Parternship with Parents
At New Heights Key Stage 4 we firmly believe in partnership with parents. We can best fulfil the potential of your son/daughter by working with you and we will keep you regularly informed of developments in the school that affect your child. We want parents to discuss with us any concerns that they have and to celebrate our successes with us. If you wish to contact New Heights Key Stage 4 at any time for any reason, please call the main reception line and you will be directed to the appropriate member of staff.
What can I do to help?
Years 10 and 11 are crucial stages of your child’s schooling and it is essential that they attend school so that they receive all the information they will need for their public examinations/portfolio of skills. Your role is just as important as the teachers.
- Ensure they attend every day.
- Check their homework timetable. If you become familiar with your child’s homework and when it needs to be submitted you can then ensure it is completed on time and also that you are available should they need additional support.
- Encourage your child to approach teachers if they are struggling with certain subjects. Your child is on the way to becoming an adult and may not thank you for approaching teachers on their behalf.
- Supply the required tools such as paper, pens, revision cards, a desk and comfortable chair.
- Provide an appropriate area for study: once a timetable has been established, ensure that your child has a quiet place to revise without any distractions. Perhaps discuss with other family members how important this time is and suggest they be considerate about noise levels during revision time.
Practise make perfect
Homework
Students will be issued with an ‘Independent Learning Booklet’ for each subject, English, Maths and Science. These booklets have a range of difficulty of questions in them allowing students to master the basics in a topic or stretch and challenge themselves.
Students have the opportunity to extend and embed their knowledge using these booklets. Staff will mark work completed within the booklets and assist students with any areas that they have difficulty with. Whilst the Independent Learning Booklets are not compulsory, we strongly advise students to at minimum complete them at the level that is appropriate for their target. Independent Learning Booklets will support students as gaps appear in their knowledge and understanding and give a clear focus for discussion with their teacher during intervention time.
We Monitor progress
Intervention
Staff at New Heights Key Stage 4 carefully monitor and track the progress of students. All students complete a series of baseline assessments upon entry to the school and are provided with a minimum expected target grade. This derives from a combination of KS2 data, prior attainment from their previous school and New Heights Key Stage 4 baseline assessments.
If a student is falling below their expected progress an Individual Intervention Strategy (IIS) will be implemented. The IIS will entail the teaching of gaps in knowledge, skills or understanding; bespoke sessions to address specific areas of the curriculum that your child is struggling with or support any underachievement.
Intervention will be undertaken during lessons, if appropriate, to address issues as they arise or alternatively Focus Time will be used if more if extensive support is needed.
Be Calm
Focus Time
Focus time will run from 2pm-3pm each day. Focus time allows staff the flexibility to: introduce new experiences to the students; to offer a tutorial in learning that needs embedding; to undertake extended practical activities that aid student discovery or aid prior learning; to attend educational visits.
Focus Time is fundamental to our intervention strategy. It will allow subject teachers to target students who require intervention as their need arises.
You will receive a text message informing you that your son/daughter is required to attend intervention during this time. It is imperative that they attend these sessions or they risk falling further behind and not reaching their potential. Please encourage your son/daughter to take advantage of the opportunity that is being afforded them. Intervention is not intended as student discipline but as an academic aid to success.
In order to support our year 11 students in catching up any gaps in their knowledge, due to time missed because of the pandemic or any other reason, we have timetabled targeted focus time sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
We believe in Partnership
