Podcasts about Sixth form

Get ready for an episode full of production value as we get nostalgic with JJ Abrams and SUPER 8 - the 70s set sci-fi drama following a group of kids making their own movie in their backyard, and happen to stumble on a government conspiracy involving an escaped extra-terrestrial being. We welcome back returning guests Daniel Kelly and Michael Perry, re-assembling the team that once made up our student radio show Close-Up on RAW 1251AM, fittingly looking at a movie that was released the summer before we all met for the very first time. We dig into its value as a nostalgic artefact; a film looking back and directly homaging Amblin of old, and how successful Abrams is at approximating that Spielberg-vibe while also trying to deliver something that feels like it comes from the heart, as well as assessing its place in the early 2010s blockbuster landscape. We also resurrect a old feature from our Close-Up days to give you some further viewing recommendations. Mint! You can watch Andy's Sixth Form zombie movie - ZOMBEY - made in the summer of 2011 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjn3y1L5CLo And you can read Forbes' 10th anniversary oral history of Super 8 here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshweiss/2021/06/01/super-8-turns-10-a-mint-oral-history-of-jj-abrams-love-letter-to-movies-childhood--spielberg/  You can rent or buy Dan's film DOCTOR JEKYLL on Amazon and find Michael's blog here: https://quotesponge.wordpress.com/  Follow the podcast on Twitter (@RamblinAmblin), Instagram (@ramblinamblinpod) and Blusky (@ramblinamblin.bsky.social). Be sure to like and subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via our socials or email rambinaboutamblin@gmail.com. Please feel free to give us a 5-star review, share your favourite Amblin movies and tell us if ET makes you cry.Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter & Greg Sheffield for the theme music.

In this episode of the Your Harrogate Podcast, presenter Pete Egerton features manager Simon Weaver from Harrogate Town. Plus, Stoneacre Harrogate - Mazda and Ford, along with a new programme at Harrogate Ladies' College.Harrogate Town make the long trip to South Wales this weekend (15th March) to play Newport County.Manager Simon Weaver is still on a high from a last minute win at home to struggling Carlisle last Saturday, but is all too aware that Newport, following a 5-0 defeat at the hands of Accrington, will be chomping at the bit to bounce back!Although the illness situation within the Town squad is an improving one, the gaffer is without three key players...At Your Harrogate radio, we like to feature the "best of life in Harrogate" and that includes chatting to local businesses.Rob Taylor is one of the sales managers at Stoneacre Harrogate and alongside Mazda, they are also the new home of Ford in the town.Rob expresses the excitement surrounding some forthcoming electric vehicles and how everyone should embrace the change...Finally this week, we hear from head of 6th form at Harrogate Ladies' College, Bonnie Christie.They have launched "The Empower Programme" - a pioneering leadership and development initiative.It's designed to equip Sixth Form pupils with the skills, confidence, and resilience to excel beyond school...

S11:E7 - Welcome to the Downe House podcast, where you can learn more about Downe House School. In this episode, we're discussing screens and how we manage them at school, supporting girls to develop better connections with each other and with their devices. Our host, Simon Jones, speaks to Miss Georgie Taylor, Head of Sixth Form, along with Astrid and Amelia in the Upper Sixth and Lena in the Lower SixthDowne House online Website: www.downehouse.net

Not many of us witnessed the game on Saturday but then there wasn't much to miss. Latics lost 2-0 to Stockton Town in the FA Trophy so that we can concentrate on winning the league. You can support the pod by paying a monthly subscription of just £2.99 via this link ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ If you'd like to make a one off donation, you can now also Buy Us A Coffee by clicking ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ ou can also support us by visiting ⁠⁠⁠our website⁠⁠⁠, subscribing to our mailing list and purchasing from our ⁠⁠⁠online shop.⁠⁠⁠ Please subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠ to watch the Latics Football Phone In live every Wednesday from 8.30pm. BPAS and Latics Football Phone In are ⁠⁠⁠KUPOD⁠⁠⁠ productions. Title music is by Manchester DJ and producer Starion find out more ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠ Laticsmind theme composed, recorded and produced by ⁠⁠⁠Matt Berry⁠⁠⁠ at King Buzzard Studios in Shaw.

S11:E4- Welcome to the Downe House podcast, where you can learn more about Downe House School. In this episode, we're looking at women in leadership, and at a program that's available to our pupils in the Sixth Form to empower all girls, whatever their strengths or personality, to lead. The Learn to Lead Project is a bespoke training program using project work, team coaching, and individual mentoring to develop a whole range of skills to make our girls world ready once they leave Downe House. Our host, Simon Jones, speaks to alumni Lucia Labouchere and Natalia Spearman, who are behind the project.Linkswww.thelearntoleadproject.comlucia@thelearntoleadproject.comnatalia@thelearntoleadproject.comhandmedowne.netDowne House online Website: www.downehouse.net

Summary In this conversation, Simon Jones interviews Nick Cale, the Head of Sixth at Berkhamsted. They discuss various topics related to sixth form life, including the importance of the sixth form years in a student's academic journey, the role of the head of Sixth, and the preparation of students for their next stage in life. They also touch on the appeal of American universities, the changing landscape of post-sixth form options, and the new building and teaching model at Berkhamsted's sixth form. Takeaways The sixth form years are a crucial time in a student's academic journey, where important decisions about future paths are made.The role of the head of sixth form is to guide and support students as they navigate this critical period.Preparation for life after sixth form includes providing career guidance, university application support, and opportunities for personal development.American universities are appealing to students due to their extracurricular offerings, quality of education, and exposure to different cultures.The new building and teaching model at Berkhamsted's sixth form aim to create a modern and collaborative learning environment.Berkhamsted online Website: www.berkhamsted.com Facebook: BerkhamstedSchool Twitter: @berkhamstedsch Instagram: berkhamstedsixth

SummaryFaye, the director of sixth form at Whitgift, discusses her role and experiences in education. She talks about the upcoming academic year, her journey through different roles at the school, and the importance of pastoral support in the sixth form. Faye also shares insights into the decision-making process for students considering staying at Whitgift for sixth form or joining from another school. She highlights the diverse student body and the range of opportunities available at Whitgift. The conversation concludes with a discussion about results day and Faye's interests outside of work, including musical theatre and travel.Keywordseducation, sixth form, pastoral support, decision-making, student experience, results day, musical theatre, travelTakeawaysThe director of sixth form plays a crucial role in providing pastoral support and academic guidance to students transitioning from GCSEs to A levels or the International Baccalaureate (IB).Students considering staying at a school for sixth form or joining from another school should consider the academic and co-curricular opportunities available, as well as the school's community and values.Results day is an important milestone for students, and the support and guidance provided by teachers and parents can greatly impact their experience and future choices.Outside of work, Faye enjoys musical theatre, travel, and spending time with her family.Whitgift School online Website: www.whitgift.co.uk Whitgift Global: https://www.whitgift.co.uk/global Twitter: @WhitgiftSchool1 Facebook: WhitgiftSchool LinkedIn: whitgift-school

In this epsiode, we sit down with Head of Classics, Olivia Adams, and hear what Surbiton High School has to offer in terms of studying Latin, Ancient Greek and Classical Civilisations. In the second half of the episode, Classics teacher, Claire Speers, and two Sixth Form students share their favourite topics from their Classical Civilisations A Level course.

In this week's episode Luke Graham, Deputy of Secondary Education at the School of Education, is joined by Simon Holmes, Assistant Headteacher and Head of Sixth Form at Purbeck School, to discuss what ECTs can expect when applying for a role. Simon shares what the recruitment process looks like, what they are looking for in candidates and they share their top tips. Acronyms and Links ECT - Early Career Teacher ITT - Initial Teacher Training TES, formally known as Times Education Supplement If you're thinking of a career in teaching you can find more resources and opportunities on the Aspiring Teachers website

In this episode, we take you to Science Week at Surbiton High School. Arranged by the Science department, this is a week of experiments in the quad, guest speakers, the annual Science Fair and the Science House Quiz. This year, we were visited by alumnus, Charlotte Basilico, who now works at CERN, the "Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire", or European Council for Nuclear Research. Charlotte came to speak to our Sixth Form about careers for women in STEM, and what it's like to work at the world's foremost nuclear research centre.

S10:E3 - Welcome to the Downe House podcast, particularly to those families who will be joining our school this September, as this series is just for you. In this episode, we're looking at what happens next if you're joining our Sixth Form.Our host, Simon Jones speaks to Miss Georgina Taylor (Head of Sixth Form) and pupils Zoe and Eve, who joined us new last year.Downe House onlineWebsite: www.downehouse.net

In this episode, we sit down with Director of Sixth Form, Jon Owen, and learn about the A Level Options process at Surbiton High School, including Year 10 subject 'taster' days, one-to-one interviews, careers guidance as well as answering FAQs about the relationship between A Level options and university choices.

In this podcast episode, I share three stories from throughout my life. The first is about starting weight training while living in south London. The second is about my final year of university in Preston when I made a colossal spotting mistake. The final is about living on a budget while staying in Osaka, Japan. Inquire About Becoming a 1-2-1 Online Fitness MemberInstagramX (Twitter)FacebookTikTokYouTube ChannelArticlesFree Workout PlanFree Nutrition for Fat Loss GuideFree Meal Plan GuideFree Protein Cheat SheetSubscribe to My Email ListCalorie CalculatorEmail me at leo@kairos.online 

In this edition of ASCL 150: Leadership Legacies, General Secretary Geoff Barton talks to Chris Hildrew, Headteacher, Churchill Academy & Sixth Form, and Honorary Treasurer, ASCL.

Luton Sixth Form College https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/12/31/walkout-weapon-british-school-students-battle-curbs-on-gaza-war-protests #peoplearerevolting twitter.com/peoplerevolting Peoplearerevolting.com movingtrainradio.com

Our second podcast of the series, discussing and comparing the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP) and Careers-related Programme (CP) in the Sixth Form at St Leonards.  In this episode, Mr Ben Seymour is joined by Year 13 pupils Izzie, Katie and Elisenda, as they discuss the International Baccalaureate Programme, and the differences between the Diploma Programme and Careers-related Programme.

We are delighted to kick off our new 23/24 podcast series, discussing and comparing the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP) and Careers-related Programme (CP) in the Sixth Form at St Leonards.  In this episode, Mr Ben Seymour is joined by Year 13 pupils Emil, Helena and Hector, to discuss time management and wellbeing in the Sixth Form. 

In this episode I discuss Real World Readiness as a Sixth Form diploma, the importance of digital literacy, changing careers advice into 'futures' advice, and how to live into a school's 10-year strategic vision.

#021 - Welcome to Chatting with Channing, the podcast for Channing School that lets you, the listener, find out more by hearing from people throughout the school community. Each episode, you'll hear real stories from staff, from pupils, from parents and the school's alumnae, to give you a true reflection of life on Highgate Hill.Today, we're delighted to have a conversation with some of the key figures behind the upcoming production of 'Chicago.' Joining us are the talented individuals who have played roles in bringing the production to life. Miss Hill, the Director of the Show and the Head of Drama, who has guided the production with her artistic prowess and creative vision.Ms. Zanardo, the Musical Director of 'Chicago,' responsible for weaving the enchanting melodies and harmonies that have breathed life into the musical's iconic songs.We're also joined by two Sixth Form students, Eliza and Evie, who stepped into the limelight as the leading ladies, portraying Roxie and Velma with captivating performances.It's a great episode and I think you're going to love it. So come with me as we step into a conversation about Chicago at Channing.Channing School Online:Facebook: www.facebook.com/channingschoolLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/channing-schoolTwitter: twitter.com/ChanningSchool

On this episode, were were joined by celebrated British cultural biographer Roger Lewis, who's latest book, Erotic Vagrancy, is an extravagant, decade-in-the-making portrait of the ultimate love-hate relationship – the marriage of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. In our conversation, Roger lays bare everything that made these two such an endless subject of fascination for the public; their cinematic successes and more legendary flops; Burton's place in the West End firmament; and of course, their legendary addictions, punch-ups, divorces, hospital bills, and stays in Rome, Paris, New York, London, where chaos followed wherever they went. Roger also spoke to us about his lifelong obsession with British pop culture, having authored biographies of Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole, and Charles Hawtrey, and why these subjects remain essential to understanding our shared cultural history – and his opinion, should probably be taught at Sixth Form.

Otis, Maeve, Eric and co are back and this time it's Sixth Form. A new college, new characters and new relationships are discussed by TV DNA hosts Izzi, Neil and Adam. SPOILERS for episodes 1 and 2 of season 4 of Sex Education. We can't wait for you to hear our thoughts on the latest episode and for you to give us yours too. You can find and follow us on all the socials @tvdnapod  You can also email us on tvdnapod@gmail.com  And, if you listen on Spotify, check out our poll below. We'll be back soon with more on Sex Education, in the meantime, check out our recent specials on The Bear, Top Boy, The Woman in the Wall and Ahsoka or catch-up on our weekly spoiler-free watchlist episodes where we discuss the latest TV and upcoming shows. Coming soon - Gen V. We're on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Anchor, Breaker and Radio Public so be sure to subscribe to the pod and please leave us a review.  Thanks as always to JComp for our logo and Roman Senyk Music for our theme.  Adam, Grace, Neil, Chloe, Damian and Isabel

S8:E2 - Welcome to the Downe House Podcast where you can learn more about Downe House School. In this series, we'll be focusing on events at the school which bring the community together.In this special episode, we'll be looking at the Sixth Form and all the wonderful opportunities on offer in the final top two years of the school. We're proud at Downe House that nearly all girls stay on for the Sixth Form benefiting from the strong relationships they've made with their teachers over their time here.In this episode, our host Simon Jones speaks to Miss Georgie Taylor, Head of Sixth Form, with pupils Louise and Hannah, both in the Upper Sixth.Downe House onlineWebsite: www.downehouse.net

Yes we are back with a bumper R Gen on Air to launch into the new season. Alex is joined by Ben and Micah to go through everything that has happened to QPR since the end of last season. They cover: transfers in and out, the departures of Les Ferdinand and Tony Fernandes, how closely the new training ground resembles a Sixth Form and of course those new kits. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this weeks instalment, Bryony, Cameron & Hallam interview Sixth-Form students. Some of these students have chosen science, some have chosen different paths, but either way, the students were brilliant!

The T-level was initially mooted back in 2017 by the British government as a new, unified technical qualification which would replace the BTEC and simplify vocational education routes. After several years of development, The Department for Education (DfE) launched the t-level in 2020 with the aim of enabling students to directly enter employment on completion of a programme in further education or Sixth Form college. The unique aspect of the T-levels is that the courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and education providers so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for entry into skilled employment, an apprenticeship or related technical study through further or higher education. The T-level is a 2-year course which can be taken after GCSEs and is broadly equivalent in size to 3 A Levels. It offers students practical and knowledge-based learning and on-the-job experience through an industry placement of approximately 45 days. The first 16 have now been launched and all 24 T-levels will be available by 2024. Under the Engineering and Manufacturing T-level there is a choice of 3 courses: Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control   To find out more about what this new vocational training programme would mean for the engineering industry Helen spoke with chartered engineers Lydia Amarquaye, professional development and education policy adviser for the IMechE and Andrew Livesey, consultant, further education lecturer, and author of T-Level Engineering - Technology, Manufacture and Maintenance Lydia works with key stakeholders outside the IMechE to identify gaps in the education landscape which could help address workforce challenges and equip engineers with the right skills for a successful career. She also works with the Education and Skills strategy Board to develop the Institution's strategic direction in education.   Andrew is an experienced company director as well as having authored several engineering textbooks. He is passionate about stem education and lectures at Ashford college in Kent. In 2018 his was part of the employer-led panel set up by the government to develop the T-levels in engineering.   In the first half of this episode Helen spoke with Lydia about how the IMechE was working with industry to ensure they understood the value of T-levels. In the second half Andrew talks to Helen about the importance of creating a flexible vocational qualification in engineering for young people and what he hoped the T-level would bring to the workplace.   Useful Links: What are T-levels What Students need to know about T-levels Government info for Employers C&G info for Employers   We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

Sam made the very brave decision to not follow the crowd and complete sixth form. She instead decided to drop out and get a head start in her career by becoming a Technical Marketing Apprentice at Sky. Watch to hear why Sam made that decision and why it was the best decision for her. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Spring 2023, Surbiton High School achieved 'Excellent in all areas' in its ISI inspection. In the Excellence Series, we give you a look behind the scenes at the different departments and processes that make our school one of the most successful Independent schools in the UK. In this episode, we look at what makes an excellent Sixth Form. We talk with Director of Sixth Form, Jon Owen, about the different processes put in place to ensure excellence both inside and outside of the classroom, and we hear from the 2022-23 Student Leadership Team about their experience of attending Surbiton High School and what it feels like to be part of such a great Sixth Form.

The UK needs to shift its ‘anti-maths mindset', according to Rishi Sunak. But while the prime minister wants everyone to learn maths until the age of 18, do the sums add up against a recruitment crisis in teaching? The Guardian's John Harris speaks to Gill Burbridge, headteacher of Leyton sixth form college, and Guardian columnists Rafael Behr and Gaby Hinsliff. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

S6:E7 - Welcome to the Downe House Podcast where you can learn more about Downe House School. In this series, we spotlight areas of the school which our listeners have told us they'd like to know more about. In this episode, we find out more about the World Ready programme, an array of opportunities in the Sixth Form, preparing girls for life beyond Downe House. In this episode our host Simon Jones speaks to Miss Kerry Treacy, Housemistress of York and Head of Lower Sixth Designate, and pupils Willow and Mo in Upper Sixth (Year 13).Downe House onlineWebsite: www.downehouse.net

Welcome Crispin Truman OBE, Director of The Rayne Foundation. This grant-making charity supports a wide range of organisations including young people's mental health, carers of the elderly, providing opportunities for refugees, as well as the arts. Crispin has been dedicated to making a positive difference throughout his career and volunteer work. He held several leadership roles for leading non-profits in heritage, mental health, the countryside, and voluntary roles on the board of a school and charities before joining the foundation as their Director in October 2022. Crispin's academic background includes studying PPE (Philosophy, Politics & Economics BA), and Applied Social Studies (MSc) at Oxford University before starting his professional career as a social worker in London. Crispin did not let personal challenges stop him from achieving academically. He lost his father at a young age and moved to Bristol, where his new school, Ashton Park Comprehensive, did not have a history of Oxbridge entrance. Modestly, Crispin attributes his success at winning a place at Oxford to one of his inspirational teachers, along with the support and encouragement he received from his mother. Alongside his passion for the charity sector, Crispin is also an avid cyclist, riding into work each day in central London. He is a firm believer in the positive impact cycling can have on individual health and reducing our impact on the environment. He Chaired the London Cycling Campaign at the turn of the century, fighting for cyclists' rights and safety. His dedication to the voluntary sector and Civil Society saw him awarded an OBE (Officer of the British Empire) in the 2017 New Year's Honours List. The Rayne Foundation was founded in 1962 by Lord Rayne, a successful property developer operating in post-war London. The foundation was established with the mission to enhance communities and build bridges that connect people and communities. With a large donation from Lord Rayne's commercial dealings, the foundation has an endowment of close to $100 million today, and each year the charity donates the interest plus any additional increase in capital to causes that match their themes. Crispin's previous roles include CEO of CPRE, the countryside charity, CEO of the Churches Conservation Trust and Revolving Doors Agency. He has chaired and been a trustee of several organisations, including UK and European heritage networks, Rethink Mental Illness, the London Cycling Campaign, and was chair of governors at Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form in London. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-longbottom2/message

In this episode we welcome Genevieve Bent, Assistant Principal leading Sixth Form and former Head of Science at the Harris Federation, and Lynda Charlesworth, Head of Science at Camden School for Girls. Genevieve and Lynda talk to Lamorna Newcombe, Science Publisher at Oxford University Press, about the importance of identity in engaging students in their learning, and the impact of the strategies they are using in the science classroom. Our speakers take a research-based approach to discussing the influence of science capital, culturally responsive teaching, and diversity and inclusion on learner identity. They also share some exciting ideas for increasing engagement and representation in STEM studies, activities and careers provision. Every student needs to feel valued in order to succeed and learner identity is one of the key pillars of the Oxford Smart Curriculum Service. Find out more here: www.oxfordsecondary.com/smart Genevieve Bent   Lynda Charlesworth   Lamorna Newcombe

Host Ricky Sacks and Lee McQueen are joined by Tottenham Hotspur's Community Captain and headteacher Jan Balon, along with student Johnson to discuss the recognition of the incredible work in the local area being provided at the London Academy of Excellence Tottenham (LAET). LAET is a Sixth Form academy sponsored by the Club and located on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium campus, in partnership with co-sponsor Highgate School, which prioritises local students most likely to benefit from an academically-rigorous curriculum and those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, giving Tottenham's brightest students the best possible chance of accessing top universities. Jan was presented with the Community Captain accolade during a school assembly given by former player and now Club Ambassador, Jermain Defoe OBE. Jan has overseen the school's incredible progression within a short space of time – it was named The Sunday Times Sixth Form College of the Year in 2020, sending more than 30 students to Oxbridge and many more to Russell Group Universities. Jan, who has masterminded partnerships with independent schools across London to support his students' learning and success, has been the school's Head since it opened in 2017 and has been awarded the Community Captain prize for his enthusiasm, inspiration and dedication to the students. An independent Tottenham Hotspur Fan Channel providing instant post-match analysis and previews to every single Spurs match along with a range of former players, managers & special guests. Please can we ask you to take this opportunity to *SUBSCRIBE* to the Last Word On Spurs and THANKS FOR WATCHING. Whilst watching our content we would greatly appreciate if you can LIKE the video and SUBSCRIBE to the channel, along with leaving a COMMENT below. - DIRECT CHANNEL INFORMATION: - Media/General Enquiries: lastwordonspurs@outlook.com - SOCIALS: * Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/LastWordOnSpurs * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LastWordOnSpurs * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LastWordOnSpurs * Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/@LastWordOnSpurs * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LastWordOnSpurs WEBSITE: www.lastwordonspurs.co.uk #THFC #COYS #TOTTENHAM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you are aged 14-16 or are the supporter (parent, sibling, aunt or uncle, teacher, careers adviser) of someone who is - this episode is for you. Within the British education system (whether you live in the U.K. or elsewhere), at the age of 16, students sit GCSE (or IGCSE) exams. This is the culmination of five years of secondary education and is the first experience of national exams for most pupils. So what comes next?! Between the ages of 16 and 18 - students have a crucial runway between GCSEs and university, apprenticeships or other post-18 options and it can often feel like this choice could be 'make or break' when it comes to moving towards future prospects. It's no wonder then that students and parents alike are often thoughtful and pro-active (and sometimes confused) when it comes to figuring out the best education choices at the post-16 stage. In recent conversations - I have spoken to a few parents who feel like there isn't enough emphasis or guidance on choosing a sixth form (or indeed a college) - which has inspired today's episode "How to choose the best sixth form for you"As ever, this isn't an exhaustive list but it includes 13 important considerations for you. If this is useful for you and those in your community, do please be sure to share it. Let's build confidence for students and their supporters when it comes to making these crucial education decisions!  Let's stay connected:Follow Your Career And Future on Instagram and TikTokVia LinkedIn post about this podcast (go to "Gina Visram" to connect with me on LinkedIn)Sign up for the mailing list (for students and graduates... a list for their supporters will follow)E-mail me on gina@yourcareerandfuture.com with any questions you have or suggestions for future podcast topics 

Welcome to the 'Bakery Bears Radio Show' Episode 73   We are so excited to return with the latest edition of our 'Radio Show'. This time we talk about parenthood and how difficult it can be to learn to let children go a little. As our daughter progresses into Sixth Form education, we have seen her start to grow up quite dramatically in the last few months. In todays show Dan and Kay talk about how they have dealt with this.   Join Kay & Dan as they: Reminisce about Dan's days playing in bands Talk about parenthood and the challenge faced as your children start to grow up a little Dan mentioned the Tobolowsky Files https://tobolowskyfiles.com Take a close look at a spiders web and talk a little about what web's actually are Discuss how difficult it is as parents to let go a little! Talk through the changes Dan observed as a teacher seeing young people progress from Primary into Secondary and onto Sixth Form Get caught in the rain! Discuss how easy it is to think your children will make the same mistakes you made We'll be back in two weeks with our next 'Radio Show'!   You can find past episodes of the Radio Show here: On Podbean : https://bakerybearsradioshow.podbean.com On Apple Podcasts : https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-bakery-bears-radio-show/id1474815454 Follow the Bakery Bears on Twitter https://twitter.com/bakerybears Follow the Bakery Bears on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bakerybears/

This series of podcast episodes will focus on Decolonising Research, and feature talks from the Decolonising Research Festival held at the University of Exeter in June and July 2022. The thirteenth episode of the series features University of Exeter PGR Olabisi Obamakin interviewing Anu Ranawana, Research Specialist at Christian Aid.   Music credit: Happy Boy Theme Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/   Transcription   00:09 Hello, and welcome to rd in the in betweens. I'm your host Kelly Preece. And every fortnight I talk to a different guest, about researchers development, and everything in between.   00:34 Hello, and thank you for joining this online resource. My name is Bisi Obamakin. I'm a theology PhD student at University of Exeter. Today, we are joined by Dr. Anu Ranawana, sorry, who is a theologian and political economist. And he's gonna be joining us to discuss the theory of the theory behind decolonization. So thank you for joining this discussion. I really appreciate your time. Yeah, a little bit about yourself, what you do and what your research specialisms are.   01:08 Thanks Bisi, I'm so excited to be here. I absolutely love anything to me, like so. So I'm really honored and excited and all of those sorts of things. So a little bit about me, um, you said, I'm a theologian and political economist, I also always like to say, I'm a postulant theologian, because I'm really kind of still still on my journey. As a theologian, a lot of my work and my background has been in international development as a researcher in international development, but also working in the terms of looking at aspects of global justice. So in a sense, I come I come to theology from sort of from the ground of global justice. So I'm very, very sort of rooted in all of that. So because of that, I wear about six different hats at the moment. I'm a research advisor for Christian Aid. I'm doing a project at the University of St. Andrews, where I'm looking at the importance of storytelling to anticolonial, feminist theology, in Asian culture. And I also teach a little bit at the Queens foundation on aspects of justice, and mission. So I juggle a few different things. And so that's yeah, that's me. Amazing.   02:22 I also wanted to ask you, like, how did you get how'd you get involved with like, decolonial work? And that kind of thing? Like, how did you get involved in it?   02:31 In? Well, I mean, in the sense that I think, I've always been something that I've, I've thought about being someone from Sri Lanka, which was a former, and not only a British colony, but a Dutch colony, and a Portuguese colony. So you always think about who you are as a colonized subject. Because there's the kind of internalization of of, of the colony doesn't really go away, even, even even after independence. So in that sense, I think that's always a part of, of your conversations. And I think, in trying to understand what one's intellectual as well as sort of personal identity, I started reading, as we all do, I started reading people who had been writing on this issue, so people like Sylvia winter, or me, Suzanne, or fennel, who opened up these questions that, you know, you've always been trying to find out about yourself to find out about your country to find out about the global scape. And so, you know, in that sense, one of the things that, that these sort of writers do these thinkers do is that they push you to say, to push you beyond your kind of boundaries of, you know, what do you know, what, what don't you know, like, Are you sure of the ground you stand on? And that's kind of incredible. But I think what's really sort of affirmed me and forced me to be passionate about this kind of work has also been being involved in social movements. Because really, that is where that is where the theory of the world, especially in social movements, the creativity of, of social movements, people who, you know, for longer than you I have been alive, have been asking for a different world. And it still hasn't happened, you know, communities, fish or communities from communities that are at, you know, dealing with the, with everyday problems and crises. And they're so I hate the word resilient for the resilient and they're strong, and they create solidarity in those moments. And so, you think, because of, because of this, we, we need to be working for a different way in which our communities are our existing, you know, and not just existing but thriving. So it's combination of two things.   04:59 So On that note, we're going about, like social movements and stuff. So the topic of this discussion is about the theory of decolonization, and about some of the misconceptions around that. So only people just tell us a little bit about the actual theory behind it, and some of some of the misconceptions that are, that are surrounding that.   05:18 And yeah, thanks, missy. So, so decolonization has sort of two aspects of it, right? There is decolonization that unfolded into phases, politically. So from 1945 through till about the late 60s and 70s, we see, you know, the colonized peoples of of Asia and the Middle East, in Sub Saharan Africa, were claiming their sovereignty. So there is that physical aspect of, of decolonization that occurred in terms of the demands of independence from various colonies, right, against essentially European colonizers. But then the other aspect of decolonization is that it is an unfinished project. Right, which is what, which is the phrase I take from Professor in blue, we get Cheney, who's a South African, academic, he says it's an unfinished project. Because what decolonization is, is as, as an intellectual and emotional and political project is trying to do is not on the kind of protesting coloniality. But it's also saying we need to delink ourselves from the political and knowledge systems that are entrenched within us. Because these knowledges, these politics, were not created. For the flow reverse of people, it was essentially an entrenchment of the European project, it was ascribing humanity as a particular kind of human rights. So that persons of color, especially black persons, were seen as disposable, as things so that land and ocean and air was seen as property, as disposable, as something that you conquer. So these great theories of salvation that the European project gave us, was only for a particular kind of society and a particular kind of version of the human. Yeah, so the first thing we have to do is to delink ourselves from that, to reject it in a way to disobey these, this idea of, of the human. And then the next part of the project is the reclamation of what was lost of what was silenced and what was marginalized, you know, of, of re engaging with indigenous cosmologies, which have always existed, which have have continued to thrive and to live, but have been ignored. You know, it's about building you know, what Sylvia winter calls and ecology of knowledge. You know, which is such a beautiful and brilliant way of phrasing it. I think she's one of my favorite writers and, and thinkers at the moment, in terms of, of how she's hopeful in the project. And I think one of the misconceptions, I think, is that decani ality or decolonization is just about being more diverse. It's not actually it's about transformation. It's about this kind of complete change that we need to go through politically, morally and intellectually, in that sense, and can we do it? I think is the bigger question, right? Can we can we reject what we know? Can we refuse what we know? And in doing that, we might then make things like the university, for example, the university is, I mean, pretty much anyone who works on on decolonization will will say the university is a colonial project. So do we have to reject the idea of the university? And that's a hard thing for those of us who are in the academy to do.   09:30 So what do you think are some of the practical things that need to happen within the academy in order to move forward from the place that we're in?   09:37 I think it's difficult, isn't it? I think that the first thing that we can do in the university is to look at the ways in which we structure and shall I say, center knowledge, right? So um, If you look at this is going to sound really, really crude. I talk about it all the time, but look at funding for research. At the moment, we know that if you want funding for research that comes from research councils, wherever they are based, all that money is concentrated in the global north at the moment. And it's nigh impossible for a researcher based in the global south to become a principal investigator, and to lead their own research project, they are dependent on their colleagues in the north, which means that the power of who designs the project who wants to ask the question, and whose knowledge is paramount, is always going to be in the Global North, even if it's a if it's a southern researcher who's based in the Global North, you you, you don't have you don't know whether that person is in trauma, particularly a lead community, you know, what about, and we also don't disperse, we don't diffuse funding enough, so that those who are non academic can actually lead you know, thought leadership. We don't do that enough. If it was up to me, I would simply give a pot of money to a social movement and say, You guys design the project. You know, that will be I mean, I think one of the that's one of the first and fundamental things that we need to do. Other things that I think we need to do practically in the academy is to walk away from what I call the fetish of English. Wow, you know, so much of academic publishing, what we read all the time is in English, or in you know, European languages. And the thing is, language is, you know, this is why Derrida talks about, you know, there's no outside text, because language structures and places strictures and how we think about things and how we do things, you can take a particular concept, you can take the concept of Ubuntu, you can take the concept of, you know, sorry, I can think of when we say you do a wandering you try you translate your dough into English, you can do that. But what are you losing the translation? Are you actually centering that knowledge? Are you translating it or codifying it into English? So these are things that we need to be thinking about how can we ensure a Pluribus in which we're publishing in different languages, we're engaging in different languages where a loving, you know how many scholars or, or researchers and social movements are not able to really come in and be seen in the spotlight at a university because they're not able to present an English or French or German or, you know, what it is? And I think in so this is such a huge thing. I think one of the big conversations I think, going on in publishing right now, is the fact that a lot of researchers from the global south aren't able to publish because they don't really pass peer review in terms of language or something like that. I actually was asked to review a journal article, and one of the things had to take off on the forum was the quality of English. And I literally wrote, they're saying, someone's quality of English should not be equal to their intellectual capacity. And I think that's something that we can also do, as researchers, as reviewers as members of the epistemic community. Right. So those are just a couple of things off the top of my head. But I know you're an academic as well. So what do you think are sort of the practical challenges the difficulties of working in the, in the university as we know it?   13:36 I think, for me, the biggest, biggest challenge is just the fact that we as a society are kind of socialized into thinking that Western epistemology is the center of the universe. Because I was teaching some Sixth Form students just a couple of days ago, and I was just introducing the concept of African African epistemology and different ways of knowing and bless the hearts it was kind of that sense of like, like, why why is it valid? You know? Yeah. And it was it was genuine it I mean, that they're not being pretentious or that No, no, like, What do you mean, and I think it's the way that we are taught from from when we were young, that this is knowledge, this is how to be intelligent, and it's not contextualized. I think for me, if if I were to change anything I would, especially with young people, I will just make sure that everything we teach them is contextualized. And there's a sense that, you know, Western ways of knowing and western knowledge doesn't need to be contextualized because it's kind of it's the norm. It's not sorry, yeah. And I'll try to explain to the young people but it's not like I'm saying just throw out Western epistemology and Western ways of knowing because as a black, Nigerian, a woman of heritage, a lot of my work at the moment is actually kind of us using kind of Western epistemology. So for example, Um, African epistemology is very much oral, and things are passed down orally, which is amazing. And, yeah, incredible. But actually, so my father, for example, he has so much knowledge and history. And so I'm trying to actually write some of that down. So, you know, it's not that we can't learn from Western epistemology or one thing, check it out. But I think it's about us having everyone have an equal seat at the table, and everyone being able to contribute and learning from each other. There's so much we can learn from African Ways of Knowing Asian ways of knowing. And I think it's just a bit sad at the moment that I feel like our students are almost robbed of that opportunity to have a wider perspective, I think it's important because they're gonna be going into the workplace going to be the future leaders to future politicians, and I think want them to have a narrow view of the world, or a very western centric view. Yeah, that's kind of, but that's my heart, really, for the Academy in the next couple of years, that there can be a real change that young people can actually realize that okay, this is the way I view the world. Great. But let me how you how do you view the world? And that's just as valid as mine?   16:16 Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I love that, because that's really very much about, you know, how do we create a Pluribus of knowledge? Right, that sees all of these knowledges, whether they're within an educational institution, or outside of education, whether it's in the West, or it's in the east to the south, as all equal, you know, as all saying something about the condition in which we live, you know, this idea of, I mean, I very much, you know, hold on to a lot of, you know, like Buddhist thinking about the importance of experience as a kind of knowledge, you know, and I think we've moved, we've moved so much away from them. It's wonderful. You talk about, you know, oral cultures and storytelling, so much of the wisdom of our ancestors comes to us through scoring, storytelling, and that's knowledge. It's absolutely knowledge, even though it's not like we have not done a literature review of the gaps in the literature, and presented it. It's beautiful knowledge in its, it's not an experiential knowledge. It's also historical knowledge, isn't it? Right?   17:24 Yeah, definitely. So as we come to a close, what kind of practical things would you say to the people that are watching this, that aim to consider when it comes to colonialism? And whether they're academics and non academics? What would you kind of implore them to, to think about,   17:42 and the first thing I would say is read, read vertically and read horizontally? I find that one of the things that helps me a lot is not only to be reading academic texts, but to be reading novels, reads the novels and the stories of people who have gone through things. And I think that's, that's, that's really, really important. I think it's important for those of us who are academics, to not think ourselves above from social movements, we need to be part of social movements. And we need to be loving those social movements to be teaching us. I think the most important thing is building radical community. Yeah, if you're not in community, you're not listening, and you're not really sharing and learning. You know, I think this was the difficulty, you know, we talked with the academia as a Library Tower. But even in that ivory tower, we don't build community to communities is so incredibly important. And I think it's also about asking you when you're reading a text, or when you're engaging with something, constantly asked that question of what here? Do I not know? Oh, yeah. What here? Do I need to refuse? Like, where is this coming from? You can you know, a lot of black theologians talk about you know, reading with in with a framework of a hermeneutics of suspicion, we can be suspicious of the texts that we're reading, contextualize your texts, all of them, not only the ones that come from, you know, as you'll see from the the non West, contextualize the Western text, so you can still read bass and you can still read can't or you know, Merleau Ponty but contextualize them. Yeah, why not? So good. You know, so those are the things that I think you can do. That's   19:43 a good, so yeah, thank you so much for this discussion. I knew I think it's been so amazing to just realize that actually a lot of this stuff that has been kind of theorized with the academy, but you know, decolonial so actually styling grassroots community, you know, it started in social communities. So, I think thank you so much for inviting us on. I really appreciate it. So what are your social media handles? How can we keep a new level of what you're doing? Are there certain things that you're up to?   20:11 Yeah, I'm on Twitter, although it's a bit crazy my twitter but you're welcome to follow me. It's at a R A, N, A WA and a two, five. So do give me a follow ask me a question. And mostly what I'll do is tell you who the fantastic people are in the world who are doing all of this work and who to read and who to be a part of   20:32 that you're definitely one of those people. No, not really. Thank you for joining us. I really, really appreciate it. And thank you guys for watching. Please check out the website for other really amazing resources of D colonialism. Okay? Bye.   20:46 Thanks. We'll see bye.   20:48 And that's it for this episode. Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe. And join me next time where I'll be talking to somebody else about researchers development and everything in between.

#010 - Welcome to Chatting with Channing, the podcast for Channing School that lets you, the listener, find out more by hearing from people throughout the school community. Each episode, you'll hear real stories from staff, from pupils, from parents and the school's alumnae, to give you a true reflection of life on Highgate Hill. In this episode we speak to some Sixth Form pupils about their time at Channing. We go through their whole time at Channing School, talking about what they have been involved in and how Sixth Form has prepared the pupils for later life. So come with us now as we hear from Sixth Form pupils. Channing School Online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channingschool (www.facebook.com/channingschool) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/channing-school (www.linkedin.com/company/channing-school) Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChanningSchool (twitter.com/ChanningSchool) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channing_school/ (www.instagram.com/channing_school) https://www.channing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Channing-Senior-School-Careers-Programme-Overview.pdf (Careers Programme)

Lynn Joyce leidde van 1999 tot 2011 de Berkshire Home Education Group in het Verenigd Koninkrijk. De groep was even belangrijk voor kinderen, als voor hun thuisscholende ouders – het was een plek om kennis en ervaringen uit te delen, gezamenlijke projecten en excursies te organiseren en vooral veel plezier met elkaar te maken. In gesprek met Djamila le Pair, op 15 juli 2022, vertellen ze wat de reden was dat hen deed besluiten hun kinderen zelf les te geven, wat hun zorgen en vreugdes waren tijdens dat onderwijzen, en hoe het hun zonen (de jongste is 28) nu gaat. Lynn en haar man Tom Joyce onderwezen hun drie zoons zelf, tot aan Sixth Form, de laatste twee klassen van de middelbare school*. Vele twijfelende, inspiratie of gewoon gezelligheid zoekende homeschoolende families bood Lynn een warm welkom in de groep. Regelmatig ontving ieder die maar wilde komen bij haar en Tom thuis, met of zonder kinderen. Waar nodig hielpen zij en Tom, met daad, of met geruststellende bemoedigende woorden. Lynn had een eindeloos geduld, zowel met ouders als met kinderen en ze wees altijd op het positieve in het kind, als ouders zich zorgen maakte om diens ontwikkeling. Haar bijdrage aan het welzijn van zovele gezinnen staat nergens te boek. Behalve een informatief interview voor thuisonderwijs-overwegende ouders, is deze opname ook zeker een eerbetoon en dankjewel aan Lynn en Tom Joyce. *In ieder geval tot 2019 was het in de VK zo dat een kind na de lagere school naar ‘secondary education' ging, vergelijkbaar met de leerperiode tot en met onze vierde klas middelbare school. (Een andere optie was Grammar School, vergelijkbaar met ons Gymnasium.) Er werd geen onderscheid gemaakt tussen schoolniveaus, dus geen MAVO, HAVO, VWO, maar wel een onderverdeling per onderwerp: de klassen werden in ‘higher' en ‘lower sets' (hoger en lager niveau) ingedeeld. Tijdens de laatste twee jaar moesten leerlingen examen doen in een breed aantal vakken, de GCSE's. Degenen die naar de universiteit wilden, konden verder leren aan een Sixth Form, vergelijkbaar met onze 5e en 6e klas VWO, met het verschil dat het verplicht aantal vakken drie was (en maximaal vijf). Engels en wiskunde waren dan niet meer verplicht.Deze video maakt onderdeel uit van een serie over onderwijs: https://potkaars.nl/onderwijs

Omar Naguib and Archie Barber - Sixth Form and University

King's InterHigh is an independent British international online school. Offering Primary, Secondary and Sixth Form education, we cater to students from age 7 – 18 who are looking for a high quality British education delivered in a way that revolves around their lifestyle. Considered the original online school and founded in 2005, King's InterHigh offers easy access to quality live and recorded lessons from anywhere in the world. Lessons are designed and optimised for online and taught by fully qualified and experienced UK teachers. Combined with a proven educational model and innovative delivery, we bring life to lessons and increase students' involvement in learning new concepts. The school offers International GCSEs and A Levels. King's InterHigh is an extraordinary blend of 50 years of academic excellence of the King's College Group and of InterHigh's over 15 years of delivering unparalleled online education. With over 10 000 alumni and graduates progressing to fulfilling careers and to further studies in universities across the UK and internationally, King's InterHigh is a global learning community. Ashley Harrold is the Executive Head at King's InterHigh – overseeing the continued development of this leading online school. He is an experienced Headteacher, having successfully led Blatchington Mill School in Hove, Sussex, for 6 years before joining King's InterHigh. He qualified as a history teacher at University College London's Institute of Education in 2008 and taught in London before moving to the Sussex coast. He is skilled in school improvement and committed to inclusivity and excellence, with a clear focus on developing the whole learner. Ashley's leadership is rooted in the belief that learning is a transformative force for good, and is driven by the highest expectations for all students. Website https://kingsinterhigh.co.uk/ (kingsinterhigh.co.uk) Social Media Information www.facebook.com/InterHighSchool/ Twitter @ Kings_InterHigh Instagram @kingsinterhigh www.linkedin.com/company/interhigh-education/ www.youtube.com/user/interhighschoolfs Resources Mentioned https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Structure_of_Scientific_Revolutions (The Structure of Scientific Revolutions - Thomas S. Kuhn) Show Sponsor The National Association for Primary Education speaks for young children and all who live and work with them. Find out more about their online CPD events this summer at https://nape.org.uk/online-events (nape.org.uk/online-events) Ocean Plastic & Climate Change – Join Ellie Jackson author of the Wild Tribe Heroes book series as we invite pupils to write a story based on this topic in a writing festival (13th June 2022) 

Pastoral CPD Clinics hit double figures today and it was all about the role of Head of Sixth Form. In this episode, Kalil is joined by Claire Green who is a Director of Sixth Form as she shares some invaluable insight into what the role entails and also what makes it such a great career. From curriculum design, to recruitment, to safeguarding, to pastoral, Claire drops some great gems and this is definitely worth a listen if you want to find out more about Post-16 leadership.   As always, follow Kalil on twitter @Kalil_R91 and use #PastoralCPD to find out about previous shows and/or suggest new show topics.

If there was one thing that Patrick Cootes could change in the world, it would be changing human psychology so that having your beliefs challenged would be an enjoyable experience. Imagine a world in which everyone simply loved learning. Where conversations about difference of opinion drew people together rather than pushed them apart. Where everyone took time to reflect on new perspectives and was willing to consider gaps in their own knowledge and life experience.  On this episode of The Workplace Communication Podcast, Patrick Cootes, Head of Product and Chief Learning Officer at Mindstone Learning joins us to talk about building a culture of excellence in the workplace through fearless feedback. Leadership tips you won't want to miss:

This episode considers how we can work with key stage 4 students, both academically and pastorally, to prepare them for the step-up to post-16 study. Our experts discuss why this transition point is so vital and the key challenges post-16 students often face. We consider: How we can help students to handle the increased independence of post-16 study, including study and research skills, time-management, self-organisation, and the increased difficulty of the curriculum? When should this preparatory work begin? What is role of FE/sixth form colleges in supporting schools? What does good careers guidance look like?

Welcome to LUNA Listens! This is where we publish all our blog posts in audio form for you to listen to at your own pace. Today we have 'Embracing My Disabled Identity in Sixth Form' by Sophie Mattholie (she/her). Sophie shares with us her journey to accepting her disabled identity and accessing help at school. You can follow Sophie on her instagram @sophiemattholie_ and read her post on our website www.thelunaproject.org.uk Find us on: Instagram - @thelunaprojectuk Twitter - @theLUNAprojectt Facebook - The LUNA Project

Hey Guys! In today's episode I thought I would share some advise I would have given myself last year before I started sixth form. I hope you enjoy this episode and it helps some of you. I will also be starting to put my podcast on YouTube from next week! I hope you have an amazing week --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/joella-kajoba/message

In this episode, we are talking about the sixth form programme at KGS and all of the elements that come together to make this programme the whole package.  Although Sixth Form at KGS provides a strong academic programme with outstanding grade results, the programme also provides valuable life skills and experiences.    EPISODE THREE TRANSCRIPT SIXTH FORM AT KGS: THE WHOLE PACKAGE [00:00:00] Students: [00:00:00] I think to anyone, it can be quite daunting moving from GCSE to A-level looking at universities, but KGS has made that really easy. I quite enjoy having a smaller classes. And I think that really helps when you can work together as a class. For example, in politics, we do quite a lot of debates and it's quite interesting to work together and debates - you pick arguments and you write how you're going to speak… [00:00:24] …whereas in a bigger class, I think it'd be more difficult. And also you get more one-on-one time with teachers and you can just email them [00:00:30] and ask them questions if you have any queries. So it's quite good. [00:00:36] Narration: Hello and welcome to the Kingston Grammar School podcast. Throughout this podcast, we will be speaking with faculty and students alike about important topics surrounding the Kingston Grammar School or KGS community. I am your host, Shannon Vandermark and whether you are a present or future parent… [00:00:55] …or student or simply interested in KGS, you are very welcome [00:01:00] for any listeners new to Kingston Grammar School, KGS is an independent co-educational day school located in Kingston Upon Thames, England.  Officially founded in 1561, the school can trace its roots back to at least the 13th century. KGS is one of the most successful coeducational schools in the country.  Inspirational teaching, and a deep commitment to pastoral care means that students grow in confidence and understanding and individual [00:01:30] talents and creativity are able to flourish. [00:01:33] In this episode, we are talking about the sixth form program at KGS and all of the elements that come together to make this program the whole package.  Although sixth form at KGS provides a strong academic program with outstanding grade results. the program also provides valuable life skills and experiences. [00:01:53] Co-curricular activities on offer are vast from KGS's renowned hockey and rowing programs to [00:02:00] a variety of choices in music, drama and community service, for example.  The school's motto of work well and be happy is keenly demonstrated through each student's bespoke sixth form experience. My guests today include Headmaster, Stephen Lehec, Head of Sixth Form Lecture Program Anna Edwards, Head of Upper Sixth. [00:02:21] Chris Wenham and Head of P S H E Maria Robinson. I am still conducting these interviews remotely for this episode, [00:02:30] but it looks like I might be able to record an episode inside the school very soon. My first guest was Headmaster Stephen Lehec, who I get to chat with every episode and is always a delight. [00:02:44] Shannon: Hello, Steven. Stephen: Good morning, crikey. I guess no one knows it's morning. Hello. Good day. Good morning. Good evening and good night. And were you I'm very well. Thank you. Shannon: Thank you for sitting down and talking to me about the sixth form program at KGS. [00:03:00] Why do you think the sixth form at KGS is the whole package? [00:03:04] Stephen: Oh, gosh, that's a really big question, but it's a really good one because I guess you could ask any school leader, you know, does your sixth home offer everything that you think it should? And they'd say of course, because to some people, it just really needs to be around your A-Levels or preview or IB, the traditional competing factors A-Levels and IB. [00:03:23] And people would say. We've got what you're going to need in terms of the quality of teaching and the facilities and the [00:03:30] resources. They're going to get you to the next stage of your life. Be that a fantastic career or university. And we say, Yeah, KGS. That is really true, but that's one sixth or even one seventh potentially of what your Sixth Form experience will be. [00:03:45] So you've got the academic package, which is going to get you to your next stage. You've also got your extended learning, which is not only going to get you to university, but going to get you to the best university or course that you want to be prepared for. This could be Oxbridge. This could be studying [00:04:00] Ivy league in the United States. [00:04:01] This could be Canada. This could be your, this could be studying photography at Falmouth. It's the best photograpy course in the country. Right. But that's super curricular as we call them. Plus, you're going to have co-curricular so many, six forms don't have co-curricular don't have sports for students at that age. [00:04:14] They kind of very much rely on them doing it outside school or college. Right. We have all the careers and education advice because we have dedicated people to do that. We have all the outward bound and the trips. So that's Russia, that's Germany. That's France. That's South Africa. And on top of that, we teach people how to [00:04:30] cook a meal safely without giving themselves food poisoning… [00:04:32] …we talked to them about how to iron a shirt for your first interview. We have a lecture program that we're going to hear about. And we've got lots of bits of education, lots of soft skills preparation for life. And because you're in a school that is the type of school we are, you have a really kind of wraparound pastoral care system. [00:04:47] So. You have a teacher group that's 10, 12 people, or studying similar subjects to you with a tutor that knows their subjects, knows what your aspiration is that makes you welcome. Whether you're, someone's been in the school for the last three, four, five years, or you're [00:05:00] somebody who's brand new to the school, who's got a buddy and a mentor and a tutor and the prefects. [00:05:04] And so actually. We offer the levels and the advice and the guidance, but we offer so much more. I can't think of anything else we could put in that would make the Sixth Form experience, more happy, more fulfilling, more rewarding. And that's why, I guess we feel it's really just the whole package. Shannon: And those two important years from 16 to 18, there's quite a few choices out there for parents and students. [00:05:27] Aren't there. How do you invite people to see what [00:05:30] KGS is all about for those two years? Stephen: We have open events around June and that's in the summer of their year 10, all schools deliver fantastic service in their own, right. Everyone has their own individual way of approaching things, but obviously we get a few hundred students who every year look to us and say, if I'm going to change, if I'm looking at a potential change for six form, if I want something different, what does KGS offer? [00:05:52] And if they're looking at us, they're probably looking at two or three other schools and colleges as well. We're not gonna pretend to be a college. There's certain subjects we don't offer. We don't do [00:06:00] sociology. We don't do media studies. We don't do business studies, our profile in terms of our subjects. [00:06:03] We've got nearly 38 levels, but they're pretty facilitating academic subjects. It's sciences, humanities. Maths is very strong. We do economics rather than business studies. We do sports studies. A-level rather than BTech. We want students to go to Loughborough, to Birmingham, to Oxford, Cambridge, to Harvard, to Yale or to wherever, you know, I'm most conscious of making sure I get an American reference in when I'm speaking to you, Shannon. [00:06:27] Shannon: Syracuse University - you want to get them in there. [00:06:30] Stephen: Absolutely. I was just about some tip of my tongue, that number three on my list, looking around. And then I think people are surprised by the package by how much is on offer at KGS. When people are looking around on wondering and thinking, can I fit my choices in and where am I going to get the most support to get to the best university possible? [00:06:47] Then we're obviously an option for people and we get so many applicants that we want to cherry pick those people that we think are going to make the most of it, but also those people who really want to come because they want to come. Not because [00:07:00] their parents have said they should come. It's about getting from those couple of hundred applicants, the 20 to 30 who are really going to make the… [00:07:07] …absolute most of being here because it's going to fuel their desire, give them extra bits of potential to succeed and absolutely become a Kingstonian because people that come to us in the sixth form get embedded within the school. They're not visitors to the school. They're members of the school. Shannon: I just wanted to ask you, I know that you've got two daughters, is that right? [00:07:25] And so the older one has only just started university. Stephen: Yeah. I [00:07:30] started in KGS in 2014 and she was just about 20 year nine. So she came with that and she loved it, did so well with a GCSE. And then I tried to that classic thing as a parent saying, these are the levels you need to do. Because I have this vision of you going to Oxford and she was like, dad, you know what you say, to all the other people about being their choice, not the parents' choice. [00:07:53] She said that applies to me as well. Well, good for her. I was like, Oh wow. You know, we've got the grandparents involved. She [00:08:00] ended up doing biology, which was the subject. She dropped him. Sorry to say, but she did plastics. She did maths. She did drama, which was her favorite A-level. And that was the one I was like, Why are you doing drama and she said because I love it. [00:08:13] And I'm good at it. And actually the staff here are phenomenal, both the theory and the practice. So what a great choice for her that was. So she ended up kind of coming out with three stars, which was amazing and an EPQ and a love of netball and rowing and sports and community [00:08:30] service. And she was a prefect and I stayed out of all of that. [00:08:33] I was kind of like, I don't want to know. Because you made your choices. This is your bed.  You're going to lie in it. And so I said to her, right, but you're on for really good grades. So I want you to think about Oxford again. And he said, Dad, you're doing it again. You're interfering. I've spoken to Mr. Cooper, the academic deputy, I've spoken to Mr. [00:08:49] Fitzgerald. Who's director of careers and universities. I've spoken to my teachers. I'm going to go and study liberal arts and natural sciences at Birmingham. And I said why? And she said, [00:09:00] because I want to study liberal arts and natural sciences. She's majoring currently in economics, which she didn't study for at A-level. [00:09:06] And she said, and that is the best university for that course. So that's the course I want to do. That's the best university for it. That's where I'm going to get into. And you can keep your Oxbridge, isn't your thing. And I was thinking, Oh no, my stats, my Oxbridge stats. [00:09:23] But that's the thing. We have students who make very informed decisions and we have to remember the, whether it's our own children or other people's [00:09:30] children, it's their choice. It's their life. So Alice was for me a great success story here, she did well,  she did her own thing, really proud of what she's doing. [00:09:39] She's now on the verge of completing her first year at Birmingham. Shannon: Wow. I can tell how proud you are of them and not just because of the stats obviously, but because they are making their own decisions, which you as a father and a headmaster have encouraged. Absolutely. Thank you so much for speaking with me. [00:09:55] Stephen: Not at all, not at all. And I apologize for rambling on about lots of stuff that I'm very [00:10:00] excited about and, um, Really, really excited for what the next few years hold once we can start meeting people again in person IRL, as people say, starting to have real life meetings, Shannon: hashtag IRL. Absolutely. And it's been lovely chatting to you again. [00:10:14] Stephen: Thank you. [00:10:18] Student: I came to KGS in first year. So I was 11. So I've been here the whole way through. I preferred the idea of going to a smaller school.  Sport was really important to me; I play netball and hockey and KGS [00:10:30] offers that as well. I was also interested in other schools that had a combined cadet force, because that's a massive part of my life here at KGS. [00:10:37] And then also just the subjects I wanted to take. [00:10:43] Narration: next. I was joined by Anna Edwards, who is head of the sixth form lecture program, and also head of the psychology department at KGS and his enthusiasm for the program was so tangible that made me want to attend myself. Anna: The sixth form lecture program is fantastic. [00:11:00] I absolutely love running it partly because I get to then listen to some of these fantastic lectures myself, which is a real bonus. [00:11:07] Each year, we have a broad range of speakers, so they can be politicians, novelists, academics, those just sharing remarkable life stories. They come and speak to our six form alongside more six form specific lectures. And the purpose of the program is to give our students a greater academic diversity and enhance the curriculum that they do. [00:11:29] And it [00:11:30] gives them access to speakers that they may not come into contact with. Usually. It's really important that they develop alternative perspective to some of the views that they've been exposed to. And this in turn helps develop their cultural capital. I'd like to think that all the students will have a lecturer too, that will stick with them and will be really memorable. [00:11:51] Shannon: What do you think it is about young people at this age in particular that is interesting to you and why are you passionate about supporting young people at this [00:12:00] age in their lives? Anna: Sixth Form is such a key two years. We often talk about the transition between primary school to secondary school, but this transition between six form and leaving home, it's monumental, it's huge. [00:12:13] They will have to develop a huge amount of responsibility over their own health, finances, wellbeing, and there's so many things to consider that we, as a school, have a responsibility to prepare our students on how to manage this. [00:12:30] And how to manage these changes alongside PSHE. We take them through a lot of these changes, these processes, how to apply for their UCAS, how to apply for student finance, how they'd go about applying for a universities, abroad, how to… [00:12:46] …keep themselves safe at university while on nights out when traveling festivals and also how to safeguard their own mental health. When they're at university, university is marketed as a really [00:13:00] exciting time for them, but actually it can be quite difficult. So if they know, and if we show them where there are student services, if they find themselves in a difficult position, we know that we are sending our students off with the best opportunity to enjoy their time at university or work. [00:13:16] Shannon:Right. You don't get training for other phases in life so much, do you? know, still, unfortunately, fortunately, sometimes Anna: there are stages in life where actually it would have been nice to when having children be handed an instruction manual, but we try [00:13:30] and do that for them as much as possible. Shannon: Why do you think it's so important for a student to present themselves as well-rounded, while they're leaving KGS or while they're leaving academia or moving into another phase? [00:13:41] What is the benefit of a well-rounded individual in your opinion? Anna: You've only got to think that the ever-changing job market means that you probably won't be in a job for life and your future jobs may involve a completely different set of skills. So to succeed in the future in potentially a fast [00:14:00] changing labor market, you need to be a lifelong learner. [00:14:03] You need to be comfortable with continuous adaptation and willing to move professions or even industries if your profession becomes obsolete. So. Right from the get go. Students need to be seeking opportunities to keep the interests and abilities, broad and honing all their skills included their soft skills. Shannon: I guess, historically, the options for work were a lot more finite, the train for [00:14:30] a profession. [00:14:30] You did it for life. Didn't you? So. The importance of being well-rounded has evolved, would you say, over time? Anna: Yeah. Yes, definitely. I mean, I'm here recording a podcast as a teacher. This was definitely not my intention, but jobs evolve. A lot of our students will be doing jobs that don't exist yet. So we need to prepare them with skills that they can transfer between professions and industries. [00:14:52] Shannon: It's really interesting. I have a, one-year-old you say you're far off thinking about these things, but as soon as you start hearing about this stuff, you just start going. [00:15:00] Yeah. I already want him to be listening to music and taking swimming lessons, and I know it's quite far off, but are these things that you start to think about even from a young age? [00:15:09] Anna:  It's so important that you have interests for life, that you may have an interest in sport. You may have an interest in theater. You might have an interest in music. And actually these are things that you take with you and are important in later life. Even if it's just socially. Even if you then later on when you're working, you find a recreational football team and you can make [00:15:30] friends and have a way of exercising. [00:15:32] It doesn't have to be a competitive thing. It can be more to help your wellbeing. Shannon: And it's just life experience, isn't it at any age. And I think as children get older, students get older. I can only imagine it gets harder to persuade them or suggest that they keep their options open. But this sounds like a great way to give them lots of experience. [00:15:52] Anna:  Yeah. I would echo that and I think as they start becoming teenagers and the social aspect does become important, it is important to keep [00:16:00] all those things that they. Enjoy, and that gives them lots of different outlets. Shannon: Okay. Well, thank you so much, Anna. I know you've got a lot to get back to and, um, I really appreciate your time. [00:16:11] Anna:  Thank you very much. Okay. Take care. Thank you. Bye-bye. [00:16:17] Student:  We've been doing some interview style stuff to prepare us for applying for jobs. And then also interesting lessons as much more of a lecture, kind of feel to them compared to GCSE is where you'll have to take notes and you can decide [00:16:30] how much extra work you would like to do. And you've got all this independence and you know that however much work you're going to put in, [00:16:36] You're hoping to get those results out. Narration:  My next guest was head of upper sixth, Chris Wenham. Chris is also a chemistry teacher at KGS and is so passionate about guiding students through this monumental phase in their life. Shannon:  Hello, Chris, how are you? Chris:  I'm very well. How are you?  Shannon:  doing good. Thank you. I wanted to just kick things off by speaking to [00:17:00] you a bit about your responsibilities as the head of upper six and what your role is there at KGS. [00:17:06] Chris:  My job is anything related to the upper six. So whether that's on the academic side, in terms of helping students making good progress, whether that's pastorally and various other bits in between at the moment with the upper sixth, a lot of planning going into the end of year events and making sure that, you know, after this disrupted season of COVID, we give them the sendoff that they deserve. [00:17:27] You know, that's a little bit of fun for me at the end of the year, kind of putting [00:17:30] together leavers' clothing, hoodies, putting together the yearbook, organizing their prom. That's a nice way to ground off that time. So yeah, the whole spectrum of different things. Shannon:  And how would you say the sixth form program at KGS differs from other schools in your experience or knowledge of other schools? [00:17:45] Chris:  So I think at KGS, what we really try to do is to provide a personally tailored education. We're not a one size fits all. So you have to fit in this box. Actually, you can pursue your passions wherever they take you. So if you are [00:18:00] a high flying academic, then we want to push you. We want to make sure that your curriculum is as challenging and stimulating as possible. [00:18:06] We want to encourage you to have the highest aspirations, but if you want more vocation in your plans, then actually our careers department is very set up for that. And our careers advisor is not kind of fixated on this one track. You have to do. There is something for everyone, whether you are a sportsman or woman, whether you are interested in the spheres of drama and music, actually, there are plenty of ways where we [00:18:30] just encourage our students to thrive and excel. [00:18:32] So the thing I love about KGS, we're not an academic hot house. We get excellent results and I'm very proud of what our students achieve, but actually that is in a whole range of disciplines and fields. It is not simply about grades at the end of two years. Shannon:   Right. And why are you so passionate about supporting young people at this particular phase in their lives? [00:18:51] Chris:   I think the sixth form is so important. It is the culmination of everything that has gone before years. One to five are very important in shaping boys and girls [00:19:00] into who they are going to be. But actually sixth form is the time where all of that groundwork comes to fruition in terms of them making their own decisions for what they want to do with their lives. [00:19:10] Beyond that, I've always found it incredibly rewarding, working with sixth formers. They are a fun, creative, exciting, engaged bunch of individuals and actually helping them make the decisions that will impact the rest of their lives is just a massive privilege. And no one day is the same and I absolutely love it. [00:19:28] Shannon:  It's such an interesting [00:19:30] age, isn't it? Chris:  Absolutely. There are so many options and things to discuss and things to work through. It's just lovely. When you see young people find their passions and actually want to pursue it. And it's like, yes, our job is done. You're ready to kind of spread your wings and fly. [00:19:44] Shannon:  Right. Wow. That's great. And do you have any advice to students approaching sixth form or to parents of children approaching six form in terms of A-level choices and so forth? Chris:  In terms of your A-level choices, obviously you can't try all the levels, you are narrowing down, but when reflecting on [00:20:00] the subjects that you want to do at a level, what is it that you enjoy most at GCSE that is going to be the thing that you're going to enjoy spending the vast majority of your school career doing. [00:20:09] So again, don't choose something which you think, or that'll look good on a CV, or that will help me get into that university. It's like, well, do you want to do that? That is the key.  Shannon:   A bit harder to swallow for parents, do you think?  Chris:   It can sometimes be hard can't it, particularly if there are things that have influenced you as a parent. [00:20:27] But I think on the whole, all parents want [00:20:30] their children to be happy, doing something that they enjoy and actually sixth form and school is a time where you can make mistakes as well, but it's a safe place to make mistakes. And if you end up doing the wrong thing, well, actually it's correctable and we can give them the support to move in the direction that they want to. [00:20:45] Shannon:  Is there any advice you have, particularly for parents as they're deciding where to send their children? Are there any words of wisdom? Chris:  That's a good one. I think we want to showcase ourselves and all schools want to showcase themselves as actually, you know, [00:21:00] being caring for the individual and looking after the best interest of your son and daughter, talking to staff, you know, I love this school. [00:21:07] I've been here for. 11 years now. And it's just been an awful lot of fun. So, you know, those interactions with staff and actually seeing what do they enjoy? What is the character, what is the ethos of KGS? That's really important as we'll be the ones who kind of have the day-to-day responsibility for looking after your sons and daughters. [00:21:23] Shannon:  But it's such an important phase of their lives. It's important that they do have the support that they need or that they can benefit from it. [00:21:30] It sounds like you give a lot of that out. Chris:  Totally crucial. It is just such a joy and privilege being in the position that we are as teachers actually, you know, this is the end, this is the culmination they're ready to fly and they're prepared for this and they're ready to go onto the next thing. [00:21:41] So, yeah, it's a great place to be. Shannon:  And this must be of unique ending of a term for you as you near the end with this group of students, you've all gone through quite a year, two years in there. Chris:  Yeah. And I think it's been hard for them, particularly this cohort. They haven't had the normal sixth form experience and the [00:22:00] normal rites of passage that you might hope for sixth formers. [00:22:02] But actually I think, again, it's the testament to the wonderful resilience of teenagers. They have rolled with the punches. They have taken onboard ever changing government advice and just got on with the job in hand. And just like, so we don't like it, but we've got to crack on and we've got to do our best. [00:22:16] And that's what I've loved this year. I found it hard watching sometimes in terms of, as they struggle with the uncertainty, but they have done so well. And with the right kind of guidance and support, what an amazing life experience to have in terms of building resilience [00:22:30] and flexibility, for sure. Yes. [00:22:31] Shannon:  They are going to be well prepared for anything that life throws at them after this. I'm sure. That's right. Well, thank you so much, Chris. And, um, I really appreciate your time today. No, it's been a pleasure speaking to you. Chris:  Thank you so much, Shannon. Narration:  Finally, I spoke with a psychology teacher, Maria Robinson, who is also head of P S H E - a remarkable and comprehensive program that really prepares students for life beyond KGS. [00:22:57] Maria:  PSHE is those I'm sure plenty people know what [00:23:00] it stands for, but it's personal social health and economic education. So it covers a very, very broad range of topics. My interest is primarily in mental health as a psychology teacher. That's where my interest as lane for many years. And that feeds into the PSHE program that I run here. [00:23:16] It's not just us talking about mental health. It's basically trying to equip our students for life in and out of KGS as well. So we look at skills like building resilience, in them. What we do is we try and give them situations that might arise so they can have [00:23:30] ideas about what they would do, what warning signs to look out for. [00:23:33] We can't stop trials and tribulations that are going to happen. We can't stop bad things happening, but what we can do is make sure they're equipped so that when things do happen, they've got some idea about how to cope with those situations. Shannon:  And what's an example of a situation you might be helping prepare students for. [00:23:49] Maria:   It could be something that they all go through, so it could be exam stress. So what we try and do is give them skills from very early on. So in the first year we have a be happy program, which teachers love going over [00:24:00] with them. So. We talked to them about keeping safe and keeping healthy, but we also say, what do you do in your downtime? [00:24:05] What could you do to make yourself happy? So we look at things like Lego. We look at gardening, mindfulness cooking as well. So lots of different things that they can try if they're feeling stressed. So in that situation, when stress does happen, we can't stop that. How are they going to cope in that situation, but also having outlets for it. [00:24:24] People that can talk to those people they can talk to in school. We obviously put them to outside agencies as well, if they [00:24:30] want to talk to them, Childline things like that as well. So it's just giving them options happen. Invaluable. When they leave us at the end of the sixth form, then they're gonna find it more difficult to access the sort of support they get at school. [00:24:41] I know that universities do strive to put support packages in place for them, but. Students are then expected to show a lot more independence and they may struggle when they're in an unfamiliar situation to ask for the kind of help they need. So what we want to do is prepare them beforehand, tell them how they can access support with us, and then when they leave us as well, and also to remind them [00:25:00] that when they leave, they can still come back to us. [00:25:02] They can still turn to us for support. What I do is I email them all in their first term, after they've left us. And I do that around about world mental health day. And just say, we're still here for you. If you need us, you know, look after yourself, look after your mental health. And we also point them to external agencies at university that they can get help with their, if they need us, that kind of support whatsoever left us. [00:25:22] Shannon: So actually the sixth form program at KGS extends past when they leave you. Maria:   Yes, that's it. They may physically [00:25:30] leave us, but they're with us. Shannon: That's wonderful. Why are you passionate about supporting young people at this particular phase in their lives? What is this phase that has caught your attention and your passion? [00:25:41] Maria:   I think as a predominantly a level teacher, this is the age group that I've been working with and I've had two children go through this stage as well. They're at university and beyond now, but that moved from being reliant on your family on school and to certainly send home friends. To then becoming more independent. [00:25:58] It's really exciting, but it's very [00:26:00] scary for them as well. They're expected to act like adults in some situations and in other situations they're being treated like children. So it's really important that they get good advice and support to help them with this transition. Shannon: Do you have any anecdotes or memories of when your own children were going through this phase that informs the way that you support or guide the students now? [00:26:21] Maria:   Well, I was developing the program when they were both in the sixth form, so it was very useful. I would talk to them about the lessons I was doing. They also [00:26:30] made me jump in there because we also do a sort of more fun side for the episode. Next we give, we talk to them about skills like washing, cooking, cleaning. [00:26:37] Yeah. Ironing. And I realized I hadn't taught my son to iron a shirt. So we very quickly had a lesson on that. It was about the support afterwards as well. When my son went off to university, he found his second year quite difficult emotionally, and he needed a support from us. So it was. Making sure that I knew where to find that support for him, explain to the students before they leave us that they may need the support. [00:26:59] So [00:27:00] we look at mental health in the sixth form of how to get help when you're with us and how to get help beyond when you were at university. So they know that there are people out there who are waiting to hear from them. If they need to help inform the program for me. And it made me realize that parents need PSHE lessons as well. [00:27:15] Shannon: I know you've got kind of a timeline of the program that changes when a student enters lower six than when they leave upper sixth. Can you run us through that timeline and how your support and the program evolves and changes with this? Maria:   Yes. So the government [00:27:30] starch tree program. Is only four years, one to five. [00:27:32] So when they go into the sixth form, we have a lot more flexibility. We are required to put on a program for them, but there's much more flexibility in what we actually deliver to them. So what we do is we have sort of three themes that run through each term with both the lower and upper sixth. And we're looking at being an independent and respectful citizen. [00:27:48] We look at preparing for life after school, and then we look at keeping socially and academically healthy. So the lower sixth, we look at simple things like how to make Cornell notes. Obviously they've learned how to make notes [00:28:00] lower down in the school. But as a meeting into more challenging lessons is how to keep them precise and how to keep them useful. [00:28:07] So just very simple skills like that. We also look at the start of applying to university. What sort of things do they want to consider? What courses, where they look at? What about the geographical location? You know, do you want to stay close to home or do you actually, is this your chance to break out and be more independent and go to a bit further away from home? [00:28:24] Volunteering and the role that we as a school play in our local community, we also [00:28:30] consider wider topics such as LGBTQ issues in society. And also we look at political influences, which is preparing them for when they go into upper sixth and they're going to be voting. Right. We then in the spring term, that's just one term in the spring term, we focus on safety for them. [00:28:45] So we look at personal safety and obviously as they're getting older, they're more likely to be out at night. So we look at safety around, um, being out of the house. Safety around drugs and alcohol, because that whole scene is going to change for them. When they leave home, we look at driving [00:29:00] because we're going to start seeing them taking driving lessons and driving tests. [00:29:03] And this year we looked at issues around masculinity, the concept of toxic masculinity, because we want to raise awareness with our students of what is happening currently and what may happen when they leave us as well. In the summer, we sort of continue a bit on that topic. We talk more about consent. [00:29:18] We talk about gender equality and we're taking part in the HeForShe campaign, which looks at building gender IQ and that's part of the UN movement for gender equality. So we're sort of getting involved in bigger campaigns. We fine tune their [00:29:30] personal statements. We look at interview skills, so some universities will still do into your practice, but others don't, but every student will at some time have an interview in their life. [00:29:38] So we practice some of those questions. We look at networking and personal branding. We want them to consider their online presence from a professional perspective, not just from a perspective of what their friends can see. We look at voting they're about to turn 18 or they may have turned 18. So we look at what happens, what a voting booth looks like, what would be expected of them, how [00:30:00] to search for details of their local MP and who they might want to pick for. [00:30:04] And then we also talk about trip planning, which is a nice way. We sort of spend Christmas looking at things that might go wrong. If you plan a trip abroad, you might go into ready with your friends, look at all these scenarios. What could you do in those scenarios? And then we spent the final term really preparing them for leaving us. [00:30:18] So that's what I was saying earlier. We talk about, you know, washing ironing, cooking, shopping, cleaning. We also look at their mental and sexual health and where they can get support for that when they leave us. Yeah. [00:30:30] University accommodation, student finance. We want them to be able to make choices with up-to-date information to hand. [00:30:36] Yeah. I think it's a reasonably comprehensive program, but there's always more that we can add. Shannon:   It's very comprehensive. Definitely teaching children to become functioning adults, which, being in the workforce and just being out in the world, you realize how few people have those life skills! Yeah. Great. [00:30:52] Okay. Well, thank you so much, Maria is really nice chatting with you. Maria:   Thank you, Shannon. Yeah. Narration:   Thank you for listening to this episode. [00:31:00] of the Kingston Grammar School podcast. If you are interested in learning more about the upcoming KGS sixth form live event, please check out the Kingston Grammar School website at www.KGS.org.uk. [00:31:14] Or follow KGS on Twitter @KGS1561 on Facebook @KingstonGrammar. Or on Instagram, KGS1561. If you haven't listened to our previous episodes, do check them out. [00:31:30] In the first episode, we spoke to various students and faculty about the school's pivot into online learning during lockdown and how the KGS community was looked after and continues to be looked after in these uncertain times. [00:31:43] In the second episode, we covered the hot topic of personal devices, such as laptops, tablets, and mobile phones in the classrooms and why KGS sees these one-on-one devices as tools, not toys.  Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts [00:32:00] so that you don't miss an episode and take a moment to rate and review the podcast as it helps listeners to find us more easily. [00:32:07] Join us next time when we speak to some luminous KGS alumni.  Special thanks to our guests this episode, Steven Lehec, Anna Edwards, Chris Wenham and Maria Robinson. Thank you also to Alison Williams, Director of Marketing and Admissions at Kingston Grammar School. This has been an Applied Reality Production, Executive [00:32:30] Produced by Shannon Vandermark, Sound Design by Alex Marcou.    

She's been making a change in her community for almost a decade... She's 21 years old. Are you doing the Maths?!Hafsah Dabiri is a Marvel in so many ways. She has stood strong in the face of adversity and held her head high ⚡ Not letting her physical limitations stop her from achieving all her lofty goals, for sure she is a gift to our communities. This was by far the most inspiring episodes yet and her #blackgirlmagic shone through. Niqabi Muslim, Black, FemaleShe trumps all stereotypes held against her and Shows Up as the brightest star.Now she is an Editor-in-Chief at @mvslim and author of @basirahsworld which she wrote while she was in Sixth Form! How awesome is that?!!So grab your children and have them listen in too, @hafsahdabiri is a source of Noor, Alhamdullilah

The guest for today is Adila Butt who works as a Senior HR Business Partner.Adila is probably the profile you would be after is you were looking for the most orthodox HR CV. She is unique to most in that she didn't stumble into HR like many but found her interest in it whilst at Sixth Form. She went on to study Human Resource Management at uni and also did a placement year which she explains was so beneficial. Adila has worked across different sectors and industries, and worked for small organisations and big corporates along the way. It was fascinating to hear how she has benefited from having good mentors all through her career but how she has always stretched herself outside her comfort zone in order to develop.There's tonnes of valuable insights from this chat so I hope you enjoy listening.Support the show

I share a conversation I had at the start of the summer holiday with the wonderful Jeanne Fairs who works at Gordano School. She is Assistant Head, Head of Sixth Form. She is also Mental Health Lead and Head of Careers. She gives us a 'school perspective' of what to expect in September and what we can do as parents to support our children when they go back. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did!

Starting Sixth Form in September or getting ready to start year 13? This episode is perfect for you. I share the things I learnt during my A Levels, tips for exam season and advice for balancing all the different areas of your life. Sixth Form can be a stressful time so I hope this helps you feel more prepared and ready to achieve whatever you want to.  Please subscribe to the pod wherever you're listening and share with your friends!!  Follow Space To Learn on Instagram here (@spacetolearnpodcast) : https://www.instagram.com/spacetolearnpodcast/ Things mentioned in this episode: Unjaded Jade on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4-uObu-mfafJyxxZFEwbvQ Eve Bennett on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/RevisionWithEve/featured Jack Edwards on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/thejackexperience Thanks for listening! Lucy x

In this episode of the Coming Out Podcast, Stefan chats with his good friend Abby as they discuss her coming out journey. Growing up in Carlisle, UK, Abby and Stefan met in 2016 when Abby visited Stefan's roommates at the time in Vancouver. Abby shares her experiences growing up as a tomboy, playing football and even rocking a short ‘curtains' haircut in the 90s. She shares some funny stories and some more challenging times along the way. Abby works as a bartender and is planning to relocate to Vancouver later this year once travel restrictions are lifted. Listen in to hear the story of her journey to becoming a proud out woman. Episode Highlights: · [0:40] Intro · [1:07] How is she coping with Covid-19 · [1:23] More about Abby and where she is from. · [2:13] What Abby's first memory of being gay? She talks about growing up as a tomboy and hating wearing dresses as a child. · [3:30] Abby talks about wanting to cut her hair short when she was young. · [4:15] Abby talks about her confusion about her gender and going by the name Jamie. · [4:30] Abby talks about her first crush growing up. · [5:13] They talk about connecting the dots between being different and being gay · [5:31] Stefan and Abby talk about gay representation in the media, and how gay women are sexualized by straight men. · [6:25] Abby talks about the experimental times in school. · [6:50] Abby talks about when she started to open up more about her confusion with her friends. · [7:36] She talks about talking to her friend Michelle on a weekend away. · [8:33] Abby throws shade about being from Birmingham. · [8:50] Abby talks about moving on to Sixth Form and the opportunities that brought. · [10:11] Abby recalls the exact date that she came out, when she was 17. · [10:57] Abby shares the moment she told her friends. · [11:24] They talk about the reactions of some friends that were not positive straight away. · [11:46] Abby shares the reaction of one of her close girlfriends. · [12:27] Stefan asks about any negative reactions. Dealing with insults at sixth form. · [13:17] Why was it the right time for Abby. · [13:30] Abby talks about telling her family and the unusual way her family found out the news. A varied reaction from her parents and sister. · [15:33] Abby talks about her dad's reaction. · [16:31] They talk about what life was like after everyone found out. · [16:56] Would she do anything differently? · [17:15] Abby shares some advice for people who have not come out yet. And · [17:50] Thanks you and wrap up. · [18:02] Shout outs and comments. Have a question? Send them to comeoutpodcast@gmail.com and follow us on social media. Just search Come Out Podcast.