Freshers Week September 2019 at Sir Herbert Leon

The first week back at school for Year 12 students at Sir Herbert Leon offered opportunities for stduents to develop skills and consider their future university options in a ‘Freshers Week’ style programme of events.

5^th September: Team Building activities were first on the agenda on Day One, with instructors from The Problem Solving Company creating meticulous puzzles that could only be solved through team work and concentration. It was a great way for the students to figure out how to work with the strengths of their team members in order to be the first to complete the task.

6^th September: Day Two- students were split and taken to different universities: Buckingham and Northampton which both had informative days planned. Whilst both universities provided a great jargon-busting introduction to higher education which brought to light some facts that the students were surprised about, they each had varying sessions for the remainder of the day. Those at Buckingham were able to delve into subject specific sessions that exposed them to the vast courses universities can offer. Simultaneously, the students at Northampton were challenged on their ability to budget effectively as a student through a practical activity which created some frightening minus figures.

9^th September: Back to the school on Day Three, Milton Keynes based Work Tree engaged the students with interactive ways to learn about jobs through the game ‘Top Trumps: Careers Version’.  This proved helpful because the students were unaware of most of the information on the cards so it provided a light-hearted learning experience. Further into the session we were fortunate to have some volunteers come in to give the students an opportunity to ask them questions about their roles. The students were immersed in asking how the individuals were able to get to their careers and what steps they took to achieve their goals. I also think it helped that they were not all straightforward success stories and a lot of them found a way to overcome barriers and struggles throughout their careers.

10^th September: Day Four Revolution Hive came to the school; they focused particularly on motivating the students and raising aspirations through character building. The students had a fantastic experience and were kept in high spirits by mirroring the enthusiasm of the facilitators who provided a positive environment. Throughout these sessions, the students were also able to learn about how to write CVs and find out more information about Apprenticeships from ASK. Fresher’s week certainly provided a step into the world of Sixth Form but introduced them to the decisions they will inevitably have to make in a fun and appealing manner.

Shamsa Khan: Buck Higher Education Liaison Officer