Ben Slade
Encyclopedia
Ben Slade - full name Benjamin Rory Slade - (born 22 April 1976) was a lead presenter of the cult BBC Network children's magazine programme, Why Don't You?
He joined the series in 1988 as a member of the Cardiff
presenting team (known as "the gang") wearing his trademark flat cap. After the first series, Slade was asked to join the Newcastle
"gang" which also featured Ant McPartlin and he subsequently appeared as a lead character/presenter in two further series' with two different Liverpool
"gangs". These latter programmes were written and directed by Russell T Davies who went on to write and produce Doctor Who
, Torchwood
and The Sarah Jane Adventures
amongst other hit TV shows. Davies' scripts for the new dramatic storylines involving Slade were acknowledged as his first forays into writing television drama and undoubtedly helped launch his highly impressive career. Slade last appeared as a guest presenter on the final series directed by Trevor Stephenson-Long before pursuing an extraordinarily successful career in education. He is credited as the longest serving presenter in the cult television show's near 21-year run on network BBC 1.
Slade is featured in Russell T Davies' biography: The T is for Television: The Small Screen Adventures of Russell T Davies (2008). Slade has also appeared in a wide range of television and stage productions and concerts (he is a keen musician - pianist, keyboard player and violinist). He was a member of the HTV Wales Drama Workshop where he studied acting and performance with Peter Wooldridge alongside Mali Harries
, Jan Anderson
, Hywel Morgan and Hollywood actor, Ioan Gruffudd
.
Ben Slade was educated at [Eglwys Newydd Primary]] and subsequently Whitchurch High School
in Cardiff. After excelling in Drama, Music and performance he trained in Drama and Education at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
. He was awarded a first class honours degree and the Aneurin Davies Memorial Award for "outstanding academic achievement" in 1998. Following this he began his impressive teaching career.
When Slade was appointed Principal of The Manor - A Foundation School (formerly Manor Community College
in 2007 he became the youngest secondary school headteacher in the country.
He writes periodically for a number of publications including the Times Educational Supplement
, an education blog for Cambridge News and he is a Fellow of the RSA
. Slade makes frequent contributions to regional radio and television programmes. He is not afraid to speak his mind and his views about education, politics, the arts and the community he serves often attract media interest and attention.
OfSTED
inspected the school in September 2010 and judge that it was "a good school with outstanding capacity to make further improvements". http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/Cambridge-school-rejuvenate.htm. This is a dramatic turn around for the once troubled secondary school. The school's reputation is improving dramatically. Preferences for 2011 are up more than 100% on last year resulting in the school being oversubscribed for the first time in more than 25 years. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
also recognised The Manor as one of the most improved schools in the country based on 2010 examination performance. The Manor is now a Foundation school supported by the recently established North Cambridge Community Trust. The Trust is Slade's vision to give the school a bright and secure future and to engage more fully with its community. More recently, in June 2011, Slade also announced former Chief Constable Julie Spence
, OBE, QPM, DL as Patron of the school.
Ben has featured in two recent pilot programme ideas for Channel 4, "The Headteacher's Office" (Maverick Television) and the pioneering documentary series we now know as Educating Essex directed by David Clews - a Two Four Productions production for Channel 4. The Manor - A Foundation School was in the running with Passmores right up until the day the final decision was taken by Channel 4 executives.
A keen musician and a life long fan of Elton John, Slade is currently working on a live tribute act band: "Absolute Elton" based on the pianist/singer songwriter's more recent stage performance style.
Slade comes from a working class Cardiff family and is adopted. He is passionate about education and the arts mainly due to his talents and the fantastic opportunities afforded to him by his former school in Cardiff.
Why Don't You?
Why Don't You? or Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go Out and Do Something Less Boring Instead? was a cult BBC children's television series broadcast in 42 series between 20 August 1973 and 21 April 1995. It went out on weekday mornings during the school holidays...
He joined the series in 1988 as a member of the Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
presenting team (known as "the gang") wearing his trademark flat cap. After the first series, Slade was asked to join the Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
"gang" which also featured Ant McPartlin and he subsequently appeared as a lead character/presenter in two further series' with two different Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
"gangs". These latter programmes were written and directed by Russell T Davies who went on to write and produce Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
and The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
amongst other hit TV shows. Davies' scripts for the new dramatic storylines involving Slade were acknowledged as his first forays into writing television drama and undoubtedly helped launch his highly impressive career. Slade last appeared as a guest presenter on the final series directed by Trevor Stephenson-Long before pursuing an extraordinarily successful career in education. He is credited as the longest serving presenter in the cult television show's near 21-year run on network BBC 1.
Slade is featured in Russell T Davies' biography: The T is for Television: The Small Screen Adventures of Russell T Davies (2008). Slade has also appeared in a wide range of television and stage productions and concerts (he is a keen musician - pianist, keyboard player and violinist). He was a member of the HTV Wales Drama Workshop where he studied acting and performance with Peter Wooldridge alongside Mali Harries
Mali Harries
Mali Harries is a Welsh actress and has been in the television industry since 1999 and is still ongoing in her work. She is renowned for her roles in several TV series, such as Holby City, The Bill and Doctors....
, Jan Anderson
Jan Anderson
Jan Anderson is a Welsh actress.Born to a Welsh mother and Italian lumberjack father, her father died in a factory accident when she was 11...
, Hywel Morgan and Hollywood actor, Ioan Gruffudd
Ioan Gruffudd
Ioan Gruffudd is a Welsh actor.Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he started off in Welsh language film productions, then came to international attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in the film Titanic , and as Lt. John Beales in Black Hawk Down...
.
Ben Slade was educated at [Eglwys Newydd Primary]] and subsequently Whitchurch High School
Whitchurch High School
Whitchurch High School is a large, co-educational, comprehensive secondary school in the suburb of Whitchurch in Cardiff, Wales. It is considered to be one of the better secondary schools in Cardiff, and was described in its 2009 Estyn report as a 'good school' which is 'moving forward from...
in Cardiff. After excelling in Drama, Music and performance he trained in Drama and Education at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
Cardiff Metropolitan University is a university situated in Cardiff. It operates from three campuses: Llandaff on Western Avenue, Cyncoed, and Howard Gardens in the City Centre. The university serves over 12,000 students...
. He was awarded a first class honours degree and the Aneurin Davies Memorial Award for "outstanding academic achievement" in 1998. Following this he began his impressive teaching career.
When Slade was appointed Principal of The Manor - A Foundation School (formerly Manor Community College
Manor Community College
The Manor - A Foundation School is a small comprehensive school in North Cambridge for students aged 11 to 16. In 2007 the school appointed 30 year old Ben Slade as Principal...
in 2007 he became the youngest secondary school headteacher in the country.
He writes periodically for a number of publications including the Times Educational Supplement
Times Educational Supplement
The Times Educational Supplement is a weekly UK publication aimed primarily at school teachers in the UK. It was first published in 1910 as a pull-out supplement in The Times newspaper. Such was its popularity that in 1914, the supplement became a separate publication selling for 1 penny.The TES...
, an education blog for Cambridge News and he is a Fellow of the RSA
RSA
RSA is an algorithm for public-key cryptography that is based on the presumed difficulty of factoring large integers, the factoring problem. RSA stands for Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir and Leonard Adleman, who first publicly described it in 1978. A user of RSA creates and then publishes the product of...
. Slade makes frequent contributions to regional radio and television programmes. He is not afraid to speak his mind and his views about education, politics, the arts and the community he serves often attract media interest and attention.
OfSTED
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
inspected the school in September 2010 and judge that it was "a good school with outstanding capacity to make further improvements". http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/Cambridge-school-rejuvenate.htm. This is a dramatic turn around for the once troubled secondary school. The school's reputation is improving dramatically. Preferences for 2011 are up more than 100% on last year resulting in the school being oversubscribed for the first time in more than 25 years. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust is an independent, not-for-profit, membership organisation with headquarters in the United Kingdom, dedicated to raising standards and achievement in secondary schools in England and internationally...
also recognised The Manor as one of the most improved schools in the country based on 2010 examination performance. The Manor is now a Foundation school supported by the recently established North Cambridge Community Trust. The Trust is Slade's vision to give the school a bright and secure future and to engage more fully with its community. More recently, in June 2011, Slade also announced former Chief Constable Julie Spence
Julie Spence
Julie Spence OBE, was the Chief Constable for Cambridgeshire Constabulary from 10 December 2005 to 5 September 2010.Julie Spence made headline news over demanding more officers due to the recent rise in immigration....
, OBE, QPM, DL as Patron of the school.
Ben has featured in two recent pilot programme ideas for Channel 4, "The Headteacher's Office" (Maverick Television) and the pioneering documentary series we now know as Educating Essex directed by David Clews - a Two Four Productions production for Channel 4. The Manor - A Foundation School was in the running with Passmores right up until the day the final decision was taken by Channel 4 executives.
A keen musician and a life long fan of Elton John, Slade is currently working on a live tribute act band: "Absolute Elton" based on the pianist/singer songwriter's more recent stage performance style.
Slade comes from a working class Cardiff family and is adopted. He is passionate about education and the arts mainly due to his talents and the fantastic opportunities afforded to him by his former school in Cardiff.