Weekly College Update

Friday 28 April 2023

On Friday last week our History students were privy to the amazing opportunity to debate the motion ‘Heath’s government of 1970 to 1974 must be judged unsuccessful’ with Lord Hunt, Peter Batey, Neil Carmichael, Anthony Teasdale and Michael McManus, all of whom worked with Edward Heath. Our visitors were able to provide a remarkable insight into the government at the time, much of which cannot be experienced from reading textbooks and online articles. Thank you to our students, staff and of course our guests for putting together such a lively debate.    

Our Year 13 Creative Media students are hosting an evening showcasing their final short films on Tuesday 02 May 2023 from 5.00pm to 6.30pm. Refreshments will be available – we’d love to see you there!

Please come along to see some of our gorgeous work screened in the Lecture Theatre!

Year 13 Creative Media Students

Two weeks into the summer term and we have already had year 12 vocational mocks and year 13 photography and fine art exams. Still to come are vocational technical qualification exams which start on Friday 05 May, Wednesday 10 May is the deadline for A level coursework submission and A level and AS level exams start on Wednesday 17 May. 

Well done to everyone for their hard work so far, congratulations to those who have taken exams already and good luck to everyone in their forthcoming exams!

Dates for your diary include ‘cause for concern’ parents evenings on Wednesday 03 May and Thursday 04 May. These parents evenings are for all year 12 and year 13 students who have not met their targets or who are not working to appropriate standards. Parents will be contacted by teaching staff if they feel it is necessary. Please click here for the timetable for the year 12 mock exams which start on Monday 19 June. Always remember that support is available from the team in college if exam stress is affecting the wellbeing of our students.

Please note that S6C will be closed on Monday 01 May for the May Day Bank Holiday and Monday 08 May in celebration of the King’s Coronation. Enjoy your Bank Holiday weekend and I look forward to welcoming you back on Tuesday 02 May.

Regards

Ben

Edward Heath Debate

Sally Tye – Faculty Lead (Humanities)

On Friday last week History students were given the unique opportunity to experience ‘living history’ and debate the success of Sir Edward Heath as Prime Minister with those who knew and worked with him. This is a key coursework and exam question and provided students with an invaluable insight into the past. Pratheek Magenni commented: “The Edward Heath debate allowed me to understand the struggles which PM Heath had to deal with during his term in office and the various different hurdles he faced to help our country with schemes to benefit the future. Also the trustees provided me with knowledge that no textbook could provide, and showed a successful side of PM Heath which not many people understand or see, such as the various successes he had, for example the international relationships he promoted and Britain joining the EEC. Also thanks to this debate my opinion on PM Heath changed from believing he was a failure to believing he was a person who had some truly outstanding ideas such as helping the elderly and raising the education leaving age to 16. Unfortunately, due to the tough circumstances that PM Heath was under, he couldn’t see the success of these ideas flourish during his time in office. Thank you for such a great opportunity and the knowledge that I have gained is truly tremendous.” Special thanks go to Arundells for helping to organise the debate and huge thanks to our special guests Lord Hunt, Peter Batey, Neil Carmichael, Anthony Teasdale and Michael McManus for so generously giving up their time.

Fine Art and Photography  

Sophie Bellars – Teacher of Fine Art and Photography

Year 12 Art and Photography students have been invited by Roche Court to interview artist Charlotte Verity and produce the final 60 minute podcast for the ‘Listen in at Roche Court’ series. The session this week introduced the concept to students and in a few weeks they will travel to Roche Court to interview Caroline and record their podcast. It is a fantastic opportunity for our young people to engage with contemporary practice and develop a range of communication, research and presentation skills.

Psychology Club

Kirsty White – Faculty Lead (STEM)

Nick, Y13: In Psychology Club this week, our revision was focused around behaviourism. With Kirsty, we went back over classical and operant conditioning, looking at the differences between them and studies which we can use to evaluate them. In order to apply our knowledge, we were accompanied by Kirsty’s puppy, Paddy. Kirsty demonstrated the types of conditioning with Paddy. For example, we demonstrated classical conditioning by associating the sound of a clicker with giving him a treat. We taught Paddy how to give a paw by putting the action of giving paw with the word ‘paw’ and giving him a treat, this gave us a better understanding of operant conditioning as it involved giving him a reward for his behaviour (positive reinforcement).

Fundraising for Child Bereavement UK

Joanne Thompson – Data Manager

I did it! 26.2 miles of London streets last Sunday in the 2023 London Marathon! My time was 6:45:05 and it was hard but I had so much support from my family, friends and everyone at S6C. £55.30 was raised in the collection tin on Sunday which brings my current total to £2,728. Thank you to everyone for your messages of encouragement and congratulations, for donating to my fundraising efforts and for being there for me. I’ve entered the ballot for 2024 so watch this space! 

Weekly College Update

Friday 21 April 2023 

The S6C summer term has begun! I hope you all had a restful Easter break in readiness for your vocational mocks, photography and fine art exams, vocational technical qualification exams, A level coursework deadlines and A level exams. This is an important term and it can feel overwhelming but there are teachers and support staff available to help whenever you need. The S6C year has been carefully planned to provide you with all the tools you need to succeed and I have every confidence that this term will see the results of all the hard work you have put into your studies.  

On Wednesday this week our year 12 students visited the UCAS/Discovery event at Winchester University. I hope that they all found the day useful and spoke to all the universities and colleges in which they had an interest. I was delighted with how maturely everyone approached the day and I am really looking forward to helping them achieve their goals and aspirations over the forthcoming academic year.     

Please note that S6C will be closed on Monday 01 May for the May Day Bank Holiday and Monday 08 May in celebration of the King’s Coronation.

Regards

Ben

Fine Art and Photography  

Sophie Bellars – Teacher of Fine Art and Photography

Year 13

I would like to wish the Photography and Art students the best of luck in their 15 hour exams that have taken place this week and will continue next week. 

Year 12

Art and Photography students have been invited by Roche Court to interview artist Charlotte Verity and produce the final 60 minute podcast for the ‘Listen in at Roche Court’ series. The session this week introduced the concept to students and in a few weeks they will travel to Roche Court to interview Caroline and record their podcast. It is a fantastic opportunity for our young people to engage with contemporary practice and develop a range of communication, research and presentation skills.

Life Skills

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

In Life Skills, Year 12 are continuing with their pathway on Community and Values and Year 13 are still Looking Ahead to a more independent life. With these focus areas in mind, everyone has had a chance to think about the political spectrum, the values that define modern Britain and make it a safe place for all, about the nature and danger of radicalisation, and about LGBTQ+ history (which we celebrate in February, and throughout the rest of the year). Year 13 have also had a talk and discussion on online influence, and have been encouraged to choose their role models and online inspirations as. carefully as they would choose their friends. Year 12 have had additional support from their tutors in choosing a work experience placement which will really benefit them. Students have had a chance to feedback their thoughts and take home points on all these issues, and we are in dialogue with them as they shape their ideas. We encourage them to base their ideas on sound evidence alongside open mindedness, and to share them with sensitivity. We take opportunities to address any misconceptions, misunderstandings, or potentially unhelpful ideologies, in the course of our main sessions or with individuals. It is a real privilege to be working with a group of young people who are reflective and keen to learn, willing to stand up for what is right, and always looking out for each other’s welfare. Please do get in touch if you would like to talk with us about any of these issues or would like to know in more details what has been covered.

1:1s

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

Every term, every student should be seen by their tutor for a 20 minute Performance Review appointment for a chat about their attendance, progress, development of skills and experiences, online safety, personal development, citizenship, and wellbeing. Young people should remind their tutors if they are yet to be seen and must make themselves available at a time that works for their tutor. This is an amazing opportunity for us to get to know our young people and for them to feel seen and heard and supported. We can put a huge amount in place to help academically, personally, financially – and for emotional, physical and mental health – but only if we know. Please keep in touch with us – we really value direct communication with parents and carers and students.

If your financial circumstances have changed since joining S6C and you feel you may be eligible for a bursary, please complete the form in the attached link.

https://www.salisbury6c.ac.uk/study-with-us/bursary/

Fundraising for Child Bereavement UK

Joanne Thompson – Data Manager

I have been raising money for Child Bereavement UK, in memory of the youngest member of my family who passed away last year. Over Easter I managed to arrange the free rental of a small pop-up shop in Warminster from which I sold donations from friends, family and S6C colleagues. So far I have raised £1,485.76  and I am hoping to raise more when I run the London Marathon this Sunday. All unsold items are now available in the S6C pop-up shop in the foyer, where staff and students are welcome to take what they need and donate what they can. 

I’d like to thank everyone for their support and I’ll let you all know how I get on this Sunday!

Weekly College Update

Friday 31 March 2023 

The S6C spring term has ended with a flourish with our Healthy Relationships and Sexual Health Development Day. Thank you to everyone for approaching the day with maturity and helping to explore this important area of personal development and safety. 

Last week we were visited by two representatives from Challenge Partners and after an intense couple of days I am thrilled to share some highlights from the resulting report:

  • The college’s values foster a welcoming, inclusive and purposeful culture; 
  • the student union offers opportunity for leadership and these students are empowered to bring about change in the college – and they do;
  • High quality pastoral provision is diverse and assiduous in addressing students’ needs; 
  • Students speak very positively about the induction process; 
  • Google classroom is integral to college life and facilitates high levels of student engagement with their learning;
  • The life skills curriculum is well-planned, sequenced and adapted in the light of student feedback, local need and/or recent events and influences; 
  • High quality careers education and guidance, with extensive opportunities to explore and experience careers, is led by a well-qualified careers advisor who has ensured that all of the Gatsby benchmarks have been met and all pathways are valued. 

“One student spoke of how her work placement in the hospital has led to a future apprenticeship in health.”

  • Warm relationships abound at all levels; 
  • Students…have a pride in their work and a readiness to learn;
  • Students are confident in speaking about their learning and they recall knowledge well. 

“Students expressed appreciation of the Head of College’s support, the changes he has made and his humour.”

Such a positive outcome and one which I am sure you will all be delighted in sharing with me. As always, there are ways in which we can improve and next term we will be implementing the suggestions made in order to ensure a robust pedagogy and exceptional learning environment.

Over Easter, S6C will open during the second week of the holidays for some additional revision sessions in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Science, History and Religious Studies. Please encourage your child to attend wherever possible. These sessions may make a huge difference to exam results and will help everyone to get the grades they need to achieve their goals.  

I hope you all have a restful Easter break and I look forward to seeing everyone back at college on Monday 17 April for the start of the summer term. 

Regards

Ben

JOIN US AT S6C
This is an exciting time to be a part of Further Education and at S6C we are committed to providing the highest quality teaching to our dedicated and focused students. Our ethos is to provide a welcoming and friendly atmosphere in which to learn and for everyone to achieve their full potential. We are currently looking for highly motivated full and part time teachers in the following subjects:
Physics  –  Law  –  Geography  –  Business Studies  –  Esports  –  History  –  Environmental Science

If you are not a qualified teacher but are looking to train we would be interested to hear from you as well. You would ideally have industry knowledge or a relevant degree. Our starting salary for an unqualified teacher is over £26,000.

If you would like to find out more please call 01722 597970 or email me directly at bhillier@s6c.mlp.college for an informal conversation.

Sport Trip to FTY Lab, Poole

Emma Thomapson – Teacher of Sport

On Monday some sports students spent the morning at the Football Gym. This is a hi tech football inspired gym where they took part in different tasks and fitness tests to analyse their performances. Students competed against each other in a 20 metre sprint, reaction tests, shooting drills, passing accuracy and hill sprints. The students all worked really hard throughout their session and had a great time.

Fine Art and Photography  

Sophie Bellars – Teacher of Fine Art and Photography

Year 13 Fine Art and Photography students have started their externally set assignment. They now have 13 weeks (including holidays) to complete a wide range of experiments and development of ideas that will lead towards their 15 hour exam. The dates are:

PHOTOGRAPHY 

19 April, 20 April, 24 April

FINE ART 

25 April, 26 April, 27 April

Life Skills

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

In Life Skills, Year 12 are continuing with their pathway on Community and Values and Year 13 are still Looking Ahead to a more independent life. With these focus areas in mind, everyone has had a chance to think about the political spectrum, the values that define modern Britain and make it a safe place for all, about the nature and danger of radicalisation, and about LGBTQ+ history (which we celebrate in February, and throughout the rest of the year). Year 13 have also had a talk and discussion on online influence, and have been encouraged to choose their role models and online inspirations as. carefully as they would choose their friends. Year 12 have had additional support from their tutors in choosing a work experience placement which will really benefit them. Students have had a chance to feedback their thoughts and take home points on all these issues, and we are in dialogue with them as they shape their ideas. We encourage them to base their ideas on sound evidence alongside open mindedness, and to share them with sensitivity. We take opportunities to address any misconceptions, misunderstandings, or potentially unhelpful ideologies, in the course of our main sessions or with individuals. It is a real privilege to be working with a group of young people who are reflective and keen to learn, willing to stand up for what is right, and always looking out for each other’s welfare. Please do get in touch if you would like to talk with us about any of these issues or would like to know in more details what has been covered.

1:1s

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

Every term, every student should be seen by their tutor for a 20 minute Performance Review appointment for a chat about their attendance, progress, development of skills and experiences, online safety, personal development, citizenship, and wellbeing. Young people should remind their tutors if they are yet to be seen and must make themselves available at a time that works for their tutor. This is an amazing opportunity for us to get to know our young people and for them to feel seen and heard and supported. We can put a huge amount in place to help academically, personally, financially – and for emotional, physical and mental health – but only if we know. Please keep in touch with us – we really value direct communication with parents and carers and students.

If your financial circumstances have changed since joining S6C and you feel you may be eligible for a bursary, please complete the form in the attached link.

https://www.salisbury6c.ac.uk/study-with-us/bursary/

Weekly College Update

Friday 24 March 2023 

This week we have been visited by two representatives from Challenge Partners, an education charity led by practitioners with a focus on quality assurance and sharing the collective wisdom in schools. It has been an intense and busy couple of days and I am delighted with how impressed our visitors were when meeting members of the S6C faculty and students. A large number of lessons were observed and although this puts pressure on our teaching staff, our observers were able to gain an insight into how inspiring and impressive our lessons are and how much work our teachers put into the college’s pedagogy. I am confident that we are doing a lot right and I look forward to sharing the outcomes of the scrutiny and working towards making improvements of real value to the college. 

Next Wednesday 29 March we have our Healthy Relationships and Sexual Health Development Day. 

This is compulsory for all students and they will be in college from 9am to 3pm exploring this important area of personal development and safety. The day is designed to be accessible, safe and inclusive and any parents or carers who would like additional information are invited to contact our Pastoral Lead, Rebecca Anderson. During the day everyone will explore the visiting Consent Tent, run by STARS Dorset, for activities and discussions with the specialist team; there will be a range of resources to explore; a talk from the Wiltshire Sexual Health clinic; and everyone will be able to choose three workshop sessions led by S6C staff. Please encourage your young person to remember their choices and to engage in this very important Development Day.

Over Easter, S6C will open during the second week of the holidays for some additional revision sessions in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Geography, History and Religious Studies. Please encourage your child to attend wherever possible. These sessions may make a huge difference to exam results and will help everyone to get the grades they need to achieve their goals.  

Regards

Ben

JOIN US AT S6C
This is an exciting time to be a part of Further Education and at S6C we are committed to providing the highest quality teaching to our dedicated and focused students. Our ethos is to provide a welcoming and friendly atmosphere in which to learn and for everyone to achieve their full potential. We are currently looking for highly motivated full and part time teachers in the following subjects:
Physics  –  Law  –  Geography  –  Business Studies  –  Esports  –  History  –  Environmental Science

If you are not a qualified teacher but are looking to train we would be interested to hear from you as well. You would ideally have industry knowledge or a relevant degree. Our starting salary for an unqualified teacher is over £26,000.

If you would like to find out more please call 01722 597970 or email me directly at bhillier@s6c.mlp.college for an informal conversation.

Fine Art and Photography  

Sophie Bellars – Teacher of Fine Art and Photography

Year 13 Fine Art and Photography students have started their externally set assignment. They now have 13 weeks (including holidays) to complete a wide range of experiments and development of ideas that will lead towards their 15 hour exam. The dates are:

PHOTOGRAPHY 

19 April, 20 April, 24 April

FINE ART 

25 April, 26 April, 27 April

Visiting Speakers

Rosie Roberts – Careers Lead

In the last week, both Year 12 and Year 13 have met visiting speakers to help them with their next steps after College. On Wednesday 15 March, Paul Meades, Student Finance Adviser at the University of Portsmouth, came to speak to Year 13 about how to complete the Student Finance application to support their university studies. He gave a reminder of what support is available and then talked through how to apply and what information students will need to complete the form. The slides from the presentation have been uploaded to the Year 13 Careers Classroom and we would also like to share a copy with parents (please see below). 

On Tuesday 21 March, Stuart Shimmin-Vincent, Schools Adviser for Wiltshire and Swindon for the Department for Work and Pensions, spoke to some Year 12s in a Study Skills lesson on Labour Market Information (LMI) – what is it and how can students use it to inform their careers planning. This talk will be shared with all classes in the coming weeks. We would also encourage parents and carers to access and use up-to-date information about the labour market, future study options and career paths to inform the support you give to your young person (please see below).   

On Wednesday 22 March, Lucy McDonagh from the University of Winchester spoke to Year 12 about researching university choices in order to help them prepare for the upcoming UCAS Discovery event which all Year 12 students will be attending on Wednesday 19 April. The event is an opportunity for students to speak to universities and apprenticeship training providers from across the country and the talk this week gave students information on what to think about when deciding between courses and universities to help them ask questions at the event (please see below). 

Introduction to Student Finance.pdf  

Introduction to Labour Market Information.pdf

Choosing a University and Course.pdf

Brain Day

Kirsty White – STEM Faculty Lead

Last Friday Dr Guy Sutton, Director of Medical Biology Interactive, gave a one-day introductory tutorial in Neuroscience to some of our yr12 and yr13 students. The tutorial was incredibly detailed and interesting and covered basic brain anatomy, the effects on the brain of such things as smartphones, child abuse and drugs, methods for exploring the brain and the classification of mental disorder with a focus on schizophrenia. Dr Sutton posed the questions ‘Can we reverse the effects of deprivation?’ and ‘Is There a Criminal Brain?’ and the students witnessed a sheep brain dissection. A truly fascinating and enlightening day!

Meet the Animals

Lisa Rodway – STEM Technician

Last week our foyer was filled with an array of exotic animals! Those students who wanted to were able to hold snakes, a bearded dragon, tortoises and a tarantula. A wonderful opportunity to see such beautiful creatures up close!

Sponsored Football Kit – Foray Motor Group

Emma Thompson – Teacher of Sport

Foray Motor Group kindly offered to sponsor a new football and netball kit for the teams at S6C. Here is the football team wearing the new kit for their fixture against Marlborough College. Photos of the netball team coming soon!

Life Skills

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

In Life Skills, Year 12 are continuing with their pathway on Community and Values and Year 13 are still Looking Ahead to a more independent life. With these focus areas in mind, everyone has had a chance to think about the political spectrum, the values that define modern Britain and make it a safe place for all, about the nature and danger of radicalisation, and about LGBTQ+ history (which we celebrate in February, and throughout the rest of the year). Year 13 have also had a talk and discussion on online influence, and have been encouraged to choose their role models and online inspirations as. carefully as they would choose their friends. Year 12 have had additional support from their tutors in choosing a work experience placement which will really benefit them. Students have had a chance to feedback their thoughts and take home points on all these issues, and we are in dialogue with them as they shape their ideas. We encourage them to base their ideas on sound evidence alongside open mindedness, and to share them with sensitivity. We take opportunities to address any misconceptions, misunderstandings, or potentially unhelpful ideologies, in the course of our main sessions or with individuals. It is a real privilege to be working with a group of young people who are reflective and keen to learn, willing to stand up for what is right, and always looking out for each other’s welfare. Please do get in touch if you would like to talk with us about any of these issues or would like to know in more details what has been covered.

1:1s

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

Every term, every student should be seen by their tutor for a 20 minute Performance Review appointment for a chat about their attendance, progress, development of skills and experiences, online safety, personal development, citizenship, and wellbeing. Young people should remind their tutors if they are yet to be seen and must make themselves available at a time that works for their tutor. This is an amazing opportunity for us to get to know our young people and for them to feel seen and heard and supported. We can put a huge amount in place to help academically, personally, financially – and for emotional, physical and mental health – but only if we know. Please keep in touch with us – we really value direct communication with parents and carers and students.

If your financial circumstances have changed since joining S6C and you feel you may be eligible for a bursary, please complete the form in the attached link.

https://www.salisbury6c.ac.uk/study-with-us/bursary/

Weekly College Update

Friday 17 March 2023 

There is never a dull moment here at S6C and this week’s activities have perhaps been the most diverse since I joined in September.

On Monday our English Language and English Literature students travelled to London to visit the Treasures of the British Library exhibition; S6C Governor John Hawkins joined us for a learning walk and to meet with several members of staff; The Change Your Mind Team visited Harnham Junior School to lead a workshop on basic first aid; we have been celebrating British Science Week which at one point involved a foyer full of animals; our year 13 students were given advice on how to complete a student finance application for university by a visiting student financial advisor; the teaching and learning working group met for lunch; we recognised Neurodiversity Celebration Week.

All of the above is testament to how well S6C works as a community and how dedicated and committed everyone is to our students’ learning experience and I would like to thank our teaching staff, Governors, support staff and students for creating such a wonderful environment in which to study and work.   

Looking ahead to next week we have Challenge Partners in college for two days. Challenge Partners is an education charity, led by practitioners, through which schools collaborate to improve each other and the education system as a whole, so all children benefit. This will be an intense couple of days for the S6C Senior Leadership Team and those members of staff who are involved and I look forward to sharing the outcomes.

If your financial circumstances have changed since joining S6C and you feel you may be eligible for a bursary, please complete the form in the attached link.

https://www.salisbury6c.ac.uk/study-with-us/bursary/

Regards

Ben

Neurodiversity Celebration Week 13-19 March 2023

Nicola Miller – SENDCO

“Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. It aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by providing schools, universities, and organisations with the opportunity to recognise the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent, while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate differences and empower every individual.”

If you would like to find out more about neurodiversity there are a range of resources and talks available to create better understanding and celebrate neurodiverse people: Neurodiversity Celebration Week

Fine Art and Photography  

Sophie Bellars – Teacher of Fine Art and Photography

Year 13 Fine Art and Photography students have started their externally set assignment. They now have 13 weeks (including holidays) to complete a wide range of experiments and development of ideas that will lead towards their 15 hour exam. The dates are:

PHOTOGRAPHY 

19 April, 20 April, 24 April

FINE ART 

25 April, 26 April, 27 April

Change Your Mind

Catherine Pennington – Mental Health Lead and Change Your Mind Programme Co-ordinator

Congratulations to the Change Your Mind team who delivered their first classroom workshop on Basic First Aid to a Year 6 class at Harnham Junior School this week. The 30 minute class included how to help with asthma, CPR, choking, sprains and cuts, when to call 999 and how to keep calm. There were 30 pupils who took part in a quiz at the end of the session and everyone received a Change Your Mind sticker. A certificate of participation will be awarded to the class on our next visit. Our students were professional and mature, compassionate and excellent role models and one student was so excited they announced “Yay the teenagers are here”. We are looking forward to delivering “Transition to Secondary School” very soon at Harnham.

Treasures of the British Library

Emma McAndrew – Teacher of English

Our English Language and English Literature students had a fabulous day on their trip to the British Library. They were all a credit to the college, really engaging with the workshops and totally in awe of the Treasures of Literature on display in the exhibition. These included incredible artefacts such as the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, detailing his marvellous inventions, and the laboratory notes of Marilyn Monk and Cathy Holding, pioneers of genetic diagnosis; handwritten manuscripts from the Brontë sisters, Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath, and Andrea Levy’s working drafts for Small Island and The Long Song; the desk where Jane Austen penned her novels, original writings from Charles Dickens and Shakespeare’s First Folio; a letter from writer, composer and anti-slavery campaigner Charles Ignatius Sancho; sacred texts from around the globe, including a Baha’i sacred text, a tablet written by the Bab in the form of a five-pointed star and a Hindu manuscript written on a palm leaf; Florence Nightingale’s original Diagram of the Causes of Mortality in the Army in the East. An amazing day!

Life Skills

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

In Life Skills, Year 12 are continuing with their pathway on Community and Values and Year 13 are still Looking Ahead to a more independent life. With these focus areas in mind, everyone has had a chance to think about the political spectrum, the values that define modern Britain and make it a safe place for all, about the nature and danger of radicalisation, and about LGBTQ+ history (which we celebrate in February, and throughout the rest of the year). Year 13 have also had a talk and discussion on online influence, and have been encouraged to choose their role models and online inspirations as. carefully as they would choose their friends. Year 12 have had additional support from their tutors in choosing a work experience placement which will really benefit them. Students have had a chance to feedback their thoughts and take home points on all these issues, and we are in dialogue with them as they shape their ideas. We encourage them to base their ideas on sound evidence alongside open mindedness, and to share them with sensitivity. We take opportunities to address any misconceptions, misunderstandings, or potentially unhelpful ideologies, in the course of our main sessions or with individuals. It is a real privilege to be working with a group of young people who are reflective and keen to learn, willing to stand up for what is right, and always looking out for each other’s welfare. Please do get in touch if you would like to talk with us about any of these issues or would like to know in more details what has been covered.

1:1s

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

Every term, every student should be seen by their tutor for a 20 minute Performance Review appointment for a chat about their attendance, progress, development of skills and experiences, online safety, personal development, citizenship, and wellbeing. Young people should remind their tutors if they are yet to be seen and must make themselves available at a time that works for their tutor. This is an amazing opportunity for us to get to know our young people and for them to feel seen and heard and supported. We can put a huge amount in place to help academically, personally, financially – and for emotional, physical and mental health – but only if we know. Please keep in touch with us – we really value direct communication with parents and carers and students.

Weekly College Update

Monday 13 March 2023 

We were in a celebratory mood at S6C last week, made even more memorable by the light sprinkling of snow mid week!

On Wednesday 08 March we celebrated International Women’s Day with the theme Embrace Equity. 

Students and staff gathered in the Lecture Theatre to celebrate, reflect, discuss and challenge – more on this from Rebecca below.

S6C Book Day on Thursday 09 March was tremendous fun, with staff and students dressing as characters from the wonderful world of fiction. There were also literature related activities throughout the day and students submitted photos of themselves reading in an ‘unusual place’. Congratulations to Chris Papp, Teacher of Chemistry, who won the award for Best Costume for his unique portrayal of Frankenstein’s Monster (far right of picture)

It was great to see some parents at our coffee morning on Friday 10 March. Thank you to those who were able to come and speak with me and for those who would like to come into S6C, there will be more opportunities next term.   

We also welcomed John Glen MP to S6C on Friday. John toured the college and took time to meet our Business students for a lively discussion. I spoke with him about our priorities and what we would like to do if we had the necessary funding and I very much felt that John was listening so watch this space!  

Looking ahead we have even more celebrations: Science Week (10-19 March) https://www.britishscienceweek.org/ and Neurodiversity Celebration Week (13-19 March) https://www.neurodiversityweek.com/ 

If your financial circumstances have changed since joining S6C and you feel you may be eligible for a bursary, please complete the form in the attached link.

https://www.salisbury6c.ac.uk/study-with-us/bursary/

Regards

Ben

Neurodiversity Celebration Week 13-19 March 2023

Nicola Miller – SENDCO

“Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. It aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by providing schools, universities, and organisations with the opportunity to recognise the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent, while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate differences and empower every individual.”

If you would like to find out more about neurodiversity there are a range of resources and talks available each day to create better understanding and celebrate neurodiverse people.  This link shows the calendar of events available next week.

https://www.neurodiversityweek.com/events

There is a free talk for parents and carers on neurodiversity on Tuesday 14th March from 18.30 – 20.00.  You can register for free using the link below.

https://www.neurodiversityweek.com/event/neurodiversity-for-parents-and-carers

S6C Book Day

Fine Art and Photography  

Sophie Bellars – Teacher of Fine Art and Photography

Year 13 Fine Art and Photography students have started their externally set assignment. They now have 13 weeks (including holidays) to complete a wide range of experiments and development of ideas that will lead towards their 15 hour exam. The dates are:

PHOTOGRAPHY 

19 April, 20 April, 24 April

FINE ART 

25 April, 26 April, 27 April

Sport – First Aid

Emma Thompson – Teacher of Sport

11 sport students completed their Emergency First Aid at Work certificate last week. Students took part in a six hour course learning how to treat shock, dealing with choking, bleeding, administering CPR and putting people into the recovery position. All of the students had a great attitude during the day and passed their assessment to achieve their certificate.

Well done everyone! 

International Women’s Day

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

The whole college celebrated International Women’s Day on Wednesday, as a reminder that every person is included in creating a more equal world. The global theme for the year was Embrace Equity – a reminder that fairness and equality can only be achieved by remembering that those who have traditionally suffered from inequality are now starting from different places, with different needs, which need to be taken into account. Students were encouraged to celebrate inspiring women in their lives, reflect on the influence they can have on global equality, and talk about a range of issues including the representation of women in the media or gaming, challenging persisting stereotypes of job roles and skills, the impact of rigidly gendered language and toys, toxic masculinity, and a test of our knowledge of female leaders in their fields. The lecture theatre was a mass of animated chat, glitter pens, and balloons, and we were very proud of the maturity and engagement from our wonderful students.

Life Skills

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

In Life Skills, Year 12 are continuing with their pathway on Community and Values and Year 13 are still Looking Ahead to a more independent life. With these focus areas in mind, everyone has had a chance to think about the political spectrum, the values that define modern Britain and make it a safe place for all, about the nature and danger of radicalisation, and about LGBTQ+ history (which we celebrate in February, and throughout the rest of the year). Year 13 have also had a talk and discussion on online influence, and have been encouraged to choose their role models and online inspirations as. carefully as they would choose their friends. Year 12 have had additional support from their tutors in choosing a work experience placement which will really benefit them. Students have had a chance to feedback their thoughts and take home points on all these issues, and we are in dialogue with them as they shape their ideas. We encourage them to base their ideas on sound evidence alongside open mindedness, and to share them with sensitivity. We take opportunities to address any misconceptions, misunderstandings, or potentially unhelpful ideologies, in the course of our main sessions or with individuals. It is a real privilege to be working with a group of young people who are reflective and keen to learn, willing to stand up for what is right, and always looking out for each other’s welfare. Please do get in touch if you would like to talk with us about any of these issues or would like to know in more details what has been covered.

1:1s

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

Every term, every student should be seen by their tutor for a 20 minute Performance Review appointment for a chat about their attendance, progress, development of skills and experiences, online safety, personal development, citizenship, and wellbeing. Young people should remind their tutors if they are yet to be seen and must make themselves available at a time that works for their tutor. This is an amazing opportunity for us to get to know our young people and for them to feel seen and heard and supported. We can put a huge amount in place to help academically, personally, financially – and for emotional, physical and mental health – but only if we know. Please keep in touch with us – we really value direct communication with parents and carers and students.

Weekly College Update

Friday 03 March 2023 

Our week of mock exams is nearly over but let’s not forget there is an Art exam on Monday morning. Well done to everyone for working so hard. We all know how tough exams can be and I am so proud of our students for their resilience, determination and enthusiasm for their chosen subjects.

Our focus this term continues to be attendance and punctuality; our teaching and learning group are identifying ways in which good practice can be shared and our work experience group are busy ensuring all students have a meaningful work placement. We are also considering how to find time in our already really full timetable to increase tutor time and one-to-ones.

We are all very excited to be celebrating World Book Day at S6C! Albeit a week late due to mock exams, on Thursday 09 March there will be literature related activities throughout the day and both staff and students are being encouraged to dress up as a character from a book. We are also asking students to submit a photo of themselves reading in an ‘unusual place’ (obviously avoiding anything dangerous!)

Looking ahead we have our parents coffee morning on Friday 10 March. I would be delighted if you could join me for an informal chat from 08.30am to 10.30am and if anyone would like to have a look round, we would be happy to provide a short tour of the college.  

If your financial circumstances have changed since joining S6C and you feel you may be eligible for a bursary, please complete the form in the attached link.

Regards

Ben

WANTED – PARENT GOVERNORS TO JOIN OUR GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Salisbury Sixth Form is looking for a parent governor to join its Academy Governance Committee. The Committee’s role is to provide focused governance for the college at a local level. It does this by supporting, challenging and encouraging in two principal areas: vision, ethos and strategic direction and educational performance. 
Your role will be to work with the other governors, using your own professional or community expertise, to benefit the school and enhance the experience and opportunities for our pupils.
If you are interested, please contact rjackson@magnalearningpartnership.org.uk for further information and an application form. 

Fine Art and Photography  

Sophie Bellars – Teacher of Fine Art and Photography

Year 13 Fine Art and Photography students have started their externally set assignment. They now have 13 weeks (including holidays) to complete a wide range of experiments and development of ideas that will lead towards their 15 hour exam. The dates are:

PHOTOGRAPHY 

19 April, 20 April, 24 April

FINE ART 

25 April, 26 April, 27 April

National Careers Week – 06 to 11 March

Rosie Roberts – Careers Officer

“National Careers Week (NCW) is a one-week celebration of careers guidance (and education). Our aim is to provide a focus for careers guidance activity at an important stage in the academic calendar to help support young people develop awareness and excitement about their future pathways.” (https://nationalcareersweek.com/)

At S6C there will be a focus in lessons on careers that link to the curriculum and what the labour market looks like for those careers. Students will be able to discuss with their teachers where their subjects could lead to and how important skills and knowledge they’re gaining now will benefit their future career.

There is a publication just for parents about National Careers Week which has comprehensive information about future options. It’s called The Parents’ Guide to NCW 2023 and you can access it here: The Parents’ Guide to NCW 2023

As well as the careers in the curriculum discussions taking place in lessons, we will have a visiting speaker in Study Skills lessons from 13 to 17 March to talk about Labour Market Information: What is it? Where can you find it? And how can you use it? All Year 12s will benefit from this talk.

This week forms part of the bigger careers programme which happens throughout the year at S6C and you can learn more about what we do or submit feedback on the careers programme on our website here: https://www.salisbury6c.ac.uk/students/careers/

Life Skills

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

In Life Skills, Year 12 are continuing with their pathway on Community and Values and Year 13 are still Looking Ahead to a more independent life. With these focus areas in mind, everyone has had a chance to think about the political spectrum, the values that define modern Britain and make it a safe place for all, about the nature and danger of radicalisation, and about LGBTQ+ history (which we celebrate in February, and throughout the rest of the year). Year 13 have also had a talk and discussion on online influence, and have been encouraged to choose their role models and online inspirations as. carefully as they would choose their friends. Year 12 have had additional support from their tutors in choosing a work experience placement which will really benefit them. Students have had a chance to feedback their thoughts and take home points on all these issues, and we are in dialogue with them as they shape their ideas. We encourage them to base their ideas on sound evidence alongside open mindedness, and to share them with sensitivity. We take opportunities to address any misconceptions, misunderstandings, or potentially unhelpful ideologies, in the course of our main sessions or with individuals. It is a real privilege to be working with a group of young people who are reflective and keen to learn, willing to stand up for what is right, and always looking out for each other’s welfare. Please do get in touch if you would like to talk with us about any of these issues or would like to know in more details what has been covered.

1:1s

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

Every term, every student should be seen by their tutor for a 20 minute Performance Review appointment for a chat about their attendance, progress, development of skills and experiences, online safety, personal development, citizenship, and wellbeing. Young people should remind their tutors if they are yet to be seen and must make themselves available at a time that works for their tutor. This is an amazing opportunity for us to get to know our young people and for them to feel seen and heard and supported. We can put a huge amount in place to help academically, personally, financially – and for emotional, physical and mental health – but only if we know. Please keep in touch with us – we really value direct communication with parents and carers and students.

S6C v Marlborough College 

Luke Muchmore – Teacher of Sport

The S6C football team played a spirited match against Marlborough College last week, with goals from Callum Wohler and Lewis Elshaw. The match ended in a respectable 2-2 draw, with a special guest appearance from former England and Arsenal Captain Tony Adams.

Weekly College Update

Friday 24 February 2023 

I hope that everyone had a restful half term break and you are now ready for what is looking to be a very busy term!  

Next week and on Monday 06 March, Year 13 will be sitting their mock exams. I have attached the timetable and wish all our students the best of luck. Students are expected to attend lessons when they aren’t in an exam so that their teachers can help with revision and exam preparation.  

February Mock Exam Timetable

Our focus this term continues to be attendance and punctuality plus we have recently established a teaching and learning group to consider teaching and learning initiatives and to identify ways in which good practice can be shared. Another area where we have listened to feedback and taken action is in the development of a work experience group, who are meeting to ensure we are enabling all students to have a meaningful work placement.  

Below you will see an advert for parent governors. This is a brilliant opportunity for our parents to become involved in S6C, our vision and educational performance. It is really important for parents to be involved plus you don’t need any prior experience of sitting on a board so if you are interested and want to know more, please feel free to contact me and I will be delighted to discuss things further.  

Looking ahead we have our parents coffee morning on Friday 10 March. I would be delighted if you could join me for an informal chat from 08.30am to 10.30am and if anyone would like to have a look round, we would be happy to provide a short tour of the college.  

Regards

Ben

WANTED – PARENT GOVERNORS TO JOIN OUR GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Salisbury Sixth Form is looking for a parent governor to join its Academy Governance Committee. The Committee’s role is to provide focused governance for the college at a local level. It does this by supporting, challenging and encouraging in two principal areas: vision, ethos and strategic direction and educational performance. 
Your role will be to work with the other governors, using your own professional or community expertise, to benefit the school and enhance the experience and opportunities for our pupils.
If you are interested, please contact rjackson@magnalearningpartnership.org.uk for further information and an application form. 

Change Your Mind

Catherine Pennington – Mental Health Lead and Programme Coordinator

Just before half term, the Change Your Mind Team delivered their second assembly in a series of three, all based around Healthy Relationships. This assembly on Managing Conflict was delivered to Year 7 at Wyvern St Edmund’s. Working towards either Bronze, Silver or Gold awards in Mental Health and Wellbeing, the Change Your Mind Team are doing exceptionally well working together and supporting each other. I am immensely proud of these young people who are our future and shaping healthy minds of today. Well done Team CYM!

Lessons from Auschwitz

Sally Tye – Teacher of History

Before half term four History students took part in the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ project which aims to ensure that the chilling memory of the Holocaust is not lost as we begin to outlive its final survivors. Students not only heard testimony from a survivor but went on a transformative trip to Auschwitz in Poland to bear witness to the tragedy on these sites, concluding with a memorial held by a Rabbi from London, who shared his story. Miranda Perry commented ‘that it is now our time to stop the spread of hate and to remember the victims of the Holocaust…Whilst this trip was melancholy, Poland was cold and I had to wake up at 2am to get to the airport in time, I truly believe that it was an important and educational experience so that the Holocaust and Auschwitz can never be forgotten’.

Ozzie Goodman noted: ‘My trip to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on 9 February 2023 was an utterly unique experience, not one I would say I enjoyed, but one I was glad to experience nonetheless. Travelling to and through Poland and the town of Oświęcim was physically difficult (particularly because of the 4am flight), but the camp itself was a much more mentally demanding activity. The visit was a very emotional one, but I wouldn’t feel confident accurately describing how I felt, unsurprisingly so in a place where over a million people were murdered. It was akin to some combination of horror, disgust and a staggering sense of the scale. At Auschwitz Birkenau my first thoughts were about the size of the death-camp, especially the buildings that housed the prisoners, rows and rows of which stretched on as far as you could see in one direction, the reality of which stretched even further than the visible tree-line. Not just the scale, but the conditions of each and every building was terrifying. Our guide for the experience put it into better words than I could, that “we were bearing witness” to what happened in these places, so that it would not be forgotten. As such, I urge you to visit such a place for yourself and “bear witness”, it’s the only real way to understand what I mean.’

Art Exhibition

Sophie Bellars – Teacher of Fine Art and Photography

You can still see our Year 12 student’s work at the Young Gallery (above Salisbury Library), where they are exhibiting as part of the Salisbury Schools Exhibition, but hurry, the exhibition closes on 25 February.

LGBTQ Month

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

February is LGBTQ History Month and we will be marking this in life skills, tutor sessions, on the plasma screen and in all subjects. http://voicesandvisibility.org.uk/

Fine Art and Photography  

Sophie Bellars – Teacher of Fine Art and Photography

Year 13 Fine Art and Photography students have started their externally set assignment. They now have 13 weeks (including holidays) to complete a wide range of experiments and development of ideas that will lead towards their 15 hour exam. The dates are:

PHOTOGRAPHY 

19 April, 20 April, 24 April

FINE ART 

25 April, 26 April, 27 April

Badminton Club

Andrew Lomas – Teacher of Sociology

A great turnout for badminton club this week!

Weekly College Update

Friday 10 February 2023 

This week we have been taking part in National Apprenticeship Week. Students and parents were invited to attend a virtual broadcast of an Apprenticeship Showcase held by the Swindon and Wiltshire Careers Hub and Amazing Apprenticeships provided a series of short films covering 12 school subjects and the many apprenticeship roles they link with. Our students have been accessing and discussing these films in their lessons. 

https://amazingapprenticeships.com/think-apprenticeships-films/

https://amazingapprenticeships.com/resource/school-subject-posters/

Our students continue to work hard in their studies, both at S6C and beyond the classroom, and we are focusing on attendance and punctuality to help our students understand that being on time is also an important part of their college experience. We know that being late is sometimes unavoidable but we would like our students to understand how being prompt shows respect and instils discipline and we feel it is a life skill that can be of huge benefit. Please encourage your young people to plan ahead, set their alarms and take an earlier bus so we can emphasise the message.   

Dates for your diary: half term runs from Monday 13 to Friday 17 February; Year 13 mock exams take place in the week commencing 27 February; parents coffee morning on Friday 10 March.   

Please have a restful half term holiday and I look forward to seeing our students on Monday 20 February.

Regards

Ben

MLP Parent Survey

Dear Parents and Carers

You will have been asked to complete the parent survey which has been issued to parents in all ten of our academies this month. A similar survey has been issued to staff and pupils. This is an essential part of our work as Trustees of Magna Learning Partnership. The results of the survey will help us determine where the strengths and the areas for improvement are in all our academies so, whilst it may seem a bit of a cliché, your views really are important to us. We would like as many parents as possible to complete the survey, which closes on 10 February (at the half term break). The link to complete it for your child’s academy can be found here:

MLP Parent Survey – January 2023

We will ensure that we provide you with feedback from the surveys before the Easter break.

Thank you for your support.

Neil Owen

Chair of Trustees

WANTED – Parent Governors to join our Governance Committee

Salisbury Sixth Form is looking for a parent governor to join its Academy Governance Committee. The Committee’s role is to provide focused governance for the college at a local level. It does this by supporting, challenging and encouraging in two principal areas: vision, ethos and strategic direction and educational performance. Your role will be to work with the other governors, using your own professional or community expertise, to benefit the school and enhance the experience and opportunities for our pupils.

If you are interested, please contact rjackson@magnalearningpartnership.org.uk for further information and an application form. 

Kind regards

Ben Hillier

Head of College

Trip to Tate Modern

Sophie Bellars – Teacher of Fine Art and Photography

Year 13 students visited Tate Modern on Wednesday. It was a great opportunity to engage with a huge array of artworks and to take photographs that could be used in exam preparation. The classes recently completed a major part of their A Level studies and handed their Personal Investigations in for assessment. We will be looking forward to exhibiting their work in the summer. 

Art Exhibition

Sophie Bellars – Teacher of Fine Art and Photography

Year 12 students are exhibiting their work at the Young Gallery as part of the Salisbury Schools Exhibition, with a private view on 10 February from 6.00pm. The work will be available to view over the next two weeks at the Young Gallery Salisbury, Market Place, Salisbury, SP1 1BL.

Football Team Update

Luke Muchmore – Teacher of Sport

The college football team played a well-contested fixture vs Bishops this week and drew 2-2. The S6C goals came from Alex Crowe and Dan Hassan-Zadeh. Player of the match went to centre-back Joe Gainey! We also debuted our new football shirts sponsored by Edwards Ford in Salisbury.

SPITFIRES BEGIN SPRING SEASON IN FINE FORM

Nathan David – Teacher of Esports

Our Salisbury Spitfires Esports teams came firing out the blocks in 2023 with some strong displays. Our newly-founded League of Legends roster started their Division 2 campaign in imperious form, comfortably beating Guildford College in rapid fashion. Spitfires Rocket League was up next, both continuing their good form with 3-0 victories. RL2 are looking for another mid-table finish in Division 1 with RL1 flexing their muscles in the National Division. RL1 are pitting themselves against the best in the UK and Ireland, with this match being played ‘across the pond’ against North West Regional College from the Republic of Ireland. The evening finished in a humbling fashion for our Overwatch team with a 0-3 loss vs close geographical neighbours Andover College. We now take an immediate competitive break for the Nations ‘half terms’ and we’ll be back in March.

Fine Art and Photography  

Sophie Bellars – Teacher of Fine Art and Photography

Year 13 Fine Art and Photography students have started their externally set assignment. They now have 13 weeks (including holidays) to complete a wide range of experiments and development of ideas that will lead towards their 15 hour exam. The dates are:

PHOTOGRAPHY 

19 April, 20 April, 24 April

FINE ART 

25 April, 26 April, 27 April

Photography

Craig Chambers – Assistant Head

Over the next few weeks, year 12 photography students will be looking at analogue black and white film photography and we would like to show a variety of film cameras to them. Please can we appeal to you to donate any old film cameras you might still have to this cause? 

Life Skills

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

In Life Skills Year 12 and Year 13 are moving on to the next section of their pathways. Year 12 will be looking at Community and Citizenship with discussion on topics including British values, radicalisation, politics and government, and the influence of Influencers. Year 13 will be Looking Ahead with a number of sessions on managing and planning personal finance; how to support yourself or those around you with issues such as mental health, domestic violence and bereavement, when you have less pastoral support available; and what to look out for when getting your own place (and at what point young adults should consider paying rent at home!) As ever, if you’d like to know more about the information and resources we share with our young people, or how we can support them, please do get in touch with Rebecca Anderson, Pastoral Lead.

Aspire to Excellence

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

Don’t forget our S6C Aspire to Excellence programme, which is open to all. We have identified opportunities which are free or under £10 to boost applications to university, employment and apprenticeships. Everyone should be doing something in the programme so please encourage your young person to talk to their tutor about what they would like to do.

Careers

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

A reminder that we can arrange additional careers appointments with our external careers advisor as well as with a range of staff. Any student needing to do an interview for apprenticeship, employment or university can come and see Rebecca to arrange some guidance and practice. And any student needing advice on volunteering, work experience, or wider engagement, to prepare for strong applications, should talk to their teachers, tutor or Rebecca as soon as they know what area they may be interested in. 

Weekly College Update

Friday 03 February 2023 

This week was the application deadline for entry in September 2023 and the numbers of young people wanting to study at S6C are better than ever. We are all incredibly proud of the quality of teaching here and the excellent results that our students achieve and when combined with the welcoming, friendly atmosphere, I believe we are able to offer our applicants a unique and rewarding experience and I am delighted that so many young people are choosing to study with us.        

Thank you to everyone who sent in food and other items for the Trussell Trust. We at S6C endeavour to support local charities as often as we can and your generosity is hugely appreciated.

On Monday a small group of our students met with Kathryn Podmore, an Education Consultant, who spent the day at S6C speaking to staff and students and conducting learning walks. Kathryn was very interested to learn the student’s views and her feedback will be invaluable as we consider and develop the ways in which we teach our courses.    

Next week is National Apprenticeships Week (please see details below) and other dates for your diary include an interview evening for prospective students on Tuesday 07 February, the MLP parent survey closes on Friday 10 February, half term runs from Monday 13 to Friday 17 February and Year 13 mock exams take place in the week commencing 27 February.  

Regards

Ben

MLP Parent Survey

Dear Parents and Carers

You will have been asked to complete the parent survey which has been issued to parents in all ten of our academies this month. A similar survey has been issued to staff and pupils. This is an essential part of our work as Trustees of Magna Learning Partnership. The results of the survey will help us determine where the strengths and the areas for improvement are in all our academies so, whilst it may seem a bit of a cliché, your views really are important to us. We would like as many parents as possible to complete the survey, which closes on 10 February (at the half term break). The link to complete it for your child’s academy can be found here:

MLP Parent Survey – January 2023

We will ensure that we provide you with feedback from the surveys before the Easter break.

Thank you for your support.

Neil Owen

Chair of Trustees

National Apprenticeship Week 06 to 12 February 2023

Rosie Roberts – Careers and Schools Liaison Officer

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) aims to shine a light on the amazing work being done by apprentices, employers and their training providers across the country.

The theme this year is ‘Skills for Life’.

The week-long celebration of apprenticeships, taking place across England, will reflect on how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career and businesses to develop a talented workforce that is equipped with future-ready skills.

For more information about national events happening during the week please visit https://naw.appawards.co.uk/events

You can also keep up to date with the latest National Apprenticeship Week news by following @Apprenticeships and @AmazingAppsUK on Twitter and Apprenticeships Gov on LinkedIn.

Fine Art and Photography  

Sophie Bellars – Teacher of Fine Art and Photography

Year 13 Fine Art and Photography students started their externally set assignment on Wednesday. They now have 13 weeks (including holidays) to complete a wide range of experiments and development of ideas that will lead towards their 15 hour exam. The dates are:

PHOTOGRAPHY 

19 April, 20 April, 24 April

FINE ART 

25 April, 26 April, 27 April

Holocaust Memorial Day

Sally Tye – Faculty Lead Humanities

On Friday 27 January S6C students were honoured to be invited to contribute to the city’s commemoration event at the Guild Hall. Five student volunteers read orginial testimonies from survivors of a number of genocides including the Holocaust, the Rowandan Genocide and the Bosnian Genocide. Four of these students will also be taking part in the Lessons from Auschwitz project next month and be making their own journey to Poland. With the last few survivors of the holocaust dying and the unfortunate occurrence of subsequent genocides, educating our young people about these atrocities becomes a fundamental part of safeguarding our societies.

Speaker Miranda Perry writes: 

“Last Friday was Holocaust Memorial Day, which takes place every 27th of January with the theme this year being ‘Ordinary People’. The event took place in the Guild Hall and featured many incredible guest speakers, who all got to tell the stories of their family members, ordinary people, who went through the Holocaust themselves, as well as a choir performance and an educational video on the ten stages of genocide. During this event, I and four other S6C students read out testimonies from genocide survivors: Sir Ben Helfgott, Marie Chantal Uwamahoro and Nedžad Avdić, so that their stories and the genocides that they witnessed can never be forgotten. Despite the sombre circumstances and atmosphere, it will always be important to remember the events of the Holocaust, and other genocides, and continue educating the next generation, a message that everyone in the Guild Hall took to heart as the room was full.

Army Outreach Visit

Emma Thompson – Teacher of Sport

The Year 12 sports students spent Thursday afternoon with a team from the British Army, who delivered a careers presentation on all the different options there are within the Army including apprenticeships and funded university degrees. All the students then took part in an elite skills building session where their teamwork, communication and problem solving skills were put to the test.  

Harnham Water Meadows

Susan Murphy – Teacher of Geography

S6C geography students went for an afternoon visit to the Harnham Water Meadows this week. The volunteers at the trust gave them an excellent presentation about the historical purpose of the meadows and the local geography of the area. Following this, students got the opportunity to go out on to the meadows to be shown the ‘drowning’ in action. It was a fantastic opportunity to see how the history and geography of the local area can influence local conservation and biodiversity in the present.

Alumni Guest Speaker 

Sally Tye – Faculty Lead Humanities

This week WSE and S6C alumni Angus Archer came in to talk to philosophy students about studying at the university of Southampton and tips on preparing for exams. He also reluctantly admitted that Sally was right about almost everything!

Photography

Craig Chambers – Assistant Head

Over the next few weeks, year 12 photography students will be looking at analogue black and white film photography and we would like to show a variety of film cameras to them. Please can we appeal to you to donate any old film cameras you might still have to this cause? 

Life Skills

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

In Life Skills Year 12 and Year 13 are moving on to the next section of their pathways. Year 12 will be looking at Community and Citizenship with discussion on topics including British values, radicalisation, politics and government, and the influence of Influencers. Year 13 will be Looking Ahead with a number of sessions on managing and planning personal finance; how to support yourself or those around you with issues such as mental health, domestic violence and bereavement, when you have less pastoral support available; and what to look out for when getting your own place (and at what point young adults should consider paying rent at home!) As ever, if you’d like to know more about the information and resources we share with our young people, or how we can support them, please do get in touch with Rebecca Anderson, Pastoral Lead.

Aspire to Excellence

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

Don’t forget our S6C Aspire to Excellence programme, which is open to all. We have identified opportunities which are free or under £10 to boost applications to university, employment and apprenticeships. Everyone should be doing something in the programme so please encourage your young person to talk to their tutor about what they would like to do.

Careers

Rebecca Anderson – Pastoral Lead

A reminder that we can arrange additional careers appointments with our external careers advisor as well as with a range of staff. Any student needing to do an interview for apprenticeship, employment or university can come and see Rebecca to arrange some guidance and practice. And any student needing advice on volunteering, work experience, or wider engagement, to prepare for strong applications, should talk to their teachers, tutor or Rebecca as soon as they know what area they may be interested in.