Newsletter February 2008
Contents
- VisionWorks Gets Year 7 Off To A Flying Start
- Special School Trial
- VisionWorks Speaks For Community Cohesion
- Primary School Trial
- SSAT conference and Prize Draw
- New Schools
VISIONWORKS GETS YEAR 7 OFF TO A FLYING START
Feedback from The Corsham School suggests the way VisionWorks helps bond Y7 tutor groups eases the transition from primary school. The school has been using VisionWorks for 5 years and believes it is an important factor in getting their pupils’ life in secondary school off on the right track. Head of Year Janet Grant says, “Above all VisionWorks is a practical way to manage the change from primary to secondary school. It gives students fundamental principles for mutual support that we believe stay with them as they go through school”.
WORKING FOR SPECIAL SCHOOLS
VisionWorks has also been working for Special school Springfields in Wiltshire over the last 12 months. Carers have delivered the programme in after-school sessions. Head Teacher Trystan Williams says, ”VisionWorks is transforming the relationships and attitudes of our pupils. We're delighted to see them showing real empathy and tolerance towards each other as a group for the first time. OFSTED has graded my school as Outstanding and one contributory factor towards making this a reality was the use of this EI programme".
At our feedback session one student said “There’s loads of honesty in it because at the end of the session you say if you’re feeling bad and you can be honest because it’s confidential”.
Or as another very simply said: “If you get the chance just do it because it would help you”.
VISIONWORKS SPEAKS FOR COMMUNITY COHESION
Speaking at the Community Cohesion Conference in January gave us a great opportunity to explain how VisionWorks helps schools meet the new agenda. ICoCo and the Department for Children, Schools and Families jointly organized the southwest conference. Speaker, VisionWorks co-author and Corsham School Head of Year Janet Grant said “I was driven to speak at the conference by my conviction that VisionWorks breeds tolerance in the lives of students in our schools; I have seen it first hand at my own school and it was inspiring to see so many people at the conference willing to recognise VisionWorks’ value as a practical tool”.
VISIONWORKS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS PILOT
Feedback has been fantastic from the two schools Waltham Forest schools trialling VisionWorks material with their year 5 and 6 students. By building the children’s self-confidence both schools believe it will help them make a more successful transition to secondary school. All the teachers involved in the pilot agree that the students enjoy VisionWorks and that it has strengthened their relationship with them.
As one student said in our feedback session “I learned I can be open and I can tell other people my feelings”.
Asked by their pupils how they feel about teaching VisionWorks one teacher said, “You’re treating each with respect and you are learning life skills that will help you”.
THANK YOU SSAT! WIN A FREE COPY OF VISIONWORKS HERE*
Here’s another chance for SSAT delegates to win a free copy of VisionWorks for
KS3 “It’s OK Being Me’. Thanks to those of you who visited us at our first
SSAT conference and to those who’ve been in touch with us since. If you’d like
the chance to win simply click here to register on our web site by the end of February and keep your fingers crossed.
*The value of the prize ranges from £3600 to £6300 (the cost of a 3 year VisionWorks subscription) and depends on the size of the winning school. No cash prize alternative is available. The winner will be selected and contacted by Friday 7 March.
WELCOME NEW VISIONWORKS SCHOOLS
A big welcome to Henbury School in Bristol, John Bentley School in Calne and Serlby Park in Doncaster a SEAL test school. Serlby Park is the 30th school to be using VisionWorks. We’re really looking forward to working with everyone over the coming year.
