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Face to Face with Year 10
Year 10s in school for lessons
Following our initial meetings and telephone conversations with pupils in Year 10 during week commencing 15 June 2020, we were delighted to welcome small groups back into school the following week Monday to Thursday, from 22 June.
We were all very impressed by how well they conducted themselves. They showed great maturity and did their best to comply with our new one way system, hand hygiene and social distancing measures.
It was evident that our pupils and staff were pleased to see each other. They were positive about returning to school and open to learning.
‘It was a joy to hear more young voices again in school and to see our pupils engaging with their teachers face to face again. We are looking forward to seeing them again next week.’ Chiquita Henson, Headteacher
Each day the pupils stayed in their group bubbles and our teachers moved around to school to join them. They had three lessons in the Core subjects and one in MS Teams as well as a PSHEe session which, this week, gave them the opportunity to reflect on the pandemic, its impact and their feelings.
In English pupils focused on Poetry Analysis and in Maths they practised skills related to Translations, Venn Diagrams and Pythagoras' Theorem. In Science teachers are using these face to face sessions to teach the GCSE required practicals and this week the pupils looked at the infrared required practical which linked to the module currently being delivered in MS Teams.
'It was lovely to be with Year 10 pupils in a classroom again and to be able to bounce ideas around. Being able to encourage some onto extension tasks whilst supporting those that needed a little more time was really important.' Mrs Pennington, Head of Maths
‘I thought the pupils did themselves proud today, all seemed quite focused and ready to learn, despite not seeing some at all in Teams lessons or completing work since March.’ Mr Ellen, Maths Teacher
‘It has been lovely being back into school today, standing in front of the classes. Seeing the pupils face to face has been so worthwhile!’ Mrs Voss, English Teacher
'In English lessons this week Year 10 pupils were studying Blake's poem 'London', one of the 'Power and Conflict' anthology poems for GCSE Literature. They explored the context of the poem, focusing on the Romantic movement as well as life in the city during the late 18th Century, before embarking on a study of the language and structure. Pupils annotated their copies of the text in detail during the lesson, but it was fantastic to have the opportunity to verbally share ideas with the Year 10 groups. We were impressed by the high level of pupils' interest and enthusiasm. Pupils who did not attend in school lessons this week can access the resources on SMHW and should ensure that they work through the slides as they annotate their copies of 'London'.' Mrs Davies, Head of English
This time in school is precious. The four face to face sessions in school each group will have with their teachers this term are designed to supplement the online provision we are making, which the government currently sees as the main form of education delivery. Therefore, is it important that all pupils in Year 10 stay connected with us and continue to engage in their online lessons in MS Teams and complete all tasks in SMHW over the remaining four days in each week.
‘We recognise that many pupils have worked hard whilst learning remotely and have appreciated the interaction that the online lessons have provided, in addition to the tasks set through Show My Homework: they should be commended for their efforts. However, it was clear how refreshing the pupils found being in a classroom with classmates and a teacher – the sense of inching towards something more ‘normal’ and familiar encouraged many of them.’ Mrs Lang, Head of School
The vast majority of our pupils are actively engaged in our remote curriculum and, for those who have found this more challenging, being back in school provided them with the opportunity to re-establish routines and make a fresh start.
Furthermore, with our provision for each pupil only being for four days between now and the end of term and because our pupils have been out of school for three months, we recognised many will have out grown their uniform and, therefore, allowed them to come in in their own choice of clothes. This was definitely appreciated and did not impair their ability to focus. All activity was very purposeful.
In September we will be undertaking some assessments to determine our pupils’ new starting points in Year 11. This will enable us to tailor our curriculum accordingly and provide appropriate levels of support and challenge.
‘It was great to see our Year 10 pupils returning to lessons this week in school. With over 80% of pupils returning they are all to be commended on the way they conducted themselves. I hope they enjoyed being back and we look forward to them returning next week.’ Mr Bellamy, Associate Assistant Headteacher and Pastoral Team Leader.