Invicta Vlogs
I was fortunate enough to travel to Singapore to further develop our links with both the Ministry of Education and a variety of secondary and primary schools.
Last week, I was fortunate enough to travel to Singapore to further develop our links with both the Ministry of Education and a variety of secondary and primary schools. I am a firm believer of international travel for everyone. It opens our eyes and enables us to not only understand different cultures, but to learn from the wide variety of experiences that are provided – the people, their values and their outlook on life and in particular - education. As such, it was an amazing opportunity to witness the quality of the education provided in Singapore and to research how we can benefit from some of their excellent practice –principally in the STEM subjects. Students are trained to the high standards required for their prospective careers by highly proficient teachers whose teaching is informed by the most advanced and influential of research. They have extensive placement and scholarship opportunities with many business and university partners, to gain the professional experience which employers will expect. The facilities of every organisation we visited were second to none; incorporating the very best in technology and high level provision. So, it is heartening to be back and asked by so many ‘what did you see?’ and ‘what next for Invicta?’ I love the fact that our staff and students are genuinely interested in wanting to progress and get the most out of their time at their place of study and work. I believe that this is one of our very special qualities. We are always keen to explore and research with a view to constantly learning.
If I had to select one thing that I have taken back from Singapore, it would be the endless energy of all practitioners to continue to learn – both students and staff. The thirst for knowledge and self-improvement ‘oozed’ from everyone we met. But, what was even more special was the fact that having had our visit reciprocated last year, our Singapore colleagues felt that this was evident across the VIAT (Valley Invicta Academy Trust) schools, of which Invicta is a key contributor. They are extremely keen to build strong partnerships that will provide opportunities for students and staff to learn together – this is such an exciting and forward thinking concept. We are in a world that requires us to live together, learn together and work together. Our much valued partnership will undoubtedly enable this to benefit us all. I shall look forward to us establishing our first student and teacher exchanges.
