Thanks to all parents who attended last month’s Open Forum event and responded to our parents’ survey. Around 15 Key Stage 4 parents came to the Forum and a much larger number of KS4 parents (11%) responded to the questionnaire. Both forms of response gave much positive feedback about work. Emerging headlines (questionnaire responses in brackets) were:
Strengths ...
- make good progress (89% agreed )
- Teaching is good (85%)
- Students like coming to school (86%)
- Teachers expect students to do their best (84 %)
- Students are treated fairly (80%)
- There are wide and rich opportunities for student involvement
Could do better ...
- Parents are not well informed about progress (55%)
- The school should do more to seek parents’ views (49%).
- More appropriate homework and advice on how parents can support learning are needed (42%)
- The quality of information about progress and attainment as well as guidance on interpretation could be improved
- Just over a third of respondents disagreed with the statement that ‘students behave well’
We also conducted the same exercise in the Sixth Form where just under 5% of parents responded.
Strengths ...
- student enjoyment of school (88%)
- staff expectations (84%)
- fair treatment of students and support for transition (80%)
- the way students are encouraged to be mature and independent (84%)
- range of activities and approachability of school (76%).
Could do better ...
- The extent to which the school seeks the views of parents (72%)
- Information about progress (64%)
- homework and advice on how to support learning (52%).
In our next newsletter we will be focusing on students’ views of King Edward’s in a parallel survey which we are currently analysing. In the meantime we will be developing proposals as to how we respond to these suggestions.
As promised, I attach the full analysis of questionnaire responses.
First Tuesday
A common issue across Y7 - 13 was also the need for better general communication home. In particular, parents asked for better use of the newsletter to flag up forthcoming events and deadlines and provide information in more digestible forms. We also received really helpful suggestions about year based parental information on the school website. These are both areas we will be looking at over coming weeks.
A further issue for parents was quite a simple one – how do we know when to expect the school Newsletter? We propose a simple answer to this – from next month we will always send home the newsletter on the first Tuesday of the month. Where that coincides with a holiday we will send the Newsletter out on the first Tuesday when school is in session. This should give you a useful lead as to when you should check school bags…
Personal Organisers
More generally, I would like to reiterate the importance of Personal Organisers. We expect every student in Y 7 – 11 to have their Planner with them and to place it on the table at the start of each lesson. We have asked tutors to sign these weekly and, in turn, would ask you to check and sign the Planner weekly.
Developing the School
As ever, this is a time of year where school budgets hit the headlines. You may have read about Leicestershire’s poor budget settlement this year, making it one of the worst funded local authorities in the country. In addition, King Edward’s is to suffer further cuts following lower numbers joining the school in autumn 2003. The result is that governors have now agreed staff reductions which will take effect in autumn 2004. Despite this, we remain committed to developing the school as a centre of excellence and providing the best teaching and learning we can for all students at the school.
Uniform or Dress Code?
All Year 9 parents have been invited to give us their views as to whether we should introduce a simple uniform for students as they come into Year 10, similar to that used in the Sarson Centre. We now need to consider what sort of arrangements we make as this year’s students move from Year 10 into Year 11. Buying a uniform for just a year may be impractical but we will certainly move to a stronger dress code for these students to ensure that they are dressed suitably for work. Look out for further consultation, but, if you have strong views, we would like to hear from you by e-mail to Marisa@ke7.org.uk or through a note sent to the school office.
Governors’ Annual Meeting for Parents
All parents are warmly invited to this year’s meeting which takes place on 31 March commencing at 5.00pm. For those of you with childcare arrangements to consider, we expect the meeting to be over by 6.30pm at the latest. The meeting technically is offered to review the school’s work in the last school year – please look out for the report which will be sent home next week. We also hope to take the opportunity to develop dialogue about the school as it enters a new phase of development.
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As the summer draws closer, weary winter thoughts begin to turn to the long summer holidays and days of sun and adventure. For ten students in the sixth form those dreams of adventure may turn to reality as they take advantage of the opportunity to visit the great city of Kunming in S.W. China. Here they will stay on a university campus for three weeks in this huge ancient historical city and experience a sub tropical climate. They will have the chance of a lifetime to immerse themselves in this unique culture; opera, dance and acrobatics will reveal a fun loving people.
Lectures on politics and history, martial arts and culture will expand their perceptions and reveal the complexity of this fascinating and fast developing eastern civilisation. A full daily course in Mandarin and Tai-Chi, will stimulate the mind as well as the body and the chance to interact first hand with similar aged Chinese students may allow friendships of a lifetime to develop.
Trips to historical landmarks and museums are also included.
This half term has seen us welcome our 10,000th visitor to the Eco Centre and the official launch of our new recycling project, Recycling’s Not Rubbish.
