Senior Newsletter 4th February 2011 Special Edition

Issue 17                         4th February 2011

Special Edition Interview with Sir Ewan Harper MBE, Chief Executive of United Church Schools Trust and United Learning Trust

On Monday, as many of you will know, Sir Ewan Harper spent the day at Sunderland High School. Just after morning break, Newsletter Editors Sebastian Ward and Alex Embley interviewed Sir Ewan about his career and views on UCST. To quote from their interview notes, ‘An hour and ten minutes from when we went in, we left feeling enlightened and happy that we had met such a great man’.  See the full text of their interview at the end of today’s newsletter.   

Can you hear my Echo, Echo, Echo …

On Mon 31^st January, Year 11 Media students were “hot on the press” in Echo House, the home of the Sunderland Echo.  The tour started by stepping back through time, into the archives of old Echo copies.  We saw what the Echo looked like when certain members of Year 11 were born.   Then through to where the print plates are made and to the actual printing carousels – we were the first to see that day’s Echo edition and it felt really exciting to get a copy before they were distributed to the whole Sunderland public.  We learned about how the paper is funded, the editors, and about the entire process, from pre-production to the tanks of ink, noisy carousels and the team of men who check the paper for print errors (via human eye).  Ear plugs provided a mild relief while walking through the noisy machines.  We learned also that it really is NOT glamorous to be a sports reporter – many hours in the cold, wind and rain and no weekends to yourself.   A big thank you to Kevin Clark, the Business reporter, who kindly gave Year 11 his time and revealed the enormous operation required to produce a daily tabloid.

Magnificent Musicians

Many congratulations to the following on their success in the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music Examinations: Abigail Legg Grade 1 Flute … Sam Harris Grade 1 Flute … Dominic Ward Grade 5 Violin 

Upcoming EventsJust before the half term break we have this years’ school production of ‘Tyke Tiler’ to look forward to, followed later in the term by a concert dedicated to the music of the 60’s and 70’s.  More information coming soon! 

WHAT’S ON

FIXTURES AND CLUBS

 Interview with Sir Ewan Harper MBE

Q1 – What makes you laugh?A1 – Being tickled, both physically and mentally – as when someone ‘tickles your sense of humour’ with a rather bad joke, so to speak.

Q2 – What did you do at university and what were your original aspirations?A2 – I read History at Cambridge University, although I hadn’t done it at O Level (equivalent of GCSEs), I wanted to do Geography. However, in those days Geography was not looked upon as a hugely credible subject and so I ended up studying History instead.

Q3 – Following on from that, how did your career decisions lead to you becoming the Chief Executive of UCST and ULT?A3 – It was a rather unexpected outcome in all honesty. I started out by taking up the flag after my brother was killed in the war and running the family business. We were in a declining industry, and so set out to look for business in the international market. We ended up selling the company in 1987, and after a few other short occupations, I applied for the post of Chief Executive of UCST (the Church Schools Company as it was then) in 1990. I was given the job, and so here I am now.

Q4 – How does your Christian ethos affect the manner in which you have lead the United Church Schools Trust?

A4 – You have to start by asking what Christianity means.  The very heart of it is love. It comes through constantly in the gospels and Jesus says ‘love one another - it is the greatest thing’. I think this is the deepest commandment in the Bible. One of the things I realised was that to be successful in delivering great education, we had to be realistic and build teams who were compelled by common aspirations. Great teaching, a concern for well being, good pastoral care - all these come from love.

Q5 – What do you think is your greatest achievement as Chief Executive?Without a doubt, my greatest achievement in life overall, is getting my wife to marry me. However in terms of the UCST and the ULT, I think that the greatest achievement is the strength that the company now has, with 11 schools and 8000 pupils, compared to 7 schools and 3200 pupils when I began as Chief Executive.

Q6 – Who is someone who you admire and why?

A6 – A man called Hector Laing, the chairman of United Biscuits. He taught me a great deal about how to run an organisation. His achievement was building a business where you got a real sense of a team united.

Q7 – What is it that you most like about Sunderland High School?

A7 – I love the fact that it is in the North East. When I was 13, I spent a week in Newcastle and saw the Wall, Bamburgh and Hexham Abbey as part of my stay, I also got to see a ship being launched. It was a fantastic experience. So yes, I love the North East.  I think that my favourite thing about the school is the values - integrity, resilience, courage and compassion - that it instils in it pupils. It is coming to be seen as a beacon of light in the North East.

Q8 – What is the number one piece of advice that you would give to a school student of today?

A8 – As you get older, you get less capable of giving advice, but more able to offer pointers.  I would say that the best piece of advice to give to a student would be to live a full life and think hard about your values. Hector Laing, whom I mentioned earlier, once said to me: ‘Change your market, change your products, but never change your values’.

Q9 – What will you most miss about not working as the Chief Executive of the United Church Schools Trust and the United Learning Trust?

A9 – What I will miss most, will without a doubt, be the people, although apart from that, you don’t really find out what you miss until you have left.

Q10 – Are you looking forward to, and what are your plans for, the future?

A10 – I think so, yes; and as far as plans go, I’m still working on those, I think I will try to find worthwhile and significant things to do.  There is certainly far more to be done for education in the UK, and we all need to face up to the worldwide ‘education challenge’, to get us focused.  Education will doubtless be different in ten to twenty years’ time, and we need to face it with open arms, change without resentment.As Tony Blair once said; ‘Education, Education, Education’.  What he should also have said, was: ‘People, people, people’.(Sebastian Ward)   

Deep Apology

Due to technical difficulties with the school camera, this week's photos will be uploaded next week.  Apologies for the delay and sorry to disappoint.