Thought For The Day – Friday 6^th December 2024

Good luck to Year 11 students in their GCSE mock examinations.

Other year groups will be at this stage sooner than is realized.  One important aspect of education is that each lesson and day matters on this journey.  And at Primary School too.

Mock examinations are important “practice” examinations for Year 11 students. As the saying goes: ”Practice makes perfect”.

These examinations will provide very important feedback for students, families and staff, as well as information for references. If absolutely necessary, as we saw a few years ago,  they provide data examination boards can request, if required.   

The actual examinations in May will be here soon.  Winter frost will soon turn to Summer warmth.  We sow further seeds of future growth today.

The first most important aspect of assessments and examinations is conduct, honesty, integrity and respect.  There are no second chances when it comes to not respecting assessments and examinations. It is an automatic red card in terms of that assessment and series of assessments.  Respect and integrity. Always.

The second equally important aspect of assessments and examinations is students doing their best, looking after themselves and others. Commitment, aspiration, community.

Students need to run their race, not someone else’s race.  We must avoid a culture of negative comparison. In Aesop’s fable, the tortoise was first over the finish line, against the odds, for tortoise paced themselves and just resiliently kept moving forward slowly, one little step at a time.  

Everyone is on their own unique journey in the exam room.

And in life.

And we support each other in this process.

Part of all this, of course, is active and effective regular review and revision and sound tactics and technique in the examination room: answering all the questions directly;  managing time; recalling learning; demonstrating high quality literacy; realizing every mark and minute matters; proofreading, constantly checking and adding, especially if a student “finishes” early.  A student does not want to be one mark away from the next level on results day,

The foundation for all these things, as we always say,  is wellbeing.  Good sleep, diet, food and exercise ensures our human battery is charged.  Students look after themselves and look out for others. It is important to keep a wider perspective in life. 

Being a good person is the ultimate assessment and we are all trying to be better in that, and this,  life exam.

Christmas holidays is the reward for the resilience shown in doing GCSE mock examinations.

We are very grateful to Mrs. Chan,  Mr. Gunn,  Mrs. Pretious-White, Mr. O’Sullivan, and all the Examinations Team, including invigilators who give so generously of their time, especially as we have moved to our new school and, therefore, new examinations’ venue.  Thank you also to the brilliant Learning Support department.

Year 11 will rise to this occasion in the next few days.