Character strengths such as empathy, perseverance, creativity and resilience are critical to student wellbeing and greatly improve the odds that our young people will thrive. And they’ve certainly never been more important!

Harriet Tubman knew all about resilience, and Einstein used highly creative ideas in his scientific work. And here we are, demonstrating our amazing ability to adapt, in real time. A year ago, we could not have imagined we would be in this situation.

We’ve gone from the classroom to offering online education to swathes of our pupils who are sitting at home, away from their friends and teachers. This is a hugely challenging time for both teachers and pupils, not least as teachers across the country grapple with how best to present materials and achieve the same level of learning as they would in a more traditional setting. It’s an enormous task.

And it’s even more demanding in those areas of the curriculum which rely on discussion and the physical presence of a teacher to enable such discussion to be meaningful.

If you’re looking for a fantastic series of PSHE/RSE resources I can’t recommend Amazing People Schools resources highly enough. We’ve found it a great addition to PSHE and assemblies for all year groups – Richard Thorley, head of upper school, Holmewood House

For independent schools, the development of character is at the centre of their educational ethos. Many have well-established programmes, which can rely largely on face-to-face teaching, however, these can be so difficult to replicate through remote learning. This is where Amazing People Schools can add huge value.

This award-winning character and wellbeing platform offers practical and engaging resources alongside inspirational cross-curricular stories that will fire your students’ imaginations and inspire vital character strengths such as optimism, creativity and resilience.

Amazing People Schools resources present powerful characteristics in a simple but impactful way that speak directly to young people. The assemblies, lessons and activities are designed to inspire the next generation to believe in themselves and aim high – higher than they may currently think possible.

Don’t miss it

A nation is relying on you to support our young people – and in turn we’re here to do everything we can to support you. We’d love to start that off by asking you to join us for a free 30 minute online inspirational workshop on 10 February 2021 at 16:30.

Teachers love our workshops which explore how our award-winning website and off-the-peg resources can be used support PSHCE, character development and cross-curricular learning through these challenging times. With a little help from some Amazing People!

Sign up for the workshop

Free site access for all attendees

All attendees of the workshop will also enjoy free school access to the entire Amazing Schools website. This includes unlimited teacher and student accounts for a term.

If you can’t join us, don’t worry – we can still help

The Amazing People Schools website contains everything prep and secondary schools need to build their own cross-curricular character and wellbeing programme. Because we recognise how demanding teaching is at the moment, even if you can’t attend the workshop you can sign your school up for a free trial of our site.

Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education – Martin Luther King Jr.

Website: www.amazingpeopleschools.com

Twitter: @Amazing_Schs 

Facebook: AmazingPeopleSchools

Instagram: @amazingpeopleschools

YouTube: AmazingPeopleSchools

The post Amazing People Schools – Independent Schools Workshop appeared first on Independent Education Today.

Instead, staff at the Ascot-based prep have been utilising online communication to deliver a full timetable of live lessons for the whole school, comprising boys aged six to 13. The cohort lives across 13 different time zones around the world.

“With a very simple mantra – ‘If it is to be, it is up to me’ – the boys have launched back into school life with huge enthusiasm and have been delighted to ‘meet’ with their friends, including foreign correspondents reporting in from all over the world in whole-school assemblies on [Microsoft] Teams,” said the school.

“Building on [experience from the first lockdown], it has been remarkably easy to resume the normal rhythm of school life with staff teaching.”

In June, Papplewick pupils took part in a ‘race around the world’ fitness challenge to keep active and stay engaged with the school.

Learning from home, they discovered, wasn’t quite so remote after all. “In these isolated times for children, I can honestly say that we have never felt quite as connected as a school as we do now,” said Papplewick headmaster, Tom Bunbury, as he explained how the school initially put together its remote learning programme for the summer term.

“This time,” said Bunbury, “although bitterly disappointing not to see the boys in person, the staff have worked incredibly hard in building on the remote programme delivered last year, and parents can be relieved that the full school day – albeit virtual, but including art, music, DT, PE and ICT, plus extracurricular activities – requires no input from their side!”

You may also like: Over half of teachers now using online live lessons for remote teaching

The post No home-schooling nightmares for Papplewick parents appeared first on Independent Education Today.

Minerva’s Virtual Academy, which costs £6,000 per year, was founded in 2020.

The rise in enquiries for the online private school comes at the same time that schools in England have been forced to close and move to remote learning for the second time due to Covid-19.

However, a surge in pupil attendance during the current lockdown, due to the Department for Education widening the vulnerable and key worker children categories, has left heads and teaching unions worried it could hamper the fight against the virus.

Pupils at Minerva’s take part in interactive group lessons, weekly assemblies and one-to-one mentoring. They have access to after school clubs and co-curricular activities such as art and debating. There are also regular wellbeing sessions and, outside of the pandemic, in-person meet ups and trips.

The school hopes to “bring greater consistency and continuity to what has been a disruptive year for education”.

Learning online doesn’t mean being alone, in fact the reverse is true in this case – Hugh Viney, Minerva’s Virtual Academy

Minerva’s is the brainchild of teaching professional and CEO Hugh Viney, who also owns private tutoring and home schooling business Minerva Tutors.

Viney said: “Traditional home schooling has long been criticised as isolating for some children, but times are changing and education is evolving. Learning online doesn’t mean being alone, in fact the reverse is true in this case.

“Our school is all about instilling a love of learning, building friendships, inspirational teaching and a spirit of community – all from the comfort and safety of your home. With the working from home revolution firmly underway and the likelihood of a prolonged period of school closures, our online school marks the start of an exciting new era of learning from home.”

Viney has appointed experienced teachers and specialist education mentors from both the state and independent school sectors.

Lawrence Tubb, former head of music at Wycombe Abbey, an independent boarding school for girls in Buckinghamshire, has been appointed as deputy headmaster of the academy.

He said: “This last year has demonstrated the fundamental value of reliable, fit-for-purpose remote learning, which ensures continuity of education for children. With that all-important school community at its heart, our school encourages pupils to thrive both emotionally and academically alongside their peers, while furnishing them with the skills and resilience they need to succeed in the modern world.”

The post Online private school sees rise in admissions appeared first on Independent Education Today.

The publication, led by the school’s Institute of Teaching and Learning, details research-focused projects that explore best practice and policy in schools.

The journal is divided into five sections: learning to learn, wellbeing, character education, digital learning, and service and social impact.

It includes topics such as inclusion, diversity and gender subject gaps, adapting lessons to digital delivery and supporting student wellbeing when educational rites of passage are missed. There are also articles on delivering whole class feedback, supporting study skills and the benefits of ‘slow-looking’, with highlight projects exploring the impact of leadership on students.

Jesse Elzinga, headmaster at Sevenoaks School, said: “We are committed to sharing best practice in teaching and learning, giving teachers an opportunity to reflect on their own work and build on the ideas of others. Our Institute of Teaching and Learning plays a vital role in coordinating this collaboration, helping professionals in our school and the wider teaching community to connect with great ideas.”

We are committed to sharing best practice in teaching and learning, giving teachers an opportunity to reflect on their own work and build on the ideas of others – Jesse Elzinga, Sevenoaks School

One article in the journal details the first large empirical study looking at the positive impact of inclusive leadership on students in secondary education.

Dr Paul Parham, mathematics teacher at Sevenoaks School, examined the relationship between teachers’ leadership style and student performance in the mathematics department. A study undertaken in collaboration with Gloria Moss at Buckinghamshire New University surveyed almost 700 students to find a strong positive association between teachers displaying inclusive behaviours and improved student performance.

Another article, written by Dr Ceri Sims, psychologist and senior lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University and Paul Thompson, head of geography at Sevenoaks School, looks at the effect of student leadership roles and behaviours on motivation and wellbeing.

The quantitative study surveyed almost 250 students across years 9-11, and results noted that building leadership identity through informal activities, including community service and mentoring, are equally as important as official roles. In addition to feelings of responsibility, identity and belonging, gained through traditional ‘badged roles’, informal leadership positions give students ‘hope’, which enhances overall achievement.

They noted that the findings are especially pertinent as previous research suggests opportunities for student leadership in secondary education are limited and driven largely by teachers’ selection of individuals for posts such as school captain.

There are a range of other articles written by university professors, teachers, headteachers and department heads.

Innovate is available to read online.

The post Sevenoaks School publishes second edition of academic journal appeared first on Independent Education Today.

Myddelton College ran a series of classes in December – in English, maths, biology, chemistry and physics – and, following positive feedback, decided to do the same in January.

Over 500 students joined the lessons over the two-week period, although the school said up to 1,000 students per subject can register. Two classes were delivered simultaneously each evening, one for GCSE and one for A-level, and they could be viewed live or via catch-up on laptops and mobile phones.

This time the school said it will offer pre-recorded lessons, which gives them the opportunity to offer more lessons and subjects at the same time, starting on 18 January.

“We wanted to do something to make a contribution to the education sector and the current generation of young people at a time when they face significant challenges because of the pandemic,” explained headmaster Andrew Allman.

There is a widening socio-economic gap in education and we believe we have a responsibility to help students who might otherwise miss out – Andrew Allman, Myddelton College

Allman said that despite no exams taking place this year due to the impact of the pandemic, education is about “more than just exams” and the skills learned will still be useful throughout their lives.

“The lectures will focus on the skills they need to answer exam-based questions and bridge any gaps in their knowledge ahead of them going into further education,” Allman said.

He continued: “There is a widening socio-economic gap in education and we believe we have a responsibility to help students who might otherwise miss out.

“It is a big commitment by the teachers who have to prepare and deliver the lectures and underlines that quality inherent in the profession of wanting to help students be the best they can be.”

Myddleton College is a Microsoft Global Showcase Independent School and part of the Birmingham-based IQ Schools Group.

You might also like: Exams cancelled in favour of teacher-estimated grades

The post Myddelton College to deliver second series of free online lessons appeared first on Independent Education Today.

The IGCSE exams, usually only taken in private schools, are still going ahead this summer.

In a statement to MPs this afternoon (Wednesday 6 January), education secretary Gavin Williamson said he had “learned lessons” from last year and would put his “trust in teachers rather than algorithms”.

Last year’s botched attempt to award centre-assessed grades with an Ofqual-supplied moderation algorithm was “felt painfully by students and their parents”, Williamson said. Although he offered reassurances grades would be fair and consistent, the education secretary did not elaborate on what plans Ofqual would put in place.

“The department and Ofqual had already worked up a range of contingency options,” the minister said, adding that “details will need to be fine-tuned in consultation with Ofqual, the exam boards and teaching representatives”.

HMC believes that any decision to cancel all exams in England this summer would be premature – Dr Simon Hyde, HMC

Kate Green, Labour’s shadow education secretary, pressed the minister for further details on what support schools will receive, and when. “Can he tell me exactly what will be done to ensure that all grades are fair, consistent and support pupils to move on in their education or employment, including private candidates?” she added.

She also accused Williamson of refusing to listen to teachers.

Many experts and professional groups welcomed the decision but criticised the statement for its lack of specifics.

The Independent Schools Council’s (ISC) chairman, Barnaby Lenon, said there was “no perfect solution” to cancelled exams and that many students “will be disappointed to lose the opportunity to put their learning to the test”.

“The learning loss experienced by so many pupils is a tragic consequence of the pandemic and everything possible must be done to ensure that this year’s exam pupils are not put at a further disadvantage. We cannot afford a repeat of the mistakes made as part of last year’s assessment process,” Lenon added.

The Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC) was, however, less accepting of the U-turn. “Whilst it is important that the learning loss which some students have experienced is accounted for, and that disadvantaged pupils are not further disadvantaged, HMC believes that any decision to cancel all exams in England this summer would be premature,” said general secretary Dr Simon Hyde.

“With the hope of the vaccine on the horizon and the government now taking stringent lockdown measures, teachers and students can be more confident that public examinations can go ahead safely in June. The question is much more what form these examinations should take.”

Hyde said the government should have found other routes to facilitate examinations in the summer, including amending curriculums.

Natalie Perera, chief executive of the Education Policy Institute (EPI), said: “The loss of learning during the pandemic has affected children in such a varied way that the existing exam system could not have been fair.

“Devising a robust alternative to award grades will not be easy, and it is right that some time is now being taken to reflect and consult. Today’s statement was notably short on detail, particularly if contingency plans on exams have already been prepared, as the secretary of state suggested.”

Plans would be needed “with some speed”, Perera added, which “create incentives for pupils to go on learning for the rest of the school year”.

Laura McInnery, co-founder of the TeacherTapp app, said Williamson’s announcement was “clear as mud”.

Williamson says:
“We will put our trust in teachers rather than algorithms”
– Confirms it will be “teacher assessed grades” with training and support to ensure they are given out fairly and consistently.

Clear as mud as to how this will happen.

— Laura McInerney (@miss_mcinerney) January 6, 2021

 Parentkind, which works with parent-teacher associations and encourages parental involvement in education and schools, said parents would support the move but added that “special consideration should be given to disadvantaged pupils, where the digital divide is having an adverse effect on both the quality and quantity of learning at home”.

The National Education Union (NEU) said the late arrival of the announcement would “lead to further extreme stress and workload for education staff, students and parents”. It said ministers were “obsessed and blinkered by their pursuit of exams” despite the realities of the pandemic.

“We will take up his offer to discuss the details of these issues but government and Ofqual will need to be far more willing to act on what we suggest this time. We will also make clear that any further workload cannot be dumped upon an already grossly overstretched profession at this time.

Read more: Schools close in latest lockdown while future of summer exams remains unclear

The post Exams cancelled in favour of teacher-estimated grades appeared first on Independent Education Today.

Learning will move online learning for all but vulnerable pupils and the children of keyworkers, for whom schools will stay open. Nurseries and early years settings are also being instructed to remain open.

While restrictions will remain in place until a review on 15 February, the Cabinet Office minister, Michael Gove, has said the lockdown will likely extend into March at least.

The lockdown was announced in a televised address by the prime minister on Monday (4 January), a day after he had insisted there was “no doubt in my mind that schools are safe” and urged parents to send their children to primary schools if they were open.

It is so sad to see more life chances snatched away from this generation of children – Shaun Fenton, head of Reigate Grammar School

The blanket closure of schools has meant a sharp change in priorities for school leaders. During the Christmas break they had been working to comply with the Department for Education’s 18 December announcement that it was “strongly encouraging” schools to enable mass testing of pupils. Instead, focus will now shift to providing remote lessons for the next six weeks and beyond.

Government scientific advisers say that the number of school pupils with confirmed cases of coronavirus is “significantly” higher in the second wave compared with the first, with children more likely than adults to be the person introducing Covid-19 into the family home.

Despite the rise in the number of children infected, and the new variant of the virus, there has not been an increase in children being hospitalised by Covid-related illnesses.

Exam confusion

If the government’s position on school closures is, at last, unambiguous, the fate of this summer’s GCSE and A-level exams is much less clear.

This morning (5 January), Michael Gove told the Today programme on Radio 4 that exams would be cancelled and replaced by teacher-led assessments.

“My own daughter is due to sit A-levels this year, my son due to sit GCSEs – I know how hard students across the country between years 11 and 13 have been working,” he said.

“We will be putting in place alternative arrangements,” he added, with the plans set to be outlined by Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, in the House of Commons tomorrow (6 January).

By lunchtime, however, it was being reported that exams in core subjects – such as English and maths – could still go ahead.

Earlier, when the cancellation of exams appeared a certainty, Shaun Fenton, head of Reigate Grammar School, had told IE: “The global pandemic requires that we all pull together and we will meet again, but it is still so sad to see more life chances snatched away from this generation of children. This awful but inevitable lockdown steals their opportunity to shine in exams.

“But they were never just exam fodder – their qualities of character were always going to make the biggest difference. These are tough times, and our young people will need our support to see ahead.”

Vicky Bingham, head of South Hampstead High School GDST, said a clear road map for an alternative to exams is now needed: “Yet again the rug has been pulled from under the feet of our young people and yet again I have been blown away by their stoicism at an uncertain and anxious time.

“What we need to give them now is a clear road map for an alternative assessment framework. Once we have agreed the decisions, we need to stick to the plan. We owe them that at least.”

Fenton added: “On a tactical note, I know that I speak for many headteachers when I ask: ‘Where do we apply to offer our school as a vaccine distribution hub for the local community whilst in lockdown? We can staff it, we have fridges, we have the space and facilities – how do we become part of the solution?’ We want to help.”

Are you a head of an independent school? Get in touch to share your thoughts by emailing jo.golding@wildfirecomms.co.uk

The post Schools close in latest lockdown while future of summer exams remains unclear appeared first on Independent Education Today.

At HMC’s (Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference) autumn conference, chair Sally-Anne Huang (who is also the high master of boys’ school St Paul’s), spoke of the irony of lockdown being a time where people were most coming to appreciate the arts, as the arts industries themselves were falling apart. “Try getting through those weeks without music, literature and film,” she said astutely.

The arts, and those who work within them, are in a vulnerable position, as shown by a study from Ulster University’s Economic Policy Centre in October.

The study revealed that 12,000–16,000 (more than one-third) of jobs in arts, culture and heritage in Northern Ireland are vulnerable as a result of Covid-19 restrictions. It’s not surprising considering how difficult social distancing makes live performances and how many people may not feel comfortable returning to venues for some time.

Despite the industry’s current struggles, it’s clear that schools are not giving up on delivering this vast subject area to students. In November, King Edward VI High School For Girls held a free arts event for schoolchildren across the UK to celebrate the positive impact the arts can have on young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

With online performances, workshops and resources, which were provided in partnership with the GSA (Girls’ Schools Association), the key message was that careers in the arts are “worthwhile, valuable and viable”.

Full STEAM ahead

Alongside teaching core creative subjects such as music and drama in school, another way educators can incorporate the arts into the curriculum is through adopting a STEAM approach.

STEAM uses science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue and critical thinking.

“Using STEAM education results in students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century!” an article on The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM’s website reads.

If it doesn’t sound all that easy to you then you’d be right, it’s not easy. Sometimes teachers will attend conferences or courses on the educational approach, and sometimes schools will dedicate a certain lesson or building to STEAM. These are great ways to get started, although the wonderful thing about STEAM is that it can be used in any lesson, by any teacher.

Integrating arts within STEM

Phil Marsh, head of science at Brighton Girls – an independent day school for girls aged three to 18 – says the arts are a valuable addition to STEM subjects.

“The arts have a real role to play in STEM learning. They are such a valuable addition as they stimulate the creative side of the brain and make you think more laterally about a problem as opposed to taking a more logical approach,” Marsh said.

It has become clear from research that studying the arts can have an impact on academic achievement, including numeracy and literacy skills. This is why the blended nature of the STEAM approach makes so much sense.

Jason Whiskerd, headmaster at Brentwood Preparatory School – a coeducational school for three- to 11-year-olds in Essex – says a variety of skills are needed to overcome the world’s problems, not just those learned in maths and science.

“We live in a connected world which is multi-disciplined with a variety of skills being deployed to overcome problems, some of which can be done quite easily and other problems that take longer to resolve and with a wider team of people involved,” says Whiskerd.

“Some problems need a creative solution and this is often where the arts come into focus. It is no coincidence that huge tech companies such as Google and Tesla employ a large number of people who do not have a background in technology. It is all about the makeup of a team, and the skills acquired through the arts often play an important part within any major STEM project.”

When Elon Musk was recruiting for Tesla’s artificial intelligence team in February 2020, he made it clear that a college degree was not required, rather a “deep understanding” of artificial intelligence. This language matches perfectly with the STEAM approach, which encourages students to find information and ideas to increase their understanding of a topic and create questions of their own, strengthening their independence.

The impact of Covid-19 on STEAM

The pandemic has changed the way schools deliver education and has meant increased difficulty carrying out the usual STEAM activities. In many cases, after-school clubs have come to a complete halt.

Marsh explains: “We have, without doubt, had a much more difficult time teaching STEAM since the pandemic hit. Our engineering club after school had to stop which was a real shame as pupils were challenging themselves to build a soap box car, and lunchtime clubs had to be put on hold too, as we can’t mix year group bubbles and must maintain social distancing.”

Ironically, schools have had to use their own problem-solving skills to keep STEAM activities going during the pandemic.

It is no coincidence that huge tech companies such as Google and Tesla employ a large number of people who do not have a background in technology – Jason Whiskerd, headmaster, Brentwood Preparatory School

Whiskerd explains: “One of the central pillars of STEAM is finding solutions to problems, and it is fair to say that Covid-19 has highlighted the need for us to problem-solve like never before.

“We have made every effort to maintain our STEAM curriculum, but sometimes using resources and in outdoor and indoor spaces that we would not have considered pre-Covid. During the lockdown, we also asked pupils to problem-solve at home using STEAM skills, with some amazing outcomes and solutions being shared via Zoom.”

Independent schools have been incredibly creative with their facilities, resources and timetabling in order to keep the activities that will really benefit children going.

Hope for the future

Looking to the future, Brentwood Preparatory School have invested millions of pounds in a transformation of its facilities, which after two years is now complete.

There are a number of new buildings and refurbished existing buildings, but one of the main new features is the Futures Room. The school said the room is a “place for experimentation” in areas like IT, design, maths and science.

Whiskerd says: “Our new building has been designed to allow greater fluidity and interaction between the subjects that make up the STEAM acronym, with our new Futures Room being central to the testing of theories that pupils may well have learned in other subjects.”

A special lighting rig gives the school different options in terms of technology, backdrops and lights, and there is a built-in green screen. The school said it will allow STEAM teachers to engage pupils in more “cross-curricular opportunities”.

Brentwood Preparatory School isn’t the only independent school that has invested in STEAM-focused facilities in recent years.

Talbot Heath’s STEAM Hub has been up and running since September 2019, but at no small cost – construction took 15 months and it cost £7.6m. However, the result is massively impressive, with a large auditorium that can be transformed into a lecture theatre, virtual reality space, performance area and more.

Angharad Holloway, head of Talbot Heath, says using the building for interactive lessons has given pupils a “depth of understanding” and “insight” that they would never have had previously. She mentions how it has enhanced pupils’ learning and their ability to “think on their feet, problem-solve and be adaptable”.

Considering the direction that the pandemic is going, hopefully it won’t be too long until after-school and lunchtime clubs can be picked up again. It’s clear that pupils in independent schools are reaping the benefits of the STEAM approach, enabling them to become more independent, critical thinkers that are adaptable – and in the current climate, that’s exactly what we need.

The post STEAM: a creative solution appeared first on Independent Education Today.

Portland Place Online, an extension of Portland Place School, sees pupils aged 10–16 spend four days learning at home using iPads. One day is spent in the main school to take part in lessons such as drama, PE, music, science and design technology.

The school has cut its fees by more than half, from £21,500 a year for full-time pupils to £8,622 a year for hybrid school pupils.

The idea came after receiving positive feedback from parents about the online learning experience during lockdown.

David Bradbury, headmaster at Portland Place School, told IE: “Over the summer we thought, maybe we could offer this alongside the main day school. There may well be people who are still shielding and there may be people who have simply found they prefer to work this way. From that thought developed the idea that it may also make independent education accessible for more families who want it but can’t normally afford London day school fees.”

The first pupils – of which there are currently 11 – started in September, with a couple having transferred from state schools. Online lessons are taught by existing staff and each lesson is taught to either home learners or on-site pupils, instead of trying to mix the two simultaneously.

On the success of the first term, Bradbury said he is “very pleased” and that students have enjoyed it, however he admitted it is still “a work in progress” with areas to refine as they learn more about operating in this way.

Screen time

One of the issues the school wants to iron out for next year is the amount of screen time each student has a week.

“Because we created this on top of an existing school timetable, the two had to fit together,” explained Bradbury. “What we found this year is it’s a little bit uneven across the week. There are a couple of days in the week at the moment where it’s heavier than I would like and a couple of days where it seems very light; we do want to even that out next year when we plan the timetable alongside the main school.”

Bradbury said the initial challenges of starting an online school were working out what they could offer and how wide a timetable they could offer, but after that it was “relatively straight forward”. This, he explained, was due to having iPads already and teachers having learned online skills earlier in the year due to the lockdown.

Planning the online school timetable alongside the main school’s timetable will be the next big challenge, Bradbury said, followed by working out what resources are needed to potentially scale up in the future. There will also be discussions about working across the education group, Alpha Plus, to facilitate something wider.

Opening up independent education

Bradbury spoke about the emergence of more online schools and how they could be the answer to opening up private schools to a wider range of people.

“Certainly, one of the things in my mind was, is it a way of opening up independent education to more families? I think that’s definitely a possibility,” said Bradbury.

“We were all forced into [remote learning] for four months and not many people would have chosen it, I don’t think, beforehand. But having experienced it now, there are families who think, well it worked well for my child so maybe this is a better option.”

He also said online schools remove geographic restrictions. “We have students in the hybrid school who are further away than normal because they’ll do a long commute for, say, an hour and 15 minutes each way, once a week, in a way that they wouldn’t do five days a week. It’s extended the range of families who can join us.”

Feedback from others working in education has been positive so far and Bradbury sees it as a model that could expand.

“It’s been a very exciting thing to do. And virtually everybody who has anything to do with education that I’ve spoken to has said, that’s a really good idea, that could well be with the way education goes. It is going to be interesting to see how this develops but I think there’s a lot to merit it. I think it’s a model that could grow.”

Find out more about Portland Place Online

The post Portland Place finishes first term of new hybrid school appeared first on Independent Education Today.

The quality of family life and relationships matter too; stability, secure attachments and boundaries are important. Research suggests that children who are parented in a loving but authoritative style are much more likely to do better emotionally and academically throughout their school years.

I always ask parents, “Who are you sending in each day?” and remind them that schools can only supplement the work done at home. Are their children well-slept? Are they grounded in positive family values? Do they understand that school is a place where we go to learn and try our best? How do they feel about themselves?

High self-esteem predicts resilience and feeling good about oneself is important. When parents and carers provide a secure bedrock, within family life, their children will go on to have a better chance of enjoying the wealth of experiences available to them at school. 

For some time, pressure has been building for schools to assume a much more holistic role when it comes to children’s psycho-social development. It is no longer enough to provide a diverse and rich learning curriculum, access to the highest-quality teaching and state-of-the-art facilities.

The pastoral needs of pupils have grown exponentially in recent years; anxiety is the largest mental health disorder among children nationally, depression is on the rise for older teens, sleep deprivation is rife and self-harm far too prevalent. Covid-19 and subsequent lockdowns have exacerbated many of these conditions.

We know that parental mental health is highly correlated with children’s mental health, just as parental aspirations strongly shape children’s motivation to aim higher. Given the key role that parents also play in bolstering academic achievement and in preventing psychopathology, surely schools should be gravitating towards building as much parental capacity as possible?

Effective partnerships with parents have traditionally focused on getting parents into the school setting, introducing them to teaching methods, nudging them towards supporting their children with homework and making sure that they read to their children at night. All good stuff! However, the current pandemic provides an opportunity to recalibrate the home-school partnership and redefine what ‘effective’ looks like. 

What should schools be aiming for? 

Ensure that your school vision, values and strategies are focused on building parental confidence in their ability to support their child in multiple ways. If parents feel unsure about whether or not they are ‘doing the right thing’, they will often avoid helping altogether. 

We want to cultivate a sense that the ‘baton’ is being passed regularly between home and school, teachers and parents, in a way that feels aligned, positive and truly focused on nurturing children’s potential. It is often said that ‘there is no manual for raising children’, but this isn’t the case. Research evidence tells us exactly how and why children are likely to thrive and factors that can threaten this. 

A starting point for a renewed and effective partnership with parents could be the recently published books on Engaging Parents (2018; 2020) which form part of Bloomsbury’s 100 Ideas series for educators. 

Schools need easy and cost-effective ways to engage parents. These books are full of tips that can really get schools thinking about the right tone to strike with parents and provide simple, evidence-based, quick ideas that can be implemented to good effect. 

There are now editions for both primary and secondary teachers (the latter was published in November 2020). 

My co-author, Dr Janet Goodall, and I encourage schools to adopt a resilient approach to parental engagement; ditch what doesn’t work or hasn’t been working for some time and dream up a mode of working with parents which means that you don’t do all the heavy lifting. Children will always stand a better chance of thriving when schools and parents work together. Creating a pathway towards achieving this should be a priority for all. 

‘100 Ideas for Secondary Teachers: Engaging Parents’ by Janet Goodall and Kathryn Weston is published by Bloomsbury Education and can be purchased via their website:  www.bloomsbury.com/education

Book extract

This extract from ‘100 Ideas for Secondary Teachers: Engaging Parents’ explains how schools can help all staff be involved in parental engagement. 

Idea 11: Learning across the school 

‘What’s this got to do with me? I’m not a pastoral manager, form tutor or the parent support officer. This isn’t my job.’

Parental engagement needs to be a whole-school project. It’s fine to have a champion but, particularly in a large secondary school, support for parental engagement in learning is too important to leave to one person.

Parental engagement is one of the best ways to support learning, so everyone who is ultimately interested in that learning (ie, everyone in the school) needs to be interested in parental engagement. 

Obviously, some people will be more directly involved and in different ways: front-of-house staff, sports coaches, teachers and senior leaders all interact with parents but often in very different ways. 

It’s important then, that there are shared understandings across the school about what is meant by parental engagement and how that is best accomplished in your particular setting with your parental cohorts.

Ensure that everyone who interacts with parents has access to the same training – ideally, invite front-of-house staff, coaches and so on to any CPD relating to parental engagement.

Ensure that supporting parental engagement is part of all staff meetings. If you have a staff bulletin board, post ideas for supporting parental engagement on the board and rotate them regularly.

Have something about supporting parents as part of school and individual performance targets. This ensures that all staff know that the school takes the issue seriously. 

Targets should be clear, easily understood and measurable. For example, ‘Positive phone calls with all parents in your form at least once a term’ rather than ‘Work to support parental engagement’ (this is too vague).

Teaching tip

Include as many members of staff in this process as possible – remember that parents may encounter the reception staff more than they encounter teachers!

Taking it further

Suggest a shared reading group around parental engagement – either everyone can read the same book and share their impressions, or different people can read different books or articles and share their ideas with the whole group. This is a good way of covering a lot of ground fairly quickly.

The post The case for building parental capacity in schools appeared first on Independent Education Today.