Year 10
Year 10 is a vital year for developing good academic habits and creating a strong foundation for the challenges that lie ahead. I urge you to utilize the wealth of experience on offer within our excellent Year 10 pastoral team to assist you in forming your approach towards tackling the demands of your GCSE years. As this year will be less exam-focused than Year 11, you should look to make the most of a more balanced schedule by seeking out some of the range of co-curricular opportunities available at Westholme as well as setting clear goals in your existing pursuits, be it sporting, music, arts or academic.
Year 10 offers a brilliant opportunity for students to start afresh, with new teaching groups and the opportunity to build new friendships whilst strengthening old ones. Now options have been selected, your timetables should reflect your personal educational preferences and you should be inspired in the classroom each day. We will use pastoral time to begin to think about your path to your GCSE exams and beyond as well as develop the skills you will need for the future. This will include everything ranging from ‘how to sleep properly’, ‘what is revision and how to do it’ to ‘how to set goals and achieve them’.
Our focus this year is ‘State-Story-Strategy’ which, whilst sounding a bit gimmicky, has a huge amount of substance. With form time being moved back to the start of the day, we want students to head out into the school day in the best state possible and ready to learn. As a pastoral team we will work with students on key 21st century skills and help them develop a story which matches their wants and ambitions for their future. Finally, we want our Year 10 students, along with the support of their classroom teachers and form tutors to build strategies for success for their learning, extracurricular pursuits and life beyond Westholme.
Mr Kenyon: kenyono@westholmeschool.com