Thinking about Learning.  That is the theme for this week’s assembly. In a live streamed broadcast, Head of Enrichment, Mr Instone, explained that the ability to learn is a life skill that should last a lifetime.  He went on to talk about what learning is and how it can be enhanced or stopped from happening; what helps and what hinders learning with tips on how we can all promote learning better. The talk also features an interview with one of our Head Students, Kian, who explains his approach to successful learning.

Following Mr Instone’s broadcast, tutor and their pupils then took part in a focused group discussion.  It is one you could easily take part in at home.

Everyone has successfully learnt something so far in their life – it could be within a school subject but ideally it will have learnt elsewhere, at any time, by your own choice – another language, a computer game, how to cook, to make something, a musical instrument or a song, a sport, surfing, cycling, dancing or some other skill. How did that happen?

• what do you need to be able to learn?
• what strategies did you use successfully to learn? 
• what shortcuts have you used to gain the skill or retain the knowledge?
• what media/delivery methods for information were used?
• what length of time was involved?
• how did you feel about this particular ‘learning’?
• how did you know you had been successful?
• what doesn’t work, what holds you back?

Thinking about learning is ongoing, and it applies to all of us. Points raised in our tutor sessions were collected to inform our next session and for Years 11 and 13 to inform their imminent focus on revision.  Keep thinking about learning!