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It’s all in the Head
Goodbye Year 8
Mrs McNally’s A Level Psychology students started their course learning all about research methods with the help of an unlikely visiting teacher: Harvey the Bunny! Having studied the theory, students conducted their own structured observation of Harvey’s exploratory behaviours in comparison to that of the students themselves. It proved a novel lesson during which the students not only learnt about the ethical issues in observing behaviour, but also the dangers of making assumptions about it, without being able to ‘interview’ the participant.
It wasn’t quite the send-off we had planned for Year 8 at the beginning of the year, but this resilient and happy year group made the very best of the opportunity to spend some socially distanced time with each other just one last time before the holidays and the beginning of their new Senior School adventures. The Leavers’ Assembly was streamed live, with over 150 viewers tuning in from home to share in congratulating our prize winners from afar and reliving some of the most memorable moments during their extraordinary final year with us at the Prep School.
Lessons in Lockdown T
he impact of lockdown on our local community has been profound, and as a school, we have learnt much along the way. Although we have been using Google Suite for many years, the moment we launched our ‘School without Buildings’ programme, the challenges of distance learning gave rise to a remarkable surge in creative energy from both teachers and students alike. As we expanded our working knowledge of many new digital tools and resources, teachers and students began to hone and develop skills as presenters, videographers, quizmasters, fundraisers, graphic designers, project managers, activists, scriptwriters, actors and filmmakers; and in doing so, we were able to finely tune our approach to ‘blended learning’. The result has been an enriched student experience and the ability to keep the Claremont community close together whilst apart. Our mission is to ensure that young people have the opportunity to fulfill their ambitions, be themselves and be equipped to take good decisions in a complicated
world. Our Sixth Form is the ultimate manifestation of this aspiration and I am delighted that so many of our students were able to realise this in an extraordinary final year with us at Claremont. As we wish them all well with their new ventures, we look ahead to a new year and an effective vaccine programme. I believe the lessons of lockdown have made us more resilient as a school community and better prepared us for any challenges yet to come our way as a result of the pandemic. With exciting site developments in full swing at the Prep School site and a bag of new online and technological skills up our sleeves, I believe we have much to look forward to in 2021. Giles Perrin - Principal