The Hermitage Experiment

31 June 2012 Thursday I was a part of Year 10 students in their field visit to Harwood beck, in Teesdale area. High Warm Jacket, safety boots, relevant dress everything for me arranged by Mr Alex Ward, Team Leader Geography department. 12 students, Head of the Department Mr Alex, Vice Principal Ms Linda Dickinson and I am with total number of 15 passengers. The Hermitage minibus going on the wavy Road over hilly area, I can guess little blooming flowers dancing and laughing by looking us in this cool area. Smiley faces with cloudy rain and foggy environment welcoming us by its natural beauty. Whole the day was raining. After finishing experimental work while the journey comes back to the Hermitage; on the way, in a few moments the sun raised on us to warm our cloths. Has the sun also thanked to the Year 10 students for their great experiments? Vice Principal who is geographical background informed me, there is no Earthquake because the land of the whole Durham and UK is in the middle point of the earth in world Map. This is a great advantage for the area and free from earthquake. The hills are created by Stone so it does not break in any other seasonal rainstorm and Snow falling storms. I practically observed how the Harwood Beck flows into The River Tees; and River Tees confluence with Harwood Beck. This is really interesting surprised to me because the source of the river I never seen in my life. The new discovering source of the river thrilled me. The Harwood Beck is creating from cloudy. The cloudy dew drops like a pearl on the wavy hills grass field. I think; is it the tears of eye of a Cloudy Crying for impacts of climate change? Does the cloud express its love by floating drops to the nature? To the Harwood beck, and tees river at Teesdale area in Durham? The river tees is now on the verge of a renaissance as a place to be enjoyed in a wide variety of ways. Its natural beauty, wildlife and landscape upstream, the wide variety of heritage along its length, Leisure and sporting use of the water itself Leisure use of the adjoining open spaces Year 10 students are ready to work hard ; enjoy a discovering and thrilling life with their comfortable dresses, boots and practical equipment, they never mind that I am a very new with them from another part of the world Bangladesh, truly everyone accept me cordially as a friend and helped me to learn more from this valley. They spent a day collecting data from the Harwood Beck and river Tees as part of their GCSE controlled assessment. The work involved the students several measurements to calculate various changes that occur from the source to the confluence of the river Tees. No matter in the environment they are carrying Mr Alex’s advice and suggestions very smoothly. Year 10 student’s field work I enjoyed with a great surprised. While my foot step at the Hermitage; rang a bell in my heart with big sound which informing me; Mr Hoque you are now in a great learning zone. You will discover lots of learning teaching methodology, modernized subject oriented facility for students. The Hermitage covering their Class curriculum by subjects of Arts , Business Culture, Morality and Ethics, Drama, English, Geography, History, I.C.T. Maths, Media Studies, MFL Music, P.E. Science Technology; SEN. Pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) are encouraged to reach their full potential at this Academy. SEN students are supported in a number of ways at the Hermitage The hermitage has lots of extra co-curricular activities such as Extended School ; Part Time Courses, Yamaha Guitar School , External Agencies Bus services, CASH Clinic, Speakeasy. Every term there is a meeting in the hermitage with all of the agencies to discuss provision under the terms of the Every Child Matters agenda. The hermitage has been running International Partnership activities between 08 countries. Bangladesh is one of them proudly working since 2009, Connecting Classrooms activities by the help of Durham Country Council sponsored by British Council. The Hermitage is an outstanding 11-19 Academy in Chester-le-Street which is nationally recognised Leading Edge School; it’s received an Ofsted "Outstanding" overall effectiveness grade and "Outstanding" Grades in all five categories of the inspection including Teaching and Learning.