Newsletter February 2008

This issue

Welcome to the February 2008 edition of Saint Paul's Academy's newsletter!

In this issue:

• Breaking news
• Encouraging mock examination results
• Booster classes
• Busy examination time booster classes
• Homework policy
• Longer school day equals less homework
• Getting into trouble
• Improve your health
• Early Easter
• Holiday dates
• Important dates

Dear Parents and Guardians

“It was pleasing to see so many of you at our recent revision evening. Support at home is vital to students’ success.”

Patrick Winston, Principal

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Breaking news

• Congratulations to Marcel Miller a member of 'The Class of 2006' who has been offered a place at Saint Benet’s College, Oxford to read Philosophy and Theology.
• The Rowing Team of Olawale Akande, Amira Ngwana, Bethan Jones, Lennox Appiah, Cameron Grant –Regis, Alice Lewis, William Eagen, Aimee Light and Stephen Shote are Greenwich Champions. They will now represent the Borough in the East London Finals.

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Encouraging mock examination results

As we begin the new year, we move very quickly into the examination season and I am pleased to report that, generally, the Year 11 mock examination results are very encouraging. Most students are now focussed and know exactly what they have to do to improve. There were a very encouraging number of parents and carers at the recent revision evening and it was very obvious that the vast majority of Year 11 students are being well supported at home as well as in school. When this is the case, students stand the very best chance of making progress and fulfilling their potential.

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Booster classes

As the term progresses, a number of booster classes and revision sessions will be arranged both after school and in the holidays and, for most of these, specific students will be targeted. All Year 11 students should by, now have a revision timetable worked out and this half term is an ideal chance to settle down to serious study. I am not for a moment suggesting that students should spend the whole of their holiday studying, but if they do three one and a half hour sessions each day, with breaks in between, this will bring enormous benefits in the summer as well as making students feel confident and in control of their workload.

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Busy examination time booster classes

Of course, Year 11 are not the only ones who are taking examinations. We also have students in Year 8 and 9 taking SATs and a number of students in Year 10 taking some GCSEs. Entering Year 8 and Year 9 students for examinations is in line with our policy of entering students for examinations when they are ready rather than according to their chronological age. Although this is still unusual, we believe that students gain a huge advantage from this policy and through starting the Key Stage 4 curriculum in Year 9 rather than 10.

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Homework policy

One of the questions most frequently asked by parents and carers is about the role of homework in their child’s education and I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the Academy’s policy on this issue. In the past, every student has had a homework timetable and teachers were expected to set work accordingly. However, it was sometimes the case that homework was set for the sake of being set and it was also often the case that students did not have somewhere quiet to study in the evening.

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Longer school day equals less homework

With the rapid growth of modern technology, parents and carers are under constant pressure to provide the latest computer and inevitably machines malfunction which can be a cause of stress for the whole family. If homework is incomplete or not of a high enough standard, this causes conflict with the teacher and this in turn wastes valuable lesson time. So, for all these reasons when the Academy was created it was decided to significantly increase the lengthy of the school day whilst reducing the amount of homework set.

We decided that students would be welcome to complete their work in school, making use of the ICT facilities and getting help from staff as necessary. We also decided that homework would only be set when it had a clear educational objective and for this reason there may well be evenings and weekends when your daughter or son does not have set tasks to complete. However, when homework is set we expected it to be done to the very highest standards and we don’t expect students to complain that they didn’t have time to finish it! Obviously, as students go up the school the demands on their free time will become greater as they prepare for GCSE examinations, but if any students have spare time I would strongly urge them to get involved with extra curricular activities or to make the most of facilities in their local area. Libraries are excellent sources of information as well as being well stocked with not only books but also CDs and DVDs.

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Getting into trouble

Directly related to this subject is the fact that we still have students hanging around the local area and, as a result, getting into trouble. This is a very small minority of the school population but these students not only get into trouble themselves but give our school a bad name. As the days get longer, there is a temptation for young people to loiter in particular places but I would very much encourage you to ensure that you know where your sons and daughters are who they are with. This is for your own peace of mind as well as for your children’s safety; we frequently get phone calls from parents whose children are late home and parents and carers are justifiably anxious.

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Improve your health

This is the time of year when we many of us look to the summer and wish we were a little healthier. If you fall into this category, I would recommend that you access our Online Personal Health Management System (OPHMS). This is a unique web based tool that can help you improve your health; get fitter and lose weight; eat a healthy, balanced diet and reduce stress. OPHMS is completely free to parents and carers and it offers individually tailored support, information and guidance in all areas of your well being; the service offers to help you make positive changes to your life style, thus improving levels of fitness and controlling levels of stress. If you wish to take advantage of this offer simply email: enquiries@revitalised.co.uk and in your email, quote the offer code – SPA1. The Revitalised team will arrange your free membership.

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Early Easter

You will all be aware by now that Easter is very early this year, in fact as early as it can possibly be, which is why we have such an unusual holiday. Just to remind you: we are off school for the Easter Bank holiday weekend which is from Friday, 21st to Monday, 24th of March and then we are back in school until Thursday, 3rd April when we break up for two weeks, returning to school on Monday, 21st April. This is the pattern that the vast majority of state schools are following and the reasoning behind it is that the very early Easter makes this term far too short, especially as this is the time when many examination syllabuses are completed. Taking two weeks directly after Easter would considerably disadvantage students.

The early Easter has meant that Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent, was on 6th February, and every member of our community had the opportunity to receive ashes. We are also marking the seasons of Lent with morning prayer on Wednesdays at eight o’clock in the Ark. This is a time for quiet reflection and a space in our normally hectic lives when we can be still and think about what Lent means for us. As usual we will be organising opportunities for those students who wish to take the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and in Holy Week we will have services for all students as we remember Christ’s Passion. We will celebrate the resurrection when we return from the Bank Holiday Weekend.

Hopefully, after half term, many of the viruses which have been so prevalent for the last few months will have died out and this should mean that attendance rates improve. We started the Academic Year with an attendance rate which was noticeably above that of the previous year. However, over the last few weeks this has slipped. I look forward to more consistent attendance from certain students after the break. I would like to take this opportunity to remind parents and carers that we are no longer able to give permission for students to take holidays during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances. In general, absences arising from holidays being taken in term time will be marked as unauthorised because of the hugely detrimental effects of missing school.

I would also encourage you not to let your sons and daughters have the odd day off; most references are now very specific when they ask for attendance data and we usually have to give a percentage. Occasional days here and there do not seem very significant but they add up very quickly; one day a fortnight off means that a student only has ninety percent attendance, which is well below the national average. I would also ask you to ensure that your sons and daughters are in school on time in the mornings. It is only a very small minority of students who are regularly late, but this impacts not only on their education but on other students’ as well because lessons are interrupted.

I know that, as always, I can count on your support on these matters.

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Holiday dates

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Important dates

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