Bradford Grammar School

18 May 2012

Last Friday I spent the day at York University; BGS is one of 28 Schools and Colleges from all over the country which forms their Schools and Colleges’ network. It was a most interesting and illuminating experience.
The University is certainly different from the one I knew thirty years ago when I was at Pocklington. The campus is impressive and the ambition of the institution is very evident. This was particularly noticeable in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television where I was fortunate enough to have a private tour. What a wonderful environment in which to learn and what a fascinating blend of technical and creative people. While there I saw students preparing for their final assessments, a TV series having its soundtrack added and a studio being prepared for the filming of an advert. I think my English degree might have gone out of the window if I had been let loose in such a facility as a student.
The Law School was also fascinating, especially as it is a very recent introduction at York. We sat in on a session of ‘Problem Based learning’-or at least some people did. I was volunteered to take part! It was a very interesting experience; it’s always good for a Head to have to learn again. It reminded me of what the students go through every day.
It was also useful to have an update from Mary Curnock Cook, the Chief Executive of UCAS. The complexity of University admissions is a concern for many parents so it was good to hear the view’ from the top’ and to be able to participate in an interesting discussion. It was heartening to hear that higher tuition fees had not significantly altered the pattern of applications and to be reassured by the professionalism of the UCAS operations.
Finally we had a presentation from two current students and two graduates about what they had learned from their experiences at York and how those had prepared them for the world of work. A constant theme was ‘employability’ and how becoming involved in all that the University offered-internships, volunteer programmes and work experience-was essential in promoting oneself to potential employers.
It is such a benefit to have involvement with a world class University only an hour away from the school and to be able to experience the academic world for which we are preparing BGS students. It’s reassuring to see that our Sixth Form Centre offers precisely the kind of environment which students will experience at University and hear that our emphasis on learning to learn helps them to develop the skills which will be so vital for their undergraduate studies. It’s good to be part of a network which is helping to shape the University’s strategic focus and to have meaningful discussions about the manner in which education is developing in Schools, Colleges and Universities. In a week when the headlines were about Sir Michael Wilshaw’s controversial views on teachers’ stress levels and Mr Gove’s lament about the lack of social mobility in education, it was good to visit an institution so clearly committed to high standards, inclusivity and a holistic view of education.

11 May 2012

I suspect the name Andreas Schleicher will not mean a lot to most people but he’s an influential man. A German politician perhaps, dealing with the Eurozone crisis? Another German footballer with ice in his veins when it comes to penalties in Euro 2012? Nothing so glamorous I’m afraid; Andreas Schleicher is a German educational researcher based in Paris. Later this year he will oversee the PISA tests (Programme for International Student Assessment) for the OECD. 500,000 15 year old students in 70 different countries will take the tests and in 2013 Mr Schleicher will publish the results. In the UK you can guarantee the headlines now: ‘UK falls further behind in International tables’ and inside the papers commentators will wail over ‘a lost generation’ and ask in incredulity how country x (usually in the Far East) can be so outperforming us.
The PISA results have become important because they enable detailed and comprehensive comparisons to be made between the education systems in different countries. In the Developed World in particular they have forced politicians and educationalists to confront some unpalatable facts and address complacency. It’s all very well for UK politicians to point to national improvements but they won’t mean much if the international competition is improving much more dramatically.
Mr Schleicher commented recently:
Education is a field dominated by beliefs and traditions, it's inward looking. As a system you can find all kinds of excuses and explanations for not succeeding.
The idea of Pisa was to take away all the excuses.
I doubt he will be on many Western politicians’ Christmas Card lists with that kind of analysis!
So what do the PISA tests suggest are important factors in a country’s success? In part it’s cultural; Mr Schleicher identifies a hunger for success in China and South Korea which manifests itself in students who are determined to use education to better themselves. He is also scathing about systems which lower the hurdle for disadvantaged children:
It was giving the disadvantaged child an excuse - you come from a poor background, so we'll lower the horizon for you, we'll make it easier.
But that child has still got to compete in a national labour market.
This concept of 'fairness' is deeply unfair - because by making life easier for children from difficult circumstances, we lower their life chances
It all makes for deeply unsettling reading for Western politicians, not least because of the evidence base which underpins Mr Schleicher’s analysis.
What the PISA statistics reveal is an age old truth; that it is the combination of inspirational teaching and committed students that drive standards up and enable disadvantaged children to transcend the background into which they were born. Of course facilities can help that process enormously but of themselves they will not improve performance.
At BGS we want a culture which celebrates success and does not look for excuses when we fail to achieve the high standards to which we aspire. We do not look for someone to blame but we do look at why we have ‘failed’ and seek to put it right. Crucial to that process is resilience, a quality I have written about before. Failure is a part of life; it is our response to failure which is important and a willingness to work tirelessly oneself to improve. ‘It’s not fair’ is a phrase I have little time for; it’s usually a euphemism for ‘I don’t like it’. Life can be hugely unfair-we had a marvellous assembly from Ravi Prasad this week which underlined that message. What the PISA tests reveal is that students who display resilience and desire do well; the system needs to nurture those qualities not lower the bar.

4 May 2012

One of the things which continues to surprise me is the insularity of the British with regard to Education; perhaps it’s one of the downsides of being ‘an island race’. When I lived and worked in Bangkok I was amazed and impressed by the manner in which Thai parents embraced an international view of education and were encouraged in that by successive Thai Governments. There were 104 International Schools in Bangkok, with the majority offering a curriculum taught in English and leading to qualifications like A-Level and the International Baccalaureate. Students went to University in the UK, the USA, Australia and Japan. Just this week I was exchanging e-mails with Yu, last year’s Head Girl at Harrow International School Bangkok, who is completing her first year at Imperial in London. The Thai Government encouraged this internationalism because it believed this was a long term investment in education which would be of benefit to ‘the Kingdom’. It would produce bi and tri-lingual adults who had the skills and vision to develop the country and create educated elite with a sophisticated understanding of a world outside Thailand.
I hardly need to point out the contrasts with the UK! London is the most diverse city in the world but has 12 International Schools (Shanghai has 87); few British students study overseas and even fewer follow courses in a language other than English unless they are linguists.
The irony in all this is that many International Schools follow a British model, especially that of Independent Schools. So we don’t need to go abroad you might say-we have the best here! And so we do; the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) regularly highlights Independent Schools in the UK as being some of the best in the World from the data obtained from its Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results. The British Government however seems to have a fear of creating an educated elite; it worries that in some way this is ‘unfair’ because the opportunities are not open to all. The result is a rather grudging acceptance of the Independent Sector rather than the celebration of schools whose success is imitated all over the world. Within the UK Independent Schools are increasingly diverse and the use of means tested bursaries enables students from less wealthy families to take up a place at such schools.
At BGS generous benefactors have enabled the school to support many children; in many cases they recognise that the support they had enabled them to have successful careers. They want to give something back and to enable children to have the same chance they had to attend a school which provides a first class education.
Yet while we can (and should) be proud of our schools, that should not prevent us from looking beyond our shores. The Digital Revolution is upon us and the students in our schools will be competing in a global market. The competition is Shanghai High School No. 2 not the school down the road. An understanding of other countries, their cultures and their languages is essential if students wish to be successful in the future. St Augustine wrote:
The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
Whether the travel is electronic or in person, we need to look outward to succeed.

27 April 2012

Last Saturday we had two excellent Old Bradfordian events at school. At lunchtime we hosted the 1940s reunion lunch with 71 OBs present. It was a great occasion; I sat next to Leslie ‘Legs’ Bentley who, at 90, is certainly the oldest OB active in the society. Resplendent in his Yorkshire RFC blazer ‘Legs’ entertained me with stories of his school days (1932-39) and how BGS had been influential in his life.
In the afternoon it was down to the swimming pool to watch the school v OBA swimming and water polo matches; many OBs and their families were present and it was another delightful event. Mind you the school water polo team were perhaps a little overawed by the 4 former internationals in the OB team…but they gave a great account of themselves. Afterwards we held a short ceremony at which Adrian Moorhouse unveiled a plaque to celebrate the renaming of the pool in his name in the London 2012 Olympic Year. Adrian won his Olympic Gold Medal in 1988 in Seoul, the only British swimmer to win a gold medal in those games and one of only 5 Gold Medal winners in the entire British Team. It remains a remarkable achievement-it was the first games where all the strongest nations competed after the boycotts of 1980 and 1984. Adrian’s modesty about his achievement was encapsulated by his small daughter wandering around the reception afterwards with ‘my daddy’s medal’. There were plenty of pupils who wanted their picture taken with an Olympic Gold medal!
What both of these occasions brought home to me was the effect the school has had on the lives of the OBs I met and their lifelong affection for it. The school was a very different place in the 1940s, with no girls and unable to move to the new site until 1949. While there was plenty of nostalgia there was also realism about the strengths and weaknesses of their education and a pleasing acknowledgement of the improvements in the school and the benefits of co-education. Adrian, in his speech, emphasised that his swimming experience began at BGS and the importance of his teachers in setting him on the path that lead to Olympic glory. It is wonderful for our current pupils to see what they can aspire to and be inspired to make the most of their talents.
In the next fortnight the school will be formally saying farewell to this year’s leavers. I always use these lines from Philip Larkin on such occasions:
‘And it was nearly done, this frail travelling coincidence and what it held stood ready to loosed with all the power that being changed can give’
They seem to encapsulate that bond between school and student and express the idea that the latest generation of Bradfordians are ready for all the challenges which adult life will bring. They will change but the values which they have developed and the friendships they have made will, hopefully, be with them forever. If BGS has done its job properly, the students will have a mixture of emotions-excitement for the future tinged with some regret at leaving. That’s how it should be.

20 April 2012

The news in the Easter break that Michael Gove had written to Ofqual stating that he wanted Universities to have a much greater role in the development of A-levels made me inwardly groan. He wrote:
"I do not envisage the Department for Education having a role in the development of A-level qualifications. It is more important that universities are satisfied that A-levels enable young people to start their undergraduate degrees having gained the right knowledge and skills, than that ministers are able to influence content or methods of assessment.”
Well, it sounds fine but as someone who has spent his entire teaching career watching governments of all complexions botch the reform of A-level, please excuse my scepticism. The DfE in all its many incarnations (DFES, DFEE ,DCSF…) has done little but have a major ‘role’ in A-level, although it is a moot point whether that has been beneficial or not!
Excuse the historian in me but a context for such reform is helpful. Let’s scroll back to 1976; yes it was the year of the drought but it was also the year most commentators see as marking the start of the ’great debate’ about public education and its purpose. James Callaghan made a speech on education at a foundation stone laying at Ruskin College; it was an unusual subject for a Prime Minister as Mr Callaghan made reference to:
‘It is almost as though some people would wish that the subject matter and purpose of education should not have public attention focused on it: nor that profane hands should be allowed to touch it.’
Well the ‘profane hands’ have been all over education ever since. The introduction of a National Curriculum in 1988 (by a Conservative Government) can trace its origins back to that speech. There are three other significant dates since then; 1988 when the Higginson Report was published; 2000 when ‘Curriculum 2000’ was introduced and 2005 when the Tomlinson Report was published. The fate of the two reports is indicative of the problems that reformers have faced; both were detailed and comprehensive attempts to create a system fit for purpose. They were based on research and extensive consultation. Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair respectively rejected them for political reasons- the fear that the ‘gold standard’ of A-level would be devalued. Curriculum 2000 was a classic compromise and it has pleased no-one; the introduction of modularity resulted in endless retakes to improve results and a remorseless rise in pass rates at all levels. Every August the same dreary arguments are rehearsed: do rising pass rates mean falling standards? Are we dumbing down?
What is really depressing is that the issues that James Callaghan focused on in 1976 remain essentially the same-the speech still makes good reading. I chuckle when he states:
‘We spend £6bn a year on education, so there will be discussion.’
Now we spend £86bn and that’s not all inflation!
Two large and complex issues remain unresolved: as a country we have failed to create a system of high quality vocational education to have equal status with academic education. The consequences of this failure are massive-economically and socially. Secondly we cannot decide whether ‘A-level’ should be the national examination at the end of formal education or the entry system for Universities. At present it fails on both counts. Over- subscribed Universities find it increasingly difficult to differentiate between able candidates on the basis of their A-level performance.
So excuse me for finding Mr Gove’s latest pronouncement deeply unconvincing. During my time as a Head I have observed 9 different Secretaries of State for Education engaging with these issues and not finding a solution. They have though spent huge amounts of money in the process. We desperately need a system fit for purpose in the 21st Century but to achieve that we need a statesman or woman not a politician. Don’t hold your breath…you could turn very blue!

30 March 2012

For many years I have been a reader of Private Eye; it’s a wonderful blend of serious journalism and irreverence. Attack through ridicule is a great British tradition. One of my favourite sections focuses on what Basil Fawlty witheringly calls ‘the bleeding obvious’. In Private Eye the ‘obvious’ in question is always printed alongside some variation of ‘Shock horror-Pope is Catholic’ and a reference to what bears allegedly do in the woods. So when the ‘cash for dinners’ scandals broke this week I immediately began to look forward to the next edition and was amazed at the tone of some of the commentators. How surprising is it that someone who gives a donation of £250k might expect something in return? It’s like the outrage which surrounded Derek Chisora and David Hay when they came to blows outside the ring: ‘Boxers in punch up’…am I missing something here?
In the frenzied world of the modern media we are prone to forget just how long politicians have been doing this kind of thing. Juvenal rages against corruption:
for what matters infamy if the cash be kept?
When I was in Thailand one of the most noticeable things was that some subjects were absolutely off limits for irreverence. The Thais have a great sense of fun but not, for example, at the expense of the Royal Family. There is still a law of lese majeste in Thailand and the robust British humour about our royal family seen in Private Eye would see you taking up prolonged residence in the Bangkok Hilton!
In a liberal Western democracy we are proud of our irreverence and our scepticism; the difficulty for us is when our scepticism turns to cynicism and moral indignation is lost. That is the moment when democracies are threatened and good people turn their backs on politics-once we cease to care we really are in trouble.
The young are pretty good at spotting double standards; some of the interviews carried out recently by children as part of School Report News Day obtained more honesty from our politicians than most adult interviewers. Watching the great and the good squirm and fall back on the ‘well it’s more complicated than that’ line is always refreshing. If I want to know what’s going on in school I ask the children; when potential new staff teach a lesson we ask the children for their opinion. It’s usually incisive and intelligent.
So is all this a storm in a teacup (or on a dinner plate…)? Well as corruption scandals go it’s certainly not in the top ten; there is no evidence that this is more than access and the opportunity to influence. The vexed question of how to fund political parties will continue and in the US dinner parties for donors in the White House are an expectation! Perhaps the most important aspect of this affair is the question of judgement; did the Prime Minister’s spokesman really think the names of the ‘kitchen supper’ guests could remain secret? Is this the moment when the public join up the dots of Andy Coulson, the retired police horse and ‘donor kebabs’ and decide that ‘Dave’ really isn’t a man of the people. Perhaps the final word should come from Greece, the cradle of democracy: hubris-an excess of pride and arrogance, causing the transgressor’s ruin.

23 March 2012

According to a survey conducted by Rocky Chocolate Biscuits, 1976 was the best year to be a child. Compared to now, childhood was a blissful experience- long summer evenings spent playing outside on your space hopper or chopper bicycle. My first reaction on reading about such surveys is to laugh; how on earth can you actually come to any rational decision on how any particular year is ‘the best’ to be a child. What are the research methods? However it’s the kind of topic which always gets people talking, mainly because of course there is no right answer!
So why choose 1976? Well for those of us who lived through it, the answer is obvious-the drought and the sunshine! Some years get lodged in the national psyche and 1976 is definitely in that category. It was (and remains) the hottest summer since records began and the drought, which lasted until late August, resulted in standpipes in the street and the appointment of a Minister for Drought. The West Indies cricket team revelled in the Caribbean weather thrashing England 3:0 in the Test series to begin their domination of world cricket.
In other parts of the world though, 1976 might not be remembered so fondly. If you lived in Tangshan in China it would be the year of a terrible earthquake which killed 650,000 people. If you lived in Israel or Uganda you would remember it for the infamous ‘Raid on Entebbe’ when Israeli Commandos stormed a hijacked airliner at Entebbe airport and rescued the hostages. (For many years the shot riddled plane was still at the side of the runway at Entebbe; you used to taxi past it on landing…).In Australia it’s the year of ‘The Great Bookie Robbery’ in Melbourne, as famous there as ‘The Great Train Robbery’ here. In America two young graduates start a new company; it’s still called Apple. And for thousands of children a film was made which, when adapted for the stage, gave them a wonderful experience -Bugsy Malone. Hands up who’s been splurged!
As for me-well I wasn’t a child but I did become ‘of age’ in 1976; my abiding memory is of my summer job in Colman’s Wine Shippers in Norwich. I had to steam hose clean the vats which held the wine delivered by tanker from France. I don’t think I’ve ever been so hot in my life, even in Bangkok.
The darker side of the Rocky Chocolate Biscuits survey was that 2011 was the worst year to be a child. Is that true? Well no doubt in 36 years’ time we might have a perspective to give an opinion. I tend to believe that such surveys are always skewed towards the ‘things have got worse’ view of childhood. I’m not convinced that today’s children would want to give up their mobile phones and the delights of social networking for chopper bikes and space hoppers (although I notice the latter feature in the promotional material for the latest boy band ‘One Direction’!). What history tells us is that our personal perspective of the past is deeply coloured by our own experiences and the manner in which they blend in with significant local and national events. Too often commentators speak of ‘the end of childhood’; that is often an unhelpful adult view. Childhood in Britain is, for many children, a wonderful experience and we need to celebrate it.

16 March 2012

Universities have been much in the news recently, primarily of course with regard to admissions policy. The confirmation of Professor Les Ebdon as ‘Access Czar’ in charge of OFFA (the Office for Fair Access) has produced many headlines, particularly given his assertion that he is not afraid to use the ‘nuclear option’ if Universities do not increase their numbers of students from lower performing state schools.
Gerard Kelly, in his leader in last week’s Times Educational Supplement, wrote perceptively:
“Universities cannot be blamed for the fact that too few disadvantaged kids make the grade. The number of poor pupils who have the necessary qualifications but who do not go into higher education is tiny, a few hundred in the entire country. Which means that the responsibility of raising those pupils’ grades – and the money necessary to make it happen – must rest with schools.”
He went on to say:
“Universities… should use their discretion to find [potential]. That does not mean admitting pupils who cannot cope. It does not mean slapping crude quotas on institutions and expecting them to comply regardless of the quality of individuals. It does not mean depriving universities of their autonomy to decide whom they would like to admit.”
It is a sensible analysis. The key to addressing inequality is early intervention; trying to do it at 18 ignores the fact that the vast majority of children in lower performing schools will have fallen out of the system by then. Those who have achieved success do not want to be patronised by being given lower entry qualifications. When you qualify for the World Cup you start the same as everyone else-you don’t get a 3 goal advantage.
Trying to explain UK University entrance to parents overseas was not straightforward! They were totally baffled by the idea that the Government would place some kind of quota on high achieving students from top schools winning places at top Universities. Culturally, the thinking was totally alien to these aspirational parents who would often be making huge sacrifices to enable their children to benefit from a first class education.
This week the British Council held a ‘Going Global’ Conference highlighting the huge increases in overseas students seeking University education. Jo Beall, the British Council director of education, said the "next 10 years will be critical" if the UK is to take advantage of an increasingly-mobile international student population.
The UK has world class Universities and Schools; we need to celebrate and promote them rather than treating their success as mildly embarrassing. Sending out the message that we are prepared to dilute excellence to pay lip service to a warped view of equality will be incomprehensible to parents and potential students in India, China and the rest of the Far East. To ignore these areas of the world is to condemn the UK to mediocrity and fail our own children.
In 2008 I was shown around Shanghai High School Number 2 by a student called Lydia; she was from rural China and I asked her how she been accepted by the school. ‘I had to pass exams’ was the reply.’ This is a very good school and it is very hard to get in. You have to do really well.’ China has no problem in creating an academic elite; it is all part of its long term plan to supplant the USA.
Any system which fails to reward industry and aspiration will eventually fail. Of course we need to improve children’s chances in life through education but let’s do it through the Early Years Foundation Programme and in Schools rather than by manipulating University admissions procedures and potentially destroying something which is still world class.

9 March 2012

I have always been fascinated by the arbitrary manner in which ‘reputation’ becomes attached to places; the Channel 4 documentary ‘Making Bradford British’ has brought out many stereotypical views, one’s I was familiar with when I lived and worked in Wolverhampton. Both are cities which one ‘confidently expects to be helping her Majesty’s Constabulary with their inquiries’ as the joke goes. Yet Bristol has a reputation as a University City full of ‘bright young things’. In the 1990s when I worked in Bristol the City Centre was, to put it mildly, a lively place to be on a Friday or Saturday night. When I told people I was moving to Bangkok in 2009, a knowing look appeared in their eyes! In fact much of Bangkok was considerably quieter than Bristol but of course that wasn’t its reputation.
The series appears to be more reality television than documentary; sensation is more important than cool analysis. It plays to a fear that in some way Britain is less ‘British’ than it once was. Such fears though are common in many societies. There’s a fine exhibition in Wat Traimit detailing the assimilation of Chinese traders and migrants into Thailand in the 19th century. There’s a wonderful Museum of Immigration in Melbourne which looks rationally and analytically at the development of Australia; in that country of immigrants there is a constant soul searching as to what being an ‘Australian’ means. Do you need to be able to trace your ancestors’ arrival on a boat in Botany Bay in January 1788?
At a deeper level this is a search for identity and communality. Do we define ourselves by what we are or what we are not? Schools of course are full of children seeking to find out who they are. In the West adolescence often sees rebellion: ‘I don’t know who I am but I’m definitely not like Mum or Dad’. In the East adolescence appears far less confrontational; there is an apparent conformity which is attractive to us in the West. Yet the influence of Western culture in terms of music and fashion is all pervasive; Thai grandparents worried endlessly that their grandchildren, educated in an English speaking International School, would lose their ‘Thainess’.
In Bangkok the British Embassy would celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday every year by holding a reception; two particular ‘British’ dishes went down well: Beef with Yorkshire pudding and Chicken Tikka Masala! If you asked Thais though what, apart from the food, defined being ‘British’ they would talk about ‘freedom of speech’, tolerance’ and ‘respect for the rule of law’. Too often we fail to realise the great strengths of our society in the face of challenges which many other societies would fail. The Leveson Inquiry is revealing some appalling breaches of the law and a far too cosy relationship between the media and the police. Yet few other countries would so determinedly expose the problem in public and seek to hold those in power to account.
According to the 2009 ONS Regional Trends survey, 41% of the City of Bradford contained some of the most deprived areas in the UK; paradoxically it also contained 11% of the least deprived. Where is the interface between those communities? I believe it is in Bradford Grammar School, where one of our strategic intents is to be a school which:
‘equips its pupils for life in a diverse and changing society’.
What matters in BGS is not your colour, your culture or your religion; what matters is that you have the aspiration to take the fantastic opportunities the school provides. If you do have that aspiration, but cannot afford the fees, then through our Bursary Scheme we provide support for children from the poorest parts of Bradford.
We value the differences in our school community and see them as strengths in providing children with the skills they will need in an increasingly global world. BGS is British and Bradford and proud of both.

2 March 2012

Assembly on Monday was rather different; as I walked into the Price Hall the Organ faded and was replaced by a resounding version of The Proclaimers ‘I would walk 500 Miles’; as I neared the stage a row of green footprints guided me to my seat. A great start to the week! It was the school’s FAIRTRADE group who were taking Assembly to mark the start of Fairtrade fortnight and to highlight what they were asking us to do in school. The theme was the ‘steps’ we could all to take to help those in the developing world better their lives.
I have had a longstanding interest in the developing world since 1989 when I was teaching in Bristol and became involved in a link with Uganda. I first went there in 1995 and have visited many times since, most recently last October. I’m Chairman of the Bujagali Trust which supports education in Uganda-here’s the link to the website if you want to see what we do: www.bujagalitrust.org
A first trip to the developing world can be daunting: all the things we take for granted are just so much more difficult. The electricity goes off (or doesn’t exist); water has to be bottled or boiled; transport is difficult and it’s important to ask the right question. I remember a GAP student asking a local if a bus was coming? Yes was the reply and indeed it was-72 hours later! I visited a maternity unit in the bush and was introduced to a young mother. The previous day she had walked 10 miles to the unit (one room with a bed), had her baby and was now preparing to walk back to her village. Oh and she had her other three children with her…
So it can be all rather a blur and first timers often find themselves wearing their heart on their sleeve-they want to save everyone. In fact that’s one of the hardest parts of charitable work in the developing world; realising that you cannot help everyone. One of the projects the Trust supports is the Son Rise baby orphanage run by a remarkable young woman called Damali Wattier. An orphan herself, she has set up a wonderful home for 20 babies-it’s an amazing place to visit, full of laughter and life. The downside is that it can only cater for 20 babies and when children are turned away their prospects are bleak. The decisions Damali makes often are real life and death ones.
So I’m delighted to see the BGS community becoming involved in helping and learning about the developing world. They will find that it’s not easy and that there are many setbacks along the way. They will learn a lot about themselves and about the manner in which we live in our developed world. Above all they will begin to develop a sense of perspective about life which will stand them in good stead for the future. We often hear the phrase ‘life or death’ used loosely; in the developing world it’s an everyday reality.

24 February 2012

At Assembly before half term I urged students and staff to enjoy half term and the change from their normal routine. The famous saying ‘a change is as good as a rest’ reflects the human need for change and stimulation; there is nothing worse in a school than boredom! I had two very contrasting experiences during the week, but with a common Italian theme. On the first Saturday of the break I was fortunate enough to be in Rome to watch England play Italy with a group of friends. It was good to meet up, to have a familiar experience (watching rugby!) in a new setting and to enjoy the intensity of an international. I have to say it was a terrific moment when Charlie Hodgson (OB) changed the game and brought England back from the verge of defeat to a well- deserved (if scrappy) victory.
Last Friday I was in Northumberland with friends walking along Hadrian’s Wall. Having seen modern day Romans completely thrown by snow the previous weekend, I could only imagine what their second century ancestors made of a posting to this outpost of the Empire. It was cold, windy and boggy underfoot. The views were magnificent and it was very different from my usual day.
Schools are busy places and the time to think and reflect is often hard to find. It’s a common question among non-teachers as to why there are so many holidays. Periodically (and I note we are in that phase again) politicians seek popular approval by suggesting that schools should work 48 weeks in the year ‘like the rest of us’. I believe that every profession or job has an element which is completely inexplicable to those who do not do it. In schools, it is just how shattering the multitude of interaction between teachers and pupils are. My goddaughter is in her first year of teaching after deciding that a career as a management consultant in London was not for her. She just cannot believe how tired she gets. By this point you may be groaning about another ‘teacher friendly’ piece; everyone gets tired-what’s so special about teachers and pupils? In this year of Dickens’ bicentenary we should remember the blistering satire of the opening to Hard Times when the children in Mr Gradgrind’s class are thus described:
the inclined plane of little vessels then and there arranged in order, ready to have imperial gallons of facts poured into them until they were full to the brim.
It’s a great image. Unfortunately, for politicians, children are not ‘little vessels’ to be filled to the ‘brim’. They need time to assimilate knowledge, to understand their experiences and to map them in their minds. Not all of that is possible during the school term and holidays are the time for that to happen.
I’m not suggesting you need to go to Rome or Hadrian’s Wall to think and reflect…but Salt’s Mill and Ilkley Moor provide similar opportunities; fantastic man-made and natural wonders on our doorstep.

10 February 2012

‘A wave of discussion about social and family morality has swept through mainland media after a number of disturbing events last month’.
So which newspaper is that from? The Daily Mail perhaps, which is always at the forefront of stories which seem to highlight the moral disintegration of the UK? Or is it from the social pages of The Guardian?
Well the use of the adjective ‘mainland’ is the giveaway for the discerning reader. It is the opening sentence from an editorial piece in ‘China Daily’ which I read with interest on my recent travels in the ‘Middle Kingdom. At the time China was reacting to a series of stories which seemed to imply some kind of ‘moral disintegration’ was taking place; a two year old child run over and then ignored by more than a dozen passers-by; a civil servant who beat his parents and a student who stabbed his mother nine times after she refused to continue to fund his studies in Japan.
Do the stories sound familiar? Of course they do; we can all recall similar stories in the British press and the Leveson inquiry is certainly bringing into the open some appalling press intrusion into the lives of people already blighted by tragedy.
All too often in the UK we tend to go into hand wringing mode and feel that we are worse than anyone else; of course we are not. Societies all over the world are facing difficult social and moral issues. The response of Beijing University to the incidents mentioned above was to set out new entry rules; they required students recommended by China’s top high schools to be able to demonstrate ‘filial respect’ I am not sure UCAS will be following that path here and I would be fascinated to know what the criteria would be for determining ‘filial respect’ in the UK.
What I am sure about is that in a rapidly changing world values are more important than ever and that schools have a hugely important role in ensuring that children develop an understanding of the complex and often conflicted values of the adult world.
In the piece in the China Daily the writer concluded that ‘people’s moral coldness was largely a result of the prevalence of hypocrisy and dishonesty in society’. Those are brave words from a writer living in a state which tolerates little dissent. In the UK we do have a free press and also an irreverent streak which runs deep; from Gilroy to Matt cartoonists have enabled us to laugh at the follies of society and also ridicule them. As we celebrate the genius of Dickens we should never lose sight of his fury at inequality, poverty and pomposity. Children have a penetrating eye for the unfair and the hypocritical; in fact their enduring honesty is something adults should be aware of as we wrestle with ‘moral disintegration’. Facing up to our own failings is the key to providing moral leadership to the children in our care.

3 February 2012

It was good to meet First Year parents this week and the Second Year Parents and their children at the Consultation Evening. I am very grateful for the support parents provide for the school and for the advice and information I am receiving personally .I am seeing all my colleagues individually too so, while occasionally suffering from Information overload, I am learning more and more about BGS. One thing you can be sure about is that there will be no complacency after such a positive Inspection Report; we know that there are things we can do better and we shall be striving to ensure that we are ‘outstanding’ in everything we undertake.
An interesting article I read this week was on the development of ‘resilience’; why is it that some people are more ‘resilient’ emotionally than others? Is it something people are born with or can we learn it? And if we can learn it, can we teach it? There has been much written about in recent years about ‘happiness’ and indeed the Prime Minister commissioned research into how we could measure ‘well being’ in some way rather than just focus on GDP or the economics of it all. The first of our strategic intents states that BGS aims to be a school:

where pupils are happy, valued and can flourish

and I am delighted we begin with such a premise. It is certainly true that definitions of happiness can be fuzzy; does it mean that a child should never be told off? Do schools sometimes stretch language to impossible extremes to remain positive? Are we a society where all must have prizes?
I believe that schools have a vital role to play in developing emotional resilience in children and prepare them for the demands of adult life. In fact I have often said to pupils that they can sometimes learn more from failure than success; in particular it is the response to ‘failing’ at something that reveals character and resilience. Of course we want to ensure that children avoid major failures (I’m sure parents will be relieved at that!) but understanding that most things in life do not come easily and that an ability to respond positively to adversity is a huge asset are qualities we wish the pupils here at BGS to develop. One of the reasons for children to attend Consultation evenings is to learn how to improve, to take responsibility for their own learning and to be able to understand that improvement requires effort.
Emerson wrote:

Into every life a little rain must fall

I always see the rain as fruitful, enabling growth and development. Later this year we will see resilience of the highest order in the Olympic Games when four years hard work comes down to one race or one match. Watching the children at BGS in all the various activities they undertake, it is clear that they are well on the way to becoming resilient, energetic young citizens.

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