Running, drumming & procrastinating
I ran my second ever half marathon on Sunday. It was easier than my first
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one three months ago, despite the incessant wind. I only started running nine months ago and on that first occasion I managed half a mile, vomited at the side of the road and then walked home. Now I’m training for the Paris marathon on 15 April.
Trying to fit runs around a young family, leading a school and being involved in several other organisations isn’t easy. It’s involved a lot of runs at 9pm at night, on my own in the cold, wet and dark. It takes self-discipline to pull on my running gear and head out into the night. And then there’s the drums. I forgot to say that I’m also trying to play the drums. I passed my Grade 1 in December, along with several 11/12 year olds from my school – which is good for my humility. It’s taken a year and a bit to get to that stage because Read the rest of this entry »
Private schools should be abolished…..or should they?
The following is a guest blog by Toby Young – freelance journalist, author & inspiration behind
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the West London Free School. It is taken from a debate at the Oxford Union.
“I want to start by agreeing with the honourable members on the other side. The fact that only seven per cent of the British population attended independent schools, yet 75% of judges, 70% of finance directors and 45% of top civil servants have been privately educated is iniquitous. Unquestionably, private schools have a good deal to answer for when it comes to the preservation of the English class system. I share the belief on the other side of this house that we need to do something about this. I went to three state schools. I’ve just set up a school in Read the rest of this entry »
Sponsoring an Academy is not for me
I am not going to be taking up David Cameron’s generic offer to get myself & my 
school involved in helping to run a Primary Academy. The Prime Minister may feel that because of this I am part of the continuation of the ‘educational apartheid’ he has accused independent schools of perpetuating by not lending their experience to the running of academies, but that is not the case.
It’s not because I am an educational snob – my own education was in the state sector. It’s not because I don’t agree with the academies Read the rest of this entry »
There are no universal leadership traits
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“There are no universal leadership characteristics”. A somewhat controversial statement from Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones in their excellent book ‘Why should anyone be led by you?’. Given the millions of pounds of revenue generated every year by sales of books on leadership and management, I’m sure there are plenty of authors who would disagree!
However, they do go on to qualify the statement by saying Read the rest of this entry »
I can’t hear what you say because what you do drowns out your words
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I can’t hear what you say because what you do drowns out your words
Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark in the United States, was speaking at a conference I attended recently in Chicago. He was telling his story and explained how he was told off be a local resident who basically said that whilst he was saying all the right things, his actions didn’t match his words. ‘Actions speak louder than words’ as the old adage goes.
When we are in leadership positions, whether we like it or not, all eyes are on us. People are quick to notice if we are all talk, no action. Or even worse, if our lives are unauthentic. There have been plenty of books written on authentic leadership but my favourite is ‘Why should anyone be led by you?’ by Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones.
It is demoralizing to work for someone who lacks authenticity. You never know whether to trust what they say because they may be two-faced, or you find it hard to have respect for them because of the way they behave outside of the work environment or when they think no-one will notice.
Think of a fantastic leader you have worked with – what was it about them that you admired?
When a leader stops learning, they should stop leading
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At my school we are launching our ‘Learn Something New’ scheme for both academic and support staff. Staff have offered to run a variety of 3-4 week courses on something they are passionate about, for other staff to sign up to. The courses include cooking tapas, researching your family tree, golf, and ballroom dancing. Staff can also receive some funding towards something new they wish to learn outside of school. Why are we doing this? Because you will be a better teacher and a more enriched adult if you can remember what it is to be a learner. Twelve months ago I decided to lead by example and took up the drums, having never played a musical instrument before. I sit my Grade 1 exam at Christmas! Read the rest of this entry »
Are you willing to shake things up?
Adam Bryant, Deputy Editor, New York Times
It’s easy to accept the status quo, especially when things are going well. Why risk rocking the boat when staff and customers are happy? The brave, the ‘fearless’ as Adam Bryant refers to them, do just that. They are not happy to sit and rest on their laurels because good isn’t good enough for them. When your business is successful, that is the time to look at moving to the next level or risk a gradual, almost imperceptible decline. Jim Collins illustrates this beautifully in his book “Good to Great”.
But shaking things up takes courage. In striving for excellence and improvement you risk messing with something that isn’t broken. The best leaders know when that risk is worth taking, they understand how to bring people along with them on what can be a roller coaster journey, they have a clear vision of what the company will look like when they are finished. I’m not talking about crazy risks which haven’t been thought through, rushing headlong into the unknown but neither do I mean only making changes when there is a safety net there. Listen to Adam’s one minute summary by clicking here then post a comment as to what you think.
School Reports – Meaningful, or Meaningless?
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I can remember as a boy steaming open the envelope containing my school report so that I could prepare my excuses in case, yet again, my teachers had seemed to have forgotten all my redeeming features and only have concentrated on the very few times I had got things wrong. Things have certainly changed – my pupils at St Olave’s sit down every half term with their staff Mentor for a one to one meeting where they discuss the grades/comments and agree three objectives for the following half term all before the parents see the reports. The reports are then accessed by parents online via the website.
The subject of school reports always evokes strong reactions from those who write them (teachers), those who read them (parents), and those whom they are about (pupils). Read the rest of this entry »
Where do you do your thinking?
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Trains. I was never into trains when I was a little boy. I live in York, home of the National Railway Museum, but I don’t spend much time there. I went Inter Railing around Europe as a student but the trains were just a means to an end. I didn’t like having no control of who I sat next to or the unexplained stops in the middle of nowhere.
I like train journeys now. Why? Thinking time. Reading time. Writing time.
This year I am Chairman of the Independent Association of Prep Schools and I spend a lot of time travelling around the UK on trains. Some are better than others. I like the East Coast service from York to London – always on time, on-board wifi. I really don’t like the Cross Country service from York to Leamington Spa – terrible coffee.
However, all of them provide me with time to think, read, plan, dream. It’s vital as leaders that we proactively build in time to step back from the hectic pace of day to day life. To look at where we’re going and what we need to do to get there. Twice a year I go away for 24 hours to reflect, to plan, to think ‘big picture’ thoughts.
So, where do you do your best thinking? Post your answer below.
Beyond the White Paper
The government’s Education White Paper, entitled ‘The Importance of Teaching’ was published at the end of November. While its aims are noble, the Paper advocates assessment, league tables and a prescribed curriculum, all areas which have proven to be problematic and are often shunned by independent prep schools.
The Government sees the proposals as ‘a radical reform programme for the schools system, with schools freed from the constraints of central Government direction and teachers placed firmly at the heart of school improvement’. In our sector, we are fortunate to have a certain distance from some of the controlling influences which this Paper seeks to address. Some of the initiatives grabbed the headlines, such as the plan to enable members of the Armed Forces to take up teaching positions and the establishment of a ‘Teach Next’ programme to attact high performers from other professions into teaching. Some aims are certainly laudable, not least an attempt to raise professional standards and recruit the best graduates into teaching. Other aspects are more surprising, such as the appointment of Simon Schama to oversea the history curriculum.