We are very pleased to be linked to a school in Jinan, China. The focus of the link will be Student Voice, BSF, spiritual moral social and cultural. This is a description sent to us from China by the school.
On June 19,1913, Yuying Middle School was founded in the height of patriotic enthusiasm. With commitment to saving the nation through education, Yuying highly cherished the spirit of fortitude and diligence and aimed to offer wide opportunities to all ambitious youngsters. The first schoolmaster, Mr. Kong Xiangke, was the 75th generation of Confucius. Looking back on the history one can invariably discover the close relationship between Yuying and the nation. Her teachers and students were everywhere to be seen in all the patriotic activities, from the May 4th Movement to May 30th Movement, December 9th Movement. It was right in the blue-brick building on the campus that Wang Jinmei and Deng Enming (representatives attending the CPCs first congress) were preparing for the setup of Shandong Provincial Branch of the Youth League. Many teachers and students actively involved themselves in the national salvation movement and finally became revolutionaries.
At the 10th anniversary in 1923, Huang Yanpei (famous statesman and educator) lift his calligraphy on the school name-plate. In 1956, Yuying was restructured into a public school. For the past 90 years, the school has trained 60,000 middle school students, among which are many provincial committee of CPC).
Today, Yuying has developed into the largest and best middle school in Jinan City and even in Shandong Province. The campus covers 32 mu, with construction area of 27,000m2. There is a staff of some 252 teachers and clerks, and more than 3400 students are studying in 62 classes. Over the past five years, the school has invested nearly 20 million yuan in the building redecoration, installation of advanced facilities, computerization of teaching tools and various cultural activities. Characterized by reasonable layout, beautiful campus and live atmospheres, the school is to become a modern middle school.
Yuying Middle School has a long history of more than 90 years. Its idea of running a school is the soul of its sustained development. According to the CPCs education policy and the demand of social development for education, the new school leaders have set its own idea of running a school. The idea is promoting the independent development of the students, and making them form a healthy personality. With the implementation of the idea, Yuying has formed a good atmosphere of teaching and research. The school has won the honor of excellent teachers at all levels. The school has achieved outstanding success. In the Junior Graduation Exam, many students from Yuying have gone to key schools. So she has gained the affirmation and encouragement of the people in the whole city.
Recalling the glory of the past, Yuying is full of confidence for the future. The teachers and students of Yuying are marching to the peak of the science by the wind of education reform.
January 2010
The following are quotes taken from correspondence after a stakeholder engagement meeting as part of the BSF process:
“I wanted to write to formally convey the feelings of our team who had the opportunity to engage with the stakeholders and understand their thoughts about their new school, We were alt absolutely overwhelmed by the sense of ownership of ‘their’ school and the articulate nature of the discussion that students took part in.
We are fortunate that we visit many schools across the country - many of which have a demographic similar to that of the Westwood School, indeed the school that I first taught at many years ago was incredibly similar to yours. We were impressed by the fact that students were courteous, polite, welt mannered and just so keen to share their thoughts with us. They felt responsible for involving their peers and were excited at the thought of repeating the exercise amongst their tutor groups and year groups should the opportunity arise.
Many of the older students in particular were very interested in the career paths that our team had followed. Some of the Sixth Form students were reassured that alternative pathways could be followed in order to secure an appropriate career and asked many questions. They were interested in the fact that adults do not always end up working in a field that reflects their ‘best” subjects when studying.
We gave all the students an opportunity to chat with the BAM team once the engagement was over in order for them to understand the importance of a good education and the opportunities that are open to them in the world of BSF. Many students took this opportunity and asked questions that were interesting and moved their thinking forward. We are always happy to continue with this type of work should you wish, in particular we have a wide variety of companies in the BAM supply chain who could provide work-related earning and experience for students who are finding it hard to locate 14-19 placements.”
“The students were all very polite, attentive and positive and able to express themselves well. We were impressed by the way they engaged with each other when discussing their response to all the tasks and in general discussion at each”.
“The students were confident and engaged fully in the discussions. At times, the older students actually led the discussion in a mature and realistic manner”
“The students were interested in and able to explore the relationship between learning activities and the type of learning spaces that might best support those activities. They were able to think ‘outside the box’ to suggest how the use of space could be optimised to support learning e.g. wide staircases providing a viewpoint for a class watching their peers perform a play as part of a lesson in a larger space.
The students had a strong sense of their preferred learning style and could articulate why certain approaches helped them learn best.
The post 16 students demonstrated an understanding of how a wider range of learning activities could be deployed across all subjects”.
“The students were excited about the prospect of new learning spaces and in particular the opportunity to work in a range of learning environments characterised by shape, colour, furniture and form. Whilst we didn’t discuss their personal aspirations in the time available with each group, the students demonstrated through their attitude a commitment to making the most of their opportunities”.
“The students have a clear understanding of how ICT can be used as an enabler for learning and suggested some interesting and innovative uses for new technologies”
“The students know how ICT can help them in their learning activities. We have no doubt whatever technologies are provided to Westwood they will be well used to good effect”.
“Throughout the discussions, although they were excited about some of new technologies displayed, the students were realistic about their aspirations for the use of ICT in their refurbished and extended school.
“The students have aspirations of being able to use ICT as and when it can be used to best effect, but also as and when they choose as a user of technology”.
November 2009
Technology status has had an impact in all subject areas even though the main core subjects are Technology, Maths, Science and ICT. A pupil survey was carried out in the Autumn Term of 2009 which shows how pupils use technology. There are six key areas that technology status goes into more depth with:
- Teaching and learning - this is quite self explanatory but involves the way pupils are taught. This includes having teaching aids such as interactive whiteboards in every classroom. It also means pupils can use techniques such as Independent Learning and Learn 2 Learn programmes and Technology to improve their learning and understanding. It’s mainly what is available and what the school is doing to improve the learning of pupils.
- Achievement - this means the school showing all pupils’ progress. In our school that includes: the red, amber and green pupil tracker boards, target stickers and self evaluations as well as events such as Awards Evening which recognise pupils’ achievements giving them incentives to continue their hard work. All events, any activities that pupils have taken part in or awards won are shown regularly on the TV screens around the school. Programmes such as ‘Aim Higher’ and ‘Maximise Your Potential’ are offered to pupils to help them improve and reach the goals set for them or the goals which they have set themselves.
- Life long learning. This is to do with giving advice and experience on what we as pupils can do next. This includes KS4 pupils working closely alongside Connexions helping them to make the right decision about what to do next. Pupils are also offered trips and opportunities by universities or colleges. For example pupils going on science trips at both Warwick and Coventry universities and guest speakers coming into school to speak to pupils. There have also been schemes with students from the local universities coming to Study Clubs to offer their support and advice. The school also offers evening classes for adults. Westwood has a specially designed computer lab where adults can be given classes on improving their computer skills. The lab is also open to the Sixth Form pupils.
- Local community. This is to do with bringing people in from the local community into Westwood. It includes events such as the Westwood Community Carnival every June. Other projects include ‘Aim Higher’ week, Canley Regeneration Project and the Canley Brook Clean Up project.
- School community. This concerns what the pupils do in school to make it a better place. It includes primary school Peer Mentors who are Year 7 pupils who work alongside Mr Slavic (Director of Transition) to make the step from Year 6 to new pupils as easy as possible. The Primary Olympics is held every summer by the PE department and involves pupils from feeder primary schools to take part in tournaments. Pupils from Westwood work closely alongside the staff to help the day run smoothly acting as Stewards and Referees.
- Business and enterprise, this is how Business and Enterprise is used around the school other than in Business Studies lessons and projects such as the Fair Trade project are included in this. This project is where pupils have worked alongside Warwick University students to set up their own business selling Fair Trade products around school. This also includes fundraising events such as ‘Westwood’s Got Talent’ organised by both staff and pupils to raise money for charities.
Lauren W
School President on behalf of the Westwood Student Council
The Student Council met with the Head teacher on Monday 23.11.09 to view the plans for the new school. They requested to be present to represent pupils' views at the final presentation of the BSF bidders to the representatives of the City Council and school Trustees.
The President of the School Council is writing to the Chair of Governors, Mr Allcock, to ask for a position of 'Student Governor' to be created on the governing body.
The Council also discussed the staffing structure and its impact on Teaching & Learning for pupils in 2010-11. |
