5 december 2014

Friday 5 December 2014

All Hallows Catholic College Newsletter Christmas Term SPECIALISM SUCCESS

COLLEGE PRAYER Advent Prayer Loving God, through your prophets and holy men and women, you spoke to future generations of our need to prepare our hearts. Bless the holy men and women who are the prophets of our day. As we look to your Son's Second Coming, may we be always aware of your power to shape the future. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Ten Year 12 Business and Economics students enjoyed a 'Capital Experience' this week to mark their formal induction into The Career Academy UK (CAUK) programme. In the morning they were hosted by the global risk management company AON UK. Students had a tour of their current office in Westminster Square and gained an insight into their new office of the future. They also listened to a presentation on possible careers with this company whose entire focus is 'Business to Business' rather than 'Business to Consumer', thus opening up a whole new world that students don't normally see. Over a fantastic buffet lunch the students got to meet some of the high ranking employees in the company who shared stories of their own careers. In the afternoon students attended a formal induction ceremony at The Dominion Theatre, with Action Jackson providing motivational speaking and The Citi Choir and a 'Britain's Got Talent' Dance Team providing uplifting entertainment. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The students can now look forward to working with a 'Business Mentor' and experiencing a 'Six Week Paid Internship' next Summer.

One student said "this is a day I will never forget, the whole day was really interesting. The inspirational speaker, Action Jackson, taught us that 'small easy changes make big success' and our visit to AON UK made me realise that there are so many jobs out there that I have never even heard of".

OFSTED VISIT As you will know we were visited by Ofsted inspectors this week. They commented on the large volume of responses from parents to the survey that was issued: thank you to all who participated. The inspectors were really impressed with the welcome they received and the students’ positive attitudes to learning: they thought our students were excellent ambassadors for the College.

The inspection report will be issued in a few weeks and we will share the details with you as soon as we are able to.

PARENTS AS PARTNERS Please can parents who park on Bedford Road / Cambridge Road at the end of the day not block any driveways when waiting for their children? Thank you for your support with this matter.

COLLEGE INTERNAL EXAMS/ ASSESSMENTS

All Hallows Catholic College Newsletter Christmas Term TRIPS AND UPCOMING EVENTS Geography drop-in session KS4/5 students every Thursday 3:30p.m.- 4:30p.m. The session will provide assistance on case studies, exam questions and key terms.

Thursday 18 December. 7p.m.-9p.m. (College Hall)

Advent Service Assemblies Thursday 11 December 2014: Years 11,12&13—Periods 3/4 Years 9&10—Periods 5/6 Year 7&8—Periods 7/8

'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time' Monday 5 January 2015. For letters see Mrs Michaels in Drama. First come first served to open to all Years 9-13.

All Hallows Has Talent Friday 19 December

Carol Service St. Alban’s Church Thursday 11 December. 7p.m.

Year 10 Retreat Monday 8 - Friday 12 December (Places still available).

GCSE & A Level Awards Evening NUT ALLERGIES A number of our students have allergies to nuts. In some cases they will only react when they touch or eat nuts, but in other cases their reaction may be caused when traces of nuts are in the air. It would help these students if nuts or nut related products were not brought into school. We thank parents and students for the co-operation with this matter.

NEW SALAD BAR AVAILABLE IN CANTEEN

Innovate are pleased to announce the re-opening of this years salad bar. Students are able to create and make their own style of salad including a range of rice, pasta and noodles along with refreshing veg and crunchy crouton. For only £1.85 they are able to have their own large salad using the cashless system.

If you have any queries, please contact Finance on 01625 426138.

CASHLESS COLLEGE SHOP We are delighted to tell you that the College shop, “the Pod in the Quad”, will be cashless from Tuesday 8 th December 2014.

We have put together a list of questions and answers to explain the most frequent queries: Q) How will I pay for items in the College Shop from now on?

When you log on to your ParentPay account, you will see a new item for payment called “College Shop”. This will work in exactly the same way as the school meals account, whereby you can top up any amount between £10 and £100 and then your child can spend this balance as and when they need it. The College Shop will still be accepting cash alongside the new system until Christmas.

Q) How can I see what my children have bought?

You will be able to see the details of any items purchased in the same way as you can with meals purchased from the college canteen. All products sold in the shop will be listed on the system so you can see when your child has purchased a notepad, for example.

Q) Do I need to do anything to set this up?

We will not need any more information from you – students will be using the exact same details they currently use in the canteen, whether that be their PIN number or their biometric print.

Q) I have already topped up my child’s account for school meals; can’t they use that in the shop?

No. The money for the canteen is entirely separate from that which can be used in the College Shop.

Q) What happens if my child doesn’t spend the money I have put onto their account?

Any balances over £5.00 will be refunded to your account when your child finishes College.

If you have any queries, please contact Finance on 01625 426138.

All Hallows Catholic College Newsletter Christmas Term

COLLEGE TERM DATES

The following are the remaining dates for training days in 2014-15. Students are not required to attend on these days unless taking an external exam.

Friday 13 February 2015 Friday 22 May 2015

Term

College Opens to Students

College Closes to Students

Christmas

Tuesday 4 November 2014

Friday 19 December 2014

Epiphany

Monday 5 January 2015

Thursday 12 February 2015

Easter

Monday 23 February 2015

Thursday 2 April 2015

Whitsun

Monday 20 April 2015

Thursday 21 May 2015

Trinity

Monday 6 July 2015

Tuesday 21 July 2015

ECO FACT

60 million fluorescent tubes are sold in the UK every year; very few are recycled - One tube can pollute 30.000 litres of water beyond a safe level of drinking.

PARENTAL GATEWAY AND REPORTS

In order to support the College values on stewardship and care of the environment, the College is issuing all students’ reports on line through the Parental Gateway. This brings to an end the issuing of paper reports, unless specifically requested through the Data and Examinations Office: Mrs Hulme on G.Hulme@allhallows.org.uk. (A small charge will be made for this request, except in exceptional circumstances). Please note that the Parental Gateway registers a “read receipt” for reports and academic reviews. Please ensure that you have viewed your child’s academic review, which have been available from Friday 14th November.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR PARENTS CONSULATION DAY

CONSULTATION FOR ADMISSIONS 2016

All Hallows Catholic College are consulting on the Admissions Policy for September 2016/17 below and our Supplementary Information Form below during the period of 1 December 2014 – 9 February 2015.

The Governing Body have met and would invite comments.

Comments to be sent to the Admissions Secretary, Mrs P Metheringham at principalpa@allhallows.org.uk.

All Hallows Catholic College Newsletter Christmas Term

NAME

JOB

MON

Mrs J Pilling

Careers Advisor

Student Support Office

Mrs L Nolan

Visyon Counsellor

Student Support Office

Mrs J Jones

College Nurse

Student Support Office

Mrs P Shatwell

Family Support

Office next to rooms A9 and A10 Pastoral Office (ground floor of Fisher Building)

Mrs J Beard and Mrs P Prince

Education Welfare bullying@allhallowslearning.org.uk beingme@allhallowslearning.org.uk esafety@allhallowslearning.org.uk

TUES

WED

THUR

FRI

VENUE

emails will be read by a Senior Teacher

= Staff Present MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS DURING THE COLLEGE DAY Students must sign out at the Attendance Office before leaving College to attend a medical appointment. When they return to College the student must sign back in. This ensures registers will be accurate and we know the student is off site should we have a fire alarm. The Attendance Office is now located in their new office along the RE corridor (since 10th November). We thank parents for making medical appointments, where possible, that do not take up a whole day of schooling. This often allows a student to have their legal registration mark for both morning and afternoon sessions and so their overall attendance does not fall.

BEING PUNCTUAL AT ALL HALLOWS Most students appreciate the importance of being in College on time. Children who are regularly late do miss out on their education and form bad habits that will not be tolerated in the workplace.

As a result of the change to the College day we need to inform parents that students must be in the registration form class for the register to be taken at 8.45a.m. This means students should arrive 5-10 minutes earlier in College to be on time.

Any student who arrives after 8.45a.m. will receive a L code. Two L codes within a week will result in a whole college detention (which started on Thursday 6 November). This is a recent change in procedures and moves the detention away from the form tutor and it will now be seen as a whole college issue.

Any student who arrives after 9.05a.m. will receive a U code. This means they will be classed as absent for the whole morning and this may have consequences for overall attendance.

We are aware that College buses are sometimes late and we can confirm these students are not negatively marked in the register when this happens.

Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

CAREERS ADVICE FOR STUDENTS If any parent would like their son or daughter to have a careers interview with Mrs Pilling, our Careers Advisor, this year then please notify the relevant Year Learning Leader who can ensure names are added to the list. Priority is now with Year 10 students (now Year 11 have all been seen) and also with sixth form students. Students in Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 are welcome to attend her lunch time drop in. She uses the Student Support Office based next door to Music.

YEAR LEARNING LEADER “DROP IN SURGERIES�

Year 7: new dates will be confirmed shortly Year 8: held on 16 December (11.45a.m. - 1.15p.m.)

Year 9: new dates will be confirmed shortly Year 10: new dates will be confirmed shortly Year 11: held on 8 December (2.30p.m. - 3.30p.m.)

These are for parents who would like to discuss any concerns relating to their child. No appointment is necessary but please be prepared to wait. Please contact our Pastoral Assistant (Pastoral@allhallows.org.uk 01625 410285 x215), should you require an appointment with a Year Learning Leader at any other time.

All Hallows Catholic College Newsletter Christmas Term Applications are invited for new panel members to join independent education appeals panels in Cheshire East. If you have an interest in education and feel able to offer some time, we would be most grateful to hear from you. Appeals are heard Monday to Friday during normal office hours.

Each panel is made up of three members who are independent of the Local Authority. The panel hears admission appeals against decisions not to admit children to particular schools.

Applications are invited from people of all backgrounds as the panel is made up of lay members and those with experience in education. A lay member is a person without personal experience in the provision of education in any school (disregarding experience as a school governor or in another voluntary capacity). A member with experience in education is a person who has experience in education (such as a retired headteacher or teacher); or has knowledge of educational conditions in the local area or is a parent of a registered pupil at a school.

Full training will be provided for new members and if you are successful you would be required to attend a training day on Tuesday 21 April 2015.

The work is unpaid but panel members are eligible to receive travel allowances for all meetings they attend.

If you are interested in becoming a panel member, please contact Brett Dainty by email: brett.dainty@cheshireeast.gov.uk or telephone 01270 686469 for an application form and more information.

98.00%

ATTENDANCE MATTERS Year 7 - 96.2% (down 0.9 on the previous week) Year 8 - 95.0% (up 0.8%, well done Year 8) Year 9 - 95.2% (down 0.1%) Year 10 - 93.4% (down 2.4%) Year 11 - 95.5% (up 0.4%, well done Year 11) Year 12 – 95.5% (down 0.4%) Year 13 – 97.0% (down 0.4%)

97.00% 96.00% 95.00% 94.00% 93.00% 92.00% 91.00% YEAR 7

YEAR 8

YEAR 9

YEAR 10 YEAR 11 YEAR 12 YEAR 13

Attendance last week was 95.1% (an decrease from 95.5% in the previous week) but still 0.2% up on the same time last year.

Our overall attendance since 2 September is still 95.8% We aim for 97%.

Last week GIRLS attendance was 94.6% (up 0.4% on the previous week), BOYS attendance was 95.5% (down 1.4%). The overall girls attendance since 2 September is 95.3% whilst boys is 96.4% and the gap is closing - come on girls!.

HOLIDAY ABSENCE FROM COLLEGE

Holidays have not been authorised since 1st September 2013 under new legislation on all English schools. Requests for holidays must still be made in writing to the appropriate Key Stage leader (Mrs Garvey KS5, Mr Blades KS4/KS3), but in the vast majority of cases they will be unauthorised. A Fixed Penalty Notice may be issued of £60 per parent / carer per student, to be paid within 21 days, otherwise the penalty will rise to £120 per parent / carer to be paid within 28 days. If the penalty remains unpaid then the matter will proceed to the Magistrates Court where you will receive a criminal record if you are found guilty. Please can all holiday requests be made well in advance of the holiday being taken if not before the holiday is booked.

MEDICAL ABSENCE FROM COLLEGE Whilst the College requires parents to contact us on each day of absence , school policy now requires that any student who accumulates 7 or more days of absence during the course of the academic year will be asked to provide medical confirmation of the need to be absent before any further absences are authorised for medical reasons. This is a necessary measure as we closely monitor absence due to illness / medical reasons in order that we can ensure students are supported where needed.

For your information medical confirmation does not have to be a doctor's note but can also take the form of a medical appointment card, a copy of a relevant dated prescription or evidence of medication being taken If no medical evidence is provided then the absence will be coded as unauthorised. Ten or more unauthorised absences may result in you receiving a Fixed Penalty Notice. This incurs a penalty of £60 per parent / carer to be paid within 21 days, otherwise the penalty will rise to £120 per parent / carer to be paid within 28 days. If the penalty remains unpaid then the matter will proceed to the Magistrates Court where you will receive a criminal record if you are found guilty.

The link between attendance and achievement is well researched and documented and students should be aiming for an attendance rate of no less than 97% over the year. Thank you for your continued support with this importance issue.

All Hallows Catholic College Newsletter Christmas Term FITNESS SUITE NOW AVAILABLE Students are now able to use our fantastic new Fitness Suite. Those students who have completed a Fitness Suite .

Induction and wish to use the facilities must sign up on the day using the sign up sheet on the notice board in the Sports Hall.

Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, up to a maximum of 28 students for each session.

The Fitness Suite is also open at lunch (second break).

The following sessions are available: Any queries please contact Mr Lawson or a member of the Monday - Y7/8 (mixed) until 4.30p.m.

PE staff for more information.

Tuesday - Y7/8 (girls only) until 4.30p.m.

Wednesday - Y9/10/11 (girls only) until 4.00p.m.

NEW SPORTS FACILITIY NOW OPEN Thursday 27 November hosted the official hand-over of the newly built artificial 3G sports pitch at All Hallows. The College welcomed members of the FA and the St Paul Sports Foundation to meet with members of the sports teaching staff to formally open the new sports Pitch. Over the last 5 months the College has eagerly awaited the completion of St John Paul ll Football Pitch. The project combines new and existing facilities to enhance the sports experience here at the College along with the Fitness Suite and outdoor gym already running. The College’s Head of Sport, Mr S Lawson said “fantastic ,the students will really benefit and so will local community clubs”. The build is supported and inspired by the John Paul II Foundation for Sport in the hopes of developing spiritual character through excellence in sporting skills and fitness. More information on the sport news and achievement of the foundation and the College sport’s extra-curricular timetable can be found on our College’s website.

SPORTS FIXTURES

Upcoming Netball Fixtures Wednesday 25th February AHCC V Macclesfield Academy Wednesday 4th March AHCC V Wilmslow HS Wednesday 11th March Fallibroome V AHCC Wednesday 18th March Eaton Bank V AHCC Wednesday 23rd March Netball Catch up week (to play any remaining fixtures)