Heads Blog - Week Ending 20th January 2012
The big event of the week was the Year 11 Results Day.
Here we try to recreate, with the trial examination results, what it will feel like when they receive the brown envelope on August 23rd, with their real GCSE results. There was a lot to celebrate and Year 11 are now setting their sights on what they need to do to achieve their best possible results in the summer.
We are offering a huge range of support to Year 11. It is matched to different subjects and individual needs. We will be talking about this with families on our Review Day on 7th February, but if you want guidance before then on how to support progress, or advice on what the results mean, please contact Mrs Chapman in the Year 11 Office on 01937 846 611; she will make sure the right member of staff gets in touch with you.
Congratulations and special recognition are due to Billy Gardner, Lydia Houseman, Holly Moscrop, Beth Newman, Polly Orton, Leonie Ricard, Darren Carver-Balsiger who at this early stage have nevertheless achieved a complete set of straight ‘A’ grades. They have done very well and the best bit is that there is not an ounce of complacency amongst them. There are more in this year group who will join them in this excellent level of achievement in August.
It is a big moment for Year 8 right now, as they make a subject choice for Year 9. I enjoyed taking the assembly launching the process on Tuesday. I again quoted Stephen Covey’s advice that we should ’begin with the end in mind’, and started by talking about the Year 11 leavers’ event, and GCSE results day. It seems a long way off, but the subject they choose now will be in that precious August 2015 envelope.
I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet so many Year 8 families on Thursday evening as I explained the subject choices available to our young people. The Main Hall was again full, so thank you to all those of you who gave up time to attend. I am very aware that for some it was the second such event in two weeks, and we do appreciate the way that you support our school. The presentation from the evening is here and the booklet is here. I was ably supported that evening by a group Year 9 students who talked about their experiences taking the single option course this year. They were a real credit to us, so thank you, Georgia Darley Beeston, James Hullock, Ben Wildgoose, Ellen Keag, Shaunna Plumb, Harley Wright, Sam Andrews and (missing from the photo) Olivia Dezso
On Wednesday I did a whole stint in a Year 11 Maths Lesson. These are a key group, on a grade D at the moment, but targeted for a C. I have to say that I was really proud of them, the attitude in the room was great and their diligence with the work was good. If they hold this attitude through the remaining months, then I am really optimistic for them. On a personal note, it was great to be a teaching again! I know that being Head of Boston Spa School is a privilege; we I have so many lovely young people with such talent, values and potential, but the opportunity to be contributing to learning from the start and through to the finish was great.
I had two meetings this week looking at the wider community needs of our localities. The first was at Harewood School with Mr Madeley, who is the Chair of our Headteacher group in the ‘Family of Schools’. It was brilliant to see the fantastic job he has done with the new building on the side of his school, he has created a first class learning environment to match the quality of all else that goes on at Harewood School. The second was with Simon Flowers and Paul Brennan asking some important questions about how our Family of Schools can sustain and expand our partnerships and collaborations in the context of Central Government policy. A helpful meeting, but much to do!
I enjoyed seeing the success of Boston Spa School students celebrated this week. It is good to see the four boys, all with very different skills, being recognised for achieving at the highest levels.
The first was Daniel Chambers who is being used by Selwyn College, Cambridge, in their prospectus. Daniel was an exemplary student and a fine young man, and it was good to see that Cambridge University are recognising that and are presenting him as a role model.
The second was on the Leeds United web site, where the academic achievements of two of their players, Nathan and Lewis Turner, in our Sixth Form were recognised. The photo they used was from our Sixth Form Celebration Evening (Blog 16/12/11)
Amongst our younger years Miss Horgan has been recognising and celebrating achievements of Year 8, in and out of school, in particular on the themes of enthusiasm, dedication, determination and perseverance; skills easily applied to achievement in schoolwork. One impressive example is Richard Mawson who brought in a selection of the medals he won at the last 2 swimming competitions he took part in, including one gold, six silver and six bronze medals. A phenomenal achievement!
Four young people, all with very different skills, achieving at the highest levels!
