Will Orr-Ewing

In episode #2, I interview Rory Darling.

Rory taught Maths and History at many of the top boarding boys preparatory schools in the country, including Summer Fields, Cothill, Ludgrove, Aysgarth and Elstree.

In this interview, we talk about:

Teaching and learning Standards back in the 70s?

Importance of historical knowledge for context; and skeleton. Importance of knowledge generally.

Knowledge vs skills / group work; + lesson plans

Real-world Maths

Maths: drilling and rote vs. being open-minded

Maths: CE vs GCSE and ISEB vs KS3

History: importance of having a skeleton

Games to entertain students - avoiding being bored.

What made a good headmaster?

Discipline

In this interview, I speak to retired Charterhouse House Master and Director of Admissions, Hugh Gammell.*

We cover,

- His reflections as a housemaster at Charterhouse and the vocation of being a teacher

- Teaching teenagers from the 1970s to today. What has changed and what hasn’t?

- Teenage rebellion & risk taking & the conformism of children today

- The mavericks and misfits who “make a difference”

- The former pupils who have made him proud

- The importance for children of having non-academic interests

- Specialisation - studying history for its own sake

- Boarding, independent schools and their place in society today

- Mobile phones and the curse of technology today

*The interview was recorded in a restaurant and I'm afraid the sound quality is not good. However, you get into the groove after a few minutes and I hope it will be intelligible.

In Part 2 of my interview with legendary Prep School Headmaster, Nigel Talbot-Rice (NTR), we discuss amongst other things:

Discipline

Crazes

Class

Calling home

Boarding under 13

In Episode 6 of my Education podcast, I interview the famous Summer Fields Headmaster Nigel Talbot Rice.

Nigel joined prep school teaching upon leaving Oxford. He started his career at Papplewick after which he taught at Summer Fields for the rest of his career. He served as the school's Head Master for 22 years (1975-1997) and is undoubtedly one of the school's most significant heads in its history.

In this interview, we talk about:

* His story into teaching - his move from Papplewick into Summer Fields.

* Differences between Summer Fields then and now.

* His plans to buy a school in the 1960s - with Summer Fields legend Nick Alridge.

* His developing educational philosophy - such aspects as behaviour, academics, religious instruction and financial prudence.

* His thoughts on boarding prep schools now and in the future.

In this interview, I talk with Jason Fletcher, founding Headmaster of Heritage School in Cambridge.

Heritage is the only school I am aware of that is committed to (and actively promotes) a Charlotte Mason education in the UK. Jason explains its unique pertinence to the educational priorities of our times.

We discuss,

* The fight against apathy and disenchantment

* The founding of Heritage

* Charlotte Mason - her history and philosophy

* The tragedy of apathy, and what Heritage does to tackle it.

* How exam preparation distorts ‘true education’

* Living ideas / books vs "Twaddle"

* The natural attractiveness of knowledge

* Narrative history and the importance of giving children a “plausible story” about the past

* The teaching method of Narration: how it distinguishes itself from spoon-feeding and how it helps children improve their attention (which is in 'crisis')

* The role of the teacher - “masterly inactivity”

* Christian education and working across faith boundaries

* The Christian view of the Person - the "mystery of the person" - vs Locke’s blank slate

* Education as “the Science of Relations”

* Growth mindset

* Optimism and anti-reductionism

* Heritage's approach to behaviour and discipline; how to create a calm school.

* The importance of aesthetics in a school

* Jason's anti-bureaucratic style of leadership in the school - e.g. in guidance on lesson planning and reporting

* The Book of Centuries

* Cross-disciplinary / interdisciplinary education - how to do it properly and how not to do it.

* Nature Study and Nature Walks in the Seasons; environmental education.

* Charges of "Retreatism", Luddism or Romanticism. How does Charlotte Mason prepare children for the 21st Century? Answer: the importance of the will. The “directed life”.

* How counter-cultural Heritage is in its promotion of the "richer things" vs technology

* e.g. Smartphones vs dumbphones. iPads vs attention and ruminating on the text; going against the tide.

Watch the interview on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJCbwR34i-w

Or subscribe on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/will-orr-ewing/id1268575614?mt=2

USEFUL LINKS

* The Charlotte Mason supporters I dimly mentioned were: Anne Clough, the first principal of Newnham College, Cambridge; Dorothea Beale, principal of Cheltenham Ladies’ College; and Frances Buss, headmistress of the North London Collegiate School.

* There is more about Charlotte Mason here: https://willorrewingblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/13/charlotte-mason-who-was-she-and-what-is-her-relevance/

* Heritage's website: http://www.heritageschool.org.uk/

* Jason's mother in law's book that began the Heritage story: https://www.amazon.co.uk/CHILDRENS-SAKE-MACAULAY-SUSAN-SCHAEFFER/dp/1433506955/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513092022&sr=1-1

* The Tech-Wise Family mentioned towards the end: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tech-Wise-Family-Everyday-Putting-Technology/dp/B0742KD6P9/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513100919&sr=8-1&keywords=tech+wise+family

* The PNEU: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parents%27_National_Educational_Union

* An example of Narration in action at Ambleside Schools in the US: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVNf7aB9EXo&list=PLSyapsJ5Zs5N2qxwtqeEekYQM0G64vCDE

In Episode 3 of my History of Prep Education project, I interview Mark Johnson.

Mark (known to all his pupils as MRJ) attended prep boarding school himself aged 6 (!). As a teacher, he taught at Summer Fields for 17 years, becoming Deputy Headmaster, before becoming Headmaster of Cheam in 1998 - a post he held for 18 years, growing the school from 120 boys to 420 boys & girls and winning much acclaim in the process.

In this interview, we talk about:

*Mark's own (Dickensian!) prep school days

*The story of Mark's entrance into teaching

*What makes an outstanding prep school teacher, and head

*The magic and eccentricity of prep schools, and how these can be preserved in the 21st Century.

We also touch on a near-death experience Mark had, and the difficulty of growing up with his father serving in the Army on the other side of the world.

Rhidian Llewellyn began his teaching career at Heatherdown. From 1980-1984 he was Head of History and English at Arnold House School in St John’s Wood, London. In 1986 he became Senior Housemaster at The Dragon School, Oxford before being appointed, at the age of 32, Headmaster of Papplewick School, Ascot. He now advises parents and schools via his educational consultancy, Llwellyn Education (http://www.llewellyneducation.co.uk/).

In this interview, we discuss:

- Life in a prep boarding school

- Teacher recruitment - 1970s style

- The breakdown of trust and the rise of conformity

- Justice vs. Mercy

- and much much more!

Hope you enjoy!