Years 7-11
- Eportfolio
Each student will maintain an eportfolio that includes examples of their learning inside and outside of the classroom, for example, learning experiences within the CAS programme and skills they are developing in lessons. Students will post evidence of their learning at pertinent times across the year and share this with their tutor during one to one discussions.
- Approaches to Learning
In Years 7-11 the five Approaches to Learning will be used to scaffold the one to one conversations so that each student can reflect on their holistic progress. Each One to One session lasts approximately one hour. The session involves a fifteen minute individual discussion with their tutor and a series of learning activities to support the development of these skills.
The five Approaches to Learning skills (ATLs) are a common framework of skills that run through a student’s learning journey: Year 7 students who join West Island are very familiar with the ATL skills as they form an intrinsic part of the Primary Years IB Programme (PYP). To ensure continuity and development, this framework of skills is part of West Island School’s Middle Years Diploma (MYD) whilst the Post 16 IB diploma programme continues to instil these skills across each of the six disciplines.
Years 12-13
Post 16: 1-2-1 Tutor Meetings
In Post 16 students meet their tutors 4-5 times a year for their 1-2-1 tutorial. This is a twenty minute individual meeting in which students are able to focus on their progress, wellbeing and ambitions with the personal guidance of their tutor. The following issues are likely to be discussed:
- Student wellbeing
- Academic progress
- Approaches to learning
- Celebrations of successes
- Reflections on perceived failures
- Any causes for concern
- Workload, time management and extra-curricular commitments
- The student’s CAS programme and reflections
- University choices and pathways beyond WIS
Our Post 16 tutors serve as CAS advisors and the first port-of-call for university guidance so it is important that we take time to forge deep relationships with our tutees in order to be able to write strong university references and guide students in making tough choices and/or assisting them in seeking the help of experts when needed.
The 1-2-1 tutorials form the foundations of our pastoral care and university guidance programme at West Island and are highly valued by students and staff alike. This is protected time for personal relationship to develop and individual voices to be heard. The Post 16 programmes are demanding so it is crucial that students are given this protected time to reflect and plan with their tutor.