Letter to Year 11 parents

Dear Parents and Guardians of Year 11,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you today to update on how we can support our Year 11 cohort through this half term during a critical academic year. It is a genuine privilege to work with this group of students as they embark on their final and most important year in secondary school.

On Monday of this week, I had the pleasure of speaking with the Year 11 students. My message to them was clear and simple: their success is directly linked to their effort, and every day and every lesson counts. I asked them to take a look at pages 129-139 in their planners, where they will find a revision timetable, QR codes linking to revision strategies, a milestones learning journey to help map their year, and wellbeing support. On page 137 you will find a list of 10 key attributes of a successful student, strongly supported by research that we teach students to practice. To help break this down into manageable parts I introduced four of these attributes as challenges for this half term (half term 1), and I would be grateful for your support in reinforcing these at home.

Challenge 1: Attend School 96% or More Attendance is the single greatest predictor of success in a student's final exams. Our evidence shows that students who attend school for 96% of the time attain significantly higher grades than those below this level. To put this in perspective, a student with 90% attendance will miss the equivalent of 100 lessons over the academic year—an immense amount of learning time that is difficult to recover.

Alarmingly, 40 students in Year 11 had attendance below 85% last year. Of those, only 9 achieved a Grade 4 or higher in their English and Maths GCSEs, and only 3 achieved a Grade 5 or higher, despite having much higher targets. Being in school, on time, is the first step to achieving their goals.

Challenge 2: Arrive Every Day by 8:15 AM We have a renewed focus on punctuality in Year 11. Our school day now includes a focused ‘Intervention Form Time’ with dedicated tuition in English and Maths twice a week. These sessions are designed to be a crucial period of support and revision.

A concerning number of students are routinely late, and they are missing this vital start to the day. We are committed to giving them every opportunity to succeed, and that starts with being on time. If your child has more than 4 lates they will not be able to complete their prom passport- a requirement to attend prom at the end of the year. 

Challenge 3: Start Revising Now It is never too early to begin revising for their GCSEs. The final exams may seem a long way off, but they are actually only 38 school weeks away. Building a consistent revision habit now is the most effective way to prepare. Research shows that regular, short bursts of revision, a process known as spaced repetition, helps students to embed knowledge more effectively than leaving it all to the last minute. This approach helps the brain to remember information for longer, ensuring they are well-prepared for their exams.

To help you and your child plan, here are the key exam dates:

November Mocks: 10th November - 21st November

Challenge 4: Attend Two or More After-School Revision Sessions Beginning to attend two sessions in half term 1 will help students build good habits for half term 2, when they are expected to attend four sessions per week. These sessions, which run from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM, provide a quiet, focused environment with expert guidance from their teachers. Attending four sessions per week will be a requirement for their prom passport, ensuring they can attend the prom at the end of the year. 

Parents' Evening

In addition to these challenges, I want to draw your attention to our upcoming Parents' Evening on Tuesday, 11th November. This is a crucial opportunity to meet with your child's teachers, discuss their progress, and gain a clear understanding of their strengths and areas for development. Attending this event is vital for creating a strong home-school partnership and ensuring your child has the best possible support system in place as they prepare for their mock exams.

Your support in encouraging your child to embrace these four challenges will be invaluable in helping them reach their full potential. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your child's progress, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for your continued partnership.

Yours sincerely,

L Knowles

Ms L Knowles

Lead Vice Principal