This Monday Future Foundations kicked off the start of the new school year and a busy week of school programmes at Gordon’s School in Woking, Surrey. We delivered an energetic and thought-provoking start to the term for Year 12 students, challenging them to ‘Step Up’ to life in the Sixth Form, encourage them to aim high and be confident about their potential.
Over the course of the day students moved in teams through a series of plenaries, workshop sessions and challenges, encouraged at all times by Future Foundations’ facilitators to take responsibility for their own learning and acquire the attitude needed to go beyond what is being asked of them in class. Through a series of experiential learning activities we developed student’s team work, leadership and time management skills helping them to think about their vision for sixth form and set tangible goals.
We were hugely impressed by the students’ attitude and levels of energy on the day. It was a real pleasure to work with such an engaged group of young people and we really look forward to working at Gordon’s.
- Foster mixing between students new and old, creating a supportive culture within the Sixth Form.
- Help the students to review their transition into year 12, recognise if they may have ‘taken their foot off the pedal’ and encourage them to aim high and be confident about their potential.
- Encourage the students to take responsibility for their own learning and the attitude needed to go beyond what is being asked of them in class.
- Develop the team work and time management skills of the students.
- Challenge students to think about their vision for sixth form and set tangible goals.
- Instill the school’s values of Resilience, Determination, Enthusiasm, Courtesy and Integrity.
- Launch the sixth form with a fun and interactive experience which the students will remember.
Future Foundations provided a varied programme delivered across the school site, including experiential team tasks and reflection sessions throughout to relate learning to the objectives of the programme.
The Step Up day was launched with a motivational plenary themed around choice and personal responsibility. Students took to their feet and carried out a blindfold ‘Driving Me’ task which challenged them to experience both leading and being led and helped to demonstrate to the students that they can direct their future, if they choose to.
Students took part in a morning workshop entitled Self-Leadership, exploring the importance of self-awareness and leadership in successfully leading themselves and others. Working in groups with a coach they tried their hand at ‘Raise the Bar’, a team challenge which encourages participants to collaborate and communicate effectively, demonstrating the importance of self-discipline and each member taking responsibility for their own role within the team. After break we headed outside and challenged teams to compete in a team building task; Toxic Dump. This was a really illuminating session for the Year 12s as students nominated as Leaders needed to be given the time and respect of their fellow team mates to effectively plan and coordinate their approach to the problem.
Young people attended a Special Topics session, such as ‘Leadership Styles’ or ‘ Future CV and personal brand’, followed by a workshop to improve their community project development skills. This session helped participants to identify the needs within their school and local community and match them with their skills, talents and passions. They then turned their ideas into action through taking part in a case study project – they were given ten minutes to design and create a prototype playground using materials provided in the FF playground pack and challenged to consider the community needs the playground would fulfil as the starting point for their project. Teams wowed their coaches with some incredibly well considered and executed designs for their playgrounds – pitching some of the most impressive ideas FF have seen on a school programme!
The programme was facilitated by an experienced team of positive, dynamic staff inspired by the firm belief that all young people are full of capability and possibility and throughout the programme there was an ethos of support, teamwork and cooperation. The programme was Course Directed by Andy Dunn with support from Future Foundations coaches Amrit Lohir, Mark Johnson, Louise McNestrie, Anna Barker, Simone Vincenzi and Chloe Cousins.
If you are interested in bringing Future Foundations training to your school please contact alice@future-foundations.co.uk to explore how we can help your students to reach their full potential.