Newsletters

GHS Connect #29 Monday 11th May

Mia's notes

Wasn’t it lovely to send off Year 13 in such style on Friday? My massive thanks go to the Post 16 team for their hard work in organising the Leavers’ Assembly but more importantly, my huge thanks for everyone’s work over the last 2 years in getting them all to where they are.  As they say, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and in our case, it definitely takes a whole load of committed, caring professionals to raise our students to where they are at the end of their school journey. It was lovely to welcome Allison John back, who came in to say a farewell to her old year group - a wonderful example of that kind of commitment we have in bucketloads here at Greenford.

Speaking of study leave, we have informed Year 11 and their parents that they will be heading off on 14th May after their exam. Be ready for a little nonsense from some of them now that they know the date. Let’s all remember to stay positive and calm for them - stress can often send them off on a tangent!

Have a great week,

Mia

The week ahead

Monday
Normal Day

Tuesday
Department Time - 3.15pm - 4.30pm
HOY training 3.15pm - 4pm
ECT Mentors/Mentee Meeting 3.15pm - 3.45pm

Wednesday
Briefing in the library – 8.15am

Thursday
Normal Day

Friday
Normal Day

Notes
Year 7 Assessment Week (in class)
Thursday - Year 11 study leave begins

Learning and Teaching Tips and Strategies

This term, we will be sharing top tips and strategies around revision.

Are your students cramming or truly learning?

Week 5: Spacing and Interleaving

Learning is stronger when revision is spaced over time because interleaving strengths memory and improves recall. By revisiting learning little and often, students build a more durable understanding.

Top Tips:

• Use cumulative retrieval Do Nows that include both recent and older learning.
• Interleave similar concepts or question types so students identify the difference between them.
• Mix revision content rather than blocking by topic.
• Intentionally plan “lag time”. The longer the gap before retrieval, the greater the strengthening effect when successful recall happens.

See here for Peps Mccrea’s spacing rituals.

Keeping the Momentum: Supporting Year 11 Through the Final Stretch

As we enter the critical home straight of the exam season, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible dedication you have shown in preparing our Year 11 cohort. We know that for many of our students, the difference between a Grade 3 and a 4, or a 6 and a 7, lies in the targeted interventions and the Quality First teaching they are receiving in your classrooms right now. At this stage, our focus must remain on marginal gains: using Question Level Analysis (QLA) to plug specific knowledge gaps, maintaining high expectations for attendance, and providing the calm, can-do environment our students need to manage exam anxiety. Thank you for your continued forensic approach to student progress and for being the steady hand that guides them toward their post-16 destinations. Let’s keep the pressure high but the support higher—every extra mark we help them secure is a door opened for their future.

Key reminders:

• The Power of Retrieval: Keep lesson starts focused on high-impact retrieval practice to solidify core knowledge.
• The Borderline Focus: Continue to prioritise those students sitting on the Crossover (4/5) and the Top-End (7+) boundaries.
• Well-being Check-ins: A quick word of encouragement can be the pivot point for a struggling student’s confidence.

We have some half-term slots available, so if you do want to come in, please sign up via the Year 11 interventions sheet.

Phoebe

Inclusion Messages

Safeguarding Updates

When exploited children exploit others

Inclusive approach to celebrating pupils

Please see the table below to celebrate our learners, especially as we approach the exam season.

It is Objective: It describes what is happening rather than judging it.

It is Inclusive: It rewards different types of "work"—some students work hard on math, while others work hard on regulating their emotions or being a kind friend.

It Builds Autonomy: Students begin to recognise these behaviours in themselves rather than waiting for a sticker.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Gurvinder

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