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Thursday 29th March 2018

This term, as all other terms, has been very busy indeed. It's a lovely time of year when the weather starts to warm up (although there's no sign just yet) and the days become longer. There has been a real energy in the school as the students and staff have embarked on some great learning opportunities, many of which you will have read about on the schools website and will find in the Easter edition of the Harrow Way Eagle Newsletter. This has been distributed to students this week. Please ask your child for your copy. Dates for the Summer Term are on the back page, as usual. An electronic version is available to view on our website.

Year 8 Parents Evening
Thank you to all parents who attended our Year 8 Parents Evening on Monday. I was pleased to see so many parents and I know staff were pleased to have the opportunity of talking to you and your child.

Year 11 - The final countdown!
Year 11 parents have been e-mailed with information about available Easter Revision classes. I would also like to thank in advance, all my colleagues who will be in over the holidays to deliver extra sessions to the GCSE students. It is worth noting that earlier this year, Mrs Pearce asked colleagues to consider the best means of providing support and intervention to students using the model of Diagnosis, Therapy and Testing, and suggested the most effective intervention (therapy) is usually that which takes place during lessons. With this in mind it is vital Year 11s attendance is 100% in the lead up until the exams.

Year 11's have received their mock results over this term. These results are now a thing of the past, we draw a line under them having used them to 'diagnose' where we are and plan those small steps to improvement in the summer. Every student I am sure has acknowledged that they can improve on their current standing. Miss Walker, Mr Fluellen and Mrs Pearce have emphasised in assemblies how deeply we, as teachers, care and how hard we work for the students but, in turn, they have got to want it. We acknowledge that it's tough for them, particularly with the unknowns, the variables of these new GCSEs and that there is inevitably a degree of pressure on young people but what's new? Together we can once again exceed the expectations of many and take that elevated position in comparison to most others nationally. That is not intended to sound superior, arrogant even, but hard work always pays off and it's simply what our staff and students deserve.

Link to the Summer 2018 exam timetable on our website.

Good luck, Year 11, in the remaining few months (plenty of time to make a difference).

Assemblies - Celebration
Year Leaders have been able to celebrate achievements for their year group in assemblies this week; with certificates and awards being handed out. I have again written to those students who have shown maximum effort and a great attitude to work this term.

PIXL French Trip to Reading University
Our Year 11 French students participated in a trip to the University of Reading on Tuesday and enjoyed the Pixl MFL French Conference. The purpose of the afternoon was to share tips and strategies to ace the forthcoming speaking, reading, listening and writing examinations. Several other schools from across the region also took part. Held in a large lecture theatre, students benefited from a range of interactive tasks enabling them to practise key structures and understand how to revise effectively for their French exams. Students were encouraged by the positive messages shared by the conference speakers and all returned feeling more confident. We had a lovely comment from the organiser: "Please pass onto your students how impressed we were by their exemplary conduct and attitude. They really were phenomenal!!"

Yr 9 Drama & Dance Showcase
The Year 9 student gave a great performance at their Drama and Dance Showcase yesterday, and there is another opportunity to see them tonight at 7pm. Dance students performed their self choreographed trios that explored different types of relationships through lift work. The year 9 Drama classe were performing a selection of comedy sketches, including Alan Ayckbourn's Ernie's Incredible Illucinations. Despite several members of the cast being absent on the night due to illness, the rest of the group pulled together in the spirit of 'the show must go on'. For many of these Year 9 students this was their first public performance and they certainly did themselves proud.

50th Anniversary Tree Planting
Despite the weather yesterday, a large number of students across the year groups helped Mrs Pearce and Mrs Davis from Andover Trees plant 50 trees on the school grounds to commemorate the school's 50th Anniversary. We look forward to watching them grow.

Warwick Castle Visit
The visit to Warwick Castle took place this week, previously postponed because of the snow. Although the rain put in a strong appearance, the Year 7's seemed to have enjoyed themselves.

SIMS Learning Gateway and New Parent Portal
We are pleased to announce the trial launch of a new online parental engagement platform. Parent Progress View provides access to the same annual reports, behaviour / achievement detail and school attendance information as SIMS Learning Gateway, but addresses some of its limitations - including full support for mobile devices and self-service password resets.

Parent Progress View is now part of our existing Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and parents are welcome to request an account by completing the 'Parent Progress View Signup' form on our school website under the 'Parents' banner.

SIMS Learning Gateway will remain available as normal for the time being, however we encourage any parents who experience issues with SLG to request a Parent Progress View account.

And finally, may I wish you all a pleasant Easter break.

The Talking Teens Parent Group are offering helpful sessions between 19th April - 10th May. Please click here for a link to more information.

These visits for 2017/18 have currently been agreed by the Headteacher. Others will be added throughout the year. There is no guarantee that they will all go ahead as this depends on student uptake. Further details on each visit will be given out to the year group/classes involved by the member of staff organising the visit.

Harrow Way Community School (All Parents) Mailing List

Please contact the Admin Office, including your e-mail address and child's name (if applicable) to update your contact details or unsubscribe. Contact the school here.