Shaping Aspirations
I have often wondered why it is that adults ask children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Is it out of general curiosity, a polite conversation starter or maybe out of a genuine interest in the…
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A Smooth Transition
There are moments in any child’s journey through school that remain pivotal to a smooth and enjoyable experience. Any teacher would be able to create a lengthy list of what these moments are and each would endeavour to create an…
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From Pod to Plate
One of my most treasured childhood memories is of my great, grandfather’s garden. I would spend my visits to his house almost entirely outside in a garden that inspired awe and wonder in me. It really was the most magical…
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Modern Neuroscience and Cognitive Behaviours
When asked what I do as a profession, I have always been reticent to say I am a teacher. The responses are often prejudicial: simply as everyone has a view as, at some point, they once attended school. I am…
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Pastoral Care of Learners
As a practising school leader, my most important responsibility is not to educate the child in my care but to ensure they are safe and hopefully happy. It is only when these two pre-conditions are met that any young person…
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Happy teachers, happy school: the Arcadia method – part 3
Incredibly high standard The standard of applicants was incredibly high. This made final decisions difficult, but we had to come down to our final selection of 22 teachers. We are absolutely delighted with the teachers we have employed —…
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Happy teachers, happy school: the Arcadia method – part 2
Early to market I have to say that our recruitment process was exceptional: during my 25 years in education with a variety of international schools, I’ve never seen anything as thorough — or, ultimately, as successful. We went early to…
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Happy teachers, happy school: the Arcadia method – part 1
When I was growing up, I had the good fortune to come into contact with some inspirational teachers. Of course, I didn’t realise it at the time — few of us did. Like most children, at first I just thought…
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School Readiness
Starting school is a very exciting time for children but can also make them feel nervous, anxious and scared. Children need to feel settled, calm and safe, and a little preparation from their homes can really help with the transition….
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Professional Development for Learners
One of the very few topics educationalists totally agree upon is the importance of continuing professional development for teaching and support staff. This may seem so obvious as to need no further explanation but this would be to underestimate the…
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