Marches Academy Trust Newsletter December 2017

Issue 7

A FANTASTIC START!

As the Autumn Term draws to a close, we now have time to look back on what he have achieved since the start of the academic year in September.

I am pleased to announce that we have had two new members join The Marches Academy Trust. Colin Hopkins, representative of the Diosece of Lichfield, joins us along with Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Vertu Motors and alumni of Sir John Talbot’s School. It is a pleasure to have them both on board.

The Marches Academy Trust has also extended in other ways as it is now the main sponsor for Tilstock C.E. Primary School and Nursery. With this change came the appointment of two new members of staff at the school: Mr James Spicer as Head of School and Mrs Kerry Goff as Deputy Headteacher. Furthermore, we have been awarded a government grant to be able to make essential improvements to the school and nursery.

The past several weeks have shown just how many wonderful opportunities can arise from collaborating cross-Trust, with students having the chance to come together and enjoy a range of fantastic experiences such as the recent Carol Services taking place at St. Oswald’s Church in Oswestry and St. Alkmund’s Church in Whitchurch as well as the Clay Project offered by Mike Griffiths, previous Head of Art from the Wakeman School, which will see students, over the course of time, create a ‘Marches Clay Trail’ in Oswestry and a ‘Talbot Clay Trail’

in Whitchurch which will be on display for years to come.

Good news continued with the Alliance of Leading Learning successfully launching the NPQH Programme for Headteachers and NPQSL Programme for Senior Leaders, ensuring that high standards exist within the profession.

In the New Year I will be looking forward to the Professional Learning Conference on Monday 26th February hosted here at The Marches School and sponsored by the Strategic School Improvement Fund. Keynote speakers include: Dame Alison Peacock, Ross McGill, Vic Goddard and Sir William Atkinson. There are also over 15 workshops to choose from and I hope that delegates will be able to take some fantastic ideas back to the classroom.

On Monday 27th November The Marches Academy Trust invited all of its sponsors and supporters to a Celebratory Dinner to express our gratitude for all the support we are given from local businesses; at the dinner we enjoyed musical performances from our talented students.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all once again and I look forward to continuing to work together in the New Year to provide fantastic opportunities for our students. I would like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas break and a very happy New Year.

CEO The Marches Academy Trust

Members

Arthur Walpole Chair

Bob Pearson

David Griffiths

Colin Hopkins

Robert Forrester

Anna Burgess

Kate Campion

Trustees

Arthur Walpole Chair

Bob Pearson Associate Trustee

Judy Hunt

Alex Fry

David Griffiths

Sarah Longville

Mark Liquorish

Marches Academy Trust Vision and Values

Vision: ‘Achievement through caring’ Mission: We believe: Successful, creative, lifelong learners participate in a journey of self-discovery.

They know how to learn and acquire skills to be happy and thrive in a changing world with confidence and courage.

Values: Excellence - striving always for mastery and personal success Integrity - consistently acting with honesty, compassion and respect Empathy - embracing and supporting the uniqueness of every individual Creativity - inspiring and challenging through invention, experimentation and exploration Equality - ensuring fair opportunity for all

Marches Academy Trust Welcomes The Diocese of Lichfield CECET In November the Marches Academy Trust announced that the Diocese of Lichfield had formally joined the Trust with Colin Hopkins, Director of Education, as their representative on the Member’s Board.

The Diocese of Lichfield provides excellent support services for its church schools enabling schools to access advice, information and professional support on Collective Worship, Spiritual Care, Religious Education and the development of a school’s distinctive character as a Church of England school.

New Team for Tilstock

Tilstock C.E. Primary School and Nursery Receives Government Grant The Marches Academy Trust have successfully been awarded a government grant to make essential improvements to the fabric of Tilstock C.E. Primary School and Nursery following the recent announcement of its conversion to academy status, sponsored by The Marches Academy Trust.

The environmental grant will enable much needed improvements to the school to enhance the wellbeing and safety of the children through refurbishment of the classrooms and upgrading some of its facilities, with a special focus on the nursery and early years.

Plans are in place to create a larger, welcoming reception area and to upgrade IT systems to better support teaching and learning across the school.

Joanne Jones, Business Manager, Marches Academy Trust, said, “The government grant being awarded will enable us to invest in Tilstock Primary School to better support the fundamental needs of the staff and pupils creating an enhanced learning environment.”

Work commenced from Friday 1st December in readiness for the beginning of the new academic term in January.

A new Head of School and Deputy Headteacher at Tilstock C.E. Primary School and Nursery have been appointed following the recent announcement of the school’s conversion to an Academy with the Marches Academy Trust as its sponsor.

Collectively sharing over 20 years of teaching experience Mr James Spicer will take up post as the new Head of School and Kerry Goff as Deputy Headteacher in January 2018.

Mr Spicer previously worked at St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School in Stoke-on-Trent and has also held positions as Head of School at St Thomas C.E. Primary School and Deputy Head at Dilhorne Primary School.

Mr Spicer said, “I am excited about meeting and getting to know the children and working alongside parents. I hope to develop the school so that children can have a first class education and can fly”.

Supporting Mr Spicer in his desire for Tilstock Primary School to be recognised as an outstanding school will be Mrs Kerry Goff, currently working at Brereton C.E. Primary in Nantwich.

The wealth of educational experience they bring to the school will enhance the positive work undertaken by the interim Head Mrs Nicola Brayford and the IEB prior to and during the conversion.

Sarah Longville, Executive Headteacher, Marches Academy Trust, said, “This is an important milestone for the school and we have every confidence this strong leadership team will lead the development of the school as it enters a new transitional phase and the children from Shropshire will benefit from an enriched educational experience. We look forward to welcoming the new team in January”.

New Cross-Trust Target Setting System Scaled Scores and SATs When a student joins a secondary school within The Marches Academy Trust they come to us with data that is taken from their previous school. This comes in the form of a scaled score out of 120 and a Teacher Assessment in Reading, Writing, Maths and Science. A student’s scaled score is based on the marks they achieve in their KS2 SATs (Standard Assessment Tasks). A scaled score of 100 will always represent the national expected standard. Students joining us from Welsh schools have their KS2 levels rather than a scaled score.

How are targets produced?

As a Trust we use an organisation called Fischer Family Trust (FFT) to produce targets based on performance at Key Stage 2. The FFT estimates student achievement and provides data and analysis to all schools and Local Authorities in England and Wales. FFT therefore profiles the student and produces an estimate based on what a student with a similar profile at KS2 achieved at the end of Year 11, in the top 20% of schools in the country.

Targets are set using Key Stage 2 assessment data processed by the FFT. Our minimum GCSE targets are designed to ensure all students make AT LEAST expected progress, as far as this can be estimated. Estimates are used by teachers to inform the setting of ambitious and aspirational targets for students. A range of grades are shared with students. Our minimum expected GCSE target is the grade that is used for all internal monitoring of a student’s performance. ● Poor GCSE grade – one grade lower than the minimum target grade ● Good GCSE grade – one grade higher (where possible) than the minimum target grade ● Exceptional GCSE grade – two grades higher (where possible) than the minimum target grade Example: For this child, the grade that is mostly achieved by similar students is a Grade 6 (26%). However, there is also a 32% chance of doing better than 6.

When are targets set?

In the Autumn term, targets are set for all Year 7 students and confirmed for Year 10 students. In the summer term, adjustments can be made in all year groups, if necessary, where a student is regularly performing above their minimum GCSE target grade.

High Quality Progress - Progress 8 and Attainment 8 Attainment 8 measures the achievement of a student across 8 qualifications including: ● mathematics (double weighted) and English (double weighted), ● 3 further qualifications that count in the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) measure and ● 3 further qualifications that can either be GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or any other non-GCSE qualifications on the DfE approved list.

Each individual grade that a student achieves is assigned a point score, which is then used to calculate the student’s Attainment 8 score.

The Department of Education assigns students with an estimated Attainment 8 score based on their outcomes at KS2. Progress 8 is simply a calculation based on their actual and estimated Attainment 8 scores.

Progress 8 = Actual Attainment 8 - Estimated Attainment 8 10 A progress score of 0 means that the student has achieved the expected results for their ability.

A progress score above 0 means that they have achieved higher than their expected results.

Example:

Marches Academy Trust GCSE Success It has been another brilliant year at both secondary schools of The Marches Academy Tust with continued success for students at all levels.

With the new GCSE grading system in English and maths and the introduction of grades 7,8 and 9 replacing A and A* it was incredible to see at Sir John Talbot’s School 17% of all grades at 7 and above. For subjects other than English and maths still using the A*-C measure the school continues to see great success with the majority of students achieving 5 A*-C grades. At The Marches School 10% of the cohort gained top grades in both English and maths and 44% of students reached the new demanding measure of a Strong Pass in both English and maths (the new grade 9-5).

Headteacher of Sir John Talbot’s School, Mr O’Toole, commented, “I am immensely proud of all of our students and their performance in this year’s exams. There has been a great deal of change with examination reform but students and staff have managed this transition exceptionally well. The new grading system in English and maths has brought many challenges and to have students achieving the exceptional grade 9 demonstrates the truly superb performance of this cohort.”

Associate Headteacher of The Marches School, Mrs Pearson, commented, “The students and staff have coped extremely well with the change and uncertainty this year and we are today celebrating this important milestone in our student’s lives with more than ever gaining the grades they need for the future. We have a wealth of talent at the Marches School and this year’s results are testament to the continued hard work and commitment of the students, staff, parents and governing body.”

Celebratory Dinner On Monday 27th November, The Marches Academy Trust hosted a Celebratory Dinner at Sir John Talbot’s School in Whitchurch in recognition of the continued support provided by local businesses and sponsors throughout the year.

50 local sponsors and supporters of the Trust, Sir John Talbot’s School and The Marches School attended the evening. The Mayors of both Whitchurch and Oswestry were amongst the prestigious guests, as were the Rotarians, Oswestry Lions and Shropshire Sailing Club, all of whom have made significant contributions to the various initiatives and community projects carried out by the students across the Trust.

Mrs Sarah Longville, Chief Executive of The Marches Academy Trust warmly welcomed guests before they enjoyed an evening of entertainment, provided by musically talented students across both The Marches School and Sir John Talbot’s School, and a two-course meal prepared by Shire Catering.

The event enabled the audience to witness the success of a school-led initiative ‘The Futures Award’, which enhances students’ skills across leadership, organisation, resilience, initiative and communication. Students shared their achievements and thanked a number of local sponsors included in the scheme: Lanyon Bowdler, Oswestry Town Council, Tara Ethical Education Recruitment and Grocontinental.

Professional Learning Conference 2018

The Marches School, Morda Road, Oswestry, SY11 2AR.

Guest speakers to include: Professor Dame Alison Peacock, Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching which aims to provide a professional body ‘by teachers, for teachers’. Prior to joining the Chartered College, Dame Alison was Executive Headteacher of The Wroxham School in Hertfordshire. She is a member of the Royal Society’s Education Committee, a trustee of Teach First, a Visiting Professor of the University of Hertfordshire and a columnist for TES. Ross McGill, an experienced teacher and school leader has worked in some of the most challenging schools in London over the past three decades. Throughout his school leadership, he has been responsible for improving quality of teaching and learning and has a national profile as the leading contributor and organiser of online CPD within a growing community of education professionals. He has won many awards for teaching, blogging and as an author – most recently the Times 500.

Vic Goddard, star of Channel 4’s fly-on-the-classroom-wall documentary Educating Essex, has worked his way up through the system from a PE teacher via Head of Department and a brief stint in Cairo, to being one of the most high profile, controversial, innovative and passionate heads in the UK. Vic brings drive, creativity and innovation to the role, putting the children he so clearly cares for centre stage at every opportunity.

Sir William Atkinson is recognised as being one of the UK’s most respected headteachers. When Sir William took over the running of Phoenix High School it was one of the most challenging schools in the UK; only four per cent of its pupils achieved five top-grade GCSE passes. Under Sir William’s guidance, the school was turned around and eventually stood at the top of the Government’s exam league tables for improved performance with a figure of 96 per cent, receiving an Ofsted report as outstanding and beyond.

Whitchurch Career Fest Sir John Talbot’s School and St Alkmund’s Church hosted Whitchurch Career Fest showcasing the range of career opportunities available in Whitchurch and the surrounding areas.

Over 200 students from Years 9, 10 and 11, at Sir John Talbot’s School, attended the event and were given the opportunity to discover career opportunities across a variety of business sectors including: hospitality, health care, the service industry and engineering. Exhibitors included: Grocontinental, Belton Cheese, Blackhurst Garage, BodyTech Health and Fitness, Chase Enterprise, Whitchurch Library, Greenfields Care Home and Hatchers Solicitors.

Joanne Jones, Business Manager from The Marches Academy Trust, said, “Whitchurch Career Fest has been an ideal opportunity for Sir John Talbot’s School students and local residents to discover the wide range of roles and apprenticeships available within the locality to assist them in the planning of their futures.”

Amy Farley, from The Marches Growth Hub Shropshire, commented, “It’s great to see events like this taking place in the market towns of Shropshire because it gives young people an insight into the opportunities available when making decisions about what career path they wish to take.”

Reverend Canon Dr Judy Hunt said, “I am delighted with the success of the day with students from Sir John Talbot’s School engaging in positive conversations about work experience and future careers with local businesses.”

Meg Murphy has recently been appointed Careers Guidance and Inspiration Officer - Cross-Trust murphy.m@marchesschol.net 01691 664472

Marches Academy Trust Alumni Lucy Parry, a former A Level student at The Marches Sixth Form, has just successfully completed her first term at the UK’s largest medical school in Manchester. 18-year-old Lucy, who achieved AAB in her A Level subjects Biology, Psychology and History and B in AS English Literature and an A in Core Maths this summer, sets her sights firmly on a career in medicine and is embarking upon the next stage of her educational journey at The University of Manchester.

A former A Level student, Alex Keir, who is now studying at St John’s College, Cambridge, has been awarded a bursary worth £3,000 per year by OCR to support his studies at one of the UK’s most prestigious Universities, after being nominated by Marches Sixth Form teacher Mrs Vicars. In its 14th year, OCR’s bursary fund was set-up to enable talented West Midlands students to make the most of their time at Cambridge. Alex attended an awards ceremony at the OCR in Coventry where he was presented with his award by the Cambridge Assessment Group Chief Executive and Chairman of OCR, Simon Lebus. OCR praised Alex for his achievement and said he was “inspiring to meet and an excellent representative of The Marches School.”

On Thursday 14th December Jess Furber who was a previous student of Sir John Talbot’s Sixth Form, attended a ceremony at St James’s Palace, where she received her Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Jess was a fantastic Duke of Edinburgh’s Award participant and she completed her Bronze, Silver and Gold levels at Sir John Talbot’s School. During her award ceremony she met celebrity, Dan Walker from the BBC and received her award from Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.

Lucy Parry

Alex Keir

Jess Furber

The Futures Award - Primary Pupils Primary pupils local to both The Marches School and Sir John Talbot’s School embarked on a trip to Chester University in September, as part a competition run by The Marches Academy Trust. The trip to Chester University was designed to ignite the aspirations of Year 6 students and provide them with an insight into Higher Education and the opportunities that will be available to them in the future.

Students spent the day at the Chester University Parkgate Road Campus and attended a range of activities and presentations organised by Isobel Leah from the Outreach Team. Activities included ‘Step into Secondary’ by Performing Pathways, a ‘University Journey’ workshop and a graduation ceremony, where students collected their certificates wearing their very own mortar boards which they made themselves.

The overall winners were then selected to spend a unique behind the scenes visit at AO Logistics Distribution Centre in Crewe. During the day, pupils were fascinated to hear about the history and successful growth of the company, which celebrates over 30 years of experience in delivering white goods. The pupils tried on uniforms, enjoyed a tour around the offices and took part in a task in their 360,000sq.ft warehouse witnessing first-hand the order processing and distribution of electrical goods.

A selection of winning entries can be seen below.

Sir John Talbot’s Whitchurch 10K Run Following the huge success of Whitchurch’s first event of its kind earlier this year, a further 10K fundraising event has been launched for 2018, with Sir John Talbot’s School and headline sponsors Grocontinental joining forces once again to bring the road race to life.

The 10K road race takes place on Sunday 8th April around the market town of Whitchurch. It follows hot on the heels of this year’s event which raised over £5000 for charity partner Macmillan Cancer Support.

In April more than 550 runners participated in the inaugural road race starting and finishing at the school and taking competitors on a route around the historic market town, showcasing shops, parks and local amenities.

Organisers are now hoping the event will welcome more than 1000 entries in 2018 and raise further funds for its chosen charity partner.

Headteacher Mr David O’Toole said, “The warm reception and level of support for Whitchurch’s first 10K run was astounding from our sponsors, runners, volunteers and the wider community. We are delighted to be underway with preparations to cement the Whitchurch 10K in the race calendar for 2018 and welcome wider support in making this happen.”

Cross-Trust Clay Project Both The Marches School and Sir John Talbot’s School have been working alongside the artist and previous Head of Art from the Wakeman School in Shrewsbury, Mike Griffiths, to begin conception of a long-term cross-Trust project based on Local Environments.

Mike produced The Wakeman 'Look up' Trail in Shrewsbury consisting of over 40 plaques of students work. This project aimed to encourage students to actually look at where they lived and to look at the architectural details.

This project has begun in both Trust secondary schools, with Mike leading a workshop at Sir John Talbot’s School at the beginning of December sharing his knowledge and best practice on how the tiles should be created. Ultimately over a period of time, when enough tiles have been made, The Marches Academy Trust would like to create a 'Marches Trail' in Oswestry and a 'Talbot Trail' in Whitchurch echoing the style of the 'Wakeman Trail', as a lasting legacy to the students and the schools.

The Wakeman ‘Look up’ Trail

Cross-Trust Carol Service As part of my new role, Associate Director of Performance across the Trust, I have enjoyed working with Mr Moore, Head of Music at Sir John Talbot’s School, and Sophie King from The Marches School to organise the first Cross-Trust Carol Service. We had over 90 students from both schools attending School Carol Services to mark the beginning of the festive season. It has been impressive to see the calibre of talent we have in both schools and the wonderful coaching and expertise from both Mr Moore and Miss King to prepare students for these events. One particular highlight had to be ‘O Holy Night’ which was stunning and a sign of things to come!

Mrs Gilpin

E. admin@marchesacademytrust.co.uk T. 01691 664400 W. www.marchesacademytrust.co.uk