1. Welcome to Year 7 2015-16

2. We take uniform very seriously Please do not be persuaded to buy “trendy” versions of trousers For girls black socks or tights – no leggings please Shoes must be plain black with black soles Minimal makeup, jewellery and no unnatural coloured hair Full uniform list in the welcome booklet

3. Our message to our students: Be here every day On time to school and lessons Do your best And you will achieve

6. Students are expected to bring all the equipment they need for school For example: PE/Swimming kit Cooking ingredients Pens, pencils, rulers, rubbers, coloured pencils etc. a bag big enough to put it all in This will require extra organisation until they are used to it!

7. Homework will be set once a week in core subjects and once a fortnight in other subjects Students will write this in their journals. It is set on SIMS so parents can see what is set and when it is due through the parent gateway Students are expected to complete homework to the deadline – you also will be able to track this on the Parent gateway Students will receive behaviour points and detentions for missed homework

8. Please ensure you have a log on to the parent Gateway. This enables you to see: Homework Attendance Behaviour & Achievement Progress checks

10. Organisation and Delivery- What Students will be taught and when!

11. Overview 5 lessons per day approx. 1hr each. Key Stage 3 – Years 7-8; Students in 2 bands (a and b). Taught in these bands, generally in 4 groups for each subject per band, so 8 teaching groups per year. Key stage 4 – Years 9,10,11; Students organised into sets and option groups.

12. Timetable 50 lessons over a two week cycle (week 1 and week 2). Lesson 1: 8.35 - 9.35 Lesson 2: 9.35 - 10.35 Break: 10.35 - 10.50 Tutor time 10.50 - 11.10 DEAR 11.10 – 11.25 Lesson 311.25 – 12.20 Lesson 412.20 – 13.15 Lunch13.15 – 13.50 Lesson 513.50 – 14.50

13. Key stage 3 Follow the National curriculum. English (7), Maths (7), Science (6), PE (5). Modern languages – Year 7 – French/German or French/Spanish (5) Year 8 - French/German or French/Spanish or one language (5) Technology (4) - carousel of subjects. Computing (2), Geography (3), History (3), Life Skills (2). Art (2), Drama (2), Music (2).

14. Key stage 4 – Years 9 - 11 English (7) 2 GCSEs Maths (7) Science (9) – 2 or 3 GCSEs PE (4) Life skills (5) – Citizenship GCSE 3 option subjects (6 each) these are chosen after Easter in year 8. Twilight courses – Additional options available in Drama / Latin / Music

15. Setting Year 7 classes are set (based on key stage 2 levels) for English, Maths, Science and computing. Students are set fairly broadly for year 7 with two upper sets in each band. Setting is reviewed after each progress check (half termly). Other information is used to inform choices: CATs / Reading Ages / SEN information Setting in year 8 and beyond is by subject and more finely tuned.

16. Other subjects Students are taught in mixed ability groupings for other subjects. In year 7 students will be in the same classes for Art, Drama, Geography, History, Life skills, Music, Modern Languages and PE. Technology will organise the students differently in smaller groups (H&S!).

18. 1)Tutor – your child’s tutor will be the first person they go to or you contact if they have any issues. This may be related to academic progress or pastoral issues. 2)Year Group Leader (Rebecca Dyche) – they will be working closely with all tutors to ensure that your child is happy in school and making good progress. They may intervene with behaviour or if there are any concerns regarding your child. 3)Head of Key Stage 3 (Amy Doonan) – they will be responsible for overseeing both Year 7 and 8 tracking academic progress and assisting with pastoral issues 4)Assistant Head (Penny Denman) – Year group leaders and head of key stage will report on overall behaviour and achievement, academic progress and pastoral issues affecting your child’s time at school 5)Head teacher (Paula Sargent) – if any issues have gone through the pastoral system and haven’t been resolved, the Head teacher may then be involved

19. Inclusive, pleasurable & measurable

20. Student ‘A’ reads 1 minute each day = 180 minutes in a school year = 8,000 words

21. Student ‘B’ reads 5 minutes each day = 900 minutes in a school year = 282,000 words

22. Student ‘C’ reads 15-20 minutes each day = 3600 minutes in a school year = 1,800,000 words

23. DEAR (Drop Everything And Read): 15 minutes of timetabled reading for all staff and students every day ; Book Talk: every Friday; AR (Accelerated Reader): quizzing, tracking, confidence, motivation and competition ; 3 STAR reading tests per year; All library books colour coded. Reading Interventions at Patcham High School

24. DEAR (DROP EVERYTHING AND READ)

25. 40+ word millionaires 7000+ books read 390,000,000 words read

26. World’s Largest Reading Lesson: When: 20 th July Where: School Playing Fields Which schools: Patcham High, Patcham Junior and Infants, Carden and Westdene Primary schools

27. How is information shared: All pupils on the SEN register have an ILP which identifies needs and strategies. These are shared with all staff Additional information such as specialist reports are kept on SIMs

28. Examples of interventions we provide: Small literacy groups Speech and language groups Social skills groups Links to specialists Mentoring Social support groups

29. Keeping you informed: SEN Parent days – these take place every term and you will be invited to make appointments Specific sessions on areas such as literacy, ASC and speech and language Parent Forum

30. Examples of interventions we provide: Small literacy groups Speech and language groups Social skills groups Links to specialists Mentoring Social support groups

31. How to contact the SEN department: Email is the best method lmcgill@patchamhigh.org.uk lmcgill@patchamhigh.org.uk jwoodhead@patchamhigh.org.uk jlucas@patchamhigh.org.uk