Homework, assessment and revision forum

This forum began by focusing on the first term of our new homework policy and going over some key information for parents and carers, such as:

• At KS3, Year 7 – 9, homework is mandatory for English, Maths, Science and Modern Languages, but optional for other subjects. This is to support students in the core subjects and to try and reward enthusiasm for completing homework in those subjects that students might feel most passionate about.
• At KS4, Years 10 – 11, homework is mandatory in all examined subjects.
• In all years, revision homework is set in the lead up to assessments and should be done by all.
• Homework positives can be seen on MCAS.
• Homework concerns would be emailed home automatically as well being on MCAS.
• There is a Satchel One guide to using our homework platform for parents and carers, which can be accessed via Parent Video Guides | Satchel Help Center (satchelone.com)
• Homework Club takes place every Monday – Thursday in the library from 3 – 4pm and is open to all.

We also discussed homework break time detentions, which have now started this week (w/c 4^th December) for all mandatory missed homework. Parents were reassured that the intention is that homework detentions are only set after teachers have ensured that students can access the homework cognitively and technologically, have engaged with home and where students were present in the lesson the homework was set. The idea is to try and remove all barriers to homework completion and use detentions for students who persist in missing homework after this, given the huge  importance of homework to consolidate learning.

We then moved onto looking at the report data that is sent home, and it was agreed that parents and carers don’t always fully understand what is sent home.

Next steps  

Homework: We are continuing to monitor and respond to staff use of the new homework policy as it takes time to embed a new approach.

Reports: Early in the new year, we will put together an audio presentation explaining the information in the reports sent home.

Anti Bullying Forum

We started with discussing the anti-bullying assembly we shared with all the students in November,  and also  talked about anti-bullying student ambassadors we are looking to train up in Spring and Summer terms, which the parents and carers welcomed.

Some parents discussed their own child’s experiences as school, recognising proactive steps that both pastoral and SEND staff had taken. They were also very positive about the library being a calm  space and somewhere their children really want to be in social time. They asked if it was possible to have more similar spaces and as a result, for Year 8 in particular, we now have some small groups run by staff at lunch times, and more students at lunch from all years going to the IR (Integrated Resource).

Parent praised pro-active form tutors where friendship groups have been encouraged and have been very successful.

There was a discussion about restorative conversations and an agreement that having the anti-bullying ambassadors there to support (along with an adult) in future might be powerful.

A lot of the conversation was around the behaviours on corridors and how some children found this difficult to navigate. Parents noted their children recognised the high staff presence and visibility at social times but that lesson changeovers, this was less the case. Our policy of staff meeting and greeting on doors has been successful with a recent survey of 461 students noting that this happens 92% of the time. In the new year, we will therefore introduce a rota of presence on the corridors at ‘cold spots’ in lesson changeovers – the parts of school without classrooms that students have to walk through to get to lessons, in order to heighten the staff presence in these areas.

Further discussion around ideas of combatting misogyny were also shared, giving interesting food for thought to come back to.

Next steps

Training anti bullying ambassadors in the Spring term and updating the Anti Bullying policy by the end of January.

Personal Development Forum

We shared some of the statutory requirements to be delivered in Personal Development lessons and took some parent / carer voice on how families can support content at home. The intention is to devote a future post about this in more detail. You can read more about the Personal Development curriculum Learning at Bradfield / Curriculum / Personal Development. Resources can be shared on request.

Next steps

Continuing to review and refine the personal development curriculum.

Want to be involved?

Our next parent and carer forums will be on the same themes as above and will take place on 20^th March from 6 – 7pm.

Deborah Banks

Deputy Headteacher