The Ultimate October Education Roundup

All the latest UK news from schools this month, October 2024.

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St Swithun’s Staffmember is Star Scribe

Louise Caldwell, a teacher at St Swithun’s Prep School, has published her first children’s book.

It’s called ‘Dancing Sloths’ – it’s a conservation-driven adventure story with strong environmental themes. The aim is to inspire young readers to become confident advocates for the natural world.

‘I write so that children can discover beautiful wild places, and to highlight that these places need protecting’ says Caldwell, ‘and most importantly to motivate children to become confident change makers.’

‘Writing for children allows me to have an impact beyond the classroom, to spark an interest, to generate curiosity, to create that excitement when a child discovers something new. I hope my writing connects children to nature, there would be something very special about that.’

The idea for ‘Dancing Sloths’ came about when Caldwell was teaching online during the pandemic. Teaching and planning had to adapt to allow children learning at home to access the curriculum, and ‘Dancing Sloths’ did just that. Writing the story let the children cover many aspects of their rainforest curriculum, such as where tropical rainforests grow, the animals and plants that live in each layer, the importance of biodiverse ecosystems and an awareness of anthropogenic climate change.

With this in mind, it makes sense that the foreword for ‘Dancing Sloths’ has been written by Dr Niall McCann, a biologist, explorer, conservationist, and broadcaster, who worked alongside Sir David Attenborough on the BBC’s ‘A Perfect Planet’. Dr McCann visited St Swithun’s in May last year to speak to current students and the wider school community on the importance of protecting our planet.

St Swithun’s couldn’t be prouder. ‘To have a children’s book published is a wonderful achievement and to have a published author in our school is very exciting,’ says Liz Norris, Head of St Swithun’s Prep School. ‘’Dancing Sloths’ is not just a story told alongside stunning illustrations but a book with a powerful message, which I love. The ethos here at St Swithun’s is beautifully in line with ‘Dancing Sloths’ in its aim to inspire a generation of confident, curious children who are ready to make a difference in the world.’

Halloween Humanitarianism at Halliford

As all of you at home will have noticed, we’re well into Spooky Season. With Halloween just around the corner, Halliford School, Surrey decided to get into the spirit (pun intended) of the season. An atmosphere of excitement and seasonal cheer could be felt this week as staff, students and parents prepared for the much-anticipated annual Pumpkin Carving Competition.

The competition featured an array of designs, with participants of all ages really showing off their artistic talents – just take a look at the image above.

The Pumpkin Carving Competition is not a new development – but one could be forgiven for thinking it was. This is because the entire event is laser-focused on that most pressing and timely of issues: sustainability. Students are encouraged to – rather than throwing out the pumpkin innards – use them for cooking or growing. Special mention ought to be given to Alfie in class 7D, who was this year’s recipient of the Sustainability Prize for the delicious pumpkin pie he made with the remnants of his jack-o’-lantern.

But the Halliford community were up to more than just pumpkin carving this week. Students, staff, and families joined forces to participate in the annual Harvest Festival Collection – this heartwarming initiative encouraged the school community to donate non-perishable food items, which were then distributed to three local food banks to help those in need.

Over the course of the collection period, a commendable outpouring of generosity was witnessed as the community came together to contribute a staggering 19 boxes of food items.

Making Waves at King’s Worcester

King’s School, Worcester, was lucky enough to be visited by superstar swimmer Matt Richards MBE on Saturday 12th October. Fresh from the Paris Olympics, Team GB gold medalist Richards delivered his 509 Swim Clinic to pupils and young swimmers from across Worcester.

Richards competed in the 4x200m freestyle relay in both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics – the titular ‘509’ of his swim clinics is a reference to his British swimming number, which he competed under. Richard’s clinic involved personalised coaching on stroke techniques, starts, turns, and underwater skills, as well as insights into the mental discipline required to compete at an elite level.

‘We are absolutely thrilled to have Matt visit us and work with our young athletes,’ said Chris Jenkinson, Head of Swimming at King’s Worcester. ‘It’s an incredible opportunity for them to learn directly from an Olympic champion and see first-hand what it takes to excel at the highest levels of sport.’

Richards was quick to echo the same sentiment. ’It’s been an amazing day. I’m passionate about helping young swimmers realise their potential and showing them that with hard work and determination, anything is possible. It’s always rewarding to see their progress and to be a part of their journey.’

Trailblazing Tunesmith Teacher at Taunton

Zachary Reading, Co-ordinator of Vocal & Instrumental Studies at Taunton School, is now a Doctor of Music – that’s right, he’s completed a PhD at Bangor University.

But that’s not all – Dr Reading has also secured a position at the illustrious London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) as part of their Young Composers’ Scheme. This will see him working with the orchestra during the 2024/25 season. He’ll be mentored by none other than Pulitzer Prize-winning Cuban American composer Tania León. At then end of the scheme, Dr Reading will write a significant piece of work for chamber orchestra that will premiere in the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre in 2025.

It makes sense that Taunton School would be overjoyed to have such a talent as part of it’s community.

‘Dr Reading is a huge asset to music at Taunton School – the academic example he has set for students with his PhD work is inspirational, and the specialist knowledge that he brings to work with individual musicians is invaluable,’ says Toby Carden, Director of Music at Taunton School. ‘We are very lucky to be able to benefit from Dr Reading’s compositions and arrangements first-hand on a regular basis at school, and all of the Music Department staff and students are thrilled to hear about his well-deserved success in working with the London Philharmonic Orchestra this season.’

Dr Reading returned the compliment, highlighting the importance the school community played in his journey. ‘I’m grateful for the support my colleagues at Taunton School have shown me, as well as the enthusiasm and interest of my many passionate and inquisitive music students. Through teaching composing, it is a privilege to inspire young musicians to explore themselves and their interests through their own writing.’