IGGY Juniors Courses: Comments from Parents and Teachers
Taking part in a critical reading class on Anthony Horowitz’s Stormbreaker had a highly positive influence on SATs performance; while the various competitions – for example on climate change, research techniques , logic and philosophy – played a vital part in [students’] achievements, by giving them a cerebral perspective which influences the whole way they view literature, school, and life as a whole.
There is nothing remotely elitist about this programme; quite the opposite in fact. The door is open to everyone who wants to immerse themselves in the benefits of high level learning. Apart from the benefits of having a ‘virtual classroom’ available – with high level academics on tap who really do care about what they are doing and aren’t just in it for personal glory or the money – both at home and at school, there are less overt advantages too. These include fostering a more contemplative attitude towards the whole spectrum of learning, a realization that reflection is very important in developing as a person and setting goals and priorities; together with a concentrated self-awareness that, irrespective of who or where you are, anything is possible. Headteacher, Ironville & Codnor Park School
You have kept him going in terms of motivation and also in terms of self-confidence. He found many of the topics incredibly interesting. It was an extremely positive experience for him. (MV)
Just to say how much my son enjoyed this course.... Like most parents ( I am sure!) I had a good look and was most impressed. It was very well structured and made the students think. (RP)
I cannot begin to quanitfy or outline how beneficial it has been to him throughout the year. (LS)
He did indeed recieve his certificate. Which he was delighted to be presented with in assembly! He really enjoyed the debating course. In fact it has us all ( including Grandma ) debating!
Thank you & your team for all your input & we very much look forward to taking part in courses in the future. (JW)
I have no doubt that my son is in a much better place through doing the summer course, and in more ways that are perhaps obvious to us at this time. SN
[Our daughter] has really missed the course this last week, saying it was more interesting than anything she’s done at (primary) school for a long time, and it didn’t feel like work. She also enjoyed being able to work on her own, at her own pace, free from interruptions. MG
Armaan has had great fun doing the course and it's showed him a completely different way of learning. MS
The course was excellent for many reasons. The subject matter was well chosen and engaging. Whilst Jacob is only 10, yet he managed to confidently log on each day and complete the tasks without any technically difficulty. The course was also well policed and I felt quite at ease as Jacob debated online with other students. A please for us all, Thank you. C& C P
How fantastic – she will get such a wonderful surprise at school when [the certificate] comes through! She’s already a convert! She has asked if she can do the Myths of Heroes at half term, so she has started doing lots of jobs around the house to earn this privilege! Many thanks for bringing such a wonderful new dimension into her life (not to mention all the skills she has developed!) GL
The courses have kept her entertained and engaged – on the odd occasion over the summer where she was not doing anything, I would suggest “What about your G&T courses?” which invariably got the response “Oh yes, great idea” and never once got a ‘I don’t feel like it’ or ‘I can’t be bothered’. Many thanks for giving [our daughter] plenty to think about and plenty to do! CM
[Our son] has been engaged in the online discussions in a way that he could never be in a classroom situation, and has felt "part" of a group, which, as I am sure that you can appreciate, is a valuable experience for a child on the Autistic Spectrum. RH
Thank you so much for providing such a well rounded course, with such very encouraging and constructive support from your tutors. GL
All in all, a pretty good summer; Blue Peter badge, Grade II Guitar merit, Distinctions, DVG...I hope he carries all this forward! Thanks for everything, Coral. We will certainly be encouraging [our son] to continue his involvement. He's looking forward with real, tangible excitement to the Oxford event later this year. DF
My daughter took part in the Fantasy Fiction course back in July. It was at the suggestion of her English teacher that she gave it a go and I am so glad she did. This course offered her a level of stimulation which simply wouldn't be achievable in her classroom setting. She engaged with like minded young people and was completely engrossed from beginning to end. Initially she seemed a little bit daunted when she read some of the first comments in the discussions and forums but soon came to realize what a friendly and supportive group she was in and getting her to talk about something other than the course became a challenge for a week! I would like to congratulate and thank you and Sarah on creating such a successful course, I truly hope that there are more to come and I know Megs does too. RD
My son has very much enjoyed participating in the 'Is Anyone Out There?' course this summer. It has been a great opportunity for him to share learning experiences with other bright children and the topics covered were all of great interest to him. We'd like to thank you & the other course tutors & leaders for their support, enthusiasm and knowledge which made this learning programme so special. AJ
[Our children] thoroughly enjoyed their respective courses. This is the kind of learning I love... they are able to just get on with it, not having to wait around for someone to catch up or for an adult to tell them what to do next. They just kept moving along at a pace that they were comfortable with. NR
It was a stimulating and entertaining mix of creativity and research with gentle prompting from you and your fellow tutors. We feel sure that she has gained enormously from working independently on such a broad range of information and it has set her up well for the high expectations of her new secondary school. Thank you so much. MG
[Our daughter] thoroughly enjoyed the course in every way and we noticed that in her discussions with us, she changed daily! She really loved discussing the subjects with other children and felt sad when the course ended. We felt that she was offered every encouragement in a very warm and reassuring sense from you and Sarah and we saw her confidence grow. Thank you for offering such interesting and stimulating courses in such a supportive way. JM
My son has enjoyed the course ‘Is there anybody out there?’. It has benefited him as he really needs the highly stimulated and challenging work in order to advance him academically and to enable him to reach his intellectual potential. FO
Thank you so much for the whole experience. Both boys have got a lot out of it. CB
As a parent, I was delighted to find some courses which could help to occupy and challenge two of my children during the Summer holidays. It was great to see tutors giving lots of encouragement; both that and the chance to compare his work with that of other students' provided motivation to [our son] in particular. SK
My two children have both thoroughly enjoyed their experience of your online courses this summer. They have found them both challenging and stimulating, and I really enjoyed watching the work that they were doing independently of the school influence. It was good to see that they could and would apply themselves thoughtfully to a non-school related academic project. SJ
Just to say how much my son enjoyed this course.... Like most parents ( I am sure!) I had a good look and was most impressed. It was very well structured and made the students think. RP
[Our son] really enjoyed the debating course, despite the problems we kept encountering with our Internet! In fact it has us all ( including Grandma ) debating!
Thank you & your team for all your input & we very much look forward to taking part in courses in the future. JW
... and from a teacher:
The feedback I've had from parents and children has been highly positive. A particular point that was mentioned was the feedback to children half way through the course, telling them where they were in the course and what grade they might achieve if they carried on. Apparently the children found this particularly motivating. LP
You can see a slide show of the feedback from the students here.
