Year 9 have enjoyed a truly unforgettable week as they embarked on their End of Year Adventures and ‘TIPS’ (Thinking Innovatively and Problem Solving) programme.
The girls began their week pushed to their limits on DofE, completing their Bronze expedition triumphantly. In addition to orienteering, setting up camp and cooking on the trangia stove, pupils were tasked with a DofE inspired project. Teachers were impressed by their creative responses, which included original songs and drama performances, praising the value of DofE, mixed with some clever satire!
Kate and Izabele report, “The Duke of Edinburgh expedition surprised us in a good way; the walk was not as exhausting as we were told, and it gave us a wonderful chance to appreciate the nature around us and the warm sunshine. All of our experiences were unique and different; however, we were all united by the team effort and commitment. We were very grateful for this opportunity, and we are happy to say that we have made memories which will last a lifetime.”
Due to the heat, the TIPS activities commenced a day early with a brilliant workshop designed and led by the Art Department where the girls created a communal art piece inspired by David Hockney.
In Verity and Mimi’s words, “On Wednesday, Year 9 all came together to create an art piece inspired by David Hockney. As he recently passed away, we took the chance to commemorate him by recreating his work in different art forms, such as painting and oil pastel. This gave us a chance to experiment different styles and it also brought us together as a year group to create one final, large piece of artwork. It was a very interesting and informative experience, which was great for team building and a lot of fun.”
TIPS continued with sessions on the theme of ‘Raise your voice!’. On Thursday, pupils participated in a ‘Government for a Day’ workshop led by and external company, where they role played as a cabinet discussing issues inspired by real life. Pupils also developed a media campaign expressing their opinions on the social media ban for under 16s. Finally, on Friday, they polished their drama enrichment poetry performances of powerful pieces that comment on social justice, written by poets such as Maya Angelou.
The aim of TIPS was for Year 9 to explore real societal issues through a critical and creative lens. Their responses were brilliant and allowed them to further develop their own voices and opinions.
Ms Berk, Deputy Head Co-Curricular and Operations
