One of the highlights of my week occurs on Friday lunchtimes when I host my literary club. Aimed at Years 5 to 8, my ‘In the Beginning’ club introduces students to classic works of literature through a deep dive into the opening page. Over the last two weeks, we’ve been exploring the opening to ‘Great Expectations’, an endeavour that provided us with the perfect excuse to bring Pip (our school dog) along to the session to learn about her namesake. At the end of our initial discussion, one Year 6 student summarised the plot of ‘Great Expectations’ and explained the significance of the name Pip in a single sentence: “So he starts off as a tiny seed and grows into a huge oak tree”. There were giggles when I pointed out this may have been a slight over-simplification of Dickens’ great work, but the answer was also spot on – the name Pip is an aptronym, and this is the story of his personal growth.
Year 6 students are, of course, more than capable of grappling with big ideas. Over the weeks, we’ve studied the opening pages of ‘Jane Eyre’, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Wuthering Heights’; they have discussed symbolism, pathetic fallacy, and learnt the meaning of catharsis in relation to Shakespeare tragedy. Essentially, they have been learning the basics of practical criticism, skills they will need to grow and develop over the coming years, to GCSE and A Level (if they choose) and beyond. The ‘In the Beginning’ club is aptly named: it’s about the literal first page, but it’s also about the early stages of a much larger process – an entry-level version of what is to come.
The opportunities to start small and to learn through doing are everywhere in school. Last Friday, we had a wonderful community tea party – a chance to test dance routines or sing to a backing track in front of an appreciative audience. Today we held a Celebration Assembly, which provides an ideal platform for those making their first forays into public speaking (it’s a safe space to stumble, to get the giggles, to lose your place, and to learn that these things happen to everyone). This was followed by the House Song Competition – which provides the ultimate safety in numbers. After Christmas, Year 11s will sit their mock exams – another dry run, through which students will learn so much more than the syllabus content. At our exams briefing on Tuesday evening we heard from Lydia and Clara (now old hands in Year 13) about their experiences of mocks: the successes, the failures and, above all, the self-knowledge they gained.
And the result of all these low-stakes opportunities? The confidence to interview for a place at Cambridge to read Veterinary Science or Classics at Oxford; the self-assurance to study abroad; the skill to be selected for country sports trials; the expertise to perform Shakespeare at The Old Market Theatre. All these challenges, and more, have been met by individuals in our school this term – all made possible due to the earlier opportunities they have been given to build confidence.
As my Year 6 club attendees know, given the right conditions, from tiny acorns mighty oak trees grow.
