Island Life Magazine Ltd June/July 2006 | Page 38

FEATURE Being independent has its advantages. Dr England, Headmaster of Ryde Independent School explains what Ryde School has to offer. The world I lived in some thirty years ago when I started teaching bore no resemblance to the world I experience now. Then I had time to reflect, to read about my subject and to write; I had time to discuss the morning’s teaching with my colleagues over lunch so as to tease out some subtle nuance that would enhance the afternoon lessons. Now thanks to the government, which has produced over fifteen hundred consultation documents and mailings since coming to office in 1997 (averaging about two per week), I have been swept up in the constant ‘rush culture’ which is associated with innovation. For the last nine years, we have been bombarded with any number of initiatives, increased regulation, targets, risk assessments, benchmarks and standards from all directions. I cannot deny that regulation is necessary- we must be called to account, but there is a danger that bureaucracy in education is reaching such a level that we are deflected from the task of passing knowledge onto the next generation. William Davies, the Welsh Poet, in his poem ‘Leisure’ tells us what we might miss through haste: What is life if full of care, We have no time to stand and stare’ Fortunately, Ryde School, is an independent school, and the word ‘independent’ means just that: we do not have to respond to each 38 of the government’s brand new initiatives, but we do ensure that our curriculum is up to date and appropriate for the world of work, which our pupils will face. Rather than being dissipated, our energies are focused on the important areas of school life: teaching and learning. I want my teachers to have time to teach, and my pupils time to learn. Our results last year, which indicated that our 16 year olds had made faster progress than all but 70 of 4000 secondary schools in the country, underlined the value of keeping things simple: teachers teach, pupils learn. The quality of our work was highlighted only last week, by an Ofsted report on our nursery provision, which graded the quality of teaching and learning as outstanding. We were helped in reaching our goal, by our small class sizes (average 18), good discipline, supportive parents and dedicated staff. However, Ryde School offers much more than success in the classroom. We are a school which embraces a Christian tradition; we aim to ensure a civilised, caring, healthy and happy community, which emphasizes high moral standards, self-discipline, and emotional and spiritual development. Our teachers find time to provide a wide range of enriching activities beyond the classroom. As well as a full range of term time activities, our pupils have recently enjoyed trips to: South America to play cricket; a music tour to Italy; a French exchange to Avignon; a cultural trip to the USA; an art trip to Barcelona; a geographical and environmental trip to Dartmoor; a rugby tour in Belgium and Holland, a walking tour in Norway; adventure training in Cornwall, Wales and Scotland. Freed from the tyranny of government diktats, Ryde School is able to concentrate on delivering an all round, high quality education. Ryde School offers day and boarding places: day fees are £4740 pa for 5 year olds rising to £8190 pa for those aged 11 and over. Contact Ryde School, Queen’s Road, Ryde, telephone 01983 562229 website: www.rydeschool.org.uk email: [email protected] Island Life - www.islandlifemagazine.net