Highfield and Brookham Schools host Future Of 13+ Conference

Phillip Evitt, headmaster at Highfield School, explains the thinking behind a conference that explores a bold new future for independent schools...

Last Autumn Term, the decision by three leading senior schools, Westminster, St Paul’s and Wellington College, widely reported in the national press, that they would no longer require their applicants to sit Common Entrance lead to a lively debate over the merits, future and even the survival of Common Entrance, both in the letters pages of The Times, and in the common rooms of many prep and senior schools. For many years, Common Entrance at 13+ has been the touchstone for admission to independent senior schools and the academic gold standard for pupils in Years 7 and 8 at prep school. But, with the seemingly inexorable rise of 11+ pre-assessment and many senior schools making 13+ entry unconditional on the basis of these, the relevance of Common Entrance has been increasingly questioned

Those on different sides of the debate hold passionate views and it has been fascinating hearing the range of opinions, not least the strong support from many for the academic rigour, structure and focus provided by Common Entrance, while for others this moment is seen as a crossroads with new opportunities beckoning. Most significantly and excitingly, a very strong consensus has emerged between senior and prep schools and the Common Entrance examination board, the ISEB, for further consultation and discussion to help shape the future direction that schools might take from this crossroads. What the debate has served to confirm is the real strength of feeling about the importance of the curriculum at 13+.

As someone involved in 13+ transition for many years, I know this debate over the future of Common Entrance is hardly a new one. It is also widely recognised that its function as an entrance requirement for many schools in the era of Year 6 and 7 pre-testing is long gone. However, this does not make Common Entrance of itself a ‘bad’ exam, nor does it render the need, or opportunity, for some form of ‘common’ assessment at 13+ undesirable or unnecessary. There is so much to be said for pupils having something of real value and credibility to work towards, providing academic stimulation, excitement and focus. If the debate over the future of Common Entrance isn’t new, what most certainly is, is the way in which prep and senior schools and the ISEB itself are seizing the opportunity created by the current debate and genuinely looking at what we should and could be doing at 13+.

It is, therefore, by very happy coincidence that conference we are hosting at Highfield on 14^th May on The Future of 13+, Towards a New Curriculum? is doing just this. Planned long before the recent flurry of interest and based on many conversations I have had with fellow heads at prep and senior schools in recent years, the conference intends to really get to grips with this whole topic. Could the independent sector, offering what is regularly described as a world class education, not collaborate in the creation of a truly bold and exciting set of specifications for their schools, offering a balance between acquisition of knowledge and its application? Can we not collectively create something that is engaging and exciting of itself, that empowers teachers to develop pupils’ skills of analysis, reasoning and problem solving without the pressure to simply regurgitate learnt material? Something that develops resilience and confidence, the ability to express views coherently, both orally and in writing, that raises cultural awareness, empathy, cross curricular collaboration and develops both independent and collaborative learning.

These may all seem rather idealistic, even utopian, but with over 130 delegates from HMC, GSA and IAPS schools, along with the ISEB already attending and with key note speakers including Christine Counsell, an acknowledged curriculum expert, Durell Barnes, the Chair of ISEB and Sir Anthony Seldon, former Master of Wellington College, current Vice Chancellor of the University of Buckingham and much admired ‘educational guru’, this could be the start of something really very exciting. The ISEB has, since the start of this year, been engaged in a thorough going consultation on the future of Common Entrance and all those who have been leading their different subject working groups and their curriculum steering committee, will be speaking at breakout sessions at the conference and undoubtedly enriching the debate. I am genuinely excited about what could emerge and delighted that Highfield is playing such an important part in the future of prep school education. I look forward to sharing with you what emerges from the conference and beyond in the months ahead.