Tag Archives: Get Ahead

Day 17 – Saturday, 27 July 2019

July 28, 2019 More Than English team

With Saturday came a change in the weather. Last couple of days were very hot, so students didn’t mind the refreshing lower temperatures.

Enjoying lunch

Lunch isn’t just about getting your energy back up. We want students to enjoy their food and maybe try something new.
There are always multiple options available, including those for special dietary requirements.
So, did we manage to make lunch something students look forward to? No better way to find out than to ask them. Watch the video to see what they said.

Speak up

Communication is a very important skill for young people to develop. Not only does it help their self-esteem, but it’s also useful when making small talk, meeting new people and, one day, having a successful job interview.
Students in the speech making Get Ahead class are working hard to better their speaking competence.
Before they can start inspiring others, it’s important for them to learn from the best. They listened to some of Barack Obama’s best speeches and analysed a great piece from Dr. West, a famous social critic.

I am deeply suspicious of smartness. Let the phones be smart, let us be wise.
Dr. Cornell West

Go pro with Get Ahead sport

Being excellent at sports isn’t something that you’re born with. Good, maybe. But not excellent.
It takes practice, and most importantly, expert coaching to really be the best. Today, our golf students worked on their swing technique under the careful eye of PGA coach Dan.

It’ll be a long walk to get that ball back… Good job, Moritz!

A student favourite

There’s nothing more fun than bouncing around on the ground and running into your friends without anyone getting hurt. That’s exactly what bubble football is for.
Take a look at some highlights in the video below.

(Music: bensound.com)

This is ME – Dance 2018

August 18, 2018 David Meddows

Dance Magic

Get Ahead Dance 2018

Class of 2018. Parents! Students! Make a coffee. Take your favourite seat. Find the biggest screen you can. Sit down and prepare to be amazed.

9 hours

We gave students from all around the world just 9 hours to design and deliver a dance show in front of a live theatre audience. They’d never met before. They came from every corner of the world. They had a shared love of dance. This video shows how with a big dose of bravery and using English as a shared language, these teenagers created DANCE MAGIC!

One team > Experienced Dancers & New Dancers

Some of the students were highly experienced dancers. Some of the students were dancing on stage for the first time in their lives. What is incredible about this project is how they worked together to create something amazing – to create some moments neither they nor their audience will ever forget.

What you learnt

A project like this does not just require dance skills. It requires courage. It demands resilience. You can’t do it without incredible team skills.

Creating this show was not easy. You learnt the moves. You learnt to listen to 3 dance teachers speaking in a foreign language. You learnt to conquer your fears and deal with the pressure.

During a project like this there are always going to be moments when you think that you can’t do it. There will be times when you measure yourself against the person next to you and think that you are not good enough. But then, you look at your new friends. You listen to the encouragement of your teacher. You focus yourself. You carry on. You get that on that stage. And you shine! You dazzle! You make magic!

And after all that, how do you feel?

You feel amazing!

Moments we’ll never forget

Dance students! Next time you feel you can’t do something. Think again. Watch this video and remember that time when you overcame all these obstacles, and with your friends around you, achieved more than you believed was possible. Then take another step forward and carry on because “this is you!”

A final bow and a huge round of applause from the audience

Credits

Our thanks to Professional Dance Teachers Laura, Lauren and Bethan. You are incredible!

Thank you to all the dancers!

Agatha – France
Carla – France
Claudia – Spain
Costanza B- Italy
Costanza C – Italy
Daria – Poland
Daria – Romania
Eugénie – France
Florina – Germany
Ginevra – Italy
Laia – Spain
Lucia – Mexico
Margot – France
Marta – Ukraine
Mathilde – France
Naiara – Spain
Nicole – Brazil
Philipine – France
Priscila – Brazil
Sofia – Italy
Taissa – Brazil
Tamara – Lebanon
Tara – Lebanon
Victoire – France
Viktoria – Ukraine

Lead dance teacher Laura congratulations the students

Encore?

OK! Here’s some behind scenes footage that shows all the hard work behind the show.

Day 27 – Friday 3 August

August 9, 2018 David Meddows

Murder Mystery

Today ended with a murder. David, the co-director of the summer school was found lying lifeless in the main reception at around 1930.

Relentless

Luckily, an international team of trainee student investigators were on hand to solve this terrible crime. They listened to all the alibis. They considered all the motives. They examined all the clues. They interviewed all the suspects. They found out ‘who dunnit’ – they found the guilty one.

If you weren’t there, take a look at the suspects (above and below). Who do you think the guilty one was?

Last English lessons

Today was the last day of lessons on summer school and the last opportunity to take photos with classmates and teachers.

Get Ahead ‘came to a head’

Come to a head = if something comes to a head, you cannot delay it anymore: you must deal with it now.

Example:

"Finally the problem of plastic waste in the  sea has come to to a head. The government must deal with this problem now."

Leadership

Get Ahead Business students started a new company this week called Bright Knight, which is an especially good name for a business based in a medieval town!

As well as studying the basics of business, these Get Ahead Business students had to create a company identity, create a product, and create a financial plan. However, that was not the difficult part. The most challenging part of running a business is creating a team and a company culture.

In the course of planning, purchasing raw ingredients and creating their product, these young entrepreneurs discovered the challenges of learning to work together efficiently.

So what was the result?

The result was a healthy profit with high demand for their smoothies. Displaying the ethical underpinning (foundation) of their business, the team then donated all of the profit to a local charity.

However, that was not the only reward. The customers loved the product, including teacher Lucy:

Lucy approves of the business students’ mocktails.

Get Ahead Performing Arts – Film Making

Filming came to a head today on the Get Ahead film project. Students worked together brilliantly to get in all the final shots. The premiere will be tomorrow night.

Trip to Ludlow

Students enjoyed an afternoon trip to Ludlow.

The castle was built by French invaders in 1086. As the students discovered, the best view is from the tower.

Sunset

The day finished with a dramatic sunset. What a beautiful place!

Day 9 Monday 16 July

July 21, 2018 David Meddows

It’s the start of Week 2

Welcome new students!

In today’s blog:

Snapshot of Core English
Get Ahead Week 2
Michal from Radom, Poland has a birthday!

Core English

Teachers are starting the week with some challenging learning objectives:

Calvin’s C1 class analyse and then write news articles also focusing on the more advanced language of deduction and probability.

Eugenie from France – getting ready to learn more

Mat’s B1 class focus on academic English. Specifically they use the language of cause and effect to write a report about recycling.

Active Learning

They also develop their Critical Thinking skills and take ownership of their own learning by asking “thoughtful questions” themselves.

Meanwhile, the B2 students in Jai’s class discuss the future of robots in human society and follow their spoken work with an academic essay.

Get Ahead options this week:

This weeks Get Ahead options are:

Performing Arts: Dance Choreography
Leadership: Speech Making
Creative English: Creative Writing
Pro-Sport: Tennis, Golf, Football
Intensive English: FCE

Dance Choreography

The Dance students have 9 hours to create a show ready for performance in the theatre:

Yes, we said 9 hours.

Is it possible?

Watch the video and tell us what you think! This is what they achieved working together after just 2 hours and 15 minutes.

…Let’s just say, that we’re looking forward to the show on Friday 20th July.

Monday night means we’re going out

We love Monday nights out. It’s the perfect time for new students to get to know each other in a relaxed setting. Lucia, Taissa and Priscilla from different parts of Brazil “show us how it’s done”.

Happy birthday Michal

<<< Warning: the next photograph is from the boys' accommodation area >>>

Finally, the day ends with all the boys singing happy birthday to Michal. How many people experience this? New friends from 16 countries “singing happy birthday to you”.

Happy Birthday B2 student Michal from Radom, Poland!

After such a busy day, everyone is going to “sleep like a log”.