If you asked any headteacher in the UK who the most important stakeholder in their school is – they would unanimously reply; the pupil. They wholeheartedly believe that the purpose of their school is to provide the best possible education for each child. However, recent data from the government shows that many schools are encouraging [...]
One of the major differences between Dutch and British schools is that we focus much more narrowly on academic achievement. Imbedded in the Dutch psychic is the golden mean philosophy that emphasizes the healthy median of moral behaviour. It warns against extremes – at one end excess, at the other deficiency. Barnaby Lenon, chairman of [...]
During August, I travelled around the country delivering the ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ course to teachers. On the 17th of August, the day of A-level results, I delivered this training programme in one of England’s top independent schools and met with the headmaster afterwards. He was likable and inspiring, however, in high stress [...]
This summer I went to The Hague to attend an education conference and visit some Dutch schools. Afterwards, whilst walking from the hotel to catch my train back to the airport I had to slow down because a four-year old was cycling on the pavement in front of me. Her father was a few metres [...]
I have three teenagers, and I’m always wrestling my thoughts on how best to prepare them for independent adult life. It concerns me that our schools don’t provide any real-life skills training for them and that the world outside of school requires more than an ‘academic’ qualification to survive and thrive. The world they are [...]
In my role as head of FranklinCovey Education in the UK, I get to meet many head teachers to discuss applying our training to the challenges they face. Many secondary school heads have confided that they are seeing a dramatic increase in mental health issues with their pupils. One headteacher said, that on average 15 [...]
There are three metaphorical poisons that produce a deadly cocktail for teenagers in the 21st century. 1. Our toxic 21st century definition of success that is based on achievement, money, appearance, fame and power. This creates a culture whereby we are constantly comparing ourselves with others and it can make teenagers feel inadequate, inferior and [...]
Results – The name of the game. In the September edition of Surrey’s Elmbridge magazine - blazed across the cover was the headline ‘the Top Ten Independent Schools in your Area’. Because I’m passionate about improving our education system, I quickly thumbed to the article which was written by an Ofsted inspector. The article had [...]
Is this all there is? There is a prevailing toxic definition of success that is contributing to a significant increase in mental health problems for teenagers across the UK. This definition of success is based on achievement, appearance and money. At an extreme level, it’s focused on fame and power. Part of the problem is [...]
Unplugging for a Better Life The question is, how do we get our teenagers to ‘unplug’ so that they can improve their health, their relationships and their life? In trying to conquer the hold that technology has on their lives they need all the help they can get. Firstly, as parents we need to demand [...]