Oct 08
I have just returned home from the beautiful memorial service held on Saturday at Daneshill School, Hampshire, for Simon Spencer, who so suddenly and tragically died on 31 July 2016. It was packed – standing room only – and testament to Simon’s charismatic presence and the role he has played on the educational stage in …
Sep 26
Faith schools are back in the news again, with the publication of the UK government’s Education green paper proposing (amongst other things) that faith schools should be able to select students largely on religious grounds rather than with the limitations currently in place. Faith schools come in a number of different forms, however, and my …
Sep 12
Last week I participated in a highly stimulating event run by Changing the Chemistry in Edinburgh on what investors expect from boards. Reflecting on the banking crisis from an insider’s perspective, the speaker commented that from a regulatory standpoint, he had always believed in the Power of One, ie the importance of a single voice …
Aug 30
The Guardian has an uplifting story in its pages today – the story of how 67 girls in an Indian slum are taking coding lessons, and how this has already raised their aspirations and improved their future opportunities. Three apps have already been developed, directly tackling issues of women’s safety (by using a geolocated distress …
Aug 22
In my non-executive career, which had its fledgling roots in 2008 alongside my executive career, and has since broadened out considerably in the UK and internationally, I have found myself increasingly drawn towards start-up companies, and I thought that it was worth spending a few moments sharing why this is the case, in the hope …
Aug 17
Speaking over the weekend at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the children’s author Cathy Cassidy could not have been clearer – creative daydreaming lies at the root of everything we seek to create. It has certainly worked for her, as she is a hugely successful author with fans all over the world; as she pointed …
Jul 26
As the dust settles on the Brexit debate, and the UK prepares to shift its relationship with Europe, it is worth taking time to reflect on the very positive stories of British engagement in the wider world, and this is especially true of British education in international schools across the globe. English-medium international schools educated …
Jul 19
In her inaugural speech as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford on 12 January 2016, Professor Louise Richardson spoke passionately about the tradition and the history of this great university. The ceremony took place in the Sheldonian, Sir Christopher Wren’s great ceremonial hall, completed in 1669, a stone’s throw from the University Divinity School, which …
Jun 27
To an extent, it doesn’t matter what the decision was. What really matters is how we deal with it. And this is where – we hope and trust – two key values embedded in British education come into their own. British education is renowned worldwide – much more so than practitioners based in the UK …
Jun 21
Yesterday evening saw the Annual General Meeting of Changing the Chemistry, which in its first year of operation as a Scottish-based charity committed to promoting diversity on boards has had extraordinary success. This unique peer-network has already grown to over 200 active members, and has contributed to filling 70 board positions. Yesterday, in the AGM …