2023 Zest Media Publications Limited All Rights Reserved 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX | 0207 704 0588 The comments below have not been moderated. In 1994 Magnus moved to Eton where he taught English, coached football and cricket and directed house and school plays. The school,founded in 1893, advertises itself as being 'different' from the schools of its time. Copyright William Clarence Education. Bedales Head Magnus Basharaat has responded to a major consultation conducted by exam board Pearson Future of Qualifications and Assessment steered by an expert panel including former education secretaries Damian Hinds, Baroness Morris and Lord Blunkett. number: 07222273 GU32 2DG, Reception Our termly magazine covers every stage of your childs schooling, with top education journalists and stellar heads giving you the inside track on what matters in education. He said: Were I to be given the ultimatum, tomorrow, that Bedales be made a state school, and that it should follow the national curriculum and policymakers preoccupations with the transfer of knowledge and disregard for humanities and the arts, I would decline. By Magnus Bashaarat, Head of Bedales On Monday evening, historian Tim Bouverie came to Bedales for our second 'real live' Civics of the term. The problem is that secondary level education has failed to keep pace with the vision and ambition of universities such as these. In most senior schools, pupils of this age will have many unrelated lessons across a week, where the content within each subject is not linked to other subjects. Asked whether Bedales could offer its qualifications to other schools, he said thats certainly on the table for the future. Magnus Bashaarat, the headteacher of Bedales School, where pupils sit a core of five GCSEs alongside alternative coursework focused Bedales Assessed Courses, said he hoped . He says: As we see it, the only remaining value in GCSEs lies in informing A level grade predications for the purpose of university admissions. By Magnus Bashaarat, Head of Bedales A report which ran in The Times on Monday was difficult reading for arts undergraduates sharpening their pencils and adding more memory to their smartphones ahead of the new university year about to start. Sounds like there's a scandal there somewhere! Keith Budge - the longest serving Bedales headteacher with the exception of its founder John Badley - is to step down after 17 years at the helm next summer. While many private school heads have opposed Labour's policy to introduce VAT on school fees and scrap business rate exemptions that come with charitable status, Mr Bashaarat is seemingly alone in championing the importance of having education institutions free of government initiatives. Magnus has been Head of Bedales Schools since September 2018. 894646. Bedales has been innovating with its own wider range of assessments since 2006 when it introduced Bedales Assessed Courses. Magnus Bashaarat told i that retro-traditional GCSEs were terribly past their sell-by-date. They leave Bedales well-positioned to meet the changing priorities and requirements of todays higher education and work environments, and I would like to see the same for all of our young people. Predictions for the future of GCSE and ALevel gradesfollowing the coronavirus pandemic. I agree, Undergraduate scholarships, bursaries & awards, Postgraduate scholarships, bursaries & awards, Research scholarships, bursaries & awards, International scholarships, bursaries & awards, Faculty of Business, Law and Digital Technologies research, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences research, Faculty of Education, Health & Social Care, Faculty of Business and Digital Technologies, University of Winchester Appointed August 2021 Committee Finance and Resources Magnus Bashaarat, head of the 37,000-a-year Bedales, said he liked the idea of a national education system without the "dichotomy" between state and independent schools but that Bedales. The demise of the AS-Level freed up time that we have used to develop a programme of teacher-designed diploma courses. Hampshire Privacy Policy. The start of the pandemic saw some independent schools delivering their curricula online to a paying customer base beyond their usual rolls. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. "Reflecting over the summer" reads as code for 'jumping before he was pushed'. I'm sure everyone appreciates how challenging the last 18 months have been for everyone, especially teachers. Magnus Bashaarat Head, Bedales School, Hampshire Sally Dicketts, Chief Executive of Activate Learning Will Goldsmith, Director of Teaching and Learning, Latymer Upper School, London Phil Avery, Director of Education, Bohunt Education Trust Discuss this post Previous Students are telling us the assessment system needs to change Don't miss an issueSubscribe and save.Subscribe. It doesnt serve any purpose anymore.. Whatever they choose to do, they work no less hard than on their A-Levels, are subjected to no less rigour and experience a much wider range of assessment methods. How did Russia lose HALF of its 45,000 elite paratroopers in just seven months? E: admin@bedales.org.uk, Accessibility | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Cookies Policy | Privacy | Contact Us, Bedales Schools | Website Design by Oyster. Hear about their school motto, Head, hand and heart, and how this relates to theBedalesapproach to education. Speaking to i, he said: Everyone has to stay at school now post-16, so why do we have an arbitrary terminal examination at 16? I can understand why some commentators are advocating the abolition of GCSEs but I feel their focus is misplaced. The full Bedales response to the Pearson consultation can be read here. Steep Magnus Bashaarat, the head of Bedales School, says 'retro-traditional' GCSEs are outdated By Will Hazell Education Correspondent January 26, 2020 6:00 pm (Updated July 10, 2020 4:51 pm) More. Rather, the world-class civil engineering department at UCL has shown that undergraduates do not need maths or science at A-Level in order to excel. Registered in England No. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. To read the full article, click below, with thanks to The Week Independent Schools Guide. Deserves to be heard by a bigger audience. In addition, all our Sixth Formers complete a rigorous Professional Skills Programme, a course dedicated to teaching the general skills they need to thrive in the workplace. Discover the reason behind the inception of theschool byitsfounder, John Haden Badley. Magnus Bashaarat | Rethinking Assessment | The Week, Bedales School Church Road The latest Tweets from Magnus Bashaarat (@MagnusBashaarat) Tweet with a location. In November one head at a girls private school said future generations would look back on them like the Victorian dunce cap. She is known for Our River.Our Sky (2021), Night Shapes (1999) and Homeland (2011). He said GCSEs should be scrapped by the Government altogether, but added that in the meantime private schools were slowly moving away from the qualification. However, they. 'True to its roots and founding principles the school places emphasis on collaboration and care for others. It will be a privilege to build on Keith's rich legacy and to lead John . Samirah "Sam" al-Abbas is the demigod daughter of the Norse God of Mischief Loki and the late Alyesha al-Abbas, the half-sister of Alex Fierro, the valkyrie of Magnus Chase and the main female protagonist in the Norse mythology book series Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. More private schools will stop offering GCSEs because the qualification is outdated and doesnt serve any purpose, the head of Bedales School has predicted. Thats not what employers think is useful, because employers dont want people who are just very good at remembering stuff and writing it out. Magnus Bashaarat, outgoing head of Milton Abbey [to become head of Bedales], believes that moving away from the nine or ten GCSEs path bears genuinely fruitful results. We are currently looking at precisely these issues as we seek to expand our Benenden Diploma, our highly successful curriculum for pupils in Year 7 and 8. Private schools have been so far restrained in their criticism of the motion, choosing to focus on the work they do to justify their charitable status through offering bursaries to poorer pupils and collaborating with state schools. The same cannot be said of the state system, however, he said. 08131068 - Website by versantus.co.uk, Sign up for our newsletter for the latest School Admissions Industry News, UK School Application Consultancy and Support, Find out more about our school placement expertise here, Green Park House, 15 Stratton Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 8LQ. Find out more about our school placement expertise here, fromearly yearseducationtopre-prep/prep schoolandall the way up tosenior school,orget in touch with us todayfora consultation with a member of our team. MrBashaarat, whose school's alumni include actor Daniel Day Lewis, presenter Kirstie Allsopp and singer Lily Allen, said Bedales could not become subject to the national curriculum or 'policymakers' preoccupations' with competitive exams, The Times reported. By Magnus Bashaarat, Head of Bedales A report which ran in The Times on Monday was difficult reading for arts undergraduates sharpening their pencils and adding more memory to their smartphones ahead of the new university year about to start. Winchester By Magnus Bashaarat, Head of Bedales In a recent article by Haroon Siddique in The Guardian, Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner expressed concern that Tory education reforms are putting state school pupils at a disadvantage compared to those educated in independent schools. In our apparent rush to address a perceived weakness with the current system, we should be careful not to overlook its strengths. He concludes: This year has taught us that many students have fared better when the high-stakes terminal assessments have been replaced by evidence of achievement spread over a much longer time. I support the ongoing reforms: the overriding effort to further raise standards is a laudable one. Magnus Bashaarat, the head of Bedales School, says 'retro-traditional' GCSEs are outdated By Will Hazell Education Correspondent January 26, 2020 6:00 pm (Updated July 10, 2020 4:51 pm) More. As a country, the challenge is to ensure appropriate vocational routes have equal respect from employers and higher education providers so that the large percentage of 16-year-olds for whom the new GCSEs are still inappropriate or too difficult have something worthwhile to show for their time in school. 'Our students are naturally ambitious and competitive, and build strong relationships with each other and their teachers based on mutual respect; everyone, staff and students, is on first name terms. Currently our. The head of a famously progressive private school has said he would rather shut down than integrate into the state system. But it has emerged that school governors at Bedales asked him to resign his HMC role in order to dedicate more time to the school during his final year as headmaster, helping with the transition to his successor, Magnus Bashaarat. He says: As we see it, the only remaining value in GCSEs lies in informing A level grade predications for the purpose of university admissions. Magnus has been Head of Bedales Schools since September 2018. Magnus Bashaarat, of the 37,000-a-year Bedales in Hampshire, made the claim in. Although the pandemic put teachers in the invidious position of having to both deliver the curriculum and perform tasks more normally associated with exam boards, Magnus is not keen to see a return to business as usual in the shape of the usual GCSE and A Level formats. The hotel was built on the site of the Peterloo Massacre in 1819, a bloody milestone along the treacherous road towards universal suffrage. He MUST seize it, starting with the Budget, writes ANDREW NEIL. It really is the moment to rethink assessment and overhaul the outdated national curriculum.. Unlike the others, Hadi was the only one born into tent life. Here at William Clarence, we haveunparalleledexperience supporting students and their familiesfrom all over the worldin their independent school applications, and helping students achieve their desired placement. DISCLAIMER: I hereby declare that I do not own the. 'Mr Bashaarat is highly experienced and joins us having been Headmaster of Milton Abbey School and, most recently, Bedales. However, many heads including some in private schools have said the GCSEs fail to provide a well-rounded education and put too much pressure on students. All rights reserved. Only in this way, he argued, can young people be prepared for the 21st century labour market, and I could not agree more. all private schools become part of the state system. It recommended replacing GCSEs and A-Levels with a diploma covering both academic and vocational pathways, allowing for their combination. The BBC will suspend the 159-a-year licence fee for two days so people can watch EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Could Nicola Sturgeon return the Stone of Scone for King Charles's coronation as one of Just 11 MINUTES of brisk walking each day is enough to slash your chances of dying early, study reveals. By continuing to use this website youare giving consent to cookies being used. All rights reserved. Thebank that won't pass on rate rises unless you ring and ask:Just one of the ruses greedy lenders use to Meghan Markle was 'hugely disappointed' by life in the royal family and as a 'global superstar' she 'hated More snow and ice could batter Britain next week: Met Office warns Arctic blast from Greenland could send Shamima Begum and other British women who joined Islamic State and are being held in Syria will 'ultimately' Is YOUR lifestyle good for your heart? At last months party conference, Labour voted to scrap private schools, redistribute their assets among state schools and end their charitable status and tax privileges. UK Registered Company, Reg. At Bedales we have been offering our own Bedales Assessed Courses (BACs) alongside GCSEs for many years; they are recognised by UCAS and liked by universities and employers alike. I would decline, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. The head of a private school has said he would rather close down than see it become part of the state system. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. E: admin@bedales.org.uk, Accessibility | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Cookies Policy | Privacy | Contact Us, Bedales Schools | Website Design by Oyster. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. The same could apply to any pupil who wasnt planning to go down the university route after school. Petersfield Gain an insight into how these courses prepare students for university and work. We encourage our staff and students to be enterprising in all they do and we maintain close ties with regional employers. 'Were I to be given the ultimatum that Bedales be made a state school, and that it should follow the national curriculum and policymakers' preoccupations with the transfer of knowledge and disregard for humanities and the arts, I would have to decline. Left behind | Are left-handed pupils being let down? Magnus Bashaarat, the head of Bedales - which is famed for its liberal ethos - told i the course would span "sustainability, permaculture, biological science" and "farming ethically and . Were alive to the fact that some of our courses would I think be interesting to other schools to deliver.. This needs to be supported by a rigorous enrichment programme which is explicitly delivered in a way that nurtures soft skills. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Crucially, the authors favoured diverse assessment methodologies. Bedalesis situated just one hours journey from London, andhas a linked prep school,Dunhurstand pre-prep,Dunannie. BACs encourage collaboration, and the significant decision-making power they grant to students results in good learning. Magnus is enthusiastic about some of the possibilities revealed by schools migration to online learning for example the shared real-time editing of written work using SharePoint. After a year when he worked in newspapers (the Observer and The London Evening Standard) he completed a PGCE in English and Drama at King's College, London, and then started his teaching career at Sherborne School in 1992. The demise of the AS-Level freed up time that we have used to develop a programme of teacher-designed diploma courses. Mumsnet carries some affiliate marketing links, so if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale (more details here). Sparkford Road The Bedales Enrichment Programme is designed to both complement and offer contrast to traditional A-Level choices. Actress: Our River.Our Sky. Disingenuously, ministers have dismissed this history as a progressive aberration.. Oscar Cainer reveals all. Bedales has been innovating with its own wider range of assessments since 2006 when it introduced, The full Bedales response to the Pearson consultation can be read, Bedales Prep, Dunhurst takes part in RSPB Big Schools Birdwatch, Curriculum enriching trips at Bedales Pre-prep, History and Philosophy, Religion & Ethics. The orthodoxy of deeming some educational subjects worthy (STEM, English etc) and others less so is suspect. Find out whatBedalescandidates are assessed on and how, and at what point before they start school. He cares for the stray dogs that visit the settlement and plays with the abundance of stones in the old quarry, Deeb accompanies Sara to buy bread from a small shop run from a neighbours home. 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