Bursars Review | Autumn 2017 | Sample

News 7 @the_isba Autumn 2017 KINGS MONKTON SCHOOL’S NEW CURRICULUM Kings Monkton School has revealed plans for a ground-breaking new co-curriculum set to start this term. Having taken inspiration from the International Baccalaureate, Kings Monkton’s co-curriculum has been designed with ‘learning pathways’ intended to thoroughly prepare students for a career in their preferred field. The school will run its new co-curriculum based on four distinct ‘learning pathways’: natural sciences, business and law, education and humanities, and creative arts. Through these learning pathways, pupils will be able to access a broad range of opportunities that extend beyond the classroom, including work experience tailored to specific careers and additional qualifications pertinent to pupils’ chosen career paths. Speaking of the new curriculum, principal, Paul Norton said: “Education is so much more than teaching children how to pass exams, the new curriculum has been carefully crafted in order to offer our pupils something that goes beyond academia”. DOES SOCIAL BACKGROUND DETERMINE CHANCES OF SUCCESS? A new report finds that nearly half of people (48 percent) believe that where you end up in society today is mainly determined by your background and who your parents are. This compares to 32 percent who believe everyone has a fair chance to get on, regardless of their background. The new poll, published by the Social Mobility Commission finds that half of young people think the situation is getting worse with only 30 percent of 18-24 year olds believing it is becoming easier to move up in British society. The poll of nearly 5,000 people, carried out by YouGov before the General Election, finds that four in in five people (79 percent) believe that there is a large gap between the social classes in Britain today. A large majority of people believe that poorer people are held back at nearly every stage of their lives − from childhood, through education and into their careers. Alan Milburn, chair of the Social Mobility Commission, said: “Young people increasingly feel like they are on the wrong side of a profound unfairness in British society − and they are unhappy about it. “Down the generations, hope has been a defining characteristic of the young but this poll suggests that youthful pessimism is now becoming the norm”. Jo Hobbs, chief executive of the British Youth Council, added: “The results of the Social Mobility Barometer chime with our own research that has shown that the majority of young people feel the world is changing for the worse and that they are worried about the future. This is why we believe it is crucial that young people are given a voice and are empowered to take an active role in decisions that affect their lives”. ADRENALINE ADMINISTRATION TRAINING MODERNISATION OF SHREWSBURY SCHOOL LIBRARY A £750,000 overhaul of Shrewsbury School library has added a high tech edge to a previously quiet reading corner. Works included new book-shelves for over 30,000 books, crafting desks and a mezzanine classroom. Jo Elliot, head librarian at Shrewsbury School, said: “The library is now over 100 years old and was built to house the school’s growing library of print books and collection of watercolours. “New desks provide data and power to facilitate access to online resources and book shelves are adjustable to accommodate books of various sizes. There is soft seating in all areas to encourage reading for pleasure and the transformed art gallery gives pupils daily access to the watercolours”. According to the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, allergies are the most chronic disease in Europe, with up to 20 percent of patients with allergies living with the fear of an asthma attack, anaphylactic shock or even death from an allergic reaction. In a recent tragedy, reported by The Guardian, an East London pupil, Nasar Ahemd, died after school staff failed to give him a potentially life-saving shot of adrenaline, which was kept at the school, and instead called an ambulance. Nasar had a fatal allergic reaction to milk in his school dinner. All UK schools, pre-schools and nurseries can now buy, without a prescription, adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) or epinephrine (EpiPens). As part of their first aid kits on-site, schools and other education facilities will be able to stock AAIs for emergency use on pupils who have been identified as being at risk of anaphylaxis and have been prescribed EpiPens to treat such a life threatening reaction. Schools planning to stock EpiPens as part of their first aid kit must make sure that they have an up-to-date list of those eligible to receive the treatment, along with permission from the parents or caregivers to be able to treat the pupil in an emergency. Up to six percent of children in the UK have been diagnosed with a food allergy and are required to carry AAIs with them at all times. The new legislation will help to prevent further fatalities at school as long as schools take it upon themselves to invest in the new emergency treatment with sufficient training for staff. For a parent of a child at risk from anaphylaxis, the new legislation will provide valuable reassurance that their child, if required, will be able to receive immediate emergency treatment while at school. Keep an up-to-date list of those eligible to receive adrenaline auto-injectors or epinephrine treatment