2 March 2011

1. Parents’ Forum 2 March 2011

2. Welcome • Mr Patrick Lee-Browne Headmaster • Ms Kathy Baines Director of Finance • Mr Tim Cashell Deputy Head • Mr Julian Noad Deputy Head (Academic) • Mrs Alison Hind Deputy Head of Prep School

3. Parents’ Forum • Welcome • Finance • Development proposals • Whole School • Prep School • Senior School Curriculum • Extra-curriculum and Pastoral • Refreshments and Questions

5. Finance - a strong financial position • Buildings - worth over £30 million • Only £550,000 bank loan & £1 million bank overdraft facility • Currently net cash in the bank circa £1 million • Full support of our bank

6. Finance - short term profitability issue • Annual accounts • Charitable status • Short term issue - reduced pupil numbers so reduced income • Financial loss in Academic Year 2010-11

7. Finance - what are we doing? • Reducing costs to match the reduced income • Planned programme of redundancies and cost savings • Proactive approach

8. Finance - a strong financial future • Time • Forecast loss for this year significantly reduced • Small loss Academic Year 2011-12 • Surplus Academic Year 2012-13 • Strong financial foundations for the future of Rydal Penrhos School

10. The whole school • Development of identity as one school 3 -18 • Day numbers have remained largely constant • Boarding numbers: have fluctuated. • Offering an education for the spectrum of academic ability • Best results for ten years • Two choices at Sixth form • Core values: driving academic performance, all-round education, sense of community

11. We are aiming for a school Where… It only goes quiet at lights out The choir sings once a week, not once a term Taking part is all very well, but achievement matters more Making do won’t do To contribute outside the classroom is taken for granted Parents are part of the picture, not outside the frame Everyone wants to be, all of the time

12. We are aiming for a school Which… Takes advantage of its amazing location Lives its founding tradition Turns children into aware, considerate, articulate young adults Gets its pupils into the best universities Engenders a real sense of passion in its pupils Competes and wins

14. The Prep school - the way ahead Constant Improvement Development ideas: • Meeting Individual Needs • Developing the Whole Child • Forest School – Taking Learning Outdoors

15. Meeting individual needs • Planning for and evaluating learning • Assessment and tracking

16. The Prep school - Music Development Goals • To develop further fine voices • To develop further practical musicianship and performance • To review music in the Foundation Phase

17. The Lyndon Library This year’s objectives • To create an environment that: • Supports children’s reading • Encourages children to cross the threshold • To renew the library stock

18. Forest School Forest School focuses on providing a safe, outdoor environment where children and young people are freely allowed to explore, discover, take suitable risks and learn in a secure area of woodland, which acts as an outdoor classroom.

19. Forest School • Increased self-esteem • Increased self-confidence • Team work • Motivation • Skills and knowledge • Pride in, and understanding of, their local surroundings ‘Offers an alternative to our over-reliance on digital and electronic sources for recreation, learning, socialising’

20. We

21. Senior School Curriculum • Background • 18 months observation and discussion • Estyn inspection report • Strategic Review • Parent Forums • Annual process of re-evaluation • Improved academic performance is at the heart of curriculum changes • Good, but want to be better…

22. Strategic Review & Parent Forum Recommendations to: • Review weekly routine and timetable to ensure proper balance of academic/extra-curricular programmes and sufficient teaching time to ensure best possible results. • Reduce the divisions between levels of the school • Increase quantity and quality of data gathering • Encourage a more holistic approach to teaching in the school • Develop integrated whole school curriculum, with languages policy review a priority • Reduce number of different subjects in Years 7 & 8 • Increase teaching time for GCSE pupils: reduce number of GCSEs

23. Strategic Review & Parent Forum A balance: driving academic performance vs ensuring an all-round education • ‘Bring out the best whatever their strengths and abilities’ • ‘Not an academic hothouse’ ‘The School will get the best from anyone’

24. Curriculum Policy Curriculum Policy is available on our website: www.RydalPenrhos.com

25. Curriculum Summary Curriculum Summary is available on our website: www.RydalPenrhos.com

26. Curriculum 2011 proposals Change weekly routine • Distinguish between academic and extra-curricular: • Academic curriculum • Classroom-taught academic lessons • Extra-curriculum • Tutor meetings • Enrichment • Games • Clubs and societies • More academic lessons in the prime morning time (25 vs 18)

27. Curriculum 2011 proposals Languages Feedback from parents of pupils in Year 7 indicates that programme of 18 different subjects, is probably too broad, particularly in the area of languages, so we are revising the curriculum to provide better coherence and connection with the curriculum in the Prep school Welsh is taught in the Prep School. Welsh and Welsh Culture will be addressed in accordance with CwricwlwmCymraeg, in all of school life. As an academic subject, Welsh continues to be offered in the Senior School extra curriculum for general interest or pursuit of qualifications Latin will no longer within the academic curriculum but opportunities to study Classics will exist in the extra-curriculum for Years 9 and above

28. Curriculum 2011 proposals Music Intention to develop further music in the extra-curriculum Low historical take up at Sixth Form GCSE options reduced, fewer would choose as one of top two Music remains at the heart of Rydal Penrhos; its value cannot be over-estimated Delivery in the academic curriculum is not the only or best way of developing musicianship or musical appreciation. Music will be taught as an academic subject to Year 7 only

29. Curriculum 2011 proposals ICT • is best delivered in context, through other subject areas • should be utilised to support the curriculum, used whenever appropriate in all teaching at Rydal Penrhos. • will earn a qualification in Year 9

30. Curriculum 2011 proposals Years 7 – 9 will focus on preparation and bridging the gap; Prep school to GCSEs. • Simplified Year 7 (18 different subjects reduced to 14) • Core of Maths, English, and Humanities (inc. RS) • Creative and Practical subjects in Years 7 – 9 as carousels to give opportunities for all • Science at Year 7 becomes specialist-taught Physics/Chemistry/Biology in Year 8 and above • Languages: French only in Year 7; German introduced in Year 8; and Choice (French/German) in Year 9 • Latin and Welsh in extra curriculum

31. Curriculum 2011 proposals GCSE • Fewer subjects studied in total • 11 becomes 10* • 3 options rather than 4 • More time allocated to subjects • Each option receives 33% increased teaching time • Mathematics teaching time increased by 25% • core curriculum of 8 GCSEs plus ECDL • extension delivers 10+ GCSEs plus ECDL • top universities want only 7 A/A* GCSEs

32. Curriculum 2011 proposals Sixth Form • Two different academic curriculums offered: IB and A-level • Both give opportunity to work independently as they prepare for university and beyond.

33. Curriculum 2011 proposals A-level A-level options will be reduced from 5 blocks to 4. • Some restriction of choice • Benefit up to 33% increased contact time Each option subject receives one extra ‘plus one’ lesson. • ‘plus one’ is a lesson for reinforcement or extension

34. Curriculum 2011 proposals A-level • ‘Enrichment’ block for non-examined or broadening subjects is an opportunity to do something ‘extra’: • An extra qualification? GCSE Geology/Astronomy • An interest? Politics/Law • A new skill? A new foreign language? • A space for other study? EFL/Rugby Academy/Extended Project?

35. Curriculum 2011 proposals A-level • Drama and ICT offered to AS-level only • Modern Foreign Language study at Sixth Form will appear only in the IB programme.

36. Curriculum 2011 proposals Summary • A Whole School curriculum, with a coherent languages policy • Quality preferred to quantity • Other options in the extra curriculum (e.g. Welsh, Classics, Music) • Sixth form choice (IB or A-level) and increased teaching time • Academic focus to mornings

38. Extra Curriculum and Pastoral A draft Weekly Routine proposal for 2011 is also on our website: www.RydalPenrhos.com

39. Extra Curriculum • Building on strong foundation and tradition • But….throughput and range? • Clubs and societies • Academic lessons in morning, reduced lunchtime • Improved blocks of time to deliver extra-curriculum • Involving all teachers’ expertise in extra-curriculum • Blurring the end of the day : ‘24 hours a day school’ • Aligning experience: boarders and day • Continued weekend activities development

40. Pastoral • Review ongoing • Academic monitoring – systems and personnel • Pupil welfare – school counsellor, wellbeing centre • Boarding – numbers, fabric, academic house tutors, weekend programme • Single point of contact based on vertical, competitive houses • Vertical boarding houses • House Bases

41. The Way Forward The extra curriculum is: ‘not just Sport, Music and Drama but Sport, Music, Drama, Outdoor Education, Trips, Community involvement, Chess……….. inclusivity, enthusiasm and excellence’

43. Refreshments and Questions

44. Parents’ Forum 2 March 2011