Little Heath School Welcome to Year 12 September

Little Heath School Welcome to Year 12 September 2013

The Sixth Form Team • Ms. G Vignali Assistant Head/KS 5 Leader • Mr Kydd Head of Year 12 • Mrs Fisher and Mr Hanham Deputy Heads of Year 12 • Mr Hand • Miss Goodhew Head of Year 13 Deputy Head of Year 12 • Mrs C Bullion • Mrs S Bell Sixth Form Manager Sixth Form Administration

The Sixth Form Team • This is made of Year 13 students following elections in the Summer term. • The Committee is made up of the following posts: Chair; Vice Chair; Secretary; Treasurer; Social Secretary; Prom Director, Year Book Coordinator and Student Voice. • Look out for photos and job descriptions.

BEST TWO YEARS OF YOUR SCHOOL LIFE MORE FREEDOM MORE RESPONSIBILITY

Be Professional Students • • • Hard work Study Skills Deadlines Time management Effective use of study periods and home study period

Take responsibility for your own learning Independence and reflection • Ask for help 4 subject teachers 4 mentor 4 us • Reading and research 4 the library 4 the Internet 4 newspapers • Set yourself targets for improvement and work towards achieving them.

The Agreement: A Partnership • “I can expect to be treated as an adult” • “I will set target grades…equal to or higher than my minimum target grades” • “Appropriate behaviour, appearance and language” • “ 95% minimum attendance” • “Punctuality” • Facilities and the Common Room

Home Study and Study Sessions • Home study if no timetabled lesson • First lesson Period 2 – go straight to lesson after signing in. • Period 5 as Study – Wednesday/Friday, Home Study after last lesson 1. 20 • Or after mentor session/assembly. MAKE SURE YOU SIGN IN AND OUT!

The transition form tutors to mentors Monday: Assembly 1. 20 – 1. 45 Tuesday: Tutorial 1. 20 – 1. 45 Thursday: Tutorial 1. 20 – 1. 45 If you have a lesson period 1, register with your mentor at 8. 50 “Your mentor is your most important point of contact…they will be the ones who write both your UCAS and job references”

Mentor Meetings • Scheduled at mutually convenient times. • “review progress, discuss future plans and any concerns” • DO NOT MISS THESE APPOINTMENTS

Communicate • • This is about cooperation not conflict We are not the ‘enemy’ Talk to us – don’t be an Ostrich! A Levels and FE are challenging! If you can do it easily, you’re not learning! • Persevere! • It’s ‘cool’ to be clever now! • DBF –more information coming soon

Your website http: //heathensixthform. co. uk/ You must check this website at least once a week.

Assemblies • Monday 1. 20 – 1. 45 • You will have 11 formal registered assemblies in the year. The information for this is on heathen sixth form. • Group assemblies will be focused. • Check year message boards daily • E-mail and mobile contacts

Attendance • Independence does not mean optional attendance in lessons. • Attendance is checked daily and a text sent to the student. • Weekly checks – students will meet with member of 6 th form team to explain absences. Verbal warning. • If no improvement – letter home requiring notice to improve and meeting with parents. • If still no improvement interview with GVI/DRA student may be asked to leave

Not getting it right? • The Sixth Form Team will monitor the quality of your work, your ability to meet deadlines, your attendance and punctuality regularly. • If you are not meeting our expectations then we will put prompt sanction in place. e. g. making up the time after school with your HOY. • You will also have to catch up missed mentor sessions in your own time. • We see this as a last resort because if you act like young adults, we will treat you like young adults.

Use of library • The library is a quiet, silent study area. • Computers are available for coursework and research. • Eating, drinking and the use of mobile phones is not allowed in the library. • A selection of local and national newspapers is available every day.

COMMON ROOM • LOOK AFTER IT

The Importance of AS • AS results are qualifications in their own right - you gain certificates just like for GCSE or A Level. • AS in all subjects is marked out of 200/300. • Those marks then carry forward to count for half of your A Level grades. • A Levels are marked out of 400/600.

Examination Entries ò Assessment season in June 2014. ò Only 27 school weeks. Yr 12 Jan Mock examinations Yr 12 June All Units Yr 13 Jan Any Unit (A 2) or any individual re-sit AS unit Yr 13 June All remaining Units Whole A 2 and any individual re-sit AS unit Whole AS

Target Setting • The aim of this is to improve student achievement by raising expectations. • GCSE performance is used by national organisations to predict AS and A Level outcomes. We will be asking you to add appropriate challenge to these predictions. AIM HIGHER

Key Dates 2013 - 2015 í September 2013 AS courses begin í Summer 2014 You gain AS qualifications RESULTS DAY 18 th August 2013 TBC í September 2014 A 2 courses begun í Summer 2015 You gain A Level qualifications RESULTS DAY t. b. a. Provisional 19 th August 2015

Community Service Enrichment and Leadership • Opportunities to contribute to the school life, and help younger students. • To contribute to the wider local community. • To learn new skills and challenge yourself beyond the classroom. • Looks very good on CVs and University applications.