School

My legendary Colleague Mrs Lewis

/ Mr J Dexter / 2 Comments

Mrs Lewis

My colleague and friend, special person and single parent Mum to her beloved twins Jonathan and Jeremy. This is a slightly longer version of my tribute at her funeral on 27th March 2024.

The teaching legend, the amazing and unique colleague. Stephanie Lewis served at Trinity school for 31 years. Unlike those who move onwards, she stayed and worked in the place she loved, her classroom, inspiring her classes day in and day out –  estimated getting on for 30, 000 lessons at Trinity, many thousands of pupils- generations of some families. (This was after about 9 years teaching elsewhere in other schools before having the twins 40 years ago)

Mrs Lewis was ….old school…. traditional – well prepared, high expectations, even higher standards and an exceptional work ethic. Who couldn’t forget her years as an exam board marker on top of the day job because she wanted to ensure correct, high standards, and fairness.

She kept outstanding discipline – partly her infamous wooden spoon – rarely but nevertheless judicially banged on a worksurface for the most minor misdemeanour. A sound which reverberated around Trinity like some call of the wild and all of us staff, whatever we were doing, we knew someone in her room was….well in trouble. BUT it wasn’t just that, the main reason was Mrs Lewis was inspirational, the children loved the lessons, they were curious, they wanted to learn, they wanted to create, and they were always able to be proud of their productions, well nearly always. Her recipe book like her was equally legendary. Her hard work did perhaps at times go unnoticed, as the only teacher of a subject, you teach a lot of children and so you write a lot of reports, a lot and Steph was never late, her reports remained individual, kind and yes at times pertinent.Assessments, parents evenings could and do take their toll with so many to see but Steph set the tone and always did her best to ensure all her pupils and their parents got a fair deal.

She also had the challenge and delight of teaching her own two beloved boys Jeremy and Jonathan – they of course enjoyed no favours from their teacher Mum, unless you count the many hours of helping her, especially helping her organise PTA events for a generation they did extra miles too.

Cookery lessons, Home Economics, Food technology, whatever the name, Steph’s little empire was a magical place. Not for her two hours to design a package for a chocolate bar or to wade through the nature of ingredients. Oh No, in her space you learnt by doing, exotic, traditional dishes timed to perfection, so you had time to prepare, to bake, to wash up and never did 2 hours fly by so quickly. This had influence on parents too – not only did they enjoy the cooked food, they had opportunity to encourage “wow that was good and…you can cook that again for the family”.  You want to improve the nations eating, cooking and nutrition, then get yourself a Mrs Lewis.

But Steph was also sharp, funny and keenly proud – she would be upset if anyone senior arrived to her room unannounced – and would fret it hadn’t been tidy and spotless (which of course it was) and there would also be a bit of scurrying as somehow during the day she had managed to pop in a tray of biscuits or cakes or scones for her beloved DT dept. She adored DT colleagues and they adored her – I see nodding heads! There were many stories and laughter greeting new teachers in the staffroom and eye for detail when it came to our whole school events.

Outside of school she remained supportive of her pupils and us staff. Those conversations children had with her, often revealed a need, and Steph would faithfully try to help – going that extra mile. Never a detention for not having ingredients, not punishment but help and a solution. Although she didn’t suffer fools gladly.

Likewise for staff as Nigel would say  “Steph’s taxis” many a school social saw Steph, who never drank alcohol offer lifts to others, with or without Bruce Springsteen blasting out in the car. There are many anecdotes but I recall an event at Wilford just after she had bought her latest car – one with blacked out windows. As we left there was a huge police presence due to trouble at the rugby club and Steph with Mary Parr drove slowly down the road, I think Steph was trying to avoid any trouble but landed herself as a suspect, and was pulled over. The PO suspected a drug related crime and insisted on her getting out, hands on bonnet breathalysed. Even Mary’s plea “Don’t you know who this is?” fell on deaf ears. Steph got home, very late she called me to try and explain how mortified she was, how she had let everyone down and should she resign, etc and of course we just smiled and bagged another SL story.

This was the amazing Mrs Lewis, dedicated, diligent, industrious, bothered, kind, generous, fun, and a delightful colleague many of us were privileged to work alongside for many of those 31 years 

Mrs Lewis RIP

Steph was a sort of renaissance woman, not only that conscientious teacher but widespread interests in the Arts ( she loved Hieronymus Bosch I recall) in Architecture and travel, Apparently clocking up 100,000 air miles. Her travel plans and itineraries were equally legendary and if she got to know you were going abroad she would off you a detailed spreadsheet of places to visit. Trips were busy on the go rushing around days, not for her sitting on any beach,. 

Confession. Guilt exposed by THAT teacher look

/ Mr J Dexter / Leave a comment

I’m not sure if this happened to other colleagues but it happened to me often and I wonder if it’s an Roman Catholic schools thing. Read on…

I’ve blogged about Bus Duty elsewhere and so this is what happened. I was just waving a bus off and thanking their driver when a distant shout back down the path alerted me to stop the bus “Oh hold on Driver” and down the road came Liam (we’ll call him Liam because that was his name). The bus driver waited and Liam got on and I thanked the driver, waved him off BUT he didn’t leave and beckoned me on. That only means one thing, bus troubles.

“Mr Dexter please do something about that lad, he is so badly behaved on the bus”

“Oh like what?”

“Well yesterday he had a packet of polo mints which he broke into small pieces and threw around the bus at people.”

So I go on board ask a few other pupils who confirm the incident and all I can do is ask Liam to see me next day at break at the staffroom door – you know sternly, teacher look, teacher face.

If any of you are senior staff reading this you’ll know what I’m about to say very well. By the time morning break came around I had done or not completed a thousand tasks with hundreds of people. As one colleague said until you meet yourself going backwards you’ve not understood school leadership. An evening of emails, marking, preparation, a morning of assembly, cover issues, and lesson one taught  – ‘good lesson” I’d say – not sure ofsted would but then they just observed at that time they didn’t deliver 20 lessons a week and do all this !

So the bell goes for break I, like many other staff, head for coffee and the staff toilets. Just as I turn around someone says “Mr Dexter Liam at the door for you”. Do you know in all honesty I couldn’t remember what it was about. I answered the door remembered he was in some trouble ( polos and buses) and so we went into an office (doors open of course).

Me “OK Liam thank you for coming to see me. Why did I want to speak with you?” [Teacher look, teacher voice, disappointed ‘you’ve let yourself down’ eyes.]

Liam “ I know Mr Dexter, I’m very sorry.”

Me “Go on”

Liam “ Its about French isn’t it, and my behaviour with Mrs C. I really shouldn’t have spoken to her like that ….”

Me “ Mmmm thank you Liam, that’s important but actually it wasn’t about that”

Liam “ Oh is it about the incident in Biology, it wasn’t really my fault the scissors slipped, I don’t honestly know how they flew across the lab and hit Ashraf, it was an accident but I do need to apologise. Oh hang on is he ok?

Me “ Mmmm thank you Liam, that’s bad isn’t it  but actually it wasn’t about that, Ash is fine”

Liam “ Oh Sir it’s not about English homework, I just didn’t understand it and that’s why I copied off Heather, I didn’t think Mrs W actually noticed but nevertheless it was wrong.

Me “ Mmmm thank you Liam, that’s helpful to know  but actually it wasn’t…”

BELL

Break over 15 minutes up

Me quickly “ actually Liam it was about the polos on the bus”

Liam “Oh that , that’s nothing really Sir”

…..and that’s why our heads of year and form tutors got loads of detailed referrals 

I thought it was exceptional but it happened over and over. On another occasion I had to speak with a sixthformer about an incident at the drinks machine. We had a number of problems with a vending machine and made no progress in solving what was happening. So we put up and told the students about a temporary CCTV. I think Rick has been away or not paying attention when we told the students and day one a colleague sent me a video clip of Rick not just shaking the machine but obtaining three drinks and then selling two onwards. 

Once again I called Rick to the office and asked him if he knew why I wanted a word

  • Is it all my lates?
  • Is it all the referrals from my Business Studies teacher?
  • Was it because I skived off Maths?
  • Is it my incomplete UCAS form with only a few days left to the deadline?

The great thing here was me nodding and just waiting. [teacher eyes, teacher expressions, teacher timing.]

  • Oh Sir has someone complained about my lengthy excuses for not meeting deadlines?
  • Oh No don’t tell me you are kicking me out ( We didn’t really do that!!)

That’s escalation for you and again another lengthy set of confessions to sort. He was all the more mortified when I showed the video and just as he reverted to character – ‘are you sure that’s me Mr Dexter?’

My dear teacher friends you remember raising that eyebrow using that voice and condemning those actions if not the student and many of you do so thousands of times to great effect. Thank you

England expects – Do your Duty, Teacher

/ Mr J Dexter / 1 Comment

Duties. Teachers have to do them, sometimes paid sometimes for love ( which we do a lot): bus duty, playground duty, detention duty, dinner duty. Schools run these on rotas – in my time we did one break a week (no extra pay), we volunteered for detention, bus and others but were paid for lunch. I did all of these once a senior leader but I never took any pay. Duties matter to keep children safe and happy BUT can they help teachers too?

As a young teacher I disliked break duty

  • I missed the break which I often really needed
  • I missed the staffroom gossip and adult conversation for those short 15 min moments
  • Playground duty often brought more work, behaviour referrals or someone’s quiet words needing a safeguard referral
  • I needed max time to prep for my science lessons – setting up etc

But once mentored by an older colleague I started to see the value. For me this was most stark for bus duty. I did bus duty on and off irregularly when asked as a young teacher. Seven buses lined outside our school, staff saw children onto the bus and sent the bus on its way when everyone was on board. Some of our buses were the public bus ( No 76) which slightly diverted to collect our children, but wouldn’t hang around. 

How many times had I heard  – “let the children out promptly at 3.30pm or they might miss a bus” and then as a senior leader how often did I say the same. You try cajoling a local bus driver already stressed to “please hang on a moment”. BUT my big error came week one of being a new assistant head and now firmly on the bus duty rota. My teaching lab was close to the gate, I did not want my lessons finished ‘early’ even by a few minutes as other SLT did – mmmm my mistake.

“Sir, sir that’s my bus leaving early!!”

So that first week as a new AHT I was busy and often stressed but on Friday worse was to come. An A-level group deep in conversation with me and each other about global warming, greenhouse gases comparisons to the Ozone hole ( yes we taught all that) and suddenly I realised it was gone 3.30pm I mean only 3.35pm BUT I WAS LATE – I flew out the lab and sprinted to the gate to see the first two buses departing and leaving a load of children running down from lower school “Sir, Sir that’s my bus”. Disaster and about 30 pupils missed their  bus or rather their bus left them. Some took other routes, but there were about 5 left and so it was to the school minibus…. I never did that again, my lessons finished early. 

Other days I dug in my pocket and lent the £1 OR £1.50 etc with a promise you’ll pay me back tomorrow – promises kept and unkept but favours done and won other favours. Other times I waited in the rain, snow and even nice summer days for 20 minutes for a bus  to show up, but I came to see it as a safeguard and a privilege. Initially I must admit I resented all this, as other colleagues had those moments to sort themselves out at the end of exhausting days or coffee with a colleague and opportunity to unwind, even a chance to escape quickly before a rush hour. Some staff ( maybe cover staff) still kept children behind who I had to arrange to get home. But like many aspects of the teacher role eventually I really enjoyed the duty.  I made it my place to wish the children well to ask those in the queue how their day went, ask if they had had any good lessons, what they had learnt. Had the chance to say to the odd youngster who was struggling, well done. To someone I had to sort out in the day, to say have a good evening, tomorrow is another day. And yes sometimes used the moment to create the bridge back for them. For others they might just call out on the way “Thanks Sir” or “ Can I chat to you tomorrow?”

Even better I watched children grow up – I remember many many like the little girl in Y7 who struggled with a violin, a school bag and once a week her basket of cooking, running, worried she might have to sleep at school if she missed her ride home. She told me she wanted to be a journalist one day when the bus was late and 7 years later having taught her in y10 and y11, I gave her that infamous brown envelope which took her to Leeds University to study broadcast journalism and start her now considerable career in the media

I talked to parents who occasionally intercepted their children to take them to the doctor or dentist, or who had news ( good or bad) to share, and news shared with me.

On a few odd occasions,  behaviour was awful and we always told the driver to return to the school. Children marched to the hall, and asked who did what. Rarely any confession but a sheet of paper each to write anonymously what happened , esp under the pressure of 5 mins or the bus leaves you here and we had all the names and info needed.

Apart from my lungs full of diesel fumes I grew to love those duties simply because I used them to help make me be a better teacher and halep develop an ethos and culture in a school.

And here are two special moments – one when Sheku Kanneh-Mason had a surprise as Nottingham City Transport generously named a bus after him when he won BBC Young musician – though he did on occasion slightly oversleep, run for (his) bus and miss it! Secondly the kind of letter you just love to see


Sheku Kanneh-on has an NCT bus named in his honour. Seen with Mum Kaddie and Mr Dexter and Mr Manderson of Trinity school

An explosion helps

/ Mr J Dexter / Leave a comment

In my NQT year I took a 5th year class. Schools don’t like to do that, to give Y11 to a shiny new teacher, but they were short of Chemists (nothing changes). Of all my classes I worried about them most, this was an important year for them, it was their “chance” I would get other chances they wouldn’t. I prepared my lessons well BUT struggled to win them over, it would take time and time we didn’t have. They always arrived slowly, ambled in, took ages to get their books out and coats off – in fact anything to delay learning and there were always niggles – forgotten books, forgotten pens, do I have to wear these goggles? ……teachers know this scenario well.

The timetable didn’t help Friday last lesson and Monday first lesson is effectively a double split over a weekend and I soon learnt to do some practicals and demos Friday and the theory on Monday such was their attention span or lack. I did rely on the lab technician as do all science staff – these folk are unsung heroes, and Kathy was such for us. However her hours changed and she left early on a Friday but diligently left me my materials.

It was one such Friday after demonstrations of the Halogens ( GroupVII) and a class experiment with iodine solution the class left and I was happy, it had gone well after the usual shaninkins. However just as I was locking up this upstairs lab, I realised leaving even respectably small quantities of chlorine and bromine and iodine wasn’t good and no one else was clearing away. No one had told me about Hazcards, or I had already forgotten. These cards have alls sorts of info per chemical…. how to make, use dispose and treat spills or ingestion etc). Still, me a graduate chemist of a fairly prestigious University tried to recall on a Friday after a long week how to dispose of anything too risky. I seemed to think was possible to dissolve the excesses in alkali. Tentatively I did so in the fume cupboard mixing with sodium hydroxide and washing down the sink (chemists forgive me). Just as I left the lab I noticed at the back a load of tubes of Iodine water the class themselves had used to do similar tests to my demo of the other halogens. I had used up all my alkali and so without further thinking I dissolved this into another alkali and swilled down the sink on the teacher’s bench. After all iodine is much less hazardous! [PS DO NOT try this at home!]

Twas on the Monday morning they drifted in after assembly half awake and I greeted them cheerfully cleaning the blackboard with my dusty cloth and then flinging it down the bench with a little much gusto. The cloth slid gracefully into the sink and there followed an incredibly loud bang, a very sharp crack, a significant puff of smoke and a small purple cloud. Even I took cover for a moment. – whence the cloud disappeared I looked out to find not one pupil in my classroom. As I walked from the front bench I found each Y11 cowered on their knees, heads in their hands, behind their bench in total silence.

What had happened was the sink like many an old school facility didn’t drain well and some of my waste solution stayed around the rim of the drain and dried out as the water evaporated over the weekend and out crystallised probably the tiniest amount of Nitrogen tri-iodide – an explosive substance detonated as they say with the touch of a feather, it was used in those devil bangers and I suspect little cap guns when I was little.

Somewhat embarrassed I did explain this to my Head of Chemistry (my Head of Science wanted the recipe – typical Physicist) but any embarrassment was more than made up for by my class. Once they emerged from their defensive positions they worked their socks off and did so with through the year. I never made that chemistry mistake again, whether I used that disciplinary technique is another question

Lab technicians are wonderful folk but they store stuff along with storing knowledge, I learnt that day to double check and do my research carefully.

Discipline is vital in schools, good behaviour in lessons but it need not come from shouting, or serious control or deep sarcasm, or worse, persistent nagging. Preparing something interesting to learn and working hard with relationships was what I always had to do, but I did need the occasional extra hand from a head of year, a head of department or a small explosive.

[Beware, Nitrogen Triodide is a highly sensitive contact explosive, completely unpredictable and the iodine vapour a hazardous gas DO NOT try this at home or work or ….]

Convincing the learner they can learn

/ Mr J Dexter / 1 Comment

Dear Reader

You have been to school, so you probably think you know what makes a good teacher (and a bad one) and how to run a good school (and a bad one) this ‘ pontificating ‘ especially if you are also a politician can frustrate teachers themselves. I guarantee though, one space you didn’t know so much about was ……the staffroom! On teaching practice genuinely, I was warned not to sit in Mr X chair! However in my first post staff were generous and kind, they took an interest in how I was doing and they shared and encouraged me (or perhaps they lied) “oh Yes Chris is awful in my lessons too”. This concern was a wonderful gift in my early years in Witney. I often tried to imagine those colleagues, who were sharing with me over coffee, what they were in the classroom. In my naivety I thought everyone had to be young, energetic, passionate etc. I recall a lovely colleague I often helped out of the chair – over the age of retirement slow, measured but still going. We don’t treat older teachers as sources of wisdom, they often treat younger staff very generously.

In my early years there were no MATS, not even many INSET days ( preBaker). Toward the end of my first year I had missed opportunity to analyse and think about what I was doing – not a surprise , my PGCE saw about 50% timetable and I was now over 75%. My reflections were brief as the phots show.

My summary planning notes and even more brief feedback in red JD 1981.
My summary plan and even more brief feedback JDX 1981

I had a very difficult third year class, Y9 – we would have called them low ability. Whatever I did, interesting practicals or care with language, shout or stay very calm, it did not win them over. Discipline was OK actually but they just didn’t seem to learn. Tests often showed deterioration not progress. So one day I asked them who was the favourite teacher and who helped them learn best. Imagine my suppose when with one voice they gave the name of the elderly colleague, an English teacher. I asked her if I could observe her and she welcomed me with open arms.

The class arrived and entered her beautiful room orderly cheerful and keen, they sat down no trouble, they automatically got books and notes out. I was baffled, I mean this was English, activity was limited. Miss S set off by telling them it was spelling test day. Not a murmur, just found their spelling jotters. To honour me they had scientific terms….. out came the likes of aluminium, separate, science etc. they swopped papers, and Miss went through the correct spellings. BUT she didn’t take down the marks. I thought nothing of it. the lesson moved on to study some poetry – even I found it a challenge but they listened, they concentrated, often half the class had hands up at every question. they worked in silence, they asked some clever questions. Towards the end she said it was spelling rerun time and she reran the spelling test, everyone did better (of course). She took the marks down for that test. The bell went, they slowly packed away, no rush to leave, no wild comments, many a ‘thank you’.

As I sat there, a light went on, Miss S had shown them in black and white terms that this class which found learning so challenging, well she had proved they could learn. From initial spelling scores of 2 or 3 correct they finished with 8 or 9 and that made them feel good, made them want more, made them adore Miss S and enabled her to teach them really well because they knew they could really learn.

Teachers finds clever creative, innovative ways to motivate pupils and classes but the best and the lesson I learnt that day is we always have to show, however hard the content is (and listen Chemistry has plenty) with thought and planning, with magic and mystery it is possible to convince pupils they really can learn. This is the hidden challenge and hidden joy of the craft of a classroom. I was indebted to this wise (old) colleague forever.

Blowing your cover

/ Mr J Dexter / Leave a comment

No one talks about cover to young teachers let alone trainee students. So it was in my first year that eventually my first cover lesson came along. As an NQT my first school looked after me very well, but once my 5th year (mode 3 CSE) left inevitably I did my bit.

Those of you who teach know there are cover lessons and cover lessons. Sometimes colleagues leave work or others set work which is detailed and comprehensive, the children are well briefed and the ‘substitute teacher’ can get on with their work. But there are also the “carry on with the where you got to” type lessons and those where you try and avert a near riot as the pupils exaggeratedly pleads “Sir, this isn’t fair Miss promised we would ….. today ” fill in blank with a glorious treat.

So it was. I saw my name on the cover board – Tuesday period 4 PE. OH NO. Of all lessons PE has to be one of the worst, no reflection on PE staff, but there is little chance of getting anything done as you supervise some sporty activity. This being summer, the gym was used for about 3 months for exams and this was ….tennis. I had no kit, I had no idea how to teach or coach tennis but my colleagues helped and whilst I might have got away with it wearing my lab coat umpiring cricket, I did my best to make the effort in the summer sun.

Imagine my disappointment and surprise the next week when again I saw Tuesday period 4 PE. To be fair the deputy apologised but I took the group out again and they were glad my presence meant they got their lesson. I was annoyed not to have packed my kit again but I ask you who gets a second cover for the same lesson.

If only…… you guessed the next week Tuesday period 4 PE, cover Mr Dexter. Well even patient, enthusiastic Mr Dexter was cross and so I asked the deputy if we could avoid PE and watch something in the TV room and then suddenly inspired recalled ….”its Wimbledon”.

Many of the children understood and so after the usual fiddling with leads/aerials and sound they watched Wimbledon….and this was a year after the famous John McEnroe “You cannot be serious” in 1981. So interest was maintained. I sat at the back and crouched over a small table started my marking and yes slightly pleased with myself.

It was about 5 minutes before the end when a strange sound went up from the class, not a hurrah, not a cheer, more a cross between the noises when someone drops their lunch on the floor in the canteen and your team miss a penalty. I sat up, looked over very confused. There wasn’t even any play, the players were resting between sets and the camera panned the crowd and a loan voice in the class piped up …” There Mr Dexter, look who is sitting on the second row.” Then with me thinking aloud “you cannot be serious” but yes sure enough the PE teacher was sat in row 2 enjoying Wimbledon perhaps not quite as much as this class. Professionals think what they might say or do… I had no chance for either the class left and the message was everywhere even without social media.

It turned out the teacher was a supply teacher covering one of my colleagues off with a broken leg….. we didn’t see her again in school, and I did no more covers all summer.

I loved my first school, colleagues were wonderful, kind and supportive and I learned so much from watching and talking with them, and most importantly I realised I really could teach and enjoy the job. BUT I also learnt there are some who aren’t like that, some who will break rules and later on I had to appreciate the accountability, performance and system measures necessary for a small minority … pity really but necessary.

I can honestly say no more than a dozen staff have I met during my career that I did not enjoy working with over those 36 years – the majority ( thousands) professional, creative, diligent and clever …with the odd exceptions

Oh and quite a different lesson – when pupils get hold of a juicy story – it travels at lightning speed in fact at unstoppable speed with or without the turbo of social media.

    “Tennis uses the language of life. Advantage, service, fault break, love – the basic elements of tennis are those of everyday existence, because every match is a life in miniature” Andre Agassi

    You are a b***dy teacher!

    / Mr J Dexter / Leave a comment

    In 1981 I started teaching and was that new shiny teacher. At the end of my first year, my head of department who was an amazing teacher I was so glad to learn from, asked me to attend a faculty meeting on his behalf. It was a significant meeting because “set lists” were to be handed out.

    Hard to imagine a time before a national curriculum when children still chose the majority of their subjects. You might think they could have chosen any 10 or so in any combination but schools were not stupid, so they had little rules like, one subject from option A, one subject from option B plus maths plus English etc. Remember there was no Ofsted but even then we knew what to do to help children.

    However, this meeting was to give out the lists of those children who had decided to do your subject in fourth and fifth year or year 10 and 11 in new money. So I went to collect the list of pupils who had chosen O-level or CSE chemistry . It was a scary meeting for me, this was a comprehensive school that not so long ago had been a secondary modern, the pastoral system was a vertical one with heads of house who were frankly formidable characters and I was privileged to learn so much from them including my own head of house Marian Davis. So the lists were passed around the table, hand written and I looked down the list of names recognising some of those whom I had taught. There were of course pupils you were very pleased to see had chosen your subject, in fact these were probably names that everybody would have been delighted to see on their list. Then there was a moment where you looked down to check certain names were missing and yes there were those pupils who I had struggled with and my wisdom at their parents evening to suggest subject X or Y might be better, well that had worked I was quite pleased they decided not to carry on with chemistry (such naivety and inexperience).

    Silence dropped over the meeting as people viewed the lists handed down from the deputy head. Then there was a muttering which came from the head of PE, with a bit of sighing, a bit of umming a bit of ‘somebody not very happy’. As that continued one of those heads of house spoke and we all looked at him:

    “What is the matter Tony?” said the head of house, a man who maintained outstanding discipline and who we all knew a majority of children absolutely adored.

    “Well”, said Tony “I’m just looking at this list. The first time we’ve tried to get PE as a qualification in this school you all know how hard I’ve worked to get this off the ground and I am so disappointed by the names of people you have allowed to choose PE.”

    The head of house looked directly at Tony and said “give me an example”

    “Well down here is Richard James … he can’t even swim how am I expected to get him any sort of qualification in PE?” I sat there and thought to myself: that’s a fair comment I wouldn’t really like to have anybody doing a serious chemistry qualification with me, who did not know how to handle basic equipment or understand the basic rules in a laboratory or who had done Ok in those first three years at secondary.

    However the room dropped to silence …”Tony” said the head of house “ you’re a bloody teacher, teach him to swim”

    This was a phrase which rang so true it lasted with me the remaining 40 years of my teaching career.

    I was so glad that somebody nailed it, that day.

    Whatever we think about the way young people behave or young people take to our subject, do or don’t conform, we are teachers and it’s our job to find a way to teach them.

    There’s a kind of question I and many others are asked at first introduction to a stranger in company…..“Oh what do you teach?” to which the answer is …. geography chemistry English etc though the clever answer is “I teach children”. I think that day seared into my mind was that I teach children wherever they come from, whatever their experience, and my job was to do my best to inspire them and …. teach them, to help them learn my subject it was a deeply profound lesson. Thank you Tony and that extraordinary pithy Head of House.

    Politicians – party or people?

    / Mr J Dexter / Leave a comment

    Seeing so much from Westminster lately I couldn’t help reflecting over my time as a teacher, school leader and director. I have been fortunate to have met many MPs and Councillors.

    Mostly local but when labour were in power Graham Allen MP often brought ministers to meet us in Nottingham North. NN is the constituency that historically send the fewest young people to University of all constituencies [Trinity moved from Nottingham North to Nottingham South at a boundary change]. I have always had huge respect for our local MPs – Lilian Greenwood ( whose constituency the school moved into and who always took time to visit her schools) and Alex Norris, sill a school governor and in Nottingham East Nadia Whittome who helped with many projects and programmes and of course my home MP Vernon Coaker although not the present incumbent.

    Our own MPs responding very positively to support local heads in the pandemic and taking the trouble to thank them via video or other messages.

    Many Conservative education secretaries I’ve met at school conferences (Michael Gove) or through RC heads (Nicky Morgan) or just occasionally a visit to Nottingham (Damian Hinds). Others like Estelle Morris came and spoke at Trinity; Ed Balls listened to our choir when we were invited to sing at the launch of ‘faith in schools’ at the British museum.

    Although Nottingham City is a majority Labour I’ve worked with some significant Conservative councillors too including teacher colleagues; some I would count as friends.

    So that’s both main parties, local and national, ministers and backbenchers; official business, visits or sometimes campaigning.

    To a person they have been polite, thoughtful, and nearly always willing to listen and take time to explain policy or reason. Sometimes I’ve disagreed about their policies including those on education.

    The best…. know their ward or constituency very well and keep talking and listening to all their voters (and non voters) whether in power or opposition. They listen to local professionals and many, rather than have a second job are school governors etc , using their time effectively and yes working very hard. They ask good questions and many are extremely good at remembering names and concerns – they are genuinely ‘bothered’ . Of course some have been in power, some have been in opposition

    And when in power those who absolutely represent their ward or constituency not just their party are frequently respected and often returned at elections.

    Those in opposition willing to recognise helpful policy and to try and nudge and influence on behalf of all of us are respected and yes often returned at elections.

    We understand their preference for (and probably their duty for) fulfilling a manifesto but on taking power they change from being single minded party political to thinking and acting for ALL locals. They kind of move on from ‘Party’ to public though with one eye on ‘Party’.

    Clearly some never learn and think their job is to run things like they are the only party or people who are right, that they can choose mates and nepotism over sharing fairer representation – diverse views. That they are still campaigning not running government. They ignore public over ‘Party’

    Thank you to our local representation when you do ( as you do so often) represent us, thank you for your work on all our behalf, however challenging be it in power or not.

    Most of all think of the vulnerable, the disadvantaged, those who struggle who have little power or voice – the neighbour we all should love. And those of you who do – which is a majority on my list – thank you.

    China > curiosity, culture and challenge

    / Mr J Dexter / 3 Comments

    China – a visit thanks to Access China UK and the Nottingham Confucius Institute and Nottingham City Council

    An amazing experience, which would have been incredible and fantastic but was made even moreso or as we teacher’s say “EBI” ( even better if) for the fact I went with 9 great Nottingham City colleagues and we had a wonderful Chinese guide and interpreter,  all of whom added the value to make it totally amazing.

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    Feifei our interpreter at the Ningbo library

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    The Ningbo 10 (ignore the man on the right he wasn’t with us!)

     

     

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    You cannot go up the Pearl of Shanghai and look over the biggest City in the world (population 24 million) and not think – this is where the future of the world will be centred and so we need a plan, not a Brexit neither an educational plan but a proper plan.

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    China is a long way away – 5750 miles to be precise or exactly 24 hours from me leaving a hotel in Shanghai to arriving at my front door in Nottingham. But it’s also a long distance away culturally and we so enjoyed discovering just touching upon something of its culture.

    It’s a country of the highest population 1.4 billion –roughly 24 times the population of the UK and yet the 4th biggest by area which means a lot and I mean a lot of tower block apartments offices and hotels. Shanghai is the biggest City in the world. (24.2 million). We travelled to Ningbo about 4 hours away, including crossing a bridge of 16km to Ningbo, a City the size of London. It’s busy on the roads but those on cycles, motorcycles or even walking seem to just move at random and hey the cars stop and we saw no accidents. Green spaces are precious.

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    Red amber green >GO GO GO

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    Bicycle check, mobile check, helmet -what? Few cares in the world, hoping everyone else will stop.

    We enjoyed wonderful cuisine – not like westernised Chinese food. We ate like royalty with exquisite food brought out for us, vegetable dishes, meat, noodles, all kinds of tastes, flavours and textures but not too much rice, rice comes at the end and you are not really expected to eat it. Oh and we used chopsticks all the time. Meals were very sociable, no distractions and plenty of conversations, and no rush, no TV, little wifi. That’s less cultural and more….common sense.

     

     

    We were very well looked after by our guides, interpreters and hosts, who took us to the most interesting of places from tourist spots, to restaurants and of course to ensuring we travelled to time. In China one is never late. They could not have been more helpful, supportive, informative and generous, as were the hotels we stayed in and all the colleagues we met. And there was a thing – I asked one teacher what she hoped for her pupils “to give them every opportunity to learn”. QED the commonality of the vocation.

    The culture is well documented but we were shown honour, respect, admiration and treated with huge kindness and generosity by our hosts. I was delighted to be part of a team that did exactly the same for one another on the trip especially when ‘stuff’ happened and they looked out to encourage, share and support even though we hardly knew each other beforehand. Representing different sectors the conversations gave us all further insight and arguably the best of CPD (one early years, two Primary heads one Primary adviser, four middle leaders from Secondary, one partnership lead and me from the LA). Such enthusiasm to ensure “this works” for our children.

     

    To be a tourist and see the bund and river at Shanghai as well as to go up to the 263m Pearl of Shanghai were something but also wandering the tourist shops and trying to bargain was fun. A privilege to visit the oldest library in China (Ningbo) founded in 1561 and be welcomed as honoured guests was special. More special for us educators as we value our school library or local library and we value lifelong learning. Nevertheless our visit enabled us to consider just how ignorant we were of Chinese history and culture and the potential in the Far East.

     

    What did we miss ? – very little, we had tea, it tasted different but we were ‘tasting’ China. We did not have access to facebook, twitter or google and we had withdrawal but we chatted and we asked questions and discussed education and other matters and we enjoyed the company, well until we hit wifi in a hotel then we caught up on messages via a message/chat system called wechat. We missed traffic jams, we missed litter, we did actually miss a few hours of sleep somewhere along the way. You know something else? We didn’t miss pupils, even English pupils, at that even Nottingham City pupils because we stopped at a service station in this vast country and met 10 pupils from one of our local primary schools – having an incredible time – though perhaps a little tired ( much like us) they were full of the experience.

    And so to education and some things I have learned and of course I may be wrong that the whole system looks like this but here are my ponderings :

    • Families really value education. Politicians value education. Children value their education. Teachers are highly respected (highest in the world according to this survey). This is a deeply cultural matter and about ethos, respect for schools, for teachers and for learning. We met teachers (sure a small sample but the message overwhelms) full of enthusiasm and diligence, we saw little disruption, and amongst pupils a willingness to work hard and and try your best. There is the extreme high pressures involved in the Gaokao exam but setting that to one side the atmosphere in schools was overwhelmingly positive

    • Proper resource follows the commitment – beautiful buildings; pride in showing us round. I saw huge sportshall ( possibly 4 full size basketball courts and on the floor above about 30 ping pong tables ( I even played the Principal). Their lecture theatre seated 500. We did not hear any complaint about lack of funding – of course that may be for other reasons, However the conversations reflected on their pride in schools and I was glad to be with a group of Nottingham heads and teachers also proud of their schools. Pay not be better ( not sure really about buying power etc) but most of us would trade a bit for having a culture and pride and a community which hugely respect teachers given consideration and of course good behaviours. [Although my own view is that a vast majority of parents do respect us in the UK – just some politicians and the press don’t always and look where they sit in terms of trust and respect.]

     

    Music
    Art
    Lecture theatre (500)
    Outdoor view

    • Teachers teach large groups of 40, and whilst they had nice staff areas to work in, with space to share and discuss, to plan they too felt pressures. It maybe around (only) 3 hours a day at the front but they have no technicians or TAs or other adults in classes. Oh and those evenings when pupils are back in school for several hours studying and doing homework, guess who supervises. Heads and teachers take pride in pupils and in their learning. We heard about two schools at the Bureau sharing speeches and we shared about our two, and common features – pride in the opportunities we offer, in the children’s achievements and the aims and ethos in every school and that included to help our children be global citizens. I asked how the head got his children to work hard – “I don’t have to do anything” he said. Just think what all that means for attendance, punctuality behaviour, background disruption, offering opportunities…..

     

    One class 40 books
    Staff working areas in the English dept

    • I loved the creativity I saw, in particular pride in traditions, but also in creating new traditions. IMG_2883We saw some amazing artwork, incredible calligraphy, beautiful ceramics, others saw sport and music to an amazing standard. We met artists in residence and I was invited to play a computer at a board game, a computer that literally picked up pieces in response to my move and you guessed it – the programme and the hardware created by ….a pupil from scratch.

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    a CRT – a what?

     

    I also had a discussion with a Chemistry teacher – he had created something but our interpreter didn’t know the words, we had a small hand held device that translated and he said it was a ‘CRT’ and I said ‘oh a Cathode Ray Tube’ and we whooped! I mentioned Thomson, electrons, Crookes and we needed no interpreter –  science can be such a powerful language in itself but check out these facilities:

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    • Willingness to stay and learn and take every opportunity including boarding, yes boarding for the weekdays because half an hour journey home was “too far”. Long days without TV, without Facebook, without mobile devices and perhaps without immediate family because, they all believe in the benefits from social activity and learning. So we saw some pupils who did more hours of homework in a two days than some of our pupils would do in school in a day. Of course there are concerns about resilience and pressure too.

    • Hospitality and generosity – we took gifts with us for our school and Bureau colleagues and received many back but sometimes individual  pupils wanted to give us something they had done, some  clearly stayed up to make gifts for their visitors.

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    MrMcNeill with a beautiful painting made especially for him

    I was privileged to pass as one of my gifts the music of Sheku Kanneh Mason ( an ex pupil at my old school) who also kindly wrote me a personal message for the schools which I had translated – that went down really well. ( thank you Sheku). But oh, we had fun – trying out our mandarin, working out currency, bartering, wondering where we were heading when taken by taxi to a school, getting trapped in hotel door (me trying to metaphorically to “open doors”) – looking out for each other and smiling our way through.

     

     

     

    • Education bureau officials welcomed our vision for future work with them, they are interested in what we are doing and especially how we measure impact. How we know our City wide plans and also our school plans are being effective, as well as our regulator (ofsted) view. They are keen to foster further links Ningbo > Nottingham and Nottingham > Ningbo. we have lots of ideas from championing exchanges and learning mandarin through to just a better basic understanding of China and our own Chinese community. To be honest they struggled to understand how our system works if it means a local area does not have any control of schools. Welcome to my world!

    It is quite an amazement that across the world they are interesting in learning from us.

     

    Education Burea officials listening to …me
    Nottingham but Ningbo
    signing MOU

     

     

    IMG_3356My colleagues are now busy working out how to manage exchanges, to plan visits with children and to welcome children here to Nottingham. We are looking at how we can work together across the distances and cultures but with an internet and with colleagues here and our own traditions – Nottingham has a University campus in Ningbo which we visited and so there is much to consider and challenge and much remains to be curious about. For me I am committing to try and open more doors with friends in Ningbo – and not these doors.

    If music be the food of love – it should be at the heart and soul of a school.

    / Mr J Dexter / 32 Comments

    Why music? – aspiration, awe and wonder, incredulity, resilience, emotion, character, spirit, culture, humanity, civility, inspiration, opportunity, participation, perseverance, confidence education educate ….

    “Without music, life would be a blank to me.” – Jane Austen

    There has been and I suspect always will be much discussion about music in school,  from Ed Sheeran wondering why government does not want it on the curriculum when ‘musicians are “wealthy and pay their tax” ‘ to others like Mylene Klass and Julian Lloyd Webber, famous musicians saddened to see music slipping away from schools.

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    Choir and Orchestra at Trinity Prizegiving

    So here is the reflections of a science teacher and school leader in a comprehensive in Nottingham who for a while as headteacher did a bit of a Newton and stood on the shoulder’s of previous headteacher giants but appreciated the view, the mission, the importance and the priority beyond “a subject”.

    Why teach music?      What?      Why teach anything?

    I am a science teacher, 36 years in classrooms doing my bit to inspire my subject: chemistry, science to my pupils and students BUT recognising the bigger picture of what schools do. Contributing to the proper education of children and young people. Sure there is also maths and English and humanities, languages art, design and performance and there is extra curricular in sport and performance. There are the social and character skills of growing up leading to autonomy, independence and ‘mattering’ but leaders, heads CEOs and teaching staff should think big, be ambitious in the curriculum and with the opportunities provided in their school.

    BUT 1. We are limited by accountability – progress 8 and attainment 8 and a desire for an EBacc with subjects almost chosen at random it would appear ( why no RE?). Music could wither because it just can.

    AND 2. We are limited by resource – notably availability of teachers or costs such as peripatetic staff and frankly music is quite expensive but……read on

    in my classroom my pupils did science, usually chemistry  some continued to A level and into HE

    1. Some were exceptionally talented and became > professional scientists
    2. Some needed chemistry in their work and became > medics, vets, pharmacists even physicists and geologists or physics or science teachers
    3. Others were good, could have been scientists but frankly could have been anything and are all manner of precessions and roles
    4. Others were just interested and merely wanted to be scientifically literate.

    That’s what I faced in my classroom and taught them to my best ability, trying to get them from group4 to group 1; a challenge I loved.

    But aren’t the same arguments true for any subject including music. Image result for the kanneh masons will become professional musicians, some need the music for their profession but almost all pupils love music, spend ages listening to music and being moved by music, or composing or going to concerts……

    So beyond the value of studying music beyond that, there are amazing benefits: teamwork, aspiration, hard work, good mental health, peace, joy, comfort…where to start, if music be the food of love play on…..

    0913-23At Trinity the curriculum promoted music. Orchestra, singing and instrumental work. Every year 7 learnt a musical instrument, we had music lessons lessons and orchestra on the curriculum. then of course GCSE and Level music, music tech, performance…. we had concerts, lunchtime recitals, liturgies and celebrations with music often at the heart and soul. we brought in our primaries, we visited our primaries, we showcased the school to pupils, to parents and to the community.

    In Y9 the whole year gave a concert, yes everyone in  year 9 to all of year 7 and 8. 175 pupils, the biggest mix of ability you could imagine from some above and beyond grade 8 on an instrument to those still wondering exactly what those black dots meant. It was a highlight of the school year. It showed everyone, pupils and staff just what aspiration could mean, it showed when you do your bit, you contribute to an amazing event. Your little part alongside everyone else little part adds up to something bigger than the sum, massively so. It gave a message  “Do that in music and you can do so in sport (they did) in charity giving (they did) and in lessons.” Yes, in lessons if you contribute, join in, you too can increase the learning of the group which includes you, and includes the teacher. Be confident, be civil, find inspiration, become curious, realise reward and success. Did this contribute to an outstanding judgement? Probably.

     

    As the Daily Telegraph asked and answered: “Can embracing the Arts help teachers broaden their students’ horizons?” A quick google search shows very many schools that can prove the benefits.

    But you don’t build this and our amazing concerts and shows and prize givings overnight. A generation ago (1980s) Trinity school was heading for closure when the head Mr Bonner was appointed. He had a vision, amongst which every pupil would learn music, every pupil play or sing in a concert. One day every pupil in a concert and every every family, friend and relative present to watch. We just about managed it as he retired in 2005. So many pupils over that time headed to conservatoires, or to the royal academy, others became professional musicians others got involved in amateur music or church music or jazz music or music teaching……I can go on. Over that period even I got cross at times, I recall helping him unload some kettle drums, I think they cost a bit less than my entire budget “but john wait until you see the effect on the orchestra” – he was right. It became almost a standing joke that staff were not appointed unless they could teach a bit of music, e.g. an instrument or play in the orchestras. I wondered how I got a job! He appointed genuinely outstanding music staff, hugely dedicated and an incredible music lead. Such incredible talent, creativity and industry alongside the amazing ability to find music to allow a beginner to contribute but a star to shine. Peripatetic staff who could bring young children on, who could encourage them in their instrumental but also to take part in a brass band or a jazz group or a strings group, the chamber orchestra etc. Not only that but singing echoed that – proper choir singing, high standards but also music for the ‘ boys vocal group’.

    There is no simple magic this is a long term project and the lessons were incredible but results proved so much QED was never so true. Music needs dedication and hard work (great our pupils learnt about dedication and hard work). The rewards are somewhat unmeasurable, but not unforgettable, pupils part of and integral to, the events many pupils remember – concerts, shows, special prize evening (dominated by musicians). Admiration of friends and family, yes the school s a community and as a Church community fulfilling its ethos, mission and and ambition. I believe music wiped away much bullying (yes we did still have some). After Sheku Kanneh Mason won the BBC young musician of the year in 2016 he returned to school on the Wednesday and as he walked through the gate almost the whole of lower school ran to the fence to cheer and applaud him. One night on bus duty I asked a sixth former how her day had been, incredible sir I’ve been getting into Shostakovich thanks to Sheku.img_1946

    We need music in schools, the decisions are for school leaders and governors but also for government to ensure adequate funding and a sense of value and worth, music can’t be ‘the extra’ but it is expensive – staffing costs, peripatetic costs, instrumental costs.

    Otherwise our secondaries will drop down to having a few part timers and a small music GCSE, group as few chose it in Y8 ( as more and more schools push options into year 8).

    Did my subject benefit from music and performance? It’s a resounding YES from me.

    ….and here is another school in Bradford which has put music centre stage with amazing results, highlighted in the educational press recently (2018).

    As John Rutter says

    “It shames us in the UK as a nation. Music education isn’t a frill to be left to the private sector and open only to those who can pay, it’s at the heart of what makes us human and civilised. Any politicians reading this?

    Some of our ex students – from groups 1 to 4, professional ones to those who just appreciated the opportunities have commented below. You may not see them without scrolling down especially on a mobile phone. They are well worth a read.