FILLING THE VOID
What should
schools do to fill
the void left by
SATs? Nothing,
says head Dr Bernard
Trafford. And he is deadly
serious
HE KEY stage 3 SATs have gone.
Time to
T
Hurrah! The pressure is off: at least
until Mr Balls squeezes in some
alternative measures and benchmarks
for schools.
For the time being, though,
we naturally assume it is a great
opportunity to put back into the timetable some of
consider
the important things that have been squeezed out by
curriculum overload: we all know what a nightmare it is
to pack into year 9 everything we want to see there.
Sure: for those children unsuited to the prescriptive idea – especially when it can be a brief pause during we need to run emotionally intelligent schools that are make their own decision regardless of the views or
academic national curriculum this is indeed a great children’s busy week to think about those aspects of conscious of bigger moral and educational themes, persuasions of others.
chance to free things up and develop curricula that their lives. explicitly expressed in the ethos, in the very heartbeat Why not do all that through the medium of the
are much more suited to them. We should do it. But But whenever politicians see something wrong in of the school, and emphasised by teachers and their subjects our expert, dedicated teaching force is good
for the great majority who are okay doing a package society, they demand that schools do something about leaders all talking and walking the talk, setting and at? Only connect also – in ways we’ve failed to in the
of GCSEs, I would like to promote an old-fashioned it, usually by wedging yet another element into PSHE maintaining the tone. past. Thus for sex education, biology (teaching what
solution. Add nothing. lessons (oops! Sorry. It is now called PSHE Education, So while they are learning the knowledge and a former colleague called “the plumbing”) should tie
Do not shoe-horn in more and more courses that will the additional E standing for Emotional). skills of specific subjects, children start to understand up with ethics and relationships (religious studies and
score children (or, more accurately, schools: the kids So we have more and more about sex, now younger wider, bigger, deeper overarching and interconnected English? Plus drama and, with a bit of imagination,
do not gain anything) additional points at age 16. My than ever (I am waiting to see the ante-natal sex truths. most of the rest of the curriculum).
advice is to follow the Zen Commandment: Don’t just education programme). We cover drugs, puberty, When our students, out in the big, wide, hazardous Citizenship, by the way, should be learned not in
do something – sit there. emotional health, healthy eating (in favour), obesity world, are faced with one of the myriad perils they lessons but through involvement in a vibrant student
I am deadly serious. Do not dive in with yet another (generally against), fitness, bullying, green issues, will encounter, what will protect them and help them council within a democratic school ethos.
raft of bright ideas: that is what politicians do. This just citizenship, and every other thing that a secretary of to make right choices is not a memory of their form All that might take us somewhere. So let’s not spot
could be a great opportunity for schools to sit back, state (or prime minister) has a bright idea about. tutor earnestly explaining to a group of 14-year-olds a gap and immediately fill it up with stuff. Let’s leave
relax a bit and, yes, stick to what they are good at, So maybe we had it right after all when we that “cocaine is sometimes called Charlie”, or even the space, if indeed there is a space at all, to allow us
teaching subjects. were content with teaching separate subjects. That how to use a condom using the rubber thing and the for the first time in two decades to spend time on a real
Heresy? Not necessarily. The danger is that, if we is what secondary teachers do best. What we have eye-watering wooden model. (Whatever became of consideration of what education is for. We just might,
do not pause and leave some space where there has generally been bad at in the past is making explicit the the banana? No offence to those who teach PSHE so we really might, succeed in planning a better future for
been only overload, we will just allow all those other connections between subjects. Children have too often sincerely). our children. SecEd
imperatives pushed by well-meaning policy-makers been taught to think in separate compartments: yet it is No. What will enable that young person to make
and pressure groups to crowd in and leave the school only when we make connections and comparisons that a right decision is an ability to sum up situations; • Dr Bernard Trafford is head of the Royal Grammar
week more, not less, bunged up than ever. deep understanding really occurs. to weigh up positives and negatives; to have the School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and vice-chairman of
It always happens. For example, personal, social I do not think we need to fill up the week with more self-confidence to make empathetic and imaginative the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference. The
and health education (PSHE) has always been a good health, citizenship, sex or obesity classes. I do think judgments where specific knowledge is lacking; to views expressed are entirely personal.
Notes and jottings Psycho babble
The heart of a learning institution Getting revision off the ground
BAH! HUMBUG! I’m at Benenden School in rural former head was alone. I was horrified in the early 90s WHILE THE Christmas break offers a good, Some of your students may not be interested in
Kent enjoying a gentle production of A Christmas when I first visited the then state-of-the-art Thomas uninterrupted opportunity for the older students to further education, or have any aspirations beyond
Carol in the school’s new, purpose-built theatre. Telford School in Telford to find no book-led library. revise for the post-holiday exams, many teachers are the weekend; however, a good exercise is to ask
Although I taught here for a while this is the first time I thought, in recent years, that the pendulum rightly concerned that once those students are out of them what they want to achieve in life. I know, I
I’ve seen the theatre in action, so I’m very interested had swung back towards libraries full of books: school, nothing much is likely to happen. Studies know – supermodel, wag, pop star, and football star
to see how it works and what it is adding to student the new City of London Academy in Bermondsey have found that the average teenager, when given free will top the list, but herein lies another opportunity.
learning. I’m also keen to see the work of the newly- has a splendid one. So I was alarmed to read about rein to plan his own time, puts self-interest and instant Yes, you say blithely, these are your dreams. It’s
appointed director of drama, Jolyon McCarthy. The Meadows Community School in Chesterfield, gratification first. This will come as no big surprise to important to aim for dreams, but what about realistic
The show was well thought out, competently acted Derbyshire, which has laid off its librarian and seasoned teachers; however, it does pose a problem goals? Encourage every student to choose at least
and pleasingly directed. And the building’s acoustics, moved to a “virtual learning environment” – code when it comes to motivating students to work over one career path that they think might interest them,
technical facilities and sightlines are good. for computers instead of books. the holidays, and to see this work as a priority. and then challenge them to work out where they can
The students were obviously getting fine Philip Pullman, esteemed author of One thing that may encourage them to believe there get the necessary education or training, and what is
drama experience, with all its potential the His Dark Materials trilogy and is some value in the process can be found in required for entry into the programme.
for confidence building and developing himself a former teacher, is cross a recent book, The Story Of Success, by Many students, even the bright ones, are
transferable skills, although it has to too. He has written to Meadows Malcolm Gladwell, which indicates surprised to see that a clutch of As at GCSE
be said, few members of this cast are Community head, Lynn Asquith, that practice, and practice alone, is and at least one or two Bs at A level will
likely to make a living on the boards accusing her of making reading responsible for success and what we be necessary. When you’ve given them
– but that isn’t the point. fiction “a trivial activity”. He perceive to be “talent”. Based on a reason for achieving certain grades,
No. what really surprised me was argues that: “A library with a research undertaken in the 1990s, and knowledge that they are equally
how subdued it all was. The theatre dedicated and professional staff and in-depth analysis of those who able to achieve them, you’ve got a
(at the third and final performance should be at the very heart of any are considered to be masters of good starting point.
on the Saturday) was only half full and institution dedicated to learning.” their discipline, whether it be sport, And then go back to those
there were almost no supporting students Quite. mathematics, computer science or dreams. You can point out that
in the audience. music, for example, Gladwell’s The Story of Success has found
Parents clapped politely, but if I was Still on the subject of books Ian book concludes that mastery comes that all of our greatest sport stars
looking for any kind of buzz, or the highly- Gilbert’s The Little Book of Thunks: from sheer perseverance and hard and musicians weren’t just lucky;
charged atmosphere a Benenden school 260 Questions to Make your work. Anyone can become an they worked at it. David Beckham,
play used to pack in its “unsuitable” Brain Go Ouch! (Crown House “expert” in his field with 10,000 for example, clocked up at least
school hall – or which Haberdashers’ Publishing) is the inaugural winner hours of work. 10,000 hours practising his skills,
Aske’s Hatcham College, a state of the Educational Writers’ Award, Now it’s fairly clear that the as did the Beatles and Bill Gates.
school in South London still gets for its sponsored by the Authors’ Licensing average student will have nowhere Don’t underestimate, either, the lack
incredible annual school hall opera – I & Collecting Society and supported and near 10,000 hours to spend on revision of organisational skills of students. Turning
was in the wrong place. Odd. I’ve been administered by the Society of Authors. over the holidays, but equally, it is worth over most of the holidays to revision isn’t
to many other shows in school theatres but Ian Gilbert received his cheque for pointing out to them that no student has that likely to appeal to any student; however, if you
never one so low-key. £2,000 from Dr Ian Gibson MP at a reception number of hours. Quite simply, students who take the time to plot out a sensible study schedule,
at the Stationers’ Hall, London. are prepared to put in the time will do the best. with lots of breaks and time for fun, you are more
Fifteen years ago when I worked in a Kent The book aims to introduce youngsters to This may sound like an obvious statement; likely to make headway.
“high” (secondary modern) school we had a philosophy and to get all ages stretching their however, kids are self-selecting. They don’t even Give them the tools they need, too: teach them
decent-ish school library in a large room managed imaginations, discussing cogently and debating. try to match the success of those they perceive to be how to mind map, encourage them to go over
by an English teacher when she wasn’t teaching. Not A “thunk”, by the way, is a beguilingly simple- “nerds”, “boffs”, superbright or even Asian, because material learned the days before for 20 minutes
ideal but much better than nothing. Then the head looking question about everyday things which stops they perceive them to be different, and in some way before moving on to new material, suggest they
decided that she needed the space as a classroom. you in your tracks and helps you start looking at the special. Knowing, however, that they have an equal write things down and draw diagrams. Ultimately,
A somewhat short-sighted act of vandalism given world in a whole new light. opportunity to get the grades they require, can make however, if your students believe that they can
that in 2003 a PISA (Programme for International “Can you bend air?” and “Who owns your email a difference, no matter how trite this may seem. succeed, they’ll be halfway to doing so. Wish
Student Assessment) study in 37 countries confirmed inbox when you die?” being examples. Inspire a little competition, if you must – the them luck!
what every thinking teacher knows – that the most biggest improvement in grades wins a prize, for
important factor for academic success is the amount • Susan Elkin is a freelance education journalist and example. Point out that anyone can achieve top • Karen Sullivan is a bestselling author, psychologist
of time pupils spend reading books. Not that my former teacher. marks in the exams. and childcare expert. Email kesullivan@aol.com
SecEd • December 11 2008 7
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