1. How to succeed in Year 10 Parents Information and Support Evening Tuesday 14 th January 2014

2. In this session: To explain our aims for your children. To explain the work experience process. To raise the issue of controlled assessment. To show the relevance of excellent attendance to high achievement. To discuss our tracking and monitoring systems. To reintroduce the Parental Consultation System. To alert you to some key dates for Year 10. To show you where key school information can be found and who to contact.

3. Our aims To work together to be successful. Open, transparent and frequent communications. The highest possible achievement for every individual by fostering responsibility in students. To be at a school with a good reputation both locally and nationally. To develop academically, socially and personally. To enjoy learning experiences at Edgecliff so that students become even more successful learners.

4. Attendance Every day counts! Well documented links between poor attendance and lower outcomes. Well documented links between high attendance and higher exam outcomes. Great focus from Department for Education, Staffordshire LA and OFSTED.

5. Attendance

6. Attendance concerns? See your childs planner each fortnight with regards to information of their attendance. Ring Mrs Banner the schools Attendance Officer. 01384 551000. Ring your childs tutor if you want information on punctuality and attendance. If you still have unanswered questions contact your childs Head of Year – Mrs Darby or the Assistant Headteacher Support Mr Walker. You can also contact the Local Support Team to speak to an Educational Welfare Officer 01902 696 575 Southstaffs.southlst18@staffordshire.gov.uk

7. How will we monitor your childs progress in Year 10? Subject teachers monitor progress through assessments. Heads of Learning School oversee this process. Personal Tutors, Heads of Year, Head of Learning Support, Assistant Head Experience and Support monitor progress by using our student progress data base called Go4Schools. Review and Guidance with tutors. Contact your childs subject teacher or Head of Learning School at any point to discuss their progress. If it is about more than one subject, contact their tutor as well.

8. Assessment and Reporting Year 10 key dates. By the end of January Year 10 Full Reports will be sent home. 8 th April Year 10 Parents Evening. 16 th June – 27 th June 2013 Year 10 mock GCSE exams. 10 th July Year 10 progress reports will go home.

9. Expected levels of progress The different levels you can expect to see on your childs report. End of year target level- FFTd (except SEN) Aspirational level- Set by staff. Current Predicted- Not currently set for Y10 but it is what staff think they will get.

10. Homework Homework is now extremely important: Helps to develop: habits of independent learning and personal organisation. develop research skills. Consolidates and/or extends work covered in class or prepares for new learning activities. Offers feedback to the student and teacher on the quality of learning that has taken place. Is vital to the planning of subsequent teaching. Encourages parental co-operation and support. As a guideline, students in Key Stage 4 should be set one hour of homework per subject per week.

11. Independent study Revisit your work independently. There are lots of secret workers out there. Friends might say they are doing no work, when actually they doing lots and lots. Dont believe everything your friends tell you! Work hard, aim to revisit your notes from class every night. Make sure you begin to revise your work well in advance of your mocks!

13. Two things which can make a massive difference to outcomes!

14. Stress Study skills in PSHE. Revision techniques in lessons. Peer Support Groups. Personal Tutors. Review and Guidance Sessions. The Inclusion Manager Head of Year RELATE Counsellor. If the issue becomes more serious then it is possible to engage outside agencies.

15. The key to success. Your childs success is based on mutual cooperation and support. It is based around a tripartite learning agreement, between staff, parents and students. When we work together we are stronger and ultimately more successful.

16. Contacts Lots of key information is available on the school website throughout the year. www.edgecliff.co.ukwww.edgecliff.co.uk We also use the text messaging system. Letters Phone calls. Please can you ensure that the school office has up to date mobile telephone, landline, email and address information for your families.

17. Work Experience

18. WE is no longer compulsory, however we feel the benefits of WE are worth us still including it in the KS4 curriculum. 13 th to the 17 th October 2014 Students will go on a prelim the last week of term in July 2014

19. Anywhere within reason!!!!

20. Constraints We dont like students to go with parents unless the company is big enough for them not be working with you. We dont like the students to go with their friends if they are going to be working together. We dont really like the students to go too far away. We dont like the students to come to Edgecliff that week. There are certain places due to HS they are not allowed to go…sole traders, butchers! brewery

21. About the placement Students need to research a placement using the guidance given. Some students will have a good idea where they want to go and what they want to do. Other students will have a more general idea of the area they would like to work i.e. work with animals, retail, construction. Once they have suitable contact, an enquiry must be made by letter, phone, email or in person. HOWEVER ALL PLACEMENTS MUST BE CONFIRMED IN WRITING

22. Cont. Once the placement has been confirmed by the company, details must be brought in to the school office to ensure H&S checks have been completed ( we will come back to this in a minute) Company name, name of contact, address, postcode, telephone number ( we provide a crib sheet for them to complete) Most students will attend a Prelim visit before the actual experience. This is to complete necessary paperwork and allow the students to find out essential information. All students will receive a staff visit during the placement. All students will receive a WE report from the employer to put into the Progress file All students will complete a diary while on placement

23. Health and Safety All placements have to be Health and Safety checked by Dudley EBP otherwise the student is not covered by our insurance. If the placement is not on the database we have to request a Health and Safety check. These checks can take up to 12 weeks. Students must hand in placement details ASAP. If the placement is classed as out of area we may be charged to check. We cannot pay for these checks but we will contact you and ask what you want us to do….it can be up to £60

24. Areas that charge London Buckinghamshire Berkshire Cambridgeshire Derbyshire Cheshire Gloucestershire Hertfordshire Leicestershire Lincoln Manchester Middlesex Northamptonshire Surrey Birmingham depends on the company sometimes a charge is made depending if they are already Health and Safety checked

25. Unfortunately in the current climate some companies will say no. Please try and persevere and dont give up. If your son/ daughter doesnt find a placement they are required to join me in school!

27. What support do the students get? Already had a presentation on this Complete the work experience booklet in PSHE over the next few lessons. This has advice on placements, how to write the letter, how to find a place, how to behave etc. and health and safety. Make an appt to see Miss Masters or Mrs Fowler Form tutors You?

29. What does this entail? Coursework replaced. Control level dependant on subject. e.g. Art – Low control French & Spanish - Medium control –High control Teacher input, preparation time and allowed resources dependant on subject.

30. Absence Try to avoid! Very little Possibility of re-schedule Holidays – Impact on study time and class input. Request to be made to Mr Rogers Please be aware that a request will no longer authorised unless deemed exceptional circumstances.

31. Individual subject information on controlled assessment will be updated and available for viewing shortly www.edgecliff.co.uk

32. Examinations Return to final exam The only modular exams to be taken by current Year 10 are: Core Science in June A handful of students may sit Maths in June. This would be an actual GCSE NOT a module. All other subjects now linear(final end of Year 11 exam) and will be taken in May/June 2015 Examination dates will be posted on the school website www.edgecliff.co.uk

33. SAM Learning www.samlearning.com All students have a private work area on an online package called SAM learning. If no formal HW is set in KS4 then activities from this package can be used to support learning. All students know how to access (details in planner), if you would like more details please contact us

34. Raised participation level Students are now required to be in education or training until they are 18 years old. That doesnt mean they have to stay at school until they are 18. However they will need to stay in sixth form, go to college, or access work based learning e.g. apprenticeships