AMBITION AWARDS Leading


behavioural education expert Sir Alan Steer


is chairing the judging panel of the Ambition Awards – a new £200,000 scheme for 11 to 18-year- olds. He explores ambition and motivation among young people


A


RE YOUNG Brits ambitious? That was the key question asked in a recent international study, and the results were simultaneously promising and disheartening. While the report found that young people in the UK are more


ambitious than many of their European counterparts, it seems that to turn that ambition into success, they need a boost to their self-belief and determination. The research was carried out earlier this year by


AXA and looked at international attitudes towards ambition. It highlighted a worrying fact that just four in 10 young British people believe they will actually achieve their ambition, even though six in 10 described themselves as ambitious or very ambitious. Other nationalities surveyed gave more optimistic


responses about their chances of actually succeeding (France 54 per cent, Germany 53 per cent, Italy 52 per cent and Spain 45 per cent). As a nation, we excel in many areas of the arts,


science, enterprise and sport. British teenagers are more actively engaged in our communities than in most other countries. Despite this, it seems that many of our children are lacking in competitiveness and self-belief. A quarter of British youngsters even told the researchers that they did not care about winning or


Fostering ambition


being the best, while five per cent felt that they did not have anyone in their life who encouraged them to be ambitious. In more than a quarter of a century in the teaching


profession, I have been privileged to meet countless young people with dreams, talent and dedication. I have seen that having those qualities is not always enough to guarantee eventual success. What is needed are specific skills, guidance and a supporting arm through the inevitable difficult times.


What are they wearing? Psycho babble


I WAS recently speaking to several heads of successful schools about the implementation of discipline and was interested to note that almost all suggested that a strong uniform policy underpinned their philosophies. In other words, rigorous attention to ensuring that uniforms were correctly worn, neat, tidy and strictly monitored helped to keep the students in line. But how can ensuring that students wear the


right uniform impact on discipline? There is plenty of research into this subject, and a wealth of differing evidence, much of it anecdotal. For example, 70 per cent of 5,500 US principals surveyed said they believed that “requiring students to wear uniforms to school would reduce violent incidents and discipline problems”. Researcher T Brown found


that in addition to having a sense that uniforms may aid in violence prevention, many administrators “believe that uniforms will reduce discipline referrals, while improving attendance, achievement, self-esteem, and school climate”. There is evidence that gang-


related violence in particular is significantly reduced, as gang members are unable to identify themselves through clothing. Bullying also appears to be less frequent, as there are fewer opportunities to undertake this on the basis of appearance. There are reports of a reduction in theft, as


fashionable or expensive items are not allowed. There is also some indication that uniforms are a great “leveller”; in an environment when everyone conforms to the same dress code, class distinctions are not evident and peer pressure appears to decline. School uniforms appear to encourage pride in


appearance, which could be extrapolated to an approach to school work (attention to detail) and even self-esteem; they promote a sense of identity and community that encourages better relationships, and a more cohesive school. And because kids can be identified outside the gates by their uniforms, they are less likely to engage in anti-social behaviour.


In summary, Brown believes that the potential


benefits attributed to school uniforms include “improved discipline, increased respect for teachers, increased school attendance, fewer distractions, improved academic performance, increased self- esteem and confidence, lower overall clothing costs, promotion of group spirit, reduction in social stratification and fashion statements, improved classroom behaviour, lower rates of school crime and violence, and easy identification of non-students”. Whether all of these factors can be improved by the wearing of uniforms is not entirely clear, but there do seem to be some benefits to making sure your students are wearing the proscribed uniform – and wearing it properly. Dr Joseph Spence, head of Dulwich


College in London, also believes that attention to appearance extends to staff members, who act as role models. He told me: “Discipline – in minor things as in the more serious areas – begins to weaken


as soon as reality fails to live up to rhetoric. Therefore, what a head needs to ensure is that he or she has total buy-in from his or her teachers. Nothing angers me more than pious nods from teachers when one makes a statement about tightening up on uniform, only to watch the pious nodders walking past tranches of boys with their shirts


hanging out.” Elspeth Insch, head of King Edward VI


Handsworth School in Birmingham, echoes this and suggests that there has to be vigilance by everyone: “We check appearance as the girls arrive and there is constant reinforcement from on high.” Although enforcing a policy can be difficult if


it has been relaxed in the past, it’s never too late to implement a new approach, starting from the top down and involving both parents and students in its initiation. While strict school uniform policy may not work for everyone, the potential benefits are compelling enough to give it a try.


• Karen Sullivan is a bestselling author, psychologist and childcare expert. She returns in a fortnight.


This is why I so strongly support the Ambition


Awards being run by AXA and am proud to be chairman of the judging panel. It is one of the most interesting initiatives I have come across in some time in its aim to help exceptional young people make their dreams come true. The awards are encouraging very talented


youngsters aged between 11 and 18 to enter one of five categories: the Arts, Community Involvement, Enterprise, Science, and Sport. Whether they have


dreamed of playing rugby for their country, picking up a BAFTA, or developing a cure for cancer – and can demonstrate their desire and the commitment – they could be in line for a bespoke prize worth up to £40,000. This will set them on their way and could change their lives. The broad range of awards categories recognises the


extent of the contributions young people make towards the community and acknowledges the sheer brilliance within so many of our future leaders of society. Joining me on the judging panel are representatives


from AXA along with five exceptional people who have excelled in their field, showing what true ambition can achieve. Karren Brady, Jason Bradbury, Camila Batmanghelidjh, Amy Williams and Alex James will help me pick the five worthy winners who will then go on to receive our help and guidance. The support that these ambitious and extremely


successful people are giving to these awards demonstrates their belief in the quality of our young people. It shows recognition of the value of an award scheme that will identify outstanding individuals and assist them in realising their great potential. As adults we can be very proud of the young people


in this country who represent our national future. We all have dreams and ambitions for how we want our lives to unfold, and this is particularly true when we are young. These awards build on those dreams by providing the inspirational and practical support necessary to turn them into reality. I am confident that the Ambition Awards will help to unleash some of the country’s most outstanding talent who will be moulding our society for years to come.


SecEd


• Sir Alan Steer is the former headteacher of Seven Kings High School in Ilford and remains actively involved in education affairs. He is a member of the Ofsted board and is well known for his work with school children. He was a government advisor from 2005-10 and a number of the recommendations he made on school behaviour and discipline were included in the 2006 Education Act.


Further information


The Ambition AXA Awards have been launched to empower five highly promising young people aged between 11 and 18 achieve their dreams, no matter what their background. If they have the talent and the ambition to get to the top, they could win bespoke advice and guidance worth up to £40,000 in each category of Sport, Science, the Arts, Enterprise, and Community. For more information, and to apply, visit www.ambitionaxaawards.com


get started with Arts Award


Use Arts Award’s fl exible framework to support students’ creative and leadership development and to achieve a national qualifi cation in your school.


Offer Arts Award within the curriculum or to accredit extra-curricular, enrichment or re-engagement programmes.


Kickstart your school’s Arts Award by booking training www.artsaward.org.uk/booktraining


020 7820 6178


enquiries@artsaward.org.uk www.artsaward.org.uk


Image: Arts Award Live event, Nottinghamshire, photo Joe Wheeler


SecEd • June 16 2011


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