In ICT, Year 10s have been using Microsoft Word in making professional documents and selecting and manipulating information and data. Students are being introduced to using Microsoft Word to the fullest extent. 

In ICT, Year 11 are working towards an Entry Level 3 qualification. They are using applications such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Publisher and Excel. They are working towards developing, presenting and communicating information. 

In Spanish, What’s the weather like in Spain? Is it hot? Cold? Windy? The year 9 pupils will be able to tell you! This year, they have been learning how to say different weather conditions in Spanish. They were tasked with presenting their own weather forecast in front of the rest of the class. It was great to see them get really stuck into the task and give a very impressive performance.

In Maths, Year 7 and 8 students have been learning about Number and Shapes. As part of our end of term activities, students practised naming 3D shapes, describing them using words such as vertices, edges and faces. The students enjoyed using 3D models of shapes to help them describe how they looked and felt and were able to identify these shapes in objects they have seen or used in everyday life. 

In Science, Y11s have been learning about Competition in the Animal world and how animals are adapted to survive in the wild. 

To give students an experience of the "Survival of the Fittest", they engaged in a practical activity where they were given different tools (cutlery/pegs) and tasked with seeing which "animal" was best adapted to gain the most food (marbles, dry pasta, buttons) and therefore survive. 

There were of course rules in place which did not allow physical contact/being rough, to ensure students were acting in a safe manner. However students were permitted to "take" food from each other using only the tools they had been given. They began to see how challenging it was to obtain food when others were competing for the same food and some were stronger, faster or better adapted physically to do this.

At the end of each 1 minute round, the person (animal) with the least amount of "food" was given a disadvantage (weaker tool) to highlight the importance of "Survival of the Fittest" in the animal world

Virtual Reality

10 students in Key Stage 4 have been taking part in a Virtual Reality Relaxation and Wellbeing intervention. In the sessions, students first reflect on their emotional state and then select games and programs to help them 'power up' or 'power down'. The most popular programs are boxing and nature experience. Omar in Year 10 said, "It is calming and trying out the different programs makes me feel happy and ready for the next lesson"

Year 10 visit College

The year 10 pupils went on their first college visit of the year last week. Westminster Kingsway college put on a great display of workshops for the year 10’s to be involved in, from a hair and beauty workshop, an enterprise workshop, and even a gym workout. A great spectacle for the students to get a feel for what college life could look like.

Community Action Week: Visiting A Community Garden

A group of Year 9 students visited The Granville Centre Community Garden as part of SMBS Community Action Week. They had a tour of the garden, tasted and smelled some of the fresh herbs and vegetables that our local community centre is growing. Students were tasked to investigate the different produce, and have a discussion about how different plants are grown. We received tips from one of the staff at the Community Centre about how to grow different veg and when to plant them. We hope to see our own Sanctuary Garden grow into a place where different wildlife and plants will thrive! 

The Community Garden is being used to help supply our local community with fresh, organic, locally-grown fruit and vegetables as part of their ‘Good Food Box’.

Visit: https://granvillecommunitykitchen.org.uk/good-food-box/ if you are interested in their fruit and vegetable supplies.