Our Year 11 and 13 students have recently completed their mock exams, having spent part of the Christmas holiday revising and consolidating their knowledge. Some of this knowledge will remain in their short-term or working memory, whilst repetition, practice and application will also have enabled them to commit other aspects to long-term memory.

Knowledge is good: the more we know, the easier it becomes to learn more, to make connections between different aspects of our learning, to develop our minds and to retrieve that knowledge when faced with novel situations. This is especially important at A level, where the application of knowledge and prior learning are especially tested, and where synoptic assessment gauges understanding of different strands and links within a subject. From an educational point of view, the ‘Matthew Effect’ means that, in reading, in gaining knowledge and in understanding (as in other areas of life), the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.

So much of the information which comes our way is ‘chunked’ and readily available via Google. We are not therefore encouraged to learn, to make connections and to think deeply. We are told that concentration-spans have shortened and our ability to focus on one thing for any length of time is diminished.

This need not be so if we educate our children to be curious, to persist with their learning, to have a wide and diverse range of interests, to acquire cultural capital and to wonder at the world around them. And it is a wonderful world, albeit tainted by some shameful and horrific evils. Last Thursday was Holocaust Memorial Day and it is very hard to credit, let alone understand how such immense suffering could have been inflicted on humans by their fellow humans. We cannot begin to do so without asking difficult questions and attempting to fathom challenging answers.

Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, a Jewish cellist who was born in Germany and survived the Holocaust, is clear in this respect:

“Educating children about the Holocaust and Jewish history is so important, but don’t tell me I need to go on TikTok and do it in a 30-second video because that’s how long young people’s attention span is — that’s ridiculous. They should learn to sit down for an hour, and develop an attention span,” she told the Radio Times. “We witnesses won’t be around for ever: I’m 96, and none of the other survivors is much younger. So, soon, no one will be able to hear what the Holocaust was like from people who were there.”

Preparing pupils thoroughly for examinations is one thing. Yet we should resist ‘teaching to the test’, for the best learning and understanding often happen beyond the syllabus.

Stay well and safe.

Be kind to yourself and others.

Best wishes,

Dr Bird

No – not the type of broken record you might be thinking about! But the English department have broken a record. Our of a total of 116 entries we submitted for the Young Writers Competition, 105 are being published! This is an excellent achievement, congratulations to all involved.

It has been lovely to be treated to some beautiful, crisp winter days this week, with some glorious sunrises – quite a contrast to the gloomy yet unseasonably mild days of December. Such brightness certainly lifts our spirits, especially when most of us leave and return home in the dark!

This time last year we were, of course, in second lockdown and mostly confined to our homes, coping with remote schooling (again) and isolated from one another. It felt for many like a pretty dark place and it certainly tested our resilience.

The bright days and the cosiness of our homes are somehow accentuated by the dark and the cold, and the same is true of our human interactions. We are all grateful for the light that others shine into our lives when we are perhaps not on top form, as well as for the warmth of friendship and the love of our families.

You may have heard of the Radio programme ‘In the Psychiatrist’s Chair’. Dr Anthony Clare interviews famous people about their lives, their wishes, their foibles, their weaknesses, their health. After many years of presenting the programme, Dr Clare identified what he believed were the seven great secrets of happiness. They were the following: cultivating a passion; being part of something bigger than ourselves; avoiding introspection; accepting change; living in the moment; auditing our happiness; acting happy – that alone can effect change. I would very much encourage us all to reflect on these seven secrets this term and to try to bring them into all our lives; as we progress through January, this time of long dark nights and short cold days, we need to keep our eyes fixed firmly on the horizon and the hope that Spring brings us. In addition, we need to reflect on those things that make us happy.

You also may have heard of the simple ‘10/5’ or ‘Zone of hospitality’ rule, widely practised in the hospitality industry. Staff are taught that they should make eye contact and smile warmly when a guest comes within ten feet, cheerfully greeting anyone who comes within five feet. Aspects of that are currently a bit more difficult with face coverings, but smiles and greetings between students and between students and staff certainly make a massive difference to the warmth of the HGS community.

At the same time, there are so many ways in which our students can shine a light into others’ lives. Daily acts of kindness and courtesy at school and at home often breed reciprocity. Prefects, Mental Health Ambassadors or just caring, timely words of encouragement shared by a friend or a teacher can do much to influence our mood. One of the greatest compliments I can read in a school report is when the tutor says of a student that they “light up the room” when they enter in the morning; we all appreciate such positive people who will often sow smiles and laughter in their paths.

Our leading lights in the school encourage others to follow them by example – whether as Prefects, on the sports field, in house events, in club activities or charity fundraising. Our students are a Force for Good in so many different ways and in so many different areas – testament to the fact that learning and development takes place inside and outside the classroom at HGS.

So, as the days gradually lengthen, I wish you ample moments of brightness and warmth over the weeks ahead.

Stay well and safe.

Be kind to yourself and others.

Best wishes,

Dr Bird

Congratulations to Ibrahim Barlas in Year 9 who has just started his Trinity Grade 8 Piano preparation. Ibrahim started playing piano about 5 years ago and achieved his first grade in 2017. We wish him success with his future piano exams and look forward to hearing about his progress.

One of the great strengths of this school is that we are a very friendly community, and we always give a warm welcome to visitors and guests to the school. People often remark on this when they visit the school for the first time; we are not pretentious or grandiose and this is something that we are rightly proud of.

We always make a real effort to welcome the young trainee teachers who come to HGS on placement as part of their teacher training. It can be quite daunting for young trainees who are beginning the first steps in their teaching careers to start a placement, and we try to make it as easy as possible for them to settle into the school community and to make progress throughout their placements. Those of us who are experienced teachers can all remember what it was like right at the start of our careers, and how important it is to get off to a good start on placement

We have excellent relationships with some of the local initial teacher training providers and regularly host trainee teachers from the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, Newman University, Coventry University and the King Edward VI Consortium. They all value the work which we do as a school, and the respect which our students have for any trainee teacher in the school.

Without fail, our trainees always comment on the welcome which they receive and the support which comes from their subject mentors and departments, to help them to learn to be effective teachers in the early stages of their careers.

One of the things which we stress to our trainee teachers, is that teachers are in a privileged position. We are in a position of great influence over the lives of young people whom we teach and help each day. We can all remember teachers from our own school days who made an impact on us, either a positive one or perhaps a less positive one. Even though it may be many years since we attended school, a good teacher is always remembered with fondness, affection and respect. Sometimes, our teachers can provide guidance, advice or just pure enthusiasm for their subject, which inspires the students in their charge to want to study and to do well.

As teachers we can often spend more time with our students than possibly their parents do during term time, and it is a genuine privilege to see them grow and develop into fine young people with ambition and energy, and to move to university or employment and enjoy successful careers.

One of the great joys of being a teacher is to meet ex pupils sometimes years after they have left school, and to be reminded of something which we did to help that young person. Perhaps it was to inspire them, or perhaps it was just to be a supportive figure when that young student was having a difficult time at school.

It is wonderful to occasionally receive emails or letters from the parents of our students, commenting on the support which their child has had from our staff. We always share these comments with the staff involved so that they are aware that their efforts are acknowledged by parents. Teachers don’t help students because they are looking for compliments, but it is very affirming when it does happen and makes everyone feel appreciated and valued.

We won’t forget the important influence which we can have over our students, and the trust which parents have in us to do our best for their children. It is the reason we get out of bed every morning to work as teachers and to try and do our very best for the student in this school.

We know we play a small part in the overall development of the students in our care but I am reminded of what Desmond Tutu said, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” We hope that in some small way we are contributing to your children doing their bit in the world as a Force for Good.

Stay well and safe.

Be kind to yourself and others.

Best wishes,

Dr Bird and Mr Conway