We have had a very calm and purposeful week in college in the final phase of the Year 13 assessments. Students have conducted themselves with integrity and with maturity. There has been a studious atmosphere around the college and during revision lessons with their teachers. We have been impressed with the level of focus shown by our students and are proud of how well they have accepted so much disruption; they’ve taken it all in their stride! Now that the first week of the May assessments is over, we look ahead to the final assessment week. We would encourage our students to seek support if they need it (not just for the academics, but also wellbeing); to get enough sleep; to eat well; and to dedicate some time to relax! Sessions of 15-20 minutes of concentrated revision on areas to improve on have been found to be much more effective than hours at a time – the brain cannot possibly work hard for extended periods of time. Students should spend 20 minutes on one area, take a break, and then move onto another area – psychology has shown this to be an incredibly effective tool for revision. More information can be found here.
Over the next week there will be a targeted focus in class time on the quality of student folders in all year 12 lessons. To support student progress, staff will be setting time aside to check and discuss the organisation of classwork notes, self directed study work and ongoing revision of work. Students should have detailed and well informed notes that support all areas of their course either delivered face to face or online. Some students may have a hybrid of written and typed work and may need some support in ensuring the work is organised so that it can be used in this important phase of consolidation to prepare for the summer assessments. Staff will also be doing a further check by getting students to RAG rate their understanding of each topic, and this will allow for more personalised and targeted work in self directed study in the coming months.
Best wishes,
Louise Vice Principal
Pastoral – Rebecca Anderson Pastoral Lead
We are aware that there has been a national rise in mental health issues in young people and are doing all we can to support and encourage those in need. Parents can also support at home by promoting positive mental wellbeing and responding to any issues. Young Minds run a helpline and are an excellent source of information and support. We are also very happy to be contacted and can signpost a range of resources for various issues as we all work together to take care of ourselves and each other. https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-helpline/
In philosophy we have moved to the Christian theology unit where primary school Bible stories are coming in useful. For those that didn’t go to Church primaries, we had a Bible ‘story time’ in the breakout area, with hot chocolate, to develop knowledge. It turns out primary story time at A level leads to some pretty intense philosophical debate; about the meaning behind Noah’s Ark! Did the people who washed away go to hell? Is this the part of the Bible which suggests purgatory exists and have the Anglican Church missed a trick? Why does an all loving God not forgive? Historically is this a metaphor for the thawing of the last ice age?
Enrichment – Baking Club with Dr Sally Tye
This week the baking club made strawberry ripple ice cream in anticipation of some hotter weather! Below is Rebecca and Megan Cowdrey’s Ice Cream. It looks yummy!
We have sent home two important letter to parents this week – which indicated the preparations for end of year assessments for Year 12 and have also launched our Sexual Health and Wellbeing online materials. Please do let the office know if you are not receiving letters as a parent/carer and we will check your details on our system.
We held 2 student forum groups this week to understand better the student experience of teacher feedback and how it is helping students make the progress they are happy with. Students were represented from all areas of the curriculum in A Level courses and Vocational courses. A clear message that was presented was about how intuitive staff are about when students need help in class, and all staff are very supportive and accessible for further guidance out of lesson time. Many subject areas were cited as offering additional submissions of work and extra feedback on essays, and students found this highly motivating.
The students presented a range of examples across the whole curriculum of how the feedback, both verbal and written is enhancing their learning. All students indicated the value of regular feedback and really value both whole class feedback and 1:1 feedback they get that is personal to their development areas. In some subjects, students value the discursive style of feedback in a collaborative way that allows for deeper understanding. It was also very pleasing to hear that students are also starting to benefit from more support in self marking and use of mark schemes. This style of marking with clear teacher guidance is allowing students to think like an examiner and recognise what examiners value and award marks for.
There was some discussion about returned work – sometimes with marks and other times with grades, depending on the subject, and which is more valuable and supportive in truly understanding where the individual student is on their journey. We agreed that a student survey would be issued to get a collective view and to help review our reporting of their attainment grades.
We know our Year 13 students are working hard and preparing well and the whole of the S6C community wants to wish them well for the next 2 weeks of their final assessments. We want every student to shine and allow themselves the opportunity to demonstrate that they can achieve the very best that they are capable of.
With best wishes,
Louise Vice Principal
Creative Faculty – Rich Eno, Faculty Lead
Media
Creative Media students have been busy on a new project where they are making their own Adam Curtis style montage documentary. Faculty Leader, Richard Eno, said, ‘This project is my attempt to politicize the students so they can intelligently respond to the inequalities we are faced with in the modern world. The project is inspired by both Adam Curtis but also the book, Amusing Ourselves To Death, by Neil Postman.” FInd out more about Adam Curtis here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis and Neil Postman here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusing_Ourselves_to_Death
Art
A Level Art students presented an impromptu exhibition last week where they showcased their response to the COVID pandemic and how it affected them. Faculty Leader Richard Eno said, ‘it was lovely to get an invitation to visit an exhibition as I’ve really missed visiting galleries and museums. What I loved about the work was that it wasn’t obvious or cliched. They had clearly thought quite deeply about their art and demonstrated their confidence by allowing the work to speak for itself’.
Life Skills – Rebecca Anderson, Pastoral Lead
Pastoral Care
The talk and materials for our online Sexual Health and Wellbeing Development ‘Day’ are designed and selected from trusted sources and should be safe and inclusive, promoting positive actions for emotional, mental and physical wellbeing. Topics include, but are not limited to: sexual health ; contraception; consent; sexual assault and harassment; harassment in the workplace; FGM; healthy relationships; toxic masculinity; Criminal Sexual Exploitation; pornography; mutual enjoyment of sexual activity; domestic violence; sexting laws; online safety; and a range of other useful and practical links. Our aim is that students are well resourced, well informed, equipped with skills to navigate any difficulties, and uncompromising in their commitment to build a kind and respectful society.
If any of these materials raise issues for students then they have been encouraged to contact a member of the safeguarding team here at S6C, who are specially trained to offer and arrange support. Students also have the details for the NSPCC, Childline or the Samaritans, all of whom can offer support and advice for a range of concerns 24/7.
Humanities Faculty – Dr Sally Tye, Faculty Lead
Promotion of the Hay Festival – Wednesday 26 May to Sunday 6 June
With the reduced opportunities to be able to have cultural experiences during the last year we want to highlight a great opportunity for parents and students to take part in a digital event later in May. Our curriculum in college is enhanced by wider exploration of learning, and we hope the lectures and discussions available here are pertinent and useful in widening students’ knowledge and understanding of literature and of global issues.
The HAY Festival will again be a digital event providing a fantastic opportunity for staff, parents and students to enjoy a wide range of lectures and discussions free online.The 34th Spring edition, brings writers and readers together for an inspiring array of conversations, debates, workshops and performances online, Wednesday 26 May to Sunday 6 June. Festival goers can explore the programme and register for free now at hayfestival.org/wales. Over 12 days, more than 250 acclaimed writers, global policy makers, historians, poets, pioneers and innovators will take part in this year’s Festival, launching the best new fiction and non-fiction. It will interrogate some of the biggest issues of our time, from building a better world post-pandemic to tackling the compound crises of climate change, inequality, and challenges to truth and democracy. Landmark Festival conversations will consider a series of momentous anniversaries and ongoing global issues: One year on from the killing of George Floyd, poet Lemn Sissay presents a three-part series in his name, exploring racism and the systemic changes we need to see in the UK and around the world 300 years since Great Britain appointed its first prime minister, a series of PM300 panels explores issues of leadership and the global crisis of democracy ahead of COP26, the Festival’s Hay-on-Earth programme spotlights what’s at stake Everyday Sexism founder Laura Bates leads a trio of discussions on gender equality.
I am writing to update you about decisions on formal assessments we have made to support your young person in their progress in the first year of their courses.
Our original assessment plan for the academic year was to have 5 key assessment points throughout the year, where fuller examination papers are sat in A Level subjects with a different rhythm taking place appropriate for unit competition in the vocational courses.
These dates scheduled were:
Data Capture 1 14th – 18th September Data Capture 2 16th – 20th November Data Capture 3 1st – 5th February Data Capture 4 10th – 14th May Data capture 5 21st – 25th June – Year 12 assessment week
We have taken the decision to remove Data Capture 4 from the assessment plan in the week of the 10th May. Our approach in lesson planning since returning from lockdown has been focused on consolidation of learning to ensure that students are building confidence in knowledge retrieval. Staff are marking work regularly and providing feedback, and students should understand where there are gaps in knowledge and understanding that need to be addressed in their self directed study. It is not uncommon for lessons in all subjects to have regular ‘low stakes’ tests where staff are testing students on key vocabulary, processes or concepts through quick fire tests or quizzes to develop this confidence and highlight the importance of this information. We feel this is the right approach to support our students.
If any subject teachers have a concern about the progress of any student then we have a clear process that an action plan is initiated with the student to prioritise areas to work on – and parents are informed to provide support from home and to ensure you are informed. If over time the gaps are not closing then this process will become more formal and we may request a meeting so we can formulate a more detailed plan to help close gaps in performance. If you have not been contacted, then your son / daughter is working well currently and not showing a drop in their performance. Staff may also request support for a student with our learning mentor who can support and guide improvements in all areas of our curriculum.
We are very aware that most Year 12 students have not sat any formal exams for their GCSEs, and with further disruption because of COVID we have decided to start preparations towards the Year 12 end of year assessments earlier. Starting this week, students are being provided with guidance from their tutors in their Life Skills session to support their revision and exam preparation (plus there will be a reminder that a little bit of pressure can spark productivity but that stress should never be overwhelming). Support is at hand from tutors and our pastoral lead, and resources will be available in the Information Classroom in Google.
Staff will increasingly focus in the summer term on revision preparation for the summer assessments, including practice on timing, managing workload and preparing for full A Level papers. The Year 12 assessment week will follow an assessment timetable where lessons will be suspended during the week, allowing for a real ‘practice’ experience for students that was missed last summer. The assessment week will include assessments in most of the vocational subjects as well, with the exception of Creative media and Software Development where external exams are not applicable in the courses, so the timetable will continue in these courses only. Art and Photography assessments will take place in the week of the 28th June.
The assessment timetable will be planned and issued before the May half term. Results will be issued in the week of 5th July and reports including working at grades will be shared with parents. The results will be discussed individually with students and all students will then be provided with very clear guidance of next steps including summer tasks to support a really successful start for year 2 of the courses. Students will be enrolled into Year 13 on Friday 9th July and will be able to discuss any further support they feel would be useful to help their progress. Parents are welcome to attend these meetings with students.
If you have any specific questions you would like to address please can you message the appropriate Faculty Leader who will be able to respond and assist you.
Rich Eno – Head of Creative reno@salisbury6c.ac.uk Dr Sally Tye – Head of Humanities stye@salisbury6c.ac.uk Kirsty White – Head of STEM kiwhite@salisbury6c.ac.uk
Yours sincerely
Mrs L Henderson Vice Principal email: lhenderson@salisbury6c.ac.uk
In Life Skills today we launched our Online Sexual Health and Wellbeing Development module – students watched a short talk from myself with some key messages about safety, wellbeing, healthy relationships, consent, respect and kindness, harassment and assault, FGM, CSE, the law regarding sexting, and the fact that no one should ever be made to feel uncomfortable in college, at home, in public, at parties, or at work.
The overarching message is that no one is ever alone and no one should ever feel no one is listening.
We reminded students that they can talk to the NSPCC or Childline about any concerns, and that the safeguarding team in college is trained to talk about issues with students, and we are always available. We can be contacted by anyone that is concerned for the wellbeing of one of our students by emailing safeguarding@salisbury6c.ac.uk or asking to speak to Louise Henderson, Nicky Miller, or Rebecca Anderson.
Students now have a week to explore the videos and links from professional external agencies and trusted sources of support. They have been reminded that some of the content is unsuitable for younger siblings and so they should think about when and where to access the material.
Our aim is to encourage the young people under our care to be kind, independent, resilient, well informed – to know the facts, where to find the facts, and where to find support.
Students were reminded to take care of themselves and each other.
Year 12s are being guided through the material but it has also been shared with Year 13s, who should remind themselves of key messages and resources as they move onto their next steps.
Please do contact me if you would like a copy of the presentation and materials, including the talk, and get in touch if you have any questions. And, as ever, please do keep in touch if you have any concerns about your young person or if we can help in any way.
I hope you have had a lovely Easter break and students have had an opportunity to take some rest from their studies before a very busy term ahead.
It is wonderful to have started the summer term together in college, with a lovely atmosphere of our amazing young people interacting with warmth and care towards each other, but simultaneously respecting the need to manage the covid restrictions we have to maintain. The guidance for covid measures in college has not altered and we continue to work to the ‘strongly recommended use of face masks’ in all areas for now. What I would say is that students do need to make the most of their break and lunchtimes outside as we have resumed the normal timetable. Students and staff should also continue to focus on their wellbeing and take some time during self directed study to go for a walk.
I have spoken to many year 13 students this week about the college approach to teacher assessments. All students have expressed their appreciation of the guidance they are receiving and the measured approach we are taking to ensure we can reduce stress in what is a difficult time (Rebecca highlights this further in the update). If you feel your son / daughter is not getting this support or clarity of preparations needed then please do not hesitate to let us know and we will ensure that support is provided straight away. We want every student to feel confident about the preparations needed for their final assessments in May.
After our return from lockdown, staff have focused on knowledge retrieval and understanding in lessons to support students’ knowledge and skills in their courses, and to aid the curriculum planning for the remainder of this year and the next. I will be writing to year 12 parents next week with final decisions on assessment schedules for the remainder of the year.
With best wishes,
Louise Vice Principal
Creative Faculty – Rich Eno, Faculty Lead
S6C Media & Business student, Andrew Foord, has used his passion for his subjects to create his own business in https://www.salisburyfilmmaker.co.uk/ Andrew has already booked his first client! Head Of Faculty Richard Eno said, “I am incredibly proud of Andrew for the phenomenal media work he’s produced and to see him taking this to a professional standard is simply amazing”.
Life Skills – Rebecca Anderson, Pastoral Lead
Year 13 had a live online session on Living More Independently, with resources for those heading to uni in halls or private rental, those moving away for apprenticeships or employment, and those staying at home as young adults but taking some more responsibility (inc contributing financially if they are working full time, and helping out where they can). They may like to show you some of the resources in the presentation.
We also shared resources with both year groups with the following message:
An additional Life Skills activity that could save lives. There has been an increase in traffic accidents as lockdown eases and local Fire and Rescue services have produced Back on The Road resources (which are really good and well worth your time). There are practical resources for new drivers (who have not been used to busier traffic or the importance of regular car maintenance), older drivers (to pass onto grandparents who may have been shielding and would benefit from a refresher), two wheeled vehicles (again, the roads are suddenly busier and this changes the driving environment) etc. There is also a series of four modules you can take, for drivers and passengers, with quizzes to check your knowledge. We can’t make you look – but we want you to be safe, and we know you to be responsible and intelligent young people – so find half an hour and read through the info which is most relevant to you.
We are aware that some Year 13s are feeling the pressure of final assessments after a number of twists and turns in their education. Students are encouraged to look at the resources on the Information Classroom > Classwork > Wellbeing to help them manage any stress. They can also talk to their tutor, or the pastoral lead, who will be happy to share some self help tips for both academic preparation and personal wellbeing. All students are encouraged to keep in close contact with their teachers and tutor and let them know if they need any support.
NCS
The National Citizenship Scheme is hoping to run this summer for 16 and 17 year olds. Students are encouraged to take this amazing opportunity to access up to £1500 of activities for £50 on either two week or three week programmes. It could provide some welcome structure to a summer which is unlikely to include much travel, and the scheme is known to build confidence, practical and organisational skills, resilience, community spirit, friendships and wellbeing (and is excellent material for personal statements and applications, especially if taken at this stage in their education).
Due to some damage caused by high winds and storms a number of weeks ago, we have had to take some safety precautions by removing the panelling on the outside of our building. This has left the College looking a little ‘worse for wear’, but this will improve over the coming months as we work on a new facade.
As a Trust, it has been decided that the College will be finishing at 12 noon on Thursday this week, for the last day of term. Students are expected in for periods 1 and 2 and will need to be off-site by 1pm.
On our return after the Easter break, the normal timetable will resume, and we are awaiting a further announcement from the Government regarding mask-wearing in College – when we hear we will of course communicate this to you as soon as we can.
I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing Easter break and we look forward to welcoming students back on Monday 19th April.
Parents will have seen some correspondence from me this week regarding our Teachers Assessed Grades (TAGs) along with a presentation, and also a letter from Rebecca Anderson, regarding Drug Awareness. If you require a further copy of either of these letters or the presentation, please do contact my PA, Hanna Boddy on hboddy@salisbury6cac.uk
With the Easter Holidays fast approaching, we are as busy as ever at S6C and here are some exciting news stories this week.
Best wishes,
Louise
Vice Principal
Careers Update – Rosie Roberts, Student Liaison Officer and Careers Lead
UCAS Fair
Last week students had a Life Skills session with their tutors on researching university in order to prepare for the virtual UCAS Fair which all Year 12s had the opportunity to attend this week.
The virtual UCAS Fair gave students the opportunity to speak live to universities and employers from across the country. This is a great starting point for students to begin their research into higher education options and we would now encourage students to book Open Days for the universities they’re interested in.
The day also had a series of live webinars covering topics such as “How to start researching what’s right for you”, “Student finance explained”, “How to land your dream apprenticeship” and “Simple steps of applying to uni”.
Work Experience
Next week Year 12 students will be exploring Virtual Work Experience opportunities with their tutors in Life Skills. They will register with Speakers for School, an online platform for virtual work experience placements and hear from a local employer, Jaime Williamson from DSTL, on tips for successfully applying for virtual work experience placements and what activities a virtual work placement could involve.
All students are tasked with sourcing and participating in the equivalent of three day’s meaningful employer engagement (MEE, otherwise known as work experience) before the end of the Autumn term in the second year. This will allow students to undertake and evidence experience of work in an area relevant to their career aspirations or, if students are undecided on their career goal, a placement that will support them in exploring their progression options.
We will support students to source virtual work experience placements this year by sharing opportunities students can apply for in the Google Information Classroom.
Speakers for Schools does require parental permission for the College to submit information on behalf of the student so please do respond to emails requesting your permission to confirm your young person’s virtual work experience application.
Career Pilot
After Easter, students will have an introduction to using Career Pilot to research all careers options and will complete the Pathway Planner which is an online programme to review how confident students feel about researching their next steps following College.
Although our students are young adults and making important decisions for themselves about their future, we appreciate the support and guidance you as parents give your young people. You may find it helpful to look at the information and links we have on the careers page on our website https://www.salisbury6c.ac.uk/students/careers/ when discussing careers options with your young person. Here you will find information on labour market information and links to information on university, apprenticeships and employment options. Students can access all of the materials used in the careers education programme through the Google Information Classroom and they may wish to log in to the Classroom with you to enable you to view these resources too.
Life Skills Update – Rebecca Anderson, Pastoral Lead
S6C teachers and tutors are committed to constantly improving our pastoral care and our ability to equip students with all they need to move forward as well informed, confident, empowered citizens and young adults. Our Pastoral Meetings for Tutors have previously covered training on careers and next steps signposting, and how we can best support our LGBTQ+ student community, with a focus on supporting non-binary/gender queer/trans students.
Thursday’s collaborative training was on cultural capital, making connections, and closing the gaps – it was inspiring to hear the tutor team excitedly sharing ideas on how we can ensure that every single student (whatever their background, prior knowledge or prior performance) can access the information, skills, wider knowledge, resilience, resources, habits and conduct to be able to grow as individuals.
For this to be successful, life skills are integrated beyond tutor time and into lessons, clubs, and daily interactions – and we need to find creative ways of getting students to see the relevance of these skills, choosing to incorporate them into what they already know about the world and themselves.
We are always keen to hear from parents and community members who feel they may have something to add to our Life Skills programme across tutor time, subjects, and our speaker programme. Please contact Rebecca Anderson, pastoral lead, with your ideas, suggestions, or offers of input.
Creative Faculty Update – Richard Eno, Faculty Lead for Creative
Media
This week Media students have been working on a Sound for Film unit and student Sam Harrison has been making the sound components to a scene from Jurassic Park! This has included re-recording all the dialogue from the film with actors from S6C as well as rerecording the famous theme tune using Logic Pro. Here’s a screenshot from the scene
Art
Year 12 Art are currently making individual pieces of mix media /textile in response to ‘Connecting again’. All pieces will contain a message about how they felt covid and lockdown affected their identity. The pieces will come together as one hanging/ exhibition in the art room during our session this Friday.
Year 12 photographers are now working on organising a possible exhibition of works produced to date. They are exploring ideas and spaces whether online or on site, out of site… Etc. They are also researching what a curator ‘s role is. A live q & a with a curator is being organised (dates to be confirmed)
Humanities Faculty Update – Sally Tye, Faculty Lead for Humanities
Making the classroom real, our BTEC Business students have the opportunity to work with Chris Woodgate CEO of Goodwood.
Chris Woodgate, the Goodwood CEO joined the Year 12 BTEC Business class to give an overview of the Goodwood Estate, the Group that runs the internationally renowned Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival and has a number of other hospitality businesses including a hotel, and a private member’s club alongside traditional Estate activities such as Goodwood Home Farm – one of the UK’s largest downland organic farms.
Providing two workshops, he initially focussed on the core values of the business, the organisational structure of the business, its unique ownership model, the importance of developing your staff and using customer perception to refocus the business.
In the second week Chris considered the impact of the pandemic on the Goodwood Estate , providing a real life commentary on how the estate has met the significant financial challenges they have faced, developed a strategy to stabilize the business financially and provided a pathway forward for it to grow again.
For our business students to experience working with a CEO of one of the top hospitality and events organisations in the UK was a huge opportunity for them to develop their skills and knowledge beyond what is taught in the classroom. Chris will be joining us again in the new college year to work with our students on developing their leadership potential.
STEM Faculty Update – Kirsty White, Faculty Lead for STEM
Six of our students recently completed a virtual work experience opportunity with Great Western Hospitals. The process was extremely competitive and students enjoyed the opportunity to explore various aspects of the NHS through a series of online lectures, as well as interactive activities such as quizzes and writing personal statements. They have provided their individual reflections on their experiences. As a college, we are very proud of how they conducted themselves throughout the experience and are grateful to GWH for awarding so many places to our students.
Hannah Coleman (Y13): “The whole programme gave me a brilliant insight into what a career might look like with the NHS, as webinars were hosted for each of the occupations covered, with professionals talking about their job role, and answering a wide variety of questions during Q&A sessions. The work experience really allowed me to gain an understanding of what it means to have a career in the NHS, with inspirational words from professionals, tasks labelling parts of an ultrasound and much more. The experience as a whole was brilliant, and I enjoyed every part of it! I really feel more confident now regarding how to work towards a career with the NHS, and and truly excited for what the future may hold! So a big thank you to Springpod, the NHS and Great Western Hospitals for this brilliant experience, which I would certainly recommend to anyone else interested in a career with the NHS.”
Isabelle Richardson (Y13): “The work experience gave me the opportunity to gain much needed experience for my Health and Social Care coursework while still remaining flexible to work around college and a job, which I think is something unique to the GWH virtual work experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the two weeks spent enriching my knowledge of what it means to work for the NHS, not just job roles available but the core values at the heart of the work. This helped me specifically as I could use this not just in my future work, but when going off to university and in the interviewing process as it links perfectly with the values instilled in my course which they ask a lot about in interviews. The GWH work experience enabled me to talk well on the subject. In my opinion, the most interesting part of the experience was learning about clinical psychology as it is fascinating to hear from the psychologists firsthand how they work, what other professionals they work alongside, how they gained their qualifications and what they find challenging about their work.”
Francesca Lloyd (Y13): “The great western work experience has allowed me to gain an insight into the daily roles of many different healthcare careers. Due to current situations being able to access virtual experience has been really useful for university applications and interviews. It has also given me the confidence that I know I have chosen the right career path to pursue.”
Ella McGrail(Y12): “I think that taking part in GWH’s work experience has allowed me to gain more of an insight into healthcare and different professions in it. I gained awareness of the many roles within the NHS and how they differ from each other. I particularly enjoyed the midwifery and clinical psychology talks as I thought they were really interesting. I liked that we were able to talk to healthcare professionals to gain a valuable look into what their day-to-day working life’s are like. I have also gained knowledge on what qualifications and values I may need to undertake a career in healthcare. I think it was useful that even though the work experience was online, it was extremely interactive, and we were able to ask questions and gain feedback on any activity we completed. I think partaking in this work experience will be beneficial for me in the future as I want to go into healthcare- it has helped me understand more about working within the industry and how to stand out from others.”
Megan Cowdrey(Y12): “I really enjoyed the virtual work experience. I really enjoyed learning about a range of different healthcare professions and how their job can make a difference to people’s lives. It was also really interesting to hear from various people in healthcare who were passionate about their job. From hearing what their job is like day to day to what led them to a career in healthcare. In particular, I loved learning about careers in psychology and also listening to psychologists about their career and what it entails. This also confirmed for me that I want to study psychology further and gave suggestions how to get into this field. The work experience also gave me greater knowledge that will be useful for University, as I now have a better understanding of the skills required to be a psychologist, such as communication, empathy and problem solving. As well as knowledge of most of the healthcare professions that work alongside psychologists.”
Imogen Primmer (Y12): “The work experience helped me gain a lot more knowledge in the different roles within the NHS. I enjoyed how you could complete the activities in your own time, so it can work around your college timetable. The webinars were also recorded so if you were unable to attend, you can watch it afterwards. I found the webinars really interesting and useful as there was one for each subtitle listed as part of the work experience. This meant that you were able to learn from people who actually work for the NHS what their job is about and we had opportunities to ask them questions at the end of the webinar. It has benefited me as I now know what I would like to do in the future and how to get there by either applying to university or doing a degree apprenticeship.”
Enrichment – Dr Sally Tye, Lead for Baking Club
Baking club took on the challenge of an enriched dough with a double prove this week, making hot cross buns – great efforts from everyone.
Maddy Sheely’s (left) and Rebecca and Megan Cowdrey’s (right)
College is feeling rather normal again, despite seeing all staff and students wearing face coverings in communal areas and classrooms. It is not inhibiting communications between friends or discussions in classrooms, and students are showing a really strong sense of responsibility and duty to themselves and each other. There is a general feeling that the whole community is more settled and we hope that many students and staff that were anxious about returning are feeling much more comfortable. Tutors along with Rebecca are still here to actively listen and support any of our young people that need a listening ear.
I have visited many classes this week and it is wonderful to see and hear learning in action. Nicola Bull, our Director of Education in the Trust has also been in college visiting classes and welcoming the students back. Many students are showing a high level of independence and are using time wisely and effectively in their self directed study periods to improve their learning. It is not uncommon to see students busy working on tasks in groups around the college, or working in one of the IT suites or art room completing media , photography or art tasks expressing their creativity.
Most students should now have received their home lateral flow tests and are completing these successfully. It is important that once they register their result with the NHS then they also inform the college in this form. If you have any concerns about this then please contact office@salisbury6c.ac.uk
Next week a number of detailed communications will be sent home to explain the processes the college will be taking for the summer Teacher Assessed Grades. I will be writing to you to provide clarity on our overall approach of what assessment evidence will be included and how we will be taking a very positive and supportive approach to ensure well being is at the heart of our approach in making sure students can fulfill their potential.
Best wishes,
Louise
Vice Principal
Careers Update – Rosie Roberts, Student Liaison Officer and Careers Lead
This week Year 12s had a live online lesson and were asked to register for the main UCAS fair next week as we launch the next section of careers planning for university, apprenticeships and employment. All Year 12 students will be attending the UCAS Fair on either, Tuesday 23rd March or Wednesday 24th March next week from 10am-6pm. Students will be informed next week which day is planned for them.
The UCAS Fair is a chance for students to;
explore over 100 UK universities
get inspiration and explore different career opportunities
understand if an apprenticeship is right for them
take part in live sessions and get their questions answered by the experts
get practical help on personal statements, accommodation, student loans, and more
Students will then use their Careers Passport to record their findings from the fair and help make an informed decision about their futures.
All students also need to register for Career Pilot so they can complete their pathway planner after Easter. We will also be helping students arrange work experience. It is early days and they don’t need to worry if they don’t know what they want to do – the programme is designed to offer lots of support as they plan their next steps and find a path that suits their interests, skills, talents and ambitions.
Creative Faculty Update – Richard Eno, Faculty Lead for Creative
The S6C Art Department presented at the Roche Court ARTiculation Prize regional heat last week with student Freya King presenting an exceptional piece on silent film director, Georges Melies. Whilst Freya did not get selected to the national heat we are incredibly proud of the work she put in for this. It’s been a very successful experience for all involved so we are keen to repeat it next year.
Humanities Faculty Update – Sally Tye, Faculty Lead for Humanities
BTEC Business Achieve Top Grades, despite the challenge of a Pandemic!
The BTEC Business Level 3 National Extended Diploma received an outstanding set of results for the external examination series in early January. Everyone taking the examination achieved a Merit, with over half receiving a Distinction grade.
The first week of January was probably the most difficult and challenging of the whole pandemic. With the government closing colleges and providing no clear message about the sitting of external examinations in January, the BTEC Business students carried on learning and preparing. Typical of an S6C student, they were resilient and focussed, and coped with all the restrictions in place to keep them safe, including social distancing, rapid testing, as well as the pressure of their first external examination.
As our first cohort of BTEC Business Extended Diploma students, we are very proud of the journey they have taken, their hugely positive approach to college life, the character they have shown over the last 18 months and determination to be the very best they can be.
Our BTEC Business has established itself as a successful pathway to study vocational degrees at University, with 13 of our 14 students having been offered a University place, including Durham, Exeter, Cardiff and Royal Holloway. They are pursuing a variety of courses, including Law, Festival Management, Banking and Finance, Financial Services, International Business as well as Business Management. Well done to all the students and Steve Price and Catherine Pennington for the outstanding support they have provided!
History
Four History students attended the first stage of the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz project’ this week, with an introduction seminar. Angus Archer noted that although he thought he ‘knew’ about the holocaust he learnt so much; ‘like that the extermination and concentration camps are different and that people were in ghettos before the camps‘. Sophie Marshall said how interesting it was ‘to see how other people viewed the Holocaust with the words they associated with it’. On Sunday they will be participating in a virtual tour of Auschwitz 1 and 2.
Catherine Pennington, A Level Business Teacher at S6C tried out Generative Learning after seeing Tom Sherington’s talk for The Magna Learning Partnership on 17th March 2021. She is a big fan of Immersion Learning and Experiential Learning herself and often asks her Business learners “How do you Learn?” Many of them reply “Not sure” “No idea” or simply “I’ve never been asked that before” Through experimentation and feedback she has discovered most of her students learn from real Business owners telling their stories with responses to questions based on the A Level syllabus. Furthermore, if generative learning is a learning theory that involves actively integrating new ideas with what the learner already knows then generative teaching is how she intends to fulfill her students requirements to learn.
In a nutshell, her students have existing knowledge of social media, online shopping, advertising reach through online views, digital networking and communication; apply that to real businesses that are looking to increase their bottom line, expand and trade on a glocalised platform then surely there is a recipe for Success, Aspiration and Excellence for Business students at S6C as they meet People in Business this week in Google meetings.
Megan BromleyBusiness Owner Beauty Full Time Marlborough – Thank you for our college discount code that goes to followers of Megan in the S6C community. https://beautyfulltime.co.uk/
Catherine and S6C Business students would like to thank Megan Bromley and husband Pat from Beauty Full Time in Marlborough and Elizabeth Jones MC Pod.DPodM of Total Foot Health of Salisbury for giving us some of their time to talk to students about their businesses in exchange for ideas on how to explore a greater digital presence and engage a younger audience with ideas relevant to them.
We thoroughly enjoyed having you and we hope you spread the word to young people who would like to learn about business at S6C via a combination of the Real Deal and scope for limitless Generative Learning.
“Megan’s talk was personal and easy to understand – Thank you”
“Megan, It was interesting to hear about how you got started and about the qualifications you got to get there”
“Elizabeth – I liked how you explained about Podiatry, your speciality”
“Elizabeth – I learnt about word of mouth Marketing and training staff”
“Megan does giveaways on Instagram” Yay.
STEM Faculty Update – Kirsty White, Faculty Lead for STEM
Last week, we celebrated British Science Week within college. The theme this year was ‘innovation’ and the celebrations ran from the 5th-14th March. The theme certainly fits the narrative over the last year and the innovation behind the vaccine roll-out! In Psychology, Year 13 students were asked to look at how video games can be used to benefit mental health (we are currently studying addiction). Students looked at how video games have been used to create positive mental health in people. Some students also took my challenge of other innovative methods in Psychology, such as: Botox being used in depression; the psychological benefits of social media and the innovative use of psychological methods such as brain scans in Sport Psychology. In Biology, Nicky’s students looked at innovative uses of stem cell research as part of their self-directed study. Some groups focused on the potential use of stem cells to repair nervous system damage and to restore function that might have been lost due to this damage. Other groups focused on how stem cells can be used to treat cartilage injuries and as part of research and treatment for diabetes. We hope that everyone is able to see how science has contributed to the world around them and we encourage our students to take an active role in seeking this information out (and potentially contributing to it in the future!).”
