Academic Enrichment Roundup: October half term
Please see below for a year-by-year roundup of the many exciting enrichment activities that have taken place this first half of the Michaelmas Term!
Year 7
This year’s Academic Enrichment programme has started with a real buzz amongst the Year 7 girls. After two sessions discussing independent learning and organisation, the majority of the sessions have involved investigating different logic and problem-solving puzzles. Year 7 have also had a talk from the Head of Modern Languages on the best ways to go about learning languages. Next half term, the focus will switch to Oracy skills before moving on to look at introductory research skills, which will be deployed in the Key Stage 3 Research Project after Christmas.
Year 8
This year’s Academic Enrichment programme has seen an energetic start amongst the Year 8 pupils. They have spent that majority of the half term learning debating skills to build on Oracy work completed last year. It was impressive to see the level of thought and passion that had gone into creating the debates.The pupils have also had a follow up lecture on Shakespeare to mark their Shakefest achievements and encourage them to engage still further with The Bard. After half term, pupils will have sessions designed to improve their research skills, ahead of the Key Stage 3 Research Project after Christmas.
Year 9
Year 9 started their Academic Enrichment programme exploring new ideas at vastly different scales. The first phase looked at the inner workings of the mind, exploring metacognition and learning, with the aim of empowering pupils to take more control of how they approach tasks. The second phase moved from cellular-scale processes in the brain to investigating galaxies, telescopes, and comets, as part of a three-week introduction to Astronomy. Next half term, pupils will have a series of tasks designed to build their decision-making and collaboration skills.
Year 10
The Academic Enrichment programme for Year 10 pupils has started with a series of talks designed to explore the connections between subjects. These have included the link between music and physics, the parallels between the classical world and modern US politics, and a discussion on politics, religion, and history in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. The overarching goal is to encourage pupils to seek out where their own passions lie, which may well be outside the subjects they currently study, or across and between several of them. Next half term, pupils will undertake an oratory project, designed to build their confidence in public speaking.
Year 11
Year 11 were exposed to new subjects that might not be familiar to them, including Politics and Psychology. They have also had a lecture on Macbeth and a discussion on politics, religion, and history in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. Next half term will see pupils undertake an introduction to Economics, as well as exploring ways to develop their cultural capital.
Year 12
This year’s Academic Enrichment programme began with a bang for the Lower Sixth, who started with two talks designed to help them consider new organisational and learning habits for work in the Sixth Form. This was followed by seminar-style discussions on our Sixth Form Enrichment book, ‘Animal Farm’, and a lecture on the influence of George Orwell, before hearing some excellent student talks in the Singer Prize Symposium. Next half term will see the start of their own Sixth Form Symposium, with staff and pupils delivering short talks on a wide range of different academic topics of personal interest and passion.
Year 13
This year’s Academic Enrichment programme has seen the Upper Sixth tackle a range of 21st Century Challenges, each presented by a different member of staff. Pupils have been challenged to recognise the issues surrounding Energy, Technology, Food, Health, and Ageing, before considering how their chosen path beyond GHS might be influenced by these issues or be brought to bear in helping address them. They have also heard some outstanding student talks in the Singer Prize Symposium.
