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.
