10th May 2024
HEADLINES
By James Saunders
THANK YOU TEACHERS Well it is finally starting to feel like the summer term. The sun is out and it has been another lovely week at Honywood. I am very privileged in my job in that I get opportunities that many teachers don’t have - I get to visit loads of lessons to see our learners in action in multiple subjects. This week I have been into many lessons and have loved every minute. I am ending the week feeling very proud to work alongside a great bunch of colleagues who have our learners at their very core. It often feels like behaviour is the all consuming part of being a teacher. It doesn’t help that this is a backdrop that is mirrored nationally. One can be forgiven for allowing these things to permeate all of our thoughts. The danger is that we place our attention on systems and structures rather than the environment they lead to. I am pleased to say that the behaviour I have seen this week has been excellent and the conditions in place in every classroom have been conducive to learning. So let’s forget about behaviour for the moment and talk about the thing that we love to do at Honywood teach. I am proud to call myself a teacher. When I am in the classroom I am a teacher first and a head second. That love of teaching is shared across the school. During my visits to lessons I have been able to observe the rich and varied diet that our learners receive across the school day and see the wonderful work that goes into creating a learning journey for each individual. As it is teacher appreciation week I thought I would share some of the highlights I have seen this week:
• Deepening Thinking through ethical debates about euthanasia in C10 PRC - thank you Mr Tolhurst and Miss Ward. • Structured reflection time in C8 Drama that enabled learners to develop their own EBis and WWWs and then redraft their work as a result thank you Miss Sadler. • Learner led creating knowledge structures through detailed modelling and questioning in C11 History - thank you Mr Williams. • Well structured peer support in C9 Science practicals that enabled all learners to engage with the topic - thank you Miss Day. • A fantastic C9 cover lesson in English where the learners were developing their oracy skills and modelling for each other - thank you Mrs Harris. • Learner led modelling in C9 English to ensure a thorough understanding of how to construct answers - thank you Mrs Sparrow. • Breaking down abstract concepts using visual models in C7 Maths to support learners to understand fractions - thank you Mrs Wheatcroft. • Excellent use of classroom support in C7 Art to ensure learners could demonstrate their creative print skills - thank you Mrs Dixon. • Focused and purposeful learner led exam prep in C11 Science. They all were relaxed and feeling positive about today’s first GCSE exam - Biology - thank you Mr Dyer.