MAKING THE MOST OF YEAR 7

1. MAKING THE MOST OF YEAR 7 September 2011

2. To give an insight into aspects of life at SGB. To demonstrate how you can access key information about your son/daughter. To give you ideas about how you can best support your son/daughter through this transition year. To inform you about our community programmes. Aims

3. Pastoral support – Miss Marshall Behaviour for Learning – B4L – Mrs Hartley VLE (Virtual learning Environment) – Mr Chamberlain Literacy – Mr Gilroy Contents

4. Numeracy – Mr Kay Banding and Setting – Mrs Beck Tracking progress – Mrs Metcalfe Parental involvement – Mr Wright

5. Pastoral support Miss Marshall

6. CHETWYND TIXALL WESTON SANDON THE HOUSE SYSTEM

7. There are a number of people you can contact if you have concerns about your child. Head of House House Tutor SENCO – Mr Chamberlain (Mrs Walsh) Student Support Manager – Mrs Remon Who to contact

8. MISS BRINSDON – SCIENCE DEPT HEAD OF TIXALL HOUSE...

9. MISS COLLINS – SCIENCE DEPT HEADS OF WESTON HOUSE

10. Ms DAVIDSON – P.E DEPT / HUMANITIES HEAD OF SANDON HOUSE

11. MISS MARSHALL – P.E DEPT HEAD OF CHETWYND HOUSE

12. Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) SEAL is a comprehensive approach to promoting the social and emotional skills that underpin effective learning. ECM (Every child matters). House time

13. How you could help us! Ensure your child is in school! Help get them into good habits for doing homework Remind them to pack the necessary equipment and books Check their uniform, hair and make-up Show an interest in their work – let them teach you!

14. Behaviour for Learning Mrs Hartley

15. HOUSE POINTS HOUSE HEAD AWARD- worth 5 House points HEAD TEACHERS AWARD- worth 10 House points PRAISE POSTCARD- worth 5 House points You can view your child’s house point and praise post total through the gateway. REWARDS

16. The Houses (and their Heads) are very competitive;  The House with the most House Points at the end of the summer term is awarded the last morning of the school year as a holiday!  In addition, we have an annual Rewards assembly and Celebration Assembly. The more house points a student has earned, the better their chance of receiving a prize! House points

17. B 4 L We encourage students to realise that choices have consequences. Our behaviour strategy rewards good behaviour and achievement. Poor behaviour is sanctioned using clear and effective steps called behaviour Consequences – BC’s. Behaviour for Learning

18. BC1- name recorded BC2- name recorded/final warning BC3- 1 hour detention BC4- removed from lesson 1 hour detention BC5- withdrawal room for 1 day BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT

19. Break/ lunch After school Leadership Communication with parents: School Comms Stickers Planners signed weekly Room for notes and messages. Detentions

20. VLE and the Gateway Mr Chamberlain

21. Virtual Learning Environment

22. The VLE is now an integrated part of a student’s learning. It will support independent learning. It will provide for individual learning needs. How will the VLE help you?

23. He/she will be able to – Review lesson resources at home. Participate in discussion forums on topics from your lessons Access instructions and materials for homework. What will a student be able to do?

24. He/she will be able to – Submit work from home for marking or for staff to check. Catch up on lessons they may have missed through absence. Find revision materials for tests and examinations. Log in through the school website. (username and password are the same as for the school network) What else will a student be able to do?

25. The Gateway

26. Student Session Attendance Summary

27. Student Conduct SummaryAchievements

28. Student Conduct SummaryBehaviour

29. Literacy Mr Gilroy

30. LITERACY Writing

31. Literacy Affects the whole curriculum In one week at school your child might : Read a short story Write a poem Read a diary extract Write a letter Read a text book Report back to the class

32. We Want Readers Who Are: Enthusiastic Discriminating Responsive

33. Why Focus on Reading? You need a reading age of 11+ to access the school curriculum Reading a novel helps your concentration and stamina – so you are more willing to write at length too You absorb and learn new vocabulary You start to think and develop your own ideas and opinions

34. Reading in school: Pupils read at the start of each English lesson They keep a reading journal They have access to the DAC Centre at various times of the school day They take part in READATHON, ‘Booked Up’ and The Times’ Spelling Bee

35. Reading at Home: You can help by: Reading as a family! Listening to your child read for 5 minutes each day Talking to them about what they are reading Setting aside 10-20 minutes quiet time for them to read each day

36. REMEMBER! If your child has a reading age equal to or below his or her chronological age, reading with them is the SINGLE most effective thing you can do to help his or her progress in school.

37. Numeracy Mr Kay

38. The ability to use numbers confidently Not necessarily “being good at maths examinations” What is numeracy?

39. Be positive about numbers Talk about numbers in a real life context, eg. Estimate how much the shopping in ASDA will cost Estimate how long will a car journey take? Ask your children to read the train timetable. How can you support your child with numeracy?

40. Talk with your child about what they have done in mathematics lessons Visit www.mymaths.co.uk together (login: Balfour, Password: Dimension) to take online tutorials. Links to this website are on the VLE. How can you support your child with numeracy?

41. Play board games that involve numbers e.g. Monopoly Nintendo DS Brain training has some excellent numeracy aspects How can you support your child with numeracy?

42. Numeracy games are a feature of starter activities in key stage 3 mathematics lessons. An emphasis is made on mental and written methods of calculation in mathematics lessons. How the mathematics faculty supports your child’s numeracy

43. Maths surgery runs every lunchtime in the Maths’ ICT room. Students can come and ask for help at the maths office at any time. Electronic versions of our textbooks are are available via the VLE How the mathematics faculty supports your child’s numeracy

44. Banding and setting Mrs Beck

45. Banding and Setting On entry, students are put into mixed ability groups – A-F. ABC form L (left) and DEF form R (right) In some subjects, students will be taught as eg 7A (humanities, IT, Expressive Arts) or as 7L1, 7R3 etc. These may still be mixed ability groupings or sets. Subjects which set according to ability at the start of Year 7 are MFL and Maths.

46. Humanities and IT will set this term. English sets at the start of Year 8 Science sets at the start of Year 9. Technology, PE and Expressive Arts do not set at all in KS3.

47. Tracking progress Mrs Metcalfe

48. Targets Complex and proven formulae are used to give a target grade for each subject per student – grades will differ according to the subject! Students will be informed of their target grades shortly.

49. Tracking Staff will assess students’ work according to National Curriculum (sub) levels. These levels are then tracked against end of year targets – within departments and whole school As a result there may be a variety of interventions used to assist students to continually make progress

50. Potential interventions Increase targets! Work with a student to help with organisational skills Identify any specific subject strategies and set up an intervention plan Why? – to ensure each and every student reaches their potential

51. Reporting progress You will receive two short reports and one fully detailed written report per year. Staff will judge how near (or far) a student is from reaching their end of year target. These reports are spaced throughout the year, one per term, and in addition you will be invited to attend Parents’ Evening, when you will be able to have a brief discussion with your child’s teacher.

52. How you can keep informed The Gateway! Signing the planner Check the website Contact House Tutor, House Head etc Speak to your child!

53. Parental involvement Mr Wright

54. Parent Governors. Adult and family learning. Free School Meals. Parents evenings. Parents Association – Jane Young.