On Thursday last week Mr Richard Smith, Diocesan Adviser for Catholic Education (Secondary) visited school and spent the morning with our RE Department. During his time with us he visited a range of lessons with Miss McPhee, Head of RE, to view the work of our students and that of the department as a whole.
I met with Mr Smith both at the beginning and end of his visit and received his preliminary report. Mr Smith commented upon:
- the good standard of work found in students’ books,
- the initiatives being used by RE teachers in lessons to engage boys in their learning, to encourage students’ attempts at extended writing,
- the application of staff to our current whole school initiative regarding questioning and the time we allow children in constructing and offering their response or ‘wait time’
and lastly but certainly not least,
- students’ enthusiasm for their learning, their engagement in the activities on offer, their respectful approach to the topics and issues raised and their general behaviour.
This is a most positive report to receive particularly at such a busy time for us all and is must well deserved by Miss McPhee, the teachers within the RE Department, our TA team who support our children whilst in lesson and especially our children who welcomed Mr Smith to their lessons and were eager to demonstrate their learning and enjoyment of all things RE.
