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Parents’ Newsletter: Issue 1 September 2016
Welcome to the first of our 6 newsletters. For those of you who are new members of the Thomas
Keble Community, I hope you find the contents interesting. There are already many things to
report in terms of what staff and students have been up to over the summer and in the first 3
weeks of term.
This newsletter is also very important in that it contains some important information and notices
that all parents need to familiarise themselves with.
Summer Results: 2016
Our Class of 2016 really excelled in their GCSE
examinations.
The high standards of recent years continued and we
were particularly pleased to see students at Thomas
Keble achieving well above their national peers across
the full range of subjects. Our Value Added score,
which measures how well our students did against the
national cohort stands at approximately 1016! This is
an extremely high score. At Thomas Keble, our
expectation is that the vast majority of our students
take 9 or 10 full GCSEs. We believe in a broad and balanced curriculum that opens as many
doors as possible whilst challenging all students, regardless of ability. The headline indicators
were as follows:
5 A*-C grades 71%
5 A*-C grades including English & Mathematics GCSE 63%
3 A*/A grades 26%
Percentage achieving EBacc Measure: (English, Maths, 2 Science, MFL, History or Geography)
25%
Value Added Score 1016
We are very proud of all students who achieved so highly in 2016. I would like to congratulate all
of our young people on these impressive results which will enhance their future life chances. I
would also like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our staff team and the support of
parents in helping individuals to do so well.
For full details about our Year 11 success in 2016, please log on to our website. Here, you will find a detailed summary: www.thomaskeble.gloucs.sch.uk Julia Maunder: Headteacher
Alumni Success
Many congratulations to Bobby White, who left Thomas Keble
in 2014. Bobby was accepted to Oxford to study medicine
this year. She achieved a clean sweep of A* grades in her
GCSE exams and went on to achieve 3 A*s at Cirencester
College in Maths, Biology and Chemistry.
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Staffing Updates
At the end of the summer term, we said goodbye to several members of the Thomas Keble staff
team. Whilst it is always sad to say goodbye, departures also offer the opportunity to welcome
new colleagues to the team. We welcome several new colleagues to the ‘TK’ team this term:
Mr Acton: Geography Mr Adams: Science Mrs Belcher: SENDCo
Mrs Chambers: Modern Languages Ms Matthews: Science Mrs Richards: Learning Support
Mr Smith: IT Network Team
On behalf of all the students at Thomas Keble, I’d like to welcome our
new colleagues to the team. We very much look forward to working
with you all!
Key Information for Parents
Contacting School
As a school, we take the relationship between home and school very seriously. Good
communication is vital to ensure we work together to support your child. However, in order to
avoid frustration and disappointment, we would ask all parents to observe the following guidelines
when wishing to speak with a member of staff or see them:
If you wish to speak with a member of staff, please telephone the school office on 01452
770301. Reception is staffed between 8:00 am and 4:30pm. A voicemail service is
available outside these hours. Messages will always be passed on and a member of staff
will return your call. Your child’s tutor is often the first point of contact for a parent but
Heads of Year are able to help if the tutor is not available.
Please avoid calling the office between 8:15 and 8:45 am; and 3:00 and 3:15 pm when
students are arriving or leaving for the day. The front office is exceptionally busy at this
time and may not be able to answer your call.
If you wish to meet with a member of staff, then please contact the office to make an
appointment. Alternatively, email [email protected]
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Please note, if you arrive at reception without making an appointment, you will not be able
to see a member of staff. Head of Year and members of the Senior Management Team are
often tied up with teaching or are in other meetings. Arriving without an appointment can
lead to frustration and disappointment.
Medical Care Plans
Can all parents whose child requires medication of medical treatment in school time, please make
sure they update us on any changes or adjustments via a medical care plan form. These can be
obtained from school reception.
Lateness to School and Punctuality
We cannot overestimate how important it is that students arrive to
school on time and ready to learn. As a result of late arrival, a
minority of students disrupt the start of lessons and the learning of
others. I am sure all parents would agree that this is not
acceptable.
At Thomas Keble, we take punctuality very seriously. If a student is late and there is no valid
reason provided by parents via a note or telephone call, students who accrue late time will receive
a detention as a sanction. The sanctions will be given as follows:
Up to 20 minutes late in a week – a lunchtime detention will be issued
Over 20 minutes late in a week – an after-school detention will be issued
We do understand that sometimes arriving late is unavoidable. For example, a late bus would not
result in any further action being taken. However, we are proud of our high attendance levels at
Thomas Keble School and we are keen to ensure all students are supported to make progress by
being on time for lessons. Thank you in advance for your support in this matter.
Launch of new Mental Health Advice
Website for Young People
The Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning
Group’s children and young people’s website
has now gone live at
www.onyourmindglos.nhs.uk
The website provides information and signposting across a range of topics to help young
people who might be struggling with their emotions and difficult situations in their life
The Gloucestershire Self Harm Helpline provides a safe, supportive, non-judgemental and informative space for people who self-harm, their friends, families and carers. We also speak to professionals who may want to know more about self-harm. The service is able to support anyone living within Gloucestershire, and you can contact the service by telephone, text or webchat during their opening hours, every day 5pm to 10pm. The helpline provides: confidential emotional support and information; support and understanding during a crisis; promotes coping strategies and self-management to help you work towards your recovery. They can also help put callers in touch with other organisations http://www.gloucestershireselfharm.org
Free School Meals New Online Portal
Are you entitled to Free School Meals? GCC have launched a new portal to enable parents and carers to apply online for free school meals. This system replaces the paper applications used previously. If you think you may be eligible to apply, please visit www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals . If you would like any further information contact [email protected] or call 01452 425390.
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Attendance and Requests for Absence in Term Time
It is important that all parents are aware of the government
guidance regarding requests for absence. Headteachers
are not permitted to agree to holiday leave during term time
unless there are very exceptional circumstances. For
example a military family may not be able to secure leave
during school holiday time to spend family time together. If
you do submit a holiday request form, it is unlikely that the absence will be authorised. If, as a
family you choose to continue with holiday plans, we have no choice but to record the absence as
unauthorised. This means that parents face the risk of being issued with a penalty notice under
current DfE guidance.
If you would like to contact our Education Welfare Officer to discuss absence and attendance
issues, her contact information is included at the back of this newsletter.
Adopted From Care: Information on Funding
Following changes to the funding for children who have been adopted from care, we are required
as a school to return information to the Department of Education about any children we have on
roll who have ever been adopted from care. This is a change from previous years where only
those adopted since December 2005 could receive additional funding. If you feel your family is
affected by this statement, then please get in touch with Mrs Hawker who oversees this matter.
CSP Charity Rugby Tournament
Mr Blaylock is heading East in December to coach the CSP
International Charity Rugby Team in their annual fundraising
competition that takes place this year in Dubai!
The team, which consists of a number of International Rugby
veterans will be raising funds to support MacMillan Cancer Nurses
and the Scottish charity, ‘Finding Your Feet.’ Mr Blaylock will also
be raising funds for the Alderhay Children’s Hospital in memory of a
family friend. If you would like to support Mr Blaylock in reaching his
fundraising target, you can donate by visiting www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/andy-blaylock
2016 / 2017 Academic Year Dates
TERM 1 Monday 5 September – Friday 21 October Friday 2 September – INSET Day (school closed to pupils) Monday 5 September – Year 7 & 11 only in school Tuesday 6 September – all pupils in school Friday 7 October – INSET Day (school closed to pupils)
October Break Monday 24 October – Friday 28 October inclusive
TERM 2 Monday 31 October – Friday 16 December Monday 28 November – INSET Day (school closed to staff and pupils)
Christmas Break Monday 19 December – Monday 2 January inclusive
TERM 3 Tuesday 3 January – Friday 10 February
February Break Monday 13 February – Friday 17 February inclusive
TERM 4 Monday 20 February – Friday 7 April
Easter Break Monday 10 April – Friday 21 April inclusive
TERM 5 Monday 24 April – Friday 26 May inclusive Monday 1 May – Bank Holiday – School closed
May Break Monday 29 May – Friday 2 June inclusive
TERM 6 Monday 5 June – Friday 21 July inclusive Friday 30 June – INSET Day (school closed to pupils)
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We’re making communication easier, faster and more effective
I’m pleased to advise that we’ve introduced a new service - ‘School Gateway’. This means that we
can share information with parents more quickly via email, text, online and smartphone app. It will
also save parents - and the school - time and money.
You will be able to view the following for your child(ren): • Attendance • Your contact details
You will also be able to make payments via debit and credit card, for trips, clubs and music tuition and give online consent for activities such as school trips. What you need to do now Activate your School Gateway account. It’s quick and easy to do. All you need are your email address and mobile number that school holds on record for you.
Download the app: If you have a smartphone, please download School Gateway from your app store (Android and iPhone). The app shows the same information as the website PLUS you can message the school for FREE – this will also save the school money when we send you a text message.
OR Visit the website: www.schoolgateway.com and click on ‘New User’. You’ll receive a
text message with a PIN number. Use this PIN to log into School Gateway.
If you’re having trouble logging in, it may be that we do not hold your current email and mobile
number on our records. Please contact the school and we’ll update the details on our system.
Please email our Data Office – [email protected].
We hope that you will find School Gateway a great way to keep up-to-date with what’s going on at
school.
Thomas Keble PTA News: Student Social Space Campaign!
Last year, our PTA group raised nearly £5000 to support the students of Thomas Keble. In such
tight financial times, such support is crucial to the continued success and provision for our children.
This year we are going to be working hard to raise funds for a new sheltered social space for
students to enjoy during break and lunchtimes. As a highly popular school, we are always looking
for extra space, particularly when the weather at the ‘top of the hill’ is wet and windy. The PTA will
be organising a range of events to raise much needed funds for this vital development which will
give students a warm, dry space to eat, chat with friends and recharge their batteries for their
lessons.
You can help us!
Attend one of the events: Every ticket sold raises much needed money!
Make an online donation to the PTA fund: download the app (see above) or visit
www.schoolgateway.com
Shop online at: easyfundraising.org.uk. It is a straightforward way to raise money for the
PTA just by shopping online. You don’t pay anything extra. All you need to do is register at
the link.
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Donate a raffle prize. Donations can be brought to school for the attention of the TK PTA.
Sign up as a member of the 100 Club (details on the next page).
Get involved! Volunteer to help out at one of our events. Email the PTA:
The school is facing its hardest year yet financially with education budget cuts. The PTA do
outstanding work in helping to fund the ‘luxuries’ that the school budget just can’t stretch to. This
year we are aiming big. Our children tell us that the biggest difference we could make at school
would be to create more indoor social space. We’ve listened. But we really need your help to
‘Make It Happen’.
Annual Firework Display
Our PTA group is busy planning the
first big event of 2016 – our annual
firework display. The display will take
place on Thursday 3 November 2016.
Doors open at 6:00pm with the display
starting at 6:30pm. Tickets are £4-00
for adults and £2-00 for children.
Family tickets are also available for
£10-00 admitting two adults and two
children.
Come along and join in the fun.
If you would like to get involved with the PTA either as a member of the committee or as a
volunteer helper for our fundraising events, please email the committee:
100 Club Winners Congratulations to the winners of the 100 club draw for July 2016: 1st: Tracy McMahan 2nd: Tom Priestley 3rd: Victoria Hulse Winnings will be forwarded by mail by the TK PTA committee. If you would like to support the PTA by becoming a member of the 100 Club, please refer to the information below:
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An Evening with Tweedy
The highlight of the last year’s PTA events
must be the evening with Tweedy that took
place in August. Tweedy the Clown, renowned
for his work with Gifford’s Circus, kindly came
along to entertain over 200 comedy lovers of all
ages with his antics. From his circus skills, to
his comic disaster routines and his audience
participation antics, there really was something
for everyone.
Our thanks to everyone in the PTA for helping
to organise such a spectacular and fun-filled
fundraiser! Over £2000 was raised in one
evening. A superb result!
Local Volunteers to Support Children’s Reading
Do you live locally and have some time to spare during the school day? We are looking to recruit a
body of volunteers who might be prepared to give a couple of hours a week to support a student
who needs help with their reading. Training will be offered in order to allow local helpers to work
with individual children, helping them to develop their reading confidence. If you are interested,
please register this interest by emailing us at [email protected]
Have you ever considered becoming a Parent Governor?
Parent Governors make a major contribution to key decisions, ensuring high standards of achievement for all the young people at the school. No prior knowledge is required, training and support is provided and it provides an opportunity for you to acquire new skills, participate in teamwork, contribute to the community and make a difference to children’s lives. This term we shall be seeking nominations for two Parent Governor vacancies at Thomas Keble School, and a letter will be issued shortly inviting parents to nominate candidates. In the meantime, if you require any further information, or wish to speak to the Clerk to find out what is entailed in this important role, please contact Alison Clarke, Clerk to Governors, via the school office or email [email protected].
Sponsored Walk
The weather was kind to us all on Friday September
23rd as the 800+ members of the Thomas Keble
community walked for charity in our annual
sponsored walk. Over the course of a sun kissed
afternoon, we walked over 5 miles up and down the
steep hilly countryside that surrounds the school.
Our students chose 3 charities to benefit from this
event:
International: Unicef UK www.unicef.org.uk National: Teenage Cancer Trust www.teenagecancertrust.org Local: Winston’s Wish www.winstonswish.org.uk Web links are included to allow you to see what valuable work these charities do. Last year we raised over £10,000 for our charity nominees. Thank you in advance for all your support in helping to try and match that wonderful total again.
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Year 7 House Drama competition
Rehearsals for the Year 7 House Drama competition are in full swing, with our new students devising some very imaginative plays – to include a dance element – on the theme of The Journey. The competition takes place in the hall on We dnesday 19 October from 5.00-6.30pm and parents and friends are invited to come along to watch the students perform. This year we are also looking forward to sharing the talents of our best Year 7 instrument players, who are being invited to play pieces between each play and while the adjudicators are conferring at the end of the competition. The evening will truly be an all-round Performing Arts event, with students acting, playing music and dancing, and this will be the first opportunity of many that the students will have during their time with us to show off their performance talents.
School production auditions
This year’s school production is Great Expectations, and with twelve chorus members narrating the story as well as actors performing scenes, it is one of our most ambitious productions yet. Auditions will take place every lunchtime of the week beginning 10 October, and audition pieces will be available outside the drama room from the beginning of the week beginning 3 October. We are looking to finalise the cast for the show by the end of term, so that students can start learning their parts over the October break.
Students wanting to audition will also bring home a letter to parents informing them of the dates of the five weekend rehearsals that will take place between January and March, and the commitment required by their child to attend rehearsals. A tear-off slip with a parent’s signature can then be returned when they come to their audition to confirm that parents understand the commitment involved. This will be a true ensemble production, and the students will benefit enormously from the experience of working creatively within a committed community of performers, technicians and backstage helpers to produce a show that they can be proud of. YEAR 7 VISIT TO FRANCE 2016 Once again, as part of Activities Week in July, 38 of our then Year 7 students travelled to France for a three night stay in Normandy, near Bayeux. We visited the town of Bayeux and the Tapestry, the town of Arromanches, the D-Day museum, 360 circular cinema and the American and British War Cemeteries. In the evenings we enjoyed a ‘TK Talent Show’, as well as other activities such as crêpe-making and eating, a BBQ, a quiz and outdoor games. We were very lucky with the weather too and the students managed to fit in a swim before dinner every evening! Some of the students have said: ‘I recommend the French Trip because it was really fun and we went to loads of different places and we had really good evening activities after dinner’. Amelia Bowen Year 8 ‘I really liked the beautiful surroundings’. Grace Finan Year 8 ‘The French Trip was really good, I would definitely do it again’. Anna Latham Year 8 ‘Amazing, fabulous, highly recommended and stupendous fun’. Will Baldwin Year 8
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Year 11 - Life After TK
All of Year 11 embarke d on a day recently to prepare
them for life after Thomas Keble. Although many of
them will be sad to leave they are guided into thinking
about the next steps after their GCSE exams.
After a response through Student Voice last year we
decided to give our Year 11s additional support prior to
making their college and apprenticeship applications.
We are extremely grateful to the range of local
employers who came in to give all of Year 11 a one-to-
one mock interview. Each student, dressed appropriately for an interview, was given a 20-minute
interview and received immediate feedback (both verbal and written) from the employer giving an
outline of their strengths and weaknesses. All students really enjoyed the experience and are
grateful for the time given by the employers to undertake such a large task.
In addition, all students were given time to produce their own CV in preparation for job interviews.
Local Post 16 providers came into school and talked to the students about how to make their
applications to college and a local Careers Adviser spoke to the students about the value of
Apprenticeships and how to apply. Representatives from the local University of Gloucestershire
also spoke to the students about university life and what is needed in terms of applications.
The students were also given a highly valued talk by representatives from Santander Bank who
spoke about a range of finance issues relating to spending and saving – essential information for
all students as they reach the age of 16.
Feedback from the students was very positive indeed. This is the first time such an event has been
held and it certainly gave the students much to consider as they prepare to make their college
applications from mid-October onwards.
Adventure Club In June and July pupils from Year 7, 8 and 9 took part in “taster sessions”, in Kayaking and Windsurfing at South Cerney Outdoor Education Centre. Pupils travelled to Lake 12 by school minibus and thoroughly enjoyed their outdoor experience. They were able to develop new skills and form new friendships. All of the pupils reported that they found the sessions fun and challenging. After half term in October 2016 we are hoping to run a six-week Skiing Course and in the New Year 2017 a Climbing Introductory Course. Please see Mrs Parfitt for more details.
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