Welcome all to the new College Teaching & Learning blog.

We are hoping, through a regular series of blogs on a range of topics, to share and promote interesting and effective strategies to continue to embed great practice across the college.

I hope everyone had a good half-term. This next half-term is also very short, as Easter is early this year. That means that we have a lot to cram in over the next five and a half weeks. Most important, of course, is that you continue to do your best in every lesson, every day, as well as at break and lunch. We do what it takes for as long as it takes is a good value to live by and as we start back after the holiday, you have the opportunity to make sure that you do this. A reminder to you all: Work hard to be a better person today than you were yesterday – we must all do this. It isn’t an option if you want to achieve your goals now and in the future. 

Safer internet day is Tuesday 6^th February. Our assemblies this week will be led by Mr Thompson and will focus on this important topic, as will PSCHE lessons and tutor time.  The internet is a fantastic tool and without question it has improved and changed the way we live. Communication, learning and sharing information have seen incredible advances in recent years. We are all also aware of the way the internet has changed the way shop and conduct business.

These values are really important to us, both inside and outside of College. They were chosen by you – our students – in December 2016. It is great to see the vast majority of you working hard to embed these values in the way you work, help and support each other. Through doing this, we will make MRC a better school for all of us.

This is an incredibly important day, which we will mark this week with activities in tutor time. It is important that we remember the Holocaust and also consider other atrocities that have taken place since then. We must also acknowledge that similar atrocities re happening in parts of the world now. The focus of our assemblies this week will be Respect.

Last week was a very positive week in College. I visited lots of lessons and in every case, saw you working hard and getting on with your work. This is a really good start to the term – well done and thank you! We must make sure we keep this up!

Respect is crucial to the way the College operates. We had a visiting Vice Principal from another United Learning Academy last week. Mrs Close spent time talking to student and she was incredibly impressed with you and the way you show respect for each other. Respect for and tolerance of individual differences is really important and is something we must all uphold. ‘We are open minded’ is a key phrase from our Respect poster and we must all live by this.

Respect is a key value, not just at MRC but also in the wider community. The way we treat each other is incredibly important and we must all seek to treat each other the way in which we want to be treated ourselves. We must also remember to respect individual differences in school. I am always very proud of the way you treat and support each other; it is one of the things I think sets our school apart.