Bulletin - 12.12.16

1. Dates for diaries (rest of the term)
Mon 12th Dec, 7:30pm: Eng Dept Christmas meal, The Pint Shop
Wed 14th Dec: CPD carousel
Thur 15th Dec, 5-7pm: Cheney Teachmeet
Fri 16th Dec: End of Term (12:30)

2. Reports/APs
Thank you to everyone for making sure the Year 7, 10 and 13 reports were complete for the deadline. It makes such a difference to the data team and other support staff and it's hugely appreciated by everyone.

3. CPD carousel
Please make sure you have signed up for two sessions at the CPD carousel on Wednesday. Please think of this in terms of aspects of your teaching that you wish to develop.

4. Dept meal and Secret Santa
Looking forward to seeing everyone at The Pint Shop this evening. Our booking's for 7:30 but if anyone fancies getting there for for a pre-dinner drink around 7ish, I'm buying.

Make sure your Secret Santa gift is in the dept office before the end of school today and I'll bring them all along to hand out at the meal. (Or, if you haven't bought yours yet, bring it along with you and sneak it into the sack when nobody's looking!)

Bulletin - 5.12.16

1. Dates for diaries (rest of the term)
Tues 6th Dec, P1+P2: Year 9/10 French play
Wed 7th Dec: Double Dept meeting (Report moderation + 4Matrix training session)
Thur 8th Dec: Cheney Christmas Show
Fri 8th Dec: Staff pub crawl
Mon 12th Dec, 7:30pm: Eng Dept Christmas meal, The Pint Shop
Thur 15th Dec, 5-7pm: Cheney Teachmeet
Fri 16th Dec: End of Term (12:30)

2. Reports/APs

Year 7 short reports: due Fri 9th December

Year 10 full reports (using drop down comments/targets): due Fri 9th December

Year 13 full reports (with written comments): due Fri 9th December

3. Staffing/Timetable changes for January

With JKY leaving and PMO and JCH taking over the Head of English role, there will be changes to the English Dept timetable for when we return in January. These plans are close to completion now and all staff who are likely to be affected have been notified. These plans will be shared with the dept as soon as they are finalised.

Another factor in this process is that George Flynn has handed in his resignation, effective as of the end of this month. We are in the process of working out how we will assign his teaching from January as well.

4. 4Matrix training session

Wednesday's meeting slot is assigned as report moderation. Since only Year 13 reports need to be proofread, JKY and PMO will take care of this and instead we will use this time to have a joint English/Maths training session on 4Matrix, the school's new data analysis programme. Please meet in J24 at 3:00pm. 

5. Secret Santa + Christmas Meal

Looks like we're doing Secret Santa at the Dept Christmas meal on Monday evening. Please leave your Secret Santa present on the table in the Dept Office by Monday and Santa will put them in his sack to bring them along to he meal. If you can't make it along on Monday, don't worry, Santa will find you (so long as you've been good this year).

Please also make sure that you've paid your deposit and given your order to Phoebe.

Bulletin - 28.11.16

1. Dates for diaries (rest of the term)
Thur 1st Dec: Year 12 parents evening
Fri 2nd Dec: Year 13 Biology Trip
Tues 6th Dec, P1+P2: Year 9/10 French play
Wed 7th Dec: Double Dept meeting (Report moderation + 4Matrix training session)
Thur 8th Dec: Cheney Christmas Show
Fri 8th Dec: Staff pub crawl
Mon 12th Dec, 7:30pm: Eng Dept Christmas meal, The Pint Shop
Thur 15th Dec, 5-7pm: Cheney Teachmeet
Fri 16th Dec: End of Term (12:30)

2. Reports/APs

Year 7 short reports: due Fri 9th December

3. PP/SEND review - pt 2

The second phase of the PP/SEND review will be continuing for the rest of this week. This will involve more learning walks, student panels and work scrutinies across the school. Please be aware that people may be coming into lessons and tutor times over the next two weeks (though not, I believe, external observers) so please have SPOT folders to hand.

4. Lesson observations

I have received notification from most of you re: your lesson observations. Please ensure you organise an observation between now and the end of this term. This is essential for your own Performance Management review.

5. Faculty detention

Faculty detentions are for students who have failed to engage with you as a classroom teacher in a Learning Conversation (either didn't turn up or didn't engage properly/appropriately in that conversation). If this is the case, please send me their name, class and details of why they require a Faculty Detention. Please can I ask the classroom teacher to make the phonecall home informing the parents of the situation? It only takes two or three teachers to put one or two students into a Faculty Detention to leave me (Jenny/Phoebe in Jan) with 6/7/8 phonecalls to make and it has simply become too time-consuming. Inform them that they need to come to my room (C3) on Friday lunchtime and if they can't to see me BEFOREHAND to make an alternative arrangement. I will arrange for reminder slips to be issued via the student runner on Friday morning and will follow up any students that don't attend.

6. Dept Christmas meal

Thanks to Phoebe for organising (again!). Please fill in your order on the googledoc link Phoebe has sent around and get your £10 deposit to her asap.

7. Secret Santa

It's that time of year again...Ho ho ho...etc and so forth. Is everyone happy to do Dept Secret Santa again this year? I will assume the answer is YES. If for some reason you can't or don't wish to take part, please email me and I will remove you from the hat. Usual rules? £10 maximum spend?

Bulletin - 21.11.16

1. Dates for diaries
Wed 23rd Nov: KS4 work scrutiny
Thur 24th Nov: Year 11 parents evening
Fri 25th Nov: English Dept Staff Tea
Thur 1st Dec: Year 12 parents evening

2. Reports/APs

Year 10 full reports: due Fri 2nd Dec

Year 13 full reports: due Fri 2nd Dec

If you have any questions about what either of these reports requires of you, please see JKY. Instructions should be coming shortly from the data team.

3. KS4 work scrutiny

Please make sure you bring a full set of KS4 books (either year) to C27 at the end of Wed 23rd Nov.

4. PP/SEND review - pt 2

The second phase of the PP/SEND review will be taking place over the next two weeks. This will involve more learning walks, student panels and work scrutinies across the school. Please be aware that people may be coming into lessons and tutor times over the next two weeks (though not, I believe, external observers) so please have SPOT folders to hand. The work scrutinies we're in the process of conducting will also be focusing on PP/SEND students.

5. Room swap

BKN and JKY have swapped rooms (C3 and C27). Please see the updated Dept Support timetable sent last week and make sure the newest version is printed off and stuck next to your door.

6. Copies of Oliver Twist

Last week, we ordered enough copies of Oliver Twist for everyone to have a full class set. There already seems to be a shortfall in numbers in the KS3 cupboard. Can everyone please check that they only have enough copies for one-per-student in their class. If you have more than you need, please return to the KS3 cupboard (in C26).

7. Lesson observations
Make sure you have organised an official lesson observation before the end of this term. This is an essential part of your Performance Management and is your responsibility to organise. Please see this as an opportunity to develop your personal practice, to get advice on an area of your teaching that you would like to improve, to get some support with a class/topic you are finding difficult, or to get a second pair of eyes on something experimental. This is designed to be a supportive/training process NOT a check-up.

Bulletin - 14.11.16

1. Dates for diaries
Wed 16th Nov: KS3 work scrutiny
Thur 17th Nov: Year 9 parents evening
Wed 23rd Nov: KS4 work scrutiny
Thur 24th Nov: Year 11 parents evening

2. Reports/APs

Year 8 short reports: due Fri 18th Nov

3. KS3 work scrutiny

Please make sure you bring a full set of KS3 books (any year) to C27 at the end of Wed 16th Nov.

Bulletin - 7.11.16

1. Dates for diaries
Mon 7th Nov, 1:30-4:30pm: Year 8 STEM girls roadshow
Tues 8th Nov: Senior Maths Challenge
Wed 9th Nov: Meeting 1: Dept (T&L); Meeting 2: Colleges
Thur 10th Nov: SGU's after-school Year 11 sessions start
Thur 17th Nov: Year 9 parents evening

2. Reports/APs

Year 8 short reports: due Fri 18th Nov

3. Head of English

The two candidates for the Head of English position that we advertised last month both pulled out. As such, Jenny and Phoebe will fulfil the position as a job share for the rest of this academic year - both will also maintain their existing TLR responsibilities. We will re-advertise for a permanent Head of English, to start Sept 2017, in due course and would welcome internal as well as external applications.

In order to give Jenny and Phoebe appropriate remission for this role, there will be some movement of classes but this will be discussed with relevant staff once arrangements have been confirmed. Thank you for your patience while we sort out this situation and I know that you will give Jenny and Phoebe your full support when they start the role in January.

Bulletin - 31.10.16

1. Dates for diaries
Mon 31st October, 9am: IGCSE English Language re-sit
Mon 31st October, Tutor Time: Year 7 Accelerated Reader assembly
Tues 1st Nov, 9am: AQA GCSE English Language re-sit
Tues 1st Nov, Tutor Time: Year 11 Core Subjects Assembly
Wed 2nd Nov (poss longer): PP/SEND review
Wed 2nd Nov: Double HoF/HoY meeting (directed time for all other staff)
Fri 4th Nov: Year 12/13 Media trip: Wheatley Park Festival of Student Film
Mon 7th Nov, 1:30-4:30pm: Year 8 STEM girls roadshow
Tues 8th Nov: Senior Maths Challenge
Wed 9th Nov: Meeting 1: Dept (T&L); Meeting 2: Colleges
Thur 10th Nov: SGU's after-school Year 11 sessions start

2. Reports/APs
None.

3. PP/SEND review
Just to reiterate that there is no need to panic or do anything differently while the PP/SEND review is taking place. Please make sure your SPOT folders are up to date and that you are aware of the PP/SEND students in your class and how you can best help them.

4. Lesson observations
We will be holding a round of lesson observations this term. Everyone in the dept will be observed but the focus is on self-reflection and improvement rather than checking up. As such, please think about what area of your practice you would most like to develop, or whether there is a particular class you are finding difficult and would like some advice on. The default is that these lesson obs will be taken by TLR holders within the dept but that doesn't have to be the case. If there is someone who has particular strengths in an area you would like to develop, by all means ask them to come in and observe you. We will discuss the arrangements for this in more detail when we next meet as a dept but I wanted to give everyone a heads-up.