The Latest News From UK Schools This Month – January 2024

All the latest UK school news this month, January 2024, from fundraisers to new developments and leadership.

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Events

Tiffany Beck Included In The King’s New Years Honour List 2024

Tiffany Beck, Co-Founder and Chair of Trustees at Maritime Academy Trust, and Head of Education at leading communications consultancy PLMR Group Ltd, has been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s New Year Honours list 2024. This is for her services to education.

Tiffany Beck OBE with Maritime CEO Nick Osborne at the opening of Ebbsfleet Green Primary School

Tiffany has worked to support and serve more than 4,000 pupils and 700 staff across 13 schools in Greenwich, Bexley, Kent and Medway.

She is also a founding trustee of Independent Governors Support (IGovS), has been a National Leader of Governance and has acted as a member of former National Schools Commissioner Sir David Carter’s team at Ambition Institute conducting diagnostic reviews of academy trusts.

Tiffany Beck, Chair of Trustees, Maritime Academy Trust, said: ‘I am completely blown away by this honour. This is very much thanks to the people both within Maritime Academy Trust and my dear friends and colleagues across the sector and at PLMR who have taught me so much about what makes schools so special, what makes education so powerful and why it is so important that together we are not just trying to do things better, but actually doing better things.’

Ollie Lane, Managing Director, PLMR Group Ltd, said: ‘We are absolutely thrilled that Tiffany’s exceptional service to education has been honoured with an OBE. It may have started with her role in Maritime but now she brings her insight, expertise and tireless support to the education organisations we work with every single day.’

Friends of Brookham Raffle Hampers For Charity

Christmas hampers have been raffled by the parent body of Highfield and Brookham School, Friends of Brookham, raising £1,200.

Pupils with the hampers

The money will be split between two charities, Liphook Food Bank and Highreach. 

The hampers consisted of products donated by parents such as chocolates, wine, fruit, tea and biscuits.

Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield and Brookham, commented: ‘Every Christmas our parent body work hard putting together the most delightful festive hampers and every year they are much sought after, a fact reflected by the amazing amount of money the school has raised for two charities very dear to our hearts.’

Entries Open For The Khalifa International Award 2024

The second edition of the Khalifa International Award for Early Learning 2024 has started. The award invites educators, researchers and organisations to submit new initiatives in early-years childhood education.

Children listening to a book (Image: Pexels)

The total prize fund comprises $200,000 which will be divided between four winners.

The two categories for the 2024 award are ‘Best Programmes, Curricula, Teaching Methodologies and Practices’ and ‘Best Research & Studies’.

The competition is open to those in the UK and abroad, and any educator or researcher who’s work is aimed at children up to the age of eight.

Entries must be submitted by January 12th 2024. Your submissions should be a maximum of ten pages, including an abstract of 300 words maximum.

For more information visit the KIAEL website.

St Swithun’s Lights Up

To celebrate the school’s 140th birthday, the front of St Swithun’s School in Winchester was lit up. 

This year, the school has a range of activities planned to mark the occasion including an evensong at Winchester Cathedral on 17 March and a Founders’ Day Concert on 3 May.

St Swithun’s Headmistress, Jane Gandee, said: ‘We are proud of the positive impact the school has had on generations of girls since its inception in 1884. Anna Bramston set about forming the school because she saw a lack of appropriate education for young women. 140 years on we are passionate about ensuring that all of our students have opportunities to learn who they are and what they can aspire to be without being laden with lazy gender-based stereotypes.’

Canford Pupil Selected for Eurovision Young Musicians 2024

A Fifth Form pupil at Canford School, Hugo, has been chosen to represent Sweden in Eurovision Young Musicians 2024.

Canford pupil, Hugo, playing the Cello

The competition is taking place on 17 August 2024 in Bodø in Norway.

Hugo is a talented Cellist, he was selected after winning another competition called Polstjärnepriset 2024.

Hugo commented: ‘When I heard I had won (Polstjärnepriset 2024), I was so happy as I had worked very hard for it. I’m excited for the opportunities winning the prize will bring, as I will have further solo performances with the main Swedish orchestras as well as competing in the Eurovision Young Musicians in Norway in August.’

There is the upcoming opportunity to see Hugo performing as part of the orchestra in the Canford School concert at St John’s Smith Square on Sunday 3 March. Tickets are £5, you can purchase them here.

School Partnership With Chelsea FC Foundation

St Dunstan’s College and Chelsea FC Foundation have announced a new partnership, which will widen opportunities to sporting experiences in Lewisham and south-east London. 

Pupils at Chelsea Football Training Ground

Chelsea FC Foundation will have a full-time officer at the school to develop the new programme.

St Dunstan’s Head, Nick Hewlett, said: ‘We are passionate about our local community, and I am particularly pleased that this new partnership will not only benefit our pupils, but young people across the whole borough. It really does have the potential to transform football across south-east London.’ 

Daniel Jacquart, Head of Football Development at Chelsea FC Foundation, said: ‘Chelsea Foundation’s highly qualified and experienced coaching will enable players of all levels to develop and enhance their footballing ability and skills within a first-class environment.’ 

Chelsea FC Foundation will also support St Dunstan’s with Lewisham sporting events, coaching sessions, and supporting state schools with sports days. The Foundation will deliver coaching for St Dunstan’s pupils Monday to Thursday, and facilitate students visiting the Chelsea FC Training Ground in Cobham.

Papplewick Boys Are Heading To Africa  

Year 8 boys at Papplewick School are heading to Africa this Easter to raise money for the Ubunye Foundation.

The 11 day trip will give the boys the opportunity to participate in adventure-based learning activities. Time will also be spent raising money to build an ablution block at one of the Early Learning Centres, as well as helping to teach lessons and interacting with the pupils at the centre. 

Headmaster Tom Bunbury said: ‘This an incredible opportunity for the boys to be able to contribute, spending quality time at the centre with the children will be such a rewarding experience, and also a brilliant chance to push their own boundaries with mountain climbing, white water rafting etc’.

Papplewick Charity Club

The boys at Papplewick School in Berkshire have continued their visits to local care homes. They recently visited St David’s and St Christopher’s Residential Care homes in Ascot. During this term the boys will also work with Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice. 

Papplewick pupils supporting their local community

Tom Bunbury, Headmaster, said: ‘Not only do the boys get a lot out of chatting to the residents, but they benefit so much from learning interesting historical facts, not only from their tour, but also from the residents themselves.’

One Million Hours Of student Engagement

ACS International Schools is celebrating the completion of one million hours of student engagement, through partnership activities with local schools.

Over the last two years, the school planned lots of events and initiatives for students. This included a partnership with RPO and Performing Perfectly gave pupils the chance to perform in West End Classics such as Food Glorious Food.

Pupils were also invited to Thorpe Park to participate in STEAM activities and workshops to earn places on the rides.

ACS pupils at Thorpe Park

Tim Cagney, Chief Executive of ACS International Schools, said: ‘In 2018, we became a UK charity, and, in that short time since then, I am proud to say that we have become a charitable leader in the education sector.’

Pupil Achievements

The Leys Pupil Accepted Into Top University

Year 13 pupil at The Leys, Neev G, has accepted an offer to study at Brown University from September 2024.

Year 13 pupil Neev G

Brown is a leading research university based in Rhode Island, and regarded as one of the best universities in the world.

Neev is currently studying A-levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and History.

He commented: ‘It feels really good to have been offered a place at Brown. I am particularly keen on the open curriculum they offer as I am still undecided on which path to pursue in the future. I am really grateful for the help of Dr Black who has guided me through the application process and has been really supportive.’

New Leadership

Bryanston Prep Welcomes New Head

Simon Ridley has been appointed as the new Head of Bryanston Prep. Simon joined the Bryanston Prep family in the Spring of 2022 as Deputy Head and brought with him a wealth of primary and prep school knowledge and experience.

Simon is excited for the next stage of Bryanston Prep’s development, all made possible because of the shared Bryanston vision: ‘to be a school where each child learns to love their mind.’ 

Simon commented that he is truly excited for what the future holds as part of the Bryanston family.

St Albans School Appoints New Head

One of the oldest schools in the UK has appointed a new Headmaster for the first time in 10 years.

St Albans School in Hertfordshire has appointed Joe Silvester as the new Headmaster from September 2024.

Joe Silvester, new Head of St Albans School from September 2024

Mr Silvester has previously worked as a governor and was Headmaster of Wetherby Senior School.

He commented: ‘I am looking forward to working closely with Mr Gillespie and other key members of the school over the next two terms to ensure that I am fully prepared for the start of the next academic year.’

Current Head, Mr Jonathan Gillespie will be retiring. He said: ‘I congratulate Mr Silvester most warmly on his appointment as the next Headmaster of this great school and I hope that he will derive as much professional fulfillment and enjoyment from the oles as I have done over the last decade.’