Newsletter
Roding Valley High School
September 2014
New Headteacher at Roding Valley High School I would like to welcome you to the new academic year at Roding Valley High School and to introduce myself to you as Headteacher. Having been appointed to the post way back in April, I am delighted to be finally getting started in earnest. Firstly I would like to say how impressed I have been with the warm welcome that I have received from the students, staff, Governors and parents. From the moment I first visited the school in March I was struck by the positive atmosphere throughout the school and this was one of the main factors that attracted me to the post. I have very high expectations for Roding Valley High School moving forward and I am very keen to build on the excellent work of Mr Banks. I demand first class teaching, outstanding academic achievement, exceptional care, guidance and support, and excellent enrichment provision for all students. It is my aim that every student becomes a confident and responsible member of society and can go on to lead a happy and fulfilling adult life. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the outgoing Year 11s on their fantastic examination results which are the best that the school has ever achieved. At GCSE level, 68.3% of students achieved the headline indicator of 5 A*-C grades including English and Maths. This was an increase of 4% on 2013 in a year where changing Government policies have meant that many schools have had their grades hit hard. The percentage of students achieving A*-C grades in Maths and English, the most important subjects for progression onto Sixth Form courses, apprenticeships and college courses, was 79% and 78% respectively. Clearly students should be applauded for their efforts but I would also like to thank the staff for the part that
they played in these outcomes. They worked tirelessly to support the students throughout the two years and deserve a huge amount of credit. It is certainly an exciting time for Roding Valley High School and I feel honoured to be taking over the reins at a time when the school is in such a strong position to move forward. The fact that we have been successful in being granted a Sixth Form from September 2015 will also help to propel the school to become a first rate academic establishment. We will be launching the new Sixth Form at an evening event on the 25th September and parents of Year 11 pupils will receive an invitation to this presentation very soon. In short, I am very much looking forward to working with the students, staff, parents and Governors in the weeks and months to come. In the meantime I would like to thank you for your ongoing support of the school.
Mathematics Faculty once again produce an excellent set of results in 2014 The Mathematics Faculty at Roding Valley High School produced their best ever GCSE results in 2013. Our challenge for 2014 was to exceed all current targets and expectations. The Year 11 cohort managed to achieve just that. The results were • 25% achieved A* & A Grades • 75% have achieved a Grade C or better • Currently 42% of students have made 4 levels of progress or more since joining the school in Year 7- compared to the National Average of 31%.
A number of our top students were also entered for the Level 3 Award in Algebra, an AS Level course. This was done to prepare them taking Mathematics in 6th Form. 14 students successfully completed this course. Offering the Level 3 course gave a number of students the confidence to take up Mathematics in Year 12. The Mathematics department is looking forward to the next academic year, further developing the strategies that assisted in achieving these excellent results. Mr Vermaak Head of Mathematics
Alderton Hill, Loughton, Essex IG10 3JA t: 020 8508 1173 e: office@rodingvalley.net www.rodingvalley.net
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Year 6 Taster Day On Friday 27th June 2014, we welcomed a new batch of fresh faced 11 year olds into our school community. This was our annual Y6 taster day; an opportunity for the students to experience what secondary school life was going to be like when they joined us in September. The day followed a packed schedule and students were kept very busy throughout, from meeting tutor groups, to an assembly, attending 3 lessons and finally participating in an inter-form tug of war in the sports hall. This taster day was a really positive experience for all concerned, staff commented on how well behaved and keen the students were. The excitement and buzz around the school site was infectious and for everybody involved…September couldn’t come soon enough.
Year 7 make a fantastic start On the first day of term 240 nervous children were dropped at the back playground by some equally nervous parents, it was the start of their time at Roding Valley High School. It must have seemed an impossible and very daunting task that lay ahead of them; to find their way around the site, meet their different subject teachers and make new friends. However… Approaching 3 weeks in and they have settled extremely well; the students are happy, enthusiastic and do not have as much difficulty in finding their way round the ‘big buildings’ as they anticipated. It has been fantastic to see the students getting to know new friends in their form groups and across the year group as a whole. Much of this great start has been down to the students and the continued support of their parents. Thank you all and well done year 7!
Isabel McCullagh: “I have already made some new friends and all the teachers are really nice.” Olivia Lewis: “It is great. All the lessons are so fun.” Adam Wigley: “All of the teachers and students in other years are really helpful.” Sophie King: “These past few weeks of transition have been brilliant. I have been having the best time ever.” Rishin Patel: “I am very comfortable at this school and will be for the next 5 years.” Mr J. Quirk – Head of Year 7.
Year 7 invade France On Friday 4th July over a hundred Year 7 pupils set out from Roding Valley to spend the day in France. For many it was their first time in France and for some their first trip abroad. The day started at 5.30am with many sleepy children, but they had certainly woken up in time to do a spot of shopping on the ferry. It was a lovely day so the first stop was lunch in the picturesque park in St.Omer (a small town about 45minutes drive from Calais), followed by a tour of the town and a visit to the cathedral. Students sampled the gastronomic delights of France, mainly chips and ice-cream, which had to be ordered in French. Some braver children even ordered snails in a restaurant, but I don’t think that they were very impressed! After that pupils had some free time to explore in small groups, whilst completing a project book. Later, pupils experienced a French hypermarket near Calais where many of them managed to purchase ‘bonbons et chocolat’. Pupils arrived home tired, but happy, with an insight into French culture and their way of life. Nicholla Chambers – Head of MfL
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Here is an account written by Gavin Ip:
My Day at St Omer Between 5:30 and 6:00am we began to get on to our coaches and head off to the ferry. 2 hours later we finally arrived at the ferry and everyone was very excited, our teachers led us on to the ferry and showed us where the meeting point was. My friends and I headed off around the ferry after we found out where the meeting point was and what time we needed to be there. When we got to the part of the ship where we could view the sea and feel the air we were so happy and amazed by the view that Mrs Chambers took a photo of our happy smiles. Our excitement was raised as we slowly approached France and everyone started to get even chattier.
Roding Valley High School Newsletter September 2014
First stop of the day was the wonderful and bright garden where everyone had their lunch. Next stop of the day was heading to a French ice cream shop which would increase our French skills because if we wanted an ice cream, we needed to order it in French, or no ice cream. The last stop of the day before we headed to the ferry was the hyper market which was similar to a mall but with France souvenirs. Then we headed back to the ferry. Everyone had fun and agreed that this trip increased their French skills. This was a great experience for Year 7’s to understand and learn how to order food, drinks and souvenirs.
Roding Valley High School celebrates Year 7 Reading Millionaires The school library hosted a party at the end of the summer term to celebrate the achievements of students who had read in excess of one million words on our Accelerated Reader programme. Following generous helpings of pizza and chocolate cake our students were presented with certificates and book tokens by Headteacher, Mr Banks. Students then visited Loughton Book Shop where they had the opportunity to browse for books and spend their book tokens.
Students enrolled on the Accelerated Reader literacy programme take an online quiz on each book they have read. The quizzes keep a tally of the number of words in each book, thus enabling the librarian and English teachers to check the total number of words each student has read on the scheme. Julia Martin, School Librarian
The Humanities term ahead Welcome back to staff, students and our new Year 7. Well done for the great start, particularly to Year 7 and the new Year 10 cohorts. The Combined Humanities programme of study for Year 7 which incorporates RE/History and Geography has been allocated extra time this year and this means that teaching staff are really able to get to know their classes and help pupils to settle in quickly. There are lots of exciting events up and coming across Humanities.
50 Year 10 students will be attending a talk on Human Rights from a guest speaker in October. This will be linked with Black History Month - where all year groups will also have an assembly based on the importance of recognising the struggles and contributions of Black People around the world.
the last two years and the day will be about informing/ decision-making and learning about Zambia and this charity, with a range of activities and visitor planned, it should be a really exciting day. This week, year groups have had an assembly given by the Year 11 pupils who visited Zambia in the summer term.
Year 7 have a drop down day based on life beyond our day to day life in Loughton and focusing on the school in Zambia where we financially support 10 children who would otherwise not be able to go to school. This is a charity project called Beyond Ourselves and Roding Valley have supported this for
There are a number of trips and speakers arranged throughout the year to ensure students have a varied and enriched curriculum within Humanities. These include the British Museum, The Old Operating Theatre, and Greenwich.
Here are other Year 7s opinions: It was a different experience from what we would normally get and it was really enjoyable. Harry 7V I liked the ferry ride and the different drinks you get in France. Harry 7W I think it was fun, walking around and looking at the French shops. Maddy 7W I thought it was good and it was a good experience using Euros. Destiny 7W It was very good and I really liked the make-up shops. Prue 7V I liked it, but the journey was long. France was pretty. Lucy 7X I liked the pizza but I tried the snails and didn’t like them. Chris 7XIt was fun and I liked the atmosphere in France. Scarlett 7X I liked the supermarket, it was different to England. Grace 7V I liked the ice-cream and the park. Spas 7V I thought it was great and I want to go again. Conrad 7
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Year 10 Paris trip On Thursday 24th April, forty five Year 10 students met at 6:45 in the morning ready to board the coach to Paris. After a seven hour journey we arrived in Paris ready for our first activity of the weekend, a boat trip down the River Seine. The sun was shining for the first time that day, it was enjoyable to sit back and take in the sights of Paris.
Year 7 Passport Winners 2013/14 Thomas Compton and Thomas Abbott above are the 2 prize winners of the Year 7 2013/14 passport challenge. This was a challenge that was set for students at the start of the year when they arrived, to get them involved in the wider life of the school and all aspects of school life. The Year 7 students were given the task of getting as many challenge points as possible for a range of different tasks and getting them signed off in their passport. These challenges included points for excellent attendance and punctuality, points for attending clubs, helping out at evening events, completing projects set by faculties and many more. To be illegible for the business class award students had to receive 25 challenge points, to be illegible for the first class award, students had to receive 35 challenge points and to be illegible for the world class award, students had to receive 50 challenge points. All students that received the business class award received a letter home and 50 honours put on for this academic year. All students that received the first class award were put in a draw for a £50 Amazon voucher, received a letter home and got awarded with 100 honours. The world class winners were put in a draw for an iPad mini, received a letter home and were awarded with 150 honours for this academic year.
Our next stop was the Arc de Triomphe, after a 284 step climb we reached the top and were treated to stunning panoramic views of the Parisian skyline as well as the roundabout below... a roundabout so busy that upon driving around it drivers voided any vehicle insurance they may have. On our way back to our hotel we visited a French hypermarket and spent an enjoyable hour browsing the aisles. The next morning dawned bright and early. We boarded the coach at 8 o’clock in the morning to the Eiffel Tower. Spirits were high, despite the rainy weather and after queuing for the lifts we soon reached the summit of the Eiffel Tower. The views at the top were beautiful, rivalling those of the Arc de Triomphe. Many of us decided to take the stairs down instead of the lift to make the most our surroundings. We spent Friday afternoon in Montmartre, exploring the boutiques and the Sacré Coeur cathedral. Some of us also had our caricatures drawn... which provided some interesting results! In the evening we visited the Champs Élysées, Paris’ most famous shopping street; home to the likes of Louis Vuitton, Gautier and Cartier as well as cheaper high street boutiques. We all enjoyed exploring the street... although not many of us could afford to do more than window shop! Our final stop of the day was my favourite activity of the weekend-
Thomas Compton won the world class award and was given an iPad mini. Thomas Abbott won the first class award and received a £50 Amazon Voucher. Well done to all the students that took part in the Passport Challenge. Also I would like to thank the Friends of Roding Valley for donating the money for the prizes.
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Roding Valley High School Newsletter September 2014
the Tour Montparnasse, a 64 storey skyscraper which contained some of the fastest lifts in Europe (64 storeys in under 10 seconds). We stayed at the top for nearly an hour and watched the sun set over Paris. Saturday was our final day in Paris. In the morning we braved the rain and queued for over an hour to climb the 387 step winding staircase to the top of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Once we finally reached the top we admired the world famous Notre Dame gargoyles as well as the misty views over Paris. Afterwards we walked to an underground shopping centre to have lunch and shelter from the rain.
At about 1 o’clock, the rain finally stopped and we were able to spend an enjoyable hour walking through the Tuileries Gardens, past the Louvre gallery and the restored sculptures. Later that day we boarded the coach home exhausted after a lovely weekend in Paris. By Olivia Tinker 10S
Annual BBQ
On 8 July 2014 the Catering and Home Cooking skills students held their annual BBQ in the recently landscaped Science garden.
Actor visits Roding Sixty Year 11 media students were given a talk by Paul Viragh who is an actor, screenwriter and executive producer. His work includes “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll” which is the story of punk icon Ian Dury and “Ashes” starring Ray Winstone.
John Ryan (Science Technician) did a fabulous job of getting the area ship shape and ready for the day whilst Heidi Collings (Food Technician) did an equally spectacular job of organising the food provision. The students invited their friends as well as a member of staff who have taught and supported them throughout the year. The students hosted and helped the Food Teachers to prepare a range of BBQ dishes for their guests during lunchtime. The comments and feedback from all who attended were overwhelmingly positive.
Mr Naidoo said ‘very tasty dishes, from the meat selection to the veggies and sauces. It was great to see the students in their element, being proud of what they achieve in Food Tech’. Miss Rahman said ‘very welcoming, polite and attentive, always ensuring I had something to eat and drink. What a lovely event’. And Mr Quirk said ‘that onion relish has changed my life!!!!’…. Thank you to everyone who came and supported the students in what was a truly great afternoon and a massive thank you to parents/carers for their continued support. And a last mention, thank you so much to Mr J Goosen who barbequed and Taylor Collings for coming to help.
Paul spoke about the dedication needed in the industry and the possibilities available through hard work and persistence. There was an opportunity for a question and answer session for the students, many of whom were inspired by Paul regarding his work in the TV and Film industry. The next speaker we will be having into the school is Elham Saudi who is a NGO Director and speaks regularly at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Elham specialises in human rights violations in Libya. Elham’s media appearances include Radio 4, Channel 4 News and BBC News. Following this we hope to be welcoming a number London 2012 athletes who will talk about their path to the Olympics in Brazil in 2016... watch this space.
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Year 10 Mock Interview Wednesday 16th July
Barclay Life Skills On Tuesday 1st July 2014 a team of 20 staff from Barclays Bank came to Roding Valley High School to deliver a Work Skills programme for Year 11 Students. Throughout the day students participated in activities learning all about interview techniques and job applications.
Year 10 students experienced a taste of the real world when they participated in the Mock Interview Scheme aimed at preparing them for the future.
students when entering the work place, the mock interview is an excellent opportunity for students to practice interview techniques, consider body language and pick up useful tips.
Over 200 Year 10 students at the school took the opportunity to practise their interview skills. Some students visited various companies in the area such as Fosket Marr Gadsby & Head (Solicitors), Haslers Accountants, Waitrose Supermarket, whilst others were interviewed in the school by local Sixth Forms, Marriott Hotel, UEL University, Barclays Bank, BBC, Quest, as well as many other local business people.
A first interview is invariably daunting and we hope that this opportunity, to simulate the experience, will lessen the apprehension a student may feel when it comes to the real thing. The employers all gave students a feedback form with tips and hints for future interviews. Some of the employers said the students were a credit to the school and they would certainly consider employing them in the future.
The Careers Programme we run at Roding Valley really helps prepare the
The students were in small groups and were able to explore how making good career choices means finding a job that combines their strengths, interests, preferences and personality traits. The activities helped students focus on their strengths and how to present themselves to employers. They participated in role play in order to be successful in a job interview. It was the perfect preparation for their Mock Interview on Wednesday 16th July.
Lambourne End This summer once again we visited Lambourne End Activity Centre. This is a team building day for those who have been on the reading scheme and done exceptionally well. It is always great to see students having fun and overcoming their fears! It was great this year because we had lovely weather as well. Students enjoyed developing their bush-craft skills, and working as a team to build a raft, and float it with varying degrees of success. I was really impressed by the way they worked together developing new skills, and how attentive and polite they were throughout the day.
Harry Francis (left) and Conor Tyrell with their Essex County football caps
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Roding Valley High School Newsletter September 2014
Spanish play On Wednesday 2nd April, Year 9s and 10s, who have been learning Spanish for 2 years watched a Spanish play called ‘La Habitación de Mateo’ (Mateo’s bedroom), performed in Spanish by two actors. This was partly funded by my Jack Petchey Award money. The play was about Mateo and him wanting to have Veronica as a girlfriend, to be like his friends. All of a sudden 6 different girls ‘make-over girls’ appear at his bedroom window to offer him different advise on how to get a girlfriend, to be sporty, gothic or musical for example. He gets the best insider information on what every girl wants! Finally Mateo won the girl. Some Spanish was easy to understand and words learnt in lessons were used in the performance. The actors interacted well with the audience and got them involved, be it by playing a guitar, dancing, trying to find keys and teaching Mateo how to do a sexy walk. In my opinion the play was hilarious and very educational because it also taught me some new Spanish. This was a new experience for year 9s and I hope future Spanish pupils get to watch a Spanish play too. Thank you to Mrs Chambers for organising this. Jake Forcast 9R
Here’s what other pupils thought: It was funny. They used a lot of audience interaction. Jack Beddall The drama techniques helped you to understand what was going on. Liam Oxborrow Because words were repeated, you could understand the story. Vivian Lee I thought it was exciting when they included the audience. Chloe Humphries It was funny when Jack had to go on stage and dance. Jack Stone I was surprised that I could understand the play. Sarah Cannon
Roding Valley Leavers Trip the Light Fantastic! On 14th July 2014, Year 11 students gathered at Woolston Manor for their farewell Prom. The 200 students arrived in many splendid ways: Range Rovers, double decker buses, sports cars and even a fire engine. From these varied carriages alighted the most stunning ladies and handsome gentlemen, all suited and booted ready for a fun evening of dancing, eating and socialising with those with whom they had shared the previous five years of their lives.
fabulous, they were very proud to have been chosen and seemed humbled by the choice. I would like to wish them well, thank all who attended the evening and thank the Year 11 students for a great five years together. Good luck!
They looked amazingly grown up, all ready to move to pastures new but not before one last goodbye. They were mature throughout; it was a joy to be part of. The final awards to make were that of King and Queen- these went to Dominykas Andrusaitis and Taylor Llorett, who looked
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French Theatre On Tuesday 11 March a travelling French theatre company visited Roding Valley to perform a play in French and English to our Year 7 pupils. Even though the play contained lots of French vocabulary pupils did not need to worry as the script contained lots of words and phrases that they had come across in lessons. By watching the action and gestures pupils had no problem understanding what was going on, in fact they were amazed at how much French they actually knew. So what was the play about? The year is 1540. A young English Knight, William Babbington, travels to France in search of a beautiful French Mademoiselle. But not for himself, he has been sent by King Henry VIII to find a suitable wife - his fourth!
French Conference On 5th March 35 Year 10 GCSE French students attended a revision/examination tips conference in London to help us prepare for our upcoming exams and controlled assessments. The conference was an intense day of French speaking, reading, listening and writing led by people who write the French exam papers. We were given workbooks with tips and exercises inside to help us improve our French exam grade. At the end of each session a drama group called ‘Scratch’ would act out a short play themed around an aspect of the French language. Surprisingly they were actually quite funny! The day was intense and hard work but it was also informative and gave us lots of advice to help us do well in our French GCSE. Also congratulations to Jess Braniff, who had the courage to go on stage and take part in an inter-school ‘Weakest link’ competition. She managed to win the competition in her best Essex/ French accent! Well done Jess!
Once William has located a suitable match, he must paint her portrait and return to England to collect his reward.
learns of a beautiful young Mademoiselle called Catherine living in small castle nearby.
William arrives in France totally illequipped. He cannot speak a lot of French, he has no idea where he is going and, most worryingly, he cannot paint!
If this Catherine is truly beautiful all William needs to do is convince her to be King Henry VIII’s wife and paint her portrait. Easy? Not if you cannot speak French or paint.
After a confusing and rather awkward encounter with a French peasant, William
The play was interactive, involving some of our pupils even participating in the performance and going on the stage, and it was very amusing. Here’s what 7W thought: Annabel: ‘It was exciting and funny, and it had lots of information about history in it too.’ Adan: ‘I learnt lots. It was funny seeing my brother go on stage.’ Harry: ‘Super et très bien!’ Jamie-Leigh: ‘Very educational’ Madeline: ‘I like how they interacted with the audience.’ Millie: ‘I was surprised that I could understand most of it.’ Cengizhan: ‘It was like ‘horrible histories’ but in French.’ Amber: ‘I liked going on stage and I liked the characters.’ Tom: ‘It was an imaginative play. I liked the bit where she threw water in his face.’
Olivia Tinker
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Roding Valley High School Newsletter September 2014
Teacher Training at Roding Valley - Update Teacher Training is now a significant aspect of this school and not only do we train some of our own teachers but as a member of the West Essex School Direct Partnership of eight local schools, we share the responsibility in delivering an appropriate training experience for trainee teachers in this partnership. School Direct with its focus on training in Schools and not through a university, is now the Governments’ preferred route into teaching. The scheme was piloted two years ago we had five trainees in the West Essex Partnership. Last year this had grown to eleven – all of whom successfully completed in July of this year. Ten of these trainees are now teaching locally – thus meeting in a substantial way the rationale of training local teachers for local schools. This September the cohort has grown to 25 trainees who are based in 7 schools.
We are about to commence the 2015 advertising & recruitment period and our School Direct partnership has made a bid to train over 60 teachers which now extends to the primary phase as well as the existing secondary phase. Much publicity is being given to the fact that there will be a shortage of trained teachers over the next few years and currently, Geography, Music, R.E & Technology has been added to the list of national shortages in Science, Maths, MFL & Computing (Secondary).
If you are interested in finding out more about training to become a teacher or know of someone else who has that interest we have an Information Evening at Davenant Foundation School on Wednesday 12th November 2014 at 7.00 pm and there will be information on the schools website. All potential applicants should have Maths and English at Grade C GCSE and a degree in the subject they wish to train to teach. If you like more information please contact Suzanne.Giles@davenant.org or Trevor.hounslow@davenant.org
Mathematics Mastery Mathematics Mastery has been developed by ARK, an academy chain, and is based on a way to teach mathematics originally developed by the Singaporean Ministry for Education. This project aims to give pupils a thorough understanding of mathematical concepts, rather than a set of techniques or routines to get to the right answer. Mathematics Mastery shows that problems can be solved in a variety of ways: pupils learn different approaches in sequence – first by manipulating real objects, then by drawing pictorial representations, and ultimately by using mathematical symbols. It also uses a ‘mastery’ approach, in which teachers do not move on until all pupils have acquired a basic understanding of the current topic. However, the course is designed so that more able pupils can explore each topic in depth, and therefore remain engaged. The key principles of the programme are • Students study fewer topics in greater depth • Mastery for all students • Number sense and place value come first • Problem solving is central.
with top grades and to leave school with a love of mathematics.” The Mathematics Mastery community want every school leaver to achieve a strong foundation in mathematics, with no student left behind. In addition, Mathematics Mastery means that a significant proportion of students will be in a position to choose, if they so
wish, to study A level and degree level science, technology, engineering and mathematics related subjects. Introducing the Mastery Concept from Year 7 will allow a large number of our students to remain at Roding Valley High School in year 12 and 13 and take Mathematics as an A-level choice.
Overlaps Seven Regions Place the digits 1 to 7, one in each region, so that the circles all have the same total. There are 2 ways to do this, can you find both of them?
The vision of the Mathematics Mastery network is: “Mathematics education should be so much more than just passing exams and Mathematics Mastery will help us achieve this. We want every child to not just pass GCSE mathematics but pass
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Team Zambia 2014 For 12 days in the July, pupils from Year 11 visited our partner school, Greater Joy, in Zambia. While they were there they built an outdoor learning area, painted a beautiful outside mural, supported in lessons, prepared food, visited homes and led a craft afternoon for the pupils. They had a productive and moving experience and we are incredibly proud of their efforts. Below are the reflections of one student on the team. For more on their experiences do visit our blog. www.beyondrodingvalley.blogspot.co.uk Today, the last day at Greater Joy School, was one never to be forgotten. We arrived ready and rearing for a busy few hours ahead, determined to finish all of our jobs, as well as have time to play with the children, and say our goodbyes. We glossed all the windows, touched up both two murals, observed lessons, handed out our gifts, tidied the playground and had a very emotional goodbye. The teachers at the school gave us an incredible and warm hearted farewell, by singing to us a touching song in the church hall. After this we knew it
We were overwhelmed with the idea of saying goodbye to students who we’d developed such strong relationships with, within the space of one week and knowing we probably wouldn’t see the students for a long time, if not ever again. But we were all reassured that our work and projects would hopefully put a smile on their faces during their time at school.
was time to clean up and say goodbye to the children, which brought many of us to tears, as we had all built up such bonds with specific pupils.
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Roding Valley High School Newsletter September 2014
Our experience at Greater Joy, on behalf of the entire team, has truly left a life long impression on us and the positivity and enthusiasm of the children, many who have nothing, has truly inspired us. We will never forget Greater Joy School. Ms Bentley and Team Zambia 2014
Epping Forest District Sixth Form We are proud and delighted that Roding Valley as part of the Epping Forest District Consortium will be opening a sixth form in September 2015. The consortium arrangement will allow students to continue their education working with teachers they know in a familiar environment, whilst taking advantage of the expertise and superb amenities the consortium has to offer. We will be providing Post 16 education across a range of subjects. Students who wish to stay on in Years 12 and 13 to complete their A levels with the support of teachers who have worked with them throughout their schooling will be able to apply for a place. There will be a limited number of places in the first year and we expect competition for these places to be high. Students must meet the general entry requirements and the subject specific criteria for all the courses they are intending to study. We will be holding our Sixth Form information open evening on Thursday 11th December at 6.30pm This is a truly exciting time for the school and the new sixth form will help ensure we continue to provide an outstanding education for our students for many years to come. We look forward to welcoming you to our open evening where we will provide you with all the information necessary for you to apply for a place in the sixth form. If you require any further information please contact me. Miss E Darabasz e.darabasz@rodingvalley.net
Sixth Form education is just one of the options available to you as a student aged 16, and we hope that the launch of the Epping Forest District Sixth Form now extends that choice. We are offering progression and continuity either within your own school environment or one that shares the same vision; where students are encouraged to not only achieve academic success but also prepare for the next phase of their lives as independent and confident young adults.
Making your choice Having decided that joining the Epping Forest Sixth Form is the pathway for you, there are many important decisions to be made. The subjects you choose will be dependent upon your individual strengths. The combinations should link to your interests, aptitudes and your intention in terms of progression to higher education or employment. All post-16 subjects will require your wholehearted commitment in order
for you to achieve the best possible outcome. When trying to decide think about these considerations: n Will you find the subject interesting? n Are you sufficiently interested to work for at least six hours per week on the subject? n Do you have the abilities and skills the subject demands? n Do you need the subject in order to follow a chosen career path or university course? n What is the balance of subjects in your chosen programme of study? If you lead a very busy life outside of school through other commitments, try not to choose four subjects that all require a lot of reading and essay writing. n I f you are unsure about what you want to do in the future choose a variety of subjects that keep more than one career option open to you. continued overleaf...
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Which subjects? You will need to choose 4 subjects to study and your choice of subject depends very much on what you are aiming to do in the future. This is an important decision and should not be taken lightly. n Do you want to go to university? n Do you want to go straight from the Sixth Form into employment? n Do you already know which type of career interests you? n How well are you doing in Year 11, are you reaching your potential? When choosing your subjects it is essential to consider how your choices will work alongside one another. Most universities and employers are looking for top grades, and A Levels are hard work, so choose subjects that play to your strengths, that support each other and perhaps most importantly, that you will enjoy. It sometimes helps to draw a map, putting a subject you are sure about in the middle and then consider all the other options available to you. For example:
that course; it can be frustrating to find out that a subject is needed when you make your university application and you haven’t studied i.e. Medicine requires Chemistry and Engineering requires Maths. The subjects we are offering in September 2015 include: Art and Design Biology Business Studies Chemistry Computer Science Drama and Theatre Studies Economics Engineering BTEC English Language English Literature French Geography German
History Mathematics (Statistics, Mechanics, Quantitative) Media Studies Music PE Philosophy and Ethics (RE) Photography Physics
All subjects will still be available as AS Level and A Level but the way they are assessed and accredited is changing, with exams being taken at the end of each course.
Product Design
BTEC Level 3 courses
Psychology
These courses are especially suited to students who prefer more vocational, practical subjects. They are also better for those students who prefer to be assessed on how they are performing throughout the whole two years of the course rather than on how they perform in terminal examinations. Assessment is mainly through coursework, including practical work. The only BTEC being offered in September 2015 is Engineering. Note that you are not able to follow this course by itself, you will still have to choose at least two other A Level subjects to make up a full Sixth Form course.
Spanish
* Please note that some subject titles and content may be subject to change depending on exam board specification details.
A Level Courses We will be offering a wide range of A Level courses that will be organised in option blocks across the week. If you cannot study all your A Levels in your own school, don’t worry, you will almost certainly be able to study them across the consortium. As you may be aware the structure of A Levels is changing with many new specifications being introduced in September 2015. The changes are being
Carry out some research into a university course or career that might interest you to find out if there are specific subjects required to study
phased in and for two years we will be teaching some subjects with the new specifications and some with the current ones. This is a national phasing in by the examination boards.
General Entry Requirements In general terms, we require students to have B grades or above in the subjects they wish to study (or their closest GCSE equivalent) and to have achieved a minimum average point score of 42 across their best 8 GCSE subjects. Students must also have achieved a minimum of a C grade in both GCSE English and Maths. Subject specific entry requirements will be published before applications have to be submitted.
Students follow us @RVHSTeam will be tweeting top tips, reminders, links and guidance for our students - everything from delays on the Central Line in the morning to revision tips and links for their GCSE’s.
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Alderton Hill, Loughton, Essex IG10 3JA t: 020 8508 1173 e: office@rodingvalley.net www.rodingvalley.net