In Pursuit of Happiness – Wye School's First Year The
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Blue SkiesSummer 2014 ■ In pursuit of happiness – Wye School’s first year ■ The 2014 International High School Arts Festival ■ New: Talking Heads. This term with Ashford School’s Mike Buchanan 1 IN THIS ISSUE ■ Welcome from Jon Coles .......... 3 On the ■ New Appointments .................. 4 ■ Celebrating Success ................. 5 cover ■ Pupil Experiences ...................12 Hull Collegiate ■ Arts & Entertainment .............18 Preparatory School ■ Community Engagement........ 28 celebrated their ■ Sport .....................................32 artistic talent with ■ Talking Heads ........................38 their annual art festival this term. Find out more on page 27. To contribute to the next edition of Blue Skies, please email Helen Samuel, Communications Manager: [email protected] or Jess Child, Marketing, Communications and Events Administrator: [email protected] Talented Midhurst Rother College students Oliver van Zwanenberg and Sam Massey- Steel have been celebrating their incredible photographic talents. Find out more on page 22. ‘Shy’ by Oliver van Zwanenberg, Midhurst Rother College 2 Welcome from Jon Coles As we approach the end of the term and the academic year, Free School and first brand new school for a number of years. I young people and teachers across the Group are waiting for am confident that the school will go from strength to strength. their exam results with baited breath. My very best wishes to all of you. I know how hard you have all worked to make sure A very warm welcome to everyone who has joined the Group that everyone does their best. over the last term and congratulations to those who are taking up new posts in the organisation from the start of the next This term’s edition of Blue Skies celebrates all the superb work academic year. I have been particularly pleased that several of which has been done over the term inside the classroom and our new Heads have been appointed from within the Group beyond. There have been some stunning successes. I am proud – a great tribute to the strength of our schools and to the to highlight Ashford School’s inspection results, where the professional development they provide for colleagues. school was rated excellent or outstanding in every category. This follows their nomination of Independent School of the I wish you a restful break over the summer and look forward to Year in 2010/11. You can read more about the Head, Mike seeing you next academic year. Buchanan, in the inaugural ‘Talking Heads’ section in this edition. Just around the corner from Ashford School, Wye School has completed an excellent first year as the Group’s first ORD EW FOR 3 INTMENTS O New Appointments Manchester Academy Andy Griffin has been appointed as United Learning over the past two years helping us drive NEW APP NEW Executive Principal for Manchester up improvement in Sheffield and is somebody with the Academy, joining the Group from right skills and commitment to take Manchester Academy Broadoak School in Partington forward as it continues to improve.’ which, as part of the Dean Trust, he has led from being a school Of the appointment, Andy said: causing serious concerns to ‘I am delighted to have been appointed Executive Principal ‘Outstanding’. of Manchester Academy. It is a school which has a superb Commenting on the appointment, reputation and where results show significant gains are made by its students.’ Andy Griffin Janet Woods Director of Academies (North) said: ‘Andy is an exceptional leader, highly experienced and a designated Local Leader in Education. He has worked with Ashford School excels in ISI inspection In March, thirteen Inspectors from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) scrutinised every aspect of Ashford School. The result: Ashford School is excellent or outstanding in every category. Ashford is one of only a handful in the UK to have simultaneously received such an evaluation for all parts of the school encompassing the Early Years, Junior and Senior schools, and Boarding. The programme of more than 80 co-curricular activities was judged outstanding; the careers guidance in the Senior School exceptional; and pupils ‘show excellent moral awareness’. ■ ‘Pupils show an excellent moral awareness. They Highlights of the report included: welcome challenge and show emotional maturity’; ■ ■ ‘The most able pupils in the prep school develop ‘Pupils of many different faiths, cultures and nationalities exceptional vocabulary, comprehension and enjoyment integrate happily together ... They are compassionate, of reading’; self-reliant, confident, articulate and respectful.’ ■ ‘The range of sporting and creative activities is very Commenting on the report, Head, Mike Buchanan said: good. There is an outstanding programme of extra- ‘It is testimony to the pupils, children, parents and staff that curricular activities’; their everyday efforts have been recognised. The outcome 4 Wilberforce Primary Seahaven Academy Mrs Ann Sheppard has been Mrs Sarah Pringle has been Sarah Pringle appointed as Principal of appointed as Seahaven Academy’s Wilberforce Primary from new Principal from September September 2014. She has 2014. Sarah will be joining the previously worked at Brampton school from United Learning’s Primary School in Newham, outstanding Midhurst Rother which she led to ‘Outstanding’, College, where she is currently and is also a qualified Ofsted Vice Principal. Seahaven Academy inspector. became part of the Group in April 2014. Ann Sheppard Discussing her appointment, Mrs Sheppard said: Announcing the appointment, Jon Coles, Chief Executive of United Learning said: ‘I am very excited to be taking up this role as Principal of Wilberforce Primary. The children and staff have made me ‘Over the past five years, Sarah has been integral to Midhurst’s feel very welcome and I look forward to working with them journey to becoming an outstanding school. With fourteen for many years to come.’ years’ experience in senior leadership positions, Sarah is ideally placed to build upon Seahaven’s existing strengths and we are very pleased to have appointed her as its Principal.’ of the inspection is not a surprise as it exactly reflects our own whatever ability in every lesson or activity, every day, in judgments and priorities.’ keeping with our approach to Adventurous Learning.’ Looking to the future, Mr Buchanan says: Congratulations Ashford School. ‘The next step for us all is to achieve even greater consistency Find out more about Ashford’s Head teacher, in providing high level challenge to all pupils and children of Mike Buchanan, in Talking Heads, page 38 SUCCESS ating R CELEB 5 SUCCESS ating R CELEB In pursuit of happiness – our first year at Wye School United Learning’s first free school, Wye Opening a new Free School has been an incredible School, opened in Kent in September opportunity to reflect and innovate on a scale most can only 2013. At the end of her first academic dream about. We were presented with a wonderful vision year as Principal, Janet Naylor reflects on from the proposer group working with United Learning and what she has learnt opening the school. our challenge has been to realise that. Unhappy people fail so we needed to become architects of happiness. ‘It’s different here. There’s ‘With only Year 7 in the school, small certainly is a sense of happiness and beautiful for us (and the students) at the moment. a buzz always going I think we will all be looking at this Wye School round.’ Alice – Student pioneering year with nostalgia in the years to come.’ Dan – Premises Manager When interviewed for the post of Principal of Wye School, I promised happiness in response to the five year vision In pursuit of happiness, we had to reflect on what we wanted question. Since then I have learned that there are no ‘happy’ from our GCSE students, our A Level students and our future accidents. Happiness is the product of clear philosophies and leaders, not just consider what we would do with Year 7. practices and entrusting and empowering others. Some key principles have underpinned everything: ‘I love having the freedom and time (in lessons and 1. We all have to do it; activity sessions) to allow pupils to investigate such a 2. It has to be easy and replicable; vast range of art opportunities. As a result, their work 3. Everyone has a say; has been amazing.’ Rebecca – Art. 4. If we get it wrong, we have to admit it and change. 6 4. Reduce your workload. Our ‘Wye 5’ Effective Feedback means students can genuinely do most of the marking. Our Student Voice in Action group has meant they have created our behaviour and reward systems, organised our transition events, ordered the books for our library, created a social area and planned numerous events; 5. Do exciting things. A compulsory enrichment programme and policy of employing support staff who will contribute to it has led to a timetable which includes five languages for Year 7, fencing, philosophy, managing allotments, sculpture, knitting, nature club, boxing. We like things in fives. We have a ‘Wye 5’ for behaviour, teaching, inclusion, welcoming visitors. If it is simple, everyone can do it. We work with everyone who can help us achieve happiness: our parents, our governors, our community, our United ‘Coming to Wye has Learning schools. We share and celebrate with them what enabled me to set up we do. a department with a ‘The fact that you embrace change and are open to feedback, always strive to do better, to challenge blank canvas doing areas ripe for improvement - is incredibly uplifting.’ things because that – a parent. is the best way to Does it work? We are about to have inspection number six and the feedback has been excellent. We have been widely do them, rather than asked to share our practice. Our student, staff and parent because that is the surveys brim with contentedness.