The Elephant Group’s Kate Storey, centre, with students, from left, Harriet Sears, Callum Hannibal, Jacob Harvey and Sam Chorlton(Image: Waltham Toll Bar Academy)
Top revision advice and support were given to Year 11s at a well-attended event ahead of the crucial run up to this summer’s exams. Waltham Toll Bar Academy students were introduced to a programme that focuses on metacognitive skills in a presentation by The Elephant Group.
They were joined by others from schools in the Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust, responsible for the New Waltham school and Toll Bar Sixth Form, at the Steps to Success event. The Elephant Group was established to create fair student access to top universities and Programme Coordinator Kate Storey, explained the Meta Method had been created by its CEO Jane Taylor.
“It is a skill you learn to do,” she said. “It encourages young people to learn smarter, not harder and focuses on knowing themselves as a learner.”
Students who are metacognitive demonstrate more independence and resilience throughout the learning process. Research shows that the explicit teaching of metacognition can be particularly helpful for learners from socio-disadvantaged backgrounds.
Kate said: “The programme brings metacognition to students in a way that is easy to understand. It will benefit them in A levels, university and throughout their whole life, as well as in Year 11. It’s great to show the method to Year 11 students at Waltham Toll Bar who are aspiring to do well.”
Kate also introduced The Elephant Group’s Access Programme. “This is over two years as part of our partnership with Toll Bar Sixth Form. We support students with the three As: aspiration, application and attainment.
“If they stay on at Toll Bar Sixth Form, our support is one of the opportunities available to them.”
Sam Chorlton, looking to study the sciences at A level, was looking forward to hearing about the Meta Method. He will be joining Toll Bar Sixth Form after GCSEs.
“The teachers will be familiar, we will be in smaller groups and it will be a more personal,” he said.
Jacob Harvey was also looking forward to the session. “Hopefully, it will give me support in revising properly,” he said. “I know I need to focus a bit more, particularly in English.”
His mum Michelle was one of a number of parents to take up the academy’s invitation to join their children at the session. “It’s about supporting and encouraging him in his studies to do what he wants to do. It will be his decision at the end of the day,” she said.
Students Harriet Sears and Callum Hannibal were keen to learn about the support being offered. She is thinking about studying childcare at Grimsby Institute while Callum is hoping to pursue an apprenticeship in engineering.
Head of Sixth Form Christine Hook thanked Kate for presenting to the Year 11s. “The partnership with The Elephant Group and the support it gives our students is an important part of our sixth form offer,” she said. “We are about encouraging aspirations.”
Executive Principal at Waltham Toll Bar Academy Philip Dickinson said: “This is part of our drive towards intervention and support for our Year 11 students at every stage. We wanted to offer students from our school and others across the Trust and beyond the opportunity to access this support.
“The programme is in keeping with our high standards, high expectations and high levels of performance from everyone at the academy.”
Applications are now open to join Toll Bar Sixth Form in September. To find out more, go to http://www.tollbarmatsixthform.co.uk, call (01472) 500505, or email [email protected]
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