insideKENT Magazine Issue 70 - January 2018 | Page 88

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KEEPING THE BALANCE
WITHIN SCHOOL LIFE
By Mike Piercy, Headmaster at all-boys prep school, the New Beacon School, Sevenoaks.
THE CULTURE OF ANY SCHOOL OR ORGANISATION IS THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON
‘BALANCE’; A CULTURE THAT CELEBRATES ACHIEVEMENT AND THAT ACCEPTS THAT FAILURE
IS PART OF THE REAL WORLD. THE PROVISO IS THAT DISAPPOINTMENT MUST BE USED AS
A LEARNING EXPERIENCE, REFLECTING ON THE PROCESS: WAS THE TARGET TRULY
ACHIEVABLE; COULD THE APPROACH HAVE BEEN BETTER; WAS IT SIMPLY THE CASE THAT
SOMEONE ELSE WAS BETTER IF IT WAS A COMPETITIVE SITUATION? AT THE NEW BEACON
SCHOOL, WE ENCOURAGE THE BOYS TO SHAKE OFF THEIR DISAPPOINTMENT, TO REMOVE
THE EMOTION, AND TO LOOK AT THE DATA AND EVALUATE.
What can we do within the very busy school
day to reinforce this culture? Windows of
peace and reflection. Boys can join any
number of optional groups that meet during
break times. This might be philosophy group,
pondering life’s latest questions; RelaxKids –
a mindfulness meditation session; or reading
in the library. Breaks in themselves are
important involving fresh air, movement and
exercise – another key factor for helping to
address balance. For the older boys, the end
of week chapel service is an important time
for reflection. They have no option but to sit
in our beautiful chapel and, whatever their
religious belief or spiritual persuasion, they
reflect, pray, sing, and listen to a visiting
preacher. It’s a wonderfully peaceful way to
end the week.
As educators and teachers – professionals –
it is important that we work in tandem with
parents. There is a 21st-century competitive
madness, which can overtake parents, families,
entire roads, towns and communities; a frenzy
of tutoring and as many clubs or activities that
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can be squeezed into waking hours. In school,
we can see boys who are getting tired, who
are overstretched beyond their comfortable
boundaries, so we encourage parents to
monitor their children’s energy levels and to
limit their activities outside school. The
temptation is to do more and more, which is
where balance becomes imbalance.
I tell all the boys at New Beacon the story of
the successful businessman who travels to an
impoverished land where he meets a
fisherman. He asks the fisherman about his
life and hears that he goes out in his little boat
very early in the morning, returns to sell the
fish at market, then goes home in the
afternoon to be with his wife and children. The
businessman suggests he could borrow some
money to buy another boat, then a fleet, then
a processing factory, then sell out to some
conglomerate, and then finally retire. “What
would I do then?” asks the fisherman. “You
could go fishing in the morning and then
return home to play with your children or
grandchildren.” The irony of the story is not
lost on the boys.
The message we try to give our pupils is one
of realistic ambition. At ever younger ages our
children face greater pressures: 11+, pre-
assessment for senior schools, and fears about
university entry. A school must endeavour to
provide children with the emotional strength
and strategies to keep perspective in an
increasingly challenging world, something
we understand wholeheartedly and strive for
here at New Beacon.
The New Beacon Open Day is taking place on
Friday 9th February 2018 from 9.30am-
11.30am; booking essential via sign-up form
at http://www.newbeacon.org.uk/Openday
New Beacon School
Brittains Lane
Sevenoaks
TN13 2PB
01732 452131
www.newbeacon.org.uk/
thenewbeacon
NBS7OAKS