LANGLEY NEWS - Langley School
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
langleyschool.co.uk
LANGLEY NEWS
Easter Edition: Issue 19
Olympiads The Woman in Black Question Time
We are only three weeks into this half-term, but with so much going on we have already filled the
next issue. Another reason I wanted to bring the publication forward, however, was to highlight as
soon as possible the points featured below in the academic study on revision. You will see that to be
successful, pupils need to start revision early as this will allow the approach of regular (spaced and
interleaved) bite-sized practice. But also, please note point four, time used to just read and highlight
notes will not be well spent. Mental struggle is an essential part of learning. In addition to the
academic benefits of an early start, we take our mental health and wellbeing very seriously at Langley
and can think of no better way to reduce the stress and anxiety of examinations than to begin revising
proactively before teachers have finished delivering the examination board specifications. So, do not
leave it – start now! Hopefully, the wind and rain will have died down soon and we will have a return
to the glorious weather seen in February in time for all to enjoy the Easter break.
Effective Revision
At Langley, we espouse an evidence-based This link https://www.tes.com/news/gcses- and often’. A single block of time is
approach to teaching and learning. Rather how-make-learning-stick takes you to a full nowhere near as effective as going over
than following fads we are a member of the academic article on revision but here are a something more regularly over time.
Chartered College of Teachers as well as couple of key points: 3. Start early – it’s the only way to be able to
the Evidence Based Teacher Network and 1. Practise testing. Ask your parents or distribute your practice (see point two!)
spend significant time following the latest siblings to test you and complete online 4. Do not just re-read and highlight text –
research into what really works well in the questions or practice papers. Focus on researchers say this may be easier, but
classroom. This evidence extends to the the areas you are unsure on or get wrong it’s much less effective. Your brain needs
home environment too and pupils need to be and then retest. to struggle with bringing information to
taught how to revise well. As with most skills, 2. Distribute your practice (space it out). mind for you to learn!
this is something that needs to be practised. You’ve probably heard it before: ‘little .
Langley News: Issue 19 Parliament Trip A group of Year 12 and Year 13 Politics students from Langley took part in a trip to Parliament. The event started with a tour around the Palace of Westminster, including a visit to the House of Commons chamber and the House of Lords. The students also got to see the Queens Gallery where the monarch gets ready before the state opening of Parliament and the committee rooms where detailed scrutiny of the government takes place. Following the tour, our students took part in a role-play activity where they took the part of MPs on a Select Committee. Overall, it was a very entertaining and educational day at the heart of government in London. The Woman in Black ‘Best thing I’ve ever seen ...’ Callum, Year 11. a masterclass in tension-filled tale-telling, jump-frights and GCSE and A-Level Drama groups braved the freezing temperatures scary sound design. Never before have the welcoming lights of London to witness the equally spine-chilling play ‘The Woman of Birchanger Service’s KFC been so gratefully received as they in Black’. Billed as ‘One of the Best Horror Stories Ever Staged’, were on the journey home! Our thanks to Mr Watts for putting the group were treated to a whistle-stop tour of the National it all together and leading the trip and to the encyclopaedic- Theatre and Covent Garden, courtesy of Langley’s resident knowledge of Mr Sullivan, who made a most enlightening tour West End expert Nigel Sullivan, before the evening’s main event: guide! Holly Bourne Author Visit Langley School was invited to attend an author visit and talk by Holly Bourne at Norwich High School. Holly started her writing career as a news journalist, she then spent six years working as a relationship advisor and general ‘agony aunt’ for a youth charity, helping young people with their relationships and mental health. The talk titled, ‘Kindness is Contagious’, publicises her latest book ‘Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes’ and was a reassuring talk about mental health and the pressures on young people. It included a strong emphasis on the importance of kindness and self-compassion. There was also some discussion on how reading for pleasure can help our mental health and help us make sense of the darker parts of our own lives. It was a well pitched event involving Year 9 and Year 10 girls. We are all aware of how the increasing pressures teenagers are under can affect their mental health. There was an opportunity to speak to and buy signed copies from Holly after the talk.
Langley News: Issue 19
Question Time Debate
A Question Time style session involving the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, independent schools should be able to keep
local politicians and a representative from and UKIP. Some of the many questions the their exemption on VAT. The event itself
the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce was panel were asked included topical issues was a great success and enlightened and
held at Langley to an audience of mainly such as whether the age of voting should amused the audience. Many thanks go to
sixth formers from the school. Panel be lowered, the rights of former members Oliver Sherwood for inviting the guests and
guests included the Waveney Conservative of IS, the future of the UK economy after to Caitlin Ellis for chairing the debate.
MP, Peter Aldous and representatives from Brexit and (from the Headmaster!) whether
Chemistry Olympiad
Run annually, the Olympiad is an opportunity for teachers to the prestigious International Chemistry Olympiad.
challenge their Chemistry students, helping them to develop We are delighted to announce that of the three Langley Year 13
problem solving skills and apply familiar knowledge in new and Chemistry students who took part in the competition, Weronika
interesting contexts. Tomiak (our Polish Scholar) was awarded Gold, Jabez Cooke
The competition is made up of three stages, starting with the gained Silver and Nick Geere achieved Bronze.
Round 1 paper and ending with four students representing UK at
Biology Olympiad
The British Biology Olympiad challenges and stimulates students For the students, this involved extensive study outside the
with an interest in Biology to expand and extend their talents. classroom and commitment on their part; for the Year 12 involved
It enables students to demonstrate their knowledge and to be this was an even greater academic challenge!
suitably rewarded and publicly recognised. The competition Thousands of students take this exam each year, both in the UK
consists of two, 45-minute papers to be taken under exam and internationally. We are delighted to report that Weronika
conditions (voluntarily!) and covering all the A Level syllabus, plus Tomiak was awarded Silver and Tom Bannister-Curran (Year 12)
additional extension material and topic content. achieved Bronze!
Harry Potter Book Night
To celebrate and to encourage reading,
Langley School held a Harry Potter
Book Night and staged several events
throughout the day. At tutor time, teachers
either read, listened to or challenged the
students’ knowledge with a Harry Potter
Quiz. Decorated with all things Harry
Potter, a quiz with chocolate frog prizes,
word searches and colouring sheets
provided lots of entertainment in the
library at lunch time. Teachers tweaked
their activity slots to become Potterfied.
Miss Price’s ‘Quick Bakes’ [shown left and
right] looked great, and Mr Kempton’s Fun
Games were thoroughly enjoyed by all the
students.
Langley News: Issue 19
Onatti Spanish Play at Langley
Following the huge success of our French and German plays, two there is a happy ending as the saloon daughter wins her dance
talented Spanish actors from the Onatti play company visited routine and finds love too! Joe Wright did a great job throughout
Langley and put on their production set in the old Wild West- El the play as the bartender and there was some positive participation
Viejo Salón. The central theme of the plot is a saloon owner and his from Daisy McDowell, Henry Copplestone and Finlay Whiteley, as
daughter have been robbed and are short of money and, therefore, well as the audience as a whole.
decide to enter a talent competition to help pay the bills. A lot of As usual the play was a total immersion in Spanish allowing us to
hilarity ensues around the entries for the talent competition and enjoy the listening experience and the dramatic effects. Yeeha!
STEM Activity
A visitor from the Marine Society and Sea Cadets came to the they had learned. Students displayed much ingenuity in the
Langley Science Department to deliver an enthusiastic workshop design and construction of a bulk carrier, capable of transporting
on buoyancy. marbles from China to the UK. The winning team managed to
Year seven students took part in a session on up-thrust, density carry over 300 marbles until, unfortunately, the boat sprang a
and the Archimedes principle and then built boats to test what leak!
Nineteen Year 11 pupils are taking part in a programme developed before the final GCSE exams, with sessions every month.
in conjunction with Mindspan, a company founded by Gavin Drake Each pupil has created a personalised action plan, focused on
(www.mind-span.co.uk). helping them to develop self-belief, to take an increased personal
The programme is designed to enhance pupils’ academic accountability for their conduct and learning, to set appropriate
performance, through a range of training, mentoring and expert goals and to help them to do focused revision that will maximise
learning sessions, including a video session with Jake Humphrey. their chances of success in both their exams and life beyond
The programme began in November, and will run up until just school.
There is so much going on at Langley this term, we don’t want
you to miss anything. Please visit our website for the latest
news and results from around the school: langleyschool.co.uk
You can also read
