RSA Education has begun a new partnership with Service Children’s Education, the agency responsible for the children of Ministry of Defence personnel, service and civilian, who are based overseas. SCE currently provides education for over 10,000 pupils in 38 schools in nine countries.
To begin the partnership, I spent two fascinating, inspiring days at JHQ, a garrison in Rheindahlen near Dusseldorf that serves as the central headquarters of the British Forces in Germany. JHQ will close next year, and the start of this process has been wonderfully documented by pupil Callum Kelly through his Gold Arts Award.
We are working with SCE to help them think through their education offer during a time of considerable change for the organisation, and plan some projects that connecting their schools to our work on Opening Minds and the Area-Based Curriculum. This builds on some fantastic work SCE schools did through Creative Partnerships, including this animation that connected primary pupils at St Patrick’s School to their grandparents back in the UK.
Overall, I was struck by both the deep similarities and the subtle but significant differences between SCE schools and schools back here in England. Staff attrition is lower but pupil turnover much higher; teachers are ‘deployed’ as civil servants; headteachers do not have control of their own budgets, but, with the power of Commanding Officers, can issue parking tickets, and are informed immediately if their teachers ever have contact with the Military or host nation’s police!
It is clear that SCE schools are delivering a high quality education for their pupils. Their schools, leaders and teachers have expertise, especially around mobility and bereavement issues, as well as around closing schools properly, that the rest of our system needs to learn from. The Year Six and Eight pupils I spoke to handle their own regular ‘redeployments’ with resilience (as well as with Skype and Facebook). The two schools I visited were a highly creative and clearly deserve their Artsmark Gold awards. Windsor school has taken on the challenge of disconnection and isolation to make sure that, despite being on a garrison, their students experience as many external learning opportunities as possible. Teacher Chris Scholl’s Comenius project has connected pupils to other countries, and to help them explore aspects of their own identities.
The passion that the two remaining JHQ schools showed for ensuring a fantastic final year for their staff and students is extraordinary. The schools wish both to carry on as usual, and mark the end of the schools and JHQ through celebration as a ‘teachable moment’. We are exploring options for a Heritage Lottery Fund project, led by schools, but exploring the history of the whole garrison.
In many ways, SCE operates like an old fashioned local authority, in the best sense of the word. The inspectors and advisers have the up to date knowledge, resources and authority to make a real difference to school improvement. Schools appear to have the autonomy they need to do the job well, without some of the burdens that control over budgets, staffing and governance bring. With a reduction in schools and personnel this may change in the years ahead, and SCE is already thinking deeply and carefully about new structures and partnerships. However, there is something precious and special about the existing infrastructures and relationships, and even some of the quirkier rules and regulations, linked to their ties to the Ministry of Defence. We hope that, in the year ahead, RSA can help SCE and its schools to design their own future, rather than have an outsourced solution thrust upon them.
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I left a SCE school way back in 1992 and thanks to my drama teacher, pursued a career within the arts. The journey from GCSE drama to graduating from university involved many years of happiness during what I now refer to as my 'years of bliss'.. I had found my own niche in life and thrived upon performing on stage. Thanks to the encouragement I received from my teacher I went on to teach drama workshops in schools and prisons and later on, become involved in writing, directing and acting in my own play.
I am proud to be a part of SCE and to know Joy Harris who has given me ( and is still giving ) inspiration and positivity to pursue my career within drama and the arts. During the past 18 months I have been given the opportunity to train a an arts award Bronze/Silver adviser, been to "A New Direction" to experience Creatve Partnerships and also visited the wonderful Lauriston School in London. I am looking forward to many new ventures in the future :)
Thank you Stuart for your reflections.
Joe's superb blog and the response from such a range of SCE stakeholders, ex students, teaching assistants, teachers and members of the SCE Directorate clearly indicates how creatively important the RSA / SCE partnership will be. The age of enlightenment! Exciting times ahead despite closure!
This blog has made my day!
Having worked with SCE for most of my career, including on the Rheindahlen Garrison, how wonderful to see the creative flowerings of the superb link between the RSA and SCE. Well done Joy Harris, Joe Hallgarten and all the teachers and students involved in this unique project.
It was especially delightful to read Joe's comments regarding the quality of the SCE schools and projects that have been undertaken. This partnership between the RSA and SCE has much to offer to all our schools, not least at a time of Agency reorganisation. We need more of this outstanding support, given by Joy and Joe, to develop further the great potential of 'The Arts' in the future shape of curriculum provision in SCE.
Thanks for putting a big smile on my face and for the happy expressions you are putting on the faces of many of our talented students and teachers. Your recognition of these inspiring artistic endeavours really matters, most particularly at a time when politicians are once again trying to interfere with the school curriculum.
The Arts need defending and celebrating across all our schools. Keep up the good work and you will get a warm welcome in Cyprus.
The SCE community never fails to astound with the sheer number of creative projects it produces. To attend an SCE school is to be surrounded by originality and vibrancy in all matters creative, be that in the form of traditional media, music, drama or film, and having attended SCE schools since my first days at school, I am glad to say that this devotion to the arts has only increased over time. It is heartening to see that even in the face of closure, SCE schools are continuing to display the same passion and vitality in the artistic spheres which has come to be expected of them over the years. The Comenius project has been especially profitable in forming links with schools in the local community and further afield across Europe, and fruitful links formed with German and Dutch colleges in the vicinity stand as a testament to how such ventures have helped to encourage artistic growth parallel to encouraging international cooperation. SCE students have a rare opportunity to explore these connections in a creative fashion, and it is clear that they are eager to seize the opportunity. SCE students have shown admirable vivacity where the arts are concerned, and it has been a pleasure to have had parts to play in both in being part of, and documenting, that creative process.