We also hosted the popular Taking Maths Further Day where 100 Year 10 students got their heads around some tricky maths puzzles, learned how to accurately land a spaceship on Mars and took part in the legendary Build-A-Dragon game, with teams from Bohunt School in Wokingham taking both first and second prize. A day for prospective medical school students featured preparation for the "speed dating" style interviews, with tutor Dr Abe Bashir explaining how to answer questions such as what a junior doctor should do if they believed a surgical colleague had been drinking before an operation.

We also ran the second of this year’s 12 Outdoor Education Days with a visit from students of King's Academy in Binfield. As a follow-up to the Outdoor Days, we are also piloting Project Boost, which involves those same youngsters returning to Wellington on two more occasions in a bid to build their self confidence further. The first return visit was held this week, with 34 students and three teachers coming to the college for a morning of self-esteem boosting workshops led by "Orange Tie Man" Steve Beckles- Ebusua. The teenagers had a great time playing games and solving puzzles that seemed like fun but which all held a hidden lesson.
 

An online session for prospective Oxbridge applicants in Year 13 focussed on interviews and was attended by 90 students from 18 different partner schools. There are two more Oxbridge sessions lined up for this term as well as three big events; a STEM Day, Humanities Day and Skills Day. Some schools have already booked a place at these events - if you haven't please use this link for the Humanities Day and this link for the STEM Day. (see dates below)

As part of the Teaching Alliance we hosted several Subject Specific Support Groups, in DET, computer science, and maths as well as well-attended CPD courses in Foundational Coaching and Leading for Impact. 

Techniques including the memory palace, memory walk and the effective use of flashcards were on the agenda when more than 50 teachers attended a Memory Retention TeachMeet at The Forest School in Winnersh. The event on 16 November aimed to give them effective tools they can pass on to their students before their exams next summer.

This month we will run a two-day course in Foundational Coaching and after half term there will be a course in advanced coaching (see dates below) The costs of both are massively reduced for WCTA members at £40.

WCTA co-ordinator Lindsay and I have continued to liaise with partner schools in a bid to strengthen our relationships and learn what more we can do for you. Our meeting with staff at The Piggott in Wargrave was informative and inspiring and we look forward to visiting more schools as the year goes on.
 
Wishing you, your staff and pupils all the best for the term and I look forward to seeing you all soon. 

 
Best wishes, 
Paul 

Year 11
February 20: Study Day 
April 6-11: Easter revision course

Year 9
March 6: induction Day
May 14: Study Day 
May 16: Parents meeting 
June 23-27: Residential Stay

Teaching Alliance

Inter-school Support

31 January: DET Science SSSG, 4pm – 5pm, online

CPLD Programme 
January 30 & February 2: Foundational Coaching two day course, 9am to 4pm
February 7: Mental Health First Aid Youth Course, Uplands School
February 29 & March 5: Advanced Coaching two day course, 9am to 4pm
May 20: Tough Conversations, 10am to 3pm
June 3 & June 6: Foundational Coaching two day course, 9am to 4pm
June 7 & June 13: Advanced Coaching two day course, 9am to 4pm