I’d like to start by saying thanks to Mr Barker for his blog last week, I definitely think this could become a regular feature.

Mr Barker would like to say thank you to everyone for another amazing week. The team continues to work tirelessly to ensure we can provide a rich and varied curriculum offer, albeit within the current staffing restrictions, whilst also ensuring the safety of both students and staff is paramount. Staff are becoming experts in a number of different subjects including mindfulness, yoga, PE, Maths, English, Current Affairs and Gardening. This is in addition to the many activities covered with our ‘Recovery Curriculum’.

Firstly, to our Year 12 students who have settled into the Learning Centre with enthusiasm and maturity. This is all the more impressive considering the impact Covid had on their transition. Here’s a report from a very proud Mrs Keane..

This week we have been continuing our work outside, gardening and looking at nature. The group took part in a scavenger hunt where they had to find specific items and record their findings on their iPad using the Seesaw app.

Here are some examples.

• Noorul 

• Pradeep 

• Ellie 

Down in the Entitlement Base the students have also settled in well. Miss Thornhill would like to say a big well done to the E Base 1 students for the amazing way they have all settled back in to the new term.

We have 2 new students this year, Mason and Adam, who have settled in extremely well and have already established some really good relationships with both their peers and staff. In Mason’s words, “I love it at the Learning Centre, the staff and lessons are mint!”

A very big welcome to Mason and Adam!

As part of our Recovery Curriculum, teams have had the opportunity to explore topics in more depth than a traditional model may allow. Here’s a brief report from Mr George our Year 13 tutor.

During registration, learners have been watching Newsround, As a group we then discussed the daily items going on within the world. This has led to some great work for Black History Month. Learners were each given a person to look up and find out about including Usain Bolt, Bob Marley and Rihanna.

We have been taking part in daily mindfulness and meditation within class and then looked at our feelings based on what students are concerned about…Friendship, what makes a good friend, sharing a smile, giving thumbs up to a friend. Emotions and how they make us feel, plus how to try and manage our feelings so not to get angry.

Through Jigsaw we have discussed and taken part in different activities including ‘Looking after myself’, ‘Managing difficult feelings,’ ‘Looking forward, beyond Covid 19.’

It is clear that this work is helping students effectively manage their emotional mental health and wellbeing in positive ways. This focus will of course continue throughout the year through a variety of ways and I look forward to reporting on this term’s first ‘Wellbeing afternoon’.

Next week we will be starting the election process for our Learning Centre student council. Student voice is an integral part of Learning Centre life and the student council has always been at the heart of developments and events. We will of course be adapting the process to ensure all safety protocols are adhered to, however what has become apparent over recent months is the place technology now has in all our working lives. I look forward to reporting on the process over the coming weeks but please do start to talk to students about whether they would be interested in putting themselves forward.

I hope that families have been able to sign up for our new ‘Parent App’. Tutors will be contacting families over the next couple of weeks to speak to families about the App and hopefully answer any questions or queries you may have. In the meantime, if you have not received your invitation or you need any support with activating your account, please do contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

Have a lovely weekend.

Take care and stay safe,

Dawn

Click here for this week’s news from Graham

You can find Gavin’s blog for the school site here

For news on our Key Stage 5 pathway groups at Medtia Square please click here

You can find my previous blog posts here