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Tutor Standstill
This week we had a fantastic Tutor Standstill to discuss Anti-Bullying. We used this as an opportunity to gather students' views and to review our Anti-Bullying charter. Our Anti-Bullying group will now work with the student feedback to update and renew our Charter.
Students discussed whether different scenarios were bullying or peer issues and were reminded of our No Bystanders agenda.
Progress 8 Attainment 8
Today the government released the provisional progress 8 scores for all secondary schools. The Progress 8 initiative was introduced in 2016 to try and capture all pupils' average progress from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school, information that is then translated into a score for the school. Progress 8, with its focus on every pupil, every grade across a reasonably broad curriculum is the best secondary school headline accountability measure I have experienced as a school leader. Not perfect, but miles better than 5+ A*-C Grades including English & Maths. The government will be using Progress 8 as the main metric for a secondary school's effectiveness.
This year we have seen an improvement in our P8 score and we have one of the highest P8 scores in the local area.
Portway - Presentation Evening
I had the pleasure of attending Portway Junior School's Presentation Evening yesterday; it was delightful to see all the students, many of them now in our Year 7, taking great pride in their achievements.
I also attended a special meeting of the Andover Area Partnership for Learning this morning, where headteachers had the opportunity to direct questions to our MP - Kit Malthouse. I was able to ask questions regarding school funding, to which I referred in my Headteacher's Blog I sent to you earlier this year.
Assemblies
Amazing House Assemblies this week! A cry from a young Kestrel, Mr Manson's son, showed the Kestrel House how to perform the call of the Kestrel's 'Ka-Kaw'! Heads of House reviewed the result from our European Languages Day Baking Competition and the Basketball results. Although Hawks won the basketball competition, Kestrel House gained more points due to more students' participation. Students were reminded of the points system and the importance of taking part. Upcoming competitions include the Harrow Way Bake Off and the Christmas Card competition. Year 10 students need to get their applications for House Captain to tutors by October 20th.
Educational Visits
Last Friday 5 Year 10 Students went to Test Valley Borough Council to interview candidates for a youth Engagement Officer. The students were a credit to the school and gained a lot of insight from the experience. A group of our Year 7 students were also helping Test Valley and Rotary on Friday by planting purple crocuses by Vigo Recreation Ground to highlight Rotary's project to eradicate Polio worldwide.
Our entire Year 10 took part in a Careers Event hosted by John Hanson; I saw lots of 'goody bags' filled with useful information returning with the students. Please take the opportunity to look through the leaflets your child brought home. There are already opportunities available to have an early look at Further Education colleges - forthcoming dates are set out below.
As part of the curriculum, this week students have visited The Globe for a Drama Workshop and a group of Year 10s are today touring Whitechapel and The Clink prison as part of their History studies.
Governor Vacancy
We currently have a vacancy for a Co-Opted Governor. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real contribution to our very successful and rapidly growing school community. We are looking for someone with the commitment to improving education for all students and to the school's vision and ethos. Please follow this link for more information and to request an application form.
Sporting Results
A full week of sporting fixtures saw the Year 8 Girls' football team come second in the district competition and a 15-2 win by the Year 8 Boys' football team against Winton. Both Year 10 and Year 11 Boys' football teams also won 2-1 against Avon Valley and 1-0 against Winton respectively. Our Year 9 and 10 netball teams unfortunately both lost to strong John Hanson teams.
Whole School Photograph 16th Oct - 50th Anniversary
As this year we are celebrating our School's 50th Anniversary, we will be taking a Whole School Photograph on the morning of Monday 16th October. There will be an opportunity to purchase a copy of the photograph and we will of course give you full details.
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