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.