VAT and next steps: an update from ISC

Posted on 13/08/2024 by jameswilding

All independent schools are facing the imposition of VAT on the tuition fees they charge parents for the education they provide for their children. As announced by the new Labour government last month, VAT is due to be imposed on tuition fees from January 2025.
The Inland Revenue published their first technical paper 2 weeks ago; in short, the paper makes clear that the new government is currently drafting the new regulations to cover their taxation proposals, and that for the time being Independent Schools are not able to register for VAT in advance of the guidance due out next month.
The Independent Schools sector is not some monolith of common provision, but far more diverse than the 93% of schools that make up state education. The sector in England is notably diverse, encompassing a variety of schools that cater to different age groups, educational needs, and philosophies. A significant portion of this sector consists of private schools providing nursery and junior education up to age 11, offering early childhood and primary education with a focus on foundational learning and development.

In addition to these, the sector includes prestigious secondary schools, both boarding and day, as well as single-sex and co-educational institutions. Religious and non-religious schools add to this diversity, along with schools offering specialized curricula in areas such as the arts, sciences, or international education. Importantly, special schools make up about 20% of the Independent Sector, providing tailored education for students with special educational needs (SEN), including physical disabilities, autism, and other learning challenges. This wide-ranging diversity ensures that the Independent Sector in England offers a broad spectrum of educational opportunities.
Bearing the above in mind, the new government’s plans to treat all private schools in the same way, despite their sheer complexity, is a very brave decision, as is the choice to impose the tax so quickly from January 2025. I’ve written previously (https://jameswilding.blog/2024/06/07/doing-the-right-thing-right-there-is-an-even-greater-good/) about the crisis the private nursery sector currently faces, with underfunding endemic and new demands being made to ensure the availability of 30 hours for all eligible families for 3+ and 15 hours reaching down past 2 to 9 months in due course. The government’s decision means that all private schools will have the added complexity of both VATable activities (education) and VATexempt activities (nursery and care) to manage, which in itself will significantly add to the costs for schools in terms of accounting.
Below I copy verbatim the letter written to all ISC schools today, in which Julie Robinson, ISC CEO is quoted. As she makes clear, since the election our sector has been in overdrive working out how manage the genuine cost crisis the tax proposals will put on parents and schools.
Clearly the Principals of Claires Court are taking full notice of our sector’s lead in this matter, and supporting ISC to the hilt.

“Ahead of future communications,we wanted to provide a short update outlining recent events and what you can expect before the beginning of term.

We appreciate news over the summer of an accelerated timescale for the implementation of VAT on school fees (January) came as a shock. Independent schools are under pressure to deal with communications and prepare for the enormous challenges the government’s tax policies bring and we want to do what we can to support and inform you at this most difficult time.

Political meetings

ISC CEO Julie Robinson has met this week with the new minister in charge of independent education, Stephen Morgan. ISC remains your voice in Westminster and will be holding regular meetings with the minister and civil servants on issues affecting independent schools. ISC staff, along with ISBA, have also been liaising with Treasury ministers and officials. We have been engaging in the spirit of building a constructive relationship with the new government on a variety of topics while still ensuring that urgent concerns are communicated about the implementation of its policy to place VAT on fees and, for schools run by charitable trusts, remove business rates relief. Further meetings are due to take place over the coming weeks, and we will continue to press on issues including the timing of implementation and the acute effects anticipated on different areas of education.

VAT and loss of business rates relief: next steps for schools

We are aware that many schools will want to feed into the Treasury consultation on its draft legislation and we very much encourage this. In the ISC monthly report, which will be sent to all schools towards the end of next week, we will be including guidance on how to most effectively fill out the consultation questionnaire. We would recommend completing consultation paperwork only after receiving this guidance.

Also in next week’s monthly report, you will find updated guidance for you, your governors and your school community on engaging with your MP about this issue. Given the significantly shorter timescales involved with regard to the implementation of this policy, we would advise reading and disseminating this information as soon as possible – and, as ever, Matthew Dent is on hand to provide advice.

Legal challenges

Significant speculation has arisen about a potential legal challenge to the government’s policy. ISC, alongside the associations, is receiving ongoing advice from senior legal counsel and any steps we take will be in that context. We are aware of various issues, including human rights and other potential angles, which we are following up with counsel. Rest assured, we are looking at all options. But given the nature of these discussions and the ongoing intense media interest in this topic, we are not disclosing details at this stage.

——————————————————————————

We will continue our work in the media to raise awareness of the issues around VAT and the loss of business rates relief, as well as using the platform this coverage affords us to champion the important place independent schools hold within their local community and across education as a whole.

At the same time, we must recognise that this is a policy the government is committed to. It has confirmed it is set on implementing this manifesto commitment to the timescale as outlined in draft legislation. While we will continue efforts to oppose the policy on principle and push for exemptions and mitigations, we are also urging all schools to prepare for the possibility of a January implementation. ISBA is updating its guidance and holding webinars on the practical steps schools need to take over the coming months – please make sure you keep an eye out for emails from them signposting you to this valuable information. We also expect HMRC to provide guidance and advice for schools in due course.

We will continue to provide updates, though there will be occasions where work is going on behind the scenes that we cannot yet discuss. In the meantime, if you have any particular questions or concerns, please do get in touch with either Simon Nathan (for policy/public affairs), Sarah Cunnane (for media and comms) or Julie Robinson (for general enquiries or support). We appreciate that this is a particularly difficult time for you, for your schools and for the families you serve. Please make use of ISC and of your associations if you need us; we are here to support you however we can.”

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Principals’ End of Term Letter  ♦   12 July 2024  

Posted on 12/07/2024 by jameswilding

Principals’ End of Term Letter  ♦   12 July 2024   https://bit.ly/463H6iq

Introduction
Summer sunshine is with us for barely a brief moment, yet the smiles amongst the Claires Court community, parents, pupils and staff, have been much more sustained (thank you) and carried us through so well this term. The last fortnight has seen our many and various respective graduations and events, all full of the optimism that makes life here so very special. Some very new arrivals into our school over the last month have genuinely appreciated the warmth of our welcome and change in confidence is already evident at home too. Covering as we do the widest of school age ranges, from Nursery to Sixth Form, it’s very clear that our ‘matrix’ approach ensures that each age and development stage has local leaders, management and administration in place with whom parents can ‘work and tweak’ accordingly. At the core of Claires Court though is a central leadership and professional administration that carries much of the heavy lifting when issues such as building works or looming government threats arise. School overall is not yet fully ‘Out for the Summer’ as we have a CCF residential camp, Duke of Edinburgh Silver paddling expedition, athletics and rowing training, national trials and Brit championships too, but for the vast majority, let me simply wish you a great summer break!

Key highlights of the Year 2023-24
There have been so many amazing and positive events throughout the year that I’ll leave the ‘Highlights reel’ until our Court Report is published in September. Central to the school’s very existence has been the acceptance by ISI (the Independent Schools Inspectorate) that our choice to separate boys and girls for secondary education is both appropriate and well-judged. The progress monitoring report made this really clear in summation on the qualities of leadership and management in the school: “Since the previous inspection the school has formally recorded its rationale for the positive action taken to educate male and female pupils separately between ages 11 and 16. It has identified that male and female pupils at the school would otherwise suffer a disadvantage and that they have different needs. The action taken is proportionate and the directors and school leaders show good understanding of any unintended consequences.”

Bringing the Junior boys and girls together at Ridgeway has clearly helped us make the major breakthrough in uniting juniors under one roof for their teaching, learning and co-curricular opportunities whilst releasing Senior Girls and Sixth Form to grow in size and activity substantially too. Mrs Kirby, Mrs King and the junior teaching staff can of course take the lion’s share of the credit at Ridgeway, whilst Mr Hope and Sixth Form team the same for the remarkable expansion of scale and enterprise shown post 16. This has made our choice to unite the secondary leadership of Senior education under Mr Richards (Head) and Mrs Ruddick (Deputy) the final logical step for the future development of the school’s 11-16 age range provision. Conveying an understanding the sheer scale of our endeavour is really important for my brother Hugh and I to convey to both staff and parents; covering the needs of some 1000 children across a footprint that reaches Middlesex and Surrey yet covers the Thames Valley and South Bucks is a genuine challenge that can change on a daily basis. To still be able to celebrate that we have a growing school which remains academically ambitious and now competes in 10 sports to international standard is really no mean feat in 2024.

My work moving forwards
As Academic Principal, it’s been my job to design the paths pursued by teachers and learners. I’ll always have to worry about the practicalities of life when third parties impact dramatically (closing Cookham Bridge) on the way we work. I’ve spent some of the last year working in the classroom academically (History) whilst developing new ways of working in Technology (Drones & Food Tech) and exploring with our ICT & Computer science specialist staff how to integrate AI into our ways of working in the Classroom.

So as I step aside from working with Senior Boys for much of my working day, I step back into leading the school as a whole, giving that my full attention, and as such serving the ISA National Executive Council for the next 3 years too. As I wrote last week, we have a new government to work with, and in turn a new Department for Education in formation. Behind the scenes, meetings with officials and introductions to this new DfE have commenced with our sector and our own Association very actively involved in the dialogue.  Serving on ISA’s Council keeps me close to these matters of great interest and the experience we offer to our sector as the largest school of our kind is genuinely valued.

The threat to costs for parents
Claires Court is in the strongest position we could be currently, secure financially and with new development proposals clearly managed and kept under review to ensure further cost rises are controlled. Our choices over many years to work in partnership with our local arts and sports clubs mean that we have brilliant access to amazing facilities in community ownership. The further expansion of our sports facilities at Ridgeway is not just benefitting the school, but over 1000 adults and children playing sports every week for clubs and societies, including most notably the home for Maidenhead Royals Cricket Club and Maidenhead United Football Club Juniors. We are now celebrating our 46th year with Maidenhead Sailing Club, and 40-year partnerships with both Maidenhead Rowing Club and Phoenix Rugby Club. The genuinely magnificent facilities for a school at Braywick with Maidenhead Rugby Club are now matched with the Sixth Form able to access the David Lloyd centre within easy reach.

I’ve been very conscious of the need to grow additional revenue streams for the school, and the successful ongoing development of the Claires Court PTA Foundation as an independent charity has played a central part in this strategy. As we make further progress through the summer and autumn, I will be able to say more in this area; I am very proud that the various channels in the PTA ‘Just Giving’ programme have already begun to receive donations and funding which cover costs otherwise to be met by the school. For example, the Foundation is able to make available from existing and new donations 75% of the costs to the school for the provision of school places for our Ukrainian refugees into the third year here. New plans for the installation of an artificial playing surface are well underway at Ridgeway, with hopefully more to follow at Taplow, both because of generous proposals being submitted to the Foundation or the Principals. In short, we are committed to providing parents and students with the assurance that the teachers, equipment and facilities offered by Claires Court will remain the best they can be, yet strive as highlighted to ensure other funding opportunities are exploited to ease the strain.

Central to everyone’s concerns is the yawning gap arising in the availability of teachers to work in schools and colleges. Our significant contribution to teacher training within RBWM is well documented; with teacher training now able to be accessed through the apprenticeship levy, we’ve been able to expand our own programme further, such that new talent and new areas can be opened in-house. As a consequence, whilst we say farewell to some brilliant teachers into jobs elsewhere (mainly overseas it must be noted) our inward recruitment of new staff is strong and refreshing, introducing further exciting opportunities and new ways of working. To this end, I celebrate the success of Miriam Harris (English), Harriet Odell (Primary), Amy Walters (Primary) and Noelle Freeman (Early Years), the latter with a first class BA degree in Child Development & Learning.

Farewells
The Court Report will cover these more fully, but in this closing letter I’d like to congratulate five of our staff for the significant contributions they have made to the school during their employment with us. To Veronica Foster (37 years as individual music specialist), Nick Butterfield (19 years secondary and primary PE). Paula Copeman (17 Years as our Head Librarian), Huw Buckle (13 years in the Business Studies Department and the last 2 as my deputy), and Joel Wareing (10 years Head of Art) – their contribution as teachers (also as parents) in our community has been superb. As it has been for so many of our employees (and Principals), Claires Court has been the start, middle and end of their careers in Education, their ‘safe space’ amongst the maelstrom of life.

Conclusion
Between now and the State Opening of Parliament next Wednesday (17 July), all the new Members of Parliament are being sworn in. It’s then we will learn more about the government’s proposals for their first parliamentary year, how their proposals in detail for Education and VAT will play out. It’s clear from the first speech given by the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, that she has to take very great care to craft proposals for future taxation that meet the needs of the country. In that first address, her focus was on promoting growth, and refreshing Green Belt policy so that much needed development in areas under pressure can take place. It may be that we might actually have found an ally there, given the local planning difficulties we’ve faced for years! More seriously, having outlined above all the positive developments that Claires Court has managed to date, please feel assured that Hugh and I will continue to work through this period of uncertainty, in turn assured by the incredible support you as parents and guardians have shown throughout the last 12 months. Our school Motto is “Ut Omnes Unum Sint”, which translates as “So that all may be one” – so be it, we stand together – thank you all.

Hugh and James Wilding
12 July 2024


 Principals’ End of Term Letter  ♦   12 July 2024   https://bit.ly/463H6iq

Introduction

Summer sunshine is with us for barely a brief moment, yet the smiles amongst the Claires Court community, parents, pupils and staff, have been much more sustained (thank you) and carried us through so well this term. The last fortnight has seen our many and various respective graduations and events, all full of the optimism that makes life here so very special. Some very new arrivals into our school over the last month have genuinely appreciated the warmth of our welcome and change in confidence is already evident at home too. Covering as we do the widest of school age ranges, from Nursery to Sixth Form, it’s very clear that our ‘matrix’ approach ensures that each age and development stage has local leaders, management and administration in place with whom parents can ‘work and tweak’ accordingly. At the core of Claires Court though is a central leadership and professional administration that carries much of the heavy lifting when issues such as building works or looming government threats arise. School overall is not yet fully ‘Out for the Summer’ as we have a CCF residential camp, Duke of Edinburgh Silver paddling expedition, athletics and rowing training, national trials and Brit championships too, but for the vast majority, let me simply wish you a great summer break!

Key highlights of the Year 2023-24

There have been so many amazing and positive events throughout the year that I’ll leave the ‘Highlights reel’ until our Court Report is published in September. Central to the school’s very existence has been the acceptance by ISI (the Independent Schools Inspectorate) that our choice to separate boys and girls for secondary education is both appropriate and well-judged. The progress monitoring report made this really clear in summation on the qualities of leadership and management in the school: “Since the previous inspection the school has formally recorded its rationale for the positive action taken to educate male and female pupils separately between ages 11 and 16. It has identified that male and female pupils at the school would otherwise suffer a disadvantage and that they have different needs. The action taken is proportionate and the directors and school leaders show good understanding of any unintended consequences.”

Bringing the Junior boys and girls together at Ridgeway has clearly helped us make the major breakthrough in uniting juniors under one roof for their teaching, learning and co-curricular opportunities whilst releasing Senior Girls and Sixth Form to grow in size and activity substantially too. Mrs Kirby, Mrs King and the junior teaching staff can of course take the lion’s share of the credit at Ridgeway, whilst Mr Hope and Sixth Form team the same for the remarkable expansion of scale and enterprise shown post 16. This has made our choice to unite the secondary leadership of Senior education under Mr Richards (Head) and Mrs Ruddick (Deputy) the final logical step for the future development of the school’s 11-16 age range provision. Conveying an understanding the sheer scale of our endeavour is really important for my brother Hugh and I to convey to both staff and parents; covering the needs of some 1000 children across a footprint that reaches Middlesex and Surrey yet covers the Thames Valley and South Bucks is a genuine challenge that can change on a daily basis. To still be able to celebrate that we have a growing school which remains academically ambitious and now competes in 10 sports to international standard is really no mean feat in 2024. 

My work moving forwards

As Academic Principal, it’s been my job to design the paths pursued by teachers and learners. I’ll always have to worry about the practicalities of life when third parties impact dramatically (closing Cookham Bridge) on the way we work. I’ve spent some of the last year working in the classroom academically (History) whilst developing new ways of working in Technology (Drones & Food Tech) and exploring with our ICT & Computer science specialist staff how to integrate AI into our ways of working in the Classroom. 

So as I step aside from working with Senior Boys for much of my working day, I step back into leading the school as a whole, giving that my full attention, and as such serving the ISA National Executive Council for the next 3 years too. As I wrote last week, we have a new government to work with, and in turn a new Department for Education in formation. Behind the scenes, meetings with officials and introductions to this new DfE have commenced with our sector and our own Association very actively involved in the dialogue.  Serving on ISA’s Council keeps me close to these matters of great interest and the experience we offer to our sector as the largest school of our kind is genuinely valued. 

The threat to costs for parents

Claires Court is in the strongest position we could be currently, secure financially and with new development proposals clearly managed and kept under review to ensure further cost rises are controlled. Our choices over many years to work in partnership with our local arts and sports clubs mean that we have brilliant access to amazing facilities in community ownership. The further expansion of our sports facilities at Ridgeway is not just benefitting the school, but over 1000 adults and children playing sports every week for clubs and societies, including most notably the home for Maidenhead Royals Cricket Club and Maidenhead United Football Club Juniors. We are now celebrating our 46th year with Maidenhead Sailing Club, and 40-year partnerships with both Maidenhead Rowing Club and Phoenix Rugby Club. The genuinely magnificent facilities for a school at Braywick with Maidenhead Rugby Club are now matched with the Sixth Form able to access the David Lloyd centre within easy reach. 

I’ve been very conscious of the need to grow additional revenue streams for the school, and the successful ongoing development of the Claires Court PTA Foundation as an independent charity has played a central part in this strategy. As we make further progress through the summer and autumn, I will be able to say more in this area; I am very proud that the various channels in the PTA ‘Just Giving’ programme have already begun to receive donations and funding which cover costs otherwise to be met by the school. For example, the Foundation is able to make available from existing and new donations 75% of the costs to the school for the provision of school places for our Ukrainian refugees into the third year here. New plans for the installation of an artificial playing surface are well underway at Ridgeway, with hopefully more to follow at Taplow, both because of generous proposals being submitted to the Foundation or the Principals. In short, we are committed to providing parents and students with the assurance that the teachers, equipment and facilities offered by Claires Court will remain the best they can be, yet strive as highlighted to ensure other funding opportunities are exploited to ease the strain.

Central to everyone’s concerns is the yawning gap arising in the availability of teachers to work in schools and colleges. Our significant contribution to teacher training within RBWM is well documented; with teacher training now able to be accessed through the apprenticeship levy, we’ve been able to expand our own programme further, such that new talent and new areas can be opened in-house. As a consequence, whilst we say farewell to some brilliant teachers into jobs elsewhere (mainly overseas it must be noted) our inward recruitment of new staff is strong and refreshing, introducing further exciting opportunities and new ways of working. To this end, I celebrate the success of Miriam Harris (English), Harriet Odell (Primary), Amy Walters (Primary) and Noelle Freeman (Early Years), the latter with a first class BA degree in Child Development & Learning. 

Farewells

The Court Report will cover these more fully, but in this closing letter I’d like to congratulate five of our staff for the significant contributions they have made to the school during their employment with us. To Veronica Foster (37 years as individual music specialist), Nick Butterfield (19 years secondary and primary PE). Paula Copeman (17 Years as our Head Librarian), Huw Buckle (13 years in the Business Studies Department and the last 2 as my deputy), and Joel Wareing (10 years Head of Art) – their contribution as teachers (also as parents) in our community has been superb. As it has been for so many of our employees (and Principals), Claires Court has been the start, middle and end of their careers in Education, their ‘safe space’ amongst the maelstrom of life. 

Conclusion

Between now and the State Opening of Parliament next Wednesday (17 July), all the new Members of Parliament are being sworn in. It’s then we will learn more about the government’s proposals for their first parliamentary year, how their proposals in detail for Education and VAT will play out. It’s clear from the first speech given by the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, that she has to take very great care to craft proposals for future taxation that meet the needs of the country. In that first address, her focus was on promoting growth, and refreshing Green Belt policy so that much needed development in areas under pressure can take place. It may be that we might actually have found an ally there, given the local planning difficulties we’ve faced for years! More seriously, having outlined above all the positive developments that Claires Court has managed to date, please feel assured that Hugh and I will continue to work through this period of uncertainty, in turn assured by the incredible support you as parents and guardians have shown throughout the last 12 months. Our school Motto is “Ut Omnes Unum Sint”, which translates as “So that all may be one” – so be it, we stand together – thank you all. 

Hugh and James Wilding

12 July 2024

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Principled views on the Election 4 July 2024

Posted on 05/07/2024 by jameswilding

Following yesterday’s ballot, a Labour government has been elected. As Principals, my brother, Hugh and I know that the result will understandably cause uncertainty for all independent schools directly, and of course for our parents who have placed their children with us at Claires Court. For some time, Labour’s stated intention has been to remove “tax breaks” for our sector by imposing VAT on school fees and, as has already happened in Scotland and Wales, removing mandatory business rates relief from independent schools with charitable status. Because Claires Court does not have charitable status, we pay full business rates so the loss of this relief is already covered. Many independent schools nationally will not be so fortunate.


I copy below the message sent from Rudi Elliot Lockhart, CEO of the Independent Schools Association (ISA) to all 674 headteachers within ISA, the largest of the associations covering such schools in England.

“We have a new Government. As we know, it is the stated policy of the Government to impose VAT on school fees and to end business rates relief for schools with charitable status.
This has been the predominant political issue for the independent sector for a good while and has taken up much of ISA’s work in recent times. Nothing changes in this regard, other than we now have the certainty of a Labour government.

We will continue to make a positive case for all our schools and the independent sector more widely. We will continue to point out that we believe the Government’s VAT policy is misguided with damaging consequences for many of our schools and their pupils.
ISA is open to working with whoever is in power. We hope to have a constructive dialogue with the new Government to secure the best educational outcomes for our schools. We are working closely with the Independent Schools Council (ISC) our umbrella organisation, which is also in communication with heads, sharing the work it has done on behalf of the independent sector and its immediate plans.”

The new Labour government now has to publish the details of their outline proposals, including their consideration of the many unintended consequences to be worked through, together with a timetable for implementation. The King’s Speech on 19 July will contain an outline but the incoming new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has said that the policy will be announced in her first Budget (expected in the autumn), and media briefings have suggested implementation is likely to be later in 2025, either aligned to the new tax year (April) or school year (September). In the meantime, whilst ISA and ISC will be directly engaging with the incoming government over the summer period, the Principals and staff at Claires Court will work extremely hard to make sure we mitigate as best we can the harmful effects as they emerge from Labour’s proposals. As best we can, our Principals’ letter to parents at the end of this term next week will cover more in this area should the new government provide further clarity on this matter before then.

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Out of the frying pan…

Posted on 28/06/2024 by jameswilding

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the next general election on Wednesday 24 May 2024, circa 16:26 after a day filled with rumour beforehand. Am I a great fan of the current administration? No. Have I confidence in our current Member of Parliament, Theresa May? Yes, but she is standing down, and we have no idea who is to take her place as MP, because she’s be the only one Maidenhead has ever had. What competition do the Conservatives have in Maidenhead? Well, the Conservatives are in the minority, with the local council being run by a mix of Lib-Dems and Independents. And there’s a thing, because the leadership just made application to the Treasury for exceptional financial support. In short, RBWM is bankrupt, and needs bailing out by central government.

The council’s perilous position is best described by the local paper, the Maidenhead Advertiser. “The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council has been forced to seek ‘exceptional financial support’ from central government to rescue it from its perilous situation, ‘due in large part to historical local and national decisions’ going back many years. Year-on-year reductions to council tax for a period of six years from 2010 have left the council’s budget £30 million lower than if council tax had risen in line with average increases across the country. At the same time, the council’s debt increased from £58.7 million in 2014 to £204 million by March 2023, during the time when Government funding to local authorities was cut by 30 per cent. Reserves in April 2023 were at an un-audited £10m – the lowest known reserves of any unitary authority.“

There is much I like about local government; suffice it to say that much decision-making is located near where the choices made will have an impact. The trouble is that local government needs to avoid ‘aping’ national government, and that’s where RBWM got things really wrong over time. When George Osborne became Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2010, he called for austerity measures in a country seeking to recover from the 2008 financial crisis. Sadly, both local council leaders, Simon Dudley (2016-19) and his successor Andrew Johnston (2019-2023) chose to pursue a minimalist policy for local rates, keeping the cash costs to local residents for council services at a rock bottom rate. And guess what, if you don’t keep the cash coming in, services suffer and eventually the council can’t actually pay for the minimum services required of it by local people and national government. It’s petty to talk about the loss of our flower-baskets and local gardening services to keep the Town Hall flower beds under control, not so trivial when local police and warden services disappear and frankly a disgrace when the audit controls discover a black hole into which previous years of un-budgeted expenses have been filed.

By way of example, here’s Cllr Dudley writing a year ago in ‘Conservative Home’ about the unrecognised successes of his period leading RBWM, prior to their dismissal by the electorate:

“I was a councillor here from 2007 to 2019 (Deputy Leader, Lead Member for Finance in a great team). I was Leader from 2016 to 2019. We held the council in the hard times of the Brexit stalemate of May 2019. Direct comparisons with prior elections (we won four times) are hard because we instigated a boundary review and reduced the number of councillors from 53 to 41 prior to the 2019 “all out” elections. However, in May 2019 we achieved 43 per cent of the vote and 35,999 votes for a Conservative candidate. We held the council by 22 to 19. We did this with a hugely pro-housing agenda. Developing Maidenhead Golf Club (worth around £300 million to the local taxpayer) with a proposed 1,800 new homes (30 per cent of which will be affordable) as part of a Borough Local Plan which was restarted when I became Leader and is now adopted. It would have been hard for us to be seen as less pro-housing, establishing two housebuilding joint ventures, one with Cala Homes (for the golf club) and another with Countryside for regenerating Maidenhead.”

The reality some 12 months on are really clear to those councillors and public officials left to clear up the mess left by the Conservatives, an oxymoron if ever there was one for the behaviour of those previous politicians (now out of office). As things turn out at the Golf Club, it looks as though the council won’t benefit from the £300 million windfall any more than it did the sale of the old leisure centre to Countrywide for the price of being provided with a new one – the new Braywick Leisure centre cost some £40 million and the old site was devalued from £38 million to… £15 million and still shrinking. The Golf club sale suffers from the similar failure to ‘conserve’ the deal struck. It may be that the golf course land was worth north of £300 million pounds back when the deal was struck (or not, as the reality seems to be). I am told that the arrangements with Cala Homes permits them to claw back from that price all the additional elements that make for building a modern set of homes, schools, doctors and attendant facilities, including pumps for all, bio-net-gain, etc.

I feel sure by now, dear reader, you’ll wonder why I have entitled this blog as ‘Out of the frying pan…’, and that’s actually because the focus on redeveloping Maidenhead’s town centre and enabling it’s repopulation with residents living ‘in town’ has had a fabulous effect on the local economy, Not only do we have a cherished new Waterside development in the town, but we have become a major attraction across the global corporate world for being a town worth investing in, what with the Elizabeth line, and as Agents Knight Frank wrote last month (22 May) “A key strength of Maidenhead as an office location is its connectivity to its surrounding areas. The transport infrastructure means that London can be reached in as little as 17 minutes via train and is easily accessible via the M4 motorway. Access to a diverse workforce is vital for occupiers and reaching key UK centres within a reasonable journey time. Lifestyle and wellbeing are another of Maidenhead’s strengths. The Chapel Arches, One Maidenhead and Tempo developments have provided the town centre with abundant usable space, including housing, retail, public spaces, food and beverage, and offices. This is key for occupiers, who need to attract and retain talent. Onward, the Nicholson Quarter regeneration will be key in continuing the momentum by providing the space for employers and employees to remain and relocate.“

So, in short, there have been some major losses locally over the years, lots of change, much to look forward to and a sense that actually we’ve a lot now going in our favour. The pollsters are having a field day, and the changes seen locally last year in the democratic landscape look as though they are to happen across the country too. And it’s not all one way, because Scotland, Nothern Ireland and Wales are also facing seismic change, led as they have been by parties of different hues too. But, it does look as though the mead party next Friday in the Palace of Westminster/House of Commons will be Labour, so here perhaps is the ‘frying pan’.., to watch out for.

What I fear most from an incoming government under the Labour Party of course is the suggested implementation of a 20% VAT hike on private school tuition fees. With close to a thousand children in my school, the direct impact of such a hike on parents being able to afford us will be considerable. We are a business established for the purpose of offering independent schooling for children aged 2 to 18, we receive no benefits as conferred by charitable status, we pay business rates on our properties and corporation tax on our profit. Those schools that are charities in England are clearly fearful because already taking place in Scotland (2022) has been the removal of rate relief.

Our parents already pay for education through the taxes they pay, and for many families, we provide only part of the mix they need, where their local state schools can’t offer the benefits we do. What’s so very evident too is that no party of government can translate their promises into the direct action they publish in their manifesto; finding more teachers and doctors in principle sounds easy, but directing them to work in harsh, unmanageable conditions is quite something else.

School Proprietors remain politically neutral because the education service we offer must provide access to a balanced range of opinions and serve the needs not just of the present, but also ensure we reflect suitably on the past (that covers everything pretty much) and look to the future (almost certainly for most of us, the ‘unknown’). I know that schools are seen as places for fostering critical thinking and exposure to a variety of viewpoints. Such political neutrality helps ensure the curriculum focuses on facts and different perspectives, rather than promoting a specific party line. Moreover, children and young people come from families with diverse political views. Our neutral environment avoids alienating students or creating a sense of pressure to conform to a particular ideology. Parents entrust us with the education of their children. Political neutrality helps ensure that the school’s focus is on academic development, not indoctrination!

It’s important to note that neutrality doesn’t mean shying away from discussing current events or politics altogether. Our school playgrounds and events can still hold conversations about government, elections, and different political philosophies. Having studied 3 years of Ecology at University, I know how important the environment is, and I also know just how committed some young people have become to resisting climate change. However, my focus as a school academic leader should be on critical analysis and fostering independent thinking, not promoting a specific viewpoint. I’m watching as much of the political discourse in open debates on the TV as time and report reading permits, and I have been more stuck than ever that no-body from any party actually seems to answer the questions posed by the audience.

There is an old quip, attributed to George Bernard Shaw, that if all the economists were laid end to end, they’d never reach a conclusion. Actually, most economists do think alike as do the neutral public figures I’ve seen on TV and heard on radio – they are asking for the same things, including at the core the rebuilding of trust in our politicians and that they will do the right thing – please read last week’s blog because that’s absolutely the point. Whoever wins next week needs to unite the country, not divide us, bring a common purpose to the fore and, if change is to be wrought, take care and consider the unintended consequences of manifesto promises that actually won’t deliver the benefits suggested!

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“Doing the Right Thing Right” – There is an even greater good!

Posted on 07/06/2024 by jameswilding

It’s 25 years since I knew I was to lead as Chairman the Independent Schools Association, and it made me concentrate on the ‘Power of words’ spoken as “Calls for Action!” At a time when politics in the UK had stabilised, our military had positively engaged in the Balkan crisis and a new century had been born, I wondered out loud, looking ahead, how things were set to be so fair for the future. In short I had adopted the new millennium positive mindset, carried through for the next 12 years to include Danny Boyle’s great opening ceremony for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

5 June 2024 saw Claires Court host for the 25th year in succession the ISA London West Athletics Championships at the then newly built Eton College Thames Valley Stadium, built for the use and development of public athletics development in the Thames Valley and beyond. The event has grown from 20+ schools to 32 present today, and from a few schools to many now able to provide teams that cover the entire age range from 8+ to 16+. Circa 1200 athletes participated today, and they demonstrated once again that the limits of human achievement have not yet been reached, establishing new athletic records at this regional level. Deputy Head Co-Curricular, Jo Cox started work on our preparations back in January, engaging 25 Claires Court staff and a considerable number of our own Sixth Form students plus over 100 volunteers from all the other schools so that we could both offer the opportunity to compete and to be selected for the ISA LW team for any of the 106 schools in our region.

So, just to be clear, a private day school in the Thames Valley has chosen to run on behalf of 106 other schools in the same geographical area a day-long track and field competition, both to give any children chosen the opportunity to run, jump or thrown, and, if they are the best, then swap team shirts and represent our area against the other 6 areas in the nation.

In 2000, under the then Labour Government, all private schools , either individually or collectively, were invited and included in local, regional and national conversations about how ‘Education, Education, Education’ could be delivered. As the incoming Chair of ISA, I then spent the next 10 years of the Labour Government as an invited and active participant member of ‘thought leadership for Education’ for the nation. ‘Bully for you’ I hear you say. I loved it, of course!

Over the past 25 years, I have always remained committed to engaging with local, regional and national conversations on Education. If you are a subscriber to my blog, you know that anyway. Below, I describe the rules of the game, the boundaries of our operation and the ‘Faustian pact’ struck by proprietors such as I and the education environment in which we operate, at least in the memory of this headteacher whose service as a school leader is now 41 years old and counting

Rules of Engagement for Education. Education is not a Business: here’s what Gemini has to say on the matter:

Profit vs. Public Good: Education is seen as a public good, necessary for a functioning society. Businesses prioritise profit, which can sometimes conflict with educational goals.
Standardization vs. Individual Needs: Businesses thrive on standardisation and efficiency. Education, however, needs to cater to individual student needs and learning styles.
Measuring Success: A business might measure success by profit margins. Education success is trickier to define; it could be test scores, graduation rates, or a student’s ability to thrive in the future.
While education isn’t a business, there is some overlap. For instance, some schools might use business practices for efficiency or fundraising.

Point 1 The key takeaway is that the core purpose of education differs fundamentally from a business.

The United Kingdom has been part of the EU from 1 January 1973 until 31 January 2020. Throughout that period, the ground rules for Education have been very clear on the matter of Value Added Tax: In 2020, certain businesses were exempt from Value Added Tax (VAT) in various countries. Here are some common examples of businesses that were VAT-exempt:

Healthcare services: Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers offering medical services were typically VAT-exempt.
This includes services provided by doctors, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, and other healthcare professionals.
Financial and insurance services: Banking, lending, and other financial services were often VAT-exempt. Insurance and reinsurance services were also generally VAT-exempt.
Education services: Schools, universities, and other educational institutions providing tuition and related services were usually VAT-exempt.
Certain cultural and social services: Activities related to culture, sports, and entertainment provided by non-profit organizations were sometimes VAT-exempt. This could include museums, libraries, and similar cultural institutions.
Supplies of land and buildings: The sale, rental, or leasing of residential or commercial real estate was often VAT-exempt.
Supplies of investment gold: The supply of investment-grade gold, such as gold bars and coins, was typically VAT-exempt.

The whole point for Services above as described is that whilst what you do as activities is regarded as non-VATable, you are not able to reclaim spent on goods and services provided for you. The landscape of EDUCATION is not BUSINESS is utterly engraved into that landscape, as is the VAT exempt rule. From 1973 to Summer 2020, that’s been the agreed framework. Honestly, there is so much more in addition embedded in the Public/Private sector shared engagement in Education over decades now, it’s difficult to list them all. Here are some examples from Education alone:

  1. SEN EHCP funding: Parents who choose with the LA and Private school that their child is best placed in the private school have to pay the Private school tuition fees, whatever they are (Element 1); the private school has to cover the first £6000 of additional EHC funding as declared in the plan (Element 2) with the LA ‘topping up’ the final Element 3, as required.
  2. Private schools winning planning permission for new buildings and facilities are required to limit their usage to a very narrow audience, usually just for the children based on the site concerned, so as to limit the use of the facilities and reduce or ameliorate their usage on surrounding neighbours and traffic infrastructure.
  3. As Private schools are not registered for VAT, then they need to ensure their business activities do not exceed £90,000 per annum.
  4. Despite the above, a whole host of activities and government initiatives invite all schools to participate, but private schools cannot benefit from the funds made available for their implementation and realisation.
  5. Whether a private school is a charity or business, it is expected and required to provide public benefit to wider society. So, please take time to properly take this in. My customers of my school, fee payers, have been expected and required to invest in the school already, despite having paid their taxes which cover the cost of a state school place for their children. AND in paying the tuition fees for their children in the school, the excess not used for covering their teaching and learning costs are also to be used for the benefit of future users, who have never invested a penny farthing in the school. Here’s an example from Sport England’s recommendation to our local authority on a small development to provide 3 tennis courts at our Junior school to be built this summer – please bear with me for labouring this point:
  6. For Clarity Sport England’s Position: Sport England raises no objection to the application because it is considered to accord with exception 5 of our Playing Fields Policy and paragraph 103 of the NPPF.
    The absence of an objection is subject to the following condition being imposed the
    local planning authority (LPA) resolve to approve the application:
    Within 6 months of the work commencing on site, a Community Use Scheme
    shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.
    The Scheme shall include details of pricing policy, hours of use, access by nonschool users management responsibilities and include a mechanism for review.
    The approved Scheme shall be implemented upon commencement of use of the development.
    Reason: To secure well managed safe community access to the sports facility,
    to ensure sufficient benefit to the development of sport and to accord with
    RSS/UDP/LP/LDF Policy **
    If the LPA is minded to approve the application without imposing the above conditions
    then Sport England objects to the application as it is not considered to accord with any
    of the exceptions to our Playing Fields Policy or paragraph 103 of the NPPF.

June 2024 is election month in the UK (as it seems to be for 50% of the world). The Party most likely according to Pollsters to win the election is the Labour Party, whose manifesto makes it quite clear they wish to move the status of Tuition Fees from exempt to 20%. For everyone in our sector, whether placed by National, Regional or Local Authorities or indeed privately, their fees are to be taxed at 20%. The newspapers and gossip columns have filled their pages with huge volumes of writing, BBC Question time etc. filled the air waves and the latest podcast this last Tuesday afternoon from ‘When it hits the Fan’, led by David Yelland, former editor of the Sun and Simon Lewis, former trouble-shooter for the Queen and Gordon Brown,

Almost all that written, spoken or broadcast seems to carry copy of the laziest and incompetent kind, not least shaping the sector as being the sole preserve of the elite. There are 2,400 private schools in the UK, with many including membership of the 11,000 day nurseries that cover the Early years Foundation stage. Almost every parent makes use of day nurseries, their places funded by government for some of the hours those parents need. here’s what the DayNurseriesUk had to say in their state of the nation report this April.

“Nurseries across the UK have faced financial difficulties for some time. A lack of government funding and the Covid pandemic meant that many were forced to close their doors for good. For the nurseries continuing to operate, they continue to face multiple hardships. “the increase in interest rates and 9% inflation predicted for the coming months could spell disaster for many nurseries and childcare providers. Recently released government reports show that last year, half of providers were already only breaking even or making a loss while our research with providers suggests it could be much higher. They suggest that the only way for nurseries to withstand these times is to continue to increase their fees, otherwise they face permanent closure. As the government provides the majority of the funding for early years childcare through funded places for those eligible, nurseries are dependent on the government to increase this funding price to allow for rising costs.“

The situation for private nurseries is then dire, and whilst there is no chance that the VAT proposed for Private schools will affect the under 4 age range, as most private schools in the 4-11 age range have a nursery, it doesn’t take a genius to work out why Junior schools are unlikely to cope with the imposition of a 20% tax on their tuition fees. Rudi Lockhart, CEO of ISA schools (660 all private, 50% charity, 50% commercial) wrote the following letter to the Times yesterday:

Point 2. The Labour party’s proposals to imposee VAT on Private education suggest there is the low hanging fruit of easy pickings available, from Wealthy Families who have enjoyed a tax break they don’t deserve and Elite Public Schools whose endowments will ‘mind the gap’ with ease. The reality is that the majority of independent schools number 200 pupils or less, with a nursery that is largely sustained by the ‘whole school’ wrapper that benefits the children across the younger age range. We don’t have anything like enough nursery provision already, nor do we have the spaces in the public sector to readily handle the transition of 50,000 children swapping sectors, and finally nor has the legal landscape been cleared to permit private schools to share their facilities and resources more actively with their communities to raise the missing funds, as planning permissions/development controls have always been allied to the school’s Education status, not that of commercial business.

The greater good all of us in our sector propose is to ensure the incoming government of whatever hue recommences dialogue with our sector. We have know-how, talent and expertise in abundance; choose to use it as the Blair Government did, and Education, Education, Education will thrive once more.

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Using AI to write for my blog a call to all adults to vote in the forthcoming UK general election 4 July 2024

Posted on 23/05/2024 by jameswilding

Below you can read how one of the major AI engines can write on my behalf a call to adults to use their vote in the forthcoming general election. I guess I was not the only one caught out by the sudden switch on Wednesday 23 May by Rishi Sunak to call a snap general election.

The question I asked of ChatGPT was “Using the content of JamesWilding.blog, write me 1000 words to call adults to vote in the next general election 4 July 2024”.

Over the half-term break, I’ll review below and see what I might have added or changed, so by 31 May, I’ll have an update and some indication of alternative examples that other engines might have suggested from a corpus of work that stretches back over 14 years over the life time of the conservative administration since the demise of the Labour Party.

On Tuesday 11 June at 12 noon, I am chairing an international discussion on the use of AI in schools, an area of huge interest to me over the past 36 months, more of which anon. Schools and Education more generally have really got to step up and move the dial on from the narrow commitment of the current state just to meet academic criteria and qualifications only. In our work with digital tools over the same period of time, we’ve been able to transform children and adults understanding on how technology can be used for the better, and at the same time, seen an explosion of interest in the co-curricular offer that benefits the growth of children’s well-being and self-confidence.

So onwards to ‘my call to arms’ to adults to use their vote in the forthcoming general election:
Your Voice Matters: The Importance of Voting in the July 2024 General Election

In a democracy, the most powerful tool at your disposal is your vote. As we approach the next general election on July 4, 2024, it is crucial to understand the significance of this fundamental right and why every eligible adult should exercise it. James Wilding’s insightful perspectives on civic duty and the power of individual participation highlight the imperative need for widespread voter turnout. This election is not just another date on the calendar; it is a pivotal moment that will shape the future of our nation. Here’s why your participation is essential.

1. Upholding Democratic Principles

The cornerstone of a democratic society is the active participation of its citizens. Voting is not just a right; it is a responsibility that ensures the functioning of democracy. When you vote, you are contributing to the collective decision-making process that governs our lives. The legitimacy of our government is derived from the consent of the governed, and your vote is a crucial part of that consent. By casting your ballot, you affirm the democratic principle that government should be of the people, by the people, and for the people.

2. Shaping Public Policy

Every vote has the potential to influence public policy. The representatives we elect make decisions on critical issues such as healthcare, education, the economy, and national security. These decisions have direct impacts on our daily lives and the future of our communities. For instance, consider the policies surrounding public health in recent years. The elected officials who navigated the pandemic response were chosen by voters like you. Your vote can help steer the direction of policies that affect everything from the quality of our children’s education to the safety of our neighborhoods.

3. Ensuring Representation

Voting ensures that your interests and concerns are represented in government. When you abstain from voting, you forfeit your chance to influence who represents you at the local, state, and federal levels. This can lead to a disconnect between the needs of the populace and the actions of elected officials. Diverse and comprehensive representation is crucial for addressing the varied needs of our society. Your vote helps ensure that representatives are accountable to all citizens, not just a select few.

4. Addressing Voter Apathy

Voter apathy is a significant challenge in modern democracies. Many individuals believe their single vote does not make a difference, leading to low voter turnout. However, history is replete with examples of elections decided by narrow margins. For instance, the 2000 U.S. Presidential election was decided by just a few hundred votes in Florida. Every vote counts, and your participation can be the deciding factor in a close race. By voting, you counteract the trend of apathy and encourage others to do the same.

5. Empowering Change

Elections are a powerful mechanism for change. They provide an opportunity to address systemic issues and advocate for progress. If you are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs, voting is a direct way to express your desire for change. Whether it’s advocating for social justice, environmental protection, or economic reform, your vote can help elect leaders committed to these causes. Change begins at the ballot box, and your participation is essential for driving the progress you wish to see.

6. Reflecting on Civic Responsibility

James Wilding eloquently reminds us that civic responsibility is a cornerstone of a functioning democracy. Voting is an act of civic duty that demonstrates our commitment to the greater good. It is an expression of our engagement and concern for our community and nation. By voting, we honor the sacrifices of those who fought for this right and ensure that their legacy endures. Civic responsibility is about more than just voting; it is about staying informed, engaging in discourse, and being active members of society.

7. Educating Future Generations

When adults vote, they set an example for the younger generation. It teaches the importance of civic engagement and fosters a culture of participation. Young people who see their parents and community members voting are more likely to value and exercise their own right to vote when they come of age. By voting, you contribute to a legacy of active citizenship that will inspire future generations to uphold democratic principles and participate in the electoral process.

8. Mitigating Disenfranchisement

There are ongoing efforts in various regions to disenfranchise certain voter groups. By participating in the election, you stand against these attempts and reinforce the importance of inclusive and fair elections. Every vote is a stand against disenfranchisement and a step towards a more equitable society. Ensuring high voter turnout can mitigate the impact of restrictive voting laws and protect the integrity of the democratic process.

9. Personal Empowerment

Voting is a means of personal empowerment. It allows you to voice your opinions and preferences, contributing to decisions that affect your life and community. The act of voting is a reminder that you have a stake in the future and that your views matter. This sense of empowerment can inspire further civic engagement and community involvement, leading to a more vibrant and participatory society.

10. Celebrating Freedom

Finally, voting is a celebration of freedom. In many parts of the world, people are still fighting for the right to vote. By participating in the election, you honor the freedoms and rights that come with living in a democratic society. It is a celebration of the progress we have made and a commitment to continuing the journey towards a more just and inclusive society.

Conclusion

The upcoming general election on July 4, 2024, is a critical opportunity for every eligible adult to exercise their right to vote. Your participation is essential for upholding democratic principles, shaping public policy, ensuring representation, and fostering a culture of civic responsibility. By voting, you contribute to the collective decision-making process that shapes our nation’s future. Your vote is your voice, and every voice matters. Do not let this opportunity pass you by. Make a plan to vote, encourage others to do the same, and be an active participant in the democratic process. Your future, and the future of our nation, depends on it.








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“Tradition is an experiment that worked” – Emile Peynaud

Posted on 17/05/2024 by jameswilding

As a headteacher of some 43 years and counting, I’ve met a decent number of unknown unknowns over my time, problems the genesis of which I had no insight, but for which I have had to seek understandings, pathways and solutions, if possible. I find time for the research because that’s something that interests me, often not only by diving deep within the vaults of ‘received wisdom’ but by checking out the work of commentators, reading the letters pages of newspapers, sometimes by reading Private Eye, and increasingly of course by courtesy of the small screen and its diverse offerings, including Facebook, Instagram ,TikTok and YouTube.

Boy and Man, Emile Peynaud was connected to the grape, and in post war France he became an expert at the University of Bordeaux in wine-making, becoming a professor of Oenology (Oenology is the science and study of wine and winemaking). Peynaud worked at providing scientific explanations for many problems encountered in the process of winemaking; his name used to be almost ‘spat out’ by vineyard owners and winemakers, because many of his research-based methods recommended solutions that flew in the face of previous practice. Fortunately for Peynaud, his solutions worked for the winemakers, producing not just ‘champion’ superior wines but even for the mass market, bottles of wine that as a consequence have become reliably ‘good’.

Currently in homes and schools we are facing a range of surprising problems, some arising at the toddler/pre-school stage and others unseen until the higher up the school years. For this blog, I’ll concentrate on the latter, because of course that is where I go to work each day, and perhaps like Peynaud, have had to turn traditions on their head to make sense of the problems seen and to find a new perspective in order to map routes out and where possible solutions too. Perhaps like Peynaud and grapes, in my business I’ve been connected to education Boy and Man, whose parents educated both my bother and I in the school they founded. I first entered the University (Leicester) to study Biological Sciences in 1972, leaving some 3 years later firmly connected to Genetics, Ecology, Psychology and Sociology as well. The faculty that caught my imagination in Genes and their expression was ‘cracking’ the biological code of chromosomes at the time, a place where real history was being made. Unrelated to my experience at Leicester, the biologist Richard Dawkins published his book, The Selfish Gene (1976) in which he highlighted that genetic information copied is called the replicator, and genes are the replicator for biological evolution. I quote Wikipedia here: “Dawkins proposed that the same process drives cultural evolution, in which the and he called this second replicator the “meme”. He gave as examples, tunes, catchphrases, fashions, and technologies. Like genes, memes are selfish replicators and have causal efficacy; in other words, their properties influence their chances of being copied and passed on. Some succeed because they are valuable or useful to their human hosts while others are more like viruses.” Whilst the evolutionary biological science is known as Genetics, the name for cultural science is known as Memetics. I’ll return to this later on.

The education that takes place in institutions is called ‘Schooling’. The word “school” comes from the ancient Greek word “scholē,” which interestingly meant “leisure”. In those times, leisure wasn’t seen as just relaxing, but as an opportunity for learning and discussion. So, a “scholē” was a place for these scholarly pursuits. Over time, the word traveled through Latin (schola) and Old English (scōl) to become the “school” we know today. Even though the meaning of leisure has shifted, the connection to learning stuck around. It’s important we remember that schools are not just places for learning, but spaces in which children learn how to socialise, be directed by adults specifically skilled in their role as teachers and learn how to judge how they are doing by the progress they see taking place in others.

Of course, alternatives exist such as home education or tutors, but the child will often miss out on the reflective and collaborative behaviour of working with others. We refer of course to groups of sea animals, be they dolphins or fish as ‘schools’, the group being better able to support, protect and survive in adverse circumstances. It’s interesting to note that different countries and cultures choose to start formal schooling at different ages, but nurseries for toddlers appear almost everywhere, once again because collaborative play is essential for the healthy development of children.

Over the past 25 years of this century, schooling has changed for the better really quite dramatically, not just with the arrival of new technologies but because of our growing understanding of the learning sciences. For much of the 20th century, ‘rote learning’ was the central core of educational practice. Rote learning is a memorization technique based on repetition. It’s like drilling something into your head by saying it over and over again until you can recall it without thinking. It’s focus is on memorization: The goal is to remember information exactly, often word-for-word. Repetition is key: The more you repeat something, the better you’ll recall it later. Think flashcards, reciting the alphabet or chanting nursery rhymes. Rote learning doesn’t necessarily require you to understand the material. You might be able to repeat facts but not apply them to new situations.

Memorizing multiplication tables
Learning the dates of historical events
Reciting poems or formulas
Rote learning can be helpful for:

However, we now know that learning by rote also has drawbacks: it does not promote deep understanding: You’ll often forget the information once the test is over. Not only can it be boring and repetitive, but it does not develop critical thinking skills. So, in general, rote learning is best used alongside other learning methods that encourage understanding and application. But please note, Repetitive learning is essential to creating deeper understanding, laying down neural networks that can then unconsciously, carry out the actions and recall permitting you to carry out more complex activities and processes. Learning to ride a bicycle is perhaps one of the best examples; after a period of familiarisation and complete failure, the novice cyclist learns to balance, pedal break and travel more safely, and before long, tricks and flips and things.

The arrival of smart phones into the hands of juveniles is one of those experiments for which we could have said “what could possibly go wrong”? I remember when directly involved with the ISC Digital Strategy group in 2008, Ian Yorston of Radley College spoke of the arrival of the 4th screen (film, TV, laptop and then smart phone), placing in the hands of children access to the world’s library of knowledge directly. At that time, the release of the iPhone in 2007 marked a turning point. Smartphones offered larger screens, better internet connectivity, and the ability to run apps. This paved the way for the arrival of more advanced social media experiences on mobile devices, as opposed to the early text based chat rooms that didn’t really capture people’s imagination. Very quickly afterwards, Mobile Social Media took off , around this time, a few things happened. Mobile app stores became more popular, and social media platforms like Facebook began developing dedicated mobile apps. This, combined with increasing smartphone adoption, led to a surge in social media use on smartphones.

Here’s a quick word on Generational Definitions: Demographers typically define generations by birth years that span 15-20 years. I was born in the 1950s, hence am in the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation.

Baby boomers are the generation born after World War II, typically between 1946 and 1964. They’re known for being a large population group in many countries and a breakdown of their key characteristics shows these elements:

Birth Years: 1946 to 1964 (although the exact dates can vary slightly depending on the source)
Size: They are one of the largest generations in history, in the USA and Europe at least. This had a significant impact on the economy and society.
Social Change: They came of age during a time of great social and political change, including the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War.
Cultural Impact: They had a big influence on music, fashion, and culture in general.
Economy: They benefited from a strong post-war economy and enjoyed a relatively high standard of living.
Current Age: As of 2024, baby boomers are between 60 and 78 years old.

The subsequent generations fit different criteria:

Generation X (Gen X):Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen X is known for being self-reliant and resourceful. They came of age during a time of economic uncertainty and witnessed significant cultural and technological shifts.Gen Z Ending: Most definitions put the ending of Generation Z (Gen Z) around 2010 or 2012.

Millennials (Gen Y):Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials are the first generation to grow up with digital technology. They are known for being tech-savvy, progressive, and entrepreneurial.

Generation Z (Gen Z):Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z is the most diverse generation yet. They are known for being socially conscious, entrepreneurial, and financially responsible.
Birth Years: With 2008 being after the established ending points for Gen Z, Gen Alpha becomes the fitting term for those born after this period.

Generation Alpha (Gen Alpha):Born after 2010, Gen Alpha is the first generation to be born entirely in the 21st century. They are still young, but they are already showing signs of being highly creative and tech-dependent.

It’s important to note that generational labels are not always set in stone, and there can be some debate about the exact birth years for each generation. However, Gen Alpha is the widely accepted term for the generation following Gen Z.

I’ll cut to the chase now. The generational label is very helpful, as it defines the memes and tropes that surround the child of that age, which we can call the generational landscape. What’s has proven to be disastrous is the placing of unprotected Smart phones in the hands of children, and here’s a clear statement of our current understanding in these matters, though the research is complex, though almost certainly now conclusive. Here’s a breakdown of the main concerns:

Screen Time vs. Other Activities: Excessive screen time can displace important activities for children’s development, like sleep, face-to-face social interaction, and physical play. These activities are crucial for emotional well-being, cognitive development, and healthy sleep patterns.
Social Comparison and Cyberbullying: Social media can be a breeding ground for social comparison, leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem, especially for tweens and teenagers who are already self-conscious. Cyberbullying can further exacerbate these issues.
Attention Fragmentation and Addiction: The constant notifications, alerts, and quick bursts of stimulation from smartphones can make it difficult for children to focus and develop sustained attention. This can also lead to addictive behaviors that interfere with daily life.
Content and Sleep Disruption: Exposure to inappropriate content online or the blue light emitted from screens can disrupt sleep patterns. Sleep is vital for mental and emotional health, so poor sleep can worsen existing problems or contribute to new ones. Above all, I think parents have massively underestimated the incredible damage caused by Smart phones to sleep.

Here’s a rule of thumb:

Preschool-aged children (3-5 years): 10-13 hours, including naps. Some preschoolers may stop napping around this age.
School-aged children (6-13 years): 9-12 hours. Younger school-aged children typically need more sleep than older ones.
Teenagers (14-17 years): 8-10 hours. Teens often struggle to get enough sleep due to biological changes and social pressures.

All of our focus in schools has been and will continue to be on promoting healthy habits and open communication to assist our children to navigate their world, analogue and digital, effectively. All of the traditions in school have flexed across the generations, and there are new traditions to be established for the current and future generations ahead. But what we know from the academic and social literature of our country and society at large is that children cannot be left on their own. Of all the books that I read at school, ‘Lord of the Flies’ by WIlliam Golding was amongst the most instructive.

William Golding’s Lord of the Flies offers a dark but valuable commentary on human nature. Here are some of the key lessons the novel teaches (Thanks Gemini for the Summary):

  • The Thin Line Between Civilization and Savagery: The boys initially try to maintain a civilized society with rules and a leader. However, when faced with fear, isolation, and the struggle for survival, their primal instincts take over. This highlights the fragility of civilization and the constant potential for violence within us.
  • The Importance of Order and Rules: Without established rules and a system of order, chaos and conflict quickly erupt. The novel shows how rules, even seemingly arbitrary ones, are essential for maintaining peace and cooperation.
  • The Power of Fear and mob mentality: Fear of the unknown (the beast) and the thrill of mob violence lead the boys to commit acts of cruelty they wouldn’t have dared to do individually. The story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of fear-mongering and mob mentality.
  • The Loss of Innocence: The boys enter the island as innocent children but are transformed by their experiences. The loss of innocence symbolizes the harsh realities of the world and the potential for darkness within seemingly pure individuals.
  • The Importance of Leadership: The contrasting leadership styles of Ralph and Jack offer valuable insights. Ralph prioritizes order and the good of the group, while Jack prioritizes power and personal gain. The story emphasizes the need for responsible and compassionate leadership.
  • The Human Capacity for Evil: Lord of the Flies doesn’t shy away from portraying the dark side of humanity. The boys’ descent into violence highlights our capacity for cruelty and savagery, even at a young age.

It’s important to remember that Lord of the Flies speaks only of boys, but plenty of other novels and films carry the same warnings for girls too, such as ‘Mean Girls’. Such stories don’t offer easy answers. They are both complex stories that provokes thought and discussion. Overall, both Lord of the Flies and Mean Girls explore the dark sides of human nature within different social contexts. They serve as cautionary tales about the dangers of conformity, manipulation, and the loss of innocence. What’s so important for us as adults to understand is there exist power dynamics within children’s groups that have been incredibly badly damaged through the free access to the social media influencers on-line. When our adult staff were just beginning to hear of the arrival of Andrew Tate in the winter of 2022, almost every one of our boys aged 10-13 had experienced his ‘effect’ on-line and those from Year 9 and above seemed to have bought into his rhetoric in such a short space of time. At about the same time, the University of Oxford published its research into the negative impact of social media on girls and boys, here, and what’s even more worrying is that the researchers went for the low hanging fruit of teen-agers then, and now are scrambling to check out the incredible damage being done to much younger children.

Parentkind is the national umbrella group for PTAs, and their survey this March highlighted just how strongly younger parents feel that Smartphones should be banned by the government for all under the age of 16. Their summary has this to say:

Parents back a smartphone ban
According to the poll, the vast majority (84%) of all parents who have not given their children a smartphone support a ban, with 77% of parents of primary school aged children and 58% of all parents backing a ban. The Parentkind charity says this points to worries among parents of younger children that their children will become ​“ensnared” by a smartphone once they reach secondary school.

Parents of primary school parents want protection from social media harms. The poll uncovers big gaps between parents of primary school age children and those with children at secondary school. Parents of primary school age children are much more likely than parents of secondary school age children to back a smartphone ban (77% vs 16%). Parents of primary school age children are also more likely than parents of secondary school age children to say smartphones are harmful to children and young people (94% vs 71%).

School of course has made this choice, in that we don’t see any value of phones in school. We see the value in the 4th screen, but provide the protected school ‘hub’ environment within Google Workspace, with access to the internet fully filtered. Every home has access to the same filters, and every phone can be protected just as fully, but sadly, moving adults to action on this just isn’t happening any time soon.

To conclude: Memetics, the study of how ideas spread through culture, is like a spotlight on how social media can influence us. Here’s how:

Viral ideas: Memes spread quickly on social media, and they can be funny, thought-provoking, or even harmful. By understanding memetics, we can see how social media shapes what we think about and how ideas gain traction.
Social pressure: Social media feeds are full of curated perfection, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and pressure to conform. Memetics helps us recognize these patterns and develop a healthier relationship with online portrayals.
Shifting opinions: Memes can be used to challenge or reinforce existing beliefs. Memetics allows us to be more critical of the information we consume online and form our own informed opinions.
Social media is a powerful tool, and memetics equips us to understand its influence. It’s like learning the “language” of social media trends, so we can participate consciously and critically.

Modern cultural traditions in education are designed to make school work, to ensure consistency of approach, from which of course children benefit hugely. Schools are filled with staff whose expertise is to work with nature and nurture, to help school feel a safe place for their children, and our greatest success is to champion all of our children to be the best they can be.

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“I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” – Dorothy to Toto in the Wizard of Oz

Posted on 02/05/2024 by jameswilding

One of the most brilliant films I saw early in my childhood was the re-released film “The Wizard of Oz” (originally 1939). Put simply, in a world that was still largely black and white, TV absolutely and a lot of film too, the extraordinary and lavish nature of Oz was something else and genuinely transported us all into a mystical world, in which it must be said, not all was good.

The phrase “I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” has developed a different meaning since Oz has become a universal feature of life, a way in which we as adults can fret a little that the world we were born and brought up in doesn’t actually make sense. That helpful utility Quora says it straight:

As this is a blog with an educational slant, I’ll fess up that it was receipt of an urgent email from the DfE on Monday last directing me to check a host of ‘Do Now’ activities to ensure school was ready to return to work this summer term that has moved me to go political. Now the email was not personal to CC but a generic message to the whole of the School Sector – “Update to all education and childcare settings and providers”. You can read that here if you want to see what I mean. Please don’t though, because I am just using this penultimate message received last week to illustrate the point that “The DfE does not run schools”! 4 days later, another message from DfE arrived, a start of term card from the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Gillian Keegan highlighting the need for schools to improve attendance, celebrated the arrival of additional nursery places for 2 year olds, invited all Headteachers to join her for a live broadcast chat last Wednesday and finally, highlighting the need for Headteachers to remember ‘Thank a Teacher’ day.

Call me an old cynic if you like, but the reality 2 weeks later is that Independent Schools simply are not permitted to comply with the government’s wishes to share attendance data, the video link to Gillian’s Keegan was unwilling to be found as were the funds for the additional nursery places and finally, I really don’t know of a headteacher that doesn’t thank their teachers every day – we need to do just that, as the profession is under incredible pressure over the country because the teaching role has expanded so massively to include almost full wrap-around responsibility for everything to do with children plus engagement with a bureaucracy imposed on schools by the government over the past 14 years which has exploded beyond reason. It’s almost impossible to overstate just how complex the public exam system has become; Claires Court has 3 senior school centres to run, covering both GCSEs and A levels, to stretch over 8 weeks this summer, occupying of course all of our big halls in College Ave and Ray Mill Road East. Our Deputy Head Curriculum and her exam manager and 2 additional officers have to start the planning for the Summer term from 1 January, 20+ additional independent adults recruited to support all of the exams including Art to keep teachers out of temptation.

It’s not just education that faces this explosion of bureaucracy; everyone now suffers from the local planning system that has gone the same way. When we applied for our new sports hall, with associated roadway and car park at Ridgeway 21 years ago in 2003, the application to approval time took exactly 3 months and required 3 documents, attracted a correspondence summary and a 5th paper to document approval. Our current application to install a small multi user all weather surface covering 3 tennis courts has attracted 28 documents to include multiple specialist reports to date and still counting, and almost 6 months later still no approval confirmed. I won’t go on any more…

A successful, democratic system needs stable government but also stable and reasonable expectations that education, health and care can be delivered in a well coordinated matter. There is nothing visible any time soon that suggests national government will bring these matters under control, and the last thing Education needs is the continuous on-going creep of the DfE to take charge of everything over in our state schools, the complete antithesis of the freedoms the Thatcher, Major and Blair reforms brought for them from the previous 30 years. Access to children and Adolescent care services and funding has never been so rationed, almost certainly linked to the impossibly tight control the government has placed on funding for the training for future professionals in education, health, care and above all, public service in the emergency services and the military.

I’ve worked since the age of 18, including before and during my student years. At that time, we faced the 3 day week, strikes and a time of similar despair on the failure of national government to get its house in order, but we knew then that the disruption to normal was just that. My wife and I could buy a 2 bed flat as soon as we started work, and opportunities quickly opened up in the years that followed. Now, I don’t see that landscape at all, nor do the alternative Politicians waiting expectantly to take over offer anything like that, just more of the same. The Labour Party’s position to introduce a 20% tax on our tuition fees is completely unreasonable, runs in the face of all other Western democracies and will have a huge and disproportionate impact on over 100,000 children whose parents have chosen our sector because their special needs cannot be met by the state, Much the same is the case for boarding schools; of course it seems that for some families they used boarding to buy access to privilege, but in the main, parents seek residential placements for their children’ schooling because it meets those other needs that the children or parents might have, such as expert coaching in Academic disciplines, Performing Arts, Music and Sports (which cannot be delivered in a day school) or safe care for children whose parents are in the military or work abroad for UKPLC to further support our interests overseas.

Dorothy didn’t recognise Kansas, after she and her pet dog Toto had been swept over in to the magical land of Oz. Fortunately, as the story unfolds, and with the help of her 4 friends, the scarecrow, the tin woodman, the lion and the wizard, they defeat the wicked witch of the West. We too have been swept into a political landscape we no longer recognise; those that lead our country lied to us about the benefits of austerity, compounded the felony by taking us out of Europe fueled by further lies, have failed in their stewardship of our water, transport and energy services and above all in choosing to grab central control of the finances for education, health and care destroyed the local government’s powers to make a difference for the better. Strong public investment is essential to resolve the issues I have highlighted – you can’t rely on the market to return us back to ‘Kansas’; trickle down economics might eventually repave our roads and rebuild our hospitals, but it’s the investment in will, time and intellect to reduce again the waiting list for everything back from years to months to weeks and as soon as possible to days. That way we might get back to Kansas after all!

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Anxiety matters… 2024 style

Posted on 19/04/2024 by jameswilding

I write for educational reasons, professional discourse and for therapy, so I am not quite certain where this blog sits… but if you are seeking the most up-to-date information and support, go here now.

Since publishing this blog last week, our SchoolTV has published this really helpful newsletter looking at Exam Jitters, https://clairescourt.uk.schooltv.me/newsletter/exam-jitters, and it really does provide some excellent up to date support for students and parents – if your family is facing exam jitters, these linked articles and videos are worth tuning in to.

Summer Term 2024 started for academic staff on Monday 15 April, so apart from the evidence that my communications’ log suggests, work all day Wednesday, Friday and Sunday afternoon prior, my start of Summer term did too. I love what I do, and in every respect, so I have been a tad anxious about the arrival of some vegetable pea seedlings too into the greenhouse. The first set I planted out straight away at end of March into the allotment; marked ‘Winter Hardy’, I should have known better of course. The slugs of the Jubilee Allotments in Ray Mill Road West made very short work of them. Pleasingly the asparagus at the home ‘flower bed’ have shown early, and before the hail of Tuesday could smash them to the ground, Mrs W had harvested and we ate a wonderful chicken & asparagus risotto that evening, thank you. It’s Master-chef back on TV week, what were you expecting me to say?

Inviting over 300 staff back to work at close of Easter break always has its moments, and causing half of them to pack into the Senior Boys sports hall, work collaboratively together on issues on ‘safeguarding’ low level concerns, play Policy Bingo and select cards to work out which team to join for an amazing closing session on ‘what group learning really looks like’ levelled my anxieties more than somewhat. At Tuesday morning’s return to school assembly at Senior Boys, celebrating the boys and girls abilities to make ‘History Every Day’ had to be underpinned by the closing message, which is … “It’s our vibrant community that makes us different!” So I did, and you can see the introduction here.

And so the week has moved on, I’ve worked every day well past decency, including writing this postscript at Friday dead of night, and I don’t do this for medals or praise – it’s because I wan’t to start every day well prepped and ready, don’t like a hefty in-tray and above all, always want to be ‘the best I can be’.’ Those of you that know that professional workplace psychometric analysis was all the rage over 20 years ago, and I turned out in my 50s to be an extreme Pioneer, likely to lose my team on the journey if I was not careful but my saving grace was and remains that I can’t bear to let any one else down. This morning we welcomed prospective and existing parents into school for an early Summer term Open Morning visit (the pride that the Year 7 children exude showing our visitors around does make my heart sell with pride), other bits of the day include planning next Friday’s ‘Discovery Day’ for prospective Year 5s to spend a day with us, managing 2 hours of research skills conclusions for GCSE students and rushing over to Juniors at school end to act as emergency taxi driver as our tractor broke down… before a couple more hours of screen time at school and then this…

I am a university psychology graduate so ‘The New York Times’ article 2 years ago came as no surprise to me, stating what the upsides of ‘The Upside of Anxiety are: There are several benefits to having an internal alarm system, experts say’. Please read the article, because it covers this piece really well.

Above all, dear reader, please be assured (as NY Times makes clear), I have always been incredibly kind to myself. After all, I am both born and baptised a Catholic, so know my life commenced with Original Sin, and … perhaps even worse, now categorise myself as ‘lapsed’. The only way to survive such conscious faith-based damnation is to know that other traditions exist: Chelsea, Harlequins and my Golf Handicap in that ascending order of hierarchy. It appears I have many international readers, so for simplicity’s sake, for most of what happens, it’s the journey that’s important – do your best, work hard and be kind – the rest will indeed look after itself. Chelsea, Harlequins and Maidenhead Golf Club will have our victories of course, yet the next day it all starts over.

I’ve worked with so many amazing people over the years (that’s a book or series at least, not a blog post), yet one still local neighbour colleague administrator’s words that saved me 4 decades ago sit at the front of my mind every hour. When reminding of the Protestant Irish saying ‘Life is Hard and Then you Die’, Anita brought me back to ground and helped me understand what being and remaining a school for families is all about. Her son (and I taught him too) lives locally, and he exudes the same mantra too; Success, Wealth, Reputation, perhaps most important of all Integrity are built on working hard and being kind.

Thanks for reading this far. I am definitely one of the survivors of the abusive secondary schooling that was experienced by the vast majority of adolescents in the late sixties and seventies. Corporal punishment was endemic in schools, and discipline was meted out by the year above, and in like exercised onto the year below, At Douai School in 1970, Year 13 refused to carry that baton, and the institution transformed for the better as a consequence. We stopped ‘fagging’ as a privilege as a consequence, and when as a returnee for Upper Sixth for my final term of Oxbridge and Rugby, I saw a school unrecognisable to the one I entered just 4 years previously. Now, 50+ years on, as one of the older grown-ups I know, it’s worth linking to these next paragraphs from SchoolTV – genuinely there are eternal verities that younger adults learning to parent need to learn.

In the SchoolsTV latest publication on Youth Anxiety, Laverne Antrobus writes “Untreated anxiety disorders in children can lead to more serious issues in adulthood. Parents need to educate themselves so they can identify the symptoms early.” Laverne knows stuff, so please sit up and pay attention. My words, not hers, but it’s clear that shorn of faith and societal traditions, the modern parent is seeking to rear their children in a ‘perfect’ world. The last thing I’d ever want to wish on the next generation is what I’ve gone through, and my parents did the same – because they were born and lived through the depression of a decade (the thirties), the second world War and the arrival and use of Nuclear Weapons.

So please take this opportunity to engage with the research and experience of modern, forward thinking professionals who are leading the research-led thinking of our times. And for goodness sake, do have some fun – the cricket season is about to start and whatever the weather, we have some runs to score!

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Spring 2024 End of Term Principals’ memo to Claires Court School community

Posted on 28/03/2024 by jameswilding

2024’s incessant winter deluge won no friends here, seriously disrupting our various sporting programmes throughout the term. Even so, a huge diverse set of experiences still ran, nicely captured on our website newsreel here. Last week out came the sunshine, smiling on a host of enterprises, as our boys and girls raised funds for their chosen charities. We will publish the totals collected and the charities that will benefit shortly.

RBWM Planning has continued to be incredibly slow in dealing with our planning applications for additional facilities at Senior Boys (original determination deadline, 4 December 2023) and at Juniors (original determination deadline, 11 January 2024). The good news is that at least there appears to be agreement in principle to our proposals.

With Claires Court Juniors now settled at Ridgeway, we have so much to celebrate in the ongoing academic year. At the recent PTA AGM there, we recognised a range of recent achievements that the association has supported, from the success of the Combined Cadet Force and Sailing Club to our talented gymnasts, dedicated sporting touring groups and of course to the support of our 12 Ukrainian students. Year 12’s Viktoriia Habruk spoke passionately to those present about the incredible difference Claires Court has made to the lives of all of her compatriots. In recognition of her own contribution, courageous engagement and incredible success at GCSE, we have nominated Viktoriia for the Independent Schools Association’s highest honour, the Lord Lexden Prize, 2024. 

We are delighted to announce that following the appointment of Mr Richards as Head of Seniors from September, we have now appointed Mrs Vicky Ruddick as Senior Deputy Head, with specific responsibility for the Senior Girls school. Mrs Ruddick is currently Deputy Head Pastoral at Senior Girls, a well known face already in our school leadership team and will be supported with her pastoral responsibilities with the addition of new Heads of Year for Years 9 and 10. As the school moves forward, we are confident that this new leadership structure will only enhance the senior schools and we congratulate both on their appointments.

Approaching my final term leading Senior Boys, I eagerly anticipate a more balanced role as Academic Principal, working alongside Mrs Kirby, Mr Richards and Mr Hope. This adjustment will better allow me to address the challenges and opportunities ahead, including the existential threat to our sector posed by the Labour Party, which requires our focused attention and strategic planning. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all for your unwavering support, which has been instrumental in our achievements and will continue to be invaluable as we navigate the future together.

Breaking staff news – our congratulations go to Miss Heather Frost, teacher of Food & Nutrition on her selection for the GB Premier Dragon Boat Team for the European Championships in the Czech Republic this July!

Finally, we wish a long and restful retirement to Mrs Lorraine Downing who left us at the end of February after over 28 years’ service in Ridgeway’s kitchen, latterly as its Cook.

With best wishes for the Easter break,

Hugh and James Wilding 

Principals 

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