MAKING A DIFFERENCE The Learning Centre
Year 12 student Wilbur Morrison has absolutely no doubts that the work he does in the Learning Centre has helped him make significant improvements in his grades, his work output, his understanding of what he learns and his attitude to study.
“Everyone loves going to English tuition,” he says gleefully. “You laugh and learn at the same time.’’ Wilbur says he has always struggled with dyslexia and has had trouble with reading, writing and comprehension. When he entered Year 9 he was identified as someone who would benefit from extra tuition. “You can take any subject work with you and the staff know how to get the best out of you. They know how to say things in a way that I can understand. The one- on-one learning gives you much more confidence, because rather than telling yourself that you
aren’t any good at something, they tell you that your brain is just wired in a different way from other people’s, so you need a different way of learning. “This year I took up chemistry, which I would never have thought of doing, and I am really enjoying it. If I hadn’t had the tuition, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to try something like that.” There are four dedicated teachers in the department: Mrs Lesley Anderson-McKenna, Mrs Helen Butterfield, Mrs Elizabeth Maddren and Ms Gill Kilpatrick, who recently replaced Ms Catherine Bell. The programmes run
across all year groups and the team sees more than 100 boys a week. Some boys just need confidence, some have significant learning challenges and some have a range of specific needs. All Year 9 students, except those in the top band, are tested when they come into College, and staff liaise with feeder schools to identify any boys with potential learning challenges who would benefit from extra tuition. In the first term, Mrs Maddren goes into classrooms, observing students and building up learning profiles. Head of Department Mrs Anderson- McKenna says one of the most
Wilbur Morrison working with Mrs Lesley Anderson-McKenna.
Christ’s College Canterbury
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