Year 7 Parents’

To aspire, endeavour and thrive together

Welcome to

Year 7 Parents’

Information

Evening

The relationship between home and

school

“Parental engagement in children’s learning and the quality of the home

learning environment are associated with improved academic outcomes at all ages.”

Vision


Mission

To develop in each of our students the academic skills, learning habits, values and

character traits necessary to thrive and achieve excellence.

This Evening

• The Whole Child: Our Vision and Learning Values for all students

• How your child will be taught and the learning habits we promote - Maths and English and the route to GCSE

• Classcharts and our Rewards System

• Assessment and reporting

• How you can help and support your child


Vision and Values


Most of our

students

can now quote

our values

without

prompting !


Behaviour and attendance

❖ We set very high expectations for all of our students

❖ September 2020 COVID-19 Annex to our Behaviour Policy can

be found on our website

❖ In lessons we continue to use C1-4 (Chance, Choice,

Consequence) and around school we use C1-5


Attendance

❖ We continue to have high expectations

around school attendance for all of our

students despite the current

circumstances

❖ All students should aim to be in school

100%, however we do appreciate that

there are times, especially at the moment,

where students need to be at home to

recover from illness

❖ Please read our ‘COVID-19 What To Do’

sheet on the website (for all COVID-19

related attendance queries)

❖ Remote work will

be set each week

throughout the year

for all absentees to

complete (when

well enough to do

so)


Remote Learning

What work will my child receive?

❖ Work on Google Classroom uploaded weekly

❖ A paper booklet for each subject

❖ Some recorded lessons using video or audio

❖ Hard copies for all work if requested

❖ A year group curriculum plan will be provided in the event of

Tier 2-4 restrictions


Remote Learning

What feedback will they receive?

❖ Individual feedback on agreed pieces of work

❖ Whole class feedback to identify common strengths and areas

for improvement

❖ Immediate feedback with online tests eg. Google Forms,

Educake, Seneca, Century Tech

❖ Written feedback on hard copies on their return to school


Remote Learning

How will I be informed of the quality of their work?

❖ Weekly THRIVE or behaviour points from each teacher on Class

Charts

❖ 2 THRIVE points: Excellent effort and quality of work

❖ 1 THRIVE point: Work completed to a good standard

❖ 1 BEHAVIOUR point: Work not completed to the expected

standard

❖ 2 BEHAVIOUR points: No work completed

❖ Follow up phone call if no work completed


Remote Learning

How can my child work effectively at home?

❖ Work to a daily/weekly timetable

❖ Have an area with a desk/table clear of distractions

❖ Do not allow phones on the desk/in the room

❖ Take short breaks in between lessons

❖ Ensure eating and sleeping routines are healthy


English in Y7 and the route to GCSE

Year 7 Year 8 Year 9

History of English Film and media Poetry from Other Cultures

Modern novel: Shadow Novel: City of the Beasts The Speckled Band

Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Shakespeare - The Tempest Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet

Conflict Poetry Spoken Language and Rhetoric

Within each unit of work we build on students’ prior knowledge, from primary school, and embed the skills students will need at KS4. Through the different literature texts, we teach analytical

reading skills and both creative and transactional writing; each unit focuses on different areas of: spelling, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. We work throughout Key Stage 3 to ensure students have the skills needed for later on in their academic career. It is imperative they are

equipped with research skills; a broad vocabulary; ways to remember and recall chunks of course content effectively and have the ability to make revision aids successfully.


• Students are assessed formally every term.• We use rewind to help students reflect on

their learning. • Within lessons we may also use self and/or

peer assessment.• We are beginning to introduce whole class

feedback.• We use model answers, visualisers and good

examples of student work to scaffold and support students.

• We set weekly spelling tests of tier 2 vocabulary and reading homework.

Assessment and Rewind in English

Rewind tasks:Bronze: Use a thesaurus to upgrade at least 4 basic words you’ve used e.g. good, bad, nice, scary…Silver: Include a metaphor and simile within your description of Afghanistan and/ or the cave the family are in.Gold: Complete a sentence upgrade sheet, consider how you can vary your sentence starts.


Accelerated Reader Programme• Students have all completed a ‘Star

Reading Test’ which ascertains their reading level and directs them to appropriate reading material in the library and beyond.

• They are encouraged to explore the library and make independent choices according to their individual level. Guidance is given by their class teacher and the librarian if needed.


Accelerated Reader

Students are now fully engaged in the programme which requires them to complete a set amount of reading per week (your child will have a page target), but they should be aiming for at least 20 minutes reading per day.

To help your child you could:

• create a climate for reading

• ensure they read every day

• talk to them about the books they have chosen and why

• paired reading of both fiction and non-fiction texts

• encourage variety - it is important that more able students begin to embrace novels written by authors from the Literary Canon such as: Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle and Charlotte Bronte.


Maths in Y7 and the route to GCSE

Maths is a 5, or 7, year journey. We build on the skills learnt in primary school and deepen the level of understanding. Maths has a spiral curriculum which means each year, and indeed, within years we revisit topics. Each time further developing the level of understanding. Below is the year 7 overview.

This allows students to refresh and develop their understanding of key concepts.


Maths in Y7 and the route to GCSE

In Maths we have set starters which involve knowledge retrieval, problem solving and key numeracy skills. This means that students are constantly improving and refining their skills.

With each topic we start with a mind map that list the objectives, and links them to century learning (more in the next slide). Then half way through a topic students complete a mini review which allows them to reflect on their learning and improve on certain areas. Finally students complete an Open Book Assessment which is testing their ability to apply their knowledge rather than just remember how to.

Finally at the end of each year we use a full closed exam which is benchmarked.


Century Learning and Homework

All homework in Maths is set via an online platform called Century learning. All students have a username and password (ask them if they have not told you it already!). As a parent you can see their dashboard which will highlight their strengths and areas for development.

We are also promoting independent learning and so there is a section students can work through at their own pace. It uses artificial intelligence to set work on areas for improvement. So don’t let your son, or daughter, tell you there is no Maths to do.


Assessment and reporting

• Students will be assessed throughout the year to determine their progress.

• Students will have more formal exams in all years.

• Reports will be sent home twice a year for years 7 and 8 and three times for other years.

• There is a parents’ evening for each year for parents and carers to speak with subject teachers about their child’s progress.

• The school will have ambitious targets for all students for the end of year 11.

• Targets may be raised if appropriate.


Dates for reports and exams

Year 7 - 2020/21



THRIVE Rewards


Rewards

To consolidate our THRIVE values and embed them as part of the narrative/language we all use, our rewards system reflects this in every way:


Changing the culture - Rewards

• Rewards points are popular with our students; they ask for them, care about how many they have and are competitive about it amongst themselves & between tutor groups

• Each year has seen record number of points awarded -averaging over 6000 for the top tutor groups across the school

• Students and parents/carers enjoy seeing ‘THRIVE student of the Week’ and daily rewards points logged on Classcharts; thus improving communication and creating a culture of partnership & working together for the best outcomes for your children


Use of Classcharts

This is via an App - and your username and password details have been shared with you.

Please use it, it’s an excellent tool to engage with your child’s ‘day to day’ at school

Any queries regarding its use, logging in etc are addressed on the parent/carer Information film on our website


Rewards

Equivalent to ‘Star of the Week’

Worth 3 achievement points

Logged on Classcharts and 1 card drawn

in assembly each week

One per class, per week and one in tutor

time


Rewards

We want to create a culture where all students are proud of (and want to show off) their achievements; wearing their THRIVE badges with pride.

∙ Students will be able to earn THRIVE badges for earning 100 points in each category –these will

be awarded in progress assemblies each ½ term. Each ½ term will have a THRIVE focus – and

double points will be awarded for that category


Leadership


Example


Tie Badges


Personal Development

Personal Development is part of our curriculum and taught

during lesson time (Beliefs & Values - 1 hour per week) and tutor

periods (1 hour per week). It illustrates our:

Responsibility for the whole child - teaching them to

be ready for life, society and the wider world.


Personal Development

We follow a structured programme of study which

repeats and returns to topics with age-appropriate

content.

Topics include:

● Personal, Social and Health education

● Relationships and Sex education

● Living in the Wider World (e.g. finance, employability etc)

● CEIAG (covering the Gatsby Benchmarks)

● Modern British Values and Citizenship

● Character Education

● Study Skills

● Literacy

Every tutor period will incorporate information

relating to THRIVE

Literacy in tutor time

All the children in years 7 - 10 spend one tutor period a week listening to a classic novel being read aloud to them by their form tutor or a guest reader. The children read along and, afterwards, discuss the story and any challenging vocabulary encountered along the way.

Children exposed to high quality literature throughout their formative years are much more likely to be readers as adults. As a school we are very serious about the value of regular reading.



What you can do to help

your child….

What you can do to help your

child:

• Establish positive study and revision habits early

• Promote Independence - it’s their homework (not yours!)And whilst you can discuss it with your child, they should complete it alone

• Reduces the homework ‘battle’

• Becomes part of the ‘normal routine’

• Provide a quiet workspace

Study Skills used at Glossopdale

Three common revision techniques that are LEAST effective in helping you study

are:

● Highlighting texts

● Re-reading

● Summarising text

Much better strategies 1. Retrieval Practice

2. Deliberate Practice

3. Transform It


Retrieval PracticeTesting what you know is a powerful tool in learning, the effort to remember something

really strengthens your memory.

Flashcard Q&A

– Convert your notes/the syllabus into Questions & Answers

– Make sure you speak out your answer

– Have a friend/sibling/parent help you and hold you to account to get the correct

answer

Generation effect

– Write down everything you know from memory.

- Check your notes, make corrections/additions, do it again


Deliberate PracticeSet aside time to practice improving your knowledge or skills. Choose what you need to do, it must be tough enough to challenge you, and practice, practice, practice!

- You should focus on something that you are almost able to do but not just yet!

- Testing what you know is a powerful tool in learning, the effort to remember

something really strengthens your memory

- Apps such as Memrise and Quizlet allow you to use or create your own quizzes

based on topics.

- Create them, test yourself or get someone to test you, it’s works!


Transform It- Graphic organisers are a great way of ‘transforming’ your notes/information into visual

revision topics.

- They can be used to create links, show a narrative, identify the causes/consequences

and importance of something.

- Links between topics – Create a mind map or flow diagram to link the big ideas in

topics. Eg: Energy and Electricity

- Comparisons – Do a Venn diagram to compare historical figures, or to compare

renewable and non-renewable energy resources

Getting homework done:

• Supports good mental health; promotes consistency and reduces anxiety and stress

• Paves the way for future success and studies at KS4, 5 and beyond

• Improves confidence

• Makes young people more enthusiastic about taking part in other activities


Homework: why?

● Developing effective home study habits is an essential skills

● Engaging in learning at home helps to consolidate knowledge acquired in

school and develop independence

● Students in Years 7-13 receive one piece of homework per week for

each of the subjects that they study

● Year 11, 12 and 13 students should also expect to complete self-guided

revision in addition to any specific homework tasks.

● The most effective homework prepares you for future learning, building

on what you already know, or aids revision of existing learning to

expand, embed and link knowledge


Homework

Will be one of the following:● Revision of a knowledge organiser / key vocabulary / research followed by

testing in class

● Summarising notes from a lesson into a mindmap/flash cards, followed by

testing

● Completion of an online test on eg. Educake, Mathswatch, Seneca, Google

Form, Century Tech

● Exam question practice (Y10-13 only)


Homework

• All set on Google Classroom

• Students will be given a deadline

• Failing to meet the deadline or not completing to the

best of their ability will result in a behaviour point

• Repeated infringements will increase the sanction

• Excellent homework will be rewarded


In summary:

We hope you feel better-informed about what happens for your child at Glossopdale School and how you can be involved from a parental point-of-view.

Sorry if it felt like a lot of information - we’re aware that for some families,this is just the beginning of our journey together and your first child at secondary school.

Should you have any questions or need further information, please ask in the chat box or - if it’s something personal to you or your child, then contact:

[email protected]

Documents

Year 7 Parents’