We had a very inspiring start to the week in the Senior school as our Head Prefect, and Deputy Head Prefect led assembly on the topic of: Why Effort Matters More Than Talent. The pair did a great job of clearly explaining to pupils, that believing that you are born with a certain set and level of skills can limit your potential as it stops you trying. Teachers and parents often hear examples of this: “I’m not good at Maths”, “I can’t draw”, “I’m bad at spelling” – these sorts of thoughts can prevent people from giving something a try. Diya and Ruby explained that it takes time and effort to improve, and the rate of improvement will vary, so don’t be put off if a friend develops faster than you. They also included supporting evidence in their presentation, referring to Carol Dweck’s ‘Growth Mindset’ theory. Well known in education settings, Dweck posits the view that believing you can achieve something is the first step to doing so. It’s not an overnight magic solution, you still must follow that thought with the work and effort but believing you can, makes you more likely to try.
I was really pleased with the assembly, the pair decided on their own topic and how best to communicate; there was some audience participation too, and I believe hearing from peers means pupils are more likely to take on board a message. I look forward to more pupils taking to the stage, I already have a few dates and topics lined up – they seem to have already been inspired by the ‘you can do it’ message.
Elsewhere the pupils have had a productive time in lessons, my inbox has been filled with notifications of ‘Above and Beyond’ awards for a wide variety of reasons. There have been some for academic achievements such as ‘an outstanding storyboard, retelling the Greek myth of Persephone’ and ‘an excellent written piece arguing whether Shakespeare wants us to continue pitying Macbeth despite what he has become’. Others have been for pupil’s demonstration of the school values and ethos: ‘Cleaning up the sink area in Art without being asked and during her lunch time.’ It’s wonderful to read these and I know parents enjoy receiving notifications of these too. It is always our intention to support pupils with praise, and I know they especially like collecting tokens for their Houses to put towards the rewards trip!
Ever Onward and Upward
Ms Purdy