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 PARENTS STUDENTS WHAT YOU SAY ... ASSESS A SCHOOL HOW WE TEACH SOFTWARE? SOCIAL SKILLS PERSONAL SUPPORT HOMEWORK
TIMETABLE EXAMS TEACHERS HOME EDUCATION USEFUL LINKS DOWNLOADS CONTACT US | ONLINE LEARNING: How it worksFirst College students live in the UK, in Europe or Asia.
 A LEARNING COMMUNITYThere is a strong emphasis on the school as a learning community, not just a bundle of tutored subjects. In order to study efficiently students need to learn ~ how to work in groups, ~ how to mix with others from different backgrounds, ~ how to get help from teachers, and ~ how to both get help from and give it to other students. We train in a practical philosophy we call "Shared Space" which students find easy to grasp, that explains why we all have to accept certain limits on what we do when we are using the "Shared Space" of the school (or any shared work project). The teen years can be a very lonely time which makes having a supportive learning community that much more important. So we encourage friendships to develop through private communication both in and out of school. We teach clear effective ways to handle awkwardness or disagreements constructively so that social skills can mature. However, being a teenager is a time when privacy and independence is also very important. Some are 'loners' by preference, and some very much need quieter periods for personal reflection when going through difficulties. The option to connect is always there, and gently encouraged, but not in any hearty or forced way. More on social skills PARENT TEACHER PARTNERSHIPParents are the first educators of their children, and the long-term managers of their education Parents have influence which goes far beyond school and teachers, an issue proved by research. In fact parents are the most important factor in education and career success. (Desforges 2003). We can help, advise and support, but it is ultimately parents who decide what is best. Parents' practical support is most important of all in the vital area of homework. So we provide our powerful personal Report system. The Student Report is a private webpage only the parents, student and relevant teachers can see. Here each subject is listed, with little markers for each work task. You can see which work has been set, which has been sent in (or hasn't!), what's been marked and its grade. You can also click open any piece of work to look at it with more detailed comments. Uniquely, in an online school a parent or guardian can if they wish, watch as a lesson happens to see exactly what it's like, and how their child handles it. Our parents can always know what is going on any time of the day. Parents can phone us to talk anything over - our main time for this is after school until 7pm/ 19.00 GMT in the evening, but during school is also possible if necessary. We also phone parents to check things through, and there is a constant flow of email correspondence which we answer same day or within 24 hours. Our success is due to a close working partnership with our families. (see Parents page). THE PERSONAL REPORTEach student has their own personal Report page. The Report is private to the student and their parent/s, plus the student's particular teachers. Here the student, parent, or teacher can see exactly what is going on for this student over the current term - all on one page! (Previous terms are also available) Each subject studied has a box which displays all work set. This shows if the work is newly set, if it has been sent in or marked, or if it is not done and overdue. Teacher comments are indicated and can be opened to read in full. A concerned parent can easily track work that needs doing and whether it has been done or not. The Student Report area is also where a student posts in their all-important homework, or a note explaining why it isn't done. The teacher posts marked work back here too, all in one place. Obviously we are very proud of this sophisticated communication system provided for our families, and that it is nice and easy for the family to use. THE THREE CLASS LEVELSNew Students ALL begin in the junior "FIRST CLASS." This is for younger students or those needing extra help. For newcomers it is where they first get to know how the school works, finding their way around the areas of classrooms, the homework system, information areas, messaging, etc. This settling in takes a week or two as a rule. After that the goals are the basic study skills. If these are clearly already in place the student moves up to the next Level. 2) HOMEWORK. Family arrangement of set time of day for homework. Homeworks are mostly 45 mins. each. Checking instructions, getting help on anything unclear. Completing or attempting the work to be done. Managing deadlines, sending a courtesy note if work not done. How to cope with not wanting to work! Written work of 250 words clear English. 3) SOCIAL SKILLS. Without adequate social skills a lesson simply can't happen. Good students find disruptions enormously annoying, while weaker ones often do not realise why they can't understand the work. We give clear guidance in a friendly way, backed up by firm discipline. (Where necessary a student can be closed out of class in seconds.) 4) LIAISON. The fourth study skill is how to get help when it's needed. Where to look it up? Who to ask? How to ask? Many students mistakenly assume it is silly or weak to ask for help. Instead we teach it as a strength, because it means faster, easier progress. First Class thus introduces the four basic Study Skills, so students have a solid groundwork. They can then handle the requirements of more demanding work later on. For younger students, or for students who have not received the necessary knowledge and skills in the past, there will be a longer period in First Class. More able students will be able to rapidly advance to a higher class once we can see see what they can do. We cannot emphasise enough that a hasty transfer out of First Class is very destructive. Having to return downwards to the basic class to catch up on missing skills damages a student's confidence very badly. Every effort is made to ensure that this period of basic training is also fun and lively so students are not drilled into dullness. Students with very different abilities in different areas will be given as individual treatment as is practically possible. More advanced work can be done alongside First Class in an area a student does well, or intensive support can be provided in areas of struggle. SENIORS The next step after First Class is the Seniors Class (intermediate Level.) Here, with their study skills well grounded students can explore a genuine love of learning. Core study skills and areas of knowledge can be taken forward with a lot of fun included because we don't need to spend the time pushing and coaxing. We try very hard to relate to Students' own younger or teenage interests. Students will be encouraged to undertake independent projects and experiments, both alone, with their families, or with other students. They can if they want to, learn how to teach a class! Homework is mainly one hour per subject, and the target for Seniors is to reach 500 words of clear English. While the main emphasis is on developing the four Study Skills further in a creative way, there is also preparation towards the exam program. When they are ready (and not before) students are invited on to the exam program at Scholars Level. SCHOLARS - THE EXAM PROGRAM This is an intensive study program, with a larger homework load of between one and a half to two hours per subject. The written English target is a competent 750 words structured essay in 45 minutes. Studies here focus tightly on the Edexcel exam syllabus for the subject studied. IGCSE exams are considered to be equivalent or higher than ordinary GCSE, with a more international emphasis. They are like the old O Levels. (Most private schools in the UK now use IGCSE, and State schools are pressuring Government to adopt it too.) The standard exam program is to gain 5 subjects grades A* -C, with English and Maths required. High flying students can take a larger number of subjects according to ability, while a struggling student may be supported towards the minimum of three subjects (English, Maths and one other). Our exam support is formidable! with a personalised day by day support program during the last six weeks. Our students generally report back that they find their exams 'no problem' saying they found they knew exactly what to do. We also work very effectively to remove exam drama. To begin preparation for IGCSE exams we need a minimum of 18 months or 5 terms, following satisfactory work at Seniors level, or proof of adequate skills. COMPUTER STUFFWe make it a major priority that a student can attend First College without needing high level computer skills or a sophisticated computer. If you can read website pages, handle sending and receiving email, and type a document - you're able to attend our classes. But behind the scenes where we're working for you - it's not simple at all! We provide high performance multimedia online classrooms where teachers and students can talk naturally by voice through the computer speakers, or type fast moving conversations with each other. Classes can also exchange pictures and photos, share a handout document, or visit websites together. An extremely important, vital part of online learning is the facility to carry on private conversations alongside a class. This means a teacher can without the rest of the class seeing it, give extra help to a struggling student, support or rebuke a misbehaving one, or give a high flyer some extra challenge. An online teacher must be able to handle up to six conversations at once! Practical experiments and real life projects, the use of games, quizzes, and recommended interactive software keeps thngs lively! There are also self-test quizzes and sometimes timed tests set by the teacher to check no one has got lost on the way! Students are encouraged to get to know each other and help each other learn, both in general, and by creating group projects. The school as a learning community is linked by the LIVE classrooms, but also by an internal messaging system and personal profile pages so that each Student (and teacher) becomes a real understandable person. See more about SOFTWARE We train a strongly collegiate style of studying so that the student learns to take responsibility for their own work and deadlines. It means the transfer to later qualifications, University, or (self) employment is much easier as a result. First College UK is very much a family business. We created it to educate our own son, who is now a trainee online teacher in the school! (under strict supervision) CRB checks (Standard Level) on all teachers; DP registration (Notification reference: jvl530); Please do ask for any of this to be explained. |
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