Publications
Woodard is committed to being a recognised voice in education. As part of this remit, we are delighted to share advice on best practice.
Establishing an international school: getting it right from the start (2017)
Establishing an international school: getting it right from the start brings together the experience, expertise and the insights of school operators, leaders and authorities from a wide range of contexts within the international educational world. Whether from owners, school leaders, accreditation and inspection advisers or commercial experts, there is a wealth of ideas, strategies and practices that should help you to find your answers to these and other questions. Each section of the book contains thought pieces from individuals and organisations who have expertise in the field. These are followed by case studies from schools as far afield as Atlanta to Beijing, Helsinki to Bombay. We do not aim to provide set answers but instead explore some of the rich variety of perspectives on some of these main issues.
This book is intended to be a tool that new school owners, governors and heads can dip into to help them navigate the sometimes tricky waters of establishing a new international school. Many of the questions above are provided with a variety of options from which to choose in the thought pieces. These ‘thought pieces’ explore some of the options available, or some of the advice – legal or otherwise – helpful to new owners or organisations, or heads. What then follows are a number of case studies and shared experiences which enable us all to see how much leadership and new schools are necessarily a product of their context and that there is no single or perfect answer for how to set up and run a school. It is an important mix of ‘getting it right – for here’. This book is also intended to provide you with an initial network of fellow professionals with whom we hope you can engage, as you take your own journey in opening or developing an international school. We hope this collaborative venture provides food for much thought and an encouragement to many to connect and support each other in the development of better education around the world.
Here is a recommendation of the book from the Chief Executive of ECIS “Whether you are involved or are about to be involved with the establishment of an international school, whether you have been in the past, or whether you count yourself a curious bystander of this growth phenomenon in the first two decades of the twenty-first century, Establishing an international school: getting it right from the start deserves your careful attention. It is almost breath-taking in its scale, covering the topics of discussion that seem to dominate our vibrant sector. From foundational elements in the legal and operational spheres to vision and values to curriculum, leadership, professional capital, governance, inspection, and accreditation, the items included in this tome are sure to strike a chord.
“Of immense practicality is the inclusion of fifteen case studies, meant to illuminate and underscore the overall content; if you are seeking examples of ‘how we did it’ or ‘what to think about,’ you will find food for thought here.
“One thing we do know, which this publication aims to accentuate, is that establishing an international school is not as easy as reading a few studies and duplicating them in a location of interest. To the contrary, culture is the core design principle around which everything is constructed (literally and figuratively), irrespective of location. Happily, the reader will benefit from the experience, expertise, and insights of those international torchbearers who share their wisdom in easily digestible form, revealing paths of thought and consideration for those who eye this remarkable market, contemplating how best to create impact through international education in ways that are culturally appropriate and celebratory. It would be no small thing to suggest that the future of our planet depends on it.” (Kevin J Ruth, Chief Executive, ECIS)
The book, “Establishing an international school: getting it right from the start”, is free – please contact Woodard Schools Head Office and request a free copy.
Schools for Human Flourishing – the whole child is the whole point (2016)
Eminent voices in the world of education come together in a book entitled “Schools for Human Flourishing”, commissioned by Woodard Schools, to show how their approach to education can transform young lives for the better.
The book, “Schools for Human Flourishing”, is free to download by clicking the icon below.
School case studies demonstrate how maintaining academic standards whilst focussing on well-being, confidence and relationships creates an education for flourishing. Set against a background where evidence shows the young are increasingly stressed by modern life this book will be of interest to teachers, students and their parents.
Chris Wright, Director of Education at The Woodard Corporation, comments “As the Education Select Committee examines the purpose of education and asks, as do so many of us, what is the point of schooling and what are the essentials in education that will promote and prioritise human flourishing, this book sets out to reinforce the message that, as Peter Green and Rugby School put it: the whole child is the whole point”.
Bill Watkin, formerly Director at SSAT, the schools network, now Chief Executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, points to “the significance of this collection of essays and case studies at a time when there is a growing awareness of the importance of the emotional, mental and spiritual well-being of young people in the face of more demanding and challenging expectations in curriculum, assessments and qualifications. As schools continue to strive for higher standards, this is a timely reminder of the breadth of experiences and outcomes that are important if young people are to flourish in their adult lives”.
Nigel Genders, Chief Education Officer for the Church of England, says, ‘The recent White Paper from the DfE has much to say about the role of leadership in education. This book is a testament to creative leadership and will, I hope, show that there is not a one size fits all solution. Offering an education for hope, wisdom, community and respect is common to all approaches and one from which life can be lived in all its fullness.’
Click on name to read the transcript of speeches made at the book launch on the 10 May 2016: The Rt Revd Stephen Conway, Bishop of Ely; Peter Green, Head Master, Rugby School; Chris Wright, Director of Education, Woodard Schools
Establishing a new school and getting it right from the start (2015)
Woodard Schools has joined forces with SSAT, the Schools, Students and Teachers Network, to publish a new series of essays designed to help those considering starting a new school.
The book, Establishing a New School and Getting It Right from the Start, is free to download by clicking the icon below.
It brings together the insights, experiences and expertise of school leaders, operators and authorities from a wide range of contexts within the maintained and independent sectors. In doing so, it draws on the expertise both of established exceptional schools within Woodard, as well as some of the most successful new schools to open in the last five years.
Its purpose is to support and inform those with a role in establishing new schools: from governors, headteachers, CEOs of multi-academy trusts, leading academics, commercial experts, to policy advisers. The report contains a wealth of ideas, strategies and practices that will help them ‘get it right from the start’ in order to deliver the very best education for the pupils they will serve.