Students consider ‘self-discipline’ at Theme Day 2018

Please see below for some photos from the school’s annual Theme Day which took place on Friday 19th October. This key event in the school’s calendar gives students the chance to have a fun, engaging and thought-provoking experience different from the usual timetable. The students had six 50-minute activity periods instead of the usual five one-hour lessons.

The school theme this year is ‘self-discipline’. Much of the day centred on students learning about the centenary of Armistice Day on November 11th, 1918, marking the end of World War I hostilities. 

Tutor group activities included making commemorative poppies which formed an impressive display in the atrium area. Students also contributed to a whole-school “Wipers Times” publication about life in the trenches, and tried to crack a code used to recruit war spies. 

As part of Theme Day, the school aims to secure an inspirational speaker. This year the school welcomed James Aidoo who spoke to the whole school over three packed sessions in the main hall. James was an underachieving student from a single-parent household in North London. His journey as a student involved rock-bottom failure in his mock exams that served as a catalyst for a turning point in his mindset, academic achievement and future outlook. He discovered his purpose in life and things have shifted ever since as he has started his own successful business. James’ assemblies powerfully showed to students the importance of self-discipline in achieving goals.

Theme Day also included an inter-form activity and a physical activity. For the physical activity, Year 7s took part in a World War I-themed Christmas truce. Year 8s learnt how to dance the Charleston. Year 9s tried World War I-themed cooking. Year 10 and Year 11 students took part in a boot camp experience. Theme Day remains an important part of life at Ruislip High, and the school hopes that students really enjoyed it!