8th July 2011

Trinity Hall Science Teachers Conference

Trinity Hall Science Teachers Conference

Jenny and I were privileged as two historians to be invited to participate in the special Trinity Hall Science Conference set up by the College for Heads of Science and other science teachers from UCST and ULT as part of the College’s programme to widen access. The idea had emerged through contact with Dr Andrew Murray, Admissions Tutor there.

We had a full day of presentations of scientists at the cutting edge of research given as if we were undergraduates. They were thrilling and stimulating as they veered from using origami and folding techniques in assisting space technology to researching the causes of Alzheimer’s disease by using fruit flies with their minute human shaped brains. Thoughts of evolution were never far away as we peered at bones relating to moles in a very specific area of the Cape in South Africa.

Holly Murray, Undergraduate at Trinity Hall and former Stockport Academy Student, speaking at Stockport Academy's Opening on 12th January 2011

After lunch we were taken back to the climate issues of 250 million years ago; we were absolutely enthralled and inspired to encourage our students to aspire to reach top universities and grasp the opportunities they would find there.

Our thanks to all those who gave us such a thrilling time, laced as it was with warm hospitality and friendship. I was really proud of my Alma Mater.

30th June 2011

Our Friends in the North

Sheffield Park Academy

As we prepare to leave Church Schools and United Learning Trust many of the happiest moments have been with children around the schools.  We made a whistle stop tour to Barnsley and Sheffield.  We were thrilled to meet students on the schools councils or as ambassadors for their academy who were full of purpose.  They displayed a self confidence which did not exist in the predecessor schools and yet they were exactly the same children from the same communities.  It really is stunning to see what a change an academy can make. 

Sheffield Springs Academy

It comes down to expectations and the courage to require young people to behave in a purposeful way and accept a disciplined approach to their lives.  But both purpose and discipline are encouraged by more exciting teaching and a good range of extra curricular activities: these we constantly address – and need to! 

Barnsley Academy’s Foundation Day, 2006

Barnsley has moved from 7% 5A*-C, excluding English and Maths to over 50% including them both.  This is due in large measure to the outstanding leadership of the Principal, Dave Berry, who himself found it a difficult transition to make – but my goodness how well he’s done it.  Our photos show Jenny and me with Art students.

We also met an excellent range of teachers, underlining how many high calibre graduates are now entering the profession, prepared to join some of the most challenging schools. 

The changes started a decade ago with the introduction of academies.  I was privileged to be in at the start and owe much to the encouragement and vision of Tony Blair and Andrew Adonis.  Even then it had cross party support and I am thrilled that the Coalition is putting its own vigour into the academy movement.  I am impressed by my meetings with Michael Gove, Jonathan Hill and Nick Gibb.  Education is having the energy and respect which every civilised society has to give it.  The joy is that it is happening in a continuous way and not the pull to the right, pull to the left of some of the worst days of the 1960’s, 70’s and 80s.  Our politicians are giving real leadership.

On the second evening Steve Rastall led his faithful team of helpers and students to prepare one of his very special suppers so that Jenny and I could be feted as a farewell.  It was a wonderful occasion full of sentiment and not without a little emotion.  All three Senior Leadership Teams of the Yorkshire Academies were with us and we felt all the warmth for which Yorkshire is famous.

In Sheffield both of our academies are now out of a category.  This has been a  tough and difficult time which we have all had to face up to.  It has been achieved within the timeframe expected and which we presented to the then Secretary of State, Ed Balls. 

                   

Thanks for this go to our Senior Team, Kathy August and Antony Edkins, supported by each person in the two academies. 

Sheffield Springs Foundation Day, Sep 2006

We had to achieve change quickly while at the same time pushing ahead with exam results.  Last summer both academies moved out of National Challenge and stand every chance of doing so again even though the bar is higher this summer. This shows just how determined our students are. 

At Sheffield Springs I was given a pottery model representing the new building with beautifully drawn scrolls of flowers inside – what an original and perceptive gift to a gardener who loves buildings.

 

The Academy Movement

At my final United Church Schools Trust Board meeting last Tuesday, we reflected on the major strides which we had taken over the past 20 years.  3,200 children in 7 schools had moved to 8,000 in 10 similar all age schools plus 1 Prep School.  Standards in almost everything have been raised immeasurably.  UCST has had some outstanding success stories, such as the leading position Guildford High School takes year after year in exam results, a cohort of music students leaving for different top conservatoire’s from Lincoln Minster School, the all round strengths of our largest school, Surbiton High School;

Surbiton's gymnasts who entered Britain's got talent

we have just heard the exciting news that the British Gymnastics Association have committed to an annual scholarship at Surbiton High School, which is to be awarded to a GB gymnast who would benefit from the academic education and gymnastics coaching that Surbiton High School can provide. Surbiton High School is the first school to receive such an award. Also, Year 9 girls have been involved in a Dragons Den activity today where they have been asked to come up with an innovative product based on the Olympic and Paralympic values and it is highly likely that some of these products will be adopted at the 2012 games. Surbiton High School has two Olympic gymnastic hopefuls and a member of the GB Olympic Ski Team.

Bombay Team Challenge - Jubilee Home

The story goes on but above all every child is encouraged and challenged to find talents and have the courage to develop them: to feel that education has no boundaries. The compassionate side of each school is demonstrated by the way in which overseas schools and other less fortunate are helped through visits and fund raising. 

During this time we have invested £150 million in UCST for new school buildings, some as a result of the 10 mergers we have completed and all of this without going to the parents for appeals.  We have charged modest fees and have used our money wisely enough to create surpluses to sustain this programme and its associated controlled borrowings.  It is a serious achievement. 

Then, as the millennium approached, we challenged ourselves to consider what our founders would have done if they had still been alive.  The result has been the formation of the United Learning Trust with its 17 City Academies and 4 more joining us from the Emmanuel Schools Foundation.  Our network extends from Shoreham in the South to Blyth in the North.  Its been an extraordinary story of people helping and supporting each other to find deeper meaning in life through serving children, building for the future and based without exception on a deep love of children. 

Charlotte Rendle-Short at Swindon Academy's Foundation Day, 2007

None of this would have happened at such pace or so convincingly without the help and friendship of Charlotte Rendle-Short.  She joined us to lead Sunderland High School into its new co-educational life before joining me as Deputy Chief Executive.  This story is as much hers as mine. 

Outstanding Colleagues

All of this was reflected in the evening farewell dinner held in the Guard Room at Lambeth Palace.  The Guard Room, with its walls lined wit the portraits of each Archbishop of Canterbury since Cranmer, is steeped in history – a medieval roof raised by the Victorians to give a greater sense of space – the scene of Disraeli and his cabinet being the last Prime Minister to dine formerly with an Archbishop until Margaret Thatcher did: Jenny and I were fortunate enough to have been guests with them, hearing her speak so supportively of Robert Runcie – the media would not have believed it!

   

            

The Archbishop,  Rowan Williams, spoke warmly and said grace while our Chairman, his predecessor George Carey, proposed Jenny’s and my health.  We were flabbergasted when we were presented with one of the late David Cox Watercolours which are at the very heart of English romantic painting, and a joy to behold.  It was an extraordinarily generous gift and one which touched us very deeply, as did the friendship and love which surrounded us that evening. 

As if that wasn’t enough, Gill had scouted out one of London’s very best curry houses for a farewell occasion for our Heads, Principals and Senior Staff. 

     

We had a ball which finished with champagne at The Athenaeum for the survivors who didn’t have to catch trains.  Charlotte Rendle-Short spoke and presented us with a book with photographs and quotations which stretched truth to the limit!  There were also some wonderfully amusing anecdotes as well.  It is something we will treasure.

Mike Buchanan, the Head of Ashford School, then presented us with a King James Bible specially inscribed for the occasion.  At least the truth in that wasn’t stretched!  Peter Hullah said grace for us in his own inimitable style. 

There was to be no let up as Manchester wanted to ensure that Lancashire had the final say.  The North Western Academies held a dinner at William Hume Grammar School where once again we were feted and overcome by the affection and generosity of spirit of everybody there.  Jane Delfino spoke with warmth and verve reminding us of experiences which had meant the most to her.  Antony Edkins then presented me with a magnificent decanter engraved with all of the academy names and addressed to the “Founding Father”  I just didn’t know where to put myself. 

I can recommend Manchester for a Saturday off. Jenny and I made a beeline for the City Art Gallery and were not disappointed.  There was a huge range of things to look at without getting tired and certainly not getting bored.  Some of the photographs of Greater Manchester in the 1960s and 70s were distressing in the conditions which applied to the housing, and certainly to children.  I photographed two photographs of children who will be of the same generation as the parents of our academy students in Salford and Moss Side and realised what a tough upbringing many of them had experienced.  It shook us to our roots when we thought how well they were supporting their children’s progress, eager to make sure that they would get on.  Pilkington Glassware, paintings of Manchester in its pomp, and a wonderful collection of Pre-Raphaelites, a magnificent Turner seascape and intimate pictures by Gwen John and others in her circle.  We never reached the Renaissance galleries so there is much to look forward to on a return visit.

The children had the last say and Manchester Academy put on an amazing performance of Moss High Musical.  It was a portrayal  of the transformation of Ducie High School into Manchester Academy full of quips and telling moments which made it an outstanding occasion.  The music was vibrant, the acting lively and the rendering of Bridge over Trouble Water moved both Kathy and me to tears.  At the end there was a slide show of each student saying what they wanted to do when they left school.  One had that wonderful feeling that each one had seized the opportunity of achieving it.  It was so different from the student who first took me round Ducie High School.  When I asked her what she wished to do she said she wanted to be a Doctor and I wondered how a school that had only achieved between 3 & 13% GCSE 5 A* – C, not even including English and Maths, would ever be able to do so.  It was her hope, so likely to be let down, that said loudly to me that as no other sponsor was prepared to take on Ducie High School we would have to do so.  No child should ever have to be so wishful again. 

The confidence of those children was a huge tribute to all the staff at Manchester Academy, Kathy August who has led them so brilliantly and to Jenny Langley who wrote and produced it for us. 

 

Never Letting the Grass Grow Under Your Feet…

Sunday was back to Earth cutting the grass but with much to contemplate.

Together with Mighty Creative’s, Year 4 students at Kettering Buccleuch Academy did a wonderfully imaginative film of A Trip to Mars – it all looked most realistic which in fact was filmed in the school library.  The children had obviously enjoyed it enormously and it was a great credit to everyone involved.

KBA Year 4 Trip to Mars

24th June

 

Out of the Original Sacred Tongues – the Bible and Translation, The Great Hall, Lambeth Palace

King James Bible

Jenny and I have been to two fascinating exhibitions in London.  The first was in Lambeth Palace Library where there is an outstanding show of early books and documents leading up to the publication of the King James Bible in 1611.  The text of the Bible is not a new translation as is sometimes thought but was very much based on the Tindall translation made some 60 years earlier, with nearly 83% of Tiindall’s work being reproduced in it.   Its purpose was to enable the Bible to be read out loud so that people could hear it in their own language.  In 1611 most people were still illiterate.

At a lecture at Hampton Court, Melvyn Bragg drew attention to the fact that both the King James Bible and Shakespeare’s work, probably the high point of English literature, often used monosyllabic English.  Shakespeare would have heard Tindall through the Geneva Bible which would have been read out in his Church.  Here are two examples:

“To be or not to be, that is the question” – Hamlet

“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God” – St John’s Gospel

I had never realised this before and feel it is a guide to all of us in writing English today.

 

Treasures of Heaven, British Museum

Treasures of Heaven, British Museum

The second exhibition is Treasures of Heaven at the British Museum.  It brings together the tradition of Relics and reliquaries, how they merged as an important symbolism within the early and medieval Christian church.  The exhibition has been mounted very sensitively, enabling the visitor to feel the veneration in which these objects were held by pilgrims, realising that they still had deep meaning for many people today.  The visitor therefore sees a range of outstanding craftsmanship and senses that it is all directed towards the Glory of God.  The quality of the objects is stunning and covers loans from the Vatican and across Europe and the United States.  They come from a range of museums, private collections, churches and chapels. 

Jenny and I were both entranced and moved by both these exhibitions and would commend them to our friends. 

Lincoln and Northampton Universities

Mary Stewart Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln

Two very different university occasions have happened during the last week.  On Saturday I attended the inaugural meeting  of The Court of Lincoln University. 

The Vice Chancellor, Mary Stewart, had made contact through our Lincoln Minster School and our wish to engage that school with one or more academies in or around Lincoln.  She and I found that we held the same vision for both University and UCST to engage with academies and to seek to raise standards, enabling more local children to gain entry into higher education. 

Presentation of the Coat of Arms at the University of Lincoln

We had the pomp of the Bluemantle Pursuivant from the Royal College of Arms bringing the newly awarded Coat of Arms to the University.  It was a seminal moment in recognition that the University was fully fledged to give not only its degrees but to conduct research and grow into becoming a major institution.  It is making remarkable progress and has a very high student satisfaction response.  Discussion covered the nature of University direction and life with Douglas Hogg reminding us all that students, now paying considerable fees, would be more critical about the courses they undertook and would wish to make sure that they helped to further their careers.  Lincoln already exceeds the national average for graduates entering graduate quality employment within six months of leaving and therefore has its eye firmly on this area.  Nonetheless it made me reflect that the most creative part of my university career had been attending lectures not needed for my degree, but catching my imagination, given by some of the great figures of that generation such as Niklaus Pevsner and Dom David Knowles. 

It reminds me that David Knowles came to Trinity Hall to speak to the Hesperides Society of which I was undergraduate secretary.  It was my job to entertain him before he went into dinner at the high table, prior to speaking to us.  When I offered him a sherry he replied that he didn’t drink (something I never even considered before at Cambridge!). I was nonplussed but we sat down and looked at each other in my rather meagre rooms.  He as a monk was used to silence, but I was profoundly embarrassed by it, feeling that I was failing in keeping him interested or amused.  I tried various openings but received the most economic replies and I became rather desperate. But I eventually asked him about his own research into the Monastic Orders of Medieval Europe and from that moment conversation bubbled. That experience gave me a lifelong lesson – always try to get people onto their home territory before opening up a conversation in other areas!

Graduate Fashion Show, University of Northampton

The second was a very different experience but just as relevant.  At Northampton University, where Jenny is on The Court, and I am a member of the Chancellor’s Advisory Group, we attended the Graduate Fashion Show.  It was the complete works – The Derngate Theatre had been turned into a catwalk and the most remarkable range of clothes and shoes was demonstrated to us.  We were allowed to cheer and applaud and it was exciting that all of this creativity and skill resided there in the University.  The School of Design, supported by the Leathersellers Company from the City of London, has a national reputation which is beginning to grow internationally as well – just what a young university needs for building its self confidence and reputation.  The new Vice Chancellor, Professor Nick Petford, recently arrived from Bournemouth University, brings a verve which is just what is needed in leading a young institution during these very difficult times for universities.  Tighter funding and the introduction of fees are creating a new world and one which will no doubt lead to closures and mergers during the next decade.  I would back both these universities to be survivors and to survive with distinction. 

50th anniversary celebrations of the Northamptonshire Association of Youth Clubs

It was in Northampton that we attended the 50^th anniversary celebrations of the Northamptonshire Association of Youth Clubs.  I have had the honour and pleasure of being engaged with it for 35 years and greatly value my role as a Vice Patron.  The current Director, John Whittaker, whose father Harry had established the association in a very humble way with the support of a local landowner, Sir Hereward Wake, was able to reflect on the joy of now having an association with well over 200 clubs. 

50th anniversary celebrations of the Northamptonshire Association of Youth Clubs

NAYC has had a strong Christian vision throughout its life and has opened remarkable youth centres on the Welsh coast near Harlech, in the West Midlands and the Outer Hebrides, as well as Northamptonshire.  It was a celebration of dance and song, hymns and praise, with the Bishop of Peterborough giving an excellent address which showed his great affinity with young people. 

 

 

Education lunch hosted by the Lord Mayor of London, Guildhall

Yesterday I was a guest at the education lunch hosted by the Lord Mayor of London in the Guildhall.  Michael Gove was the speaker and it was interesting that he listed three great strengths of British education as being our universities, our independent public schools and growingly our independent academies.  He mentioned the work at Dulwich School and Wellington College who are both sponsoring academies. 

Lambeth Academy's Foundation Ceremony

We were the pioneers, to quote Antony Seldon, Master of Wellington, in a recent letter, and are delighted others are building so successfully on our lead.  When the United Church Schools Trust first agreed to sponsor Lambeth Academy in 2002, we were alone amongst the independent schools in taking that step.  A number of people felt we were deserting the independent sector by supporting a Labour Government.  We felt that we were clearly taking actions within the charitable objects of our founders and that therefore it was absolutely right for us to make this move. 

We now have twenty city academies and one city technology college, Emmanuel College in Gateshead, as part of the Group, as well as ten independent public schools, and one independent prep school.  We believe deeply that education can both provoke social division, and also be a source of healing it.  Our vision is for a united society where the usual divisions of class, ethnicity and creed do not matter but where the whole focus is on children, no matter in which bed they were born.  It is that focus which gives us our unity, which is helping us bind the different parts of our Group together, with integrity and a generosity of spirit. 

We now employ over 6,000 people and educate 8,000 children whose parents pay fees, and 22,000 children, mainly in inner cities.  Many people don’t realise this significant side of our work but we are always looking for more people to engage with us and to help us in different ways. 

Jonathan and Caroline Allen

If you feel you can help us with offering work experience or sitting with children helping them to read, please make contact with Jonathan Allen who runs our marketing – jonathan.allen@church-schools.com.  

Jonathan recently got married to Caroline, the daughter of one of our trustees, David Barnes, and our photo shows them at their wedding last summer.  We are all delighted that they are now expecting their first child before Christmas.

Summer Events

Harper Music School and Sports Hall - Opening Ceremony

It was a great honour to be asked to open the new Harper Music and Sports Centre at Lincoln Minster School.  I had had enormous fun in helping to work out how best to use an important piece of land so that we obtain maximum benefit to the school.  We wanted to create a full sporting and quality sports hall with additional run up area to satisfy test and county cricket hall training and requirements.  At the same time the tremendous growth in music in the school, due in part to our special relationship with Lincoln Cathedral, meant that there was a lot of complicated design work. 

Harper Music School and Sports Hall - Opening Ceremony

We dug out a great deal of rock which we gave to the Cathedral as a reserve pool for future restoration work and buried the sports hall by nearly 5 metres.  This was a major piece of construction work but has enabled us to have a new music schools or art school or possibly a 6^th form centre above while keeping the profile of the building to two and half storeys high.  Alongside, separated by a spacious atrium, is a 200 seater hall which is as near perfect acoustically as we could achieve for solo and orchestral performances.  The opening day on Saturday 14^th June was led by our Chairman, Lord Carey and we were sumptuously entertained by a galaxy of young musicians.

The occasion was supported by many people from across the country and included the Lady Mayoress of Lincoln.  There was a great sense of it being a community hall with facilities which will be enjoyed by many people beyond the school community.

As my time at the Group draws to a close my wife, Jenny and I have found that the quiet lunches and dinners which we had planned with groups of Heads and Senior Leadership Teams have been both moving and enlightening.  In a small group we can speak very frankly about the way the Group works and how we can improve.  Above all we have found a growing sense of belonging, people who might only have been in a school or academy for a year or two speak with conviction about why being part of our Group matters to them.  They are drawn by all that sits behind our strap line, The Best in Everyone, it is the uncompromising commitment to going only to the best and making sure that anything we have and do is available for everyone.  I am constantly reminded that our approach to education with its expectation of a deep love of children irrespective of which bed they are born in is at the heart of their vision and commitment.   We come away from these occasions feeling very proud of the people leading our schools and academies.

Stained glass window in Salford City Academy's Faith Room

The Diocese of Manchester made a very generous donation to our Salford Academy’s new stained glass window in its faith room. The design centred on the Parable of the Sower with a metaphor of the old Salford as seen by its great local painter, Lowry  and then the new academy building suggesting the growth of new learning and education.  Students read the lessons and participated in the Service which was led by the Bishop of Manchester, Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch. 

Dedication of stained glass window

We were also delighted that the artist designer of the window-Michael Birch, from Cheshire Stained Glass joined us and spoke about the creation of the composition.  It was one of those special days and well worth a special trip from London.  We are most grateful to the Diocese and the Bishop for their generosity as joint sponsors of the Academy.

It was a special treat being invited by our son and daughter in law to attend the watercolour exhibition at the Tate Britain Museum.  We have always loved the subtlety and translucency of watercolour and here we were able at one exhibition to look at the early genius Turner leading a group of outstanding cotemporaries Cotman, Girtin, Couzens, Palmer and Cox and then to look at modern interpretations was a real joy.  I could have stayed there much longer!  It is an exhibition well worth going out of your way to attend. 

Reception and dinner at Chelsea Physic Gardens

There was a well kept secret to arrange a farewell celebration dinner for Jenny and me at the Chelsea Physic Garden on 2^ndJune.  The location had been specially chosen so that we would be in a garden and we could not have been more fortunate with the beautiful evening we had for walking round it.  Our guests included many of those who had joined in making the last twenty years so creative.  Many of these had supported us financially in sponsoring academies and had therefore been at the heart of enabling us to engage with that programme.  Linking academies with independent public schools was a first in the UK when we started it and we now have more academies attached to our Group than the whole of the independent schools sector put together.  As part of that we do have direct support from Marlborough College, Winchester College and Epsom College.  All of these are linking with specific academies and helping to raise standards, widen experience and support University entrance.  It is an example of the partnerships that  a group of real friends have helped us make.  It was a pleasure to be able to pay tribute. 

Dinner at Chelsea Physic Gardens

Andrew Adonis was the principle speaker and he reminded me of our first meeting in a lift at Downing St. Having been cornered there we agreed to sponsor our first academy at Lambeth.  Ducie High School in Moss Side would then become Manchester Academy, and the building of a Group was underway.  It has been a momentous time and one which has created partnerships and friendships which have become some of the most treasured across our lives.  We were grateful that our family was invited too. .  The greatest surprise was that all our guests had been invited to make a gift to the Bombay Teen street children’s charity in Mumbai, India.  All of you who saw Slumdog Millionaire will have sampled the problems that exist behind the scenes in Mumbai.  The wonderful creator of this project, Deveraj was sadly unwell and unable to be with us in Chelsea, but our photo shows George Carey telling me that nearly £10,000 had been raised for that work.  We were very touched indeed by this generosity and I was able to speak to Deveraj in his hospital bed, learning that he was getting better and giving him the good news. 

     

Last Monday saw us at St Michael’s Chester Square for the twentieth anniversary service of The Lambeth Partnership.  This is a body of people committed to support the work of Archbishops of Canterbury through prayer, offering their professional skills and committing a regular sum of money.  Since the foundation of the parent body, The Lambeth Fund, we as trustees have led the fundraising of £10 million supporting initiatives under Archbishops George Carey and Rowan Williams.  It has been a huge privilege to be involved in this and it is fascinating how the interaction between Lambeth and the work in our schools has constantly been fruitful, stimulating new ideas and reminding us of the spiritual values we try to maintain.  Rowan Williams conducted the Eucharist service and George Carey gave the address.  There were some 400 people present and we all found it moving and a privilege to be there.  I was given the honour of leading the first lesson, Philippians 1, v3-11, St Paul in prison remembering with gratitude all those who supported him. 

It’s always exciting when the work of members of our team is acknowledged and celebrated externally.  It was very appropriate that the newly wedded Claire Maith was appointed, North East Region Finance Director of the Year this week.  She has been a great supporter of Sir Peter Vardy’s Emmanuel Foundation and is seen in our picture with their CEO, David Wootton.

Kettering Buccleuch Academy’s Turf-Cutting Ceremony

We were blessed with a fine day for cutting the turf of the new Kettering Buccleuch Academy.  Our President, the Duke of Buccleuch came specially from London to conduct the ceremony. He was assisted by  the Head Boy , Winner Lawal and Head Girl, Emma Plummer. A number of other distinguished guests cut the turf aided by the students.  It was a genuine day of celebration when the whole community came together to welcome the construction of a brand new school building. 

It will bring together the three components of the school and has been designed to support flexible, modern education.  The soil has already been excavated and we are looking forward to the building being completed in 18 months.

One excitement was the burial of a time capsule with all sorts of current information about the school and life in Kettering society.

We have buried these in almost all of our Academies and it is fascinating to imagine future what future generations of students will make of a selection of today’s ephemera when they dig it up.

This sort of occasion brings the best out of everybody and we were able to thank the county and borough councils for the very original land swop they had undertaken to enable the school to have an unencumbered site.  It was good to see many friends from the Councils who have helped achieve this along with the Mayor of Kettering, the Vice Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff with us, together with local primary heads and other well wishers.

16th May

Princess Anne has been a stalwart supporter of academies she opened ours at Northampton and Paddington.  It was good then to see her do it again for Sir David Samworth at his church academy in Mansfield.  He has built a group of 3 academies and is one of the most committed sponsors I have met.  It is good to see that members of his family are following in his footsteps to give continuity.  It was a privilege to be amongst the guests and greatly feel the atmosphere of excitement and expectation within the school.  Sir David and I have exchanged views on many occasions on issues surrounding academies and many people don’t appreciate how valuable these contacts are between sponsors.  We are all on a learning curve and need to realise that in education it will always be like that – adults learning as much as youngsters. 

The appointment of heads is the single most important task that we undertake.  It involves members of the Board and all of us in the senior executive team.  Gauging the position of the school or academy, the style of leadership it needs at that level and what is required for a long term building of success are all challenging.  There is no perfect person to fill our specification, just as we are not perfect.  It is therefore a matter of trying to assess how best a person will suit the job and the job suit the person.  A major part of the job is human relations.  Relationships with all the pupils; the staff; parents and the wider school community.  An HR Director of a top FTSE company once said to me that the person specification for the head of a school was more difficult to fill than that for most Board positions of major companies.  That is the scale of the challenge.

It was particularly good news that three internal candidates, trained in the attitudes and ethos of United Learning Trust came through to take positions at Northampton, Kettering Buccleuch and Accrington Academies. 

Anne Hill is currently Deputy Principal of Northampton and Dawn Cotter and Andy O’Brien are Vice Principal of Kettering and Accrington Academies respectively.  My photo shows the warm reception the news received at Northampton. 

This term has got off with a bang.  We all loved the royal wedding, the dress, the young couple so clearly in love and all the ceremony which accompanies a British royal occasion.  At home we watched it all!

Celebrations are important for any organisation and a 75^th birthday deserved the wonderful service in Guildford Cathedral which was arranged to celebrate that anniversary for Rowan School.  Rowan is our most recent member of the Group and we were all delighted to play a part in celebrating the important role it has played in educating young girls preparing for secondary education.  Lord Carey gave the address and the girls themselves contributed to readings, singing and dance.  It was a day to be savoured and remembered.

14th April 2011

In Church Schools we are preparing for our next major phase of buildings. My latest trips were to Hampshire Collegiate School and Bournemouth Collegiate School.

At both schools we are looking at boarding accommodation and at Bournemouth an immediate plan for renovating classrooms, with a longer term one for additional space as the school continues to grow. There has been a remarkable turnaround at the school when one reflects that we bought it from the receivers barely two years ago.

The leadership under the Headmaster, Stephen Duckitt has been outstanding and we are greatly encouraged by how many parents and students are responding to it. If you live in the Bournemouth area it is well worth a visit.

The investment between now and September will require a further £2 million with the longer term classroom blocks, refectory remodelling and further boarding that figure several times over. We are really serious about building a successful school in Bournemouth.

One of the strengths of Church Schools is that we have long term relationships with a group of dedicated and very capable architects and surveyors who have built up a design team of whom we are justly proud. Each of these is part of a different business and not employed directly by us but they give us a loyalty and experience which we greatly value.

I am very blessed that my life is filled with variety. Recently Lord Carey and I met the composer Howard Goodall. Our discussion centred on a proposed Oratorio using passages of the King James Bible, composed in a way that would make it particularly suitable for school choirs. We agreed that the Oratorio would pursue a theme of love and loyalty. Our meeting inspired all sorts of exciting thoughts and we much look forward to our next discussions in May. The Oratorio will be ready for rehearsal from September this year and we are looking for a premiere in November – watch this space for what promises to be an important new commission with young people in mind! As one of a group of people involved with the 400 year celebrations of the King James Bible we were privileged to be invited to a reception at Clarence House. Prince Charles was in cracking form and we enjoyed a number of happy moments with him.

We were fortunate to have a fine day at the turf cutting ceremony at Midhurst Rother College. We were relieved and delighted that our new building got through last summer’s review. It will be an outstanding new school and it was good to have so many people who had helped the project go forward present at our ceremony. As Chairman of the County Council, Mark Dunn was there. When the academy was first mooted he had been Cabinet Member for Education so for him and me this was a particularly memorable day. We had developed the project from the start having taken it as an exciting possibility for engagement with Winchester College to the then Minister for Schools, Andrew Adonis. As students helped us with the turf cutting coming from a number of the primary schools feeding the academy as well as academy members themselves, it was an important day which involved burying a time capsule and celebrating what is a major new development for education throughout Midhurst and the Rother Valley. One of the really good aspects of this project is the way it has brought the community together. A number of people were hostile to the idea of an academy but those days have passed and we had a great sense of unity which was drawn together by the Archdeacon of Horsham, The Venerable Roger Coombes, when he dedicated the work with a prayer and blessing.

Mothering Sunday is always special. Jenny and I (Jenny more than me!) make up posies for each child in church to take to mothers and grandmothers. My photograph shows Jenny receiving her posy which was not coals to Newcastle!

During a visit to Pearson Education I stood on the balcony which Churchill had used when watching the air raids during the war. As I looked up the river I realised that the height of buildings had not really changed since then – an interesting reflection on planning control in this part of London.

We were fortunate to have the support of Andy Hodge, Olympic gold medallist in the coxless fours in Beijing when we held an open evening for our neighbours in Hinchley Wood. We were presenting to them our proposals for new sporting facilities to be used by some 1600 students. The neighbours were very supportive of our intention which Andy was able to put into the context of national and international performance. Within our Surbiton High School we have national and international gymnasts and are hoping for representation at London 2012. Like so many new developments the primary concern centres on traffic and we are doing all we can to abate that and control it as much as possible. This is not easy but requires a school to be disciplined in its use of transport. We will be submitting a planning application for what will become a very major sporting investment of over £9 million.

We were honoured to have the Secretary of state for Education, Michael Gove, as the principal guest of a small informal dinner last week. Twice a year we gather a group of distinguished academics, business people, and those involved in public affairs to consider aspects of education. He spoke incisively about current Government policy and inaugurated a valuable debate. We are greatly heartened and encouraged by the range of people who help us by attending these functions.

Wednesday saw me in Sheffield visiting our Springs and Park academies.

My photograph shows my senior colleague, Kathy August, working hard in the train as we travel.

The students in Year 8 at Sheffield Springs put me through their BBC interview and asked some searching questions about my job and responsibilities. They assured me they had thought up the questions themselves which was a great credit to them.

At Sheffield Park I had lunch with a group of ambassadors who had been particularly helpful in meeting inspectors when the academy shed its Special Measures judgement. We were delighted that this happened at the first possible opportunity. It showed the strength of United Learning Trust, that when we hit trouble as we did in Sheffield the Group has the strength and resources to overcome the problems and put the academy back on the right track. My meal was prepared by students under the expert eye of Steve Rastall who runs a very popular BTech Award Home Cooking Skills programme. Their lamb tagine was to die for!

Thursday saw us in the Development stage of Kettering Buccleuch Academy participating in an Easter celebration. The celebration contained an imaginative mixture between the full Easter story in hymns and talk as well as Easter Bonnets and a competition for the best Easter Bonnet.

My photograph shows the students parading in them and the display which Jenny and I were asked to judge – an impossible task.

We were awe struck by the imagination and hard work which had gone into making them and only sorry that everybody could not be a winner.

 

Like everybody else we enjoyed a really sunny weekend. For Jenny and me it involved spending time in our garden, mowing, edging and pruning! Fun for us but no doubt poison for many others! I hope others were able to enjoy such restorative weather.

 

Building upon the past as we look towards the future

As the days seem longer and the glorious sunshine foretells the arrival of spring and a sense of renewal, I am glad to seize an opportunity to reflect upon how we build upon the past as we look towards the future.

John Sunley’s legacy

The early development of the United Learning Trust (ULT) was heavily dependent on the invaluable support of a number of dedicated individuals who shared our vision for bringing those with experience of independent education into the inner cities and the Academies Programme to transform education for thousands of young people.

One of those people was John Sunley, who, as Chairman of the Bernard Sunley Foundation, became the first person to back us substantially at our Northampton Academy. The Sunley family had been involved in Northamptonshire over the years but John was decisive as Chairman of the Foundation in ensuring that the academy became a reality.

He had been a friend to many of us and so it was a great shock to learn of his sudden death from a stroke following significant surgery. Jenny and I joined a large number of friends and family at his funeral in Kent. It was a wonderful service which paid tribute to him and the many ways in which his life had touched those of others through business and philanthropy.

Our hearts go to his widow Fiona, and all the family, including his sister Joan and nephew Richard who has been an outstanding first Chairman of Governors at the academy itself.

John is somebody whom we will greatly miss. We will remain forever grateful for his generosity of spirit and his lasting legacy in providing life-changing educational opportunities for children in Northampton.

St Mary’s and Lincoln Minster Prep join forces

On Monday the Governors of St Mary’s Preparatory School and UCST announced that the school would be joining the group by creating an outstanding prep school in the city of Lincoln with our Lincoln Minster Prep, building on the excellence and proud traditions of both schools.

Important discussions are occurring with parents and staff to ensure that this great opportunity is used for the benefit of every child in both the schools. The convergence of schools in this way is one of the most important areas of work in which we become involved. It underlines our long-term strategic approach to education and shows how local people can determine the best options for their children with UCST being a supporting and enabling umbrella.

Projects and art at Ashford and Arnold

Prior to my leaving UCST at the end of June this year, I am eager to ensure that our capital development programme is well thought through and in place for a strong future. To secure this I am visiting the different schools where major programmes are in progress.

Last Monday I was in Ashford looking at how best to settle the site for the sports hall and additional classrooms for Ashford School.  We made good progress and should have a programme ready for a planning application within the next couple of months.

Staying with family and granddaughter Scarlett (seen here with a favourite book) at Whitstable over the weekend enabled Jenny and me to visit one of the up and coming gastropubs in the area, The Sportsman, which had featured the superb art of Ashford School as its current exhibition.

I was impressed with the quality of the artwork and the fact that Ashford staff, led by Bay Lees, Head of Art and her husband John, were there late afternoon on a Sunday to take it down and to transport it carefully back to school. They fully deserved the glass of wine we enjoyed together.

Tuesday saw me following the sun and arriving at Arnold School, Blackpool on a perfect day. Our programme here was to look at how we could create the quality of classrooms the school needs, linking that to an improved learning resource centre.  There is an ambitious programme to be put to the UCSF Board with early work on the refectory to be completed by September.

While at Arnold I had the pleasure of spending time with a very talented Year 7 art group who were very eager to have their photo taken for my blog – so here they are!

British Museum exhibition on Afghanistan

I hope as many people as possible will visit the British Museum for the stunning exhibition on Afghanistan. It focuses on the period of nearly 2,000 years ago when it was the crossroads for what in the day would have been world trade between China, India, the Middle East and Europe, including the Roman Empire.

It was fascinating to see how artefacts from all these civilisations were part of the heritage of Afghanistan and how the nomadic peoples carried their wealth sewn onto their clothes or in easily collapsible form. The spectacular tiara, which is being used as the symbol of the exhibition, had rods securing the five sections designed to represent trees, just like a modern equivalent.

It is a wonderful exhibition which illustrates what an ancient civilisation is represented within Afghanistan. I had the privilege of meeting the Deputy Minister of Cultural Affairs, Omar S Sultan, who spoke eloquently about that and about how culture was potentially the most powerful unifying force in modern Afghanistan.

Theological Colleges

As Trustees (of which I am one) of the Maurice & Hilda Laing Charitable Trust, we receive regular approaches from Theological Colleges from different denominations of the Christian Church for support.  We meet some outstanding people who are leading these colleges but realise that they are under significant financial pressure.

With the changes in theological training covering both residential and non-residential courses, the Church of England has a great need to think out its strategy so that investment is made in those colleges which can reasonably expect a long term future.

The lack of a clear strategy makes the job of a Trust such as ours much more difficult to execute.  It is arguable that Theological Colleges are in a similar position to that of many smaller independent schools which is why our policy of helping schools to merge to gain added strength, is such a sound strategic proposition.  It makes for happier institutions and ones in which the Principal and staff can concentrate on the true objects of the education they are offering, rather than being worried about whether they will survive financially – so CofE!

Titchmarsh Church

The photo shows our Trust Director with Revd Jim Mynors in Titchmarsh, where the Trust has helped our restoration programme. It is remodelling the interior to enable us to hold community events as well as church services. The photo shows the new areas of stone being laid for chairs rather than our dangerous old pews, famously described as “Victorian tat” by our Bishop!  It is exciting to see the progress.

We must never forget the importance of building upon the past as we look towards the future – valuing our traditions and history whilst always looking forward with excitement to the future and innovation.

Spring forward: an exciting week in the life of Paddington Academy

A fine day on Saturday enabled me to reflect on the exciting and varied week while refreshed by the beauty of spring bulbs in their full glory in our garden. What an apt metaphor for Paddington Academy, which has seen an incredible period of positive growth and has encouraged thousands of young people to reach their full potential. It was a pleasure to host three different visits to the academy last week.

Paddington Academy plays host to Sotheby’s, the DfE and The Times

Whilst visiting Paddington, it became readily apparent to me that the academy really is buzzing and fostering a learning environment in which students are encouraged and enabled to flourish. You can sense the energy of students and staff and the fact that the academy is making rapid and real progress in enabling its students to stretch further than they have ever done before.

We are thrilled that Mohammed Said Noor has been offered a place to read Medicine at Cambridge. Mohammed started his life in Iraq, spent a number of years in Germany and has now spent three in England.

During a coaching session before he went to Cambridge, we wondered together whether he would invite the Tutor to select the language in which to interview him – Arabic, English or German. I think he would have been at least two languages ahead!

Emmeline Hallmark paid Paddington a visit from Sotheby’s where she is head of British Paintings and a lot else besides. She has generously agreed to mentor one of our students and to speak to them about aspects of her career.  We have a common interest in watercolours and it is always exciting when a friend is prepared to engage with one of our academies.

The DfE is facing many changes as it responds to the challenges in policy being introduced by the Coalition Government.  We were pleased to have Andrew McCully, Director of the Academies Delivery Group, at Paddington to show him what one of our academies looks like and to discuss with him the issues of running our group of ULT academies alongside our group of UCST independent schools. The previous day had seen us with members of his team considering future projects.

We are all caught up in the changes required in things like the English Baccalaureate and it is so important that major players like ourselves have a sense of partnership with the Department and the Government of the day. It is good to feel that we have this quality of contact, which is so important for students and staff alike across our family of academies.

I don’t often find myself giving the press interviews but I liked the way I was questioned and tested by Greg Hurst of The Times when we met recently to discuss a number of educational issues. Absolute standards, context and the thrust of the curriculum embracing both vocational and academic areas are very properly the subject of national debate. We have made a full submission to the Government on the recent White Paper and it is important that people like us become engaged in influencing policy wherever that is possible.

Blue Skies: looking to the future of our family of schools and academies

Any organisation growing as rapidly as we have done needs from time to time to review its Governance Structures. A very able team of trustees including Dr Ralph Townsend, Headmaster of Winchester College; Sir Frank Lowe, himself the sponsor of his own academy; Mr Jerry Wooding, Chairman of Arnold School; and Mr Stephen Brandon QC, who chaired the meeting.

They came up with radical suggestions which were welcomed by our Executive Board last week. These are now progressing further through the organisation. We are all grateful for the outstanding quality of the work which has been done and which has been finally put together by the UCST Deputy Chairman, Sir Michael Graydon, formerly Chief of Air Staff, Royal Air Force.

We are truly fortunate to be served by people of such distinction who bring immeasurably valuable insights into the future growth of our organisation and the ways in which our family of schools and academies can continue to transform education.

Our schools in the North: building on foundations of excellence

Lately, I have had the pleasure of visiting our United Church Schools Trust (UCST) schools in the North, which have long traditions of academic excellence. It has been exciting to see them maintaining their unique traditions, whilst also undertaking innovative developments which build upon their strengths and represent positive growth, despite the challenges the region has faced in recent times.

Sunderland High School: the roots of UCST

Sunderland High School is the furthest north of our original Church Schools foundations, dating back to our foundation year of 1883. Among the traditions is the Distinctions Book in which each recipient of one writes the entry themselves. There are interesting changes in the styles of writing with those of 40 years ago, well before computers, clearer and more artistic than those of today.

In 1956, 1957, 1958 and 1959 there are entries by Kate (then known as Kathryn) Adie who returned to open Langham Tower in 2006.

The highlights of my visit were being interviewed for the newsletter by Sebastian Ward and Alex Embley, having discussions with members of the two student councils and planting a dessert apple in the junior school as part of their green scheme. We were fortunate that the weather was favourable, too, with blue skies and brilliant sunshine.

Independent schools in the North are finding the going tough as the cutbacks hit parents, but despite this difficult climate, the school is growing this term as people realise how important a challenging and well-rounded education is in the long term for their children. Dr Angela Slater, our senior Head, is seeing her sixth form growing stronger each year which is no mean achievement.

Hull Collegiate School: achieving high standards

The next day saw us in Hull and Lincoln. The Hull Collegiate School student council was alert to what might be done with a school in Uganda: the possibilities of real time contact using digital technology and enabling students there to benefit from it. There are exciting possibilities to explore before the next school trip there.

This school now has a real identity of its own following the two school merger of five and a half years ago and a great sense of purpose to achieving very high standards. The wonderful new buildings, creating a college courtyard effect, looked comfortably worn in and homely as well as dynamic and purposeful. The pupils knew what they were up to!

We were again impressed by the confidence of the Head, Rob Haworth, and his team in the face of hard times in the Hull business community.

Lincoln Minster School: flourishing plans for the future

We are very pleased with the newly purchased and renovated boys boarding at Eastgate House in Lincoln. Set in attractive grounds it is part of our expansion plans for Lincoln Minster School, which has grown successfully from the merger of three small schools in 1996. None was strong enough, starting with a mere 284 pupils but now the school is nudging 800 and creating waves in the world of music, based on holding both the boys and girls cathedral choirs in the school.

We had a period of quiet reflection during choral evensong before supper with Clive and Debbie Rickart, who lead the school with calm and distinction.

Early Eucharist in one of the historic side chapels was followed by Beth Jerem, recent recipient of a scholarship to the Scottish Conservatoire in Glasgow, playing to us in the new 200 seater music recital hall.

Her performance was magnificent. Debussy’s Reflets  dans l’eau was followed by the passionate Rhapsody in C Major by Dohmanyi. She concluded with Chopin’s Fantaisie Impromptu to send us on our way, full of admiration for her skills and hard work. This demonstrates the school’s ability to bring out the best in its pupils and to enable them to fulfil their remarkable potential.

Meeting people

As Chief Executive of UCST/ULT I have the great privilege of meeting many different people as I travel around our schools and academies, witnessing the change and passion for learning that are being inspired amongst more than 25,000 pupils every day.  The last ten days have been no exception.  I have been able to visit our ULT academies in Barnsley, Sheffield Springs and Sheffield Park and our UCST schools in Hull (to see the Hull Collegiate School annual concert) and Lincoln where we are planning further capital investment in new boarding facilities.

As a Trustee of a large grant making trust I had the privilege to meet Lord Ramsbotham to discuss with him issues surrounding younger people and, in particular, the situation in our prisons for young people and how this can be improved.

At Barnsley Academy, my wife and I met groups of students involved in a product development and sales challenge. They were producing an ambitious plan for the launch of a new soft drink, including the shape of the containers, colour imaging and marketing slogans.  We were struck by the imagination and energy that had gone into the work – much of which was worthy of professional consideration.

At Sheffield Springs Academy, we saw  top professional people from the Ballet Rambert leading a dynamic workshop on expression and movement. We also spoke to a group of first year 6^th form students who had just spent a day with Nabarro’s Solicitors in Sheffield, exploring the link between motivation and career aspirations.

The Mercedes-Benz Challenge group gave us a presentation of their enterprise project, which was set for them by the Chief Executive of Mercedes-Benz UK, following his visit to the academy. They went on to raise with me the major change in thinking and other key skills required as they began to engage with the A Level curriculum.  When asked what they would do if appointed Secretary of State next week, they favoured the possibility of taking all their GCSE’s in year 10, thereby giving three years for the sixth form experience:  a more thoughtful proposition than most of those in party manifestos!

At Sheffield Park Academy we saw an energising modern dance performance by a troupe of 40 students, all of whom stay on after school to pursue their passion for self-expression. A team of catering BTEC students prepared and served lunch for an interview panel, showcasing their culinary excellence – the mushroom soup was to die for!

The Hull Collegiate School concert involved a wide range of musically gifted pupils of all ages. It was beautifully arranged and the pupils’ enthusiasm and enjoyment were palpable in the Hull City Hall, where they performed works by Tchaikovsky, Grieg and Vivaldi, amongst others, before an audience including the Lord Mayor of Hull and a host of proud parents and friends.

At Lincoln Minster School, we were entertained by two budding musicians as they demonstrated the qualities of their new recital hall which has just been completed as part of our £8 million development in the school.  The performers were outstanding and are now planning their futures which include training at the top national institutions in the country, such as the Royal Academy of Music.

On Monday I had the pleasure of chewing over the whole issue of professional development and raising standards with Tony Cann, Chairman of our Accrington Academy and a major benefactor of ULT.  The whole issue of raising standards is the major part of our continuing work, often behind the scenes but always at the front of our minds . A number of national and international experts are helping to guide us as we put into place our plans for developing talent and enabling more internal progression in leadership positions across the group.

It is meeting such extraordinary people – both young and adult – as I am lucky enough to  encounter each week, that gives me a spring in my step and reaffirmation that every day we are enabling thousands of young people to fulfil their potential, instilling in them a lifelong passion for learning which will help them realise their greatest aspirations.

Celebrations

Rowan Preparatory School, Claygate, Surrey

We were with Lord and Lady Carey on Friday, as they led the special welcoming ceremony at Rowan Preparatory School commemorating the school joining the United Church Schools Trust.  Every student and staff member received a Foundation Certificate and lapel badge, celebrating the fact that they were part of the UCST family of schools.

The girls participated with excellent singing and instrumental music, underlining how high the standards are at the school.

This week, Rowan celebrates the 74th anniversary of its foundation by Miss Katherine Miller, representatives of whose family were present at the ceremony.

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Allah Kariem which supports the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf in Salt, Jordan

Saturday saw Jenny and me with Brother Andrew, the leader of the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf.   A group of us were celebrating the 10th anniversary of Allah Kariem, the UK based charity set up for supporting this work.  The original contact was made through a Group pilgrimage involving teachers and students to The Holy Land in 2006, led by Lord Carey.

Our youngsters were so moved by the work of the school in Salt, Jordan that they set about raising funds  to widen training for deaf teachers in other Middle Eastern countries. Our pupils raised nearly £20,000 through their school communities.  We are planning ways of creating closer links, thereby enabling the deaf school to become the first overseas associate member of the group.

Trinity Hall, Cambridge

Yesterday evening we were at Trinity Hall Cambridge where the Master and the Admissions team generously invited us to Evensong and dinner so that we could discuss raising the ambitions of students right across our schools and academies so that they aspire for the very best.  A number of valuable visits and contacts will ensue.

Bringing a broad vision to education

The Finnish Institute

The variety of my job is fascinating.  This week, I met Antti Karjalainen from the Finnish Institute to discuss ways in which we could learn from the very successful state education system of his country.  He was also impressed by our emphasis on teacher training and the growth of clusters.  The exchange went much deeper than that and I look forward to building on it later in the summer.

Training and Development: Learning from Other Sectors

Fiona Oommen, Mark Eaves and I spent time planning a presentation on the way forward for our teacher development and training programme. We delivered our presentation today at the UCST/ULT Group Education Forum, which is held five times a year. We invite the heads of our UCST schools and principals of our ULT academies to engage in dialogue and share best practice.

We have many productive exchanges at these forums and from time to time, a number of distinguished people attend to share their experience with us.  These have included business leaders like Stanley Fink speaking about the life of a FTSE 100 CEO, Jim O’Neill from Goldman Sachs on world economics and Nigel Thrift, Vice Chancellor of Warwick University, on the issues and challenges facing universities at the moment.  These perspectives widen our horizons and help us to bring a broad vision to education, enriched by commercial sector experience and insights.

We are very grateful for the help and inspiration of dynamic corporate leaders. Last night, we were with Simon Laver of Perrett Laver who hosted an evening at which we met three very experienced HR directors who had served with major companies such as ASDA, Diageo and Egg.  Once again we listened and learned.

Lincoln Minster School Music

My life is not all about adults. On Friday, Paul Orchard-Lisle, a Trustee of the United Church Schools Foundation, and I were in Lincoln assessing property purchases and investment to secure a strong future for Lincoln Minster School.  Our intentions were given a great boost by the quality of music we heard in a brief concert in the school’s new state-of-the-art 200 seat music auditorium.

We heard Rosanna, Avalon, Chris, Nathan, James and Bethany-Mae perform an impressive programme which included works by Mozart, Dowland, Paganini and Mendelssohn. These pupils’ outstanding performances are a tribute to their own hard work and wonderful talent and to Aric Prentice, Director of Music, and his staff who encourage these young musicians to fulfil their potential.

Wedding Plans

The final joy of the week was that our son came home from Hong Kong with his fiancée to make preparations for their wedding in October.  Our weekend together included a game of tennis which was more full of laughs than anything else.

Future stars and spring flowers

Teach First

Teach First as a name may mean nothing to you.  It is an organisation which encourages some of the ablest graduates from top universities, including Oxford and Cambridge to enter teaching for 2 years.  The intention is to give something back and to see whether they have a vocation to stay within the profession.  The annual breakfast they organised on Wednesday gave those of us who have the pleasure of employing Teach First graduates an opportunity to discuss our experience with each other.  We believe the Scheme is excellent and a source of outstanding entrants into teaching, many of whom will be the leaders of the future.  They will be testing the boundaries for early leadership and are hugely welcome into groups like ours.  The Principal of our Paddington Academy, Mrs Oli Tomlinson introduced this theme having had 19 Teach First students in her academy.  We look forward to working with Teach First for many years to come and, in time, welcoming back Teach First alumni as leaders of our academies.

Guildford High School

This year’s leavers from Guildford High School had a fancy dress day as part of leaving school.  I lunched with a group and was excited to hear of the ambitious careers they wanted to pursue.  Two of the group would be reading medicine, Georgina Moritz and Lizzy Whatling, and each one of them had researched carefully which university they wanted to attend and where the courses suited them best.  Georgina Hellier was planning to attend RADA.  Guildford has some of the ablest students in the group and one of the great national challenges is how across the country do we educate our most able pupils in ways which encourage them to stretch themselves to the maximum and to enter top universities exuberant and hungry for further learning.  This is an issue we are engaging with right across our schools and needs to be at the forefront of any national education agenda.  This group of people contain within them those who should be leading all sorts of activities across the country in the years ahead.

Shoreham Academy

Shoreham is one of our two newest academies and we had the pleasure of becoming involved when a previous sponsor withdrew.  It is a school which has made the transition to academy status with vigour and enthusiasm. Our morning meeting was looking at the new buildings for which there is an outstanding design: the result of creative thinking between the academy, architects and contractor.

I also met the members of Student Voice covering years 7 – 10. I had a merry exchange with this lively group.  I was impressed that they felt that the uniform, behaviour patterns and engagement with teachers had all improved since the school had become an academy.  They felt there was  a new zest which I had felt too when listening to the Principal, Mrs Heidi Brown.  I left with a real bounce in my step.

Midhurst Rother College

Midhurst is one of the prettiest towns in Sussex and you would not expect it to have a need for a City Academy: but there is.  The rural areas it serves have a wide variation in prosperity and a real need for a well focused secondary school.  At the moment it is on two sites but the building programme will resolve that and we are just hoping that capital funding remains available for this essential project.

Garden Opening

Whitsunday saw our garden open for the Yellow Pages charity scheme with its particular emphasis on MacMillan nurses. We were blessed with a glorious day, many happy visitors and with granddaughter Mimi, helping with the tickets.

With plant sales as well we were pleased to raise nearly £500, with the village shop doubling that with their wonderful effort in serving teas with home made cakes!

The joys of healthy living

Healthy Living at Kettering Buccleuch Academy

Kettering Buccleuch Academy‘s Development Phase (ages 7-10) enjoyed showing parents and friends the work they had been doing on healthy living.  There were grotesque teeth, healthy sandwiches and energetic exercise demonstrations on display.  All sorts of creative work and presentations had been prepared. I came away feeling proud of the youngsters and impressed by their awareness of and enthusiasm for how to live a healthy life.

One of my roles is to serve as Chair of the Local Governing Body at the academy. I have been most impressed by how the whole school community has moved to the faster pace and demands of becoming an academy.

Academy Building Programmes

We have three significant building programmes currently within our 17 academies.  We do not know the impact of the enormous pressures on public expenditure.  As two of them enable mergers to be completed, bringing what are now integrated schools from two or even three different locations is important and, we hope, compelling for those making their decisions.  The academies involved are Shoreham Academy, Midhurst Rother College and Kettering Buccleuch Academy – keep your fingers crossed please!

Remembering Lady Laing

Last Thursday, Jenny and I attended the funeral of Lady Laing.  Hilda died in her early 90s having lived a remarkable life with her husband, Maurice. Together they had founded a major charitable foundation helping disadvantaged people right across the world – especially, but not exclusively, those who were living out a Christian vocation and serving other people.

They themselves were devout Christians and a tremendous example to all who came to know them, always open and available to people from a wide range of homes and living quietly and modestly together.

It was thanks to their generosity that we were able to commit immediately to the sponsorship of Lambeth and Salford City Academies.  It was therefore with a profound sense of gratitude on behalf of the whole group, as well as the grief that comes from losing a valued friend, that we left the service.

I fondly remembered Maurice and Hilda at Lambeth Academy when the building was officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen, to whom they were presented.

Surbiton High School Has Talent!

We are delighted that three girls from Surbiton High School have reached the live TV final of Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday 5 June as part of the group of gymnastics superstars ‘Spelbound’. Everyone here wishes them well for the final and will be supporting them with votes!

Lincoln Minster School Developments

Yesterday, I made an urgent dash to Lincoln Minster School to help resolve issues around the conversion of a property we have purchased, enabling it to become a very fine boarding house.  As always at Lincoln, the strength of partnerships we have around the school and with public authorities meant that we were moving towards a sensible resolution of the issues.

The photographs show the new music centre which was completed at the end of April and also the view of Lincoln Cathedral from one of the school windows.  An array of views of the cathedral from different angles is one of the joys of the school site.

Titchmarsh House Gardens in Bloom

For those of you who follow gardens, please come and see us on Saturday 12 June when the roses and peonies will be at their peak.  These are at Titchmarsh House, Titchmarsh, Northants NN14 3DA and open from 2pm-6pm.

The thrill of victory

Surbiton High School pupils win Britain’s Got Talent

WELL, THEY DID IT!

We were all thrilled when the gymnastics troupe ‘Spelbound’ – which includes three Surbiton High School pupils – won Britain’s Got Talent before an audience of more than 14 million viewers.  This is a wonderful achievement and a tremendous spur to gymnastics at Surbiton High School.

We would like to congratulate Katie, Abi and Amy at Surbiton for their spectacular performance.

What is even more impressive is the fact that less than 48 hours after their victory before a national audience, Abi and Amy were diligently sitting exams and Katie was studiously revising for her A Levels!

Lincoln Minster School choir advances to BBC Choir of the Year final

Our next similar challenge will be in the BBC Choir of the Year. 25 members of the Lincoln Minster School senior school chamber choir have reached the finals of the Youth category of the competition. The final will be held at the Birmingham Symphony Hall on Saturday, 6 November. It will take place in front of a large audience and will be broadcasted on BBC Radio 3. To reach the final, the pupils have come through a live heat at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford and also through the recorded second round.  The judges were impressed with the choir’s dazzling performance of Brahms’s Geistliches Lied, accompanied by Bethany-Mae Jerem, a seventeen-year-old pupil at Lincoln Minster School.

Celebrating the opening of Ashford Friars Prep School’s new buildings

Our third celebration of the week was the opening of the new Prep School buildings at Ashford Friars Prep School in Kent.  This has been a major programme, involving an investment of more than £6 million; the outcome is fantastic.

I was surprised and delighted when informed that the new hall would be named ‘Harper Hall’ in my honour.

Midhurst Rother College developments

Friday saw the team back planning the final details for Midhurst Rother College’s new buildings, in the hope that they are not delayed.  Outstanding teamwork has accelerated the process and will bring it within the cost envelope required.

Titchmarsh village fete and garden opening

We had a fine day on Saturday for the Titchmarsh village fete and garden opening with excellent numbers attending – thank you to all who supported us.

Dame Angela Rumbold (1932 – 2010)

Over the weekend we have heard of the passing of Dame Angela Rumbold, our first Chairman of the United Learning Trust.  As a former Minister of State for Education she brought with her an unparalleled understanding of the status of education throughout the UK.

Within her role with us she visited theUS and kept in touch with a wide range ofspecialists, always aware of current thinking and how relevant or not it was for the task of improving education in inner cities.

She gave ULT a leadership which was unique and profound, it was never cold and remote but always warm and embracing, helping many different people to understand their role and to give all they could to children.  Her passing leaves a profound gap.

All of us who have worked with her are deeply grateful for that privilege and for all that she has meant to us.  We thank God for her life and pray that she is now at peace.

Academies engaging with the local community

Kettering Buccleuch Academy parenting course

Academies have a wide engagement with their local communities.  I was proud to hand out certificates to a group of parents who had successfully undertaken a parenting course run at Kettering Buccleuch Academy’s Foundation Phase. The parents found the course to be extremely beneficial, and the academy has been encouraged to continue to extend its commitment to education to the wider community.

Paddington Academy celebrates its dazzling media talent

There is nothing more exciting than seeing young people perform at the top of their ability.  Jenny and I were fortunate enough to be at the Paddington Academy Gold Awards – the academy’s version of the Oscars – to celebrate its media specialism.  There were many significant contributions to the evening, with outstanding ones by those who won the editing and directing awards.

We watched short films, trailers for long films, animated films and adverts all showing originality, imagination and significant technical skills.  If there are any young people in the Paddington area who want to thrive in these areas, then this is the school to apply for – they are a truly imaginative and talented group of young people who have access to the latest media technologies and facilities.

Given the dazzling creative talent on display throughout the evening, I am confident that the academy will produce future directors, producers, screenwriters and artists.

Official opening of Swindon Academy’s new building

Friday saw the formal opening of Swindon Academy’s state-of-the-art building.  We were honoured that Mr S Takagi, Senior Managing Director of Honda Motor and President of Honda Motor Europe, unveiled the plaque confirming the extraordinary supportive and encouraging commitment from Honda as our principal sponsor.

Honda is a model for this sort of community engagement and we are particularly fortunate to have them in this enriching partnership with Swindon.

Baroness Greenfield gave the foundation address on science, which linked to her research on the brain.  She was lucid, articulate and wonderfully clear – what a gift it is to wear such learning so lightly. She finished the day with a lively Q&A session with 20 budding scientists at the academy. She has invited them to spend a day with her and her team in Oxford – there’s real generosity and such a love of her subject which is an inspiration to us all.

The presence of Mr Takagi and Baroness Greenfield made our opening day very special indeed.  We experienced the strength of Honda’s strapline ‘The Power of Dreams’ when the world’s most advanced human robot, ASIMO, was flown specially in from Belgium to demonstrate to us all just where creative thinking, design and engineering could take a major global company.  It was enormously impressive and the students were truly amazed and inspired by the demonstration.

A commemorative clock was also revealed; this was a joint design project between the engineering students and a Honda design team. The clock was built using car parts from Honda’s local Swindon plant. This clock shall serve as a powerful reminder of the link between Swindon Academy and Honda and the power of dreams to achieve great things.

Success at Silverstone

Our UCST schools and ULT academies pride themselves on bringing out the best in their pupils and celebrating achievements both in and beyond the classroom. We encourage our pupils to challenge and stretch themselves to achieve their true potential.

Therefore, I am delighted to announce that Jack Harvey, a Year 12 pupil at Lincoln Minster School, was victorious at Silverstone in front of more than 100,000 British Grand Prix fans over the weekend and has extended his lead in the Formula BMW Europe Series.

Jack went into his home meeting following a double victory in Valencia. He was thrilled to win at his home circuit before such an immense audience of dedicated Grand Prix fans. It is a tribute to both Jack and his teachers at Lincoln Minster School that he is able to balance the demands of his studies with his rigorous training and racing commitments and to excel so ably in both areas.

I hope you will join me in cheering Jack on to victory at his next race: the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim in two weeks time. I am certain that he will, as always, strive for the very best and seek to outperform expectations.

Inspiring talent across the group

Being out and about visiting schools is a major part of my occupation and gives me some of the happiest and liveliest of times. The past week was an especially busy one, and I have been inspired by the array of talent I have witnessed across our group of UCST schools and ULT academies.

Following in the footsteps of Florence Nightingale at Hampshire Collegiate

Last week started with Jenny and I attending the Florence Nightingale dinner at Hampshire Collegiate School (HCS). HCS is centred on Embley Park, the family home of the Nightingales, near Romsey. There is nowhere more appropriate for an international conference to be held about this remarkable Victorian.

Lecturers and delegates came from as far afield as the USA and Australia, all driven by Florence Nightingale’s extraordinary talents and passion for raising standards in nursing and much else besides. She is still a valuable role model for all of us, as we strive to raise educational standards at our independent schools and academies and we instil in our pupils the importance of dreams.

Making music at Kettering Buccleuch Academy

On Tuesday evening, we attended The Button Box, a musical play staged by Years 5 to 8 in the Development Phase of Kettering Buccleuch Academy. The self-confidence and courage of the young actors were truly impressive and a great credit to parents and staff. It was a colourful and engaging event, which I am certain has inspired many to pursue drama and other forms of creative expression.

Sheffield Park Academy and Sheffield Springs Academy showing strength

The following day I was in Sheffield visiting our two academies, Sheffield Park Academy and Sheffield Springs Academy, which have had difficult Ofsted reviews. It was very encouraging to see the progress that both of them are making and their strengths in a variety of areas, including music, science, business and enterprise and dance.

At Sheffield Springs Academy, I was delighted to present music grade certificates up to Grade 5, with several students reaching an outstanding level. I also presented the prizes for the Master Cutler’s Innovation Challenge and KS3 Technology Challenge. Teams from the academy won both events by resolving difficult engineering tasks.

At Sheffield Park Academy, I was pleased to present catering awards to Ashley, Branagh and Hayden, three aspiring chefs in Year 9 who received recognition for their culinary talents. I also had the pleasure of hearing a Year 7 soloist with a great future ahead of her. This was set against a dynamic background of dance: evidence of the academy’s flourishing partnership with the Ballet Rambert.

Our Sheffield Academies recently participated in the Mercedes-Benz Challenge, an exclusive enterprise challenge set by Wilfried Steffen, Chief Executive of Mercedes-Benz UK, when he visited. Mercedes-Benz has a major centre quite close to the academies. The two academies were given challenging design tasks to complete over the course of several months.

They delivered their final presentation before a panel of judges at Mercedes-Benz World in Brooklands. Both teams did extremely well; Sheffield Springs triumphed at the end of the day. Our students had a marvellous time exploring the extensive facilities at Mercedes-Benz World and were even whisked around the track by a professional touring car driver.

Both Sheffield Academies are looking forward to improved GCSE results this summer, following a year of very hard work and significant teacher development.

Celebrating success at Barnsley Academy

Friday came to a close with a joyous awards evening at Barnsley Academy. Barnsley has now completed its fourth year as an academy. Its growing sense of confidence was apparent throughout the evening. I was impressed both by the way in which the awards were made by teachers and received by students.

The humour and pride with which students received their awards were a wonderful testament to how the academy is growing and excelling, instilling confidence in its students and helping them to fulfil their potential.

Golf and gardening

At the weekend, I found myself playing golf with a lady who had been off a handicap of plus two. Although she is now in her sixties, the quality of her game is still outstanding. That says something, too, about practice and honing one’s skills. The rest of the weekend was spent watering, as we are the only part of the country which hasn’t had any recent rain!

African Sanctus unites schools and academies through music

Thanks to the personal energy and initiative of Mike Buchanan, Principal of Ashford School, and Allan Clay, Ashford’s Head of Music, our UCST schools and ULT academies are engaged in an exciting, collaborative project, the African Sanctus 2010. This will culminate in a gathering of more than 300 students at Canterbury Cathedral on 7 September to perform David Fanshawe’s African Sanctus.

The African Sanctus project is an innovative one which aims to educate through specialist workshops, to promote artistic expression through music and film and to encourage social cohesion through cross-cultural dialogue and performance.

Practising has been going on all around the country and the project has encouraged dialogue and friendship across our diverse  group of schools and academies. Here you can see students rehearsing at Lambeth Academy and Walthamstow Academy.

We have 19 schools and academies represented and we are hoping that the cathedral will be filled with students, parents, friends, members of our local communities and other guests. The performance will be visually enhanced by a multi-media show, consisting of film, photography and animation, and preceded by drumming, singing and film.

It will be a dramatic, memorable occasion and I hope that a lot of our friends and those engaged with our school and academy communities will be there with us to enjoy it. If you have had no previous contact with us but would like to attend, please feel welcome to join us.

Visit the African Sanctus 2010 website to order tickets online.

Mountains climbed: a week of scaling new heights and reaching new peaks

Anyone in education will tell you that perhaps the most joyous moments of all are seeing students finish their school years with qualifications worthy of their potential, the hard work and the enterprise they have shown. It is also inspiring to witness their sense of achievement in attaining long-cherished goals.

Over the past week at UCST schools and ULT academies, we have seen some magnificent individual and group results that put a smile on your face whenever you think about them and that represent the culmination of years of effort and sheer determination.

In particular, I am delighted for Oli Tomlinson and her team at Paddington Academy, Dave Berry and colleagues at Barnsley Academy and Ben Dunne and the staff and students at Stockport Academy who have all made magnificent progress in their GCSE results with increases in their percentages that other schools will marvel at.

The photograph of the results day balloon launch at Barnsley captures the buoyant spirits of the students and their limitless aspirations fostered by the academy’s unwavering faith in their abilities.

Each of these academies is in an area of real deprivation, and before they became academies, all three predecessor schools were either drifting or going quickly downhill. What the staff and students have accomplished reminds you just how much can be achieved when time, commitment, hard work and love of children are allowed to flourish and when young people are encouraged to have boundless dreams.

Likewise, I am thinking of Guildford High School which has, once again, achieved stunning results at A Level: 43% of their exams were awarded the new A* grade. Our schools at Caterham, Surbiton and Ashford also performed strongly with three times the number of pupils getting A* than the national average.

Across the group, it is always encouraging to see success in science, and this year we have had some very strong showings. In our ULT Sixth Forms, we are celebrating our first Oxbridge acceptances with three girls gaining places, including Stockport Academy’s Head Girl Holly Murray, who is going to read Natural Sciences at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. It is particularly pleasing news when it’s your alma mater!

As a group, the United Learning Trust is rightly celebrating its successes; all of our academies are now above the important National Challenge threshold and, with an average improvement of 8.2%, we will have outperformed the national improvement by three or four times.

I’ve needed this spring in my step as I’ve also been undertaking an athletic challenge! Last Saturday, a family group consisting of  my daughter Sarah, my son-in-law James and my granddaughter Mimi, aged 10, along with Clive and Debbie Rickart of Lincoln Minster School and me climbed Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain. We undertook this challenge, despite low clouds and strong winds. Mimi hopped up like a little gazelle and has now earned the nickname ‘Gazimi’!

It was a huge sense of excitement and triumph and something one had always wanted to do. For us, it was symbolic of reaching a goal as our pupils and students have done and as we as a group  have performed over the year.

We now look forward to the new academic year full of confidence and enjoying the prospects ahead from our current peaks. Having achieved these successes, we now set our sights even higher, as we anticipate the exciting challenges and opportunities that await us.

We also reflect upon the fact that these extraordinary results will encourage countless others to aspire to such heights, and we shall always remember the trailblazers who first scaled these peaks to greatness.

Great expectations: new teachers and a new beginning

Best in Everyone conferences: celebrating teachers joining the group

As part of our commitment to bringing out ‘the best in everyone’, we formally welcome each new member of staff that joins the group. We recognise that they have chosen us and are seeking to be challenged and stretched, just as we have seen remarkable talent and potential in them. There is therefore a sense of expectation and exploration on both sides.

This week, we have held fourth annual Best in Everyone conferences – one in the north at William Hulme’s Grammar School and one in the south at Surbiton High School – for all teaching staff joining our family of schools and academies. We had an excellent response.

Everyone joining a UCST school and ULT academy attends, which immediately confirms that the group operates as one organisation with a core ethos and vision, even though it is in two legal parts.

I always enjoy opening these conferences, which herald a new beginning and the commencement of a year full of possibilities, and do so by connecting the present with our organisation’s distinguished past. I reflect upon the great challenge of our founders more than 125 year ago to provide an all round educational experience to enable girls to enter the newly opened universities, like University College London, which were designed to serve both men and women, with the intention that women would be able to access a wide range of professions. It is a social purpose that is still fully to become anchored in British society.

It was that sense of zeal and dedication to responding to the challenges of our time which carried the United Church Schools Trust to take the momentous decision in 2001 to create the United Learning Trust and become engaged in education in inner cities.

Our founders’ vision has not only been delivered but has been extended to inspire educational improvement in some of the most challenging areas of the country.

It is enormously heartening to see the calibre of people wanting to join our group to help us realise our vision of raising standards and aspirations for thousands of young people across the UK. Our teachers’ energy and commitment were apparent at the conferences. The presence of our chairmen, Lord Carey and Mr Edward Gould, signalled the importance of these events.

Lincoln Minster School’s boarding house ready to welcome new pupils

It was good to be in Lincoln to see how the new boarding house we had bought as recently as June was being refurbished and prepared for next week – eleventh hour but it will be ready in time to welcome pupils from far and wide, brimming with enthusiasm for the new academic year and looking forward to making Lincoln their new home. This is a tribute to the Headmaster of Lincoln Minster School, Clive Rickart.

Reflections at Rievaulx Abbey

All of this seems a long way from the serenity of Rievaulx Abbey, to which Jenny and I walked from Helmsley, arriving as pilgrims would have done during the Middle Ages. It is hidden within a beautiful valley of the Yorkshire Moors and gave us the peace to draw strength for what promises to be a very exciting autumn, building on the group’s outstanding exam results.

We reflected that we have been engaged in the development of academies from nearly the beginning. How quickly 10 years pass! As we gazed upon the majestic scene and contemplated the events that had unfolded there, we wondered what opportunities and adventures the next 10 years might hold for our group.

An invitation to African Sanctus 2010: 7 September

There are only a few days left until the long-awaited performance of African Sanctus at Canterbury Cathedral on Tuesday 7 September. I am looking forward with great anticipation to enjoying this groundbreaking collaborative performance by more than 300 students and staff from our family of United Church Schools Trust schools and United Learning Trust academies, led by Ashford School.

African Sanctus is an ambitious choral work bringing together the Islamic and Christian faiths in an African setting. The work was composed by David Fanshawe, who was inspired to write the piece by his travels in Africa in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

During his illustrious career, he composed the scores for more than 50 films and television productions, including compositions for programmes produced by the BBC and ITV. He and his family composed additional music for our production and were instrumental in the planning of the African Sanctus 2010 project.

This will be the first performance of his work since his tragic passing in July and will be a moving tribute to him.

Tuesday evening’s events promises to be much more than a concert. It will be a colourful, dynamic, multi-media celebration of hope and unity.

This performance demonstrates one of the significant advantages of our group’s innovative partnership and cross-fertilisation between state and independent education. The African Sanctus 2010 project is a living example of our independent schools and academies working together, building bridges across diverse groups and sharing talents and knowledge to raise aspirations and promote creative expression and social cohesion.

It is exciting to consider that a diverse group of young people from our academies such as Manchester and Walthamstow will be singing alongside pupils from our independent schools such as Guildford High School and Lincoln Minster School.

The project has fostered a love of music amongst our young people and a passion for knowledge of different cultures and media. It has also reinforced the strength of creative collaboration in promoting unity and celebrating a universal message of hope. As a result, friendships have blossomed across our group and further collaborative projects are being planned.

If you are in the Canterbury area next Tuesday, please do join us for this magnificent and memorable occasion. We hope to see the cathedral full of supportive faces to encourage our young musicians whose energies, talents and dedication over the course of several months have enabled this powerful performance.

You can purchase tickets online at www.africansanctus2010.com.

Listen to the BBC Radio Kent interview with the event’s producer, Lucy Ockenden (the interview begins approximately 40 minutes into the programme).

Seeing our own profiles in courage

Battle of Britain and African Sanctus

Courage in the face of adversity can take many forms.

I was reminded of this on Saturday 4 September when my wife Jenny, our children and our grandchildren witnessed the flyover at Duxford by 16 Spitfires to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. It was an especially poignant moment for our family to observe this in profound silence, as my father-in-law was one of the RAF pilots who lost his life defending Britain.

He was survived by his wife, who spent the next 55 years as a single parent raising Jenny and becoming a wonderful grandmother: she, like her husband, was courageous, too, but less obviously so.

At the time, single-parent households were uncommon. Now, according to the figures from the latest census, nearly one in ten households in England and Wales is lone-parent, and the majority of these households are headed by a woman. These parents, many of whom we number amongst our schools and academies, demonstrate their own form of courage in raising their children – caring for them whilst juggling many responsibilities and ensuring that they receive educational opportunities that will transform their lives. We respect and honour these mums and dads for what they are doing.

Last week on 7 September – exactly 70 years to the day since the German offensive switched to civilian targets – a service was held at St Paul’s Cathedral to honour those brave individuals involved in the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, including nurses, ambulance drivers and volunteers who collectively struggled through the bombing raids to save countless civilian lives and to fight the blazes which threatened our cities.

Despite the devastation of this dark era of our history, compelling stories of heroism and selflessness emerge. These are remarkable stories of bravery and sacrifice which none of us shall ever forget: our freedom and way of life today is their gift to us. I wonder how well they would think we are using it.

Significantly, on that same day, we held an event of our own in Canterbury Cathedral which celebrated a different manifestation of courage. More than 300 students and staff representing 14 schools and academies from across our United Church Schools Trust and United Learning Trust group gathered that evening to perform African Sanctus.

They had arrived on Monday from across the country to rehearse together and to attend a number of workshops expanding their appreciation of the work of music and its context. Part of the context was that the sounds which the composer, David Fanshawe, had recorded were from both Muslim and Christian traditions of worship.

Despite the chaos caused by the Tube strikes that day, our young performers were overwhelmed by a full cathedral packed with friends, parents, teachers and other guests who had travelled from various areas of the country. Many guests formed a winding queue around the cathedral to obtain tickets for the event.

They were entertained by the drum band from Northampton Academy which had been coached by Anna Fitzjohn, who has enabled an enriching partnership between Northampton Academy and the Royal College of Music.

The actual performance was absolutely stunning; the cathedral resounded with the emotive strains of music, at times solemn, at times pensive and at times jubilant.

It brought together a diverse group of young musicians and cultural and faith traditions in a multi-media celebration of unity and hope – a recognition of the courage of creative expression, of forming connections across boundaries and traditions and of embracing innovation.

When David Fanshawe died suddenly in July, we had wondered if we should cancel the performance. However, his widow Jane was determined that it should proceed. We were overawed by the way in which, as guests of honour at the performance, Jane and their daughter Rachel introduced the music to us. It deepened enormously our understanding of the work and created a different atmosphere within the cathedral, as each one of us felt the sense of dedication of this performance to the memory of David himself.

We witnessed an act of great courage and generosity from Jane and Rachel which had enabled our young people to unite in a wonderful act of creative expression and hope which will have a lasting effect upon their lives and ours.

The Dean of Canterbury, The Very Revd Robert Willis, welcomed us with such warmth and we are grateful for his immediate response when we asked to perform the African Sanctus in Canterbury.

For us, it was a groundbreaking event – there is already talk of what next and where!

Surbiton High School Prize Giving

The following day, I attended Surbiton High School’s Prize Giving. This was an occasion to recognise the outstanding achievements of both the school and individual pupils.

Dr Jean Venables CBE addressed us. Here was an amazing engineer who had had the courage to break down prejudice to become the first ever woman president in the 190-year history of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). What a brave achievement!

As she spoke, I reflected upon each girl’s achievements which would have required perseverance, commitment and the grit to keep going when it was tempting to give up.

This, whilst perhaps not an immediately obvious show of bravery, is an exhibition of a subtler and no less admirable form of courage. It is the strength of will which shall enable them to excel in their future pursuits.

Undiscovered stories across our group

Within our group of more than 4,500 adults and more than 25,000 children, I’ve become aware of only some of these instances of courageous behaviour, but I know many of our number are fighting personal challenges quietly and courageously. It is reassuring to know that they are being helped by friends, family and their schools. They are deeply respected by us, their colleagues.

At the heart of the values we try to follow across our group is that of compassion: from that flows the unselfishness which helps to bind us together in our quest to serve children. I admire the courage which is so often shown across our group by both our young people and our adults. This serves as a powerful and uplifting reminder of the resilience of the human spirit.

Forming global links and the ULT Cambridge Association

North Oxfordshire Academy welcomes Chinese Ministerial Delegation

In our intense focus upon raising educational standards at home, we sometimes forget that the Academies Programme is of interest to educationalists and politicians across the world and that the desire for an innovative approach to educational transformation is a widespread one with global resonance.

This week, a delegation from the Chinese Government, headed by Mme Lu Xin, the Chinese Vice-Minister of Education, visited the United Learning Trust’s North Oxfordshire Academy in Banbury.

The delegation chose to visit only two schools in the country. We were honoured to host them at our academy where they met students and staff and toured the new state-of-the-art buildings to gain a better understanding of how vocational education benefits our students when it is combined with a core academic curriculum.

The 14 strong delegation brought interpreters with them but we were delighted to offer the assistance of two of our multilingual Hampshire Collegiate School boarders, Kenneth Lu and Patrick Huang, who joined the delegation and translated for them as they toured the academy.

Over the past few years, our UCST independent boarding schools such as Hampshire Collegiate have had broad international appeal, with a large number of pupils attending from China. It therefore seemed particularly fitting that two of our Chinese pupils should meet the Minister and her officials in the UK.

It was a reminder of how connected we are across the globe through education and technology and of the unique private-public sector partnership between our independent schools and academies which enriches the experience of our young people and staff.    It is wonderful to consider that not only are they part of our family of schools and academies, but they are also part of the expansive international community as global citizens.

Ruth Robinson, Principal of North Oxfordshire Academy, her students and colleagues put on a fantastic showcase of what a ULT education comprises and the Chinese delegation departed for the airport with much food for thought.

We are grateful to all those involved and we look forward to using this visit to continue to build our strong relationships in China and to extend our vision of bringing out the best in young people and staff across the globe.

Congratulating our ULT academy students bound for Cambridge

Jenny and I were thrilled to host a lunch for our three ULT academy students who have confirmed undergraduate places at Cambridge. It is such an important moment for ULT to have its first Oxbridge entrants that we particularly wished to meet these remarkably talented young people and to recognise the significance of their achievement as the first ULT academy students to gain places at Cambridge.

We were delighted to spend a lovely afternoon getting to know Holly Murray from Stockport Academy, Dixy Shah from Northampton Academy and Helen Creighton from William Hulme’s Grammar School. Holly is reading Biological Natural Sciences at Trinity Hall, Dixy is reading Natural Sciences at Churchill College and Helen is reading Economics at Emmanuel College.

Jenny and I asked them whether they would be prepared to be the founding members of a ULT Cambridge Association. We were delighted when they agreed to do that and so the association is now launched and alive.

Its intention will be to provide fellowship for ULT students up at Cambridge. It means that each new entrant will have a number of people to help look after them as well as those whom they will meet in their College.

Each member of the association will commit themselves to visiting one academy a year to speak to students there about their Cambridge experience, giving them tips as to how they to might enter the University. A third aspect will be that we invite all those adults attached to our academies, Boards and central office to join as well, so that they too can share their experiences and act as mentors for those still at University or those who have recently left. We hope that Holly, Dixy and Helen will be real trailblazers and we wish them very successful and happy careers in their Colleges at Cambridge.

For me, the afternoon reaffirmed that we are truly a family of schools and academies and, as such, our connections and associations do not end once our pupils leave us. As they leave us, they are only just beginning their promising journeys of discovery. We hope that we can continue to support them so that they can realise their true potential and flourish as they have done during their time with us.

Emmanuel Schools Foundation joins the United Learning Trust

The last fortnight has been particularly exciting. We have been given the wonderful opportunity of the Emmanuel Schools Foundation schools joining the United Learning Trust. These four academies are situated in the North East and are centred around Emmanuel College, which was one of the first City Technology Colleges. It was founded in 1990 and has received four consecutive ‘Outstanding’ judgements from Ofsted.

This extends ULT’s range into the North East and means that we welcome more people who are experienced in raising standards in seriously deprived communities. The way they have done so has been a lesson to everybody and we look forward to learning from them.

The original sponsors, Sir Peter Vardy and his brother David, have given the schools enormous attention and commitment, devoting many hours of their lives to the improvement of education for young children in the North East. Theirs must be one of the finest examples of private engagement in public sector education. We had known them from connections in Sunderland during the 1990s. They were an inspiration for us when we decided to enter the Academies Programme in 2002. We owe them a very great deal.

They have brought to their schools a profound Christian faith which has created a set of values and behaviours which sit very closely with ours in ULT.  Everybody in ULT, led by the Board members, is thrilled and honoured that this opportunity has been offered to us.

I have had the pleasure of visiting all four schools and meeting a number of students and staff. They were outstanding places, impeccably built and maintained, as well as giving that mixture of discipline, purpose and happiness which is a sure sign of a good school. I much look forward to visiting them again and to learning more of all that they will bring to our group.

Preparing for the 2012 Olympics

One of the lesser known things about the 2012 Olympic Games is the charity International Inspiration, which is dealing with the legacy once the games are over. Their vision is to transform the lives of 12 million children and young people in schools and communities in 20 countries through the power of high quality and inclusive physical education, sport and play.

I was fortunate to be invited to join a small group to view the Olympic site and to consider how our schools could make a contribution to a vision which sits very easily with all that we are trying to do across UCST and ULT.  I look forward to further contact and would commend this to anybody who reads this blog and is associated with our schools.

A growing family

As a family we are all in London on Saturday to celebrate the wedding of our son Jim to Chrissie.  Our photographs show them separate!  Chrissie is pictured here with Jenny and Jim is shown with family members after a game of tennis.

The wedding service will be at All Saints, Fulham and we have the joy and privilege that our good friend George Carey will be conducting the service.  I would ask anybody reading this to remember Jim and Chrissie in a prayer on Saturday.

The dynamics of change

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind indeed. Yet, amid my preoccupation with meetings, travel and events, I have had a moment to pause to contemplate the dynamics of change – the constant state of flux which is evident around us: in the autumnal leaves falling to the ground, the darkening sky in the early afternoon and the shop windows illuminated by twinkling lights which signal December’s swift approach.

Beginning a new life together

My son Jim and his bride Chrissie had a wonderful wedding in Fulham as you will see from this picture of the radiant couple. It was indeed a joyous occasion to mark the beginning of a new life together, with the ceremony led by George Carey.

The day was woven with poignant memories and moments, and even as we witnessed the happy and long-anticipated day passing before us, we knew that these impressions would remain with us forever.

Transforming lives in India

After the wedding, Jenny and I travelled all the way to Mumbai (although most locals still call it ‘Bombay’) to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the charity Bombay Teen Challenge. I had been introduced to it through a trusteeship and have formed a close relationship with the charity and its innovative work that demonstrates what powerful change is possible in raising standards for young people throughout India.

Deveraj, Director of Bombay Teen Challenge, has led an amazing programme to save children from the grimmest red light areas and give them stable homes. He has ministered to prostitutes who had often been trafficked from Nepal and other distant areas. His AIDS centre is fully staffed with an expert doctor and his team.  It is outstanding, transformative work in one of the world’s very difficult areas, and it is making a tangible difference to the lives of countless young people. It is humbling to witness the depth of the challenges they face but always joyous to see the children who greet you with open arms and the widest of smiles. We have got to know some of them over the years so are now Uncle and Auntie to them!

The 20-year celebration was marked by the launch of a new initiative, Stop Sexual Slavery, to bring attention to the fact that this issue is a worldwide concern and not just one for India.  A really tough video was released to introduce the theme and I hope we will obtain a copy to put on our website. It’s something which everybody should take the time to see.

We are proud that Guildford High School will be leading a group of youngsters from across our group of UCST schools and ULT academies to the Bombay Teen village next year to assist pupils with learning English. I hope it will be the first of many such trips to broaden the horizons and perspectives of both our pupils and the pupils in India. Our own grandchildren have been there with their parents. The experience was so profound that they now make jam at home in order to raise funds to send creative toys to the children they met in India.

At our next stop, Maheshwar, I found myself sketching, watched by a number of children. This little girl brought me her own exercise book and then held the end of my brush as I coloured a drawing. It was very touching and emphasised that children all around the world have a passion for learning and love to be engaged creatively.

Paying tribute to a courageous colleague

The loss of a dear colleague strikes deeply. All of us in the group were deeply saddened to hear that Karen Maltby, Head of Lincoln Minster Prep School, had lost her battle with cancer at the early age of 51. Since March, Karen has faced her illness with such fortitude and grace, always thinking of the difficulties that it posed for others rather than herself. When discussing possible treatments she was optimistic, yet accepting that they might not work. Throughout, her courage, determination and very strong faith have been inspirational. Our thoughts and prayers are with her very devoted family, and we will always be grateful for her enduring legacy in educating so many young people and guiding them to fulfil their potential.

Celebrating national awards for Ashford School and Manchester Academy

Nowhere is the power of change more evident than in the stories of Ashford School and Manchester Academy, both of which won national awards in the past fortnight.

Ashford School, founded as a small girls’ school in 1898, has undergone a series of transformations throughout its history. In 2005, it relaunched itself as a coeducational school. Its pupil numbers have grown steadily; the school now has more than 700 day pupils and boarders representing countries across the globe.

On 11 November, Ashford School was voted ‘Independent School of the Year’ at the Independent Schools Awards, beating national competition from a field of high-performing independent schools, including University College School, London; the Royal Grammar School, Guildford; Sheffield High School; the Manchester Grammar School and King Edward’s School, Birmingham.

The Independent Schools Awards recognise excellence in the strategic and financial management of independent schools. The TUI Education Division, VISA and Coutts are amongst the event’s corporate sponsors.

Manchester Academy’s predecessor school, Ducie High School, was renowned as one of the worst schools in the country. In 2003, Manchester Academy was established as the first ULT academy to open and one of the first 13 academies in the country. Last year, Manchester Academy received an ‘outstanding’ report from Ofsted.

 

Last week, Manchester Academy won the award for ‘Academy of the Year’ at the prestigious Education Investor Awards held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London and sponsored by Sovereign Capital. The distinguished panel of judges included Susan Anderson, Director of Public Services at CBI; Michael Clark of McKinsey & Co; and Sir Bruce Liddington, Director General of E-ACT.

We commend Ashford and Manchester for their achievements, which are a testament to the power of educational change.

Believing in the power of change

Young people will only grasp the power of change if they are encouraged to experience it themselves. Last week, two Lambeth Academy Sixth Formers, Sarina and Stephanie, were amongst 29 young people selected to take part in a Mock Council of the European Union organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the British Council and the European Commission.

Sarina and Stephanie had the honour of representing the Secretariat General and evaluating real EU issues. They also had a chance to meet Minister for Europe David Lidington and Jonathan Scheele, Head of the European Commission Representation in the UK.

Opportunities like this enable our young people to realise the possibility of positive global change that will help to transform lives.

A new year and the promise of new opportunities

Before 2010 drew to a close, Jenny and I had some wonderful opportunities to visit young people at our United Church Schools Trust schools and United Learning Trust academies across the country and to reflect upon the exciting challenges that await us in the new year.

Annual ULT Challenge at RAF Shawbury

We were at RAF Shawbury for the annual ULT Challenge.  This academy-wide competition involved showing initiative and courage in equal measure.  The youngsters ably navigated the treacherous high ropes. They had to plot their way across a difficult piece of water, going back to the start if they put just one foot wrong. It was the fact that they had to be footstep perfect which encouraged them to think about details as well as the wider concept of the challenge.

This opportunity came out of contacts with the Ministry of Defence and through the initiative of Jane Delfino.  It was very good of the RAF team to donate the day to us, led by RAF Station Commanding Officer Group Captain Warren James, at a base where all the helicopter training takes place.  That on its own was impressive.

Christmas cheer at Paddington Academy, Kettering Buccleuch Academy and North Oxfordshire Academy

A trip to Paddington Academy saw us enjoying this year’s pantomime: Little Red Riding Hood.  It was outstanding and an utter joy to be there.  Lead artists Turrell, Lorraine and Shaquilla were exceptional and showed just how good the coaching and performance are at this media specialist academy.

At the other end of the age range we were with the four and five-year-olds at Kettering Buccleuch Academy watching their Christmas play, which was about the origin of the carol Silent Night.  It was beautifully produced and their little voices were exceptionally clear.

The end of that week saw us at North Oxfordshire Academy in Banbury for their Christmas concert.  It opened with a sparkling staff chorus but the staff did not outshine the students who followed.  It was a happy occasion which gave us all great pleasure. The event was produced by two newly qualified teachers who had only started teaching in September – a fantastic effort.

A warm welcome from the Emmanuel Schools Foundation academies and City Technology College

We were fortunate to move North at a time when road and rail were passable. The Emmanuel Schools Foundation academies and City Technology College (CTC) welcomed us in the warmest possible way.  We took part in exceptional carol services which not only displayed a wide range of talent but emphasised the true meaning of Christmas.  The halls were packed full of parents, students and well wishers.

A new year: new challenges and a strong future

A few days before Christmas, we were back at Titchmarsh, looking at the picturesque snow falling and closing the office early because the roads were getting worse.

Near the close of the year, I came across a tree in the fields which marked the end of a long and frosty Sunday afternoon walk.  It is in a way symbolic of the old year dying out and the light of the new year beckoning us forward to new challenges and a strong future together.

It reminds us that we are privileged to serve thousands of children in such a wide range of circumstances and that we have this new year ahead of us full of the promise of further opportunities to raise standards and aspirations for young people throughout the country.

May I wish you all the very best for 2011.

Raising spirits, standards and achievement

This past week, we have commended excellence throughout our diverse family of United Church Schools Trust schools and United Learning Trust academies. Already they have embarked upon exciting adventures in the new term, and there has been a myriad of outstanding achievements to celebrate in the first few weeks of the new year.

Kettering Buccleuch Academy Awards Evening

One of the rewarding features of being Chairman of the Governing Body at Kettering Buccleuch Academy is that I become involved in the rhythm of one particular school. It is a good antidote to being involved in policy and group wide issues. The first day of term saw us hosting the academy’s awards evening for those who had been years 11, 12 and 13 last year.

We were honoured by the presence of Jan Molby who brought with him all the fame and experience of his years with Liverpool FC and playing at an international level for Denmark. His message concentrated on the fact that, in the end, each person has to motivate themselves and that responsibility for success lies ultimately with the individual. As many people near the end of their careers will acknowledge, we need help and some luck along the way!

Kettering Buccleuch Academy had had its early Ofsted Inspection just before Christmas which acknowledged that the academy was making progress, raising standards and quickening its pace. Iain Denning’s leadership was particularly praised which emphasised the importance of top leadership at each school.

Concentrating on exceptional leadership is the single most important policy emphasis of the group at the moment. It forms the central part of the work we will be doing at our Group Education Forum in York later this month. This is attended by all UCST Heads and ULT Principals.

Emmanuel College pupil to represent Great Britain at world ice hockey championships

In the same breath we heard the wonderful news from Emmanuel College that Alex Lawson has just learned that he is to represent Great Britain U18 at the world ice hockey championships in Latvia, 9-18 April 2011. It is exciting that we have high achievers in our schools and academies right across the group. This shows that great things can happen at a young age and that children can serve as wonderful role models for their peers. We hope that Alex has a very successful spell with the British team – we will be cheering him on to victory.

Hampshire Collegiate School sailor clinches world title at 420 World Championships

Another stunning sporting success to celebrate is that of Annabel Vose, a pupil at Hampshire Collegiate School, who has claimed the Junior and Senior World title at the 420 World Championships in Argentina.

In securing both the Junior and Senior World title, Annabel and fellow Royal Yachting Association (RYA) National Youth Squad sailor Megan collected the RYA Team GBR’s best result at the Championship for five years.

We send our congratulations to Annabel and the school. This is an example of compelling grit and motivation – she is another invaluable role model for her peers.

Investing in the future: new buildings for our independent schools

The United Church Schools Trust’s new building programme has had a pause over the last twelve months while we have been assessing the impact of the economic crisis on our independent schools. In fact pupil numbers have held up very well, despite challenging circumstances throughout the country.

We are looking at a series of projects for investment between now and September 2013 of up to £20 million. A significant part of this is to accommodate the growth we are seeing in boarding. Other areas are supporting music, sport and an upgrade of general classrooms.

We are very well supported in this planning not just by the Heads and Principals but by an excellent team of architects and surveyors whose continuing dedication to the schools they serve is outstanding.

Synergy, through their senior partner, Graham Harvey-Browne, have been working with the group for over 20 years, Mike Litchfield of Howarth Litchfield Partnership joined the team to design and build the new junior school at Sunderland in 1992 and has completed three city academies since. David Franklin of Franklin Ellis Architects has completed major projects at Lincoln Minster School and Surbiton High School.

Their expertise gives us confidence that we will continue to build robust, inspirational and cost-effective buildings, in which pupils can learn and grow.

During the last 20 years the UCST group has invested over £120 million in new facilities. It is partnerships like these which have strengthened the group and have helped it move forward at pace. UCST is fortunate to have important partnerships like these not just in its buildings but elsewhere; this has created one of the major foundations of the strength of the group.

ULT academies shine in DfE performance tables

The Department for Education (DfE) has today announced the final adjusted results for 2010 GCSEs for all academies, as well as other schools.

The chart of the top ten academies on the basis of improvement in years 2009 and 2010 shows wonderful success for ULT. You will see that we have the top two academies, three of the top four and four of the top ten. This is an outstanding achievement and confirms our initial delight last summer when we first saw the results.

TOP 10 RISERS: ACADEMIES WITH RESULTS IN 2009 AND 2010

(5+ GCSE A*-C, including English and maths)

Source: DfE, 12 January 2011

Academy Name	Year Open	2009 (End of) KS4	2010 (End of) KS4	Change between 2009 and 2010
Barnsley Academy	2006	18.9	50.7	31.8
Paddington Academy	2006	34.5	63.2	28.7
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy	2008	23.0	49.2	26.2
Stockport Academy	2007	25.5	50.5	25.0
Bristol Brunel Academy	2007	24.6	44.9	20.3
St Matthew Academy	2007	22.8	43.1	20.3
West Lakes Academy	2008	27.3	47.3	20.0
Walthamstow Academy	2006	30.8	50.4	19.6
Bacon’s	2007	52.6	71.9	19.3
St Michael and All Angels CofE Academy	2007	27.1	46.2	19.1

Many congratulations to these students and their teachers for such a marvellous achievement and for bringing such positive recognition to the group.

Guildford High School celebrates record-breaking Oxbridge offers

When it comes to academic results, we have had the best ever entry offers for Oxbridge from Guildford High School. 25 girls representing 30% of the Sixth Form have been offered places. Last year, it was 16, which we felt wasn’t bad! This demonstrates the way even a top school is always striving to outperform itself.

Once again, congratulations to all concerned. No wonder the Head, Fiona Boulton, wrote to me in such an excited way and with such pride for her pupils’ accomplishments!

Our group’s remarkable achievements are a testament to the commitment and confidence of our students and staff to outperform expectations and to reach for their greatest aspirations. This constitutes wonderful evidence that we are raising spirits, standards and achievement across our family of schools and academies.

Honouring the life and work of Dame Angela Rumbold DBE

The Thanksgiving service for Dame Angela Rumbold on Tuesday 11 January at St Martin’s-in-the Fields saw the Church full.  It brought together a wide group of family and friends, representatives of schools and many senior politicians to celebrate a life of such consequence.

It was a wonderful service with singing from the choirs of Surbiton High School and Danes Hill School, a solo by Layla Ley from Walthamstow Academy and the steel band of Lambeth Academy.

 

 

Lord Carey gave the first address and the blessing at the end of the service while Bishop Peter Hullah, Principal of ULT’s Northampton Academy, led the prayers.  As Chief Executive of ULT, it was my privilege to give one of the addresses and to recall with gratitude and admiration the wonderful Founding Chairman of the United Learning Trust that Angela had been.  We had all been very blessed by her life in many different ways.

We are grateful to all those who attended and who contributed in making this a suitably memorable occasion.  We were most generously hosted by the vicar, Rev Nicholas Holtam, and his team at St Martin’s.

The order of service may be viewed on the ULT website.

Aspiring to higher education: a narrative of hope

Being back in Stockport so soon after the official opening of the academy’s new building has caused me to reflect on just how important it is for schools and universities to have genuinely closer contact with each other and to create mutually beneficial partnerships that enrich the experience and aspirations of students and staff.

In the UK, education is not seamless. You stop primary and start secondary; you stop secondary and start university or further education.  Each time, you have to make a fresh start. Usually this transition is exciting and something one looks forward to as a long-awaited rite of passage, but there are occasions when this can be very difficult.  I found going into my first factory job really daunting in contrast to the warm welcome I had received from Trinity Hall, Cambridge.

When the current Master, Professor Martin Daunton, opened Stockport Academy‘s new building this month before a host of proud academy students, staff and friends, he did so in a way which warmed us to him as a highly respected Professor of Economic History, his College and his University.

 

At the opening, we were delighted to welcome back former Stockport Academy Head Girl, Holly Murray.  Last year, Holly became the first student in the history of the academy to gain a place at Cambridge University where she is currently reading Natural Sciences at Trinity Hall.

Professor Daunton delivered an inspirational address. He told us that all three representatives from the University had arrived at Cambridge either with primary degrees from other universities, and certainly from state secondary schools.  Each one had made the most of the opportunities that had been offered and had had the courage to overcome any misgivings.

Going to university, and to top universities, is much more mobile than many people might think.  Not many entrants to Oxford and Cambridge will have had parents or grandparents that went there.  They will have got there on their own merit, supported by others, but in the end needing their own motivation, courage, commitment and confidence to dream and to achieve.

This is a message which should live with all of us engaged in schools, where together aspiration and encouragement to stretch as far as you can should be the right of every pupil. This is especially true at our United Church Schools Trust schools and United Learning Trust academies where we strive to bring out the best in everyone.

I am grateful to those people who taught me and encouraged me to fight for a place at Cambridge and to pursue my academic passions. It has made a great difference to many aspects of my life since – not least that I can hold up my head in the presence of my Oxford wife!

Family histories will all be different, but for many there is a compelling story – a complex and continuous narrative showing how one generation builds on the experience and dreams of another. One of my grandfathers was offered a place at Oxford from a very humble school in Gravesend, but nobody was able to afford the tuition for him to take up that place. He never went to university but had a successful career which he built for himself in the world of selling timber and related products. My father did not aim for Cambridge for the same reason that the family was able to afford support for him at University College London. He thrived there and remained an enthusiastic engineer all his life.

It is my hope that all the young people across our family of schools and academies will be encouraged and supported to pursue their dreams of higher education. We hope our teachers may advise them, especially during those daunting moments and challenging transitions.

We want to remind them that they are part of a supportive and encouraging family, both at school and at home.

We instil in them a belief that they can determine the outcome of their own personal narrative and build upon the achievements and aspirations of all who have come before them. I have no doubt that they will also serve to inspire all who shall follow them.

Values and vision

A new Principal for Stockport Academy

Preparing for succession is one of the most important areas of work for any ambitious organisation and certainly for one like ours which has been growing quite quickly.  It was therefore particularly satisfying for us to be able to confirm the appointment of Ben Dunne as Principal of Stockport Academy.

Ben was appointed as a Vice Principal at Stockport four years ago and has been Acting Principal since July 2010.

It was a delight to see the pleasure with which his appointment was greeted when I announced it to staff and students a week ago.

He brings to Stockport not just enthusiasm, important though that is, but a real understanding of how a school should not only improve but widen itself to give that breadth of education which is a  mark of what it is we wish to do and which is encapsulated in our motto: ‘The best in everyone’.

I’ve had valuable conversations with Ben and I am confident he will become a very successful Principal.  We all wish him the best of luck in this new appointment.

Group Education Forum Residential in York

I often wonder whether residential conferences are worth the effort and expense!  Our Group Education Forum residential was one of those forums which cast doubters like me aside.  It was a very valuable 48 hours during which we grappled with the values and behaviours we needed to espouse and reflect in creating our brand of leadership.  The whole group had spent time on this before Christmas refreshing the Best in Everyone presentation which I had given to each school three years ago.  It had been an exhilarating session and this follow up was in the same mould.

It was well presented by Fiona Oommen, ably assisted by our Chairman of Shoreham Academy Local Governing Body (LGB), Johnson Kane.  Johnson had been involved in comparable work with many other organisations, which had led us to valuable contact with the John Lewis Partnership (JLP).  We found we had much in common with JLP and remain grateful for the help he has given us.

I would like to share three slides we used. The first one covers the values and their sub sets which we had identified.

The second slide shows how these could then be interpreted as behaviours across different areas of our work.

The third slide consists of a pyramid illustrating how a style and philosophy needed a foundation of values and behaviours before it could be clear enough to be consistent and powerful in its expression and delivery.

The other main theme was introduced by Professor Deborah Eyre and challenged the concept of gifted and talented children needing different, specialised education.  She proposed a concept of giftedness which applies to all children and requires teaching to respond to that, so it stretches everyone not just those who are more able.  This would require a shift in our methodology and we are looking at that more seriously with the intention of enabling independent learning to be an earlier achievable goal for all our students than it is at the moment.