Newsletter – Future Forward: Warwick Independent Schools Foundation

Warwick Independent Schools Foundation (created in 2001) is the Governing Body for Warwick School, King’s High School, Warwick Preparatory School and the Kingsley School.

Topics addressed at the conference included the school curriculum, the arts and culture, entrepreneurship, tech and gaming and business and industry. Key issues for discussion were the balance of skills and knowledge, how schools can improve communication, how to work collaboratively within education and the importance of new teachers and their training needs.

Each school aims to provide outstanding, all-round education for students to achieve their best. It was recognised that schools needed to adopt qualifications to meet the needs of industries and to increase engagement with businesses; schools need to catch up to the commercial world to improve students’ employability prospects, by developing relevant skills and learning. These include skills such as listening, being empathetic and problem solving as well as academic strengths such as scientific literacy and competent use of technology.

The Foundation covered what the schools’ current plans were with regards to outcomes and parental views. It was understood that some parents may not see the benefit of changes if there was no ultimate change to final assessments. The reduction of the number of GCSEs was discussed as one possible solution to make sure schools could focus on the skills that employers see as strengths; further changes to the curriculum could be made to address any short coming, finding time during the school day aimed at understanding business needs, providing opportunities for project-based learning and other creative tasks.

Staffing was a key topic of the two-day conference. It was felt that half of teachers’ current work could be automated but that this should not lead to a reduction in staff; instead better training to retain current staff and attract new teachers should be considered. How will schools manage their staff time with some businesses moving to a four day week – and what effect will this have on education?

Noble and Eaton can give your school a direct insight into working with education and what employers are looking for. Call us to find out more.