At Gordon’s School, we are fortunate to have eight departments as active members of the PTI Schools Programme or Associate Department Scheme. Gordon’s have been participating in the PTI since 2008 and have seen many advances across the curriculum as a consequence. Below are some examples of the activities our departments have been involved in over the last 12 months.

Geography

In Geography, we have spent time developing many areas of the curriculum especially providing addition extracurricular opportunities, from geology field work on the Jurassic Coast to fieldwork in Iceland, which took place in February 2016. We have also developed an A* Clinic for our high flyers and begun a yearly Geographical Association quiz involving local schools. We are currently focused on developing the use of GIS within the department and applying this to the core curriculum across all key stages (and hopefully further afield).

Maths

The Maths Department is currently working on the second year of their Associate Department Scheme project. In preparation for the new GCSE examination, which has more emphasis on ‘problem solving’, the main purpose of this research project was to improve students’ ability to tackle these types of problems.

The main focus of the first year was to produce resources that could be utilised in lessons to improve students’ ability to problem-solve in preparation for the new GCSE examination. The task of creating a bank of problem-solving resources was shared within the department and was split into three main areas – Number, Algebra and Geometry. The finished resources were contained in booklets which students began to work through from September 2016. In addition to the resources created for GCSE students, we have also begun to acquire additional resources that we can use with Years 7 and 8. These resources are linked to those produced by the NRICH website and cover a variety of different problem-solving tasks linked to different parts of the Key Stage 3 curriculum.

We have also aimed to increase the amount of time students spend on problem-solving. This has been done partly in lessons, but we have also introduced a termly challenge for students with the incentive of some Amazon vouchers for the winning entry and runners-up. Alongside this we have the ‘Problem of the Week’ puzzles which run throughout the academic year for Key Stage 3 students. Over the next few years we will be aiming to increase the amount of time students spend on problem-solving activities during lessons by making use of the resources we have produced this year.

In order to gain some baseline data regarding students’ views on problem-solving, we surveyed all of Year 9. The main findings were that students were generally positive about their views on problem-solving (only 12% said that they did not like solving problems). Students were also keen for more activities to be introduced into lessons in the future.

English

In the English department, we are promoting reading for pleasure and encouraging learners to become more independent.

With a view to boosting image of the department and encouraging reading habits further, we have created a wide range of competitions for students to take part in. In addition to creative writing competitions across all of Key Stage 3, we also run individual tasks specific to each year group. Year 9 are currently preparing a ‘Moment of Terror’ horror story on a scene of their choosing. The English department is awarding kindles to the best overall answers, as well as distributing book vouchers to the best story in each set. Furthermore, our ‘Reading Around the School’ competition encourages students to read three texts from a variety of different genres in order to complete their ‘map’ of the school. Our teachers encourage students to share their love of reading and recently added The Hunger Games to our study of novels in Year 8.

We have started using Sixth Form students in our lessons to support weaker pupils and stretch gifted and talented students in Key Stage 3. By doing this, we aim to improve the confidence and understanding of our younger pupils, as well as helping our Year 12 and 13 teaching assistants to further enhance their communication skills and develop their love of the subject.

Another aim was to improve the enrichment opportunities in English in order to enhance students’ appreciation of set texts and encourage them to continue their studies at A Level and degree standard. At Key Stages 4 and 5, we are running trips to a production of ‘An Inspector Calls’, a tour of ‘Jekyll and Hyde’s’ London and a visit to Hardy country. Author visits are also part of this enrichment focus and so far we have had visits from two authors to Year 7 and Year 8.

Science

There has been lots going on in the Science department over the course of the last 12 months. This includes students working on projects and entering national competitions. Gordon’s school students came second in the Siemens Challenge with their project that proposed to create a sports heart monitor which participants wear during activities. It allows the participants' ECG to be recorded so any heart rate abnormalities can be detected. Year 8 students enjoyed participating in the Salters Chemistry Challenge and achieved 1st and 3rd place. Our A Level students were very enthusiastic about competing for the Olympiads and we had Gold, Silver and Bronze awarded to students across Biology, Chemistry and Physics Olympiads. Gold and Copper was achieved by Year 12 students entered for Chemistry’s C3L6 competition.

The Science department also runs many trips including annual Ecology trips to Nower Wood and Bushy Park where students have the opportunity to practice ecological sampling techniques, experience the world of a woodlouse and sample aquatic invertebrates by pond-dipping. Year 10 students attended the GCSE Science Live event and had the opportunity to listen to lectures by eminent scientists including Professor Robert Winston. Our Key Stage 3 students have also been involved in STEM trips including a fun day making glue and trying computer programming, as well as a trip to ‘Engineering Island’ to discover the career opportunities in engineering and to tour some real-life engineering labs.

Art

We have continued to hold Art & Photography competitions open to students of all ages. This helps to identify those worthy of a ‘half colour’ (badges awarded to students in the Sports and Arts for achievement). These are now awarded every term in assemblies. We have continued to make links with the Art and Photography departments of schools with better equipped facilities, and share resources and SOW. We have introduced life drawing to Sixth Form Art students and to select Year 11s, on our good to great programme. The programme offers selected students opportunities to excel in the subject. The programme is open to all students and for Year 9 students activities include independent projects and prep to extend and challenge students. Other opportunities also include tailored projects set up with professional artists and designers; 3 Year 11 students for the first time this year attended lectures at the Institute of Education in London to listen to and be inspired by well-known inspirational artists, designers and photographers. This year we have selected Sixth Form students to work with younger students to support, help, encourage and inspire the younger students.

Music

We are now very excited to be rolling out the second year of our Associate Department Scheme project which is looking at using student leadership roles within the department to extend our provision still further. In the first year we have been working on recognising leadership roles within our ensembles and allowing students to flourish in these areas of responsibility thereby extending the number and quality of groups we can run. As we also have more students participating in Silver and Gold Arts Awards we are able to tie the leadership element of this award into the scheme. We have also had peer teaching going on in our classrooms this year, a scheme which sees Sixth Form music students assisting in lower school music lessons. We also now have two senior Music scholars who are heavily involved in leading ensembles.

Later this year we hope to start up a theory club run by a student and also start to roll out student leadership roles based around the running of Explore and Discover Arts Award programmes at our local primary school.

History

The History department is currently in the third year of its second Associate Department Scheme project and our focus is to encourage critical thinking skills at Key Stage 3. The General Gordon research prize is in its third year, which rewards the research of a Year 8 pupil based on work conducted on the school’s collection of personal artefacts belonging to General Gordon.

Last year the project was expanded to Year 9 who conducted research into the fate of Old Gordonians who fought in World War One. Pupils also used various research materials to find out what Gordon’s School was like during these war years.

This year the aim is to refine this research and give Year 9 pupils an opportunity to research the fate of those Old Boys, who signed up after 1914, with the Surrey History Museum.

Modern Languages

The Modern Languages department at Gordon’s is now in its third year of the Associate Department Scheme project, which involves a three-year attempt to analyse, and improve upon, our extra-curricular provision so that we can raise enjoyment and recruitment levels.

Each of our three languages departments is involved with various activities including trips, residential exchanges, the BALFA flag award, foreign pen pals and many more. We have developed links with local primary and secondary schools and we have also been increasing our use of ICT across languages and experimenting with Google Classrooms, Twitter and other online applications.

Gordon's School is a voluntary-aided secondary school with academy status in West End near Woking, Surrey. It has approximately 800 pupils and a Sixth Form.