72 Year 10 MFL Leaders deliver French and German activity workshops to local primary schools pupils over 2 days

Young Modern Foreign Language Leaders Programme – Second placement

On Wednesday and Thursday 12th and 13th February, 72 of our Year 10 MFL Leaders in four teams visited Oak View School, and St Philip Howard Schools, giving French and German activity workshops to KS2 pupils across the two days.

Young Leader initiatives have made a great impact on the teaching of young people over the last 20 years across many curriculum areas, using a sports team model. The BHGS Modern Foreign Language Leader Programme hopes to engage a whole new group of young leaders through MFL.

The Young Leaders planned, delivered and evaluated their learning activities for the Key Stage 2 pupils, with an eye to developing and demonstrating leadership skills through foreign language related tasks. The programme will culminate this year with a Languages Discovery Day for the Key Stage 2 pupils hosted by our school in June in which the Year 10 pupils will play a leading role delivering a wide range of foreign languages and cultural experiences. There will be certificates and awards for Team Leadership and Initiative, which will be presented in July 2025.

Our students were, as ever, enthusiastic and brilliantly delivered their lessons to the younger pupils – they were also able to find out what life is like on the ‘other side’ of the whiteboard! They now look forward to the big finale in the Summer Term!

A big thank you to all involved, here at Bishop’s and at our local primary schools to make this opportunity possible.

Mr Taylor

Year 10 raising awareness of knife crime

This last term, Year 10 Life Skills students have been learning about the serious issues of County Lines and Knife Crime in Hertfordshire, London and beyond. They have taken part in activities looking at why young people may be drawn into gangs and carrying knives and watched a documentary recently produced by Idris Elba about the epidemic of knife violence in the UK and his campaign against selling all forms knives not used for cooking.

To end this topic, students were given the choice of writing a letter to their local MP highlighting the issues, or creating an anti knife crime poster and I have been thoroughly impressed with some of their work, as well as the mature attitude they have shown throughout the term when talking about such sensitive and emotive issues.

Miss Faux

Making and exploring art in and outside school to fuel creativity and promote well-being

The Art department has been bustling with activity this half term. From welcoming grand parents in our art classes, the Year 11 visit to the Chapman Gallery, a fun Mics and Masterpieces lunchtime for Children Mental Health Week to our long standing displays of the Work of the Week, our pupils have been making and exploring Art in all its forms.

Grandparents in Art Classes This half term, we were excited to welcome some of our students’ grandparents to help out in our Year 8 textiles classes. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect and share knowledge.

In the upcoming half term, we would love to invite other grandparents and carers in to assist in our Year 7 textiles classes, where students will be learning sewing, appliqué, and tie-dye techniques. Why Get Involved? – Build Connections: Share your skills and bond with students. – Foster Creativity: Help students explore their artistic talents. – Flexible Commitment: Come for one class or more starting from 3rd March 2025. No prior experience is required – just your enthusiasm to guide and support the students. If you’re interested, please contact your (grand)child’s teacher to sign up as booking ahead is essential.

Year 11 Art, Craft, and Design Trip Year 11 Art, Craft, and Design students recently visited the Chapman Gallery at Hertfordshire University to gather inspiration for their exam projects. The visit offered a chance to engage with various artists’ works, exploring connections to their theme of “gathering.”

Sketching from primary sources sharpens observational accuracy, fuels creativity, and deepens the understanding of an artist’s intent. Our students’ sketches were full of energy and creativity. Their behavior was also exemplary, leaving a positive impression on both themselves and the school.

Mics and Masterpieces On the 6th of February, pupils attended a “Mics and Masterpieces” lunchtime event as part of Children’s Mental Health Week. Here, they were offered a chance to perform informally a tune of their choice in an open-mic forum with an eager audience. They could also decorate cookies or jump on an easel to unleash creativity in a free art space. It was a fun and creative way to promote well-being through the arts in an informal environment. The singers, in particular, were exceptional.

Work of the Week In our Art department, teachers select one or more pieces of artwork to celebrate as the “Work of the Week.” These pieces are typically chosen for the exceptional achievement displayed that week, acknowledging the hard work and talent of the creators. This term, Year 11 and Year 7 students have truly shone, and their efforts have been recognized!

 

Mrs Armstrong