Friday 10th June

I hope you all had a wonderful half term break and enjoyed some of the various Jubilee celebrations that took place.   

It is nice to see students back in college after the break,  looking refreshed and well prepped for their exams.  This week has been a busy week with exams and I continue to be impressed with the level of respect that students are showing for each other, during what is often a time of increased anxiety.  Students are moving around the building in a quiet manner being mindful of students taking these exams in the theatre and dance studio. 

You will hopefully have seen the year 12 mock exams timetable has been shared with parents and students this week.  For those who did not receive the letter, please contact Hanna in the Head of College’s office on hjimgye@s6c.mlp.college for a copy.  The timetable is listed below for ease.   

If students have any questions regarding either year 12 or 13 exams,  please do not hesitate to contact the reception. 

I hope you have a good weekend 

Craig Chambers

Assistant Head of College

Year 13 Examinations

The Year 13 exams next week are; 

Please continue to assist your young person in getting into college on time, calm and ready for their exam.  Please ensure they have a bottle of water with no label, a clear pencil case and wear something that is comfortable. Students will be supported by staff beforehand to prepare for their Energiser session. If students are ill or late please ensure parents phone reception as soon as possible. 

Year 12 Examinations

The year 12 exams will start on Monday 20th June. The full timetable is below 

Please be aware that there are planned train strikes during this week on the 21st and 23rd June and additional plans may need to be made to get students to college for an 08:30 start.

Student News

Jo Mason – Teacher of Health & Social Care

Abrylee D and her younger sister were formally invited to St Paul’s Cathedral London for the Jubilee thanksgiving service as representatives of their home country Belize.

She shared with us some wonderful photos of the day

Business 

Cathrine Pennington – Teacher of Business 

We are saying goodbye to our lovely Italian students who have been joining our Sociology, Business and English Language classes since September. 

We ordered pizza for lunch on Thursday and discussed the merits and drawbacks of franchises, online retailing and express delivery. 

We will miss them and wish them a safe journey home.

Clubs and Societies

Yoga Club – Hanna Njimgye Tekumafor

Since May, the yoga club has been using the S6C gym for their classes, whilst the studio is being used for exams. It was a bit of a squeeze, but we managed it well. 

This week students  worked on giving themselves the time needed to relax the mind, as well as the body.  This helped them to get into a relaxed and meditative state in order to progress their yoga practice on a deeper level. 

We concentrated on postures that help relieve anxiety and stress such as Viparita Karani (legs up the wall posture). This posture is used to help calm the mind, relieve backaches and alleviate tired legs. It was lovely to see one student come out of their Maths exam and straight into the yoga class, at the end she said ‘I really needed that’. 

Thursday 26th May

This week’s update is a little shorter than most,  but I just wanted to make you aware of a few key dates for next term. 

*Reminder* Queen’s Jubilee tomorrow 27th May – Exams

Due to the extra Jubilee bank Holiday falling during the half term, the college will be closed for teaching tomorrow (27th May). However, there are scheduled external examinations on this day for A Level Geography and AS Chemistry. The college will be open for these examinations and all year 13 students in those subjects must attend and sit these papers as normal. Please contact reception if you have any queries. 

Year 13 Examinations

Year 13 exams will continue on our first week back, the list of these exams is below.

Please continue to assist your young person in getting into college on time, calm and ready for their exam.  Please ensure they have a bottle of water with no label, a clear pencil case and wear something that is comfortable. Students will be supported by staff beforehand to prepare for their Energiser session.   If students are ill or late please ensure parents phone reception as soon as possible. 

Year 12 Examinations

The year 12 exams will start on Monday 20th June. The full timetable will be published shortly.  Year 12 students are likely to sit 2 papers per subject and these papers will be based on their learning from the year. 

Year 12 Work Experience – Monday 11th – Wednesday 13th July 2022

The deadline for work experience forms to be returned to College is Friday 10 June. This early deadline gives the College time to check that all students are placed somewhere suitable before the Year 12s turn their attention to the exams later in the month, and to support those who have not secured a placement

Year 13 Leavers Prom – Friday 1st July 

If you have not yet made your payment for the Leavers Prom please do so at reception. 

Supporting our Young People

Just a reminder that there is support available 24/7 from The Mix and The Samaritans and that any parents with concerns about the mental health of their young person can look at the excellent new CAHMS website which also now includes access parent helpline. https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/camhs/support/helpline/

If students feel they need support with exams there is some excellent information on the NHS website: 

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/children-and-young-adults/help-for-teenagers-young-adults-and-students/tips-on-preparing-for-exams/

Please remember that once students return after the break, pastoral support, mental health support, and the specially trained safeguarding team are all here to support the safety and wellbeing of each individual. This is available to Year 13s until the end of the year – we are still here for them.

We hope you and your families have a wonderful half term and we look forward to welcoming students back on Monday 6th June 2022. 

Craig Chambers 

Assistant Head

Friday 20th May

A message from Sarah Busby, CEO for Magna Learning Partnership regarding the new appointment of Head of College for September 2022. 

As you may know, interviews took place last week for the post of Head of College at S6C, to succeed Louise Henderson, who will move to Wyvern St Edmund’s as Headteacher. 

I am pleased to tell you that the successful candidate was Ben Hillier, currently Deputy Headteacher at Shaftesbury School. He has a wealth of experience in both leadership and in post 16 teaching. His subject specialism is Biology and he has taught that subject, together with Chemistry at A Level for many years. I know that he is really looking forward to getting to know everyone involved with the college and is in fact making his first visit to meet staff and students next week. Ben will work very closely with Louise and the senior leadership team to ensure a smooth transition for September and also to continue to develop the close collaboration between S6C and Wyvern St Edmund’s.

……………………………….

On Wednesday this week we had our annual visit from our JCQ Exams Inspector.   The visit went very smoothly, a big thank you to Lisa Lucas our Exams Officer for her thorough hard work and planning around all of our exams.  Our team of invigilators are incredibly professional, and very dedicated to supporting the students and ensuring the exams themselves run smoothly and students are calm and able to start their exam on time.  Students have been very calm and focused and the exam season has started really positively. 

For tutor time this week I sent a message to Year 12 students, wishing students luck in their exams as well as reinforcing some safety points around the college site.  This message has been shared in the information classroom to year 13 students as well.  We want to emphasise the importance of our young people feeling safe in our community, and to inform us if this is not the case. The safeguarding team of Nicky Miller, Rebecca Anderson and myself are all on hand to talk to any student, as are the tutor team. 

Year 12 students  have been issued with  a list of local employers they could contact if they have not yet arranged their work experience for 11th-13th July 2022.   Rosie Roberts is available to support enquiries and to help students secure places.  If your young person is still struggling to find a placement please contact their tutor for further assistance.   

A reminder to that year 12 clubs and societies continue until the end of the summer term.  If  you have any further queries, please contact the club lead member of staff.  

Best wishes,  I hope the weather improves to  bring some sunshine this weekend. 

Louise

Head of College

S6C Exams Update

Lisa Lucas, Exams Officer

Next week we have the following exams: 

Please continue to assist your young person in getting into college on time, calm and ready for their exam.  Please ensure they have a bottle of water with no label, a clear pencil case and wear something that is comfortable. Students will be supported by staff beforehand to prepare for their Energiser session.   If students are ill or late please ensure parents phone reception as soon as possible. 

*Reminder* Queen’s Jubilee 27th May – Exams

On Friday 27th May, the college will be closed from teaching for the Jubilee Bank Holiday.  We have scheduled external examinations on this day for A Level Geography and AS Chemistry. The college therefore will be open for these examinations and all students with examinations on this day must attend and sit these papers.  

Wiltshire Police 

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

Thank you to the Wiltshire police and community police team who set up a stall in the foyer to raise awareness about knife crime and other local issues as part of a community campaign. They took the opportunity to share new legislation, designed to keep us all safe, which bans the private ownership of flick knives and knuckle dusters, even if ornamental. They also spoke to students about tips for staying safe both in Salisbury and when visiting or living in larger cities, and also chatted to those interested in a career related to policing. The police are not able to offer work experience but their advice is so to get placements, or ongoing voluntary contact with, community organisations such as Alabare, The Salisbury Pantry, or local groups for children and youth; showing that you are able to communicate with, and being supportive of, all members of our local community, is a valuable transferable skill.

STEM Club

Lisa Rodway – Lab Technician 

This week STEM club got creative using light sensitive silver chloride to make photosensitive paper. We cut out shapes from card and placed them on the photosensitive paper, then developed our images under UV light. We were impressed with the results!

Friday 13th May

A big thank you this week  must go to our Mental Health Lead Catherine Pennington. This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and students and staff have openly talked about their mental health and  have celebrated and considered how we can all be active citizens in supporting each other.  We recognise the ongoing need to openly talk and support each other, so if any parents or carers feel they need any advice then please do reach out to Catherine at cpennington@s6c.mlp.college.

On Thursday this week we held the first day of interviews for the new Head of College. This was a busy day with 10 panel members including the Trust CEO, Director of Education and Trustees along with our governors, governors from other MLP academies and an S6C parent volunteer.  I could not be more proud of how amazing our students and staff were.  As a result the candidates received a very clear message about how special S6C is.   I would like to say a massive thank you to all staff who were involved in the day as well as the following students who showed our college in an amazing light;

Emma B, Angus A, Abi L, Elizabeth G, Isabella B, Rafia M, Nick M, Chloe A, Immy C, Miranda P, Alanaha E, Evan H

The Trustees will be finalising their decision about the new appointment later today, and Sarah Busby, our CEO will share that decision with our community next week. 

I hope that students enjoy a restful weekend and that final preparations for first examination papers being sat next week go really well. If you haven’t already done so, do check out the document of how to prepare for exams which includes some great tips for your wellbeing including breakfast choices, sleep patterns and preparing for the exam day.  Here is the link to the S6C Exams page.

Best wishes, 

Louise

Head of College

Mental Health Awareness Week

Catherine Pennington, Mental Health Lead

 This year the theme is Loneliness which affects millions of people across the UK. 

Monday 9 May 2022 marked the launch of Mental Health Awareness Week, the UK’s national week to raise awareness of mental health.   Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, it is in its 22nd year. 

This year, the theme for the week is ‘Loneliness’. Across the country, people will be reflecting on loneliness and how it impacts our mental health. Many of us know people in our communities and families that have found the last 2 years really difficult to manage with the increased isolation and reduction of personal contact.  Long-term loneliness is closely linked to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. In Salisbury, S6C will be getting involved and posting our activities every day this week on our instagram Twitter, Facebook and our college weekly updates. We are aiming to raise the profile of ‘togetherness’ and and looking out for others in our communities. 

On Monday students decorated the college with green balloons and we handed out 200 green ribbons for bags, lanyards, hats and shirts; students said they were really glad to receive a ribbon and the balloons cheered up our environment and got our staff and student community talking.

On Tuesday, students designed informative posters and distributed The Student Guide to Loneliness.

On Wednesday students shared some green jelly over an open chat room to talk about their stress of the moment.

Thursday, lots of people in the college community wore Green and continue to spread the word.  

Friday we are actively encouraging everyone to connect with someone and remind them that they are there for them. We want our students to support our collective message,  sharing it on social media using the # I’ve Been There and Mental Health Awareness.

If you want to receive further information about this area of the curriculum please contact cpennington@s6c.mlp.college.

S6C Exams Update

Lisa Lucas, Exams Officer

Next week we have the following exams: 

Please continue to assist your young person in getting into college on time, calm and ready for their exam.  Please ensure they have a bottle of water with no label, a clear pencil case and wear something that is comfortable. Students will be supported by staff beforehand to prepare for their Energiser session.   If students are ill or late please ensure parents phone reception as soon as possible. 

S6C Careers

Rosie Roberts, Careers Lead

The careers programme this week has focused on matching skills and passions to students potential career pathways. Year 12 students received a talk from Charlotte Harrison, Director of Employability from the University of Portsmouth on Personal Brand and why it’s important to consider your core values and purpose as well as your skills and strengths when preparing to present yourself to employers. She encouraged students to consider their values and purpose when choosing a work experience placement to explore careers that they will find fulfilling and be passionate about. 

This would be a great conversation to continue at home, getting your young person to reflect on their strengths and to build confidence in being able to articulate them, rather than being too modest.  Our young people will be entering many competitive fields for their future careers and they need to project confidence in who they are.  

To increase our careers guidance on Apprenticeship pathways, we had a visit from 2 local apprenticeship employers on Wednesday this week. Sopra Steria and Fawcetts had stands at lunchtime with information about their apprenticeship vacancies and students were invited to talk to them about current and future vacancies. Further guidance about Apprenticeship pathways and opportunities will continue to be provided in the Careers Classroom as we are made aware of local opportunities that are being released. 

Year 13 Prom – Friday 1st July

A reminder to Year 13 that the Prom final ticket payment is due on the 6th June.  If you have not yet purchased your ticket, there is still time to book on.  Please speak to reception. 

Year 12 Fine Art

Sophie Bellars, Teacher of Art

Year 12 Fine Art students took a sunny stroll down to the Vanner Gallery this week. NO WOMAN IS AN ISLAND, is a multidisciplinary exhibition featuring sculpture, painting, drawing, printmaking, collage and ceramics. With the start of their Personal Investigation, worth 60% of their A Level, it was fantastic to see the students chatting, sketching and engaging with the artwork on display and chatting to the Director of the gallery David Christie.

“a standout for me was how the female nude was depicted through a series of three different paintings. This could help me develop my starting points in my own project”

Ash Capon

‘’The gallery was a great experience and a lot of the artwork there was beautiful’’.

Imogen Tan

A huge congratulations to all of our Year 13 Art and Photography students who completed their A Level this week. Our students produced a wide range of personal and thought provoking projects such as the meaning of desire, epigenetics, hidden mental health, phobias and our relationship with pets to name a few. You can see some of their work over the next few weeks on our instagram @s6cart

Friday 6th May

I hope you all had a wonderful bank holiday weekend, how nice it was to have an extra day.  Although it’s been a shorter working week this week, it has by no means been quieter. 

On Wednesday we had half of the WyvernStEds year 9 students visit college for a taster morning.  They had the opportunity to visit subjects they were interested in and meet with current students and ask questions about the college as well as having a tour of the full site.  Feedback from WSE was very positive. Once again we had exceptional student ambassadors from year 12 and 13 leading tours and facilitating the sessions with students about their experiences of college life.  I am so impressed with the young emerging leaders here at S6C. 

We have had a number of Governor visits this week.   Tudor Verrall visited the college to drop into lessons and to review and discuss the student experience with our Assistant Head, Craig. Learning was purposeful and many students were busy being supported in their revision activities, especially in year 13 classes.  There was a focus on questioning and checking student understanding in lessons. Anita Esser, the co- chair of our AGC met with myself to discuss wider college processes including our statutory requirements of safeguarding. 

A number of staff are leading workshops today to support St Joseph’s careers participation event for years 9,10 and 11. This outreach work will include the sharing of our staff expertise in building brands in business, how to be a film director and health and fitness testing.

I wanted to clarify the dates for the Year 12 end of year exams in June. I wrote to you in September, sharing key dates for the year, including when the data capture windows will take place. The DC5 (Data Capture 5) will be scheduled for A Level classes as published from Monday 20th June – Monday 27th June. Photography and Art exams will then be sat during the week of the 27th June. This was presented as an error in the Lifeskills information on Wednesday, indicating it would be a week later. We apologise for the error and have informed students in their information classroom. We will also ensure these messages are clear to students in lessons next week. In the next few weeks students will receive information about the exam schedule.  

Best wishes, 

Louise

Head of College

S6C Exams Update

Lisa Lucas, Exams Officer

This week we saw the start of some of our BTEC exams. 

Next week we have the following exams before starting in earnest the week beginning the 17th May:

Over the past weeks we have sent out to parents and students many exam information and support documents, if you have missed any they are available on our website https://www.salisbury6c.ac.uk/students/exams-2/

We have a number of support lines available here at college,  to students who may be anxious or worried about their exams. Students can speak to their subject teacher, their tutor, mental health champions (as introduced in last week’s update), Mental Health Lead, Catherine Pennington or the Pastoral Lead, Rebecca Anderson. 

Bank Holiday notice – 27th May examinations

On Friday 27th May, the college will be closed from teaching for the Jubilee Bank Holiday.  We have scheduled external examinations on this day for A Level Geography and AS Chemistry. The college therefore will be open for these examinations and all students with examinations on this day must attend and sit these papers.  A separate letter will be issued to parents of these students. 

S6C Careers

Rosie Roberts

We have career advisors appointments scheduled this term to assist students in gaining information about the careers they may be interested in.  We have prioritised the Year 13 students who have not submitted a UCAS application in the first instance,  as well as our free school meal and bursary students. These career appointments however are available and open to all students in both year groups.  Please direct your young person to the main office where they can book a slot or for any more information please contact Rosie Roberts, Careers Lead and School Liaison at rroberts@s6c.mlp.college

Student Achievement

Mary Gannon – Teacher of Biology 

Milly Porter, Tara Bray, Immy Bray and Piper Cilliers have just returned from competing in the “Cheerleading World Championships” held in Orlando, Florida representing their club “Phoenix stars gemini” based in Salisbury. They competed against international teams including the USA, Germany, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands in the International Open Level 6 all girls class,  achieving a top 10 world placement. An outstanding achievement. We are incredibly proud of them. 

Salisbury Pride Stand – representing views for equality and diversity

Rebecca Anderson 

On Wednesday lunchtime this week Salisbury Pride had a representative and stand in the college foyer, with information about what Salisbury pride do and stand for.  If you or young people would  like to know more about Pride in the local areas please do visit their website: https://www.salisburyprideuk.org/

Friday 29th April 2022

Welcome back to the start of an extremely busy term. 

Please see below an important request from Sarah Busby our Trust CEO, relating to the involvement of parents in the forthcoming Head of College interviews.  My PA, Hanna will send a reminder out on Tuesday to see if any parents would like to be part of the process. 

In addition to the examination guide to support the revision period issued to parents and students on 7th April, you should now have received today some key guidance from  Lisa Lucas our Exams Officer. She has  shared with parents and students the Guide to Exams as well as the exam timetable. Please do take the time to review the document, it includes information such as ‘Meet the Invigilation team’ so that we can make the exam experience for students as smooth as possible.  Please support and encourage your young person to thoroughly read the guide and help them to be aware of the times, dates and preparation they need  in order to have a successful exam season.

On Tuesday this week we had our Student Personal Development Day, on Sexual Health and relationships. Students really valued the day, both its relevance and approach for their age.   For full details of the experience the students received,  please see the article below.  It is important that students who miss these days catch up on the information that was shared with students so that they are knowledgeable and well informed.  The tutor sessions and talks have been made available for students to join online if they were off college for covid reasons.  

Fern our college dog has been in a number of days this week as she continues to get used to spending more time here and settling into her routine.  She is very calm but absolutely loves the attention, strokes and play she gets from students and staff. She is becoming a  regular visitor to Software design lessons and knitting club. 

Have a wonderful May Day bank holiday weekend and we look forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday 3rd May. 

Best wishes, 

Louise

Head of College

S6C Head of College Interviews Thursday 12^th May

Sarah Busby – CEO of Magna Learning Partnership

You will be aware that we intend to appoint a new Head of College for September to replace Louise Henderson as she moves to her new role at Wyvern St Edmund’s. We would be keen to have some parental involvement in this process so if you have availability during either the morning or the afternoon of Thursday 12^th May and would like to be part of our interview panel we would be glad to hear from you. You don’t need any previous experience or specific skills, just an interest in the college and a shared desire to appoint the very best new leader we can.

If you are interested please contact us the Head of College’s PA, Hanna at hnjimgye@s6c.mlp.college by Thursday 5^th May

Student Development Day 

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

On Tuesday we were so pleased to be able to run our Healthy Relationships and Sexual Health Development Day in person, having shared online resources last year. Students were all given a one hour talk on sexual health from an expert practitioner (who has been doing this job for 35 years) from Salisbury District Hospital, and is well versed in talking through issues from STDs and their prevention (ideal) and treatment (if needed), contraception, consent, and healthy relationships. Students commented that they were very glad that they had had the information, and wished that it had been presented to them in this way at school. We will follow up on all feedback, especially from our LGBTQ+ community of students.

Students also had a talk from the community police team about local risks and vulnerabilities, in the light of county lines drug dealing and local issues of cuckooing, where dealers take over the houses of vulnerable community members. The team showed how county lines are set up to draw ordinary young people in, by offering them a pair of trainers, or new phone, for what seems like a simple task – but how this is designed as a trap, with devastating consequences for young people and their families. They gave some very practical advice on how to spot the signs (increased phone use, anxiety, having a burner phone, secretive or evasive behaviour, new possessions) as those involved will usually put on a brave face and not speak out, due to fear of reprisal. They spoke about the importance of raising any concerns with a trusted adult or our college safeguarding team but also shared the website www.fearless.org where young people can let the police know information with complete anonymity. 

Year 12 were given the opportunity to drop in to a couple of informal sessions of their choice – ranging from what it is like to have children, to how to travel safely, issues surrounding porn and sexting, how to party more safely, what the markers of a healthy relationship are, looking at the current range of period products on the market, and handling harassment in the workplace. We also offered a drop in safe space for our LGBTQ+ community to talk together. Students have commented how much they appreciated the opportunity to talk openly with professional and supportive staff and have also asked for resources to be shared so they can revisit material and explore more widely.

All students have access to the slides from the tutor led session – we need to know that all our students know that consent is absolutely essential, and that establishing consent is a two way conversation that can only be had between young people who are in a position to be able to think and communicate clearly. We need them to know that any harassment, non-consensual acts, or manipulative behaviour is unacceptable – and that no one is alone and that there are people to listen and support and advice 24/7 either in college or through helplines. We need to know that young people know the law about sharing nudes and semi-nudes. That they know that online abuse can be reported at CEOP. And that they know about wider issues like the campaign to put an end to female genital mutilation, how to identify and get support for domestic violence, and how to keep themselves safe, physically and emotionally. If your young person did not attend the day and so missed these resources, please encourage them to look. They have not had a rounded education if all they have learnt is knowledge in their core subjects!

Safeguarding and Mental Health Support

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

A final reminder that the pastoral support, mental health support, counselling, and safeguarding support and advice are all available in college, and through external helplines 24/7, in a non-judgmental way, for all our young people.

Here are a couple of links useful links:

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection website

https://www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre/

NSPCC for information and 24/7 support for a range of safety issues affecting young people and their families.

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/

Mental Health Matters 

Catherine Pennington – Mental Health Lead

We have a new team of Mental Health Champions at college.  

Hanna Njimgye Tekumafor

Sophie Bellars

Hazel Wright

Lisa Lucas

Rich Eno

Kirsty White

Steve Price

Joanne Thompson

Diane Newton

Why do our students need these Champions? 

We all have Mental Health just as we have physical health and we want to be there for our students as early help.  We know that 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year.  Stigma is still an issue, but at S6C we want to embrace the passion to create an environment where our students feel able to talk openly and receive support.

What do Champions do?

Our Mental Health Champions raise awareness of mental health and make it part of normal conversation. They will do this in lots of different ways. Every activity, no matter how big or small, contributes to our collective goal of tackling stigma, such as organising an event or starting a conversation about sexuality. 

Celebrating Student Success

Sport – Harvey Roberts

Harvey Roberts successful Wessex League playoff final! 

Year 13 Sport student Harvey Roberts capped off an incredible first season competing in men’s football by winning in the Wessex League One playoff final for Laverstock & Ford FC against Newport FC on the Isle of Wight this Saturday. It was the Bulldogs 12th successive win and confirmed their place in the Wessex Premier League for next year. Harvey played the full 120 minutes as the game went to extra time, starting the game at right back. He has played 19 times for the first team this season, which is an incredible feat in itself for a 17 year old. 

For the full match report please see the enclosed link: 

https://www.islandecho.co.uk/heartbreak-for-isle-of-wight-side-newport-after-play-off-final-defeat/

Harvey pictured far left (back row)

Harvey pictured in green, defending against the Newport winger.

Clubs and Societies

Online Baking Club

Sally Tye, Baking Club Lead

This week in baking club we baked some mouth watering Cherry Bakewell cupcakes.  

Did you know, that Cherry Bakewells are named after the Derbyshire town Bakewell where they were invented by Mrs Greaves who was a landlady in the 1860s!

Here are Thomas Stewart’s delicious and colourful looking cakes.   

Yoga Club 

Hanna Njimgye Tekumafor – Yoga Teacher

This week we worked through a Yin Yoga class. With the aim of balancing out our busy Yang livestyles with a slower paced and more grounding Yin Yoga practice.  

Yoga club will be running over  the next term in the Gym as the dance studio is being used for Exams. Students who have not tried yoga before but would like to are welcome to join. 

Friday 8th April 2022

Over the last two weeks Covid seems to have accelerated and impacted on staffing and student absence more than any other time. This has hit pockets of our curriculum and students have had to work without face to face contact with their teachers in a number of subject areas, although some have been able to deliver online where our member of staff has been well enough to teach from home.  Staff have tried diligently to set creative and productive work on Google Classroom.  Where possible, we have managed to staff the gaps as best we can, with staff stepping in to advise and guide. When we return from the Easter break, we will take the time in those classes to ensure that students are confident in their own learning journeys and have a clear understanding of what they should have covered. If we need to do any reteaching of any elements then that will be planned for.   Some immediate staffing changes have been made to support longer absences, and parents will have been contacted separately about this to understand our plans. 

There has been a focus this week on progression planning for year 12 and 13 students.  We had representatives from the Army deliver  a careers talk for year 13 on Wednesday.  And of course, our Year 12 students attended Winchester University yesterday for the  UCAS Fair.

You will hopefully have received a letter shared to year 12 parents and carers from Rosie Roberts, Careers Lead, regarding Work Experience taking place at the end of the summer term.  This letter follows up from a year 12 tutor time session this week concentrating on work experience and giving advice on gaining a placement.  If you have not received a copy of this letter please contact the main office on office@s6c.mlp.college

The Easter break is a chance to relax and recharge but also gives students the opportunity to take some quiet time to continue their studies and revision.  We send alongside this weekly update a copy of our Revision Guide for students and parents.  This gives students helpful tips and hints for setting up a productive and effective revision programme, and also gives some advice for parents on how to support your young person through what can be a challenging time for them.  

When we return next term, staff will continue to deliver structured lessons for examination classes, providing a variety of revision style lessons.  These will continue for year 13 classes beyond the May half term, and will run until the final examination paper for each subject which for many subjects is late June. Staff will be there to support and guide students right up to their final exams.  

I wish you all a wonderful Easter break.  I hope you have the chance to have quality family time together.  We look forward to seeing students back for the summer term on  Monday 25th April.

Best wishes, 

Louise

Head of College

UCAS Fair at Winchester University

Rosie Roberts – Careers Lead and School Liaison

On Thursday we had 152 students from Year 12 attend the UCAS Fair at Winchester University. The exhibition had over 100 representatives from universities, colleges and further and higher education providers from all across the country. There were seminars running throughout the day on topics such as researching future options, applying to university and student finance as well as well subject information sessions.  Students found the day really useful.

Dates for your diary –  Summer Term 2022

25 April        – Summer Term Starts

26 April        – Sexual Health Development Day – Year 12 & 13

28 April        – Year 12 Reports home

28/29 April  – Year 12 Parents Evenings (virtual) 

2 May            – Bank Holiday

3/4 May       – Vocational External Exams

5/6 May       – Year 12 Parents Evening (selected students only)

9 May           –  Mental Health Awareness Week

10/11 May  – Vocational Exams

16 May        – Summer Exams start for year 13

27 May         – Bank Holiday 

30 May – 3 June – Half Term 

6 June    –  Return to College for Term 6

June        – National Pride Month

20 June  – Year 12 Internal Exam week begins

29 June  – Summer Exams Finish – Contingency Day

30 June  – Freshers Day for new year 12s (some current year 12s to assist)

1 July      – Year 13 Prom

6 July     –  Destinations Day for year 12

11-13 July – Work Experience for year 12

13 July   – Last Day of Term

Friday 1st April 2022

You will have seen at the beginning of the week a reminder for the UCAS Fair for Year 12 students which is taking place on Thursday 7th April at Winchester University. All Year 12 students are expected to attend this trip as it provides an important enriching experience of visiting a university campus, as well as finding out about possible degree courses, career pathways or apprenticeship routes. If you have any queries please contact the office at office@s6c.mlp.college.   Students will be expected to wear their lanyards  as there are other colleges and 6th forms present at this event.  In the summer term, tutors will  increase their focus of Life skills sessions on career pathways and progression planning for university, Apprenticeships or employment after year 13. 

It is also really important that students ensure they wear their lanyards at all times when they are in the college  building.  Our lanyards are a way for students and staff to identify themselves as part of the college community.  By wearing the lanyard students are safeguarding themselves as well as others within the college environment.  Last week we had a small group of students who are not part of our community come onto site to wait for friends. This was addressed quickly, but we want to avoid this to ensure we maintain a really safe and trusting environment. 

If your young person has  lost their lanyard then they need to speak to our reception staff and request  a replacement. The cost is £10.  Without it, it makes it very prohibitive for them to access the different floors of the building that operate on a key card safety system and prevents them from printing. Thank you for your support with this.

With one week to go until the Easter holidays, I just wanted to remind everyone that the college building will be closed over the two week Easter period.  Year 12 and 13 students need to continue with their independent study and exam revision, and see the Easter break as Reading Weeks where they are still progressing with their learning. A few teachers are able to run  online revision sessions for specific subjects for Year 13, and this has been arranged with the students, using our college Google Meet platform.  All students and parents will receive a revision guide next week, to support the final preparations of revision and advice on maintaining wellbeing during what is going to become a more pressured time period leading up to and through the summer exams. We want to provide advice to parents so that we collectively support our young people,  so that they can excel. 

On Tuesday this week our co- Chair of Governors, Sharon McKinley visited the college to join the Senior Leadership Team for our weekly meeting. We discussed how we are supporting student progress and developing the curriculum experiences for our young people.  Sharon met with some staff and will be back in again next term to drop in to lessons.  We were also pleased to welcome our Personal Development Governor John Hawkins for a visit this morning to meet with our SENDCo and Safeguarding Team. 

Thank you to all those who have already completed the MLP Parental Survey sent through last week.  If you haven’t yet, the closing date is Friday 8th April. 

Best wishes, 

Louise

Head of College

Cross-curricular Working

Mary Gannon – Teacher of Biology and Applied Science

The health and social care students study a wide and diverse course which includes learning about and understanding how the human body works. This week they had the opportunity to delve deeply into how the eye is structured and functions by joining up with me in the biology lab to study some real eyes. The pigs’ eyes were chosen because they closely match the size of human ones! It was a fantastic chance to share expertise between departments and the students loved applying their theoretical knowledge to the real life organ. Some amazing skills with a scalpel were demonstrated along with a wonder for the skills that surgeons conducting eye surgery possess when working on such a complex and delicate organ.  Plans are already afoot for the next practical together………….

BTEC Business: #BemoreHarry

Steve Price, Deputy Faculty Lead for Humanities and Teacher of Business 

If you met Harry, he is the most unassuming, humble and kind S6C student. In fact I am sure he will be very embarrassed by us telling his story, but it needs to be told, he is an example of the importance of ‘effort based ability’ , the impact of great teaching, support and care. 

Harry applied to join S6C in September 2020, he is the first to say that he found school a struggle, his GCSE outcomes did not reflect his potential despite lots of  hard work. For Harry it was about finding his niche, at S6C studying BTEC Business he found his passion.

Harry is dedicated, never misses a deadline, stays after class to go over his learning, completes extra lessons and always seeks feedback. Realising success is not instant,  unit by unit his confidence has grown, Harry’s work ethic never wavering. COVID came and then went, came back again and still hasn’t gone, Harry just keeps focused, is resilient and determined, his attendance over the last two years is over 98%. 

Harry interviewed for a role with the NHS, he sailed through the interview and start’s employment this summer. He also has two offers to study Business Management at University West of England, Bristol and Bournemouth University for September 2023.

This week Harry achieved a Distinction in his  Business Decision Making Unit, placing him in the top 8% nationally of all students taking the external examination. He has also achieved more than the grades required to take his university place. Harry is a typical S6C student,  he is too humble to shout about his achievement, so S6C will, he is an outstanding student, who we are very proud of. 

Sports 

Luke Muchmore – Teacher of Sport

After a two week delay due to COVID, a group of Sports Diploma students finally made their way down to Poole to experience the state of the art football training and analysis facilities. This links really well with their studies in Performance Analysis and Fitness Testing. Students were able to take part in multiple activities such as testing reaction time, speed, agility and comparing them to each other.  Alongside this, everyone enjoyed testing football-specific skills such as passing, shooting, quick feet, dribbling and scanning.

The pick of the test results were:

• Seb Osmond showing off his speed and acceleration with a 2.2second 20m sprint

• Harvey Wilman with a 2.5 second hill sprint

• George Donohue breaking a 100 point score with his quick feet and passing

Overall a great trip and the students look forward to heading back next year!

Why not check out some of the videos from our day on Instagram  @sport_s6c

Baking & Plant Sale Fundraiser

Student Sophie Marshall and a team of year 12 students last Friday held a cake and plant sale in the foyer to raise money for the Disasters Emergency Committee, who are coordinating support in the Ukraine, as well as providing ongoing relief in Afghanistan, and ready to act where needed..  They raised a whopping £125.00 in sales of cash and online donations.  Well done everyone!

Clubs and Societies

Baking club – Dr Sally Tye, Baking Club Lead

Online baking clubs were getting into the Easter mood this week by making some delicious cream egg brownies.  Suffice to say the ones left in the staff room did not last long!

Friday 25th March 2022

Important Message from Sarah Busby, CEO for Magna Learning Partnership

Warm congratulations to Louise Henderson who this week was appointed Headteacher of Wyvern St Edmund’s Academy. She will take up her post in September. You will be aware that collaboration between the college and the school has been strengthened this year through a strong working partnership forged by Mr Bruce Burley, the Interim Head of School and Louise Henderson; this partnership working will continue and develop next year as part of both academies’ journey to excellence and Louise will continue her involvement with S6C. I want to take this opportunity of thanking Louise for all she has done for the college over her time as a founding senior leader and most recently, Head of College.

We will be advertising shortly for a new Head of College for S6C and will keep you informed with progress.

Sarah Busby

CEO

I am incredibly proud of the exceptional college we have created, with the most dedicated staff and wonderful students and supportive parents. My focus as Head of College will continue to be unwavering, with my commitment fully on supporting every young person to thrive and grow with us. The culture of love, care and aspiration is deeply rooted here at S6C, and I will continue to support the college’s development in the years to come. 

So how has this week looked at college?

On Monday the parent, student and staff Surveys from the Magna Learning Partnership were distributed.  This is part of the annual MLP Stakeholder Surveys.  Last November we had  really positive responses from all stakeholders and we hope this will continue again this year as we strive to support all our young people in their academic and personal development. The closing date for responses is Friday 8th April 2022. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact the college. 

As you are aware we work in close collaboration with WyvernStEds, and I wanted to make you aware that they are currently looking for a Parent Governor to join their governing body. If you or someone you know is a parent of a WSE student and would like to be involved please see the link on our website;  https://www.salisbury6c.ac.uk/about-s6c/vacancies/ .  You can also see other MLP vacancies currently available. 

Emma Thompson, one of our Teachers of Sports Studies has returned to college this week as her maternity leave came to an end.   It was fantastic to have Emma back with us and slotting back into college life so well.  Netball club students were particularly pleased to have her back taking netball on Wednesday afternoon. 

I wanted to say a very public congratulations to one year 12 art student, Scarlett Allen, who on Wednesday this week, took part in the final of the ARTiculation at the National Gallery in London and won second place!  She did amazingly well and was one of 11 students from all around the country picked for the final. Everyone here at S6C is very proud of her achievement and we are delighted for her. Scarlett has written a little extract about her experience later in this update.

On Thursday we had a termly fire drill practise, students evacuated the building very quickly and maturely onto the forecourt and found their muster points with their tutors.  I just gave students a reminder that if they are not in lessons and are situated outside on the college grounds they still need to make their way onto the forecourt and meet with their tutor as if they were in a lesson, to ensure their safety.  

Year 13 parents should now have received reports from the last set of mock examinations. Subject teachers have been busy organising parents evenings appointments for all students next week from Monday to Wednesday.  If your young person has not mentioned this to you, please do contact the class teacher and we will accommodate appointments being made at the start of next week. 

I hope this sunny weather continues and that  you have a lovely weekend. Happy Mother’s Day for Sunday. 

Best Wishes

Louise

Head of College

Youth4Ukraine

Sarah Busby, CEO of Magna Learning Partnership

Wiltshire Youth Council has written to all Wiltshire schools and colleges to propose that Friday 1^st April will be a day in which students can attend wearing blue and yellow for a minimum donation of £1. MLP Academy Leaders decided yesterday that we want to contribute to this and we aim to raise a minimum of £4000 across the Trust. MLP have members of the Wiltshire Youth Council at Sarum Academy and are delighted to support their initiative.

The money will be donated to The Ukraine Disaster Emergency Committee Crisis Appeal who are providing urgent humanitarian aid including food, water, shelter, healthcare and protection. 

This campaign will be marked as Youth4Ukraine. Please publicise this widely and set up payment systems in your academy to ensure that everyone, staff and students, contribute £1 (or more) to this cause. We know that the money we raise will make a significant difference to people in Ukraine.

https://www.wiltshirehealthyschools.org/news/items/wiltshire-school-non-uniform-day-to-raise-money-for-ukraine-1st-april-2022

ARTiculation – Outstanding Achievement in the National Finals

Scarlett Allen, Year 12 Art Student

On Wednesday the 22nd March, I went to London for the grand finals of ARTiculation. Although having practised over and over, nothing could have prepared me for my presentation in-front of roughly 300 people at the National Gallery. The experience (although scary) was incredible! I met some lovely people and had a really amazing time listening to everyone’s presentations. Winning second place was just the cherry on the top of what had become one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

Although people were not allowed to take photos inside the event, here are a couple of photos Scarlett took as a memento of her visit. 

History Visit 

Dr Sally Tye – Faculty Lead for Humanities

This week at S6C we were delighted to welcome Prof. Johnathan Phillips,  Professor of Crusading History at Royal Holloway,  for a bespoke lecture and Q& A on Saladin and the Third Crusade.

Year 12 and 13 history students were joined by year 11 historians from WSE. Students were able to get an introduction to A level topics and university style lectures as well as ask questions directly related to exam and coursework questions. Professor Phillips is a leading historian in the field and author of several major works which was an incredible opportunity for these students.

Art and Photography Trip to Southampton 

Sophie Bellars – Teacher of Art & H&S Care

Art and Photography students were lucky enough to have lovely weather for their trip to Southampton on Tuesday with Rich Eno, Faculty Lead for Creative and Hanna Njimgye Tekumafor, PA to Head of College.  They visited the John Hansard Gallery, where they were able to observe some wonderful exhibits in the Human Conditions of Clay exhibition, as well as taking part in some weaving with a visiting artist. 

Students then headed over to Watts Park to take some photos and sketches of how nature makes them feel. The sun shone and the magnolia trees looked magnificent! For the last part of the trip Students had the opportunity to visit Southampton National Gallery and were able to see some wonderful paintings from artist Julian Perry, on Climate Damage and Rising Sea Levels. It was a great opportunity to develop everyone’s cultural capital. 

Brain Day

Kirsty White, Faculty Lead for STEM

Last Friday, we welcomed back Dr Guy Sutton for his fabulous ‘Brain Day’ seminar! Covid has prevented us from being able to run this event so it was amazing to have him back in the college and the students were fantastic. Dr Sutton focused on a range of topics, including addiction and drugs, schizophrenia, criminal psychology and neurons. He introduced us to new developments in psychology, including the not-too-distant future of neural implants that can boost a person’s memory and problem-solving, and the ability to quite literally read minds!

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the sheep brain dissection – students saw a live dissection and were able to hold parts of the brain to see the different structures. Our students were incredible, asking some brilliant insightful questions and showing their genuine interest in the brain.

Yoga Club – supporting wellbeing

Hanna Njimgye Tekumafor

Yoga Club is one of our many clubs that  runs each Wednesday afternoon, as part of our Clubs and Societies programme here at S6C.  This week yoga students explored Muladhara, ( Root Chakra). Chakras are energy points within the body and the Muladhara is situated at the base of the spine and relates to feeling grounded, safe and secure. This is particularly important to connect with if students feel life is getting too busy, hectic and out of control.  We kept our flow of postures low and mat based, and worked through a range of movements to open up the Muladhara such as supported bridge pose.  Students enjoyed a relaxing Savasana (yoga sleep) at the end of the class, wrapped in blankets and lavender eye pillows, allowing them to feel safe, secure, grounded and connected to who they are.

Development Days

Rebecca Anderson, Pastoral Lead

We have two upcoming compulsory Development Days: off-timetable days designated for promoting physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, and equipping students with the skills and resources they need to thrive.  They are compulsory for all students and it is very important that every student attends. 

Tuesday 26th April is our Healthy Relationship and Sexual Health Development Day – this will be an inclusive, informative, positive, and supportive day of talks, workshops, and resource sharing, with visiting speakers from the local sexual health clinic and from the community policing team. All students will need to attend, and will be given a programme before the Easter break. 

This year, Year 13s will also be given an opportunity for some study support in their subjects on the day, in and around the main timetable, as we are keen to support them in closing any covid-related gaps. We are also giving advance notice of Destinations Day, on Wednesday 6th July – this is compulsory, for Year 12 only, and is our main S6C careers event – with talks, workshops, and a huge number of invited guests sharing practical experience and industry linked information across a wide variety of fields. The day is equally focused on pathways to university, apprenticeships and employment, and is an amazing opportunity to research a range of options and interests. We do not need students to know what they want to do at this stage, but we do need them to know how to research their options, how to identify and develop the skills they need, and how to use multiple brilliant resources to find a path that is just right for each individual.

Friday 18th March 2022

Dear Parents/ Carers

There has been a real  buzz around the college this week with a number of exciting activities and visitors supporting a really enriching experience for our young people.  

I would like to thank Kirsty White, Faculty Lead for STEM and all of the STEM team for arranging and hosting a whole package of events for Science week this week.  Kirsty, with the support of Lisa Rodway, our science technician has helped to provide thought provoking and enjoyable experiences for year 12 and 13 students.   

Secondly, a huge thank you must be extended to the Wyvern St Edmunds staff who brought over 150 year 9 students from the school to college on Wednesday, and to S6C staff and students for providing such a welcoming and warm environment for their visit.  Our student ambassadors from year 12 and 13 were exceptional, they showed strong leadership skills again in how they presented and managed the groups.   

We  had our National Citizen Service representative in college this week, for a talk with our year 12 students during their tutor time. We hope that our students will consider the fantastic opportunities they offer.

I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Best Wishes

Louise

Head of College

Year 9 Visit from WSE

Louise Henderson – Head of College

We were delighted to host half of the year 9 cohort of WSE at college this week. The students were able to sit in on lessons and get a feel for what learning was taking place and how lessons are structured in a college environment. There was the opportunity to speak to S6C students about what the college experience is and have a tour of the facilities.  The year 9 students had the opportunity to ask questions about college life with year 12 and 13 students in an open discussion session, many of these were around how students at college utilise their time and study effectively.   Students had the chance to try some cooked food and snacks from our Taste It Cafe here at college.  We look forward to hosting the rest of the WSE year 9 on 4th May. 

Young Carers

Rebecca Anderson, Pastoral Lead

Wednesday was National Young Carer Support Day:

We made students aware that if they are Young Carers then support is out there from Carer Support Wiltshire – who offer support at the carer’s own pace, and the carer can choose how much they wish to connect with the support; where to meet etc.  S6C have a close working relationship with Young Carers and students can ask Rebecca Anderson, Pastoral Lead for more information and a contact form. 

By definition, a young adult carer is someone aged 16 – 25 who  looks after a family member or close relative who has a physical or  mental health condition, or misuses drugs or alcohol.

They may also help look after siblings or elderly relatives too. 

They take on extra  responsibilities, like dressing the person they look after, cooking,  cleaning, shopping, collecting prescriptions or offering emotional or health support.

It’s a lot to take on as a  young person and we want you to know that we see you and want to make sure you are supported too, so you can support those you are close to.

Please see this useful video:  https://youtu.be/60Al58MxQb0

More information can be found at:  https://carersupportwiltshire.co.uk/ 

Life Skills

Rebecca Anderson, Pastoral Lead

This week Year 13 did a session with tutors on living more independently, including information on uni accommodation, moving away for an apprenticeship or employment, or contributing more at home. Tutors responded to their group’s questions – with common themes being TV licences for BBC iplayer in student halls, contents insurance, and whether those staying at home should be paying parents rent!

National Citizens Service

Rosie Roberts – School Liaison and Careers

On Wednesday we had Louis Dougherty from NCS to talk to our Year 12 students about an amazing opportunity with NCS this summer. Students heard about the life skills and employability skills that students can gain through this 2 week experience in the summer holidays and all students received a booking form to take part if they wish.

Our Art-zin’ Project- creating a magazine

Laurance Rushby – Teacher of Art

Our Identity Project- A Punk State Of Mind

Earlier in the year, our Art and Photography students undertook a project looking into identity. One specific topic we focused on were Punks. Students researched  the history of punk culture and state of mind; how this scene came about, their style and the music. They researched how the era emerged in 1976, coalescing from the Sex pistols. 

Image by Amber Archer

The Sex Pistols created the punk movement when they released their song ‘God Save The Queen’ which began to represent the UK as they created a break with the past. A lot of their style was designed or influenced by McLaren and Vivienne Westwood as they had an aesthetic of rips, fractures and tensions which captured the free and rebellious mood of the 1970s, showing a link to our theme of social change. 

The students planned a photoshoot, incorporating their style to mirror the  hand gestures and style and fashion. They then edited these photos to represent the way we view the punk era.  Students developed a great appreciation of culture and history. 

Images by Kai Warrington

You can now follow S6C Art on Instagram at @s6cart

Science Week 

Kirsty White – Head of STEM Faculty & Teacher of Psychology

This week was British Science Week and we have been celebrating here at S6C with a number of events.

Tuesday 15th March: ‘Meet the animals’ 

An opportunity for students and staff to handle and hear about different creatures, including a snake, a bearded dragon and a tortoise. They also brought along their therapy dog, Quest!

Our thanks to Lisa Rodway, our science technician, who once again organised a very successful event for our students. 

Wednesday 16th March : Meet a Psychologist

Psychology students had the opportunity to hear from a range of psychologists working in various fields. We were lucky enough to be joined by researchers looking into animal studies of :

• memory, 
• schizophrenia, 
• online gambling 
• brain injuries 

Students really enjoyed the opportunity to speak to these specialists and said “it was really informative and really showed how diverse psychology can be”, as well as helping some of them with ideas for future university courses and careers.

Thursday 17th March: The Nature – Nurture Debate

Psychology students had a talk delivered by Bristol University on the nature-nurture debate, an integral concept in psychology. They heard about current research into developmental psychology with babies and how genes and the environment can contribute to a child’s development. This overlaps with the topics currently being taught in Year 12 (psychopathology and attachment). We hope this visiting speaker has helped bring the learning from the classroom alive, using real life scenarios. 

Friday 18th March: the return of Brain Day! 

A whole day seminar delivered by the fabulous Dr Guy Sutton.  Next week, staff and students will share their experiences – as the event is currently taking place today.