Invicta Vlogs
A New Year and new challenges
The new term has begun with exams and revision for many of our students. These mid-term examinations will provide useful indicators on progress. Reflecting on their results, students will be able to consider how they may move their learning forward over the next few weeks and months.
Students in Year 12 will be celebrating their success in last year’s examinations on Wednesday evening of this week with the annual prize giving ceremony. This experience also presents an opportunity for reflection on how they will engage and prepare for the next stage in their academic lives. A group of Sixth Form students have spent the first week of this term in Geneva debating and discussing global issues from the perspective of the countries allocated to them with young people from around the world. This experience of researching an issue concerning the UN and representing the case of the allocated country is an excellent experience in furthering their global understanding.
A new year offers opportunities for a new start; a new approach and the chance to engage in new activities to develop extra or super curricular learning or to revisit existing interests. The Spring term at Invicta, provides many of these opportunities for developing life skills and new challenges. The Senior Debating Competition will take place in a few weeks, when students over the age of 14 will debate a number of important issues concerning our wider society, including infrastructure spending to Voting age. Being better informed on how society functions and gaining a greater understanding of the issues that will impact on and influence everyone’s lives is crucial to young people engaging fully in the society that they are growing up within. The Junior Debate Competition and whole school Public Speaking Competitions follow on the 12 and 3 February respectively.
After a number of years break, Invicta participated very successfully in the Bar Mock Trial competition last November, supported brilliantly by Mr Rupert Bowers QC, one of our Invicta parents. This term, we are participating for the very first time in the Magistrates Mock Trial Competition, supported by Mrs Shiela Potipher, a Magistrate and member of the VIAT Trust Board. We are looking for 12 students from Years 8 and 9 to take roles in the mock trials. The competition organised nationally by Young Citizens is designed to enhance young people’s understanding of the legal system and their rights.
There are a number of further lectures and masterclasses running up until Easter. These include lectures on working for the Foreign office, Sustainability and Masterclasses on Surrealism, The Enlightenment and The Legal System. We are looking forward in the Creative Departments, to see the outcomes from the creative masterclasses in particular. Students from Years 7 to 10, who are interested in taking on additional qualifications will be introduced over the next few weeks to the Project qualification at Level 1 and 2, where they will be able to set themselves an independent research project. The second Academic HUB Conference for this academic year is taking place on 3 March. This is where students present a 10 minute lecture on a topic of their choice, a form of Invicta TED talks. We have now started recording the lectures, so they can be enjoyed by a wider audience. I conclude therefore with the question, what new challenge will you take on for 2020?
Mrs J Lloyd
Assistant Headteacher – Extended Learning
