Hymers Review - Summer 19/20

HYMERS REVIEW A ROUND-UP OF WHAT WE DID DURING THE SUMMER TERM 2019/20 The Lockdown Edition!

A compilation of the work and activities of the Hymers Community during lockdown: artwork, science projects, sports challenges and the return to school for our Year 6 students...

www.hymerscollege.co.uk | 1

Hymers in Lockdown

#UnlockingPotential!

Return to school for Year 6 pupils Our Junior School welcomed Year 6 pupils back after half term in June.

Pupils adapted extremely well to their new way of learning. Head of the Junior School, Mr Peter Doyle, commented, “The best way to describe it is ‘blended learning’. We’ve had face-to-face teaching and learning in the marquee whilst the same lesson is ‘Zoomed’ live to the children working at home so they can interact with both their teachers and peers. It’s been a big team effort throughout the school and we are really pleased with the results.”

Year 6 sign off

Bake-off challenge 1st XI Girl’s Hockey Team held a ‘bake-off’ competition with some scrumptious results.

CLICK HERE TO PLAY

MedSoc round up

@Hymers_MedSoc has had an extremely busy year and lockdown has not stopped them. Online presentations and information-packed sessions on a variety of topics including: obesity, application processes for prospective medics, discussions on ‘The NHS Long Term Plan’, in-depth review of the impacts of coronavirus, the development of robotics in medicine and also alternative medicine & its scientific plausibility, as well as The Science behind Dementia.

Year 11 students were also welcomed to the society via a Zoom meeting and we look forward to seeing what they will bring in the next academic year!

2 | Hymers Review Summer Term 2019/20

Lockdown half marathon At the start of lockdown Finlay set himself a sporting challenge to complete a half marathon.

After weeks of training he built up his stamina and completed the distance by the end of May. A fantastic achievement, Finlay!

Our students have been busy during lockdown, not only keeping up with their academic studies, but throwing themselves into varied challenges set by their teachers: from show-stopping cupcakes, stunning artwork, imaginative sporting skills and a wonderful collaborative choral video.

a message from the

What our parents have been saying...

headmaster

Thank you to Mr Stanley and all the incredible teachers at Hymers. The support and encouragement they give to their pupils is first rate. During this time of lockdown they have gone even further to facilitate excellent teaching and keep standards high. Thank you all so much.

Mr Justin Stanley

via Facebook & Twitter

Summer Term 2020 saw a continuation of the great efforts from pupils and staff on remote learning. After receiving valuable feedback from parents and pupils over Easter on the start that we had made in the brave new world of live online teaching, we returned eager to refine our practice. Increased emphasis on pastoral Form time and a rich programme of cocurricular activities became essential elements of the provision for Hymers pupils at home. There will be a number of initiatives from this term that we will take forward to make wider use of in the future, such as the School’s first ever Parents’ Evenings held on Zoom that proved a great success.

Tribute should be paid to Mr Doyle and his remarkable team of Junior School staff who successfully provided high quality teaching and learning both for the Year 6 pupils in School and for those at home.

While social distancing restrictions meant that the time we could welcome Year 10 and Year 12 back on to the site was limited, I know that the students in these year groups enjoyed seeing their friends and catching up with their Form Tutors.

The end of a school year is always a slight cause of regret as we bid farewell

OVER 900 PUPILS LEARNING FROM HOME

to a number of pupils and staff, and this year saw four long-serving teachers retire. Between them Messrs Harrison, McPherson, Sanderson and Roberts have devoted 84 years of their careers to Hymers. I have little doubt that, when a few months ago they were contemplating their retirement, none of them had foreseen their final term of term of teaching playing out in the way that did. However it speaks volumes for their professionalism and commitment to teaching our pupils that they adjusted and adapted as well as they did.

To all our departing pupils and staff – but in particular to our four teachers who are retiring – I extend our deep gratitude for everything that they have contributed to Hymers over the years; I am sure that I speak for many in wishing them well as they head off to fresh challenges and pastures new.

Many thanks to everyone in the Hymers community for the support that you have shown in recent months. We look forward to the new academic year in September and what we hope will be, as far as possible, a return to school as normal. In the meantime, I wish you and your families all the very best for the summer.

Hymers Lockdown Learning 2020

OVER 6,000 LIVE LESSONS TAUGHT ONLINE!

27 EXTRACURRICULAR CLUBS RUNNING DAILY ONLINE

OVER 600 FORM PERIODS OF LIVE PASTORAL CARE DELIVERED 100% OF TIMETABLED CURRICULUM DELIVERED ONLINE!

We’ve not been part of the Hymers community long, but I’m so glad we are. Big thank you to all the Hymers team who are amazing both in school and in ‘lockdown’ delivering the best experiences for our children & remote learning!

Thank you! Can’t wait to be back! via Facebook Thank you to the Hymers College staff who have been so fab this week adapting to a new situation so well. They’ve been so supportive & truly kept the pupils’ spirits up. It’s been a joy hearing the laughter through the walls yet seeing so much work done too. Proud of staff and pupils! via Twitter I have written to a few teachers individually already … but to those who I haven’t THANK YOU. Amazing how we can all get through this nightmare together. Remain safe and healthy. via Twitter You are doing a wonderful job teaching and caring for our children. A wonderful community to be a part of. It’s making life easier & more rewarding. via Twitter Very grateful to all teachers. Remote learning has kept our teen motivated and in touch with classmates! Thank you. via Twitter Thank you for the background into online teaching. I have been extremely impressed that despite the physical school being closed pupils have continued to be taught a full timetable and complete range of subjects by qualified teachers and not reliant on either parent or self learning.

The approach taken appears to be fairly unique across schools in the area and puts others to shame. We are starting as a household to get used to it and bizarrely feel more engaged with our children’s education. For all those involved in pulling the solution together and each and every teacher, the time and your efforts to convert to online are greatly appreciated. I genuinely feel our children are not missing out. via Facebook This is working impressively well. Children are engaged in usual timetable and it’s all so calm.

Very well done to all involved, it is very much appreciated. Keep safe. via Facebook www.hymerscollege.co.uk | 3

Lockdown Videos

Hymers Lockdown Learning 2020

We have been busy whilst in lockdown, click on the icons to view the videos showing what we have been up to.

Online Q&A webinar

Teaching in lockdown

At the start of Lockdown, we went from teaching in the classroom to online learning virtually overnight. In June, to show how we delivered 100% of the timetabled curriculum, we hosted a live Webinar presented by Old Hymerian, Damian Johnson.

At the beginning of June, our Year 6 students returned to school having all their lessons taught outside in our newly acquired marquees.

The session also included a live question and answer section featuring Mr Stanley, Mr Wright, Mr Doyle, Mrs Ferry-Bolder and Mrs Julian answering questions posed by the audience.

CLICK HERE TO PLAY

Our staff and students give an insight into how we have embraced learning an teaching throughout the whole of the lockdown period. In addition, we also hear from current parents and their opinion on the positive impact it has had on their children.

CLICK HERE TO PLAY

Y11 GCSE music challenge

A million dreams

Our Year 11 GCSE music students were inspired by their GCSE set work, of the Star Wars soundtrack, to record their own Cantina Band videos in a bid to win the Golden Yoda Trophy.

Our Junior School Choir collaborated, virtually, to sing a rendition of The Greatest Showman’s ‘A Million Dreams’.

The video was edited, directed and produced by Tracey Redhead and her family.

CLICK HERE TO PLAY

CLICK HERE TO PLAY

For more information please contact: marketing@hymers.org Please follow our social media links: @Hymers_College | facebook.com/HymersCollege | www.hymerscollege.co.uk

@Hymers_College