- 14/3/12 Year 13 Parents' Forum. 18.00-19.00
- 15/3/12 Year 8 Consultation Evening. 17.30
- 15/3/12 Year 12 Reprts home.
- 16/3/12 Year 9 & Year 10 grades and levels home.
- 21/3/12 Guidance Day 3
Message from Mr Frost
I was teaching the first lesson of background content on the Year 10 Controlled Assessment this week and a student questioned whether she could re-do it if she did badly. It re-ignited an argument in my mind about whether the re-sit culture in schools has gone too far? There were times during my leadership of the Sixth Form here and as Head of Humanities in a previous school, that I saw the individual benefit of students re-sitting units from year 12 to 13 to boost their entry chances to University and indeed many conversations were happening in school yesterday as Year 11 and 13 students received their latest re-sit results. However, I worry for the future of young people if, as a society, we are developing too much of a culture of it is “acceptable” to underachieve on our first attempt. I would like to think as Parents, Staff and indeed the wider community, that we would like our young people to approach tasks with a desire and spirit to maximise their success first time, albeit on occasions some remedial work is necessary. In the world of a public servant, I am supposed to remain apolitical, but I think there is real merit in Michael Gove’s desire to reduce the education system’s re-sit culture, even if it will present challenges for both colleagues and students in schools in the years to come. Although the student in question was well motivated in her question, I will leave the individual discussions and philosophising about the culture we have developed for your breakfast tables and our meetings.
The week in school has been relatively sombre with several students and staff attending the funeral of Mr O’Brien’s partner’s daughter on Wednesday; whilst the student went to Framingham Earl, she was known by many of our students, and our thoughts go out to her family and friends, and our colleagues at Framingham.
To end on an upbeat note, I am very much looking forward to seeing the students and their pets tonight at the CNSA Pet Show, and my gratitude to Alison Coyle for organising the event with the rest of the CNSA.
