Last night I attended the AGM of the Hurst Green Society. This long established group campaigns hard to preserve the environment and amenities of the area . However, before the formal business took place there was an inspiring talk by the Headmaster of Holland Junior School, Andrew Jolley.
Holland School is clearly on the up becoming more and more popular with parents and from last night's talk it isn't hard to see why. I think that the aspect that impressed me most, wasn't that both parent and pupil satisfaction rates were well over the 90% mark (excellent that this is), but the evidence that those attending the school clearly feel proud to go there and are prepared to work because they want to perform well not because they will be punished if they don't. I also think that the range of outdoor activities ranging, from Helicopter rides to 'Extreme Reading'. was refreshing in this Health and Safety obsessed age.
On the subject of school policy I was disappointed to read this morning David Willetts's plan to ban new Grammar Schools under a Conservative Government. I tend to think Grammar Schools are unlikely to be the best form of education in the modern world, but really think this should be a decision for local people to make depending on local circumstances. The one-size-fits-all policy we have had in education since the 1960s has patently failed, and as shown by the example of Holland Junior School, where applications have risen strongly, on the whole local people are generally the best judge of what works best for their children.
