From the Head of Secondary 18.02.2023
The theme of the week in Secondary seems to have been ‘Communication’.
On Tuesday afternoon we held the IGCSE Options Fair for Year 9, in the school hall. This was organised by Mr Bromley and involved subject teachers sitting and talking individually to the students about their subject, and what to expect at IGCSE level in Years 10 and 11. Also in attendance was a small group of Year 11 students who were able to add to the Year 9’s knowledge by giving a student point of view on the subjects which they are currently taking. Year 9 students could also view resources such as handbooks, text books and past examination papers for the each subject. The Fair is an important part of the decision-making process for Year 9, as they give careful thought to the subjects that they will be studying for the next two years. It is important to choose correctly as there may be some implications for later on, when they are choosing A Level subjects.
For example, if they think that they might want to go into medicine as a career path, A Level Chemistry is essential, and therefore students should choose IGCSE Chemistry as that provides excellent preparation for the A Level. Generally though, the overarching advice is that students must choose subjects that they think they will enjoy and can sustain throughout the two years of student. As part of this choice process, students have been viewing short videos presented by teachers on each subject, had a presentation on how IGCSEs ‘work’ and also parents have attended a presentation in the MPR about IGCSEs and how they fit into their child’s educational journey. Students will soon be making their initial choices, and once all that information has been collated the Option Blocks are designed with the intention of making subject choices work on the timetable.
On Wednesday afternoon we held the Year 9 Student / Parent / Teacher conferences. These took place online and were very popular with parents, with over 90% in attendance. There are advantages and disadvantages in holding these meetings online. A clear advantage is the convenience, particularly for parents, as there is no need to have to fight through the traffic (always somewhat unpredictable but usually very busy) to get to school, and then to drive home afterwards. A limitation might be the importance of adhering to a strict schedule; there is perhaps slightly more flexibility in face to face meetings. These meetings were also an important aspect of the IGCSE choice process as parents can discuss the suitability of specific subjects for their child.
The next Student / Parent / Teacher conference will take place on the 27th February, for our Year 10 group. Letters and appointment sheets have already been sent home, and teachers are currently arranging meeting times with students and parents. We look forward to seeing all Year 10 parents in school on that day.
Valentine’s Day!
This week the Student Council organised flowers for Valentine’s Day. Staff and students pre-ordered and the roses were delivered to school at 10am. The council members, led by Grace Lee, attached pre-arranged messages and then they were delivered to the intended recipients.
There were some quite romantic sentiments expressed:
‘I’ve liked you for a while’
‘She walks in beauty, like the night of filling charm and starry skies; meet in her aspect and her eyes.’ [Lord Byron, the greatest of the Romantic poets]
‘The prettiest person I’ve seen :)’
‘From your secret admirer’
‘Will you be my Valentine?’
Have a wonderful weekend!
Mrs Margaret Renshaw
Deputy Principal / Head of Secondary
