As we start our Easter break, I would urge us all to use the opportunity to reset and regenerate, take back some control over our time and reconnect with those we care about.
The book ‘Do Pause: You are not a To Do list’ by Robert Poynton, looks at the importance of communication, creativity, relationships and how to develop practical tools to make significant lifestyle choices. A pause every now and again can make a meaningful difference.
This is particularly sound advice for our Year 11 and 13 pupils who are entering the last leg of their exam preparation. Summed up in four words: cramming does not work! To learn, absorb and apply material well, it is essential to start a revision programme in advance and regularly revisit the material. Engaging with the material is the most effective way to revise. Check retrieval, use visuals, practice questions and past papers, make flashcards and work collaboratively. Switch between subjects throughout the day, use the school’s facilities to revise. Find the best ways to revise for yourself and use a range of activities to avoid boredom.
Educational research by Robert and Elizabeth Bjork has shown that your ability to recall information in an examination can be enhanced if you have studied that material in at least two different locations. Otherwise, your brain seems to link the material too closely to one place, making it harder to recall in a third place (the examination hall). Perhaps the best news from the research is that there is nothing wrong with incentives if they are judiciously used. Finally, getting enough sleep is crucial; the more tired you are, the more likely you are to give into distractions, such as checking your phone or watching something on Netflix. A second reason to prioritise a good night’s sleep is that sleep helps to consolidate our memories. There is even research suggesting that an hour of sleep shortly before an examination is more efficacious than an hour of revision.
ChatGPT has been a hot topic in school over the past few weeks. There are clearly positives and negatives to this new Artificial Intelligence. On one hand, our girls now have an incredibly powerful tool that could generate revision questions for them, explain a particular concept, provide key definitions, and improve elements of their written work. Under the right circumstances, this AI could be a great source of guidance. On the other hand, this tool potentially provides another route for plagiarism as it can give long answers to open questions and is an example of how education is potentially changing.
Education is at an interesting crossroad, and we are seeing the emergence of, in some cases, untested technology that will play a wide role in our children’s future lives. This is both exciting and concerning. We are responding by upskilling staff and students alike. We teach our girls not to cut corners, to value endeavour, develop their own critical thinking and problem solving and to question knowledge that is simply presented to them. Exploring this new technology as a community and looking at how we can advance our use of AI in an ethically sound way will empower our girls so that they can use these resources responsibly and safely.
My final words of thanks are to our staff. Their endeavour and commitment to provide an untold number of opportunities over the past few months have been incredible. As always, instead of winding down to the end of term, there have been a huge range of events, trips and assemblies to make each day and every aspect of the curriculum fun and engaging. Our Belonging Week deserves a special mention and I hope that your girls have come home and told you all about the exciting events that were organised by our staff and our Sixth Form Diversity Group.
Wishing you all a wonderful Easter break.
Mrs Emily Codling, Headmistress