School_Matters_Issue_34

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VALUE-ADDED Although 2020’s public examination results were generated in a different way from usual across the country, this year’s ‘value-added’ IPS data remain impressive. They show the level of progress which examination candidates make at IPS relative to their peers at other schools. At A-level, we use a system called ALPS, which is well-known across the UK’s secondary schools and sixth forms. Overall, our ALPS score for 2020 came in at 1.04, which sits IPS comfortably within the top 10% of institutions. Biology, Chemistry, Drama, Geography, History, History of Art, Latin and Spanish all generated results with especially high ‘value-added’ scores. The picture is equally encouraging at GCSE. Here, we use the Centre for A SKILLS-BASED AGENDA

Evaluation and Monitoring’s MidYIS system, which examines progress between Year 7 and Year 11 (PVI). Pupils at IPS attained, on average, 0.8 of a grade more in each GCSE which they took than the national averages for all CEM schools might have suggested. Even when compared exclusively to all independent schools, the figure remains exceedingly healthy at 0.4. Top performing subjects

included: Biology, Chemistry, French, Geography, Mathematics, Physics and Spanish. These outcomes are testament to a great deal of hard work by both our pupils and our teachers. We congratulate them. Mr Christopher J Wolsey, Headmaster

CAREERS EVENING An enormously successful Careers Evening took place online for the first time this year, with well over 200 pupils in PVI and the Sixth Form afforded the opportunity to hear from a diverse range of speakers about their careers to date, the wider professional worlds in which they worked, and the skills required in order to succeed and progress within them. Presentations were carried out via Zoom, hosted by PVI and Sixth Form Tutors. Our ever-growing Stocks Connect alumni platform [www. stocksconnect.com – Ed.] enabled us to set up the participation of twelve generous ‘Stocks’ who gave willingly of their time, experience and expertise. They were able to offer information about their careers, sage advice about their time at university, and reflections about what they had learned both at and beyond IPS. Olivia Sumrie and Andrew Fleming (OI, 2012) spoke about their careers in journalism and engineering, respectively; Vaihbhav Krishnakumar (OI, 2014) discussed his role at Morgan Stanley as a software engineer; and pupils heard about the legal workings of Brexit from Cambridge law graduate Alyssa Curry (OI, 2011). These contributions were supported by a number of much valued parent participants, who discussed their careers in AI, surveying and respiratory medicine, to name but three. The evening was extremely worthwhile for the pupils and the speakers were full of praise for their insightful questions. I thank all of those involved in making the evening such a success. Mr Sam Robinson, Head of Careers

In recent years, much has been written about the relationship between the world of work and education in the post-16 and tertiary sectors. Employers have called for a greater awareness amongst education providers and students of the demands of the labour market and the need for young people to develop the skills and competencies which will enable them to transition into the workplace successfully. With this in mind, Mr Robinson, Head of Careers, led a fascinating session with LVI pupils which drew their attention to the findings of a World Economic Forum report identifying six areas most valued in the workplace. These were found to be: Emotional Intelligence, Critical Thinking, a Growth Mindset, Communication Skills, Teamworking Skills and Resilience. Mr Robinson explored what these skills might mean and how pupils could build a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate their acquisition. He then went on to explore the growing world of degree apprenticeships and explained why, for many pupils, they could offer a highly attractive route into both university and the workplace. We thank Mr Robinson for leading this important session and hope our pupils will reflect deeply upon it. They are themes reprised in the VI Higher Education Support Programme which is taken by all LVIs in the Spring Term.