Looking Ahead - Autumn Term 2023

LOOKING AHEAD

Ambition | Independence | Responsibility The newsletter is here: welcome! Within, you will find reports of the many activities and events which have filled these recent weeks.

The first term of the academic year affords an incredible variety of opportunities: forging new friendships, starting new courses for the Year 12, and grappling with University choices, predicted grades and UCAS applications for Year 13; the term is packed!

The Sixth Form Centre, with its smart new paintwork, is a place for pupils to come together, and not only work but also socialise, and there have been many moments when the air is filled with excited chatter. It is a vibrant, busy area dedicated to Years 12 & 13 and as the Head of Sixth Form, I am delighted to hear snippets of what is going on, as well as observe first hand the dedication that our pupils have to furthering their academic knowledge and understanding.

With the change of seasons through September to December, there are moments for all of us of great challenge, and now as the festive season is upon us, we can pause, reflect and take heart with all that we have achieved as well as look forward to the promise of a new year.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Best wishes, Dr Bowdrey bowdrm@malvernstjames.co.uk

Made at MSJ

Sixth Form Development Week

The Made at MSJ programme is designed for Year 12 and 13 to become more integrated into Sixth Form life and create connections.

At the start of term, as part of the Made at MSJ enrichment programme, the Sixth Form enjoyed a general knowledge quiz hosted by Dr Bowdrey after a day of Youth coaching and psychometric testing, alongside a barbecue.

The quiz was split into forms with an additional teacher group which created a great opportunity to meet some new people who we would be spending the next year besides as everyone was able to contribute and participate equally. There was also a lot of competitiveness against the tutors! This also created an array of beautiful artwork portraying Mr Attfield which have been put on display in the Sixth Form Centre to be admired.

After several other rounds such as Literature and flags, we were treated to a delicious BBQ kindly prepared by the Catering Department: a brilliant way to wind down in the evening, relax, and prepare for the exciting physical activities the next day.

Alyssa, Year 12

Psychometric Testing Roseanna, Year 12

As part of the Made at MSJ program, we took part in psychometric testing with Lucy Barkas, allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of our skills, character strengths and personalities. After responding to a series of questions, we were split into four quadrants: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness. Those in Dominance place emphasis on accomplishing results, Influence on influencing or persuading others, Steadiness on sincerity, loyalty and dependability, and Conscientiousness on accuracy, expertise and competency. We received a comprehensive analysis of our personalities, priorities, strengths, fears and limitations, alongside a list of careers best suited to our personality types, and everyone was surprised by the accuracy of the test and how much these qualities resonated with us.

There was an even divide between the quadrants, and it was interesting to learn how the different personality types complement each other, and how we can effectively communicate with others. The psychometric testing gave us all a new perspective on our unique strengths and how we can harness our talents to create a positive impact on the world around us.

Youth Coaching Nicole, Year 13

As part of the programme, we were lucky to have a Youth Coaching induction session led by Sian Gray, during which Year 12 and Year 13 pupils had the opportunity to explore the concept of leadership and establish connections with one another. The session consisted of topics on the significance of active listening as a foundation of building trust through interpersonal conversation, encouraging on-going conversations. Additionally, we delved into techniques for creating person specification for future employment and personal statements for university applications, which involved reflecting upon our strengths and weaknesses and creating a brief personal portfolio. The session emphasised the importance of being self-aware as the initial step towards becoming a good and trustworthy leader.

Its underlying message was that we should strive for self-improvement and be the best version of ourselves under all circumstances, and become the leader we aspire to be.

Wellbeing Activities Ruqayya, Year 12

It is safe to say that after a fun but tiring two days spent doing stimulating things such as climbing the Malvern Hills and psychometric testing, we all needed to rest our minds and bodies. So, towards the end of the Made at MSJ activities, the Sixth Form enjoyed a range of activities geared towards improving our physical and mental well-being. Street dance helped to release some happy chemicals as we, or at least I, had a great laugh at how off beat we were.

I personally enjoyed making the pine cone reindeers, mainly because I got to make it as pink as possible, but it was also quite interesting seeing everyone else get creative. Yoga and Mindfulness brought the day to an extremely tranquil close as we took time to relax our bodies, reflect on the 3 days spent bonding and learning more about each other and also to set the right intentions for term ahead.

Boundless

Outdoors Isabella, Year 13

At the start of term, the Sixth Form went to Boundless Outdoors as a part of the Made at MSJ programme designed for the Year 12s and 13s to become more integrated into Sixth Form and create connections. We were split into 6 groups, each with a different selection of activities at Boundless. We arrived at 9:00 am ready to start the day full of exciting, and slightly nerve wracking activities. Some of these included: archery, zipwire and learning how to start a fire in bushcraft.

Participating in these activities helped everyone to develop their skills, formulate new friendships and push themselves out of their comfort zones in a different environment. Boundless outdoors ended at 4 pm but the day was far from over as we then walked back over the Malvern Hills to return to school.

Awaiting us at the end of the walk was a fish and chip dinner near St. Anne’s Well, with a stunning view overlooking Great Malvern.

Being a New Sixth Form Boarder Sophie, Year 12

Even though I have only been at MSJ for a few months, I found that people here are genuinely nice. MSJ’s boarding is truly very accommodating. Being in Year 12 in my boarding house, I quickly bonded with everyone.

They introduced me to many new friends and even showed me around the school site, which has given me a strong sense of security, and I am very grateful for

their care. Before I arrived at MSJ, I was really stressed and worried that I wouldn’t fit in. But after I got here, I found out that those worries were unnecessary.

In the second week of term, we all went on a boarding trip to Malvern Hills. It was an unforgettable experience where I tried many things I had never dared to do before. I also fully enjoyed the teamwork and

collaboration.

Another aspect I eagerly look forward to is the weekends. I am grateful that our school does not have Saturday school, allowing us ample time to relax. The highlight of my weekends is preparing and sharing dinner with friends, which brings me a profound sense of contentment. I genuinely feel like I have become a part of Greenslade already this term.

Somerville Suppers Javis, Year 13 The discussion topic for this Somerville academic dinner invited the Year 13 attendees to consider possible reasons behind differences in beliefs, and whether we can discover truth in the age of AI, conspiracy theories and alternative facts. The supper was guided by Dr Jones, Head of Enrichment, and supported by Dr Guy, Head of Chemistry.

To begin with, we all first gave our interpretations as to why the things we believe in differ. The rationales discussed varied from evolving schemas and our mental framework, to the nature and nurture debate on the formation of assumptions. We covered the similarity in biological mechanisms and how we all, presumably, believe in the same physical reality.

We then moved on to discuss how our exposure to vast amounts of information prompts uncertainty as to what opinions to adopt, making us more susceptible to turning to conspiracy theories, and how we are inclined to choose ideas that align with our pre-existing values.

We assessed the impact of experience and age on how feminism and equality are perceived over time and also how equality and feminism should be defined. The discussion then turned to the prevalence of AI assistance in generating texts and ideas led to the debate on whether AI made us lazy and complacent.

Towards the end of the academic discussion, I concluded that whilst we should embrace own understanding we need to be aware of varying opinions and constantly question the veracity of truths and facts around us. I was glad to be invited to the Somerville Academic Dinner to be challenged once again. It made me more aware of the influence of trending movements on established values, and intrigued by how easily we may get caught up in disinformation around us.

Abigail & Ruqayya, Year 12 “What or who, has had or is having the biggest impact on humans and what are your predictions for the future based on your choice?”.

A dominant subject of the evening was, naturally, feminism. With the release of the Barbie movie in the summer, feminism has become a key issue at the moment as the movie addressed how hard it is to be a woman within a patriarchal society.

This then led to the question, “What is the future of feminism?”

There were many other thoughtprovoking points brought up, such as our society’s growing reliance on electricity which was prompted after a 12-hour power cut that someone at the dinner had recently experienced. Another discussion we had was about music and its impact due to, not only the music itself, but to the ‘idols’ the industry has created and their impact on fans. This led us to discuss the way music is now played almost 24/7 and if this is a means of escapism or just a stimulation addiction.

To conclude, this Somerville Supper left me with new ideas and opinions that I had never considered before, and also questioning my existing ideas and thoughts. We enjoyed a variety of interesting topics covering a wide range of subjects which made for a very rewarding experience.

The discussion was lead by Dr Jones, Head of Library & Enrichment and supported by Miss Connell, Assistant Head of Sixth Form.

Simon Probyn’s

Sculptor workshop Peijing, Year 12 On Friday 24 November, we visited Simon’s Sculpture Workshop. It was a wonderful experience: we were taught how to use different machines and learnt some useful practice techniques.

Simon is currently making a sculpture for MSJ, which requires lots of welding to join the pieces together to form a complex shape. Each time when the welding is done, we need to carefully place the sculpture on the floor and to see if it matches with the shape we are expecting.

The processes before actually start welding are also very important.

Firstly we had to cut the steel tube into equal length on the abrasive metal cutting saw.

After we cut the steel tubes, we had to sand them using the sanding machine. Although the sanding machine spins really fast, but when we held the metals tubes with our gloves and twist it slowly, it was very steady.

The welding part was the most exciting: we had to wear electric welders helmets! It is very important to hold the welding gun steadily and not to rush the process, otherwise

the welding will not be successful.

As a gift for us, Simon very kindly made lots of metal birds for us to takeaway, but to make this more memorable, we had to weld the base and the bird together.

It was very informative and we are looking forward to visiting Simon’s workshop again in January, and seeing the progress on the sculpture for MSJ!

DofE in the Sixth Form Myrtle, Year 13

DofE is potentially the biggest challenge you will be faced with within in your school career at least. As Mr. Attfield says, DofE is no walk in a national park.

All your soft skills are tested at once – teamwork, problem solving, communication, organisation, determination, commitment etc... The perseverance needed for the expedition alone is more than enough for one lifetime.

So, the question is, why do we still offer ourselves up to everything nature can throw at us?

For me, it was a test of my physical and emotional abilities, and yet also it was a brilliant experience to have. Some of the harder parts of the programme go unmentioned, like trying to get all the paperwork and signatures needed from assessors, getting used to the DofE format and ensuring the timelines match up properly. Most of the issues really occur in the expedition. Some examples include: 1. Route planning and all that goes with it like route cards – genuinely the bane of my existence.

2. Under packing, overpacking, and dealing with those annoying people who seem to have packing all figured out.

3. Sharing a campsite with animals, and their offspring 4. The severe lack of showers As for the other sections, I went to the gym for the Physical; my skill is piano playing and I volunteered on the stroke ward in Hereford Hospital.

The obstacles would appear to outweigh the benefits, however, this is not true, the friendships you develop and experiences you gain from all sections, I recommend you to push yourself and give it a go.

Molly, Year 13 I think DofE has to be the most challenging but rewarding thing I have ever done. It has pushed me outside my comfort zone and given my many life skills including better communication and great teamwork, which I will now be able to carry on throughout the rest of my life. Furthermore, we also gained a 3-year first aid course which was extremely helpful. The sense of achievement I felt when I passed my bronze and silver was amazing and hopefully, I will pass my gold near the end of this academic year.

Doing DofE has given me opportunities I would not have accessed otherwise, including volunteering within the local community, integrating with girls in younger years and fulfilling my physical activities to make sure I covered all sections. Not to mention the very exciting expeditions and practices which I think I have now completed 5 of them in total (the Lake District was beautiful, we did our gold final expedition there, which we choose ourselves as our destination). For my Gold sections I have done lacrosse as my physical, cooking as my skill and then volunteering in the local care home in Malvern. I think whilst you have the opportunity to do your DofE you should do it. And it is extremely helpful to have all the amazing support I have received from the teachers! You won’t regret it, I promise.

Academic Scholars’ Session Alyssa, Year 12

In an Academic Scholars’ session, Dr Jones gave us some questions from Oxbridge interviews to discuss with our buddies. These puzzling questions forced us to think outside of our usual perspective and understanding but allowed us to get to know a few people in different years and their unique way of thinking. One of the most interesting questions was ‘How would you reduce crime through architecture?’ which also had some of the most interesting answers of ‘adding more shops for retail therapy’ focusing on improving people’s happiness, while others considered that although we see architecture throughout our daily lives, technology has a larger impact and therefore crime is better reduced there. Overall the session was a great way to hear from and get to know every year group.

Religious Studies Trip to Worcester Cathedral Mrs Collett A Level Religious Studies pupils attended a lecture day at Worcester Cathedral, delivered by Dr Peter Vardy, on topics such as Conscience, Natural Law and the Nature of God. This was a great experience for the girls as the topics related directly to the A Level course they are studying. The lecture ended with a debate, with our girls contributing to the motion: “This house believes that an individual’s conscience is a poor moral guide”.

Geography Studies

Glamorgan Coast Libby, Year 12 On 17 October the Year 12 Geography group took part in a field trip to the Glamorgan coast led by the knowledgeable and passionate Mrs Fowles and Mrs Hutton. Despite the windy weather which blew many of us over, we managed to keep spirits high throughout the cold day. The area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and has welcomed many international visitors, which made this trip extra special as we were able to visit a rare site and understand its environment in greater detail with our knew-found geography knowledge.

We visited two different areas within the vast Glamorgan coast.

First: Ogmore-by-sea where we were able to discuss and understand the lithology of the cliffs, carboniferous limestone headlands along with their structure, the beach profile and also the feedback loops of this particular area. The study helped to greater consolidate our recent learning and knowledge regarding geology and also the coastal processes and land formations of a typical beach. The geography was closely related to a recent lesson

where we used various different chocolate bars to identify geological features and relate to rocks of similar lithology.

We then proceeded to the Merthyr Mawr dunes nearby. Here we focused on the sand dunes, sand bar and the salt marsh. The area is highly protected due to the rarity of all of these features being so closely situated. While we were at this site, we discussed the various risks to this ecosystems survival which unsurprisingly were mainly related to human activity.

However, one of the best parts was on our way to Bristol University.

Where we stopped off at KFC for dinner and Mrs Fowles took a leap and tried her first ever KFC (which I think was well received).

We then continued our journey to the University of Bristol where we attended a university style lecture for Year 12 students on the Flood risk of the Somerset Coast. The opportunity was hugely beneficial for both our learning within geography and becoming familiar with a university environment and the different style of teaching.

Psychology Conference Isabella, Year 13

On Thursday 30 November, the Year 13 Psychology class journeyed to Star City to attend a Tutor 2 U Revision Workshop. The day consisted of 4 sessions, each with a different focus on the specification, which were held in the cinema viewing screens. We started with ‘nailing the content’, where we learned how to answer different question types and the importance of using specialist terminology in our AO1 answers. We then moved on to ‘Application’ and better understanding of how we can apply our knowledge to real life examples. Our next session was how to write an ‘Effective Evaluation’ with the use of burger paragraphs in order to analyse psychological research and concepts effectively. We then had break for lunch, where we were able to go out and buy lunch if we wanted, with many of us making a quick trip to McDonald’s. Our last session was ‘Research Methods Live’ where we completed a mini experiment. The whole day was very interactive and a great revision source for our upcoming mocks.

Self Defence Lesson Iyin, Year 13

Year 13 took part in a self-defence lesson run by Rich Portman of the Self Defence Lab on Wednesday 8 November. Giving the senior girls the knowledge, skills, and mindset, they need to protect themselves in a range of situations when they could be in threat to their bodies was the main goal of the class. During the class, they learned five strategies for evading, avoiding, or protecting against potential attacks. These included keeping an eye on your surroundings, adopting a stance and brace posture to protect against situations arising, practising team kickboxing, and mentally preparing for any threats. Year 13 pupils benefited from this well-received self-defence lesson in three ways: first, it increased their self-confidence by letting them know that they could now defend themselves and enhance their wellbeing; second, it mentally prepared them by teaching them how to handle stress and anxiety in difficult situations; and third, it decreased their susceptibility to physical harm in order to stay safe. We all thoroughly enjoyed the practical session, although we hope not to have to put these skills into use.

Geography Conference Emma Year 12, Jennifer and Romilly Year 13

On 10 November we were given the opportunity to listen to two speakers as MSJ hosted an A level geography conference, attended by a number of different schools from around Worcestershire and the West Midlands. The talks were exceptionally informative using complex geographical concepts whilst connecting theories to real - world examples. Geographers and authors Cameron Dunn and David Homes seamlessly blended theoretical frameworks with contemporary issues, illustrating the relevance of geography in understanding the challenges our world faces today.

Our first talk was Energy security. To understand this, we thought about the ‘big picture’ ideas on both carbon and energy along with understanding the importance of geopolitics in terms of energy security and price.

Secondly, we discussed the question of ‘Globalisation - dead or alive?’ going over the geographical spheres of influence along with the possible geopolitical and economic futures as a result of globalisation. This helped us to further understand the process of globalisation.

In the Water security and supply talk we discussed whether it will be possible to provide everyone with water with rising affluence and global warming.

We learnt strategies for answering data stimulus, short and extended writing essay questions in the examination skills talk. This really helped us to get to grips with the types of questions we will be encountering in our final exams.

The final talk on synoptic skills with Cameron Dunn was where we learnt to think like a geographer, making connections and judgments on complex issues. This in particular was the most useful talk of the day for many of us as it focused only on paper 3, providing detail and the specific elements we can use to tackle the different questions. Learning about synoptics skills and mega - trends provided a global context for understanding other geographical change and issues.

Overall, the A-level Geography lecture conference was an enriching experience that not only deepened our understanding of the subject beyond the specification but also informed us on a global scale. It was a wonderful day of talks by two very experienced geographers who really helped to narrow down the content and focus on the key skills that we need in order to reach the top grades.

Early Applicant Talks at Pudding Club Over the last few weeks in Pudding Club, we have been hearing some early applicant presentations relating to what our Year 13 have applied for at their designated universities.

Several of these universities include Oxford, Edinburgh, UCL and some even have offers already from Durham, Birmingham and Southampton.

There was a range of interesting themes from The Population Paradox (Javis) to the importance of sleep (Myrtle), which is quite relevant to all of us Sixth Formers, to changes in beauty in art (Dongzi) and the Smile Revolution: Growing Teeth (Wynette). This has been a great opportunity for them to practise their interviews by talking about topics and their interests and for the audience to learn a little bit more. It has also been useful for us Year 12 pupils to see how passionate the older girls are about their various subject areas and how they plan to further expand their knowledge through higher education. Pudding club has been an excellent opportunity for all of us to foster our curiosity.

Alyssa, Year 12

Chicago: Teen Edition Grace, Year 12 The enthusiasm and excitement that came from the school when we found out that this year’s Production was to be ‘Chicago’, instantly created a buzz. At the end of November, the talented and animated MSJ girls took the stage for a story of “greed, violence, corruption and exploitation” in the hit Broadway musical, Chicago.

York Hall was skilfully transformed, capturing the essence of a 1920’s jazz club. With mesmerising costumes, fabulous makeup and expert lighting and sound, the audience were treated to a true spectacle. The live orchestra played with precision and vitality, generating a real buzz and excitement.

With hits such as “All that Jazz” to “Cell Block Tango”, dark comedy and deep tragedy, it was a truly knockout performance onstage and behind the scenes.