Archive for 2008

Debate on the bus goes round and round

The Simpsons regularly features Otto the school bus driver – a staple part of the local community. Admittedly he is a zoned-out hippy but he illustrates a part of childrens’ life in the States about which nobody thinks twice: taking…

SEN pupil gets support needed with help from the ISC

Independent schools are often branded the preserve of the rich and talented. But, in fact the sector caters for those of all levels of ability and often provides ideal settings for those with special educational needs.

I am touched to…

Eco schools – ISC schools get involved in debate

Last month, the Evening Standard printed an artist’s impression for the most expensive school ever to be built in Britain’ (The £72m school , Evening Standard). The Holland Park School in Kensington, which is apparently referred to as ‘the Eton…

Transforming the curriculum through the Extended Project

The law of unintended consequences is responsible for much of the world’s evil. One of those misfortunes, it could be argued, is the existence of an overly prescriptive, over-loaded curriculum. If you were sitting down to design the curriculum, where…

ContactPoint review ignores independent schools’ concerns

Deloitte’s security review of the children’s database system, ContactPoint makes worrying reading for parents. It identifies a number of security failings; points to significant risks to the database caused by lack of expertise and resource; notes the limits on the ContactPoint…