education news - march.qxp_Layout 1 22/02/2018 17:14 Page 1
BATH | SCHOOLS
EDUCATION NEWS SUCCESS FOR ROYAL HIGH SCHOOL PLAYWRIGHT A Year 8 student from the Royal High School will have her first play performed at The egg theatre later this month. Miranda Pharoah won a competition for her play Amazing Grace, which is the first play she has ever written. Pharoah took inspiration from the 2008 film Fragments, a viral video depicting the impact of the 2017 tornado in Georgia, as well as The Weir – Conor McPherson’s play which portrays a powerful story of loneliness. Since joining the Royal High School, Pharoah has taken main roles in a range of performance work, but script writing was something she had not considered until she heard about the competition set up by the Theatre Royal Bath Theatre School. Royal High School’s head of drama Mrs Jo Bailey said: “We are all very proud of Miranda, she is an incredible talent and for a Year 8 student to write a play for production is an achievement to be celebrated.” Amazing Grace will be performed at The egg on Friday 30 March. Visit: royalhighbath.gdst.net
STUDENTS BOOST GRADES WITH CONNELL GUIDES BOOTCAMPS Study guide producer Connell Guides has launched revision bootcamps for students wanting to learn how to secure top grades in their English A Levels and GCSEs. The bootcamps offer a mix of lectures by some of the country’s top English teachers, short talks by experienced tutors, a crash-course in literary theory and a Q&A with an examiner. Woven into the day are several student-led seminars, which help students to understand ideas from other Connell Guides founder young peoples’ points of view. Jon Connell Students will leave feeling better equipped and more confident going into their exams. Connell is holding an A Level English Literature Bootcamp on Wednesday 11 April, 10am – 4pm, in Bath, venue to be confirmed. To book on to a bootcamp and to find out more, visit: connellguides.com
HAYESFIELD STUDENTS REFLECT ON 100 YEARS OF THE VOTE We asked sixth form students from Hayesfield School their thoughts on the impact gaining the vote had for women in Britain a century ago
How do you think being granted the vote changed the lives of some women 100 years ago? Kerry: I think it completely changed the way that women were viewed socially and it allowed them to have much more freedom and independence. Alice: Having the vote must have made them feel they had worth. Before the vote they were under the control of men, whereas being given their own vote gave them something they could have control over, so it must have been quite life-changing. Have the stories of the suffragettes and suffragists inspired you in any way? Chloe: Yes, the suffragette movement has inspired women to be more confident in the workplace. Even today, in terms of issues around pay inequality, the rights women now have make them more confident to speak out about these issues. Kerry: I think it’s amazing that they could stand up for something that other people viewed as so different. Scarlett: I think you shouldn’t take things for granted. Even though each vote is only a small contribution to the whole, you should always vote in every election to make sure your right is constantly being upheld. 80 TheBATHMagazine
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March 2018
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issue 186
Do women have equality in Britain today? Scarlett: I don’t think they do, but they definitely should. I think the government should uphold more laws, especially Left to right: Kerry Sims, Chloe Seward, Scarlett Brimble, Alice Hodges within the workplace because it. We need to make sure that (from a young even though the law may support age) everyone knows that you shouldn’t treat equal pay, it’s the company’s responsibility people differently. to uphold that. Alice: I don’t think we have total equality, Do you think there are gender stereotypes which we have seen recently in the media that are impacting negatively on ideas of with issues surrounding the pay gap, and the equality? How can we change this? way some men don’t respect women through Chloe: Yes, I definitely think there are. name-calling and using derogatory terms. I Gender stereotypes are in everything, and it feel there should be more laws introduced is ingrained in some people to think that that can reinforce the idea of equality. pink is a girl’s colour and blue is a boy’s. Scarlett: Yes, 100% there are definitely How do you think we can inspire younger stereotypes and this should be challenged in generations of girls and boys to champion terms of the branding that is used. Even with equality? Kerry: Just by reinforcing the fact that there’s parents, they shouldn’t teach that blue is for boys and pink is for girls – we should take no difference in being female or male, and it away these associations so it doesn’t matter shouldn’t affect your opportunities. what colours we use. Scarlett: I think we need to promote equality Alice: I feel like the media is a main force in more in schools – I go to an all girls’ school, bringing about change. The media has had a so it’s definitely spoken about more. I think role in reinforcing gender stereotypes and even in all boys’ schools, the history of has a responsibility to change the public’s women’s fight to get the vote should be perceptions. n taught so they have more of an awareness of