AS PART of their transitions week, St Clere's had a large number of stalls from around the world stationed in the gym. Not only did it give next terms year 7 a flavour of their courses but it gave them a sense of the global feel at St Clere's.
THEY HAVE been a highly visible presence at the Gateway Academy. At all the theatre productions; at all the key parents information evenings; at helping out at sports day and of course during the key visit of the education minister, Michael Gove.
IT IS good to see that Grays School and Media Arts College have put this years collection of art on display in public. Once again, a vast variety of excellent work was on display.
Sport at William Edwards School is at an all time high and our students are even more determined than ever to compete against the best schools. The students and the staff have worked tirelessly in lessons and extra-curricular practices before school, lunchtimes and after school. We are really proud of all out students and we are already looking forward to when we return in September.”
THE STUDENTS paraded around the arena in the colours of their respective colleges and performed with equal enthusisam. They received great support from the teachers as well who also held their own tug-of-war. The students gave their all and it was good to see that the winners receive plaudits but also warm receptions for all the competitors.
AS YOU may note, the school films are coming thick and fast. In many ways, July is the best window to illustrate all the great work that our senior schools are doing. With the art work, it is simple really: Just let the camera float along and be amazed at the high quality of the work by the students.
STUDENTS at Grays School displayed their talents in a whole array of media skills as part of their Media Arts Day at the Hathaway Road school. The weather stayed fine as percussion sessions were enjoyed outside as well as the drama sessions for Commedia dell'arte.
ONE OF THE key mission statements for the Thurrock International Celebration of Culture (TICC) is to try and get a feel for what people feel about the borough they live in. That is always a tricky thing. For many that is a tricky thing. For many people,they live, they work etc and don't spend a lot of time reflecting too deeply.
THE FIELD at Quarry Hill primary was a blur of activity all day as the pupils enjoyed participating in their annual sports day. The morning belonged to the infants and the afternoon, the juniors. It was also good to see so many parents also watching the student sportsmen and women.
In a fierce contest between their year 9 and 10 teams in the senior final, the year 10 team, led by captain Sam Chilvers, beat the year 9 team, led by Ben Kent by a mere 7 runs. In a game that ebbed and flowed the year 10 team were deserved victors with thanks to Man of the Match Matthew Slaughter whose bowling ripped through the heart of the year 9 batting line up.
WHAT IS interesting about many of the ideas and challenges that go on in July in Thurrock schools is that there is always a number of learning outcomes.
At the Hassenbrook Maths challenge, it wasn't only about improving the students abilities at maths but also getting the message across that Maths is used in a whole range of subjects.
IN FRONT of a packed audience, the students of Ormiston Park Academy and St Clere's put on a series of excellent performances as part of the Thurrock International Celebration of Culture (TICC). The highlight was a play on mental health issues performed by the St Clere students. A thought provoking and mature piece of work,
Chafford Hundred prides itself on its international reputation. Flags from countries around the world adorn the school and as the school moves towards academy status, you can see that this dimension to the school will be heightened.
IT IS ALWAYS good to compare and contrast (like those old school history essays) the different ways schools approach "Transitions Week". For many schools, it means that they can hit the ground running in September. YT dropped in on a a Geography lesson at Chafford Hundred and then spoke to co-ordinator Lisa Strong about the value of the week.
IT USED to be Transitions Day but now it is Transitions Week. This gives the students much more time to get a feel for the school. It has certainly gone down well with the students who have really enjoyed it.
