Dear Parents and Carers of students in Year 11,
As a school we wanted to provide you with some information and updates regarding Year 11. The past two weeks have presented a challenge to both our staff and students as we moved our curriculum online, but I’m pleased to say that it is a challenge that we have all risen to. We have seen some wonderful examples of lessons being delivered online and we’re proud of the way our students have been accessing these sessions, and of the beautiful work they are producing. Even now, X23 are working hard, getting smart and being kind. Here are some wonderful examples:
I’d also like to share some updates in terms of where we are now as a result of the lockdown and how we’ll move forward in the short term. Currently, there is little firm guidance on what final assessments and grades will look like after the message from the government that GCSE exams will not go ahead. At present, all we know is that there may be some form of teacher assessments and that there may be some shorter externally set exams, but we await further guidance on this, so we will continue to work in the way that we have and focus on the key topics in the curriculum. This will then inform how we move forward longer term.
Therefore, in the coming weeks, it is imperative to run Student Led Conferences so that students can reflect on where they are in their learning and what they need to do to ensure success in their upcoming GCSEs whatever form their assessments take. Although the focus and format may be somewhat different and will likely be completed online, students in Year 11 still have much to reflect upon. Keep an eye on the website for further information on when SLCs will take place and how, as it will be a great opportunity for students to review their progress and set targets for the coming months, and is a brilliant opportunity for parents and Crew Leaders to work together in supporting students to GCSE success.
We would also like to take this opportunity to celebrate student attendance in our online provision. We have had very high levels of student attendance and engagement in sessions and we hope to see this continue. There is however, some room for improvement and so again we must stress the importance of students attending all sessions online including Crew so that they are best equipped to deal with whatever form GCSE assessment takes. We’re really proud of our student engagement so please keep encouraging them to get to session on time and to stay for the whole session.
We know that for our students and our families it can be a worrying time with so much uncertainty about the next few months, but we are Crew and we’ll do what we’ve always done: listen to our students and families, support them in any way we can and navigate the road ahead together. It’s times like these that we reflect on why we ask our students to climb mountains in their first week at school. We conquered that one, and we’ll conquer this one too.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, you can get in touch with your child’s Crew Leader, but you can also contact me directly at [email protected] should you wish to discuss any issues.
We are Crew!
Marc Voltaire
Assistant Principal of Years 10 and 11