High Performance Learning in the Junior School
The 2020-2021 academic year has tested the HPL skills of the girls in the Junior School. They have demonstrated clearly their agility in being able to adapt quickly to online teaching, to classroom teaching and back again. HPL means that all pupils are able to link what they have learnt across different subjects and be creative in their approach to their work.
Woodland Explorers challenges St Mary’s pupils to be resilient and take risks in their approach to outdoor learning from the very beginning of their time at the Junior School.
Year 6 science
The girls in Year 6 have shown outstanding creativity in their approach to Science lessons both online and in class. When learning about micro-organisms in class, they studied bacterial and fungal cell structure carefully and then created their own micro-organisms from plasticine. Online learning meant that girls could think about different approaches to showing their understanding of the human circulatory system.
Tutankhamun in Year 2
In Year 2, the girls have learnt about the Egyptians and the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Charlotte was able to use her linking and creative skills to write a detailed diary entry as Howard Carter in her English lesson.
Year 5 enjoy delicious outdoor skills
The girls in Year 5 have particularly enjoyed their Woodland Explorer sessions and they have linked their food tech skills to cook on an open-fire. The girls were really proud of their hard-work and enjoyed eating the results!
Demonstrating empathy
Throughout lockdown, many St Mary’s girls have also demonstrated their empathy for others by helping their local community. Zara D. created care packs for NHS workers which included little hearts that she had made.
The HPL skills that we foster in the girls at St Mary’s have come to the fore this year. The need to be open-minded, creative, and resilient has never been more pertinent for our pupils when it comes to completing their school work, both at home and in class. At St Mary’s the perseverance of all the girls has really shone through and they have shown that nothing will stand in their way when it comes to achieving excellence in all their learning.
‘Yes she can!’ has certainly taken on another dimension this year and HPL has ensured that the girls at the Junior School are not only hard-working, but creative, empathetic, open-minded and ready for whatever is thrown at them!
Sarah Cliff
Return to Magnolian 2021