24th June 2016

Quality first teaching, learning and assessment

• At least 90% of lessons judged as good or outstanding
• Ensure the best and most innovative practice is shared across all Faculties at Key Stage 3
• Consolidate the teaching of new GCSE specifications based around the best and most effective practice including the use of personal learning checklists, trackers and new technology
• Promotion of independent learning at KS5
• Embed the use of project based learning across Key Stage 3 and promote business/international links
• Comprehensive and consistent support and challenge programme for staff
• Consolidate best practice in providing high quality feedback (Assessment for Learning)
• Differentiation with all specific student groups
• Promote growth mindset across all Key Stages
• Share and develop best and most effective practice in teaching and learning – creating a culture of collaboration
• Ensuring intervention is personalised and effective
• Improve the presentation of students’ written work across all Key Stages
• Enhance the quality of English as an additional language provision and literacy across the curriculum
• Enhance the quality of Mathematics across the curriculum

Personal development, welfare and safety

• Raise attendance to 96.5%
• To decrease persistent absence from 10.6% to below 9%
• To raise Post 16 attendance to at least 90% across all academic classes
• Promote behaviour for learning/thirst for learning/quality assurance
• Enhance parental engagement/Parents Forum
• Promote the safety of students at all times
• Rewards and sanctions consistency
• SMSC/British values
• To continue to monitor uniform issues and ensure uniform consistency
• Promote student leadership opportunities
• Building resilience

Leadership and Management at all Levels

• Set whole school widely important goals and communicate to all staff from September 2016
• Successful induction of new staff
• Continue to offer extended leadership team members, where appropriate
• Develop an in-house middle leader development programme
• Confirm school to school improvement planning for 2016/17 with Ormiston Bushfield Academy and Stanground Academy
• Review appraisal procedures
• Ensure that we are making the most of meetings
• Focus on curriculum planning
• Ensure smooth processes of admissions, given the increasing popularity of the school

Parents’ Surgery - Wednesday 22 June 2016 18:00 – 19:00

Last Wednesday we held our final Parents’ Surgery of this academic year.  Unlike the Parents’ Forum, there were no formal presentations on this evening.  This was an informal opportunity for parents and carers to discuss any issue relating to their child’s education with senior members of staff who were in attendance.

The issues raised included concerns over a lack of extra-curricular opportunities for students, the quality of student planners this year and the quality of school uniform jumpers.  I will take these matters to next week’s Leadership Team meeting and ensure that each of these issues is discussed and addressed.  I would like to thank the parents and carers who came into school to share their views.

Best wishes

Richard Lord
Principal