Head’s Blog: It’s Showtime!

This week many Fearnhill students will be involved in the school production of ‘Back to the 80s’.

A broad education 

Events such as school shows are so important in the life of a school. Of course exams matter, but at Fearnhill we want education to be much more than just helping students to gain qualifications. School shows are fantastic opportunities for students to develop skills that will help them throughout their life. For some, it is the experience of performing in front of an audience that is so important in many walks of life. For others, it is the discipline of working in a team and meeting a deadline, for example, when helping on stage design. The deadline of opening night focuses the minds of students and teaches them to be prepared and reliable for the sake of their peers. The lessons students learn as part of a production will be vital to them throughout their lives.

Memorable experiences  

We also care that school is memorable for students in its own right. Often school can be thought of as a stepping stone to further education and employment, but that misses the point: students attend secondary school for 5 or 7 years. It is important that they enjoy their time now, have the chance to live in the present and make memories that will last a lifetime. School shows are one way that we help students to make the most of their schooling and enjoy their education.

Other opportunities

We continue to search for more ways to add breadth to students’ experience of school. I am delighted to see preparations for Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) expeditions are well underway. A significant number of students are signed up to the programme and will benefit hugely from their involvement. I am meeting with the school council to discuss uniform and listen to students’ thoughts on how they would like uniform to change. I also hope to be able to share more details on the return of residential trips in the coming days for students in Y10 initially, and all students eventually.

The Fearnhill Student 

It is our ambition as a school that every student who leaves Fearnhill is kind, confident, resilient and self-aware. These traits are more valuable than good grades (although they do help students to achieve academically too). School shows, DofE, school council and trips all contribute greatly to the life of the school. As always, I am very grateful to staff involved in these projects. They give up many hours of their own time to improve the school experience for students. The results are always worth it as we watch our students grow through these experiences. I know I am looking forward to seeing the culmination of many students’ efforts this week as they take us, ‘Back to the 80s!’

Tim Spencer, Headteacher