Brandon Learning Centre: British Education - process, preparation and practicalities

Fed up with the classroom? So are we... which is why our summer courses this year will take place in Ocean Park. Every year, British schools from Winchester to Wycombe try to see what motivates their candidates. Kids need experiences which will allow them to take risks, learn about their own strengths (and weaknesses) and taste the excitement of driving their own learning. I was the Academic Co-ordinator for the Duke TIP programme and watched how transformative experiential learning can be. Hence... the Brandon pop-up at Ocean Park. We're bringing in journalists, videographers and TV editors to teach experiential learning programmes. We'll use case studies, real-life examples and project work. We'll run around the Park, becoming journalists, documentary makers, entrepreneurs and even CEOs. We will be amazing! Communication is key; our students will present, interview and create TED style talks Never let it be said that we stand still. This will be a summer like

School interviews? At any age, the idea of being grilled by a stranger can be daunting. And therein lies the problem; we need to adjust the way that we perceive interviews. An interview is a two way process. Your interviewer wants to find out more about you to see if you are suitable for their school or company. You want to present your skills in a way which is attractive and also want to find out whether the school or company is an environment in which you can thrive. Interviews are conversations: both sides need to take part! Planning ideas. Speak to friends who are currently studying at the school. They are the experts! 1: Think about what you really want to get out of the interview. Why do you want to join this school? 2: Think about what skills and talents the school is looking for 3: Think about what you have to offer 4: Ask yourself: what don't I know about this school? Some questions you will be able to research online or find answers through asking friends.

The limp handshake... the avoidance of eye contact... the muttered greeting. Typically not the way you would want to start an interview? Agreed but a poor start does not necessarily mean a miserable finish. The prospective interviewee has their mind on answering tricky questions but the interview has started the second they walked through the door. We all suffer from nerves and this affects the way we behave when meeting strangers. Once we have calmed down, we are different people. Unfortunately, those first few minutes count. So does a poor beginning always result in a total failure? Not necessarily... Be aware of your behaviour under pressure. Do you quake? Do you become aggressive? Do you want to hide in a corner? For adults, once we realise our behaviours we can start to take action. For children, parents can help by observing how they react and make them aware of the effect this has on people. Having to overcome a poor start means you have to work harder to establish a bon

"I interviewed a boy yesterday and it was like interviewing a computer; all you had to do was enter the question and an automatic pre-set answer came out! After half an hour, I still had absolutely no idea about what really made the boy tick." (House Master, UK School) As parents, we can see that being selected by one school over another will set our child on very different paths. Behind this poor boy will have been parents who only have his best interests at heart and will have stuffed the poor child so full of "good" answers that he could probably recite them in his sleep. They have unwittingly created a barrier between the delight of their child's personality and skillset and the interviewer. In an interview situation,it is immediately clear and ultimately frustrating when a child is a mouthpiece for parents' ideas. It is your son or daughter who will be joining the school, not you! Resist the temptation to cram them with answers and focus instead i

"How do I prepare my child for an interview?" is a common question we get at Brandon Learning Centre. In an ideal world, this question would be "How do I prepare my child for life?" The two aims are very closely linked! Children with no outside interests are children with little to say in an interview. Equally, in later life, they may not have the cultural richness which will allow them to multiple environments. We are surrounded by opportunities to expand our children’s horizons; museums, galleries and plays are all available and are not necessarily expensive. These environments not only provide stimulation but as parents and teachers, we can also use them to challenge children to develop their critical thinking skills. As a child, my parents would take us to libraries where we developed our ability to explore literature and learn about the history of our areas (the Thomas Ashe exhibition at the Dingle Library which included the dessicated remains of the last p

We talk about presenting, speaking and performing but do we ever stop to consider the other side of the equation? How about listening? Today I interviewed a 16 year old girl for a place in a UK school. I asked her questions, she responded and I listened. In return, she asked me questions and I responded. Rather than listening, she said "yes" every two minutes. Now, there are many ways to interpret this. If I want to be generous, I could say that this was a way of showing that she was listening (although it is tricky to listen if you are speaking at the same time) Alternatively, I could assume that I was being tedious and she already knew everything I was about to say (also possible) The third interpretation is that she wasn't listening, just waiting for me to stop talking so she could speak again. Irrespective of the interpretation, my impression of her was that she valued her own opinions above mine. Active listening is a skill. You hear, process and respond to comments

In an ideal world, you would have months to prepare for an interview. In the real world, you might have a couple of days to prepare. Perfect if you have nothing else to do but time and tide stop for no man and the fact that you have an interview looming does not mean that work/projects/assignments will stop piling up. A time saving idea; use technology! The morning of the interview, scan the following sites: Brilliant up to the minute news from the Economist; how do they manage to be so timely? Insightful writing and cunning layout means that you can scan headlines and first paragraphs to become informed. A UK newspaper with a broad international flavour Step Two: Look up the company website, identify the key players. Alternatively, if you are going for a university interview, find the name of a few members of the department you are hoping to join. Then use; A fabulous site which scours the internet to find any references to your chosen person Try to incorporate your learning into

You are wearing a suit you aren't used to, sitting in a room you've never seen before, being asked personal questions by someone you have never seen in your life. yes indeed, it is.... the interview! How can you make the process less painful? Start with adjusting your worldview. Interviewers aren't trying to weed out the people who don't make the grade; they are trying to find the candidates who excel. School interviews are the beginning of the fun. Having been told by parents that you shouldn't talk about yourself all the time, you find yourself being told to do just that! How can parents help their child adapt? One way is to help them to identify their strengths both inside and outside school. Talk to them about what makes them special, University interviews can be a moment of sheer panic. Calm down. Re-read your personal statement or application essays and remind yourself of why the University has chosen to see you (because you sparkle!) I have interviewed candid