season-review-2013-14

ehind the scenesSchool of thoughtAs one of the UK’s leading teachers, Sir Paul Grant knows what education excellence looksand should behave like. Here he shares a personal perspective on how Premier League Educationis a shining light in delivering scholars, both on and off the pitch.In my 37 years of teaching I haverarely seen an approach as progressiveas Premier League Education. Theprofessional game takes the welfareof each and every boy very seriously.When I first met with the PremierLeague three years ago to discuss howeducation would be central to the EPPP,their vision for the boys in their chargefrom age nine to 19 was simple: deliverhigh calibre qualifications, createexperiences they would learn from,nurture their personalities, and ensuretheir holistic development.I’m privileged to be part of theirEducation Advisory Group. In meetingsthe attitude is always, “Can we make iteven better? Can we insist on an evenhigher standard?” To hear people in theeducation sector say these things is tobe welcomed, but for the professionalgame to act and speak in such amanner is very impressive indeed.I know from my own experience howthorough the approach of PremierLeague Education is. I’m headteacherof Robert Clack School of Science inthe London Borough of Barking andDagenham and two years ago West20Ham United placed 16 of their scholarsinto our school.They came from 16 very differentschools and around half were exhibitingattitudes which didn’t sit well with ourschool ethos. I knew those attitudes weredefensive screens. But if you had told methat, two years on, those eight lads whocaused us concern would be singing thepraises of school, its discipline and rules,I would have been surprised.Looking back I actually should havehad more confidence. I have foundthese young men want people togive them the tools to be effectiveoperators and communicators.With the permission of the West Hamstaff, I instituted a lot of communication.We meet every month, formally. Theclub has been able to see them in theirsessions in a football context but wehave all the information on how theboys are getting on in all of the EBacsubjects, and what their attitude is topunctuality and attendance.I KNOW FROM MY OWNEXPERIENCE HOWTHOROUGH THEAPPROACH OF PREMIERLEAGUE EDUCATION IS.And it’s made the conversations we’vehad with these boys much morepowerful, because they know we, theclub and they, are a united team. If oneof the boys has wanted to be negative,the rest of the group would say ‘noway’, as we’ve worked as partnersrespecting each other, valuing what weboth do.That holistic element should not beunderestimated, and it certainly isn’t bythe Premier League. We know, actually,there is a lot of evidence to suggestthat if you are mentally sharp to makethe right decisions, it does translate onthe football pitch. You could say a lot ofdecision making is about instinct, but agreat deal is about practice, refinementand being given examples to follow.What Premier League Education isdoing is producing generations ofplayers who are more well-roundedindividuals, who can make a positivecontribution and who reflect well onthe professional game.