Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
March 2014
6/3/14 12:00:32
6/3/14 12:01:34
Class distinction
Who can afford private education these days? The fees are so astronomical
as to seem out of reach to even the most upwardly mobile members of the
middle classes. Private schooling is widely considered to have become
another exclusive luxury for the super-rich, like yachts or jet planes. The
reality is different, however. Of the roughly 620,000 private pupils in this
country today, only a fraction are the children of oligarchs and hedgefunders. Most fee-paying parents are normal people with good but not
spectacular incomes who have decided to be less comfortably off for a few
years in order to give their children the best possible start in life.
This guide aims to show that the manifold advantages of a good private
education are still available to those of us not blessed with a great fortune.
On page 11, Will Gore looks at new ways in which elite schools are
becoming more affordable, Anita Belman discusses the state till eight
(and private school thereafter) fad, while Ross Clark examines whether
technology can open up access to high-quality teaching for ever greater
numbers of people.
Sophia Martelli shops around at the Independent Schools Show
and, just in case you thought we had forgotten them, Stephen Robinson
asks what foreign billionaire parents actually expect from a British
school. Theres plenty more, so enjoy reading, and look out for our next
independent schools supplement in September.
Editor
Freddy Gray
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John Jensen
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Surrey,
Sussex &
Hampshire
Borders
Open Morning
Saturday 3rd May
10.15 am 1.45 pm
www.highfieldschool.org.uk
www.malverncollege.org.uk
School in Action
Thursday 8th May 2014
9.00am 10.45am
www.queensgate.org.uk
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a text-based forum for students to ask each other questions. In the first test the traditionally taught group
scored 9.24 out of 15 and the e-learning group 10.88.
Against that, I found a study at St Marys Academy
in New Orleans, a private school for girls, predominantly black. They were given a three-week teach-yourself
Microsoft Word course, supported only by a book, followed by three weeks in the classroom. Eighty-four per
cent of them reported that they found it harder to learn
when left by themselves confirming what most of us
already know: that Microsofts manuals might as well be
written in hieroglyphics.
But nothing caught my eye quite so much as the parsimonious Mr Russ S. Hart, principal of Gibault High
School in Waterloo, Illinois, who has hit upon the idea
of teaching children over the internet on snowy days
when they cant get into school. Do that, he says, and
you dont need to make up for lost days at the end of
the school year. Were saving a lot of money, he tells
the US publication Education Week. Because were not
making up the days in May, thats five days were not
sending out buses to pick up students; were not paying
maintenance and janitorial staff those days; heating is
much lower than normal; and were not using all those
supplies, like soap and toilet paper, that we would on a
normal day.
You are not just saving on toilet paper, Mr Hart. Not
having pesky children around the school means fewer
scuff marks on the stairs, less smoking weed behind the
bike sheds, fewer kids being held upside down with their
heads in the lavatories, less risk of the headmasters car
being sprayed with paint stripper, fewer groping opportunities for pederast schoolmasters, and just about every
thing else that can go wrong in a school. In fact, why not
go the whole hog and close the school down altogether
and flog off its site for a bowling alley and drive-thru and
instead just give every child a computer and let them get
on with it?
If you think this is just me being cynical, perhaps you
havent heard of Sugata Mitra and his concept of selforganised learning environments. Mitra is professor of
education and technology at Newcastle University but
previously worked in Delhi, where in the late 1990s he
had the idea of installing a computer in a hole in the
wall in a city slum. A few hours later he returned to find
the local children eagerly tapping away having already
learned the basics of using the installed program, even
though it was in English, not their first language. He
then repeated the experiment in a village 300 miles from
Delhi and got the same result.
He next installed a computer beneath a tree in a
Tamil village in the south of India, installed with software about DNA replication a subject which would
not normally be tackled by children of their age, and
again in a language, English, of which few had any
knowledge. He returned a couple of months later to find
that they appeared to have picked up some of the basics
of the subject.
His argument is that traditional schooling is a product of the British empire and was designed to turn out
people to have an identical way of thinking, but succeeds
6
Ideal for virtual environments (and expensive tech conferences): Sugata Mitra
6/3/14 12:15:01
Regents Park
Sloane Square
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Building stories
The last great age of school architecture was Victorian.
But we may be in another, says Lara Prendergast
f you want to study the history of British architecture, take a tour round our independent schools.
Go to Stowe, where you will be introduced to the
world of Palladian architecture. Lancings chapel
is an outstanding example of Gothic Revival. Eton
has a smorgasbord of styles: Baroque, Georgian, Arts
and Crafts, Neoclassicism. Marlborough will give a lesson in the late decorative style. Westminsters abbey is,
well, Westminster Abbey.
Its a point often ignored when the question of charitable status arises, but independent schools look after a
sizeable chunk of our nations physical heritage. Many
schools are custodians not only of generations of children, but centuries of architectural innovations.
For your average 15-year-old boy, this heritage might
not mean much. Playing sport and snogging girls usually
takes preference over an appreciation of a 15th-century
vaulting system. But the impact of great architecture
is often subconscious. Part of the legacy of a school is
the benefits it brings later on, says Dr Niall Hamilton,
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Going free
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HURTWOOD
HOUSE
It never felt
like I was at school,
and yet I learnt
everything here...
THE
ARTS
CREATIVE & PERFORMING
enquiries@dragonschool.org
hurtwoodhouse.com
Untitled-1 1
www.dragonschool.org
13/12/2012 15:15
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ST MARYS CALNE
A TOP INDEPENDENT BOARDING & DAY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AGED 11-18
A prospectus can
be obtained by
telephoning the
6IGITXMSR3JGI
For further information contact:
registrar@godolphinandlatymer.com
Tel:01249 857200
Email: admissions@stmaryscalne.org
www.stmaryscalne.org
28/02/2013 09:21
5/3/14 16:17:08
Talking head
Celestria Noel meets Jonathan Forster, the industrious
man in charge of Moreton Hall School
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surrounded but not encircled by a variety of contemporary buildings, some more attractive than others. The
not very beautiful dining room is, however, home to a
remarkable series of proverb-themed murals by the artist Denise Rylance, who in the 1950s was head girl. They
have been written up in World of Interiors and were
shown at the Fine Arts Society in Bond Street as part of
the schools centenary celebrations.
The most ambitious addition is the science building, which includes a medical science facility, a first
for any UK school, never mind a smallish Shropshire
girls school. With close links to
Keele University and the orthopaedic hospital at nearby Gobo- What about the facilities?
wen, itself a centre of excellence, It is an arms race and you
the school has been supported by can never be complacent
the Garfield Weston Foundation,
the Walker Trust and Lord Leverhulmes Charitable Trust. It will be used by students
and local state-school children as well as our pupils. The
focus is on biomedical sciences and we are lucky to have
David Kelly, who is a research biochemist at Glasgow
University, involved.
Forster is warm, engaging, and never lost for words.
The only time he hesitated was when I asked about
famous old girls. He came up with some worthy citizens but no household names. Moreton Hall does not
do celebrity. However, he soon rallied: Weve got some
fantastic girls coming through.
inspires
We are a leading 1118 boarding & day
school for boys & girls in rural Hertfordshire,
only 20 miles from central London. Come
and see how we encourage our pupils to
use intellectual exploration and practical
ambition to fulfil their potential. We offer
a choice of IB Diploma or A Levels in the
Sixth Form. Our next Open Mornings
are Saturday 29 March 2014 (13+ & 16+)
and Thursday 15 May 2014 (11+).
For further information, or to attend an Open
Morning, you are warmly invited to contact the
Registrar, Iona Hutchinson
01992 706353 registrar@haileybury.com
Haileybury Hertford Herts SG13 7NU
haileybury.com
@HaileyburyUK
www.facebook.com/HaileyburyUK
13
13
6/3/14 12:05:21
Bargain hunt
Will Gore meets the heads who are working to make
an independent education more affordable
14
14
6/3/14 11:57:41
Schools are
finding new
ways to minimise
financial pain
T: 01883 654206
woldinghamschool.co.uk
15
Open Mornings
15
6/3/14 11:57:55
16
16
6/3/14 11:56:14
Boarding at Whitgift
One of Britains finest independent
day and boarding schools for boys
excellent academic results
more than 200 Oxbridge entrants in the past ten years
unsurpassed curriculum
IB, Bilingual IB, A Level or BTEC
superb location
close to central London yet situated in beautiful parkland
admissions@whitgift.co.uk
+44 (0)20 8688 9222
www.whitgift.co.uk
Whitgift. An outstanding education.
Whitgift School, Haling Park, South Croydon, CR2 6YT, United Kingdom
www.stonyhurst.ac.uk
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Every day
exceptional
At the GDST, we focus on bringing out the best in your daughter.
We pride ourselves on creating a learning environment specifically
designed and dedicated to the development of confident,
courageous, composed and committed girls. And with a
leading network of 24 schools and two academies providing
independent day schools for girls aged 3-18, theres a school that
can help your daughter achieve success and make a difference to
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gdst.net
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26/02/2014 11:08:54
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Scheming spires
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99 per cent. Avoiding this big reveal was one of the reasons I
chose Oxford over Cambridge.
Its not all about your first choice. Another common-sense
rule here: ask yourself, Would I accept an offer from this university, if it was the only one I got? If the answer is no, dont be
lured by that three-B standard offer into wasting one of your
five choices. But dont do what I did (theres a slight irony in
my being asked to write this piece) and end up with a situation
where your first-choice offer is also your lowest, meaning extra
pressure on A-level results day. If it all goes wrong in August
and you end up having to go to a university that offers lower
grades than you were expecting to get, having chosen one in
advance is far better than having to go through clearing in a
panic. As the ideal back-up plan, Kraft encourages his students
to consider putting a university like Birmingham, which makes
some unconditional offers, down on their Ucas form.
Finally, dont file this piece away until the autumn. Its time
to start thinking about your university choice now. As Kirby
says, Even a modicum of thought before September will do
you a world of good.
Carola Binney is studying history at Magdalen College, Oxford.
22
9. What extracurricular
activities are important to you?
James Wardrobe
Council for Independent Education
www.cife.org.uk
22
6/3/14 12:17:20
Wednesday
7 May
2014
Wednesday
4 June
2014
5.00-7.00pm
9.30am
SENIOR
SCHOOL
OPEN
EVENING
PREP
SCHOOL
OPEN
MORNING
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Getty images
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GODALMING SURREY
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ing in these events has grown year on year, and there are
increasing numbers of day schools entering teams into
their competitions. A surprising statistic is that theres
a fairly even balance between state and private schools;
their member base is 49 per cent comprehensive, 51 per
cent private.
Many other senior schools offer livery on campus.
Stowe, in Buckinghamshire, opened their equestrian centre, with space for 20 horses, in September 2012.
Since it opened, riding and horse care have been popular choices for Duke of Edinburgh Award participants,
while the stables have been at over 80 per cent occupancy
since summer last year. Their new cross-country course
ready for use in the spring has been designed by
Mark Phillips, chef dequipe of the United States eventing
team, and father of Olympic silver medallist Zara Phillips.
Queen Ethelburgas, in Yorkshire, also takes riding seriously. As well as offering livery and riding, they
also allow pupils to take British Horse Society qualifications and equestrian NVQs. And Bryanston, in Dorset,
is another school with riding facilities. One former pupil
told me that it took just one look at their cross-country
course for her to fall in love. The school enabled her to
mix a good academic education with her riding. Pupils are
able to go show jumping at local competitions, including
at the Dorset School Games, and school horses are also
available for pupils to borrow, with many taking weekly
riding lessons.
Cranleigh, in Surrey, are currently the NSEA Dressage champions, and have held numerous other titles,
including in show jumping and arena eventing. Of the
60 or so pupils who ride (from both the senior and prep
school), about 20 keep their ponies on site, with 15 others bringing theirs in regularly for training sessions. And
Blundells, in Devon although they dont have livery
facilities on site are also holders of numerous NSEA
titles. Their first pupil to receive full colours for equestrian, is currently a working pupil for the top British eventer
William Fox-Pitt.
Although all of the above-mentioned schools are
co-ed, it tends to be the girls who choose to ride. Stonar,
in Wiltshire, has an all-girls senior school, and makes riding a core feature. About half the pupils ride, and 40 keep
their own horses at school. Stonar also offers Pony Club
and British Horse Society assistant instructor qualifications, and works with Ebony Horse Club in Brixton, a
charity working with disadvantaged inner-city children.
guide to independent schools | 15 March 2014
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James Delingpole
attends a Radley
parents evening
13:49:21
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Billion-dollar babies
Oligarchs are getting better at dealing with English public schools,
says Stephen Robinson with a little help from their consultants
30
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6/3/14 12:22:14
One English mother recalls an overseas father driving his sports car across the cricket outfield, assuming
that since he was paying 60,000 a year plus sundries
for the education of his two sons, he was entitled to
splash it around a bit. A Russian mother who insisted on
inspecting the dining room recoiled at her first glimpse
of English boarding-school cuisine, and ordered boxes
of sushi, salad, and quails eggs to be driven up from
London each day.
With boarding fees now far beyond the reach of
the British middle classes, heads are almost powerless
to resist these demands. Many second- and third-rate
boarding schools would close tomorrow if the Russians,
Chinese, Nigerians, and the new wave of oligarchs from
the stans pulled their children out.
Yet overseas parents are generally more sensitive
than they were ten years ago, and schools are better
at dealing with the international influx. These parents
have friends in Moscow and Beijing who have already
sent their children for an English education, so they
learn from the trailblazers that conspicuous displays of
bling can cause offence.
Many seek advice from groups such as the Good
Schools Guide on how to behave. Janette Wallis of the
Guide says there have historically been particular problems with the Russian culture of excessively generous
giving. Lavish presents will be presented to teachers by
parents, or at least by their drivers, at the first exeat. Typically these might be designer leather goods, bespoke
suits, offers of a days shooting, or cases of Margaux of
the very best vintages. We have had to talk overseas
parents down from giving some elaborate gifts keys
to the holiday home in Mustique being the grandest
example, she explains. Instead, she advises international parents to give modest cultural tokens from their
homelands advice that will no doubt enrage housemasters all over Englandwho could surely rationalise
any professional scruples they might have during a twoweek Caribbean freebie.
Charles Bonas of Bonas MacFarlane, a private
school consultancy and tutoring service, agrees with Ms
Wallis that super-wealthy foreign parents are better at
blending in these days. Several years ago, his company
acted as mentor to the daughter of a Chinese general.
The only form of greeting she could offer staff or housemates was a crisp military salute, but this sort of total
cultural disconnection is rarer today.
Though he does urge discretion on the parents who
engage him, Mr Bonas thinks it is easy to be too squeamish about lavish gifts for the teachers, whose working
days are much longer than when he was a boy at Harrow 30 years ago. They work bloody hard these days,
lessons and sports all day, then answering emails from
parents and colleagues into the night, he says. One of
the lessons he has learned through dealing with overseas parents is how incredibly stingy the English are by
comparison.
Generally, the current crop of Russian parents are
more sophisticated and bourgeois than the wave that
preceded them, and far less tolerant of the excesses of
their countrymen during the go-go 1990s. Still, there can
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31
28/2/13 11:09:16
6/3/14 12:22:28
Best in show
How to get the most out of the largest schools
assemblyin the UK, by Sophia Martelli
32
6/3/14 12:20:17
Know your onions: schools bring all sorts of exhibits to the Independent Schools Show
KIRKER HOLIDAYS
f o r
t r a v e l l e r s
Speak to an expert:
33
d i s c e r n i n g
33
6/3/14 12:20:47
Easter revision courses The Council for Independent Educations list for late cramming
College
Courses
Average Dates
class size
Fees
Ashbourne College
13
(max. 3)
Groups of up to 3: 395/
650 (half/whole days) a
week. 495/895 for one
on one. Accommodation
from 200 a week
MPW (London)
7
(max. 9)
3
(max. 6)
Bath Academy
Lansdowne College
34
All of the colleges listed are members of the Council for Independent Education (www.cife.org.uk),
a national organisation of independent colleges which specialise in preparing students for university entrance.
34
6/3/14 12:21:24
Tristram Hunt
Shadow Education
Secretary
Elizabeth Truss
Childcare Minister
www.events.spectator.co.uk/schools07
call
Amanda Spielman
Chair of Ofqual
Toby Young
Co-Founder, West
London Free School
Tickets
99 + VAT
events@spectator.co.uk
5/3/14 16:44:42
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