In the week’s ‘A Conversation With…’ we had a chat with Thinking Space Manager, Mrs Sally Bayley, who has been with Shiplake since 2017. Mrs Bayley has been instrumental in developing the Thinking Space and introducing the Accelerated Reader Programme to Shiplake, with great success.
How long have you been at Shiplake and what have been your roles, previously and now?
I joined Shiplake in June 2017. My role was to support Sixth Form pupils during their study periods and to develop the Thinking Space as a pupil work hub. My previous 12 years of experience was as a teacher of business studies: GCSE, BTEC and A Level, in state schools in Buckinghamshire and North London.
Can you tell us a bit more about the Thinking Space, its purpose and how it is used by pupils?
The Thinking Space is designed to be a modern work space. It has various zones that are colour-coded depending on its intended use. For instance, the blue room is called the Flow Room. Its function is a silent work space for pupils to work individually. The central yellow room is the collaborative Thinking Space. It has multiple seating zones for small groups to sit and work together. We also have a green room, which is the Boardroom. Pupils and staff can book this for meetings or private study.
Pupils in the Sixth Form have study periods each day. At the start of Year 12, the majority of pupils must spend these periods in the Thinking Space. They get to choose where and how they would like to study: silently in the Flow Room or collaboratively in the Thinking Space. As they prove themselves to be good self-managers and they make good academic progress, they are promoted to house study. This means that they could study in their dormitory rooms or the Thinking Space.
Shiplake is 'a reading school', why is reading so important in senior school?
Reading is important at any age. The more you read, the easier it becomes to read and understand what is written. Our reading fitness helps to determine our academic success because we need to be able to read well in order to access exam questions, write good quality coursework and understand instructions.
Can you tell us a bit more about the Accelerated Reader Programme and its successes at Shiplake?
We introduced Accelerated Reader for Years 7 to 9 in 2018. The programme tests pupils’ reading levels, recommends appropriate books and checks comprehension and understanding of what has been read. It also identifies key skills that the pupils need to develop in order to improve their academic success. The programme proved so effective in engaging the pupils to read more that we expanded the provision from Years 10 to 12 in 2019. From September 2020, all pupils will participate in the programme.
In September you will be moving on to a new role at Shiplake. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
I will be joining the Business Studies department to teach GCSE and Sixth Form Business Studies. I love learning about how businesses respond to their ever changing environment and recent global developments will make it very interesting to discover with the pupils how different businesses go about surviving and eventually prospering.
What is the best thing about Shiplake?
The Staff Common Room is a great group of people to work with and the pupils always surprise you! I also love that we can see the River Thames each day, it is truly spectacular.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I used to play a lot of hockey and softball but these days I can sadly only watch. A great day would include gardening, watching sport and playing with my children.
What is the first thing you are going to do when you get out of lockdown?
I would like to say travel but I don't believe that will be feasible for a while. We will all go for a Sunday roast at a pub!
What does the future hold for Mrs Bayley?
This year, I would like to complete a 5k park run and complete an open water swim.
