Away in the distance, the Eiger, the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc thrust their way skyward. The Swiss Airways plane eased its way over the majesty of the snow capped Alps before banking sharply to begin its descent over the dappled Mediterranean. Touchdown in Nice was smooth and a gloriously warm day greeted the small group of weary but expectant Sultan’s School teachers. After a brief taxi ride and hotel check in, the promenade offered sea views and a promise of late-autumn Riviera sunshine. A whale surfaced lethargically. Not quite another day at the office but definitely business (although not quite ‘as usual’).
‘Business’ called for attendance at the ECIS Annual Conference and the opportunity to not only meet up with colleagues from around the world but a chance to recharge educational batteries. As well as many other seminars, this writer was fortunate to attend an all-day pre-conference workshop, entitled ‘Deep Learning and Profound Respect’, which challenged our understanding of what children need to learn in a changing world and provided an insight in to how to organise learning so that students could learn ‘deeply’. The workshop suggested that for deep learning to take place, students needed to be encouraged to become reflective, resourceful and resilient learners. Resilient learners are those students who have developed the ability to tolerate the emotions that defeat learning. I think it’s called ‘stickability’!


Leigh Smith
Head of Secondary