Extended Learning Day 2
On Thursday 27 November, all pupils in school participated in our second ‘Extended Learning Day’ of the academic year.
Year 7 Pupils took part in activities integrating MFL, Music, Art and Design and Food Technology to develop a cultural understanding of ‘El día de los Muertos’, also known grimly as the ‘Day of the Dead’, a holiday traditionally celebrated in Mexico, for time, prayer and remembrance for friends or family that have passed away. Pupils watched the Disney Pixar animation ‘Coco’, inspired by the culture, traditions and values associated with ‘El día de los Muertos’. The holiday is often associated with symbolic skull designs, or “calaveras,” so the pupils used oil pastels and pattern transfer techniques to produce colourful patterned mono-printed skull pieces of artwork. Many pupils enjoyed various examples of mariachi music and other traditional Mexican folk music in a “Coco inspired” music lesson. They learnt how the music of Coco incorporates Mexican and Spanish musical styles, as well as dance, costumes and instruments, and were able to link back to their previous ELD on the Holy Souls. Instead of honing their musical talents, others created culinary delights in the form of sweet sugar skulls to represent the traditional sweets used to celebrate “El día de los muertos” in a food session. The whole day was very uplifting and celebratory, to recreate the atmosphere of this beautiful tradition.
All pupils in years 8-11 spent time visiting a careers fair in the sports hall, finding out information to help them plan their own futures from local employers, FE and HE establishments.
Year 8 pupils enjoyed a day of business and marketing activities, incorporating design technology, mathematics, business and computing. Pupils worked in their form groups on their business ‘idea’, a breakfast cereal brand. They learned about marketing strategy looking at the four Ps – Product, Price, Place and Promotion. They designed their own cereal boxes, incorporated their slogans, decided how they would like to promote their product, and explored business finance. Pupils enriched their business and marketing knowledge, and built valuable skills for their future.
Year 9 pupils enjoyed a day called ‘Skills That Stick’, which was based how they can build ‘real-word skills’ (transferable life skills) through practical subjects. They looked specifically at Music, Drama and PE and took part in team building games in PE, a percussion workshop run by More Music, and a drama workshop run by Melodrama. They then finished the day with a live performance and talk from upcoming artist Joel Foster. They are encouraged to really think about how they can continue to develop these transferable life skills and what creative and practical opportunities they are allowing themselves to be part of.
Year 10 pupils took part in an energy resources and efficiency science day filled with practical investigations and hands-on challenges. The day began with an introductory session using videos to explore renewable energy, insulation, and combustion. Each group completed the insulation required practical by wrapping varying layers of newspaper around beakers of hot water and recording temperature changes to determine the most effective insulation. The wind turbine session involved pupils constructing cardboard propellers powered by steam to demonstrate energy transfer. The combustion session explored complete and incomplete combustion, with pupils comparing different hydrocarbon fuels by measuring how effectively each heated water while observing soot production to evaluate fuel efficiency.
Finally, Year 11 pupils took part in a ‘Careers Workshop’ combining three career focused events that included a careers fair; how to develop key employability skills and mock interviews. The full day’s learning itself was designed to raise awareness of future career options and for pupils to become more aware of the skills and knowledge needed to enter the future world of work. The day’s learning had sixteen local and national employers, FE and HE establishments attend the event, all potentially looking for students and employees of the future. They also had time to work with the chaplaincy team looking at marriage as a vocation. Finally, all pupils were in receipt of a fantastic opportunity to meet with employers at the end of the day for mock interviews where they were given feedback on performance and guidance on how to improve for future interviews
We are very grateful to all staff and the large number of visitors for their hard work and support in ensuring our pupils benefit from these invaluable wider experiences and encounters with employers, and to all pupils for their consistent interest and enthusiasm.
