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PRICELESS<br />
SUMMER <strong>2017</strong><br />
Sponsored by<br />
Kent | Sussex | Surrey
You are warmly invited to our<br />
Prep School Open Morning<br />
Saturday 30 September <strong>2017</strong><br />
9.30am to noon<br />
IAPS – Boarding, flexi-boarding and day<br />
Boys and girls 3 months to 13<br />
To register please contact:<br />
prep.admissions@bedes.org<br />
T 01323 734222<br />
or online at bedes.org<br />
Bede’s Preparatory School<br />
Duke’s Drive, Eastbourne<br />
East Sussex BN20 7XL<br />
Rocky<br />
Explorer<br />
Age 6
Talisker<br />
Lower Sixth<br />
Politician<br />
You are warmly invited to our<br />
Senior School Open Morning<br />
Saturday 16 September <strong>2017</strong><br />
9.30am to noon (Entry at 13 and 16)<br />
HMC – Day, weekly and full boarding<br />
Boys and girls 13 to 18<br />
To register please contact:<br />
admissions@bedes.org<br />
T 01323 843252<br />
or online at bedes.org<br />
Bede’s Senior School<br />
Upper Dicker<br />
East Sussex BN27 3QH
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE<br />
The pitfalls of<br />
D.I.Y will writing<br />
James Beresford,<br />
Head of Wills, Tax,<br />
Trust and Probate at<br />
Slater and Gordon<br />
There are a number of potentially disastrous pitfalls you can encounter when writing<br />
your own will. We examine some of the more common problems.<br />
Why should I make a will?<br />
• It allows you to choose who you<br />
wish to benefit from your estate<br />
and who you do not wish to benefit<br />
from your estate, on your death<br />
• It allows you to appoint guardians<br />
to care for minor children, in the<br />
event that both parents die whist<br />
the children are still minor<br />
• It can be used to protect your<br />
assets, for example, from a<br />
spendthrift or from divorcing<br />
family members<br />
• It can be used to protect your<br />
beneficiaries, for example,<br />
from being taken advantage<br />
of financially<br />
This guide will help you understand<br />
that having your will drafted<br />
professionally is a small price to<br />
pay, as it can save a substantial<br />
amount of money in the long run.<br />
Why should I get proper<br />
legal advice?<br />
Often, a home-made will is not<br />
worded in such a way that makes it<br />
legally enforceable. This may be<br />
because the terms of the will are<br />
ambiguous or because the will fails<br />
to effectively dispose of your assets<br />
in the correct manner. Can you<br />
afford to take the risk that your<br />
home-made will does what you<br />
think it does?<br />
• The Courts of Chancery entertain<br />
a steady stream of litigants vying<br />
to show that they were the<br />
intended beneficiary from a<br />
poorly drafted will<br />
• Legal documents still use old<br />
fashioned language, more often<br />
than not, and yet the implication<br />
of a single incorrect word can<br />
affect completely what your<br />
will does.<br />
• The interpretation of will clauses<br />
in professionally drafted wills<br />
have stood the test of time for<br />
centuries<br />
• The legal rules surrounding<br />
making a valid will are very<br />
exacting and are strictly enforced<br />
by the courts. One strike and<br />
its out.<br />
• Unqualified will drafters do not<br />
always understand the intricacies<br />
and nuances of will clauses. Legal<br />
clauses can sometimes be cut and<br />
pasted to a perceived template<br />
which can put it out of sync and<br />
result in errors.<br />
For these reasons, and many<br />
more, you should ensure that your<br />
will is drawn up by a specialist<br />
qualified lawyer.<br />
If I make a DIY will, what<br />
can go wrong?<br />
In short, potentially everything!<br />
At best some gifts in your will might<br />
not take effect – at worst your will<br />
might not be valid at all.<br />
Your executors<br />
• Do you know why you need an<br />
executor?<br />
• How many executors? (the<br />
answer is not always the same)<br />
• What if you don’t specify anybody<br />
to be an executor: do you know<br />
who then controls how your estate<br />
is collected in and safeguarded,<br />
and ensures that it is paid over to<br />
the rightful beneficiaries?<br />
Trustees<br />
• Do you know if your estate will<br />
need a trustee? And how many<br />
trustees?<br />
• What happens if you need a trustee<br />
but haven’t specified one?<br />
• Why are the executors usually<br />
also the trustees and do they have<br />
to be the same people?<br />
• Why might you want different<br />
types of trustees?<br />
Guardians<br />
• Do you know who will raise your<br />
infant children if you do not<br />
specify somebody?<br />
• And what role might the Family<br />
Law Courts then have in deciding<br />
who should raise your children?<br />
• Who has priority if you appoint<br />
more than one guardian – could<br />
this lead to a “tug-of-love”?<br />
• Do you want a distant relative<br />
raising your children if their only<br />
motivation is getting access to<br />
the money you have left behind?<br />
Gifts and Legacies<br />
Using the correct language in your<br />
will is vital to ensure that your wishes<br />
can be carried out after your death.<br />
• What happens if somebody you<br />
include in your will dies before<br />
you – where does that gift go?<br />
• Did you know that some gifts<br />
automatically pass to somebody<br />
else if you do not specify a<br />
fall-back provision?<br />
• What happens to a gift if you no<br />
longer own that asset at your<br />
death?<br />
• What if you have several assets of<br />
the same description but of differing<br />
financial value, e.g. cars<br />
• What happens if some items in<br />
your will have to be sold by the<br />
estate to pay debt, Inheritance<br />
Taxes, or administration fees?<br />
Even how you describe a gift in your<br />
will can affect whether or not that<br />
gift will take effect – so don’t take<br />
that risk!<br />
Beneficiaries<br />
How would you feel if you knew that<br />
your estate did not go to the people,<br />
charities, or organisations that you<br />
choose, or if it has not been used for<br />
the purposes that you had intended?<br />
• Do you know what the law say<br />
about infants receiving assets or<br />
money from your estate?<br />
• How do you ensure that you can<br />
leave inheritance for a minor and<br />
it will be protected until they<br />
reach an age that you feel they are<br />
mature enough to be responsible<br />
for it, for example at 21 or 25?<br />
• Can you make financial provision<br />
to provide for a family pet, and if<br />
so how?<br />
• How can you be certain that money<br />
you have left to a charity is used in<br />
the way you want it to be used, such<br />
as for your local area?<br />
• Why is the name, address, and<br />
registered charity number<br />
important?<br />
Whilst you want to be certain that<br />
your estate passes to those people<br />
or organisations that you choose,<br />
what if you want to ensure that it<br />
does not pass to a certain individual<br />
that you may have fallen out with,<br />
or possibly worse – that you are not<br />
yet divorced from?<br />
How would you feel if that person<br />
ended up inheriting your estate<br />
because your will had not been<br />
drawn up correctly, invalidating it,<br />
just to save a bit of money?<br />
What if I have already<br />
written my own DIY will?<br />
Contact us immediately for advice<br />
and any assistance that you might<br />
need to rectify it.<br />
And… next time you want to write a<br />
will, or make any changes to your<br />
existing will, give us a call so that we<br />
can draft your will professionally and<br />
take the worry out of not knowing if<br />
you have written your will correctly!<br />
Our team of specially trained<br />
lawyers prepare thousands of wills<br />
every year and can advise you on<br />
any of the more complicated or<br />
specialist clauses that might be<br />
relevant to your circumstances,<br />
for example:<br />
• What if I want somebody to be<br />
able to live in my house after I have<br />
died – what provisions do I need to<br />
include in my will?<br />
• What if I own my own company or<br />
run a business and want it to carry<br />
on after my death, or what if I want<br />
to pass it on to my employees or<br />
family members?<br />
• What if I own property abroad –<br />
do I need to know anything about<br />
the law of the country where that<br />
property is situated? And how<br />
does that country’s inheritance<br />
laws affect a will I write in England<br />
and Wales? And is it relevant if I<br />
already have a will made abroad?<br />
• What if any of my beneficiaries<br />
are receiving benefits from the<br />
government? Can I leave them<br />
something without jeopardising<br />
their entitlement?<br />
• Can I leave an inheritance for<br />
somebody in a way that nobody<br />
else will know who it is intended<br />
for (that is, make a secret gift)?<br />
These might sound like fanciful<br />
provisions but our specialist will<br />
drafting lawyers prepare wills<br />
with highly complicated personal<br />
and tax saving provisions like these<br />
every year.<br />
Increasingly, we are coming across<br />
DIY wills that do not make the<br />
provisions intended at the time they<br />
were written and blissful ignorance<br />
ensures that the errors in the will<br />
are never corrected. And it’s then<br />
too late.<br />
A poorly drafted will can have<br />
expensive tax consequences or lead<br />
to expensive court litigation, just to<br />
understand how the law says your<br />
estate must be divided.<br />
So don’t leave it to chance just to<br />
save a few pounds now – it could end<br />
up costing your estate considerably<br />
more than you could ever imagine.<br />
James is the author of a book<br />
“No will – no say” which is a simple<br />
guide to wills and estate planning<br />
and covers the essential points you<br />
need to consider when thinking<br />
about writing a will.<br />
To make an enquiry without<br />
any obligation, call us on<br />
0203 319 2685.
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Contents<br />
FREWEN<br />
The Dyslexia Specialists<br />
Since 1910<br />
COLLEGE<br />
The cover image, and the image above, were photographed by David Merewether<br />
in the nature reserve at Dulwich Preparatory School, Cranbrook. dcpskent.org<br />
7<br />
noticeboard<br />
The latest school news<br />
47<br />
Road Trip<br />
A rundown of school outings<br />
11<br />
13<br />
17<br />
21<br />
23<br />
33<br />
37<br />
39<br />
41<br />
45<br />
early years<br />
Explaining EYFS at<br />
Junior’s Day Nursery<br />
well read<br />
Alex Preston’s preteen<br />
book picks<br />
the ripple effect<br />
Hilary Wilce stresses the<br />
importance of a wellconnected<br />
child<br />
Creative Healing<br />
Why art therapy works<br />
Meet the Heads<br />
Getting personal with<br />
headteachers<br />
Lawnmower Parents<br />
How to avoid being an<br />
over-controlling parent<br />
Kitted Out<br />
A rundown of our<br />
favourite childrenswear<br />
Perfect Fit<br />
Edward Martin gives<br />
his shoe fitting tips<br />
Make Health &<br />
Fitness Child’s Play<br />
Keep your children active with<br />
fitness trainer Sarah Maxwell<br />
Under Pressure<br />
Susan Elkin analyses exam stress<br />
51<br />
53<br />
54<br />
58<br />
65<br />
69<br />
70<br />
71<br />
72<br />
A way with words<br />
English teacher Milly<br />
Potter shares her favoutire<br />
poetry collections<br />
Well Prepared<br />
Back to school stationery<br />
Family Flavours<br />
Child-friendly recipes from<br />
chef Claire Thomson<br />
Mixed Media<br />
Our school art showcase<br />
Family Fun Days<br />
Weekend activities for<br />
the whole family<br />
IB: Global Passport<br />
to <strong>Education</strong><br />
ACS International Schools<br />
discuss their International<br />
Baccalaureate programme<br />
Safe Journey<br />
Motorists’ lawyer David Barton<br />
explains how to keep new<br />
drivers out of harm’s way<br />
Getting Ahead<br />
How entrepreneurial<br />
spirit is being developed<br />
at Sevenoaks School<br />
The Great Escape<br />
We speak to two students<br />
about their decision to take a<br />
year out and a year abroad<br />
Prep<br />
School<br />
Senior<br />
• •<br />
School<br />
A unique Day & Boarding school for girls and boys<br />
aged 7-19 with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia & Dyscalculia<br />
01797 252494<br />
Frewen College, Northiam, East Sussex, TN31 6NL<br />
www.frewencollege.co.uk<br />
Sixth<br />
Form<br />
“From the day our daughter started<br />
at Frewen we saw her confidence and<br />
interest in learning being totally rebuilt.”<br />
Parent<br />
“Pupils make very strong progress from<br />
their starting points academically, socially<br />
and emotionally.”<br />
Ofsted 2016<br />
Daily minibus service from:<br />
Tonbridge/Tunbridge Wells area, Wadhurst,<br />
Hawkhurst, Hastings and Battle area,<br />
Ashford & Tenterden area.<br />
Published by JPS Media Ltd, Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone Street,<br />
Cranbrook, Kent. TN17 3HF. Tel: 01580 714705 Fax: 01580 715983.<br />
Email info@wealdentimes.co.uk wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
copyright JPS Media Ltd <strong>2017</strong>©<br />
3 wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
FrewenCollege<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 13/06/<strong>2017</strong> 12:31
Junior King’s provides an outstanding all-round education for children<br />
between the ages of 3-13, within a happy, secure, and caring environment.<br />
We aim to build strong and confident foundations by developing each<br />
child’s physical, social, spiritual, cultural and intellectual life.<br />
Arriving at the Pre-Prep, you will instantly sense the welcoming atmosphere and<br />
know that you are in a special place. A place of cooperation, collaboration and<br />
achievement –the bright and stimulating classrooms, the extensive grounds<br />
and Forest School in our own woodlands.<br />
Founded in 1879 as the preparatory school to The King’s School,<br />
Canterbury. In 1929 the School moved to a stunning 80 acre countryside<br />
location just two miles from Canterbury, opened by Rudyard Kipling.<br />
The Barn is one of the oldest buildings at Junior<br />
King’s and has its roots as far back as 1580. It is<br />
the main area for teaching drama and also used<br />
for assemblies, orchestra and choir practice,<br />
dance, plays and concerts.<br />
Thanks to the remarkable<br />
generosity of a number of<br />
past and present parents,<br />
the new Michael and<br />
Vibeke Herbert<br />
Music School<br />
opened in<br />
January 2016<br />
fully equipped<br />
with modern<br />
facilities and<br />
brand new<br />
instruments,<br />
including Blüthner<br />
pianos.(Michal Herbert<br />
pictured right)<br />
Our facilities include a purpose built astro turf<br />
surface, nine tennis courts, extensive playing<br />
fields, a state of the art sports hall, cricket nets<br />
and a heated swimming pool. The King’s<br />
School Recreation Centre (fencing salles,<br />
fitness studio, dance studio, pool, climbing<br />
wall, astro turf pitches) and the 22 acres of<br />
Birley’s field offer further opportunities.<br />
We aim to nurture happy, confident children and<br />
to see smiling faces. Encouraging an appetite for<br />
learning and offering a dynamic and caring<br />
environment in which to grow and flourish.<br />
Open Day -<br />
Saturday ay 6th May <strong>2017</strong><br />
Open Morning - Saturday 7th October <strong>2017</strong><br />
www.junior-kings.co.uk
02409_Babington_Wealden_Times_AD_Layout 1 08/06/<strong>2017</strong> 23:31 Page 1<br />
Babington House School<br />
Independent Day School from 3 to 18 years<br />
Grange Drive, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 5ES<br />
Editor’s<br />
letter<br />
Inspiring Teachers,<br />
Inspiring Children<br />
our fourth <strong>Education</strong> magazine, published alongside<br />
Wealden Times and Surrey Homes is a wonderful way<br />
to highlight the fantastic schooling opportunities that<br />
the south East of England offers. whether you’re just starting<br />
to consider nurseries for your baby or are chatting through<br />
year out options with your teenager, we’ve spoken to education<br />
experts and interviewed students and teachers about the routes<br />
that they have chosen to take along their schooling journey.<br />
visit our noticeboard for the latest school news, find<br />
out how to encourage connectivity (but not in the way<br />
you may think!) with advice from education writer hilary<br />
wilce and get to know a little more about seven prominent<br />
headteachers as we delve into their own experiences at school.<br />
alongside the serious business of academic subjects, exam<br />
pressure and how to prepare for life outside the classroom,<br />
we’ve peppered our magazine with delicious recipes to<br />
enjoy together as a family, clothing and stationery shopping<br />
pages, and fun days out to enjoy across the south East.<br />
Marvel at the creativity of pupils in a showcase of<br />
artworks, encompassing works in clay, paint, charcoal<br />
and collage and, if your seventeen-year-old is on the<br />
verge of taking their driving test, make sure they’re road<br />
safe with tips from motorists’ lawyer, david barton.<br />
i do hope you enjoy this special issue.<br />
<strong>Education</strong> team<br />
Editor ............................................................................................ lucy Fleming<br />
Editorial assistant ........................................................................rebecca cuffe<br />
design .........................................................................................powerful pierre<br />
design team ..............................................................................anthony boxall<br />
rob cursons<br />
phoebe gilbert<br />
tanya goldsmith<br />
Managing director ........................................................................ Julie simpson<br />
commercial director ............................................................... colin wilkinson<br />
sales team ........................................................................................ Jude brown<br />
sarah norwood<br />
distribution ....................................................................................... Kate watts<br />
Open<br />
Morning<br />
Saturday,<br />
7 October <strong>2017</strong><br />
9am - 12 noon<br />
Register Online<br />
www.babingtonhouse.com<br />
5 wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
BabingtonHouseSchool<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 13/06/<strong>2017</strong> 12:33
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
award winners<br />
battle abbey school has been<br />
recognized for its excellence<br />
in music education following<br />
its award of an isM silver<br />
certificate. this is the second<br />
year running that battle<br />
abbey have received isM<br />
accreditation (following on<br />
from the gold award they<br />
received in 2016) and the<br />
award celebrates the fact that<br />
a significant proportion of<br />
the school’s cohort achieved<br />
a*-c in gcsE music.<br />
battleabbeyschool.com<br />
Mental wellbeing<br />
as part of a commitment to further<br />
enhance the excellent pastoral care<br />
at the school, dulwich prep school,<br />
cranbrook are working with children’s<br />
mental health charity, place2be.<br />
dulwich have appointed gemma<br />
King as the place2be school project<br />
Manager, and are the first school in<br />
the area to have a dedicated in-house<br />
team. dulwich prep school now has<br />
two place2be therapy rooms where<br />
one to one counselling and small group<br />
drop-in sessions take place. typical<br />
issues raised at place2be range from<br />
friendship issues, bereavement, selfesteem<br />
and anxiety. headmaster Mr<br />
paul david said “in an increasingly<br />
frenetic world children need time and<br />
space to just ‘be’, and we see this as very<br />
much a partnership between pupils,<br />
parents and staff working together to<br />
build children’s resilience and recognise<br />
the importance mental health plays<br />
in underpinning happiness, leading<br />
to enhanced academic progress.” Mr<br />
david continued, “the initiative is<br />
another example of dulwich prep’s<br />
dedication to removing all boundaries<br />
that can inhibit children’s ability to<br />
flourish in the classroom and thrive as<br />
individuals. the philosophy is simple,<br />
the school nurtures a sense of selfawareness<br />
and self-belief so nothing<br />
feels impossible. our partnership<br />
with place2be will complement our<br />
already outstanding pastoral care<br />
which includes a mentor for each<br />
child in the top two years and a pupil<br />
to pupil buddy system.” dcpskent.org<br />
Noticeboard<br />
The latest school and event news from the South East<br />
getting creative<br />
students from sevenoaks school have been<br />
undertaking weekly art therapy sessions<br />
with patients at hospice in the weald.<br />
a group of students visits the hospice<br />
each week to draw, paint and talk to the<br />
patients about art. students have been<br />
working together with some of the patients<br />
to create artwork, socialise and inspire<br />
each other. sevenoaks school students<br />
complete weekly voluntary service as part<br />
of the international baccalaureate and<br />
the school has over 400 students doing<br />
voluntary service at the school every week.<br />
combined, the students log over 30,000<br />
hours of voluntary service every year,<br />
helping both the local community and<br />
causes further afield. sevenoaksschool.org<br />
take the reins<br />
set in over 15 acres, the new Equestrian<br />
centre at lancing college will provide<br />
riding for all abilities and stabling for up<br />
to 20 horses. the centre will be open<br />
for use by pupils at the college and also<br />
the wider local community. pupils will<br />
be able to choose whether to have their<br />
own horse stabled at the centre or use the<br />
centre’s horses to have riding and stable<br />
management lessons. lancingcollege.co.uk<br />
Early intake<br />
From september <strong>2017</strong>, cranbrook school have amended their intake<br />
to welcome 30 year 7 day students, entering via the Kent 11+ exam. a<br />
further 60 year 7 pupils will be enrolled in september 2018 in two forms<br />
of entry. For more information email registrar@cranbrook.kent.sch.uk<br />
<br />
7 wealdentimes.co.uk
Noticeboard<br />
The latest school and event news from the South East<br />
<strong>Summer</strong> Festival<br />
St Edmund’s School Canterbury has<br />
announced the line-up for its inaugural<br />
Festival to be held this summer. The<br />
Festival will be a week-long celebration<br />
of the arts with concerts, drama<br />
productions and workshops. Ivor<br />
Novello award-winning composer and<br />
eminent saxophonist, John Harle, is the<br />
Festival’s Patron and will be performing<br />
at the closing night ‘American<br />
Serenade’ concert. The critically<br />
acclaimed concert pianist and former<br />
St Edmund’s pupil, Freddy Kempf,<br />
will open the Festival on 28 June with<br />
a stunning programme. The weekend<br />
offers delights for a younger audience<br />
too who can enjoy all the splendour,<br />
fun and games of the Mad Hatter’s<br />
Tea Party on Saturday 1 July and<br />
‘Tippett’s Tuneful Tales’ an interactive<br />
musical retelling of Julia Donaldson’s<br />
‘Tyrannosaurus Drip’ on Sunday<br />
2nd July. stedmunds.org.uk/festival<br />
Prime Performance<br />
A Year 2 pupil at Chinthurst School<br />
in Tadworth was awarded honours<br />
certificates in the Grade 3 Class, Junior<br />
Recital, Duet, Junior Ensemble and<br />
Intermediate Ensemble at Reigate &<br />
Redhill Music Festival. He was also a<br />
medal winner in the duet class and was<br />
awarded the Anniversary Cup for the<br />
most promising performer in the Junior<br />
section. He has been invited to perform<br />
at The Harlequin theatre in the Festival<br />
Gala Concert. chinthurstschool.co.uk<br />
Success Story<br />
Sevenoaks School has appointed a<br />
Director of Entrepreneurship, Julie<br />
Redding, to lead the new Institute<br />
of Entrepreneurship. Julie is an<br />
experienced entrepreneur, and has<br />
run businesses in Chile and South<br />
America for over 10 years. Students<br />
are enjoying a new varied programme<br />
of entrepreneurial activities,<br />
providing them with valuable<br />
commercial skillsets, opportunities<br />
to create business ideas, business<br />
plans and chances to present to<br />
prospective investors. In the last<br />
few months students have launched<br />
business plan competitions, run<br />
a TedX Youth event, participated<br />
in an entrepreneurial film-making<br />
competition and enjoyed a number<br />
of social enterprise events. External<br />
entrepreneurial speakers are also<br />
speaking at the school about their<br />
experiences (including Karren<br />
Brady from The Apprentice),<br />
and the highs and lows of being<br />
an entrepreneur, and starting<br />
businesses. sevenoaksschool.org<br />
Take to the Stage<br />
The Mead School in Tunbridge Wells,<br />
has won top prizes in a national drama<br />
competition for the second year running.<br />
The Independent Schools Association<br />
Drama Festival is held annually in both<br />
Northern and Southern venues in the<br />
UK. Schools can perform complete plays,<br />
extracts from full-length plays, musicals<br />
or original work. The Mead School’s Year<br />
6 won the Oxford House Prize for best<br />
Junior Production with their performance<br />
of an abridged version of Peter Pan. Mead<br />
student Amelia James, age 10, also won<br />
the Audrey Vowles Prize for best Junior<br />
Girl Performer for her performance as<br />
Wendy. Festival adjudicator Vivienne<br />
Cunningham commented, “A high<br />
standard was achieved in all age groups<br />
with casts performing with confidence and<br />
a strong sense of team work. It is obvious<br />
that this Festival continues to thrive as<br />
a platform for young people to produce<br />
exciting drama.” themeadschool.co.uk<br />
Get in the Groove<br />
Running from 6-16 July, JAM On The Marsh returns with a dazzling new<br />
programme. Now in its fourth year, the festival will include a world premiere<br />
by BBC Singers for broadcast on Radio 3, the sensational London Mozart<br />
Players, toe-tapping jazz with The David Rees-Williams Trio, an open-air<br />
performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, an audience participation performance<br />
of Peter and the Wolf, five stunning art and photography exhibitions, the<br />
launch of a children’s community choir and a one day mini festival for<br />
children packed with fun, music, art, theatre… and bugs! Furthermore, JAM<br />
will continue its commitment to education, bringing new interests and skills<br />
to all ages. In 2016, JAM on the Marsh reached 5,324 people through its<br />
educational activity. Tickets for all events are now on sale via jamconcert.org<br />
wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
8
HURSTPIERPOINT COLLEGE
HAPPINESS FIRST<br />
ACHIEVEMENT FIRST<br />
INDIVIDUALITY FIRST<br />
FRIENDS FIRST<br />
ENRICHMENT FIRST<br />
PROGRESS FIRST<br />
ALWAYS FIRST<br />
HEATHFIELD SCHOOL, ASCOT<br />
Boarding and Day for Girls 11-18<br />
VISIT US FIRST<br />
OPEN DAY<br />
SATURDAY 14 OCTOBER<br />
10am - 12 noon<br />
PLEASE EMAIL:<br />
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TO BOOK A PLACE OR TO<br />
ARRANGE A PRIVATE TOUR<br />
heathfieldschool.net
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Early<br />
Years<br />
We go behind the scenes at Junior’s<br />
Day Nursery in Cranbrook<br />
istockphoto.com/artisteer<br />
Tell us a little about your nursery: Junior’s Day Nursery<br />
is a family run nursery with an experienced management<br />
team in place which continues to develop and enhance its<br />
practice. In 2014, we were awarded ‘outstanding in all areas’<br />
by OFSTED and we received the Kent Quality Mark for the<br />
enhanced learning and development of our outdoor areas.<br />
How are days structured? The nursery is open from 8am-<br />
6pm. Our fantastic qualified team of staff provide a safe,<br />
secure and stimulating indoor and outdoor environment<br />
in which babies and young children can learn and<br />
develop. When batteries need recharging nutritional<br />
meals are provided and dedicated sleep/quiet areas too.<br />
Tell us about EYFS: The Early Years Foundation Stage<br />
(EYFS) is the term used by the Government to describe<br />
the time in a child’s life between birth and five years. Day<br />
by day every child will be learning skills and acquiring<br />
new knowledge. We use the seven areas of learning and<br />
development in the EYFS to help all children demonstrate<br />
their understanding. Under the EYFS, children learn by<br />
playing and exploring, being active and through creative and<br />
critical thinking which takes place indoors and outdoors.<br />
Can you explain the key person system? The key person<br />
approach is central to our practice and ensures each child<br />
has consistent care which enhances their learning and<br />
development. Every child’s key person will produce a<br />
learning journey which will show their progression and<br />
incorporates each child’s unique needs and interests.<br />
How do you include parents in nursery<br />
life? Our parents play a vital role within<br />
the nursery and we understand the<br />
benefits of a collaborative approach. We will keep all parents/<br />
carers up to date with their child’s progress and encourage<br />
them to share with us their unique needs and interests.<br />
We hold parent’s evenings twice a year where parents have<br />
the opportunity to discuss their child’s development with<br />
their key person as well as view their learning journey.<br />
We also host social events throughout the year giving<br />
the opportunity for parents to meet other families.<br />
What’s included in the sessions? Junior’s offers full day<br />
sessions, morning sessions and afternoon sessions. All of<br />
these include snacks, drinks, meals, nappies and wipes.<br />
How do you ensure children get a balanced diet? All meals<br />
are home cooked, nutritious and healthy and we cater for<br />
all dietary requirements. Meals contain no added sugar or<br />
salt and natural yoghurt or fruit is provided for dessert.<br />
Water is available to the children all day and organic milk<br />
provided during breakfast and snack time. Junior’s holds<br />
a 5-star food hygiene rating and a healthy eating award.<br />
Can you explain the government’s current free childcare<br />
legislation? The government currently offer 15 hours of<br />
funding for 2, 3 & 4 year olds. This funding is available<br />
term time and is for all 3 & 4 year olds and for 2 year<br />
olds that meet criteria set by the government. From<br />
September <strong>2017</strong>, 30 hours of funding will be available<br />
term time for working parents of 3 & 4 year olds that<br />
meet the criteria set by the government. For more<br />
information, you can visit childcarechoices.gov.uk.<br />
Junior’s Day Nursery in Cranbrook, Kent, provides childcare for babies and<br />
children from 3 months old. 01580 713033 juniorsdaynursery.co.uk/cranbrook<br />
11 wealdentimes.co.uk
time to<br />
visit<br />
Open Mornings<br />
Visit one of our Open Mornings to learn<br />
about our strong tradition of excellence and<br />
integrity, outstanding academic results and<br />
our renowned ability to prepare pupils for life.<br />
Saturday 16 September • Sixth Form Open Morning • 9.30am to noon<br />
Saturday 7 October • Open Morning • 9.00am to noon<br />
Eastbourne College, Old Wish Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4JY<br />
T: 01323 452323 • E: admissions@eastbourne-college.co.uk • Join us on<br />
www.eastbourne-college.co.uk<br />
HMC INDEPENDENT SCHOOL • BOARDING AND DAY • BOYS AND GIRLS 13 TO 18
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Well Read<br />
Author Alex Preston picks his top five books for pre-teens<br />
istockphoto.com/evgenyatamanenko<br />
A<br />
few weeks ago, one of the teachers at my<br />
son’s school, who also happens to be the<br />
mother of a particularly winning little<br />
9-year-old, asked me to put together a<br />
list of books I’d recommend to boys our<br />
sons’ age. I agreed, thinking it the work of<br />
a few moments to jot down the familiar names, the roll-call<br />
of the pre-teen canon. I soon had several dozen,<br />
either books that had illuminated my childhood<br />
reading life, or books my own son had read and<br />
adored (the cross-over was, as you might imagine,<br />
not inconsiderable). It was only when I came to<br />
whittling down the list that I was struck with<br />
a kind of paralysing doubt, my pen poised but<br />
unable to scratch through any of the names.<br />
It’s partly that I know what it is to write a<br />
novel, the pain and the drudgery, the sense of<br />
laying out the most tender, transparent parts<br />
of yourself to be picked over by the public. Every one of<br />
these books had been the fever-dream of its author, had<br />
been written out at night, or in the early morning, or while<br />
shushing a baby in its pram. Each one had cost something<br />
dear to the person who wrote it (and his or her family), and<br />
because of this every book is precious, even the bad ones.<br />
But none of these were bad, and that was also the problem.<br />
Who was I to choose Swallows and Amazons over Coot<br />
Club? Stalky & Co over Kim? Tom’s Midnight Garden over<br />
“Each of these<br />
books left a huge<br />
mark upon me<br />
and has in turn, I<br />
feel, played a part<br />
in making my son<br />
the boy he is”<br />
Goodnight Mr Tom? (All of these, by the way, were on<br />
the list). I ended up putting the whole lot in a drawer and<br />
writing five names on a piece of paper. These, then, are what<br />
I conveyed to my teacher friend, and it feels like just about<br />
the greatest gift I’ve ever given anyone. Each of these books<br />
left a huge mark upon me and has in turn, I feel, played<br />
a part in making my son the boy he is. Each, crucially, is<br />
the first in a series, and thus the gateway to<br />
several new worlds. Each is both a great story<br />
and beautifully written (something we don’t<br />
always associate with children’s literature).<br />
For each, I was thinking particularly of novels<br />
that would appeal to boys, notoriously more<br />
difficult to persuade into the world of books.<br />
Susan Cooper – Over Sea, Under<br />
Stone. The first in The Dark is Rising<br />
quintet. Cooper’s tale brings Merlin to<br />
life in contemporary Cornwall in a novel both furiously<br />
gripping and wonderfully atmospheric. I read the first<br />
three books in the series to my son and was rather sad<br />
that he wanted to tackle the last two on his own.<br />
Alan Garner – The Weirdstone of Brisingamen. My<br />
favourite book as a child and still a story I’ve been happy to<br />
revisit with each of my children (I’m currently reading it to<br />
my seven-year-old daughter). I gave it to the daughter of<br />
<br />
13 wealdentimes.co.uk
‘Pupils in the Senior School achieve HIGH STANDARDS<br />
across all areas of learning.’<br />
ISI Report <strong>2017</strong><br />
‘EXCELLENT’ in all areas ISI Report <strong>2017</strong><br />
SENIOR SCHOOL OPEN MORNING<br />
SATURDAY 7 OCTOBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
9.45am - 1.00pm<br />
www.lingfieldcollege.co.uk 01342 838153
freeimages.com/JeanScheijenbooks<br />
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
a friend who was so frightened by<br />
Colin and Susan’s flight from<br />
the dark elves that she could<br />
only read it during the hours of<br />
daylight. She still loved it, though.<br />
Madeleine L’Engle – A Wrinkle<br />
in Time. These brilliant books are<br />
a staple of every American child’s<br />
upbringing, but I don’t often come across<br />
fans over here. Full of science and metaphysics but also a<br />
thrilling story: the word tesseract still summons shivers.<br />
Brian Jacques – Redwall. A book that came out when<br />
I was seven and had me waiting breathlessly for each<br />
sequel. The inhabitants of Redwall Abbey fulfil that<br />
crucial role of anthropomorphic characters: allowing<br />
children to play out scenarios that might be too fraught<br />
in the real world. This also served as a stepping-stone<br />
to the joys of Duncton Wood and Watership Down.<br />
Scarlett Thomas – Dragon’s Green. The best new<br />
children’s novel I’ve read since Philip Pullman, this<br />
is the first in a series called Worldquake. Has drawn<br />
inevitable comparisons with JK Rowling, but is more<br />
deeply imagined and much better written. Both of my<br />
children are obsessed with the heroine, Effie Truelove.<br />
A final piece of advice...<br />
I think one of the most valuable things a parent can give<br />
their child is an appreciation of the importance of books, a<br />
sense that these should be a natural part of any happy life. I<br />
recorded a show for Al Jazeera a few years ago in response to<br />
the news that fewer and fewer parents, and particularly fewer<br />
fathers, were reading to their children. A good book, I said,<br />
when the mind is plastic and fizzing with imagination, can<br />
be life-changing. Books enable us to rehearse our reactions to<br />
the sometimes bafflingly unpredictable world, they develop<br />
our emotional lives and smuggle knowledge into our brains<br />
under the cover of stories, they make us better people. I<br />
tried to read to my kids every night when they were growing<br />
up, and still, now, when they’re launched on reading lives<br />
of their own, we make time on a Sunday night to sit down<br />
together and immerse ourselves in a favourite book.<br />
More than that, I make sure that they know the pleasure I<br />
get from reading, that they understand why books have always<br />
had such a central place in my world. I want them to see me<br />
put away the iPhone, switch off the TV, and turn to something<br />
more stimulating and rewarding. Then, in years to come,<br />
I hope they pass on Susan Cooper and Alan Garner – and<br />
The Animal Family and Tarka the Otter and Aubrey and the<br />
Terrible Yoot and all the other beloved books I’ve been unable<br />
to mention in this piece – to their own children in turn.<br />
Alex Preston’s book about birds in<br />
books, As Kingfishers Catch Fire,<br />
is published by Little, Brown<br />
Mrs J –<br />
Making Everything Easy!<br />
Maths, English,<br />
Times Tables ...<br />
And Now<br />
READING<br />
The College Collection<br />
aimed at reluctant readers aged 9-13 years<br />
Discover the series and details of free coffee morning<br />
workshops at mrsj.edenkent.org<br />
Full Day Care from<br />
3 months to 5 years<br />
Open 51 weeks a year<br />
MrsJ-<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 01/06/<strong>2017</strong> 10:44<br />
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cranbrook@juniorsdaynursery.co.uk www.juniorsdaynursery.co.u<br />
Telephone 01580 713 033<br />
tonbridge@juniorsdaynursery.co.uk or Telephone 01732 365 188<br />
www.juniorsdaynursery.co.uk<br />
Dan Goldsmith Photography<br />
15 wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
JuniorsDayNurseryWT169.indd 1 18/02/2016 14:20
Registered charity 1101358<br />
Where are the skills our children will need<br />
to mitigate the effects of war?<br />
Well, negotiation skills are embedded in the<br />
curriculum at Sevenoaks School, so in theory we need<br />
look no further.<br />
Our alumni certainly go on to achieve extraordinary<br />
things; equipped as they are with the skills they need to<br />
change the waiting world.<br />
Stephen Hale for example, mastered negotiation at<br />
Sevenoaks. He left in 1990 to work with Friends of the<br />
Earth and Oxfam, amongst others. Now he has an OBE<br />
and is CEO at Refugee Action, a UK charity that supports<br />
people fleeing war.<br />
It’s worth considering then, that many of the skills<br />
your child may need to make a significant impact, can be<br />
acquired here at Sevenoaks.<br />
www.sevenoaksschool.org<br />
Every day at Sevenoaks, students practise negotiation, service provision, team working, critical thinking, creative thinking and complex<br />
problem solving – essential skills our alumni will use to excel at jobs which have yet to be invented and to reshape their world.
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
the ripple Effect<br />
Hilary Wilce explains how a contented, well-connected childhood<br />
could be the key to happiness in adulthood<br />
is your child well connected? i don’t mean, do they go<br />
to nursery with triple-barrelled playmates, or lounge<br />
through their older years alongside celebrity teens.<br />
neither do i mean, are they permanently on superfast<br />
broadband with an ipad attached to their hand. i’m talking<br />
about something much more important than that.<br />
Every child psychologist in the world will tell you that<br />
a child needs to feel well-anchored inside themselves<br />
in order to grow up secure and well-adjusted. but one<br />
well-known child expert goes much further than this,<br />
saying a child needs to acquire many onion skin layers of<br />
connectivity in order to become a strong, independent<br />
adult at ease with themselves and in the world.<br />
Edward hallowell is an eminent us clinical psychiatrist,<br />
a best-selling author and adhd expert, who has wealthy<br />
new york parents queuing at his door to discover the secrets<br />
of successful child rearing. and he believes that bringing<br />
up a well-connected child, with ever-wider ripples of<br />
connectivity around them, is the key to adult happiness.<br />
in his model, there are twelve distinct<br />
circles of connectivity, some of them obvious<br />
but some surprising. they are:<br />
• HOME •<br />
where your child feels loved,<br />
wanted, understood and<br />
paid attention to.<br />
• SCHOOL •<br />
where your child feels treated fairly,<br />
able to make friends and get along<br />
with other students and teachers.<br />
• FRIENDS,<br />
NEIGHBOURHOOD<br />
& COMMUNITY •<br />
where your child feels part of a<br />
local or personal network<br />
of interlinked people.<br />
• WORK & RESPONSIBILITY •<br />
where your child learns the feeling<br />
of making a contribution.<br />
• ACTIVITIES •<br />
where your child learns to have a go,<br />
and to learn and master new skills<br />
through sport, music and hobbies.<br />
• THE PAST •<br />
where your child learns they<br />
are part of history and that other<br />
people have gone before them.<br />
• THE ARTS •<br />
where you child learns to connect<br />
with beauty and the emotions through<br />
music, dance, literature and art.<br />
• NATURE •<br />
where your child learns to respect<br />
and feel part of the outside world,<br />
and its natural rhythms and seasons.<br />
• PETS & OTHER ANIMALS •<br />
where your child learns about<br />
responsibility, life, loss and<br />
emotions through bonding with<br />
and caring for an animal.<br />
• INFORMATION & IDEAS •<br />
where your child learns to feel at<br />
ease with things such as learning,<br />
debating, questioning and finding out.<br />
• INSTITUTIONS &<br />
ORGANIZATIONS •<br />
where your child comes to understand<br />
how these work, how societies are<br />
organised and run, and the pitfalls<br />
and pleasures of people coming<br />
together for a common purpose.<br />
• GOD •<br />
where your child learns to feel<br />
comfortable with the big questions<br />
of spirituality such as why are<br />
we here, does evil exist, and<br />
what is the purpose of life?<br />
• THEMSELVES •<br />
where your child learns to know<br />
themself, feel at ease with<br />
who they are, and know they<br />
are neither better or worse<br />
than others, only different.<br />
obviously all these are interlinked and crop up all the time in<br />
growing children’s lives. and many of them develop organically.<br />
but as parents it can be helpful to hold in mind that picture<br />
of spreading ripples, and to consciously try to develop them.<br />
this might mean double-checking that home and<br />
school are providing the right sort of environments for<br />
good connectivity. it might mean enrolling your child<br />
in a neighbourhood scouts or guides group, or talking<br />
about the affairs of the day around the dinner table. it<br />
might mean initiating more family outings to concerts or<br />
exhibitions, creating a chore rota for everyone who lives<br />
at home, or deciding to spend more time out-of-doors.<br />
perhaps more than anything, it might mean taking<br />
care not to think that school grades and achievements are<br />
everything in life, and making the effort to open up the<br />
wider world to your child in every way possible.<br />
<br />
17 wealdentimes.co.uk
Co-educational, day & boarding school for 3-18 years in South East England<br />
Co-educational, day & boarding school for 3-18 years in South East England<br />
With small class sizes and exceptional facilities, St Lawrence College provides<br />
outstanding opportunities for all pupils academically, in sport and in the arts.<br />
Junior School Open Day: Fri 6 October <strong>2017</strong><br />
Senior School Open Day: Sat 7 October <strong>2017</strong><br />
T: 01843 572931 E: admissions@slcuk.com www.slcuk.com<br />
St Lawrence College, College Road, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 7AE<br />
Sutton Valence School<br />
StLawrenceCollege<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 09/06/<strong>2017</strong> 10:20<br />
svs.org.uk<br />
Open<br />
Mornings<br />
Prep School - 6th September <strong>2017</strong><br />
Senior School - 7th September <strong>2017</strong><br />
Book online now<br />
wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
18<br />
SuttonValence<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 01/06/<strong>2017</strong> 10:52
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
freeimages.com/ChristopherBruno<br />
How to encourage connectivity...<br />
MODEL a connected life. Let your child see<br />
that you value friends, family and neighbours,<br />
that you take your job seriously, enjoy hobbies<br />
such as drawing, singing or sport, and make<br />
time to do things for others.<br />
CHAT to your children about anything and<br />
everything – nature, films, politics, family<br />
history. Keep it simple when they’re young, go<br />
deeper as they grow. Use family mealtimes as<br />
opportunities for discussion, learning – and<br />
arguments.<br />
LISTEN to what your child has to say<br />
and take time to try and understand their<br />
viewpoint. Show your child the same respect<br />
you would want them to show you. Help<br />
them learn about their emotions and feelings,<br />
and about how they come and go. Allow them<br />
to be unhappy and to get over it.<br />
INSIST on the things that you think matter –<br />
doing family chores, taking responsibility for<br />
homework, showing good manners, turning<br />
up on time to soccer training or regularly<br />
practising a musical instrument. Children<br />
flourish when they know what’s expected.<br />
ENCOURAGE you child to try new things,<br />
join local groups, sign up to a workshop or<br />
have a go at an untried sport or hobby. Help<br />
them to enjoy learning and not mind making<br />
mistakes. Help them see that school grades are<br />
only one aspect of a rich and happy life.<br />
GET OUT AND ABOUT to more<br />
local activities, to museums and galleries,<br />
and into the great outdoors. Make<br />
sure the real world stays more real to<br />
your child than the digital one.<br />
Of course, if all this seems too<br />
complicated, you could just follow one<br />
of Edward Hallowell’s main and favourite<br />
pieces of advice. “GET A PET, GET A<br />
PET, GET A PET…” Nothing teaches<br />
a child quite as much about life, loss,<br />
listening and responsibility, he believes,<br />
than loving and looking after an animal.<br />
For more information The Childhood<br />
Roots of Adult Happiness by Edward M.<br />
Hallowell, is available on Amazon.<br />
Hilary Wilce is an education writer and<br />
life coach. Her two e-books for parents,<br />
Backbone: how to build the character your<br />
child needs to succeed and The Six Secrets of<br />
School Success are available on Amazon.<br />
DAY & BOARDING SCHOOL FOR GIRLS & BOYS AGED 2-13<br />
H A P P Y<br />
V E R Y<br />
V E R Y<br />
H A P P Y<br />
AN OUTSTANDING EDUCATION IN AN IDYLLIC SETTING<br />
Twenty one scholarships awarded to Vinehall pupils so far by senior schools,<br />
including Academic, Sport, Music, Art, Drama and Design Technology.<br />
For further information and a prospectus please contact Karen Cooper<br />
on 01580 883090 or at admissions@vinehallschool.com.<br />
www.vinehallschool.com<br />
ROBERTSBRIDGE, EAST SUSSEX<br />
19 wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
VinehallSchoolWT184.indd 1 19/05/<strong>2017</strong> 11:32
100 Years of <strong>Education</strong>, 1000 Years of History<br />
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Start the journey that will last a lifetime<br />
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52 Tadworth Street, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5QZ<br />
admissions@chinthurstschool.co.uk<br />
Telephone 01737 812011<br />
@Chintschool<br />
facebook.com/ChinthurstSchool<br />
Part of the Reigate Grammar School Family<br />
wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
20<br />
ChinthurstSchool<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 06/06/<strong>2017</strong> 12:47
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
How does it help?<br />
The art therapist functions as an emotional regulator enabling<br />
the child to process emotional experience effectively. He<br />
or she works with the child’s inner world safely and nonintrusively,<br />
with respect for the child’s own pace and state of<br />
being. For example, a drawing may be used to process feelings<br />
that the child cannot find words for and clay modelling can<br />
act as a calming activity which enables emotional regulation<br />
and develops self-soothing mechanisms in the brain.<br />
freeimages.com/FlavioTakemoto *names have been changed<br />
Creative<br />
Healing<br />
Mary Kain explains the benefits<br />
of using art as therapy<br />
What is art therapy?<br />
Children often find it difficult to express their feelings. At this<br />
highly formative period of their lives, the behaviours that they<br />
develop will have an impact on the whole of their future lives.<br />
When a child cannot talk about their painful and difficult<br />
feelings, these feelings can find expression in challenging<br />
behaviours, neurotic symptoms and/or physical ailments.<br />
Art Therapy uses various media – drawing, painting, sand<br />
play, music, poetry, puppetry, movement and mental<br />
imagery – as the primary means of communication.<br />
Although creative techniques are used, no previous<br />
experience or skill in art is necessary. The art therapist<br />
facilitates the exploration and communication of<br />
children’s thoughts and feelings through the use of art.<br />
Children/adolescents meet with a person with whom<br />
they feel comfortable, at the same time each week. In<br />
this way, they can build a relationship in a safe space<br />
with an empathic adult who offers quality listening and<br />
understanding. Art therapy is not dependent on spoken<br />
language and can be helpful to anyone who finds it<br />
difficult to express their thoughts and feelings verbally.<br />
Who can benefit?<br />
Children and adolescents with a range<br />
of issues including those:<br />
• In danger of exclusion from school<br />
• Experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties<br />
• With social and communication difficulties<br />
• Struggling with bereavement, changes<br />
in family structure or illness<br />
• Suffering abuse, bullying or trauma<br />
• With autism spectrum disorders<br />
• With child protection concerns, including experience<br />
of abuse or exposure to domestic violence<br />
• Any child who may appear withdrawn or<br />
anxious, angry, depressed, moody, violent or<br />
disaffected may also benefit from art therapy<br />
How are children referred?<br />
Most of my referrals happen through word of<br />
mouth, when teachers and parents contact me<br />
about children that have been identified as having<br />
challenging behaviours or emotional problems.<br />
Why did you become an art therapist?<br />
I initially qualified as an Early Years school teacher<br />
and, after having three children of my own, I became<br />
fascinated by the intricacies of child and adolescent<br />
development. So, I decided to go back and train as a<br />
child and adolescent psychotherapist, using the arts.<br />
Can you give us an example of how art therapy has helped?<br />
Katie* is an 8 year old girl who has witnessed domestic<br />
violence. Her anger would constantly erupt into violence<br />
towards her peers at school. Through using clay modelling<br />
she has found a medium to calm her intense emotions<br />
and been able to talk about what lies behind her anger.<br />
Charlie* is a 14 year old boy. He has grown up in a<br />
household where drug dealing is the norm. Beginning<br />
with the shared reading of graphic comic novels, he has<br />
gone on to tell the story of his own life in the form of a<br />
series of cartoon drawings. He has learned to understand<br />
and communicate his feelings to others which has helped<br />
him navigate the difficult challenges of adolescence.<br />
Art Therapist Mary Kain can be contacted on 07912<br />
521055 and emailed at mary.kain@btinternet.com<br />
21 wealdentimes.co.uk
Class sizes of only 15?<br />
That’s thinking<br />
differently.<br />
A leading co-educational day and boarding school for pupils aged 3 to 18<br />
At Dover College, we support each other in<br />
an environment that feels more like family<br />
than school.<br />
With a maximum of 15 pupils per class, our<br />
creative teaching encourages independent<br />
and critical thinking. Together, we achieve<br />
exceptional results.<br />
Day pupils and UK boarders mix with<br />
friends from across Europe, Africa, Asia<br />
and the Americas and this inclusivity<br />
teaches everyone to think differently, to be<br />
unprejudiced, cosmopolitan and outwardlooking.<br />
Our pupils are encouraged to discover and<br />
foster talents in academia, sport, music,<br />
drama and the arts, develop confidence and<br />
realise their dreams.<br />
Isn’t it refreshing to think differently?<br />
Think Dover College.
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Meet the Heads<br />
Go behind the scenes at seven leading schools to find out more about the headteachers in charge<br />
Gareth Doodes MA Hons<br />
headmaster of dover college<br />
Favourite subject when<br />
you were at school<br />
i absolutely love history. My<br />
imagination as a child was vivid,<br />
and i had an exceptional teacher<br />
who made history something<br />
interesting and something relevant.<br />
a love of history in itself developed<br />
a fascination with theology and<br />
politics. it demonstrated how<br />
all we learn is so inter-related.<br />
Favourite teacher when<br />
you were at school<br />
Mr polden, my English teacher.<br />
debonair, witty, with a rich irish<br />
brogue, he read poetry to us that<br />
made our ears feel like we were<br />
eating fudge. he made shakespeare<br />
come alive, laughed incessantly,<br />
was eccentric in the right ways and<br />
clearly cared. Quite a character.<br />
Favourite children’s character<br />
from a book or film<br />
it would have to be Mole, from wind in<br />
the willows. he’s modest, humble and<br />
thoughtful. he tries new things, and is<br />
ambitious, yet at the same time doesn’t<br />
forget his own roots. it is the best<br />
character from a perfect book although<br />
ironically, it has greater relevance when<br />
read by adults than by children.<br />
Best school memory<br />
too many to choose from! probably the<br />
day i was appointed head boy at prep<br />
school. nothing has ever surpassed that,<br />
both in terms of the feeling of being<br />
honoured, and also excited. seeing<br />
my parents’ beaming faces that day is<br />
a memory that will never leave me.<br />
Is there anything you wish you had<br />
studied at school that you didn’t?<br />
i would love to have done further study<br />
in theology and philosophy. i love<br />
thinking, and love stretching my mind.<br />
there’s always a place<br />
for that in what we do.<br />
What is your proudest<br />
achievement at your<br />
current school?<br />
our recent isi<br />
inspection, which<br />
turned the school<br />
completely around<br />
from the situation i inherited. there<br />
is nothing better than being tested by<br />
external agencies in what you believe<br />
is right, and found to be without fault.<br />
it’s a magnificent achievement by a<br />
superb team of teachers at the college.<br />
What are you looking forward<br />
to this coming year?<br />
we’re about to embark on an exciting<br />
development plan, with investment<br />
in teaching, learning, buildings and<br />
facilities both for the Junior and the<br />
senior school, and sport. it’s an exciting<br />
time for the college and its pupils.<br />
dover college is an independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 3-18. dovercollege.org.uk<br />
<br />
23 wealdentimes.co.uk
Open Mornings<br />
7 October & 17 November<br />
9:15 am -11:30 am<br />
(Headmaster’s Talk at 9:30 am)<br />
T:01372 372311<br />
www.downsend.co.uk<br />
• 100% success rate at<br />
Common Entrance<br />
• 80% A*- B grades<br />
• 190 senior school scholarships<br />
awarded since 2014<br />
We never hold our children back<br />
(Unless we have to)<br />
At Downsend when our pupils are actively involved in their learning, they fly.<br />
We find sitting still in a classroom, is no way to investigate the nature of<br />
forces and their effects. It’s much more exciting and memorable to get<br />
the parachutes out and experience air resistance in action for yourself.<br />
Kinesthetic learning is effective because the children are highly engaged<br />
and they remember what they are learning.<br />
Fosse Generic Postcard Rev2 13/9/16 1:30 pm Page 1<br />
Leatherhead • Ashtead • Epsom<br />
An independent prep school for<br />
boys and girls aged 2-13<br />
DownsendSchool<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 12/06/<strong>2017</strong> 15:14<br />
Fosse Bank is a small independent school in a stunning building set in 26 acres<br />
of beautiful grounds. Fosse Bank is for children aged 2-11 years who enjoy an<br />
extensive curriculum and the individual care that being in a small class allows.<br />
Fosse Bank School, Mountains, Noble Tree Road, Hildenborough TN11 8ND<br />
www.fossebankschool.co.uk • Tel: 01732 834212 • E-mail: admissions@fossebankschool.co.uk<br />
wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
24<br />
FosseBankSchool-<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 02/06/<strong>2017</strong> 12:36
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Ian<br />
Thorpe<br />
Headmaster<br />
of Downsend<br />
School<br />
Favourite subject when<br />
you were at school?<br />
Games (outside the classroom)<br />
and French (inside it).<br />
Favourite teacher when<br />
you were at school?<br />
Mr Knight, our Director of Sport, who<br />
had been a British Lion rugby player.<br />
Favourite children’s character<br />
from a book or film<br />
I loved Danny, from Danny the<br />
Champion of the World, as he encouraged<br />
me to believe in myself, whatever the odds.<br />
Best school memory<br />
Winning the International Schools<br />
Sports Tournament at Tennis, aged 16.<br />
Is there anything you wish you’d<br />
studied at school that you didn’t?<br />
I wish I’d known more about metacognition<br />
then: learning how to learn.<br />
All too often education is about forcing<br />
square pegs through round holes, and I<br />
would have loved to know more about<br />
how I, as an individual, learned back then.<br />
What’s your proudest achievement<br />
at your current school?<br />
Watching our children represent their<br />
school with such pride. Whether<br />
singing as a Choir in places like<br />
Belgium, winning Surrey Cups and<br />
National Swimming Titles or guiding<br />
parents at Open Mornings, they are<br />
the perfect ambassadors for Downsend,<br />
the stars of the show, certainly!<br />
What are you looking forward<br />
to this coming year?<br />
I want to complete a project which<br />
will deliver a new multi-million pound<br />
Creative Arts Centre to Downsend.<br />
Downsend School is a co-educational<br />
independent school for pupils<br />
aged between two and thirteen in<br />
Leatherhead, Ashtead and Epsom.<br />
downsend.co.uk<br />
Alison Cordingley<br />
Headmistress at Fosse<br />
Bank School<br />
Favourite Subject when<br />
you were at school<br />
As now, I enjoyed whatever I<br />
was doing at the time. Had I to<br />
choose a favourite, then probably<br />
sport. I was no great athlete, but<br />
through encouragement to practise<br />
and improve, I relished playing<br />
in hockey and netball teams.<br />
Favourite teacher when<br />
you were at school<br />
I loved each teacher in turn at primary<br />
school but at senior school my<br />
biology teacher was a favourite. She<br />
was the first teacher to suggest that<br />
we pupils were part of the learning<br />
process and that we had some control<br />
over what and how we learned.<br />
Favourite children’s character<br />
from a book or film<br />
At primary school my favourite<br />
character was Mary Lennox from The<br />
Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson<br />
Burnett. To me she seemed a very<br />
exotic person. Having lived in India<br />
with servants she was transported<br />
to a different life in England<br />
where she had to be independent.<br />
And it has a happy ending.<br />
Best school memory<br />
One of my best school memories<br />
is when I was aged five and in the<br />
Reception class. One of the other<br />
girls in the class was absent on the<br />
day we had to cut out our selfportraits.<br />
I was asked to finish her<br />
work because “You are so good at<br />
cutting out.” It reminds me as an<br />
adult, how easy it is to make a child<br />
feel proud with a kind comment.<br />
Anything you wish you had<br />
studied at school that you didn’t?<br />
Technically I did study Latin but<br />
failed to understand its relevance<br />
and by my second year at senior<br />
school I was relegated to the class<br />
which read Winnie the Pooh in Latin<br />
rather than grasping the grammar.<br />
I wish I had persevered at the time<br />
but I enjoyed learning Latin properly<br />
much later, after I had left school.<br />
What is your proudest achievement<br />
at your current school?<br />
I am proud of our eleven year olds<br />
who are going to the best senior<br />
schools this September. It is pleasing<br />
that our pupils will be going to<br />
their new schools as confident,<br />
independent people, ready to<br />
embrace change and challenge<br />
and that these traits are a result of<br />
their experience at Fosse Bank.<br />
What are you looking forward<br />
to this coming year?<br />
We began taking two year olds this<br />
year and their presence really focused<br />
my mind on the many benefits of<br />
children learning in the open air.<br />
Following our official affiliation<br />
to the Forest School Association<br />
we are rolling out provision for<br />
Forest School sessions to all our<br />
children as part of the curriculum.<br />
I intend to join in on occasion!<br />
Fosse Bank School in Hildenborough, Kent, is an independent school for<br />
children aged two to eleven. fossebankschool.co.uk<br />
<br />
25 wealdentimes.co.uk
OPEN MORNINGS<br />
Nursery & Junior School<br />
29 – 30 September <strong>2017</strong><br />
College & Sixth Form<br />
30 September <strong>2017</strong><br />
Call 01932 839437<br />
Book now at www.stgeorgesweybridge.com<br />
Leading independent co-educational Roman Catholic day schools in<br />
Surrey offering a values-led education for 3 to 18 year olds.<br />
A Registered <strong>Education</strong>al Charity No.1017853
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
John Southworth<br />
principal of Mpw london<br />
Favourite subject when<br />
you were at school?<br />
i loved car maintenance and<br />
woodwork! that is probably<br />
why i then went on to study<br />
Engineering at university. the skills and knowledge i gained<br />
from these subjects has stayed with me throughout my<br />
teaching career as i went on to teach systems and control<br />
and in my spare time i have restored a couple of old<br />
porsches, and frame all of my wife’s paintings and prints.<br />
Favourite teacher when you were at school?<br />
Mike cook at haberdashers’ aske’s. he taught me<br />
English and rugby and i still remember him giving<br />
me a lift to school each day in his Mgb when i<br />
would try to cram my ’cello into the back seat!<br />
Favourite children’s character from a book or film?<br />
i really liked Joe 90! the idea that someone could be<br />
given another’s knowledge by a transfer of brainpower<br />
is very much like the teaching profession.<br />
Best school memory?<br />
being part of the rugby team was a great experience.<br />
we had such a great team spirit and it was always<br />
such fun playing under the tutelage of di davies,<br />
doug yeabsley and ralph warmington.<br />
Is there anything you wish you’d studied<br />
at school that you didn’t?<br />
at my college we offer 47 different a levels, many of which<br />
were not available when i was at school. if i had the choice now i<br />
would like to study an EpQ (Extended project Qualification) as<br />
i believe this has real merit in terms of university entry. i would<br />
certainly do something on robotics. From my school time, i<br />
would probably have liked to have done geography as i really<br />
enjoyed this at o level, especially a project i did on viticulture.<br />
What’s your proudest achievement at your current school?<br />
although i have been at Mpw for over three years, i have<br />
only been principal this academic year. i have lots i want<br />
to accomplish as long as it focuses on my students having<br />
opportunities to achieve to the best of their ability and that<br />
they are happy and contented throughout their time with us.<br />
What are you looking forward to this coming year?<br />
i really enjoy interviewing prospective students and<br />
then welcoming them to my college. given all the exam<br />
reforms, i think this year could be the most exciting.<br />
Mpw london is a fifth- and sixth-form college offering a wide range of gcsE and a level subjects. mpw.ac.uk<br />
<br />
27 wealdentimes.co.uk
Fleur, Year 3<br />
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Saturday 7 October, 10am<br />
AN INDIVIDUAL APPROACH TO ACADEMIC SUCCESS<br />
Contact:<br />
www.manorhouseschool.org<br />
Register at 01372 457077<br />
Email: admissions@manorhouseschool.org<br />
A SELECTIVE INDEPENDENT DAY SCHOOL FOR<br />
GIRLS AGED 4 - 16 WITH CO-EDUCATIONAL NURSERY<br />
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manorhousesch
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Tracey<br />
Fantham<br />
headteacher<br />
at Manor<br />
house school<br />
Favourite<br />
subject<br />
when you<br />
were at school<br />
My favourite subject at school was<br />
geography. i loved learning about<br />
the world and the way the physical<br />
features were formed. this was closely<br />
followed by English; writing and<br />
reading literature also inspired me and<br />
i still enjoy getting lost in a new novel.<br />
Favourite teacher when<br />
you were at school<br />
i had two favourites! My pE teacher<br />
was a definite favourite, she inspired<br />
many students to continue playing<br />
sport long after leaving school and i<br />
am still in touch with her now. My<br />
second favourite was my geography<br />
teacher who was a fabulous teacher,<br />
he not only taught us geography but<br />
taught us how to learn for the<br />
exams and consequently his classes<br />
always performed really well.<br />
Favourite children’s character<br />
from a book or film<br />
when i was a child, i was<br />
besotted with ‘black beauty’ and<br />
would look forward to sunday<br />
afternoons for that very reason.<br />
Best school memory<br />
Most definitely the school ski trip.<br />
here i developed my passion for<br />
the mountains and for skiing which<br />
have been a part of my life ever<br />
since. school trips are undoubtedly<br />
so valuable for children and at<br />
Manor house school we aim to<br />
create unforgettable experiences<br />
for our girls which i hope they will<br />
remember for the rest of their lives.<br />
Is there anything you wish you had<br />
studied at school that you didn’t?<br />
during my teaching career i have<br />
taught psychology. this wasn’t an<br />
‘a’ level on offer when i was at<br />
school which is a shame as i have<br />
enjoyed teaching how the brain<br />
works and human behaviour. i now<br />
offer psychology club for the senior<br />
girls to share my passion for the<br />
subject with them and introduce<br />
them to the content they will learn<br />
if they choose the ‘a’ level.<br />
What is your proudest achievement<br />
at your current school?<br />
to select one achievement is difficult,<br />
each and every day i am proud to be<br />
the head of such a wonderful school.<br />
the girls and staff are incredibly<br />
enthusiastic and positive and i am very<br />
happy to be leading the school into an<br />
exciting new phase of development.<br />
What are you looking forward<br />
to this coming year?<br />
i am looking forward to building on<br />
the success of my first year. developing<br />
opportunities for sport has featured<br />
highly this year and we are currently<br />
in the process of drawing up plans<br />
to cover our swimming pool and<br />
build further facilities for pE. we<br />
are also changing the structure of<br />
the school day to maximise learning<br />
and it will therefore be exciting to<br />
see these plans come to fruition.<br />
Manor house school is an independent day school in leatherhead, surrey, for girls aged 2-16. manorhouseschool.org<br />
<br />
29 wealdentimes.co.uk
OPEN MORNINGS<br />
Thursday 14 September<br />
Saturday 30 September<br />
Please register via reigategrammar.org<br />
Top Co-<strong>Education</strong>al Independent Day School in Surrey<br />
The Telegraph and The Sunday Times<br />
“RGS is rocketing up the rankings...<br />
pastoral care is second to none”<br />
Tatler<br />
“EXCEPTIONAL”<br />
ISI Inspection 2016<br />
Reigate Grammar School is<br />
“Definitely one to watch”<br />
The Good Schools Guide<br />
Reigate Grammar School, Reigate Road, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0QS<br />
reigategrammar.org | 01737 222231 | info@reigategrammar.org<br />
facebook.com/reigategrammarschool<br />
@reigategrammar
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Shaun Fenton<br />
headmaster of reigate grammar<br />
Favourite subject when<br />
you were at school<br />
i was lucky that i enjoyed all my<br />
subjects at school and especially the<br />
chance to throw myself into sport,<br />
drama and other activities. because<br />
of my own school days, at reigate<br />
grammar school i believe that it is<br />
the extra-curricular programme that<br />
helps develop the qualities of character<br />
that are required for later life.<br />
Favourite teacher when<br />
you were at school<br />
rev david lyndsay was my<br />
favourite teacher and has been a<br />
mentor and inspiration to me ever<br />
since – in fact we met for a cup of<br />
tea and a chat just last week.<br />
Favourite children’s character<br />
from a book or film<br />
well i suppose, as headmaster, it would<br />
have to be dumbledore from hogwarts!<br />
Best school memory<br />
when i played pharaoh in the<br />
school production of Joseph and<br />
his amazing technicolour dream<br />
coat, there was a small flash bang<br />
explosion that set my Elvis style wig<br />
on fire. it was a few moments of<br />
madness that i will never forget but,<br />
as they say, ‘the show must go on’!<br />
What is your proudest achievement<br />
at your current school?<br />
i am always proudest when i shake the<br />
hands of the school leavers in the upper<br />
sixth as they move on as happy, healthy<br />
high achieving young adults ready to<br />
make the world a better place. i am<br />
struck, each year, by what impressive<br />
young adults they have become.<br />
What are you looking forward<br />
to this coming year?<br />
Each year the day i look forward<br />
to most of all is the first day of the<br />
new academic year when the school<br />
floods with new students and those<br />
returning from the summer break. at<br />
that moment, i feel an overwhelming<br />
optimism for the year ahead and realise<br />
what a privilege it is to be headmaster.<br />
there is so much more to look forward<br />
to this year as we complete a major<br />
new building, as our sports teams look<br />
to build on their national trophies<br />
and our arts produce dozens of shows<br />
and concerts. i always look forward<br />
to congratulating the students who<br />
secure their pilot’s licence through the<br />
cadets or talking to those returning<br />
from scuba diving in belize. there is<br />
always so much more to look forward<br />
to in the weeks and months ahead<br />
as our young people discover talents<br />
they didn’t know they had and reach<br />
standards they hadn’t dreamed of –<br />
can you tell that i love my job?<br />
reigate grammar is an independent school for girls and boys aged eleven to eighteen. reigategrammar.org<br />
31 wealdentimes.co.uk
Opening doors to a world of possibilities<br />
Open Mornings<br />
Friday 22 September <strong>2017</strong> 9.30am to 12 noon<br />
Saturday 23 September <strong>2017</strong> 9.30am to 12 noon<br />
Call us on 01323 733203 or email admissions@standrewsprep.co.uk<br />
www.VisitStAndrewsPrep.co.uk
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Lawnmower Parents<br />
It goes without saying that every parent wants the very best for their child, and most<br />
will bend over backwards to achieve it. But what happens when these good intentions<br />
become all-consuming? Hilary Wilce gives us the signs to watch out for<br />
freeimages.com/Aaron Murphy<br />
T<br />
hrough my work as a life coach, I know<br />
a young woman who is a well-qualified<br />
City lawyer with a good job and excellent<br />
prospects. But she is unhappy. She wants<br />
to be a lawyer in the arts, she told me,<br />
where the pay wouldn’t be as good, but<br />
where she would feel she was doing something vibrant and<br />
worthwhile. Then change jobs, I said. Take the pay cut and<br />
do what you want. She looked terrified. “But my parents<br />
work in finance,” she said. “They wouldn’t know who to ask.”<br />
This young woman was 27, a successful young<br />
professional, yet she still believed that her parents<br />
should open doors for her then lay out the red<br />
carpet so she could step through them.<br />
When I quizzed her more closely the pattern became clear.<br />
Her parents had always been closely involved in her life,<br />
asking teachers to give her extra help, buying her tutorial<br />
support, organising her out-of-school time and making<br />
sure any bumpy patches in her friendships were swiftly<br />
put to rights. They had suggested what she should study at<br />
university, had quizzed admissions officers, and asked one of<br />
her father’s old senior lecturers to put in a word for her at his<br />
university. They had even set up this life coaching with me,<br />
to sort out her dissatisfaction and “get her back on track”.<br />
As a result, she had got off to a flying start, but now found<br />
herself floundering. She didn’t have the autonomy, selfconfidence<br />
or coping skills to follow her own life’s path.<br />
Her mother and father are part of a fearsome new breed<br />
of parents who believe it is their job to smooth their child’s<br />
path into the adult world so completely that there is no<br />
danger of them ever meeting an upset, set-back or obstacle.<br />
These parents have been dubbed lawnmower parents. Or,<br />
in icier parts of the United States, the country where they<br />
first emerged, snowplough parents. They move heaven and<br />
earth to clear the way for their precious offspring, while<br />
remaining oblivious to the needs of anyone else around<br />
them. If their child wants the best swing in the playground,<br />
another child must give it up. If their child gets into trouble<br />
at school, the teacher must be castigated for daring to<br />
reprimand them. If their child struggles with a homework<br />
assignment, they will sit down and do it for them.<br />
These parents are quite different from that other wellknown<br />
breed, the helicopter parents, who like to hover<br />
around over their children making sure they do their<br />
homework, checking on their safety and micromanaging<br />
their lives. While helicopter parents fuss and worry over<br />
their children’s lives, lawnmower parents take matters into<br />
their own hands and make sure that their children’s <br />
33 wealdentimes.co.uk
• A school that is really going places<br />
• Excellent in every area (ISI)<br />
• Year 7 Entrance Exam 24th Jan<br />
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Senior School<br />
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BRINGING LEARNING TO LIFE<br />
KentCollegeCanterbury<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 09/06/<strong>2017</strong> 16:13<br />
To arrange a visit, please contact Clare Harrison:<br />
admissions@theprep.org.uk • 01732 762336<br />
www.theprep.org.uk<br />
An independent day school for boys and girls aged 2-13<br />
CHALLENGE • CREATIVITY • COMMUNITY<br />
wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
34<br />
SevenoaksPreparatory<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 05/06/<strong>2017</strong> 12:56
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
lives are exactly what they, the parents, say they will be.<br />
Lawnmowing like this can pay off in good grades and<br />
successful qualifications. But it can also cause terrible damage.<br />
Parents can end up stressed, exhausted, and disappointed,<br />
while their children can grow up into flabby, entitled adults<br />
expecting the world to deliver them a charmed life with no<br />
effort on their own behalf, or into angry, rebellious ones<br />
desperate to claw free from their over-controlling families.<br />
In America things have got so bad that some college<br />
campuses have banned parents from entering their<br />
gates. It would never get that bad here. Or would it?<br />
Are you a lawnmower parent?<br />
Your childminder/nanny/babysitter suggests that<br />
your child’s behaviour is not entirely perfect. Do you<br />
sack them on the spot? Without a reference?<br />
Have you ever completed a homework assignment<br />
or project on your child’s behalf? Is that perfect<br />
cardboard model windmill actually yours?<br />
Your child biffs a playmate on the head, starting a squabble.<br />
Is your response, “That horrible little bully! He provoked you.<br />
I’m telling his parents he’s never coming to our house again.”?<br />
Your child gets a B, not an A for an important piece of<br />
work. Do you drive up to school to demand it be re-marked?<br />
Your child is not given a big enough part in the school<br />
concert, or picked for the top sports teams. Do you protest<br />
vehemently to the school until they put the matter right?<br />
At university entrance time, do you write your child’s<br />
glowing personal statement for them, then organise toplevel<br />
summer internships to help them on their way?<br />
freeimages.com/Krishnan Gopakumar<br />
And here’s some ways of avoiding<br />
the lawnmower trap<br />
Let your child do things for themselves as soon as possible –<br />
tie shoes, put laundry in the basket, do their own homework.<br />
Encourage them to develop their own voice – by asking<br />
for what they want in shops and restaurants, and by<br />
talking to their friends’ parents and your adult friends.<br />
If a problem comes up, talk with your child about ways<br />
to solve it. Let them start to have ideas and discuss with<br />
you what they could do to solve their own difficulties.<br />
Let them fail and learn from it. If they’ve got a bad mark<br />
for a piece of work, or been mean to a friend, or played<br />
rough on the soccer pitch, encourage them to consider what<br />
went wrong and what they could do next time round.<br />
Back off on the expectations. Praise participation and<br />
effort whenever you see your child trying, but don’t make<br />
them feel a failure if they don’t come top of the class.<br />
Leave them alone. Let them sometimes get bored and<br />
dirty, and be free to follow the dreams in their head and the<br />
winding paths of their friendships. Always remember that<br />
your child’s lives and achievements belong to them, not you.<br />
Hilary Wilce is an education writer and life coach.<br />
Her two e-books for parents, Backbone: how to build<br />
the character your child needs to succeed and The Six<br />
Secrets of School Success are available on Amazon.<br />
35 wealdentimes.co.uk
‘T<br />
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<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Perfect Fit<br />
Edward Martin from The Golden Boot highlights<br />
the importance of proper shoe fitting<br />
VOICE TRIALS<br />
for boys aged 7 & 8<br />
11 th November <strong>2017</strong><br />
When should a toddler get their first shoe? when<br />
a child starts to crawl or shuffle and pull themselves up onto<br />
their feet, a parent should look into a cruising shoe. cruisers<br />
are very soft, flexible shoes that are lightweight and provide<br />
just enough protection and support for when toddlers are out<br />
and about. as a general rule we say that barefoot is best, but<br />
for children starting at nursery at a young age this isn’t always<br />
suitable. it also allows little ones to get used to wearing shoes.<br />
when a child is able to walk across the room completely<br />
unaided, and is hardly crawling at all, we would suggest that<br />
a proper walking shoe should be fitted. some styles are firmer<br />
than others, but they generally have a slightly harder sole and<br />
offer enough support when learning to walk confidently.<br />
How often should they be measured? after the child has<br />
had their first pair of cruisers fitted, we recommend you come<br />
back for another fitting in around 6-8 weeks. after this, every<br />
3 months is a good time period to make sure the shoes are still<br />
fitting properly. new shoes might not be needed every time, but<br />
children do tend to have sudden growth spurts – we’ve fitted<br />
feet that have grown a whole shoe size in one go! as children<br />
grow older, their feet will need to be checked less frequently.<br />
How long do school shoes last, and what should we<br />
look for when choosing? we like to find out what each child<br />
is going to be doing in their school shoes before we try any on.<br />
if they scoot to school, play football and ride their bike in them,<br />
then a more robust style with a chunkier sole unit is going to be<br />
more suitable and last longer. it starts to get tricky when fashion<br />
is desired over function as children grow up and head off to<br />
secondary school. a smart lace up, or delicate ballet pump is not<br />
going to handle bike rides and skidding in quite the same way.<br />
we recommend parents to budget for two pairs of school shoes a<br />
year, depending on the age of the child and how quickly they grow.<br />
children have to wear these shoes everyday, and good quality leather<br />
school shoes means feet can breathe and be comfortable all day.<br />
Are there any types of shoes that should be avoided<br />
for little feet? sports trainers are often very hard and not at<br />
all flexible. professional shoe makers design their footwear with<br />
little feet in mind, meaning the toe shapes are wide and round,<br />
following the natural shape of the foot. they’re made<br />
from high quality materials so feet can breathe and<br />
grow. properly made shoes also offer support<br />
at the arch and heel, where as some<br />
cheaply made trainers fit very<br />
tight and are tapered into a<br />
narrow shape, constricting<br />
those little toes.<br />
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Enquiries are welcome at any time<br />
Substantial scholarships are awarded<br />
and choristers benefit from an all-round<br />
excellent education at St Edmund’s<br />
School Canterbury.<br />
The Master of Choristers, David Flood,<br />
is always pleased to meet and advise<br />
parents and their sons.<br />
For further details please telephone<br />
01227 865242<br />
davidf@canterbury-cathedral.org<br />
@No1Cathedral<br />
CanterburyCathedralChoir<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 06/06/<strong>2017</strong> 15:31<br />
39<br />
wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
SpringGroveSchool<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 12/06/<strong>2017</strong> 16:23
“The Quality of Pupils’ Academic and<br />
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<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Make health<br />
and fitness<br />
child’s play<br />
Fitness Trainer Sarah Maxwell explains how<br />
to engage the whole family in exercise<br />
L<br />
ife’s lessons are much easier to learn if we start<br />
our children on them when they’re young.<br />
Doing so means regular exercise, improved<br />
overall fitness and eating healthy food can<br />
become the norm almost before children<br />
have had a chance to do things differently!<br />
But our busy lifestyles as working parents, with technology<br />
being aggressively marketed to youngsters, stringent<br />
safeguarding legislation and the appeal of coffee bars,<br />
means that keeping children active has never been more<br />
challenging. It’s often difficult to schedule time together<br />
as a family and my clients often say they feel guilty when<br />
they use ‘family time’ to do their fitness programmes.<br />
But group exercise encourages better communication<br />
and closer relationships. Fit families who live a healthy<br />
lifestyle are more likely to enjoy their time together.<br />
Schools play an incredibly important role in encouraging<br />
our children to be more active. But whilst traditional team<br />
sports are generally well supported, these don’t cater for every<br />
child’s needs. Girls’ low participation rates in<br />
sports at senior school is well documented<br />
but it also affects many boys who don’t like<br />
gender typical team sports. Increasingly I am<br />
seeing children lacking in self-esteem due<br />
to their own perceived poor performance<br />
in team sports. This dropping out of team<br />
sports continues into adulthood and is<br />
amply illustrated by 3 questions I ask in my teen self-esteem<br />
workshops. “Who here regularly plays football/rugby/<br />
netball?” – lots of eager hands go up. “Whose parents used<br />
to regularly play football/rugby/netball at school?” – a few<br />
raised hands drop. “Whose parents still regularly play football/<br />
rugby/netball?” – almost without exception all hands drop.<br />
We need to find and learn to love activities that will stay<br />
with us throughout our life and can fit into busy schedules.<br />
So it is important to stop labelling children ‘not sporty’<br />
– a tag that can stick for the rest of their lives – because<br />
they aren’t good at team sports, but to encourage a love of<br />
“Keeping children<br />
active has never<br />
been more<br />
challenging”<br />
fitness activities and help them find what works for them<br />
instead. I’m a firm believer in having fun while getting/<br />
keeping fit, which is exactly how children think, and I<br />
feel there is an activity out there for everyone that will<br />
help keep them healthy and put a smile on their face.<br />
Encouraging and engaging children at a<br />
young age will last a lifetime in health and<br />
fitness. The best schools work hard (often in<br />
conjunction with passionate parents) to ensure<br />
that a diverse range of sports are available<br />
for children which might include rowing,<br />
sailing, badminton, fencing, girls’ football,<br />
dance and gymnastics along with the more<br />
traditional staples of hockey, football, rugby and netball.<br />
If you’re looking at schools for your child ask about the<br />
breadth of sports on offer and how they cater for the needs of<br />
children who might not fit into gender typical team sports.<br />
Penny Snowden got so fed up with the drop off in the<br />
physical activity of her GCSE-studying teenager, she started<br />
a business to combat it. She has created a new scheme which<br />
focuses on the enormous benefits an active, healthy lifestyle<br />
has on long term employability. Using physical activity as<br />
the medium, Active Leaders trains teenagers to support the<br />
introduction of sporty games to children, whilst they gather<br />
<br />
41 wealdentimes.co.uk
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
valuable, transferable skills in the process. The one week course<br />
offers a new route into sport, practical workplace experience,<br />
the chance to be active and an understanding of how the<br />
acquired skills are relevant to employment regardless of<br />
whether this is in sport. The course supports the establishment<br />
of good habits – leading children by example. Some secondary<br />
schools are linking with feeder primary schools to stage<br />
courses, others are seeing the course as an option for work<br />
experience, an opportunity to train pupils to help in extracurricular<br />
clubs for younger children, or as skill acquisition<br />
and volunteering towards Duke of Edinburgh awards.<br />
Holiday camps are hosting Active Leader courses which<br />
could lead to work placements during the summer break. It<br />
is early days, but the pilot scheme which ran in the summer<br />
of 2016, supported by the Youth Sport Trust, resulted in a<br />
100% increase in the self-confidence of the participants, all<br />
attendees became engaged in physical activity themselves<br />
(only 50% were engaged beforehand), and all have been<br />
involved in the delivery of sport including working on<br />
holiday camps, teaching swimming, helping on rowing<br />
development courses and taking lifeguarding qualifications.<br />
Engagement in physical activity needs to become a habit as<br />
important to our education as learning to read and write. We<br />
need to lead by example whether as teachers, parents, carers<br />
or siblings. Perhaps we should all become “Active Leaders”.<br />
Sarah Maxwell is a professional Fitness Trainer currently<br />
running school workshop and talks in the South<br />
East. She can be contacted on 07973 233668<br />
or email sarah@sarahmaxwell.com / sarahmaxwell.com<br />
For more info about Active Leaders courses in your<br />
school, Penny Snowden can be contacted on 07767<br />
778541 or emailed at penny@psconsulting.uk<br />
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A happy, caring environment for girls & boys in Woking aged 3 - 13 & just 25 minutes from London<br />
hoebridgeschool.co.uk admissions@hoebridgeschool.co.uk 01483 772194<br />
wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
42<br />
HoeBridgeSchool<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 10/05/<strong>2017</strong> 09:54
Be all<br />
you can be<br />
St Ed’s is a school where every pupil is connected by a love of learning, the pursuit of possibility and the<br />
challenge of being the very best they can be.<br />
01227 475601 | www.stedmunds.org.uk<br />
Open Morning<br />
Saturday 30th September<br />
Steyning Grammar School<br />
Day & Boarding in West Sussex<br />
StEdmundsSchoolCanterbury<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 09/06/<strong>2017</strong> 16:21<br />
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43 wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
SteyningGrammar<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 01/06/<strong>2017</strong> 10:48
ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL<br />
CHORISTER EXPERIENCE<br />
Tuesday 10 th October <strong>2017</strong>, 2.00–6.00 pm<br />
Visit the School to discover more about life in the Cathedral<br />
Choir and why being a chorister at St Paul’s is the experience<br />
of a lifetime. St Paul’s choristers sing in one of the most famous<br />
and beautiful places of worship in the world, perform in<br />
concerts around the globe, and receive a fi rst-class academic<br />
education at the Cathedral School. Boys are not expected to<br />
have fully-developed voices or much formal singing experience –<br />
enthusiasm, intelligence and musical potential are the keys.<br />
— 100% tuition fees for all choristers<br />
— One of the country’s top preparatory schools<br />
— The most famous cathedral choir in the world<br />
Entry is in Year 3 or Year 4. If your son shows musical<br />
promise, he could become one of the next generation<br />
of choristers at St Paul’s.<br />
For more information please contact:<br />
Clare Morgan, Registrar, St Paul’s Cathedral School<br />
020 7248 5156 · admissions@spcs.london.sch.uk<br />
Cranmore School<br />
StPauls<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 15/06/<strong>2017</strong> 09:42<br />
SEP 17 SEP 17<br />
Independent Preparatory School<br />
for girls and boys 2 ½ - 13<br />
22 23<br />
OPEN MORNINGS<br />
Friday 22 September<br />
Saturday 23 September <strong>2017</strong><br />
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Assisted Places available<br />
01483 280340 www.cranmoreprep.co.uk<br />
admissions@cranmoreprep.co.uk West Horsley, Surrey KT24 6AT<br />
wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
44<br />
CranmorePrep<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 09/05/<strong>2017</strong> 11:47
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Under Pressure<br />
Susan Elkin looks into exam stress and how to relieve it<br />
freeimages.com/Picaland<br />
Managing your children (and yourself) through<br />
the exam season is never going to be easy.<br />
Everyone gets stressed. Not least the teachers<br />
at your child’s school who are probably psyching<br />
their pupils up because they’re worried about results,<br />
Ofsted ratings outcomes and all the rest of it.<br />
Of course we all want our youngsters to acquit themselves<br />
as well as they can. But remember too that every year<br />
there are tragic cases of teenagers getting so stressed and<br />
distressed about examination performance that they take<br />
their own lives. What a dreadful, horrifying, terrifying<br />
distortion of the truth about examination passes.<br />
If your child fails his or her eleven plus, or doesn’t get the<br />
GCSE or A level grades you were all hoping for it is not the<br />
end of the world. But it would be if s/he (or you) were to<br />
become so anxious that illness or worse followed. So try to keep<br />
it all in proportion and help your youngster to do the same.<br />
There are plenty of very successful people out there doing well<br />
in public life who didn’t leave school with much in the way<br />
of pieces of paper. Richard Branson, for one, Russell Brand<br />
for another and Kate Moss gave up schooling at age 14.<br />
None of that, obviously, is to suggest that we actually<br />
want our children to fail but it’s worth clinging on to<br />
the thought that failure is part of life and experiencing it<br />
can be used constructively in learning. And if Emma or<br />
Olly messes up Common Entrance, well there are other<br />
good schools nearby. GCSE and A level can be re-taken.<br />
Or maybe it’s time to look at another way forward.<br />
Bearing all this in mind and keeping calm will help the<br />
whole family to come through the examination season<br />
with health, humour and realism. There are smaller<br />
more practical things you can do at this time too.<br />
Take revision for example. The word means, from Latin,<br />
to look again. Exam preparation should be a case of simply<br />
reminding yourself of the work you’ve already done. It<br />
shouldn’t involve hours and hours of rote learning.<br />
No one of any age, least of all a child whose brain is not<br />
yet fully developed, can “study” for hours at a stretch. I once<br />
taught in a school one of whose year heads, a foolish woman<br />
in my view, told her GCSE students that they must reckon to<br />
“revise” for seven hours a day throughout the Easter holidays.<br />
That, of course, is absurdly unrealistic. Two hours in the<br />
morning followed by some exercise, rest and fun would be<br />
much more sensible. Balance is all. Common sense helps too.<br />
Help your youngster to construct a workable revision timetable<br />
so that each subject gets appropriate attention in the month or<br />
two before the exam/s. I’m dead against last minute revision,<br />
though. The best thing a youngster can do the night before an<br />
exam is to play tennis, go for a swim, listen to some music or<br />
do whatever it is that he or she really likes to do. An early night<br />
with an unrelated enjoyable book will help to get the candidate<br />
into the exam room feeling calm and confident too. Remember<br />
that if you’ve been diligently studying a subject for two or five<br />
or seven years (or your entire school life) then you’re not actually<br />
going to learn any more about it in the last few hours before<br />
an exam. But you can get very anxious by trying to do so.<br />
Discussing the paper afterwards and comparing notes<br />
on who wrote what can add to panic too. The best thing<br />
to do at the end of an exam is to walk away and think of<br />
something else. There is nothing more you can do about<br />
it now. You simply have to wait for the result. If you, as a<br />
parent, can pick your examinee up immediately after the exam<br />
and whisk him or her away then do it. And resist the urge<br />
quiz about which questions were answered and how too.<br />
At home before and during the exam season keep the<br />
atmosphere as tranquil as you can. Provide good healthy<br />
food – salads, soups, jacket potatoes, fruit and the like<br />
– at regular intervals. It keeps the brain working well. Junk,<br />
comfort foods can do the opposite. Family meals and an<br />
insistence that everyone partakes are obviously best if you<br />
can manage that. Spoil the candidate by taking cups of<br />
whatever he likes up to the revision room from time to<br />
time. Biscuits are probably not the best plan. Sugary foods<br />
are never a good idea. Put a handful of dates or raisins on<br />
the saucer instead. Or what about plain oatcakes which,<br />
for me at any rate, go down well with a hot drink?<br />
Above all – and obvious as this is it’s worth spelling out –<br />
make it absolutely clear that you love your exam candidate<br />
unconditionally. That’s why you want him or her to do well.<br />
But at the end of the day your love and support will still be<br />
there more strongly than ever, irrespective of the results.<br />
Further reading<br />
• bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/helping_with_exams/<br />
• nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/<br />
Pages/Coping-with-exam-stress.aspx<br />
• How to Support your Teenager through the Stress<br />
of Revision and Exams by Bernadette Jones (2014)<br />
Createspace Independent Publishing Platform<br />
Author and education journalist, Susan Elkin taught<br />
English in secondary schools for over 30 years.<br />
45 wealdentimes.co.uk
Dulwich Preparatory School<br />
Cranbrook<br />
Independent day and flexible boarding school for boys and girls aged 3 to 13<br />
‘Intriguing and<br />
breathtaking art’<br />
Visitor to Senior<br />
Art Exhibition May <strong>2017</strong><br />
• Supportive art department nurturing talent at all levels.<br />
• Art Scholarship and Bursary Scheme for Year 5 & 7 entry<br />
• 8 Art Scholarships won to senior schools <strong>2017</strong><br />
registrar@dcpskent.org • 01580 712179 • dcpskent.org
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Road trip<br />
We explore the educational<br />
excursions currently on offer<br />
Dulwich Preparatory School<br />
Marlborough House School<br />
What type of school trips do pupils go on? typical<br />
educational day trips range from the national<br />
gallery, battle abbey, Eastbourne Jazz Festival, olympic<br />
park, richborough, the science Museum, herstmonceux<br />
observatory and every year our year 8 children visit the<br />
houses of parliament. if a trip deepens the children’s<br />
understanding and love for a subject – we schedule it in.<br />
Are there trips available for every subject? we offer a<br />
broad range of trips that will enhance learning potential<br />
across the whole school curriculum. those that provide<br />
opportunities for cross-curricular learning are particularly<br />
special. Music plays an integral part in school life so we<br />
are currently researching an overseas trip for our choirs.<br />
Do pupils get to travel abroad? absolutely. Most recently,<br />
our spanish pupils took in the sights and sounds of Madrid,<br />
our latin students visited the wonderful archaeological<br />
sites and paths less travelled through Medieval rome and<br />
our senior school geographers have been lava tubing<br />
and geyser watching in iceland. our annual ski trip to<br />
switzerland and French exchange trips are always popular.<br />
Do they always take place during term time? not always.<br />
we run an action-packed leavers’ programme in the summer<br />
term, which includes a week of team-building and highenergy<br />
physical challenges at skerne lodge in devon. when<br />
exams are over, year 6 cycle also get to bond with the peers<br />
outside the classroom when they try their hands at canoeing,<br />
mountain biking and orienteering on dartmoor as well as<br />
boogie boarding and a visit to boscastle in cornwall.<br />
What type of trips prove to be the most engaging? those where<br />
pupils can interact with pupils from other schools and countries.<br />
recently, our spanish students spent a day in a large primary<br />
school in Madrid. our children also love living history and any<br />
opportunity to ‘experience’ learning. this year, our children have<br />
tried on space suits at herstmonceux observatory, learnt to tie<br />
a roman toga, re-enacted the battle of hastings and ventured<br />
30 metres underground in a tin mine in the south west.<br />
What type of trips do pupils go on? a vast array of trips,<br />
linked to the curriculum, from a visit to a local fruit farm in<br />
nursery to a one week residential outward bound course to<br />
snowdonia in year 8. our boarders enjoy regular outings and<br />
trips ranging from an evening at the beach at camber sands<br />
to visits to climbing centres and gravity trampolining.<br />
we have a progressive programme of residential outdoor<br />
activities from years 5-8 where the children stay away<br />
from home, camping and exploring the great outdoors.<br />
Are there trips available in every subject? yes, ranging from<br />
visiting lullingstone roman villa for our latinists, to trips<br />
to the west End for drama, a residential trip to Felixstowe<br />
studying coastal erosion for a geography project. we make<br />
use of the fantastic countryside closer to home as well with<br />
walks in the bluebell woods, pond-dipping at sissinghurst etc.<br />
we visit cranbrook town regularly, to learn about the history<br />
of the church, visit the museum and study the different<br />
types of business and industry available in our local town.<br />
recently reception looked at the different shops on offer in<br />
cranbrook and visited the butchers and other local shops.<br />
Do pupils get to travel abroad? there is a whole year group<br />
trip to paris in upper school, with children visiting famous<br />
paris landmarks and practicing their French over a 3 day<br />
period. there are optional trips to a chateau in France for<br />
total language immersion, having fun with outdoor activities<br />
such as canoeing, and even learning to make bread – all in<br />
French! there is an annual ski trip every Easter which is<br />
very popular, particularly the après ski activities. and the<br />
annual trip to wales for the outward bound activities has<br />
been a fixture in the dulwich calendar for over 20 years.<br />
Do they always take place during term time? no,<br />
the optional ski and French trips are at Easter.<br />
What type of trips prove to be the most engaging?<br />
anything which helps to bring the topic to life, such as<br />
our visit to battle, where the children re-enact the battle<br />
of hastings. visits to art galleries to see a picture close up,<br />
listening to live music in a large venue, singing in the o2<br />
stadium with thousands of other school children, these are all<br />
experiences that children will remember for years to come.<br />
Marlborough house school, hawkhurst, Kent<br />
01580 753555 marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk<br />
dulwich prep school, cranbrook, Kent 01580 712179<br />
dcpskent.org
Not too big,<br />
Not too small,<br />
Just right.<br />
By deliberately maintaining a school roll of under 350 pupils,<br />
we remain nimble enough to deliver on our promise: to offer a high<br />
quality education where the focus can truly be on each individual child.<br />
We have an enviable record of Cranbrook entry success over the past 10 years, a 100% CE pass<br />
rate and each year our pupils win scholarships to many leading independent senior schools.<br />
Call us on 01580 753555 to arrange a visit and find out for yourself why ‘Some children really<br />
do skip between lessons here.’ Good Schools Guide Review July 2016<br />
MARLBOROUGH<br />
HOUSE<br />
SCHOOL<br />
Marlborough House School, Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, Kent TN18 4PY 01580 753555<br />
marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk/toptenreasonstoregister
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
The King’s School<br />
What type of school trips do pupils go on?<br />
There are a variety of school trips on offer for the<br />
children including ski trips to Europe and our ever<br />
popular sports tours. There are foreign exchange<br />
programmes for our linguists. We also run the Milner<br />
Challenge Expedition, which is our very own version<br />
of a mini D of E and our younger pupils visit many<br />
of the wonderful locations a bit closer to home.<br />
Are these trips available for every subject?<br />
There tend to be day trips for most subjects and year<br />
groups. Our Pre-Prep children go on trips to Canterbury<br />
Cathedral, The Marlowe Theatre and Tonbridge Castle<br />
and Years 3 & 4 head off to the British Museum, The<br />
Beaney Institute and The Roman Museum. The Milner<br />
Challenge is available to Years 5-8 and they all undertake<br />
a challenge, ranging from a 1 to 5 day residential trip.<br />
Do pupils get to travel abroad?<br />
Yes, we actively encourage our pupils to take the opportunities<br />
available to experience and enjoy new surroundings and<br />
cultures. Recent sports tours have travelled to Holland<br />
and France, the Spanish Exchange visited Madrid and our<br />
Chapel Choir recently enjoyed a tour of Northern France.<br />
Feltonfleet School<br />
Cobham, Surrey, KT11 1DR<br />
“Where individuals really matter”<br />
Do they always take place during term time?<br />
Whilst our day trips often occur during term time<br />
in order to link with our curriculum, the majority of<br />
our longer trips take place during the school holidays<br />
in order to have the least possible impact on our<br />
academic timetable. Our Milner Challenge Expedition,<br />
however, does take place during term time.<br />
What type of trips prove to be the most engaging?<br />
All of our trips offer something unique. The language trips<br />
present opportunities to transfer the skills from the classroom<br />
to the real world. Our sports tours promote camaraderie,<br />
teamwork, sporting activity and include cultural experiences<br />
too. The Milner Challenge brings out leadership, teamwork<br />
and co-operation. There’s something for everyone.<br />
The King’s School, Canterbury, Kent<br />
01227 595501 kings-school.co.uk<br />
An independent day, weekly and flexi<br />
boarding school for boys and girls aged 3-13<br />
‘Pupils display a maturity, vivacity and sense of fun….<br />
Fab facilities…. A breath of fresh air.’<br />
The Good Schools Guide 2016<br />
‘A wonderful sense of vibrancy and strong academic focus.’<br />
Tatler <strong>2017</strong><br />
‘Excellent’ in every way.<br />
ISI Inspection 2013<br />
Open Mornings<br />
Saturday 30th September <strong>2017</strong> 9.30am until 12 Midday<br />
Friday 23rd February 2018 9.00am until 11.30am<br />
Friday 4th May 2018 9.00am until 11.30am<br />
Visits are welcome at other times by appointment<br />
For further details contact Mrs Jackie Williams, Registrar on 01932 862264 admissions@feltonfleet.co.uk<br />
www.feltonfleet.co.uk<br />
49 wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
Feltonfleet<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 07/06/<strong>2017</strong> 10:21
Independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 years<br />
in Kent, near A2/M2, A20/M20 & M25. Local daily transport available.<br />
• ‘Pupils’ academic achievement is excellent.’ ISI Report 2015<br />
• Individual development through adventure, challenge, and international understanding<br />
• An inspirational setting where high levels of success are achieved in all areas including<br />
Art, Drama, Music and Sport<br />
• Arrange a visit and discover everything Cobham Hall can offer your daughter:<br />
www.cobhamhall.com/visit<br />
www.cobhamhall.com<br />
T: +44(0)1474 823371
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
a way with words<br />
English teacher Milly Potter shares the reasons<br />
behind her enduring love of poetry<br />
p<br />
oetry, particularly in the<br />
form of nursery rhymes,<br />
is crucial to children’s<br />
language development.<br />
as a relatively new mum,<br />
i have found myself<br />
in the throes of learning to recite once<br />
more: suddenly i know a whole litany of<br />
poems again; albeit a jumbled mass of<br />
mostly first stanzas (who really knows all<br />
the verses of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?!)<br />
and i have others where i have combined<br />
the ‘real’ lines with a few of my own (my<br />
personal bedtime version of Lavender’s<br />
Blue is very nearly accurate, or at least, i<br />
have learned my own version perfectly).<br />
have these poems been easier for<br />
me to learn because they have actions,<br />
or is it because i have a greater sense<br />
of purpose to the learning (the all<br />
important entertainment of my toddler)?<br />
i have found myself reuniting with<br />
many a childhood character recently:<br />
grand old dukes; sleeping bunnies;<br />
teddy bears and mice to name a few.<br />
why then, if we love rhymes so freely<br />
as young children, do we tend to lose<br />
this appreciation as we get older? we<br />
continue to learn and sing favourite songs<br />
but, i fear, don’t often choose to curl up<br />
with a book of poetry. prose and stories<br />
win our selection: their meanings and<br />
characters are often easier to decipher,<br />
but poems are different: each reader<br />
gives their own nuances to them and<br />
actually, i would argue, this makes them<br />
ultimately more exciting and accessible.<br />
something i love about poems is<br />
their ability to tell an entire story in a<br />
foreshortened piece. the Once Upon a Poem<br />
collection is brilliant and includes some of<br />
my favourite narrative poems, written by<br />
various authors. Each is championed with<br />
an introduction by a famous storyteller.<br />
in just a few pages it is possible to be<br />
swept away on noah’s ark (which has set<br />
sail without a unicorn because of the lazy<br />
nature of one of noah’s sons, ham); to<br />
fall in love with a<br />
highwayman by<br />
moonlight, as bess<br />
the landlord’s<br />
daughter does, and<br />
laugh out loud at<br />
naughty goldilocks’<br />
mischief.<br />
Each poem is<br />
accompanied by<br />
beautiful illustrations; it’s an eye-catching,<br />
exciting read for children, that’s for sure.<br />
in the introduction to his collection<br />
of poems entitled Now We Are Six, a.<br />
a. Milne exclaims that reciting poems is<br />
something we never do (he is nearly right:<br />
i draw your attention once again to my<br />
recent return to nursery rhymes), however,<br />
for me his poems cry out to be read aloud:<br />
Binker is my personal favourite. the secret<br />
of his own – an imaginary friend whose<br />
constancy is ultimately important when<br />
parents are busy – surely bears resemblance<br />
to many children’s own toys and imaginary<br />
characters who come to life? coupled with<br />
E. h. shepard’s well known illustrations,<br />
this classic collection, accompanied with<br />
When We Were Very Young is a delightful and<br />
amusing read to be shared (aloud please).<br />
carol ann duffy, our current poet<br />
laureate, is one of my favourite poets and<br />
her New and Collected Poems for Children<br />
is a real feast. the first in the collection<br />
calls the words of poems ‘fishing-nets,<br />
stars and spells’ and her words cast all<br />
sorts of magic. dip in and out at your<br />
leisure and you’ll meet a variety of<br />
characters: people and animals alike and<br />
be reassured by her portrayal of emotions,<br />
no matter your age. as for me? i hope i<br />
am as inspirational to some as her teacher<br />
who has chalk dust that sparkles.<br />
Milly potter teaches English at dulwich<br />
preparatory school, cranbrook dcpskent.org<br />
51 wealdentimes.co.uk
Registered charity 1101358<br />
Where are the skills our children will need<br />
to optimise the internet?<br />
Well, complex problem-solving skills are embedded<br />
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Our alumni certainly go on to achieve extraordinary<br />
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Robyn Exton for example, mastered complex<br />
problem solving at Sevenoaks. She left in 2004, and<br />
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a business she built from scratch serving a market<br />
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It’s worth considering then, that many of the skills<br />
your child may need to make a significant impact, can be<br />
acquired here at Sevenoaks.<br />
www.sevenoaksschool.org<br />
Every day at Sevenoaks, students practise complex problem solving, critical thinking, creative thinking, negotiation, team working<br />
and service provision – essential skills our alumni will use to excel at jobs which have yet to be invented and to reshape their world.
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<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Family Flavours<br />
Professional chef Claire Thomson shares three childfriendly<br />
recipes that the whole family can enjoy together<br />
Old-school fish finger sandwiches, but better! Using<br />
ready-prepared smoked fish means that these fish cakes<br />
are easy to make. Serve in buttered soft rolls. Tomato<br />
ketchup has also been known to make an appearance.<br />
• 800g floury potatoes (about<br />
2 large potatoes), peeled<br />
and cut into 4cm cubes<br />
• 400g smoked fish (trout<br />
or mackerel), skin and<br />
bones removed<br />
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard<br />
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise,<br />
plus extra to serve<br />
• 1 large egg, beaten<br />
Fish-Cake Sandwich<br />
• salt and freshly ground<br />
black pepper<br />
• 2 tbsp fine dried<br />
breadcrumbs, plus about<br />
• 50g to coat the fish cakes<br />
• Small bunch of chives or<br />
parsley, finely chopped<br />
• vegetable oil for frying<br />
• buttered soft rolls, to serve<br />
• soft lettuce leaves, to serve<br />
• ½ lemon, to serve<br />
1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until<br />
cooked through – about 15 minutes.<br />
2. Drain well and leave to steam dry in the colander,<br />
then mash the potatoes and set aside to cool.<br />
3. Meanwhile, shred the smoked fish into flakes.<br />
wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
54<br />
4. Stir the mustard, mayonnaise, egg and ½ teaspoon<br />
salt into the mashed potatoes. Gently fold in the<br />
flaked fish with 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and the<br />
chopped herbs until everything is evenly distributed<br />
and holding together nicely. If you think the mix is<br />
too wet, add another tablespoon of breadcrumbs.<br />
5. Scoop a tablespoon of the fish and potato mixture<br />
and roll it between your palms to form a ball.<br />
6. Pat each ball into a flat patty (round or oblong to match<br />
the shape of your rolls) about 3cm thick, set aside on<br />
a plate and continue with the remaining mix. Sprinkle<br />
the fish cakes both sides with additional breadcrumbs.<br />
7. Coat a non-stick frying pan with vegetable oil and place<br />
the pan over a high heat. You want the oil very hot before<br />
you add the fish cakes. Fry them in a single layer, being sure<br />
not to overcrowd the pan, for about 2 minutes on each side<br />
until the fish cakes are golden brown with a good crust.<br />
8. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towel to soak up<br />
excess fat while you fry the remaining fish cakes.<br />
9. To serve, add the fish cakes to the rolls with a<br />
leaf or two of lettuce, some mayonnaise, salt<br />
and pepper and a squeeze of lemon.
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
three bean & cheese Quesadillas<br />
tinned beans are the stealth ingredient to boost protein,<br />
fibre and nutrients in many dishes. they are a thrifty<br />
and reliable store cupboard ingredient: supermarket<br />
own brand beans (cannellini, borlotti, kidney, butter,<br />
black-eyed, haricot) are extremely cheap and easy to<br />
come by. this is a meal that everyone enjoys, young<br />
and old, give or take additional chilli sauce.<br />
• 2 tbsp olive oil<br />
• 1 large onion, finely diced<br />
• 2-3 garlic cloves,<br />
finely sliced<br />
• 1 tsp sweet smoked<br />
paprika<br />
• 1 tsp ground cumin<br />
• 3 x 400g tins assorted<br />
beans, drained and rinsed<br />
• chipotle chilli paste<br />
or dried chilli flakes,<br />
to taste (optional)<br />
• salt<br />
• small bunch of coriander,<br />
roughly chopped<br />
• salad<br />
• 1 ripe avocado, diced<br />
• 2 ripe tomatoes, diced<br />
• 1 red onion, finely<br />
sliced or diced<br />
• juice of 1 lime<br />
To serve<br />
• 4 large tortilla wraps<br />
• grated cheese, such<br />
as cheddar<br />
• chilli sauce<br />
• sour cream<br />
1. heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over<br />
a moderate heat and fry the onion until soft and<br />
golden – about 8–10 minutes. add the garlic and<br />
spices and fry for another couple of minutes.<br />
2. add the beans to the pan and mix thoroughly with<br />
the onions. give the beans a good mash with a<br />
potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon.<br />
3. add the chilli if using and season with salt to<br />
taste. cook over a moderate heat for about<br />
5 minutes so the beans heat through.<br />
4. take the pan off the heat and add the coriander.<br />
5. to make the salad, combine the avocado, tomatoes and<br />
onion with the lime juice and a good pinch of salt.<br />
6. to assemble the quesadillas, lay the wraps on a work<br />
surface and smother one half of each wrap with the<br />
mashed bean mix. cover the bean mix with about a<br />
tablespoon of grated cheese and fold the wrap over.<br />
7. in a dry frying pan over a moderate heat, cook<br />
the half-moon-shaped wraps until the surface is<br />
crisp and golden in patches and the cheese within<br />
has melted – about 2-3 minutes on each side.<br />
8. chop the quesadilla into two or three triangles and<br />
serve with chilli sauce, sour cream and salad.<br />
<br />
55 wealdentimes.co.uk
Ardingly College<br />
Bedes, Bryanston, Benenden, Bethany,<br />
Brighton College, Box Hill, Bedales<br />
Croydon High, Caterham, Canford,<br />
Cedars, Charterhouse, Cranleigh<br />
Dunnotar Epsom College<br />
Find the right school for your child<br />
Grab the chance to interrogate these<br />
and eighteen other leading Independent<br />
Senior Schools<br />
H is for Hazelwood Senior Schools’ Fair<br />
Saturday 9th September <strong>2017</strong><br />
10.00am until 12 noon<br />
www.hazelwoodschool.co.uk. Contact Nick Tappin on 01883 733841
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
sausage & tomato pasta on ricotta<br />
ricotta is a terrific ingredient to have on standby in<br />
your fridge. halfway between cream and cheese, these<br />
soft milky curds are great in both sweet and savoury<br />
dishes. a heady sausage and tomato pasta sauce resting<br />
on the ricotta makes a brilliant combination.<br />
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil,<br />
plus extra to serve<br />
• 1 onion, finely chopped<br />
• ½ fennel bulb,<br />
finely diced<br />
• 4 pork sausages<br />
• 2 garlic cloves,<br />
finely chopped<br />
• ½ tsp fennel seeds<br />
• 6-8 fresh sage leaves<br />
or 1 tbsp rosemary,<br />
finely chopped<br />
• chilli flakes, to<br />
taste (optional, but<br />
rather good here)<br />
• 400g tin chopped<br />
tomatoes<br />
• salt and freshly ground<br />
black pepper<br />
• 300g penne pasta (or<br />
similar robust pasta shape)<br />
• 100g ricotta, at<br />
room temperature<br />
• freshly grated<br />
parmesan, to serve<br />
1. heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan<br />
over a moderate heat and fry the onion and<br />
fennel until soft and translucent.<br />
2. squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings and add to<br />
the pan. turn up the heat to high and fry until the sausage<br />
meat begins to colour at the edges – about 6–8 minutes.<br />
3. add the garlic and fennel seeds and cook for a further<br />
30 seconds. add the chopped herbs and chilli flakes if<br />
using, then add the tomatoes and season with a little<br />
salt and pepper. simmer for 15 minutes or until the<br />
flavours have melded and the sauce has thickened.<br />
4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta as instructed on<br />
the packet. when cooked, drain and add to<br />
the tomato sauce. check the seasoning.<br />
5. put a spoonful or two of ricotta on each plate or<br />
bowl and divide the pasta among the<br />
dishes, drizzling with a little olive oil<br />
and plenty of grated parmesan.<br />
National Trust Family Cookbook by claire thomson is published by national trust books. images: Jill Mead.<br />
57 wealdentimes.co.uk
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Mixed<br />
Media<br />
A visual showcase of student art<br />
▼ Angelina Ivanyuzhenkov, Year 8 Feltonfleet School<br />
▼ Alexander McGregor-Todd, Year 7 Downsend School<br />
▲ Emily Kerr, Year 8 Hazelwood School<br />
▲ Alisa Dozorceva, Sixth Forrm Lancing College<br />
▼ Emily Worby, Year 7 Feltonfleet School<br />
▼ Kirsty Gaston, Year 12 Reigate Grammar<br />
▲ Kathy, Year 13 Heathfield School<br />
▼ Tamsin Anderson, Year 8 Hazelwood School ▼ James Manning, Year 7 Hoe Bridge School<br />
Henry White,<br />
Year 8<br />
Feltonfleet School
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
▲ Gemma Mawdsley and Leo Nichols, year 4 hoe bridge school<br />
▲ Alexandra Codd, year 7 saint ronan’s school<br />
▲ Annabelle Quessy, year 8 hazelwood school<br />
▼ Max Ingleby, year 13, reigate grammar<br />
▲ Grace Parsley, year 8 saint ronan’s school ▲ Jo Xiao, year 13 hurstpierpoint college<br />
▲ George Wilson, year 5 hoe bridge school<br />
▲ Sam<br />
Rivers, year 7<br />
lanesborough<br />
school<br />
▼ Benji, year 13, acs cobham<br />
▲ Zach Mayhew, year 2 saint ronan’s school<br />
▲ Charlotte Pay, year 6 hazelwood school<br />
▲ Aidan Golding and Tom Foote, year<br />
5 hoe bridge school
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Surrey GU7 1AQ<br />
Start your collection today and ensure you buy<br />
original art works for your future.<br />
T: +44(0) 1483 860591<br />
E: info@mcallisterthomasfineart.co.uk<br />
W: mcallisterthomasfineart.co.uk<br />
Painting Illustrated : David Atkins - Entrance to the Harbour, Poole - Oil on Canvas - 110 x 150 cm
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
▼ Freddie Lacey, Year 8<br />
Lanesborough School<br />
▲ Romy Gardiner, Year 13 Hurstpierpoint College<br />
▲ Alisa Dozorceva, Sixth Form Lancing College<br />
▲ Ben Glynne, Year 8 Feltonfleet School<br />
▼ Sasha Year 12 Heathfield School<br />
▲ Charlie Mhyre, Year 13 Hurstpierpoint College<br />
▲ Tattie, Year 12 Heathfield School<br />
▼ Dylan Toulson, Year 8 Lanesborough School<br />
▲ Lily Stewart, Year 7 Saint Ronan’s School<br />
▲ Lavinia Webb, Year 8 Dulwich<br />
Preparatory School<br />
Elliot King, Year 5<br />
Lanesborough School
May fi eld<br />
CATHOLIC DAY & BOARDING SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AGED 11 TO 18<br />
EXTENSIVE MINIBUS SERVICE ACROSS SUSSEX AND KENT<br />
OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC RESULTS<br />
EXEMPLARY PASTORAL CARE & NURTURING ENVIRONMENT<br />
EXTENSIVE CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMME - SET IN THE BEAUTIFUL SUSSEX COUNTRYSIDE<br />
JENNIFER GANDY REGISTRAR@MAYFIELDGIRLS.ORG 01435 874642<br />
MAYFIELDGIRLS.ORG<br />
Open Mornings<br />
WEDNESDAY 20 TH SEPTEMBER <strong>2017</strong><br />
TUESDAY 7 TH NOVEMBER <strong>2017</strong>
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
▼ Henry White, Year 8 Feltonfleet School<br />
▲ Lily Stewart, Year 7 Saint Ronan’s School ▲ Maisie Kirby, Year 8 Saint Ronan’s School<br />
▼ Ben Cooke, Year 11 Hurstpierpoint College ▲ Toyin, Year 12 Heathfield School ▲ Emily Kerr, Year 8 Hazelwood School<br />
▲ M.Stanley, Year 11 Frewen College<br />
▼ Maddie McDonald, Year 8 Saint Ronan’s School<br />
▲ E.Daniell, Year 11 Frewen College<br />
63 wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
▲ Darcey Ralph, Year<br />
2 Marlborough House
Henri Le Worm is an educational<br />
brand that engages nursery/key<br />
stage 1 pupils to grow and eat fresh<br />
food. We have an award winning<br />
app and free lesson plans on TES<br />
www.henrileworm.com<br />
Free to learn<br />
01580 240642 / 07926 380434<br />
mnns@idengreen.org.uk<br />
www.mrnoahs.org<br />
Mr Noah’s Nursery School<br />
HenriLeWorm<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 16/06/<strong>2017</strong> MrNoahsNurserySchoolED03.indd 16:02<br />
1 03/05/2016 11:10<br />
Open Day<br />
Saturday 30 September <strong>2017</strong><br />
9.15am – 12 noon<br />
The Principal will speak at 9.30am<br />
First-rate ISI Inspection Report in 2013<br />
Nursery and Pre Prep rated “outstanding”<br />
Top academic results from a broad ability intake<br />
Extensive Sports facilities • Boarding from 11<br />
Wide range of scholarships for 11+, 13+, 16+ entry<br />
Cathedral Chorister scholarships for 8+ boys & 10+ girls<br />
First rate independent education for boys and girls aged 3-18<br />
01634 888590 admissions@kings-rochester.co.uk www.kings-rochester.co.uk<br />
Extensive daily minibus service including: Blackheath, Gravesend, King’s Hill, Maidstone, Rainham, Sevenoaks<br />
wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
64<br />
KingsSchoolRochester<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 14/06/<strong>2017</strong> 16:36
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Family<br />
Fun Days<br />
Our pick of weekend activities<br />
and days out for families across<br />
Kent, Sussex & Surrey...<br />
A Royal Invitation...<br />
A family ticket to Hampton Court<br />
Palace starts at just £35.60 for 1<br />
adult and up to 3 children if you<br />
book online, and gives you and your<br />
family access to the palace, maze and<br />
gardens. The palace has all that a<br />
family could want with its children’s<br />
activity trails, babycare, buggies, the<br />
great time quest game and multisensory<br />
sessions for under fours on<br />
top of all of its fascinating historical<br />
experiences and exhibitions.<br />
hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace<br />
Ape Escape...<br />
Leeds Castle’s Go Ape!<br />
adventure is a wild and<br />
wonderful opportunity for<br />
families of all ages to try out<br />
zip wires, a Tarzan swing and<br />
all sorts of hair-raising tree top<br />
activities. Plus, once you’re all<br />
worn out, the loveliest castle in<br />
the world, with its 9 hole golf<br />
course, swan filled moat, and<br />
500 acres of stunning parkland<br />
and gardens, is right there to<br />
explore. Check out: goape.co.uk<br />
Set Sail...<br />
Step onboard one of Dover Sea Safari’s<br />
special vessels at Dover Marina to explore<br />
Kentish fishing villages, meet the secret seals<br />
of Pegwell Bay, or walk the Goodwin Sands,<br />
with a choice of marine adventures that are<br />
perfect for families. doverseasafari.co.uk<br />
Blue Reef Aquarium...<br />
The strange and exotic<br />
creatures of the underwater<br />
world gather together at<br />
Hastings’ Blue Reef Aquarium.<br />
Take the whole family to<br />
explore over 40 naturally<br />
themed habitats and discover<br />
the world’s most venomous<br />
fish, Nemo’s cousin clownfish,<br />
jawsome sharks and so much<br />
more. bluereefaquarium.co.uk<br />
This art of mine...<br />
Bring out your creative side with<br />
This Art of Mine, a friendly local<br />
studio in Thurnham, Maidstone.<br />
Drop-in and paint some pottery,<br />
design a t-shirt or bag and relax<br />
in the laid-back atmosphere<br />
with a free cup of tea or coffee.<br />
Or, if you book ahead, there<br />
are classes and clubs for adults<br />
and children, or baby hand<br />
65 and wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
footprint keepsake making<br />
sessions. thisartofmine.co.uk
OPEN DAYS<br />
13+ Entry - 14th October <strong>2017</strong>, 10th March 2018, 16th June 2018<br />
Sixth Form Entry - 7th October <strong>2017</strong>, 28th April 2018, 6th October 2018<br />
www.kings-school.co.uk
Woodland<br />
Adventure...<br />
Perfect for families<br />
with additional four<br />
legged friends, Alice<br />
Holt Forest is very<br />
dog friendly and is<br />
also ideal for cyclists<br />
and wheelchair users,<br />
with its wide open<br />
forest landscape and<br />
fantastic variety of trails<br />
including the Gruffalo<br />
trail which works with<br />
an augmented reality<br />
Gruffalo Spotter app<br />
to help you track down<br />
the forest’s beasties.<br />
forestry.gov.uk/aliceholt<br />
Blackland Farm<br />
Outdoor Activity Centre<br />
Come and join us for<br />
fun-filled activity days.<br />
Why not have your<br />
birthday party here too?<br />
Kayaking<br />
Canoeing<br />
Bungee trampolining<br />
Rock climbing<br />
Archery<br />
Crate challenge<br />
Zip wire<br />
Abseiling<br />
Aeroball...<br />
...and many more!<br />
01342 810493<br />
blackland@girlguiding.org.uk<br />
www.blacklandfarm.org.uk<br />
Jump Around...<br />
With active<br />
amusements including<br />
dodgeball, basketball<br />
slam dunk, foam<br />
pit and a main<br />
court full of 50<br />
interconnected wall<br />
to wall trampolines,<br />
AirHop Guildford will<br />
have you jumping for<br />
joy over weekends and<br />
bank holidays. And for<br />
any readers with teeny<br />
toddlers under 5 there<br />
are now Tuesday and<br />
Wednesday sessions for<br />
mini AirHoppers too!<br />
airhop-guildford.com<br />
Blackland Farm<br />
BlacklandFarmWT138.indd 1 10/07/2013 17:31<br />
All about the<br />
Animals...<br />
Visit the birds,<br />
butterflies, wildlife,<br />
creepy crawlies and<br />
farm animals of the<br />
Rare Breeds Centre<br />
for a day of outdoorsy<br />
animal-orientated<br />
activities. They have<br />
everything you could<br />
ask for; pig-racing,<br />
falconry, even free<br />
parking and a little<br />
shop. Check out:<br />
rarebreeds.org.uk<br />
Registered Charity No. 239992. Company No. 633098<br />
wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
KentWildlifeTrust<strong>ED04</strong>.indd 1 15/06/<strong>2017</strong> 14:30
Open Days<br />
www.acs-schools.com/opendays<br />
Your dreams. Their future.<br />
At ACS we believe a love of lifelong learning starts early. Our carefully selected activities nurture essential skills, strengthen meaningful<br />
social interaction and encourage critical thinking from a young age. Our teachers promote creative thinking and inspire children to succeed<br />
at every stage of their educational journey with us. That is why so many ACS graduates go on to attend the finest universities in the UK<br />
and around the world, and why more and more local and globally mobile parents entrust us to deliver on their precious academic dreams.<br />
To find out more about us, and our world renowned programmes, please visit www.acs-schools.com. Alternatively call either<br />
ACS Cobham +44 (0)1932 869744, ACS Egham +44 (0)1784 430611, ACS Hillingdon +44 (0)1895 818402. ACS schools are<br />
non-sectarian and co-educational (day and boarding) for students 2 to 18 years of age.
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
acs cobham’s<br />
sports facilities<br />
ib: global passport to <strong>Education</strong><br />
ACS International Schools explains why they consider the<br />
International Baccalaureate programme so valuable<br />
world map: freeimages.com/Martin Fabricius<br />
t<br />
he international baccalaureate diploma<br />
programme (ibdp) is taught at over<br />
3,000 schools and is one of the fastest<br />
growing education programmes in<br />
the world – for good reason.<br />
an alternative to a levels<br />
and other post-16 qualifications, the ibdp is a<br />
recognised entrance qualification at universities<br />
worldwide and is highly valued for its academic<br />
rigour whilst instilling an international mindset.<br />
acs international schools, which has campuses in<br />
cobham and Egham, has offered the two-year ibdp, for<br />
students aged 16 to 18, for over 30 years – making it one<br />
of the most experienced ib world schools in the uK.<br />
university admissions officers consistently cite<br />
the ibdp over other exams systems, including a<br />
levels, as the best preparation for university.<br />
as part of research carried out on behalf of acs<br />
international schools, the ib and ib schools and<br />
colleges association, admissions officers were asked<br />
to rate different exam systems according to how they<br />
develop 14 essential qualities in students. the ibdp was<br />
rated top in developing 13 out of 14 factors considered<br />
crucial for preparing students to thrive at university.<br />
skills best provided by the ibdp for university and<br />
the world of work include encouraging independent<br />
inquiry, developing self management skills, nurturing<br />
an open mind and developing intercultural skills.<br />
the ib is often referred to as the global passport<br />
to education and recent acs graduates have gone on<br />
to study at universities all over the world including<br />
higher education establishments in the uK, as well as<br />
argentina, australia, canada, Japan, the netherlands,<br />
russia, spain and the us, to name just a few.<br />
through the ib diploma and exposure to a diverse mix<br />
of students at an international school, students benefit<br />
from an enriching education allowing them to mature<br />
into well-rounded individuals with a better understanding<br />
of the world around them – an outlook highly prized by<br />
international employers and global universities alike.<br />
For more information on acs’ upcoming open days,<br />
visit acs-schools.com.<br />
69 wealdentimes.co.uk
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
Safe Journey<br />
Motorists’ lawyer David Barton<br />
explains how the law differs for<br />
new drivers and gives his advice<br />
for staying out of harm’s way<br />
freeimages.com/CYazici<br />
Road traffic law can be complex and the internet is<br />
full of inaccurate information. Most laws apply to<br />
all drivers but there are some that apply just to new<br />
ones. A new driver is someone who is in their “probationary<br />
period” and that is a period that runs exactly two years<br />
from the date you pass your test. Most newly qualified<br />
drivers are young but the law applies whatever your age.<br />
Some road traffic offences result in a straight disqualification<br />
but many lead to penalty points. You need to understand how<br />
this works.<br />
• If you get 6 or more penalty points as a result of offences<br />
committed in your probationary period your licence will be<br />
automatically revoked and you won’t be able to drive. You will<br />
have to apply for a new provisional licence and retake the theory<br />
and practical tests. You should be very careful to note the exact<br />
date you passed your test because even offences committed during<br />
the last few days of the two year period will count against you.<br />
• The penalties for mobile phone/device use have just<br />
increased from 3 to 6 points, so if you even pick it up you<br />
risk having your licence revoked. If you have an accident<br />
because you are distracted by your phone the penalties<br />
are far more severe and include prison. My advice is<br />
don’t do it. The police are really hot on this now.<br />
• Speeding offences carry a minimum of 3 points and so two<br />
modest ones in two years will lead to a licence revocation. Fines<br />
for serious speeding offences have just been increased and the<br />
courts are treating them much more harshly. You can also be<br />
disqualified for speeding even if it’s your first offence. This<br />
will also result in a big increase in your insurance premium.<br />
• Check you are properly insured for the type of driving you<br />
do and extend it for work if you need to. It’s your responsibility<br />
to check you have proper insurance. Many new drivers use<br />
cars that are in a family pool policy, where someone else<br />
makes the arrangements. If that person makes a mistake and<br />
the car is not insured, you will be responsible. If you are not<br />
insured properly your car will be impounded by the police<br />
and driving without insurance carries 6 penalty points. That<br />
will lead to licence revocation. So just check it’s all in order.<br />
• Don’t try and guess how much alcohol you can drink and<br />
stay under the legal limit. It varies from person to person<br />
and guessing is risky. It’s not difficult to be just over the<br />
limit, even if you feel ok. Again, the best advice is don’t do<br />
it. You will be banned for at least 12 months with a criminal<br />
record that could be a problem with job applications and<br />
travel abroad. The cost of insurance will shoot up and you<br />
may not be able to afford to drive again for a long time.<br />
David Barton can be contacted on 01580 292409 or<br />
07876 711708 and see his website motorists-lawyer.co.uk<br />
wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
70
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
getting<br />
ahead<br />
Julie Redding, head of Entrepreneurship<br />
at sevenoaks school explains how<br />
entrepreneurial and enterprise skills are<br />
being nurtured amongst their students<br />
What is the Institute of Service &<br />
Entrepreneurship? Why has it been created?<br />
the institute of service & Entrepreneurship is a virtual<br />
institute, or strategic area of focus for the school. it was<br />
created as part of the vision for the future, and in order<br />
to strengthen the school’s position at the forefront of<br />
international education. the institute has three pillars:<br />
service, charity and Entrepreneurship and a clear mission<br />
“to inspire contribution to society in a sustainable<br />
fashion throughout life by developing a service ethos,<br />
entrepreneurial activities and community spirit”.<br />
Is it suitable for everyone? How does it<br />
work alongside the curriculum?<br />
we hope that the institute will have an impact on all<br />
of our students. we currently have a wide range of<br />
local service activities conducted by a large number of<br />
our students every thursday during our allocated vsu<br />
(voluntary service unit) afternoon. charitable activities<br />
are conducted around the timetable with a huge host of<br />
fundraising initiatives, an annual charity week held for each<br />
separate area of the school, and international ‘proMo’<br />
trips that include both service activities on the ground<br />
in a developing country, and substantial fundraising.<br />
both service and charity activities are an extremely<br />
useful vehicle for teaching entrepreneurial skills to our<br />
students, however we have now put a further focus on<br />
developing entrepreneurial skills and the mindset of a<br />
social entrepreneur. at present, we have a number of<br />
activities organised through which we take the students<br />
off timetable to develop their entrepreneurial skills. these<br />
include a social Enterprise day for sixth Form students,<br />
plus a variety of co-curricular activities such as competitions<br />
during global Entrepreneurship week, a business plan<br />
competition and a Dragons’ Den style pitching Final.<br />
various activities run in conjunction with our hE<br />
department such as ‘insight days’ in which we take<br />
students to learn about businesses and different industries,<br />
and work related training including working on real life<br />
challenges for local organisations. we have also introduced<br />
specific workshops on topics like ideation, and product<br />
design, negotiation skills, and networking aimed at<br />
developing specific skills. we are planning to further<br />
integrate these activities into the curriculum over time.<br />
How does it help to prepare students for the future?<br />
we no longer know which jobs will exist, and so instead<br />
we concentrate on developing the entrepreneurial skills,<br />
knowledge and mindset that students will need to<br />
succeed in the rapidly changing future work environment.<br />
we are also aware that our students will be leaders of<br />
the future, and as such we want to prepare them to<br />
be responsible, ethically minded leaders, who will act<br />
for the good of society in their future ventures.<br />
What type of skills do they learn?<br />
specific skills include creativity, complex problem solving,<br />
communication skills, collaboration, and resilience<br />
as well as digital competency. relevant knowledge<br />
is important such as developing an understanding<br />
of the business environment and financial literacy.<br />
we also look at risk taking, one’s entrepreneurial<br />
intentions, proactivity, and the ability to make<br />
decisions with the information available at hand.<br />
Find out more about the institute of service & Entrepreneurship at sevenoaks school by visiting sevenoaksschool.org<br />
71 wealdentimes.co.uk
<strong>Education</strong> Magazine<br />
The Great<br />
Escape<br />
We speak to two students from the South East about why they<br />
made the decision to take a year out and a year abroad<br />
Fergus<br />
Doyle<br />
23<br />
Fergus Doyle took a year out to<br />
study abroad after his second year<br />
of a degree course in English and<br />
American Literature at University<br />
of Kent. He is currently writing<br />
his final year dissertation<br />
Katherine<br />
Gomes<br />
19<br />
Katherine Gomes decided to take a year<br />
out before heading off to university. She<br />
explains why she made the choices she did<br />
and how her year has worked out so far<br />
What made you take a year out<br />
before starting university?<br />
A lot of people consider there to be<br />
a stigma regarding Gap Years – that<br />
Universities frown upon students that<br />
don’t immediately prioritise academia and<br />
will favour those that have. However it’s<br />
simply not true! I believe that I have had<br />
the same opportunities as those who went<br />
straight to uni and it’s even favourable in<br />
some respects as I already have my grades.<br />
I think there’s a lot of pressure for students<br />
at school – it’s drilled into you that there’s<br />
one route to take, i.e. you get your GCSEs<br />
to get your A Levels to then get your<br />
degree at uni. When it came to writing<br />
a personal statement I kept putting it<br />
off for lack of knowing what subject I<br />
wanted to do and where I wanted to<br />
go, and when I realised that’s why I had<br />
been procrastinating, I knew a year out<br />
was the right choice for me. I definitely<br />
think it’s worth having extra time to make<br />
the right decision rather than plumping<br />
for the wrong choice for the sake of it.<br />
What did you do for your year?<br />
I’d like to say it was non stop travelling<br />
but, alas, the reality is more full time<br />
work. However I far from resent that – I<br />
do love my job. I have been working as<br />
a sales assistant at Levi’s Ashford Outlet<br />
and, although this doesn’t immediately<br />
relate to what I’ll be studying at uni, I<br />
value having the experience of what life<br />
will be like in a permanent position in<br />
the workplace once I have my degree.<br />
It has also shown me that, as much as I<br />
love my job, I am ready to go back into<br />
education rather than starting a career. I<br />
have ultimately been saving to travel, and<br />
in June I will be doing exactly that! I will<br />
be jetting off to Peru to climb Machu<br />
Picchu and I could not be more excited.<br />
Why did you make the<br />
decision to travel?<br />
It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long<br />
time, really. Simply put, there’s a big wide<br />
world out there and I haven’t seen enough<br />
of it. Plus, I’m a firm believer that travel<br />
broadens our understanding of culture in<br />
a way academia or a classroom cannot.<br />
What will you be going on to study?<br />
English with Creative Writing at<br />
The University of Nottingham. A<br />
decision I don’t think I would have<br />
made if I hadn’t taken my year out.<br />
What advice would you give to<br />
someone looking to work for a<br />
year before starting university?<br />
I would say get the best grades you can<br />
and if you’re not sure what the next step<br />
for you is then a year out is the way<br />
to go. Although, I don’t think a year<br />
of solely working should be how it’s<br />
done. Yes, it’s all good experience and<br />
it’s money for university or to kick-start<br />
your independence, but I think there’s<br />
so much that can be done in a year apart<br />
from working, so make use of that time!<br />
Whether it’s volunteering, travelling or<br />
perhaps landing work in a field related to<br />
a career you’d like to pursue one day. After<br />
all, it’s about getting your foot in the door,<br />
and universities are looking for that drive<br />
and initiative to make of the world what<br />
you please, so show them you have it.<br />
What made you decide to<br />
study abroad for a year?<br />
It just always seemed like an<br />
amazing opportunity, and<br />
one which the university I<br />
did my undergrad at (Kent)<br />
offered quite freely, especially<br />
for Erasmus programmes.<br />
Where did you go and<br />
what did you do?<br />
I went to Charles University<br />
in Prague to study Literature<br />
(I stopped saying English, as<br />
everyone I met on Erasmus<br />
assumed I was talking about<br />
English Language, which I<br />
actually know very little about!).<br />
Did you feel that it<br />
enhanced your studies?<br />
Definitely. The workload was<br />
quite a lot higher and, even if the<br />
expected standard was slightly<br />
lower, it helped me with planning<br />
ahead with regards to essay writing.<br />
Has your placement influenced<br />
any decisions you may make<br />
about your career path?<br />
It has encouraged me to look<br />
at a career in publishing, as one<br />
aspect of the course was to intern<br />
at a small publishing house which<br />
ran out of the university. I found<br />
this work very interesting and<br />
would like to put this experience<br />
to use later in my career.<br />
What advice would you give to<br />
someone looking to study abroad<br />
as part of their university course?<br />
Don’t worry about culture<br />
shock; it’ll seem a bit weird at<br />
first, but by the end of the year<br />
you’ll feel weirder at home than<br />
in your chosen destination.<br />
wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
72
Think you need<br />
a strong partner<br />
when your<br />
marriage ends?<br />
I do.<br />
Talisker<br />
Lower Sixth<br />
Politician<br />
You are warmly invited to our<br />
Senior School Open Morning<br />
Saturday 16 September <strong>2017</strong><br />
9.30am to noon (Entry at 13 and 16)<br />
HMC – Day, weekly and full boarding<br />
Boys and girls 13 to 18<br />
You’ll want<br />
Rupi Rai as yours.<br />
Rupi, part of the award winning<br />
Divorce and Family Team at Slater and<br />
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Her cases often involve international issues<br />
and she frequently acts for clients with<br />
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Call us on 0203 319 2685<br />
slatergordon.co.uk<br />
Offices in London, Watford, Cambridge,<br />
Milton Keynes and throughout the UK<br />
To register please contact:<br />
admissions@bedes.org<br />
T 01323 843252<br />
or online at bedes.org<br />
Bede’s Senior School<br />
Upper Dicker<br />
East Sussex BN27 3QH<br />
Family | Employment | Estate Planning | Wills and Probate | Property | Business Legal Services<br />
Slater and Gordon (UK) LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
@saintronans<br />
/SaintRonans<br />
www.saintronans.co.uk<br />
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“What’s not to love...”<br />
Good Schools Guide 2016<br />
...about academic success at Saint Ronan’s?<br />
‘Excellent’ teaching, learning and pupil achievement (ISI)<br />
25 academic scholarships won in last 5 years<br />
100% Common Entrance & Cranbrook pass at 13+<br />
Close links with a wide breadth of Senior Schools<br />
Growth mindset an embedded philosophy<br />
Integrated approach to learning and pastoral care<br />
“This lot achieve loads of<br />
scholarships, with leavers to more<br />
than 60 different seniors<br />
in the past decade”<br />
Tatler Schools Guide <strong>2017</strong><br />
Discover Saint Ronan’s<br />
Book an appointment on 01580 752271 or e-mail emmatv@saintronans.co.uk<br />
Boys & Girls 3-13 years | Founded 1883 | Hawkhurst, Kent | 01580 752271
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