and happiness, she believes, is that parents and teachers sometimes unwittingly convince a perfectly fulfilled but reserved child that their personality is somehow wrong.

Look a little deeperIf a child holds back from new experiences or favours solitary hobbies Cain advises a parent concerned to, “step back from their own preferences and see what the world looks like to their quiet child”. Introversion, she insists, is not something that needs to be cured. It is not necessarily the same as unhappiness, loneliness or even shyness – although these can of course co-exist.

Catrina Young, Deputy Headteacher at The Dixie Grammar School in Leicestershire agrees. Experience as a parent, as well a teacher, has shown her that reservedness need not necessarily be a problem.

“My 12-year-old son is extremely quiet, but not at all lacking in confidence. He enjoys all the opportunities of school – trips, clubs and so on – but does it all very quietly. He likes his own company.

“I worried all through prep school. He told me he spent lunchtime alone and my blood ran cold, but I now realise that this is because I am an extrovert. Actually he needed that time to himself.”

As Head of pastoral care in her school she is careful to distinguish between

A third to a half of the population are introverts according to research

010_ISP_0313.indd 11 1/3/13 16:30:46

www.independentschoolparent.com12 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ParENT SPRING 2013

Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain (Penguin, £8.99)

ISP has joined forces with Penguin to give readers the chance to purchase the book for just £6.99 including postage. All you have to do is call 0843 060 0021.

rEaDEr OFFEr

LIFE

children who generally prefer to listen than to speak out, and those who long to join in but don’t know how.

“We want a mix of personalities. We work with all children to help them participate, express their opinions and listen to others. We have to prepare them for life, but with a shy child we go about it differently. They might work with a partner so they can give their views but not in front of the whole class. Or we might suggest they get involved backstage in the school play.”

Often, says Young, a quiet child will gradually involve themselves more or find a niche, like music, through which they can develop confidence.

Respect their limitsCain agrees that children need to be exposed to new experiences and people, but that the child must dictate the pace of change. The conflict must remain an internal one – never one between parent and child. “Respect their limits, even when they seem extreme,” she says. Forcing a child into public speaking before he or she is ready – and risking a bad experience – can damage their self-esteem and put them off for life.

Encourage them to see that occasionally putting themselves outside their comfort zone is worthwhile in the pursuit of something they really want – an exam or an interview, for example.

Kate Simpson, whose 10-year-old son Max is at a London prep school, has seen this gradual approach work well. She is now anxious to find a senior school with the same supportive ethos. “I want him to feel he is doing well. An alpha male, super-competitive environment, which might suit many of his classmates, would not be right.”

Max’s current teachers spotted that he remained silent in group discussions – something Kate says even happens at home with his more self-assured

younger siblings. “He tends to think his opinion won’t be valid in a group,” she says. Last year, he was given a big part in the school play to boost his confidence.

“He was thrilled to be asked, then terrified as it approached, but it went well, thankfully, and he felt great. For him it was easier than an uncontrolled group discussion. He knew exactly what he was expected to say and when.”

While Kate wishes Max would “stand up for himself a bit more”, she is also very aware that his quietness has helped make him an excellent listener and caring confidant to his small close circle of friends. “I wouldn’t want to change his personality,” she says.

Like Cain, Kate realises that with introversion can come many strengths. Cain lists restraint, loyalty, persistence, sensitivity and originality. “Help [your child] make peace with new situations and new people,” she pleads, “but otherwise let them be themselves.”

Work with your child on their reaction to new situations and people. Open up opportunities but don’t force them. Praise their progress.

Don’t let them hear you label them shy. They will believe it is beyond their control and somehow shameful. If someone else comments, say that is simply your child’s style.

Always prepare your child for new experiences. Arrive a bit early for parties, meet new teachers in advance, make sure he or she knows the layout of a new place.

Teach simple social strategies – smile, posture, making eye contact.

Reassure your child it is fine to take time to gather your thoughts before speaking, even if everyone else jumps in.

Don’t worry if your child isn’t the most popular child in the class. Children only need a few close friends. Solo hobbies – like painting or music – can lead to meeting like-minded children.

TOP TIPS ON HOW TO HELP YOUr QUIET CHILD

Visit independentschoolparent.com for more information on our BOOK READER OFFER

❝ With introversion comes many strengths: loyalty, persistence, sensitivity and originality ❞

Being popular is not defined by how many friends your child has, but by the quality of friendships

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Imagine. Their possibilities are limitless.Success in the IB ensures ACS graduates consistently win places to the finest universities in the UK and around the world, including Oxford,

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To find out more about us, and our world renowned programmes, please visit www.acs-schools.com or call ACS Cobham 01932 869744,

ACS Egham 01784 430611, ACS Hillingdon 01895 818402. ACS schools are non-sectarian and co-educational (day and boarding) for

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Contact us on 01749 [email protected]

Sunny Hill, Bruton, Somerset BA10 0NTbrutonschool.co.uk

BRUTON SCHOOLFOR GIRLS

open daymonday 6th may

or contact us to arrange an individual visit

New Head, Mrs Nicola Botterill, moved to Bruton School for Girls (BSG) at the start of the

school year from St Mary’s Calne where she was Deputy Head, after a decade at Putney High School, and there is a buzz of purpose and excitement around the school. Mrs Botterill is thrilled that she has the opportunity to lead a school in such beautiful, inspiring and wholesome surroundings, with excellent links to London and beyond, which gives girls the best of both worlds. As an Eco-School with Green Flag status, Leiths cookery school, opportunities to ride and extensive rural grounds on the edge of a buzzing market town, girls are safe, happy and have the benefit of a modern solution - school life in the country during the week and home life in the city at the weekends.

‘I am a passionate believer in education; education is about developing the whole person and with our boarding school ethos for all girls, regardless of whether they board, we are able to help girls discover who they are, support and challenge them to achieve things they never thought possible and prepare them for ‘life’. Unlike many boarding schools, with our lessons running from Monday to Friday, your daughter can continue to be involved in her other activities with the family and within the community at the weekend if she wishes. She will make new friends here and keep her old friends in London.

Added to that there are very practical benefits for London parents, with frequent, direct and some escorted services to Waterloo and Clapham Junction from Gillingham, and Paddington from Castle Cary. At BSG, now the only girls’ school in Somerset, it’s not about who you are, it’s what you want to become, and we enable every girl to make the most of her unique skills and talents.’

Mrs Botterill arrived at a time when the A Level and GCSE results were the best for many years*. The value-added scores are so significant that on average, across every subject, one whole grade is added to pupils’ predicted performance**. ‘This is hugely significant for us, as parents want to be reassured that their daughter, whatever her ability, is going to be stretched and supported to achieve her best in all she does, not just in examinations.’

Of greatest satisfaction to Mrs Botterill is that most girls go to their first choice of university. ‘Helping girls achieve their hopes and dreams, and enabling each and every one to shape high and realistic expectations for herself is hugely rewarding for all involved’ she says. ‘Our aim is to encourage, challenge and support each girl to develop her full potential to become the amazing person she can be, with friends for life in this fast changing world. Each girl is encouraged to develop her intellectual curiosity, self-esteem, confidence without arrogance, respect and care for others, as

well as to develop independence, excellence in all she does and a love of life!’

Mrs Botterill says ‘The girls here are fantastic: tolerant, well-grounded and self-confident. I am excited about making BSG the smart choice for your daughter and growing the reputation of the school which, at the moment, is the best kept secret in the South West. Most importantly, whatever they go on to do, girls leave Bruton well-grounded and ready to face the modern world, having had fun and having made fantastic friendships to sustain them in their adult lives. We are proud of our girls’ successes and we invite you to come and discover how your daughter can ‘Blossom at Bruton’ by taking advantage of Monday to Friday at school in the country, Saturday and Sunday at home in London.

✱ Our A Level results were the best for six years with almost half the grades at A* and A, and no less than 75% at A*- B

✱ ✱ According to Durham University’s MidYis data

CoNtaCt us...Please call Mrs Katherine O’Brien, our Registrar, on 01749 814400 for an informal chat or email her at [email protected] www.brutonschool.co.uk

A modern solution at Bruton School for Girls School life in the country during the week, home life in the city at weekends.

BRUTON SCHOOL S SP13.indd 12 04/03/2013 09:43


A s many a parent will testify, the only thing worse than taking GCSE, AS and A levels yourself is being

condemned to a role on the sidelines, quivering with nerves when it’s your son or daughter’s turn to go all out to get those golden grades.

However well intentioned and accurate their advice, parents aren’t, alas, always listened to, teenagers being notorious for suffering advanced cases of shoot the messenger (and ignore the message).

Take A-level student Sasha, whose mother could scarcely have exerted less pressure if she’d tried, bulk buying Bach

Rescue Remedy and turning their house into a tranquil oasis of calm. Well received? Obviously not. “They kept telling me I was working too hard and that I’d do just fine, so I should stop. Obviously I couldn’t,” she says, residual annoyance still apparent months later.

Are they ready?You may be one of the lucky ones, whose children, models of motivation and efficiency, have sat at the feet of their admired pedagogues throughout their school careers, breathlessly intent on committing to memory every piece of

well-meaning advice on effective revision handed out over the years and then followed it to the letter.

There again, you may not. So perhaps it’s just as well that a new firm of bright young things has entered the revision fray. Elevate Education, recently arrived from Australia, runs seminars aimed at GCSE, AS and A-level students, as well as their parents. They offer a range of success-generating techniques and they’re good at stressing the almost miraculous benefits of doing plenty of practice questions. But their real USP is the extreme youth of the staff. Most are aged 25 or under and all are endearingly

Above, pupil at Gordonstoun, Moray

Study skills

REVISION

Revision feverWith exams on the horizon, Charlotte Phillips gathers top tips for tense times

015_ISP_0313_v3.indd 15 1/3/13 14:39:59


bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, with an impressive work ethic and word economy to match. For pupils, it’s a revelation to be addressed by people only slightly older than them, who have very recently been through tough exams themselves.

Plan aheadThey stress the need to kick start the process early – a point that is reiterated by Jane Gandee, Headmistress of St Swithun’s, Hampshire, a girls’ school which regularly punches above its weight with results. “In an ideal world, you would produce condensed notes for each subject you study throughout the academic year as this would aid your retention of the material,” she says.

Schools are quick, however, to offer reassurance to parents whose children aren’t yet the forward-thinking paragons we’d like them to be and whose files look like something hastily assembled by a poltergeist with a hangover.

Don’t despair, they say. Instead, indulge in a spot of recreational filing. It can work wonders, confirms Mark Bishop, who reports that even the messiest of leopards can end up with a new set of pristine-looking spots. As Headmaster of the formerly boys’ only Trinity School, in South London, he has presided over a recent move to admit girls in the sixth form, with interesting results. “Undoubtedly, when girls first arrived, the boys… were struck by the gap between their own shambolic notes and the girls’ very organised ones. It’s a

generalisation; but the gap has definitely closed. It’s also worth remembering that few teachers will leave pupils to sink or swim. Many will generally build in some revision time, particularly with GCSEs. “Make a note of anything that you would like your teacher to go through in class. Don’t just say, ‘I don’t understand anything,’” says Jane Gandee.

Repetition is key Your child should possess a trusty revision timetable that breaks the day into appetising chunks, each lasting, thinks Jane Gandee, around 50 minutes as there’s evidence that “the average person finds it difficult to concentrate more than an hour.” Five minute review sessions where pupils re-read or tell someone else what they have learned nudges information from short to long term memory. And “Practice makes perfect,” says Alex Dyer, Director of London-based Tutor House. “Identify trends in past papers, work on key words and phrases and get a feel for the exam.”

Location, locationTimetable formulated, now to consider where to revise. Panoramic vistas are entirely optional, explains former

Above, Christ’s Hospital School, West Sussex

Housemaster Niall Browne, who now runs BVS Education. “It really is an individual choice. We used to be taught not to revise beside a window because you look outside. I think that’s a fallacy. You have to trust the children to know what they’re doing.”

Trust, yes. Blind faith, no, say the experts, who draw parents’ attention to a few must-take-to-heart caveats. While children’s ability to absorb information may be jaw-droppingly impressive, there are limits – and they’re often electronically shaped, explains Niall Browne. “If they’ve got an Xbox control in their hand or the television on, then as a parent you must intervene.”

Get involved!Of all the advice, however, the golden nugget, oft repeated by just about every school, boils down to ensuring that whatever revision your child does is started well in advance and involves active engagement with enemy facts and figures. Merely sitting there as a passive bystander significantly reduces the chances that any of those vital facts and figures will stick around long enough to become a permanent fixture their brain.

Mark Bishop at Trinity School stresses that any pupil happily convinced that reading through notes constitutes

“ By the time they get to 17 or 18, the scaffolding has to come down. They have really got to develop learning strategies for

themselves rather than parents hassling them ”

015_ISP_0313_v3.indd 16 1/3/13 14:40:37


revision, for example, needs to be swiftly disabused of the notion. “In most cases, it’s incredibly ineffective.”

Ed Bond, a current Haileybury Housemaster in Hertfordshire and former Assistant Director of Studies, doesn’t mince his words, either, “Put a pen into your hand. That is the number one piece of advice I would give to a child revising. Staring at a computer screen and doing interactive games does not prepare you for the depth of revision you need,” he says.

Successful revision techniques come in a multitude of guises. You might need to incorporate a spot of rote learning – a language must-do when acquiring grammar and vocabulary, or opt for mind maps, good for history, geography and anything else that’s big on subject sprawl and crying out for containment. “Different subjects require different techniques,” explains Jane Gandee.

Breathing space Parents are urged to temper their natural desire to help with consummate tact, she says. “By all means offer to test your child and listen to oral presentations even if you don’t speak the language but don’t check up on your child every five minutes and don’t nag.”

It’s natural to worry, but parents have to master the gentle art of letting go. When older, children need to take responsibility for their revision, says Mark Bishop. “There is clearly a massive difference between the parent of a GCSE student and the parent of an A-level student. By the time they get to 17 or 18, the scaffolding has to come down. They have really got to develop those learning strategies for themselves… As a parent, my job is to keep them calm and relaxed rather than hassling them.”

Get it right, and the results can be dramatic. “Some students may not be the brightest but work really hard in terms of intelligently revising. It can make a difference in terms of at least one grade and sometimes two.”

Adam Diprose, Head Presenter at Elevate Education says give them techniques that work, reward their energy and attention and “it can boil down to the idea that when you get the correct revision process... the result will take care of itself.”

“ Of all the advice, the golden nugget

boils down to ensuring that revision

begins well in advance and involves active engagement ”

REVISION

015_ISP_0313_v3.indd 17 1/3/13 14:41:21


Your teenager has been in their bedroom for hours, the door firmly closed. If you are a parent of a teen you will

know this is not unusual. Except now they are supposed to be revising for their GCSEs or A levels. But are they? Do you knock gently and ask how they are getting on? If you dare, the most likely response will be, “Leave me alone, I’m busy!” But busy seems to include non-stop texting, computer games or talking on the phone.

Teenagers and revision: as a parent you can’t win. Apply too much pressure and your child may buckle or rebel. Apply none and further down the line they may accuse you of not pushing them enough: the blame for low grades placed at your door.

My experience included a hands-on and hands-off approach, although I admit the hands-off only came after months of unproductive nagging.

My son and daughter were totally different: my daughter would revise until midnight and had to be nagged to go to bed, often after bouts of tears and her insistence that she would never learn the topic, whereas my son’s method involved telling me to be quiet so he could revise – while I drove him to school for the exam. Surprisingly, each method was highly successful.

Every teenager is different. Some will respond to gentle nagging, or encouragement, but many won’t. Reminding a teen they ought to be revising rarely motivates. It is eventually a cause of deterioration in your relationship. And after exams you want to have a good relationship, whatever they achieve.

Offering practical help often works better than reminding them that they ought to be revising. They already know that; they excel at displacement activities, feverishly tidying their rooms or even offering to do housework.

Suggest they plan a revision timetable, which includes some relaxation time. No one can maintain their focus for hours.It’s worth reflecting on your own way of working: regular breaks, chats with colleagues and checks of your personal emails. It is counter-productive to restrict their freedom at weekends: telling a 17-year-old they are not allowed out unless they have done their revision rarely motivates. I tried it – believe me.

If you are a working parent and your child is at home during the day, it can be hard to know how much revision they do. If they appreciate support, a quick text at lunchtime to ask how they are getting on is great. If they resent you asking, don’t. Perhaps when you come home gently ask them how they have got on, but don’t interrogate unless you are prepared for lots of door slamming!

I recently found myself as a mediator between 18-year-old James and his mother. She wanted me to try to help James with his revision; she wasn’t having any success. It became clear why: she would burst into his bedroom every 30 minutes to check up on him. Most of the time he appeared to be texting

Glynis Kozma asks: how do you help your child through the stress of revision and what part do you play?

“ My son’s method involved telling me to be quiet so he could revise – while I drove him

to school for the exam ”

For more information visit... www.independentschoolparent.com

Glynis Kozma is a journalist and author who writes on education and parenting issues for national newspapers and magazines.

friends rather than working. But James explained that he had found a revision style that suited him: working intensely in short bursts. And it happened that each time his mother came into his room he was having a break. He resented her behaviour and became increasingly withdrawn from the family, causing more anguish. My advice to his mother was to back off – right off. This wasn’t what she wanted to hear, as she so desperately wanted him to do well.

Often, the reason we nag our teens is to try to prevent them from making the same mistakes we made; or to match our high achievement; or simply to reach their potential. But will nagging work?

I asked my son how he’d felt about my nagging. “It made me not want to work. Nagging is not productive,” he replied. “Parents need to find a way to inspire.” When asked how, he responded with, “Hmm, that’s hard.”

So, during revision periods supply healthy snacks and drinks, offer your support, if they want it, but otherwise leave them alone and immerse yourself in something you enjoy. Then wait for their results!

Cheerleader -in-chief or silent witness?

015_ISP_0313_v3.indd 18 5/3/13 12:06:11

www.independentschoolparent.com spring 2013 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ParENT 19

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How do you raise a winner?


HEAD VIEW


In my career in schools, I have seen almost as many parents damage their children as make them. The level of

ignorance in society about how to bring up children well is astonishing. Many parents really haven’t a clue what constitutes good parenting – and resent it when they are told so.

Their behaviour as parents is largely unexamined and subconsciously dictated, guided by their own experience when they were children, with their own parents in turn heavily shaped by their own parents. Parenting is thus largely a ritual dance of unexamined behaviours, with the people who lose out being…the children.

Anthony Seldon is Master of Wellington College and is the author of many books.

corporate world? Or maybe, mum or dad would have liked to have been a big whizz, and failed to make it? Their child is put under unbearable pressure to succeed, and if they are not making the right steps towards this elusive position, they are made to feel, yes, you got it, a failure.

It may seem as if these examples are all plucked out of thin air. They are plucked out of life, and I see them again and again.

So what is good parenting, and what kind of child is a winner? Good parenting is really quite simple: it is allowing the child to become the unique person he or she is and wants to be. Being a winner is being that person. Parents who bludgeon their children to be a “mini

the child do what the parent wants. Good parents help their children to

become autonomous and independent. Bad parenting prevents a child from becoming autonomous and fully independent, with life-long damage, not least in the way that those children will in turn bring up their own children.

Successful children are those who are allowed to become who they want to be, not those who are forced to follow their parents’ dreams, writes Anthony Seldon

Good parenting gives a child the tools to succeed in later life

❝ The key to being a good parent is learning how to let go and realising

that you don’t ‘own’ your child ❞

Let me make it abundantly clear what I think about the title I have been asked to write about, “How do you raise a winner?” It categorically does not equate being a winner to fi t in with the ambition of the parents: mum and dad went to Oxbridge, or failed to go to Oxbridge, so the child has to go regardless of whether or not it is suitable for them. If they fail to get a place, and it is increasingly hard to do so, their children will feel a failure for the rest of their lives. Mum or dad was gifted at sport and derived great pleasure from playing for the school. So son or daughter has to play for the fi rst team: and if the coaches don’t pick them, and for the right position, they are useless.

Mum or dad is a big whizz in the

me” may feel that they are doing the right thing: but it is a cruel misrepresentation of what good parenting is.

The key to being a good parent is learning how to let go. It is important to realise that you don’t “own” your child, but rather that they are their own person, with their own thoughts, feelings and passions.

The good parent will spend attentive time with the child, the father as well as the mother, and help the child to think through and develop their own thoughts, feelings and opinions. They will help the child through the key decisions in their life; including choice of school, choice of subjects and choice of university, rather than subtly making

What’s your view? Discuss on Twitter...@ISParent

021_ISP_0313.indd 21 1/3/13 16:28:49


BRIGHTYOUNG THINGSUp-and-coming stars from the independent school sector, by Natalie Milner

rachel Morris, 27 Doctor, OSweSTRY ScHOOl, SHROpSHIReWhen she was 16-years-old Rachel Morris lived with two doctors on a school exchange to South Africa, igniting her love of medicine and the country. She went on to gain a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery plus a degree in Biomedical Sciences from The University of Nottingham in 2009. After her foundation training Rachel moved to the East London Hospital in South Africa to be a medical officer in Paediatrics. She is hoping to return to the UK this year to start her official Paediatrics training; but her interest in tropical medicine, and her diploma in HIV medicine, is likely to draw her back to Africa in the future.

Phil Meadows, 22Musician, cHeTHaM’S ScHOOl Of MUSIc, GReaTeR MaNcHeSTeRPhil Meadows is a saxophonist, composer, educator and journalist who has performed at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms, on BBC Radio 3, BBC 4 and at Glastonbury Festival. In February 2012, Phil was also invited to perform for The Queen. His dedication to his work has led him to become one of the youngest ever RICO artists – an endorsement from the international reed manufacturer. As an avid writer both of music and media, Phil composes for multiple ensembles. He graduated with a first class honours degree from Leeds College of Music before studying at Trinity College of Music, London on the prestigious Arches Scholarship. Phil’s competition success includes the George Murphy Prize for Saxophone 2010 and Great Northern Big Band Competition (Best Band, Best Section 2010).

Genevieve Barr, 27Actress, HaRROGaTe ladIeS’ cOlleGe, NORTH YORkSHIReGenevieve Barr went from a Teach first graduate scheme to the lead role in BBc drama series The Silence in 2010, a drama about a deaf girl who witnesses the murder of a policewoman. Genevieve then became involved with action on Hearing loss and Hear the world – from being a spokesperson to visiting various projects – while she ran numerous half marathons in aid of the National deaf children’s Society. acting was a love that was ignited at Harrogate ladies college: “Being deaf, I had to work on the clarity of my voice a lot and acting offered me a vehicle by which I could please my parents by improving my voice, while enjoying acting!”

Daisy Sims-Hilditch, 21Artist, ST MaRY’S calNe, wIlTSHIReDaisy was one of 20 young artists to have work short listed from 18,000 entries for the prestigious Saatchi Gallery in the Sunday Telegraph Art Prize for Schools in 2011 for Paul, a painting of her grandfather (below). Recently, in Autumn 2012, her work was on display at the Cork Street Gallery in London as part of the Consider the Lilies exhibition consisting of paintings by Old Girls of St Mary’s Calne who are currently working artists. Last October, Daisy was chosen to paint a portrait of departing Head Dr Helen Wright, which now hangs at the school. She has always enjoyed observing objects, people, and situations and is currently studying at The Charles Cecil Atelier in Florence.

022_ISP_0313.indd 22 1/3/13 14:44:04


Steffan aquarone, 28Producer,Norwich School, NorfolkThe filming of Tortoise in Love (2012), of which Steffan Aquarone was Producer, was no mean feat. The entire village of Kingston Bagpuize in Oxfordshire were rallied together to tell the tale. Young mums helped with sales, design and publicity, retired members of the community provided the drivers, props and logistics support while much of the film’s budget was raised by small local investors. Steffan, with writer and director Guy Browning, managed a team of 600 and in return the village owns a share of the film. His passion for filmmaking became apparent as Steffan edited the school fashion show in a tiny office at the top of his school. Years later his first film was first screened at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and as a result premiered at London’s Leiceister Square with the village in tow!

Louise Jordan, 29 Singer-songwriter, GodolphiN School, wiltShirecredited as a writer, engineer and producer louise also sings, plays guitar, piano and cello. however, it is louise’s voice that is celebrated as her trade mark sound: captivating, powerful and evocative. Since releasing her award-winning debut album TEMPVS (2011) and second album Florilegium (2012) she remains an independent artist and has produced her albums under her own record company, Azania records. Bringing together her passion for music and education, louise set up forest liVe with her husband tim dench, an organisation committed to providing educational opportunities to local students interested in music, events, media and art through internships and workshops. through its concerts forest liVe also supports the work of the trust for overseas Aid and development (toAd), set up by tim.

School’S oUt


022_ISP_0313.indd 23 1/3/13 14:44:57


“I remember feeling sad that my daughter preferred to spend her weekday evenings with friends

rather than at home with us – but I knew that I used to wish for the same opportunity at her age.” These were Judith’s feelings when her teenage daughter began weekly boarding at Kingswood School, Bath.

There is no doubt that adjusting to your son or daughter becoming a full time or weekly boarder can be a difficult transition. If you, and your teenager, are new to boarding, managing the amount of contact can be tricky: too much may exacerbate feelings of homesickness, appear overbearing and not allow them the space they need, too little could give the impression you are enjoying the peace and quiet at home rather too much. For some families, boarding was not always planned, but sometimes a parent’s career can make it a necessity; judging how much contact to make and managing your own feelings of loneliness or separation can be hard.

It’s never been easier to stay in touch: mobile phones, Skype and email ensure that you can usually contact your child at almost any time. But should you – and what do schools advise?

At Sedburgh School, Cumbria, Chris Hattam is Housemaster of one of the boys’ houses. “We don’t have a blanket rule for interaction – it’s a bespoke service. We know the children, the parents, and what is right for each family at any given time. We offer constant reassurance: our in-house blog, which runs alongside our website, gives connectivity to parents who want to feel more involved. We don’t have any

Empty nestLeaving your child on their first day at boarding school can be full of mixed emotions, writes Glynis Kozma

exeats during the first two weeks of term.” How does the school monitor mobile phones? “We remove phones at bedtime for Years 9 and 10, but will always look at a particular need and time. There is internet in all rooms and we also provide Skype.”

Schools such as Canford in Dorset encourage parents to be involved in school life: matches, concerts, competitions and house events. The quality of their links with parents was rated as excellent in a recent inspection but nevertheless, Canford asks pupils not to make or receive phone calls during lessons, in change over times between lessons, during lunch, prep or after lights out. Dan Culley, Senior Housemaster says, “Pupils are discouraged from seeking immediate recourse to parents initially. Senior pupils act as mentors to generate a homely feel and a sense of belonging; a family atmosphere is very much our priority within the houses.”

As a parent it is vital that you don’t convey your anxieties to your children, regardless of how much you are missing them. With teenagers especially, there is the embarrassment factor if parents phone too often or at the wrong time. It may be better to send a text which they can answer in their own time than interrupt the fun they are having with their new friends. If you are unsure of how much contact they want, ask them. Some teenagers may prefer to be in control and contact you, or you might agree on a day and time to call.

Emma, whose daughter is at Bedales School admits, “I found the first week agony, made worse by my husband being overseas with work, and neither of us having any experience of boarding. But my daughter phones us each evening and we

also write letters and email. At Bedales, Wednesday afternoons are free for pupils over 11, so we will sometimes meet our daughter for tea or a pizza.” Emma appreciates that as her daughter matures – she is 12 – this level of involvement may decrease but at present she says, “I can’t imagine having less contact with her.”

At Harrogate Ladies’ College, North Yorkshire, there is great variation in contact. “Some girls are very independent and make a weekly phone call only, others speak daily. The vast majority of girls have their own laptops or tablets and keep in touch via email and Skype too.”

Katy is one parent who found it hard to leave her sons behind, “My husband is an Army Officer and full time boarding for our two sons became our best option.” Katy’s sons started at Taunton Prep then moved into the senior school. “As I drove away I felt an overwhelming desire to turn round and tell the school I’d made a mistake, but fortunately I didn’t. Sometimes I don’t hear from them for days, which makes me feel redundant but I know they are happy.”

Canford’s Headmaster, in his speech to new parents, quotes Cecil Day Lewis: “Selfhood begins with a walking away. And love is proved in the letting go.”

While Judith describes some of the benefits more prosaically: “When your children are away during term time the house stays tidy, the fridge is never emptied and we don’t feel guilty listening to whatever we want on the radio!” Im

ag

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LIFE

024_ISP_0313.indd 24 1/3/13 16:28:01

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a) What is the capital of…?1) France, 2) Spain, 3) Norway, 4) Sweden, 5) Australia, 6) Italy, 7) South Africa, 8) Czech Republic, 9) Morocco, 10) Zambia.

b) Of which countries are the following capitals…?1) Baghdad, 2) Azerbaijan, 3) Luxembourg, 4) Helsinki, 5) Kabul, 6) Brussels, 7) Sofia, 8) Ottowa, 9) Santiago, 10) Port-au-Prince.

c) Who wrote…?1) The Odyssey, 2) The Poirot detective stories, 3) Famous Five series, 4) Harry Potter series, 5) King Lear, 6) The Hobbit, 7) The Chronicles of Narnia, 8) Peter Rabbit, 9) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 10) Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

d) In which sport would you compete for…?1) FIFA World Cup, 2) Ryder Cup, 3) America’s Cup, 4) The Gentleman’s Singles Trophy, 5) Stanley Cup, 6) Davis Cup, 7) The Ashes, 8) The Calcutta Cup, 9) William Webb Ellis Trophy, 10) The FA Cup.

e) Who started their reign of England in the following years?1) 1066, 2) 1952, 3) 1837, 4) 1509, 5) 1558. f) What are the collective nouns of the following animals?1) Bees, 2) Ants, 3) Dogs, 4) Crows, 5) Geese in flight.

g) What are the Christian names of the following artists?1) Dali, 2) Renoir, 3) Picasso, 4) Monet, 5) Constable.

h) How many consonants are there in the English alphabet?

i) Which English county has a border with only one other county?

j) How many points does a snowflake have?

k) What fruit comes from the rose?

l) How many lines are in a sonnet?

m) Altocumulus is a type of what?

n) If Dennis is the Menace what is Beryl?

Think you know your capital cities from your Kings and Queens of England? Try our quiz to discover just how good you really are...

Time to test your wits

Quiz courtesy of Ludgrove School’s magazine, Berkshire, ludgrove.net

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Untitled-24 1 05/03/2013 10:06

A bursary or scholarship can help take the sting out of the school fees. Tracy Cook reports

how To save on The fees

You want the best education for your child, but can you afford it? In this tough economic climate, paying

school fees can seem daunting if not impossible. But there may be more help than you first expect.

It’s in the timingBoth Year nine and sixth form can be times of movement, so if you are considering a change for your child, this could be a good opportunity to apply for fee assistance. Most schools, both boarding and day, offer scholarships and bursaries not just on entry at age 11, but also at age 13 and at 16.

“Our schools are sympathetic to the financial challenges facing many parents and the amount of fee assistance available has grown to reflect this,” says Barnaby Lenon, Chairman of the Independent Schools Council. “ISC schools provided fee assistance to the value of almost £600 million in 2012.”

What’s the difference?Scholarships are awarded for achievement in academic work, sport, music, the arts and are provided irrespective of income – but your child will need to be outstanding. Bursaries, on the other hand, can be based on exam performance, but are dependent on financial need and are always means tested. They range from providing a small percentage of the fees all the way up to 100% and beyond, occasionally even offering help with travel, uniform, lunches and school trips.

The good news is, encouraged by the Charities Commission, more schools than ever are switching their resources away from scholarships and into bursaries, to help children who might not otherwise be able to go to independent schools.

All change“The 75% scholarship from the past is very rare now. Most are for 10%,” says Mike Lower, General Secretary of the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association. “It is far better to give a means tested bursary to a bright child


028_ISP_0313.indd 28 1/3/13 14:47:04

bursaries

who needs it, than to one whose parents could pay anyway.”

The factsOne in three children at over 1,200 independent schools received help with their fees last year and there are nearly 40,000 pupils on means tested bursaries. Their average value is £7,200 per year, while more than 5,000 pupils paid no fees at all and over 40% paid less than half.

Many schools are committed to widening access and are actively canvassing for pupils to apply for bursaries.

Christ’s Hospital in Sussex is outstanding: 90% of its pupils have some level of fee assistance. Of these, 83% pay less than half and 110 pupils pay no fees at all. “We are offering bright children the opportunity to have a first class education,” says Head John Franklin.

State to privateSchools are also looking to help pupils from

maintained schools. Eton College, which has 250 pupils on fee assistance, offers eight full scholarships in the sixth form for boys of the right ability from the state sector. They are working to form relationships with senior schools across the country to encourage pupils to apply.

“We are putting a lot of time and effort into building relationships with maintained schools, particularly those without sixth forms, to find boys who would benefit from the opportunities we can offer here,” says Tony Little, Head Master of Eton.

“It can be transformative for the individual and it can have a palpable

Opposite, Charterhouse school, surrey above, clockwise from top, King’s ely, Cambridgeshire; bolton school, Lancashire; ipswich High school for Girls; sherborne Girls, Dorset

❝ Eton College, which has 250 pupils on fee assistance, offers eight full scholarships

in the sixth form for boys of the right ability from the state sector ❞

effect on boys here. It gingers everybody up. If a pupil arrives hungry for opportunities, it can encourage the boys around him to appreciate what is on offer more clearly.”

Opening doorsA co-ed sixth form can also be a draw for girls from single-sex schools who want a different experience. “My daughter definitely wanted a new challenge. She felt she’d outgrown her old school, but we felt the local sixth form colleges were too big and impersonal,” says one mother,


028_ISP_0313.indd 29 1/3/13 14:48:07

Christ’s Hospital is a unique and totally remarkableindependent school. You’ve really got to see it to believe it.

Behind the outstanding architecture, the world-class facilities and the electric atmosphere, you’ll find pupils from all walks of life achieving and exceeding their potential.

Our termly Open Mornings are designed to give you a flavour of what CH is really like and to meet pupils and staff. Full details are available by visiting the School’s website or by contacting the Admissions team.

T 01403 246555E [email protected] christs-hospital.org.uk

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING A SCHOOLCONSIDER CHRIST’S HOSPITAL.

AN INDEPENDENT CO-EDUCATIONALBOARDING AND DAY SCHOOLRIGHT IN THE HEART OF SUSSEX.

Christ’s Hospital, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 0LJRegistered Charity No. 1120090

CHRIST’S HOSPITAL OFFERS MORE BURSARIES AND SCHOLARSHIPS THAN ANY OTHER LEADING INDEPENDENT SCHOOL IN THE UK

Independent School Advert First Eleven_Layout 1 28/02/2013 11:58 Page 1


❝ One in three children at over 1,200 independent schools received help with their fees last year and there are nearly

40,000 pupils on means-tested bursaries ❞

Above, Gresham’s, Norfolk

you already pay school fees – even how many holidays you have. And the bursary will be reassessed every year.

“It was quite intrusive,” says one mother, a single parent whose son was awarded a 50% Foundation Bursary in Year nine at Reed’s School in Surrey. “It can feel quite demeaning, but I understand why they have to be so thorough. And without the bursary, there is no question that my son could not have gone to the school.”

So an independent school education for your child is not out of reach. If you are prepared to put in the work, there is support with fees to be won.

whose daughter won a 20% music scholarship to St John’s School, Surrey, from an all girls’ state school.

“Now she has more opportunities – her music lessons are paid for and as part of her scholarship she does choral singing. If you are going to spend money on education, the sixth form is the best place to focus it.

Philip John, the Head at Gresham’s School, Norfolk, agrees. He has noticed increased demand at sixth form for both places and bursaries, particularly for boarding. “More parents want their children to experience the relative independence of boarding as a stepping stone between school and university. We are trying to increase our bursary provision to help them.” They are also building a new sixth form centre and re-shaping their curriculum and timetable to respond to the demand.

More choice Others may be attracted by the opportunity to study the IB diploma. Red Maids’ School, the oldest girls’ school in the country, has a brand new sixth form

centre and is the only independent school in Bristol to offer both A levels and IB. “Girls are attracted to us because of the IB,” says Isabel Tobias, Red Maids’ Head. “It has quite a presence in the school, bringing a more international flavour and interest in global issues.” About 15% of the school’s pupils have some fee assistance, a few with 100% bursaries.

How to applyWith school fees averaging £3,903 per term for day pupils and £8,780 for boarding school fees, you can see why parents might need help. Assistance may be on offer to families with incomes up to around £50,000, but each school will have their own criteria, so it is always worth approaching a school for further consideration.

But applying for a bursary is not for the faint hearted. The school will carry out a detailed examination of your personal circumstances, including all forms of income, assets, savings and pension. It will look at your lifestyle including your mortgage, number of dependants, childcare costs and whether


Visit independentschoolparent.com for our free checklist for all you need to know on BURSARIES & SCHOLARSHIPS

Do your research. As well as school websites, check the Independent Schools Council, The Girls’ Schools Association, The Independent Association of Prep Schools and the Boarding Schools’ Association websites. Find out what the schools you are interested in offer.

Start early. Choose your schools and approach them at least two years before you want your child to attend.

Expect to be means tested. P60s, bank, pension and mortgage statements will be scrutinised.

Apply for scholarships. If your child excels academically or in music, sport, drama, dance or design, there could be a scholarship for them. Kilgraston, Perthshire, has an equestrian centre, and offers a range of sporting scholarships.

Consider boarding schools. Many offer generous bursaries.

Explore all avenues. If your school can’t help, can a charitable trust? Check the Educational Trusts’ Forum. There are trusts to help the children of families in the armed forces, actors (The Actors’ Charitable Trust), the motor trade (BMTA Trust), the clothing industry (Fashion & Textile Children’s Trust) and those in the City of London (Mitchell City of London Educational Trust). The Joint Educational Trust (JET), Frank Buttle Trust and The Reedham Trust support children in traumatic or difficult circumstances.

It’s not for life. The bursary could be checked every year.

HOw TO SavE ON THE SCHOOL fEES

BURSARIES

028_ISP_0313.indd 31 1/3/13 14:48:52

To discuss Admissions, Scholarships, or to attend an Open Morning, you are warmly invited to contact the Registrar, Iona Hutchinson.

Tel: 01992 706353 Email: [email protected] Haileybury, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG13 7NU

www.haileybury.com

Registered Charity No. 310013

Academic rigour and outstanding co-curricular provision are at the heart of Haileybury, providing a truly all-round education and ensuring pupils leave as con� dent, tolerant and ambitious individuals who can make a di� erence in the world beyond school.

• A choice of IB Diploma or A Levels in the Sixth Form• Exceptional opportunities in sport, music and the arts• Professional coaches and world-class visitors and speakers• Scholarships available at 11+, 13+ and 16+• Superb pastoral care and excellent facilities• Located in rural Hertfordshire, yet only 20 miles from central London

OPEN MORNINGSSaturday 18 May for 13+ or 16+ entryThursday 23 May for 11+ entry

INDEPENDENT BOARDING & DAY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AND BOYS AGED 11-18

@HaileyburyUK


“We were devastated,” sniffled my friend Joanne. “Richard took part in everything possible at his

boarding school, for his house and the school: playing the oboe to a high level in the school Symphony Orchestra, singing in the choral society, running in the athletics team, captaining the 2nd cricket XI and a member of the Creative Writing society.

“Everyone likes him, she continues, “and he’s bright too – he got mostly A*s and applied to Cambridge – and we all hoped he’d be made head of school, because he deserved it, but also because these sort of honours definitely help young people stand out when they apply to university. To our amazement, Richard wasn’t even made a prefect, although several less impressive boys were – and he was rejected by Cambridge. We always wonder if he might have got in if he’d been a prefect. We’d intended to make a big donation for the new science block but my husband was so disappointed for Richard, he decided against it.”

An extreme case, maybe, but proof of how emotions can run high when the prestigious jobs of head boy, prefect, head of house and the like are handed out, usually around the start of a student’s final year. The independent schools in particular have always stressed the importance of responsibility and leadership and even captains of industry often admit that they have never enjoyed greater power than as head boy of a top public school.

One house captain at Rugby School in the early 1970s was horrified to find that he was expected to beat errant younger boys to preserve discipline in the house. “I thought the whole idea was barbaric,” he recalled.

These days with faggings and beatings relegated to history, prestige rather than

COMMENT

Songs of praiseEmotions can run high when the prestigious accolades of head boy, girl, head of house or prefect are handed out, writes Alice Barlow

discipline is key. With growing competition for the most sought-after university courses, many hyper-ambitious parents believe that a full house of academic, sporting and service accolades could just tip the balance in their offspring’s favour. Hell hath no fury like a proud mum whose “paragon” is passed over for one of the glittering prizes and however often Oxbridge admissions tutors reiterate that their only

interest is in a candidate’s academic talent and passion for their subject, many parents who have made a substantial long-term financial investment in their child’s success remain desperate to maximise their chances – on all fronts.

Sports journalist Sally Jones experienced an extreme version of the phenomenon when reporting the Public Schools rackets championship,

“One ‘tiger-mother’ actually

Schools have always stressed the importance of responsibility and leadership

033_ISP_0313_v2.indd 31 5/3/13 11:52:58


Whole School Open Day18 May 2013

An independent day and boarding school for pupils aged 2-18

tel: 01423 504543 | e-mail: [email protected]

www.hlc.org.uk

HLCHarrogateLadies College

HLCBankfieldGirls & BoysAge 2 – 4

HLCHighfieldGirls & BoysAge 5 – 11HLC

St Benedict’s, EalingIndependent Catholic Day School

Teaching a way of livingCo-education from 3 years through to 18

OPEN MORNINGS:NURSERY: 1 and 16 May

JUNIOR SCHOOL: 4 and 20 June

SENIOR SCHOOL: 2 May, 19 JuneSCHOLARSHIPS AND BURSARIES IN SENIOR SCHOOL

T: 020 8862 2054 (3-11) 020 8862 2254 (11-18)

E: [email protected] W: www.stbenedicts.org.uk

We respect the dignity of all and welcome students of other Christian denominations and, in the Senior School and Sixth Form, other faiths.

Bromsgrove School

Worcester Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B61 7DUT: 01527 579679W: Bromsgrove-school.co.uk Head Teacher: Chris Edwards MA (Oxon) Admissions: Rachel Scannell E: [email protected]

Key facts Gender / Ages: boys and girls, 3-18 years Total pupils: 1615, boys 910, girls 705Type: Day, Weekly Boarding and Full BoardingFees: Nursery: Day from £2,200 Pre-Prep: Day from £1,995 - £2,385 Prep: Day from £3,170-£4,135, Weekly Boarding from £4,620-£5,585, Full Boarding from £6,330-£7,800 per term Senior: Day £4,500, Weekly Boarding £6,330, Full Boarding £8,645 per termTypical class size: Prep – 20, Senior – 16, Sixth Form – 2-12Faith: AnglicanMotto: Deo Regi Vicino (God, King and Neighbour)Entrance procedure: Entrance Test and Interview

Open Days: held in October but individual visits are encouraged at any time of the year

School Philosophy: Ancient but as contemporary as tomorrow, Bromsgrove’s scope is staggering: from A level to the International Baccalaureate, day to boarding, the arts to sport, pupils can soar. Utterly dedicated to the individual pupil, despite its size, Bromsgrove shuns public school drones and instead looks to produce creative citizens with a strong moral compass and a dash of pizzazz to boot. The Good Schools Guide says that Bromsgrove “inhabits the academic stratosphere” and lauds our titanic extra curricular programme as one of the finest it has seen, while the Tatler’s Good School Guide called us a “Great school with a fantastically global perspective”. Friendly, engaging and – despite its ranking - not driven by league tables, Bromsgrove is a local, national and international centre of learning.

Academic Record: Bromsgrove achieves outstanding results at both A level and IB Diploma. The majority of Sixth Form leavers continue to world class universities with 61% going to the Russell Group of Research universities in 2012.

Extra-curricular: The Extra-curricular life of the School is hugely important with activities sessions every afternoon and on Saturday mornings. Pupils are encouraged to reach their highest possible level at sport, music, drama, debating, CCF and in numerous other areas. The School recently staged the Schools version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS to great acclaim and boys and girls teams are playing Hockey at national finals in January.

Notable Achievements and Alumni: Alumni include: Lord Digby Jones of Birmingham, A E Housman, Poet. Lucilla Wright England Hockey team Olympics and Commonwealth games. Olivia Safe Opera singer. Andy Goode England Rugby. Ben Foden England Rugby.

34_ISP_SSPR13.indd 34 01/03/2013 10:35


enjoys looking after and supervising younger children. It boosted his confi dence and he absolutely blossomed, then ran several societies and sports teams when he got to Cambridge. However, his twin sister Rosie wasn’t made a prefect but as she’s shyer and worries about trying to please everybody, it wouldn’t have suited her in the least so King’s obviously understood their very different characters.”

“Our younger son, George, who’s 18, applied to be deputy head of house at Rugby School” said Juliet Homer from Warwick. “Anyone interested writes to the Housemaster putting forward his case and is then interviewed.

George was tickled pink to be appointed and actually postponed his driving lessons as it involved a lot of responsibility, organising rotas and acting as an ambassador for the school. I feel being picked for that sort of role shouts ‘leadership’; it certainly gave him confi dence for other interviews, including a very competitive one for a summer job at the Orchard School of Cookery, which he was thrilled to get.”

Much parental reaction depends on how well schools themselves handle the process. One high-profi le head selected



four senior prefects telling them that one would be made head boy at half term, depending on how well they performed in the interim. After several weeks of intense pressure, with all four feeling under constant surveillance, one was selected but a second head boy was also brought in, from outside the group.

“It was such a cack-handed decision,” said one aggrieved parent. “One master had actually told my son he was the favourite to become head boy and there was real bad feeling about it. The three boys not picked felt they’d done something wrong and it left a very sour note even though they’d all had highly successful school careers up to then.”

But, however disappointed you are at your offspring being passed over for top honours at school, take heart. Becoming head boy is not an automatic passport to success in later life where bloody-mindedness and the ability to think outside the box are often more use than nice guy conscientiousness. Some of the world’s greatest leaders, including Winston Churchill and Richard Branson, never even made form captain.

COMMENT

❝ Hell hath no fury like a proud mum whose paragon is passed over for

one of the glittering prizes ❞

Much parental reaction often depends on how well the schools handle the process


demanded that her son’s name be put fi rst in the rackets pair he was playing in,” she explained, “just in case this made a difference. It was ludicrous, particularly as the son was the weaker player in the partnership; I refused to change the name order and she was furious.”

Admittedly such ultra-driven parents are the minority and most accept the school’s choices with good grace. At Wellington College, Berkshire, selection of head boys and girls and school and house prefects from the 240-pupil sixth form is taken extremely seriously. Those interested apply in writing and undergo interviews before a decision is taken via a pupil vote and senior staff discussion.

“There will always be the odd email from a disappointed parent” admitted Deputy Head Jane Lunnon, “but it’s pretty rare. Children refl ect the calibre of their parents and any child in contention for one of these prestigious roles tends to have resilient, quality parents, rather than the helicoptering type. Our rigorous selection system also seems fair to most people – hearing our head boy, head girl and their deputies each delivering really outstanding sermons in chapel to 800 pupils recently, (better than many adults would give) made me realise just how well the whole process works.”

Most schools like Wellington recognise that it is important to choose “horses for courses” as not everyone relishes the challenge of responsibility.

“Our son Freddie was made head of house at King’s School, Canterbury” recalled his mother, novelist Alexandra Campbell, “probably because they understood he wasn’t part of the cool gang but a generally friendly chap who

033_ISP_0313_v2.indd 33 5/3/13 11:55:02

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Trips

Our group of sixth form students and parents from Wellington College, Berkshire, arrived at the school house in the remote Peruvian village of Yanamayo and were greeted by about 20 children, aged from three to 12, all in traditional dress. Their faces were dirty and wind-burnt; they wore sandals and had bare legs and were captivating.

They were wary of us and said little but there was a table-chess set outside the classroom and our children immediately sat down and started playing the local children at chess – and regularly lost to them! The children spoke a local language, not Spanish, but soon the ice was broken via the language of football,

laughter and eye contact. Conditions were tough with no

electricity, fires or heating: we all slept on the schoolroom floors in sleeping bags and didn’t wash for 5 days. We toiled hard building a greenhouse to provide much-needed green vegetables. At this altitude we had to take regular breaks to avoid getting sick. Eventually we all got into a rhythm and the sense of fulfilment and achievement was superb. I was really proud of how our teenagers kept their spirits up.”

This was Wellington parent Melanie Olrik’s account of an extraordinary parent/child service trip to Peru in November 2012. The inclusion of

parents is unusual but it proved to be highly successful.

With growing numbers of independent schools in search of a Unique Selling Point to keep up their rolls despite the tough economic climate, the range of extra-curricular experiences, facilities, exchanges and overseas trips becomes ever more varied and exotic. Your geography field trip to the Amazon rain forest trumps my history tour of Pompeii!

Service and charity work are often crucial elements in the long-haul trips. During one recent Harrow School, Middlesex, project, a group of students and staff travelled to Malawi to build a

Senior schools offer trips and activities that go above and beyond the call of duty, writes sally Jones

Above, scuba diving on Lancing College’s biology trip to Cuba

The great unknown


“

037_ISP_0313_v3.indd 37 1/3/13 14:50:32


spacious school classroom and community hall at a school of nearly 1,500 children, which previously could only accommodate 200. Shrewsbury School, Shropshire, too organises regular visits to Mutunthama, a deprived part of Malawi, supporting the Shrewsbury-based charity Medic Malawi. Last July, 18 Shrewsbury pupils took supplies to a new hospital which supplies food in times of crisis.

Oundle School, Northants, has longstanding links with Kenyan schools and orphanages at Gilgil in the Rift Valley and during a visit last year a group of students befriended local children and took them to nearby game parks and conservancies, to show them their country’s rich diversity of animal and plant life and how it can help bring in tourist revenue.0

“At the Saidia orphanage we heard unbearably and unbelievably sad stories about each individual child which really taught us all a lesson,” wrote 13-year-old Henry Sleight, an Oundle First Former. “Nevertheless, they smiled, they laughed, they played and they appreciated life. They were so happy in spite of everything. We have plenty to learn from them.”

Radley College, Oxon, has just set up an international community partnership venture with Gehandu, a remote school in Tanzania. A group of around 20 boys and 3 dons (teachers) go for 3-week visits, including a daunting seven-day climb up Mount Kilimanjaro! The boys

Clockwise from bottom, girl from Yanamayo School on a Wellington College trip to Peru, Ipswich High School for Girls’ visit to Kenya, Gordonstoun pupil, King Edward’s School, Birmingham off the beaten track on a West Indies cricket tour

037_ISP_0313_v3.indd 38 1/3/13 14:51:31


❝ The rainforest tested our ability to survive under the most demanding conditions ❞

Above left, a Harrow pupil on the expedition to KilimanjaroAbove right, a Harrow group climbed to Everest Base Camp

to more demanding expeditions aboard the school’s 80 foot Oyster Ketch, Ocean Spirit of Moray.

Back on dry land, Millfield School organises caving expeditions in the nearby Mendip Hills at picturesquely-named caverns like Sidcot’s Swallet and Swildon’s Hole. They also enter teams in the demanding Ten Tors expeditions across Dartmoor, which develop endurance, map-reading and camping skills, often in extreme weather conditions.

“We take our Year 8s for a week’s geography trip in Snowdonia in February, studying glacial landscapes,” says Arnold Lodge (Warwickshire) Headmaster David Williams, shivering involuntarily at the recollection. “It’s blooming cold the whole time but it’s character-building with a hint of danger. Our youngsters love it and have a great time going gorge-jumping and getting soaked.”

For many parents, the benefits of these extra-curricular adventures are multifold: the added confidence, independence and responsibility they foster, even among the more inexperienced and timid youngsters, make these so-called optional extras a vital part of the all-round school experience.

also give lessons at the school, do chores, visit local markets and play soccer with the Tanzanian children. A joint Radley and Tudor Hall School, Oxon, expedition to Borneo, last Summer, helped to build a shelter at the Causirina site in remote jungle, on the new Pa Umor Eco-Tourism Trail, designed to promote responsible, sustainable travel.

Overseas trips often include an academic dimension, such as Tonbridge School’s (Kent) economics trip to China where sightseeing was interspersed with visits to industrial hubs like the colossal Bao Steelworks, China’s biggest steel producer. The West Midlands schools King Edward’s and King Edward VI High School for Girls’ joint Living History Group (the only school-based re-enactment group in Britain) recently mounted an expedition to the Middle Ages Centre in Denmark where, working alongside history enthusiasts from all over the world, they set up a merchant’s household, complete with authentic costumes and artefacts. Duties started at 7am with feeding the animals, followed by bell-ringing, baking, making shoes and purses, managing the herb garden and crewing trebuchets.

Biological surveys are increasingly popular. In July, a party from Shrewsbury School will travel to Madagascar to work alongside scientists on conservation projects. Meanwhile, last Summer, 23 boys from King Edward’s travelled to Guyana in South America to take part in an

environmental research programme. where they collected data for a biodiversity assessment of the Iwokrama tropical rainforest. “It tested our ability to survive and stay safe and keep happy under the most demanding conditions, extremes of heat and humidity and regular soakings when the clouds opened,” says one pupil.

Outward Bound and survival courses closer to home remain popular. Schools with a strong tradition of CCF, such as Giggleswick in North Yorkshire, Glenalmond, Perthsire, and George Heriot’s School, Edinburgh, specialise in boosting their students’ self-discipline with climbing and orienteering, canyoning and gorge-walking.

Last Summer, five intrepid teenagers from Malvern College, Worcs, spent a week in the French Alps learning to paraglide solo on the slopes of Mont Blanc overlooking Chamonix, soaring above glaciers and chasms and returning elated with a set of heart-stopping photos – not recommended for nervous parents!

All Gordonstoun, students undergo sail training first in the Moray Firth in their picturesque cutters Northern Lights and Pole Star, then they graduate le

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037_ISP_0313_v3.indd 39 1/3/13 14:52:28


Set in beautiful, rural surroundings, Abbotsholme is a leading independent

co-educational boarding and day school for ages 4-18, with additional nursery provision.It is a school unlike any other: a wonderful place in which to learn and develop, where

each child’s contribution is properly valued and encouraged throughout.

an education for life




• Individual academic excellence and achievement

• Small class sizes (around 15), enabling individual attention and support

• Separate Prep School facilities, with access to all senior school facilities

• Outstanding outdoor education programme with indoor climbing wall and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme to Gold level

• Sporting excellence with key focus on hockey, rugby and cricket

• 70 acre working farm and BHS approved Equestrian Centre

• New dedicated Sixth Form Centre for independent learning

• First class facilities for music, art and drama

• Scholarships and forces bursaries available

COME ALONG TO OUR NEXT OPEN EVENT SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

RECEPTION PLACES AVAILABLE FOR SEPTEMBER

Contact Jessica Ash on 01889 594 265 or visit www.abbotsholme.co.uk

Abbotsholme SchoolRocester, Uttoxeter,

Staffordshire ST14 5BS

Abbotsholme an education for life


















Next Open Day: Saturday 9th March, 2013 from 9.30amInformation event for Year 7 entry in September: Friday 11th January, 2013, 5.30pm


every moment matters

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BuildingConfidenceQueen Mary’s School, Baldersby Park, Thirsk

“The high standard of committed teaching and pupils’ positive approach to their studies arereflected in good and often rapid progress and substantial academic achievement”Independent School Inspectorate Nov 2011 For further information please contact: Miss Melanie Chapman, Head of Admissions 01845 575040 email: [email protected] visit our websitewww.queenmarys.org

A School of the Woodard CorporationRegistered Charity No: 1098410

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Boarding is available for over 16’s To request a prospectus or to book a visit, please contact Marie Lovett on 020 7610 1114 or email [email protected]

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SW6 1HD

40_ISP_SSPR13.indd 40 01/03/2013 10:37


The words “etiquette” and “manners” often convey images of a 1950s finishing school: girls

gliding silently through huge ballrooms with books on their heads, and white gloves on their hands, looking demure and elegant.

These days, a British finishing school would be hard to find: books are for studying and the white gloves are a quaint relic and rather redundant, something that the core of true etiquette – manners – never should be.

For over 15 years, I have delivered modern day etiquette courses to independent school children in the UK and Ireland. My classes resemble a manners “boot camp” and include intensive sessions in confidence, deportment instruction and body language advice. My aim is to develop and bring about self-confidence and strong social skills in children.

In 90-minutes, a group of around 15 pupils will think seriously about their body language, how they communicate with others, the way they stand and walk. We talk table manners, thank you letters, handshakes and how to start a conversation politely with anyone. I touch on appropriate clothes and make-up and why having clean fingernails is non-negotiable!

Today’s schools are already aware of the importance of pupils being all-rounders with success in academia, sports and the arts. This has meant manners have in some cases gradually been left by the wayside in favour of a dazzling CV. With places at the UK’s top universities harder than ever to get, how can a child stand out in a selection process? How will the student with excellent grades achieve a position in advertising, teaching, marketing or

LIFE

Thoroughly modern mannersEtiquette expert Belinda Alexander explains why there is a place for good manners in the modern world

journalism if they are displaying negative messages without even realising it? The answer is simple: they won’t. It is no surprise that in these increasingly competitive times a growing number of schools are making an education in manners a high priority and etiquette classes are in great demand.

I am happy to deliver this part of a student’s education because school staff have such a huge workload, that it’s a

bridge too far to expect them to administer perfect manners, too. Both of my children went to independent boarding schools and I couldn’t fault either, but as a parent I did not expect the staff to be responsible for producing hundreds of perfectly mannered pupils. Schools are happy to have a new face to reinforce the importance of good manners with the backing of parents who are struggling with moody teenagers

Above, manners bring about social skills and self-confidence in children

❝ Manners bring about confidence. For with it we feel more equipped and capable to

communicate our ideas well ❞

041_ISP_0313_v2.indd 41 5/3/13 10:08:49


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42_ISP_SSPR13.indd 42 01/03/2013 10:38


who are shy (they are allowed to be shy until they are 16 – thereafter I believe we all have to present a confi dent front). One of my teenage pupils was struggling to fi nd a place at medical school, she was sent to me for private coaching. Her CV showed extensive placements in hospitals in Africa. She was a gifted, pretty, charming and shy girl whom I suspect thought her CV alone would see her through. After a short course, we improved her eye contact, posture and conversation skills, after which she found she had the confi dence to vocalise her strengths for longer. For her, the fear of interview had disappeared and success was assured.

It might sound dated, but I do believe in the power of good deportment and it is part of my classes. Deportment is how other people perceive you. It’s about holding yourself well and standing tall. I don’t teach pupils in the way that my grandmother taught me – with a ruler fi rmly held behind my back but



Belinda Alexander is an etiquette expert and teaches courses in social skills and confidence to both children and adults throughout the UK and beyond, http://confi dencecourses.co.uk/

highlighting bad posture and the problems this causes is important for children’s future well-being. British people have a high percentage of spinal problems that could be reduced if only people learnt to stand correctly using the muscles supporting the spine. Good posture also aids effective digestion – the core of rude health. Most of my students love this part, walking to music as if on a catwalk, they relax and have fun: it’s a good end to the session.

I want to arm children with the ability to present themselves and their abilities as best as they can, with charm, manners and confi dence. This is what good etiquette means today, and there’s not a white glove in sight.

❝ Manners are increasingly dismissed as irrelevant and archaic – they are not used for

show, they are about mindfulness and respect ❞

Communicating e� ectively, being polite and well groomed is important


who don’t feel the necessity to write a thank you letter for a gift.

“In this age of texting and social networking, it is just as important for our girls to prepare appropriately for interviews and professional careers as it is to gain the academic results necessary for success,” says Nic Riddle, head of PSHE as Downe House. “It goes without saying that these sessions are far more memorable when given by someone other than their parents or teachers.”

Manners are increasingly dismissed as irrelevant and archaic, but, true manners are not an act or used for show, they are about mindfulness and respect. My own children, who scoffed at etiquette as teenagers, have found that it matters very much as working adults – so all of my “sit up straight”, “have you done your thank you cards” and “stand up when Granny comes into the room” missives do translate all these years later.

This is because manners bring about confi dence, which is such a powerful tool, for with it we feel more equipped and capable to communicate our ideas well.

Communication is quite simply an essential life skill, but many of my teenage pupils are not aware of how important body language alone is. With their arms folded, shoulders hunched and eyes on the fl oor, I question how they look and what message they are delivering?

Although I teach far more girls than boys, I don’t believe manners, confi dence and deportment should be gender-specifi c. Communicating effectively, being polite, confi dent and well-groomed is important for both the sexes. Although this may seem obvious, you would be amazed at how many people are not attuned to the basics – fi rm handshake, good eye contact, introducing people to each other or standing up when older people come into a room: I want pupils to do this as second nature, otherwise, my feeling is why bother giving them a fi rst class education.

The art of conversation is another subject I teach. Most pupils fi nd talking to adults and parents diffi cult. We ask boring questions apparently: what school do they attend? What subjects are they taking? I encourage pupils to open up topics themselves and to read broadsheet newspapers so that a proper debate and conversation may ensue. This is how I help to nurture ideas for young people

LIFE

041_ISP_0313_v2.indd 43 5/3/13 10:09:18

The Duke of Edinburgh’s

Awardwww.independentschoolparent.com44 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ParENT SPRING 2013

It is synonymous with personal development and employers see it as a mark of excellence on an

applicant’s CV. We tell you all you need to know about …

Below, Reed’s School, Surrey, set up camp on their Silver expedition

044_ISP_0313_v2.indd 44 5/3/13 11:26:50

What is it and who can take part? The DofE award was founded by The Duke of Edinburgh in 1956. The initial idea came from the Duke and his Headmaster, Kurth Hahn, at Gordonstoun School. Both recognised that it would give young people a sense of achievement and purpose.

It is achieved by completing a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24. DofE programmes take between 1 year and 4 years to complete, depending on the route taken. All programmes must be completed by the participant’s 25th birthday. It has built an admirable reputation with both universities and employers who recognise it as a mark of excellence on their applicants CVs.

It is awarded as recognition of a young person’s successful journey of self-discovery and development. Its balanced programme develops the whole person – mind, body and soul, in an environment of social interaction and team working.

The breakdownThere are three levels which, when completed, lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Your son or daughter achieves their Award by completing a personal programme of activities in four sections (five if they’re going for Gold): Volunteering, Physical, Skills, Expedition, and, in the Gold Award, Residential.

The variety on offer will mean they could find themselves helping people or the community, improving their fitness, developing new skills, going on an expedition and taking part in a residential activity (Gold only).

Time frameIt will take your child a minimum of six months to complete their Bronze DofE programme. They can start their Bronze

when they are 14 (or slightly earlier if most of their peers are already 14). They will have to complete a two-day, one-night expedition and also undertake their chosen activities for three months from the other three sections: Physical, Skills and Volunteering.

It’s worth doing the Awards in order as it takes at least six months to complete a Silver DofE programme with a Bronze Award under their belt, 12 months otherwise. Similarly, a Gold DofE programme can be completed in at least 12 months if they have a Silver Award but at least 18 months without, even if they have already achieved a Bronze Award. They are required to show regular commitment to the Award for the duration of their DofE programme – usually at least one hour per week.

DofE


❝I really enjoyed taking part in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. It provided an opportunity to challenge myself, learn new things and do good work in the community. It’s something that I talk about with my school friends to this day.❞

DAmE KElly HolmEs, Double olympic Champion, silver Award holder

Above, Gordonstoun, moray, expedition from linn of Dee to loch morlich. Below, Reed’s school, surrey

❝ The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has been working with young people,

both nationally and internationally, for more than 50 years ❞

044_ISP_0313_v2.indd 45 1/3/13 16:18:53


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❝It teaches you a lot about yourself and what you can achieve if you put your mind to it. I support the DofE because I am so grateful to have had the opportunity myself, and I hope other people have the chance too.❞

Volunteering in the communityFor many participants, the Volunteering section offers a completely new experience. They are able to learn about, and engage with, their communities and feel a sense of belonging and purpose.

DofE participant Sebastian established an IT course for his community with two of his friends as part of their Volunteering section.

“It has proved to be challenging but rewarding, and people have really enjoyed what we have done. It has been great to see that benefit and satisfaction directly and it has been nice for us to give something back to the community.”

Clockwise from top, Wells Cathedral School, Somerset; Cookability Course volunteer on DofE; Reed’s School, Surrey, maps the route; pupil from Oswestry School, Shropshire, in North Wales; Sherborne Girls, Dorset, on a Bronze Expedition

74% of young people said their self-esteem grew

Time for the expedition!This can be one of the most challenging, but also the most rewarding, sections of a young person’s programme as participants are required to plan, train for and complete an adventurous journey in the UK or abroad.

The section helps to develop initiative and leadership and will really challenge your son or daughter beyond their expectations.

It also offers your child a rare opportunity to truly separate themselves from their daily lives and modern mass media and communications. They can learn to be entirely self-sufficient!

The deciding factor – your child gets to tailor their AwardYour son or daughter’s programme can be full of activities and projects that gets them buzzing, and along the way they’ll pick up experiences, friends and talents that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

If you need any further information, talk to your local DofE Leader or, if you’re not sure where you can do your DofE, get in touch with your nearest Licensed Organisation and they will be able to help you!

KathERINE JENKINS, Opera singer , Silver award holder

DofE

044_ISP_0313_v2.indd 47 5/3/13 11:31:01


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❝ A survey, by the United Learning Trust, showed that employers consider a Duke of

Edinburgh’s Award to be the most important activity undertaken at school outside of exams ❞


❝Employers and universities recognise the value of people who have a life away from their job – this is where the DofE steps in. It builds confidence and teaches new skills – it’s a great way to collect extra experience to give you the edge!❞

Getting Started Before they start, your child will need to complete an enrolment form and pay a small DofE participation fee. They will then receive a DofE Welcome Pack full of lots of helpful information and their own online DofE account where they can log in and record their progress through their DofE programme.

To get started, the participant just needs to pick which activities they want to do for each section and confirm their choices, along with their timescales, to their DofE Leader, who will support them all the way through their programme – then they’re all ready to go!

More opportunitiesHuge benefits are also gained from the Physical and Skills sections. These help young people improve their fitness, learn to set and respond to challenges and raise their self-esteem through improved performance, as well as improving their time management skills.

The Residential section is a fundamental part of Gold DofE programmes. It may

well be the first time a young person has been away from home for any length of time. This experience develops self-sufficiency and the confidence to thrive in an unfamiliar environment.

EmployabilityAmey plc, currently offers Gold DofE programmes for all of its younger staff, Chief Executive Mel Ewell says, “We believe the DofE is incredibly important, offering young people the opportunity to experience fresh challenges and achieve new skills, while contributing to their local community. We are very proud to be a Gold partner of the DofE.”

Above, Reed’s School, Surrey

90% of young people said doing their DofE has given them opportunities to help others

In research carried out by The University of Northampton into the value of the DofE, 87% of the DofE Leaders said that participants’ problem solving skills improved while doing their DofE programme. Meanwhile, an incredible 93% feel that doing their DofE has helped them to develop teamwork skills.

Independent research carried out by the United Learning Trust showed that employers considered The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to be the most important activity undertaken at school outside of formal qualifications.

For more on The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Charity visit: DofE.org

BEn FoglE, TV presenter and adventurer, Silver Award holder

RucksackSleeping mat and sleeping bagRucksack liner (or 2 strong plastic bags)Waterproof bag for sleeping

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050_ISP_0313.indd 50 1/3/13 14:55:45


SCHOOL FEES

The dream of most parents is to find the perfect school, secure a place for their children, and breathe a sigh of relief as an

education unfolds that will set them up for life. But those whose hearts are set on an independent education may discover, in reality, a possible gap between their aspirations and their budget in the current economic climate.

Pre-prep, prep, senior or sixth form?This financial commitment is multiplied and drawn out further if they have two or more children, putting a continuous private education within easy reach only of the super-wealthy, those with a substantial nest egg, or families who qualify for bursaries or other assistance.

Instead, some families are weighing up whether to dip in and out of the independent system and, if so, at what stage of their child’s education: pre-prep, prep, senior school or sixth form.

Is it better to give your child the best start in life and pay for prep school, then hope this early advantage carries them through their secondary education? Or does it make more sense to fight for a place at a good state primary and save the money for private education at 11 or 13+? Other families focus on

independent school sixth forms, to give their child the best possible shot at A levels and a place at a good university.

In it for the long haul?Figures on the cost of a private education reveal the sheer financial commitment of paying for school from toddlerhood to late teen. Fees have increased by an average of 68% in the past decade, a rate of growth more than 1.8 times faster than the retail price index increase, with families paying £11,457 a year in 2012 on average, compared with £6,820 in 2002.

Professionals in several well-paid careers struggle to pay for a private education for their children, according to the research by Lloyds TSB Private Banking. Whereas pharmacists, architects, engineers and scientists on the average wage for their occupation could afford independent school fees in 2002, these had risen beyond their budget by 2012. Fees posed the smallest financial burden, as a proportion of average annual earnings, for production managers, accountants, senior police officers and pilots.

The biggest fee rises – of almost 80% in a decade – were in Greater London and the South West. Average annual

Dipping in and out of independent school education is a way of making it affordable,

says The Times’ Nicola Woolcock

Parents are mixing and matching private education according to their family finances

Pick & mix


050_ISP_0313.indd 51 1/3/13 14:56:28


consistent across all age groups. It found a rise of 3.2% among nursery children from 2011, and a 1.7% increase among sixth-formers.

However, the number of prep pupils rose by just 0.1% and the senior school population decreased by 0.8%.

A growing trendDipping in and out of private education to make it more affordable is a growing phenomenon, according to Michael Swan, Managing Director of School Fee Plan, which allows parents to pay school fees by monthly direct debit.

He said: “We’ve seen this increasing,

52 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ParENT SPRING 2013

fees in London are £13,359, which would leave families with a bill of £200,000 for 15 years of schooling.

Suren Thiru, an economist at Lloyds TSB Private Banking, suggested the figures showed the choices some families were having to make, adding: “All parents want to ensure their child receives the best education to help them benefit from a secure future. It is, therefore, becoming increasingly vital that parents plan their finances as early as possible if they want private schooling for their children.”

The Independent Schools Council annual census showed a change in pupil population this year that was not

particularly in the last two years. Parents seem to be finding fees more difficult and are affected by the recession. Families are having to think more tactically and strategically than in the past. Finding the fees is a real struggle.

It’s getting tougher“About 90% of our parents will stay in the sector for at least five years but at least 5% dip in and out. It’s becoming tougher for people, there’s no question. If parents want a private education for their child, 13 years is one hell of a commitment.

050_ISP_0313.indd 52 1/3/13 14:57:09


2011 2012 % changeSIXTH FORM: £5,645 £5,913 4.7 (4.6) (£8,782 boarding) (£9,189 boarding)

SENIOR: £4,683 £4,886 4.3 (4.3) (£8,347 boarding) (£8,708 boarding)

PREP: £3,424 £3,582 4.6 (5.6) (£6,164 boarding) (£6,510 boarding)

Average fee rise for all sectors in 2012: 4.4%Average fee rise in Greater London in 2012: 5.2%Source: Independent Schools Council census 2012 and 2011 age group

AVERAGE FEES PER TERM PAID AT SCHOOLS IN 2011 AND 2012



“If parents have a child at boarding school, that can cost more than £30,000 a year. They might send their child to a private prep school so they will pass the entry exam for a good state grammar school. Or often, parents will decide to pay for a senior school and send their child to a good state sixth form, if they have one in their area. It’s the second biggest investment they make after a mortgage but some are fi nding it increasingly diffi cult.”

Sixth form entrance“All-through” schools, that take children from nursery to sixth-form, say they

Seven years of an independent school education will cost parents £100,000 of post-tax income

have also noticed the trend. Kingsley School in Bideford, north Devon, takes children aged from two months in its nursery, until they leave for university, and offers both day and boarding.

Andy Waters, its headmaster, said: “There is some evidence of parents wanting their child to start in the independent sector in years 5 or 6, to ease their passage into the [independent] senior school of their choice.

“Particularly over the last fi ve years, there has been defi nite evidence of parents thinking that they can afford only two years of independent education. A few years ago it was more prevalent for them to concentrate on the GCSE years (10 and 11) and then send them to a good state sixth form.

“That was when there were issues in the media about whether children were being discriminated against by universities if they had been to independent schools.

“Universities have gone out of the way to demonstrate there is no basis for that. Now people choose to pay for sixth form instead. We have quite a number of pupils who join us in the sixth form – some coming in from other sectors with decent but not spectacular GCSE results, and their parents want them to have the best chance for university.

“We also have children coming from overseas for two years of A level, to acquire the language skills they need to be able to get into a British university.

Burning ambition“Ambitious and aspirational parents are almost certainly looking for seven years of an independent school education, but that is a massive investment. It means having to spend about £100,000 of post-tax income.”

Isabel Huggett, 17, joined Kingsley School this year, at the start of her second year of A levels. Her mother, Edwina, said: “She joined a state sixth-form college, but her grades declined and she wasn’t happy there.

“There were bigger class sizes and a larger cohort than she was used to and she felt a bit lost. She had a friend at Kingsley School, so we thought we’d take a look. She’s the last of our four children: the other three were at state schools.”

Isabel was doing A levels in maths, physics and psychology and is continuing her studies in the same subjects at Kingsley. Her father Ian is a chartered accountant and Mrs Huggett is a nurse who had taken early retirement, but has gone back to work part time to help pay for the school fees.

She said: “The school offered us the option of Isabel dropping a year and starting again in lower sixth, but the cost was prohibitive. Now her grades are coming up, she’s a lot happier and is working hard. We’re really pleased we made the decision.”

SCHOOL FEES

Nicola Woolcock is Education Correspondent of The Times.


“ The fees are the second biggest investment parents make after a mortgage, and

some are finding it difficult ”

Above, Harrow School boys

050_ISP_0313.indd 53 1/3/13 14:57:46


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www.independentschoolparent.com SPRING 2013 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL PARENT 55

COMMENT


Schools and parents have a mutual responsibility to nurture and develop the whole child, not just to ensure they achieve great grades, says Lucy Elphinstone


The bags of confection hanging on their numbered rails behind the glass all look inviting. Which to

choose? In the end, you opt for the Jelly Babies, those brightly coloured, delicious cherubs. You pop your money in the slot, type in the code and out they come. The process is easy, the product reliable.

A generation ago, the vending machine method of independent education was standard: parents dropped their child off on the fi rst day, slipped the cheque to the Bursar, and, hey presto, picked up the child some years later, all packaged and ready for Life. With the stratospheric rise in school fees and the collapse of our fi nancial systems, this approach is

the choice, rather than spiritual, moral, creative and social values and skills.

But while some parents might abnegate responsibility for their child’s education, others fret over it to an unhealthy degree. These “helicopter” parents hover over their child’s every activity, demanding excellence. The joy of childhood is devoured by the need to perform and achieve. Throw into this scene the infl uence of “celebrity-culture” and you have a toxic situation. Exhausted, pressurised and stressed, the cheerful child turns into a tortured teenager likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, eating disorders and anger.

Horrifi ed by the fragility and dependence of their children, parents and schools turn to the experts. Psychotherapists, counsellors and PSHE programmes all seek to address the problems. The frequent response to a child’s erratic behaviour is to expect the

school to sort it. But the real answer is a partnership between parents and schools from the earliest stage.

Parents of my age, often the product of liberal 60s and 70s parenting, can feel at a loss as to how to introduce boundaries – when the very word seems antithetical to freedom and self-expression. But the traditional ground of a clear moral and spiritual framework is being increasingly reclaimed. Family life should offer clear rules of behaviour, sharing of domestic tasks, a safe, non-judgmental place to confi de, laughter and fun, but empathy in defeat or sorrow, encouragement in aspiration, a sense of mutual respect and courtesy, family meals and shared experiences.

As in the family, so in the school. Every child must know that his or her value isn’t dependent on achievement – or looks, status or fame. Unconditional love is vital and this brings us to my fi nal point. At our school, it is not only academic intelligence, which is prized. We also celebrate creative, musical and spatial intelligence; we recognise that the world of work demands not just geeks who are good at exams, but people who think outside the box, who are fl exible, tenacious, unorthodox and intuitive.

Emotional intelligence – the ability to empathise, communicate, make connections, cope with stress, work in a team and lead – is the main quality sought by employers.

So let us see our child’s education as a partnership in nurturing a precious young life, and seek a school with a clear moral vision, a community for whom the journey, not the destination, is the goal.

❝ The joy of childhood is devoured by the need to perform and achieve ❞

Above, pupils from Francis Holland School, London

common once more. Anxieties over the quality of some state school provision have forced many parents to make sacrifi ces to secure an independent education for their child. “The most important investment we’ll ever make”, they say, the very phrase suggesting an economic transaction.

And day schools have seen a surge in demand. Competition for places has destroyed the sense of an easy purchase and for some parents the response has been to throw more money at it – bring in the tutors, send the child on revision courses - anything so that the child can enter the exam factory and come out on the conveyor belt, having passed quality control. But very often this happens without the real abilities, needs and wishes of the child being considered. And it is usually examination league tables – measuring narrow academic data without context – which determine

The path to glory

Lucy Elphinstone is Headmistress of Francis Holland School, Sloane Square, London.

055_ISP_0313.indd 55 1/3/13 16:15:55

Deciding on the perfect course, city and campus is no mean feat. So how do you narrow it down? Anna Tyzack writes our guide to finding the right university...

MAking The righT choice

W ith so many university courses on offer, how can you be sure that your child will make

the right choice of higher education? According to Dr Jon McMaster, an applications tutor at The University of Nottingham, the process of choosing a university should be a voyage of self-discovery for the prospective student. “They need to be honest with themselves about what they want to get out of the experience,” he says.

Helping handParents, however, can do more to help than simply proof read their personal statement. According to Alan Jones, professional development executive at UCAS, the organisation that handles university applications, they should encourage their child to consider what kind of educational environment they will thrive in, and help them research institutions and courses. “If your child has done solid groundwork, they will be 100% comfortable that they’ve made the right choice.”

Where to start?Friends, family and teachers can offer


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Get up to speed with the six stages of a university application, available on a designated parents’ section of the UCAS website: ucas.co.uk/parents.

Encourage your child to be realistic about their choice of courses. They should look at what a typical offer is likely to be and make sure you have an attainable insurance offer. If not they could end up in clearing.

If your child has unanswered questions about a course, suggest they contact an admissions tutor.

Be A-level aware. Some courses favour certain A-levels. Advise your child to check with the admissions tutor that their A levels are acceptable.

Make sure their personal statement explains how their experiences have prepared them for their chosen degree.

Ensure they have a reliable and appropriate email address for their application.

A PArent’s guide to university APPlicAtions

unIvErsItIEs

direction but there will come a time when your child should spend some hours trawling the UCAS website (ideally in Year 12 as the application process gets under way early in Year 13). Here they will find every course on offer at every university in the country.

Unless you are destined for a vocational degree such as medicine or architecture, selecting a course can be difficult as there is an almost endless list of research-based degrees. But they should stick with it, as their choice of course is ultimately more important than their choice of university, according to Jones. Research by UCAS shows that one of the main reasons students drop out of university is because they are unhappy with their chosen course.

Narrowing it downThe high achievers will be pointed in the direction of the Russell Group, russellgroup.ac.uk, a collection of 24 of Britain’s most research-intensive universities, which includes Oxford and Cambridge, Edinburgh and Nottingham. Meanwhile, those displaying a particular talent for acting or music will be advised to apply to a conservatoire (an institution or school for instruction in music) such as Leeds College of Music or Liverpool

Institute for Performing Arts, which has just 36 places yet receives 2,000 applications. Those with a passion for a particular subject such as finance or history of art should consider a small, niche establishment such as the IFS School of Finance or the Courtauld Institute of Art.

For the undecided, the Stamford Test aims to match students’ interests, abilities and skills to courses via a short questionnaire. It’s available free on the UCAS website.

Which league tables can I trust?There is no national curriculum for higher education courses so it is difficult to compare universities. Alan Jones warns against placing too much weight on league tables as it is not always clear what criteria they are using. Your child might find it interesting, however, to create a unique table based on their own requirements at The Complete University Guide, thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk.

To help make a choice The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education carries out external reviews of standards and quality and publishes them online at:qaa.ac.uk. The Unistats website:

From far left, Oxford, Cambridge, university College, Durham

www.independentschoolparent.com SPRING 2013 indePendent scHool PArent 57

universities

056_ISP_0313.indd 57 1/3/13 16:22:25


For almost 50 years, students at Essex have been inspired, challenged and supported by some of the world’s leading academics and researchers. Our commitment to cutting-edge research has established us as a top-rated academic institution, ranked ninth in the UK for research excellence, and our ethos of research-led teaching means bringing that research into the classroom, providing a unique and exceptional learning experience for our students.

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The University of Essex was the obvious choice for me from the start. I was interested in

studying Economics, and the university’s strong Economics Department, as well as its excellent research ranking, made selecting my university easy.

From an academic perspective, BA Economics at Essex has been both accessible and enabling. The helpful teaching staff ensured that, even from our very first induction lecture, we were provided with a solid backing in busi-ness and finance, on what has proven to be such a stimulating and insightful course. Meeting like-minded students has been really rewarding too!

I immediately fell in love with the friendly and open campus, which is conveniently located near London, making it great for travelling. My favourite place on campus has to be

The Orangery – a new space, which is fantastic for group work. It is a bright and inspiring setting, with excellent IT facilities, making it a brilliant place to work on creative projects with friends.

Having always known that I wanted to run my own company, building experience has been my priority. Essex has consistently offered me challenging opportunities alongside my degree, such as the Frontrunner placement scheme, where students have the opportunity to take on exciting part-time employment around the campus. I also run the ‘Enterprise Society’, allowing me to meet so many vibrant people. The university’s support for student enterprise has been great. I would definitely say that it has helped me to attain the skills, knowledge and experience to continue with my future plans.

Why Essex was an obvious choice MichaEl SpEncEr, second-year Ba Economics studentSchool/college attended: Glenalmond college, Scotland

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Picture caption in here please xxxxx xxx xxxxx xxxx

example, while others on aesthetics and history. It is important for candidates to ask themselves how they want to be taught, and determine whether the content and style appeals. Other deciding factors should include study placements abroad or in industry, how the course is assessed, and how much contact there is with tutors. “Some students get a buzz out of interacting in a lab for hours every day but others would prefer more time on personal study,” says Dr McMaster.

Which type of university should I choose?A student’s experience of a course will depend in part on where it is being

unistats.direct.gov.uk, contains statistics and reports about students’ views on the quality of teaching, and crucially, the final career destinations of graduates and employment figures. Gillian Lemon of The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts recommends that all prospective students visit this part of the site. “Whatever degree you do there is no guarantee of a job afterwards these days,” she says. “We encourage all our students to be industry aware from the start.”

Course decided, now what uni? The way a subject is taught varies dramatically from university to university. Film studies at one institution will focus on practical orientation, for


Best for surfers University of Wales, Newport, newport.ac.uk

Best for meeting your future spouse St Andrews, st-andrews.ac.uk

Best for winning an Oscar Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, lipa.ac.uk

Best for chemists University of Nottingham, nottingham.ac.uk

Best for bankers IFS School of Finance, ifslearning.ac.uk

Best for winning a Brit Award Leeds College of Music, lcm.ac.uk

Best for the aspiring politicians University of Oxford, oxford.ac.uk

Best for outdoorsy types University of Dundee, dundee.ac.uk

Best for sailors University of Plymouth, plymouth.ac.uk

Best for Nobel prize winners University of Essex, essex.ac.uk

Best for punting University of Cambridge, cam.ac.uk

THE unofficial uNIvErSITy guIDE

❝ Campus universities can suit those who have been privately educated, as can collegiate

universities where students are members of colleges independent to their field of study ❞

Above, from left and top, University College, Durham, netball at Plymouth University

UNiversities

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❝ The way a subject is taught varies dramatically, so it is important for your child to ask themselves

how they want to be taught and determine whether the content and style appeals ❞


Above left clockwise, the Costa Cafe at The University of Nottingham, students at Plymouth University, Newcastle University

doesn’t believe that studying close to home is right for everyone. “A new start in an unfamiliar part of the country where you are forced to make new friends is a good option for many students,” he says.

Don’t be perturbed if your child expresses a desire to study at the same university as friends or siblings; according to Jones this can be a positive experience, as long as they have a genuine interest in their course. Equally, candidates should not feel concerned about applying to universities where they know no one; according to Alan Jones, social media sites such as Facebook and the Student Room where students can “meet” online before matriculating, act

taught: a traditional, modern, small or large university. “It’s going to be a place you spend a few years. You’ve got to like it,” says Alan Jones. Some students feel better supported at a smaller institution in rural or coastal surroundings, while others are more suited to a big city. “For the first time students have to become independent learners, and they will only thrive if they are happy and comfortable in their surroundings,” says Fred Binley, Head of UK student recruitment at Lancaster University.

When making their choice they should consider the facilities on offer for their favourite sports and hobbies, and the opportunities for socialising – although they shouldn’t base their choice on bars and nightclubs alone!

University cities such as Dundee and Oxford, with a predominant student population, appeal to those after a buzzing social life, while campus universities such as Exeter, Lancaster and Essex, with many of the faculties and accommodation on one site have a unique community feel that can suit those who have been privately educated, as can

collegiate universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, York and Lancaster, where students are members of colleges which are independent to their field of study. “A college is more than hall of residence; it’s like a boarding house with its own bars, events and teams,” says Binley.

Flying the nest... or notOver the past few years an increasing number of students opted for universities near their homes, cutting down on travel costs and ensuring they could keep in touch with their families. Alan Jones

UNiversiTies

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• Offering over 200 undergraduate programmes in a wide range of subject areas

• More than 4 in 5 go into graduate-level jobs

For further information please visit www.dundee.ac.uk/undergraduate

One of the World’s Top 225 Universities with the Best Student Experience in the UK*

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EXPLORE: Graduate Henry Evans was the selected candidate in a national competition to follow in the footsteps of legendary explorer Captain Scott.DREAM: Henry succeeded in achieving his dream of trekking to the South Pole with Plymouth University.DISCOVER: Visit www1.plymouth.ac.uk/150/henryevans to discover more about Henry’s adventure and how your child can succeed with Plymouth University.

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Henry succeeded in achieving his dream of trekking

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62_ISP_SSPR13.indd 62 01/03/2013 14:55


❝ Whatever degree you do there is no guarantee of a job afterwards these days. We encourage

all our students to be industry aware ❞

Above, students at Newcastle university

students about courses, and accommodation, while sample lectures and campus tours are available on university websites. But none of these beat a traditional open day when it comes to the decision-making process. In situ at the university your child will have the opportunity to talk to other students and lecturers; they can experience the journey to the university, check out the facilities and explore the town or city.

If your child invites you to accompany them, definitely accept, urges Binley, as it will help them to be able to discuss the various options with you afterwards.

as a kind of “friends pre-united”.

A question of financeTuition fees of up to £9,000 are the norm, but accommodation and living costs vary between institutions, as do “hidden costs” such as parking, travel and sports club memberships. Your child can find estimated budgets for living costs on university websites: Cambridge, for example, suggests first year students should allow approximately £7,850 per year, while at Exeter the figure is £8,500.

As a general rule universities up north tend to be cheaper as living costs are lower, and the student pound goes further

in towns with large student populations as local businesses compete for their custom with attractive discounts and deals.

Open daysFacebook groups and university-hosted web chats enable your child to grill

1 University of Cambridge

2 London School of Economics

3 University of Oxford

4 Imperial College London

5 Durham University

6 University of St Andrews

7 University of Warwick

8 University College London

9 University of Lancaster

10 University of Bath

TOP 10 UNIvErSITIES IN UK (2013, The CompleTe UniversiTy GUide)

See our monthly University Blog by James Durant of UCAS, for a helping hand through the application process.

GILLIAN LEmON of The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

UNIvErSItIES

056_ISP_0313.indd 63 1/3/13 16:24:38


www.lancaster.ac.uk/visitus

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so you don’t want to go to university? a successful executive assistant suggests a plan B...

Andrea Freeman, Principal, Oxford Media & Business School

“Idon’t want to go to university!” As soon as I said those words out loud I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from

my shoulders. My parents were fantastic and respected my decision. Of course, they wanted to know why, and I found that really hard to answer. It wasn’t that I was scared of leaving home. To be honest, that was the only positive reason to the whole thing! Don’t get me wrong, I love my home life, but the thought of standing on my own two feet was appealing. I just didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life and the

thought of studying for three more years and incurring huge debts, was worrying.

So, time for a “Plan B”. My mother had attended a secretarial course when she’d left school, and suggested that it might be a good idea for me. A search of the internet threw up Oxford Media & Business School.

My mother was amazed at how the role of the secretary had changed since her day. Today’s secretary is known as an Executive or Personal Assistant and is expected to make a significant contribution to a company from day one. The OMBS website explained this in great detail and has lots of testimonials from past students and tributes from employers and recruitment agencies that have employed OMBS graduates. So we made an appointment to meet with the Principal, Andrea Freeman.

I was a bag of nerves travelling to Oxford on the day of my interview. I could not believe that I might possibly be accepted for the course. Me: a budding Personal Assistant, sitting at the right hand of a corporate executive?

But as soon as we walked into the building, my fears were put aside: it felt like it was meant to be. The place was buzzing with people and the atmosphere was calm and

happy. Andrea wanted to know all about me; what my strengths and weaknesses were – my hobbies and interests – and she didn’t seem the least bit phased by the fact that I wasn’t quite sure as to what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

She took us on a tour of the building and Andrea knew each of the students by name and would talk to them about job interviews, or congratulate them on a recent achievement.

We talked to her about the kind of job that I could get when the course finished. She was very honest. At 18 years-old, and with no real work experience, I would start work at a receptionist/junior PA level, but she had many examples of how her ex-students had advanced quickly once they had proved themselves.

Now, three years later, my old school friends have just graduated and are looking for work. I have been working for the Chief Executive of a financial PR company. My job is so exciting that if you had told me three years ago that I would be doing this, and earning such good money, I would have laughed at you. But now I have a perfect CV and skills for life, I would feel confident about applying for any job.

OBSAdvertorial.indd 34 1/3/13 13:36:48

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distance between the halls of residence and the lecture theatres.

Personal statementThe written personal statement – part of the UCAS application is key. It is often the determining factor when tutors are deciding whether to invite students to the campus for an interview or make them an offer. Although it may be daunting there are some simple thoughts to keep in your mind when drafting a personal statement. Knowing the word limit (4,000 characters – roughly a side of A4), asking someone kindly to proofread the fi nal version and keeping the UCAS deadline can be forgotten.

A strong personal statement will make your child’s application stand out from the

Decisions, decisions


UNI’S FOR ME


Research and open daysThe research phase is perhaps the most important part of the UCAS application journey. Most people fi nd that if they have done their research, the rest of the process fl ows relatively smoothly.

There are so many places to fi nd out information: the UCAS website, universities’ own sites, books, not to mention speaking to teachers and tutors. Perhaps the most useful thing to do though is for your child to get out there and visit the place they might be calling home for a few years.

Visiting universities on an open day is essential. In short, your child will be committing to at least three years of study when they accept a place, so the course and the institution have to be right for them.

The visit will also give a taste of university life, as lecture theatres, labs, catering facilities, bars and halls of residence will be part of the tour.

Your son or daughter, with you in tow, will be given a chance to look at the facilities such as the accommodation and Students’ Union and encouraged to ask questions. Visiting a university is the only real way to get a sense of scale and locality. If your child is visiting a campus-based university they can fi nd out how long it takes to walk or drive to the town centre, rail station or local supermarket. Alternatively, if they plan on visiting a city-based university they can measure the

James Durant is UCAS Press and Public Affairs Officer.

crowd and demonstrate why they are right for the course – it is their opportunity to shine! So, interests as well as academic strengths should be emphasised and related to the chosen course.

There are some things to be wary of when writing a personal statement. For example, often students feel that they need to use elaborate language, but trying hard to impress with long words often leads to a loss of focus.

Finally, stick to the truth! If your child exaggerates they may get caught out at interview when asked to elaborate on an “interesting” achievement. They’ll also be picked up by the UCAS Copycatch software if they copy from someone else or the internet. Following this advice means that they’ll be on the right track; just don’t leave it to the last minute!

James Durant of UCAS emphasises the importance of carrying out fi rst-hand research at university open days

Don’t forget to double check the UCAS deadline for submitting your personal statement

❝ Your child will be committing to three years of study when they accept a place, so the course and the institution have to be right for them ❞


065_ISP_0313_v2.indd 65 5/3/13 10:10:11

Telephone: +44 (0)1379 871800 or email: [email protected] RT H I S T O RY A B R O A D

Why? To see many of the greatest achievements in art, architecture and sculpture; to learn how these fit into the greater picture of Western Civilization; to find like minded friends as you travel through Italy and to have fun doing it.

When? The AHA Gap Year Course is six weeks long and starts in November, January April and August, and there are shorter Summer Holiday courses in July.

Where? Travel through Venice, Verona, Florence, Siena, Rome, Naples and Sicily – places whose names breathe art.

“Going on this course ensured that at my interview I had both the confidence and the enthusiasm to talk passionately about art – and that won me a place.”

Min Nolan, Oxford University. History of Art Undergraduate

“I do passionately believe that what I learnt on AHA, and the continuing interest I took from it, has helped me in job applications, interviews and, most importantly, in a personal capacity (in confidence, conversation and towards being the sort of rounded individual that I would strive to be) ever since.”

Richard Sherrington, Associate, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP

The Worthwhile Gap Year;Culture in Italy

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The Bunker DiaryBy Kevin BrooksPaperback & ebook, Puffin, £7.99, out now, 14+A gripping exploration of what happens when your worst nightmare becomes a reality. Six people, one bunker, an unknown assailant. A gritty and at times uncomfortable read, but written with incredible skill and beauty.


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Food for thought

Nutrition Scientist Dr Nina Bailey on the importance of good food for teenage brains

health

If you want your teenager to do better in school take a close look at their diet! The nutrient and energy needs of a

teenager is higher than those of any other age group and it’s not unusual for them to have large appetites. But it helps if you target the right kind of food.

The cells of the brain require a mix of essential nutrients from food sources to help maintain brain health and build neurotransmitters – these are the all important chemical messengers that help relay information.

BreakfastTeenagers are more likely to eat breakfast if you do the same, and are more likely to concentrate and perform better at school than those who do not eat breakfast. Eggs make an excellent protein breakfast and, packed with choline, they help in memory development and performance. Alternatively, encourage them to replace sugary breakfast cereals (which can have a negative impact on concentration by causing brain draining “sugar spikes”) with complex carbohydrates by opting for something like porridge,

Omega-3 fats found in fish are known to keep children alert and focused

069_ISP_0313.indd 69 5/3/13 10:07:17


Trade online. Free.Everything from

musical instrumentsto houses.

www.schoolstrader.com

TOP10 SITE

Sunday Times

70_ISP_SSPR13.indd 70 01/03/2013 10:45


co-factor nutrients. While starchy food can help fill the stomach and provide essential energy, our bodies didn’t evolve to eat too much grain-derived carbohydrate, which shouldn’t dominate every meal.

It’s important to include protein at lunch. Fresh (not-processed) chicken, lean meat, cheese and eggs are ideal sources of the correct quality protein needed to top up stores of amino-acids, which are the building blocks that make up brain-powering neurotransmitters. Fish is also highly nutritious, particularly oily fish like salmon, which is not only rich in quality protein, essential vitamins and minerals, but is an excellent source of omega-3 fats, the building blocks of brain cells – keeping them alert and focused! Different coloured fruit and vegetables are packed with different nutrients, so variety is the key to delivering the optimal balance of nutrients.

Time to hydrate!Brains need to be hydrated throughout the day. Water and milk are undoubtedly the healthiest drinks for growing teenagers. While fruit juice is a rich source of vitamins and minerals, be aware of its acidity, which can, over


Fresh fruit is a sweet alternative to chocolate snacks

❝ Sugary breakfast cereals hinder concentration by causing

brain-draining sugar highs ❞

health

time, affect tooth enamel. Try to limit sugary carbonated drinks, which not only cause “sugar-highs” leading to lethargy, but can interfere with absorption of calcium, a mineral required for neurotransmitter release and function.

Dinner Evening meal times are the perfect opportunity to directly influence your teenager’s eating habits and behaviours. Getting them involved not only exposes them to food preparation and cooking methods but also allows them to develop experience with flavours and textures and learn how different cooking methods affect these.

Remember, teenagers are directly influenced by their parents and if they see you adopting good eating habits, they are much more likely to accept them for themselves!

Helping teenagers to understand how the food they eat affects “brain function” can help modify their food choices, improve their concentration and learning and help them grow into health conscious adults.

which will ensure slow energy release to fuel the brain and help them get through the school morning! If your teen simply can’t face breakfast, offering them a smoothie made with milk, yoghurt and blended fruit to drink, “on the go”, will ensure a good delivery of protein and essential brain-boosting nutrients.

Snack time!Many popular snacks consumed by teens, such as biscuits, crisps, chocolate bars, and soft drinks are high in calories, salt or sugar and are low in nutrients. These kinds of “energy-dense nutrient-poor” foods leach the body of essential vitamins and minerals required for normal metabolic pathways. Encourage yoghurt, fruit, nuts and dried fruit as snacks instead: they are easily portable and act as “power-houses” packed with protein, fibre and essential fatty acids, as well as B-vitamins, zinc and magnesium, required for neurotransmitter synthesis and function.

Lunch Many teenagers opt to buy their own lunch and, when it comes to choosing a healthy sandwich, it is essential to avoid white refined bread! Encourage unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grain breads, pitta or rye bread, which digest slowly and retain essential


069_ISP_0313.indd 71 5/3/13 10:07:49


SchoolStrader

chickens, ski chalets and second-hand pianos. There are not many websites where you

can buy all three without having to leave your computer screen, but this is exactly what Neil Canetty-Clarke has created with his website, Schoolstrader.

Schoolstrader, the free community trading website, launched in 2006. It began with three schools in East Sussex and now covers all the 30,000 school communities throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Schools link communities and Schoolstrader has benefited from this relationship to create an online community of peers. It has pioneered community trading and it has fared well in the media: it has featured as a Daily Telegraph top 50 website and as one of The Sunday Times’ top 10 websites.

The concept is simple. It is an online marketplace where users can register for free and trade items, advice and experiences. The site is small and local, which garners a sense of trust, but the site delivers on a national level, too, which is where its success lies.

Canetty-Clarke acknowledges that Schoolstrader was “my wife’s idea”. Back in 2006, the couple lamented the non-existence of a marketplace where parents at their children’s school could trade items with each other. This can be especially prevalent in rural areas where meetings at the school gates can seem like a chance affair. “The internet just seemed the obvious place,” says Canetty-Clarke and so they began.

The website started with the independent schools sector. From Eton and Harrow, to Stowe and Malvern College, they have now launched with well over half of the independent schools in the sector but they are keen to

trading communitiesSchoolstrader is an online peer-to-peer marketplace where users can trade advice, fridges and even cockerels, writes Josephine Price

continue and work with them all. Recruiting and connecting with local schools and selling ads to local businesses; the model seems simple but the success of the simplicity is how easily it can be replicated throughout the country and potentially further. “We have thought about European expansion,” says Canetty-Clarke.

Schools can reap the benefits of the online community of parents by promoting their open days, PTA events and job vacancies. Rockport School in Northern Ireland has even recruited gap year students from the site and has given it glowing testimonials as a result.

Feedback from the site has informed the Schoolstrader team that there are three aspects which are vital to its

success: being free, community-based and creating trust. Parents can now rejoice in being able to turn to one website for their needs, saving both money and time. It is funded by advertising from companies such as Waitrose, Camp America which keeps the site free for parents but allows such companies to interact directly with their customer base.

Parents also have the chance to get more involved as the site hires local “agents” across the UK to help with promotion. Agents encourage local people to use the site and help connect with local businesses to offer them advertising opportunities.

The site is extremely user-friendly with all advertisements divided up into sections such as farming, furniture and books. Favourite items that sell are relatively standard, such as tuition, musical instruments and school uniform. However, the website has played host to the more bizarre adverts such as canal boats, free cockerels, Harley Davidsons and old floorboards.

Two donkeys that appeared on the site just before Christmas particularly appealed to Canetty-Clarke, who is constantly amazed by the variety of ads , including free items like pianos appearing on the site. He has noticed how several houses have now been sold through the site, as parents realise that by using the Schoolstrader platform they can avoid hefty estate agent fees.

From other websites such as Freecycle and eBay it is evident that peer-to-peer trading is taking off and Schoolstrader is taking the UK school community with it.

For more information, or simply to get trading, visit www.schoolstrader.com

Schoolstrader, the website and online community launched in 2006

072_ISP_0313.indd 72 5/3/13 10:11:23


SCHOOL HEROES



I have taught history and politics at Whitgift, an independent boys boarding and day school in South Croydon, since 1985, and during that

time have become Head of history and politics, the School’s CCF Contingent Commanding Offi cer, and have participated in six Olympic Games in a refereeing capacity.

In the history and politics department, we organise a variety of trips. The boys go to Roman St. Albans, The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Hampton Court Palace and have a three-day trip to the sites of the World War I in France and Belgium. To see the human cost of war is crucially important for them. At GCSE level, I organise a week-long trip to Berlin to see sites connected with the World War II and also The Cold War. Visiting Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, the Stasi Prison and the remnants of the Berlin Wall, is quite unforgettable. Seeing the boys’ reaction to a city that was divided between 1961 and 1989 is always interesting, and brings alive their studies of Weimar Germany, WWII and the Cold War period. In the sixth form, they get to travel to New York and Washington D.C. This trip is a fantastic way to see what makes the most powerful nation on earth tick. We have been lucky to visit a US senator and also a local high school. The boys particularly enjoyed travelling on the senator’s underground train from his offi ces to the capitol.

In the Combined Cadet Force (CCF), we have 400 boys who participate, plus two local partnership schools. There is a broad range of activities on offer, such as tank driving in Germany, gliding, parachuting, helicopter fl ying, air experience fl ying, and going to sea on HMS Ark Royal. Last Summer, we journeyed on HMS Ocean from Plymouth to London. Travelling up the Thames in the Royal Navy’s largest ship, and through the Thames Barrier, was amazing. Another highlight was going to sea on a nuclear-powered submarine,

spending 36 hours at sea. Three boys that I have taught at Whitgift are now colonels in the Army, having served in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is humbling to think that boys I taught have since commanded troops in a war zone.

Each year, I organise a week-long camp for up to 300 of the CCF boys, together with our partner schools. They shoot on the range, undertake the obstacle course and take part in team-building activities. It is a massive undertaking, but one that has proven very popular and successful.

This year, for our Annual General Inspection, we were honoured to have General Sir Peter Wall, an Old Whitgiftian and the Chief of the General Staff, carry out the inspection. Our

Right, front row, second on the left, Keith Smith, Whitgift School, Croydon, with General Sir Peter Wall, Head of the British army

“ Three boys that I have taught at Whitgift are now colonels in the Army, having

served in Iraq and Afghanistan ”Corps of Drums, now over 100 years old, performed for the General, having also previously performed for him at the British Military Tournament. For the boys to have the opportunity to talk to the professional Head of the British Army was indeed a honour.

I have also been privileged to referee at four Olympic Games: Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. I am often asked, “How do you fi t it all in?”.

I fi rmly believe that you get out of life what you put into it, and I continue to enjoy the broad range of activities I take part in, and the satisfaction of teaching.

History MasterMEET THE...


History, politics, CCF and the Olympics... there’s no stopping Whitgift’s school hero, Keith Smith

073_ISP_0313.indd 73 1/3/13 15:01:06


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74_ISP_SSPR13.indd 74 04/03/2013 10:22


COMPETITION

WIN a Virgin Treehouse ExperienceIndependent School Parent has teamed up with Virgin Experience Days to offer a luxury family two-night Treehouse Experience to our lucky readers

P repare to enter another world with this unique two-night break in a luxury treehouse set on the edge of Snowdonia

National Park in Wales. Treehouses have a magic all of their

own and these stunning examples are state of the art structures, blending beautifully into the landscape and high in the tree canopy – the perfect base for an unforgettable family adventure.

Situated in Oak, Larch and Scots Pine woodland, alongside open pastures and mountain streams, the stunning treehouses guarantee you and your a once in a lifetime break.

The stunning treehouse is large enough for two adults and two children with a luxurious double bed and two comfy “bunk-style” beds. It is fully insulated with a specially designed wood-burning stove which heats the spring water shower situated below, and the large hotplate for cooking.

Relax in the evening with the glow of solar lanterns and wind up lamps – and extra blankets and cosy rugs are on hand so you can relax in comfort!

The treehouses are beautiful structures that will inspire and excite! So embrace the simple pleasures in life and eat, sleep and live in the heart of deep natural beauty.

Terms & Conditions: The prize includes a two-night stay worth £399.99 for one family in the treehouse (can sleep two adults and two children). Travel is not included. Voucher is valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

All you need to do is visit our website: independentschoolparent.com/win and answer this simple question:In which country in the UK is the treehouse located?

How to enter:

075_ISP_0313.indd 75 1/3/13 15:04:56

www.independentschoolparent.com76 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL PARENT SPRING 2013

Easy livingISP’s pick of the best family homes near senior independent schools

The Old SchoolGuide price £760,000TREDINGTON, WARWICKSHIREConverted four bedroom school house complete with original door and school bell. With wonderful views over the village greens and lanes, this property also benefi ts from a self-contained annexe.✱ 11 miles – Sibford School✱ 14.5 miles – Bloxham School✱ 15.4 miles – Tudor Hall School

Sothebysrealty.com@sothebysrealty

Howard Cottage£1.4 millionASHTEAD, SURREYA charming period property of approx. 5027 sq. ft with the opportunity to purchase the neighbouring cottages by separate negotiation. Comprises of fi ve reception rooms, six bedrooms, three bathrooms and cellar.✱ 0.4 miles – City of London Freemen’s School ✱ 4 miles – Epsom College

Hamptons.co.uk@Hampton_PR

076_ISP_0313.indd 76 1/3/13 15:07:47


Rothes Glen House£1.39 millionROTHES, MORAYA Scottish Baronial mansion set in ten acres – and during World War II it was home to Gordonstoun School. Complete with seven reception rooms, three bedroom suites, eight bedrooms with ensuites, formal lawns, rose garden and a tower room with panoramic views of the lochan, trout farm and the beautiful hills beyond. ✱ 16 miles – Gordonstoun School

Knightfrank.com@knightfrank


PROPERTY


Clarence House£525,000CHELTENHAM, GLOUCESTERSHIREFour bedroom Victorian family home close to the beautiful Pittville Park. The house has retained many of its period features, including cornicing, fi replaces and working shutters. ✱ 0.8 miles – Cheltenham Ladies’ College✱ 1.2 miles – Cheltenham College✱ 2 miles – Dean Close School

Savills.co.uk@SavillsUK

Corner House £550,000KIMBOLTON, CAMBRIDGESHIREThis Grade II listed house spans three stories and comprises six bedrooms, three reception rooms and a large kitchen breakfast room with exposed timbers and quarry-tiled fl oor.✱ 0.3 miles – Kimbolton School

Fineandcountry.co.uk@fi neandcountry

Tower Farm£1.95 millionBOARSTALL, BUCKINGHAMSHIREGrade II listed house with extensive outbuildings, lake, gardens, paddocks and swimming pool in retractable dome, all set in 19 acres. Five/six bedrooms with two ensuites. ✱ 8.5 miles – Headington School✱ 9 miles – Magdalen College School✱ 19 miles – Stowe School

Johndwood.co.uk@johndwoodandco

076_ISP_0313.indd 77 1/3/13 15:09:06

Independent_Schools_Guide_Feb_2013_Out.indd 1 19/02/2013 07:27

www.independentschoolparent.com SPRING 2013 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL PARENT 79

LIFE

What’s on?Our roundup of events to look out for this Easter...

TREASURE HOUSES OF ENGLANDFrom Hatfi eld House and Holkham Hall, to Woburn Abbey and Leeds Castle, the Treasure Houses of England have Spring delights in abundance this Easter. Visit treasurehouses.co.uk

15TH MARCH-1ST APRIL

Ideal Home Show The iconic British home show will be returning to Earls Court this Spring for its 105th year! From show homes to shopping, there is something to keep the whole family entertained.idealhomeshow.co.uk

BRIGHTON: 30TH MARCHLONDON: 31ST MARCH-1ST APRIL

WALLACE AND GROMIT ON STAGEAfter a sell out show at the BBC Prom, Wallace and Gromit are back this Easter with Musical Marvels, their live and interactive show for the whole family. The dynamic comedy duo are hitting the stage once more in Brighton and London. Tickets from £15. wallaceandgromitmusicalmarvels.com

2ND APRIL AT 2PM

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY HITS BRISTOLExcitement is defi nitely growing for the West End adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory produced by Skyfall director, Sam Mendes. But since we still have to hold out until next May to see it on stage, Bristol has arranged a family viewing of the original classic this Easter for families. The city’s M Shed centre will be showing Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as part of their chocolate-themed Easter programme of events. mshed.org

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LONDON: 22ND-24TH MARCHOXFORD: 16TH-17TH MARCHBRIGHTON: 9TH-10TH MARCH

The Chocolate FestivalAs we gear up for a chocolate overload this Easter, the UK Chocolate Festival is here to give a helping hand. London, Oxford and Brighton will play host. festivalchocolate.co.uk

079_ISP_0313.indd 79 1/3/13 16:12:53


Reopens on the SouthbankFamily favourite, The London Dungeon, is relocating from its London Bridge home to the Southbank’s newly named County Hell. The immersive London experience takes you through London’s darkest historical characters and experiences. thedungeons.com

20TH-24TH MARCH ONE FOR MUMSWith Spring well and truly on its way, it is time to celebrate the beautiful seasons that are approaching. The Country Living Magazine Spring Fair is the perfect way to do so. The Business Design Centre in Islington, London, will be host to a wonderful array of independent designers, small producers and craftspeople from all over Britain to give you new and inspiring ideas for your home and garden. countrylivingfair.com

29TH-31ST MARCH

Easter Hop Weekend CinemaThe latest trend of immersive cinema experiences. A Shoreditch car park will be turned into an all singing, all dancing extravaganza, with classics like Grease and Dirty Dancing. £15+ experiencecinema.com

29TH MARCH-13TH APRIL

Bats at the ready...Marylebone Cricket Academy has Easter coaching classes and net days on o er for your budding cricketers. From £45 your child can book onto one of the intensive two-day courses where they will be immersed in the world famous home of cricket: Lord’s. Available to children from six to 17. For more information visit: lords.org/mcc/cricket-academy

Reopens on the SouthbankFamily favourite, The London Dungeon, is relocating from its London Bridge home to the Southbank’s newly named County Hell. The immersive London experience takes you through London’s darkest historical characters and experiences. thedungeons.com

DATES VARY NATIONWIDE

Underwater fun!This Easter you can enrol your children in a snorkelling course without having to travel anywhere exotic! Virgin Active is the fi rst to o� er fully qualifi ed snorkelling courses for children over 8 years old. After completion of the fi ve-day course, every participant will receive a certifi cate, a badge and a snorkel kit. To fi nd your local club visit virginactive.co.uk

13TH-14TH APRIL

WE LOVE STEAMAT THE LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUMThe London Transport Museum is opening its doors to families this Easter weekend in the We Love Steam programme. You will be invited to take part in drama workshops, photography classes, pattern designing and much more. All events are covered by the entrance fee, starting at £11.50.ltmuseum.co.uk

Loretto School, Edinburgh

079_ISP_0313.indd 80 1/3/13 16:13:39


29TH MarCH-12TH aPrIL

FarMyarD FuN Get back to nature with a visit to Jimmy’s Farm, a beautiful open farm in the heart of Suffolk. The farm runs sausage making classes, cookery courses and animal petting throughout the Easter holidays. There is something to cater for every family member on the farm, from a Joules clothing shop, to markets and garden shops. jimmysfarm.com

4TH-10TH MarCH

Climate Week Challenge 2013Last year more than 500,000 people attended thousands of events organised by businesses, charities and schools. Don’t forget to enter this year’s challenge at climateweek.com/challenge

BOND IN MOTIONThis iconic exhibition at the Beaulieu’s National Motor Museum has just been extended to January 2014. Head to down to Beaulieu, Hampshire, to check out the world’s largest official collection of the celebrated Bond-mobiles. Tickets from £8.95 and include entry into the National Motor Museum, Bond in Motion exhibition, World of Top Gear exhibition, Palace House and Gardens and Beaulieu Abbey. beaulieu.co.uk/attractions/bond-in-motion

Island getawayThe Isle of Wight’s West Bay Club is the perfect UK getaway this Easter. Situated in the picturesque island with over 500 miles of award-winning footpaths and almost 30 miles of seashore, the West Bay Club is the ultimate destination for families. With an extensive children’s activity programme and luxurious holiday cottages perfect for relaxation this break. westbayclub.co.uk

21ST-23rD MarCH

Spotlight on Manchester The city will turn into a beautiful work of illuminated art over three nights this March. The former-industrial docklands will be brought to life by the Speed of Light festival. This unique fusion of culture and sport is free to attend, see nvaspeedoflight.org.uk

LIFE

29TH & 31ST MarCH

NevIS raNge faNCy DreSS!On Easter Friday join the Nevis Range staff in fancy dress and ski or snowboard for half price: adults £15, children £9.25. The ticket office will have the final say about what constitutes “fancy dress”! And once you have scoffed your Easter eggs on the Sunday, celebrate on the slopes by rolling your hard boiled eggs down Aonach Mor! For more information visit nevisrange.co.uk

Loretto School, Edinburgh

079_ISP_0313.indd 81 1/3/13 16:14:26


MEMORY LANE


How would you describe your school days? Early on I was home schooled as I travelled a lot. My dad, the fi lm director, John Boorman, always took us wherever he was going - from South Carolina to Los Angeles, and because of his job, we’d spend four or fi ve months in one place. I am dyslexic so the one-to-one tuition was great.

When did you settle in one place? At 13 I went to board at Sibford School in Oxfordshire. For me to be in one place for a long period of time was fantastic. I loved making friends (and staying friends!) playing rugby and cricket, and getting into the usual bits of trouble.

So were you a stalwart of the detention room or a teacher’s pet?I was a good boy. It was a Quaker school,

Charley Boorman’s South African Adventure is out now on DVD. Interview by Natalie Milner.

if you did get in trouble you had to sit down and write a letter to your parents to describe what you had done and then your parents would write back in acknowledgement. Most kids would have preferred the cane! I had to write one or two of those – like any other kid.

What was you favourite lesson?Geography. I just got it. It’s all about the different rocks and landscapes and as I’m riding along on my motorcycle, I do remember things from school. I had a great teacher called Doc Holliday – I can’t remember his proper name! He was lovely. He’s the only teacher left at the school from when I was there. I loved it, but I never look back and think: “God, I miss school!”.

How would your headmaster describe you? I was never an academic, I left school at 16 and I remember going up to the Headmaster and he said to me: “Charley, look, if you are thinking about coming back for sixth form you should maybe think about another school!”

Did you tread the boards at school? That’s the way I expressed myself, by being on stage. I was crippled a little bit as a child in terms of expressing myself in class. I could never learn my lines – I was comic relief most of the time!

Did you fi nd making friends easy?Everyone fi nds that fi rst day at school hard. And I think if you are dyslexic you have to compensate a bit for things you aren’t good at. So I was the class clown. There are a handful of us that are

friends to this day. We used to hang out behind the piano block.

If you had met your fellow adventurer Ewan McGregor at school would you have got on? Yes, defi nitely. We have a relationship very much like great mates would have at school. We laugh a lot, mess around and have a giggle. We are good friends.

Were you big on sports? Yes, well I wasn’t that athletic – but I liked it. I had a very free upbringing; I lived in the Irish countryside on my school holidays; we had horses. In the Summer, we would pump up old car tyres and bob down the river in them and Dad would drive down to the next town to pick us up! When I was seven, I had a Monkey Bike and my Dad and I pushed this bike up and down the drive until I could ride it. That was my fi rst experience with motorbikes.

What did you want to be when you grew up? When I was ten, I was already acting, so I was living my dream! But I do remember going to a MotoGP race when I was younger and thinking that’s what I should have done – however, I was too old to start. But c’est la vie!

What piece of advice would you give your 16-year-old self? Behave a bit better and concentrate more (maybe!); to give my teachers less of a hard time. I must say, looking back I have never regretted anything, ever. I was making a movie in Paris when I left school – I did my exams there. I had a bit of a fi lm career going already so I was ready to move on to the next thing!

School memories

❝ If you got into trouble you had to write a letter to your parents – most would prefer the cane! ❞

Charley Boorman is best known for his television series Long Way Round with Ewan McGregor but is also President of Dyslexia Action

Adventurer and motorcycle enthusiast Charley Boorman recalls his time boarding at Sibford School, Oxfordshire


082_ISP_0313.indd 82 1/3/13 15:09:53

hurtwoodhouse.com

HOUSE

BOARDING SCHOOL FOR THE

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ARTSUntitled-1 1 13/12/2012 15:15HURTWOOD HOUSE S SPR13.indd 1 27/02/2013 09:57

Speak to your fi nancial adviser today

This prize draw is free and no investment into a Schroders fund is necessary to enter. The data contained in this document has been sourced by Schroders and should be independently verifi ed before further publication or use. Schroders has expressed its own views and these may change. Issued in January 2013 by Schroder Investments Limited, 31 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QA. Registered No: 2015527 England. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. UK04354

www.schroders.co.uk/asia

OrientsuccessCelebrating the Schroder Asian Alpha Plus Fund’s fi fth anniversary

The Schroder Asian Alpha Plus Fund is celebrating fi ve years of offering access to the Asian success story. The fund is managed by Matthew Dobbs, who has over 30 years of experience investing in the region.

Source: FE Analytics, bid to bid with net income reinvested in GBP, 31/12/07-31/12/12, net of fees. Launch date 30/11/07. Past performance is not a guide to future performance and may not be repeated. The value of investments and the income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the amount originally invested. Emerging equity markets may be more volatile than markets of well established economies. Foreign currencies entail exchange risks. The fund is not tied to replicating a benchmark and holdings can therefore vary from those in the index quoted. For this reason the comparison index should be used for reference only.

Visit www.schroders.co.uk/asia to hear fi ve reasons why Matthew believes now could be the time to invest in Asia. To celebrate the fund’s fi fth anniversary you’ll also get an opportunity to get a taste of what the region has to offer fi rst hand, with the chance to win a fascinating trip for two from Bangkok to Singapore on the Orient Express.

Q4 2012 Q4 2011 Q4 2010 Q4 2009 Q4 2008Q4 2011- Q4 2010- Q4 2009- Q4 2008- Q4 2007-

Schroder Asian Alpha Plus Fund

MSCI AC Far East ex Japan Net TR

22.4

16.7

-10.8

-14.1

32.8

23.2

77.0

50.4

-36.6

-31.6

Relative performance +5.7 +3.3 +9.6 +26.6 -5.0

Discrete yearly performance (%)

independent school parent senior spring 2013

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