Learning and remembering
The second week of November is always a sombre one, and this year the combination of inclement weather and the awareness that whilst we remember our war dead, our country still has many thousands of troops deployed around the world, has made it feel perhaps more so. Our three colleges responded very thoughtfully to our week of Remembrance assemblies, struck by the moving presentation put together by Dafydd Humphreys. If you would like to watch this, click here.
It was also a very serious week for our Year 11s, all of whom sat their English language GCSE, and several also took maths and science exams. The students´ attitude to and conduct in these exams was exemplary and a tribute to themselves and their teachers, who worked tirelessly to help prepare them. We look forward to receiving some good results next term. Last Friday of course saw the formal opening ceremony for Hampton Academy, which went off extremely well, as did its counterpart at Twickenham Academy. Do read the detailed press release on this website for the full story and photos. We were pleased to see the occasion widely reported in the local and national press; the latter continue to show an interest in the Learning Schools Trust´s academies venture, exemplified by a two hour visit from reputable journal ‘The Economist´ last week. What really counts in a school of course is what happens day in, day out. The Academy Leadership Team, ably assisted by Nicky Day, our SENCO, has recently conducted two Learning Reviews, one each of Year 7 and Year 11. These were very interesting exercises which allowed us to gain a fuller insight into the educational experience of students in these two critical year groups. We found considerable enthusiasm for the new curriculum across Year 7, where several students displayed a remarkably sophisticated understanding of how they learn best. The new logbook, though not without its teething troubles, has helped to focus these students on their goals and strategies and some of their weekly reflections are very thoughtful. Year 11, unsurprisingly, are primarily focused on their immediate exams and college applications. I was impressed by the two personal tutorials I witnessed where both students had clearly set themselves challenging goals and were working determinedly towards them. One student who had been on the point of giving up on a subject was now attending extra sessions after school to make up for lost time — the fact that she arrived breathless, in her dance kit, at 3.20pm was testimony to this! An hour later she was still down in the studio practising. All parents should receive a letter this week on the subject of our academy dress code; please read carefully and do support your sons and daughters in arriving appropriately dressed for school. A copy is also published on this website beneath this blog. There will be additional letters (also on this website) going out to Year 10 parents for their annual consultation meeting on the 22nd, and to Year 8 parents for a Curriculum Evening next week (24th November) where they can learn more about how to support their children´s learning. I look forward to welcoming you on one or both of these two occasions. Finally, I was very pleased to hear that Saturday´s visit to the University of Cambridge went well. This was a great experience for our Year 11 Gifted & Talented students which will hopefully have raised their aspirations further as to what they can achieve if they secure the excellent grades that their potential indicates. We hope to organise a second visit shortly and include Year 10 students — it´s not too early to start thinking about university options! Sue Demont
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