The unfeasibly glamorous Educational Psychologist, Tanya Byron, has published the above report, “Oh, Nothing Much”, to delve into that Black Box that we know as school.  In what may be a bid to turn us all into Helicopter Parents, she is suggesting that they way to find out what is occuring at your child school is to engage in a more open dialogue.  As Professor Byron concludes:

In summary – a successful learner is a happy learner; a happy learner is one that feels capable and also supported and understood when necessary. For children this is best affected by calm, empowering and supportive communications between all those involved in their education and care, and a relaxed, warm and positive family setting where all the successes and disappointments of the day can be shared enthusiastically.

Well, fine.  But this cuts across one significant aspect of what Home-School communications ought to embody and that’s trust in teachers.  It is very important to engage in “supportive communication” with your child & their teacher/school.  But as a parent we have a responsibility to support the process of learning that is set in motion through the school environment. 

I am not certain that all parents could share disappointments “enthusiastically”.  Rather, I’d be inclined to feel that a child’s disappointments may be taken to heart and be turned into ammunition with which to criticise a well-meaning teacher who merely happens to be utilising sound classroom management techniques.  Alternatively, parents may fail to realise that disappointment and dealing with the fall-out is an element of learning to be a properly funtioning member of society.

I’m all for opening dialogue with parents; lifting the lid on the Black Box.  But please do not let the tail wag the dog.  Someone is the educational expert here, put some trust in them.  Let parents be parents and love their children and if that means taking “nothing” to mean “I did OK today, but nothing of significance happened today that I could either be blamed or praised for so I don’t really need to share it beacuse I’ve been busy for the last 7 hours, actually”, then accept it.

I had not expected to be in such position – to attempt to say something witty and wise to a hall full of boys & their parents – so soon.  So what to say?  Well I got off to a risky start when I told the audience that my old house was Garnet.  Immediately alienating myself from 4/5ths of them!  I recovered with a more serious reflection on the simple, unifying factor of all Campion Boys (and girls, now there are 60+ in the 6th form) and that is their quality as decent men ( and women).  “A firm hand shake an good eye contact will take you far”.  For a couple of hundred teenage boys to come up on stage and do just that (with just a few exceptions and “cheers, mate” will be addressed by Mr. Luck!), was exceptional testament to the standards set by the school and adhered to by the men.

Continuing the risky route I then pointed out the importance of balance between work and play and that the school provides so many opportunities to develop personally – music, arts, literature, sport.  I pointed out that a man who can dance, cook, know poetry or play a musical instrument would be more popular with the fairer sex!  A positive reaction – to say the least!

I then took the plunge and gave them my advice as a primary school teacher and invoked Robert Fulgham’s “All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten.”  Partly to deliver some humour, but also to demonstrate the importance of the simple things in life, it certainly provoked a good response.  Especially when I told them how important it was to flush the toilet & wash hands before you eat!

A great day, made more so, when i discovered that the Headmaster, John Johnson – himself a Former Pupil – was a Leyton Orient season ticket holder.

Unfortuneately, I don’t necessarily have the time to delve very far into micro-sites such as this one on the Human Mind & Psychology Tests. However, there is much that can be gained from this site for our INSET sessions!

For me, the important elements are:

• Recognising & sharing goals
• Investigating new initiatives
• Training for staff
• Creating a platform for open dialogue

By absorbing ideas from a wide variety of disciplines we can only become more creative in our search for ideas to keep our schools moving forward.

As my PA & myself now constitute the marekting team at St. Joseph’s In The Park, I took myself off yesterday to a Strategic Marketing Seminar run by AMDIS.  I returned to base today full of phrases like “Key Buying Factors” and “Market Sector Segmentation” and “Blue Ocean Markets”.  Naturally, my SLT looked at me as if I was off my rocker.  But Marketing Strategy is the law of the Jungle in this day and age.  Although I’m not going to jump onto the Credit-Crunch-Is-Bad-For-Independent-Schools bandwagon, I must admit I’m looking forward to interpreting my new found knowledge of Marketing Strategy in real-life terms.

In the BBC News article by Mike Baker writes:

The latest Ipsos Mori poll for the Independent Schools Council shows that 57% of parents would leave the state system if they could afford to do so. That is the highest figure since these polls began in 1997.

However, he concludes:

Despite what some say, though, I am not convinced the poll proves a dramatic loss of public confidence in state schools.

So if this means that there is increasing interest in Independent education, we have to ensure that we capitalise on that interest.  However, I’ve discoverd as a Head that you cannot be all things to all people.  We are, as a school, what we are and our community loves us for it.  Maintaining the standards is the main thing, attracting new families to find out more about us is the next.  Play to your strengths and develop your weaknesses.

I couldn’t sell cars or houses, but selling education at a school whose product (in a marketing sense) is easy to believe in is a simple task.

Joy in child, given with the love of a parent…