Welcome (back) Mrs Sarah Burns Headteacher Ms Sue Bielby Assistant Headteacher Mr M Sanders Learning & Intervention Manager (LIM) Mr R. McLaughlan Mrs D Dilworth Student Support Co-ordinator (SSC) Mr C. Talbot Mrs G. Sykes Mr O. Clark Miss S. Wright Mr P. Allen Mr S. McLaughlin Insight Parent Portal • Log-in details and ‘help sheets’ for Insight were e-mailed out last week (check SPAM / junk folders) • The “dual authentication” system means that each time you log on you will be sent a PIN which has to be used within 10 mins. A2L grades A2L grades Update School calendar Progress in Year 7 • Two sub-levels of progress per year is the expected minimum. • This means that your child should have made a minimum of 2 whole levels of progress from the end of KS2 to the end of KS3. • Your son should already know his end of Y7 targets for many of his subjects – please ask to see them. • Targets are mainly based on KS2 prior attainment. • Exception of ‘practical’ subjects What does this mean for your son at the end of each year? Year 6 Level Expected Year 7 Expected Year 8 Expected Year 9 5B (S) 6L 6H 7S Changes that will affect your son :• Life without levels • Transitional period – already some subjects not using levels • A change in GCSE grades to numbers Review: 4 times per year Mark Sanders Aims of AR? • Programme for students with the aim to create culture of reading within school. • To accelerate reading progress of students on the programme. • To measure and track reading growth over time. • To make students more confident readers and therefore better writers and communicators. Why use Accelerated Reader? How does AR work? 1. STAR reading test. 2. Based on reading test – each student given a ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development). 3. All Year 7s take out book from LRC within ZPD. 4. Reading time – each Thurs and Fri 8.30-8.25; 30 mins per week in English; homelearning time. 5. Students take an AR quiz after each book read. 6. Progress tracked and measured via quiz results and reading assessments. ZPDs • Promotes AR at home as well as at school. • Enables parents to track progress. • Each parent issued with log on details/passwords. • Email updates available. Next steps/Key dates Week beginning 15th Sept – all year 7s to take STAR reading test. Week beginning 22nd Sept – LRC AR induction End of October – Home connect log ins/passwords issued. December – STAR re-test to measure reading growth. [email protected] Mr Mark Sanders Learning & Intervention Manager Year 7 A ‘successful’ transition • Developed new friendships and improved his self esteem and confidence; • Settled so well in to school life that he causes you no concern ; • Shown an increased interest in school and school work; • Got used to his new routines and school organisation with great ease. The Pupil Planner • The key, day-to-day means of communication between school and home. • Student records home learning tasks. • Teachers write notes to parents and vice-versa. • Parent/carer checks planner at the end of the week and signs. • Form tutor then signs every Friday. The Pupil Planner Home Learning at Sandbach School • Homework is known as Home Learning. • It purpose is to support, extend and reinforce work done in the classroom. • Homework is best done where it is visible to you – this way you can monitor how much is done and the quality of the work. Home Learning Student Tracker Home Learning on INSIGHT Select the Homework tab and all your son’s work will be listed here (as well as his planner) https://insight.sandbachscho ol.org E-Safety and Online Protection Are you PREPPED ? • • • • • • • Prepared to learn Respectful Engaged Punctual Phone out of sight Equipped Dressed smartly • • • • • • • Pen Ruler Eraser Pencil Planner Every Day Parent/Child Reading Club • The idea is that parent/child will read the same book and discuss the questions together. • We will then all meet in the library once per half term (second Tuesday of the half term at 6.30) and discuss our views on the book together. • We will be issuing some recommended reading lists to boys each half term. For this half term the recommended reading list for Y7 and 8 boys is: • • • • • The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins Mockingjay Suzanne Collins Catching Fire Suzanne Collins Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman Holes by Louis Sachar Dates for your Diary Term 1 Tomorrow All Year 7 students have a beginning of the Year Maths assessment. Ws 22nd September Stanley Head Visit 7.45am please for a 8am depart. Approx 7.45pm back. Thursday 16th October Invited Parents meeting with Form Tutors (details to follow) And finally ….. • Thanks to everyone for their support so far. • Please continue plugging away at: Punctuality, Attendance, Equipment, Uniform and Home Learning.