Firstly, an apology! I completely missed my summer term blog. We were so busy having such an exciting time that, before I knew it, the holidays had arrived.

And here we are already – two weeks into the Autumn term, though it feels more like two months. The pace is fast and full, and the students seem to have grown overnight. From Year 8 to Year 11, they’ve shot up like they’ve been fitted with grow bags. I feel shorter every year – although, as Mr Collins keeps reminding me, perhaps I’m just shrinking!

We were genuinely delighted with this summer’s exam results, and I encourage you to look at the breakdown on our website. As I told staff on the first day back, we are improving consistently now, and the shadow of COVID is fading into the past. We wish all of our leavers – whether they are now at college, starting apprenticeships, or entering full-time work – every success. We hope they’ll keep in touch; nothing makes us prouder than hearing about the next steps of their journey.

Looking ahead, we are taking our vision of “Excellence as Standard” further this year by focusing on connectivity. This means building stronger partnerships with parents and students, but also helping young people connect with their own progress and achievements.

That’s the angle I want to share in this blog. Over the past two years, we have been working on developing students’ intrinsic motivation – their inner drive to take part in learning, sport, and challenges outside their comfort zone. This drive is fuelled by the positive feelings that come from trying their best, achieving personal satisfaction, and enjoying the process.

Of course, as soon as you start talking about “feelings,” it can all sound a bit woolly. That’s why I spent time with staff breaking down intrinsic motivation into eight clear elements, which are captured in the diagram below:

If, as a College, we can address each of these eight areas, we’ll be giving students a powerful foundation for building lifelong motivation and resilience.

• Care and belonging: Every child needs to know that they are valued as an individual. Our relational practice – the way teachers and support staff listen and respond – is the first step in showing genuine care.
• Competence, progress purpose: A high-quality curriculum and strong teaching enable students to see their progress and understand the purpose behind their learning.
• Choice and responsibility: From the Year 8 and 9 Options process, through to everyday behaviour, we aim to help children recognise the choices they can make. We guide and encourage positive outcomes, but ultimately the power lies with them. When they make the right choice, the reward is both external praise and internal satisfaction.
• Collaboration and fun: Our House system and wide range of extracurricular activities give students the chance to connect, contribute, and enjoy working as part of a team.

By weaving these eight elements into College life, we are laying strong foundations for our students’ inner drive – a motivation that will serve them well beyond their school years.

Over the course of this year, I’ll use each blog to explore a different aspect of this plan, sharing in more depth what we are doing and why. Together, we want to ensure every student develops not only a love of learning, but also a deep sense of belonging.

So, to finish this introduction to the Year and our intrinsic motivation plan, I will finish with some pictures of our new Year 7s, understanding that transition to a new environment, whilst challenging, can also be so much fun!