School Matters 36

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TRUE LIFE CRIMINOLOGY CONFERENCE

ELEVATE EDUCATION As part of their Foundations programme, both S10 and PVI pupils attended sessions delivered by Jonny Fryer of Elevate Education, an organisation committed to improving pupils’ study skills. Elevate’s rationale is that pupils have a vague awareness of what good study skills look like but that this does not always translate into effective action and “low-value” habits (such as rote learning or writing dense notes) persist when it comes to revision season. The Elevate sessions broke down study skill processes so that pupils can readily apply them, especially in the context of revision. Jonny was highly engaging and energetic and the content persuasive and grounded in recent research. The S10 session was called ‘Study Sensei’, the title alluding to levels of accomplishment in the martial arts, and this analogy was used to illustrate the importance of academic mastery: that it takes purposeful, deliberate practice to really succeed. One revelation of the day for many pupils was that completing three practice papers per subject as part of their revision would radically increase chances of success when it comes to GCSEs proper. The focus was not just on exams though, and pupils left the session with a number of helpful tips for any kind of independent work, such as effective note-taking, which will serve them well as they embark on project-based qualifications such as the HPQ and EPQ in the future, and, indeed, in their academic lives beyond school. Mr Nic Walker, Gibbins Tutor

Sixth Form pupils studying Psychology had the opportunity to attend a Criminology conference held at IPS. Ex-offenders came to speak to the pupils about life in prison, discuss the role of prison in society and the effects it has had on their lives. Pupils were given time to discuss ideas on whether they thought retribution or rehabilitation was more important when it came to

dealing with offenders. They also had the chance to experience how it felt to be a member of a jury when they were presented with evidence in a mock trial, with surprising results. There was even an opportunity for some pupils to try on some prison attire to help illustrate what life is like for prisoners. The most interesting part of the day however was when pupils were able to hear some personal stories and ask the ex-offenders directly about their experiences. Miss Abi Levesque, Teacher of Psychology

TIE DYE TOTE BAGS Senior 7, 8 and 9 have been having fun in Craft Club using fabric dyes to create fabulous psychedelic patterns on cotton tote bags. They used different folding and scrunching techniques, along with masses of rubber bands and a variety of coloured dyes to produce multi-coloured swirls and funky stripes on their totes. In follow up sessions, they learned how to print illustrated designs and typography onto the bags they had created. They were shown how to print their designs using the sublimation printer and press them onto their bags using the heat press, with stunning results. Well done to all the pupils who took part and thank you to Mrs Harris for her assistance during these Craft Club sessions. Miss Chloe Hemming, Art Technician, School of Art