January 2016 Chair Head Bursar Registrar Staffroom School Office ...the professional journal for Management & Staff Education Insurance Specialists SPOT THE PUPIL WHO HAS AN EXTRA LAYER OF PROTECTION Today, nearly 850 independent schools and over 320,000 pupils are protected by our personal accident scheme; with more than 12,000 pupils covered via our private health care scheme. Are yours? To find out more, contact us today (quoting ISMJAN16): ) 01444 335174 * [email protected] 8 uk.marsh.com/education Marsh UK Education Forum Marsh Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Copyright © 2016 Marsh Ltd. All rights reserved. Our front page pictures New year... New website... New e-magazine A fresh start for 2016 – please visit our upgraded, updated website at www.independentschoolsmagazine.co.uk where all independent schools staff can request their free personal e-copy of ISM. The printed version will continue to be mailed to heads and bursars, and remains available on subscription. See page 47 for more details. In this issue... Exam Grade Challenges 04 ~ 05 ~ is it too much to ask for accurate results? Award for cultural College to Slash Sixth-form Fees 06 education ~ grandparents help foot the bill for many pupils nationwide Members of the Royal Ballet visited Ellesmere Charities Bill Latest 07 College, Shropshire, after it was named as the ~ voluntary partnerships, or enforced liaisons? first independent school in the Midlands to win the Arts Council’s new Artsmark Platinum Award Profile 24 ~ 25 recognising a strong cultural education. in conversation with Cory Lowde Ellesmere was invited by the Arts Council to pilot the new initiative following a successful bid Studying Stateside 26 last year where the school received the highest accolade possible, the ArtsMark Gold Award. ~ top tips to help students win places at US universities Only nineteen primary and secondary schools in the Midlands took part in a nationwide pilot New Vocationalism 32 supported by Arts Connect West Midlands and ~ changing face of post-16 education The Mighty Creative’s, two of the ten regional organisations across the country helping connect University Admissions 33 schools, children and young people with the arts. ~ nine-year trends by school type Deputy Head Vicky Pritt-Roberts who helped co-ordinate the school’s bid for the award said Classroom Technology 44 “’I’m delighted that Ellesmere College’s dynamic ~ ‘hardly used by teachers’ says new study arts education has been nationally recognised. Holding Artsmark status means we are leading the way in providing children and young people with Plus excellent arts and cultural experiences.” Power of Outdoor Education 08 ~ 09 Artsmark is Arts Council England’s flagship Changing Faces...Changing Places 10 ~ 11 programme, which enables schools and other ATL Conference reflections 12 organisations to evaluate, strengthen, and celebrate their arts and cultural provision. The Chemistry brought to life 14 core of the Platinum Level Award demonstrates GSA annual conference 16 Ellesmere’s commitment to supporting and Special Needs Focus Feature 17 inspiring other schools and creative groups in the Royal Day at Bolton 18 wider community. Mindfulness & Well-being on the curriculum 20 Pictured: Iain Mackay from the Royal Ballet with Zoe Fisher from Ellesmere College celebrating the Artsmark Platinum New breed of cathedral choristers 22 Award (PRNewsFoto/Ellesmere College) Music & Drama Focus Feature 27 ~ 31 A levels ~ how independent schools keep subjects going 34 A new breed of School Travel Focus Feature 35 ~ 37 cathedral choristers ISA award winners 38 Passing tourists, lured into Ely’s glorious Sport and Sports Grounds Focus Feature 39 ~ 43 cathedral by the strains of Howell’s Worcester New Products & Services; The Digest; Heads Hunted 45 ~ 47 Service are delighted by the sensitive interpretation offered by the young women in Is Your School Mentioned? See page 47 for an A~Z listing the choir stalls... feature page 22. Contact Us; Editorial Advisory Board; Key Personnel; Subscription Offer ~ page 47 LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL A SCHOOL OR NURSERY National SchoolTransfer For a Professional – Confidential Service www.nationalschooltransfer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1980 621251 Independent Schools Magazine 3 Focus on exam grade challenges Most students get the exam grades they deserve. However, concerns remain about what has been described as ‘continued deterioration’ in the accuracy of exam grades received by a significant number of pupils. While Ofqual concludes that exam boards have “maintained standards appropriately” in terms of year-on-year levels of demand, the pattern of 2015 results indicates large and ever-increasing numbers of re-grades awarded across different subjects and qualifications... A special review from Dr Kevin Stannard, Director of Innovation and Learning at the Girls’ Day School Trust (pictured right), plus comments from HMC Chair Chris King and General Secretary William Richardson... ‘The real losers in this sorry tale are the students’ Is it too much to ask of the There is one ‘perverse incentive’ tale are the students. Having While I’m disinclined to end on public exam industry to deliver that might help explain why identified anomalies in their a low note, the growing lack accurate results in a timely exam boards aren’t champing grades, they subsequently of confidence in exam marking fashion, writes Dr Kevin Stannard at the bit to improve the risk losing their university has the potential to lead to As a society, there is no system: the flaws appear to conditional places as they wait a far bigger crisis in 2017. As doubt that we’re becoming provide a lucrative additional on tenterhooks for the outcomes linear A Levels come on stream, increasingly litigious, but this revenue stream. Take the 2015 they are hoping for. This is felt with AS being discounted, the can’t be the sole reason for the GCSE and A level results. Of particularly acutely when their importance of the final grade unprecedented rise in requests for the 572,000 papers that were chosen university insists on will be even more critical. At queried after the publication of re-marks and subsequent appeals, basing their offer on provisional present, there simply isn’t results, 481,500 grades remained results alone. Similarly short- and the inexorable increase in the enough time for grades to be unchanged (although marks may sighted is the ‘end of August number of revised grades. When unequivocally secured before well have gone up or down). UCAS-agreed guillotine’ which you take into account variations universities confirm places. If As refunds are only given for allows for re-grades based on in pass rates from board to board grades aren’t accurate, it follows re-marks that result in amended priority reviews but not those and subject to subject, as well that large numbers of students grades, at an average cost of which involve protracted appeals as fluctuations from year to will miss out on places as they £40 per paper this works out at or the review of coursework year, the amount of uncertainty await the results of timely and £3,620,000 given back to schools units. None of this is the original in the system comes close to costly reviews and re-grades. and £19,260,000 retained by sin of the universities, although undermining any remaining This is a tragedy with casualties the exam boards. It may not be HE has put itself under pressure confidence in exam outcomes. on all sides as students, often scientific but it suggests that by imposing such deadlines for The ever-growing number of needlessly but never painlessly, accurate examiners might become confirmation of results. requests for re-marks reflects the choose to take their talent a drain on exam board finances. There was a brief glimmer of lack of confidence that grades elsewhere. Unfortunately it doesn’t end hope in 2004 when the Schwartz published in August are anything Meanwhile, universities will there. The annual league tables Report showed that a post- more than ‘provisional’. are immovable feasts thanks qualification application process continue to vote with their feet, So what’s to be done? Ofqual to press deadlines that insist would be more efficient than substituting their own tests for is reviewing the appeals process on publishing results almost the current system of predicted what they see as flawed public and exam boards have prioritised immediately after they have been grades and conditional offers. exams. These tests (we already the recruitment of higher quality issued. Likewise, universities are The exam boards argued that have LNAT, BMAT, UKCAT, examiners. This is all to the keen to confirm places for the they couldn’t bring exam admin TSA, HAT, PAT, EAT, &c.) will good, but given the extent of the coming term as soon as possible. forward in the year, while proliferate, and students will problem, tinkering at the edges The significance of the August the universities were opposed find themselves preparing to improve marking and ensure results has subsequently become to delaying the start of the for them alongside their A a more efficient review process vastly overstated, particularly academic year. Between them, Levels. And while public exams will only marginally improve the when they are still ‘provisional’ they succeeded in opposing become expensively irrelevant, administration of what remains a and therefore not set in stone. what would have resulted in an the tutoring industry and its fundamentally flawed system. The real losers in this sorry altogether fairer system. additional costs will grow. 4 Independent Schools Magazine TeenTech Teacher of the Year An innovative and talented teacher Those grade from Loughborough Grammar School, Leicestershire, Daljit Kaur, received the award of Teen Tech Teacher of the Year from His Royal challenges in detail Highness The Duke of York, during a special presentation at Buckingham • Highest ever number of pupils given wrong Palace.