From the Head of Secondary 01.05.2021

It probably goes without saying that we are all looking forward to getting back ‘inside the building’ on Monday. The capacity for online learning has been invaluable over the past year, but it cannot replace the face to face interaction of the real thing.

This week I attended a webinar ‘Identifying and Responding to the Wellbeing Challenges of 2020/21. Introduced by the CEO of FOBISIA, John Gwyn Jones, Bernard Fawcett chaired the panel discussion, starting with the big picture as Crispin Chatterton [GL Education] shared data from the wellbeing survey Pupil Attitudes to Self and School (PASS) taken by thousands of students globally. Comparing 160,000 student responses from the 2019 survey with the 2020 survey, Mr Chatterton was able to draw some interesting conclusions, namely:

• There was a small but perceptible improvement in students’ positive attitudes towards school
• Also seen was a small increase in students’ happiness at being in school after home learning
• Preparedness for learning significantly improved, meaning that students felt that they had developed their organisational skills during home learning
• Students’ confidence in learning showed an improvement
• Students [especially senior students in Years 12/13] had a greater appreciation of the work that teachers did and described teachers as going ‘above and beyond’.

Mr Chatterton reminded us that any conclusions drawn reflect a ‘snapshot’ of a moment in time, calling this the ‘honeymoon effect’ and that it will be essential to look at long term data moving forward.

The panel contributions also posed some interesting questions:

• How can schools monitor student wellbeing when they are not in school?
• Will some students ‘go off the radar’?

And raised some highly relevant points:

• Social isolation is a concern.
• It is hard for teachers to accept that they perhaps cannot give the level of support they wish during periods of lockdown.
• Some students with anxiety issues thrived in online learning because they could put aside what was causing their anxiety and focus on their learning.
• Talking to students about their wellbeing was becoming a more normal thing.

I came away from the webinar with a sense that other schools, and the quoted data, reflected our perceptions and experiences at KIS, and that as we move forward it will be important to consider what we do and how we do it to ensure that students stay motivated and involved in positive ways in their learning, even during difficult times.

Mrs Margaret Renshaw

Deputy Principal

Head of Secondary

Following a period of uncertainty and disruption we received confirmation this week that IGCSE MFL Speaking Exams can go ahead as planned. This is wonderful news and no doubt a massive relief to Year 11 students. For further information on the arrangements for the MFL Speaking Exams please refer to the letter that was sent home to Year 11 students and parents on Thursday morning.

As of next week the exam season really does move into full swing, with 26 IGCSE, AS and A Level papers being sat over the next five school days alone. This is an incredibly busy time for our Year 11, 12 and 13 students and I am sure you would like to join me in wishing every one of them all the very best of luck for the next few weeks.

To ensure the summer exam series runs as smoothly as possible the main rules, expectations and procedures have been shared with students. All students have received a copy of the PowerPoint from the presentation, should they wish to refer to this information at a later date.

I thought it would also be useful to share with you some of the main points from the presentation as I am sure many of you have questions about the IGCSE and A Level examinations, whether your child is sitting their exams this summer or in the future.

• All students have been issued with a ‘Statement of Entry’. This document lists their examination entries along for the session time (AM or PM) and date of each exam. The AM session starts at 8:00am and the PM session at 1:00pm.
• Students must arrive at school 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. This will then allow them time to place prohibited material in their locker. Students then need to make their way to the exam room 15 minutes before the start of the exam.
• It is imperative that students do not bring any prohibited material or items into the exam room (mobile phone, watch, notes etc.). If they do it can result in disqualification.
• Having the correct exam stationary is important as familiar equipment can make all the difference. Something as simple as having a pen that is comfortable to write with can help to increase writing speed and possibly lead to a few extra marks!
• The basic exam stationery includes several blue or black ballpoint pens, HB pencils, eraser, ruler, protractor, calculator (only for some exams) and a clear plastic pencil case.
• Students are allowed to bring a water bottle to the exam but it must be transparent and free of logos. A sports cap water bottle is best as it avoids any accidental spills.
• Students must be in school uniform for all exams.
• From Tuesday 4^th May Year 11, 12 and 13 students should only come into school when they have an exam. After their last exam on each day they must leave the school site and return home to revise. The only exception is if a teacher is running an additional revision session as the students will then be under the direct supervision of an adult.

I hope this helps and, as always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Wishing you all a relaxing weekend.

Andrew Hallas

Deputy Head of Secondary/Head of Sixth Form

The end of the school year is rapidly approaching and the exams have recently started. However, the House Competition is far from over. Sapi leads Sulug by less than 20 points and there is still plenty of time for Gaya to catch up on their 700 point deficit.

As the Presidents and Vice-Presidents are busy preparing and taking their exams I have looked for students in the earlier years to take over the mantle for the remaining few weeks. After receiving applications from many well qualified and outstanding candidates, 6 new leaders have been chosen.

They are:

Sapi President – Seyoung Jung (Tony) – 7K

Sapi Vice President – Natalia Wehrendt – 8S

Sulug President – Julia Aveline-Rabenjoro – 8S

Sulug Vice President – Zack Ngu – 9K

Gaya President – Leroy Yapp – 7K

Gaya Vice President – Juah Son – 8S

Congratulations to new House leaders. This is a great opportunity for them all to gain some leadership experience and a glimpse into the future leaders at KIS. All of the new leaders have excelled in representing their Houses and shown great leadership skills in the House system.

There will be plenty of events to come over the remainder of this final term. Can they rally their houses for a final push to win it all?

Mr Baxter

Secondary House Coordinator