LORD GREY SCHOOL SIXTH FORM PARENT NEWSLETTER

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1 AUTUMN 2017 LORD GREY SCHOOL SIXTH FORM PARENT NEWSLETTER Lord Grey Sixth Form had the second best Value Added figure in Milton Keynes for Academic Progress in the Summer 2016 results. We also beat every other sixth form school in the local area (Buckingham, Stowe, Leighton Buzzard, Aylesbury etc.) except one.

2 2 Lord Grey Sixth Form Parent Newsletter Students achievement in the sixth form is good. Over time, it is clear that students make rapid gains in their learning and are successful in both academic and work-related examinations. Ofsted Report, Lord Grey School, July 2014.

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4 4 Lord Grey Sixth Form Parent Newsletter INTRODUCTION This is to inform you of the activities and key dates for Sixth Form students through the next few weeks of a very important year. For Year 12 students they should be well-and-truly settled on their courses and working hard. This term is the longest and so will contain much of the learning they need for the year; they are already a sixth of the way from the beginning of the year to the first exams in May. Year 13 are not only working hard, but also making plans for what they will move on to in the next stage of their lives. We are very proud of our students right now. The exam results in the summer were very good and we expect the first national comparison which comes out next month to show the Sixth Form Added Value on many courses in other words the students achieved better than students with the same prior attainment did around the country on that course. We have recruited 135 new students into Year 12 with quite a few coming from other schools and it is exciting to see this new year group gel and start to work together. I m very pleased to welcome Michelle White and Jason Darvall to the Sixth Form team as Senior Academic Mentors and Heads of Year 12. They bring huge amounts of energy and excellent ideas to the team and I m sure they will make a significant difference to the lives of the young people who have joined us this year. Our team of Academic Mentors for the Year 12 students has changed a little. They are all committed and talented mentors and your son or daughter will have one of the team listed below, meeting with them on a very regular basis and keeping a dialogue going about their progress, aspirations and plans. Amanda Brabin Maria Edwards Fran Landers Tim Layden Liz Nourshargh Anne Sherwood Mia Smithers We are very pleased that Shanie Jamieson remains with us as our Attendance Officer. Please find out which of this team is mentoring your son or daughter and feel free to contact them. The mentor s name appears in the Tutorial slot on the student s timetable in Insight. addresses are constructed as firstname.surname@lordgrey.org.uk I am also proud to announce the appointment of Sophie Ainger as Head Girl, Nathan Smith as Head Boy and Sonia Asryan, Brittney Clarke and Sahib Singh as Senior Students. They are an impressive team and will help mould things for the better for the students and be excellent role-models for lower school students.

5 5 Lord Grey Sixth Form Parent Newsletter Year 13 students have been choosing their Academic Mentors for this year. They should know who theirs is, but if you are unsure please contact Stuart Hoggard, myself or Alison Butterfield if you have questions or concerns regarding a Year 13 student. We still do not have updated Data Forms from some students. These are vital as people change contact numbers more regularly these days, please make sure we have had a return. The students are really looking wonderfully smart and our visitors are all commenting on it. Nearly all have stepped up to the dress code and, although they have always been good role-models for lower school students, they are now looking the part as well with many being mistaken for staff! I ask you please to help make sure that your son or daughter keeps living up to the standard we are setting, as we want them to continue to be very visible and positive role models. They are generally contributing in so many other ways around the school and, in particular, being great mentors and supporting the younger students. Thank you again for all your support for your daughters and sons. Rest assured we respect, like and work hard for all of them. David Smith UPCOMING EVENTS As this arrives with you there are Resit GCSE examinations happening in English and maths. They are another opportunity for the students to get the grade 4 (which by some measures is equivalent to the old C grade) they may well need to move into certain jobs, university courses and apprenticeships later on. Some universities are asking for grade 5 now and so some students who have already attained the 4 are still re-sitting. Those students on the Public Services and Retail Administration courses start their Work Experience in the second week back after half term. This is really important for them and, for one of the courses they have to do well at Work Experience in order to pass the overall course. On Monday 20th November we will take all Year 12 students and some in Year 13 to the Safe Drive Stay Alive event organised by the Fire and Rescue Services. Students who ve been to it in pervious years have all said how powerful and impressive they found the event and how it has helped them understand their responsibilities, whether driving or being a passenger in a car and raising general road safety awareness. This occurs within the school day. There is a whole school Staff Training Day on Friday 24 November. We will expect Sixth Form students to use this day to reflect on their progress. They need to consider other information and support they have had in terms of their subjects and plans for their next move. They are welcome to come in and use the Sixth Form area and resources in it, to help them with this. On Wednesday 29 November we have arranged for David Seaton from the University of Bedfordshire to come in and speak to parents and students regarding the process of applying to university and the finances of student life. This will take place at 6pm in the Lecture Theatre. Parents have been full of praise of this event in previous years and so we hope you will be able to attend.

6 6 Lord Grey Sixth Form Parent Newsletter The latest Progress Updates will be available on 7 December and the Sixth Form Parents Evening is Thursday 14 December, with the Trial Examinations in the first couple of weeks when we return after the Christmas break. CONTACTS david.smith@lordgrey.org.uk michelle.white@lordgrey.org.uk jason.darvall@lordgrey.org.uk stuart.hoggard@lordgrey.org.uk alison.butterfield@lordgrey.og.uk SIXTH FORM DRESS AND APPEARANCE CODE Appearance is important. We want our Sixth Form students to be treated as individuals and act independently but we also want a collective presence around the school site which younger students, staff and visitors can respect. The many visitors to the Sixth Form judge the students and institution partly on appearances. Looking more professional also translates into taking oneself seriously as a student. We expect students to dress as they would if going to work in an office. For male students: collar and tie, smart jacket or jumper, smart shoes and trousers. For female students: smart shirt, top or blouse, tailored trousers or skirt of a suitable length smart shoes, smart jacket, jumper or cardigan. Many students have jobs outside school and often wear clothes which would fit this code. It is the overall look which the Sixth Form Team will judge. We want students to look like they ve come to work and not as if they are going to the park, and the team s decision on what is smart will be final.

7 7 Lord Grey Sixth Form Parent Newsletter IMPORTANT DATES FOR PARENTS Day Date Event Wednesday 1 November 2017 Re-sit GCSE English Exam. Thursday 2 November 2017 Re-sit GCSE Maths Exam. Friday 3 November 2017 Re-sit GCSE English Exam. Friday 10 November 2017 Level 2 courses Work Experience starts. Monday 20 November 2017 Safe Drive Stay Alive. Friday 24 November 2017 Staff Training Day. Wednesday 29 November 2017 University applications and finance information evening. 6pm - Lecture Theatre. Thursday 7 December 2017 Sixth Form Progress Updates available through Insight. Thursday 7 December 2017 Parents Evening appointments can start to be made in Insight. Thursday 14 December 2017 Sixth Form Parents Evening from 4.30pm. Wednesday 20 December 2017 First day of Christmas Holiday. Wednesday 3 January 2018 First day of Spring Term. Monday 8 January 2018 Start of Sixth Form Trial Examinations in most subjects.

8 8 Lord Grey Sixth Form Parent Newsletter Lord Grey School Sixth Form Rickley Lane Bletchley MK3 6EW T / E enquiries@lordgrey.org.uk W