An example day in Freddie's timetable
08:40
Travel to College
If it’s not raining, cycling is such an easy was to get to College. There is a cycle path most of the way from Hampton Court, and plenty of covered space to park and lock your bike.
08:55
Period 1 - French
Today I have double French first thing. I did well in my French GCSE and I enjoy the subject. It’s harder than GCSE, you are not just writing sentences and translating stuff about your family or what your house looks like. Instead, you are also looking at books, films and the sociology of French-speaking culture.
10:00
Break Time
I have a 20-minute break to catch up with friends or get a snack from Costa.
10:20
Period 2 - French
| The first two periods are always a double, so for French we often go in to the language laboratory, either a listening exercise on Teams or we also use Dictée d’Archibald. You can listen to spoken sentences in French and then type out what you hear to get a score. We also have access to TV5Monde, which is like a YouTube channel all in French.
The department also runs a French work experience trip at the end of the first year as part of the College’s Wider Skills Week in the summer. |
11:35
Period 3 - Debating Society
For my extension study option I chose the Debating Society, which is a timetabled lesson each week with Tom, who is also a Philosophy teacher. I want to study law at university so I thought this would be a good skill to learn.
My first debate was about whether we should keep the monarchy or not. You can’t choose which side you will argue. I was a bit nervous at first, but you learn strategies and tactics, like using statistics to make a point or appealing to peoples’ emotions to get your point across.
12:45
Period 4 - Lunch
Lunch. I tend to go wherever my friends are – either in the café, to the co-op or get a takeaway from Domino’s which are both a five-minute walk away.
01:50
Period 5 - Private Study
When I have a private study period, I tend to go to the LRC to study. The library environment definitely helps you work. The fact there is a history textbook which I can use, means I don’t have to be carrying my book back and forth into College on my bike.
02:55
Break Time
A 15-minute break to grab a drink or snack
03:10
Period 6 - History
Last lesson of the day is History: Dictators and Imperialists. My teacher is Helen, who was my teacher at my old school but there I had to call her Miss Sweeney. It was a bit weird at first calling her Helen instead of Miss, but using first names instead helps make you feel more like an adult here.
There are three history courses you can choose from at Esher. I chose Dictators and Imperialists as it feels quite relevant to what is happening today and the Cold War with Russia. In my History GCSE we learned about the Cold War, but with the A Level we have jumped straight into learning about the USSR economic policy.
04:15
Home Time
Usually if I got a lift in, I will walk home with my friends. Otherwise, it’s a quick cycle home.
