BHGS secures a £10K grant to roll out Virtual Reality to the classroom

We are delighted to announce that Bishop’s Hatfield Girls’ School was successful in securing a £10,000 grant to purchase a classroom set of Virtual Reality headsets, a 360 camera which students will use to make their own immersive projects and digital content.

Our vision is to use this alternative teaching tool to enable pupils of all abilities to succeed and enjoy their learning through stimulating, interactive and creative lessons and enrichment clubs. Our objectives are threefold. First, inspire and motivate pupils by transporting them to distant times and places such as life in the WW2 trenches or taking a tour of the solar system.

Secondly, by making abstract concepts tangible and easy to visualise, and providing context, we hope to engage with our pupils and so increase their knowledge retention. For example, Year 12 geography pupils could visit and compare landforms around the world, identifying key geographical features for their Coastal System and Landscapes topic as opposed to memorising lists from a text. Environmental issues could be grasped more easily by following the manufacture and disposal of plastic goods through to their devastating effect on the marine environment or tracking the recovery of the landscape following the effects of bush fires. In Science, the direct effects of Newton’s laws could be experienced and investigated moving through a virtual zero gravity environment. They could also practice mathematical problems by solving puzzles to escape a room.

Finally, we aim to increase proficiency in practical skills required by many subjects like science, geography, physical education and technology through repetition and real time feedback. Immersed in a virtual science experiment, pupils could safely practise laboratory skills and even experience the consequences of mixing the wrong substances in Chemistry. In sports practice, a pupil could react to a virtual bowler in cricket or prepare to return a serve in tennis, using task repetition to improve muscle memory and reaction times. Pupils could also practise field work skills when trips can’t take place.

The applications of VR in teaching don’t stop at practical subjects but could be used in modern foreign languages through conversations with avatars or exploring key landmarks and cultural aspects of the countries where the languages are spoken. VR can also be used to experience hands-on careers such as medicine or with pupils with Special Educational Needs and even be used with mindfulness apps to reduce exam stress or for students suffering with anxiety.

Following a successful trial in June, our intent is to introduce Virtual Reality in our Science Club in the Autumn and to fundraise for more sets to be added as more subjects make use of its teaching applications and opportunities.We hope you are able to support us in this exciting development and look forward to share examples  of its use in school soon.

A huge thank you to all the staff that gave up their time and supported this bid, especially Dr Baker, and to those students who trialed the technology in Science Club.

Rainbow colours in our year 7 science class as we look at pH.

In our science lessons we have learnt about acids and alkalis and how they have different colours when you add a liquid called ‘universal indicator’. We have coloured in the pH scale and looked at different household items to see what their pH colour is with universal indicator. In our next lesson we are going to make our own indicator using red cabbage!

Data collection day visit to North Norfolk

Year 10 geographers got up early last Friday 9th July to travel by coach to Norfolk. We had a really enjoyable day visiting Cley-next-the-Sea and Sheringham. We were fortunate to visit on a sunny, dry day. The weather only turned as we travelled back to school! The students measured the beach profile using ranging poles, clinometers and tape measures, and also counted the number of waves/minute to find out whether they were constructive waves (build up beaches) or destructive waves (erode beaches). Visiting a beach first-hand really helped consolidate the learning in the classroom. We also had a surprise visitor – a seal popped up to see what was going on!

In Sheringham, the students were given the tasks of plotting the land use to find out whether the tourist shops and services are located nearer the sea; and also, to complete a pedestrian count to test the theory that the area nearer the sea is the busiest. There was time for a quick ice cream before boarding the coach home. We were sad that a few of the students were unable to come at short notice, as they had to isolate, as this was a successful fieldtrip and an enjoyable day out in the field. We can definitely say that ‘Geography Rocks!’

What a year we’ve had!

This year has seen some of the best results for our school. Every year we get our best students to sit a national test called the Maths challenge. Students are awarded Bronze, Silver or Gold awards based on how they perform, and the top 3% of the test go on to a further round of the competition. This year, we have been lucky enough to get a grand total of 50 Bronze Awards (24 – Year 7 & 8s, 21 – Year 9 & 10s, 5 – Year 12s), 17 Silver Awards (11 – Year 7 & 8s, Year 9 & 10s, 1 – Year 12) and 6 Gold Awards (all from the Year 7 and 8s!). For each tier of entry the top 3% move on, and this year we had 8 progress to the next round: Emily Parry, Cecile Robson, Serena Syed, Amelia Taylor, Genna Yuen from year 7 and 8, and Scarlett Boswell, Ruby Canter, Amber Sugg from year 9 and 10. Of those that progress to this next round the top 0.8% are awarded a Merit. We are ecstatic to be able to say a huge well done to Emily Parry, Genna Yuen and Amber Sugg for achieving this very prestigious award!

Year 12 coastal fieldwork

In place of the planned 4-day residential fieldtrip to Swanage in April 2021, we arranged day visits for Year 12 geographers to collect data for their NEA coursework in Southend-on-Sea and Studland Bay on Wednesday 30th June and Friday 2nd July 2021. 10 students visited 3 of the beautiful Southend beaches: Shoeburyness, Thorpe Bay and Chalkwell to collect data to investigate the changing beach characteristics along this stretch of coastline, including beach width and profile, pebble shape and size, wave type. It was also an opportunity to see first-hand the impact of different coastal defences on beach morphology. We had a great day despite getting a bit muddy due to the tide being out!

Two days later, 14 students visited Studland Bay sand dune system on a lovely sunny Friday. Studland sand dune system is the only west-east system in the UK and gives the opportunity to experience all stages of plant succession from the marram grass on the sandy, embryo dunes to the climax community of trees, within a short distance. The students collected data on the changing sand dune profile, plant species diversity and height, soil pH and temperature and they were able to see first-hand how humans have impacted the sand dune development. It was so good to be able to take students out into the field following 18 months of restrictions. We really hope the 4-day visit next April will be able to go ahead for the new Year 12 geographers!