Reflections 2021
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Reflections 2021 1 PHOTO 2 Contents 4 CEO’s Foreword 6 The 3-14 Curriculum Project 8 Tanglin’s New House System 10 Inspirational Speakers and Events 12 Infant School 14 Junior School 16 Senior School 18 Exam Results 22 University Destinations 24 Sport 28 The Arts 34 Outdoor Education 36 Governance 38 Management 3 Chief Executive Officer Craig Considine Writing this summary of the year’s activities brings considerable pleasure; much has been achieved. One such achievement is the ongoing development of the Gate C building. It is fascinating to watch it push skyward, level by level, constructed by workers ferried in from all over Singapore. Construction workers must take pride in the erection of a facility that will help educate current and future Tanglin students. Towards the end of Term 3, we were fascinated to witness a convoy of 106 concrete trucks roll in to provide the material for our new 50-metre pool. I wonder what the collective noun is for a convoy of concrete trucks… My guess is a “crush”! Our vision of three schools in one was further enhanced this year. Tanglin’s Strategic Plan and vision for the future guides each school’s development plan. Leadership teams across the school understand what great education looks like in each section of the school. Their work is supported by Tanglin’s whole-school Academic, Co-Curriculum and Pastoral committees. The educational pathway for our students is continually molded to reflect what we know works, and the evidence-based improvements that continue to equip our children so well. The school’s Strategic Plan is centred on six key themes. These are: 1. Inspired Learners 2. Flourishing Individuals Covid variants decimated communities globally. We have 3. Personal Best endeavoured to react to these circumstances and support teachers 4. Team Tanglin and families by modifying term dates for 2021/22 so we can all 5. Sustainable Future travel. This approach may also require a flexible approach to 6. Our People. education at school, but we hope it will serve our community well. We have achieved many of the goals we set ourselves in this plan. There have been many other key achievements and foci through Given the challenges we have faced this year, however, we will the year, and I wanted to comment on just a few. continue to utilise the current strategic framework to ensure we achieve all targets. These will be modified through 2021/22. We Creating a connected and coherent community is critical to the will seek feedback from all stakeholders to consider our vision for success of Tanglin Trust School. Therefore, one of our strategic the school and which areas require greater focus, and the Governors themes is Team Tanglin. We have tried to keep people connected to will continue to meet to build on work they have done this year. the school through a vast number of virtual and face-to-face events. These processes align well with the Tanglin centenary in 2025. Nearby Café Melba certainly benefited from the coffee mornings that were implemented, and an array of parent support groups were In 2020/21, the examination system was again disrupted for our offered. In reality, however, we know we have become fragmented, Senior students undertaking public examinations. Though the and our Friends of Tanglin association will work doubly hard in the IB Diploma exams were unscathed, A Levels and (I)GCSE exams future to reconnect the community as we move through 2021/22. were assessed by either teacher assessed grades (TAG) or an exam. This year, UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) Another important element in growing our community is the Tanglin and the examination boards have provided clearer guidance. Alumni. The association has taken significant strides forward this Our teachers have utilised an evidence-based approach in the year, establishing a global Alumni Committee and observing growing determination of grades. This process has ensured results that levels of engagement. With the support of the TTS Foundation, it has are cognisant of students’ work through the year, while recognising been able to offer Alumni places on the TTS Foundation Internship the possibilities that an examination might have reflected. Well done Programme and awarded Career Development Grants. It has been and thank you to the Senior School staff who spent a vast amount fun and enlightening to sit on the interview panel to assess whether of time ensuring students received a fair result for their work. to green-light our Alumni’s proposals. Tanglin Alumni are impressive, and it is always good to be able to support their professional Teachers are, of course, critical to the management of a successful and personal development. The process reflects the school’s school. Globally, we are noticing a tightening in supply, as fewer commitment to members of our community even after they have teachers want to work and live overseas. This reflects challenges we moved on from Tanglin. all face as expatriates or locals who worry about family in other parts of the world, and the health systems in other countries. There was Student leadership is central to a Tanglin education. This belief much anxiety and sadness over the summer as the Delta and newer is evident from the time children start in the Infant School, where 4 opportunities are given for personal growth and development. Caring for others, caring about the community and the planet, and understanding how one collaborates with others for the greater good, are all attributes that align nicely with the Tanglin values of Respect, Responsibility and Purpose. Speaking with reason and passion reflect the empathy, compassion and institutional savvy that young leaders will require. The recent Singapore Young Leader Summit, co-developed by the non-profit Bridge Institute and multinational company Accenture, was based at Tanglin. It brought together students from local and international schools to consider the Singapore Government’s Green Plan and explore how it could be applied to a range of societal outcomes. The Outdoor Education and trips programme that Tanglin is so well known for required modifications in 2020/21. Some much-loved rites of passage, such as the Sarawak trip in Year 6, the Ladakh expedition in Year 9 and our Caring for Cambodia trip, were all cancelled. Given the ongoing global challenges due to COVID-19, our schedule must change this year. The outdoors provides amazing experiential learning opportunities that challenge students in diverse ways. We must build a modified approach into our timetable to retain these. The on-site Forest School programme for our youngest children is being further developed with the modification of our green spaces, and will provide a rich resource. The House system at Tanglin has reflected the school’s development also undertake regular inspections with a number of global bodies. over time. Previously, each school had its own Houses and this year As a British School Overseas, Tanglin is inspected against Department it was decided to consolidate these into to eight new Houses – for Education standards. Given the alignment of the school, we chose Alexandra, Cameron, Claymore, Portsdown, Raeburn, Wessex, to undertake our inspection as one school, rather than as three Weyhill and Winchester – that will provide a connected experience individual schools. This year, however, inspections were postponed for students as they move through the school. Historic House for all schools; we are planning for our next inspection in 2022. names, such as the Infant School’s Baloo, Bagheera, Rann and Sher, and the Junior School’s Beruang, Elang, Harimau and Singa, will In the absence of school inspections and to maintain the very high be retained in awards to honour their legacies. standards required at Tanglin, we have engaged external partners to assess our adherence to a range of policies, procedures and KPIs. Schools are regulated by several different authorities. In Singapore, Cybersecurity, Outdoor Education and Trips, and Safeguarding have our regulator is the Committee for Private Education (CPE). We all been reviewed. These studies identified very positive processes and culture. Recommendations were made to improve our practice and we are busy implementing those suggestions. Great schools are the product of great people. Sadly, from time to time, those who have given so much move on – and 2021 is such a time. They have been mentioned in the school overviews, but I also want to congratulate Chris Allen, Philippa Hatton and Angela Dawson on their stellar careers at Tanglin. As Pastoral Deputy Heads, these three individuals have been responsible for our students flourishing – and isn’t that a mammoth undertaking in such turbulent times? We owe each of these amazing people a significant vote of thanks. Empathy, care, and Tanglin are in their DNA; we shall miss them and we wish them well for what lies ahead. In Reflections 2021, colleagues have written about many elements of life at Tanglin. We have tried immensely hard to promote and develop opportunities for students throughout this very strange year; the fugue that has so befuddled us all during 2020/21 has, thankfully, not diminished our zest for outstanding learning opportunities. I hope you will enjoy reading about them. While this year has not quite had a normal rhythm to it, many of the classroom-based activities have progressed positively and well. The fact that so much of the curricular and community events have not occurred is a source of great sadness. We hope we can make up for this in the year ahead. Roll on 2021/22. 5 The Tanglin 3-14 Curriculum Project by John Ridley, Director of Learning Tanglin Curriculum Milestones As a 3-18 school on a single campus, we have always prided ourselves on the planned progression within our curriculum, leading to smooth transitions from the Infant to Junior and Senior schools.