Drama school - Confessions of a Principal: Creating a New School

The script for creating a new school

It takes a lot of effort and there can be a fair bit of drama to take an idea, create a plan and develop a pulsating, state-of-the-art, successful school.

As the IPSEF production rolls into the West End – well actually, the North end of London, I believe box office success can be more or less, guaranteed, with the right script where everybody knows their role, have learnt their lines and play their part with passion.

To be clear about the script – this is, in school speak, and the favourite subject of inspectors and licensing authorities, the vision and mission of the school.

The vision is what you want to be – where you’re going to end up when you are a fully ‘grown up’ school. Whereas the mission is what drives you every day, something not to lose sight of, it’s where to bounce back to when things get sticky, particularly when there is a bit of tension between the leading players – the ideals of the director (the lead educationalist) and the practicalities of the producer – the investors (what is affordable).

The vision is always the starting point, and you don’t have to look far for inspiration – there are thousands of great schools out there. I’m not advocating plagiarism; I’m simply advocating taking a close look. The key here is not so much looking at what they do, but how they do it. The beauty of starting a school from scratch is you can take a little bit from everywhere.

The mission, that’s more personal to the leader/s of this school. This is all about non- negotiables or at least keeping as value-based and ethical as you can. My recommendation here for investors/owners is to dig out their educational leader with strong principles, pay them well and give them creative license – it will pay dividends.

Fundamentally, the creation of a new school is about your brilliant basics, your rhythms and routines – this doesn’t have to be avant garde – here it’s all about remaking, rerunning – simply bringing up-to-date tried and tested methodologies and practice and scripting them for the country you are in (the backdrop), the facilities and resources you have (the stage and props), the parents who are buying the admission tickets, the staff (actors) you want to employ and the students (audience) you will entertain (and educate).

Of course, it’s important to get your name in lights and have the critics give you great write-ups, especially in crowded markets like Dubai – so it’s important to have USPs, it’s important to be seen as at least contemporary, preferably progressive. But don’t panic here, it’s not about plucking new ideas out of the air – much of the best practice I have seen and subsequently used and refreshed is based on tried and tested approaches, often spanning generations of educators.

But you won’t go far wrong if you keep a few things in mind:

parents love strong leadership
parents love old school rules, courtesy and respect
parents love simple, effective and transparent communication
teachers love simple timetables
students love teachers with character
owners and investors hate hidden costs

I would love to share more with you about what we do – but they are closely guarded secrets. Well, they’re not. We share them on our website, we share them on open mornings, on school tours and to anybody that really asks.

But that’s the point – it’s all out there for the taking, the using, but what is critical is keeping to that mission and a bit of that vision – the script. If the producers audition and appoint a great scriptwriter and a creative director (possibly one in the same) and back them, soon enough a standing ovation will follow from all sections of the audience – from the royal box (investors) to those queuing at the box office to get in.

Source

John Bell, Principal, Bloom World Academy

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