Why choose A level English?

Posted by Dan Baggott, Year 13 A level English Language & Literature student

English is one of those things you can't avoid, and I don't just mean through the under 16's national curriculum... It's everywhere you go, it's in every English-speaking person you meet, and it damn right makes up one healthy part of yourself. You write in English, you speak in English, even your inner-mental-monologue works through English! It's everywhere and everything, no matter what way you try to work around it: the use of language is in fact necessary for anything you want to do in life... An employer will judge you by the words you use, so will your parents, your friends, your girlfriends and your boyfriends! Now whether you want to embarrass yourself or not, well, that is up to you...

So when it comes to studying this great language at A-level... I would like to clear up some common misconceptions. Let's kick off with the good classic of “English is boring”... Well, okay guys, sorry to break up your generic foot-thump of an attitude, but literature spans from the ancient Greek mythological works of Homer, up to the very forefront of popular 21st century vampire/wizard fiction. Spanning from the erotic novels (yes, that does mean porn, kids) that your school library was too shy to stack, to the narcotics-fuelled breakouts (yeah, why not drugs too?) of the 1950s American depression, literature can open up worlds you couldn't dream of, even if you dreamed for every minute of your lifetime. Whether it's heartbreak you're looking for, death in a graveyard, psychotic clowns with knives... it's all written in English. Don't write it off just because Carol Ann Duffy doesn't want to smile on the anthology front cover! A-level is here to give you the chance and the push to get your socks on, get your trainers on, and start running laps around your local library, which, believe it or not, has more diversity than the packet of fruit pastilles you're used to stretching for.

Now another thing I have heard people say is that “English is too hard”. WELL GUYS, THIS IS A-LEVEL, AND IN SOME SENSE IT IS MEANT TO BE HARD! If you don't want an academic challenge, then I suggest maybe you get comfy on the sofa, flick through the morning shows, and reach forth for the Kettle chips? Now, I don't know if you've ever heard of something my parents called 'sex', but if you have... then you should appreciate that the best things come from those which are in fact 'hard'. But as a word of mention, I am in my 2nd year studying English, and there has not been one moment where I have doubted for the safety of my grade. I'd just like to say that English is quite a smooth ride, not only are you honoured with a full depth learning experience, but you're not restricted to the absolute rules and regulations that other subjects might offer. You have more room to breathe, and with that, more room to grow into areas you may have once overlooked.

Now what I like especially about English, which turns it away from subjects like Maths and Physics, is that there is no definitely right answer, English is always changing! Texts are always being read in different ways, with different meanings. Think about it... really, I'm serious, I'd like you to think, please? Guys? It's not too much to ask, is it? You see the thing with English... is that it is undefined! There is flexibility, interpretation, creation! With Science and Maths, all you do is study someone else's answers, findings, and memorise them until you can sweat them out, symbol for symbol, under the nose of an exam invigilator. English opens the door for you to step inside, look around, find what you like: beam it up, find what you don't like, and then tear it to shreds. You spend the first half of your English A-level year doing 2 pieces of CREATIVE WRITING! How versatile is that?! Write what you like, go on, I'm not joking! It's all up for the snatch! And if it's still not sounding to be “ur kinda' thang”, then by all means, leave it out, please, I'm not getting paid to write this for you. Grab a textbook, a ruler, and a calculator, because you know what, GEOMETRY IS WAITING FOR YOU!

Podcasting at College

Posting by Marketing Co-ordinator, Bev Bishop

We have just launched podcasts at the College and yesterday was the first time I got students involved in the project. I was talking to the Career Academy students and getting their involvement in a podcast all about this national scheme, which has just been set up at the College this year.

I'm learning my way with podcasts too, as it's not something I've done before, but its amazing what you can do very inexpensively with some decent audio equipment and free software that can be downloaded from the internet. I have to thank the Media department for letting me use their pocket audio recording devices and microphones and the advice of the technicians.

I have previously done podcasts on the College's Christmas Concert and on the brand new A level in Use of Mathematics, but this was my first chance to get students involved.

Most people feel a bit nervous when a microphone is stuck under their nose. It makes people self conscious and they worry about sounding silly, but as the students found this process is far less scary than it at first seems. The beauty of this sort of thing is that it is not live - it's not a radio broadcast that you have to get right first time. If you stumble over a word or miss something out, we just try again. In fact, most of the students recorded their pieces first time, with no need for a second try, so well done to them.

You can hear the finished podcast now - it is available at http://audioboo.fm/solihullsixthform with the rest of our podcasts.

I'm enjoying this new foray into multimedia and I hope people will listen and enjoy it too. It is certainly a more exciting way of finding out about the College than simply reading a subject leaflet downloaded from our website. We are letting the people involved (both teachers and students) tell you what's going on.

Have a listen and please feel free to leave us feedback.

Day in the life of … Marketing

Posting by Bev Bishop, Marketing Co-ordinator at The Sixth Form College, Solihull

I was forced to give some serious thought to my role as Marketing Co-ordinator at the College today, when I had to give a presentation to some of our students about my role.

I was talking to a group of 10 students who are on the College’s Career Academy, giving what is apparently known as a “guru lecture”. I’m fairly certain no one has ever called me or considered me a “guru” before (or will do again!). However, as these students are all on the BTEC Business course, I can see how Marketing might be an important thing for them to learn about and I was happy to share my experiences.

Armed with a trusty powerpoint presentation and a few examples of my work, I gave the students an overview of what I actually do here at the College. I explained the work we do with promotional materials, online promotion and the events we organise. I explained how the College has created and developed a brand and corporate identity. I also tried, as far as possible, to demonstrate why Marketing is important, something they can hopefully apply to a range of different organisations, not just this College.

The students were a great audience – polite and attentive – and they had some good questions for me at the end. We talked about the pitfalls of Marketing, including dealing with bad news stories in the media. We talked about budget management and getting value for money. We also spent some time discussing social networking.

The College’s presence in this area is via Facebook, and while some College’s also have Twitter pages, we do not. I asked the students if they use Twitter and not one of them said they did, which although not necessarily representative, is a good indication that it does not represent our target market. Facebook, however, is widely used and the students thought it was great that part of my job is to go on Facebook!

Actually, Facebook is potentially a big job. I read everything that goes on the College Facebook page and if questions are asked I answer them. I explained to the students how this page is merely an extension of the College community and thus we expect the same level of behaviour on the College Facebook page as we do in lessons.

As an aside, I will be attending a workshop on social networking, provided by Eversheds tomorrow, where lots of educational establishments will meet to discuss the benefits and pitfalls of websites like Facebook and Twitter.

Anyway, back to the presentation, I also spoke to the students about Open events at the College. Indeed, this is the main project I am working on at the moment. We have an Open Morning taking place on Saturday 5 February and it is my responsibility to prepare for this event. This means promoting the event in newspapers, schools, libraries and Connexions offices, preparing materials for the event (subject leaflets and carrier bags of promotional materials) and organising the services and some of the staffing (especially student guides) for the day.

Well back to the grindstone now! Open Morning will not organise itself!

Guru Lectures

Posting by Ranjit Hayer, Career Academy Co-ordinator and Business teacher at The Sixth Form College, Solihull

Part of our new Career Academy involves what is termed “guru lectures”. This is when business leaders come into College to talk to our Career Academy students about their business and give them useful advice and tips on how to success in business.

Our students had their first Guru Lecture of the year yesterday afternoon. David Stevens (pictured below), who may not have previously thought of himself as a “guru”, came in to give the talk. He is Director of Arup, a global provider of total design, engineering and business solutions. He came in to speak to the students about Arup’s work in the UK and the world wide.

Arup is located here in Solihull, in the Blythe Valley Business Park. They are a worldwide organisation, located in 70 countries, and have been responsible for building some of the most architecturally iconic structures around the world from the Sydney Opera House, to the Birds Nest Stadium in Beijing.

Looking a little closer to home, the students were fascinated to hear that Arup also designed the Toyota plant in Derby and St Pancras station in London. They are even redesigning the Selfridges building and developing the HS2 rail link from Birmingham to London.

This talk was just one part of an on-going Career Academy programme. More guru lectures will be taking place in the coming weeks and months and the students are looking forward to one on marketing next week.

Career Academy

Posting by Ranjit Hayer, Career Academy Co-ordinator and Business teacher at The Sixth Form College, Solihull

We’ve set up a Career Academy at the College and a small group of BTEC Business students have been accepted into the programme.

The ten nervous students are waiting in anticipation of their first mentor meetings this month. These students will be making their way to blue chip businesses that they have been lucky enough to be put into contact with by successfully completing their application to the Career Academy. A representative from these firms will advise and mentor these students to ensure they get the most out of the programme.

The firms involved in this mentoring part of the Career Academy include Jaguar Land Rover, Solihull Council, Village Hotels and BT, amongst others.

All the students have already met their mentors at very animated “ice breaker” event before Christmas. Students, staff and the mentors came into College and took part in a challenge, aimed at helping everyone to get to know each other. Armed with boxes of drinking straws and put in pairs of student and mentor, the task was to make the tallest straw tower in 20 minutes! It was great fun for everyone involved and really did help to break the ice, as it was intended to.

All students will meet their mentors on a monthly basis and they will help them develop their work skills, see how a business works and most importantly learn how to use their networking skills.

This experience will put these students one step ahead of the game when thinking about what to do when they leave the College.

Post by Suzanne Tromans, Dance teacher at The Sixth Form College, Solihull

What a way to start the New Year! On their first day back into classes the Year 13 dance students and I took part in a full day workshop with a dance artist from the Richard Alston Dance Company. It was clear from the onset that too many mince pies, too many late nights and not enough exercise had taken its toll on the dancers and I! But once our bodies were warmed up, we were raring to go…and GO we did! Firstly we took part in an hour and a half technique class based around Cunningham and release techniques: both techniques which heavily influence Richard Alston’s work. We literally threw ourselves into this and it was so great to be dancing again after the Christmas break (well I thought it was great…not sure some of the students had woken up yet)!

After a short water break, we were then taught repertoire from one of Alston’s more recent pieces ‘Shuffle It Right’ set to jazzy music by Hoagy Carmichael. It was fantastic to learn the actual repertoire that we had seen the professional dancers perform last year when we went to watch them at Malvern Theatres. However, they seem to make it look so easy and effortless, whereas we struggled at times with the sheer speed and difficult rhythms. (At one point it was a little like that trick when you’re asked to pat your head with one hand, and rub your tummy with the other)! But, not to be defeated, the dancers and I worked hard to grasp the material and soon the movements began to sink into our bodies and feel more natural. We were starting to look good!

With only half an hour for lunch we quickly moved on to looking at ways Richard Alston uses lyrics to provide movement ideas and rhythm. We created our own phrases of movement by varying and manipulating the stylistic content that we have been taught and we shared our work with our peers. By the time we got to the cool down at the end of the day I certainly felt ready for a hot bath and more stretching…oh, and any trace of make-up had slid off my face much earlier!

The day provided the students and I with an insight into the Alston style and way of working. This is most important, as the next day in class we will commence the creation of our solos ready for our practical examination in early April. The second year of the A level dance courses requires students to perform a 2 - 3 minute technical solo in the style of a specific dance practitioner, this year: Richard Alston. So we already know some ‘rep’ and with a forthcoming visit to Malvern Theatre again to watch the professional company perform other repertoire, we should be set up for success!

Watching the company will again, be a most enjoyable experience, particularly as one of my ex-students is now in the Company. I do believe there was a tear in my eye when we watched the company last year and I am sure I will be taking the hankies again this year. Watching past students do something they are most passionate about, and something they have worked so hard for, is so very rewarding and gratifying for me as a teacher. Here’s to our current students doing well in their examinations and perhaps following their dancing dreams!

By the way…will someone PLEASE remind me never to undertake such a strenuous day on the first day back after Christmas again! Right now, as I am sat here writing this, I am seizing up little by little…calves, hamstrings, abdominals, buttocks, lower back, shoulders, neck….and…..and…..QUICK, run a hot bath!

More photos and videos on the College Facebook page at www.facebook.com/solihullsixthform.

Christmas Concert 2010

Every year the College holds a Christmas Concert to get everyone into the festive spirit. This year, special thanks must go to the students, so played a larger role than ever to ensure the concert went ahead.

Indeed, with only part-time staff available to help organise the event, a lot of the planning fell to student Chris Pitts, who decided one the music to be played and helped to co-ordinate all the students in performances and rehearsals.

The end result? A brilliant festive musical evening! There was a good audience there to join in with the carols 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen', 'Deck the Halls' and ' Hark! The Herald Angels Sing'. There were also a number of songs from the College Choir, some vocal and instrumental solos and some orchestra and enemble pieces.

As the photos below show it was a wonderful end to a very hectic term and thanks go to all the students and staff who helped to make it such a success.