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New business and finance centreAlderman Sir David Wootton, LordMayor of the City of London inHM The Queen’s Jubilee Year andVice President of Bridewell RoyalHospital, officially opened a brandnew Business and Finance Centre atKing Edward’s School, Surrey.The launch of the Business andFinance Centre marks the arrivalof an innovative resource designedfor pupils following Economicsand Business Studies options atthe School. It will be used primarilyby those studying at IB / A-levelbut will also be pivotal to theintroduction of financial andbusiness education throughout theSchool. The latest stage in a multimillionpound investment into theSchool’s facilities, the Business andFinance Centre, which was solelyfunded by the School, provides alearning environment which mirrorsthe business world rather than aschool classroom.Work was completed on theBusiness and Finance Centre intime for the start of term andfollows the conversion of the topfloor of an existing teaching block,transforming it into a state of theart business centre. Key featuresinclude a boardroom which seats 24with full conferencing facilities andmulti media screens; two glasswalledmeeting rooms (seating 16)that can be opened up to createa further large meeting roomalso incorporating conferencingand projection facilities, and adepartmental office that can alsofunction as a breakout room.Pupils studying for the IB, IGCSEEconomics and Business Studiesand – from January 2015 – thenew A-levels, will take all theirlessons in the new Centre, wherethey can work in teams and videoconference with partner schoolsworldwide. Longer-term, a financialeducation curriculum will beextended to all pupils. In addition,Investor Clubs, Young Enterpriseand other financial / careersfocused education will be based inthe Business and Finance Centreand the School has future plansto share the resource with otherschools and the wider community.Commenting on the opening of theBusiness and Finance Centre, theHeadmaster, John Attwater, said“We are delighted to be honouredwith Sir David Wootton’s presencetoday. As a leading figure in theCity, but also Vice President ofBridewell Royal Hospital, which isthe School’s parent foundation,it is particularly fitting that SirDavid is here to witness the nextexciting development in KingEdward’s Witley‘s rich history.The new Business and FinanceCentre is a strong reminder ofthe School’s celebrated links withthe City of London, which stretchback to our foundation 460 yearsago. We intend to build uponour City heritage, along with ourexcellent network of contacts inthe world of business and finance,to evolve as a centre of excellencefor business education. Effectively,we want to introduce a little bitof the buzz of the modern SquareMile into school life to help ourpupils prepare for the increasinglycompetitive world of work thatawaits them when they leave KingEdward’s.”Although the facility will initially beknown as the Business and FinanceCentre, branding opportunities areavailable for businesses / individualsponsors who recognise the potentialassociated with being aligned withthe School’s visionary approach tobusiness and financial education.• School Fees Income ProtectionScheme for Parents•School HealthcareScheme for StaffParental support shouldnever be underestimatedRushmoor School moved from London to Bedford 96 years ago; it is a smallschool, with 323 pupils currently on roll from age 2 up to 16. Head Ian Danielexplains how he has involved parents in the running of his school...The secret to the success ofRushmoor is the reputation it haswithin the community and thesupport it receives from parents.At the most recent inspection theISI stated “the school maintainsexcellent relationships with parentsin accordance with its aims, andthe parents are extremely happywith the school’s provision fortheir children”.We must reach out to parentsand we do this at every availableopportunity. I have regular parentcouncil meetings where anyparent can become involved withthe major decisions we have tomake, from curriculum changes,through to general maintenanceissues. When schools and familieswork together, children have abetter chance to do well. Parentalinvolvement is invaluable forteachers to understand what achild needs to be successful inschool. An ‘open door policy’ is inplace which welcomes parents andencourages them to express theirchild’s needs.We often discuss the schoolimprovement plan to ensureparents understand they aremajor stakeholders in the school’ssuccess. As a consequence of theparent councils the school’s wifiwas upgraded and the technicalhitches that we sometimesexperienced sorted out becauseone of the parents works for acompany specialising in this area.This was a service donated to theschool as a result of the meeting.The Parent Council meetings haveincluded discussions on enrichmentopportunities and parents havebeen able to offer their expertisein making suitable suggestionsfor trips. We have explored thearea of differentiation and how wemark work and provide suitablefeedback to allow the parents andpupils to understand expectationsand the levels of attainment. Theparents have been keen to see theeffective use of the virtual learningenvironment and use it to keepwatch of their child’s homeworktasks. We’ve had the suggestionthat lost property items that arenot labelled are put on-line, soparents have the opportunity toview items instead of relying ontheir child to locate things. We’vediscussed the option choicesavailable for GCSE. How parentscan get involved in school life,for example one has introduced agardening club. Communicationis vital and understanding howschool and home can help eachother ensures that the childrenexperience the best the school andtheir parents can provide for them.By encouraging the parents tobecome involved in school life theyunderstand they are truly valued;such successful relationships withparents are formed that thesecontinue long after children haveleft Rushmoor. Former parents arehappy to help the school in manyways, such as PTA fundraisers.By engaging with parents thishelps us meet the needs oftheir child and the influence aparent provides can never beunderestimated. I believe that anyPE teacher wins silverteacher working in an independentschool must ensure they appreciatethis fact.This year Rushmoor was named as afinalist in the Independent SchoolsAssociation’s annual award for excellence.The school also won the award forfinancial innovation, which means thatthe judges were looking at how the schoolis managed in terms of competitive fees,fundraising and sound financial planningfor the future. Ensuring funds are usedefficiently to provide the best possibleenvironment for the pupils to learn andenjoy their time at school.Since September Rushmoor has beensharing the expertise of its governanceand leadership by forming a partnershipwith another local school, St Andrew’s.The aim is for the two schools toeventually combine on one site.SFS GroupInsurance, finance and risk managementfor Independent Schools, their staff, governors, students and familiesCall 01306 746 300www.sfs-group.co.ukSFS Group is an independent intermediary, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (ref 311801)Ian DanielLVS Ascot, Berkshire, PE Teacher,Anna Murawska, won a silvermedal at the Long DistanceTriathlon World Championshipsheld in Weihai, China, last month(September).After a 4K swim, 120k bike ridethen 20k run Anna came in 2ndplace for her age group (Womanaged 25-29) against competitorsfrom around the globe.Anna spent 9 days in Chinagiving herself time to acclimatiseto the different conditions inWeihai and prepare for thecompetition.She has been a PE teacher at LVSAscot for the last 6 years. Mostof Anna’s spare time is spenttraining as she swims three timesa week, runs three times a weekwith at least one of those beinga long (3 hour) run and rides atleast three times a week with atleast one of those being a long(6 hour) ride.42 FinanceIndependent Schools Magazine 43