Horsham Living Dec 2021 - Jan 2022

A 21st century education...
In 2012 the founding PSB schools recognised an opportunity to
do things a bit differently; a situation created by senior schools
pre-testing and offering places earlier and earlier for 13+ entry.
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Initially, the PSB operated in many
cases with the caveat of ‘subject to
Common Entrance’, but as CE has moved
inexorably away from being a qualifying
examination to in most cases being
simply for setting purposes, the PSB has
gained increasing recognition as a broad
and detailed record of progress and
achievement, tailored to individual schools
and pupils. The growth from the initial 4
schools in 2012 to 34 today has given the
PSB a unique position in a fast shifting
educational landscape.
This is all allied to the increasing range
of entrance routes to senior schools –
although it is the pre-test that rules the
roost. Closely related to this has been
the shift in ISI framework criteria, clearly
identifying and emphasising the need
for the development of skills alongside
knowledge, in order for schools to be
recognised as excellent when reflecting
pupils’ academic and other achievements.
In recent years more junior schools have
stepped away from strictly adhering to
ISEB syllabus content, dropping this,
trimming that or simply stating that they
are going to do their own thing. Where
the PSB has a clear advantage, is in
creating and monitoring a framework
for study, within which schools operate
independently.
The active assessment of skills with pupils
is unique; whilst this is initially driven by
teachers in the lower school, by Year
5 the emphasis is on self-assessment
by pupils, with the support of a strong
tutorial system. What the PSB doesn’t
do is sell courses or demand the use of
a prescribed syllabus. The expectation
is that schools will follow a broad and
balanced curriculum and that what they
do will be reflected by strong ISI reports.
So what makes us believe that the PSB
approach is the right one? Put simply,
the sheer weight of educational research
that emphasises the crucial need for
developing skills alongside knowledge.
The Pearson Report Making Education
Work emphasised that non-cognitive skills
and attributes such as team working,
emotional maturity, empathy and other
interpersonal skills are important as
proficiency in English or mathematics in
ensuring young people’s employment
prospects.
The proof is in the pudding; the
growth of schools in membership, and
continuing interest from schools seeking
membership, shows that the PSB is
the right idea at the right time. With a
philosophy that extends from Early Years,
and the development of a whole school
“Making Education Work emphasised that
non-cognitive skills and attributes such as team
working, emotional maturity, empathy and other
interpersonal skills are important as proficiency
in English or mathematics in ensuring young
people’s employment prospects. ”
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approach to teaching and learning, the
PSB is a powerful vehicle for excellence.
As things stand over 50 senior schools
welcome the PSB as a valid course of
study and recognise the PSB certificate
– reflecting assessment across subjects
studied and the core skills - as proof of
standards achieved across the curriculum.
Most schools additionally accept pupils
via their own entrance tests and some
use core CE – with a growing number not
requiring Languages. Crucially the greater
flexibility of entrance requirements enables
PSB schools to offer broad, exciting and
educationally enriching courses.
The PSB continues to evolve as its
membership grows. The original skills
matrix has been transformed by fresh
input, a wellbeing grid is being trialled and
the newly appointed Director of Education
is providing a strong educational focus.
The greatest strength of the PSB is the
fact that change is driven by staff within
schools, which gives it exceptionally
powerful ownership, and overseen by a
committee of PSB Heads and trustees
from the wider education community.
James Barnes is The Communications
Director of the PSB.
10 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk