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English
To enrich the pupils’ learning and understanding of text,
authors and performers visit the school. Recently these have included visits
by Chris Bradford , author of the Young Samurai , for Years 5,6 and 7,
and Anthony Glenn, performing an interpretation of Dickens and
Shakespeare texts to Year 8.
Year
7 pupils worked successfully on the theme of Environmental Poetry,
through which a selection of their work was published. Intervention
groups for promoting Literacy for Boys have been established and
progression is evident.
Mathematics
The Mathematics
department offers students the opportunity to go on various trips and activities
based on their age and ability.
Initially this will see a group of Gifted and Talented students
heading to Bletchley
Park where they
will experience lots of fun activities including code breaking and
solving puzzles.
Over the last few
years the SATs results have been continuing to improve through the
successful use of Booster Classes within Years 5 and 6. Those who attended on a regular basis
worked extremely hard and made good progress.
The co-coordinator of Maths also runs a club during a
lunchtime where students play Mathematical games and solve puzzles.
Science
Over the last few
years the students have been able to experience or take part in the
following activities
Year 5: Exciting
visits from Zoolab where the pupils actually
are able to hold and look at many different animals and learn about their
life cycles.
Year 6: Pupils have
attended Science Booster Classes in preparation for their SAT exams.
Those who attended on a regular basis worked extremely hard and made good
progress
Year 7: Very
successful visits to the Natural History in London run as a joint venture with the
Geography Department to strengthen the links between the 2 curricular
areas. When there we spend time reinforcing what has been learnt in
school and finding out information about what we may learn in the future.
SAT results at level 4
have remained more or less the same but this year level 5’s have
improved
Over the past two years we have
raised nearly £1500 for the Jeans for Genes
charity that helps to fund research into genetic disorders and diseases.
French
Children’s
can further experience French culture by an opportunity to enjoy a French
Breakfast to celebrate European Languages Day in September each year
which has been a great success.
Learning
centres around kinaesthetic
approach to their lessons, learning for real purposes with creative role-
play enabling children to apply the language they have learned.
There
is also a very successful visit to Normandy
held annually for Year 7 children. This has proved to be an invaluable
opportunity for the children to experience French culture at first hand
and to practice their French in real situations with French people.
An
Italian Club for Key Stage 2 pupils is being launched beginning with Year
5 children and a Spanish Club is already running for children in Year 8.
Information Communication Technology (ICT)
Robert Bruce has invested heavily in ICT this
year and we have purchased two laptop trolleys allowing classes to take
networked laptops to any classroom in the school for lessons. In addition we have refurbished two of
the three computer rooms and invested
in state of the art design and publishing software to provide engaging,
stimulating and challenging environments that are relevant to the modern
ICT industry and we have introduced a system of online assessment that
instantly assesses pupils work, gives instant feedback on progress and
sets targets for future development which has given pupils ownership of
their own learning and in conjunction with the learning platform allows
pupils to access most of their work and ICT curriculum from home.
Following on
from the successes of using the learning platform internally we plan to
include parents so they can contact teachers, other parents and find out
about letters and school events online and eventually parents will be
able to access school reports, attendance records and other information
about their children via the internet. Also, later on in the year we will
run a website design club that will help create a pupil section of the
school website and develop the learning platform giving the students the
opportunity to become more involved in both the school and in ICT. ICT is
a fast moving subject and we are constantly developing the curriculum and
its method of delivery in the light of developments in technology and
practice.
In addition to
the web design club that is currently creating a pupil section of the
school website we have also prepared the groundwork for other clubs such
as the CC4G computer club for girls and a science club where we use ICT
to share science projects with other schools globally.
ART
We have already had a
very exciting and productive start to this academic year involving very popular
lunch time art clubs for all years and an improved Gaynor’s Gallery
which is currently exhibiting work made by Key Stage 3 students in their
French lessons. This
termYears7&8 have already visited Compton Verney
in Warwickshire for a day and thirty year 5 students were invited to
wrest park in Silsoe to take part in a day long
art activity. We were one of only five schools in Bedfordshire to have
been invited to take part in this exciting project.
Year 5 students have
been learning about colour whilst painting and
designing Christmas cards which will be professionally printed in time
for Christmas.
Year 6 are hoping to
visit the National Gallery again, as part of their Take One Picture
project and are currently inspired by The Fighting Temeraire
by JMW Turner.
Year 7 are building on
the successes of last year in the Doodle for Google Competition, and are
working hard on their portraits.
Year 8 are working
hard on their design brief as fashion illustrators and will be exhibiting
their work at the 229 club in January.
Gifted and Talented
students are all looking forward to supporting the school production of
Puss in Boots at Christmas and visiting a variety of Art Galleries
and Museums to inspire pupil’s artwork and to show off all the
artistic talents of Robert Bruce in yet more local and National
competitions!
DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
In 2005 the
Design Department took part in the KS2 Construction Industry K’nex Challenge. Twelve schools participated in
the challenge. Robert Bruce was the overall winner.
In June
2006, four Robert Bruce pupils were selected to attend the semi final
stage of the Audi Innovations Award in Milton Keynes.
This represented a massive achievement considering pupils from the
surrounding counties also entered (short-listed from over 200 entries).
In July
2007 and 2008, Robert Bruce pupils visited the Rockingham Festival near
Corby, Northants for
an education day
on the theme
of Science, Technology, Maths and
Engineering. A very
enjoyable day where
our pupils had
fun but also
experienced new things
that helped to
improve some of
their understanding of
the technological society
we now live
in. All concerned were
a real credit
to the school.
In June
2009 some of our KS3 gifted and talented students participated in a Financial Capability
and Enterprise Day. The objective was to have a
better understanding of the need for financial planning and
marketing. Some of our Year 8 also
visited Samuel
Whitbread Community
College in Shefford,
where they
spent the day using CAD/CAM. Both days proved to be very enjoyable and an
experience our students will never forget.
In Food
Technology a competition between Robert Bruce and Daubeney
was held recently at Bedford
College, sponsored by Sainsburys. The teams practiced cooking a full meal
in their groups. Although our students were
runners up, they did the school proud and gained a mention
in the local paper.
Our Y7 and Y8 pupils have also participated in the Sainsbury’s Get Active Challenge where they were awarded certificates for good work in the soup and pizza projects. The Cookery Club are now up and running. They helped to prepare refreshments for parents during last years Extravaganza. Wonderful foods from around the World! The Cookery Club have also made and sold toasted cheese sandwiches and chocolate muffins at break time for our pupils to enjoy. They continue to cook and learn about different foods using money given by the National Lottery fund to the "Lets Get Cooking" initiative.
Pupils in Year 8 are now required to produce a
portfolio of their work and save it on their own memory stick. This is a
useful reminder of their achievements at Robert Bruce but also an ideal
way to promote themselves at Upper
School in the early
stages of Year 9. We strongly
believe that our pupils are more than just a "Working Level".
The portfolio will show what knowledge and understanding our students
have gained and record their outcomes in all three disciplines. Students are also required to record
their attainment and targets to make further improvements. In this way
our students take more responsibility for their own learning and monitor
their own progress throughout the year.
Our pupils and the design team continue to work
hard to achieve some very pleasing results in all year groups. We aim to build on this success by
providing more for our gifted and talented students through clubs, visits
and Design and Technology Challenge Days where pupils can compete in
teams against each other using their skills, knowledge and understanding
to solve a problem and enjoy themselves at the same time!
GEOGRAPHY
The Geography Department has been busy this
year looking at different and varied ways to enhance the learning and
teaching of Geography at Robert Bruce, both in and out of the classroom.
In the classroom, lessons are planned to raise
pupil interest in Geography through the introducing of varied topics and
activities. Outside of the classroom
there have been or will be opportunities to further learning through
trips and visits.
Year 7 pupils will embark on the annual joint
Geography and Science trip to the Natural History Museum/Natural Science
Museum in London. This visit has always been popular and
pupils appear to enjoy learning in a different environment.
Six Year 8 pupils, identified as Gifted and
Talented in Geography, participated in a Geography Day organised jointly between Robert Bruce, Daubeney, Marston Vale and Holywell Middle
Schools, Hastingsbury and Wootton
Upper Schools. Pupils worked in groups to discuss a
local environmental issue, carry out varied fieldwork activities and
present their findings to parents and staff from the participating
schools. Although this event has yet
to be planned for the current school year, it is hoped this event will
take place possibly in the Spring Term.
Under the supervision of the Geography Co-ordinator, pupils in the current years 8, 7 and 6 who
were members of the Eco-Team last year will again continue with this
important area of school life, and be joined by representatives from Year
5. Having been awarded the Bronze
level last year, it is hoped that this year Robert Bruce will achieve the
Silver Level.
HISTORY
The History Department has a programme of events planned to enhance and enrich the
learning of the pupils.
Year 5 pupils will visit Cadbuty
World in Bourneville to enhance their learning about the Aztecs. Following an educational talk by CadburyWorld staff, including the opportunity to
dress up as Aztecs, pupils will tour the site and look at the links
between the Aztecs and chocolate.
Year 6 will be travelling to Coventry to visit Coventry Cathedral as
part of a joint visit with the Geography and RE Departments. They will be
taught how the cathedral was destroyed in the blitz.
It is hoped that Year 8 pupils will be able to
enhance their learning of the Tudors and Stuarts with a visit to a Tudor
house.
MUSIC
Peripatetic lessons for violin, cello, drums,
piano, keyboard, guitar, flute, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, trumpet,
trombone, French horn and tuba are ongoing.
Chorus-the Robert Bruce Singers continue to
meet regularly and are currently focusing their attentions on the school
pantomime.
The school has been recognized by the Guinness
Book of Records for its involvement in the largest simultaneous sing.
Pupils continue to have access to the keyboard
suite both during lessons and at the key stage keyboard clubs.
Indian
drumming lessons have been introduced in year five and I look forward to hearing
their first performance at Christmas.
All pupils with music books now have their own
copy of the music achievement levels so that they can track their
learning.
The national curriculum levels for music are
displayed inside and outside the classroom in a child friendly format.
Years six, seven and eight all receive
specialist music teaching from a dedicated professional.
Year five pupils are currently preparing for a
Christmas performance of Scrooge.
A Christmas concert has been reintroduced to
our schedule of performances after a years break
Two steel pan bands run in school; one for year
eight pupils and one for year seven pupils.
The current year eight steel band has performed
at Daubeney, for the Mayor at the Addison centre at on numerous occasions at school.
P.E.
Department Successes and Achievement 2008-2009
The pupils performed very well in a variety of
events and more so at every age level. Some of the noteworthy
performances over the past year have been:
Cricket
Y5&Y6 Quik
Cricket team finished as runners up in district competition.
Football
Year 5/6 girls were runners up in District
football tournament.
Running
School qualified for the regional round of
National X-County championships.
2 pupils qualified for County finals, finishing
3rd and 4th in the finals.
Y5 team competed in area finals.
Y5/6 and Y7/8 teams competed at Lincroft and
District competitions.
Athletics
12 Pupils qualified for District Finals .
3 1st places, 3 2nd
place, 3rd place positions
1 pupil broke a 20 year old District record in girls discus.
Overall
The school had teams compete in Basketball, Dodgeball, Rugby,
Football, Badminton, Tennis, X-country, Athletics, Cricket
in inter-schools competition in every term across the whole school year.
R.E.
Robert Bruce pupils and staff focuses on the world’s main festivals in
schools, such as Divali, Eid,
Easter and Christmas.
The department’s best achievements are
probably the experiences the pupils have of investigating the six main
religions and the participation of discussion resulting in more tolerance
and understanding of each other as citizens in a multi-cultural world.
Student
Council Achievements
Acquired two vending machines from The Green
Machine company to provide Fair Trade healthy snacks for break-times. 10%
of the profits from this enterprise will be used by the Student Council
for pupil initiatives.
Survey conducted on extra-curricular activities
to improve the range of opportunities available to pupils during out of
school hours and lunch-time. Many new activities have now been introduced
and a termly calendar published for parents.
Some of the new activities include: ICT clubs, homework/study clubs,
Chess and Backgammon, Tigaw and Connect 4,
Girls Football linked with Bedford Panthers FC and professional tennis
coaching. This calendar will be regularly updated.
School council elections have just taken place
and new school council representatives have been elected to carry on the
work achieved last year.
STUDENT SUPPORT CENTRE
SATs results:
1 pupil received level 3, 2 pupils received level 4 and 1 pupil received
level 5 in Maths
3 pupils received level 4 and 1 pupil received level 5 in Science
2 pupils received level 4 in English
Two pupils have now been integrated full time
into main stream Upper
School.
Archery reward sessions have been set up via
charitable donations.
There has been a successful appointment of a
new Head of the SSC, and also a new full time teacher to compliment the
staff arrangements.
GIFTED
AND TALENTED
The words "gifted" and "talented" can be used in many
different ways. RBMS uses the following DFES definition:
Gifted: the top 5-10% of pupils in the school as measured by actual or
potential achievement in English, Maths,
Science, History, Geography, Modern Foreign Languages, RE, ICT or Design
and Technology.
Talented: the top 5-10% of pupils in the school
as measured by actual or potential achievement in the subjects of Art,
Music, PE or the Performing Arts.
At RBMS, we identify Gifted and Talented pupils
in a number of different ways:
·
Through teacher observation and assessment.
·
Through
parental nomination.
·
By analysing data collated across the school from formal
assessments.
Once identified, the pupils on our G&T
register can then be supported in their learning through enrichment
activities (such as extra-curricular clubs, visits, visitors and project
work) and extension activities (which use higher order thinking skills to
enable the pupil to delve further into a subject.)
We also nominate 15 pupils to take part in the
excellent Children’s University summer programme
and this year 75 pupils had the opportunity to take part in Frontiers
term time activities.
As Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator
(Mrs Collins), it is my role to champion the
G&T pupils in the school and communication with the pupils and their
parents/guardians is a vital part of this. Please feel able to talk to me
about your child if you have any queries or concerns in this area.
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