Newsletter 090414

All Hallows Catholic College Newsletter Whitsun

PRAYER– Prayer for Growth Lord our God, You have made me in Your own likeness and You love all that you have made. I thank you for all that has been positive in my life. I ask that I may live in such a way that I may learn from whatever I may find is negative or hurtful in my life.

May my disabilities and weaknesses teach me how to be sensitive to individuals, that I may grow more caring and compassionate with others who experience difficulties. May I grow in strength of character through all that happens to me, living fully each day. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

EXAM TIP– CAN YOU REVISE ON THE MORNING OF THE EXAM? Non-stressful revision of something already well-revised can help, but don’t change your routine to wake unusually early. Give yourself plenty of time to get ready, it takes 60 minutes after waking for your brain to be working at its peak level.

GSCE AND A LEVEL COUNTDOWN 3 Days until Monday the 12th May 2014, the date of the first exams.

PRINCIPALS SURGERY Parents / carers are invited to attend a Principal’s Surgery to discuss any concerns or ask questions, on the following date Tuesday 13 May, 3.30pm – 4.30pm There is no appointment system so please be prepared to wait COMMUNITY MASS All Hallows Chapel every Friday 9am-9.45am Parents/ Carers/Parishioners are all welcome

Friday 9th May 2014

EXAMS Friday 23/05/14 INSET DAY EXAMS Please be advised that the following GCE/GCSE exams will be taking place on the above date.

GCE (AS) CHEM1 @ 9.00 am GCE (AS) 6RS02 @13.00 pm (Ethics and Philosophy Paper 2) GCSE (Year 11) Drama Unit 3 @13.00 pm GCSE (Year 11) History Unit 2 @ 9.00 am Dates and times are set by the exam boards and cannot be re-arranged by the College. Students taking these courses are therefore expected to attend their exams on this date in school uniform or business dress. School buses will be arranged for students concerned. Parents/Guardians please complete transport requirements slips and return to Form Tutor/Reception/ Exams Office. Thank you.

Exam Results Days - August 2014 Thursday 14th August 2014 8:30am - 10:30am A2 Results (Year 13) 11:00am - 12:30am AS Results (Year 12) Thursday 21st August 2014 10:00am - 12:00 noon - GCSE Results (Y11 only) YEAR LEARNING LEADERS– DROP IN SURGERIES Year 10 Thursday 5 June between 12.00 and 1.00 p.m. with Mrs Remfry.

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. Future dates for other year groups will be confirmed shortly.

New future dates will be announced shortly - watch this space.

PARENTS AS PARTNERS – TRAVEL TO COLLEGE Dropping off and collecting students: For reasons of health and safety, parents are requested not to use the Brooklands Avenue gate car park. The residents of Brooklands Avenue also respectfully request that parents do not park in their avenue.

A local resident, on Bedford road, has also highlighted the potential issues and dangers could parents also take this into consideration when picking up their children.

SPECIALISM SUCCESS CAUK Co-ordinator at All Hallows, Jane Lynch, has struck a deal with RBS that will see a totally unique project unfold for sixth form Business students over the coming 18 months.

RBS has agreed to put a task force of industry experts together to support the Level 3 BTEC and A Level Economics and Business curriculum. A preliminary planning meeting took place in March with Simone Barker, Regional Director for RBS for Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Cheshire and Kirsty Riggott, Senior Bank Manager based in Macclesfield.

This was followed by a training session with Business teachers in April when members of the task force joined Simone and Kirsty to begin to piece together a programme of guru lectures and projects that the students will be working on supported by RBS. Representatives from RBS will become regular visitors to The College and familiar faces to Business students as they hope to come in every couple of weeks throughout the year.

Gemma Moulsdale, Business teacher, said "this is a fantastic opportunity for our students who have already expressed excitement at the prospect of this unique industry link for All Hallows". Jane Lynch said "we expect many 'spin-offs' from the project that will benefit both the students and RBS long into the future".

CAREERS ADVICE FOR STUDENTS Our new careers advisor, Mrs Jean Pilling, has now seen 155 students for impartial careers interviews since she started in mid-December. If any parents would like their son or daughter to have a careers interview this year then please notify the relevant Year Leader who can ensure names are added to the list. Priority will be given to Year 11, 12 and 13 students, but she will also see other students lower down the college for careers interviews. She has a drop in on Thursday lunchtime for students of any year.

ECO FACT The Pulp and Paper industry is one of the more destructive and energy consuming industries in the modernised world

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR SUMMER HERITAGE CAMPS Aged 16-25? Want to do something different, fun and rewarding this summer?

Why not volunteer on a CSV Heritage Camp!

CSV Heritage Camps is an opportunity like no other. You’ll spend a week volunteering to help preserve or restore a famous cathedral, church or historic building and doing your bit to protect our architectural heritage. You’ll get some great experience for your CV, make new friends, have a lot of fun and get the opportunity to make a difference to some of the most spectacular buildings in Britain.

Camps take place every year during July and August at various locations across the UK. Each camp is led by two experienced volunteer team leaders, who are also part of the team. Accommodation, food and equipment is provided.

Volunteers are aged between 16 and 25, with the leaders generally in their 20's. No previous experience is required. Volunteers mix with other young people from across the country and Europe, and have the opportunity to take part in an exciting week of development and team work.

Activities may include maintaining, cleaning and helping to conserve the buildings and grounds of the cathedral or historic building where you are based. You may also be restoring monuments and statues, re-laying stone pathways, maintaining ornamental woodwork and brass features, clearing crypts and cellars, painting, gardening or restoring graveyards.

CSV Heritage Camps is a great opportunity for those with an interest in architecture, heritage conservation, archaeology or those undertaking their Duke of Edinburgh Gold award. Whatever your interest, each camp is a great opportunity to do something worthwhile and totally different, have fun and get to know new people.

CSV Heritage Camps volunteers contribute £200 towards the cost of accommodation, food, equipment for the week.

For more information about CSV Heritage Camps and to apply visit the our website www.csv.org.uk/heritagecamps Alternatively email heritagecamps@csv.org.uk or call 0121 643 8080

CALENDAR Term

College Opens to Students

College Closes to Students

Whitsun

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Thursday 22 May 2014

Trinity

Monday 2 June 2014

Tuesday 22 July 2014

Michaelmas

Tuesday 2 September 2014 (Year 7, 12 and 13) Wednesday 3 September 2014 (All Students)

Friday 24 October 2014

Christmas

Monday 3 November 2014

Friday 19 December 2014

Epiphany

Monday 5 January 2015

Friday 13 February 2015

Easter

Monday 20 April 2015

Friday 22 May 2015

The following are the dates for training days in 2013-14. Students are not required to attend on these days. Unless taking an external exam.

Friday 23 May 2014 Wednesday 23 July 2014 Monday 1 September 2014 Please click here for the 2014- 2015 Calendar

ADVANCED NOTICE Languages Controlled Assessments 2013-2014

Please find below the list of dates for the languages controlled assessments. Each assessment can count for 15% of the final GCSE. Teachers will let your son/daughter know on which dates they will complete assessments. Please avoid time off both on the date and in the lessons preceding these dates. Please contact a.harrison@allhallows.org.uk with any queries.

Year 10 Speaking 2

Thursday/Friday 3 /4 July

Year 9 Speaking

Tuesday/Wednesday 8/9 July

RECOMMENDED READS Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson This satisfyingly old-fashioned story is set in the early 1900s. Orphan Maia is thrilled to learn she is to live with relatives in South America. She cannot wait to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the Amazon and is particularly looking forward to meeting her twin cousins. When Maia arrives, however, the family is far from welcoming and she is saddened to see that they have blocked out all evidence of the rainforest from their stuffy home. Maia turns to her strict yet kindly governess, Miss Minton, for company, and strikes up some unusual and rewarding friendships.

Tempest - Tempest 1 by Julie Cross Jackson Meyer is hiding a secret. He can time-travel. But he doesn't know how he does it, how to control it or what it means. When Jackson, and his girlfriend Holly, find themselves in fatal danger, Jackson panics and catapaults himself two years into his past, further than he's ever managed before, and this time he can't find a way back to the future. All the rules of time-travel he's experienced so far have been broken and Jackson has no choice but to pretend to be his younger self whilst he figures out a solution. Jackson is tearing himself apart with guilt and frustration, wondering if Holly survived. He's also become the target of an unknown enemy force and it seems even his dad is lying to him. Jackson is racing against time to save the girl he loves, but to do that he must first discover the truth about his family and himself. And stay alive.

PARENT VIEW SURVEY FOR 2012-13

26 parent responses so far to the OfSTED Parent View Survey for 2013-14.

Each week we will be presenting a statistic from the 2012-13 survey and asking you a question or two about how we can continue to work together to do our very best for our young people. 130 parents responded last year and we’d like to reach a minimum of 200 this year!

This is the last of the questions from the 2012-13 Survey. We are proud of such a vote of confidence and grateful for the partnership we have with our parents. Email your views to parentview@allhallows.org.uk. Please also follow this link to complete the questionnaire this year - http://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk

ATTENDANCE MATTERS Over the last week of College attendance was as follows:

98.00% 97.00%

Year 7 - 97.3% (up 1.3% well done year 7) Year 8 - 95.5% (down 1.5%) Year 9 - 95.9% (down 1.5%) Year 10 - 95.2% (up 1.1% well done year 10) Year 11 - 95% (down 1.9%) Yr 12: 91.21% (down 3.03% on last week) Yr 13: 94.15% (up 0.52% on last week)

96.00%

The average for the week was 95.8% Since 3rd September attendance was 95.6% We aim for 97%.

89.00%

95.00% 94.00% 93.00%

92.00% 91.00% 90.00%

88.00%

YEAR 7

YEAR 8

YEAR 9

YEAR 10

YEAR 11

YEAR 12

YEAR 13

Last week GIRLS attendance was 94.8% BOYS attendance was 96.9%. Since 3rd September boys are winning girls 96.2% to 95%.

Parents are politely reminded to avoid absence unless it is absolutely necessary. Thank you for your on-going support regarding medical absence and holiday absence.

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 and Mr Diamond 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.

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