Richard Wijeratne from XIC with Moody June 2020
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Jan 13, 2025
As we begin to welcome back guests to the studio, it was a pleasure to be joined by the Head of Xabia International College Richard Wijeratne for the first of a number of regular appearances, which will also include other staff members as well as parents. We find out how well the remote learning process has bedded in since lockdown began in mid-March, how students, teachers and parents have been coping, plus there's exciting news on the brand new secondary school which is coming soon. Please Like and Subscribe 🛎 if you're finding what we do useful and wish to stay right up to date.
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this is Bay radio as a current single
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then from Ava max said by radio for you
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Wednesday morning so third of June were
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ads and as promised delighted to welcome
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Richard which arrived neat from the
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Xavier International College your mister
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we just found out here that sound that
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makes things easier for everybody I hope
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that's what most people know me by
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anyway but something's good to see you
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because I can now I saw you just before
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all of this kicked off here for want of
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a better term yes and what I were doing
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something in and said how long do you
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think you'll be maybe a couple of weeks
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right and here we are what's in Evin 12
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weeks later nearly and interlocked down
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and of course the school's heavily
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affected and it continues I suppose but
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how's it been Amin we how much notice
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did you have and you set up for for the
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lockdown and how things were going to
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work well it's very interesting really
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because about a week beforehand we were
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looking at what was happening in the
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Valencian community what was happening
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to us you know and you could see that at
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the time it was just previous and you
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could see that the UM the schools in
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Valencia had been closed because that's
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what they do so that the you know the
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population can enjoy and celebrate the
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fires so we had a sort of a bit of an
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inkling that they may just close us as
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well in this area
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which is exactly what happened so we had
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about five days of our own notice to
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react to it so we did and what happened
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was we introduced basically what was
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through a platform called Google
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classroom what would be like an ongoing
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lesson program that all of the children
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would follow each of their lessons of
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every day and then they would be able to
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make contact with their teacher and then
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that was prepared and pre-planned ahead
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of the lockdown we go into lockdown we
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have three days that was the Monday
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Tuesday Wednesday because the Thursday
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Friday were yesterday's so we had the
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three days and we ran that program and
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it didn't work we weren't happy with it
2:02
because the children were doing the work
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they weren't in touch with the teacher
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as much as they should have been and the
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teachers were quite frustrated because
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they couldn't actually get the message
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across so every
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it was a bit of a shock to the system
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because then we reacted as as as a group
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of management saying listen please
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members of staff this is a tough one but
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we're going to ask you to be in front of
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your computers for the entire day
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prepare your lessons and teach through
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the medium of of Google classroom and
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through Google hangout and Google meat
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so that you can meet with your your your
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youngsters and you're actually teaching
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a lesson to which there was a sort of
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mild panic really because you've got
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teachers who are young with 12 teachers
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who have children they've got their own
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families that they've got to look after
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and I'm coming along and saying listen
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guys um thanks very much what you're
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doing but now I need you all day every
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day teaching yeah and um all I can say
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at this moment is the reaction to that
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was mal panic but the then reaction over
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the next four days which were
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yesterday's when people should have been
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relaxing was pure genius because there
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are people within the college who
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supported others and they were able to
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put in practice put into practice a a
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training program so that staff could
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then understand exactly how they would
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be able to put forward a online teaching
3:27
program where the curriculum would be
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made available to all of our children
3:30
every day so the following Monday it
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kicked off and it hasn't stopped mm-hmm
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no I mean I have my goat locked down
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bingo card here I'm about to dump off
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the word unprecedented that's there
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we've never never used it so much yes
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because they can't have been anything in
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your lifetime that would have you know
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that's been like this and that would
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have prepared you fully it wasn't like
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okay folks this is the day we've all
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been planning for and building up for
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there wasn't that much notice too you
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know as to what was about to happen
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no moody absolutely right we we only
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night Mike my heart goes out to all
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schools because you do your thing and
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you prepare and you try to get better
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all of the time because that's what
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we're in the business to try and impress
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our children win their trust and do the
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best we can for them day to day doing it
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face to face is fantastic because you've
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got the immediate reaction of a child's
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eyes when they don't understand
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something you've got the smile on their
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face when they do understand something
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you got the sort of like Eureka moment
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when you come out of a classroom as a
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member
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staff and you think yeah I got that
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nailed that that was brilliant
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mhm was so difficult to do that from a
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distance and you can see so you can see
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your children but it's not quite the
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same as getting that classroom dynamic
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I've been in teaching for 34 years sad
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to say I wish it was only 20 years but
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it is 34 years we can't get away from it
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and I've never seen anything like it
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but the reaction to it was fundamentally
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humbling really and I'm not trying to be
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overly sensational it was truly humbling
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you've got managers as in Mike Mills who
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runs the secondary school had this
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nailed off very very quickly
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Steve Jarmon in the primary school who
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is just just a wonderful man who who
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leads his troops so beautifully that
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they will they will they will do so much
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and so quickly for him so a little bit
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of technological support and help from
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other members of the team helped us to
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put the program together very quickly
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but it is truly quite humbling and now
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we're into a process it's a whole new
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world Langley sure I mean this is the
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dispos'd if it was going to fall at any
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time it's fortunate in a way that it has
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when the technology is that I mean I
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used to get the the snow days at school
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in those days when the 100-year old oil
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fired boiler broke down so there was no
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heating and you went home and you can
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really do anything they might set you a
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bit of homework or that sort of thing
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but this was in place albeit with a few
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a few teething problems but presumably
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it's got smoothed out as you've gone
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along well yes I mean one of the one of
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the great great assets we had is that um
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some years ago the administration in the
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College
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David Ghana Brown at the time and now he
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decided that um all pupils from the age
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of around 7 to to 16 would be given a
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tablet to help them with their
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preparation in class and their their
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work at home so having these tools and
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Google classroom working as well as it
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was and the teachers being fairly
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conversant with the use of that Google
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classroom it meant that um you know
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children didn't have the problem our
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chill didn't have the problem of not
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having the facilities at home to be able
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to talk with their teachers so it was a
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great thing that happened but absolutely
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fundamentally
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brilliant that it existed for us so the
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transition was that much more seamless
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really and the key to this the absolute
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key to it being a success is that you
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have to engage the children otherwise
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they switch off I have three boys at
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home three boys 118 116 114 and they are
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completely true entrenched they there
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every day they go to school mm-hm and
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you get into a routine the only
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yesterday I was at a family house where
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they have a two children our secondary
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school and mum jumped up in the middle
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of the conversation that I was at and
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said oh it's the end of the lesson of
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Moscow make sure they're going into the
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next lesson so it's incredible how
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families have adapted to it as well it's
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not just the children having to be in
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class it's the families who are really
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managing the experience as well I
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suppose that's building a bit of
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discipline in a way because there's so
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many distractions at home that if they
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can get into that sort of thing because
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that looks like as far as you know
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general work goes one of the things -
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two things may remain after this as far
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as the working from home thing goes and
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that requires a bit of discipline to get
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your hours right and be up and ready as
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if you are going to work yeah I mean how
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you see it no I
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it's exactly that you you you have to
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create routines routine I mean I enjoy
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being at work because there is a routine
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then when we have our summer holidays
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there fantastic to start with and then
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you get to a certain time they think
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well I could do with routine and I can
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see my family could do with routine they
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probably don't don't don't agree with me
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but I can see that they they would
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probably do so and I'm sure that's the
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same with other families what you've
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said is now you've nailed it you need to
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get into that routine you need to get
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into there I mean first first week or so
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it was tricky so what we actually did as
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a school is we decided that we would
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help so every single child has to
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register for every single lesson so then
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that is returned to our centre and we
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can see who's not been able to make it
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to the lessons right so then we can
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negotiate or speak to the parents and
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say look are you struggling our other
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other is the child struggling is it
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difficult because it is psychologically
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very very complicated for young people
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and these are these are these are all
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they're all individuals and they're
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going to find it very difficult to adapt
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so we were saying it's not you're not in
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lesson is can we help you why is it that
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you're not in lesson how is it that we
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can help you to make the whole
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experience a little bit easier for you
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sure
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take that attitude then you want to win
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the young person over and earn their
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respect to adapt to the whole new
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program which people can see is quite
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exhausting but once they get into that
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whole new world
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it's a hoping it's a little bit easier
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for them there's something until if you
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still take in the register of the
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morning every class X I see happy
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International College anyone outside of
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the area practicing online the X comes
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from the Valenciano shabbiha that's it
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ok so just in case it was confusing one
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or two folks but we've talked about how
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you've coped with lockdown that way
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that's developed as far as the home
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learning goes which it's a found itself
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so I'm a little bit easier yeah what
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about any plans for school returning
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it's not going to be this term obviously
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we look all lit no we know we've taken
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the decision that safety and the health
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of our community the health of our
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community in school is paramount and we
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have to be respectful of the fact that
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some you know it's still quite dangerous
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we want to be respectful of that so we
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will continue our online program to the
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end of this term and we will have plenty
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of time prepare to prepare for for
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September and there are many different
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eventualities there but let's just
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presume that we go back to school a huge
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amount of focus has been put on the
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safety of the children their health
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comes first their well-being comes first
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and that of the staff I mean we have to
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be able to create an environment within
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which staff feel confident to do the job
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that they're doing because a happy
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member of staff a confident member of
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staff just trans trans transmits into a
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good working relationship and we are
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planning very carefully to make sure
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that what we do in in in all of our
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centers the place is absolutely clean
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sterile on going through the days that
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the social distancing is available we
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have small classes anyway the idea is to
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keep the group small so that the
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pressure isn't on the teacher to have to
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provide lessons and an tuition to to to
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too many children which you know I'm a
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teacher and I know how complicated that
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is and I know it's it's stressful so the
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smaller the class the greater
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opportunity the teacher has to get round
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all of the children and and make their
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day which is really what they want to do
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so I'm
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with the smaller classes and a
11:08
rotational visits to the school if that
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should be the way that we go it means
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that we're looking at classes of no more
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than 10 or 12 right there are certain
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adaptations we're going to make to to to
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the to the sites and with that I'm more
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than confident that our our environment
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our community can be very happy very
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secure in sending their children back to
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school we miss them we did you just miss
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them I mean it's it's you don't you
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don't become a teacher to sit in your
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kitchen you become a teacher to be in
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front of young people and and change
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change their life but you know looking
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at some current and and what happened a
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little bit earlier on in the in in the
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lockdown process young people miss their
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friends I see it in my family and we
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hear about it in so many different
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families and what was really beautiful
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is talking to a couple of colleagues and
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and and so and some some other parents
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of the primary school at xic Wareham
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their children were up dressed ready
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breakfasted cleaned already in front of
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their computer or tablet ready to go way
12:10
ahead of the lesson starting because
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they couldn't wait to speak to their
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friends because this was a way that they
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could actually meet and speak to their
12:15
friends now that they're relaxing and
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the lockdown is is it has happened it
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means they can see their friends a
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little bit a little bit a little bit
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more but um actually to be able to make
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contact is crucial and also on top of
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that and I have to say this was with
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sometimes when you look at your Watts
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apps on your phone you think I you are
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you joking there are a hundred and
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ninety eight watts apps what is that all
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about I click onto my phone and it was
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the school staff talking to each other
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yeah the these staff Moodie have have
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been just phenomenal and and I'm bound
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to say that as a head you're just going
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to expect head teachers to come in and
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say gosh I've got a great team there are
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superb or aren't they doing a fantastic
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job it is out standing they have started
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continued and that the energy that they
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have shown the compassion they've shown
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with young people they're they're
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they're people they've been teachers
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going to young people's houses to make
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sure that they are ok that they are on
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on on on the right wavelength with it
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they are supporting each other there
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were some teachers who weren't as good
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as technologically astute as others so
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immediately they say how on earth do I
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do this there's another teacher comes
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straight in and helps them immediately
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so they don't have the stress of it the
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idea is to get through this as a
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community and destress as people as much
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as possible if there's a way that young
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people can meet each other then that is
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phenomenal so in the future we have got
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a busy summer ahead of us
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because there is there's work being done
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on our new secondary school which is
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almost you were going to ask me a
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question but it's but it's flying along
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at a great speed now I was there
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yesterday with the head of secondary and
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the deputy head of secondary mic and
13:48
gainer we they are already planning our
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move so we're looking at all of the
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technology that we have to input there
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the screens the touch screens in all of
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the classrooms that computers the
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networking that was what I was with the
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technology the head of technology in X I
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see yesterday trying to work through all
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what we're going to do to be able to
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make the site work but the beauty of it
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is that the site itself which I can talk
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to you about another day another
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occasion but it just flows so nicely we
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only want 260 children there we want a
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small school that is going to retain the
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values and intimacy that we have
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currently but they will have the
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expansive areas to work in it must be
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nice to start from scratch though going
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into a new building nor than adding on
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to an old one you know you think right
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we can go in come a plan this properly
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all the technology in place as you say
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and and here we go and exciting it is
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exciting because then and and I'm what
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what is particular sighting is when you
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see the face of certain teachers who
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have been there who have been in X I see
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for some time who have in my opinion
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done some incredible work and I'll be
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the very first to say without a facility
14:57
with a very basic facility and they
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stand and they look at the facility that
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they will be able to work with and the
15:04
present that they will be able to give
15:06
to the children and the young adults
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that are there it is you you see it in
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their faces that they they're completely
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inspired
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and this is very important I believe at
15:16
this particular time if you take a step
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forward and you give the chance to
15:21
people to shine in an area that they
15:24
feel inspired they will take that
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opportunity people react very positively
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to people who give them to who make
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their day and I think that's what is
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key here you've got some a visionary
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leader in Mike Mills who is able I
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supported by his team he has won the
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loyalty of that team it's a small team
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its tight-knit it works extremely hard
15:48
they feedback they work very closely
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together
15:51
on Saturday we will have the opportunity
15:54
to take the staff to the site so that
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they can have a look and themselves not
15:59
just see pictures of it but actually
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feel the physical nature of the flow of
16:03
the place and that's the key here
16:04
it's the the site has been designed by
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teachers by people who are in education
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rather than by an architect who has done
16:12
it remotely so there that the whole use
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of that the the plot allows young people
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to be fulfilled in their day both in the
16:20
classroom and outside of the classroom
16:21
so that is the new secondary school yeah
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for xic
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so I mean overall this experience and
16:28
what what does it taught you that
16:30
there's been a couple of main columns
16:31
that sir you know what you will take
16:33
forward future yeah there's been a steep
16:35
learning curve area Steve very Swift and
16:37
actually really useful because I think
16:39
however whatever age you're you're you
16:42
are you always have the capacity to
16:45
learn new things and the the that there
16:48
have been many very interesting lessons
16:49
you said something a little bit earlier
16:51
which is quite interesting you know if
16:52
you're snowed out or if if the school
16:56
boiler has gone down or whatever in
16:57
havier if you've been here for any any
17:00
length of time we've had storms we've
17:03
had fires we have had all sorts of minor
17:06
catastrophes major catastrophes that
17:08
have caused schools to close now I
17:09
haven't I am I am I'm a firm believer in
17:13
keeping schools open where possible mmm
17:16
however it's been necessary to close the
17:18
schools and now we have the tools to
17:20
teach those children who are no longer
17:22
in the school how you know a normal day
17:25
so we would be saying to you I'm really
17:27
sorry but your children can't come to
17:28
the school because you know it's a red
17:30
alert and only have to close the schools
17:32
however get on your computers and here
17:34
we go so they're in is a success story
17:37
another thing that is really interesting
17:39
is it's extremely rare for people to
17:42
come to the college and spend some time
17:44
with us during a taster
17:47
period and if they have a taster period
17:50
with us they get a real feel for what
17:51
we're about and what the teachers are
17:53
investing themselves in so with that
17:57
we've been able to do as the children
17:59
who are prospective candidates for
18:02
joining the college can't actually come
18:04
to the college they've been able to drop
18:05
into our lessons so they've been doing a
18:07
week of our online learning or or or
18:10
even more right so there are people who
18:12
actually have tasted it and joined or
18:14
they've joined and they've then joined
18:16
the lessons so their experience of xic
18:18
just now is remote learning they're
18:21
learning online and they haven't
18:22
actually stepped foot into the college
18:24
yet but they can get the whole idea of
18:26
the values and the the quality of the
18:29
teaching that is actually coming through
18:30
so going forward we'll be able to use
18:32
that you know if somebody's in in Russia
18:34
or somebody happens to be in Japan or
18:35
China or from France or wherever they
18:37
are and they would like to taste the
18:39
sort of education that we are providing
18:41
week and off we can offer that of course
18:43
that's a big thing because you are
18:44
getting people from across the world you
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know they'll be making the move here and
18:47
they can get a real real idea of what
18:49
goes on it is that it is that and um and
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you know I look at it I'm from from a
18:53
primary school perspective as well you
18:55
know Steve German and his team again you
18:59
know I I almost I almost don't have the
19:02
words to to to congratulate them and to
19:04
and to celebrate what they've done
19:05
because they've kept up that momentum
19:07
with little people these are little
19:09
children you know who are super excited
19:13
about seeing their friends but though
19:16
and coming to the class but they're
19:18
actually being taught so so so
19:21
appropriately by these teachers engaging
19:23
them they're the excitement have coming
19:26
to school is a completely different
19:27
message you know to talk to one where
19:30
you're running into the school which is
19:31
one of this has been one of the key key
19:33
things of of xic primary school it's a
19:36
lovely place to be it's a very homely
19:38
place to be now these young people are
19:40
at home but not with us but they're
19:43
given that same sort of atmosphere by
19:45
that outstanding team and I'd love to
19:47
name every one of them but we don't have
19:49
the time to do that they are they are
19:51
fundamentally mega geniuses I I'm an
19:54
English teacher I should find a better
19:55
with better words actually but it is it
19:58
is something that I would be extremely
19:59
proud of and I know
20:00
that we went into this strong and we
20:03
went into this prepared but we will
20:05
emerge from it fundamentally far
20:07
stronger and with greater capacity to be
20:10
able to teach in class out of course the
20:13
rrrm are our teachers are seeing tools
20:16
and experiences and and abilities that
20:19
they probably never thought that they
20:20
had and now they have they've they've
20:22
gone on a technological roller coaster
20:26
to get themselves up to where they are
20:28
and how they do actually teach now so
20:30
it's great it's really wonderful for
20:31
them well you have mentioned a few
20:32
people along the way but term it sounds
20:34
like just a great team in place as a
20:36
whole and you'd be far too too humble
20:39
just whom you know taking a credit
20:40
yourself but i sholde i say you deserve
20:42
some other things forgetting forgetting
20:43
everyone together and overseeing all of
20:44
this I guess but with your team leaders
20:46
in place as well it's it's it's a team
20:48
all of the time wherever wherever
20:51
wherever you you you work I think the
20:53
most important thing is to is to find
20:55
the right people and put them in the
20:56
right places I believe very strongly
20:59
that there's a great word that is key to
21:04
this and that's loyalty loyalty to the
21:07
children from the staff loyalty to the
21:10
staff from the children and equally from
21:12
management I want to just say something
21:15
here that is is is key to what we do we
21:18
are a fairly small school and we have a
21:21
very simple ethos that we want to put
21:24
our children front and center and that's
21:26
what everything is built around none of
21:29
this could have been possible none of it
21:31
could have been possible without the
21:32
loyalty and the support and the respect
21:34
that we've had from our parents I have
21:38
had we have had so many messages of
21:41
support and congratulation for the
21:44
education it's a tough time they have
21:46
reacted so positively and it's without
21:48
question that is that the the the the
21:51
whole situation in a nutshell if you've
21:53
got loyal parents who understand it's
21:56
tricky it's difficult but the teachers
21:58
are trying to do their very best which
22:00
they have been and they've made a
22:02
difference and on top of that there's
22:05
another thing that's made this whole
22:06
online process work at xic and that is
22:10
because the the you have to have an
22:13
understanding and
22:15
supportive lot owner you have to have
22:17
that and we do and the board that exists
22:20
there have recognized that so when it
22:22
came down to what was going to happen
22:24
with the temporary room done
22:25
redundancies and the Erte and things
22:27
like that
22:28
we very reluctantly place people who are
22:31
not at the coalface with our children on
22:33
the Erte hmm now those are people like
22:36
the caretakers who we love to bits
22:38
they're brilliant they take care of in
22:40
schools were caretaker certainly don't
22:41
take care but these people take care and
22:43
they love our children but they couldn't
22:44
make a difference to our children's
22:45
lives just now certain assistants who
22:47
are superb in the classroom superb but
22:50
they're actually the teacher would be
22:51
delivering the lesson so we couldn't
22:53
take them take advantage of them no the
22:54
other thing that is key here that is
22:56
where the owner comes out as
22:59
understanding the needs of the college
23:01
it's really important about the team you
23:02
were talking about team comes first and
23:05
we've got to get that right these
23:07
teachers are reacted so positively many
23:10
of them are new to us
23:11
they've been there's about 12 teachers
23:13
that are new to us they're great
23:15
teachers they've got great respects
23:17
perience but they're new to xic
23:18
now in a normal contract they would
23:22
finish in June and that would be it yeah
23:24
and if we like them and we wanted to
23:26
have them again you would take them on
23:28
in September our board I can't tell you
23:31
how proud I am that they made the
23:33
decision to say to these staff listen we
23:35
keep you on you're part of our team
23:37
you're ongoing with us so we will employ
23:40
you through July and August we will pay
23:42
you through July and August your
23:43
contracts ar-ar-ar-ar-ar continued and
23:46
you will help us plan and prepare for
23:48
our next year mm-hmm so it works you've
23:50
got to get all of those things together
23:52
you've got to make sure that the staff
23:55
who right now are probably cursing me
23:57
for what I've asked them to do but I
23:59
can't tell them how grateful I am and I
24:02
really truly am their children how
24:05
they've reacted which will be a memory
24:07
that they will have and they will talk
24:08
about for years this is the thing oh
24:11
yeah you remember your school days in or
24:14
out of school and I say once again if
24:16
there are parents of xic listening you
24:20
should be extraordinarily proud and we
24:22
can't wait to see you again we can't
24:23
wait to see the children that's really
24:25
key because that's what we do
24:26
presumably you're working you
24:28
with the distance-learning up to what
24:29
would be the norm end of term anyway
24:31
this month yeah it goes through two to
24:34
the 19th of June and we'll carry on
24:38
day to day I'm as as we were talking
24:41
about earlier I'm I'm I'm a dad and and
24:43
and I have my children at home and they
24:45
they will work through to the end end of
24:47
their course I have two children who
24:49
would would be doing external
24:51
examinations a level and GCSE and that
24:53
has had its own complications but I
24:56
found that the we found that in in in
25:00
the in the college those people doing
25:02
their GCSEs have worked extremely hard
25:04
because the most important and there a
25:05
level sorry worked extremely hard in
25:08
order to to fulfill the requirements and
25:11
produce that the the levels of work that
25:15
then can be assessed by the teachers
25:16
because the teachers have a professional
25:18
responsibility here to provide the
25:21
assessment that would then be grade
25:23
gathering and and and we send it off
25:25
that would be the appropriate grades
25:27
that those young people would get
25:28
because they're not doing the exam
25:29
because they're not doing the
25:30
examinations and you take these you have
25:32
these results for the rest of your life
25:33
yeah so you you want to get it right and
25:36
that's been the message you know do not
25:38
ease off stick with it give yourself the
25:41
chance to get the best grade that you
25:42
possibly can universities will will I
25:45
mean they'll everybody's going to be
25:46
reacting to this a very unusual
25:49
situation that we have however you need
25:52
to be able to look at those certificates
25:53
with pride through your life and and
25:56
that's been one of the messages that we
25:58
have been sending out from secondary on
26:00
this occasion it's it's it's it's vital
26:03
that we as a staff can share the
26:06
appropriate information with the
26:08
authorities so the children get the
26:09
grade that they deserve well normally at
26:12
this point I'd say well good luck with
26:13
the the new school term and the new
26:14
school building but you will talk to us
26:16
before then you'll be back in soon
26:18
listener Tinley we look forward to it
26:20
and and and and I have various
26:22
colleagues that would like to come and
26:23
talk to you too absolutely as well as
26:25
some families all welcome yeah I just
26:27
wanted to say one thing you know we've
26:29
talked quite a lot on on-air over the
26:32
years and I've known Andy stammers and
26:35
Bay radio and this is not an party
26:37
political broadcast on behalf of a radio
26:39
but they are you're very much involved
26:40
in the community
26:41
and we really appreciate that you know
26:43
as I say I've known Andy for a long long
26:45
time I like the way that he's trying to
26:47
think a little bit outside of the box
26:48
for people during this difficult time
26:51
and and for that you know he has my
26:53
enormous thanks and you do too MIDI and
26:55
the rest of your team I know that
26:57
they're very very hard-working Lily
26:58
downstairs trying to organize what you
27:00
do for us in the community so thank you
27:03
from from from us as a community to
27:05
yours to you here at Bay radio thank you
27:07
more thank you much appreciate it I
27:08
think it's like you've said about some
27:10
of your staff it's been a challenge for
27:14
us which is made it interesting because
27:15
you know coming in doing the day-to-day
27:17
thing and then suddenly all this it's
27:19
given us a new angle on things and you
27:21
know more exciting perhaps at times
27:23
people need you they listen to you
27:24
well that's what we're hopefully we've
27:25
been keeping on top of stuff and putting
27:27
the real as facts out there no fake news
27:29
oh well congratulations good for you
27:31
thank you so much well speak to you soon
#Distance Learning
#Education
#Open Online Courses
#Primary & Secondary Schooling (K-12)