CHOSEN HILL SCHOOL Brookfield Road, Churchdown, Gloucester GL3 2PL Tel: 01452 713488 Fax: 01452 714976 Website address: http://www.chosen-hill.gloucs.sch.uk Headteacher: Mrs. Sue Turner PARENTS’ NEWSLETTER AUTUMN TERM 2005 Chosen Hill is committed to the provision of a broad and balanced education to meet the individual needs of all students so enabling them to realise their full academic, personal and social potential. Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s) Welcome to the new school year and a particularly warm welcome to our 228 new Yr. 7 students and 31 new staff. Last term a number of staff gained extremely well-deserved promotion and a few, equally well-deserved, retirement, so we are joined this year by an unusually large number of new staff. We are delighted to be fully staffed and to have attracted such strong fields to our vacancies. Most of our students have now had a lesson in, or a tour of, our excellent new Sports Hall. This was completed exactly to schedule and is a superb new facility for both the school and the community. My very particular thanks to those parents who have covenanted to this project. We will celebrate at a grand opening on October 6th. Our Hall is to be known as The Winwood Hall. I will write to you with full details nearer this special event. We are also pleased, under the skilled management of our new Site Manager, Mr. Middlecote, and his team, to have made extremely good progress in upgrading teaching areas. English, Science and Lower School have been extensively refurbished and the Sixth Form suite redecorated, and a new floor put down. Reception is transformed both inside and out. Mr. Grout and his IT team have installed 15 new SMART boards and 21 projectors as well as upgrading 100 individual PC’s. We have also enhanced the opportunity for display throughout the school and continued a rolling replacement of older furniture. Every student cloakroom has been either completely renewed or superbly refurbished. Students will have access to water coolers throughout the site and further plans are underway for replacement of our oldest windows. We are also extremely heartened by an outstanding set of results at each Key Stage. These results are the culmination of considerable hard work from students, staff and parents. It is a tremendous achievement and a new high for Chosen Hill School. At A2,105 Students achieved an overall pass rate of 98% with a superb 51% at grades A & B. Allen Eccles, in R.E. and James Butt-Evans, in Economics, received special mention for being within the top ten marks in the country this year. Many students received 100% A grades in their courses and three gained Oxbridge places, and we are especially delighted that over 65% of the year group have confirmed they will progress to Higher Education places and all students have achieved their targeted next stage, whether in employment or Further Education. At GCSE we reached a new high with 71.4% of the year group achieving 5+ A*- C. Andrew Little and John Waterfield each gained 11 A/A* grades. 96% gained 5 or more A*- G grades. At Key Stage 3 Yr. 9 again produced excellent results. 2005 2004 2003 2005 2004 2003 Maths 81% 89% 85% Maths 64% 72% 62% 5+ 6+ Science 84% 86% 84% Science 50% 48% 50% 5+ 6+ English 88% 84% 81% English 46% 35% 33% 5+ 6+ Just a reminder to you that letters from school will be distributed on a Thursday. Letters that refer to a particular subject-specific group of students will continue to be distributed by individual teachers as and when required, but Thursday will be general ‘letters’ day. It really would help if you were to ask your son or daughter, each Thursday, if they have any letters that you need to see. Thank you to all parents who returned our questionnaire sent out last term. We have now put together the results. We will share with you progress on those areas you have asked to see developed at the Annual Parents’/Governors’ Evening on 24th November 2005. We would like feedback from you at any time but we will also survey all parents at two points each year. The next point will be in January. We value your comments and would like to be able to respond quickly to any concerns. If you think there are ways in which you feel we can be of assistance to you, or indeed, ways in which you feel we can improve our service to you, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sue Turner, Headteacher EARLY CLOSURE: IMPORTANT NOTICE REMINDER Please note that School will close The School encourages parents not to at 2.20pm on Tuesday, 20th December take family holidays during term-time in – last day of Autumn Term. order to minimise the disruption to their Bus Companies have been informed accordingly. sons’ and daughters’ learning. CONSULTATION The following staff with special pastoral responsibility will be available for consultation. Please ring the School to make a mutually convenient appointment. Yr 7 Mrs M. Claridge Head of Lower School Miss L. Treen Joint Assistant Head Yrs 8 & 9 Mrs C. Jones Head of Middle School Mrs. D. Fotheringham Joint Assistant Head Mr. R. Knight Joint Assistant Head Yrs 10 & 11 Mrs. K. Warden-Lovell Joint Head of Upper School Mr. C. Harris Joint Head of Upper School Sixth Form Mr. G. Warren Head of Sixth Form Mrs. S. Thomas Assistant Head of Sixth Form Parent Governors are listed below. Anyone wishing to contact a Governor please ring Pat Bovett (Clerk to the Governors) on 01452 856885. Mr. M. Carter Mr. R. Davies Mrs. C. Whyborn Mr. G. Darby Mrs. P. Holder Mr. K. Wilford ASSESSMENTS, EXAMINATIONS AND REVIEWS Year 7: A Subject Review in June Year 8: A Subject Review in May Year 9: Assessments will be carried out in class time. National Curriculum external tests (NCTS) in English, Maths and Science will take place 2nd – 5th May 2006 inclusive. NCTS results and teacher assessments will be reported on separately. Subject Reviews in January 2006. Year 10: Science GCSE modules are examined on 24th November 2005, 8th and 27th June 2006. In addition to coursework assessment there will be formal internal examinations in all subjects between 20th – 30th March 2006. A Subject Review will be issued in May. Year 11: Mock exams: All subjects 5th – 15th December 2005; Science 14th – 16th March 2006. Subject Reviews in January 2006. GCSE exams will commence Tuesday 23rd May until 30th June 2006. This exam period must be kept free until personal timetables are available in April. Study leave commences 12th May 2006. G.C.S.E. Results issued 24th August 2006 Year 12: There will be modular exams in certain subjects in January. Subject teachers will confirm the entries by October half-term. Subject Reviews home April 2006. All students will have Unit examinations in May and/or June and must keep these exam months free of other commitments. Study leave for AS courses to be confirmed. Results issued 17th August 2006. Year 13: Subject Reviews in December 2005. There are A2, GNVQ and AVCE Unit examinations in January 2006 together with the opportunity to re-take AS Units. The Summer examinations will be in May and June and both months must be kept free of commitments until the examination entries are confirmed and provisional personal timetables are available (end of March). Study leave commences 18th May 2006. Results issued 17th August 2006. PARENTS’ EVENING Parents’ Consultation Meetings will be held on the following dates, with appointments being made in advance for you by students. Parents’ Consultation sessions are held either from 4.30 – 7.15pm or during the day – times will be specified.. September: Thursday 29th Yr. 13 Higher Education Evening in Main School Hall: 6.30 – 8.30pm October: Wednesday 5th Yr. 10 Parents’ Information Evening in Main School Hall at 7pm Thursday 13th Yr. 11 Parents’ Information Evening in Main School Hall at 7pm Thursday 20th Yr. 13 Parents’ Evening in Main School Hall 4.30 – 7pm November: Monday 14th Yr. 7 Parent/Tutor Meeting in Lower School Hall: 2.30 – 4.30pm Thursday 17th Yr. 11 Parents’ Evening in Main and Upper School Halls: 4.30 – 7pm Thursday 24th Parents’/Governors’ Meeting in Upper School Hall at 6pm December: Monday 5th Yr. 7 Curriculum Evening in Lower School Hall at 7pm Thursday 8th Yr. 12 Parents’ Evening in Main School Hall: 4.30 – 7pm January 2006: Monday 16th Yr. 11 (16+) Evening in Main School Hall at 6.30pm February: Monday 6th Yr. 7 Parents’ Evening in Main School Hall: 4.30 – 7pm Thursday 23rd Yr. 9 Parents/Option Evening in Main School Hall: 4.30 – 7pm May: Thursday 18th Yr. 8 Parent/Tutor Day in Library: 1.30 – 6pm June: Thursday 29th Yr. 10 Parent/Tutor Day in Library: 1.00 – 7pm Tutor/Parent Days: Parents are invited to Tutor/Parent Days in the same way as Parent Consultation Evenings and can discuss their child’s progress in all subject areas. HOLIDAY DATES Autumn Term 2005 Staff Development Days Thurs. 1st and Friday 2nd September Term Begins: Monday 5th September Half-term: Mon. 24th – Friday 28th October inclusive Term ends: Tuesday 20th December (early closure) Spring Term 2006 Staff Development Day Weds. 4th January Term Begins: Thurs. 5th January Half-term: Monday 13th – Friday 17th February inclusive Term ends: Friday 31st March (normal closure) Summer Term 2006 Easter Monday Monday 17th April – Bank Holiday Term Begins: Tuesday 18th April MAY DAY Monday 1st May Half-term: Mon.