September 18th 2021
Boris Johnson’s Cabinet reshuffle this week saw the departure of Gavin Williamson as Education Secretary. There is no disputing that the pandemic dealt him a very difficult hand, and any politician would have struggled to manage a combination of school closures, cancelled public examinations and all the associated Covid fallout. Nadhim Zahawi takes over the role, having overseen an extraordinary job rolling out the vaccine, and we hope he can take similar strides forward for Britain’s children in the classroom over the coming years.
Sharing good practice is fundamental to the overall success of any sector and education is no exception. This term, I became Chair of District 10 of the Independent Association of Prep Schools. This group comprises of 90 prep schools in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire. In this new role, it is a privilege to meet numerous other Heads and have an insight into their schools. Parents may also be aware that I have been a Governor of Cheltenham College for the past two years, which allows me to work closely with the Heads of both Cheltenham College and Prep, their management teams as well as the Governing body. This has been an excellent experience and both roles have helped to give me a broader understanding of the UK independent sector at both prep and senior level, while also ensuring that Moulsford (and Cheltenham) keep fully abreast of best practice.
What is common to many of the schools I visit is the breadth of education that is offered both in and outside of the classroom. This is so important and the return of whole school fixtures this week with spectating parents, is a reminder of how much the boys learn and gain from the extra-curricular side of school life. I thoroughly enjoyed refereeing the U11E team on Wednesday, who were beaming after their fixture. For some of these boys, this was their first ever football match.
Please click here for an article I wrote which was picked up and published over the summer, which highlights the importance of both developing and recognising breadth within our schools.
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