A natural history GCSE ?

[doodles]

Maybe a week each year could be removed from the normal scheduling

My ds's prep school did this. The week immediately after common entrance the whole of the middle and upper school (yrs 5 - 8 ) went away on their residential trips leaving reception to year 4 the run of the school. The specialist teachers who weren't away came down to the junior school and a whole lot of fun was had by all. The maths master taught "real" woodwork with proper tools (probably a risk assessment nightmare) but they made puppets with strings, they did pottery, they gardened, they cooked all sorts of things, they put on their own shows, and they also went into the lab with the science teacher and made all sorts of smells and concoctions. Basically the timetable was thrown to the winds for the week and they had a ball.

I know it can't be like this all the time and that being an indie school probably made things a bit easier with regard to going "off timetable" but it does make you think that perhaps we could ease up a bit and let children experiment more. Interestingly the teachers really enjoyed it too and it's a week in their school life my DS still remember.

[JaneEyre]

Nature can soothe, comfort and nurture; it can inspire us with its magnificence as well as humble us with its intricacy and regardless of whether or not we have religious beliefs, it can offer a spiritual dimension and a window to our soul. Nature can offer peace in a mad world - in fact I would say being outdoors is often the only place to be totally calm and alone.

+ 1. so poignantly written!

Its teachers that change lives not selective/non-selective schools( just had to throw that in -I couldn't help myself )

I totally agree with you about the great influence some wonderful teachers have on some of their pupils! However, this fact does not deter me of still being believing in the importance of having selective and no selective schools. ( couldn't help myself either, Catseye! )