By Claire Brunell, Teacher in Secondary in charge of Aspire careers guidance
At Caxton we encourage our students to develop skills and values to become responsible global citizens, to have strong moral principles and to ensure they are well prepared for life beyond school. Volunteering plays a vital role in this process, offering students the opportunity to grow as individuals and give back to society.
The four Sixth Form students selected to represent the school at the European Youth Parliament (EYP) this academic year tell us about the experiences they had at the recent National Session in Spain.
1. What is EYP? – Alex B-T
EYP is short for the European Youth Parliament. There are national branches of EYP (such as EYP España here in Spain) and they all work together to bring together young people from around the continent who have a passion for politics.
By Bernard Andrews, Teacher of Philosophy at Caxton College
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson told The Telegraph that Labour’s curriculum review will “develop plans to embed critical skills in lessons to arm our children against the disinformation, fake news and putrid conspiracy theories awash on social media”.
In an exciting step towards fostering continuous professional growth, our Secondary school has officially launched a new teacher development programme based around the concept of Teacher Learning Communities (TLCs). This initiative, introduced recently during our “Sharing Good Practice” briefing, marks the beginning of a structured approach to collaborative learning, aimed at enhancing teaching strategies and ultimately benefiting student outcomes. The programme will revolve around the concept of Mini CPD (Continuing Professional Development) sessions, which will serve as a platform for teaching staff to engage in meaningful conversations and share best practices. Each learning community is structured to be both flexible and focused, with expert facilitators guiding discussions and ensuring that all participants gain insights relevant to their professional development.
By Ms Katy Hardman, English Summer Teacher and her Secondary class
As the summer sun casts its warm glow, Caxton College opens its doors to a vibrant world of discovery and joy. Nestled in a picturesque setting, Caxton College’s summer school programme offers a unique blend of activities designed to engage, educate, and entertain students of all ages. With a wide array of experiences ranging from creative arts to sports, the programme ensures a memorable summer filled with fun, learning, and lasting friendships.
By Ms Charlotte Owen, Head of Art in Secondary
Our Year 11 GCSE Fine Art and Year 13 A Level Fine Art students are taught how to critically analyse the artwork of a range of relevant art movements and artists. They learn to master applying subject specific vocabulary to create in depth artwork analysis, giving their opinions about the effects of the formal elements applied, whilst also comparing and contrasting the work of one artist with others. These critical thinking, speaking, and writing skills are highly transferable and beneficial to many other subjects and careers.
By Richard Ellis, Teacher of Mathematics in Secondary
This year has been a record breaking one in terms of the overall number of certificates and particularly Gold certificates won by our students sitting the UKMT Challenges. Of the Senior Challenge students, four of the Gold certificate winners, Diego D and Minanga J from Year 13, and Kethan F and Carlos L from Year 12, gave up their lunchtimes to became Student Mentors of Mathematics (SMoMs), planning and teaching lessons for our Key Stage 4 students to build their confidence and enable more of them to achieve certificates. I don’t think it is any coincidence that Diego and Minanga were interviewed for Oxford University this year: proven problem solvers are highly sought after by the top universities and employers.
Maggie W and Steve W from Year 11 achieved near perfect scores in the Intermediate Challenge and qualified for the Olympiad this year, and two of our Year 10 students, Claudia S and Hortensia F, joined the SMoM team and taught our Key Stage 3 students every Tuesday in their lunchtimes.
Of the students who took part in the Junior Challenge, 14 were awarded Gold certificates, of which 10 would have qualified for the follow-on Kangaroo round. Ari H, Alexandru C and Karen W in Year 8 were very close to qualifying for the prestigious Olympiad, the highest level of competition.
We celebrated these fantastic achievements in Awards Celebrations and the students were in high spirits. It is very promising indeed that our students are achieving such fantastic results, but more importantly, they are excited about being involved and working together as a community across year groups. We should feel very proud of our students and our community and continue to promote academic excellence and celebrate achievements!
Por Richard Ellis, Profesor de Matemáticas en Secundaria
Este año se ha batido un récord en cuanto al número total de certificados y, en particular, de certificados de oro obtenidos por nuestros estudiantes en los desafíos UKMT. De los estudiantes del Senior Challenge, cuatro de los ganadores del certificado de oro, Diego D y Minanga J de Year 13, y Kethan F y Carlos L de Year 12, dedicaron sus horas de la comida para convertirse en Student Mentors of Mathematics (SMoMs), planificando y dando clases para nuestros estudiantes de Key Stage 4 para aumentar su confianza y así permitir que más de ellos obtengan certificados. No creo que sea casualidad que Diego y Minanga hayan sido entrevistados este año para entrar en la Universidad de Oxford: las mejores universidades y empresas buscan a personas que sepan resolver problemas.
Maggie W y Steve W de Year 11 lograron puntuaciones casi perfectas en el Desafío Intermedio y se clasificaron para la Olimpiada de este año, y dos de nuestros estudiantes de Year 10, Claudia S y Hortensia F, se unieron al equipo SMoM y ayudaron a nuestros estudiantes de Key Stage 3 todos los martes en la hora de la comida.
De los estudiantes que participaron en el Junior Challenge, 14 obtuvieron certificados de oro, de los cuales 10 se habrían clasificado para la siguiente ronda Kangaroo. Ari H, Alexandru C y Karen W de Year 8 estuvieron muy cerca de clasificarse para la prestigiosa Olimpiada, el nivel más alto de la competición.
Celebramos estos logros en la entrega de premios y todos estaban muy entusiasmados. Es muy alentador que estén consiguiendo unos resultados tan fantásticos, pero lo más importante es que desean participar y trabajar juntos como una comunidad. Debemos sentirnos muy orgullosos de ellos y de toda nuestra comunidad, siempre promoviendo la excelencia académica y celebrando los logros.
By Carlos B, Year 11 student
Eighty years ago, my great-grandmother found herself and her young family in Berlin at the height of the Second World War. The British had been bombing the capital of Nazi Germany since their first daring raid against the capital of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich in August 1940, and in 1943 a massive raid by Royal Air Force bombers caused the virtual destruction of one of the most iconic landmarks in Berlin, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. This neo-Romanesque church was gutted by fire bombs, and the spire partly collapsed. My great-grandmother had a photograph taken in front of this landmark in the summer of 1944, just before she fled Berlin for Spain with my Spanish great-grandfather and baby grandmother. This photograph has been in our family ever since, and stands as a testament to our connection with an important moment in history.
Ganadores del concurso de Pi 2024 con Ms Bruce y Mr Demello
Por Mr. Terry Demello, Profesor de Matemáticas en Secundaria
Pi (generalmente representada por la letra griega π) es una de las constantes matemáticas más conocidas. Representa el cociente entre la circunferencia de un círculo y su diámetro. Para cualquier círculo, la distancia alrededor del borde es un poco más de tres veces la distancia que la atraviesa.
Un año más, nuestro alumnado del Club de Teatro de Secundaria, con el apoyo del departamento de Arte y Música, y bajo la dirección de Ms Shaw y Ms Nugent, han puesto en pie un musical de una belleza extraordinaria y una calidad interpretativa asombrosa.
Caxton College British School