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BRIGHT FUTURE

New initiative provides key skills linking the classroom to the workplace...

ENSURING every student has the essential skills to succeed has been a focus in lessons, tutor time and clubs throughout this term. Gosport Futures is helping students across the GFM develop skills such as leadership, creativity and problem solving which will equip them to succeed in learning and in future employment. The project, which has received backing from local businesses, is providing the crucial link between classroom learning and employability. GFM Assistant Headteacher Mr Adderley explains: “These skills are vital for all of us. It doesn’t matter if you are just beginning your GFM journey as a student or member of staff, it’s these skills that we all really need to develop and practice. “We constantly use them but by using a clear structure and practising, we all get better. I know that I certainly have improved my listening skills on video calls over the past year.” Recording cards, A1 boards and a steps system have been used to highlight where students are using these core skills during learning, both in class, in clubs and at home. Meanwhile, students have been boosting their career skills and employability by documenting their development on the UniFrog platform. For each of the eight skills students are guided to select examples of where they have improved with easy-to-use guides to useful resources. Mr Adderley says there is lots more to come from this project: “We are all just working really hard on making sure that Gosport Futures are a fundamental part of every lesson. “Using the framework, we can highlight where pupils are strong and where they can develop and we can use this overtly in every classroom, whether that be online or at school to help all of our learners develop those essential skills to succeed.”

Gosport Futures

provides a range of crucial SKILLS

WORKING from a sound foundation, the Primary Phase of the GFM has embraced Gosport Futures recognising that our students will be supported into becoming well rounded individuals. There are different opportunities for exploring Gosport Futures — some are discrete while others are celebrated. Here are a few examples of how the Primary Phase has embraced Gosport Futures.

OUR wellbeing Wednesdays, Friday celebration assemblies and encouragement of students to be mindful has helped them understand how they are feeling during a challenging year. A recent non-screen day saw them participate in an array of mindfulness activities. Every student in the Phase received some seeds and a poem in an envelope. The seeds are intended to be grown as part of our wellbeing learning and they come complete with instructions. The poem is intended to remind the students of how well they are coping with this situation and that we miss them being at school. OUR attendance to lock-down lessons across the GFM Primary Phase, is 93%. We educate over 450 students, so we are delighted with such good attendance. Learning with their teachers and classmates, albeit remotely, means the students have continued to broaden their knowledge. They have embraced the tech and adapted to learning in a new way. The students have also managed their schedules really well and have asked for help where needed or solved an issue using their own initiative.

TEAM Primary dressed as elves to support the Alzheimer’s Society, raising a total of £477. As part of their No Outsiders curriculum, the society educates students about respect for diversity. This helps them become aware of how some people might change around them as they get older. Elf Day was a creative way to raise funds and highlight the plight of those suffering from this horrible disease.

Gosport

Futures

THE Primary Phase missed after school clubs which were not possible in the autumn term due to COVID-19. Some of the students used the online communications platform Google Meet to practice their teamwork, creativity, listening and speaking skills while setting-up their own clubs and societies. This proved so successful that a pilot has now been launched where students can assist others to start a new club or society. An adult is invited to attend the session but the students plan, host and share everything themselves. We intend to continue with this endeavour as part of our extended curriculum.

DID you know that LEGO means ‘Play Well — Learn Well’? While the teachers have been supporting some students with small group ‘catch-up’ sessions, accredited LEGO trainer Stephen Shaw has set the youngsters a variety of problemsolving challenges. For example, Year 5 completed some advanced coding tasks. The students built a swing and programmed it to move using control from a motion sensor — an awesome achievement! See page 12 for more on LEGO.

STUDENTS have taken part in a ‘trans-globe adventure’, completing several character- building missions with their peers along the way. The final mission involved them designing their own obstacle course and challenges to raise money for YoungMinds charity. Using an assortment of objects including tyres, hurdles, hula hoops, bean bags, tennis rackets and benches, the students worked together to construct an obstacle station. Each group demonstrated how their station worked, before taking it in turns to try out the different activities. Once every group had completed all activities, the stations were adapted to create one continuous (and muddy) obstacle course. The students raised £813 to support children’s mental health.