Head of Sixth Form Lent 2

"If you are not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative." Woody Allen's wise words underpinned the focus of our Sixth Form assembly today. With Year 12 and Year 13 students receiving their reports this weekend I explained the importance of thoughtful reflection on the aspects of their studies which are going well as well as those which need attention. Their subject teachers have identified areas of work which can be improved on and given specific strategies which can be used to lift results. I encouraged students to embrace the feedback and use it to build mastery and ultimately, success; the comments might indicate failure in some aspects of learning but these are balanced with tangible suggestions to resolve the issue. Bouncing back from disappointment by taking relevant action will build the resilience necessary to navigate the challenges of modern society. After all, "I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become." (Carl Gustav Jung)

Dr Joe Organ from Brasenose College, Oxford, visited us on Thursday. He spoke to a group of prospective Oxbridge applicants from Year 12 about university life at Oxford and Cambridge and the application process. Our students are always inspired to “Aim Higher” and Dr Organ did some myth-busting with the students about the truths of studying at Oxford and Cambridge and also about the challenges that students face. The students were very enthused afterwards - the consensus was "why not apply?"