School News and Head's Blog
Posted on: 19/05/2023Perilous Perfectionism
Many of you are aware that we are incredibly fortunate to have Mrs. Brooker on our staff at St. Helen’s College who is a trained counsellor. She is based at the Upper School but is available to all pupils and staff as another element of our pupil wellbeing support. Pupils can self refer or parents and staff can request a ‘Time to Talk’ session for a pupil in addition to the pastoral support we already provide.
Mrs. Brooker supports the staff with wellbeing ideas too and she often shares superb blogs, podcasts and activities for us all to keep upskilling staff and supporting us in our roles with the children. I have frequently asked Mrs. Brooker to write a guest blog for us and thus far she has declined - believe it or not - with her own fear around failing and something being ‘published’ and it not being good enough - oh, the irony! However, it is so important that adults are self-aware and recognise our fears - such as fear of failure - so that we know how they may affect how we work with the children and prepare them for the next steps in their learning journey.
I am delighted that Mrs. Brooker has taken on the challenge of writing for us and has overcome that fear of failure or her blog not being good enough! I am sure that her blog will resonate with us all and give some helpful tips. Thank you Mrs. Brooker.
Ms Drummond
I heard this week how a child had become so distraught after getting one of their spelling words wrong in a test that they became angry and refused to engage in play at break. This intense distress continued all day and by home time, they insisted that their parent write to the class teacher to assure them that they had definitely learned their spelling words that week and that it was just a slight mistake in their handwriting, not that they hadn’t learnt their spellings properly.
Imagine how the child had felt as the correct spellings were read aloud that day. Can you picture the enormity of their fear of that one mistake? Perhaps the child immediately felt sick or their heart started to pound in their chest. Their legs may have felt tingly and they may have started to sweat. Rage and fear may have started to rumble in their stomach and this could have triggered angry, self-critical thoughts about themselves like, ‘You’re such a failure!’ ‘You’re always getting things wrong!’ ‘Everyone will laugh at you now!’. Automatic negative thoughts like these would have sent off messages back to the body that it is in danger and the child’s fight or flight response may have been triggered.
Perfectionism can become a problem when it fuels our anxiety and depression about who we are or who we are not. It can lead someone to feel like they are never good enough or they can’t enjoy any present accomplishments because they are worried about a future mistake or failure.
Some symptoms of perfectionism are:
Difficulty completing work because it is ‘never good enough’
High anxiety surrounding failure or mistakes
High sensitivity to criticism or constructive feedback
Low frustration tolerance to mistakes
Procrastinating around difficult tasks
Self-critical, self-conscious and easily embarrassed
Very critical of other people
Here are some tips to manage symptoms of perfectionism:
Self-esteem: Encourage your child to engage in activities that support them
feeling good about themselves.
Control: Explore with your child what they can control and what is outside of their control.
Self-talk: Encourage your child to offer themselves some kindness and compassion for the effort that went into a task rather than self-criticism.
Expectations: Check in occasionally to see whose expectations your child is looking to meet.
Effort: Remember to praise the effort your child has made and remind them it is not about the grade, it is about how much they tried.
Goals: Keep goals realistic and challenging, but most of all fun!
Share: Share stories of how you have failed, how you coped and what you may have learned from the experience.
Coping skills: Understand that failure can feel uncomfortable, but help your children to manage their disappointment, rejection and mistakes in a healthy way. Suggest offering themselves some compassion or they could do a couple of star jumps, splash some cold water on their face, talk to a friend, write a journal or draw a picture to support themselves through their difficult emotions.
Mrs. Brooker
Posted on: 5/05/2023Music Education
This week I attended a ‘Breakfast Chat’ which I attend monthly with fellow educators to discuss topical educational issues surrounding partnerships with other schools and external providers. This ‘Breakfast Chat’ network has been invaluable in hearing about what other schools around the UK are doing to enhance educational opportunities for children in both independent and maintained schools.
On this occasion we had over fifty participants online all from a musical background to discuss ‘Music education and how partnerships are essential to develop music.’ The first question which was raised was how we define music education. I am delighted that we have such a strong focus on music education here at St. Helen’s College, both in the curriculum and in our co-curricular provision, and that we recognise that music education is part of pupil wellbeing. It was quite pertinent that we used music as the key driver behind our ‘One World Day’ last term.
Your children are exposed to music on a daily basis whether that is in their curriculum lessons, in peripatetic lessons, or through our various choirs, musical groups, assemblies and performances in school. We are lucky to have an incredibly talented group of music teachers. However, it is every teacher’s responsibility to ensure that we are appreciating music as part of pupil wellbeing throughout the day and this is also most definitely the case at St. Helen’s College.
Partnerships with other schools and external agencies are also important and we would love to continue building these relationships. This month our orchestra is joining together with several other schools for a day of musicality at John Lyon School. Our pupils visit local care homes to entertain them with their musicality and this is mutually beneficial for wellbeing. Our peripatetic teachers share information about what else they are involved in and many of us have booked our tickets to see Cinderella at the Royal Albert Hall where Mrs. Nash (one of our peripatetic teachers and a parent of three Old Helenians) is playing as a violinist in the orchestra.
I was presenting ABRSM certificates to our students earlier this week and many of them had just passed their ‘cello exams. I introduced the children to the music of Sheku Kanneh-Mason. We listened to him play and I read the children an extract from this book ‘Rise Up - Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories.’ I was delighted that many of our pupils knew of him already. Through his hard work and dedication as a young school boy from Northampton he is now a world class musician.
One of my ex students from Japan, Eva Kestner, has just shared the news with me that Harper Collins UK is publishing a book about her and her music and they are developing an online platform where children and parents can download her music and educational videos. Eva is a professional taiko drummer and she was delighted when I showed her photographs of our pupils at Upper School taking part in the taiko drumming workshops during One World Day. I hope that we can welcome Eva to St. Helen’s College if she has the opportunity to visit London in the near future.
Our own pupils are incredibly inspiring and I am very much looking forward to our Singing Competition later this month which will be closely followed by the Singers’ Concert in All Saints and our Musicians’ Concert, which are always two of my school calendar highlights.
Keep enjoying music at home too - we are so fortunate to have such a diverse community and that our pupils are exposed to so many genres and styles of music and song.
I will leave you with these words from Plato:
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”
Ms Drummond
Posted on: 21/04/2023Artificial Intelligence - What Is It And Will It Replace Teachers?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a disruptive technology with the potential to revolutionize education. It has the ability to process vast amounts of data, learn from patterns and make predictions, and perform tasks that would require significant human effort. While there are several benefits to integrating AI in education, there are also concerns about the negative impact it may have on students and teachers. This report will explore both the positive and negative aspects of AI and its impact on education.
Positive Aspects of AI in Education
1. Personalized Learning
AI has the ability to personalize learning for each student based on their individual needs and learning styles. It can analyze data on students' progress, strengths, and weaknesses to create a customized learning plan that suits their individual needs. This can help students learn more effectively and efficiently, leading to improved academic performance.
2. Enhanced Teaching and Learning Experience
AI can provide a more interactive and engaging teaching and learning experience for students. It can be used to create virtual simulations, educational games, and chatbots that can answer students' questions and provide instant feedback. This can make learning more fun and engaging, leading to better retention of knowledge.
3. Improved Accessibility
AI can help make education more accessible to students with disabilities. It can be used to create assistive technologies that can help students with visual or hearing impairments, or those with learning disabilities such as dyslexia. This can help ensure that every student has access to quality education.
4. Time-Saving
AI can automate administrative tasks such as grading, lesson planning, and student record keeping. This can save teachers a significant amount of time, allowing them to focus more on teaching and providing individualized attention to students.
Negative Aspects of AI in Education
1. Overreliance on Technology
One of the main concerns about AI in education is the potential for overreliance on technology. Students may become too dependent on technology to learn and may lose important social and critical thinking skills.
2. Ethical Concerns
AI may raise ethical concerns in education, such as privacy issues related to student data collection. There is also a risk that AI algorithms may perpetuate biases and discrimination, which could negatively impact students from marginalized communities.
3. Cost
Implementing AI technology in education can be expensive, and some schools and students may not have access to these resources. This could create a digital divide between students who have access to AI and those who do not, which could further exacerbate existing inequalities in education.
4. Job Displacement
There is a risk that AI may displace teachers and other education professionals, leading to job losses in the education sector. This could have a negative impact on the quality of education and the development of soft skills that can only be learned through human interaction.
Impact of AI on Education
Overall, AI has the potential to have a significant impact on education, both positive and negative. While there are concerns about overreliance on technology and ethical issues related to data privacy and biases, the benefits of personalized learning, enhanced teaching and learning experiences, improved accessibility, and time-saving outweigh the negative aspects. It is important to carefully consider the potential impacts of AI in education and to develop policies and strategies to ensure that its implementation benefits all students and does not exacerbate existing inequalities.
While AI technology has advanced significantly in recent years, it is unlikely that AI will completely replace human teachers in the foreseeable future. AI can assist teachers in various ways, such as automating administrative tasks, providing personalized learning experiences, and grading multiple-choice exams.
However, teaching is a complex and multi-faceted profession that requires empathy, creativity, and critical thinking, which are currently beyond the capabilities of AI. Human teachers are also adept at adapting to individual student needs and providing emotional support, which are crucial aspects of the learning process that AI is currently unable to replicate.
Furthermore, education is not just about transmitting information but also involves helping students develop social skills, collaboration, and creativity. These skills are best learned in a social environment with other students and human teachers.
In conclusion, AI can enhance and support the work of teachers, but it is unlikely to completely replace them. The human touch remains an essential aspect of education, and AI can serve as a tool to assist teachers in delivering personalized and effective learning experiences.
I trust that many of you found this blog informative and interesting. I wish that I could take credit for the content of it. However, the above report/blog was all produced by the ‘ChatGPT’ from a prompt which I gave it. I wonder if you noticed the American spellings and a different ‘tone’ from my other blogs?
Over the holidays I have experimented with the ChatGPT and I am eager to learn more about the use of AI in education. Your children are growing up in a new age where technology is moving at such a rapid pace. Many of us use AI in our daily lives without perhaps being aware of it. My working day commences with my use of facial recognition then Waze as I navigate my way to work the most efficient way using the apps on my mobile phone. Children are much more receptive to change and adapt to new ways of learning thus it is important that we as adults explore and investigate this new world of AI in education then share it appropriately with our pupils.
I would be most interested to hear your thoughts and experiences of AI in your workplace.
Ms Drummond
Posted on: 17/03/2023Talent Versus Skill
Talent is God gifted ability, whereas skill is an ability in which you put your time and efforts to develop.
It is with this interesting definition of ‘talent’ that I reflect on this week at St. Helen’s College. Many of you with pupils in the Upper School will be aware that the children have been participating in the inaugural House Talent Competition. We have been thoroughly impressed and entertained by all of the pupils who have entered an act to represent their Houses: Caledonia, Cambria, Hibernia or Windsor.
The entries were very varied and as I moved between each house assembly I was fortunate enough to enjoy many superb performances. From Grade 6 pianists to our Grade 1 violinists, singers galore, magic acts, ventriloquism, gymnasts, a church bell ringer, comedy acts, poetry, naming world flags,pieces of artwork…I could continue! What is apparent is that there is such a passion for the children to share their interests, hobbies, skills and talents.
This leads me on to tomorrow when we will host the school’s first Exhibition Day since pre-covid days. We are very excited to showcase our pupils’ work tomorrow and look forward to you all touring the school with your children, reflecting on their accomplishments and looking forward to what lies ahead as you visit the other classrooms and school sites.
Your children have worked so hard all year to develop their skills and talents, not only across the curriculum but in the enriched co-curriculum which we offer. We pride ourselves in both nurturing talent and supporting the development of skill.
The debate surrounding talent versus skill and which might be most important will undoubtedly continue and much has already been written on this topic. However, I believe that there are some key differences between talent and skill:
The term talent refers to an inborn, special ability of a person to do something. A skill is an expertise which is acquired by the person by learning.
Talent is God gifted ability, whereas skill is an ability in which you put your time and efforts to develop.
Talent is often possessed by a limited number of people. On the other hand, any person can learn a particular skill, if (s)he has the capacity, capability, and willingness.
Talent can be hidden which is why it needs recognition. As opposed to Skill, it requires development, which can only be possible through practice.
Coaching may prove helpful in getting the best out of someone i.e. talent. Conversely, training is necessary for acquiring a skill, to put your best into something useful.
You may have your own views and opinions on this and I am linking to an article for those of you who wish to read more on the talent v. skill debate:
Talent Vs Skill:Which Matters More in the Pursuit of Mastery?
You have invested for your child to attend St. Helen’s College and I do hope that one day when they have left school they will look back and remember their school days as the happiest and most memorable days of their lives. The children will not remember ‘how’ they made progress but it is with such a sense of pride and privilege that we are able to support your children to nurture and strengthen their ‘talents’ and assist them in developing their ‘skills’ to enable them to thrive and flourish. Let us celebrate their journey and support them with the high and lows!
I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow to celebrate our wonderful community!
Ms Drummond
Posted on: 3/03/2023Do The Little Things In Life
This week our Kingfishers Reception Class delighted us with their class assembly and it really moved me as our four and five year olds delivered such an important message:
“Do the little things in life.”
The children were celebrating the life of St. David, the Patron Saint of Wales. His last words to his followers came from a sermon he gave before he died on 1st March: 'Be joyful, keep the faith, and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do.’
This is such a simple message and our young pupils at St. Helen’s College simply reminded us of our school values and how it is by doing the little things in life that we can really impact change together.
If everyone lived their daily lives upholding the values which we at St. Helen’s College try so hard to strive for, we would have such a happier world! Your children certainly have strong foundations to enable them to thrive and flourish with the values we as a school and you as families instil: helpfulness, caring, co-operation, courage, kindness, perseverance, friendliness, patience, respect, forgiveness, determination, gratitude and honesty.
The children of Kingfishers also reminded us of our responsibility as global citizens and our eco warriors revisited the simple task of reuse, reduce, recycle.
This weekend as you spend time with your families and friends I hope you will take time to reflect on your life and the little things that give you joy and a sense of well-being. Perhaps go for a walk, notice that spring is in the air and the blossoms are starting to bloom. The crocus bulbs and snowdrops are peeping through. The daffodils are here!
Perhaps put down devices, phones, tablets and instead play a game, read a book, listen to some music….laugh, dance, be joyful!
Let us all do the little things in life!
Happy Weekend!
Ms Drummond
Posted on: 3/02/2023Pause for Thought
Every morning as I drive to work I listen to Radio 2’s ‘Pause for Thought’.
On Tuesday morning there was a Scottish minister discussing the kidology of how we present ourselves to people and how we always wish for them to see the shiny best of us, which of course is very natural. Think of a CV, for example: one always puts the best of what one has achieved. However, something really rattled me in his pause for thought - he claimed that he must be the only Scotsman who does not play golf or drink whisky. I found this to be incredibly sexist - why did he not say ‘Scotsperson’! Am I odd in that I am a Scotswoman who plays golf and has been known to enjoy a tipple from my hometown whiskey ‘Oban’.
I jest! He in fact was making a very valid point in that often how we present ourselves to others is perhaps not quite who we really are most of the time. This got me thinking, though, about all the staff who work here at St Helen’s College and how it is often impossible to only present a side of yourself which is the shiny best of us! Your children can detect in an instant when we are ‘faking’ it. Which makes it wonderful to come to work each day knowing that we really are being our true, authentic selves. I would say that of nearly everyone who works in schools with young people. Children themselves are open and honest and say things ‘as it is’, which can often lead to interesting discussions and conversations. But they can also detect when the adults around them are not being authentic and sincere.
Earlier this week, as I toured prospective parents, we talked about adults and our working lives as three Year 2 pupils skipped down the pathway to their music lesson in the Evans Hall greeting us with a cheerful ‘Good Morning!’ The visitors chuckled and commented that they don’t ever remember being so happy when at school. It is testament to the staff at St. Helen’s College that the children are so happy in their learning and daily activities. But it works both ways; the staff are happy to be at work because of the lovely children we work with! When we notice a child is not happy then we will always strive to work with the parents and the child to unravel what may be making them feel this way and look to finding a solution.
We often ‘pause for thought’ here at St. Helen’s College. This morning on yet another prospective parent tour our Ducklings children paused to think about what made their boats float in the water tray - and why some maybe sank! At Lower School the Owls children lay on their backs noticing the bubbles which Mrs. Hunt was blowing and the rise and fall of teddies on their chests as they calmly breathed. Kingfishers children sustained their attention on forming their letters correctly as music soothed them in the background, whilst in Nursery there were numerous questions as the dinosaurs from a Travelling Natural History Museum workshop ignited the children’s curiosity! Year 1 wowed our visitors with their mathematical knowledge and shared their learning on what subtraction was.
At the end of yet another busy week it is so important to ‘pause for thought’. Last night I attended a District meeting with approximately forty fellow Headteachers from other IAPS schools. We had three guest speakers who were all very interesting but as I paused, listened to them and reflected on what we already offer here St. Helen’s College I was modestly so proud of who we are as a community. Our pupils, staff and you as parents - we are authentic, we present ourselves as who we are without boasting and we always strive to be the best versions of who we can be.
So as you enter the weekend in this penultimate week before our half term break do pause for thought and be proud of all that we achieve together as the St. Helen’s College community!
Have a lovely weekend everyone.
Ms Drummond
Posted on: 27/01/2023Inspiration by Mrs. Smith
We are all human, and we all get tired and jaded sometimes. I felt like that at the beginning of this week. It had been a busy, exhausting weekend with demands from family, worry about friends and perhaps one too many social events which, while enjoyable, allowed little time for rest.
When I’m tired, I sigh a lot. I noticed that on Sunday night: a constant exhaling, as if I wanted to get all the exhaustion out of myself. I needed filling up with something new. I needed inspiration.
Luckily, I work at St. Helen’s College.
The word inspiration comes from the Latin verb inspirare, meaning to breathe in. It is a taking in of the new, an invigoration. When those of us who practise yoga breathe deeply, we know that we are literally changing the chemical makeup of our bodies. And that’s what inspiration does. It changes you.
I have been inspired in so many ways at St. Helen’s College this week. Speaking to prospective parents who are making that huge decision to accept Ducklings, Nursery or Reception places, I have heard them speak of their deep love for and commitment to their children and their desire to do the very best for the next generation. Their values, their humility and their courage have inspired me.
Seeing Mr. Lewis develop a new IT system for managing our policies at school (alongside his day job), watching him tweak it and instigate a new, more efficient system in support of his colleagues and the school’s processes: this has inspired me.
Watching the staff who led the Year 4 trip to Amersham Field Centre this week, who were determined to put on an enriching and fun experience for the children, then seeing the children return, excited about their learning, enlivened by the day. That was inspiring.
Sitting at my desk and starting to proofread the children’s February reports, I took a deep breath and felt, through their written words, the teachers’ empathy, kindness and real hope for the St. Helen’s College children’s learning and progress. I read about the children’s personal qualities and how they brighten the teachers’ days. I was reminded that being around the children does that to me, too. At the same time, looking out of the window at after school football clubs, I was inspired by the dedication of those who genuinely change a child’s life in only an hour or two a week.
I was so inspired on Thursday when I visited Lower School to watch the 1C class assembly. It was themed around Roald Dahl, who was himself the most inspirational of people: not just an author but a screenwriter, a secret service spy, a wartime aircraft pilot and so much more. He believed that humour and kindness were the keys to life. As I heard the Year 1 children tell his story, I felt a fresh breath of air entering me. They sang ‘Count On Me’ by Bruno Mars as part of their assembly. Listening to them sing, I remembered that my colleagues and I made a video to that song during lockdown as a way of uniting the staff community and reminding the St. Helen’s College children and parents that, although not physically together, we were all together in spirit. I had tears in my eyes as I remembered how inspirational, although difficult, a time those Covid lockdown months were. I witnessed Mr. and Mrs. Crehan and Ms Drummond doing everything they could to lead the school successfully through that time; I saw parents take on homeschooling challenges with grace and patience; I looked after key worker children who understood that their parents were doing crucial work and that was why they were the only ones in school; I watched so many videos that pupils across the year groups made to demonstrate how their learning continued. I saw parents juggle home working, key worker roles and family management and I was so proud to see colleagues pulling together, taking on the strangest and most unfamiliar of roles and challenges. Lockdown was hard: we all saw illness and loss. But it was also an inspirational time, filled with patience, courage and hope.
We have come a long way since lockdown, but I think the important things that we have learnt from it persist. We know how important it is to take joy in the little things, how we must not take each other or our daily lives for granted. We have been reminded, too, of how crucial it is for our wellbeing to continue to inspire ourselves and others by trying new things, by being kind, and by sharing our learning, our happiness and our growth every day.
As I said, I am so lucky to work at St. Helen’s College where everyone strives tirelessly to do these things. I am so grateful to the community that inspires me on a daily basis.
I hope you have an inspirational weekend. I’ll be resting for most of this one!
Mrs. Smith
Posted on: 20/01/2023Year 5 STEM Ambassadors
At St. Helen’s College we are always working to ensure that our curriculum is balanced, dynamic, forward-looking and, most of all, memorable and engaging. We guide the children to learn in many different ways and enjoy setting tasks that develop skills across the curriculum so that they may hone knowledge and skills in several subjects at once. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) is a huge area and one on which we focus in order to prepare our children in the best way for the ever-evolving world ahead of them. We are also careful to embed themes of Climate Change and Sustainability throughout the children’s learning so that they can work to make sure that our world survives for future generations.
We are proud that our pupils learn to work independently from a young age and, while we have a large staff of enthusiastic, specialist teachers who love nothing more than to be involved with the children, we guard against over-reliance on adults in the classroom. One of the ways in which we encourage both independence and teamwork is through requiring children to work collaboratively so that, through discussion and thoughtful teacher facilitation, they may direct their own learning.
Recently, guided by Ms Gilham, our Year 5 children have been working on a project that embodies these philosophies. Ms Gilham explains:
The Year 5 children were set a challenge (from stem.org) to build a flood-proof house on Watu Island. They were required to design their house, build it and pitch their house to the rest of the group at the end of the project.
Their ‘hook’ was a picture of social injustice as one of the many impacts of climate change: a family stuck on a corrugated iron roof with rising flood waters around them. Rising sea levels mean that families from developing countries suffer greatly, losing homes and livelihoods, an injustice caused by CO2 emissions (largely from other parts of the world) which bring about global warming.
In teams, the Year 5 children reflected on this in order to understand the need for building cost-effective, sustainable and flood proof houses. They followed this process as the project went on:
Design And Build - together, we looked at typical houses and how to adapt these into structures that could float. The children undertook a survey of Watu Island, taking into account amenities and location and likelihood of flooding. This brought into play their art and geography skills and enhanced their decision making on matters of practicality.
Testing And Evaluation Of Materials - we considered the suitability of various materials, thinking about their properties including strength and how water proof and flood proof they might be. This required scientific evaluation, prediction and investigation.
Costing The Build - each material was assigned a different cost and the children had a budget to which they had to stick. In order to ‘purchase’ the materials they required to build their house, they needed to practise their maths and learn to make smart decisions on the sustainability of materials, also taking into account the manufacture and transport of those materials.
Reflection On Values Learned - the children thought about their outcomes, including their own contribution to their team’s work and the determination, creativity, decision making and problem solving they had practised and developed.
The project experience highlighted the strengths of each team member and of each team as a collective. Weaknesses were also identified and, through collaboration and problem solving skills, were addressed. This process helped the children to develop skills and knowledge across the STEM subjects.
Testing the children’s completed houses in simulated flood conditions was so much fun! The children watched anxiously to see how their own houses would fare and were encouraging to other teams as their houses attempted to survive flood and cyclone conditions. They then considered why one house turned out to be more flood-proof than another.
The Winning Team!
Here are some examples of the pupils’ learning shown through their reflections, opinions, thoughts and the presentations in which they pitched their houses to their peers. At the end of the process, the children evaluated each presentation, rated the houses based on the four main points and voted for the best house.
Golden Nuggets Presentation
House Test Video
Ali’s what I’ve learnt so far
Final thoughts from Tiya
As a practitioner and as Science Subject Leader, I am always working to develop the science curriculum in a fun and practical-based way as well as to make it challenging for the children. I believe that we achieved these aims in this project. In reviewing the children’s pictures, videos, written work and in conversations with them, it was clear to see that they were engaged and excited learners, that they developed several skills and acquired a lot of important knowledge and that they were able to reflect on their learning in order to use it as a springboard for the future. Like the pupils and like the other teachers here, I too constantly reflect on what happens in the classroom and use what I have learnt to refine and improve my practice.
Thank you, Ms Gilham, for guiding the children through such a well-planned, well-executed, interesting and important project.
For me as Head, what is perhaps most exciting is that this Year 5 project is just a snapshot of the enormous variety of learning opportunities offered to children throughout the school each day. St. Helen’s College is a place filled daily with those ‘lightbulb moments’ where children discover something new about the world and themselves. It is a pleasure and a privilege for the staff here to guide your children’s learning. Do keep asking them each day what they have done, what they have learnt and what they are looking forward to next. Your engagement with their learning will make a huge difference too.
Ms Drummond
Posted on: 6/01/2023Does It Add Up?
Happy New Year to you all! The children have very excitedly settled back into their learning and the buzz of excitement around the school is tangible!
I am sure that many of you were interested to hear of Rishi Sunak’s proposal that pupils in England will study maths up until the age of 18. Currently pupils in England are only required to study maths up to the age of 16. Mr. Sunak has stated that we need to "reimagine our approach to numeracy".
At St. Helen’s College we pride ourselves on our approach to the teaching of maths and our ‘challenge for all’ mantra encourages all pupils to achieve highly. But what is fundamental in our lessons is that the children really understand number and its application from the concrete models of numbers to being able to apply their knowledge of maths to more abstract problems and to use this knowledge and understanding across other subjects.
Since Mr. Sunak’s announcement there has been much debate about why there are such issues surrounding how maths is taught to children, with some stating that children should be taught more advanced concepts like multiplication and algebra at a younger age. St. Helen’s College pupils are already exposed to such concepts at a young age and it was inspiring to hear from one of our current Year 6 pupils that her favourite subject was maths because she is able to use it across so many other subjects. Our pupils are aware that they will be required to use data and number in a wide variety of situations and to see the benefits of mathematical understanding as they use data analysis skills in their other learning such as science and geography (tables, graphs, charts). Their analytical skills are certainly being developed at an early age.
I am currently preparing some of our Year 6 pupils for their Year 6 senior school interviews and in a group session we discussed Rishi Sunak’s proposal as any changes may affect them post 16. I was so delighted when one of the pupils responded that she thinks that they should continue to study maths after their GCSEs as they will need maths skills in later life; she went on to give me examples such as buying or planning/designing a house, cooking, measuring, converting money if travelling, having a bank account and more.
One of the statistics being reported is that only four in ten children and young people say they have had some financial education at school. This is an aspect of ‘life skills’ which schools (particularly secondary schools) need to address. But as parents we also have a responsibility to start these life skills in financial education at home at a young age. Children need to learn about money and its value and importance for living. Sadly some children rarely have the opportunity to handle money now and some are not aware of how we ‘earn’ money. So if the penny drops that this may be your child (no pun intended), please take the opportunity to ‘play’ with your children - take them shopping, let them earn pocket money in return for doing chores around the house and let them save for something special. Talk to them about what bank accounts are; as they get older they will be more inquisitive and there is so much learning which can be instigated at home. Many banks now give great support for financial education for parents in how to help their children - see the link here from HSBC, for example.
Our children are not set into ability groups for maths unlike at many other schools; I am sure that we can all remember the stigma attached to being in the ‘top set’ or the ‘bottom set’. We believe that it is every child’s right to be exposed to the same advanced maths language and concepts. Many experts have shared their views on ‘setting’ in maths and one of these is educational consultant David Didau - you can read his views here. As the pupils move through Key Stage 2 here at St. Helen’s College they will have already had time to ‘own’ their learning of mathematical concepts via their ‘Learning Logs’. These are instrumental for teachers for their planning and assessment of learning and, ultimately, for the pupils to identify their strengths and areas of mathematical skill and application.
I am very proud of how our pupils are prepared for their lives ahead and have such an awareness of why we teach what we teach and how we teach it. It is so important that school and home empower our children to enjoy maths, to understand why we learn maths and to give them opportunities to use their mathematical skills and knowledge not only in their other subjects in school but in their everyday lives.
Ms Drummond
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