Rather, Magnus believes we should build on the re-emergence of teacher assessment drawing upon a range of evidence, resulting from the COVIDpandemic and the cancellation of exams. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. Bedales is the first school to be recognised by UCAS as offering its own GCSE-replacement qualification. 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. We would like to express our gratitude to our current Head Mr Steven Winter for his hard work and dedication in helping found MVS. DISCLAIMER: I hereby declare that I do not own the. At Bedales teenagers still sit GCSEs in five core subjects, but also take four or five of the schools own Bedales Assessed Courses (BACs). He says: No longer the toing and froing of A4 paper covered in red ink. Applying to independent schoolscan vary significantly depending on whichinstitutiona child is hoping to attend, and the process can be both complex and stressful. Magnus Bashaarat | Rethinking Assessment | The Week, Bedales School 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. All rights reserved. Weve gone to this retro-traditional view of education where coursework is out because Conservative education ministers dont trust teachers, and its now gone back to heavily cliffedge assessment. However, they are notoriously unreliable, and there is powerful evidence that the status quo does a disservice to applicants from the state sector and disadvantaged families. Petersfield 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 demise of the AS-Level freed up time that we have used to develop a programme of teacher-designed diploma courses. Ultimately, government must trust teachers with the business of education.. Inside the forest palace 'Putin shares with his gymnast lover and their secret children': Luxury estate Vanessa Bryant settles with LA County for $28,850,000 over misuse of photos from helicopter crash that What does the 1st March say for MY star sign? The school,founded in 1893, advertises itself as being 'different' from the schools of its time. Dont get me wrong: I thoroughly embrace the principle of making education more relevant to the modern workplace and I agree that the role of schools is to prepare young people for jobs that dont exist yet. Bedalesis situated just one hours journey from London, andhas a linked prep school,Dunhurstand pre-prep,Dunannie. 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 Magnus Bashaarat, Head of Bedales This year's annual HMC Conference was held at the Midland Hotel in Manchester. 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. Magnus Bashaarat, of the 37,000-a-year Bedales in Hampshire, made the claim in. 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 StickyAdvice,International,Advice,Prep,Senior,Advice, StickyLifestyle,Lifestyle,Lifestyle,Lifestyle, StickySEN,Prep,Pre-Prep,SEN,Advice,SEN,Senior,Advice,Advice, StickyInsight,Prep,SEN,Pre-Prep,SEN,Insight, Insight,Pre-Prep,Insight,Prep,Senior,Insight. 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). She didnt ask to be a refugee and refuses to give up her ght for a better life. In contrast, our Diploma has been designed to enable pupils to make exciting and innovative links between subjects through a series of enquiry projects and themes. The school (pictured) advertises itself as being 'different' from the schools of its time, having been founded in 1893, Mr Bashaarat, whose school's alumni include presenter Kirstie Allsopp (left) and singer Lily Allen (right), said Bedales could not become subject to the national curriculum or 'policymakers' preoccupations' with competitive exams and rote learning, He called the conversation about integration 'timely and necessary', but added:'We in the UK have an awfully long way to go before schools such as mine might operate in mainstream education without sacrificing everything good that we do.'. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. 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. The head of a famously progressive private school has said he would rather shut down than integrate into the state system. Mr Magnus Bashaarat will commence his role as the new Head Teacher at Maida Vale School as of 24 th April 2023. A leading co-educational day and boarding school for ages 13-18,Bedalesoffers A levels and GCSEs as well as their ownBedalesAssessed Courses. He has also worked at Stowe as Deputy Head, Eton as a Housemaster and Sherbourne as a Teacher of English and Drama. Magnus Bashaarat 20 August 2020 2:00pm . As well as core curriculum subjects, she is also receiving psychosocial support to assist her with any trauma she may have been exposed to while eeing their homes from the civil war in Syria, Sara and her family visit Beirut on our nal day in Lebanon. Discover the reason behind the inception of theschool byitsfounder, John Haden Badley. 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. Magnus Bashaarat, headmaster, Bedales School Alistair McConville, director of learning and innovation, Bedales School Will Goldsmith, director of teaching and learning, Latymer Upper School, London Dame Alison Peacock, chief executive, Chartered College of Teaching Leanne Forde-Nassey, headteacher, The Key Education Centre, Gosport and Havant 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. School should be a preparation for life, rather than a job, Mr Bashaarat insisted. Rishi Sunak warns MPs they can't trust 'Mr 2nd Referendum' Keir Starmer on Brexit in meeting with backbench DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Rishi Sunak's vaunted Brexit deal could be a landmark achievement, Rishi's deal gives Brexit a second chance. Disingenuously, ministers have dismissed this history as a progressive aberration.. If the government were to follow his lead, he says, we could still prevent a grading disaster next year . Thats not what employers think is useful, because employers dont want people who are just very good at remembering stuff and writing it out. Reforms to university admission must proceed without argument, and once this is done there is no good reason for retaining GCSEs. I would rather we shut our doors.. Magnus is interesting and energetic and, together with his wife Camilla, will be a wonderful addition to the Bedales community." Magnus Bashaarat commented: "I am looking forward to joining Bedales and developing the school's impressive contribution to education. 'Mr Bashaarat is highly experienced and joins us having been Headmaster of Milton Abbey School and, most recently, Bedales. 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 . Her brothers are now inviting their sister to come and play with them, which is very unlike things are back home in the tent where Saras place is indoors helping with chores, Sara, Ali and Deeb chase the white water on Lebanons coastline. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Inevitably, the transition has not been seamless and another disruption to the exam system at the moment is the last thing young people and teachers need. However, we dont need another change to the exam system in order to achieve this. I can understand why some commentators are advocating the abolition of GCSEs but I feel their focus is misplaced. Reputation management expert reveals why it doesn't just happen to 'This is the most ridiculous thing I've seen!' are notoriously unreliable, and there is powerful evidence that the status quo does a disservice to applicants from the state sector and disadvantaged families. The full Bedales response to the Pearson consultation can be read here. Registered in England No. Hampshire It is encouraging that many of the new universities offer imaginative programmes in emerging creative and technological fields, and are similarly broad-minded in their entry requirements. By continuing to use this website youare giving consent to cookies being used. E: admin@bedales.org.uk, Accessibility | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Cookies Policy | Privacy | Contact Us, Bedales Schools | Website Design by Oyster. Mr Bashaarat also said the unholy triumvirate of Boris Johnson, David Cameron and Jacob Rees-Mogg had made the Eton brand toxic and that the number of prime ministers coming from the same school was a legitimate concern. Chris King, headmaster of Leicester Grammar School, has now been announced as the new chair. 'GCSEs are no discriminator. Church Road It was backed by the shadow chancellor John McDonnell. 'Where others imposed conformity, Bedales nurtured individuality, initiative and an enquiring mind,' its website states. Learn more about how many nights of the week students stay at the school, and what happens during the weekends if students dont go home. Please, The subscription details associated with this account need to be updated. A motion proposing all private schools become part of the state system, with their assets redistributed, was passed at last weeks Labour conference. Get an insight into theBedalesschool environmentand ethos, how it compares toother schools, and the impactthat this has on students wellbeing and learning success. 2023 Zest Media Publications Limited All Rights Reserved 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX | 0207 704 0588 Magnus attended the King's School, Canterbury followed by Edinburgh University, where he read English Literature. He criticised the Labour motion but also criticisedthe 'unholy triumvirate' of Boris Johnson, David Cameron and Jacob Rees-Mogg for making 'the Eton brand toxic'. In 1994 Magnus moved to Eton where he taught English, coached football and cricket and directed house and school plays. 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. The hotel was built on the site of the Peterloo Massacre in 1819, a bloody milestone along the treacherous road towards universal suffrage. 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. 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 could not be subject to the. The majority of coursework has been scrapped, so assessment is now carried out almost exclusively through examination. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. The same could apply to any pupil who wasnt planning to go down the university route after school. The educationalist Bill Lucas has written that a focus on STEM subjects at school is not sufficient for would-be-engineers. He says: Real-time, three-dimensional contact is irreplaceable, and seeing the reaction and emotion of students in person and the joy when that sacred connection was restored once we opened the school again was incredible. On the flip side, he observes that many of this summers school leavers are planning gap years because the prospect of some undergraduate courses being delivered online in the new university year is so unpalatable. 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 . Since then she has faced many adversaries with her friends and has won with their help. To read the full article, click below, with thanks to The Week Independent Schools Guide. Sounds like there's a scandal there somewhere! Wellington College on the wellbeing top five, Natasha Devon on navigating teenage years, Sicily in style a two-centre villa stay, Year 6 competition: Design a roundel for the Lord Mayor of London, Radnor House Prep a school for the future, Focus on Marymount International School London, Capital gains the benefits of going to school in London, Tune in, turn on the amazing power of subtitles to boost literacy, Young gamblers what parents and educators need to know. Discover howBedalesrecruit their studentsincompared toapplying tootherindependent schools. At Bedales, we had been less nervous than others of the damage the Ofqual algorithm might be able to inflict on our GCSE results, because . 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. Sara can see across the Bekaa Valley to the mountains, beyond which is Syria and the distant memories of the old life they had, Sara is keen to leave the tent, which leaks water from the roof when it rains and in the freezing cold winter months the snow drifts in. A brilliant b side which I consider to be a real forgotten gem. With appropriate moderation, this would play to strengths already present in our education system. Last week the Governor's accepted Magnus' resignation after he spent time reflecting over the summer. She is currently engaged to Amir Fadlan. 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. Steep Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF. In 2016 former Education Secretary, Lord Baker decried the squeezing out of creative and technical subjects in our schools, and alongside the usual curricular suspects, argued that young people should study a technical subject such as design and technology or a BTEC, and a creative option such as a GCSE in art or drama. In an article for The Week Independent Schools Guide (Autumn/Winter 2021), Head of Bedales Magnus Bashaarat discusses educating in the time of COVID and his conviction that face-to-face contact between teachers and students is crucial, and makes the case for assessment reform. 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. 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. Magnus Bashaarat told i that retro-traditional GCSEs were terribly past their sell-by-date. Name of Head: Magnus Bashaarat Address: Church Road, Steep, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 2DG This should be the focus, rather than once again unsettling young people with talk of further tinkering with exams which have only recently been reformed. The head of a private school has said he would rather close down than see it become part of the state system. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. 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. '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. The best seat in the house! Bedales has been innovating with its own wider range of assessments since 2006 when it introduced Bedales Assessed Courses. Bedales. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. We all need to work towards this together. If your child is applying toindependent schools, this interview provides a powerful insight into the current independent school climate, and the kind of experiences your child can expect comparedto other education systems. 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. At least now within our own school campus, re-imagined as a self-governed city state, we have the opportunity to return to that sacred exchange of teaching and learning that seeks to link 'head, hand and heart.' By Magnus Bashaarat, Head of Bedales Please, Magnus Bashaarat said the school could not be subject to the national curriculum. 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. It really is the moment to rethink assessment and overhaul the outdated national curriculum.. The comments below have not been moderated. I suspect that the authors might like what we are doing at Bedales, first, through the introduction of BACs (Bedales Assessed Courses) as an alternative to GCSEs, and now with the introduction of the Enrichment Programme for Sixth Formers. 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 the waves break on the sand, so too do the barriers between siblings. I support the ongoing reforms: the overriding effort to further raise standards is a laudable one. 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. Magnus Bashaarat criticised a Labour motion to integrate private schools He is head of famously progressive 37,000-a-year Bedales school in Hampshire Former pupils include Daniel Day Lewis,. Sitting on a swing in Beirut, she hopes for a better future built on a good education and psychosocial support made possible by EAA and UNRWA, Sara has dreams of moving to Canada, Europe or the Gulf states where she can study in English and eventually become a doctor. Sydenham High School on navigating change, The King Alfred School on real-world learning. 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. We encourage our staff and students to be enterprising in all they do and we maintain close ties with regional employers. 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