The Shape of Things

Every school has its own rhythms and routines and WTA is no different of course. Term One is now well underway; new teachers and new students have all settled in. Although the term is well past its halfway point, and end of term exams are looming. Easter has to be a long weekend still within the term.

This term is also interspersed with key events like a considerable number of non-teaching public holidays and also the annual student elections. Elections are a high drama occasion, including vastly exaggerated promises of action, with endless handouts of 'sweets for votes' from hopeful candidates during the campaigning week. Interesting to see the seeds that are definitely sown for adult campaigning and voting in later life! Fortunately, some key posts are also chosen by the teachers, to ensure that the populist vote does not get too much sway!

Election weekend is followed by “the handover ceremony “ from the retiring prefects over to the new 'regime'. Again this is taken very seriously. The same Sunday was also 'Visitation Day' and fee paying D-day with many parents also bringing snacks and gifts for their longlost offspring. In reality, only a few attend due to the distance, so sometimes ServeDirect is called upon and 'jokingly' expected to fill that parental gap for very many students. We wisely decided to miss the entire weekend and slipped away with our visitors for a peaceful 48 hours.

Progressing Up the School Ladder

S1 are now well settled in, no longer quite as shy, silent and compliant, they’re starting to flex their muscles, so several teachers are now complaining about the “stubborn“ characters.

S2 always come back to school with a slight swagger, no different from any fictional, boarding school 2nd years. They sometimes need to be reminded that they are 'only' S2s, but at least they can now stand for election and have dormitory responsibilities.

S3 are an interesting bunch - one foot still in the younger classes, but starting to prepare for the serious business of O’ levels next year. Think of 'Year 9s' in the UK sense, being the group that seriously challenges school routines and procedures. Some behave as if exams will never actually materialise, whereas others are already furiously revising, still with 18 months to go.

S4 are more hardcore and focussed than ever before.  As soon as the previous impressive 2022 results were released, this cohort set themselves the aim of beating this record of Division 1s to be awarded. Everyone is very hopeful.

S5 is a really unique group. Thanks partly to their own good results and some strong marketing/persuasion from WTA and SD, they form the biggest number of returning students that WTA has ever had. Traditionally, many students used to change school after S4. This group has a strength and unity as a class; they are forming strong friendships together and working hard. The new Head Prefect, Head Boy and Head Girl are among them, acting as good leaders and role-models already.

S6 are on a countdown to the A' level season already. In most subjects they are consolidating and learning their notes and tackling past papers. Sadly, they still belong to the era that favours rote learning and memorisation or 'cramming' to pass. New A' levels are in the pipeline for 2026 as the new curriculum edges its way up through the school, but for now a photographic memory is a superpower to be used to the maximum.