November 21st 2021
Along with schools all over the country, we have focussed on anti-bullying this week. Our assemblies on both Tuesday and Thursday explored this very important issue, and by wearing odd socks on Monday, the boys actively lived out the message of celebrating our differences.
Last night I chaired the Independent Association of Prep School (IAPS) District 10 meeting, which was hosted at Charterhouse school in Godalming, Surrey. District 10 comprises of ninety prep schools in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire, Hampshire and Surrey, and this was the first ‘live’ meeting of the District since we met at St. Helen and St Katharine in February 2020. While we appear to be through the worst of the pandemic, a number of the IAPS Heads were unable to attend, as they were managing significant Covid issues within their schools.
It was excellent to visit Charterhouse and to meet the Head, Alex Peterken, (previously Head of Cheltenham College) who started the afternoon by welcoming the IAPS Heads with a brief introduction of developments at Charterhouse. When talking to Alex Peterken prior to the meeting, we established that I taught History to his wife Henny, at Farleigh School many years ago, which made me feel rather old! By a strange twist of fate, Henny’s brother (who I also taught!), taught both of my sons History at Radley.
At our IAPS District meetings we hear of sector updates from IAPS HQ, as well as academic developments, professional development opportunities, and sports and boarding updates. As is often the case, the most interesting and rewarding part of the meeting was when we moved away from the standard agenda, and were treated to a fascinating talk from our guest speaker, Chris Keeble, who made the case for ‘Moral Leadership’. Chris has such an interesting background, having been awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his gallantry in command of the Para’s second battalion at the Battle of Goose Green during the Falklands Conflict in 1982. On retiring from the Army, Chris retrained through Cranfield University and established a consultancy to assist leaders in balancing the ethics of business performance and leadership, and specifically in evaluating their moral claim to lead. Chris delivered his excellent message via the medium of Art and his own personal military experiences.
Chris’s talk made IAPS Heads examine their own leadership and gave us so much to reflect on, particularly after such an unusual eighteen months which has tested the skills and resolve of all school leaders and staff. Some nuggets I took away were as follows: first the importance of recognising everyone in an organisation; second, the moral responsibility that comes with any form of leadership; third the difference between the ‘pragmatic use of power’, and ‘the virtue of authority’.
