Planning for the Future

Planning for the Future


Matthew O'Kelly
Matthew O'Kelly
Planning for the Future
As the remote learning continues for the Sixth Form students, Year 12 in particular are working hard to ensure they are making the progress needed for success. This week I spoke with Alice in 12Elm about her working from home and she had this to say,
“Since being in lockdown and not attending school like usual I have found that it is a challenge to motivate yourself and keep on top of your work in these times. However, I have found that keeping a daily revision routine has allowed me to continue to produce the same level and expectations of work for my teachers. It also occurred to me how important it is to keep on top of my work and how easy it is to fall behind without doing so. With my teachers sending me weekly work it has really helped me to stay focused and the great communication between me and my teachers have enabled me to still ‘purple pen’ and improve my work just like I would in the classroom which is continuing to improve and embed my learning further. Being a Year 12 student, these next few months of hard work are extremely vital and will allow me to access the next stage in my education and further.’
It is pleasing to see that Alice is so prepared for her work and she is showing the dedication to her studies I would like to see from all pupils regardless of year group.
On a different note, we are also at a pivotal time for the Year 13 students who are now waiting for their results this summer. With many of them wanting to attend University or begin apprenticeships this time can be very stressful. The waiting for and nervous anticipation of the results is often the worst part of learning and assessment. I am looking forward to celebrating our students’ success in August on ‘A’ Level Results Day. This day is the culmination of the students hard work and endeavour, seeing the excitement and realisation that their plans are coming to fruition is a truly special part of my role as Head of Sixth Form.
For me a close second for the most rewarding days as Head of Sixth Form is the first day of Year 12. The students attending the Sixth Form for the very first time have so many plans for the future; beginning new subjects, learning new content and developing a new learning style is just a small part of this transition. I know our current Year 11 students are looking forward to getting ‘stuck into’ their Sixth Form study and I look forward to welcoming them in September. In the meantime, I have shared access to additional reading materials with our entire Year 11 cohort via Google in preparation for next year’s study. As Alice said previously it can be easy to fall behind and keeping the brain fresh and active will only serve to aid students in the future. 
I am incredibly proud of the effort the Sixth Form students have shown in the difficult times we have faced, it is testament to their personalities and the resilience they developed as learners. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful cohort of students and look forward to adding to this in September with the new Year 12 classes.

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