31 minute read
Seniors
Remote Provision in Seniors during another Exceptional Year
By Mr Whitworth, Deputy Head (Academic)
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There is no doubt that the circumstances of the last 16 months have provided significant challenge to our ability to deliver a quality educational provision. However, from challenge can often come creativity, innovation and new, improved ways of working.
Certainly, as we reach the end of the academic year, we have great pride in the ways in which our teachers, support staff and students have worked together to overcome the hurdles of bubbles, self-isolation and more besides. Future decisions will centre round which elements of this year’s innovation we keep going forward.
Room and Zooms
For periods of 2020-21 there were students from the same class both at School and isolating at home.
Efforts were made to involve those at home through a Zoom ‘window’ into the classroom and some dialogue with teachers. This was a huge challenge for all concerned but it did allow those isolating to maintain their connection to the group and to School.
Remote Teaching
There is no doubt that our ability to teach via Zoom, and students’ ability to learn, developed well over time. With regular staff sharing of best practice and student feedback, the use of break out rooms, screenshare and other tools became commonplace.
There were even occasions when isolating teachers taught from home into the classroom – with this example showing Mr Higginbottom teaching a remote DT lesson. Additionally, I certainly feel we saw the importance and value to students of the pastoral ‘check in’ during Form in what has been a tough period emotionally as well as academically.
Parents’ Evenings – Schoolcloud
Arguably, one of the most successful innovations of the year has been the use of Schoolcloud for individual, remote appointments.
With no queueing, absolute privacy, no travel requirement and the ability to work round the home calendar; remote parents’ evenings seemed to be a well-received necessity of the times. It will certainly be interesting to see if this is a change in practice that we look to retain in full or part in future years.
Options – Head of Department Videos/ Appointments
In the absence of a physical A Level Options Evening, this year we created Head of Department video overviews to send to students and families which summarised the key elements of courses and other key information.
In addition, some current Sixth Form students created their own videos to share and aid the decision making process. Individual Schoolcloud (online) appointments were then available for those that wished to discuss further with subject specialists. View the full range of subject videos on Firefly at: https://birkenhead.fireflycloud.net/year-11/ transition-to-sixth-form/2-a-level-options-2021-22
Overdale
By Mrs Tharme, Head of Year 7
Kind, Brave and Grateful
This cohort had had a sudden and unexpected end to Year 6, without many of the traditional rites of passage they would have enjoyed. We were delighted to have an induction day with them all and our experienced Form Tutor team quickly helped to ensure a smooth transition.
Kind, brave and grateful — these are the words we use to help us to make the most of our community. We encourage honesty about mistakes, and a desire to learn from them, in all that we do.
We have enjoyed lots of clubs, some started by the children themselves and ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ club is an excellent example of this. Oliver Scammell-Flavell, 7MRB, took the lead here.
Although restricted in what we could do this year, we have made lovely memories and enjoyed a range of events.
On ‘Appreciation Day’ in October, Overdale was transformed with white balloons and ribbons and students and staff exchanged notes of thanks and wore ribbons.
A special lunchtime club to prepare for Christmas gave us the opportunity to enjoy arts and crafts, and Overdale was transformed again! How lovely to see the children teaching each other to make large door decorations. Students also particularly enjoyed handbell ringing. The Christmas Tree festival was beautiful. The forms competed against each other and used the themes ‘Kind,’ ‘Brave,’ ‘Thankful’ and ‘Care,’ This was a wonderful way to celebrate our community.
January brought the period of lockdown and we were so proud of how they, with support from home, approached this period, and the way in which these young students adapted to the new routines.
It was so good to get back to school after Easter, and for the children to finish the year properly. We enjoyed Sports’ Day, a trip to Anglesey, performing in Les Misérables and of course Prize Giving.
Expansion and Changes to the Overdale Team
It has been a fun year, where we have made the most of every opportunity, and learnt through experience. All worries, small or large, are shared openly and the Overdale Pastoral Office has become quite a hub of activity.
Mrs Loftus and Mrs Jordan have joined the pastoral team this year and are such a lovely addition. Mrs Loftus has moved through School with this year group and has become a much-loved member of the Seniors’ team very quickly. She is helping with organisation skills and ensures the children know where and when they need to be in different buildings. A Level 3 teaching assistant, Mrs Loftus works closely with some students and has a reassuring smile for the whole year group.
Mrs Jordan was new to school in September 2020 but that seems hard to believe now! A sports coach, notably growing our skills in athletics field events, and a netball player herself, the children have quickly learned that she is great to be around. Working closely with a few students, she is a real asset to the team and has been appointed to the role of Pastoral Assistant, from September 2021. After several years in the Year 7 team, Mr Bell will fulfil a new pastoral role higher up the school and so we say goodbye to him in Year 7. His love of language and creative story telling makes him a very popular tutor and we will miss him.
Miss Hamblett also leaves the team but returns as Mrs Carins! Congratulations to her and Andrew on their wedding over the summer.
This means that, from September we will welcome Mrs Jones into the team and our four Forms will be 7DRC, 7HCB, 7LJJ and 7MTW. We are excited to see the new Forms together, and to another lovely year. Good luck to all our students moving into Year 8, I look forward to seeing your smiles around Overdale.
Mrs Loftus Mrs Jordan
Beyond the Curriculum
By Mr Murdoch, Head of Overdale
Once again, the inspiring Beyond the Curriculum programme (BtC) proved to be very popular with our Overdale students. Organised in line with the House system, it is an excellent opportunity for students to mix with those outside their Form and academic groups in order to develop new practical skills, to boost confidence and creativity, and to lead them beyond their comfort zone.
Each year, we refresh the programme as new staff share their own passions and experiences with our Year 7 and 8 students and this was no exception. Alongside established favourites such as Yoga, Dragon’s Den, Body Language, Careers, this year we were able to introduce sessions on Mindfulness, Digital Footprint, An Introduction to Politics, Making a Music Video and the immensely popular Theatre Skills. During our last BtC session of the year, I asked students to share some of their highlights and reflections from the programme and I present some standout comments below: While elements of the programme were disrupted over the last year, we are very much looking forward to reintroducing both the Etiquette Training and Etiquette Lunch from this September, as well as the Cookery sessions which always prove to be highlights for our Overdale students. In addition, we will be extending our activities to allow for short courses within the overall BtC programme.
For Year 8, this means a combined long-form project with Mrs Reeve, Mrs Vicars and Mr Whitworth, covering Research Skills, Critical Thinking and Presentation Skills. For Year 7, we will be introducing Creative Study Skills sessions for all students in the lead up to Interim Assessments and Summer Exams, as well as Beginner Level Mandarin and a short Mindfulness course. Once again, it looks to be a very exciting, varied range of activities to broaden our students’ horizons and to challenge and inspire them in new ways.
“One of my highlights from BtC was finding out more about Politics so I can understand more about what’s on the news and talk to my family about it.” “One of my highlights is when we had yoga with Mr Parry as we had him for three weeks and we learned new flexible moves. Also we had a drawing and colouring Mindfulness lesson which was relaxing and fun.”
New Appointments
Mr Rule appointed Head of Middle School
I was appointed as Head of Year 10 in 2013, having spent a year shadowing the previous occupant of the role, Mr Parry. Pastoral care is an area of education that I have always been interested in and, despite teaching almost exclusively students of A Level, I have been fortunate enough to be placed as a Form Tutor with Key Stage 4 during my time at the School.
These are formative years, and a strong pastoral input can make a huge difference in the development of mature and resilient young men and women. I was Head of Year 10 for the following five years before rotating between Years 9, 10 and 11 thereafter. I have managed to gain considerable pastoral experience during this time and have worked with many excellent and dedicated Form Tutors.
The role of Head of Middle School has been driven by the growing number of students in the School. In September the first four years of Senior School will average over 80 students per year and ‘Middle School’ will be the largest ‘section’. We currently have a Head of Overdale and a Head of Sixth Form, so this position was the next logical step. The appointment was also made to reinforce the School’s commitment to excellent pastoral care. I will oversee the work of the Heads of Years 9, 10 and 11 and help them to support the needs of our students in a way that is consistent throughout their GCSE years. With a firm but fair approach, I try to treat the students as maturing young men and women. It is important to recognise that students do make mistakes and close pastoral intervention and early communication are key to a student’s developmental journey. Being a presence around School and proactive in dealing with issues is central to ensuring that students are well cared for and supported.
Part of my role is the monitoring of student performance and coordinating of academic interventions. I will be working closely with Heads of Departments and the Academic Deputy Head to ensure that students are given the best opportunities to meet their potential. With the help of our Futures Team, I will also be looking to provide early guidance to support students on to the next stage of their educational journey. This will often involve A Levels at our Sixth Form and robust applications to universities, but in some cases, students may need additional help to plan out an alternative route.
I am hoping to develop a Leadership Team in Year 11, which will allow students to take a more active role in shaping the School, as well as providing crucial role modelling for younger members of the School community. The J. P. Hargreaves Diploma will also fall under my supervision now and I look forward to seeing increasing numbers of students completing this in the years ahead.
I am excited by the challenges that this new role presents, and I am dedicated to developing further the excellent levels of pastoral care, student behaviour and academic performance, on which the School prides itself.
Mr Murdoch appointed Assistant Head (Pastoral)
Upon joining the teaching staff at Birkenhead School in 2011, I immediately felt impressed by the value that the School placed on Pastoral Care.
On the first INSET day, I met with John Clark, Headmaster, to discuss one of my new Tutees. Having spent an hour discussing the background, challenges and personal circumstances of this particular student, I realised how important a detailed understanding and awareness of the individual would be at the School. As a Year 9 Form Tutor, led by the genial and unflappable Head of Year, Will Hughes, I saw how well staff knew not only their Tutees but also so many students within the community. I understood how invaluable it would be to ‘get to know the individual’ and this principle remains fundamental to my approach.
Having come through Birkenhead School as a boy, I had very much enjoyed the academic challenge and the wide range of co-curricular opportunities but I had rarely given much thought to the pastoral care offered by my teachers. It was only when I began my own teaching career that I realised how much they had supported me throughout the various challenges of School life, and how their stability and guidance were prerequisite to my progress. In particular, I owe a great debt to the Head of Junior School, Gary Hopkins, and to the Head of Sixth Form, Dave Edmunds, both of whom continued their support as colleagues when I began teaching here some twelve years later.
As Deputy Head at the time, Dave encouraged me to apply for the Head of Year 9 position, noting my interest and strong belief in the Pastoral aspects of the teaching role. Lacking in experience, I was very grateful for the support of an experienced Form Tutor team, with special mention for Maths teacher/touring prog rock bassist, Dave Jones, who was always prepared to share his time, reflections and experiences over a cuppa. I was also very thankful to my Heads of Department, Teresa Washington and Marion Holgate, for all of their guidance and words of encouragement. By the time I moved from Year 9 to Head of Overdale, my experiences had given me a firm belief that Pastoral and Academic support must go hand-inhand if a young person is to reach their potential.
With the arrival of Mr Vicars and Mrs Pankhurst, the Senior Leadership Team and the Governors only invested further in the Pastoral system and I have been very grateful for their ongoing support, both personally and in terms of the School structure. The growing numbers in Overdale over the last four years led to the appointment of Mrs Tharme as Head of Year 7, and she has done a fantastic job with our new Seniors students. I am very grateful to work alongside Mrs Tharme, as well as Mrs Reeve, our excellent Head of Year 8, Mrs Loftus, our experienced TA, and our multitalented Pastoral Support Assistant, Mrs Jordan. Along with a superb Form Tutor team, they are the reason why we are able to provide excellent Pastoral care for our Overdale students.
There remain opportunities for improvement, however. I believe that we can provide greater continuity and additional layers of support across the whole School, not only from Prep to Seniors but between Year Groups. The House System and School Council also have great potential to integrate our students into the Pastoral support system and to develop the Student Voice. With these key targets in mind, I am delighted to take on the role of Assistant Head (Pastoral) from September.
I am looking forward to working closely not only with Heads of Year but also with the new Head of Middle School, Mr Rule, and with the Head of Sixth Form, Ms Smeaton. One of my aims is to create more ‘vertical’ support across the whole School, including Prep, so that we may support all students in the appropriate way at the appropriate time. I am very pleased to remain as Head of Overdale alongside this new role, not only to work with such an excellent team, but because I will be able to get to know every new student who comes through our doors. As I have learned from ten years at Birkenhead School, this is the basis of outstanding Pastoral care.
By Mrs Margerison, Head of Art
Despite the restrictions and difficulties associated with teaching a practical subject in the time of Covid, I am delighted to report that the Art Department safely delivered a full curriculum across Seniors this year.
With help from our amazing support staff and the students themselves, the liberal use of wipes, disinfectant, masks and more wipes, along with bubble boxes, departmental videos and visualisers have enabled students to draw, paint, collage, print and work with clay, textiles and wire almost as normal. A determination to allow students to be creative in a time when the opportunity for this outlet is more important than ever has driven us to find solutions and new ways of teaching for all.
Much has been made possible by making short, and sometimes long, (how do you cut a two-hour drawing down into ten or less minutes?) videos to demonstrate and teach processes which would normally require being close to students. By the second period of Remote Learning, Mrs Cormack and I had honed our iMovie editing skills with YouTube channels brimming with content (our music choices continue to be deemed questionable by Year 10!). Even Mr Parry, teaching a Year 8 class this year, added his own art video. We have been lucky in remaining within McAllester, providing much needed continuity to exam groups who have been incredible in pushing their work despite reduced access compared to a normal year. With sadly no trips to kick start projects, students took inspiration from many sources. The current crisis led Year 11 students to produce microbe lino cuts with one developing work into a ceramic plague mask, one student used the music of Elton John to inspire her, while others explored identity through different forms of portraiture.
A level students Jonathan Lee and Jackson Eugeni looked at the world of nature, exploring the beauty and fragility of our environment in a pandemic while Archie Finter explored Aztec mythology in a way only Archie can (out of chaos…!). Cerys Evans linked nature and fashion in her clay and textile work and Annie Robertson pushed drawing to its limits inspired by the literature of Samuel Coleridge. Nada Mostafa freaked us all with her disturbing surrealist style pots; the thought of covering eyes and blocking ears to the world at times being one we can all empathise with.
Visit our Virtual Exhibition to see fabulous work by students from Year 7 through to Year 13. Well done, everyone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dm9wS2gNMY
I would like to finish by wishing leaving students all the very best for their futures and to thank Mrs Cormack, Mr Parry and our art technician, Miss O’Connell for their good humour and incredible work throughout this second year of Covid. Stay creative and stay strong.
KEY STAGE 3 ARTWORK
Business & Economics
By Andrei Daroti, Jack Doran, Jimmy Sergi and James Webster
Students reach National Final
Over the period of remote learning in January we began preparing for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW) BASE Competition.
We were given a business scenario and had to present our thoughts on three possible solutions, using the skills needed to be a chartered accountant. We recorded our presentation in March upon returning to school, and submitted it online. We heard back in April that we had reached the National Final. While usually this would mean a trip to Birmingham, unfortunately current restrictions meant that it was an online format. The final on the 16th June involved seven questions, testing the skills needed to be a chartered accountant. Despite facing some technical issues, and with one of us at home isolating, we were able to participate in the final, learning valuable things about a future career in the accountancy sector. We would like to thank the ICAEW for holding the competition, and Mrs. Fountain, who helped us reach the national final, beating over 450 schools from across the country.
ICT & Computing
By Mr Bell, Head of ICT & Computing
The wait is finally over!
GCSE ICT is finally here. We are delighted that we are now able to offer pupils the option to study ICT at Key stage 4. Pupils will now have the opportunity to take the Cambridge IGCSE examination in ICT. This qualification will offer a seamless transition for those who want to study ICT at A Level, or beyond.
The qualification has a nice balance between Computer Science and ICT topics. The course develops both practical skills and theoretical knowledge. At the end of Year 11, pupils will take a written examination to test their theoretical knowledge and understanding along with a practical assessment, which will be conducted on a computer to assess their practical skills.
Due to the extra demands this has placed on the department, we have recruited Miss Sarah Purvis to join our team. She is a young and dynamic teacher whose Business and ICT experience will bring many benefits to the pupils learning. She is starting in September 2021 and will be teaching pupils mainly in the Senior school but also a small number of classes in Year 6. She will not only be an excellent addition to the department but also to the life of the School.
Classics
SEND Department
By Mrs Washington, Head of Classics
To develop their studies on Roman theatre, and following the Cambridge Latin Course Stage 5, Year 7 Latin students created their own masks.
Students worked on three pieces of evidence, based on frescoes and statues, which showed the types of masks which would have been used in theatres in Pompeii, and they made their own interpretations of the characters by creating their own designs.
By Mrs Williams, SENDCo and Co-ordinator of Spanish
This academic year has brought several changes for the SEND department in School. The study skills teachers of Mrs Oxley and Mrs Cederholm and SENDCo Mrs Williams were all very pleased to return to on site teaching in September 2020 and focused on supporting their students with the transition back to “normal” school and the return to face-to-face lessons.
Touch typing club has continued either as a lunchtime club for Year 7 or remote tasks for other year groups and students have made excellent progress in perfecting their speed and accuracy providing real benefit to their wider studies.
In December 2020 we bid a fond farewell to Mrs Cederholm who retired after 12 years as a 1:1 Study Skills teacher. In January 2021 we welcomed Mrs Storer as our new Study Skills teacher supporting students in Years 7-11 bringing with her a wealth of experience. She has been a very positive addition to the department and rose to the challenge of developing her support lessons initially online before returning to site in March 2021. The increase in access arrangements for the additional examinations and challenges of all year groups sitting examinations at the same time has been challenging, but with the leadership of Ms Buckley and support of the wider teaching staff and external invigilators, the progress check and external examination weeks ran smoothly.
English
By Mrs Ballantyne, Head of English
It has been a most unusual and challenging year for Birkenhead English Department – one that has engendered creativity and flexibility in teachers and pupils alike.
Whether it has been the challenges posed by remote learning or the logistical implications of being involved in the Oxford Schools’ Debating Competition via Zoom, English will always be a subject that lends itself to awakening our inner talents, creativity and interests.
Debating
Despite having to compete via Zoom this year, we are exceptionally proud of our Senior Debating team, who managed to make it to the International Finals of the Oxford Schoolsʼ Debating competition, having qualified from the regional rounds earlier in the month.
A mammoth logistical operation involving teams from as far as Beijing, Hong Kong and Canada and including participants from some of the top-performing schools in the country. Over several gruelling heats, in which teams had just 15 minutes to prepare, our students gave an impressively confident and well-argued performance.
Motions covered were wide-ranging topics, from education to mass tourism, as well as media coverage of terrorist incidents and the emphasis of personality in politics. Over four debates, our team came top in two – a truly impressive result.
Jimmy and Isabella were thrilled to be able to represent the school at such a high level, a result of their commitment to Debating Club throughout Senior school.
Gothic Poetry Competition Winners
This term Year 8 have been studying Gothic Writing, looking at Dracula, Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights.
The unit ended in a hotly contested Gothic Poetry Competition, for which there were prizes up for grabs. Six Highly Commended Prizes were awarded, in 3rd place was Lucy, 2nd place was Carmen and the winner, with his poem entitled ‛Halloween Dusk to Dawn’ was Luca.
Seniors Students become Published Authors alongside Ramsey Campbell
With restrictions preventing a repeat of last year's successful 'A Ghost Story for Christmas' event, students submitted stories for inclusion in a printed book.
'Those Who Wait' takes its title from a story by Sophia Campbell and features a range of stories from students in every year group at senior level. Available from online publisher Lulu, the book features striking cover art by Annie Robertson.
The world-famous horror author, Ramsey Campbell, again leant his support to the project, writing an introduction commenting on each story and including a piece written by his eleven year old self. Sixth form Literature students helped with the editing and Mr D. Bell helped with the formatting of the manuscript.
Project organiser, Mr M. Bell said, “this is a fabulous opportunity for the students who can now describe themselves as authors published alongside a critically renowned writer. The imagination evident is outstanding and there are some fabulously crafted tales in the volume. It was also a great opportunity for sixth formers to gain experience of editing. Thanks are due to all those who took part and to Mr Campbell who has generously linked the students' work to that of his early career when he was guided by August Derleth. It is exciting for the students to be part of a literary lineage. Hopefully we can run the event live again in the Michaelmas term 2021-22 as well as publish a second volume of stories in the spring”.
Geography
By Miss Barsoum, Head of Geography
Lower Sixth Geography Fieldwork
Lower Sixth Geographers had to complete four days of fieldwork in October and then go on to produce their own research project, called the NEA, which constitutes 20% of their final grade.
The NEA has to be a project of their own design but must link to one of the topics studied in the course. Before this can happen they need to be introduced to some of the techniques of hypothesis definition and testing, including fieldwork techniques, data processing and analysis.
Their practice fieldwork involved comparing two beaches — Talacre in N Wales and Thurstaston on Wirral — with contrasting sediments, aspects (the direction in which the beach faces) underlying Geology, gradients and widths. The fieldwork was followed by a further week of sediment analysis in the Science department at school.
Highly Commended Award
Lower Sixth student, Jack, received a Highly Commended Award for his entry in a national competition run by the Financial Times and the Royal Geographical Society.
The competition was open to all students studying A Level Geography and the task was to interpret and discuss data related to sustainability and climate change related to Cop-26 2021.
S C I E N C E
Biology
By Mr Armstrong, Head of Biology
The events of this 2020-21 academic year caused us to work hard to give our students as full an experience as possible despite the prevailing circumstances. While trips were largely put on hold, we managed to squeeze in our regular visit to Ainsdale sand dunes with the Lower Sixth, allowing them to collect data for one of their A Level required practicals.
We also completed three Olympiad competitions this year, albeit with a smaller number of students. In the prestigious Biology Olympiad with the Upper Sixth, Archie Finter achieved a Silver award and Theo Appleby a Bronze award. In the Intermediate Biology Olympiad with the Lower Sixth, Gold awards were achieved by Jack Anderson, Varun Singh, Connor McCausland, Callum Byers and Natalie Hallam. Silver awards were achieved by Ethan Holt, Rosie Baker, Tom Gogerty and Ellie Price, and a Bronze award by Grace Carroll. In the Biology Challenge, George Ayre and Bonnie Lau in Year 10 achieved Gold awards, and Nat Ford and Harrison Brodbelt achieved Silver awards. In these competitions, many other students achieved various levels of commendations.
Several year groups attended ‘pop-up dissection club’. This format allowed year group bubbles to attend over several lunchtimes and complete a rat dissection. It worked so well that we plan to repeat the ‘pop-up’ format next year, rolling it out to several more year groups as we go.
Through this year, we have had the pleasure of Mrs Quinn teaching Biology, covering Mrs Brooks’ maternity leave. I think I speak for all of her students when I say that we have been privileged to have such a brilliant teacher in the department. We are equally delighted to have Mrs Brooks back with us again and I know that she is looking forward to hitting the ground running in the new academic year.
Senior Research Group and the ‘Big Bang’ competition.
We have four research projects in the pipeline this year and have been disappointed not to be able to compete in the Regional and National Finals as normal due to Covid.
The projects look at the impact of Vaping, Plant diseases, Space Debris and Mars Rocks. Dr Wilson, Miss Crawford, Mr Matthew and Mrs Tharme have learned lots with the students this year!
The Gold Crest Award that these students also apply for, continues to provide evidence of the strength of our Senior students’ ability to do independent research.
By Mrs Tharme, Teacher of Chemistry and Co-Curricular Co-ordinator
Science Leaders
The group of students, from Year 7 to Upper Sixth, embody their motto “Role Models who share their Love of Science”. Getting the students together has been made difficult under Covid restrictions, but that did not stop this amazing group! We have had Zoom discussion groups, demonstrations via video and outdoor clubs too. Our Year 10 leaders especially have impressed, they have taken the initiative to plan, demonstrate and lead with Junior Science Club in the last half term. Max Hendry has also helped to video some classic Chemistry demonstrations, and these are available to view on FireFly in the Science Leaders area.
Psychology
By Miss Hadley, Head of Psychology
Psychology has continued to be a popular choice to study at A Level this year; a reflection of its relevance to everyday life. Despite the challenges faced during these unprecedented times, our students have remained positive and eager to apply their knowledge of human behaviour.
In December, Upper Sixth students welcomed neuroscientist, Dr Guy Sutton, for the School’s annual ‘Brain Day’. They explored exciting breakthroughs in the field of neuroscience, with a particular focus on the damaged brain and how abnormalities can result in mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, or even lead to criminality.
Lower Sixth students also made a fantastic effort to support the charity ‘Young Minds’, by hosting a cake sale for the School’s first #HelloYellow event, for World Mental Health Day. Their exceptional baking and persuasive selling techniques proved very fruitful for a charity that’s close to their hearts. In April, two teams of students competed in the National Psychology Competition with Royal Holloway University. They produced some incredible videos and written responses to ‘How Psychology can be used to create a better future’.
A number of students have also taken the opportunity to participate in psychological research with Kingston University, where they completed a range of activities to investigate cognitive functioning and eye movements in early-onset schizophrenia.
We are very much looking forward to another exciting year in the Department in 2021/2022, with new topics, challenges and competitions – kicking off with our in-house True Life Crime conference in October.
