The 6th Form operates under the same policies as the Secondary School predominantly, however there are one or two adjustments made, in order to apply more specifically to our older students. Those policies which differ from the Secondary ones can be found here.
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Assessment should be formative as well as summative and must point the way forward in the student’s learning process as well as recording the grade achieved in any given area of the curriculum.
Assessment data should be entered into the central database.
Teachers are required to enter an effort grade for class work, an effort grade for homework and an A-level grade by the end of the penultimate Friday of each half term. In addition, after mocks exam grades should be entered.
At the end of selected terms full reports will also be required from all subject teachers.
Effort grades:
| 1 = excellent | use sparingly |
| 2 = good | most students would get this grade |
| 3 = inconsistent | mainly fine but occasional slips |
| 4 = not satisfactory | under-achievement and cause for concern |
Attainment grades:
| KS5 | A-level grades (A*, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, U) |
Grades should represent work done and not be predictive. Report comments and parents’ evenings allow for discretionary prediction. Prediction sheets will be required by CIE prior to examinations.
All reports will be sent home with a cover letter and parents / guardians will be asked to fill in a reply slip.
Teachers will be provided with a register of all 6th Form students who receive bursaries or scholarships. These students’ effort will be monitored to allow the opportunity for communication with their sponsors.
The end of term reports include teacher comments. Teachers are asked to write a combination of positive and constructive comments (on both attainment and effort), mention particular strengths or areas of concern and if a student is exceptionally strong, mention possible extension activities.
| Top |
All students should be at school, on time, every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable, pre-arranged with the school or due to sickness (in which case a note, signed by a parent/guardian/house parent should be given to the tutor on the student’s return).
It is very important that parents / guardians make sure their child attends regularly and this policy sets out how the school can work with parents / guardians to achieve this.
For many 6th Form members required attendance times may vary since the Service aspect of the CAS course and study periods may mean they have elected to study out of school. In this case arrangements must be pre-arranged with the Head of 6th Form, students MUST sign in on arrival and all school commitments should be treated as priorities for punctual attendance.
Any absence affects the pattern of a child’s schooling and regular absence will seriously affect their learning. Any student’s absence disrupts teaching routines and may affect the learning of others in the same class.
Helping to create a pattern of regular attendance is everybody’s responsibility – parents, students and school staff.
Every half-day absence from school will be classified by the school as either AUTHORISED or UNAUTHORISED. This is why information about the cause of any absence will always be required in writing.
Any problems with regular attendance are best sorted out between the school, the parents / guardians and the student and could lead to loss of 6th Form privileges.
If a child is absent, parents / guardians/boarding house parents must:
If a child is absent, the school will:
Poor punctuality is not acceptable. When students miss the start of the day they can miss work and do not spend valuable time with their form teacher getting important information and news for the day. Students arriving late also disrupt lessons. This can be embarrassing for the student and can also encourage absence.
The school day starts at 7.55am and we expect students to be in their form room at that time (unless they have Service or study period leave and have permission not to be present from the Head of 6th Form). Registers are marked by 8.00 in the morning and by 1.35 in the afternoon. Students will receive a late mark if they do not report by that time.
If students arrive after 8.05 in the morning or 1.40 in the afternoon, they will need to go and register at the office by signing into the 6th Form book. If this is a pre-arranged late start for those doing some off-site learning that is all that is required and they will be marked into the register. However if it is not they will receive a mark that shows them to be on site, but this will not count as a present mark and it will mean they have an unauthorised absence which will require communication from home (see earlier).
Lateness will be sanctioned by debits (see the Discipline Policy). If a child has a persistent late record, parents will be contacted by the tutor to discuss how to resolve the problem and it may result in the student being on punctuality report.
Taking holidays in term time will affect students’ schooling as much as any other absence and parents / guardians are expected to help the school by not taking children away in school time, particularly during this critical stage in their pre-university education. All applications for leave must be made in writing in advance. In making a decision, the school will consider the circumstances of each application individually.
The circumstances when leave in term time will not be agreed are:
Any period of leave taken without the agreement of the school, or in excess of that agreed, will be classed as unauthorised.
The following codes will be used:
| O | Unauthorised absence |
| A | Authorised absence |
| L | Late (up to 5 minutes, marked by tutor) |
| O | Late unauthorised (by office) |
| OS | Late authorised (eg for CAS or study periods OS = offsite study) |
| Top |
Tutors need to keep a record of merits earned by each pupil in their form group. The total should be logged every ½ term on the sheet provided for each form.
There is also a credit record sheet that needs to be named for each student in each of their 6th Form planners. Credits can be traded in for rewards (eg Zain credit or non-uniform days) at any time but must be signed off by the Head of 6th Form.
Those in credit at the end pf the term will be invited to a 6th event at the beginning of the following term.
Teachers should be generous in their reward (behaviour and academic). Rewarding all positive behaviour, both in and out of the classroom (for example, leadership, positive participation, excellent work or effort, consistently good organisation, maturity, thoughtfulness etc).
Separately from the merit system, a higher award for exceptional students has been created. For years 12 and 13 it is the REACH award (Role model, Effort, Achievement, Communication).
The student nominated must be written up by the nominating teacher with a report that covers each of the five areas stated in REACH. This should then be presented to SMT and a staff meeting for agreement. If the reward is approved it can be given at any time of the year in assembly but will also be re-presented at the annual awards ceremony. Students must show positive approaches to all areas stated and may include academic, extra-curricular, community support, exceptional bravery or unique circumstances but should not simply reflect one academic area or extreme prowess in PE for example.
In addition, debits can be issued by staff for all misdemeanors, replacing demerits in the KS3 & 4 systems (though they can now be given wider usage and are not limited to punctuality and uniform). These will be totaled against the merits so that students operate an account system similar to a bank account. Teachers should write debits directly onto the statement sheets in students’ 6th Form planners and also add a note on the planner page for that day.
Of course the whole school Code of Conduct and Discipline Policy still applies to 6th Form as well (with the slight amends explained above) and so the reports process and all other responses to poor behaviour do still apply in the same way.