Prep School SUMMER TERM 2010 ISSUE 68 5 From the Editor 20 News 6 This way to school improvement 22 A touch of creativity Paul Ainsworth Denise Cripps 7 satips goes it alone 25 Insider Michael Denton 26 Having designs on modern British sculpture 7 Meet Prep School’s new Editor Chablis May 8 Bringing home the harsh but sometimes 28 Try your hand at the toughest challenge to date uplifting reality of life in South Africa Richard Hudson 30 You coach your teams, why not your managers? John Charnock 10 New year - new government? Richard Garner 31 The sheer magic of children actually doing maths Matthews Reames 11 Calling all young musicians John Tolputt 32 Finding adventure, whilst helping others along the way 12 A chance to brush up on your history Martin West 14 From Quakers to Quacks via a bar of chocolate 34 Developing habits of success Hugh Thompson Andy Falconer 14 Prep School Post 35 Photographer of the Year 2010 15 The pictures tell the story 36 Celebrating the best in books 16 Kuwait? You what…? 37 Welcome to the head’s study Richard Tovey 38 Sports 17 All systems go in Kenya Michael Dixon 41 Chess: not so much a board game as a way of life Stephen Sharland 18 How to get the best out of IT Dominic Price 47 …and it’s goodbye to him Arthur Hearnden 19 Where fiction is stranger than fact… Robert Kirkpatrick 49 IAPS/SATIPS Front cover photography: Prep Schools Orchestra Day Page 11. ISSN: 0963 8601 Printed by Wyndeham Grange, Butts Rd, Southwick, West Sussex BN42 4EJ Summer term 2010 PREP SCHOOL 3 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Prep So it’s School goodbye Editor from me… David Tytler t has been a long and interesting journey. And now it is over. Many Joint Editorial Board Iwould say it was well past time to put the old boy out to grass. The Stuart Thackrah (Chairman), Michael Denton parting has come because IAPS has pulled the plug on Prep School, Pat Harrison, choosing to use the money in other ways to promote their schools, aims Moira Laffey, and ideals. Henry Phillips. Only time will tell whether this decision is right or wrong. satips is Readers now taking sole control of the magazine and I wish satips all that it Donald Sewell, wishes itself: Michèle Claire Kitto, the new editor, will certainly benefit Christopher Bromley-Martin, from the technical support offered by the staff at John Catt. Whatever I David Beaton. have achieved in recent years would not have been possible without Publishers’ Notice their enthusiastic and skilful support. th PREP SCHOOL is published three My first issue was in September 1996 and featured a piece on the 25 times a year, in January, May and anniversary of the IAPS Orchestra Trust, itself abandoning its courses September, by the Independent last year. The concert brought me to Suffolk, where I had been on a Association of Preparatory Schools number of occasions before as an Ofsted lay inspector. Not that we ever (IAPS) in conjunction with the saw much of the countryside. But I saw enough to know that I would Society of Assistants Teaching like to live there. in Preparatory Schools (SATIPS). Whilst I was working at Snape, my future wife made a whistle-stop £25 for a two year subscription, post paid; discounts for bulk tour of the agents in and around Southwold. She produced a short list orders are available. for us to visit on the Saturday afternoon before the Snape concert. As a Opinions expressed in PREP result we made an offer for a 250-year-old cottage in Blythburgh, SCHOOL are not necessarily overlooking the Blyth estuary only having been inside for 15 minutes. We endorsed by either organisation; did not visit again until we moved in. How’s that for a leap of faith? And likewise advertisements and what a wise and wonderful decision it was. advertising features are printed There was, perhaps, a similar leap of faith from John Morris, then in good faith. Their inclusion general secretary of IAPS. He rang me earlier in the year, a little while does not imply endorsement by the organisations. after I had left The Times, to ask if I could think of anybody who could take over Prep School to replace Anne Kiggell who was retiring. I said I Subscription Details would call him back if I had any useful thoughts. The penny soon The Business Managers are dropped, I could do it and after an interview with the chair of the Joint John Catt Educational Ltd, Editorial Board and the then chairman of satips I was duly appointed. I 12 Deben Mill Business Centre, Old Maltings Approach, Melton, am still not sure whether the inscrutable Morris had me in mind as a Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1BL. possible candidate when he made that call. His calm presence is missed. Tel: (01394) 389850 It took me a while to understand and appreciate the importance of Fax: (01394) 386893, satips to the magazine and the JEB. I always tried to serve the interests to whom communications of both IAPS and satips, although this was not always enough to satisfy regarding advertising, subscription some of its members. order forms and correspondence If I was to offer any advice to the new broom coming in, do whatever about subscriptions should be sent. you can to serve the interests of all prep schools and those who work in Contributions to PREP SCHOOL should be sent to the Editor, them, not a sectional interest. If you don’t, the outlook for Prep School Michèle Kitto, would be bleak indeed. [email protected]. And so it’s goodbye from me. And good luck to you. News items for the winter edition should arrive no later David Tytler than 1st June 2010. www.prepschoolmag.co.uk Editor PREP SCHOOL Summer term 2010 5 SELF-EVALUATION This way to school improvement By Paul Ainsworth n today’s economic climate it can 2005 became the Self Evaluation award which accredits Gifted & Ibe easy to dismiss the concept of Form. Talented provision. school self-evaluation as a The criticism that can be applied The best self-evaluation is often bureaucratically led, tick box to any inspection regime is that it based on a triangulation of exercise that has nothing to do with may make judgements, but in evidence, where a number of the realities of leading a prep school reality it is the staff and the pupils sources all point to similar and ensuring the school’s future. within the school who are best conclusions. This is especially Indeed many experienced senior placed to study the workings of important if the self-evaluation is leaders in prep schools would the school and the outcomes it for internal evidence such as a suggest that they could evaluate the delivers. It is the school which can senior team reviewing the effectiveness of a school after being really analyse performance, define performance of a department, a in the place for an hour: and in the next step and monitor and house or section of the school. general terms, some senior leaders evaluate the progress of the pupils Middle leaders will feel at best will have this skill. in the school. very uncomfortable or at worst, Nonetheless, unconsciously, In a prep school where senior victimised, if they feel findings senior leaders are applying leaders feel they know the staff have been drawn from one, evaluation criteria. They would be very well, often the difficulty with potentially biased, evidence observing the relationships, the writing any form of self-evaluation source. quality of the environment, and is not drawing the conclusions. So what different types of the sense of purpose in all areas of Many senior leaders know the evidence can teachers draw upon the school. One head said: “Above strengths and areas for in self-evaluation? In previous all, I was listening to the staff and development of their school. Heads articles for Prep School, lesson pupils, taking their comments at of department or sections may observations, work scrutiny and face value and asking the complain that they know the pupil focus groups have all been individuals the question, how do strengths and weakness of their considered. Schools with the you know?” Such a broad brush department; they just need the strongest self-evaluation systems approach can actually prove very time to put them right. The use these tools in harmony to effective but it does not difficulty with self-evaluation is the review a certain section of the necessarily include the solutions evidence base that you draw upon. school. Senior leaders have to needed to address the thorny issue In some schools we can feel we strike a careful balance in probing of school improvement. are drowning in a sea of statistical the educational issues in the Accurate self-evaluation can be acronyms with CE, FFTs, CATs, school without placing teachers an important part of inspection. PIPs, MIDYis and CVA to name but under excessive pressure, as this As many heads will know the a few. Whereas for other areas we detracts from the focus on the Independent Schools Inspectorate feel we are just relying on opinion learning of the pupils they teach. (ISI) provides an optional form for and don’t have anything solid to There is no doubt that self- schools to use called the SEF. ISI base our views upon. evaluation is a process that is here comments that schools who do The real art of self-evaluation is to stay.