{"id":17421,"date":"2023-12-14T13:10:40","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T13:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brightongirls.gdst.net\/?post_type=heads_blog&p=17421"},"modified":"2023-12-14T13:10:40","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T13:10:40","slug":"in-the-beginning","status":"publish","type":"heads_blog","link":"https:\/\/brightongirls.gdst.net\/news\/heads_blog\/in-the-beginning\/","title":{"rendered":"In the Beginning\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the highlights of my week occurs on Friday lunchtimes when I host my literary club. Aimed at Years 5 to 8, my \u2018In the Beginning\u2019 club introduces students to classic works of literature through a deep dive into the opening page. Over the last two weeks, we\u2019ve been exploring the opening to \u2018Great Expectations\u2019, 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 \u2018Great Expectations\u2019 and explained the significance of the name Pip in a single sentence: \u201cSo he starts off as a tiny seed and grows into a huge oak tree\u201d. There were giggles when I pointed out this may have been a slight over-simplification of Dickens\u2019 great work, but the answer was also spot on – the name Pip is an aptronym, and this is the story of his personal growth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Year 6 students are, of course, more than capable of grappling with big ideas. Over the weeks, we\u2019ve studied the opening pages of \u2018Jane Eyre\u2019, \u2018Romeo and Juliet\u2019 and \u2018Wuthering Heights\u2019; 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 \u2018In the Beginning\u2019 club is aptly named: it\u2019s about the literal first page, but it\u2019s also about the early stages of a much larger process\u00a0 – an entry-level version of what is to come.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The opportunities to start small and to learn through <\/span>doing<\/span><\/i> 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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

And the result of all these low-stakes opportunities?\u00a0 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As my Year 6 club attendees know, given the right conditions, from tiny acorns mighty oak trees grow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the highlights of my week occurs on Friday lunchtimes when I host my literary club. Aimed at Years […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":17422,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIn the Beginning\u00a0 • Brighton Girls<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/brightongirls.gdst.net\/news\/heads_blog\/in-the-beginning\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In the Beginning\u00a0 • Brighton Girls\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"One of the highlights of my week occurs on Friday lunchtimes when I host my literary club. 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