2015-16 Annual Report of Governors to Parents

Committed to Achievement

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF GOVERNORS 4 MESSAGE FROM THE HEADTEACHER 5 SCHOOL LIFE DURING THE YEAR 6 2015 6 2016 6 THE SCHOOL YEAR ACTIVITIES 7 SPORT BURSARY AWARD 2ND OCTOBER 2015 7 TRIP TO THE ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE 7 VIETNAM EXPEDITION TRAINING WEEKEND 8 MUSIC FOR MEMORY AT LARCHFIELD CARE HOME 8 SHAKESPEARE FOR SCHOOLS, ANOTHER BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE. 8 YOU’RE HIRED! INTERVIEW DAY 9 A LIFETIME IS NOT ENOUGH — SIXTH FORM CULTURAL TRIP TO ROME - OCTOBER HALF TERM 2015 9 WINTER CONCERT 2015 10 OUR HOUSE 10 KRAKOW/AUSCHWITZ TRIP 11 YEAR 7 CRASHED COX GREEN! 11 CONGRATULATIONS TO THE VEX ROBOTICS TEAM: 13 COX GREEN CHAMBER CHOIR RAISE THE ROOF OF THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL 14 TRIP TO WEMBLEY STADIUM—ARSENAL VS CHELSEA WOMEN’S FOOTBALL 14 THE SCHOOL YEAR SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS 14 POLE VAULTING BRONZE FOR JACK MCARA YEAR 11 14 TOBY PRITCHARD SUCCESSFUL SELECTION FOR THE COUNTY FOOTBALL SQUAD 15 FRED’S SELECTION TO COUNTY FOOTBALL 15 KATIE CROWHURST HAS PARALYMPIC POTENTIAL 15 CGS TEAMS WIN AT THE 5-A-SIDE NATIONAL GIRLS LEAGUE CUP! 15 MINIGP CHAMPION FROM YEAR 8 16 ABBIE JONES REPRESENTS COX GREEN AND BERKSHIRE AT ENGLISH SCHOOLS AT CROSS COUNTRY 16 AMETZ PARCELL-ARREGI TO COX AT 16 THE OARSPORT JUNIOR SCULLING HEAD AT DORNEY LAKE 16 U15 RUGBY STAR CHARLIE SCOTT, YEAR 10 16 BRONZE MEDAL FOR OUR GIRLS! 16 BERKSHIRE SCHOOL GAMES 16 OUR AMAZING GIRLS WIN 5-1! ( AGAINST CHARTERS) AND BRING BACK THE BERKSHIRE SCHOOLS CUP! 17 SHOT COUNTY CHAMPION 18 PARENT/STUDENT SURVEYS 18 INCLUSION 18 MORE ABLE STUDENTS AT COX GREEN 19 LITERACY 19 THE SIXTH FORM 20 TEACHING QUALITY 21 STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 22 OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR VIEW 22 JAKE HARRINGTON 22

MAJID HAJMAHMOUD 22 BETH GARDNER 23 PUPIL PREMIUM 23 ATTENDANCE 24 CAREERS 24 OPTIONS 25 BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY LINKS 25 “WHAT NEXT?” EVENING 25 BEHAVIOUR AND SAFETY 25 STUDENT LEADERSHIP 26 SITE IMPROVEMENTS 27 THE GOVERNING BODY 27 GOVERNORS 27 THE WORK OF THE GOVERNING BODY 27 LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT 28 PEOPLE AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE 28 FINANCE & RESOURCES COMMITTEE 29 AUDIT COMMITTEE 29 TEACHING & LEARNING COMMITTEE 29

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF GOVERNORS As Chair of Governors for Cox Green School I am very pleased to be able to write part of the foreword to this our 5th Annual Report to Parents.

The last 12 months has again been a very busy time for Cox Green School and the Governors.

We are extremely proud of our school and the progress it has made. The last three years have been very challenging for all associated with the school as the drive to gain the improvements necessary continued to develop. We were delighted that the excellent work done by the school was recognized by the Local Authority and that they agreed with our request to expand the school earlier than originally planned. So for the first time we will have seven forms of entry next school year. This means that we will be able to welcome over 200 new, Year 7s in September 2016.

As Governors we recognise we have some wonderful staff; whose commitment to the young people they work with is second to none. Daily they demonstrate their passion and purpose in delivering their best for those students. Those students deserve every success and it is the job of the Governing Body to facilitate, through involvement and challenge, their journey through this part of their education.

The Headteacher is responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school and the implementation of the strategic framework established by the governing body.

The role of the governing body is a strategic one; its key functions are:

 Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction;  Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils, and the performance management of staff.  Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.

Our role became even more critical in ensuring that the school gives our pupils the very best education it can and provides them with the sound base that everyone needs to build careers and futures. Governors are challenged directly to show that they undertake all of the functions set out above and that they can demonstrate a clear knowledge and understanding of how the school goes about achieving the strategic aims set out for it.

Finally, please remember that the Governors can be contacted through the school if there is anything that you would like to discuss and that our Governing Body welcomes new ideas and volunteers alike.

Paul Louden Chair of Governors

MESSAGE FROM THE HEADTEACHER What a fabulous year we have had!

The school has gone from strength to strength following the really positive Ofsted Report last year. Our students have once again done us proud by taking part in prestigious performances for the Queen, singing at the Royal Albert Hall and winning the Girl’s County Football Cup Final, these are to name just a few.

Such occasions present phenomenal opportunities for our students and at Cox Green that’s what we are about: making the most of opportunities.

Our school theme last year was centred on the idea of ‘Never try, never know.’ We wanted to encourage our students and staff to step outside of their comfort zones, to take risks and to be challenged. Activities focussed on this theme were numerous: we managed to break a few world records from the Guinness Book of World Records and took a group of students to Vietnam. We welcome challenge and, have had a lot of fun along the way.

We recognise that achievements and success does not always come easily for some of our students but, with the continued support of our amazing staff, parents and Governors I know we will continue to support them to grow and to be successful.

We are very excited about some of the other new developments which now means that our Sixth Form offer is extended. This is a result of establishing a Sports Academy. Whilst in its first year the Sports Academy will focus on developing excellence within the field of football through offering high quality academic and vocational qualifications, providing students with employment opportunities and first class coaching. In future years we will be expanding the Academy to focus on other sports.

I am pleased to share the news that as a result of our success our popularity as a school has grown enormously. Our student population has increased significantly and we are oversubscribed. This means that we will be gaining substantial monies from the Local Authority for an expansion project to enhance our already superb facilities.

I know this coming academic year is going to be great one and I look forward to welcoming you to our fantastic school.

Regards

Heidi Swidenbank Headteacher

SCHOOL LIFE DURING THE YEAR There were a significant number of school trips during the academic year. The Governors would like to thank all those staff who gave up their time in support of our students.

2015 September History Rise up Theatre trip

October 6th Form Rome Trip Drama Our Country’s Good Theatre trip Careers Learning to Work - Step into STEM History Auschwitz Trip Drama Shakespeare's School festival

November English Lord of the Flies Theatre trip History South Africa Lecture Science Physics in Action Media British Film Industry - Studying TV Drama trip Humanities Year 7 crashes Cox Green Sleepover Careers Hospitality & Catering College trip

December Drama Wonderland Theatre Trip Drama Woman in Black Theatre Trip Drama The Firework Makers Daughter Theatre trip All years Muddy Welly Run Pupil Premium Year 7/Year 8 Kidzania English Cinderella Pantomime Trip 6th Form Windsor Ice Skating trip Careers Blue Coats LAMDA Trip

2016 January Geography Thames in Flood PE Berkshire inter school cross country Science Vex Robotics

February Geography/Science Paris Trip - Science Museums / Disneyland Media British Film Industry - UK Cinema Trip Careers Oxford University Trip Y11 careers Oxford Brookes University Trip History London Dungeons Science Flight Simulator Trip

March Geography Stonehenge Field trip English Romeo & Juliet Theatre trip Science Y13 Physics Conference Science Science Challenge

April Science Nuclear Fusion 6th Form UCAS Convention May Music Participation in the Royal Albert Hall concert : "A celebration of Music in Berkshire" PE Women’s FA cup final

June Drama Globe Theatre Trip Drama Threepenny Opera Southbank trip

July Year 10 Brecon Beacons History Battlefields Trip Careers Oxford Brookes University visits Year 7 Ufton Court Activity Day Music Lion King Theatre Trip 6th Form Vietnam Trip

THE SCHOOL YEAR ACTIVITIES Sport Bursary Award 2nd October 2015 A record number of students from Cox Green School were awarded a bursary to enable them to continue to flourish in their chosen sport or arts, reflecting the high-level of talent we have in sports and arts at our school.

Sports applicants had to be playing at county level or equivalent to be eligible to apply. The application form required each applicant to write about what they would use the money for and why, and include a reference from their coach or teacher. Arts applicants had to submit evidence of their work, either recorded or portfolio.

Examples of how these monies will be used are; Hayden Netherwood-Meek said; ‘I can use my bursary to buy equipment, competition and club fees for my swimming.’ Sammy Clarke will use her funding for Grade 7 singing exams and performing arts training outside of school. Samuel Phelps will use his funding for travelling between his training and events for Swindon Town Football Academy and Berkshire County as well as some new football boots. "I will be using my funding to service my flute and saxophone" said Hannah Croft and Olivia Phelps told us she will be getting “new running spikes.”

Trip to the Royal National Theatre 14 of our students travelled to see ‘Our Country’s Good’ at the Royal National Theatre.

Oli James said; ‘Seeing the play gave me a deeper understanding of the text, which we had read in class. I understood more about the characters, where they were from and their status. The staging was really good, as it rotated, raised and lowered to show changing scenes’.

The play is about the first convicts as they begin their time in the new continent, Australia. The play follows a group of prisoners putting on a play. Our Country’s Good explores the themes of crime and punishment as well as status.

Vietnam Expedition Training Weekend From the 23rd to the 25th of October, 13 Year 12 and 13 students took part in their Training Weekend in preparation for the Vietnam Expedition that takes place in July 2016.

Over a weekend that threatened to be a wet and windy event, the students had to prepare all of their own food and camp out in the elements. They also had to navigate a 13km trek through the South Downs.

Our students excelled themselves, demonstrating teamwork and problem solving tasks, particularly enjoying the Vietnamese style sleep over on the final night. Skills learnt this weekend will be invaluable during the Vietnam visit.

Music for Memory at Larchfield Care Home Three ambassadors from Cox Green School travelled to play their music for the residents at Larchfield Care Home. Aidan Campbell (year 9, Bassoon), Hannah Croft (year 10, Keyboard) and Cameron Goff (year 10, Euphonium) played for the clients in their sitting room. The ‘Music for Memory’ project was led by Aidan Campbell when he applied for funding through Youth Voice Youth Choice. The successful bid was created to bring music to residents at the Larchfield Care Home and now Cox Green School music students will be playing selected pieces every month at the care home until July 2016.

Aidan, Hannah and Cameron selected pieces they felt would appeal to their audience, such as ‘Who Will Buy?’ from ‘Oliver!’, ‘Somewhere, Over the Rainbow’ and The Beatles. The reactions to the live music were summed up by a comment Matthew made. He said “one of the ladies never comes out of her room, yet within the final chords of Hannah’s first piece on the keyboard, she arrived with her carer to sit for the rest of the mini concert in the communal lounge.”

Hannah remarked about how much she enjoyed the reaction of the residents, and Aidan said he wanted to go back and play for them again. All of the musicians were vibrant and energised about their experiences, and it has started this project in a positive and enchanting way.

“Today was fantastic.” said Matthew Chapman, Activity Coordinator at Larchfield, “We would like to thank Cox Green School and their students for enriching our residents’ lives by performing for them monthly. We have individuals that do not usually socialise come along and enjoy the performances. When the musicians perform we see some subtle changes in our residents, from the tapping of a toe, to the clapping of hands and some even sing and dance along to the music. Your students were a credit to the school and their parents and should be proud of the way they conducted themselves within our home which can be a difficult setting.”

Shakespeare for Schools, another brilliant performance. In March fourteen students from Cox Green School performed their abridged version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ as part of the Shakespeare for Schools festival. After months of rehearsal, the cast performed with three other schools at Wycombe Town Hall.

The set was minimal, only 14 wooden stools which were used as props and setting the scenes. All the cast wore black and white, and there was a souring contemporary feel with music enhancing the violence such as the lyrics of ‘I am an Anarchist’.

Ms Stead commented on the cast, “Tonight was their best performance, they have been such a good group to work with, they were brilliant.”

Opportunities like this encourage an appreciation of literature whilst learning a variety of life skills such as communication, social awareness and commitment.

You’re Hired! Interview Day On the 18th of November, Year 13 students were interviewed by experienced professionals in various fields of work from banking and finance to marketing and law. In preparation for this, we had to create a covering letter specifically about the area we wanted to pursue for our careers and/or a CV or personal statement.

In preparation of the event there were several workshops to help with our presentation and interview skills. We were also given the details of our interviewers so we could do some research and have an idea of what they do in order to be able to ask pertinent questions and gain further knowledge of what it’s like in the working world.

The interviews themselves were half-an-hour long and included feedback on our covering letters, CVs or personal statements. There was also a period of time where we could question our interviewers, discuss the potential careers we want to pursue and listen to experiences of the interviewers from 16 years old to where they are now.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience for everybody involved, and the morning was hugely helpful to all students. For many of us it was our very first interview and it provided vital experience which gives us lots more confidence going forward as we approach the time where we are looking for jobs, applying for apprenticeships and going for interviews at different universities.

It was a great insight into the careers of successful people that work in a range of different fields, and a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Ben Johnson Year 13

A lifetime is not enough — Sixth Form Cultural Trip to Rome - October Half Term 2015 An educational eye-opener which revealed an ancient wonder round every corner. That is what Rome offered to the 19 students that took the opportunity to visit the Eternal City.

Starting our tour with the incredible Trevi Fountain and ending with the lively Piazza Navona with whistle stop tours in between of the antique known as The Pantheon as well as the world renowned Spanish Steps. All of these sites gave us as a group a different angle on what Rome had to offer.

Day two began like day one with another early morning ride on the Metro. The Colosseum shrouded the view from the Metro station if you were looking to the outside. Its sheer size did not occur to me and many others on the trip until we saw it up close and personal. We moved to the Roman Forum which was surrounded by ruins of several important governing buildings which held significant importance in the history of Ancient Rome.

Day three we travelled to the Catacombs, an underground maze of tombs. Port Ostia was our next destination which is a large archaeological site that used to be the location of the harbour city and then we ended the day with a typically Italian dinner to celebrate one of the students’ birthday. 9

Day four was our final day in Rome. We travelled to the Vatican City to explore and find out more about the incredible art that has decorated this famous site for generations. After lunch we moved onto St. Peter’s Basilica. The day ended on a high with the final view of Rome from The Dome which was simply breath taking and an image that will stick in my mind for as long as I live. Reluctantly we left this historic paradise vowing one day to return.

All in all Rome was an incredible trip. It offered me experiences I had never had before. A great group of people in a great city where a lifetime was not enough to see everything it had to offer.

Mitchell Martin Year 13

Winter Concert 2015 Another successful, touching and sold out Winter Concert was held at Cox Green School on 19 November.

An eclectic mix of music included pieces from the Concert Band, the Brass Ensemble, the Vocal Ensemble, our Junior Jazz Orchestra, the Year 7 Class Band, the Junior Band, the Choir, the CGS Jazz Orchestra, the Chamber Choir, the Wind Trio and the Sax Quartet.

There was some stunning singing in the vocal ensemble from Oli James, Phillipa Russell and Sammi Clarke, and later Oli James delivered a smooth Sinatra piece accompanied by the Jazz Orchestra. Kymberley Charlett performed a beautiful and lilting traditional Scottish harp solo which was mesmerising and the Year 7 Class Band also played “Trailer Blues” wonderfully—a fantastic achievement considering most of them had only just started learning their instruments at the beginning of the Winter term.

All funds raised went to the Nordoff Robbins Charity for Music Therapy.

Our House My congratulations to Bob Hawxwell, Sue Beach, Simon Davie, Mikaela Martinez-Joyce and Laura Abbot for a great production of 'Our House' at Cox Green School. I think I enjoyed myself almost as much as the cast, band and crew clearly did.

The youngsters did you proud again and it is fantastic to see not only how much they enjoy the challenges but also how they respect you as a team.

I came to see a show but as a parent, as a local employer and as co- founder of Stage One Youth Theatre Group what I also saw was a lot of young people growing in confidence, learning teamwork, focus and discipline, putting massive effort into developing their skills and then deservedly relishing their achievements.

Will all of those young people grow to be stars of stage or screen? Almost certainly no.

Will all of those young people grow to use what they've learnt, all the time, in whatever future career they choose? Almost certainly yes. Now that's education at its very best!

I'm sure I speak on behalf of them, their parents and their future employers, when I say well done team... for a whole lot more than just a great show!

Krakow/Auschwitz Trip

After many months in the planning, 5 staff members and I travelled to Krakow in Poland with 51 Year 11 GCSE History students. With Germany 1919-1945 featuring prominently throughout the year 11 unit of study, this trip was designed to help students gain a realistic and emotional understanding of the Holocaust and the human cost of war. After arriving in Krakow and checking into our hotel, we dined out at a traditional Jewish restaurant where a three course meal was served in surroundings typical of a Jewish family home where many pictures and paintings adorned the walls and pretty table cloths dressed the tables. Entertainment was provided by a trio of local musicians playing the violin, accordion and double-bass. On Saturday we were met by our guide and boarded our coach for a tour of Krakow. This included a visit to the Wawel Royal Castle which constitutes the most historically and culturally important site in Poland. For centuries the Castle was the residence of the Polish royals and the symbol of Polish statehood. The Castle is now one of the country’s premier art museums. From here we travelled across the city to Schindler’s Factory of Enamelled Vessels. A guided tour took us around the factory which has been turned into a modern museum devoted to the wartime experiences under the five-year Nazi occupation. The exhibitions combine period artefacts, photos and documents. After lunch we visited the Jewish Museum where we met with a Holocaust survivor who talked about her childhood experiences. This was a very emotional recount as she shared with us details of how her parents took the decision to leave their baby at an orphanage in the hope that she would survive the horrific events of that time. A decision that turned out better for her and not so for her parents whom she never saw again. It was a truly emotional and humbling experience. Year 7 Crashed Cox Green! In November the school hosted its first ever sleepover—Year 7 Crashed Cox Green! This event was planned, advertised and run by the Humanities Committee.

40 Year 7 students slept in the humanities room, and spent the evening playing games and watching movies. The students were provided with a lovely lasagne and pineapple turnover cake cooked by the Year 11 catering students, who relished the opportunity to cook a two course healthy meal for the students. Everyone had a brilliant time.

The Humanities Committee is a group of enterprising Year 8 students who are raising money for a humanities trip. Their crashing Cox Green night raised £150.

Oxbridge Interview Practice - Reading Blue Coat School.

On the 19th of November, Oxbridge candidates in the Sixth Form were given the opportunity to visit Reading Bluecoat School and take part in mock interviews as preparation for Oxbridge.

The evening began with group interviews in which we sat and listened to each other as we were asked questions about our personal statements. This session was a fantastic exercise in being able to explain exactly why a university course particularly appeals, giving details of favourite modules or topics, and expressing our enthusiasm. We were all given individual feedback on the strong points of our interviews, and advised on how we could further improve our answers. Following on from this, we were each given individual interviews as well to focus more specifically on our subjects of interest. I was given a poem to read and analyse a few minutes before my interview and was then questioned on my interpretations of it. Additionally, I was asked more specific questions on my personal statement, such as whether I felt that there was any pure love presented in ‘Lolita’, and why I thought the title of ‘Enduring Love’ was ambiguous. I found these questions particularly interesting as I was familiar with the books, but I was then asked to defend my opinions of them; this was something I had not been challenged to do before. Towards the end of the individual interviews, questions moved to the more traditional Oxbridge reasoning questions. I found these the most engaging questions as I was constructing arguments for and against questions such as “Should there be awards for literature?” and forming opinions on matters I may not have thought about otherwise. We were invited back on the 3rd of December to participate in more interview preparations, this time focusing on confidence and first impressions. We were introduced to the lady running the session, Ginny Avery, and were then informed of the importance of a good first impression. To enforce this, we were told to practise our handshakes, with everyone walking around the room and introducing ourselves to each other. After some initial nervous laughter, we really began to engage with what Ginny was saying and how it made such a big difference. We moved on to practising physical relaxation techniques, swinging arms to relax the shoulders, and scrunching up our faces to enable better facial movement (cue more nervous laughter). Finishing the group session, we then had individual interviews with Ginny to assess our actions during interview. We spoke about how to greet the interviewer (remembering handshakes), how to dress to impress, and even how to change your body language to show we were engaging. The sessions at Bluecoat School were valuable experiences in preparing us for interviews, and I know that I have certainly learned many lessons which will come in useful for any university or even job interviews in the future. Emma Fagence, Sixth Form

Congratulations to the VEX Robotics team: The team competed in a regional competition at Winston Churchill School in Surrey. There were nine other teams and in the final team challenge, Cox Green became runners up with only 1 point away from qualifying for the National Finals.

The team (Hannah Croft, Charlotte Hayward Faulkner, Niamh Clark, and Katie Tuttlebee) had some issues initially with the functioning of the robot, however, they worked as a team to overcome these challenges by diagnosing the issues, applying the research they had done and then readjusting parts of it to enhance its performance.

Teams worked co-operatively in the 1 minute challenge to dislodge the balls from their positions, gaining bonus points for driving their robots up the ramp and remaining there until the end of the minute.

Our team was a credit to the school and demonstrated a resilience in the face of what seemed initially to be quite a mountain to climb.

We are all extremely pleased with them and we are looking forward to the rest of the team (Charlotte Sheddon, Jessica Richard and Lucy Langdale) joining them at the next regional competition. Well done girls! Brilliant work!

Romeo and Juliet at the opening of the Bandstand for the Queen’s Birthday Celebrations in Alexandra Gardens Windsor.

On Wednesday 20th April, 8 of our Year 10 students had the honour of taking part in Her Majesty’s 90th birthday celebrations, in Alexandra Gardens, Windsor. It was a beautiful day for such a special event to take place with the sun shining down into the bandstand, which the Queen opened during the celebration. We all thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with Langley Grammar School and the Shakespeare Schools Festival Directors and it was a privilege for all of us to perform for Her Majesty.

When the Queen made her way up to the bandstand to greet Romeo, (Tim, Langley Grammar), and I, we were both unimaginably exhilarated. We not only had the opportunity to have a conversation with both Her Majesty and Prince Philip, but we got to shake both their hands, something not many people can say they’ve done, I’m sure! I was also told by the Duke of Edinburgh that if I stay at school for another 3 years, I’ll be going grey by the time I leave! It was such an incredible opportunity and we all loved every minute of the experience, it was definitely a day we will never forget. Jess Wood, Year 10

Paris Trip 2016 During the February half term, 50 students took part in a trip to Paris. We stayed in outdoor luxury PODS and took part in a range of activities from visiting Science museums, the Eiffel Tower and a chocolate factory.

I think most would agree that the day trip to Disneyland was an absolute highlight finishing off with all watching the parade together.

Mr Slater’s morning wake up calls have been missed by all students as well as Mr Casserley’s daily radio station “Chateau FM”

Cox Green Chamber Choir raise the roof of the Royal Albert Hall On Sunday 1st May, 21 members of our Chamber Choir, ages 13-18, travelled to London with Mr Davie and Ms Beach to sing in the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Celebration of Music in Berkshire organised by Berkshire Maestros.

What an incredible experience! We had the opportunity to sing some of the most inspiring choral works of all time in a choir of 700 young people from schools across the county, Berkshire Youth Choir and Berkshire Youth Orchestra joined by members of the BBC Concert Orchestra. The programme included famous choral and operatic works by Haydn, Verdi, Mozart, Handel and Bizet including the iconic ‘Hallelujah Chorus’. Whilst the photographs give an impression of the enormous numbers involved and the awesome venue, for a real sense of the sound please listen to : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59l6cN-OLSE. Thanks to all the parents and to Mrs Olmos who came to support us.

Trip to Wembley Stadium—Arsenal Vs Chelsea Women’s Football On Saturday 14th May the fantastic u13 girls’ football team travelled down to the iconic Wembley Stadium to watch Arsenal Ladies take on Chelsea Ladies. With Arsenal being the most successful women's team in the history of English football, Chelsea had an uphill task to overcome one of the fiercest and well established teams in the women's super league. The game saw a fantastic strike from Danielle Carter, Arsenal's number 9, resulting in an early first half goal for Arsenal. The second half saw much of the same, strong attacking pressure with Chelsea not really turning up. 1-0 to Arsenal Ladies was the final score.

The girls had a fantastic day and in a few years potentially we could be going to watch some of these girls playing in the FA Cup final! THE SCHOOL YEAR SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS

Pole Vaulting Bronze for Jack McAra Year 11 Jack has had a busy summer on the athletics field. He competes for Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow Athletics Club (WSEH) who won the UK Youth Development League Final on Sunday to establish themselves as the top athletics club in the UK at U17/U20 level.

Jack won a bronze medal in the U17 Pole Vault “A” event, equalling his Personal Best in the process at the famous Alexander Stadium, Birmingham on Sunday. This was Jack’s first appearance in a National Final and hopefully the first medal of many on the National stage.

Toby Pritchard successful selection for the County Football Squad Following two rounds of trials, Toby Pritchard (Year 11) has been selected to play in the Berkshire Schools’ Football Association Under 16 Boys County Football Squad!

Fred’s Selection to County Football Fred Chapman Year 9 has been chosen to represent the Under 14's in goal at County Level football. This selection followed a friendly match against Hertfordshire on October 3rd, which was a great game that ended in a draw. Fred is looking forward to the future games and is very proud to wear the county

tie.

Katie Crowhurst has Paralympic Potential Katie Crowhurst (7A1) is a visually impaired swimmer. She competes nationally as an S13 Para Swimmer. She is on British Swimming's England Talent programme and last year and this year she made the times for the next programme up— 'World Class Podium Potential' - but you have to be 12 to be accepted onto this programme.

Katie has competed in the ASA South East Region Winter Championships and won 3 Medals - Silver in her 100m Backstroke, Silver in her 400m Freestyle and Bronze in her 100m Freestyle.

Katie also won the Young Sports Star Award for the South East and has been nominated to win the overall Young Sports Person of the Year Award. In December Katie travelled to Manchester to compete in the British Swimming Para National Championships where she hopes to make the times to compete next April in the Paralympic Trials in Glasgow. It’s a tough sport and although Katie is chasing the Tokyo Paralympic dream she may not ever make it but she will certainly have had some fantastic opportunities and experiences along the way.

CGS Teams win at the 5-a-side National Girls League Cup!

On Wednesday 2nd December, 11 budding year 7 and 8 footballers travelled to Woodley to play in the annual U13 5-a side National Girls League Cup. Cox Green was represented strongly with 2 teams entering the tournament.

The final was against Waingels, who had previously beaten our other team 4-1 in the group stage. The whole squad was ready to fight and give absolutely everything in the final match. The girls were undefeated champions of the day and richly deserved the medals and certificates they received.

Each and every player who came was a true ambassador for the school and a real credit to themselves. Their sporting manner was exemplary throughout the day and I could not be more proud of their performance and conduct. They have made me one very proud coach. Miss P Glover

MiniGP Champion from Year 8 After coming second in the 2015 British MiniGP Championship, Aditya Behal, Year 8, went on to the top of the leaderboard in the MiniGP 70cc World Championships 2016 after a trio of race wins. He is doing so well that he is on course for honours in the MiniGP 50cc and 70cc British Championship.

Abbie Jones represents Cox Green and Berkshire at English Schools at Cross Country Abbie Jones of Year 9 has been selected to represent Berkshire at English Schools Cross Country on 4th/5th March 2016 representing Cox Green. Abbie competed in two other races (one in Newbury - with lots of other Cox Green Students, and one in Bexhill on Sea) to be selected.

Ametz Parcell-Arregi to Cox at The Oarsport Junior Sculling Head at Dorney Lake

Ametz, Year 7, has been selected by her rowing club, to cox one of the sculling boats at the Oarsport Junior Sculling Head National Competition next Friday 18th of March at Dorney Lake.

Ametz is learning to row and trains every Saturday and Sunday at Maidenhead. She has already coxed a winning team at the National Championships in Scotland last year—the Junior Team won silver!

U15 Rugby Star Charlie Scott, Year 10 Charlie was chosen to represent Berkshire in the u15 rugby matches against Dorset and Wiltshire on Sunday! Well done Charlie!

Bronze Medal for our Girls! Olivia Phelps Year 8 and Abbie Jones, Year 9, both represented Team Berkshire in the Regional Sportshall Athletic Finals at Burgess Hill. Both won a bronze medal in their respective events (U13 and U15 4x200m relay teams).

Berkshire School Games On Wednesday 16th March 2016, ten phenomenal Year 7 and 8 girls attended the Berkshire School Games at Bisham Abbey in Marlow. After a successful unbeaten streak at the previous tournament and a first place finish, the girls’ confidence was high as we arrived at the National Sports Centre.

The final saw us come up against Waingels again. The last time Cox Green played Waingels the game finished 3-3 and had been decided on penalties where we were victorious; neither team wanted this to be the outcome this time. The game started well for the opponents with a quick brace from their midfield resulting in a 2-0 lead. Sadly on the day, Waingels were a little stronger and managed to clasp the last goal with seconds remaining 3-2 to Waingels the game finished. Cox Green were the runners up.

The girls were exceptional throughout the day and their sporting behaviour and manners showed them to be true accolades for the school. They did themselves and the school proud.

Well done girls! I’m so immensely proud of you all. Miss Glover

Our amazing girls win 5-1! ( against Charters) and bring back the Berkshire Schools Cup!

A superb game!

On Tuesday 21st April the U13 Cox Green footballers travelled to Thatcham Town Football Club for the U13 Girls County Cup Final.

Near the end of the match the score was 5-0 to Cox Green, but the girls remained calm and composed and continued to work to their absolute best, continuously pushing the limits of their footballing ability. The game ended 5-1 to Cox Green and we were declared the County Champions!

The girls were not only excellent in this game, but have been all season, they are truly heroes and I can’t wait to get the new season rolling in September! Well done girls, you are truly superb! Miss Glover

CGS win West Berkshire Year 10 Boys Cup Final This was the Year 10 Boys Cup final against Brackenhale to decide the best team in West Berkshire. We had already beaten them 5-0 in the group stages but anything can happen in a final so the boys were fully prepared for the last game of the season.

The game started very well, Cox Green were on top right from the start and we created several chances before we eventually managed to score, beating the keeper to tap the ball in. Cox Green continued to threaten and the midfield was particularly strong dominating the possession and disrupting Brackenhale’s ball whenever they had it. We were 2-0 up at half-time. The second half started fairly edgy with Cox Green unable to finish the game off with a third goal. Brackenhale managed to score from an early free kick to make the game a very tense final. Thankfully we kept the defence under control and Brackenhale rarely looked like equalising. Cox Green managed to seal the win so the game finished 3-1. Mr Slade

Shot County Champion Congratulations to Molly Horler, Year 11. Molly won First Place for the Intermediate Girls Shot at the County Championship at Palmer Park in June. Fantastic!

PARENT/STUDENT SURVEYS

INCLUSION Cox Green School continues to pride itself on its fully inclusive nature, philosophy and provision. Every student on the school SEN register has a personalised student progress plan that teachers and students feed into to ensure our students receive the best education possible.

Early intervention and identification of need is the focal point of Inclusion at Cox Green. Strong pastoral care coupled with this and the very firm belief that every lesson, every day, and every child counts ensures that our support meets the needs of all our learners. “Never try, never Know” has allowed our students to take risks, and for students to take risks, they must feel secure in their learning. Students know their well-being and academic progress remain paramount and are confident in their learning provision and abilities as our PASS survey shows.

Support within school has gone from strength to strength through bespoke intervention. One- to -one behaviour mentoring and emotional literacy support have proved very successful along with our extended counselling services. Speech and Language within Cox Green is the bedrock of our provision and has proved to have had a profound impact on the support and intervention offered within the school. A large amount of students have benefited from this provision, as have teachers who have also built upon strategies to advance teaching, learning and differentiation within the classroom.

MORE ABLE STUDENTS AT COX GREEN Meeting the needs of our More Able students is of paramount importance and we offer challenge in lessons and a diverse range of enrichment activities as well as individual monitoring and support.

More Able students at Cox Green School last year excelled themselves again. Some students really took on board Malcolm Gladwell’s idea: to become an expert in something requires 10,000 hours of practice, we wonder where they fit it all in!

Staff last year worked collaboratively to trial new and unconventional techniques in their classrooms to stretch and challenge students. This saw a rise in the use of mobile technology use in the classroom which students have welcomed very much.

‘TeachMeet’ events were run again at Cox Green School to share teaching ideas and strategies across teachers in the Windsor and Maidenhead area.

A number of Sixth form students attended mock interviews at Reading Blue Coats School to prepare them for Oxbridge and Russell Group interviews. The students were put through their paces in both group and individual interviews with a wide range of questions thrown at them. All found it great practice for not just University interviews, but any type of interview.

Year 10 students visited Brasenose College Oxford. They found the trip eye-opening, with a member of the Oxford University staff talking about the importance of GCSEs, time management and being passionate about your interests. Overall the trip was very interesting and made the students realise how much they need to focus on developing their knowledge and understanding over the next few years.

As a school we have also been working with all of our students to show them how they should review each day’s learning in the evening and discuss how they can extend their knowledge in areas they are interested in. Done consistently, this makes students less anxious towards exams and makes them more attractive as candidates to employers and Universities.

Mentoring for our More Able students has been highly successful and we have provided highly individualised programmes for our students. LITERACY The new school year kicked off with another Extreme Reading competition! Our students and staff showed just how thrilling reading can be by getting caught reading all over the world.

Reading continues to have a high profile in the Cox Green community. This year 3,195 books were borrowed! To continue our love of reading, many students received extra opportunities to engage with all sorts of authors.

Twelve Year 7 and Year 8 students are taking part in the CILIP Carnegie shadowing scheme. This means they 'shadow' the judging process for the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards; they read, discuss and review the books on each shortlist selected by CILIP's panel of librarian judges and engage in reading related activity online. So far, the favourite is There Will be Lies by Nick Lake.

Some of our More Able Year 10 readers are also part of a book club which is run by RBWM. Twice a term, they meet in the library to discuss more challenging books that they may not encounter in the curriculum. They have read a wide variety of books from young adult fiction such as More Than This by Patrick Ness to modern classics such as The Great Gatsby.

In March we celebrated World Book Day. Morris Gleitzman,

Australian author of the popular Onc e series, delighted Year 7 with his funny stories and advice to budding writers. Many students bought books by the author and had the opportunity to meet him. He generously took time to speak to the students and to sign their books with personalised messages after his talk.

As 2016 is the year of Shakespeare, the Borough Library Service offered Cox Green students an exciting opportunity to work with a poet to enhance their creative writing skills. Thirty of our More Able Year 8 students worked with Philip Wells, the Fire Poet, and received an energetic and engaging workshop on the poems of the Bard and the 400th anniversary of his death on 23 April 2016.

This year we continued the Read, Write, Inc Fresh Start intervention programme for Year 7 students who are reading below expected level. Students are placed in groups based on their reading age and work from specific modules which contain a fiction or non-fiction text and a range of writing and comprehension activities which provide practice in the sounds and graphemes taught in the phonics lessons. The programme has been highly successful: out of a total of 31 Year 7 students, 25 students improved their reading scores in just one term. THE SIXTH FORM The Sixth Form has had another exciting academic year.

The core values of Commitment (to achievement), Aspiration and Collaboration have been at the centre of everything we do. We have worked hard to build our Post 16 students’ competencies, their character and their sense of belonging to the world. We are fully committed to ensure that all our students leave us with the cultural capital they need to be successful citizens, now and in the future. We have strived to ensure our 6th Form students have very strong personal leadership to enable them to be leaders of their own life.

We have introduced our specialised programme: LIVE TO LEARN, LEARN TO LIVE, to ensure our students have all the skills they will need to flourish in a changing education and social environment, no matter how challenging. We want our students to be ready for study, ready for work, ready for life!

There have been some changes to the structures in the 6th Form to reflect our vision. These have included a daily morning student briefing, that is often led by students to their peers where an inspirational thought for the day is discussed.

Students also attend personal leadership Seminars. Students sign up to these allowing them significant choice. Seminars have included Mindfulness, creative thinking, motivating yourself, debating skills, first aid, and personal finance skills. Students also experienced the Safe Drive event to teach them about safe driving.

Wednesday afternoon is dedicated to enrichment for all 6th Formers. There has been a range of recreational sport for students to partake in, including ultimate Frisbee, golf, ice skating, football and fitness. Students have had the opportunity to learn other new skills also such as knitting, DIY, construction, budget cooking and driving skills. This has all been very well received. Staff (including non-teaching staff) from across the school have supported with the delivery of the enrichment.

Through the Pixl Edge accredited programme students have contributed to the school and wider community through volunteering and fundraising. This has included organizing charity cake sales and mentoring students from other year groups. Some students have volunteered for example, to deliver Music therapy sessions in Maidenhead community centre on a weekly basis.

A number of Year 12 and year 13 students successfully completed their Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). Students are required to carry out their own research in order to find an answer to the problem they set. Students have attended a variety of sessions led by visiting universities to develop key project skills. The students presented their final projects during a showcase evening to Governors, parents, staff and peers.

Sustaining a culture of high expectations and aspirations has continued to be a key priority and outstanding impartial careers guidance ensures that our learners develop clear and realistic plans for their future. This was demonstrated for instance, through our engagement with a group of external colleagues from a wide variety of professions when we hosted the first ever ‘You’re Hired’ event for year 13. This involved our students having bespoke workshops beforehand on writing application forms, CVs and letters of application and how to present themselves in an interview session. The feedback from students and the visiting colleagues was excellent and suggests our learners have developed personal, social and employability skills through this high quality non-qualification activity.

Year 12 have had the opportunity to experience work placements and one of our students has secured a week’s experience with Theresa May, our new Prime Minister, in the Houses of Parliament.

Students have been supported to prepare for leaving school and venturing into the world of further education. Year 12 attended the ‘Higher Education Convention’ in London, gaining a wealth of information and help from exhibits from learning providers, universities and possible apprenticeships, in order to set them up for Year 13.

Meanwhile, our current Year 13s are getting ready to leave for new adventures after exams. We are delighted with the offers our students have received, which is testament to their hard work and support they have had from staff. Offers include; Bristol University to undertake Creative Music technology and Birmingham University to study Human Biology. Also, some students, again through determination and hard work, have secured outstanding apprenticeships in a range of areas including for example Deloitte and American Airlines. We are so proud of these amazing student achievements. TEACHING QUALITY As a school, we have continued to drive teaching and learning practices to address our action points from OFSTED, this has meant encouraging both students and teachers to take risks in the classroom to develop student curiosity.

In February 2016, we trialled a new style of coached lesson observation. In English, students were seen developing their debating skills which stimulated their curiosity, and led to greater engagement in lessons. In Business Studies, new technology was being used through revision apps on students’ smartphones to consolidate work and aid students with exam preparation. Smartphone technology has also been harnessed in History though the programme “Pickers”, which lesson observation records showed students were highly engaged with their learning. Music has experimented with “flipping” students learning, to encourage more independence in their learning. This has been particularly successful in providing appropriate challenge for our More Able students.

The Maths Department has been bringing outside world problems into the classroom to make learning relevant via work based examples and through problem based learning. This has allowed students to be encouraged to challenge themselves and to think critically about the problems being presented. Maths has also been experimenting with choice in learning, so students can choose questions which are relevant to their ability.

Our ambition, to get students to question themselves and the world they live in, has also been promoted through our use of “Thunks”. A ‘’thunk’’ has been posed to the students to encourage deeper thought. The aim of creating independent resilient and curious learners will continue next year, furthering our ambition that Cox Green is recognised for “outstanding” teaching and learning.

STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Whole school professional development has been used to enhance already great teaching. Sarah Pavey from the world renowned educational company “Independent Thinking” worked with our staff in January on different teaching methods to promote curiosity.

We have continued to share practice in briefings, which has included the staff being introduced to “Kahoot”. This professional development has had an impact across the school but particularly in areas such as Science, RS and History where it’s being used to engage whole classes in questioning through their smart devices.

This year we held another successful ‘Teachmeet’ which saw both teachers and educational companies demonstrating the latest innovative practice used in schools. Cox Green teachers took a leading role in presenting their ideas and the event is attended by many colleagues from the local area.

Cox Green is now the lead school in “Teach Maidenhead,” an initiative which has seen us training the future teachers of Maidenhead schools. Next year the organisation will be expanding and developing the NQT programme to allow new teachers to get access to excellent professional development across the Maidenhead schools. OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR VIEW Jake Harrington During my time studying at Cox Green Sixth Form I have enjoyed each of my subjects thoroughly and have found that there is always somebody available to help if you should need it. The subject teachers are all very dedicated and have given me that extra push when I was struggling for motivation – such as showing me useful revision apps and pointing me to resources. I have also managed to gain essential skills in my chosen subjects and progress towards my next step which will hopefully be studying Architectural Technology at the University of Northampton.

Majid Hajmahmoud My time at Cox Green Sixth Form has been a real experience! There have been a lot of ups and downs, but it is safe to say I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Sixth Form. The teachers have been extremely supportive and I am sure they will continue to be so for future students, as they are so committed. Although I am sad to be leaving Sixth Form I am very excited to see what the future holds for me and I would like to think that Cox Green Sixth Form has taught me some of the skills I will need for Brunel University next year where I hope to study Computer Science.

Beth Gardner My time at Cox Green has been a wonderful and educative experience. I have met many new people and made so many new friends. Sixth form has been great, as it gives you the first step into being independent, helped by bespoke seminars on topics I will definitely need at university – like finance and housekeeping. The teachers and sixth form team support you enormously, advising you as to what step to take next and also helping with any other issues you may have. I am delighted to have a place at Brighton University next year to study Creative Writing. PUPIL PREMIUM Cox Green School sees reducing the progress gap between those in receipt of free school meals in the last 6 years (Pupil Premium) and those not as an absolute priority. We interview all our Pupil Premium students throughout the year to identify their strengths and areas for development and work hard on an individual basis to remove these barriers.

We have also strengthened our interview process for transition from year 6 into 7 as we aim to involve parents earlier on and make greater impact.

Pupil Premium students have received a careers interview and all have attended a University open day. The additional funding the school receives for those in receipt of free school meals has supported a range of initiatives which are explained in detail on the school website where they have been evaluated for impact.

We continually adjust our curriculum offer so that it is bespoke to each year group. This year we have run courses such as ‘Learning for life’ and ‘Prince’s Trust’. In addition to these courses we run bespoke interventions for students, such as ‘managing distractions’, ‘self-esteem/confidence’ groups, ‘Kidzania’ and ‘Read-Write-Inc’ to name a few. Maths and English run smaller classes sizes in particular year groups to support students with the core skills and run targeted revision sessions for individuals to work on gaps identified in mock exams and classes. The images below are of some of our students who attend an experience called ‘Kidzania’ where students took on roles in F1 racing teams, as ambulance crew, as Radio presenters and so on. We are very aware that a set of good qualifications at GCSE or A Level are not the only tools students will need to reach their next step of University, Apprenticeship and ultimately their career.

We have invested this year in running a homework club for students and have encouraged students to attend where it is felt they would benefit, or where they have indicated they need support from an adult at school and access to resources. The homework club has run on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 3.15 to 4pm in IT2. Students have been shown in tutor time how to review their work each day and also how to manage their time and homework using their planners. Students are aware they should be spending about 50 to 80mins per evening reviewing the day’s learning from their five lessons in addition to any homework they are given from a subject. Students who have gone on to do well at Apprenticeships or University always remark that it is the little and often work they have done that has helped them the most.

We subsidise trips for those in receipt of free school meals, encourage participation in one of the myriad of extra-curricular and enrichment clubs run during breaks and at either end of the day. Examples of such enrichment activities this year have included: a trip to Rome, trips to various universities including Oxford University and Oxford Brookes, a wealth of performing arts and musical events, an array of sporting events and other trips including Paris, Auschwitz and the WWI Battlefields. We recognise that although we publish enrichment activities and suggest them to students they still do not always attend. We would strongly urge parents and carers to ensure that their child participates in at least one enrichment activity to help nurture their soft-skills and make them more competitive career-wise. Employers are on the look-out for the soft-skills of communication, leadership and teamwork.

We urge parents and carers over the summer break to encourage their children to continue to read for pleasure, to visit the many free attractions on offer both locally and in London which help equip each child for their next steps as their cultural awareness and experiences grow. The National Trust have a list of 50 ideas for children to do this summer - https://www.50things.org.uk/ ATTENDANCE Our attendance figures have continued to improve dramatically year on year, with this academic year being the highest yet. This is a result of students feeling safe, because they enjoy coming to the school and the support that is offered to them and their families by our SAFE and pastoral teams.

We work tirelessly at improving students’ attendance. We offer support to parents through parenting classes, regular home-school contact, support in lessons, use of within school resources and referral to outside agencies. Attendance is vital to all of us as it supports achievement, progress and social interaction both in and out of school and ultimately to provide the holistic, well- rounded education at the centre of our core values.

Our aim continues to ensure that every student has an attendance figure of at least 96% by the end of the academic year. The attendance tracker monitors students’ attendance and this is celebrated each week and in termly rewards assemblies.

The impact of the attendance tracker, in conjunction with the work of the SAFE Team and the Attendance Officer, have ensured Cox Green’s attendance is still above the national average and is higher than last year’s for overall school attendance. In addition, our Persistent Absence figure (those students who have less than 90% attendance) has reduced again this year. A student who has an attendance of 90% or less will have missed about half a year of school and will achieve 3 GCSE grades less than the average student.

Punctuality to school and lessons is also a constant focus for us as we are preparing students for the working world and reinforcing successful employment habits. The number of students attending school late in the mornings is minimal. CAREERS It has once again been a very exciting year where all students in years 8-13 have been given impartial and sound careers advice. New careers drop in careers advice sessions have been available for all students and have proved very popular.

Options The year began with year 8 and 9 students being guided through their option choices, students worked through an option booklet for a number of weeks in PSHE time. Following the parents’ introduction evening session students then experienced an options taster day. There were an array of activities which included guest speakers talking to our students about careers in construction, apprenticeship opportunities and Policing. This was followed by a session on skills required in employment, such as communication and resilience.

Business and Industry Links

This year we have been very fortunate to work alongside Learning to Work. This has enabled us to attend several events. Year 10 students attended an informative Hospitality and Catering event at East Berkshire College. It was a chance to meet local and national employers and included British Airways, LEGOLAND, and the Marriott Hotel Slough. It also provided our students with the opportunity to talk to East Berkshire College about Apprenticeship vacancies and vocational courses.

We held two fantastic “You’re Hired” Interview days this year. Year 11 and 13 students were tasked with preparing for a mock interview by writing a covering letter, filling in an application form or writing a personal statement. These were then shared with an external business representative who interviewed the student on a one to one basis. The days were an enormous success and feedback from students was extremely positive. One of the students was offered a work experience placement with a barrister following on from their interview. The Sixth Form have also attended new seminars throughout the year on topics such as applying for apprenticeships, CV writing, researching volunteering roles and work experience opportunities.

Our Oxbridge/ Russell Group candidates attended a practice interview session at Reading Blue Coat School, which was a great experience and provided them with some valuable experience and feedback.

“What Next?” Evening The ‘What Next?’ parents evening was well attended. This event was to inform parents about the next steps after sixth form. Presentations on the different pathways of apprenticeships, UCAS, GAP years and employment were extremely well received by parents. Jenny Vince represented the National Apprenticeship Organisation and provided excellent information to all about new national apprenticeship opportunities. BEHAVIOUR AND SAFETY “Students are courteous and polite and they respect others. Their smart appearance, the good presentation of their work and the absence of litter and graffiti around the site reflect the pride students have in their school.”(Ofsted 2015)

Attitudes to all aspects of learning are extremely positive within the school. “Students approach their learning with commitment and enthusiasm for the tasks set, particularly when activities are challenging and make them think hard. They work well together. Disruption in lessons is extremely rare.” Students continue to respond quickly to staff’s instructions and as such lessons flow smoothly with minimum disruption. The behaviour policy is consistently implemented and rigorously monitored within the school and as such students at Cox Green know the expectations of the school and adhere to the expectations which are transparent to all. Our positive ethos remains, and is best highlighted in the positive learning environments and student/ teacher relationships seen on a daily basis. 98% of parents surveyed reported that their child felt happy at school this year.

Bullying, homophobic and racist incidents within Cox Green remain very low. This is because the school prides itself on its implementation of the British values of fairness, tolerance and respect. These are shared 25

by all within the school and developed and encouraged through the strong SMSC and PSHE programmes. These values are modelled by and reinforced by staff in the classroom, through assemblies and through the encouragement of positive interaction within the more social aspects of school life. Cox Green prides itself on its community spirit and on being a local community school.

The school goes above and beyond in all aspects to keep students safe and secure. Students feel safe and are kept safe. We ensure through our pastoral care that students are made aware of possible threats and challenges especially with regard to bullying, internet safety, child sexual exploitation and the prevention of radicalisation and extremism. The support and guidance of the SAFE Team is pivotal in this. Their work remains the bedrock of our pastoral care and safeguarding within the school and has ensured that our students receive care, nurturing and the therapeutic support so vitally needed at crucial times.

As a learning community, we strive to ensure all students enjoy the benefits of a positive, friendly learning environment. Students and staff take pride in the school and celebrate our achievement. Positive behaviour is acknowledged, rewarded and celebrated within the school. It is shared within the student body, with parents and within the whole school community. We have this year, because of the good behaviour, encouraged both staff and students take risks in their teaching and learning. As such we have created an environment where students feel safe, challenged, encouraged to succeed and where the learning experience is fun, enjoyable and celebrated. STUDENT LEADERSHIP Student Leadership at Cox Green has continued to flourish this year. We currently offer the following leadership opportunities to our students: STEM Leaders, Humanities Committee, Student Ambassadors and Sports Leaders.

Our STEM Leaders have welcomed visiting STEM lecturers to the school and helped design and implement our year 5 and 6 Science event, to inspire a natural curiosity for science.

Our Humanities Committee have met regularly to plan a series of Humanities themed activities for themselves and others to take part in. This has included the very popular event called ‘Year 7 Crashes Cox Green School’. These Leaders planned, risk assessed and helped run a sleepover for students in Year 7, which raised significant funds for the Humanities committee. They have run a series of other competitions which students went on and a fact-finding hunt and received a prize for successful completion and organising a cultural day trip to London.

The Student Ambassadors are appointed from years 8 to 10. They are a self-managed group that provide amazing support at school events and with fundraising, and they have recently organised a non-uniform day to raise funds for the 'Buy a Brick' Campaign for the construction of the Alexander Devine Children's Hospice at Woodlands Park. They also assisted with the Transition Day for Year 6 students by arranging some team building activities.

Sports Leaders have gained valuable skills and qualities that have not only contributed to their GCSE Physical Education course but their confidence and self-esteem. Our leaders continue to develop high-quality sports sessions for their peers, younger year groups and our local schools. This year, our leaders have been further challenged by planning and leading excellent multi skills sessions to Manor Green Students. The feedback received from both students and staff from Manor Green was outstanding. Our sports leaders have also assisted in Intra-house, interschool and after school House activities.

Our 6th Form Head Boy and Head Girl have attended Governors meetings to represent the Cox Green School student body. Other 6th Form student leaders have organised an array of fundraising activities and helped mentor younger aged students.

All our leadership programmes have had a significant impact on our students. Greater opportunities have been created for the school and wider community through our students giving up their own time. They also continue to inspire many others with everything they do. SITE IMPROVEMENTS We were delighted to receive the news in September 2015 that the Local Authority has asked us to expand by 30 students from September 2017. Due to the parental choice demand for the 2016 intake the expansion was brought forward to September 2016.

Work is due to start on site early 2017. Architects are working with the school to plan the new buildings that will be required as the numbers increase over the next seven years and this will bring new facilities to all of the students of the school including additional classrooms, changing facilities and a long awaited improved dining and kitchen facility. THE GOVERNING BODY Governors Community Governors Parent Governors Teacher Governors Mr Paul Louden – Chair Mrs Diane Armstrong Mr Matt Foster Mr Steve Lumb – Vice Chair Mrs Julie Batten Vacancy Mr Peter Thorn Mrs Wen-Lan Richard Mr Clive Haines Mr Marc Tucker Mrs Gwenda Lilley 2 Vacancies

Staff Support Governor Headteacher Head Boy and Head Girl Mr Graham Jons Ms Heidi Swidenbank (non-voting members)

The work of the Governing Body Organisational Structure The governors have responsibility for setting and monitoring the overall strategic direction of the school, approving decisions reserved to governors and appointing key members of staff.

The governors meet as a board five or six times each year. All decisions reserved to the governors are taken by the board as a whole. Board committees meet four or five times each year to consider detailed matters and recommend decisions to the full board.

There are 5 such committees:

Leadership and Management

Remit:

 Responsible for ensuring the effective operation of the Governing Body committees;  Continue to develop strategies to achieve school improvement;  To co-ordinate the working of the Governing Body and agree proposals to go to the Governing Body;  Ensure the Governing Body has a set of strategic planning processes for the advancement of the school and that these are supported by a clear set of plans;  Ensuring the effectiveness of the Governing Body through a rigorous self-evaluation process;  To be the first sounding board for potential major changes to the school;  Responsible for oversight of the sustainability of school leadership;  Responsible for SEF Strand 4 – Leadership and Management and 8 – Summative Judgements and the integration of the overall SEF document;  To provide information to the full governing body on all key personnel and employee issues. To include a review of workforce data on an annual basis;  To ensure Performance Management recommendations are adhered to and to recommend the Pay Policy (including Teaching and Learning Responsibilities) to the full governing body;  Oversight of School Evaluation Framework as agreed on the annual Self Review and Development Planning Calendar.

Membership:

Paul Louden – Chair Steve Lumb Peter Thorn Heidi Swidenbank

People and External Relations Committee Remit:  To ensure that the school places the best interests of pupils as individuals and as a group at the forefront of its every action. To include a review of Behaviour Policy and pupil exclusions and a review of Child Protection Policy including the appointment of a Child Protection Governor.  Safeguarding. Also to ensure that all governors have up to date safeguarding training  To ensure the Governing Body is appropriately trained through the appointment of a Link Development Governor.  Oversee the delivery of the school’s Extended Schools Provision  Monitor the Prospectus including distribution  Relationship with RBWM and Maidenhead Federation

Membership:

Mr Steve Lumb – Acting Chair Mrs Wen-Lan Richard Mr Paul Louden Mrs Helen Hannam (Assistant Head) Mrs Julie Batten Mr Clive Haines Mrs Diane Armstrong Mr Ed Hillyard (Deputy Head)

Finance & Resources Committee Remit:

 To assist the decision making of the governing body, by enabling more detailed consideration to be given to the best means of fulfilling the governing body's responsibility  To ensure sound management of the academy’s finances and resources, including proper planning, monitoring and probity  To make appropriate comments and recommendations on such matters to the governing body on a regular basis

Membership

Mr Peter Thorn (Chair) Mrs Heidi Swidenbank (Headteacher) Mr Paul Louden Mrs Gill Newman (School Business Manager) Mr Steve Lumb Mrs Caroline Dunne (Deputy Business Manager) Mr Graham Jons

Audit Committee Remit:

This committee is a subset of the Finance & Resources Committee.

Membership

Mr Peter Thorn (Chair) Mrs Heidi Swidenbank (Headteacher) Mr Paul Louden Mrs Gill Newman (School Business Manager) Mr Steve Lumb Mrs Caroline Dunne (Deputy Business Manager)

Teaching & Learning Committee Remit:

This committee has the responsibility of focusing on the quality of teaching that is undertaken in the school and the outcome of that teaching. Good teaching alongside other enrichment activities enables our young people to learn effectively and aspire to be the best they can be.

At every meeting the committee reviews a dashboard of

 KS3 Level of progress  KS4 (GCSE) progress measures by subject and cohort  Current Year 11 targets  Overall quality of teaching  Appropriate policies

Parents should be aware that no individuals are named, these are overall statistics.

The metrics are used to analyse trends and review measures where these trends are negative.

This committee is also involved in monitoring any subject specific reviews that are undertaken and monitoring any subsequent interventions in the results. This year Maths and Modern Foreign Languages were reviewed.

Membership

Mr Peter Thorn – Acting Chair Mr Marc Tucker Mrs Diane Armstrong Mr Paul Slater – Assistant Head Mrs Gwenda Lilley Mrs Beth Sanderson – Assistant Head Mrs Wen-Lan Richard