Newsletter
Roding Valley High School
September 2014
New Headteacher at Roding Valley High School I would like to welcome you to the new academic year at Roding Valley High School and to introduce myself to you as Headteacher. Having been appointed to the post way back in April, I am delighted to be finally getting started in earnest. Firstly I would like to say how impressed I have been with the warm welcome that I have received from the students, staff, Governors and parents. From the moment I first visited the school in March I was struck by the positive atmosphere throughout the school and this was one of the main factors that attracted me to the post. I have very high expectations for Roding Valley High School moving forward and I am very keen to build on the excellent work of Mr Banks. I demand first class teaching, outstanding academic achievement, exceptional care, guidance and support, and excellent enrichment provision for all students. It is my aim that every student becomes a confident and responsible member of society and can go on to lead a happy and fulfilling adult life. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the outgoing Year 11s on their fantastic examination results which are the best that the school has ever achieved. At GCSE level, 68.3% of students achieved the headline indicator of 5 A*-C grades including English and Maths. This was an increase of 4% on 2013 in a year where changing Government policies have meant that many schools have had their grades hit hard. The percentage of students achieving A*-C grades in Maths and English, the most important subjects for progression onto Sixth Form courses, apprenticeships and college courses, was 79% and 78% respectively. Clearly students should be applauded for their efforts but I would also like to thank the staff for the part that
they played in these outcomes. They worked tirelessly to support the students throughout the two years and deserve a huge amount of credit. It is certainly an exciting time for Roding Valley High School and I feel honoured to be taking over the reins at a time when the school is in such a strong position to move forward. The fact that we have been successful in being granted a Sixth Form from September 2015 will also help to propel the school to become a first rate academic establishment. We will be launching the new Sixth Form at an evening event on the 25th September and parents of Year 11 pupils will receive an invitation to this presentation very soon. In short, I am very much looking forward to working with the students, staff, parents and Governors in the weeks and months to come. In the meantime I would like to thank you for your ongoing support of the school.
Mathematics Faculty once again produce an excellent set of results in 2014 The Mathematics Faculty at Roding Valley High School produced their best ever GCSE results in 2013. Our challenge for 2014 was to exceed all current targets and expectations. The Year 11 cohort managed to achieve just that. The results were • 25% achieved A* & A Grades • 75% have achieved a Grade C or better • Currently 42% of students have made 4 levels of progress or more since joining the school in Year 7- compared to the National Average of 31%.
A number of our top students were also entered for the Level 3 Award in Algebra, an AS Level course. This was done to prepare them taking Mathematics in 6th Form. 14 students successfully completed this course. Offering the Level 3 course gave a number of students the confidence to take up Mathematics in Year 12. The Mathematics department is looking forward to the next academic year, further developing the strategies that assisted in achieving these excellent results. Mr Vermaak Head of Mathematics
Alderton Hill, Loughton, Essex IG10 3JA t: 020 8508 1173 e: office@rodingvalley.net www.rodingvalley.net
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