Attendance

• If your son/daughter are going to be absent please call 748 2875 before 10.00am
• Please call again if the student is unable to return on the 3rd day of absence.
• Please provide an absence letter or use a note, found on page 110 of the handbook.
• Please not that a bare minimum 85% attendance is required for examination entry except in the case of serious illness.

Punctuality

• Start time: 8.40am in the form room.
• If students arrive at 8.45am they should register with the form teacher but will be recorded at late.
• 2 lates and students will be expected to attend a 30 minute detention on a Thursday after school.
• If a ‘late’ is genuine, this can be covered on page 107 of the Handbook.

Off site / on site

• Off site at lunch time only
• Otherwise on site all day, except for COPE activities.

Why are attendance & punctuality so important in the Sixth Form?

• Responsibility
• Quite simply there is a huge amount of content to cover.

Absence leads to Underperformance

Case Study:

• Fred achieved a GCSE point score of 6.6, so is targeted BBBC at AS Level.
• Sixth Form average attendance is 95%, but Fred’s was 86% .
• Fred achieved BCDD: he has now dropped 4 grades at the half way point.
• The AS level is 50% of the A Level, so Fred now has to start his A2s with at least two resit examinations and he is carrying a grade D in his 4th subject.  His options for university are now significantly limited.
• Had his attendance dropped below 85% he would have been withdrawn from his courses and examinations. NB 15% absence defines a student as a truant, someone who is persistently absent (DfE 2011)

Dress Code: The Business Philosophy:

Students should wear:

• dark suits or separates and dark smart footwear
• smart clothing

Students should not wear:

• leggings of any length
• shorts or cut off trousers of any length
• tops with thin strap
• tops with large logos
• round neck shirts or polo shirts (boys)
• facial piercing

Employment

• 10-12 hours per week maximum
• 15 hours is almost a part time job
• Christmas holidays – AS module exams start Monday 10th January
• NB "Fred".

Independent Study

• Handbook/planner
• Own space
• Limited distraction
• Many do like music
• Not in front of the tv
• Facebook/Twitter
• X-Box
• Mobile phones
• Late at night

Independent Study

• Students should aim to complete between 2-4  hours per subject per week.(8-16 hours)
• No study time in Year 12 during the school day, so this all needs to be done in their own time.

COPE

Aim: To enrich the student by offering additional activities, not simply academic

• Fitness Suite
• Growing Sense: eco-garden – conservation
• Local primary schools – teaching, psychology
• Special schools or retirement homes
• Creche
• Engineering Project
• Work Experience, essential for Accountancy, Dentistry, Engineering, Journalism, Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, Vet Sciences and many more.
• Optional: Pilates, soccer.

Personal, Social & Health Education

Aim: To support and encourage the wider development of each student so that they can take their place in Society, with a clear emphasis on Personal and Social Education. Every Child Matters (ECM):

• Enjoy and Achieve
• Stay Safe
• Making a Positive Contribution
• Achieve Economic Well-being
• Be Healthy

Enjoy and Achieve

A comprehensive and supportive Induction for newcomers to UGS and a smooth Transition for existing students

Ice Skating, Breakfast Quiz, Mind Games

Form Tutor Role, Mentoring Days (October & March), Strategies & Action Plans, Post-Mentoring Review

Subject Mentoring, Target Setting, Study Skills activities, Revision Techniques & Timetables, Peer Advice

Stay Safe

A brief programme immediately before Christmas to emphasise the need for care with regard to Alcohol and Personal Safety

Visit from Police and follow up activities

Making a Positive Contribution

A programme of guest speakers and activities to consider the Rights & Responsibilities of people in society

The Law & The Police, Road Use, Consumer Rights, Employee Rights, The Rights of Young People

Achieve Economic Well-being

An extensive Higher Education and careers programme that examines opportunities after school and supports individual student needs.

Commences immediately in Yr12 with a visit to Lancaster University to set aspirational goals

March - UCAS Convention andOxbridge Student Conference

Full programme commences after Easter with:

            - Options (Introduction, Centigrade, Connexions)

           - Higher Education Talks (University Admissions)

            - Manchester Chamber of Commerce - Skills Solutions (Modern Apprenticeships)

            - Gap Years (YINI; Project Trust - Travel)

General Studies OCR Syllabus

Skills:

General knowledge, critical thinking, logic, analysis

Subjects taught and tested:

• Culture
• Science
• Social Studies

KEY CALENDAR EVENTS

• Oct & Nov – Progress Discussion - all newcomers plus any students who have raised staff concerns.
• Oct - Progress Assessment
• Nov – Subject Mentoring
• 9tht November – Mentoring Day
• 10th Nov – Parents Evening and Progress Assessment Results available to parents
• 1st – 26th Nov – Subject Specific Targets set
• 17-24th Nov – Mock Tests
• 13th Dec – Mock Tests go home

KEY CALENDAR EVENTS

January Modules

• School opens Wednesday 5th Jan – exams start on 10th Jan!
• Essential revision lessons, content and technique
• Weds 5th- Weds 19th External January modules
• Study Leave – 10-18th Jan

Summer Modules

• 16th May –AS Summer modules begin
• 13th June – (provisional) A2 courses commence
• Raising Student Achievement