Information for Parents/ Carers and Students Transitioning to the Community College Bishop’S Castle September 2021
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Information for parents/ carers and students transitioning to The Community College Bishop’s Castle September 2021 1 Contents Page Letter from the Headteacher 3 How Year 7 is Organised 4 Your First Day at The Community College 5 The College Day 6 Emergency School Closures 6 Supporting Learning from Home 7-8 Settling-in evening Having the correct equipment A place to study Homework Learning times tables Spellings Attendance Breakfast Behaviour and Attitude to Learning 9-10 General Information 11-13 Reports, target setting and celebration Discovery days Lunches/meals College news Enrichment Transport Pupil premium funding The school shop Reading College Uniform 14 Who to Contact in College 15 2 Dear Student (and Parents/Carers) Welcome to The Community College The transition from your primary school to the ‘High School’ can be a little daunting to say the least. That is perfectly understandable, however in a relatively short period of time you will have to get used to new staff, different routines and moving from class to class. The Community College is probably a much larger school than you are used to and there is always the concern that you might get lost! Try not to worry; we will always be on hand to help and you can use this pull-out map to help you. One of the nice things about the College is that we are a very friendly place. Every year we remind our existing students what it was like when they first started and how they need to look after the new year group. They always do a very good job and will point you in the right direction or be on hand to talk to if you have any concerns. Many of you have already visited the College so you have seen this first hand. We also hold two induction days later this year (5th and 6th July) which will help you find your feet and get used to our routines. In addition, on one of those days, some current Year 7 students will be organising an assembly to give you their ‘top- tips’ for doing well at the College. In the meantime, use this booklet to get better acquainted with life at the College. We can’t include everything we do, but hopefully we have incorporated the most important parts. If your parents/carers have any questions, they can either wait until the end of the second induction day, when we will have a parents/carers meeting and they can ask as many questions as they like, or they can contact the College direct. We will be contacting your primary school in June to talk with you and your teachers (many of whom we know very well). So, take the time to read through this booklet together, keep working hard at school and focus on being the best student you can be, and we will see you at our induction days, if not before. Yours sincerely, Mr R Thorley Headteacher 3 How Year 7 is Organised Year 7 are mainly taught in 3 or 4 academic groups (7W, 7X, 7Y and 7Z) which are put together based on information gathered during Year 6 in consultation with primary school teachers. We aim to achieve a healthy mix of students by ability, interest and background. In these groups students follow the Key Stage 3 (National Curriculum) including two half day sessions of IAG (Information, Advice and Guidance) per term. Maths and English operate sets in Year 7, usually from October half term. All students at The Community College belong to a coaching group, led by a member of staff. These groups are ‘partially vertical’, which means they are made up of students from different year groups, with Years 7, 8 and 9 together and Years 10 and 11 together. Most coaching groups have between 24 to 26 members, with 7-10 students from each year group. Many of our students are used to this way of working, coming as they do from primary schools where mixed age groups are common. The advantages are plain to see. Students of all ages act as mentors and coaches to each other, and younger students are able to slot into a ready-made support network. Coaching time is at the end of the day and runs from 3.00 - 3.25pm. It is a time to reflect on the day’s activities and while many students choose to start homework, others enjoy some quiet reading. Coaches will set aside some coaching sessions for a particular focus including literacy and numeracy. A number of students follow specially designed programmes to support their learning. There are regularly scheduled events as well, including assemblies and Aspiration Friday where a local professional introduces students to their world of work. Coaching groups are based upon membership of one of the four houses. The house system is designed to encourage a team ethos and allows students to take part in a variety of activities that contribute to the overall success of the house. These can range from quizzes to sporting events, but good work and positive behaviour is recognised everyday by the awarding of house points in lessons and around the College. There will be a Year 7 settling in evening in the autumn term which will enable parents to meet with Heads of House again, having first met in the previous summer term. Reports are issued termly and will focus on attitudes to learning as well as progress against targets. At the College we know that attitudes to learning are the foundation upon which outstanding progress is made. On that basis, attitude to learning scores are considered to be just as important as attainment levels. Year 7 parents’ evening takes place in the summer term and allows parents to meet subject teachers and discuss students’ progress in academic subjects. Contact with College staff is easy and we encourage you to stay in touch via planners, email and by phone. For particular issues, in the first instance please contact your child’s Coach. Heads of House keep a close watch on pastoral and academic issues within their group and are available to speak to as and when required. 4 Your First Day at The Community College 8.50am Meet in the Main Hall 8.55am Welcome assembly Afterwards a representative from your coaching group will collect you from the hall and introduce you to your Learning Coach and fellow group members. Over the next 40 minutes they will help you with: Your planner Your daily timetable You will also receive a tour of College, during which you will be shown each of your classrooms for lessons 2, 3, 4 and 5. At 9.55am you will be taken to lesson 2. On the first day make sure you have the following: School bag Your College pencil case to include 2 black/blue pens, 1 green pen, 2 pencils, a ruler, a rubber, a sharpener, a protractor and a maths compass. Your own fiction reading book A calculator (optional) A drink of water (optional, but a good idea) Your pull-out map (not essential but useful - we will have spare copies). 5 The College Day The College day begins at 8.50am with the first lesson. A warning bell sounds 5 minutes before, whereupon all students start moving to their classroom. If students arrive at College after 8.50am, they will be registered as ‘late’ and must report to reception to be signed in. Lesson 1 8.50am (includes registration and uniform check) Lesson 2 9.55am Break 10.55 - 11.15am Lesson 3 11.15am Lesson 4 12.15pm Lunch 1.15 - 2.00pm Lesson 5 2.00pm Coaching Group/Assemblies 3.00 - 3.25pm Emergency School Closures On very rare occasions it may be considered dangerous to open the College site (e.g. snow/ice, flooding). You will be informed in the morning via: Regular updates on the College website www.ccbcshropshire.com An automated SMS message, text or email via ParentPay BBC Radio Shropshire Regular updates on Shropshire Council website If the College has to close during the day and buses are due to leave early, you will be informed before any student leaves the site. Please note if buses do not operate or transport your child in the morning, the operators are not legally required to transport your child in the afternoon. 6 Supporting Learning from Home As staff we are often asked how can parents, carers and families best support learning. Here are some thoughts for you to share at home. Settling in evening This will quickly be upon us in the autumn term (we will let you know the date closer to the time). It is not a parents’ evening as such (that comes in the summer term) but it is an opportunity for parents and students to look at exercise books and get a feeling for progress in the first few weeks of Year 7. Senior staff and Heads of Houses will be available to discuss any particular issues you have and they will lead a presentation on ‘Supporting Learning from Home’. Having the correct equipment It is really important that students are ready to learn. Although it is the student’s responsibility to make sure they have the right equipment, many can often do with a little help. Every day students should have their pencil case, reading book, planner, exercise books and other materials needed for the day (e.g. PE kit). The school shop is an excellent place to stock up on those things which you are running low on - all sorts of stationary is available and all is sold at cost-price.