Edition No. 127
Day: Thursday 11 September
Theme: Two Kinds of Success
Writer: Mr Parrish, Headteacher
Year 11 pupils coming through the door for start of year interviews about plans
for their GCSE year are essentially in one of two situations. Either they used Year
10 well as a springboard into Year 11 or they quietly napped through Year 10
and are only now waking up to the link between the work they have not yet
done and the grades they have not yet gained. The prepared sheet we look at
together has two pieces of information on it: their Learning Scores in Year 10
reports for Punctuality, Organisation, Co-operation, Participation, Focus,
Classwork and Homework and their Year 10 Exam grades. The two usually
correlate well. Good attitudes and good results almost always go together.
But that is just the beginning of the conversation. For some the renewed
enthusiasm and energy of the new school year is all the impetus they need to
start making improvements. Indeed, they delight to tell how much better things
are already in the first 5 days! Or perhaps the truth is only now dawning and
they are only too grateful for the opportunity to talk practically about how we
best learn and organise that learning.
For the others the challenge is more subtle and varied, in part determined by
their future aims and ambitions. If I have done well in Year 10, how do I now
build on that in a sustainable way? The school has perhaps a bigger part to play
here, in giving sensible encouragement and serious attention to nurturing
academic interest and talent.
Either way, success comes - whether in the form of a striking turnaround or a
very well deserved reward for sheer, dogged persistence. The sprint finish
makes a good story, but the long distance tenacity is what demands particular
respect.