Twenty Year 10 gifted and talented students recently spent a day at Bristol UWE, working with other gifted and talented students from across Bristol schools in a range of workshops that challenged them to consider different aspects of World War I in this, its centenary year.
Students engaged in a range of projects across the curriculum areas from designing and building aeroplane wings with only materials available in 1914 to intercepting foreign messages and overcoming the difficulties of communicating through the trenches to get messages to the front line. Some students created 3D maps of the trenches while others attempted to feed an army on a ration.
In one English workshop the morality of trench warfare was debated and students concluded the day by writing their own poems to an unknown soldier. This is the creation of Susanna Paynter, whose poem was chosen to be shared with the entire group of over 200 students and university lecturers during the presentations that brought the day to a close.
To an unknown soldier,
Husband, father, brother, friend,
You gave your tomorrow for
Good to triumph in the end.
You protected the women and children,
You stood for what is right,
For the greater good of your country,
You valiantly joined the fight.
You stood in the face of danger,
You helped to beat the foe,
Now those friends you left behind you
Must face this tale of woe.
And yet we are still thankful
For all that you have done
From your wife, your sister, your friend,
Your daughter and your son.
Susanna Paynter
The Year 8 and 9 Gifted and Talented cohort have also enjoyed a teambuilding and leadership experience. They joined together to perform a number of exciting problem solving tasks that enabled them to explore team dynamics.
As summer approached fifteen Year 10 Gifted and Talented Artists and Photographers headed into the Brecon Beacons with students from Brislington Enterprise College to take part in an outdoor Art and Photography week. They engaged in a range of workshops themed around their GSCE projects including outdoor sculptor within the landscape, figure sculptor, cyana type printing and light photography. Below are some examples of the work students produced.
A group of 15 year 9 maths G&T students attended an Economics, Finance and Management Day at the University of Bristol. The students took part in workshops and attended lectures on Accounting & Finance, Economics and Management by leading academics and had an opportunity to experience what a day at university would be like.
In July I went on a Salters Chemistry Camp. Four people from my triple science class were picked out of a hat and we all had to write an application form about why we wanted to go. There were camps all over England but Susanna Paynter and I were lucky enough to get into the Cambridge camp and experience the facilities they have there! We spent two and a half days taking part in activities such as making glow torches and paint from scratch and having competitions against the other students, and in the evening we explored Cambridge city and met the other 60 students who came from all over the UK. My favourite part was making paints and meeting all the new people - I didn't enjoy the 5 hour car journey quite as much!
Kate Bentley
