Cockshut Hill Year 6 Summer School.

It was with much excitement that we finally got to open our doors to our Year 6 transition students during the summer holidays. Summer School had begun!

The staff involved were as excited as the students as the restrictions, given the climate at the time, did not allow for the usual transition programme to occur. This has been much to our dismay, so the blessing of Summer School was warmly welcomed!

Cockshut Hill’s summer school was open to all Year 6’s and the students who attended really did enjoy themselves. The nervous looks on their faces as they first entered the site, on the Monday morning, soon changed when they recognised familiar faces or started to make new friends. By breaktime, the competition was more over whether the girls were playing football better than the boys! Everyone was getting involved. It was fantastic to see the relationships building so quickly and positively, given that Year 6’s had spent the last year within their own class bubbles!

In order to allow the Year 6 students to feel what it was like on a normal day on the Hill, each morning started with registration and an assembly, linked very closely to the vision and values of our school. Even Rocky Balboa made an appearance with his motivational speech! Assemblies certainly got the day off to the right start! Then followed a four-period day, as they would be receiving in September. These lessons allowed for all sorts of creative activities and minds to get going.

A large group of staff came in each day to work with the students, getting to know them and building relationships that would last forever. The Dream Team of Mr Saeed, Miss O’Driscoll, Mrs Johnson, Mrs Molloy (SENDCo) and Mrs Croydon were the staff present every single day, with other specialist subject staff and the pastoral team being there to teach and support in other sessions. This super team of staff meant that our Year 6 students were getting a quality education delivery before they were officially Cockshut Hill students as every session was led by subject specialists.Every day was filled full of activities to stretch the mind, get students thinking, working together and getting to know each other. From the use of key terminology in English creative writing, Maths wars, to designing their own laptops and looking at computer components to full STEM ahead activities, there was something for every student to get involved in and enjoy. We do believe that Shape Monsters should be patented as a party game, as it certainly got the competitiveness going amongst these budding stars! 

Student feedback was very complimentary of the week, as was the feedback from the parents too.  To have such positive responses from all the students and staff made us aware that we had helped to bridge a void that may have been there. Every single parent said they would recommend CHS Summer School to prospective students. One student said they only thing they would improve was make it longer! 

Three cheers for Year 6 Summer School class of 2021. We can’t wait for the next one!