Newsletters

GHS Connect #5 Monday 12th October

Mia's notes

Thank you very much to everyone for the great work that is taking place in relation to Steplab. The short films we watched on Wednesday were very thought provoking, and it has also been great to see people talking about their own teaching and learning in pairs. We all need to reflect on our own teaching at times, and I am certainly having to do so, as I teach a class this year who are all reading at an extremely low level.

The GHS High 5 gives us a great framework to build consistency at the same time as honing what we are doing in the right way for our individual classes.  

After half term we will start November off with an INSET day and this will be a further opportunity for us to look at some of the national changes in SEND and what we can do as part of the GHS High 5 in terms of literacy – a key part of our pedagogical practice to both help with explanation and independent work.

Have a great week,

Mia

The week ahead

Monday
Normal Day

Tuesday
Department meetings, including 30 mins Cyber Training (Online) - 3.15pm–4pm
Post 16 Open Evening - 4.15pm - 6.15pm

Wednesday
Briefing in the library – 8.15am

Thursday
Normal Day

Friday
Normal Day

Notes 
Year 13 Interim 1 due

Learning and Teaching Tips and Strategies

What happens between the learning?

Week 5: Purposeful transitions between stages

The lesson cycle provides structure, but the stages should work together and not feel like isolated activities. When transitions are purposeful, they help students connect what they have just learned to what they need to do next.

Top Tips:

• Give students a clear reason for moving to the next stage, rather than simply announcing the next activity.
• Ask students to summarise the key learning before moving from Explanation to Guided Practice.
• Use student responses from one stage to shape the starting point of the next.
• Carry over key vocabulary from one stage to the next so students can see the continuity.
• Make the shift to Independent Practice explicit by connecting the task to the knowledge students have just practised.

Delve deeper: Peps Mccrea on Explicit Teaching. Read here.

Your SEN Bingo Card!

To support our SEN students and wider class inclusion, consider getting a ‘full house’ on your SEN Bingo Card!

How to get a ‘full house’. Have you:

1. Checked your class list: SEN students are highlighted on seating plans as either K or EHCP. The needs of many K students can be met through High Quality Inclusive teaching.
2. Consider the seating plan: Try and sit SEN students near the front to support check-ins.
3. Checked for additional information/ strategies: We are working on revamping and updating all student passports. These are live documents so if changes are made, this will be reflected in a future Connect. We are prioritising EHCP students then Year 11 and Year 7 K students. The link to these can be found here. Students who also have access to the Pathway Centre are indicated on SIMS quick notes (underneath the student picture).
4. Checked in with SEN students: These students should be one of the first you go to to offer support. Do they know what they are doing? Can you give a strict time target of what complete in a given time? Can you provide specific praise so they know exactly what they have done right?
5. Attended focus groups: The SEN department organise focus groups to share best practice and disseminate key information and strategies. These are part of directed time and are outlined in the whole school calendar. You will be contacted if there is a focus group organised for a student you teach. Attendance is a statutory requirement.
6. Considered how to break down tasks: Think carefully about the Actin Research CPD and the ways you can support the explanation part of the lesson to make it accessible.
7. Given additional take up time: Processing time is important to support students to get the right answer. Look out for students who may need more help with this.
8. Provided key definitions: Pre-teach vocabulary to increase access and understanding of what is being taught.
9. Given actionable feedback: Giving precise praise of what a child has done right will allow this to be repeated. Giving concrete next steps will allow them to move forward in their learning.

Fay

Inclusion Messages

Inclusion

Safeguarding

Please can I ask staff to be mindful not to invite parents/guardians to their Google Classroom Pages. Parents are able to view all homework set by staff through Satchel One.

Online sexual abuse webinars - Marie Collins Foundation

The Marie Collins Foundation's ACCESS webinar programme helps people understand technology-assisted child sexual abuse (TACSA). It is told through the voices of victims and survivors. There are nine free webinars, organised into three series.

The first series, The New Reality of Online Harm, is for professionals and is available to watch now. It covers what TACSA is, how AI is being used to sexually abuse children, and Com groups. These groups are one of the fastest-growing online threats to children. Many DSLs will not have heard of them yet.

Recordings of the other two series, for parents and carers and for survivors, are due to follow.

https://www.mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk/What-We-Do/Events/Access-Webinar-Series

Mental Health Updates

We are noticing a number of pupils struggling with concerns around their mental health.  Just a reminder that Niloo Adhami based in AF16 is around to support pupils with their mental health.  She will advise, direct and signpost support strategies for these students where necessary.

The safeguarding part of our website also has several external agencies that students can tap into.  Please do refer students to this where necessary.

GHS Safeguarding area

Gurvinder

Bright Spots

The first of this week's Bright Spots have been nominated by Rav Dhinsda, who says:

A massive thank you to Alex Ihringova and Ajay Balu for speaking openly about our attendance challenges and procedures in our pastoral meeting. The pastoral teams were left with a wealth of knowledge to ensure they are supporting attendance daily.

A further thank you to all pastoral teams, including Claire Kemish, for a fantastic start to the academic year. High standards of uniform, high standards for detention attendance and high standards for conduct around the school. Their diligence with following up has meant a settled start for all.

Next, Adam Hamida has nominated Joe Wilcox, saying:

Joe Wilcox – For generally being a team player and supporting me individually, and the year team, when we are in need. 

In the last week alone, Joe has helped to support a dysregulated SEN student, covered my Literacy class whilst I walked over to iBlock, and supervised around 40 students in his form class since no cover was available. 

It is because of teachers like Joe that we are able to keep the school functioning when things get tough! 

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