Professor Anne Jones - The Education Roundabout

                                                        

                                                                                                            Author as a Senior Civil Servant

The Education Roundabout: published 2015.

A memoir written by Anne Jones.

This book of 400 pages covers Anne’s life/work as well as providing an analysis of what has been happening in Education in the last fifty years or so. The book is full of humour and also sharp comments and examples of ways to improve the quality of learning and academic achievement for learners of all kinds, including Lifelong Learners. Lots of original manuscripts included, clear fonts and fascinating photos. It’s not a novel, so you can enjoy the pages which appeal to you at leisure and in any order. Lots of snippets about Royalty, Ministers, TV programmes and newspaper articles included and lots of laughs. Thirty years ago, Anne was predicting the present Muslim/West crisis. She also spotted that Britain was way behind Korea, Japan, Singapore, and the East on levels of achievement in maths, science and technology. This means that Britain still has too many unskilled workers for the needs of industry and we have to import skilled workers.

The following document gives a brief idea of the contents of each chapter. a leading example of a women breaking through the glass ceiling. Anne is an experienced broadcaster, eg Question Time, has written many books such as Counselling Adolescents in practice and Leadership for Tomorrow’s Schools. A Headteacher for 17 years, she was the Senior Civil Servant, who directed the Technical Vocational Education Initiative, a professor developing on-line learning systems, an Eastern Europe Advisor for OECD. She is an Emeritus Professor of Lifelong Learning. This book will be of interest to students, teachers and serious researchers into Education, Community Schools, Lifelong learning and casual readers, who enjoy her wit and wisdom.

Education over the last fifty years or so: 1950 - 2015 

Has anything really changed or do we just go round in circles? Anne thinks we do. For example, the new government proposals for five tough GCSE’s take us straight back to the old School Certificate and matriculation, which was abolished around 1950, when O level was introduced.  Only the brightest passed. What effect will the e.bacc have on raising educational standards?

Chapter 1. Student Life, teaching bright girls from top schools, counselling adolescents, having children

Chapter 2. Deputy Head (Thomas Calton) Teaching Peckham children, training young teachers

Chapter 3. Head, Brixton, Vauxhall Manor multiracial Girls’ School, improving results. Job opportunities, access to university.

Chapter 4. Head of Cranford Community School near Heathrow. 1300 pupils and 1300 adult learners/sports people (11 acres).

Chapter 5. Senior Civil Servant getting the Employment and Education Departments to work together and prepare young people for the world of work and be more enterprising.

Chapter 6.  Professor Making lifelong learning a reality at Brunel University and learning on-line, tracking achievement.

Chapter 7. European Expert Adviser for OECD and ETF, Training the Economies in transition from Russian control to become independent and self-managing.

Chapter 8. Bringing Lifelong Learning to Life in the Antipodes.

Chapter 9. Lifelong learning for leisure.

Clear text and lots of photos bring it all to life

The Education Roundabout by Anne Jones: Comments

Professor Alan Smithers: Anne Jones has been a teacher, a pioneering Headteacher, a Senior Civil Servant a Professor of Lifelong Learning, a wife and mother, and a TV personality. The Education Roundabout draws on her life in Education to provide fascinating insights into being a teacher, leading schools, unfolding educational policy and running a Research Centre. In the school chapters, her wealth of personal experience will greatly enhance the understanding of all those interested in education, particularly teachers and those in training.

Dr Grey Giddins MDMRCP: If you prefer fact to fiction, then this book is for you. Professor Jones could not have had a more brilliant career in Education, with Lifelong Learning at its centre. Her work with children who were deprived and multi-national should be compulsory reading for everyone. Our understanding of the problems of the young would be enhanced. Read it – you will be amused and fascinated.

Mike Duffy,  former President of the Secondary Heads' Association

I enjoyed reading The Education Roundabout. It was great to be reminded of those exciting days in the 80s when so much seemed possible and you were firing up so many of us with you energy and passion.. And particularly in the Secondary Heads Association booklet, a View from the Bridge which was, in all fairness, mostly your vision and your words. Looking at some of my writings at that time. I see how often I drew on your ideas. One comment remains with me to this day: 'the best pastoral care is the best teaching.'

David Threthowen, Warden Park School. Sussex: When your book ‘Leadership for tomorrow’s schools’ (Blackwell ) came out in 1987, all we Heads bought it. It is the best book on Headship I have ever read, both because of its easy lucid style and because of the way in which theory has been interwoven with practice in the content.

Professor Bill Jones: Professor Anne Jones is rightly proud or her title as one of the first to be a Chair in Lifelong Learning. This is an engagingly curious book. He briefly touches on Anne’s interests and achieve- ments including TVEI, (Technical Vocational Education) e-learning., careers guidance , changing the culture of training in former Russian States, community colleges, improving career opportunities for women and for adults who want opportunities for to continue their education and training. He concludes: 

The wider Lifelong community will read this book with interest: it is an engaging read: honest, enthusiastic and celebratory.

Anne says: 'It could have been an academic tome but I wanted my family and friends to understand better how and why it all happened. So I have included my own commentary and some humour as well. My life itself is a story of Lifelong Learning’.

Ann Gittins: former Head of a large Comprehensive School 

As a hardworking mother of three, Anne Jones brought a woman’s perspective to what was a largely male dominated field of educational leadership. She shows that strong and successful leadership involves not only the analytical skills that may have been traditionally regarded as masculine but also the emotional intelligence which was perceived as a feminine trait. She demonstrates that she has always practised what she preached at every stage of her career. The need for people with Anne’s capacity to see through the detail and raise the fundamental questions is more urgent than ever.

Anne brought a woman’s perspective to what was then largely a male-dominated field of educational leadership. She showed that strong and successful leadership involves not only the analytical skills that may have been traditionally regarded as masculine, but also the emotional intelligence which was perceived as a feminine trait. As Professor of Lifelong Learning, looking back on her personal and professional journey, she demonstrates that she has always practised what she preached. At every stage of her career to language teacher, to pioneering school counsellor, deputy head and then inspirational Head teacher, Civil servant, she demonstrates that she has always practised what she preached. She has constantly reflected upon and articulated the essential principles that underpin her work. Her papers provide a fascinating picture of the recurring themes of education in the last fifty years. As these themes reappear the significant signs of progress remain open to question. The need for people with Anne’s capacity to see through the detail and raise the fundamental questions is more urgent than ever.

Don Wix M.Ed, MBE, Hon D Lit: This is a remarkable book, based almost entirely on Professor Anne Jones’ incredible input into the world of Education over the whole span of her career. She has never advocated standing still, but rather to find new ways for education to adapt to a rapidly changing technical world. If you have learnt as much as I have from this book, you will have far better perceptions of the channels through which new systems can override existing features of schools, colleges and universities.

Comment from a Senior Civil Servant:
‘Fascinating transformations from stellar Headteacher, to policy guru/ big programme spender, to reflective academic: highly successful in all three careers............. Anne is a wonderful example of what can be achieved by combining energy, intellect and enthusiasm’,

Author

Anne Jones is Emeritus Professor of Lifelong Learning, Brunel University and was a Director of her social club Phyllis Court 2009-2015. Formerly she was a French teacher, school counsellor, Headteacher, senior civil servant, European expert adviser, author, broadcaster, Professor of Lifelong Learning and founder/MD of Lifelong Learning Systems. Anne has vast experience of leading organizations and people into the future. 

Career 

JONES, Prof Anne; da of Sydney Joseph Pickard (d 1987), and Hilda Everitt, née Bird (d 1999); b 8 April 1935; Educ Harrow Weald Co Sch, Westfield Coll London (BA), King's Coll London (PGCE), Univ of London (DipSoc); m 9 Aug 1958 (m dis 1988), Cyril Gareth Jones, s of Lyell Jones (d 1936); 1 s (Christopher Lyell b 24 July 1962), 2 da (Catherine Rachel (Mrs Spencer) b 8 Aug 1963 d 2015, Rebecca Madryn b 15 March 1966); Career asst mistress: Malvern Girls Coll 1957-58, Godolphin & Latymer Sch 1958-62, Dulwich Coll 1964; sch cnsllr Mayfield London 1965-71, dep head Thomas Calton Sch London 1971-74; head: Vauxhall Manor Sch 1974-81, Cranford Community Coll 1981-87; under sec (dir of educn) Employment Dept 1987-91, visiting prof of educn Univ of Sheffield, educn and training conslt 1991-; Brunel Univ: prof of continuing educn 1991-, dir Centre for Lifelong Learning 1995-2000, prof emeritus 2001-; ceo and dir Lifelong Learning Systems Ltd (LLS) 2001-09; advsr: European Trg Fndn, OECD, Br Cncl; dir: West London Leadership 1995-99, Business Link London NW 1995-99; chair: Assoc of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 1979-80, Area Manpower Bd for London South and West 1983-87; ind lay chair Complaints NHS 1996-2005; conslt EDGE 2005-07; former memb: Schools' Broadcasting Cncl, Home Office Advsy Ctees on Drugs and on Sexual Offences; former memb Cncl: UCL, CRAC, NICEC, Grubb Inst, W London Inst of HE, RSA; tstee: The Westfield Tst 1992-2005, Menerva Educnl Tst 1993-2004 (chair 1993-99); govr The Abbey Sch 2004-12; chm: Henley Choral Soc 2005-09, Boathouse Reach Mgmnt 2005-10; hon memb City and Guilds Inst; Hon FCP 1990; fell Queen Mary & Westfield Coll London 1992 (memb Cncl 1992-2002), FRSA (former memb Cncl 1992-2002), FCMI (chm Reading Branch 2004-08); 

PUBLICATIONS

1. School  Counselling in Practice. Ward Lock Educational 1970

2. Counselling Adolescents in school.  Kogan Page  1977

Work books for schools

3  Male and  Female, Living Choices , Time  to spare. Hobsons. 1984, 1987

4. Counselling Adolescents in  school and  Beyond : Kogan Page 1984

5. Leadership  for Tomorrow’s Schools, Blackwells  1986, reprinted 1984

6. Human Resource Development, an Employer’s  Guide, The European Training Foundation, Turin 2001

Chapters in edited books

1. The Disruptive pupil in The Secondary School Ward Lock 1970

2. Truancy: problems of school attendance and refusal: John Wiley  1970

3. Studying school effectiveness: the Falmer Press  1984

4. Schools and External relations: managing the new Partnerships: Cassells Educational 1989

5. Bringing Learning to Life: the Falmer Press  1995

6. Employment and the future of work :  the Institute of Policy Studies, Wellington 1996

 Available to buy from The Memoir Club, tel 0191 4192288 or email memoirclub@msn.com 

£15.00 P & P £3.50 UK (£5.00 Europe £7.50 ROW)