Shropshire Star

Students gear up for new life skills

Students have found a new gear with a life skills project which has been nominated for high recognition.

Published
Shrewsbury High School student Freya Bowett, 14, learning about car mechanics

Shrewsbury High School's weekly enrichment initiative, Period X, has been shortlisted for the Creativity Award at this year's TES Independent Schools Awards.

Every week, during Period Three on a Wednesday, the curriculum collapses for all years, Reception to Year 13, to engage in Period X with sessions on essential life skills such as car maintenance, gardening and basic DIY to personal finance, healthy relationships, self-defence, yoga and more.

Head of Period X at the school, Michelle Reece said: “Shrewsbury High School has a proud history of achievement and in order for this to continue, it has been essential to focus on meeting the needs of our students as they prepare for an ever-changing world. This has been achieved by creating an exciting enrichment programme, Period X. The name of our programme reflects its purpose. X is the unknown quantity in maths and the X factor is a special talent or quality that cannot be exactly defined. It’s this special talent and quality we seek to find in our students.

"Our programme is based on our clearly expressed core values of creating a learning community where individuals have the opportunity to achieve beyond the bounds of expectation. It continually changes and evolves to reflect the specific needs of our community and the exciting futures for which we are preparing them."

The programme has four distinct themes: physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, personal development and creativity.

“The programme is very successful, providing opportunities for the whole school to pause, midweek, clear our heads and step away from academic lessons," added Michelle. "There is a fantastic buzz created as a result, you might see pupils in the school workshops learning how to put up a shelf or change a tyre on a car, or learning about student loans, or how to cook on a budget. Pupils across the school are in the school gardens, planting and growing, making wildlife habitats and bird feeders, or taking a walk through the quarry park, learning how to “make do and mend” or problem solving. It has quickly become a highlight of the school week for staff and pupils.”

The online awards will take place on Friday, April 30 at 8pm

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