WELCOME Year 12 Parents Information Evening

1. WELCOMEYear 12 Parents Information Evening 19th September 2019 Believe – Achieve – Succeed - Exceed C Tonking

2. C Tonking

3. The Sixth Form Team • Head of Sixth Form – Mr L Huckle • Assistant Head of Sixth Form, Head of Year 12 – Mr C Tonking • Assistant Head of Sixth Form, Head of Year 13 – Mrs S Hoad • Pastoral & Academic Support Officer –Mrs C Bonham • 01462 628065 • Admissions – Miss S Butler • 01462 628059 • Careers Coordinator– Miss E Foreman • Head of Sixth Form Enrichment – Mrs R Jackman • Independent careers advisor – R Birmingham rosebirmingham@4ypuk.com • Staff email • first initial + surname @bestacademies.org.uk C Tonking

4. Student emails and accounts • It is vital that students use and regularly check their student email accounts and SMHW • 07initialsurname@mybest.org.uk07jsmith@mybest.org.uk • “Show My Homework” is the online portal where homework will be set. This means tasks/assignments/prep tasks will be set with deadlines. The students should have no excuse for missing deadlines • Most students download the app on their phones/tablets • All students should have their log ins now. Some external students may not, and need to see Miss Butler in the 6th form office. • Parents also have their own log in details. Students have been given this too. • If anyone is having technical issues, students should go to the IT services office. Parents can email Mr Hall dhall@bestacademies.org.uk C Tonking

5. Timings of the Day • Students must be in at 8:20 • Gates will be locked at 8:30 • Monday week A is assembly not registration • Week B students will have a house assembly on a specific day • Students are allowed off site at lunch • Sixth form students may leave at lunch, if they have not timetabled lesson period 5 • Students must use their scan card on their lanyard to enter and exit the school at reception C Tonking

6. Attendance • We have an expected attendance percentage at 95%+ • Students who reach this figure will be rewarded each term with blocks of time. This means they can select a 2 hour block of free/study periods/ prep times in which they either come to school late, or leave early • If students are not regularly attending registrations or lessons will follow our sanctions. This means a series of escalations if attendance is not improved; • Stage 1: letter home • Stage 2: tutor report • Stage 3: head of year report • Stage 4: head of 6th form contract • Stage 5: meeting with parents C Tonking

7. Attendance • If students are absent from school for any reason, they themselves are responsible for contacting the Sixth Form office on the first morning of absence and all subsequent mornings; cbonham@bestacademies.org.uk • Parents can also call; 01462 628065 • If a student is not present in the morning an automated ‘truancy call’ will be made to the contact numbers on our school system • If any attendance falls below 80% it could lead to exam entry charges being paid by the student not the school AND issuing of a contract at stage 4 of the protocol. • 16-19 Bursary Fund payments are not paid if a student falls below 80% C Tonking

8. Dress code • We have a ‘professional dress code’ • We expect students to dress for a professional work place • Guidance is on our website, should you wish to see specifics • Common issues are; trainers/pumps, hoodies, denim jackets, sports students not in official SWA tracksuits etc • Lanyards are also an essential part of this • If students do not follow the dress code we ask that tutors give them a slip and a day to rectify this • If any student is persistently breaking the dress code we may ask them to go home and change, and so parents may be called to arrange this C Tonking

9. The transition from GCSE to A Level • Timetables will seem very different to our students • Free periods / study time / prep time. All of these other hours should be used to study and prepare • We advise that every hour in lesson should equate to an hour out of lesson • Most courses will be running on 9 hours per cycle • The grading system is A*- E, so a departure from the new GCSE 9-1 system • BTEC and Applied courses use Pass, Merit, Distinction, Distinction* • Using their GCSE results, each student will be given a target grade for each subject. These are known as ALPS target grades C Tonking

10. The transition from GCSE to A Level C Tonking

11. What do our A Level students say… Year 12 was really stressful. A levels are so much harder than GCSEs Prepare yourself I cried a lot The freedom is better Do what you enjoy If you don’t like your courses then change straight away Coursework made me want to jump out of a window I couldn’t go back to 5 periods every day Teachers treat you more like an adult C Tonking

12. How can students become more independent? • Use the systems that are in place. E.g. • Every Tuesday in registration, students will be planning their week ahead on an electronic student planner • All students have access to the google shared drive with all course resources • Ask teachers for extra work or more support • Ask for emotional support e.g. Mrs Bonham • Phone an admissions officer at university and ask about entry requirements • Speak with employers and arrange work experience • Travel to a university open day by themselves • Live more independently at home e.g. washing/cooking C Tonking

13. Opportunities • Beyond their courses students will be given a multitude of opportunities • Some of these include; • Prefect & House roles • Subject ambassadors • Sports teams • Charity project • Oxbridge & RG society e.g. Group 4 Project (Prof Hubbard) • ILP programme for aspiring students (Prof Hubbard) • Sixth form lecture programme (Prof Hubbard) • Learning partner scheme • Rounded and grounded! We want our A Level students to leave here with more than just their grades C Tonking

14. Enrichment • The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) • Further Maths • GCSE Retakes • Northampton Saints Rugby Development Course • Jack Collison Football Academy • MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) • Teachers for Tomorrow • Duke of Edinburgh • Dance Ambassadors • National Citizenship Service • Reading Champions • Subject Ambassadors Learning Partner All students have also been asked to help in a year 9, 10, 11 lesson. They need to approach a teacher and arrange this in an hour where they have no lesson. C Tonking

15. November 19th 2019 Samuel Whitbread Careers Convention 5:00-8:00pm Invited exhibitors include: ~Local Companies~ ~Institutions~ ~Further Education Establishments~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Come along and talk to these experts to discuss your future career plans, work experience and Apprenticeship opportunities (full details to follow in the coming weeks, via parentmail!) C Tonking

16. Work experience week • Week commencing 6th July 2020 • All students have been given a work experience booklet (see Mrs McMillan or Mrs Jackman if they have not got one) • Parents must complete and sign the permission slip and medical form • These two forms need to be handed to Mrs McMillan (902) by 31st October • Students need to then find their own work experience placement and complete the placement form • This placement form is due in to Mrs McMillan (902) by 28th February • Mrs McMillan will then contact the company to ensure the placement is adhering to safeguarding and health and safety regulations • Student will then be emailed to say that the placement has been authorised • During the work experience week, every student will receive either a phone call or visit to ensure they are at their placement C Tonking

17. Additions to the sixth form Setting more quality prep time/homework/exam practice work for OUTSIDE of lessons Checking and monitoring the completion of this work – using it in lessons and/or giving extra written and/or verbal feedback to students. Informing parents more quickly if point two above has not been completed More support and challenge for the students targeted and aiming for the higher grades (A* and A grades) – Individual Learning Profile (ILP) led by Professor Lee Hubbard Increased support and challenge to reduce the number of D, E and U grades. Giving students the best opportunity for their next steps. More focus on the links between students organisation, attendance and attainment – Triangular checks in lessons with teachers: L Huckle

18. Informing parents more quickly • If a student does not complete their prep time work, homework or any other piece of work – phone call or email home to parents. • If not improved then an official academic referral letter will be requested by the teacher to be emailed home to the student and parent informing them of: • What the issue is • What can be done to improve the situation • Parents make contact with the teacher for further discussion if needed L Huckle

19. L Huckle

20. Thank you for coming If you have any questions please feel free to stay behind L Huckle