Bulletin - 30.1.12

Morning all,

1. Dates for diaries
Wed 1st Feb: Performance Management Mid-Point reviews (see below)
Thur 2nd Feb: Head of English interviews
Fri 3rd Feb: Year 9 options forms due
Fri 3rd Feb: Toni's last day (see below)
Mon 6th Feb: Year 8 options forms due

2. Performance Management Mid-Point reviews
These are to take place in the double meeting slot on Wed 1st Feb, 2-4pm. They should take 10-15 mins. The relevant personnel are listed below, so please liaise to arrange a suitable time. Use the rest of the time at your own discretion.
JKY: PWA, PTO, PST
PWA: ACL, NTU
PTO: GSN, CSW
AW: JKY, JD

EWA and NBY will have their reviews with HNE and MJO respectively.

3. Exam data entry
Many thanks to all the Year 11 teachers who supplied information and predictions for GCSE students. I'm aware it's a difficult process without grade boundaries, so thank you for your efforts.

We also need to collect the same information for KS5 classes - JKY will liaise with relevant staff on that.

4. Coursework moderation
The school has agreed in principle to us having two coursework moderation days. These have been provisionally booked for Tues 17th and Wed 18th April (the first week back after Easter holidays).

It is therefore vital that you have ALL coursework in and marked by these dates.

5. English department quiz
A Less Impressive Book Titles quiz is with CW.

6. Keys
Everyone should have a submaster key by now that opens every door in the department. If you don't, please see PWA. Can you also return the individual key for your room to JKY. Thanks.

6. Farewell to Toni
Toni is leaving (I say 'leaving', I mean abandoning...) us on Friday. She has a babysitter and a pass for Friday night - if you haven't already told me if you are coming out for a meal, please can you let me know asap so I can book a table.

Have a great week.

Bulletin - 16.1.12

1. Dates for your diaries
Thurs 19th Jan - Year 9 parents evening
Tues 24th Jan - JKY out on training course
Wed 25th Jan - First Aid training course
Thurs 26th Jan - Year 8 parents evening
Fri 27th Jan - Our staff tea

2. First Aid training course
Vic Moore is running a 2-hour first aid training course on Wed 25th Jan, 2pm-4pm. The names I have so far are:
JKY
PTO
NTU
ACL
SCO
RCA
EWA
PWA
2 x EAL staff

If you're not on this list and would like to attend, please email me asap.

The first hour of this session is our Dept Meeting time, so people not attending, please use this hour to do something departmenty (marking, planning, etc).

3. Year 11 exams
WELL DONE and THANK YOU for all your hard work preparing our Year 11 students for the exam last week. It was hugely appreciated. Results will come through in early March, fingers crossed!

4. Year 11 exam data entry
Jo Simpson has given me class sets for Year 11 teachers which need to be checked and filled in with predicted grades, etc. It's a bit complex so I will come round Year 11 teachers and explain in person.

5. Coursework deadlines (to Jo Simpson)
KS4: Fri 27th April
KS5: Mon 7th May

I will look to arrange two moderation days (one for KS4, one for KS5) after the Easter holidays - if you don't feel you are going to make this deadline, please let me know so that we can discuss.

6. Exam dates
Pretty early this year:

Tues 15th May: AS Media
Wed 16th May: AS Eng Lit
Tues 22nd May: GCSE Eng Lit Paper 1
Thur 24th May: GCSE Eng Lit Paper 2
Tues 29th May: GCSE English/GCSE Eng Lang (if re-sitting)
Thurs 14th June: GCSE Media
Fri 15th June: A2 Media
Wed 20th June: A2 Eng Lit

Thank you, have a great week.

Bulletin - 9.1.12

Happy New Year! Hope you all had a relaxing and restful break.

The spring term has started with a bang, lots of stuff going on (though sadly not the heating!).

1. Dates for diaries
Thursday 5th Jan: Year 11 parents evening
Monday 9th Jan: Year 11 Revision session (see below)
Tuesday 10th Jan: GCSE English/English Language exam (see below)
Wednesday 11th Jan: Department Meeting to discuss progress on KS3 modules
Thursday 12th Jan: Year 8/9 Guided Choices Evening (JKY + PWA)
Thursday 19th Jan: Year 9 parents evening
Thursday 26th Jan: Year 8 parents evening

2. Arrangements for GCSE English/English Language exam
Year 11 will be off timetable for P1 and P2 on Monday 9th Jan to do an exam conditions revision exercise. Year 11 teachers need to go to the Assembly Hall/Gym to help out on the lesson where they would have been teaching Year 11.

There is breakfast available for Year 11 students on Tuesday 10th Jan before the exam at 9am. If Year 11 teachers want to get their tutor groups covered and give last minute advice and inspiration, that would be great.

3. Welcome to Mary Glynn
Mary is a GTP student at Cherwell School who is joining us in the English department until half-term. Please make her feel welcome.

4. Farewell to Toni
Toni has shamefully got herself a new job at the Early Intervention Service with the Council and will be leaving us. Her last day is Friday 3rd Jan and she will be hugely missed. Thank you, Toni, for all your hard work and organisation - I'm not sure what we're going to do without you!

5. Netbook keys
We have been entrusted with TWO keys to the netbooks safe. They are currently in the top drawer of my desk until we can come up with a safe and usable system for storing them. I don't want to just leave them somewhere as there is a security issue there but at the same time me carrying them around isn't helpful if I'm not there. Thougths, anyone?

6. Heating
I have been assured that a new boiler will be installed before the end of this week and we will have heating by Monday. Feel free to let students keep coats, hats, scarves, etc on until then.

Thanks everyone, here's to 2012 - a year of Olympic levels of success!