Newsletters

GHS Connect #16 Monday 20th January

Mia's notes

Well done for getting through the first 2 weeks after the holidays.

We have already had lots going on in school from trips to external speakers and in school events and mocks, of course. Unfortunately, we heard that we did not receive any offers for Oxford University this year, but we await news from Cambridge. However, I want to put out a really massive thank you to the Post 16 team, especially Hebe and Christabel, for all of their amazing work on this as I know a phenomenal amount of time goes into this.

Just a reminder from my Connect entry last week that we continue to try to keep students in lessons and embed strong routines as a school. Please don’t allow students out to fill up water bottles etc and also please remember meet / greet and end / send.

Please also ensure that homework routines are strong. Show My Homework should be used to set all homework so please make sure this is happening routinely. It is fine to dedicate 5 minutes in each lesson to putting the homework up on Show My Homework to save doing it during PPA. It’s also good for students seeing you set it whilst they are still in the lesson, as they then have the opportunity to ask any questions about it.

Have a great week,

Mia

The week ahead

Monday
Normal Day

Tuesday
No meeting due to subject evening on Thursday.

Wednesday
Briefing in the library - 8.15am
HOD and HOY/DHOY meetings 3.15pm - 4.15pm
Teacher Mark, Plan & Collab 3.15pm - 4.15pm
SEND Focus Group 3.15pm - 4.15pm

Thursday
Year 11 Subject Evening. Check your appointments on the School Cloud here.
Pizza, Coffee & Chat in the library from 3.10pm

Friday
Normal Day

Notes
Year 13 Mock Week 2 (Study Leave)

Learning and Teaching - Pride in our Routines

To truly understand a concept, we must have knowledge of its limitations and boundaries, and so we should examine the underlying principles and conditions that make an idea valid or invalid. Always, Sometimes, Never is a strategy that explores this.

This week, Dipa Pindoria shares her expertise on using this strategy within Maths:

A/S/N is set up so there are always ambiguous cases that could be both true and false. It’s these cases that help teachers highlight misconceptions, non-examples, differences, key points etc. Ideas on how to use A/S/N:

1. Display statement on the board and students work in pairs/groups to decide. Teacher takes feedback via MWB or hands up vote and asks for justification from the pair/group.
2. Display statement on the board and students work individually to decide. Teacher takes feedback via MWB and facilitates class discussion.
3. Card sort activity: Students sort into the three categories in pairs or individually. Teacher circulates and asks for justifications. Checking answers includes a class discussion.

The crucial component to this activity is the justification/reasoning part and students may need help to communicate this. Learners must be encouraged to justify why they chose to categorise as A/S/N. Teachers should help facilitate these discussions. Key questions could include:

• Why did you think it was never true/always true?
• Did anyone think something different?
• Can you give me an example of when it is and isn’t true?
• Can you prove it?

Delve deeper and explore the transformative power of oracy.

Pupil Premium Update

Pupil Premium on the VLE

A dedicated page for Pupil Premium can be located on the VLE here.

A digital version of the Pupil Premium teacher prompt card can be located here.

All 12 steps are important to implement within your teaching but please ensure that the following steps are evident in every lesson to help support the progress and achievement of PP students.

Pupil Premium – Top Tips – Feedback from student voice sessions.

• Allow take-up time in between tasks.
• Check understanding before moving onto the next task.
• More carrot and less stick – think character points, postcards home, phone calls home, stickers in an exercise book, public verbal praise etc.
• Chunking information so that it is easier for students to digest and understand.
• 3 take-away tips. Please consider giving students 3 take away tips or points at the end of every lesson. 

Breakfast club

We will be launching Breakfast club next week! Breakfast club will be open every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for Pupil Premium students, from 7.45-8.30am, and will be in the canteen.

Year 11 Pupil Premium Boys Group 

I am working with a group of 41 Year 11 Pupil Premium boys who meet once a fortnight, on a Monday registration in BG11. The boys will be visiting Paccar Scout Camp, Chalfont St. Peters, for an achievement trip where we aim to improve their A2L and organisation skills in preparation for their GCSE exams. We will be departing GHS on Friday 31.01.25 and returning to GHS on Saturday 01.02.25. if you would like to get to know the boys a bit better and get a clear understanding of what they want to achieve by the end of Year 11, please click here.

If you require any of the above or have any questions or suggestions, please email me – mharvey@greenford.ealing.sch.uk

Mark

Year 7 CATS Tests

You’ll have seen my staff announcement last week about the Y7 CATS data, giving details about profile reports and the useful ‘implications for teaching and learning’ about each individual.

This Y7 CATS data spreadsheet may also be helpful in viewing all the student data in one place.

Remember that the key indicator is the Mean SAS (Standard Age Score) with 100 being the national average, and then comparing this to the national cohort, whereby:

• >120 = top 10%
• >110 = top 25%
• <80 = bottom 10%

As a year group, their overall Mean SAS = 99.8

This makes them, on average, our most able year group on entry when compared to the others, which are:

• Y8 = 98.4
• Y9 = 97.7
• Y10 = 96.2
• Y11 = 98.2

Sixteen of our Y7s scored in the top 10% nationally, with Enzo Bicudo Pepi (134) and Prithika Sivakurunathan (130) at the very top.

Please have high expectations for this More Able cohort and provide them with lots of stretch and challenge, along with any other student – more than fifty of them – with an SAS of >110.

Conversely, eighteen of our Y7s scored in the bottom 10% nationally, with half of them not currently on the SEN register so it’s important to pay close attention to them, as they will need more support.

If you get the chance, please feed back with ways this data has helped inform your teaching and learning – it’d be great to hear how you’ve been using it.

Adam (BUS)

SEN Department Updates

Child Protection

The Importance of Using Exact Language Used

The guidance given in KCSIE and the MoJ's ABE is not currently aligned and differences are perhaps inevitable. In school, DSLs need to ensure that they are being detailed and precise in relating what the child has said. Jake Walker, a barrister at Coran Chambers is quoted in the TES article: '[the teacher must] use the exact language of the child - including tense, how the child describes body parts and what names they use for people.'

For example [Walker] says: "When the child says, 'daddy did it' and this child has two days, one they call 'dad' and one they call 'daddy', and the teacher records 'their father', well, which one are they talking about?"

"Another crucial issue of recording terminology accurately comes with prepositions, such as the difference between a child saying someone touched them "in" or "on" a body part - something it could be easy to misremember when writing notes after a conversation".

The full article is linked here.

CPOMS

Just an update: CPOMS is going through several changes.  We have been working closely with them, and you should all be able to log onto the system using your usual username and passwords.  We will continue to update you.  If it fails to work for you, please email nadhami@greenford.ealing.sch.uk or me at gnayyar@greenford.ealing.sch.uk

SEN

A useful article on the importance of bridging the gap for our SEN learners.

https://www.shoutoutuk.org/2024/12/20/bridging-the-gap-how-educators-can-foster-inclusive-learning-environments/

More SEN specific training is coming soon.

Gurvinder

Bright Spots

This week's Bright Spots have been nominated by Peter Mather who says:

A massive shout out to the DT Department, once again hosting a training event for Teach First on Monday last week, a nice message below from the lead facilitator; and also a thank you to Year 7 teachers allowing two Teach First primary colleagues observe their lessons, Baljit,  Harpreet, Lydia, Trish, Kapilan and two pupils (Sherebanu and Ikrah) for escorting to their lessons for their secondary school experience on Tuesday last week. 

Dear Peter, Dan and Stuart,

We just wanted to say a big thank you for hosting us. We really appreciate all the effort to ensure it was a successful day. Thank you, Peter, for giving us your time to ensure things ran smoothly. Thanks Dan and Stuart for ensuring the rooms and equipment were available and ready. Apart from the unavoidable fire alarm, everything was perfect! We had a 100% attendance, and the trainees had a really positive experience.

I know you are doing a massive favour by hosting us, and we don’t take this for granted. You are playing a big part in training the next generation of D&T teachers, which is so important.

Best wishes on behalf of the TF team.

Jim Golden

Development Lead - Design and Technology

Thank you to all staff who always welcome our visitors with such enthusiasm, from those on reception in both A and I Block to the canteen staff at lunchtime.

Peter

If there are any concerns about Equality and Diversity (staff)  at GHS please contact A Johal (DHT)