Last week was 3^rd Form project week at Fettes College. The main objective of the week was to learn and discover more about the themes of Hope and Freedom across a number of academic subjects. Throughout the week the students improved their skills of research and referencing, whilst developing their ability to write a persuasive and analytical piece of writing. The themes of Hope and Freedom were chosen to reflect current circumstances, as lockdown is coming to an end and the vaccine is being rolled out there is a feeling of positivity and hope for the future. 

In Science, Maths, Geography, English, Languages and History the students explored ideas and topics related to these themes: from studying the Windrush Generation to options for renewable energy. On Monday evening Jeremy Hunter, a respected photojournalist, writer, broadcaster and lecturer hosted an online lecture discussing the Slave Routes of West Africa. In preparation for the lecture the pupils read articles, explored websites and watched documentaries to deepen their understanding of the topic which helped the students to ask more informative questions. Thank you to Jeremy for an incredible lecture, which was thought-provoking and informative. 

The students also received a personal message from Ben Cooley, CEO and Founder of Hope for Justice. Ben is a well-renowned speaker who regularly presents to large audiences about modern slavery, leadership, and turning vision into practical action. He shared details about his organisation and what we can all do to combat modern slavery. We were delighted to have him speak to the students, parents and staff. His message of hope and his passionate belief that freedom is worth the fight was inspiring and gave all who watched a desire to take action.

All students were set a task to write an assignment, choosing from two titles, ‘Where do we find hope for the future?’ or ‘What is the meaning of freedom?’  marked on the following criteria: communication, quality and range of resources, analysis and evaluation, and presentation and organisation. 

We thank the staff and pupils for a fascinating week of discussion & debate.