Editor’s letter
Volcanic ash may have briefl y derailed the country but our British public school heads were unstoppable. By taxi, boat and nerves of steel they made it home for the start of the summer term. Top marks go to the deputy who drove to Italy to collect his headmaster. This term is always cause for celebration
as schools open their doors to parents, and pupils, free of exams at last, entertain us with speech days, plays and summer sports days. Even if Paranoid Parent (page 65) does dread the mother’s race. British schools reside in some beautiful
buildings and these infl uence us but perhaps not in the way you think, says Dr Simon Thurley of English Heritage. However, it is what is going on inside those hallowed halls which will be interesting parents most when exams are on the agenda. In anticipation of exciting results, Tim Oates of Cambridge Assessment opens the debate on exam standards (page 39), while Mike Nicholson, Admissions Director of the University of Oxford argues that predicted grades alone don’t make a successful UCAS application. Georgia Coleridge and Karen Doherty off er advice on beating exam stress. Tinkering with conception dates can infl uence academic success but the
‘birthdate eff ect’ (page 30) can be mitigated by good schooling. Speaking of which, we Focus in on tutoring, fi nding that even one term can up a child’s grades (page 44). Choosing the right school is a popular
dinner party debate. Is co-ed better than single sex? Will you tailor school selection to individual talents? Is drama important? Left- wing classicist Mary Beard explains why she votes with her head, not her heart (page 34). When exams are over and schools chosen,
the long summer holidays stretch ahead. We have oodles of ideas on how to fi ll them. Find holiday homes for rent on our parents page (79), or better still, follow Kirstie Allsopp’s advice and invest in your own. We have competitions, promotions and even a spa off er for mothers to pick themselves up after weeks of ferrying children from sports camp to surfi ng beach. For me, it will be Saunton Sands and Devon while I prepare my children for new schools in the autumn. Enjoy your summer.
FırstEleven
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Many thanks to New Hall Preparatory School whose pupils featured on our Spring 2010 cover. Photograph by Matthew Plummer
EDITORIAL
Editor: Annabel Heseltine
Deputy Editor: Alex Reid Editorial Assistants: Penelope Camburn,
Oliver Morley-Norris, Francesca Lessons
Production Design: Martin Gannon,
Tim Nolan
Art Editor: Karen Warren Managing Editor: Sam Pears
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Sales Executive: Francesca Barrow Advertisement Director: Steven Ross
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First Eleven is supplied free on request to parents and UK and international
independent schools. Please contact us for more details. Printed in England by Wyndeham Heron, Essex.
Copyright: CNP Ltd 2010. All rights reserved. Text and pictures are copyright restricted and must not be reproduced without permission from the publisher. ISSN: 1756-7173
Cover: Courtesy of Cheltenham College. Photographer: Martyn Poyner
The information contained in First Eleven has been published in good faith and every eff ort has been made to ensure its accuracy. All liability for loss, negligence or damage caused by reliance on the information contained within this publication is hereby excluded.
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SUMMER 2010 FIRST ELEVEN
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