Effective revision - mind maps

When I was revising for exams I used to rely on re-reading my files and occasionally making summary lists.  Since I started teaching though I realised that, while I seemed to have blessed with a naturally retentive memory, this wasn't either the best way to revise or indeed an effective method for many of my pupils.

Repetition of material and finding ways to access the right information lies at the heart of good revision and increasingly I prefer mind maps (often called 'spider diagrams').  Starting in the middle of a page with a core topic, lines come out breaking it down into sub-topics which are then broken into further sub-topics.

It is an incredibly visual way of presenting an area for revision which shows the whole topic and allows you to see the interaction between different areas.  It also relates to how the mind stores information (from the general to the specific) so works with our preferred way of retrieving information.  The best ones I have seen from my pupils have been highly colourful (different colours for different types of information or to show strengths and weaknesses of different ideas).

The prompt for this post was seeing a really good article in today's Daily Telegraph (click here).  Well worth a look, and unlike The Times, no subscription required. As an example, here is a mind map summarising potential impacts of global warming.

50 great websites to make you smarter

Having just posted concerns about Michael Gove's capacity for considered reform here is a more positive link to The Times online where there is a list of 50 fantastic websites for education.  Some you may know, such as Mathletics which really motivates younger pupils.  Others you may not but they are all worth a look.  (Subscription to The Times is required).

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/education/article3674233.ece?dm_i=14DE,19E5H,7ERWL8,49S6C,1

Does Gove get it?

Is Michael Gove's touch deserting him?  It is not that long ago that, as a new Secretary of State, he was being praised in many quarters for his desire to bring back increased rigour to our education system.  Tackling grade inflation and seeking to ensure that all pupils receive a good academic grounding is certainly something to be welcomed and in his early months in office he was right to stand up to his critics.  Recent weeeks though have seen some well justified criticisms about lack of consultation and an ill-considered haste in the timetable for change.  More troubling though is that the publication last week of Performance Tables for schools has flagged up a real question as to the extent to which Michael Gove actually understands education. 

For the first time they have included as a measure the percentage of pupils gaining 3 A Levels in what are called 'facilitating subjects'.  These are the three sciences, mathematics, classical and modern languages, Geography, History and English.  All of these are traditional, rigorous subjects and presumably this is why Mr Gove wants to use them as a measure.  There are though serious flaws in his logic:

• The list of subjects comes from a Russell Group document entitled 'Informed Choices' and is a group of subjects most commonly regarded as compulsory for related degree courses. 
• They are not a complete list of traditional subjects (note that they do not include Economics, Politics, Religious Studies, Ancient History etc). 
• They do not take into account the necessity of Art or Music for related degree courses. 
• Or that the Russell Group clearly states that it is not necessary to have only 'traditional subjects'.  They are entirely happy with a mixture of two traditional and one of the more modern / practical / creative subjects.  Indeed, Art or Design Technology are valued for Architecture at Cambridge alongside subjects such as Maths and Physics. 

This is a really worrying sign of Mr Gove's lack of understanding and something I say as Head of a school which comes out well under this measure (8th out of the 37 Grammar Schools in Kent and Medway despite taking in a broader range of pupils and 8th out of 19 independent schools).

A similar blind spot is in his planned reforms at GCSEs which will see a new English Baccalaureate comprised of five compulsory subjects (English, Maths, History or Geography, Science and a Language).  There is nothing wrong with those subjects per se but it does not include any of the creative subjects such as Art or Music and has no place for Religious Studies and there is a concern that, nationally, many schools will not devote resources to subjects which don't count in league tables.  While that will not be the case at my school, or others like it, it causes me concern for education across our nation.

In recent days, Michael Gove has come under fire from universities, Heads and MPs on the Commons Education Select Committee.  He was right to stick to his guns in the early days but now he needs to demonstrate a little more understanding and humility.  He must listen to his critics and engage with their concerns or he risks weakening the very education system he wants to improve.

Careers advice - at school and beyond

There was plenty of coverage last week about MP's concerns over the decline of Careers advice in schools (click here for BBC coverage).  Having an education which not only gives young people the skills to thrive in the workplace but also an insight into different career paths is absolutely crucial - especially in a time of economic uncertainty.

I cannot help wondering if the decline in Careers advice is linked in with the increasing emphasis on measuring schools by a narrow range (e.g. the limited number of subjects in the English Baccalaureate and how many pupils study 'facilitating subjects' at A Level).

Once again, I feel very fortunate to be working in the independent sector where there is greater freedom to select the right balance and ensure our pupils have a proper, rounded education.  Last term we launched a web-based Careers site for our current and former pupils called 'The Jobs Network'.  It draws on the expertise of current parents and former pupils (Mentors) who are willing to offer advice on their chosen career practical help with work experience, CV writing and interview skills.

For our current pupils, this has already led to CV writing clinics, workshops on preparing for interviews and introductions to different careers.  Later on this term we are setting up mock job interviews for our Upper Sixth pupils.  There is a graduate entry job specification for which they will submit a letter of application and their CV and they will then have an interview with one of our Mentors and receive feedback on the process.  Far better to make mistakes and learn from them at school than later on in life.

This sort of opportunity is invaluable.  Especially with very few universities interviewing for entry, often the first such experience comes towards the end of university when a job is at stake.  It is not difficult to build this into education.  For example, we are currently interviewing pupils for Sports Scholarships and have deliberately used the format of a job interview so that they have an experience which develops those skills.

For our former pupils, this sort of Careers advice is particularly important and points out another problem nationally in seeing Careers advice as something done in schools.  We can do a huge amount with our pupils while they are with us but we fundamentally see our association with pupils and parents as being a lifelong process.  A real education not only prepares you to leave school but also sustains you beyond the school gate.

To view The Jobs Network, click here.

Partnership through sport

Recently at King's we completed a deal with the local Council which is an interesting model of partnership and one worth sharing and explaining.  A short distance from our school is a sports centre which was built for the town by the Council.  It offered a great range of facilities including the sports hall, gym and several tennis courts but over time it had become dilapidated, public use declined and due to lack of demand it was often closed.  We have two sports halls at King's but were using the sports centre to broaden what we could offer to our pupils and out of this came the idea of how the school and council could work together for mutual benefit.

Last term we signed an agreement with the Council whereby we acquired what is now called 'King's Rochester Sports Centre'.  We are now running the Centre and putting in half a million pounds of investment to dramatically improve the facilities.  Our pupils will have use of excellent sporting opportunities which is great for them and supports our programme of development.  Crucially we are also running it as a public Sports Centre which means our local community gains a huge benefit as well.  With excellent bar and catering facilties it can become a social as well as sporting hub; indeed the childrens' parties and roller skating sessions are particularly popular which as a parent makes me very happy!

One aspect which has got real potential to transform sport locally is our plan for tennis at the Centre.  Curiously, there are not many courts in the area but we have several at the Centre, although currently only three are even halfway playable.  The LTA have been fantastic in offering their support and expertise and we are shortly going out to tender to totally resurface the area to LTA specifications. 

In two weeks time we are holding assessments for five new sports scholarships at King's to celebrate the acquistion of the Sports Centre and later in the year the refurbishment will be complete.  It is a genuinely exciting project and one which I am gaining a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment from.  This is the sort of venture which shows how an independent school and local Council can work together to great effect and provides a platform for the legacy from the Olympics which we all want to see.

King's Rochester Sports Centre - artist's impression

Cold but beautiful

It's that time of year when cold and snow might disrupt school so we decided to put plans in place last week.  The key thing is to let parents get to work if at all possible while ensuring that disruption to learning is kept to a minimum.  Our approach is that the school always remains open and as many as can make the journey safely come and join us.  Meanwhile, teachers put the work for their lessons on the school intranet so that those forced to remain at home can keep up to date.





This morning the temperature dropped to -5 celsius.  School is carrying on as normal but Rochester does look absolutely beautiful as the photos demonstrate.  One of the castle at 7.30am and another of the Paddock after the Nursery class nativity play.  It certainly adds to the excitement among the pupils.

National challenges but local celebrations.

There has been plenty of coverage in recent days about Michael Gove's proposed exam reforms and the imposition of an EBacc - now being described as the EBC (English Baccalaureate Certificate).  It has to be said that the debate is becoming seriously polarised with a range of high profile opponents including the Chair of Ofqual (the examinations regulator), the Chair of the Commons Education Select Committee (a Conservative MP like Mr Gove), teaching unions, exam boards and leading academics.  Mr Gove does not shy from a fight but it will be interesting to see the extent to which he engages with the concerns being raised or whether he sticks his ground, being certain that he knows best.

 An interesting development has been the recent involvement of HMC in the debate.  HMC represents the 250 leading independent schools in the country (including King's Rochester) and one of the key points being made is that our schools value diversity and choice while the EBC represents a 'low trust' approach towards our level of expertise.  I have written in previous blog posts about this debate and there is a reasonable summary on the TES website (click here).

While the debate continues (and will do so for some time), I found myself reflecting on more positive matters closer to home.  The school is abuzz with that wonderful feeling of the anticipation of Christmas and coming up in the next five days we have carol services for all three schools in the Cathedral as well as nativity plays and our Cathedral Choristers singing at the Historic Dockyard in Chatham on Wednesday evening.  The Prep and Senior Schools have House matches this week and the boarders' black tie dinner on Thursday.    Meanwhile The Sunday Times is currently my favourite newspaper, having featured Rochester as an excellent place from which to commute to London and being blessed with beautiful surroundings (click here, although subscription needed) and also placing our Prep School in their Top 100 Parent Power table.  We have also recently concluded the process of defining the distinctive characteristics of King's and reaffirming our Aims of Education which I look forward to publishing shortly.

There are some important decisions to be made about the future of education but that should not come at the expense of noting and celebrating all that which is good.