A recent survey in the Times Educational Supplement showed widespread concern in schools about the quality of careers advice on offer. Two thirds of respondent said they worried 'a lot' or 'sometimes' (click here for TES article).
They are right to be concerned, especially in the context of recession where good jobs are increasingly hard to secure. The education we provide for our pupils should ensure that they achieve their best possible results in exams but the real value lies in preparing them for a successful, fulfilled life. Exam results might get you interviews but it's the person who walks through the door that gets the job and that's why we place such a premium on the wider curriculum where skills are developed such as leadership, a willingness to take on challenges and confidence.
Pupils also need specific advice and we will be launching a website in the next few weeks called 'The Jobs Network'. King's alumni and current parents are registering as mentors so that they can offer careers advice, work experience and other help to enable King's former pupils make decisions about careers and make them better candidates. Current pupils are also benefitting from CV writing clinics, seminars on different careers paths and mock interviews. It's a great example of how King's looks after pupils even when they have left school and is a reflection of our commitment to education being a lifelong process.
Sunday, 4 November 2012
Monday, 8 October 2012
Music - the soul of a school
One of the things I am enjoying most about living and working at King's has been an almost daily exposure to music. At least four mornings a week I start my day in Rochester Cathedral where I listen to (and thoroughly enjoy singing along to) the magnificent organ and our school choir. There are few things more uplifting than great music and the school singing together. Every week there are more than 250 individual music lessons at King's and we have more than 20 music scholars, including choristers and two organ scholars. The level of creativity this fosters and the wonderful talents of the pupils causes an incredible buzz even on some of the overcast and wet days of recent weeks.
Last Friday evening saw music of a different style in the first 'Open Mic Night' of the year. Organised entirely by pupils, over half of the Senior School, parents and staff were treated to twenty school bands and soloists. Great times, great music and a fantastic way to finish the working week - even if it did give me a hoarse voice for our Open Morning the following day.
Last Friday evening saw music of a different style in the first 'Open Mic Night' of the year. Organised entirely by pupils, over half of the Senior School, parents and staff were treated to twenty school bands and soloists. Great times, great music and a fantastic way to finish the working week - even if it did give me a hoarse voice for our Open Morning the following day.
Slow down Mr Gove
The HMC annual conference took place in Belfast last week and proved to be an enjoyable and interesting experience. There is a lot of debate currently around the quality of exam marking (see my previous post on the HMC report) and also about the importance of reforming the exam system so that it is 'fit for purpose'. I have written previously on my desire to see increased engagement between government and schools and concerns about this were raised by two prominent speakers at the conference.
The first was Graham Stuart MP, Chair of the Commons Education Committee, who made a speech in which he attacked Michael Gove's proposals as 'incoherent' and risking disaster by pressing ahead too fast and ignoring legitimate concerns. Further details can be found on The Independent website.
A similar point of view was put forward by Glenys Stacey, Chief Executive of Ofqual which is the official regulator of exams in the UK. Her comments can be found alongside those of Mr Stuart on the BBC website.
There is no doubt that much can be improved in our exam system but also that there are grave risks in the pace with which Mr Gove is rushing into the process. I find myself agreeing with those who have noticed a correlation between the proposed start date for the new exams (September 2015) and the date of the next election (May 2015). It may well be that Mr Gove's desire to impose a legacy on pupils of the future is being put ahead of the benefits of wider consultation and a more thoughtful approach.
The first was Graham Stuart MP, Chair of the Commons Education Committee, who made a speech in which he attacked Michael Gove's proposals as 'incoherent' and risking disaster by pressing ahead too fast and ignoring legitimate concerns. Further details can be found on The Independent website.
A similar point of view was put forward by Glenys Stacey, Chief Executive of Ofqual which is the official regulator of exams in the UK. Her comments can be found alongside those of Mr Stuart on the BBC website.
There is no doubt that much can be improved in our exam system but also that there are grave risks in the pace with which Mr Gove is rushing into the process. I find myself agreeing with those who have noticed a correlation between the proposed start date for the new exams (September 2015) and the date of the next election (May 2015). It may well be that Mr Gove's desire to impose a legacy on pupils of the future is being put ahead of the benefits of wider consultation and a more thoughtful approach.
HMC report on exam marking
What follows is a press release from HMC referring to deep concerns over the quality of marking in public exams. The full report can be accessed by going to the HMC website and following their links.
'The Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC) warns that the Government’s proposed reform of public examinations will be “built on sand” unless deep-rooted problems within the examining system are addressed.
HMC, which represents 250 leading independent senior schools, has today published a detailed report uncovering endemic problems with marking, awarding, re-marks and appeals at GCSE and A level between 2007 and 2012.
HMC welcomes recent Government proposals to overhaul GCSEs and A levels, especially moves to increase rigour in subject studies, reduce the burden of assessment on students aged 15-18 and differentiate student achievement more clearly across the grade range.
But in its report, which has been sent to ministers, HMC says these changes to qualifications (the ‘superstructure’) are almost certain to be undermined by long-standing failings in how young people are examined (the ‘foundations’).
“Unless examining is reformed substantially, the introduction of revised qualifications will amount to new houses built on existing sand,” says the report.
The report details key examples of what goes wrong and why - though much remains unexplained due to a “culture of secrecy” in the exam boards and lack of focus in Ofqual - and the wider implications of each of these failings.
Specifically HMC detail seven failings of the current ‘examinations industry’ in England, grouped under three headings:
- Poor quality marking: over the last five years, one school has had to challenge marking standards in 48 separate cases, covering 19 different subjects at GCSE and A level.
- Inexplicable inconsistencies in the awarding of grades: one highly-selective school saw its English GCSE A* grades fluctuate between 11% and 65% over a decade.
- Obstructions to redress: re-marks and appeals: the appeals process allows the boards to hide behind protocol rather than account for poor marking.
The authority for the findings derives from several sources: national data; collaborative work with schools and subject associations in the maintained sector; internal HMC surveys; and data from HMC schools, particularly from heads of departments.
In national terms the staff in HMC schools are exceptionally well qualified in subject knowledge and its schools are part of an independent sector that government research shows to be the most expert in the country at predicting student grades accurately.'
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
GCSE reforms - Ebacc to the future?
Earlier this week Michael Gove announced a proposed reform of GCSEs to a new English Baccalaureate Certificate or EBacc for short. At its heart is the concern that standards have slipped and grades inflated since the inception of GCSEs in 1985.
I welcome the move towards a more rigorous approach and would like to see an increased emphasis on pupils having to think independently and apply their learning. One concern about GCSEs is that they can be a memory test and, as a result, do not require deeper thinking skills. The nature of the exam has a direct influence on how pupils are taught. Good teachers have always required their classes to engage with the material and think for themselves so there is an opportunity here to create a system which promotes this style of learning. This has several benefits; it is a more interesting way to learn, pupils learn better when they have to personally engage and it is a better preparation for the skills they will need in their careers.
I hope the government will engage collaboratively with schools in developing new exams. Sadly, Michael Gove has developed the reputation of the all-seeing eye who hands down pronouncements for others to follow. He will find there is a great deal to be gained from working with schools and professional associations and for this to be a success it must be achieved with schools, not done to them.
My main concern though is that he is not being bold enough. The first exams in the EBacc will be sat in 2017 (by those currently in Year 7) in English, Maths and the Sciences. They will be joined later by History, Geography and Modern Languages. If the new exams are to be considered as a gold standard then this means a situation where there will be some subjects seen as 'proper' and others as 'lesser'. If the new approach is right, then it must be right for all subjects. The list of proposed subjects for the EBacc represents a limited curriculum and one subject in particular is missing in my view. Religious Studies - by its very nature - encourages and requires critical thinking, a philosophical perspective and engagement with the material. Perhaps it might provide an interesting starting point for this brave new world.
I welcome the move towards a more rigorous approach and would like to see an increased emphasis on pupils having to think independently and apply their learning. One concern about GCSEs is that they can be a memory test and, as a result, do not require deeper thinking skills. The nature of the exam has a direct influence on how pupils are taught. Good teachers have always required their classes to engage with the material and think for themselves so there is an opportunity here to create a system which promotes this style of learning. This has several benefits; it is a more interesting way to learn, pupils learn better when they have to personally engage and it is a better preparation for the skills they will need in their careers.
I hope the government will engage collaboratively with schools in developing new exams. Sadly, Michael Gove has developed the reputation of the all-seeing eye who hands down pronouncements for others to follow. He will find there is a great deal to be gained from working with schools and professional associations and for this to be a success it must be achieved with schools, not done to them.
My main concern though is that he is not being bold enough. The first exams in the EBacc will be sat in 2017 (by those currently in Year 7) in English, Maths and the Sciences. They will be joined later by History, Geography and Modern Languages. If the new exams are to be considered as a gold standard then this means a situation where there will be some subjects seen as 'proper' and others as 'lesser'. If the new approach is right, then it must be right for all subjects. The list of proposed subjects for the EBacc represents a limited curriculum and one subject in particular is missing in my view. Religious Studies - by its very nature - encourages and requires critical thinking, a philosophical perspective and engagement with the material. Perhaps it might provide an interesting starting point for this brave new world.
Monday, 17 September 2012
English GCSE - an update
Looking over our GCSE English results this summer and comparing them with previous years we can see a drop against our expected grades. Our reasonable conclusion is that our pupils have been disadvantaged by the exam board's decision to move the grade boundaries. We are certainly not alone in this view and have written to the parents of those affected explaining that we will support those who wish to take advantage of the 'free' re-take in November. I put 'free' in inverted commas deliberately because there is a cost to the pupils and their teachers in giving up time to prepare when they should be concentrating on AS work.
HMC will shortly be releasing evidence of concerns stretching back over several years of exam board errors. Click here for a link. The timing is particularly appropriate as Michael Gove announced in Parliament today his plans for an overhaul of GCSE exams. I welcome his intentions and say again that I am fully in favour of a more rigorous system - part of which is ensuring accurate and effective marking by exam boards. If I have a criticism it is that he seems to be going for a limited reform based around a small number of subjects in the first instance. If we are to move to a better system I would prefer to see it across the board otherwise we risk having a mixed economy with some subjects seen as 'proper' and others having less value.
HMC will shortly be releasing evidence of concerns stretching back over several years of exam board errors. Click here for a link. The timing is particularly appropriate as Michael Gove announced in Parliament today his plans for an overhaul of GCSE exams. I welcome his intentions and say again that I am fully in favour of a more rigorous system - part of which is ensuring accurate and effective marking by exam boards. If I have a criticism it is that he seems to be going for a limited reform based around a small number of subjects in the first instance. If we are to move to a better system I would prefer to see it across the board otherwise we risk having a mixed economy with some subjects seen as 'proper' and others having less value.
Saturday, 8 September 2012
Paralympics 2012 – inspiring a generation
We were fortunate in having seats right down by the start line of the 100 metres and saw discus, shot put, 800m and 1,500m wheelchair racing. Several medal ceremonies took place and we got to cheer athletes from Team GB and the blade runner himself, Oscar Pistorious. It was a wonderful opportunity to spend some time with our younger pupils and they were great company.
The entire Paralympics movement is incredibly inspiring and there was a huge atmosphere of empowerment and positivity all round the venue. The event which made the greatest impact on me was the triple jump for blind and visually impaired athletes. The stadium was full to capacity and the cheers and clapping they received was deafening. As they came onto the run-up their guide orientated them to face straight down the track and when they were ready 80,000 people fell totally silent to allow them to concentrate. I tried to recreate the process in the garden at home and it is just incredible to imagine how they set off at speed with no visual information, counting their strides before leaping into the air and eventually landing in the sand. Quite remarkable and a great example of trust, inner confidence and commitment. I will be speaking in Chapel to the Prep School soon and think I know the theme I will be pursuing.
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