Educating Ruby

by Guy Claxton

  Perhaps surprisingly, the employers align most closely with our views (as we saw in Chapter 5) and the government the least (although we acknowledge that, in this regard, Scotland and Northern Ireland are more in agreement than England and Wales).

  Various prominent individuals (some of whom we have met earlier), third sector groups (often charities) and professional bodies are leading the way. You might expect parents and families to be of the same mind. Surely they want the kinds of things that we are arguing for? The answer, we believe, is that they do. But they are cowed into going along with the status quo in the very understandable belief that there is not enough time to change things while their child is at school, so the best they can do is swallow their misgivings and go along with it. Even the excellent websites Mumsnet and Netmums have surprisingly little (yet!) to say about how parents can challenge the status quo. Mumsnet has thoughtful, supporting information about choosing schools and Netmums is full of great ideas for family learning, but neither grasps the mettle of our question:

  What do you do if you are not happy with the way your child is being affected by school?

  It was to provide an alternative vision that we decided to write this book, and in this chapter we suggest ways in which parents and teachers can take practical action.

  But before you read on, we’d like you to stop and think for a moment about your own school days. Put aside for a moment any thoughts about how much you did or did not enjoy them (although that’s clearly important) and reflect instead on how much they prepared you for whatever you are doing now.

  You could do this as a private thought experiment in your own head, or if you feel more sociable you could try it out with your spouse, partner or a friend. Decide whether you are mainly recalling your primary school or thinking of when you were older.

  1. What do you remember learning at school that is useful now?

  2. What did you learn to do at school? (And can you still do it?)

  3. What did you learn to know at school? (And can you still remember it?)

  4. What did you learn to be at school? Or if this isn’t clear, how about this: to what extent do you think your school shaped you as a person, your character? What was it that your school did which, with the benefit of hindsight, shaped your development? Was it for better or worse?

  5. What is the most useless thing you learned at school?

  6. What was the most useful thing you learned at school?

  7. What would be on your national curriculum for children today? You could perhaps choose the age range of one of your children if you are a parent. Or if this question seems too technical, how about rephrasing it: what would you want an educated 11–19-year-old to know, to be and to be able to do? Or more fundamentally: how close would your ideal curriculum be to the kinds of suggestions we made in Chapters 1–4?

  8. What other question would you like to ask about your own school days that might help you think more about schools today?

  You may turn over your paper now (sorry if this brings back unhappy memories of classroom tests!). If nothing else we hope that these questions may have got you in the mood to think about schools today. In fact, here are two more questions to bring our list up to a round 10.

  9. If you have a child or grandchild at school now, what do you like about your child’s school and what would you like to change?

  10. Thinking about schools more generally (especially if you were not able to answer question 9 as you’re not a parent), from what you know about schools today, what do you like and what would you like to change?

  For the purpose of this chapter, we are going to assume that you are a teacher, parent, grandparent or, at the very least, someone who is actively concerned in more than just a general way about the state of schools. We appreciate that if your concerns centre in particular on your own child’s school, then you may feel conflicted. At worst, you might be afraid that if you start making waves at school it might disadvantage your child because the teachers will somehow be cross with you. Or worse still, you might imagine the teachers somehow taking it out on the parent (or child) who dares to challenge the school. We empathise. But we also want to encourage you to be bold.

  Provided you start from the premise that you’d simply like to make your child’s school even better in any way that you can, you are likely to be welcomed. Teachers are human and just walking in with your ten ways to fix this school may not be received in the way you intended. How you do what you do is going to be important. But unless teachers, parents and concerned adults do take action (along with employers, charities and others) we can’t see how things are going to change in schools. In all of our experience – between us we have worked with thousands of schools – we have never found a school which was not delighted to meet with a parent who genuinely wanted to help. So how do you help?

  There are three levels at which you might choose to act. The first one we explored in the previous chapter: working on your own ‘domestic curriculum’ at home. The second involves starting a conversation with your local school about how they might be even more effective at helping your child get ready for life. And the third involves tackling politicians and the wider bureaucracy of schools.

  Before you talk to your local school, you might find this formula useful in planning your campaign.

  D x V x F > R

  It was dreamt up by a man called David Gleicher, who was trying to explain the three different elements which need to be in place if you are trying to overcome resistance to change. Here’s what each letter means:

  D = Dissatisfaction with how things are now

  V = Vision of what is possible

  F = First concrete steps that can be taken towards the vision

  R = Resistance to change

  If we were to try to summarise Gleicher’s formula in words it might go like this: to overcome people’s innate resistance to doing things differently you have to do three things. First, you have to explain really clearly what the problem is (if it ain’t broke, why fix it?). Second, you have to make a pitch for a very different way of doing things, to get your listener to imagine a different scenario. And third, very quickly after you have done the big picture thing, you have to come down to earth and make two or three really practical suggestions as to how ordinary, fair-minded people could put your ideas into practice.

  Let’s assume for a moment that your local school is resistant to change. Take a moment to try this out in your own head or with a partner/spouse or fellow parent. Think of a school you know. What’s wrong with it? Can you put your finger on your dissatisfaction? (I don’t like the way … I really wish they wouldn’t … It makes no sense in the modern world to spend time on … etc.) Don’t worry if your language is emotional. That’s why this is just a thought experiment or rehearsal at this stage!

  Then have a go at describing your ideal school. (Imagine a school where … What I’d really like all children to learn is … In my view schools need to be different in these ways …) And, depending on what you have come up with, think of three or four simple and practical things you could suggest to bring about the kinds of changes you have in mind. Now you’re good to go!

  Helping your local school to change

  Essentially, you need to shift the conversation away from the things that schools often want to talk about (subjects, attendance, uniform, tests, exams, options, etc.) towards the seven Cs, the development of your child’s character, real-world learning and all the things which engage you as a parent. It will be helpful if, early on, you stress your commitment to the conventional indicators of school success, such as high grades in all subjects. (What parent or family member does not want the best possible grades for their child in whatever educational system they find themselves?) But at the same time you may like to say something like, “Naturally I want the best possible results for X, but I care passionately about how s/he gets the results. I also want him/her to develop …” (add in the sorts of characteristics you want to see your child
develop). Once you have started to have these different conversations, various opportunities will present themselves to you. You might be asked to:

  ● Share your ideas with other parents.

  ● Share your ideas with teachers.

  ● Talk to the head teacher or his/her senior staff.

  ● Talk to a class or assembly.

  ● Join a working group to develop thinking for the school.

  ● Become a parent rep promoting parental engagement.

  ● Run an after-school club.

  ● Help on a school trip.

  ● Contribute to a class project.

  ● Join the governing body as a parent-governor.

  Of course, the school may be threatened by what you are saying and ask you to do none of the above, in which case you will need to be more persistent!

  There are two useful ways of thinking about dealing with schools that may help you. The first is to think of the life stages of a child at school and all of the key transition points these offer you (choosing a nursery, starting at primary, moving on to secondary, choosing a college or university). At each of these new beginnings, you and your child have a one-off chance to ask some probing questions and, because the people you are talking to are likely to want to be a school of choice, they are likely to be at their most receptive.

  Questions you might like to ask include:

  ● How does the school encourage children to develop a growth mindset? (See page 92 for more on this.)

  ● How does the school reward the efforts of its pupils?

  ● How does the school develop (choose any one of the seven Cs)?

  ● As well as the subjects on the national curriculum, which you will be teaching my son/daughter, what else will s/he be learning?

  ● What habits of mind are you trying to develop in children/young people at this school?

  ● What do you want children to be able to do when they leave your school?

  ● How do you involve parents at the school?

  ● How is the school preparing children for the real world?

  Once in a school, you can use the rhythms of the school day/week/year (drop-offs and pick-ups, school concerts/plays/trips, parent–teacher meetings, PTA meetings) to ask about the kinds of things we have been thinking through. Every meeting with a teacher is a chance to ask about how your child is progressing as a person and as a learner, as well as finding out their attainment grades.

  Parent–teacher meetings

  For most parents, a parent–teacher meeting to discuss your child’s progress will offer you an immediate opportunity to shift the conversation towards your child’s happiness and emerging character, rather than merely listening to descriptions of her progress, typically in terms of attainment and effort. You could turn a “Ruby has only made a small amount of progress in her maths this term” into “I’ve noticed that Ruby seems to be much less interested in maths this term. Do you have any idea why this might be?” Or if the teacher is keen to talk about the test score or level of Ruby’s achievement, but you notice that Ruby has been given a good grade for her effort, you might choose to ‘ignore’ the teacher’s test grade and instead tell him or her how pleased you are to see that Ruby is trying hard in her maths.

  In general terms, it is easier to shift the conversation on to a broader agenda if you start by noticing effort first and attainment second. If you can show you are interested in how your child goes about her learning, you are likely to have much more informative conversations with her teacher. And when you feel confident enough with some of the ideas in this book, you can start to suggest ways in which you might personally be prepared to help and support the school.

  Get into the lobby and use your voice

  The last of our three areas assumes that you are wearing your concerned citizen hat. It requires you to use the skills and tactics of a lobbyist. We start with some traditional methods and then suggest a few which are more recent. Remember, education (along with health, the economy and, from time to time depending on what is going on in the world, immigration) is something which voters always say they care about and which, therefore, politicians pay attention to. Before you lobby anyone you will need to work out what you want to say. If you have read the book up to this point and if you have tried the thought experiments, especially the ones at the beginning of this chapter, you will already be limbered up.

  Tactics which are generally effective include:

  ● Describing what’s wrong.

  ● Celebrating what’s good.

  ● Making practical suggestions as to how things can be improved.

  ● Taking a line on a particular issue of the day.

  ● Comparing England (or whichever country you are living in) favourably or unfavourably with others elsewhere in the world.

  ● Quoting the views of business.

  ● Quoting the views of parents.

  ● Quoting the views of respected academics.

  ● Quoting the views of the older generation.

  ● Quoting the views of children.

  None of these suggestions are mutually exclusive. Using a blend of them you could write to your MP, your local councillor, your local paper or a national paper.

  If you want to be more targeted, you could write to the secretary of state for education or a minister responsible for an aspect of education (a quick google of ‘Department for Education’ will get you names and contact information). Or you could share your thoughts with the person who runs any one of the nine public bodies connected with education in England (currently Ofqual, Ofsted, Education Funding Agency, National College for Teaching and Leadership, Standards and Testing Agency, Office of the Children’s Commissioner, School Teachers’ Review Body, Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, and the Office of the Schools Adjudicator). Again, a quick web search will find you the contact details for these bodies. (There is no point in us including current details as one of the features of English educational decision-making is that names and roles keep changing.)

  From this list you may only have heard of Ofsted. This is because (a) it’s the most powerful, (b) it has a powerful press agency to share its views, (c) it makes a real difference to the lives of teachers and pupils, both for good and ill, and (d) the individuals who become Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools tend to be people of strong opinions who like these to be heard widely. Unfortunately, some of the incumbents in the recent past have preferred proclaiming to thinking.

  In the great scheme of things one letter is unlikely to change anything. But, increasingly, public bodies are required to analyse the correspondence they receive and publish information about customer/voter opinions (see also the details on Freedom of Information Requests below). So it may not be a complete waste of time.

  If you prefer to talk to people rather than write, then you could start with your family and friends. The questions at the start of this chapter might help you to break the ice (I’ve been thinking about schools today, and remembering my own school days, and find myself wondering … Are you happy with your child’s school? As an employer, how well do you think schools are doing these days?). This kind of lobbying is much gentler and more like a conversation. It can take place almost anywhere – over supper, in the park, at work, on a bus.

  If you wanted to be more formal you could seek a meeting with some influential people. You might like to start with your local councillor, though remember that, in most parts of England, the councillor may not have direct powers over education. Nevertheless, he or she can pass views on to officers who do have responsibility.

  And it is always informative to talk directly to young people about their experience of school. Once they are sure you are not going to nag them about their grades or their homework, or deliver the familiar little homily about how much their grades matter, they may be quite forthcoming. Almost always their views are perceptive, accurate and fair-minded, and will inform and enrich your own.

  Two other options ar
e also available. The first is a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. The Freedom of Information Act (2000) gives you the right to access recorded information held by public sector organisations of the kind we listed earlier. Anyone can request information – there are no restrictions on your age, nationality or where you live. An organisation can refuse your request if the information is sensitive or the costs are too high, but most see it as their duty to answer such requests. Obvious targets for this kind of request at the national level are the Department for Education and Ofsted. Here are some examples of information which has recently been asked for and supplied:

  ● Cost of converting Liverpool College into an academy.

  ● Cost of administering SATs in primary school (SATs are the national tests).

  ● Number of school visits made by Michael Gove since January 2013 (Michael Gove was secretary of state for education between 2010 and 2014).

  ● Information about the number of children who had work experience at the Department for Education.

  ● Leave of absence: children missing school during term time.1

  In each of these examples it is easy to see what the questioner is trying to get at. Questions asking about amounts of money spent or numbers of times something has happened work well. Or they can be framed as a more general request for information.

  In terms of the arguments in this book you might like to ask about:

  ● The number of schools teaching resilience.

  ● The number of schools teaching thinking.