On Tuesday I attended a conference in Westminster. The theme was how to secure more places in the top universities for pupils from comprehensive schools, especially those serving relatively disadvantaged communities.
Speakers at the conference, including distinguished academics and the Minister of State for Higher Education and Intellectual Property, made reference to the need to encourage pupils to pursue GCSE courses in separate sciences and languages. Many of you will already realise that we have made clear our commitment to these approaches in order that our pupils have the very best chance of proceeding into higher education.
An emphasis was also placed on the value of first hand experience of the universities, through trips and visits.
It struck me that you have seen on our website news of our Aim Higher trips to universities and the success of former pupil, Thomas Barber, in gaining a place at Oxford. I could list many other “Old Lanfrancians” who have studied at the very best universities.
It was good therefore to have it confirmed that our forward looking school is “ahead of the game” in this area and that decisions we have already made are now forming part of national policy.
Wednesday was very much Building Schools for the Future (BSF) day for me. A session with our architects was the filling sandwiched between a Heads’ BSF breakfast briefing and a meeting of the Transforming Croydon Schools (TCS) Board, which oversees the whole BSF process. The good news here was that it was reiterated that our new school is definitely going to be in the first phase of the building programme.
The architects are really getting to grips with what we are trying to achieve in the future and how the organisation of the site and buildings can facilitate this. It will not be long before we are looking at the detail of the planned new buildings.
Good vibrations indeed!