Friday 19th March 2021
College is feeling rather normal again, despite seeing all staff and students wearing face coverings in communal areas and classrooms. It is not inhibiting communications between friends or discussions in classrooms, and students are showing a really strong sense of responsibility and duty to themselves and each other. There is a general feeling that the whole community is more settled and we hope that many students and staff that were anxious about returning are feeling much more comfortable. Tutors along with Rebecca are still here to actively listen and support any of our young people that need a listening ear.
I have visited many classes this week and it is wonderful to see and hear learning in action. Nicola Bull, our Director of Education in the Trust has also been in college visiting classes and welcoming the students back. Many students are showing a high level of independence and are using time wisely and effectively in their self directed study periods to improve their learning. It is not uncommon to see students busy working on tasks in groups around the college, or working in one of the IT suites or art room completing media , photography or art tasks expressing their creativity.
Most students should now have received their home lateral flow tests and are completing these successfully. It is important that once they register their result with the NHS then they also inform the college in this form. If you have any concerns about this then please contact office@salisbury6c.ac.uk
Next week a number of detailed communications will be sent home to explain the processes the college will be taking for the summer Teacher Assessed Grades. I will be writing to you to provide clarity on our overall approach of what assessment evidence will be included and how we will be taking a very positive and supportive approach to ensure well being is at the heart of our approach in making sure students can fulfill their potential.
Best wishes,
Louise
Vice Principal
Careers Update – Rosie Roberts, Student Liaison Officer and Careers Lead
This week Year 12s had a live online lesson and were asked to register for the main UCAS fair next week as we launch the next section of careers planning for university, apprenticeships and employment. All Year 12 students will be attending the UCAS Fair on either, Tuesday 23rd March or Wednesday 24th March next week from 10am-6pm. Students will be informed next week which day is planned for them.
The UCAS Fair is a chance for students to;
- explore over 100 UK universities
- get inspiration and explore different career opportunities
- understand if an apprenticeship is right for them
- take part in live sessions and get their questions answered by the experts
- get practical help on personal statements, accommodation, student loans, and more
Students will then use their Careers Passport to record their findings from the fair and help make an informed decision about their futures.
All students also need to register for Career Pilot so they can complete their pathway planner after Easter. We will also be helping students arrange work experience. It is early days and they don’t need to worry if they don’t know what they want to do – the programme is designed to offer lots of support as they plan their next steps and find a path that suits their interests, skills, talents and ambitions.
Creative Faculty Update – Richard Eno, Faculty Lead for Creative
The S6C Art Department presented at the Roche Court ARTiculation Prize regional heat last week with student Freya King presenting an exceptional piece on silent film director, Georges Melies. Whilst Freya did not get selected to the national heat we are incredibly proud of the work she put in for this. It’s been a very successful experience for all involved so we are keen to repeat it next year.
Humanities Faculty Update – Sally Tye, Faculty Lead for Humanities
BTEC Business Achieve Top Grades, despite the challenge of a Pandemic!
The BTEC Business Level 3 National Extended Diploma received an outstanding set of results for the external examination series in early January. Everyone taking the examination achieved a Merit, with over half receiving a Distinction grade.
The first week of January was probably the most difficult and challenging of the whole pandemic. With the government closing colleges and providing no clear message about the sitting of external examinations in January, the BTEC Business students carried on learning and preparing. Typical of an S6C student, they were resilient and focussed, and coped with all the restrictions in place to keep them safe, including social distancing, rapid testing, as well as the pressure of their first external examination.
As our first cohort of BTEC Business Extended Diploma students, we are very proud of the journey they have taken, their hugely positive approach to college life, the character they have shown over the last 18 months and determination to be the very best they can be.
Our BTEC Business has established itself as a successful pathway to study vocational degrees at University, with 13 of our 14 students having been offered a University place, including Durham, Exeter, Cardiff and Royal Holloway. They are pursuing a variety of courses, including Law, Festival Management, Banking and Finance, Financial Services, International Business as well as Business Management. Well done to all the students and Steve Price and Catherine Pennington for the outstanding support they have provided!
History
Four History students attended the first stage of the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz project’ this week, with an introduction seminar. Angus Archer noted that although he thought he ‘knew’ about the holocaust he learnt so much; ‘like that the extermination and concentration camps are different and that people were in ghettos before the camps‘. Sophie Marshall said how interesting it was ‘to see how other people viewed the Holocaust with the words they associated with it’. On Sunday they will be participating in a virtual tour of Auschwitz 1 and 2.
Catherine Pennington A Level Business Teacher S6C
Catherine Pennington, A Level Business Teacher at S6C tried out Generative Learning after seeing Tom Sherington’s talk for The Magna Learning Partnership on 17th March 2021. She is a big fan of Immersion Learning and Experiential Learning herself and often asks her Business learners “How do you Learn?” Many of them reply “Not sure” “No idea” or simply “I’ve never been asked that before” Through experimentation and feedback she has discovered most of her students learn from real Business owners telling their stories with responses to questions based on the A Level syllabus. Furthermore, if generative learning is a learning theory that involves actively integrating new ideas with what the learner already knows then generative teaching is how she intends to fulfill her students requirements to learn.
In a nutshell, her students have existing knowledge of social media, online shopping, advertising reach through online views, digital networking and communication; apply that to real businesses that are looking to increase their bottom line, expand and trade on a glocalised platform then surely there is a recipe for Success, Aspiration and Excellence for Business students at S6C as they meet People in Business this week in Google meetings.
Megan BromleyBusiness Owner Beauty Full Time Marlborough – Thank you for our college discount code that goes to followers of Megan in the S6C community. https://beautyfulltime.co.uk/
Catherine and S6C Business students would like to thank Megan Bromley and husband Pat from Beauty Full Time in Marlborough and Elizabeth Jones MC Pod.DPodM of Total Foot Health of Salisbury for giving us some of their time to talk to students about their businesses in exchange for ideas on how to explore a greater digital presence and engage a younger audience with ideas relevant to them.
We thoroughly enjoyed having you and we hope you spread the word to young people who would like to learn about business at S6C via a combination of the Real Deal and scope for limitless Generative Learning.
Elizabeth Jones Clinical Director Total Foot Health Salisbury – https://totalfoothealth.co.uk/meet-the-team/
Comments from the students :-
“Megan’s talk was personal and easy to understand – Thank you”
“Megan, It was interesting to hear about how you got started and about the qualifications you got to get there”
“Elizabeth – I liked how you explained about Podiatry, your speciality”
“Elizabeth – I learnt about word of mouth Marketing and training staff”
“Megan does giveaways on Instagram” Yay.
STEM Faculty Update – Kirsty White, Faculty Lead for STEM
Last week, we celebrated British Science Week within college. The theme this year was ‘innovation’ and the celebrations ran from the 5th-14th March. The theme certainly fits the narrative over the last year and the innovation behind the vaccine roll-out! In Psychology, Year 13 students were asked to look at how video games can be used to benefit mental health (we are currently studying addiction). Students looked at how video games have been used to create positive mental health in people. Some students also took my challenge of other innovative methods in Psychology, such as: Botox being used in depression; the psychological benefits of social media and the innovative use of psychological methods such as brain scans in Sport Psychology. In Biology, Nicky’s students looked at innovative uses of stem cell research as part of their self-directed study. Some groups focused on the potential use of stem cells to repair nervous system damage and to restore function that might have been lost due to this damage. Other groups focused on how stem cells can be used to treat cartilage injuries and as part of research and treatment for diabetes. We hope that everyone is able to see how science has contributed to the world around them and we encourage our students to take an active role in seeking this information out (and potentially contributing to it in the future!).”
