Stratford
Girls' Grammar School offers virtual insight to prospective students
At this time
of year, students and their families are usually considering their options and
attending a variety of school open days. Due to social distancing rules, this
has not been possible for many in 2020, but one school in Stratford-Upon-Avon has
provided a new way for prospective attendees to learn about the education
opportunities they offer.
Stratford
Girls’ Grammar School (SGGS), based in Shottery, is a fully selective girls’
academy state school and Sixth Form, consistently ranked as one of the top 30
state schools in the country. The school has replaced its regular Summer Open
Day events with a virtual and interactive platform, hosted on Microsoft Sway, and
supported by a series of videos from members of the school community on the
school website. This offering is designed to be accessed leisurely and features
interviews with teachers, students and impressive virtual tours of the classrooms,
facilities and grounds.
Unique and
individual circumstances during the lockdown environment has meant the
availability and priorities of students and their parents have needed to be catered
for in a more flexible way than ever before. For this reason, the individual
SGGS introduction videos have not only been broadcast as live events but will
be hosted as a recording on the school website until at least September. It is
hoped that a physical open day may be able to take place once again during the
Autumn.
The Year 5 introduction video begins with a welcome from SGGS Headteacher Jacqui Cornell
and offers girls and their families the chance to hear from the current SGGS Head
Girl, as well as some Year 8 students who started their own journeys with the
school not too long ago.
The Microsoft Sway contains a range of videos from
teachers and students across the school including the heads of houses and
subject leaders. Whilst this is aimed predominantly at Year 7 induction
students, it is suitable for students of any age who want to learn more about
what SGGS is like and see the facilities the school has to offer as if they
were visiting physically.
Videos are
also being hosted on the school website in place of the annual welcome to new parents and carers
evening, which
includes an introduction to Mrs Swales, SGGS SENDCo.
This new
approach is not the first technology adaptation SGGS has made recently. The
school rolled out a comprehensive virtual environment in under one week in
response to the COVID-19 pandemic and since then has created a ‘virtual staff
room’ for teachers, provided PE department fitness videos, parent update
reports and ensured lessons give students the ability to collaborate and upload
videos as part of their coursework.
SGGS has
also provided ongoing reassurance to its community via letters, apps, social
media and an online blog; including regular helpful links to the latest
extra-curricular education and well-being resources available. This extends to
advice for those who were due to sit their exams and work experience placements,
as well as new documents and materials for those transitioning into A-Level
studies through a forward-thinking initiative called the Step into Sixth Form
programme.
Ends
Editors Notes:
Stratford
Girls’ Grammar School blends contemporary educational facilities with a
historic 15th-century manor house and gardens at the heart of its campus.
The 2019 Progress 8 scores show that students at Stratford Girls'
Grammar School achieve, on average, over two-thirds of a grade higher per
subject in their GCSE examinations than other pupils with the same prior
attainment. This places Stratford Girls’ Grammar School as the current top-performing
all-girls school in Warwickshire.
In the most recent GCSE results, 88% of Stratford Girls’ Grammar
School students achieved grades 9-7 and
A*- A in five of their examinations, 31.2% achieved Grade 9.
100% of students accomplished A* - B in Further Maths and 73.8%
attained A*-B in A-levels.
For more information visit www.sggs.org.uk
Media Contacts:
Joe
Cuffaro, PR & Marketing Account Manager,WSA
(Agency)
Email: joe.cuffaro@wsacommunications.co.uk
Tel: 01908 371177
Camilla
Harrison, Marketing and
Development (School)
Email: harrison.c@sggs.org.uk
Tel: 01789 293 759