THE FRANCES BARDSLEY ACADEMY

Year 7 Welcome Evening

A NEW YEAR The new blouses look great Year 7 and 8 have new toilets We have created a more open area at

the front of the school for Years 7 and 8 We have a new Sixth Form Centre Year 7 students have written some really

positive letters to me about the school and what they like as well as some suggestions for changes

EXAM RESULTS Our exam results this year were

extremely pleasing 65% of students gained 5A*-C with

English and Maths: the national average is about 53%.

23% of our grades at GCSE were either A or A*

At A level 37% of grades were A*, A or B We have our biggest Year 13 ever

PLANS FOR 2015 A new bigger library Extending the Farm A new LIFE Centre at the front of the

school to house SEN, EAL, Counselling and support services

An even greater focus on progress for all students

SUPPORTING THE SCHOOL The Parent Staff Association The Student Support Fund PiP meetings Consultations

STUDENT SUPPORT FUND Aim: “To further the education of all students

attending the academy” Parent writes to the school Member of staff and Headteacher support the

application Used to subsidise trips and for purchase of

equipment for students The postcard enables a member of the Finance

team to contact you The Gift Aid form means all contributions to the

Fund will attract 25p back from the Govt for every £1 you give

The Standing Order Mandate is to choose to give an amount a month whilst your daughter is here

CONSULTATIONS Parents in Partnership meetings In 2013/14 we had meetings to

consider: Curriculum including increasing contact

time in Years 7 and 8 Building Plans Trips and Visits programme Extra-curricular programme

HOME SCHOOL COMMUNICATION parentmail – if you haven’t signed up

yet, please do apologies for any teething problems parentpay – not optional, the only

method of paying for anything in school but several methods of payment

options, this includes a large variety of paypoints, please contact Christine Gentle at the finance office for details

WINTER UNIFORM REMINDERS School blazer Pleated school skirt Lilac check school blouse Bottle green V necked jumper – no other

jumpers allowed! Black opaque tights Plain black flat shoes plain green or black thin hair band, no

bandanas, flowers etc. No badges – apart from any school

badges and one charity badge allowed

OUTERWEAR A plain black coat – no logo/fur is okay Plain black hat, scarf and gloves If the weather is extremely wet/snowy

the girls may wear wellies/boots to school but must bring school shoes and change into them before registration, storing the boots in their lockers

Second hand PE kit can be bought directly from PE department for £2 an item

Please label all items of school uniform

THE “NO” LIST! No make-up No jewellery apart from a wristwatch No fake tan No acrylic nails and nail varnish No coloured hair or shaved hairstyles – no

dip dyes – girls will be in inclusion or sent home!

Any items not allowed to be worn will be confiscated.

MOBILE PHONES Mobile phones are never allowed to be used on

school premises unless special permission by a member of staff has been given

Reminders of rule/consequences are displayed throughout the school, in classrooms and corridors, and pupils are aware of this rule

If a student is seen using her mobile – confiscate! 1st time – pupil can get it back at the end of the

day 2nd time – parent needs to collect from school office Serious consequence if student refuses to hand

over mobile phone – 1 day inclusion

BEHAVIOUR CARDS to monitor behaviour in and around the school in

terms of noise levels, uniform standards etc. must be on pupil at all times, ideally in zipped inside

pocket – please don’t wash it!

1st failed card: Form tutor detention 15 minutes 2nd failed card: Progress Manager detention 45

minutes 3rd failed card: SLT detention 1 hour - phone call

home 4th failed card: inclusion 1 day - phone call home

and post-inclusion meeting 5th failed card: Meeting with parents/Progress

Manager and member of SLT to put in place a Behaviour Improvement Plan

DETENTIONS GENERAL sticker will be issued as reminder/to

inform you blue stickers – subject detention or

form tutor detention (at the discretion of subject teacher or form tutor)

yellow stickers – departmental detention or progress manager detentions (30 – 45 minutes)

red stickers – SLT detention on a Friday for one hour after school

inclusion

LATE DETENTIONS for any late mark in the mornings,

detention set on the day of the late mark received

15 minutes detentions for any late marks if ‘no show’ time will be doubled rush hour cannot be an excuse (only in exceptional circumstances, e.g. large amount of girls and staff late due to exceptional traffic incident)

letters home and punctuality reports

PROBLEMS WITH BUS DRIVERS NOT STOPPING

Remind girls to try and write down: Route number of the bus Direction of travel/destination of the bus Any other identification number, such as

vehicle registration, running number etc. Any descriptive information about the driver,

such as gender, age, build, ethnicity Address your complaint or enquiry to Transport

for London ‘Buses customer services’ Talk to your daughters about appropriate

behaviour on buses and especially being courteous to members of the public

ROAD SAFETY please talk to girls about road safety

again – concerns raised by various staff about their unawareness of cars when entering school

darker evenings – add some sort of reflective lightening strips to their bags/coats

please remind of ‘stranger danger’ – don’t accept lifts of strangers/report any unusual activity to police/school

REWARDS Achievement points collected by girls Certificates and postcards sent out Awards assemblies held once per term celebrating

good attendance and punctuality, achievement points Notice Board near examinations office: weekly

updates on form with highest amount of achievement points, lowest amount of behaviour points

Notice board near student services: highest attendance in each year group, lowest number of lates as well as list of individuals

House points will be awarded – rewards to houses Celebration evenings: 100% attendance; Excellence

in subjects

AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS For Year 7s on Mondays, Wednesdays and

Fridays after school Year 7s can also access the regular homework

club on a Tuesday and Thursday after school If your daughter does not have access to a

computer and/or printer at home a good place to complete any homework that needs to be done online/printed out

Other clubs and activities: your daughter will have been informed by FT

Notices on form boards School newsletter – homepage – information

- newsletter

FRIENDSHIP ISSUES - REMINDER

Now is the time when friendships change constantly

often painful for girls when friendships ‘break up’

if you are concerned, please get in touch some issues we have to let them try and

resolve themselves we will interfere immediately if things get

nasty please try and monitor their Internet

activities, facebook, BBM, instagram, twitter etc.

WHO DO I SPEAK TO IF I AM CONCERNED? Your daughter’s form tutor – first port of

call The Deputy Progress Manager Miss

O’Neill or Progress Manager Miss Geilen Deputy Head - Mrs Sidhu Head teacher – Mr Dutnall

SETS IN YEAR 7 set on the basis of their NFER results girls given a score for verbal (English), non-verbal

(Maths) and quantative (Science) ability score will be converted into a ‘stanine’ number

from 9 (most able) to 1 (least able) sets will be determined by the pupils’ ‘stanine’

number Academic Board will meet regularly throughout the

year to discuss teachers’ feedback, parental concerns, assessment data to ensure pupils in correct set

Maths, English and Science in same set until end of year 7

Progress Manager will track progress throughout the year

SO FAR THIS YEAR… Academic Board met before half term

and discussed settling in report and any concerns parents have raised about their daughter’s set

no teacher reported that they felt particular girls were currently misplaced within their subject

next academic board meeting will be after the first ‘proper’ report, when girls have been given levels and can be looked at in terms of progress towards their KS3 target grades

YEAR 7 SETS subjects taught in streamed sets:

English, Maths, Science, MFL, RS, IT, PE subjects taught in form groups, i.e.

mixed ability sets: history, geography, music, art, drama, food, textiles, PSHE

Year 7 setsF1 and B1 – set 1

F2, F3, F4 and B2, B3 – set 2 B4 – set 3 – slightly smaller to give

additional support

STUBBERS TRIP Whole year group involved If you experience problems paying

please contact Mrs Gentle between 11am and 3pm in finance office

2nd payment of £10 due on 28th November

Please sign and return the form that was attached to the letter, pick up a spare copy if you haven’t already signed this

Fantastic day out for all girls, and brilliant for building confidence

THIS YEAR SO FAR… Lots of positive comments and praise for

girls Good manners – very polite, holding

open doors Lovely year group A credit to you!

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Any general questions? Any problems specific to your daughter

please make an appointment with her form tutor, Miss O’Neill or Miss Geilen