The Value of Education

When I was 15 years old, I was on trial with Brentford Football Club. I turned up on my 4th week, and was told I'd be playing in the higher age group (under 19s) as well as playing in a new position (I had always played in the centre of defence but for the first time I was asked to play on the left side of defence).

I remember it like it was yesterday because even though I had played football since I was 5 years old, I had never ever taken a throw in and was never taught how to throw a ball. I was not prepared for this new position and didn't know how to adapt when asked to throw the ball in from the sideline. I looked super uncomfortable and was laughed at repeatedly when we reviewed the video of the game the next day in training.

My reflective thoughts however were positive: "What if every child received high quality physical education and were therefore more adaptable to change?" At that moment the concept for J and C Academy was essentially born and I started the company just 2 years later, delivering PE in schools. (Learn more about our services)

Are we preparing our children for the future?

As we live in a world which is increasingly becoming driven by creative science, the key question is: "Are we preparing our children for a market force driven by creative corporations such as Apple, Google and Virgin?"

Imagine a society where every child has received an excellent physical education, has developed 'natural' musical awareness and is bilingual; able to easily converse with people all over the world despite the seperation of water. How much more productive and fluid would our workforce be in just 15 years?

In my view, the value of education is what determines the happiness and progress of our future. Teacher by teacher, Child by child, School by school, we are all responsible for Improving Schools by enabling each child to develop self esteem, cultural awareness and transferable skills which add value to our social world.

The J and C Values form the core essence of every decision and action taken. Would it be fair to say that all schools should embody these values in some form?

Passion: Every teacher must be passionate about inspiring children and that passion should be infectious to the children. #LoveLearning

Positivity: Address every situation in a positive manner. 'How can we address this problem to ensure productive progress?' #Praise

Productivity: How can we maximise the learning in every lesson and how can we help every school improve, in the most efficient way possible. (Read about our CRM Communication Portal named Alex.)

Performance: Every #Teacher that delivers well, improves the performance of their pupils, which in turn improves school performance. #PeerAssessment

Progress: What is your number one goal and how can I help you achieve it? (This is a genuine question so please let me know in the comments box below).

My number one goal is to #ImproveEducation and I will achieve it by personifying the #JandCValues. Please comment, smile and share by clicking the buttons below.


Have an outstanding day!


Jazz Rose,
Director of Education
J and C Academy

Improving Schools:

Following a positive performance review at Thomas Arnold Primary School in Barking, I was keen to learn more about the head-teacher; John Halliwell and how he transformed a school that was in the bottom 5% of schools in the country, to a school with ‘Outstanding Leadership and Management’.

An Interview with a phenomenal headteacher: John Halliwell:

When you visit Thomas Arnold, it is prominent that children are Thriving, Happy, Open Minded Achieving Students who respect their surroundings, but also have the freedom to express themselves positively.

Beyond running an exciting school, John likes to keep active by swimming & running. He also enjoys socialising with family and friends.

I asked John about what inspired him to become a head-teacher:

“I started my teaching career in 2001 wanting to teach food education to help ensure healthy education in secondary and primary schools. However, I found I was enjoying the primary experience and teaching a range of subjects appealed to me.

As time went on I wanted to make more of a difference…to be able to think about my own vision passionately and creatively but also balance it with also being able to teach.”

What’s the biggest challenge as a headteacher in 2015?
 “There’s a lot of pressure from government and media which hinders creativity and limits ability to create a well-rounded education that all children need.”

In spite of these challenges, John confesses that it’s a rewarding & humbling experience to develop pupils, staff and a whole school in a short space of time.

John’s experience with J and C Academy:
I’ve spent almost a year working together with J and C Academy as we wanted to introduce Spanish as part of the new curriculum. Children love the lessons delivered by Nora and J and C Academy have been an amazing asset to our curriculum.”

Intentions for his new School:
“When I move to Applegarth Academy in September, my focus will be helping to create a shared vision and expectations of really high standards; as well as ensuring the curriculum is fit for purpose. I need to make it clear to the community how we intend to create well-rounded individuals…”

Please feel free to comment on and share this blog. To find out more about schools we work with, please contact us: admin@jandcacademy.com

Enjoy Education!

Jazz Rose,
Director of Education,

www.jandcacademy.com