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| As you browse through this website you will find lots of information about extra-curricular activities, about students taking part in the Space Olympics, enjoying fieldwork in Lanzarote and raising substantial sums for charity. Such things may well make a difference to your life as a QE student but in the end most of your time here will be spent in a classroom, laboratory, studio or workshop. You will be learning and being taught. Just what that experience will be like is one of the most difficult things to communicate through a prospectus. It will not, of course, be the same for each individual and it will vary according to the subjects you choose. But there are some common features, many of which are best illustrated by extracts from the Ofsted Inspection Report published in April 2003. |
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| The teaching staff at Wyggeston are specialists in their subjects, many with higher degrees, many also working as examiners and moderators for the examination boards. Several are authors of textbooks. Above all they are great enthusiasts for their subjects and their students. |
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“English teachers are the students’ most valuable resource. They are knowledgeable, enthusiastic, well-qualified and give generously of their time.” (English)
“Teachers are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their subjects” (Science)
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| Lessons will not all be the same. In some lessons the emphasis will be on teachers explaining new material to their students but in any given week there will be a variety of activities designed to enable students to learn effectively and enjoy doing so. |
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“Teachers use a good range of activities to engage and maintain students’ interests. Complex concepts are clearly explained and students are set challenging tasks” (Business, Accounting and Economics)
“Teachers successfully use a range of teaching methods to set inspiring and exciting creative tasks for their students” (Art & Design)
“The variety of activities sustained the students’ interest and momentum of learning…Teachers are particularly skilled in their treatment of potentially sensitive personal, social and cultural issues.” (Psychology and Sociology)
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| Teachers of subjects are also teachers of students. They build good relationships with their students and help them individually to gain the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary for success. |
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| “Staff student relationships are very good. Students speak highly of the wide range of support they receive…..Teachers and tutors concentrate on helping students achieve their goals and give generously of their time both inside and outside the classroom.” (Maths)
“Staff and student relations are excellent. Teachers and students share a common purpose aimed at optimising students’ achievements in their subjects” (Psychology and Sociology)
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| Because the teachers here are specialists in sixth form education they know what is expected by examiners. Many of them indeed are examiners in their own right. This expertise is of direct help to the students in their classes. |
| “There is a strong emphasis on thorough preparation for examinations. Teachers set work frequently. Their accurate and timely marking together with constructive written feedback are valued by students” (Humanities) |
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| Teachers cannot, in the end, force students to learn. They have to want to do it and be prepared to work independently. It is only fair to say that the Ofsted inspection team was just as impressed with the students as with the teachers. |
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| “Students are diligent, tenacious and well-organised” (Computing and ICT)
“Students’ work shows considerable independent thinking and diversity…Students…exhibit a high degree of motivation to achieve their learning goals” (Art & Design)
“Students have a mature attitude to work and frequently ask questions to clarify their learning. They provide good support for each other and study on their own effectively.” (Modern Foreign Languages)
“Purposeful and ambitious students are deeply involved with their studies and grow into confident, articulate learners.” (English)
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