Year 10 has got off to a pleasing start. The pupils are
focused and well settled in the vast majority of their lessons,
and many are making an effort to get involved in school life.
Many of the children helped out at the recent Open Evening,
and have begun to collect evidence for their CREST Award.
I hope they continue to take their studies seriously and
continue to create good habits for KS4.
Homework and organisation: When pupils begin to find
things difÏcult, I believe good habits will help them to cope
with the demands of homework and extracurricular activities.
Please encourage your children to create good study habits
now by providing them space to work, sticking to particular
homework times in the evening, and removing distractions
such as phones, tablets and computers. Good habits are
invaluable for long term success and help to foster an
attitude of independence, but children need constant support
in maintaining them. The PSHE curriculum, focusing on
Managing My Life, aims to provide pupils with the skills
they need to cope with a busy schedule. I will track the year
group’s completion of homework and pupils know that they
will be issued after school detentions if they reach 5 or 10
missed homeworks. 15 missed homeworks will result in a
Saturday detention.
Revision Evening: The evening with Michelle Miller was
a great success, with parents reporting that they found it
extremely useful and practical. The resources from this
event will be shared as soon as they are made available to
us. In the meantime, here are the top most effective revision
methods:
•
Flashcards/post-its
•
Mnemonics
•
Practice recall
•
Multiple choice
•
Podcasts
Revision Guides: In my weekly Year 10 bulletin, I attached
a list of recommended revision guides for parents/carers
to explore with their children. Please take the time to look
through the recommendations from each department and
ensure that your child has everything they need to be
successful in their Year 10 mocks in 2025, and their exams
beyond.
Work Experience: The pupils have been given the
information they need to begin choosing their work
experience placements. It is always recommended that
pupils seek out opportunities and placements that match
up with their career aspirations, as these are usually the
most valuable experiences. However, the pupils will be able
to select placements using the bespoke website they have
been given a username and password for, and many will find
things that appeal to them there. The placements are given
on a first come first served basis, so it is important that the
pupils are organised and explore their options as soon as
possible!
Year 9 always brings challenges: an increase in workload
and just simply negotiating adolescence creates new
demands. So far, the majority of pupils have been meeting
these challenges with a resilience and maturity that is a
real credit to them. Please encourage your child to be
resourceful, look back over their work, only submit high
quality work and use any recommended resources. Please
also urge your child to engage with the extensive programme
of extracurricular activities offered at school, whilst helping
them to stay organised as they manage their workload.
Charity events and socials
Each form will engage in a charity fundraising activity this
year. Please have a conversation with your child and see
how creative they can be. There will also be whole year
group charity events which will contribute to our chosen
charities.
Social Media
Screen technology is often a minefield for parents and it
often impacts on the mental health of pupils. It is important
to note that nearly all social media platforms require
users to be at least 13 years old. During PSHEe lessons,
assemblies, computing and form time we often discuss this
theme. However, as parents you can also help. The first and
probably the most important support you can give your child
is to have open conversations about what is happening to
them (and friends) online and monitor carefully their use of
technology. Setting ground rules, which include where they
can use devices, how long they use them for and the content
they access are essential. Quite simply, if you do not guide
them they will never have a chance to ‘switch off’! The best
tip I can give is to charge all devices downstairs so that there
is no temptation. If the device is on, you will be surprised at
how many notifications your child gets late at night.
PSHEe
The PSHEe schedule next term will include guarding against
exploitation and anti- bullying week. Should you require
further information, then please do not hesitate to contact
your child’s form tutor or myself. These topics are vital for
Year 9 pupils as they continue to learn about themselves and
the world they are growing up in.
Homework
I would encourage parents/carers to check ‘EduLink’ at
home. Homework expectations do increase in Year 9 and
some pupils may need encouragement to ensure that they
are organised, punctual and submitting their best efforts.
If you do not have access to your child’s EduLink account,
please contact IT services (helpme@strichardscc.com) to
get your login details.
Page 3
Newsletter 2 - October 2024
Mrs Hills, Pastoral Leader Year 9
(mrshillsa@strichardscc.com)
Year 9
Mr Steele, Associate Assistant Principal,
Pastoral Leader Year 10
mrsteelej@strichardscc.com
Year 10
•
Cornell approach
•
Memory mapping
•
Structured responses
•
Noting errors in marking
•
Building connections