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At RMS, we are deeply invested in guiding our students through every significant milestone of their academic journey.
The GCSE years represent a pivotal moment, shaping not just future academic paths but also developing crucial life skills. To shed light on this important phase, we recorded an episode of our podcast, Stirred By The Sun, featuring Ms Hardy, our Deputy Head Academic, and Mrs Walker, a dedicated Year 10 and 11 form tutor, alongside regular hosts Mr Carson, Sarisha and Aleesa.
This engaging snippet offers a candid look into how RMS supports students through their GCSEs and our forward-thinking approach to their academic development. Read the overview below, and be sure to check out the full episode on Spotify.
GCSEs: A Chapter, Not the Whole Story
Both Ms Hardy and Mrs Walker passionately articulated that GCSEs are truly just one significant “chapter” in a student’s educational journey, not the entire book. Ms Hardy states, “GCSEs are just a chapter. They are literally just a chapter. They’re a moment in your life.” This perspective is central to how our form tutors support students through what can be a stressful period. Mrs Walker highlights this crucial guidance, noting, “I am there to just guide the students through… when you do see students getting very anxious, I can kind of remind them that actually, when I was at school, I can’t even remember what I got in my year 11 mock!” Their role extends to organisation, stress management, and providing helpful perspective.
Reimagining the Assessment Landscape
The episode also features an engaging conversation about the current GCSE system itself, exploring its strengths and areas for potential evolution. Ms Hardy and Mrs Walker offer a fascinating critique of the examination structure, discussing its international context and advocating for skill development over a singular focus on grades. Mrs Walker suggests, “If I could magically change something, I would scrap grades… we forget that, actually, we’re trying to develop skills.” Sarisha echoes this sentiment, sharing that at times, “I just felt like we were kind of learning mark schemes for some subjects, rather than appreciating the content or the skills that we were being taught.” Ms Hardy adds her perspective, stating, “If I could wave a magic wand, I’d rip it up and start again… they were designed in the 1980s!” This highlights a desire for a more dynamic and relevant assessment model that truly prepares students for the future.
Empowering Students Through Personalisation
Crucially, this episode sheds light on how RMS is proactively responding to these insights and the evolving educational landscape. Ms Hardy explains how we are enhancing our GCSE offering to provide students with greater choice, ownership, and a more personalised route through these key academic years. She sums it up perfectly: “we’re giving students greater choice, greater ownership and greater personalisation because we know that when you guys feel in the driving seat and in control of your learning, it reduces your stress, it increases your happiness and ultimately increases your learning.” This commitment to individual pathways ensures that every student feels supported and empowered to thrive here.
Listen to this SBTS Mini Episode below.