IS THERE AN ISSUE THAT MATTERS TO YOU? FHS. Write it down here and put it in my letter box on my door.

Transcription

1 IS THERE AN ISSUE THAT MATTERS TO YOU? Write it down here and put it in my letter box on my door Name Tutor Group FHS My concern/query is:- V I E

2 The things that we need to work on are as follows: Your twice-yearly Magazine from Ms Hargadon so that you know:- 60% of you don t feel the school encourages and enables you to take regular exercise; 60% feel we don t provide you with advice and guidance on managing your finances; 42% didn t feel they had helpful advice on what they should study in the sixth form (remember - some students would be from other schools for this one); How we listen to your views; What we do to act on your views; How you help to run and improve the school; What things are happening at the moment that affect you. The views of all of our students matters to us you have more say than you probably think you do! 34% feel we should do more to encourage and enable you to eat and drink healthy things; 29% of you felt you didn t get good advice from the school and careers service on what to do after school. So these will be the areas we ll be working on! Again, the Year Council representatives have copies of the findings for all students and parents. I have a file with a very detailed analysis if you d like to look at it.

3 FEEDBACK FROM THE QUESTIONNAIRES YOU COMPLETED: FOR YEARS 12 TO of you completed a questionnaire - there were 40 questions. Almost all your responses were very positive. These were the things that you felt really positively about. I ve put in brackets the percentage that strongly and partly agreed: You re expected to do your very best (96%); You re clear about what we expect of you in terms of work and behaviour (95%); The school is well run (90%); You think it s a good sixth form and you re proud to attend it (86%); The teachers provide challenging and demanding teaching (86%); You get on well with other students and there is no bullying, harassment or racial tension (85%); The school gives you chance to work with other pupils as part of a team (87%); The school enables you to develop positive relationships with other pupils and adults (76%); The work you do is usually challenging and stimulating (79%); Most days you enjoy being in the sixth form (74%); The really frustrating thing with this company is that they don t tell you how other schools scored, so whilst we think these are really good results, we don t know for sure! STUDENTS HELP TO INTERVIEW NEW STAFF On our last PE appointment the candidates not only taught a lesson and were interviewed by senior staff, but also were interviewed by members of the school sports council - Vicky Long-Leather (Yr 11), Sam Burman (Yr 9), Lucy Taylor (Yr 11) and Laura Bishop (Yr 9). We ve just appointed a new librarian. Again, a group of students carried out the interviews. The student interviewing panel was Amy Powell (Yr 12 and chairperson), Harry Owen (Yr 8), Sam Brown (Yr 9) and Amy Garrod (Yr 10). I observed them and was very impressed by their perceptive questions and astute evaluations. At the recent interviews for Assistant Headteacher, 4 School Council reps. interviewed the candidates: Helen Chittock (Yr 12 + Chairperson), Michael Maggs (Yr 10), Carolyn Jones (Yr 8) and Philip Winstanley (Yr 7). Year 8 students had lunch with them. Unfortunately we didn t appoint so will need some more School Council when we interview again. This time Tom Fryatt (Yr 12), Rose Shuster (Yr 10), Kim Ward (Yr 9) and Matt Newson (Yr 8) have volunteered. All candidates for teaching posts have to teach a class and this is the most important part of their interview. We regularly ask for the views of those who ve been taught. YEAR TRAILS This year we ve introduced year trails so we can see exactly what s happening in lessons and what life is like for students. We re doing one each term and so far we ve done Year 9 and Year 8. 5 staff observe at least 15 lessons for that year group. I followed two students all day including seeing what they do at registrations, break time and lunch time it s been fascinating! Ms Samuel has also shadowed two students with special needs to see what life is like for them.

4 The Year Co-ordinator, Assistant Year Co-ordinator and I each met 5 students to ask them for their views and opinions on a range of issues, particularly to do with learning. These last two trails were especially focused on how students are finding the 3 period day. Those views have been sent directly to governors. In addition Ms Pritchard has checked a range of exercise books and homework tasks. This term we ll be following Year 10. Student Representatives on Working Parties Two Sixth Form students represent the students at each Governors meeting. Mr Smith has been involving Sixth Form students in the planning of the new Sixth Form block. In particular he s worked with Hannah Roberts (Yr 13) who has applied to university to read Architecture. Six students in years 12 and 11 met with me, Mr Smith and the architect to discuss all the colour schemes. They were Rory Cotton, Ed Mortimer, Sam Norris, Lucy Taylor, Emily Greenwood and Craig Lambert. Rosie Shuster, Charlie Munn and Andrew Yale will now help with the colour schemes for the library and the Humanities toilets. At the current time Mr Hayton is leading a review of our report system as we re looking at introducing the system currently in use in years 10 and 11, into both the Sixth Form and Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9). He s met with separate groups of staff, parents/governors and students. We re about to review our Marking Policy and need students on the working party. Please let me know if you d be interested. Sophie Baker has been asked to represent the views of young people about health issues at the local NHS Trust. At school Council we agreed to set up a working party to look at our Rewards Scheme. We ll be asking for student representatives next half term. Laura Stokes, James Excell, Elliot Skates and Jack Martin-King are going to choose posters for the newly decorated toilets. Although there were no major concerns raised (according to the company that set the questions). The following are the areas where you had the most concerns. These are the ones we need to look at in School. 26% of you don t find school work interesting; 37% of you feel you can t always learn very well because of others being silly in some lessons; 15% of you don t feel the school is clean, tidy, safe and interesting to work in; 20% of you don t enjoy being at school on most days; 29% of you don t feel we do enough to encourage you to eat and drink healthy things; 18% of you feel you get more criticism than praise; 13% of you (with 28% neither agreeing or disagreeing) felt we could do more to ask for your views and act upon them. I am giving all School Council and Year Council representatives a copy of all the results. I have a big file full of analysis by each year group and gender. Let me know if you d like to borrow it. We ll discuss with School and Year Council what we should do next about issues you re not sure about.

5 FEEDBACK FROM THE QUESTIONNAIRES YOU COMPLETED: FOR YEARS 7 TO of you completed a questionnaire - there were 37 questions. These were the things that you felt really positively about. I ve put in brackets the percentage that strongly agreed, and then the percentage that agreed. There are plenty of activities at lunchtime and after school (67,27); The school expects you to do your very best (57, 38); The school discourages you from smoking or misusing alcohol and drugs (59, 28); Recently all Sixth Formers have taken Questionnaires part in a major review of their teaching And and learning in each subject area. This Student amounted to over 1,000 individual questionnaires being completed, so it s taking Evaluations Mrs Berriman (Mr Piddington s secretary) some time to analyse it! All subject staff will be given feedback and look at the issues raised. All students completed a questionnaire last term there was one for Sixth Formers and one for Years 7 to 11. We paid to have them analysed and attach the overall results for you to see. We were really pleased with the results. The areas we need to look at are promoting a healthy school and lifestyle, explain to you all that you do for the local community (which is loads!) and ensure that people behave well in lessons. If you compare our results with those of other schools, the results were really favourable! You get on well with other students (50, 40); The school is good at stopping bullying, harassment and racism, and dealing with it (49, 29); As always, students are completing evaluation forms on various activities including recently, the Year 11 residentials and the Year 9 SATs Challenge Day. The school teaches you to respect different backgrounds, races and religion (49, 29); If you have a problem there s an adult you can talk to (43, 40); You think this is a good school and you re proud to come here (44, 36); You usually feel safe at school, including break and lunchtimes (42, 45); In the autumn term the School Council focused on spending the money we had allocated to the Council. This was discussed initially at School Council, taken back to Year Councils, and then finally decided at two future meetings of School Council. The following sums of money were allocated: There is good support to help with problems about relationships and sexual health (39, 46); The school has a simple set of rules that you know and understand (31, 58). Benches Third Reich DVD Languages Speakers for DVDs Music drum kit 2 x new rowing machines Cricket net Laser cutting machine Science library Hockey goalkeeper kit Team kits Since the meeting Mr Yorke has said that he can use the Tesco vouchers for kits, so we can reconsider how to spend this.

6 In the spring term the Year Councils were each asked to look at our Bullying Policy which we are re-writing. I m putting all the ideas together to present at the School Council meeting in May. Each Year Council continues to meet regularly (it should be at least once a half-term) and have their own items for discussion and distribute minutes. The Assistant Year Co-ordinators are responsible for organising these. In the summer term we will focus on your views about lunch time how you use it, how it could be improved and the chance to meet the Catering Team. I d also like to look at the possibility of a café operating at 4.00 p.m. THINGS THAT MATTER TO YOU Water machines - we felt the electricity supply was too close to the ones near my office, so have moved this in the Easter holidays. We re also putting lino down to stop the carpet getting soaked! SUPPORTING EACH OTHER This year we ve trained over 80 buddy mentors. All of these are now supporting students in all years from 7 to 11. It s wonderful to watch the meetings taking place all over the school and lots of young students have really benefited. We could do with a few more buddies if anyone in Year 12 would now like to do it but wasn t originally trained - let me know if you do. 50 students in Year 12/13 are supporting staff in helping younger students in lessons. Chocolate machines the government have said these can stay one more year! Toilets. We ve now improved the Sixth Form ones and the Creative Arts. The next plan is for the Humanities block but as the latest quote was 25,000 we need to think carefully about when we can afford to do it! We ve purchased smart iron fencing to go all around the field behind Humanities. We re aiming to stop mud coming into school and the pitches being used by people walking across them to the bus park. The total cost is 11,000 considerably cheaper than the original quote of 77,000! The New Block is making good progress and is currently on schedule. We re trialling having it optional if you have your shirt untucked (unless it s under your jumper). You must have your buttons done up and no T-shirt on. School Council reps. have expressed concerns about lack of space for music practices - we re not very hopeful on this one but Mr Smith and I will look into it. In School Council we discussed a great idea I d picked up from Stoke High School. Students would apply in Year 10 to be an Aunt or Uncle to new Year 7 tutor groups - one Aunt and Uncle per group. They d then support them throughout the year and help them. They d be involved in Induction Day and New Intake Evening and go on trips etc. with them. School Council thought it was a good idea so we re going to set it up this term.