Parent Update 26th November
Parents and Carers’ Update
Learning Cycle 2 is coming.
Monday 26th November 2018
Christopher Pickles – Assistant Principal with responsibility for curriculum at WCSA writes…
As the winter evenings draw in and the lure of switching the central heating on at home begins to beckon, we find ourselves here at WCSA fully prepared for Learning Cycle 2. As you know, we follow a programme of four cycles of learning and assessment a year, which enables students to spend seven weeks acquiring knowledge and developing skills followed by two weeks of assessment, feedback and improvement. This modular format gives students consistent access to excellent education, accurate assessment and, importantly, the opportunity to improve and develop their final pieces.
We have just finished Super Teaching Week: our feedback and improvement week and it has been a genuine delight to see the progress the students have been making. There is always a real buzz around the school during Super Teaching Week, when students realise that simply with a little fine tuning of their work they can reap incredible results: lessons for life, of course!
This brings us up to the next stage: Learning Cycle 2.
Our next cycle of learning will take us through Christmas and up into February, and just like for the winter, we need to be fully prepared to make it fully effective and efficient. Homework books are being distributed, schemes of learning and exciting lessons are ready to go and staff are ready to impart knowledge and expand minds. It takes experts to train experts and the WCSA team are raring to go!
In 2019, I shall be taking the English Literature GCSE and, like most of the Year 11s, have been revising for quite some time already. I see Learning Cycle 2 and a milestone in the journey towards summer success – this is another block of study where I need to be my best and use my time effectively. I have taken my feedback on board, bought a new pen and decided to listen to podcasts to boost my productivity. Learning Cycle 2 is a fresh unit; I am approaching it with a fresh focus. It is important that students see this new cycle in the same way. Lessons learned from last week’s feedback sessions need to be adopted and owned in order for this new cycle to be the most successful yet.
We are constantly evolving here at WCSA, we accept ‘nothing but the best’ from our students and we strive to be ‘nothing but the best’ ourselves. As always, we welcome feedback and are keen to work with the community to provide the very best for everyone here at Worle. Please do contact the school with any feedback to help us grow and develop.
Pictured is the Royal Shakespeare Company's Romeo and Juliet live streaming to the Year 11 students in the Auditorium. Excellent education for all.
As always – thank you for your support.
Christopher Pickles
Assistant Principal