Friday 30th April 2021
We have sent home two important letter to parents this week – which indicated the preparations for end of year assessments for Year 12 and have also launched our Sexual Health and Wellbeing online materials. Please do let the office know if you are not receiving letters as a parent/carer and we will check your details on our system.
We held 2 student forum groups this week to understand better the student experience of teacher feedback and how it is helping students make the progress they are happy with. Students were represented from all areas of the curriculum in A Level courses and Vocational courses. A clear message that was presented was about how intuitive staff are about when students need help in class, and all staff are very supportive and accessible for further guidance out of lesson time. Many subject areas were cited as offering additional submissions of work and extra feedback on essays, and students found this highly motivating.
The students presented a range of examples across the whole curriculum of how the feedback, both verbal and written is enhancing their learning. All students indicated the value of regular feedback and really value both whole class feedback and 1:1 feedback they get that is personal to their development areas. In some subjects, students value the discursive style of feedback in a collaborative way that allows for deeper understanding. It was also very pleasing to hear that students are also starting to benefit from more support in self marking and use of mark schemes. This style of marking with clear teacher guidance is allowing students to think like an examiner and recognise what examiners value and award marks for.
There was some discussion about returned work – sometimes with marks and other times with grades, depending on the subject, and which is more valuable and supportive in truly understanding where the individual student is on their journey. We agreed that a student survey would be issued to get a collective view and to help review our reporting of their attainment grades.
We know our Year 13 students are working hard and preparing well and the whole of the S6C community wants to wish them well for the next 2 weeks of their final assessments. We want every student to shine and allow themselves the opportunity to demonstrate that they can achieve the very best that they are capable of.
With best wishes,
Louise
Vice Principal
Creative Faculty – Rich Eno, Faculty Lead
Media
Creative Media students have been busy on a new project where they are making their own Adam Curtis style montage documentary. Faculty Leader, Richard Eno, said, ‘This project is my attempt to politicize the students so they can intelligently respond to the inequalities we are faced with in the modern world. The project is inspired by both Adam Curtis but also the book, Amusing Ourselves To Death, by Neil Postman.” FInd out more about Adam Curtis here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis and Neil Postman here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusing_Ourselves_to_Death
Art
A Level Art students presented an impromptu exhibition last week where they showcased their response to the COVID pandemic and how it affected them. Faculty Leader Richard Eno said, ‘it was lovely to get an invitation to visit an exhibition as I’ve really missed visiting galleries and museums. What I loved about the work was that it wasn’t obvious or cliched. They had clearly thought quite deeply about their art and demonstrated their confidence by allowing the work to speak for itself’.
Life Skills – Rebecca Anderson, Pastoral Lead
Pastoral Care
The talk and materials for our online Sexual Health and Wellbeing Development ‘Day’ are designed and selected from trusted sources and should be safe and inclusive, promoting positive actions for emotional, mental and physical wellbeing. Topics include, but are not limited to: sexual health ; contraception; consent; sexual assault and harassment; harassment in the workplace; FGM; healthy relationships; toxic masculinity; Criminal Sexual Exploitation; pornography; mutual enjoyment of sexual activity; domestic violence; sexting laws; online safety; and a range of other useful and practical links. Our aim is that students are well resourced, well informed, equipped with skills to navigate any difficulties, and uncompromising in their commitment to build a kind and respectful society.
If any of these materials raise issues for students then they have been encouraged to contact a member of the safeguarding team here at S6C, who are specially trained to offer and arrange support. Students also have the details for the NSPCC, Childline or the Samaritans, all of whom can offer support and advice for a range of concerns 24/7.
Humanities Faculty – Dr Sally Tye, Faculty Lead
Promotion of the Hay Festival – Wednesday 26 May to Sunday 6 June
With the reduced opportunities to be able to have cultural experiences during the last year we want to highlight a great opportunity for parents and students to take part in a digital event later in May. Our curriculum in college is enhanced by wider exploration of learning, and we hope the lectures and discussions available here are pertinent and useful in widening students’ knowledge and understanding of literature and of global issues.
The HAY Festival will again be a digital event providing a fantastic opportunity for staff, parents and students to enjoy a wide range of lectures and discussions free online.The 34th Spring edition, brings writers and readers together for an inspiring array of conversations, debates, workshops and performances online, Wednesday 26 May to Sunday 6 June. Festival goers can explore the programme and register for free now at hayfestival.org/wales. Over 12 days, more than 250 acclaimed writers, global policy makers, historians, poets, pioneers and innovators will take part in this year’s Festival, launching the best new fiction and non-fiction. It will interrogate some of the biggest issues of our time, from building a better world post-pandemic to tackling the compound crises of climate change, inequality, and challenges to truth and democracy. Landmark Festival conversations will consider a series of momentous anniversaries and ongoing global issues: One year on from the killing of George Floyd, poet Lemn Sissay presents a three-part series in his name, exploring racism and the systemic changes we need to see in the UK and around the world 300 years since Great Britain appointed its first prime minister, a series of PM300 panels explores issues of leadership and the global crisis of democracy ahead of COP26, the Festival’s Hay-on-Earth programme spotlights what’s at stake Everyday Sexism founder Laura Bates leads a trio of discussions on gender equality.
If you would like to read last week’s update, click here: https://www.salisbury6c.ac.uk/weekly-college-update-9/
