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The final week of the Lent Term sees Third Form students break out from their usual timetable to participate in Third Form Project week, an extension of their Metacognition Projects throughout the year. Students get a dedicated week in which they can research any topic that they wish – with the approval of their metacognition teacher – and spend lessons in all their arts, humanities and social science lessons researching their topic.
Metacognition is a compulsory part of the Third Form curriculum. That curriculum, in its widest sense, takes students from all over the world and a wide variety of schools in the UK and overseas, and gives them a broad experience of nearly every subject we have to offer before the Sixth Form. The idea is to broaden students’ experience before then asking them to make their more specialised GCSE subjects. It also allows us to get to know students well and to broaden their horizons, to ready them for the intellectual adventure of the next four years of public examination curriculum and to provide a sound introduction to the spirit of independent learning that Lancing has to offer.
Dr John Herbert, Lancing’s Deputy Head with oversight of academic matters believes that metacognition lies at the heart of being a successful learner:
Independent learning is what separates Lancing students from those who attend academic hothouses where all that is important are examination grades. Grades are, of course, important – and we get very good grades. But learning is about more than that. Metacognition allows students to reflect on how we learn, what the good habits of scholarship, how to research, construct an argument and challenge received opinion. The Third Form Project is one key way we do this.
Dr John Herbert
In Project Week, students build on the lessons they all have with Mr Oliver, the Head Master, who teaches them all debating in their first year with us. This is the only rule of the project, that the project to be on a topic where there is a debate. Hannah C, one of this year’s Third Formers, identified this as an issue. “I started off on a project about what made runners successful. I quickly discovered that there was no debate around it. My new project – about whether we should adapt to climate change or seek to solve it – is much better.” Hannah, like her classmate Freya T, has changed her mind. Freya, who is researching the ethics of animal testing started off with a firm opinion. “But researching more made me change my opinion. Now, I’m not so sure.”
Detailed research, assessing the legitimacy of evidence and building an argument from multiple sources often does this, leading to nuanced thought. It is just these skills, built on by debating contests, our Sixth Form Heresy Project essays and the excellence of our Extended Project programme that lead students to rigorous, successful independent thinkers. We wish these year’s Third Formers the best of luck as they spend next term shaping and refining their projects.