Review and Reflection

Pupils across the School have enjoyed off-timetable sessions allowing them to engage in Review & Reflect sessions. This is the second time the sessions have run at the School, with the aim to give all tutors and tutees time together to speak about progress and targets. Pupils reflect on their engagement and progress with their academic learning and personal development, through both curricular and co-curricular activities, with Year 11 also having the opportunity to discuss preliminary option choices and thoughts about future careers.

Each year group had one or two additional sessions led by staff and students. A fantastic team of Upper School and Year 11 leaders from our Environment Society and Eco-Committee took the Lower School through an exploration of David Attenborough's A Life on our Planet. It was lovely to hear them rave afterwards about how impressed they were by the enthusiasm of our Year 7s and 8s in the post-viewing discussion.

Ms Seed and Mrs Wattley led brilliant sessions for our Year 9 and 10 pupils, encouraging them to critically approach their own use of social media through clips of The Social Dilemma in discussion focus groups. They asked themselves challenging questions about whether we have become the product, and how much this should be of concern.

The Minority Students' Union put together a coordinated viewing and reflection session on the incredibly powerful film, 13th, for Year 11 and Upper School students. Their discussion centred on how the systems for justice operate here and now. They posed the vital question: what will be the shape of things to come? It was an immensely meaningful exploration of the issues at hand.

In the Performing to Potential session led by Mr English, Year 7 and 8 pupils considered ways to own and grow their potential in a number of ways, including how to make the very best of opportunities to play to their strengths and perform at their very best to show what they are made of.

Year 9 and 10 pupils listened to a talk by Mr Keeler on the Psychology of Failure which explained that failure is not something to be scared of, but rather, with the right mindset, a way to identify areas where growth and improvement are possible. Using findings from research to back up the guidance, students were advised to embrace failure rather than hide from it.

All round, it was an incredibly inspiring and constructive day. We were so proud of how our pupils engaged with the topics at hand and embraced the opportunity to take in such positive and potentially long-lasting lessons.