Student Organisation To Raise Achievement Swavesey Village College

Why change? Substantial growth 2001-2006: 900→1200 pupils Loss of identity and sense of community How many Year Teams were actually a ‘team’? “We’re a 70% school, popular, ‘high performing’ – it ain’t broke!” 20% absolutely switched off. Culture of “Well, what can you do with them?” ‘Us and them’ culture – lack of student engagement

Every Child Matters? How do we ensure 100% of children What about me? How do we ensure 100% of children are known and supported? included and active? participate?

...it’s about structure and organisation Getting to your destination isn’t about accessorising... ...it’s about structure and organisation SVC Road Map

Benchmarking – the outward looking school Benchmarking – the outward looking school. Every member of staff visited another school .. or prison! Staff and student questionnaire – “Students are our greatest strength” Broader, personalised curriculum: Science (accelerated, combined, triple, Btec…), Hair & Beauty, Construction, Engineering… Horizontal to Vertical – Year Groups to Houses Peer mentoring, student leadership

Five Houses Brunel DESIGN & ENTERPRISE ENGLISH & MFL HUMANITIES PRINCIPAL AP AP AP AP AP DESIGN & ENTERPRISE ENGLISH & MFL HUMANITIES SCIENCE MATHS PE, Arts Brunel

Student Support Assistant Teaching Assistant(s) Senior Tutor Curriculum Leader Student Support Assistant Teaching Assistant(s) Classroom Supervisor(s) 11 Tutors Wilberforce House (Humanities) Teachers and key student support staff are in one team Streamlines : Accountabilities Meetings PM Strategic planning Monitoring 11 Tutor Groups 240 students 48 per year group 20 per form

4 per year in a form 20 students in a form Year Groups Houses 30 per year in a form 30 students in a form 4 per year in a form 20 students in a form The tutor is the heart of the school, the specialist whose specialism is bringing everything together, whose subject is the student him or herself, who enables the student to make best use of the school and develop as a person. ‘Tutoring to improve Learning’, SVC handbook

Advantages Pride and ownership – assemblies - developing the ‘spirit’ of your ‘House’ Raising expectations and standards – no more gum & trainers! Better behaviour, less bullying Competition and fun - inter-House and inter-form scottish dancing, dodgeball, ABBA... Peer mentoring, support and guidance of students by students ; students see what lies ahead – IAG

Advantages Closer support of individuals – academic mentoring by tutors Record and monitor extra-curricular achievement – the SVC experience Improved home contact, supporting families Improving tutor times - PLTS (personalised learning thinking skills) Student Voice – forums, lesson observations Student Leadership – within forms, Houses and school ‘It’s good to succeed’ – a changing ethos

Concerns and Issues “It won’t make a bad tutor into a good tutor!” “We won’t be with our friends!” “It won’t work at our school!” New roles, new expectations – raising the bar Year group information Overviews of behaviour Consistency – quality assurance

Loevely to say that the improvements were all planned and happened along a clear improvement line

Student organisation, support & leadership within the House Simon Russell Newton House Senior Tutor

Monitoring all students within the Vertical Tutor Group System The Role Monitoring all students within the Vertical Tutor Group System A recent major change has been to introduce mixed age tutor groups. Students have reported very favourably on this and say that it has helped them to build good relationships with students from other years and that the small amount of bullying has reduced further as a result. One student talked about ‘feeling part of a family’. The change has also made the role of the tutor more effective in supporting students’ academic achievement.

Bulletins Inform the Tutors of the events of the week. Reinforce standards and expectations. Highlight meetings for the week. Maintain communication on pupils that are causing issues inside and outside the classroom.

Weekly Review Week by week guide: A detention list is sent out each week and displayed on the House Notice Board (Principles Detention – Isolation). Four after-school detention = Red Report. Pupils with poor Attitude to Learning Grades (ATLs) from their termly report go on an Achievement Report. Monitoring Hour. Attendance – EWO.

Monitoring Standards: Attendance

What do we do to help Year 11? House Evaluations Student 1 What do we do to help Year 11? Monitoring Standards Passport to Prom Passes to Leavers Day Inclusion Centre Student 2 Student 3 Student 4 Student 5

Passport to the Prom Pupils that are underachieving or behavioural issues (Year 11) go on the Passport to the Prom. Five whole school/curriculum area detentions also lead to students going on the Passport to the Prom. Attendance must be greater than 90% All coursework completed!

Detentions

Knowing our Students! Curriculum based on the students needs: Reduced Timetable 1:1 Tuition Work Experience Business Mentors/Staff Mentors Student Support Assistant Timeout Cards Inclusion Centre

Case Study: Shannon What has Swavesey Village College done for me: Monday 1:1 Tuition (Maths and Science) Tuesday Full Day Timetable – Hair 1:1 Afterschool Wednesday Work Experience (picked up/dropped off) Thursday Work Experience (picked up/dropped off) Friday Full Day Timetable – Maths 1:1 Tuition Taking some exams early, regular meetings and supported by Senior Tutor. Meetings with the Principal. .

Case Study: Student

Celebration Assembly Pupils show off their talents during a Celebration Assembly. It’s important to celebrate success!

Year Group Assemblies Countdown in Year 11 – highlighting previous success and who has already been successful!

Chloe Barnard: Newton House Leader Mark Barradell: Orwell House Leader Student Leadership How we support students to achieve their best? Chloe Barnard: Newton House Leader Mark Barradell: Orwell House Leader Agnieszka Florek: Newton Activities Manager Jack Summers and Tom Poole Student Ambassadors

Student Leadership at SVC Based around the five houses: BRUNEL – Technology and Arts CAVENDISH – Science NEWTON – Maths ORWELL – English and Languages WILBERFORCE – Humanities 46 leadership positions Application Process

Student Leadership Student Leadership Success: Mentoring Business Mentoring

Our Mistakes! Leadership Positions changed if required. No longer have Head Boy/Girl. Monitors Mangers did not work. Year Book and Prom is being addressed with a new role – recent change to events managers Staff have become better at handing over responsibility.

Being High Profile Black Shirts Assemblies Visiting Forms Lunch Queues and Bus Monitors Attend Working Parties and Curriculum Meetings Present to the Governors on what has been achieved in each house

Student Discussion Groups Student Voice at SVC School Council House Councils One rep per tutor group Agenda set by students Purpose: to feed student opinions and ideas to School Council - creates focus groups Student Focus Groups Each group has a particular project or task Students apply to participate Led by black shirt + key member of staff Purpose: to make proposals to MB Student Feedback Whole school questionnaire every two years Shorter, more specific questionnaires Student panels for new staff Subject questionnaires and lesson feedback Purpose: to gather opinions from whole cohort or specific targeted groups Student Discussion Groups Groups of students interviewed every week Chance to discuss and feed back on current school issues Initially led by LAD/later blackshirts? Purpose: Opportunity for every student to have a voice

Led by the Student Ambassadors Focus Groups Current Focus Groups Uniform Energy New Technologies Starting this Half Term Resource Centre Healthy Eating SVC Experience Coming Soon! New Cafeteria Led by the Student Ambassadors

House Council Form Discussions airing views to the Form Representatives Agendas and Minutes Assemblies Information Displayed (House Boards, Visible Digital Screens and leaders trained to upload the website) Energy Monitors saving money in the school – money is used in house council for a budget

House Council

School Council House Leaders Senior Management Staff Ambassadors Link with Governors Half Term Meetings Budget

How have we changed? Student Leadership Contract

What else do we do? Shadowing previous leaders Earlier training day

What have we learnt? Personal Attributes Opportunities Experience Responsibility Purpose

The Role of the Form Tutor…

Vertical Tutoring… Yr 11 Yr 10 NCB Yr 7 Yr 8 Yr 9

The form group Communication Group work Cross-year support and advice

A sense of family…

What is happening here?

What do the students think?

Monitoring Tutor interviews Individual Learning Plan Sample Tutor interviews Individual Learning Plan Feedback and contact with parents

Form Boards and mascots House Activity Day… Form Boards and mascots