2013-14 Wood Green School Sixth Form Information Handbook For

Wood Green School

Sixth Form

Information Handbook for Parents & Students

2013-14

Information for Parents and Carers

Welcome to our Sixth Form. This booklet supplements the information contained in our Sixth Form prospectus, setting out the framework for a successful parent-school partnership with you.

It is our sincere wish that each and every student will take the opportunities offered at Wood Green School Sixth Form and flourish during their two years of study.

Tutors Tutors are the key people with pastoral and academic responsibility for students’ progress and will be pleased to receive information, comments or queries from you. If you do have concerns or queries, contact the appropriate tutor, the Assistant Head of Sixth Form, Head of Sixth Form, or the Sixth Form Administrator by phone, e-mail or letter. Contacts are listed at the end of this booklet.

Assistant Headteacher/Head of Sixth Form: Mrs C Whiting

Sixth Form Administrator: Mrs J Edwards

Sixth Form tutors:

12MBA Mr Armstrong (Head of Year and Assistant Head of Sixth Form) 12IDT Mrs Tylee 12JAC Mrs Cochran 12SMK Miss Kelly 12HMS Miss Smy

Home and School Our policy is to treat students as mature young people and we will speak with them first if any problems arise. Your son/daughter has already signed a Student Agreement stating their intention to fulfill the criteria necessary for their success (see Appendix 1).

We communicate formally with parents on a regular basis in order to report on students’ progress. There are also Subject Evenings later in the academic year for parents and students to meet tutors and subject teachers.

The dates of these communications may be found in our Sixth Form Calendar within this booklet.

Visit our website www.woodgreen.oxon.sch.uk for details about the curriculum, forthcoming events and how to sign up to receive e-communications.

The School Day

WGS Registration 8.30am daily

Times Period 1 Period 2 Period 3 Period 4 Period 5 Period 6

WGS 8.45 -9.45am 9.45 – 10.45am 11.05am – 12.05pm 12.05 – 1.05pm 1.50 – 2.50pm 2.50 – 3.50pm WGS 8.45 -9.45am 9.45 – 10.45am 11.05am – 12.05pm 12.45 – 1.45pm 1.45 – 2.45pm (Wed) HBS 8.45 – 9.45am 9.50 – 10.50am 11.15am – 12.15pm 12.15 – 1.15pm 2.05 – 3.05pm 3.05 – 4.05pm

HBS 8.45 – 9.45am 9.50 – 10.50am 11.15am – 12.15pm 1.05 – 2.05pm 2.05 – 3.05pm 3.05 – 4.05pm (Wed)

Wednesday School ends 1.50pm for most students, however some lessons continue beyond 2.05pm. Punctuality in keeping to these times is very important.

We operate a fortnightly timetable, with a Week A and a Week B. The academic year starts with a Week A and subsequent weeks are labeled in sequence.

Term Dates

Term 1 3 September –25 October (Thursday) Term 4 24 February – 4 April

Term 2 4 November – 20 December Term 5 22 April – 23 May

Term 3 6 January – 14 February Term 6 2 June – 18 July

In Service Training Days. Students not in School: 2 September, 4 October 2013 and 21-22 July 2014

Registration and Assembly Tutors need to keep in close touch with their tutees, in order to perform their pastoral work effectively. Students too need to know what is going on in the Sixth Form and in the School generally. To enable them to do this, we have registration daily, assembly once a week, and a daily Sixth Form Bulletin which is distributed to tutor groups.

Year 12 students must attend registration every morning, unless they start the day with a lesson at The Henry Box School.

Year 13 similarly are not required to attend registration on the days where they attend their first lesson at The Henry Box School. However, they must attend 3 Registrations per week, including Fridays (Assembly/Enrichment days). Otherwise, these times should be agreed with their tutor. Year 13 who have a whole day without timetabled commitments may study at home on that day, but should first complete a home study form.

All Year 12 students must be in school from 8.30am until lunchtime, when they may go home if they have no lessons in the afternoon. 2

Assembly is held once a week, on Wednesdays for Year 12 and Fridays for Year 13.

Attendance The absolutely essential ingredient for success at school is regular attendance. Sixth Form students should attend all their lessons and other timetabled commitments such as lesson attachment. Whatever subjects they are studying, they should attend the Enrichment Programme every Friday Period 1 throughout the year in Year 12. They should also attend the Sixth Form Studies lesson every Monday Period 5 of Week A, and their weekly assembly. Students will also be required to attend individual tutorial interviews with their tutors at regular intervals.

Absence There are a number of legitimate reasons for absence including courses and conferences, school or residential trips, open day visits, interviews, hospital appointments and funerals.

 If students know in advance that they are going to be absent, they must tell their tutor and the relevant subject teachers before their absence  If they are unexpectedly absent, usually because of illness, they should make sure that a telephone call is made to School by break time on the first day of absence, with a message for their tutor  When they return from a period of absence, students must give a written note to their tutor explaining their absence, normally within 24 hours and not later than 3 days later, written by a parent or carer. It is the student’s responsibility to find out about work s/he has missed and catch up on it.  Please refer to the new Leave of Absence rules (see Appendix 2).

Financial Support There are two types of awards under the Wood Green School 16-19 Bursary Scheme:

1. Statutory Awards to ‘Vulnerable Groups’ A bursary of £1,200 a year is available for students who are:  ‘Looked after’ (in care)  Care leavers  In receipt of Income Support or Universal Credit in their own name. (Universal Credit is being phased in during 2013, and will replace both Income Support and Employment Support Allowance)  Disabled and in receipt of Employment Support Allowance, who are also in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (or Personal Independence Payments) in their own name. (Personal Independence Payments are being phased in over 2013)

2. Discretionary Awards These are payments made to students whose families are on low incomes, towards, for example:

 Costs of transport to and from School  Contribution towards the cost of meals at School  Books and equipment  Course-related costs  Towards the costs of attending university interviews and open days

The Head of Sixth Form is free to determine which students should receive a discretionary bursary and how much they should receive. The Finance and Personnel Manager will assess each student’s need for financial support, before deciding whether to make an award and if so, for how much.

Bursaries cannot take the form of regular payments for living costs. No ‘blanket’ or flat-rate discretionary payments can be made.

If a student considers that s/he might be eligible to apply for support, s/he should ask for a copy of the Bursary booklet from the Sixth Form Office and apply in writing to Mrs Whiting, Head of Sixth Form.

Other sources where students may apply for financial assistance are:  The Witney Educational Foundation, Registered Charity Number 309645, for educational-related matters OR  Witney Town Charity, Registered Charity Number 202996 (for non-educational funding enquiries) o The contact for both of the above is Mr Morrison at 73 Burford Road, Carterton, OX18 3AR, or telephone 01993 843196 or email [email protected]  The Carterton Educational Trust, for students who come from Carterton. Apply by contacting the Secretary for the Trust, Mrs T Marchant, 01993 841060. Alternatively, download an application form from www.cartertoneducationaltrust.org.uk

The Curriculum Students in Year 12 should follow a full programme of academic study, typically four AS Levels, and students in Year 13 will normally study a minimum of three subjects, usually at A2 Level. There is an extra opportunity to take an extra AS Level by doing the Extended Project Qualification and this will be offered after the AS examinations.

We also aim to provide many opportunities for students to broaden their experience and understanding, develop their skills, and prepare for the future.

The Enrichment Programme and Sixth Form Studies The Enrichment Programme is a general programme for all students, which takes place every Friday Period 1. It aims to broaden each student’s curriculum and develop critical thinking and communication skills. Topics covered include religious, social, economic, political, cultural and health-related issues and higher education and careers advice.

Sixth Form Studies is held on Monday Period 5 in A weeks. The programme covers independent learning skills, communication styles, enterprise, careers and other topics.

Attendance on the Enrichment Programme and Sixth Form Studies is compulsory.

Community Attachment At the same time, students should be developing their skills and abilities in a variety of ways both in and out of school. In School we offer opportunities such as sports, music, drama, the Yearbook, the School website, Lesson Attachment, Community Attachment, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, LAMDA Drama Award, Community Sports Leadership Award and Design Technology Challenge Group, and we encourage all students to be 4 involved in some of these. All students in Year 12 work towards our Community Award which acknowledges their contributions to the School and the wider community, and they are encouraged to continue this in Year 13. These achievements will be recorded in their Sixth Form Portfolio.

Homework and Coursework Sixth Form students should expect to be spending at least three hours on homework per subject per week; more in Year 13. Some of this time will be spent on work to be handed in and assessed by teachers. In most subjects students are also expected to spend a considerable amount of time on independent research and wider reading. It should rarely be the case that your son or daughter has “done everything”! Please give us a ring for advice should your son or daughter need extra work.

Private Study and Home Study Most Sixth Form students will have about six hours a week when they do not have lessons. We aim to develop our students as independent learners who will use this time profitably. In school they can use the Learning Resource Centre, the Sixth Form Private Study Room, the Sixth Form Common Room, the Restaurant and other designated rooms for individual private study. Year 12 students should be in School every morning until lunch time but may then go home to study if they have no timetabled commitments.

Tutor Monitoring We offer students additional academic support in the form of regular meetings with tutors or the Head of Sixth Form, leading up to a termly review. This is a purely supportive mechanism for the student, where parents are informed every term about their son/daughter’s progress, in addition to the three Reviews, in order to give the student every chance of success. Students may self-refer, or may be offered tutor support following a request by a parent or teacher.

Student Support We have a counselling service available in school. Students can self-refer or be referred, with their agreement, by staff and parents

Mock Examinations These give students the chance to practise the skills required for taking examinations, and provide an important indicator of future performance. AS/A2 mock examination week, where students take practice papers, will take place week commencing Monday 24 February 2014.

Holidays As a school we have always discouraged parents/carers from taking holidays during term time. However the Department for Education has recently published several amendments to The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006. The amendments make clear that headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. For more information, see Appendix 2.

Medical and Dental Appointments Wherever possible, these and similar appointments should be arranged so that they do not take place during students’ timetabled commitments.

Driving Lessons Students may arrange driving lessons during the School day, but only during Private Study periods.

Part-Time work We recommend that students should not undertake paid employment for more than eight hours a week during term-time. This is because undertaking 9 hours or more has a strong detrimental effect on their progress. No part-time work may be undertaken during school hours.

Attire Students should dress appropriately for school, which is a working environment. The Head of Sixth Form reserves the right to speak to any students whose attire is inappropriate for school and send them home to change their clothes, but in practice this happens very rarely.

Valuables In keeping with the School’s E-Learning Agreement (see Appendix 3), students are not permitted to bring in their own portable computer equipment, eg I-pads, unless they have written permission from the Head of Sixth Form. The School cannot accept responsibility for loss of money and valuables.

Cigarettes, Alcohol and Illegal Substances Sixth Form students must not smoke on the School site or near it in any places where they may be identified as members of Wood Green School. Alcohol and illegal substances are strictly forbidden.

Travel If students wish to bring a scooter, motorbike or car to school, they must complete a Motor Vehicle Form before they do so. As parking is limited, students will only be given permission to park on the School premises if they can demonstrate they need to bring a motor vehicle in. The form gives details of the conditions under which motor vehicles are allowed on School premises and a parent/carer must sign this before it is valid. In the interests of safety, no cars are allowed to enter or leave the site between 2.50 and 3.10 p.m. (1.50 – 2.10 on Wednesdays). Students who drive dangerously on the School site will have their permit withdrawn. Sixth Form students who cycle to school must observe all the School rules relating to cycles. Skateboards are not allowed.

Bus services from South Leigh, North Leigh, East End, Hailey, Crawley, Ramsden and Finstock are provided by Oxfordshire Local Education Authority. A charge is payable by post-16 students who live in the catchment area. Charges are waived for students whose families are in receipt of the maximum amount of Universal Tax Credit. Students who need to travel by this bus service should contact the Transport Service at Children, Young Peoples’ and Families’ Social and Community Services, Oxford Options Resource Centre, Horspath Driftway, Headington, Oxford OX3 7JQ (Tel. 01865 871670) for further information.

Students must have a bus pass before they can travel on a school bus.

A free taxi service is provided for students who are based here and attending courses at The Henry Box School. Students must sign up for this at the beginning of the School year.

The Governing Body The Chair of Governors, Mr R Walton and Vice Chairman, Mr K Roy are contactable through the Headteacher’s Secretary. The Governing Body is made up of individuals representing parents, teachers, the Local Education Authority and staff . They work in close and balanced partnership with the Headteacher in the effective management of the School, acting within the framework set by national legislation and by the policies of the LEA.

Parent Teacher Association The PTA exists to involve parents/carers and teachers in the wider life of the School and aims to be a ‘voice’ for parents. Various informal meetings and events are organised throughout the year by the PTA. These are normally advertised in advance on the website. Please contact Mrs Whiting if you would like more information about the PTA.

Sixth Form Calendar Whole School Review Day: Thursday 14 November – from 1.30pm. No lessons are held after 12.05pm on this day, as students will make appointments to meet their tutors and review their academic progress. Parents are invited to attend Year 12 interviews. Students may undertake private study in School. The Henry Box School lessons continue as normal.

Year 13 Subject Evening: Thursday 30 January by appointment 4.30 – 7.30pm

Year 12 Subject Evening: Thursday 27 February by appointment 4.30 – 7.30pm

Year 12 Study Leave: Commences Monday 12 May and finishes Friday 6 June. No lessons are held during this period.

Year 12 Return to School: Year 12 students start their A2 courses on 9 June. Unlike the Year 11 to 12 transition, where the break between finishing GCSE study and commencing AS Levels is comparatively long, the AS to A2 gap is short, with the period of A2 study normally comprising 6 weeks. Students must achieve a minimum of 80% attendance in order to pursue their subjects in Year 13.

Higher Education Evening: Date to be arranged

Examination Results: Thursday 14 August 2012 11.00am – 12.00pm for AS results and 10.00 – 11.00am for A2 results.

Drop-In Advice Clinic: Friday 15 August 9.00am – 12.00pm

And Finally…

I sincerely hope that your son or daughter will have a happy and successful time in the Sixth Form and look forward to developing a supportive partnership with you.

Mrs C Whiting, Assistant Headteacher/Head of Sixth Form 7

Appendix 1

Sixth Form Agreement I understand that I have made a positive choice in deciding to continue my studies by joining the Wood Green School Sixth Form.

Accordingly, I undertake the following requirements:

 Attend registration  Attend all lessons in my chosen subjects, Enrichment and Sixth Form Studies as directed  Ensure that any paid work I do does not exceed 10 hours per week and does not interfere with my ability to attend lessons and meetings during the School day  Be punctual to all of the above  Work to the best of my ability in class and independently, ensuring that all work is completed to the best standard and on time  Bring in notes promptly to explain unavoidable absences  Be responsible for catching up work missed during such absence  Make a positive contribution to the Sixth Form and wider school community  Respect the School environment, particularly the Sixth Form Centre  Behave responsibly around the School and the immediate surroundings, setting a good example to younger students  Do not use mobile telephones in lessons unless directed by a member of staff. Mobile phones may only be used in the Sixth Form Centre and must be out of sight anywhere else in the School  Be prepared to stay for brief meetings after school when required  Ensure that all work handed in for marking is my own original work, except where other sources have been explicitly acknowledged*

*plagiarism may jeopardise your exam entries. In cases where it is unclear that the work handed in is the candidate’s own, it will be referred directly to the appropriate examination board

Appendix 2

Leave of Absence As a school we have always discouraged parents/carers from taking holidays during term time. However the Department for Education has recently published several amendments to The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006. The amendments make clear that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. We have taken advice from Oxfordshire County Council on a definition of ‘exceptional circumstance’ and their advice is as follows:

What are ‘exceptional circumstances’? It is for the Headteacher to decide on what might constitute exceptional circumstances and each request for a term-time holiday will be considered on an individual basis.

Examples of exceptional circumstances are:- A parent, grandparent or other close relative is seriously ill. There may have been a significant trauma in the family recently and the Headteacher may consider that an immediate holiday might enable the child to cope with the situation. The holiday might be a unique, ‘one-off never-to-be-repeated’ occasion which can only take place in the time requested.

When permission is likely to be refused? If your child has already had some absence in the current or preceding year. It is near or during exam or test times. It coincides with the start of the School year. The reason given is that the holiday is cheaper in term-time. The School believes that it may have a harmful effect on your child’s education.

Should a school not agree to grant leave and parents take their child on holiday regardless, then this will be counted as unauthorised absence — this is the same as ‘truancy’.

The Attendance and Engagement Officer may consider issuing a Penalty Fine of £60 for this period of unauthorised absence.

More details can be found at: http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/sites/default/files/folders/documents/childreneduca tionandfamilies/educationandlearning/schools/atschool/absence/TakingHolidayDuringTer mTime.pdf

We trust you appreciate the position the School has been put in; however it is important that all our students have an attendance as close to 100% as possible as any time missed has a detrimental effect on students’ examination results.

Appendix 3

Student E-Learning Acceptable Use Policy Agreement E-mail, access to the Internet and remote desktop access are provided for you to conduct research, communicate with others and access your personal on-line storage space as well as learning resources but only on the understanding that you agree to follow this policy. This policy applies at all times, in and out of school hours, whilst using school equipment. The list is not exhaustive. If in doubt ask a teacher to confirm you are using e-learning resources in an appropriate and responsible manner.

 Only log on to the School network using your own username (id). Never share your password with another student. Never use another student’s id and password to log on.

 Only use those applications eg Word when instructed to do so by a teacher. This means you must not open unauthorised applications to listen, for instance to music, access MSN or watch videos etc. in lesson time.

 Only use your official school email address for school work. Be aware that your activity on computers and email messages can be seen and monitored. Do not send, access, store or display offensive or upsetting messages or pictures or attempt to install applications on the School network. Do not attempt to bypass the internet filtering system.

 Be careful of what you say to others and how you say it. Never give your name, home address, telephone numbers or any personal information about yourself or others to any strangers you write to or communicate with on the Internet. Never arrange to meet strangers who approach you whilst on the computer; anyone can pretend to be someone else. Someone pretending to be a friend may not have your best interests at heart.

 You must not contact staff directly by email or invite them to join a social network, for instance, as a Facebook friend

 Treat others as they would expect to be treated, eg show respect and be polite. Remember that something that may seem like a joke to you could upset someone else and be seen as ‘cyber bullying’. So do not use or send bad, threatening or annoying language which might incite hatred against any ethnic, religious or other minority. This includes postings outside school time to social web sites like Facebook.

 Check with a teacher before sending an e-mail, downloading files, completing questionnaires or subscription forms, or opening e-mail attachments. Always tell your teacher or another adult if you ever see, hear or read anything which makes you feel uncomfortable while using the Internet or e-mail.

 Only access internet sites which are appropriate for use in school. This also applies outside lesson time eg in lunchtime ICT Club. Be aware that information on an Internet web site may be inaccurate or biased. Try to verify the information using other sources, if possible, before using it.

 Respect copyright and trademarks. You cannot use the words or pictures that you see on an Internet site without giving credit to the person who produced the information originally. You must not copy text or pictures from the Internet and hand it in to your teacher as your own work. You cannot copy others’ work and hand it in as your own.

 You can make a difference to the environment by being careful not to waste resources say by unnecessary printing.

 You should always log out and close your browser when your session has finished.

 All ICT equipment for curriculum use is provided by the School. In exceptional circumstances you can request special permission from the SENCO or Heads of Learning Communities if you need to bring specialist ICT equipment, including tablets, to school. If permission is granted, you do so at your own risk.

 ICT equipment should not be touched or adjusted by students, for instance, swapping mice or adjusting screen settings. Food and drink must not be taken into an ICT room

 As a privilege Sixth Form students are allowed to use their own mobile phones in the Sixth Form Centre only. They must not be used in other areas of `, for instance, corridors or classrooms.

 Wood Green School accepts no responsibility for the malfunctioning of any ICT facility or part thereof, whether hardware or software, nor for any consequential losses. Backups are made every evening but the user is responsible for independently maintaining copies of valuable data.

 Please understand that these rules are designed to keep you safe and that if they are not followed, school sanctions will be applied and your parent/carer may be contacted.

______Contact: Wood Green School, Woodstock Road, Witney, Oxon OX28 1DX. Tel 01993 702355 (Fax: 774961) Website: www. woodgreen.oxon.sch.uk. Email : [email protected]

Sixth Form Direct Line: 01993 899 524 Sixth Form Office: [email protected] Main School Office: [email protected]