Learning New Skills with a Trusty Chisel
Learning to chisel out wood to make a joint can be quite tricky and requires patience.
Making a Centre Bridle Joint, not easy as you have to ensure the cuts are accurate and straight.
Last night Mrs Foster and Mr Betlem got dressed up and took two of our KS4 students to attend the Police and Crime Commissioner Awards. We were joined by Professor Donna Peberdy and Fergus Mclean from Solent University and the Screening Sexual Violence project.
We were all invited following our nomination in the Partnership Working category for our film Now Your Turn. It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the collaboration behind the project and the important message the film shares. Unfortunately Wayne K, also an integral partner in the project, wasn’t able to join us on the evening, but we continue to keep him updated and involved. It was a proud moment to represent the partnership and the young people who helped bring this project to life.
If you havent seen our film yet check it out through the Screening Sexual Violence resource. Link below.
https://screeningsexualviolence.com/now-your-turn/
We are so proud of our students!
Preparing to Hit the Slopes of Claviere Next Week!
Next week, the seven lucky students who are part of this year’s ski trip will head off to Claviere in the Italian Alps.
Over the past six weeks, the boys have been taking part in a one-hour lesson each week to learn the basics and prepare for their upcoming trip to the Alps.
Every student started the first lesson as a complete beginner, having never stepped into a pair of skis before. Since then, they have all shown fantastic effort and focus as they developed their skills. Along the way, they have overcome a few obstacles, challenges, and even some nerves.
We’re now heading to the slopes with seven beginner – but confident – skiers who are ready to put their new skills into practice.
Fingers crossed for plenty of fresh snow and sunshine. We’re sure it will be an amazing experience, and we’ll share an update once we return!
‘Liccle Bit’ can help start important discussions about peer
pressure, choices and the importance of making positive decisions. Storylines break
down the stigma around topics to enable discussions to take place.
Pupils have covered a range of work related to this book: relaxing whilst listening to a story; comprehension questions; artwork inspired by the book and activities to develop their comprehension, inference and oracy skills.
We would recommend this book…would you like to read it?
At school Lemar, also known as Liccle Bit due to his height,
is like any teenage boy. He's in love with a girl who barely notices him, he
mucks about with his best mates, and he spends a lot of time doodling in his workbooks.
However, at home on the South Crongton Estate his mum is constantly exhausted,
his sister is struggling to adjust to life as a single mother, and his dad is
living on the other side of London with his new family. Lemar gains the
attention of South Crongton's most notorious gangster, and it's not long before
he has Lemar running errands for him. Soon a chain of events will see Lemar
down a road he never wanted to go down, will he be able to stop it?
This week in PSHE we were introduced to Jess from the Star Project. The focus of the lesson was learning how to communicate respectfully and thinking about how our communication affects others.
To start the lesson, we introduced ourselves and then played an icebreaker activity involving Lego. In this activity we had to give and follow instructions to build something out of Lego, which tested how clearly we could communicate and how well we could listen.
Some people may have felt rushed during the task because others wanted to finish quickly. When someone made a mistake, they might have felt judged even if no one meant to make them feel that way. It also became clear that when one person had most of the control in the activity, it could feel unfair or frustrating for others who didn’t get as much of a chance to contribute.
Later in the lesson we discussed “red flags” and “green flags” in relationships. A key point was that power in a healthy relationship should be equal. Both people should respect each other and make decisions together.
We also talked about trust. For example, going through your partner’s phone is not healthy because relationships should be based on trust and respect for each other’s privacy. Another topic we discussed was time spent together. Spending time with a partner is important, but it is also healthy to have your own friends, hobbies, and interests.
Finally, we talked about personal choices, such as clothing. It isn’t okay for someone to control what their partner wears. People should be able to make their own choices and express themselves.
Overall, the lesson helped us understand how important respectful communication, trust, and equality are in healthy relationships.
We have three more sessions with Jess where we will explore different topics for both KS3 and KS4 students. If anyone has any questions about our work with Yellow Door or PSHE in school please email or call Mrs Foster.
As part of their personalised timetables, pupils on the school’s Engagement Pathways are often given the opportunity to work with dogs as part of their personal development provisions.
This regularly involves walking, training and playing games with the dogs and is a great opportunity for the pupils to engage in something different to their regular lessons. It has also proven to have therapeutic and calming benefits for the pupils and staff alike. Pupils also have the opportunity to gain certificates in AQA unit awards for this too.
Many of these dogs belong to school staff and it has been confirmed by a number of different parties that they are indeed, good boys (and girls).
