Newsletters

GHS Connect #18 Monday 5th February

Mia's notes

It’s hard to believe we are now halfway through the academic year. The next few weeks will obviously be crucial, after half term for all students in terms of making progress, but particularly for our Year 11s and Year 13s. 

Please can I ask everyone, after half term, to be particularly mindful of the needs of our SEN and PP students at this time. There might be some small but significant interventions that we can put in place that make all the difference to these students. These can be as simple as helping to print things out, helping to organise books, providing clear knowledge organisers, and most importantly harnessing the power of positive thinking. Every year I try to remind everyone that simply telling students they can do it, that they are amazing and that they will do well, can be incredibly impactful - with our encouragement, it’s amazing how many students seem to then step up and do the work required.  

In the meantime, have a wonderful break over half term.

Mia

The week ahead

Monday
Normal Day

Tuesday
Department Time - 3.15pm - 4.30pm
KS3 & 4 TLR Holder Meetings - 3.30pm - 4.30pm

Wednesday
Briefing in the library - 8.15am
Whole Staff CPD Pastoral/Behaviour 3.15pm - 4.15pm

Thursday
Normal Day

Friday
Normal Day

Notes
Yr 13 Interim 2 due

Learning and teaching: Embedding Excellence

A round up of some of the great learning and teaching strategies we’ve noticed being used around school recently...  

ABC: Access, Bridge, CHECK

It has been a privilege to be part of a number of observations recently and one thing common to them all was the variety of ways in which colleagues were checking the knowledge and understanding of their students: mini-white boards, exit cards, listening in on Think-Pair-Share, direct questioning, randomised questioning. 

Of course students don’t always get the right answer first time and Amit Pall reminded me of a great phrase to use if a student is floundering:

“Say more about that…”

There are different ways to phrase this, but the important thing was that (unlike most questions we ask) it was very open, non-directive and non-threatening.  It gave the student the space to find her way back to the topic and then the teacher could help construct a more accurate, more detailed response.  

It’s a good one to have in your back pocket to improve student responses and not let them off the hook too quickly. 
 

Kelly

Inclusion Updates 

SEN

Just a reminder that EHCP students receive funding and gain support from TAs in line with their funding.

We have placed tick box evidence of need paperwork in pigeonholes. Please can we complete these so students can get the necessary exams access support. Barbara Radomska is now also supporting with exams access.

Mental Health

We now have a new Clinical Psychotherapist working in school on a Tuesday.  Alongside working with pupils, she is also delivering a range of workshops for our students and staff.  Shortly we will be asking departments to sign up to training on Self Harm and she will also be delivering workshops to students on managing stress related to exams.

Kooth Mental Health Support

This service may be useful to recommend for pupils that require immediate support regarding mental health concerns:

Kooth is an NHS Commissioned digital mental health service that provides free, immediate, online counselling every day until 10pm with no waiting lists. Available to young people aged 11-25.

Services available with Kooth

On Kooth you will find our supportive and inclusive community, qualified counsellors, and practitioners to speak to, and our self-help and wellbeing tools to utilise:

• Magazines and discussion boards
• Live forums
• Live chat with counsellors and practitioners
• Kooth journal
• GOALS tool
• Mini activities

Watch the video about the Kooth website. The website is available to access 24/7, with our online counsellors available to speak to 365 days a year from 12-10pm weekdays and 6-10pm.

Kooth has no waiting lists, is a self-referral service, is anonymous, and has no thresholds.

https://www.kooth.com/

Inclusion Heroes

I would like to say a huge thank you to all in Student Services. Their hard work over the last half term, scooping up students, supporting them through and motivating them to attend school, organise uniform and complete all the administrative duties has been wonderful.  A huge thank you.

Thank you, all for your continued support.

Gurvinder