A week of contrasts

Last week was one of those weeks that summed up all that is good about being in a secondary school.

On Monday, our sixth form pupils returned from their study leave/ examination period to become our new year 13 pupils. It is an interesting time for them as they wait for the results of their AS examinations but we feel it is important for them to begin their A2 work now. I’m sure our outgoing year 13 pupils will agree that time flies in the coming year – every lesson counts…..

It has been a week of contrasts, with one of the highlights being the ‘proms’. Firstly, we had the year 11 prom which was, once again, an incredibly special evening enjoyed by all.

Not to be outdone, the year 13 prom was held the following evening. Being with these pupils for 7 years has been an absolute privilege. It was strange to think that many of these pupils will be moving away in the next few months to continue their education – good luckto them all and please don’t forget us.

The morning after saying farewell to our oldest pupils, we had the pleasure of welcoming our youngest andnewest pupils as our new year 7 pupils spent a day with us. This is the largest year group we have had at Bishop Gore for many years and it was an absolute pleasure to meet so many bright and enthusiastic pupils – it is easy to imagine them preparing to go to university in 7 years time!

The coming week is yet another busy one. Our annual Sports Day will be held on Tuesday – it is always an exciting event (fingers crossed for good weather).

On Thursday, our year 7,8 and 10 pupils and their parents and carers will be joining us for Review Day. For the year 7/8 pupils, the focus will be numeracy where we will be discussing with parents and carers strategies to address the areas for development which were highlighted in the recent numeracy test. What is exciting about this is that the diagnostic tool which we use to analyse the tests has allowed us to clearly identify links to the online MyMaths package. It is hoped that, by the end of the day on Thursday, pupils, parents and carers will leave us with a clear programme of individualsupport in terms of numeracy. Once again, we see the hugely positive impact digital learning can have.

Best wishes

Ryan Davies

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Digital exams?

It is the middle of exam season and I’ve just read an incredibly interesting article by Abbie Wightwick writing the in the Western Mail (Saturday 1st June 2014). Here she argues the case for pupils being able to use digital technology in exams instead of being asked to handwrite everything.

Here is an extract from the article:

Exam boards seem not to have noticed but children and teenagers tap rather than write.

From primary school they are encouraged to become computer literate and it’s a rare 16-year-old who isn’t more digitally savvy than most adults they know. Hand them a laptop and they can whizz off an essay, but for exams they must return to the dark ages of biros and paper. Just when they are under intense stress and pressure, exam candidates are required to use materials they’re not used to. By the time they get into that exam hall they have spent years using a keyboard and mouse to trawl the internet for learning.

They may be on Facebook some of the time but they’re also asked to hand in essays and course work neatly printed out and why not? Why return to the dark ages of teachers having to squint over barely-decipherable handwriting when we have computers?

Thanks to those exam candidates of yesteryear doing good things with their equations, we’re now in the digital, electronic world of learning.

Back in the 1970s and ’80s we were at a huge advantage. Our hand muscles had been training for years by the time we sat exams – a marathon in hand exercise. Writing legibly at speed is an art that has to be learned over years, you can’t suddenly mug up two weeks before D-Day. Sadly the exam system hasn’t kept up. While the rest of the world has moved on, it’s still asking students to write at length in hand, something they won’t be asked to do ever again except in future exams.

Surely the time has come to devise a system where students can use computers to tap out their answers?

There is a school of thought that suggests we should be training pupils to produce neat handwriting and developing this skill is important. What we mustrecognise is that using a keyboard/screen/track pad/mouse and so on is a skill which most pupils have developed over a number of years. It is the way in which they choose to communicate in much the same way as was a pen in years gone by. Perhaps there is something to be said for making examinations digital………

 

 

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1:1 - the only way

So, we finally become a wireless school. Pupils and staff can access our wireless network from anywhere in the school (well nearly). This is a major development andone which we have been waiting for a long time for.

The time is right now to discuss the next stage of our mobile development. There is no doubt that to truly be able to utilise digital technology, we need to move to a situation where every single pupil has access to the technology on a 1:1 basis. Sharing is not an option. Long gone are the days when to access technology, you have to book an IT suite two weeks in advance. The days where pupils were told that they had to use technology when it was available and not when it was needed in their learning have also long gone. Or have they………

To move to a 1:1 situation in a secondary school is quite a mammoth undertaking with the key drawback being lack of funding. It is hard to imagine a time when there will be enough funding available to be able to do this and so we have to look at alternative methods. There are a number of schemes that will enable us to do this but we have to ensure that the funding and support in the longer term will be available.

There are so many unanswered questions at the moment. What is certain is that the impact that digital technology can make on the learning process is immense, it has the power to help to narrow the deprivation gap and ensure that all pupils are offered a truly personalised learning experience. We simply have to find a way to achieve this.

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GCSE English grades

As you are aware, the modular GCSE results were distributed yesterday. The results for pupils who sat the WJEC English Unit One examination were extremely disappointing with grades, in many cases, being well below those predicted. This is a situation which is replicated across Wales and not just Bishop Gore. It is recognised that this is a deeply upsetting situation for our pupils and their families to be in.

On receiving the results, we have taken the following action:

The English department have undertaken an in-depth analysis of grades and question-by-question marks, comparing this to predicted grades.

A formal complaint has been sent to the WJEC on behalf of the pupils, parents, staff and governors of Bishop Gore.

A formal complaint has been sent to the WJEC from The Head of English (Ms E Hewitt).

Mr Arwyn Thomas (Swansea LEA Chief Education Officer) has asked for a report from all schools. We have provided him with this.

Liaised with other Swansea schools to formulate a co-ordinated response to the WJEC/Welsh Government.

Our opinion is that there has been a serious error in the way in which these grades were arrived at. This error should be corrected by the WJEC and our approaches all request this. Our prime concern is to ensure our pupils receive the grades which they deserve and we will do everything in our power to ensure that this is done. In the future, there must be a discussion about the validity and quality of the process that is overseen by the WJEC.

We saw today how upsetting such negative news was for our pupils and really do empathise with them. It is not a situation we expect them to be placed in after they have all worked so hard. We will continue to contact all those who have a role in the process and contact you again to give you updates. Whilst we all believe that these results should be changed, this is unlikely to happen in the next few days. We know how deeply frustrating this is and will ensure that you have any new information as soon as it is available.

The most important thing for our pupils to do now is to focus on their GCSEs/BTECs and allow us to challenge the grades on their behalf. They are fantastic pupils who are being taught by dedicated and talented teachers - they do not deserve to be treated in such an unfair manner but they must not allow anything to get in the way of what they are truly capable of.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss the above.

Thank you for your support.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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iPads and writing

 

There is often a great deal of concern about the use of digital technology and on pupils’ writing skills. It is true that, if not managed properly, then too much emphasis on the use of digital technology will have a negative impact on writing.

On the other hand, if the use of digital technology is managed effectively as part of the learning process, together with other learning strategies, it can significantly aid the writing process.

 

We have found that one of the best approaches is to ask pupils to draft their work first before attempting to use their iPad. Some use the traditional methods of paper and pen, others use a note taking application (such as Notability in our case). One of the major benefits of using any digital technology is the ease in which the presentation can be improved to look quite professional relatively quickly. This seems to encourage our pupils to work harder at the drafting stage and in many case we have seen that the use of iPads in the classroom has actually helped pupils with their writing.

 

 

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It's nearly revision season!

Revision season is almost here and some of our pupils will be looking for ways to use digital technology as they plough through their notes. There are plenty of subject specific revision apps out there but some of the more generic apps allow pupils to plan their study time, make their own notes and resources and so on. Here are some of the best generic apps:

1. Revision App - App Giant Ltd, iPhone/iPad

Perhaps the most appropriately named App, the 'Revision App' supports students with revison on the move with over 1 million revision notes, flash cards and quizes covering everything from GCSE, A-Level and University subjects. The app allows students to create their own flash revision cards with video, text or audio which can be saved for future revision sessions and sent to friends to support group studies.
The app accommodates different types of learner to help the student learn faster, whether they're a visual learner or they process information acoustically.
Price: Basic app is free. Add 69p for revision notes, flash cards and information on each subject.

2. Remember the Milk - Remember the Milk, iPhone/iPad.

Not only does this app have a great name, it's one of the best organisational apps out there. The app has an attractive and easy to use user interface, and lets the student organise and prioritise lists, revision sessions, reminders and tasks the way they want.
Another great feature is the ability to view, change and bookmark tasks from mobile to the web to apps including Outlook, iCal, Gmail, Google Calendar, Twitter
Price: Absolutely free.

3. iMindMap - ThinkBuzan, iPhone/iPad

One for visual thinkers and learners, iMindMap is a brilliant mind mapping application that turns an iPad or iPhone into a personal brainstorming and thought-structuring device.
The app is great for dyslexic students, who often find visual learning a helpful revision tactic. It's a unique workspace for brainstorming; revising, note taking and planning that will automatically cross-platform sync across iPhones and iPads.
Price: Absolutely free.

4. Oxford A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation - Mobile Systems, all Android phones.

This has 250 grammar themed questions, along with a lot of basic information about grammar and punctuation of the English language.
Not just for English students, this app will provide help across all subject areas and give students a boost to their grammatical skills.
Price: Absolutely free.

5. Exam Countdown - Richard Knights, iPhone/iPad

Counting down the days, hours and minutes until the next exam is high on the agenda of pupils. Being able to visualise the order of exams helps it helps to effectlively prioritise revision sessions for each subject and effectively prepare for their exams.
As the name suggests, this app is a countdown clock letting students input and know exactly how long they have before their exam dates. It's simple, but effective and allows students to fully prepare for all upcoming examinations.
Price: Absolutely free.

6. Notability, iPhone/iPad

Notability is one of the most popular handwriting apps on the market. The app gives pupilss the natural experience of writing on paper, with the added ability to take notes, keep sketches and share content through social media and E-Mail.
Notability is easy to use, and will quickly become one of the core productivity apps for students over the Easter revision period. Great for revision notes on the go, creating your own flash cards and keeping everything in one place.
Price: £1.99

7. Grammar Up - Eknath Kadam, iPhone/iPad

A fun way to brush up on spelling and grammar before the exams, Grammar Up is a multiple choice quiz system with over 1800 fun questions across 20 grammar categories. Grammar Up can help pupils improve their grammar, spelling, vocabulary and sentence structuring.
Price: £2.99 for the complete app.

Happy revising!

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Twits!

One of the most significant developments of the digital age has been the growth of social networking. At the start, the development of social networking arose as a result of the need for people to keep in touch with each other on a very informal basis. More recently, this has developed into an important communication tool and increasingly this is being used as the key deliverer of information in many organisations.

At Bishop Gore, we have seen a huge growth in the way in which we use Twitter. A key stage in this development was during the 2013 summer examinations where we posted the following day’s exam timetable on a daily basis. This meant that pupils, parents and carers had access to the most relevant and up-to-date information. On one of the days, we simply forgot to post the relevant section of the exam timetable. This caused quite a storm with a large number of Twitter messages letting us know that we had let pupils, parents and carers down in no uncertain terms! This proved how important this was as a means of communication.

Today, we use Twitter in a number of ways. It is a quick and easy way for us to share examples of learning across the school. Parent and carers have commented how they have appreciated having the insight into the daily workings of the school. Of course, we use Twitter to ensure that important messages are passed on to the whole of the school community.

it is amazing to see that something which started as a means of keeping in touch with friends and family is now an important part of our learning process. If you don’t follow us on Twitter at the moment (and 900 people already do) then please do so - you won’t regret it!

@bishopgore

 

 

 

 

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Happy New Year

I hope you have all had a restful break as our thoughts turn to the new year in school. This year promises so much after having had such a positive start last term.

In Years 7, 8 and 9, we continue to develop our new curriculum model. The structure of learning and development blocks appears to be making a real impact on the way in which pupils are accessing and developing learning opportunities. We are also investigating strategies to ensure that all pupils have the literacy and numeracy skills that will give them the ‘life chances’ we often hear about.

Whilst Curriculum 2012 is primarily focussed on Key Stage 3, the fact that it offers a personalised learning experience for all pupils will mean that pupils completing Key Stage 3 will be accessing the next phase of their learning in a different way. The key is to ensure that pupils are able to progress in the way that best suits their learning needs. The implication of this in the near future will be that pupils will be learning with pupils from other year groups and completing their KS4 studies as and when they are ready to do so.

Finally, our sixth form provision is also being reviewed. A great deal if time has been spent ensuring that all of our pupils (and also those outside the school) are fully aware of the learning opportunities that exist in our sixth form. We are now entering the period where all of our pupils will be interviewed in order to identify accurately the most appropriate course of study for them. It really is an important period for all involved.

As can be seen, there is a great deal to look forward to in the new year and we certainly are not going to waste any time in ensuring that we move the school on still further. It really is an exciting time at Bishop Gore!

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

 

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