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GHS Connect #21 Monday 2nd March
 Mia's notes
Welcome back – it’s now March. I think that officially counts as Spring?
A reminder that there’s not long until the end of the term really, as we have a very short half-term. As I said last week, we need to ensure that every moment of learning counts, and have a clear plan for our learners, so that learning is built up and reinforced carefully.
Please remember that a lot of our students struggle with independent learning for all sorts of reasons that can range from resources, space, caring responsibilities etc. It’s crucial to set out what they need to focus on as clearly as possible – they need clear direction. Simply telling them ‘you need to revise’ won’t work, without activities to help them to do this. Think quizzes, setting mindmaps, answering exam Qs, marking a model exam question as if they are the examiner, etc.
As I said last week, we can do it - it’s just about having a clear plan.
Mia
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The week ahead
Monday
Normal Day
Tuesday
Department Time - 3.15pm - 4.30pm
Wednesday
Briefing in the library – 8.15am
Meetings: All 3.15pm - 4.15pm
HOD Meeting
HOY/DHOY
Teacher Mark, Plan & Collab
SEND Focus Group
ECT CPD
Thursday
Normal Day
Friday
Normal Day
Notes
Year 7 & Year 8 Interim 2 Due
Wednesday - World Book Day @GHS
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Learning and Teaching Tips and Strategies
This term, we will be sharing top tips and  strategies for oracy.
Week 2: Think, Pair, Share - Adding Structure
Think, Pair, Share is a powerful strategy for developing talk, but without clear structure it can limit the quality of discussion. By adding scaffolds and routines we can ensure that all students think deeply and participate meaningfully.
Top Tips:
- Set a clear ‘thinking’ time frame before any talk begins.
- Provide a precise question to make talk sharp and purposeful.
- Assign roles to each partner to keep participation balanced. e.g. Speaker A/B, summariser.
- Use sentence stems to scaffold high-quality responses.
- Make listening visible by asking students to build on, challenge or summarise their partner’s ideas.
Sentence Starters:
- “You will have 30 seconds of silent thinking before you speak.”
- “Find one similarity and one difference in your ideas.”
- “Ask your partner ‘why’ at least once.”
- “Use the following 5 words in your discussion.”
- “Use these sentences: I agree with…, I disagree with…, I want to challenge…” (see VLE)
Want to know more? Here is Tom Sherrington’s Think, Pair, Share Forensics.
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Why Attendance Matters
- Every day counts. Research shows that students who miss school regularly, even just a few days per term, fall behind — not just academically, but socially and emotionally too.
- Achievement is linked to attendance. Students with attendance below 95% are significantly less likely to achieve their target grades, especially at GCSE level.
- It builds habits. Regular attendance promotes routines that prepare students for life beyond school — college, apprenticeships, the workplace.
- Safeguarding concerns. Sometimes, poor attendance can be a sign of deeper issues — mental health concerns, neglect, or other vulnerabilities. Our eyes and ears matter.
Where We Are Now:
Our current attendance rate is 92%, and while there are positive pockets, we know we need a collective push to raise this — especially for key groups like [PP, SEND, PA, etc.].
What You Can Do:
Here’s how you can make a real difference — starting now:
- Build strong relationships
Students are more likely to come in for staff they feel care about them. Your daily interactions — greeting them at the door, asking how they are — help create that sense of belonging.
- Take the register accurately and on time
Sounds simple, but accurate data is the foundation for intervention. Every mark matters — and patterns can be missed if we’re not consistent.
- Follow up on absences
A quick conversation with a student after time off shows we notice and we care. It also reinforces that attendance is important. Ask: “We missed you yesterday — is everything okay?”
- Celebrate good attendance
Praise goes a long way. Recognise improvement, reward persistence, and highlight the link between attendance and progress.
- Raise concerns early
If you notice a pattern — lateness, frequent Mondays or Fridays off, or a drop in engagement — flag it to tutors, Heads of Year, or safeguarding. We act quicker when we act together.
Final Thought:
Improving attendance is everyone’s business. It’s not just the job of the pastoral team or attendance officers — it’s part of how we all keep children safe, learning, and progressing. One small action from you could be the turning point for a student.
Thank you for everything you do. Let’s keep the momentum going and support every student to be in school, every day, ready to learn.
Ajay Balu
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Inclusion Messages
Child Protection
Many of you will have seen the social media posts promoting violence between different London schools. This has made national headlines and the police are currently investigating those individuals involved in instigating such threats. We have had a number of concerned families emailing us and I know many staff have also emailed us. Form tutors have sent clear messages to students about going straight home to and from school, and an extra presence has been placed on all exits after school. Thankfully, we have not seen any level of threat towards our pupils, but wanted you all to be aware. Just to reassure you, we are working closely with the police and have sent out the following letter to all families across the school written by the police.
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Dear Parent/ Carer,
We are aware that several posts have been circulating on social media in recent days, and we understand that this may have caused concern among families.
The Metropolitan Police are monitoring the situation closely and are in regular contact with schools across several London boroughs to offer reassurance and support.
Police officers will continue to maintain a strong and visible presence around schools, where appropriate. They will respond promptly and firmly to any reports of violence or disorder to help ensure the safety of all young people.
The police are also monitoring online activity and have worked with social media platforms to request the disabling of several accounts where threats or encouragement of violence were identified.
Commander Neerav Patel has reminded young people of the serious consequences of becoming involved in situations of this nature. Any involvement in violence or carrying weapons can lead to arrest, criminal charges or even imprisonment, with long-term impacts on future opportunities.
We ask that you speak with children about staying safe, making responsible choices, and reporting anything that concerns them to a trusted adult.
If you have any questions or need further reassurance, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Yours faithfully,
PS Chrissy Harvey – Specialist Community Liaison Sergeant Ealing
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SEN
Exams Access Arrangements – Thank you so much to all staff that have completed and provided evidence for students in Y13 and Y11. If you have not yet completed this, please can you upload as soon as possible.
There are many changes in the pipeline for SEND pupils. Please see linked the changes being introduced by the Government https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyke5n1z4po
Thank you for your continued support
Gurvinder
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Bright Spot
This week Sarah Williams would like to nominate Ji Won Min for a Bright Spot.
Sarah says: Ji Won boldly responded to my request last year for someone to run a 'Reading and Knitting club', to encourage students to read, by getting them into the Library to knit. She brilliantly recruited a small band of students and has now got them all knitting independently and reading 'Pigeon English' by Stephen Kelman together as they knit! I'm delighted that they all joined in with Stephen Kelman's visit to school before half-term. Thanks for getting this going, Ji Won, you're a star!
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 If there are any concerns about Equality and Diversity (staff) at GHS please contact A Johal (DHT)
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For the latest X feed from @ghsofficial, click here. For Threads, click here.
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For the latest Instagram feed from @greenford_high_official, click here
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27 Feb 2026
Afternoon all,
As per the briefing announcement on Wednesday, we have 36 year 11 students who are at risk of losing their exams access arrangements, despite having this as their normal way of working all year. I have added the list of these students below.
Please complete the link...
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