| Headmaster's Report, Speech Day & Prize-Giving, 2007 |
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| Monday, 02 July 2007 | |
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In a recent Radio 4 "Thought for the Day", Sir Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi, emphasised the importance of education to the Jewish faith. Civilisation, he said, and the values by which it is upheld, cannot be sustained through generations without schools. Education, he insisted, is fundamentally about the values by which we live. Some might want to argue that education is about the imparting of knowledge and skills, but skilfully manipulated knowledge is dangerous in the hands of those without sound moral judgement. To take an extreme example: I recently heard prisons referred to as "Crime Universities". In our overcrowded prisons, we have many people with abundant knowledge and a rich variety of skills which, without a value system to which you or I would subscribe, are readily passed on to those who are eager to become better criminals. So a good education will impart knowledge and skills, but must do so in the context of a sound sense of values, a strong moral fibre. Jonathan Sacks' view of the importance of education to faith is shared by the Church of England - and strongly borne out by the Dean and his colleagues within this Cathedral. No opportunity is lost within the liturgy, from the pulpit or at cultural events to share knowledge and encourage sound values. We are fortunate as a Cathedral School to be an integral part of the life of this great Cathedral, but with such an advantage comes responsibility. It would be easy to lapse into a commercialised view of the Cathedral as a strong brand name, or simply enjoy living and working under the shadow of its fine architecture and rich historic heritage, without submitting or at least committing to the guidance of the Christian faith in the values which we are imparting to our children. In searching for the essence of a good education, Anthony Seldon, Master of Wellington College, has introduced compulsory "happiness" classes for his pupils. His brand of "happiness" relates to "well-being" and the course they follow is designed to put all learning (and work) into the context of a rewarding life, a positive outlook, and a sense of personal satisfaction, like an everlasting hot water bottle! I am sure this is to be applauded, as a good education will prepare us for life. But there is a danger that such a pursuit of happiness will become a selfish pre-occupation.
There is a hymn which we sing all too infrequently, "make me a channel of your peace", based on a prayer of St Francis of Assisi, which has the following chorus:
And the penultimate line makes the message even clearer: Put simply, if we as a Cathedral School are to follow the guidance of the Christian faith, then we should search for happiness and well-being through helping others to be fulfilled in their lives. This is a subject which we find ourselves addressing frequently in the classroom, the playground and on the sports field. We are all here to learn; we are all part of this educational community, not just the children; hopefully these are values which we would all wish to share. Unlike wealth and power, education is something which can be shared without loss to ourselves, indeed with considerable gain. A young girl told us in assembly the other day that she was teaching her little sister - maths, I think - and described how much more she understood by explaining it to her sister, and how much fun it was. I had the same experience when I became a teacher -some 100 years ago - and found that through the process of teaching I was learning far more than I had ever done behind a desk. Well, now! [Addressing Years 3&4] Children in Years 3 and 4! Are you still awake and listening? ("Yes, Sir!") Have you understood everything I have said so far? ("Yes, Sir!") That's good, because you will all be required to write it down word for word.
The other day, Years 3 and 4 shared their thoughts on what they wanted to do when they were grown up. I asked the children to stand up only once, but they cannot resist standing more frequently. Of course, at the age of eight, few really know what they want to do with their lives, and any ideas they have largely emerge from contemporary experience from the family or from hobbies - occasionally TV. But it is the responsibility of us all, and certainly of a good School, to introduce the children to a range of possibilities so that their minds are open and receptive. Over the past decade, the independent sector has taught 15% of the country's A-level pupils but provided some 45% of the undergraduate scientists at university. The figure is about the same in Modern Languages and Mathematics. The Cathedral School wishes as it expands to do the same and encourage a love of scientific discovery and a fascination with the world through to the highest academic levels. This is why the School has decided to create two new Science labs this year. At a cost of well over £200,000 we are refurbishing and re-equipping the old lab as a Chemistry lab and an adjacent classroom as a Biology lab, with a Prep Room between to provide a modern and well-equipped facility for the teaching of Science. Work has already begun and barring any unforeseen hitches, they will be complete by the start of next term. The School is hugely grateful to the committee of the Friends of the Cathedral School, a splendidly efficient and enthusiastic group, who have worked tirelessly for and given generously to a variety of events this year. This includes the highly successful Festival Weekend enjoyed by so many of us, from which half the proceeds will be donated to equipping on of the labs. It is this focus on the development of science facilities this year which has led to the invitation today to a scientist as our guest speaker and to "Flying" as our theme. It is a wonderfully apt metaphor for a school which is launching itself into the next stage of its development, but also for an occasion which celebrates the high-fliers. High fliers are not always those with the highest grades. I heard recently of a boy who achieved 4 top grade As in his highly academic A-levels. He was congratulated by one and all, received prizes at Speech Day, was applauded by friends, but failed to be accepted to study medicine at university. Why? Because the interviewers considered that he was not committed. They were right! He hadn't had any work experience, or taken any further interest in the medical business (beyond watching Holby City!). Fulfilling potential is very important, gaining the best grades you are capable of, but more important still is commitment and dedication, involvement and confidence, and a real desire to follow your chosen path. Interviewers, at work or university, look out for those who stand out from the crowd. They look for those who not only have the knowledge and skills, but also the desire to succeed. They look for leaders. "Oh", but I hear people cry, "we can't all be leaders!" I disagree! As Headmaster, you would expect me to lead the School, but I can assure you all that you're far better off if I follow when it comes to cooking or gardening! And prize-giving today has many examples of those who are not obvious leaders but who, through determination and commitment, provide a good example for others to follow. Just after Half Term we hosted a dinner for the founder pupils of this School: those who joined in 1942. Those 19 boys, aged 8 - 13, were pioneers of their day, participating in the ‘test flights' of the school. By a decade later they were nearer 100 in number. During the 70s girls joined the school. In the 80s a Pre-Prep was added. By the 90s the school was approaching 200; by the turn of the century 275. In 2005, with an ever-more popular Nursery, the school hit 300. And, following the amalgamation with St John's, but much more significantly the opportunity of a secondary education, the number in the school in September will be closer to 440. Whereas not so long ago more than half of the Year 6 pupils were leaving at 11, this year it is less than a third of the year group, and we have had to create a third class in Year 7 to meet the demand for places. This September it is possible for the first time for pupils to move on from Year 8 to Year 9. 26 pupils have chosen to do so, with only 6 leaving us, and those 26 will be the pioneers of today, helping us to lead the school on the next stage of its journey. At this point, let me say something about Common Entrance, a subject which is frequently misunderstood. Common Entrance is a means by which children gain entry to independent schools at age 13. For the past 15 years at least, every pupil who has been entered by the school for Common Entrance has passed; in other words, they have gained entry to their first choice of school. This is a great credit to the teachers and an achievement of which we are justly proud. Because the Common Entrance syllabus is based on that of Key Stage 3 of the National Curriculum, but its teaching is compressed into 2 years instead of 3, the Cathedral School is continuing to use the Common Entrance syllabus in all subjects between ages 11 and 13. By this means, all pupils who are moving to other schools at age 13 will be well prepared for Common Entrance (or Scholarship if relevant) - and all those staying on at the Cathedral School after age 13 will have got ahead of the game, fast-tracked to such an extent that to take Key Stage 3 exams a year later at age 14 would be at best a distraction and at worst a hindrance. As I gaze into the metaphorical crystal ball I cannot see a year in which this will be any different; we intend to continue following the Common Entrance syllabus in all subjects between ages 11 and 13 because it is advantageous for all children at the school, and we intend to sustain our 100% record for years to come. You will see in all our literature that we base our teaching philosophy on the belief that every child is different and has different needs. We will do everything in our power to ensure that we do our very best for the development of every child in this school whatever their chosen route, whether leaving at 11, 13, 16 or even eventually 18. Every child matters to us and we want them all to fulfil their potential, all to become leaders in their own sphere, all to live their lives according to strong values and a supportive ethos. This applies also of course to our youngest children at Longdon. The new setting for the Pre-Prep at Longdon offers a wonderful opportunity for space and freedom for the children to play, as well as an exciting outdoor learning environment which is particularly important to the Foundation Stage curriculum. It has enabled outdoor clubs, like tennis, to take place - with more activities planned for this coming September. Meanwhile indoors, the availability of a large gym as well as a Dance Studio, has led to the creation of other after-school clubs including Dance, Karate and Drama. ‘Early Birds' and ‘Owls' have proved tremendously popular this year, benefiting hugely from their own dedicated area in school. Staff here too have made excellent use of the wilder areas beyond the playground to provide exciting activities and unique learning experiences for the children. Music has always been one of our strengths, with specialist music teachers teaching class music as well as individual instrumental lessons. All the children have enjoyed their class music-making and many in Year 1 and 2 have chosen to learn an instrument. The choice of instruments on offer has increased this year to include brass, and will extend to woodwind from September 2007. Plans also include the formation of a Junior Choir and a Junior Ensemble during next year. New computers were installed in every classroom at the beginning of the year and children have access to a set of twenty lap-tops that can be wheeled around the building. More interactive whiteboards will be arriving as soon as the new Year 3 rooms are prepared upstairs, and we look forward to the creation of a new lending and reference library, thanks again to the generosity of the Friends. It is a great credit to Margaret Pearson and her team of staff at Longdon, including teachers, classroom assistants, nursery assistants, day care staff, caterers, administrators, supervisors and drivers, and all those specialists in music, drama, dance, p.e., sport, languages and learning support, that the first year has been such a great success. We know that there is much that can be improved and developed, and the setback due to failure of negotiations for the Coach House was most unwelcome. I would like to express my gratitude to all concerned, staff, parents and children, for the patience and understanding which has been shown during this period of time whilst we search for the best solution for the long term. In the meantime, it is good to know that the children are happy, fulfilled, challenged and inspired, and that they love the environment and opportunities which it affords. Next year, through Mrs Symington's kind flexibility, Mrs Pearson will be given substantially more time in which to focus on running the Junior School. We have only two members of the academic staff leaving this year but eight joining us in September. Mrs Shalders has been with us for less than two years but has made a huge contribution to the PE and Games department. We wish her well in travelling to the Far East with her husband and child as yet unborn. And Mr Mason leaves to become Organist and Director of Music at St David's Cathedral in Wales. He began as Assistant Organist some five years ago, but only took on the role of Director of the Girls' Choir at the beginning of this year. The girls have gone from strength to strength and we thank Alex for the wonderful start he has given them, and his wife Natalie for her much appreciated singing tuition. Next year, we will be welcoming Miss Katie Rudd as Year 2 teacher, Miss Tammy Robinson to the PE and Games Department, Mrs Cathy Lamb as Director of the Girls' Choir, Director of the expanding Outreach Programme and Assistant Organist, Mr Martyn Rawles as Sub-organist of the Cathedral and assistant in other musical roles, Mrs Hilary Ghazireh to teach Maths to GCSE, Mrs Linda Errington English to GCSE, Mr Trevor Hunt Physics to GCSE, and Mrs Sallyann Whatley as teacher of Design Technology. This completes our team of teachers to take the first group of pupils through to GCSE, and a very strong team it is. Three of our student assistants are leaving, Miss Smith, Mr Edwards and Mr Stevens, and we thank them for supporting the work of the school so actively within sport, music, boarding and drama particularly, but in many other spheres. What of the future? We look to firmly embed Year 3 at Longdon, whilst moving the Nursery permanently within the main structure. In the Close, we shall continue the programme of development of individual subject departments. And we continue to investigate a number of options for the siting of the senior years of the school, so that we can create a sixth form at an appropriate time. I am very grateful for the support given to us by Staffordshire County Council and Lichfield District Council through all phases of our development programme, and I look forward to further opportunities that lie ahead to form strong partnerships, not only with the Cathedral, but with many other organisations within the local educational community. This is an opportune moment to recognise the considerable input and expertise of our strong and effective governing body, every member of which has my enormous gratitude for the hours they have committed and thought they have given to the development of this complex but precious school. The quality of their contribution to this school cannot easily be over-stated. Thank you! Finally, I should like to return to where I began. Teachers these days do not take on the job if they want an easy life, and they certainly don't stay here if that is what they seek! It is an all-consuming task and one which requires complete dedication during term-time, and a love of their subject and a belief in those whom they teach. This dedication and love is that self-same Christian value of giving and sharing which we wish to see as the basis of all children's learning, a process of learning which recognises the leadership quality in every individual and seeks to bring it to the surface and enable it to take off and fly. In this task, we rely on the goodwill of all, and a healthy partnership with a wide group of friends. I therefore wish to express my thanks to everybody here today for your support in our enterprise, and for the encouragement which you give to the children and all who work here to feel happy and fulfilled in their lives. Thank you!
Peter Allwood |