A former Hereford headmaster is part of a group spearheading a change in national educational policy.

Headway Education has been established by wealthy entrepreneur David Evans, who, at the age of 70, has decided to invest in supporting innovative educational ideas. He has enlisted the help of Tim Lowe a former headmaster of Hereford Cathedral Junior School as they both share a passionate belief that morals and life skills should be at the heart of education.

One of the resources being supported as a social enterprise is called '1 decision' and while ticking every PSHE box ahead of inspections, it is far more about preparing children for life ahead. Through a clever use of videos with child actors, pupils have to make decisions on a wide range of topics including inappropriate touching, bullying, screen images, drugs, violence etc - all the difficult issues facing children today and in a way that supports teachers. It starts in primary schools, as too often these are confronted as fire fighting issues at a later stage rather than prevented at an early stage.

Sadly schools today tend to be judged on exam statistics as these can make easy sound bites for politicians and Headway has been in discussion at minister level to change this way of thinking. Due to political pressure schools tend to sidetrack PSHE (Personal,Social and Health Education) in terms of time and money spent on resources. "Too often this is the twilight subject taught on a Friday afternoon by a teacher pressured into taking on the role," says Tim Lowe.

1 decision has been gaining wide support around London and in the north-west and the ambition now is to introduce the programme in other areas. With a long- time vested interest in Herefordshire,Tim is keen offer support to the county schools: "Although I am now living back in my family home in the Peak District I am still in Hereford regularly as a trustee of the Little Princess Trust and would be happy to speak to any schools interested in finding out more about 1decision." To contact Tim, email him at tim.lowe@headwayeducation.co.uk