Successful Exam Season Over … Almost
Half term saw the GCSE Drama Performance Exam done and dusted, and a very successful day it was. After some incredibly hard work by our dedicated team, success was found in the fact that all the pupils turned up, all performed, and all enjoyed the experience. “Achievement success” will tell its own story come August, but for now pupils and staff can be content with their tireless efforts in May.
The One to One English tuition was a fantastic experience, not least because I was able to really understand what makes my tutees tick and hook that into the work they were studying – even though I feel I didn’t really have enough time with them. More and more I see evidence that each pupil who lacks the expected attainment in a particular area is actually lacking confidence to experiment, get things wrong, learn and try again. The fear of failure hems these young people in and I question whether the focus should be on attainment or on cultivating enjoyment and understanding of the work being studied. This, I believe, would increase confidence and retention of information, reduce the fear created if an exam is not passed, and raise the level of attainment by default. Now if only I could put this to the test in the wider sphere of education … we’ll see.
Michael is at the end of marking GCSE Music compositions, so the office is filled with all manner of sounds in various forms. Website design work is being requested by the bucket-full and is being juggled with various networking events across the UK, and the Redditch Palace Youth Theatre production of “Bugsy Malone”. Meanwhile for me, more Drama consultancy work is in the pipeline, from one-off training sessions to more long term projects. We’re also in the process of having quotes done for a new office space which we hope to be completed before the end of the year and will hopefully mean we can bring people on board to work with us on growing Artsphere as a free and essential resource for all involved with the creative arts. All very exciting.
So if the England football team don’t go all the way, and the emergency budget stings horribly, we shall keep climbing the hill bit by bit, aiming to make a difference to people working creatively across the UK.
Grand!
